Have you seen my daughter?

Exclusive extracts from NIMI KURIAN'S poignant and highly commended short story.

IT was with a lot of coaxing and convincing that Ganesh finally agreed to take her to the city hospital for her delivery. She had managed to convince him not to do the amniocentesis. Travelling to the city was exciting but also very frightening. There were so many people everywhere. The noise, the dust, the traffic — everything frightened her. People pushed and shoved in the bus and they shouted angrily at her because she could not understand. It was a relief to get off the bus and into the hospital.

The next morning Kalai delivered her baby. It was with great fear she asked the doctor, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl," said the doctor.

"Oh my god! What will happen to my child?" she wailed.

When Ganesh came into the room she made him promise that he would do nothing to harm their child. Ganesh placed his hand on her head and said, "I promise that I would never harm this child." Kalai, reassured, went to sleep.

Two days later she was discharged and now with her beautiful little daughter, Kalai was on her way back to the village. But before that she had the horrendous journey in the city bus to make. The bus was crowded and she could barely stand. Finally Ganesh took the baby from her and pushed his way through the crowd in the bus. He saw an elderly man seated in the front row.

"Sir, the bus is very crowded and I am not able to stand. Can you hold my baby till my stop comes?" The old man smiled and agreed.

"Kalai, Kalai. Get down, this is our stop!" shouted Ganesh, searching the bus for his wife. And when he heard her answer he hopped off and so did she.

Getting off the bus was an even more difficult task and it took her quite a while. The conductor blew the whistle and the bus drove off. Kalai looked for her husband and spotted him. But in his arms he carried nothing.

"Where is my baby?" she asked.

He refused to answer. Again she screamed, "Where is my baby?"

"I left him with a man in the bus."

Kalai screamed and rent her hair. She sat on the roadside and cried aloud.

"Kalai you must realise I did it for the best. My mother would never have let her live. That man will look after her..."

Just then a bus drove up. It looked the same. Green with a white stripe. Kalai got up and ran to the window of the bus.

"Is my baby in the bus?" she screamed. She ran along the side. The people in the bus looked out. They did not answer her. They pitied this poor mad woman. The bus left and another drew up. Kalai rushed forward, "Have you seen my baby? Have you seen my baby?"

Have you seen my daughter? won a "highly commended" mention in the short story competition held by The Commonwealth Foundation in association with the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association for the year 2002-2003, which had over 2000 entries. The overall winner was Michael Reckord of Jamaica.

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