From Dawn Till Dusk

From Dawn Till Dusk

In a village of the state of Uttar Pradesh lived two young boys. They had grown up together and were the best of friends till one day.

“Come on Ram, let’s play.” Urged Raghav.

“No Raghav. I need to prepare my lessons.”

Retorted Ram “But you can do it afterward, right?”

“Don’t you understand? This is more difficult than irrigating the fields. Well, how would an illiterate like you understand?” Now, go away.” Shouted Ram.

“You- how can you say it like that? You know perfectly well that my family could never afford my education. And about irrigating the fields, a soft white-skinned boy like you could never even pick up the ‘Plough’. Exclaimed Raghav before marching off.

“What did you say? Come back here! Yea!” Raghav could hear his best friend shouting in the background yet he didn’t stop. How could he? In their 15 years of friendship, this was the first time Ram had made him feel inferior. Deep down he knew that that Ram didn’t mean it but his teenage egoistic self couldn’t take this insult. Little did he know that someone had heard all of this.

‘After one week..’

“Oh, Raghav there you are. I’ve been waiting for you boy.” Said Mr. Shyam, Ram’s father.

“Namaste Sir. Why did you call me here?” asked Raghav.

“Yeah dad. Why did you call HIM here? Huh.” Said Ram mockingly.

“You-” But before Ram could finish, Mr. Shyam said something that shook the ground beneath the two young lads’ feet.

“Enough. I want you, Raghav, to take Ram with you to the fields when you go to work. And Ram, you, will teach Raghav to read and write during the night time. I have talked to Raghav’s father and so he has agreed so there is no room for discussion. Now you may go.”

“I’ll work in fields?!”

“I’ll have to pick up a pen & paper?!” “Ahhh… we’ll have to stay together from dawn till dusk?”

It has been three days since Mr.Shyam talked with the lads. Since then, Raghav comes early morning to take Ram to the fields while at night Ram becomes the teacher. During these three days, both of them understood that the other’s work is not as easy as the other had thought.

‘One year later…’

Now Raghav was no longer afraid of big lettered words or math calculations. Not was Ram a soft white-skinned boy. Raghav had just finished reading Prem Chand’s ‘Godan’ while Ram had just harvested his first crop.

And just like that, a simple practice saved their friendship and bonded them ever closer.

Daria Khan