“….Yes, yes; and then we shall do it, right?…. You did the same, didn’t you?… It worked! Then we shall try … I think it’s fine, it should be… Yes very accumulated! I’m in want of some cleanliness!”
“Good morning mom!”
“ Good morning darling… .where? Assembly?”
“Yes, it’s about to begin. I am joining on time, though.”
“Again!”
The day began with the daily conversation. Nisha was on call with another of her relatives or friends of her contact list. Raj was busy in his office meeting and the ten years old Shlok was in his hurry to join the assembly; all as busy as one could be on a fine lockdown morning.
The working hours would start with enthusiasm and hope of something unique and fresh, but they always ended up in the monotonous routine of previous days, without a slight moment of novel deviation from their diurnal schedule. Days seemed truly as exact ‘periodic phenomena’. However, Shlok found his online classes as an escape from that ennui. Unlike his knackered parents, he found those ‘bolted’ days joyful, all credit goes to his stimulating online classes.
“Good morning children. Hope you all are safe and doing good. Today we shall learn about Environmental Protection.”
Ah! This was the time Shlok had been waiting for so long. The last class was of Environmental Studies. The topics that were taken in it were so new and interesting that Shlok would just wait throughout the classes impatiently for this period. The initiative of the school was praise worthy though, otherwise E.V.S. was just considered as a mere subject to be mugged and graded nowadays.
Hmm, so today’s topic was Environmental Protection. A very crucial concept, need of the hour! People had been very irresponsible towards the environment. It was the bygone era when it was categorized as human’s prime duty to conserve the environment. All these are now restricted to books as points which if crammed and wrote in examination would fetch full marks.
“What do you mean by nature? How do you see environment, children? ”
“Ma’am, may I? “, Shlok asked hesitantly as he struggled in switching on his microphone.
“Yes Shlok, go on! ”
“Ahhm, Madam, environment refers to plants, sky, animals, shrubs and all natural things in our surroundings, which give life to us. ”
He switched off his microphone as soon as he completed his answer.
“Very good, Shlok. Well said. Yes, we get our life from environment, trees, nature… If they won’t be there, we wouldn’t have been able to survive…” and the explanation continued.
“Okay, so environment studies today! “, said Nisha from behind as she bent low and peeped into the tablet through Shlok’s shoulders. Her voice frightened Shlok at first but her smiling face vanished his shock and replaced it with assiduousness.
“Yes mom, Ma’am is telling about ways to protect environment.”, he said eagerly. “Oh, is it… That’s great! “said Nisha as she straightened her back in slight disinterest. “Do you know these protective measures? ” asked the earnest kid in his innocent and profound voice. He was really inquisitive to know about the going on concept. His zeal impressed Nisha. “Haah! We have been going through these since our childhood. All those are debossed in my mind. We used to highlight them and write ‘Learn By Heart’ over them…. Ah! Those were the days.” and she was lost in the echoing tunnels of her childhood memories. Shlok was exulted. His eyes widened in excitement and lips’ tips raised in fascination. “WOW! You know it!” The boy was truly naive to wonder at that fact.
“Very well, son, even more than what your teacher knows. Protective measures include planting more trees and…. preventing dumping waste in open… ” She was struggling in answering the most basic question every human shall know. Shlok’s eyes were sparkling and mouth gasping in ebullience. Wow! His mother was knowledgeable. She was an ocean of wisdom. He had discovered it and it made him so proud of her.
“….and we should not burn waste in open. Oh! That’s most harmful…. Very much!”, she added.
“…Yes children, so the points that I told you, remember them. Plant more trees, take care of them, Dump and dispose waste properly and never burn waste in open. Take care all of you and we will meet tomorrow, again. Bye.” Shlok was too busy priding over her mother’s wisdom to switch on microphone to ask his doubt. Never mind! No need of swivet, he thought, as his genius mother was there right in front of him.
“Mom, what will happen if we burn waste in open? ”
“Oh son, that’s noxious! It pollutes the air, I mean, black fumes and foul whiff come out when we burn garbage in open… ” Shlok was hearkening meditatively. She elaborated, “which creeps in the air and makes it dirty. When we take that air in, it enters in our body and causes serious health problems. You know, cough! Cold!”
These were the health issues she could think of regarding air pollution, which could be discerned easily by her ten year old.
“….and it also hurts green plants. You know they give us air to breathe… If they will be damaged, who would give us breeze?…. and it also increases warmth on earth.” She explained in the simplest words she could think of at that moment, but Shlok had understood well. Everything was crystal clear in his mind now. Nisha was happy that her son was taking so much regard in his studies.
……..
“Ya, ya…. Ready, Okay, Okay…I am coming.” She hurriedly stood up as she put down the phone.
“Understood, son? ”
“Yes mom, everything understood! ” came the answer infused in contentment and delight of having achieved something important.
“Want to eat something?”
“No mom, tummy is full.”
“OK, I am going upstairs. If anyone is at the door, don’t volunteer to open it. Just call me if anything is required, fine?”
” Yes, fine. ”
Nisha rushed towards the rooftop staircase. Shlok tidied the sofa and the table; keeping his books on shelf and tablet in the cupboard. After all his work was done, he came to sit and watch some television.
The room was filled with his immaculate laughter and the sounds of some random cartoon characters from television. For a moment, Shlok sensed something. It was mephitis; a malodor most unpleasant, and that he had never smelled. He coughed as he inhaled it. The effluvium came again, more bitter and gross this time. Something was burning; he could make out. Following the footsteps of fetid air, he reached the window. As soon as he looked out, his eyes widened in amazement and horror. His mouth opened wide and his hands involuntarily raised to his nose to jam the nostrils with his fingers to prevent that miasma creep into them. He rushed up the stairs the roof in tizz. “Environment! Nature! ” He repeated these words as he breathed. Hardly had he opened the gate when he stopped in shock. He stood baffled, staring at the horrendous sight.
“Yes, yes, from there as well… Do it properly.” His dear erudite mother stood there with scarf on her mouth and lighter in hands as she burnt the pile of leaves and other waste material from one side while his father collected them from the ends of the roof. The fumes emerging from the blaze filled the welkin, dominating over it’s natural blue, giving it an appalling grey hue. The stench in the air made it a bit strenuous to breathe in.
Shlok did not wait anymore. He could not comprehend the vision. He rushed downstairs, to the kitchen; filled a glass with water and hurried upstairs. No sooner did his gasping self reach the rooftop than he threw, or rather sprinkled the water on fire. Nisha noticed him but she was too busy in burning leaves to understand the gravity of her act or that of her son’s. Shlok brought the glass of water and repeated the task. It was in his third attempt to extinguish fire when he hastened to his mother and feebly tried to refrain her from burning the leaves.
“What are you doing? ” beamed the agitated mother, “I am watching you since so long. Why are you throwing water on the fire? ”
“Mom” said Shlok in his pleading voice, as if he were calling someone who was lost, as if he were dismayed. “The Environment is dying! “, he craved as he sobbed. His eyes had look of terror and disbelief, as if he were betrayed, robbed! There was a look of discountenance and bamboozle.
Nishi stood astounded. Each word of his shaking voice was like a dart to her heart. She stood red, shameful as if she were a criminal. But why was he behaving like that? She could not get it exactly. She knew something had been done by her which was not even dreamt of by her son, but what was it…. Environment? All she knew was that the roof belonged to her and the waste and leaves too. She had full right to burn it… It shall not be a concern of anybody as no one is incurring any loss out of it, she thought.
But for that young lad, it was a huge loss. “You have killed the environment, mom… “, he murmured as he tumbled down the fiery roof.
