Broken Umbrella

                                                       Broken umbrella

Monsoon was reason enough for them to come out of their houses and savour the earth freshened up in rain. They...the boys from the slum...had nothing much to do . Boys at their age would supposed to study  with which these boys had permanent enmity. What  would a youngster do if he/she were unwilling to study?Loaf...These boys were perfect for loafing. They got a roof made to secure that loafing and they named it recreational club. From the room of that club through the open windows they would focus watching the people struggling in the rain...often teasing them by making strange noises and giving them weird names. They were not afraid of anyone except that old man with the broken umbrella. The man seemed to be so harmless so fragile yet he was able to evoke so much of fear in those boys. There were valid reason for the boys to hate that man because he was stingy,educated and looked down upon on them.But how could be that man scary...is difficult to know! If one could eavesdrop he/she could realize whenever that old man would pass,the focal point of their talk would be centred on his broken umbrella. They had always suspected that the man was a wizard and his power would be hidden inside that umbrella. Earlier that man used to be accompanied by a little boy. Had the boy been alive he would have been of their age. The boys were certain that the man had killed that boy with his wizardry and nothing could be done. They tried to get people of their locality aware against that man...informed police but whenever the mass would meet the man he seemed to be so harmless.  They even followed and pried on to him but found nothing but colourful strings fancy canopies and sticks inside his hut.  Even today when the man passed by the boys were alert. They remained unsettled till the old man disappeared in the far. The man struggled hard with his broken umbrella in the rain to reach his hut and got the wet umbrella stitched with new strings and there came a boy like a flower newly-bloomed. The boy looked happy very happy with fancy canopies,colourful sticks and strings...the boy loved the umbrella so much that he didnt even look hungry. The old man had been a loner. The boy came from nowhere to help him. But one day he tried to escape the former's poverty and tirade and the man locked him inside the umbrella but age did take a toll on his magical power and for that the spell would be broken when the umbrella was back into the shape. Otherwise the broken umbrella would mean the boy locked there happily... The man did love his only companion too that's why he had brought so many canopies,sticks,strings to get the umbrella in shape so that the boy stayed happy in when out  of the spell.