Arakana: A Thousand Years After

977 ANB

The dining room was filled with people from across the universe, members of the elite class who presided over industrial empires. Women wore precious pieces of jewellery, luxurious gems, and stones from the planet Emerald. Men were in shining blazers made with gold metallic fabric. Ilm who had just turned seven was filled with joy for all this arrangement. The dining table was enormous, gathered with different types of foods; from sweets and cookies to various kinds of beverages, from light and boiled foods to spicy aromatic foods, all kinds of sea foods, and even variety in alcoholic drinks. All pompous arrangements.

 "Oh, my boy, Ilm, happy birthday. You have grown so much. I had seen you when you used to sleep on your mother's lap. Isn't Pema? Oh, Ilm—" a woman said. She was as large as a rhino and plump like a hippo. She wore a high-neck necklace designed with blue precious stones and a ring bracelet on her right hand. Her purple gown was glittering with silver metallic fabric works.

 "Yes, yes, auntie, yes," Ilm nodded. Although he didn't know who she was.

 "Why don't you join the dining, Mrs. Sennsa." Pema interrupted. "Perhaps, Mr. Sennsa and your son are also there."

 "Yes, Pema you are right. I am going then. Ilm, enjoy your day." Mrs. Sennsa had gone after saying that. Then she picked up a glass of cocktail from the arrangement on the table.

 "You have saved me." Ilm sighed. "I don't know most of the people here."

 "They are all our employees and their family, and our business partners. It's natural for you not to know them." Pema stated.

 Ilm wore a blue suit with a white shirt under it and a red tie. The pant was about knee height.

 Pema was in ethnic wear. She made a bun with braids in front, and long strands of hair near the right ear. Simple and yet so elegant.

 "Why don't you go and play with other children?" Pema asked.

 "No, I want to stay with you for a while."

 Pema sighed. "Soon your father will come with our special guests."

 "Who are they? Baba's new business partner?"

 "I don't know."

Shakhai did come with special guests. But they were not like what Ilm or Pema imagined. Even they could never imagine these guests. They were three little kids, better to say, beggar kids. They were in dusted and torn pants, and the girl among them covered herself with a rough nasty rug. Their matted hair signified the uncleanness. Their bodies were like skeletons and barely had any muscle on them.

 They stole everyone's attention. Oh, Shakhai is a charitable man, I see. Someone said. Of course, after all he is the son-in-law of Bhagvat. Then another. Oh my, look at those kids, because of Shakhai, they will get some to fill their stomachs. Chaos erupted.

 "Attention everyone. Let me introduce Our guests. They are Salin, Treta, and Coby. They all belong to Kubuyashi slum. Talking about slums, I have remembered my childhood—"

 His childhood? Was there any connection between him and the slums? What? People thought.

 "I was about Ilm's age when sir Bhagvat went to a slum whose name I can't recall now, sorry. There he found me. Because of my curious and obedient nature, he took me with him and admitted me to the school on Mars. Later, he made me head.

 "Now, you may ask why I am saying about this especially today, during my son's birthday celebration. Well, I just want Ilm not to forget about people out there. People who need us most. We as wealthy and strong people should help those who are weak. If on that day, Bhagvat didn't take me with him, I may still live in a slum, begging for food and money. And I hope in the upcoming ages, Ilm will do these ethical works and take care of our family legacy. Thank you."

 Everybody was cheering, and clapping. They applauded Shakhai, perhaps only for his speech.

 "Sometimes, I think business is not Grandpa's cup of tea," Ilm whispered to his mother.

 "Maybe," Pema answered.

 "If he remained as the head, the industry might be shut down."

 "Ilm, come here, meet with our guests," Shakhai called.

 Ilm got down from his chair and walked passing the dining table. Shakhai took Ilm and those three kids to another round table at the corner of the hall. Mrs. Sennsa's son was asking to go with them to Mrs. Sennsa. But she made a disgustful look and ordered not to.

 The round table had the very same dishes as the main dining table. Those three kids were overwhelmed, they looked at Shakhai. Shakhai smiled at them. Then he gently rubbed Ilm's head and asked him to wait.

 Four of them were silent for a while. Those beggar kids didn't start eating yet. Something was awkward here. Then Ilm took the initial breaking the silence.

 "Why don't you eat? They are delicious by the way."

 They finally got comfort around him and started to eat. Gradually, they sped up eating abandoning all spoons; and at one point in time, they were eating with both of their hands. Grains of rice stuck to their mouth, and their lips became yellow. They were licking their fingers, tasting every single thing they had got. Ilm was curious about their age as they ate like kids.

 "How old are you?"

 "I am nine years old; Treta and Coby are six years old twins." The boy who was taller and had longer hair said. He was Salin.

 "Are you all siblings?" Ilm asked.

 "Yes."

 "But you do not look like nine."

 "Haha, yes. Your father said that to me before."

 "What a peace! After all these years, we have finally filled our tummy," Coby exclaimed.

 "Dada, look this water is so clean and tastes so good." Treta bewildered.

 "It's just usual water. There is nothing special about that," Ilm said.

 "Then you don't know. The water which is provided by the Government to us is not like this. That is dirty. Even we found a dead rat from that one-litre drum," Coby stated.

 "Oh, so you had to wait for another drum?" Ilm asked.

 "No. If we waited, we had to wait for one month," Treta answered.

 Ilm felt uneasy. He had foreseen something terrible. He knew what they would say next, but he kept himself with them.

 "We just simply filtered that water with a cloak and used that," Salin said.

 Now, he lost his all strength. He felt stomach-ache. He thought he was going to vomit. How could someone live like that? He thought. Now he understood why Pema scolded him for wasting water. He felt guilty that he had wasted a large amount of water in the act of playing during the bath. He realised how privileged he was. He understood what his father meant by 'weak people'. He imagined them filtering the water which had a rat corpse. Even though they had filtered, Ilm could be sure that their cloak might be filthy. He closed his eyes.

 "I am going then, you can continue eating," he asked permission. They nodded. Then Ilm got out from there and rushed towards the washroom. Shakhai noticed that.

 The washroom smelled of his vomit. Some vomit on the floor and some in the basin. The chocolate cake, dessert, cookies, and drinks all were vomited. Ilm stood against the basin. His face was red. He was sweating. He felt another turn. He lowered his head and let everything out

 "Ilm!" Shakhai yelled.

 Ilm turned his face. His eyes were full of tears. He ran towards Shakhai, grabbed his waist, and placed his face against his father's chest. He cried loudly.

 "What happens, my son?" Shakhai asked.

 "Why? Why do they have to live like that? Why we can easily afford fresh water, but they can't?"

 Shakhai was surprised. He was silent for a while then gently answered, "Five centuries ago our planet ran out of water… not a single molecule of water. And some companies took this as an opportunity… tsk… They started to produce water at an exclusive rate. Now some privileged people like us can afford that water, but needy people can't. The government may provide them water, but you can see that it is unhealthy for them."

 "If water is so costly then why don't you make a water producer for them? People will have their own personal water producer so that they don't have to buy water. Baba, can't you make this? Our industry builds small and large machines for space travel, for Universal Government, and for other industries. So why not make something for people who need us? Promise me, you will do."

 Ilm's eyes were glittering with tears. His lips were trembling. Shakhai sighed. "Okay, I promise."