"The clown"

                      "The clown🤡"

The weekend evenings are always special for the city life, relaxed from the mediocrity of the hectic week, giving a rejuvenating texture to the upcoming ordeals. And the mall can be the most humble place for the busy yet less privileged class. The ambience looked electrifying with all the city folks gathered for  relaxing and window-shopping. One of the less privileged families was on a window-shopping spree having three kids, the youngest of the lot was a 7 years old -Zain, the youngest of the Abdullah family. 

The family mingled in the crowd soon, though the crowd also had categories. Some had the audacity to enter the showrooms while others were content watching from outside, Zain's family was from this lot. He all of a sudden started tucking his father's pants pointing towards the upper floor. When his father looked upwards, there stood a clown in red and white painted face matched with same colour clothes and shoes with a wide carved smile painted in red, hopping and dancing on its own tune. The kids flocked around him for clicking pictures but rarely anyone put anything in the charity box kept beside him. 

Zain finally turned up on the floor accompanied by his eldest brother with ten bucks each in their pockets. The clownish figure looked more intriguing for him now as he neared him. What an energetic man!! He said in his mind as the clown was continuously hopping and dancing. But the box was still empty, no one cared for the box which said "donate if I made u smile" , though everyone guffawed at the caricatures of the man. The man welcomed the two kids and lifted Zain in his arms, tickling him and teasing him. The kids were elated to see his caricatures and caring instinct. The small show got over in a minute. Zain asked his brother," should we give him our  money💰"? "No, we just have ten bucks and moreover father will chide us". Eventually, the elder one had his way and went back to their parents, pockets still full. 

The family got together again. Everyone smiling and full of spirits except the little one, who was still mesmerized by the tenderness of the clown. The clown show had got over but Zain still stared at him from a distance wrapping his little business which couldn't make anything that day. The box still went unnoticed. Zain looked intentively as he took off the mask he was wearing. Bang!! He couldn't believe his eyes. The kid couldn't have imagined in his fantasies that the vigorous clown would turn out to be an old woman fighting for breath, grey haired , wrinkled skin and clad in tattered clothes. He couldn't control his curiosity and took his brother again with him who was of course reluctant to go. 

The lady looked more fragile when seen closely. The lady smiled seeing the kids , though was surprised as she had already taken off her mask and nothing in her character could attract them. Zain kept staring at her and finally asked ,"you are old, how do you hop and dance"? 
"My son's ailment pushes me and this is all I know", the lady replied smiling. Her face still had no regrets. Stealthily, Zain tossed his pocket money into the box and ran from there. His little mind couldn't process the thoughts he was having. He just clinged onto his mother and didn't leave feeling the purest form of love. Maa is precious.❣️❣️

 🤰👩‍👧‍👧👩‍👦‍👦                                    ✍️Rohit Raj✍️