ADVIKA, advika means "world".
Fifteen year old me, coming back from school,
Met 36 year old Advika,
Advika means "world".
Twenty years of difference
Felt zero seconds,
I was coming back from school,
I stole twenty rupees from my mother's wallet,
I craved for an ice-cream.
Just a second before buying one,
Someone's voice peirced my flesh and reached the heart,
" Ma'am, you look so beautiful"
" Can you give me something to eat?
"I haven't fed my daughter in days."
As I looked at her,
I had a tinge of staining anxiety glittering in my chest,
Advika means world, a world of poverty.
I could see her small lumpy malnutritioned breast right through her blouse,
As transparent as water, due to sweat.
I saw her wearing a robe with dirt decorated on it,
I saw her holding her 6 year old daughter in one hand upon her tiny waist,
Brown tanned flesh,
Sharp face features defined the child's face exactly.
ADVIKA, Advika means world, a world full of dirtiness.
Advika had vermilion embellished,
From the forehead to the back,
I gave her my 20 rupees,
She bought biscuits,
And started feeding her child.
"You'll get a rich husband"
She remarked,
I ignored it and went away.
I noticed she was right behind me walking or I should say following me,
I was scared half to death.
After a couple of minutes,
She forced two biscuits right from the packet into my hands",
I told no but I kept it anyways because she called me beautiful,I was so happy then.
Advika means world, a world dull of kindness.
We talked till we got home,
While enjoying two biscuits and her daughter's cry.
She told me about her love marriage,her loving husband who got lost and was never found , her child,who was called "Adhira",which meant "the moon" and many more things.
Advika means world, a world full of courage.
Just days ago,
When I was walking down the street,
Someone's words peirced again through my flesh,
"Didi,I found you"
I said, "sorry,who are you"
And with lustrous teary eyes,
She said,
"ADHIRA",
"ADHIRA means moon, moon full of scars.
I was shocked rather happy,
"Where's Advika",
"Advika died"
"When"
"1 year ago"
"How"
"Starvation"
"Where was she"
"At the streets"
Advika meant world, a world full of melancholiness...
We busted into tears.
To a part of my life,
To the courage of humanity,
Died,
Beyond immortality...
In the loving memory of,ADVIKA...
ADVIKA, I love you,wherever you are,I love you, I love you and I'll miss you.
Anushka.
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