Oh Krishna !! Are You Still There Around ....??!! : Poem

Vanita is an engineer-researcher-consultant-artist: a gifted singer-poetess; & writes in English-Hindi-Gujarati on her diverse experiences

Oh Krishna !! Are You Still There Around .... ??!!

It was about

The end of the year 1994.

I was a Fresher –

Mechanical Engineering Graduate.

On recommendation

From one of my Professors,

I joined

A mini and medium sized

Boiler Manufacturing Unit,

In an Industrial Area

On the Eastern outskirts

Of Vadodara, Gujarat,

Around twelve kilometers

From my home.

I commuted

On my two wheeler,

A Hero Puch.

In those days,

The area that

I passed through

Was sparsely populated,

Full of fields

And wilderness ….

One evening,

While returning home,

My Hero Puch

Gave away

Just a little way

From my office ….

Going back

To the empty

Industrial area

Did not appeal ….

No Automobile repairing

Outlets around ….

And ahead was

A long way

Till the nearest

Main road,

From where

I could contact home ….

No mobile phones

In those days ….

No telephone booths around ….

Few passer-bys

Gazing, glancing,

Invoking discomfort ….

Two young girls

Came by.

I asked if

Any Mechanic

Could be found ….

No ….

Ooops ….

Can you help me

Reach the main road ?

“Sorry, Sister,

It is so far away ….

But, we will

Accompany you

As far as we can ….”

A little relief ….

The distance was long,

And they could come

For a kilometer or so ….

Dusk was pacing ahead,

Darkness was creeping in ….

Deserted surroundings ….

I marched ahead,

Dragging my two wheeler,

As fast as I could ….

Praying to overcome

Apprehensions and fears ….

A little boy passed by ….

About ten years of age,

Small, darkish

With thick black hair,

Agile, walking fast ….

I called out,

Asking him,

Where he was heading,

“To my village ….”

“Where ?”

“Past the main road ….”

Is it ?

“You see,

My vehicle has

Gone out of order,

Can we walk together

Till the main road ?”

He nodded

In affirmation ….

He spoke less,

Nodded or smiled

As I talked ….

I don’t remember

What I said ….

To pass time ??!!

Or to express

My gratitude

That he was here

To accompany me,

To conquer my fears ….

We walked and walked ….

With a vehicle or two

Passing by,

Once in a while ….

Occasional passer-by

Staring by,

As I wondered,

Full of fear,

How would I have

Managed walking alone

In this darkness,

Through this jungle …. ??!!

After perhaps,

More than an hour or so,

Of walking and talking,

Dragging my two-wheeler along,

The distant lights,

By the main road

Could be seen gleaming ….

What happiness they aroused,

Is beyond words !!

Now, every step further,

Was closer to being safer ….

I was jabbering on ….

How good it was

That at last,

We had reached

The main road ….

“I would call my brother

From home,

To pick me up ….”

Reaching the edge

Of the main road,

I saw,

On the other side,

A little shop,

From where,

I thought,

I could call

My brother ….

“Come, let us

Cross the road ….”

I called

The little boy ….

But, he wasn’t there

By my side !!??

I looked around,

Ahead ….

Where is he ?

Where is he ?? ….

And could spot him,

Pacing to

The other side,

Diagonally right,

Dissolving in the darkness ….

I called out,

But couldn’t be heard ….

I couldn’t even

Thank him !!

Oh little angel !!

I couldn’t thank you

Even once !!

How could I,

How can I

Thank you enough !! ….

My eyes followed him

As far as they could,

As I crossed the road ....

I came to the little shop

And asked for help ….

The kind inmates,

A man and his wife,

Readily helped me,

With their telephone ….

I called home ….

“…. I am fine, fine ….”

My brother came

On his bike,

With all his smiles and

All the twinkles in his eyes,

As usual,

To take me back home ….

Till my brother came,

The shopkeeper couple

Made me comfortable,

Helping me park

My two-wheeler safely

In their compound

Till a mechanic

Could come

And set it right ….

All the while,

As I came back home,

From within,

I remembered

And remembered,

And thanked

And thanked

The little boy

Who walked

With me

Through those

Toughest of times ….

And I still remember him,

And I wonder,

Who was he ? ….

Appeared from nowhere,

Walked all the way along ….

A village boy,

Walking back home, alone ….

Who was He ?

Little Krishna …. !!

Krishna, Krishna …. !!

Krishna, Krishna …. !! ….

Are you still there around ??!!

- Vanita Thakkar (20-08-2020)

© 2020 Vanita Thakkar