Kite Festival

The children were flying kites high in the air. Their hands bleed as the thread made a cut into their hand this doesn't stop them to fly the kites. 

The energy of the children doesn't seem to lose as the day started to moving out welcoming the night. A sharp cut with the help of wind and tricks made the kite to swirls up in the air before falling down.

The children ran behind the kite. It wasn't easy for them to have a kite. They ran into the green field, their height smaller than the grass.

The kite settles on the tree the children came to a halt as the barbed wire separates the kite from them. They looked at each other

"Let's go, my father had told me not to cross the barbed wire," Yakub elder among the child said. 

"What if some other child comes and gets the kite?" shiva said.

"Then we lost our only kite. We won't be able to fly the kite tomorrow," Hassan said. 

"No, I will bring the kite back. It is our kite, " shiva said looking, Hassan. 

"I will tell father about both of you, " Yakub said running back.

Hassan and Shiva looked at the disappearing figure of Yakub. 

"How will we cross the wire?" Hassan said.

"We can crawl through it, " shiva replied pointing at the small gap which is big enough to pass their petite body.

 They crawled through their shorthand as the dirt sticks to their new kurta. Shiva climbed up the trees trying hard to free the tangled kite from the branches.

Shiva managed to break free the kite without damaging it as Hassan clapped from down celebrating the victory. Shiva came down from the kite with a scratch on his elbows Hassan blew air at the scratches as if to ease the pain of his friend.

Gunfire made the birds move out from their nest and run for their life. Hassan put a hand on his ear as the sound of gunfire was deafening him. Shiva's eyes grew wide as he saws the army man pointing a gun at them.

"What are you doing here, boy?" The army man said.

"We came for our kites, " shiva replied with a trembling voice as sweat clung the clothes to his body.

"Our kites got tangled up in the tree, " Hassan replied straightening up.

"Kites?" The army man looked up at the tree and then the kite on Shiva's hand "What is your name?" The army man asked?

"Shiva."

"Are you an Indian?" 

Shiva and Hassan nodded their head in agreement. The army man lowered his gun with a smile crept on his lips.

"So you want kites, " the army man said coming toward them.

"I have a kite collection back at my home. You would love to see the collection maybe you can keep one for yourself, " he said.

The boy was on cloud nine and cursed Yakub for running away thinking he missed the opportunity to have a kite. They followed the army man throwing arms at each other shoulder as they started humming Bollywood songs they managed to hear in the old radio of their father.

Soon they walked inside the freshly cemented house as the door closed behind them, light flickers on revealing a group of the army man.

Fears struck on their innocent face seeing the army man doubled their height trapping them in the circle.

A man dressed in a white kurta pajama with a cigar in his hand asked: "Who are they?"

"Sahib(sir) they are Indians, they want kites, " the army answered.

"Oh, yes we had lots of kites, " he said looking at the army man. The army man departed from there, the man leaned forward and placed a hand on their shoulder.

"Till he brings the kites for you, let's have some lunch, " the man said.

Shiva and Hassan mouth filled with water hearing about the food. Playing all day long made their stomach grumbled in hunger. 

They sat on the soft red velvet carpet as a big dish filled with delicious food placed in front of them. Hassan was hesitant to eat but Shiva takes his first bite of gulab jamun smiling widely at the man who also takes the pleasure of the delicious food.

"Eat my child, " the man said to Hassan, shiva also nodded in approval.

They clean the plate within 15 minutes before they can rest a bowl of ice cream topped with dry fruits lay in front of them.

They enjoyed the sweet creamy layer of milk and the crunchy bites of the dry fruits eating after so many days.

Now with their stomach full shiva said "We must get going or else our parents will be worried, " he rose up picking up his kites.

"Don't you want to take kites with you, " the man said.

"Oh we forgot about the kites, " Hassan said.

They entered the room filled with orange, purple, red, blue, black, and white kites. Hassan and Shiva were awestruck seeing the vibrant and colorful kites and the thought of they can choose anyone they want. 

Shiva started picking up the plain orange kites matching his orange shirt. They were struggling to hold the four kites with their small hand.

"So I guess you had your kites with you, " the man said looking at their small fist.

"You are our guest, and we had rituals to give something to our guest, " the man said.

"We already had kites with us we don't want anything, " shiva said Hassan nodded in agreement.

The man smiled "It's is the tradition and the kite is just a gift of meeting you, " the man said.

"What is it then?" Hassan asked as the kite slipped under his fist.

"We had a black jacket for you, " the man said clapping his hand.

A servant brings the black jacket with his trembling hand the man looked at him with distaste. 

"Here, there you go, " he said as he helped them in wearing it.

"New jacket, new kite Yakub is so stupid to run away, " shiva said.

"Uncle we had a friend Yakub he didn't cross the wire with us. We will also bring him next time, " shiva said.

"Yes, sure you can come whenever you want now we are friends, " the man said.

**************

"Hassan, Shiva, " the voice echoed in the green field as their parents tried to find them.

"Hassan." 

"Shiva."

"Where did you see them Yakub?" 

"I... I saw them near the barbed wire which you had said to not cross them, " Yakub said in a trembling voice.

The parents didn't found anything "We should complain in the police station, maybe they can help us, " shiva father said.

They moved back toward the house and they saw Hassan and Shiva counting the kites they have now.

"Where did you go?" Hassan's mother asked.

"We had gone to the nearby stores, " Hassan said looking shiva.

"Who gives this to you?" Shiva's mother asked looking at his jacket and kites.

"An uncle he was old and he was rich. He gave them to us as a gift for Makar Sankranti(kite festival), " Shiva replied.

Shiva and Hassan said exactly what the man had told him to do.

"Before you go I want to tell you something, " the man said Hassan, and shiva leaned forward eager to hear the generous man.

"You can't tell your parents about all this happened here, " the man said.

"Why?" Hassan said.

"Then all the children will come here. How will you then have the kites and delicious ice cream, " the man said.

Hassan and Shiva nodded their head agreeing to keep this a secret.

"Just remove the jacket, "Hassan's mother said removing his jacket. It was late too late to do anything. An explode and all the people mixed up in the earth soil. Their body burned up, their parts ripped apart in two pieces eyes out of their socket clothes torn into minor pieces unable to sew together.