A Royal Door

I was born in India ,in a small district called Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh state. It is in Northern part of India. This story was a common story for me coz from the very childhood I was reading all about in my classbooks, but when it came to veracity. It became an unforgettable. May be you will find this story weird but these stories are very common in India.
We were living in our parental giant house and a small slum could be seen in front of my house. There were many small huts and small cottages of poor people.where they were leading a life without electricity, without any solid roof where in rainy season, rains comes straight to their faces while they are resting.

There was a big house among those small huts, which was remarkable for it's huge look. It was said that around 20 to 25 people use to live in that house. We can only see a big door out side which was a big red, ostentatious, flashy shining door made of sandalwood there. It was said; once that family was very much affluent but due some major monetary slaughter they became poor. Well, what ever it was people only see that glamour ..that red, beautiful, regal painted door with beautiful mirror works,coloured pearls pasted on it.

…We use to see that on every month the landlord of that house visits to collect rent and each time he went back yelling and shouting coz no body opens the door….
Everybody was stunned always with this episode.

One day, I well remember it was a winter morning where sun doesn't want to come to the streets, birds were sitting compact in their nests. Hawker was busy in throwing newspapers on every door…Tea stall was full with the regulars…. women sweeping the roads. …And children ready to go to school…All of sudden we heard a big scream …and as someone yelling and provoking to somebody else to come out from the house. We all stopped our work and not only we, every body in that street came out to see that scene…. and to find out that what's going on…?

That landlord was standing in front of that same big house which had that red royal door…He was badly shouting to the members of that house and asking to give his due rent of previous months…An old man came out side of the house and urged meekly not to create any scene and in very days he will pay all his rents. He also requested not to shout as that was the matter of their prestige and children inside the house will be sacred.

But the landlord was out of his temperament. This time he was not ready to compromise with anything. He said 'Why you people are not giving my rent. I know you people are all able to give my rent. I can see or everybody can see this beautiful red precious door outside the house…what is all this. You have so much to maintain your prestige and your reputation as you seems to be a high maintenance .Why can't you pay my rents…Today let me see your house. I know you have all precious things and I will take few for you have not paid my rent so far…

That old man started requesting: Please don't do this. There are ladies and children and what others will think about us, we are a respectful family. Don't do it.
But the landlord took his stick and strike on that beautiful mirrored ,painted door… The door was not so solid and came down.

He said 'Oh god………forgive me. I can't see this…He saw that, which was unanticipated by anyone there. Many ladies sitting inside with all torn, shabby, ragged clothes, half on their bodies and half not, children were barefooted; there was nothing in the house .no grains. It was a really a miserable scene…

Seeing all that old man of the house sat helplessly keeping one hand on his head as he lost everything. Some one said …please put the door again, but this time that old man took that door with him and said now we don't need it.Our prestige is no more with us. -By Bhawana Verma