Skip to main content

The Crayon Kit!!

If there was one thing in the world Sheeza loved doing it was drawing beautiful and creative pictures, and then filling it with crayons - crayons Mumma brought for her 10 years ago. Oh yes, 10 years ago. You'd be wondering how did those crayoins last for 10 years. Well, they didn't last for 10 years, but even more.

Sheeza was in sixth grade. Perhaps at that time oil pastels were a rage in schools. Everyone used to own different styles of kits. It was all about competing who had the best of 'em oil pastels. Mumma knew Sheeza loved arts, but where they lived, stationery shops were very much a rarity. 10 years ago, Karachi was a lot more uncommercial!! But one fine evening, when Sheeza and her Mumma wen tto the other side of the town, Mumma left for the mall and got Sheeza the best kit of oil pastels and the fact that it came as a surprise made it all the more exciting. The box made of peachish pink plastic accomodated about 36 pastels. Usually such kits had about either 12, 18 or 24 pastels but this one had too many!!

That day, little Sheeza's face glowed with happiness. For kids, such gifts make the world for them. Next day, Sheeza took her crayon kit to school. Most kids in her class were amazed. It was beautiful after all. Since then Sheeza did all her art work with the crayon kit.
When in 8th grade Sheeza entered an Art Competition which required the contestants to draw on the theme, "We all need a little help from our friends" Sheeza had no clue as to what she'll sketch, but then who else could she have asked besides Mumma. Upon Mumma's idea to draw that which was her thought of friendship, which was actually Mumma's thoughts, she sketched on her advice a young girl studying late at night, and her Mom bringing a glass of milk for her.. yes, that was friendship for Mumma.. and the best kind of friendship it is.

Sheeza immediately started drawing.. first a rough sketch, then on approval from Mumma she drew the whole image, and then she coloured it, yes, coloured it with the same crayons Mumma had gotten her and guess what she got for Mumma upon submissiuon of her sketch... an appreciation certificate.. Yearls alter, the two of them kept dwelling on that certificate!
But one day, Alina, Sheeza's class fellow asked her for her crayon kit,

"Sheeza, can I have it for a day please, my cousins are coming over bringing an Art project, and I think your crayons would do a good job."

Sheeza was hesitant parting with the crayon kit, but nonetheless she wasn't so selfish as to part with her things, she gave it to Alina. When Alina returned the kit next day, she returned it with immense sorrow upon the breakage of the kit's clasp. Now, the kit could never be firmly closed. But Sheeza accepted with a fake smile. Later on she had tears in her eyes, but Mumma explained it to her that how could things stay forever, when humans also don't stay forever!!

And yet today when Rehmat Bi while dusting the desk asked her if she could have a colouring case for her school going daughter, Sheeza without any hesitation brought he same kit, received 10 years ago..she had absolutely no feeling for the material possessions, it was the memories she loved, and she had, which would stay forever..b/c she knew what mumma had said... nothing stays forever..

Rehmat Bi went off her way with the kit, happy as a lark! And Sheeza thought perhaps Rehmat Bi's daughter would get the same joy from the kit as she had gotten, the same happiness she experienced when Mumma handed it to her. And maybe, it'd create the same best friendship among those two, who knows.. But, perhaps it wasn't intended.. perhaps that kit was only for Sheeza and her Mumma because when Rehmat Bi came next day she told Sheeza something very weird..

"Bibi ji, some one took that kit out from my bag when I was in the bus.."

And Sheeza thought maybe it ascended to the heavens to its other owner.

Comments

Khalil said…
sheeza excepted with a fake smile

*ahem* accepted *ahem*

But was a nice story. Again was tinged with sadness like all your stories.
Karachiite said…
Thanks for correction..
Nah, this one had no tragic ending atleast, I think!!!
Sarah said…
I think it was sad... Nice story, as always.

I am so ashamed, I never finished my story :(
Karachiite said…
hmm.. sad??? maybeeee
I tried not to make it sad!!!

No tears nothing, hay na???
plus, i think i've bored evry reader of my blog by now!!
Anonymous said…
achi hai

dont think its sad though..

Popular posts from this blog

It’s a Dog’s Life!!

By Anjum Niaz There’s a dog in our neighbourhood that nobody wants. Actually it’s a bitch. Her litter is on the way, I suspect. The big patch of green bordering my home and the busy road in front is no man’s land (read the CDA) but the lucky homeowners have been gifted the land and told to develop it as best as their aesthetic sense permits. Gardens are abloom all around my garden (says who Islamabad will run dry?) which stands out for its pedestrian look, only because my landlord cares not a whit for the patch. But the dog does. She has dug a cradle under the tangled bushes and lies there unobserved by passersby on the street. I worry. What if the puppies — God knows how many — invade my space and arrive uninvited in my garden. Their mother may not live to feed them. She’s doing poorly. When she’s not sleeping, she’s scratching herself all over to get rid of the ticks and fleas that infest her body. The vicious summer heat has parched her. The sun is relentless. Down the road, I watch

Lost!

"You must get these medicines, go down the road and you'll see the pharmacy, also get two syringes..Be quick, we don't have much time, she needs to be injected as soon as possible" Lil Karim nodded enthusiastically. He looked in the dirty pockets of his gray kurta , there was a folded handkerchief, he had tied rs 2000 carefully in a knot in that hanky. Just yesterday Maa had gotten her monthly pay. And here she was lying on a bed in the general ward of a gov't hospital. Is that what a person who works so hard as Maa get for a gift, when I was 5, and got admitted to school, Maa got me a big red ball, such a nice gift, and why did Maa get this?? Karim, though just merely 10 years old had thoughts deep and profound. He ran off, his dusty kurta flying in the air, the rubber chappal he wore were on the verge of tearing apart, but did that matter to Karim??.. Karim ran amidst the people, since he was just 10, not much big either, people weren't letting him go ah

The New Leaf!!

Naveed twisted on the floor, rolled from one side to the other. At times, he folded the pillow in two, and once he just held it in his hand, there were still five freakin' minutes to go before the dial struck 4. Still, quite a lot of time left before the azan for Fajr would echo throughout his town. Naveed, unlike most people in dirty old Karachi, was one of the few who spent the night thinking what happened today. Today wasn't exactly good. Seemed like Abba was really angry. Well, what could he do?? It happened at the breakfast table. Naveed as usual woke up at 12:30 p.m. took a shower, offered Zuhrain , and on to the table, his breakfast table, where as it was Abba's luncheon time. Abba usually took lunch to work, but this afternoon he wasn't feeling good, so came home just in time to see Naveed sit at the table yelling, "Amma, mera anda paratha ???" Abba was furious. "Nido, is this the time for an anda paratha ???" "Aa.. Abbbaaaaa!! Well...