Twins

            Their mother died when they were just eighteen months old. People say that she was the most beautiful thing world can ever get. Not only was she exceedingly beautiful, her total personality was far much to talk about than her looks. An ardent social worker and godmother to the needy. But, it all changed one unfortunate day and her life could not see her babies toddle. God, must be in very need of such wonderful people, I guess. Or why is this untimely departure? So, after that the twins had themselves to look after each other. In their play, in their sleep they became one rather than two. You must be thinking what happened to their father. Predictable. The one happens with a man when he looses his beautiful and caring wife untimely. Their father, then a successful business man, is now just a drunken sloth, who time to time makes sure to abuse and curse them for his misfortune. When such a situation arise, they embrace each and shiver with a mixture of sadness, fear and astonishment. The only place where they could find solace is the lap of their grandfather, who himself sometimes feels the heat of his son.
           It is said time never stops for anyone, and it did not for the kids. And years went by slowly. Grandpa became their mother, father, teacher and friend. In school they were always were very quite and shy. So much so, when the teacher asked them about some lesson, they could not answer the question even if they knew the answer. They would rather get the stick than speak. Its not that they did not knew the answer, or that they were not bright. Grandpa teaches them well. Its just an inner fear. What will friends say if they say something wrong? But few of his friends did see them talking to each other. That is how six years of their life went by. Until one day, when they spent whole day clasping their grandpa's hand. With tears streaming down their face and no other emotion, they waited patiently for grand pa to speak. Not realizing that their mother,father,teacher and friend is long gone. He will not return back anymore.  Day went by and afternoon came, afternoon went by and nightfall wrapped the room in darkness. Beside his now cold body, they tried to find it's long lost warmth. At a certain hour at night, their father discovers them. Next ten minutes that followed is an emotional scar that lasted forever, besides the scars on their back.
        Many people visited them that day. People they never knew, and yet they shed tears and went by. But the best that could happen to them after this incident was that their father changed. Probably, realizing his own fatherless-ness, he felt their need of someone to take care. For the first time in their life they realized the warmth of a father and small hands touched and felt a human being, as if it is something precious and dear.
      Fate it seems, has most strange and crude ways of making its presence felt. Few months later, their father passed away due to some liver problem. Needless to say, the brothers were all alone again. They could not understand how relatives came from nowhere and claimed their house. After few days, they were abandoned in some far away street. A kind heart gentleman rescued them and took them to an orphanage. Probably hell would have been better for the kids. They were bullied, beaten and spanked by every other kid. What little they used to talk, became completely mute. Out of fear, they spent most of the day at a remote part of the compound.
           Then the monsoon came, but yet they steadfast at the corner. A mango tree was the whole world for them. Be it fever in the rain, they never missed a moment under the motherly tree. It was quite a while before someone noticed a little boy lying motionless at the root of the tree. They thought may be he was fast asleep. The little boy now was in a different world. He is safe there. He is no longer lonely. They have bid good bye to each other. Their mother gave birth to twins, him and loneliness.