Thaila

I looked at a sky-touching building on the other side of the road. A small part of horizon was hiding behind its floors. 

'Ma, I want to see that Maaal (Mall). What it looks like, I want to see. Shops, people, and my friend told me that there are restras too, I want to see all', I said to Ma while staring at that gigantic building.

'Look at that automatic 'seedhi' . I watch it every day through these glass panes. I want to go, Ma, take me there' I continued. My mother didn't turn to see what i was explaining her, instead she kept pushing me towards the other direction. Direction to 'Pali Bazaar'.

'Big people go there. Your 'sahib' , his 'baccha' 'bibi', all of them come here for shopping. It is not a 'Bazaar' for poor people.' mom replied.

Ma started mending my broken heart's wall, 'Champak seth's shop is much better than these malls. He gave you free chocolate last time. didn't he? He may give you another today'.

'I will not move. I don't want to go to that shop. We have 'Thaila', we can buy few things from Maaaal and can climb floors through automatic 'seedhi'', I kept insisting.

Ma agreed at last, and we started dragging our feet towards the Glass-monster, probably with much lesser pace than we were leaving it behind. Cars were crawling so as to make their way to parking slot and among those cars we made our way to front arena of that mall.

Scorching sun was above our head. Most of the people had their sunglasses with them to reflect the blazing sun away. People were rushing inside with almost nothing in hand but we had 'thaila' and it was a prove that it is we who actually came here to shop, not these big people. 

Ruthless 'world' again proved that I and ma can never be a bit ahead of it as within few seconds I saw a family, like our bade sahib's one, came out with dozens of 'Thailas' in their hand, the colorful ones, and those were even more exciting than my school bags. I lost my interest in our 'thaila' as it had ugly looks with an irregular color patterns and an imprinting

 "502 Pataka Chai"

 accompanied with an another imprint 

"Tan Badan mein taazgi jagaye.". 

Although i wasn't sure of what was written on those mall bags but one thing was clear, one need not to carry a bag for shopping here. 

There was a security guards standing on entry gate counting every bird crossing his head. He returned to his job as soon as we tried to sneak into stomach of that Glass-monster, ignoring him. 

'What do you want?' he asked to my mom.

People were still entering through the door behind us without any interruption. But there was a question for us. 

'Want to buy chaaclate for him' my mom replied in a murmur.

'We sell chocolate. For chaaclates go to your 'Pali Bazaar'. There is nothing for you two here.Go! Go!' he teased which was followed by a laugh by his fellow standing on exit gate saluting passing-by people on his own will.

I grabbed hand of my mom. I wanted to leave that cruel place, a place where my mom was humiliated, a place where eyes following us wondering what the people like us doing here.

I didn't look back while heading back towards Champak 'seth's' shop. I wasn't expecting chocolate from there. I just wanted to fill my mom's 'thaila'.