The Factory

Prescript: This is the fourth part in The Series. Enjoy.

The journey had been a long one. Vishnu had nothing to eat from the time he had left home surviving on a single bottle of water shared among the 5 children. The entire journey none of the kids spoke to one another. Vishnu would have interacted if not for the other kids resentment when he tried to speak to them. And so they spent the entire journey in a silence amidst the cacophony of the other commuters.

It was the next day that Akbar led them out of the train onto a platform where he had been kind enough to offer a vada-pav to every kid. All of them devoured the snack in no time. After waiting at the platform for well over half an hour there came a man who started conversing with Akbar, 'Hey Akbar-miyan, you guys are early. Waiting long?'

To which Akbar replied, 'We aren't early, you are late Amar. There are five here. Lets go.'

'Five!!', Amar exclaimed, 'The deal was for four. What will we do with the extra?'

Akbar replied, 'Lets see if we are able to convince him for five. He is always in need of kids.', leading them out into the city.

The looks of it were sufficient for Vishnu to conclude that this was a bigger city then the one they had been in the previous day. The basic education that he received a few years ago back in his village helped him read the sign board outside the station that said "मुंबई में आपका स्वागत है (Welcome to Mumbai)". Vishnu had heard from his parents that many people from his village had come to Mumbai for work. He could meet them here and it will be just the way it was back home, he thought to himself.

Amar and Akbar cramped all 5 of them in the back seat of a car, while both sat in the front with Amar taking the wheel. They were having a laugh discussing many things but Vishnu heard none as he was busy admiring the city through the window.

After a lot of honking and halting they'd finally arrived to an isolated place on the outskirts of the city. The car turned towards a factory that looked more like a shanty but a lot bigger that Vishnu's house. The car halted in front of a make shift door bolted by a chain. A sequence of horns later an elderly woman, with a mouth stuffed with paan, arrived from the back of the shanty. She stood in front of the car staring suspiciously at them. Akbar and Amar got off the car and directed the children to do the same. The elder woman counted the kids slowly and started, 'There are five. I had asked for 4. I'll select the ones that I need.'

To which Akbar replied, 'Madam, take all five of them. Anyways you need more of these every month.'

'I'll take five but only pay for four then. Fine?'

'Madam that is not fair. I have already spent on them. What is the harm in having one extra?', he questioned.

'I have a budget to operate on and its only because these creatures don't last long that I have to get more of these every month. I should blame you for giving me such defected pieces.'

'Madam, they are bound to suffer and perish given that you make them work full time with all this gunpowder. You should treat them better, maybe then they will be worth it', Amar retorted.

Flushed with anger the woman replied, 'How dare you. Oye,' she called out pointing to one of the stronger kids, 'come here. And I want you.. you.. and you' she said pointing to the other 3 kids. And the 4 kids except for Vishnu walked to the lady. She tossed a couple of note bundles on the car and yelled, 'Get lost now before I decide to keep the money and bury you two in the backyard.'

Akbar hurriedly grabbed the cash while Amar pushed Vishnu in the car and all three raced out in the car.