Chai

                                                                                 Chai

All the little girl remembered were the crowds. Brushing shoulders with hoards of people, hearing the bellow of their lives ring through her ears. It felt as if everything was moving past the child, and she was the only one standing still. 

Standing still amongst the masses.

Standing still until she felt her arm being dragged through the swarm. The smell of mango mixed with sweat rushed past her, as her small frame was pushed onto an already crowded train compartment. Like a school of salmon, pushing against the current, the girl fought the flow of the swarm.

Suitcases were piled-up against her tiny feet, and as she tried her best to keep her balance, she saw her mother buying a cup of chai from one of the train vendors. She watched as her mother’s hand dropped two coins into his dusty hands.

The little girl made direct eye contact with her mother.

Her mother saw that she was going to fall in the middle of that frenzy, but it didn’t matter. Her mother still took a sip of her tea, and smiled as the little girl fell deep into the chaos of the world.

 

 

 

                                                                        by Vaishnavi Pernenkil