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ARJUN

How did I end up here?

The building looms large in front of me and I feel a touch of panic. How sure am I about this? Is it just a bad case of mid-life crisis? Am I ready to take up such a huge responsibility?

I stand outside the gate pensively, developing cold feet at the last minute.

It all started a week ago. I was on my way home from office, when I happened to glance at the orphanage situated beside the road. I pass by it every day, but that particular day, I saw some kids playing in the compound. Something about their happy laughter broke my heart. It is strange that some people have everything and yet find a zillion reasons to be unhappy, while some people have a lot in wanting and still, a simple moment is enough for them to bring smiles of pure joy and happiness. I do not know for how long I stood and watched the children play. And that is when the idea struck me.

My immediate reaction was to brush it off as an impulsive thought. But the more I tried to fight it, the more it pushed inside my mind, depriving me of sleep and peace. When I decided to give it a thought, everything suddenly fell into place. The idea felt just about right.

And here I am today, standing outside the orphanage from where I have decided to adopt a child.

It is an enormous responsibility. For starters, I am single and just had my fortieth birthday. What do I know about parenting?! But this much I know, that when I decided to adopt, it was as if something filled up the void in my soul, a void created by a solitary existence.

If you ask me how I ended up alone in my forties, I will say, I really do not know. It is not as if I did not meet any girls; I just could not connect with anyone deeply. I could not see myself settling down with any one among the girls I met for a prospective alliance. Love did not happen to me.

Am I lacking anything? I don't think so. Financially, I have been blessed. I am an editor of a company’s website which focuses primarily on blogs related to lifestyle. The site has a huge fan following. I am also secretly nurturing the dream of becoming a writer myself. Someday soon.

But I digress. Anything to get rid of the cold that seems to have frozen my legs, not allowing them to proceed inside the gate. Taking a deep breath, I gather all the courage I have within me and I step inside.

The building is old, sure, but not dilapidated. In fact, it is cleaner than I had expected. There are two floors apart from the ground floor. As I stand at the compound, wondering where the office could be, a boy approaches me.

He is tall with a lanky build. The shirt he is wearing has definitely seen some better days but is clean. His trousers are two inches short from his ankle. What grabs my attention is, he is holding a baby in his arms. From the looks of it, the baby can’t be older than a year.

“Hello. Can you tell me where the office is?” I ask the boy.

He smiles. “I will lead you there.”

We both start walking towards the building.

“Are you here to adopt a child?” He asks. I hesitate for few seconds and nod. The nod seems like the final nail on my decision. Now there is no stepping back.

“That’s great. Every child needs a family to grow up with.” He says with a serious air. His poignant words pierce my heart.

“Do your parents work here?” I ask him, observing for the first time that his eyes are not of a child, but of someone who has seen a lot of pain.

He shakes his head. “I was a year old when I was dropped off here. I have lived here since then.”

It feels like someone has placed a cold palm over my heart. How thoughtless of me to assume that his parents would be working here!

“I was adopted once. They were good people. I lived with them for two years. Then they had a baby of their own and decided to let go of me. No one adopted me thereafter. Now there is no scope.” The casual way in which he says this completely disarms me.

“Why do you say that?” I ask, trying to mask my despair.

He shrugs. “I am ten years old now. People usually want to adopt babies and little kids. I do not think anyone would want to adopt such a grown-up boy.” He smiles at me suddenly and gestures to the baby in his hand. “May be you should look at this child. He is sweet. He was dropped off here two weeks ago.”

“What is your name?” I ask him.

“People have always called me Tinu.”

We reach the office which is actually just a small room. There is a middle-aged lady sitting there who, I assume, is the supervisor of the orphanage.

“Madam, Sir was asking for directions for your office.” Tinu says.

The lady smiles at me and gestures me to have a seat. I turn towards Tinu and ruffle his hair. “Thanks for guiding me.” I manage to say in spite of the lump in my throat.

Tinu smiles shyly and waves to me as he leaves the room.

I sit on the chair, all my doubts and anxieties about adopting taking a back seat.

“I want to adopt a child.” I tell the lady who nods.

“I will need some information about you, Sir.” She tells me. I talk to her. I tell her everything about myself, right from my education, to my job and my home. When I tell her that I live with my parents, she seems to relax. That is the magic of having elders in your home, I guess. They stand for wisdom and experience, for safety and comfort and most of all, for warmth and affection.

She taps her finger on the table. “I do not think there would be any problems in the adoption. While your single status does act as a barrier to the whole process, the presence of your parents in your home and your financial well-being show the promise of a good life for a child. If you wish, I can take you on a tour of the building. You can see for yourself and adopt any child you wish.”

I clear my throat. “There is no need for the tour. I have already decided. I want to adopt Tinu.”

Read Chapter 2 Here