Tiffin Box
By: Atiq Khan (November 22nd, 2008)
“Abbu khudaa hafiz”, said Munir as he left the house for his school.
“Just take care of yourself beta”, said Moin, as he closed the door of the shanty. Munir’s school was in a HINDU- dominated area called Vejalpur. The wounds of 2002 riots were still afresh in Moin’s mind, as he saw his 10-year-old Munir running with his school bag towards Ronak, his best friend who was waiting on the ‘border’ – the name given to the crossroads between Vejalpur and Juhapura. Juhapura – the muslim dominated ghetto of Ahmedabad, and probably the largest muslim ghetto in entire Asia. But for Munir, these facts didn’t matter; only his home did.
Six years had passed since Moin came to Juhapura; after losing his wife in the infamous Gujarat riots. Munir was too small to even know what riots meant. And no matter how old he grows, he still wouldn’t know the meaning. Not for Moin though… Moin epitomized hatred for Hindus. The riots took away his home, his business and his wife. The revenge factor, added to his dictionary by the so-called Muslim clerics, had seeped in deep.
“Abbu… I am back”, said Munir as he threw his bag and flung himself on Moin. “Mera Beta… Ok tell me, what did you learn today in the school?”
“Well, we learned about Indian constitution… All Indians are equal… and constitution gives equal rights and opportunities to all Indians irrespective of his caste or religion and”…
“BULLSHIT”, said Moin, as he shook off Moin’s arms from his shoulders “It’s all there in the text books only… Bloody double standards… Anyways, what else did you do…?”
“Abbu, I want a tiffin box”
“Tiffin box?? Why?? You already have one na?”
“No Abbu, I want one with a Spiderman sticker on it. Ronak has it too… Please Abbu!”
“But beta, you know our financial condition… And Ronak comes from a rich family… and why won’t he… He is a well earning HINDU afterall… It’s always we who suffer when a…”
“No-No Abbu I want a spiderman tiffin box”, Munir cut his father short.
“Ok, let me see… Give me some time.”
Munir always had fascination towards tiffin boxes. During his lunch break, he used to observe kids opening their tiffin boxes, and used to get amused of their reactions. For Munir, a tiffin box symbolized love of a mother – something he was always devoid of. All his dad could fill in the tiffin box was roasted grams; cheap and easily available. In fact, Munir’s classmates had nicknamed Munir as Gram-boy because of his tiffin box.
Two days after Munir’s demand, his father gifted him a bright red color Tiffin Box with a Spiderman on it. Munir’s joys knew no bounds. Not one, but his dad had got three such tiffin boxes, all red ones with a Spiderman on it. Listening to his dad talking to his friends, later did he realize that the other two tiffin boxes were meant for dad for some official purpose. He even overheard his father saying to another guy who too had a long beard, “The first one will be at LG Hospital and the second one at Maninagar Railway station.”
The next day Ahmedabad was rocked with two consecutive serial blasts – one at LG Hospital, and the other at a governmental school at Vejalpur, where a kid died and several got injured. An abandoned tiffin box at Maninagar Railway Station created lot of panic, only to the surprise of the police to find nothing but ROASTED GRAMS in it.
Tags: Ahmedabad blasts, civil hospital, conceit, gujarat, inhuman, mujahideen, reckless, serial blasts, tiffin bomb, timer, treacherous, unholy
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
one of the best short stories i have read in recent times. a very moving and touch story. great work atiq. the subject has been handled in a simple and soulful manner. hope to read more of your stories in the coming days.
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
excellent work….
November 24th, 2008 at 1:03 am
I found this blog entry very moving and thought stimulating,… Thank you for posting this.
My view :–>>>
I’ve seen a lot of people in my acquaintances who have openly expressed their non-secular nature and also gone on to abuse other religion… I know people are getting killed,… I know someday maybe even I may end up in the death-list. But does this justify the hate ? I, for one, have never seen the difference in the beutiful smile of a child, irrespective of religion. I had decided after the 2002 riots that I’ll be and remain secular till the end of my life. Maybe i am incapable or even a coward to not hate,… But I find myself incapable to hate a human-being just because of his religion. Once again, I know that I cannot and will never be able to change the world,… But i can be a difference atleast.
Living in the city area of Ahmedabad, I’ve come to experience the perceptible fear hanging in air and the lack of information numbing human brains till the point of desperation. It was a point of utter chaos. Streets silent and painted lacked their point of existence during those times. I was not a child back then and my faculties were developed enough to allow me to think. I still see myself waving at Army trucks doing a flag march in the sensitive areas… I was in one. I was afraid,…
Its was a time of no hope. Seemed like our government and law & order, normally inefficient, had ceased to exist in all proximity… The worst of all was the reputed “Indian Media”… They showed inflammatory images again and again. Reports were constantly disturbing and depressing. It is sad that people still die in my country for apparently no reason whatsoever inspite of we being world’s largest Parliamentry democracy…
It was a time when man ceased to be human,… There is much to say but i’ll stop now. Its for you to decide whether you are going to remain an irrational extremist or a secular self-respecting individual person. And I am quite sure that any book of religion; whether the QUORAN, BIBLE or GITA, doesn’t tolerate the killing… Not even for religion. Killing is comparatively quite easy,… I pray to god to help me conquer my hatred. I’ll chose to be a human being rather than be a Hindu… As that is what my religion teaches me. To love,…
November 25th, 2008 at 10:54 am
An awesome piece of writing…Certainly something that moves your heart and soul ! great work Atiq…!!!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Hey
Thanks a lot… Actually whenever I used to hear about blast, and that too using a Tiffin Box, I always used to feel that Tiffin Box-which is synonymous with innocent childhood - has now become a symbol for terror. And this used to disturb me a lot. Hence, this short story of an innocent Munir - who doesnt know what religion is -evolved.
Thanks for your appreciation. This would surly encourage me to write more thought-provoking yet entertaining short stories.
Thanks once again… STAY KHUSH
November 27th, 2008 at 2:33 am
Awesome piece of work man!!! keep it up…good job…
November 30th, 2008 at 4:07 am
isn’t this blog in subtle ways feeding hindu-muslim enmity even more… do we need more of it at this hour?
nice writing, but culturally very insensitive.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:36 am
Dear Concerned Indian,
Your views are appreciated but i would like to point out that
1. First this blog was written before the Mumbai terror attacks if you are referring to it when you say ‘at this hour’
2. Second, is there any good time to raise this issue when every month we are seeing a terror attack in various parts of the nation ?
3. The blog deals very well with the moral side of the happenings without being biased about any religion. The father and son in the story have lost a wife and mother but at the same time such actions can never be justified by such actions, because it will impact us along with others when we are out to take vengeance or to promote a faith or belief, in this way.
4. And i appreciate the author for calling the spade ‘a spade’. A good hard look at the situation which will push the society to form an opinion resulting in ‘implementable steps’ to reduce such acts is needed today. Human life is precious and everthing should be done to protect it.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:36 am
Great work……. Keep it up
March 8th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Good work..but well writer, i missed out finding anything good of this..
–zero moral–
March 9th, 2009 at 11:33 am
@Sujin:
People see what they want to see…