4 The Orphanage (1/2)
Same Day In Maatrchaaya Orphanage –
Around all those modern towers and hi-end buildings which covered up the whole city, there was an old building situated towards the outskirts of the city. It was a traditional yet majestic building which was spread on several square feet.
It was made up of different types of house building strong woods like Indian Rosewood, Sagwan wood etc. and it seemed they used adobes in some places. The building seemed like those kinds of buildings which we could only see in period movies in present times, the buildings that belonged to Zamindars (lord of lands) of that era.
If someone had to describe this building into one word, the most correct word would be a Haveli (mansion). Havelis were widely known as the abodes of zamindars in that era. They were the symbol of the amount of money they possessed.
This haveli must have been the property of some rich individual who was generous enough to donate it to a NGO trust, converting it into an orphanage.
It also had a signboard which looked old and had been tied up to the rooftop railing, a bit tilted. It was painted in yellow color which made it visible to the naked eye even from afar. There were only two words printed on that board in a simple manner ”Maatrchaaya Orphanage”.
The sun rose. The silence which existed after that thunderstorm wasn't there at this time. The birds were awake and started searching for food everywhere while chirping. The orphanage seemed lively at this moment. The children were up and started the day with their daily routine.
The front gates of the orphanage were opened by a woman. There was a wooden basket lying on the front on the doorsteps of the front gates. The woman opening the gates noticed it and tried to look inside it. A streak of shock flashed onto her countenance as she ran straight into the orphanage.
”Madam, Madam Margaret.” A woman just came running while shouting into the caretaker's room.
”What happened, Rachna?” The woman, whom she called as madam, replied with a question.
”There is a boy.....an infant, lying in a basket at our front door.” Rachna replied while panting. When she saw the baby in that basket she ran as fast as she could towards the caretaker's room to inform her about this.
”What?” Madam's brows shot upwards. Her mouth was opened in a shocking manner.
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”Someone must've abandoned him during the night.” She controlled her riled emotions instantaneously and said. She had seen this incident play out many times in her life but every time it riled up her emotions.
”Lead me there.” Madam sprinted towards the front gates with Rachna.
”How can anyone be so ruthless, so cruel to abandon an infant in that kind of thunderstorm? Did they not have a heart?” Rachna gritted her teeth while looking at the baby.
They arrived at the front gate. Madam bended her back a little lower and picked the baby up from that basket in her arms. She looked towards Rachna while holding the baby in his hands and said in a calm manner.
”You don't know the ways of the world, Rachna. You shouldn't think it as though someone would be so ruthless to leave an infant in the thunderstorm, but you should feel the desperation of that person. How desperate that person must've been to leave an infant even in that kind of thunderstorm.”
”You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Look there are some red stains which seems like blood stains on the towel wrapped around the baby and yet the baby doesn't look harmed in anyway. Who knows what happened to the person who brought him here.” Madam said.
After hearing those words Rachna felt ashamed as she thought that she made a judgment too early about a stranger's personality. She bowed her head towards madam and said, ”I was wrong.”
Madam turned her head towards the baby and looked at him. The boy had closed his eyes and seemed to be in a deep sleep. He looked calm and peaceful.
”Don't worry, my child. You're safe here. Whichever sad things happened in your past, you will forget it as if it was just a dream. The moment you will open your eyes your life will start anew.” Madam whispered in a very soft voice in his ears.
She turned towards Rachna and said, ”Let's bring him in.”
”Renu...Renu! We are going to be late at this rate. Hurry up.”