MemorableInstances#4 : TheBootHouse.

........ Barefoot the floor was even more slippery. Guess I twisted my ankle a couple of times while running. But there was no life in me to feel any pain. My dear life was lost........

August 18, 2018. I was passing through a very low phase in life. Even though there was nothing very bad to be depressed of, there was nothing good to be glad either.
This is when I experienced the most dreadful instance. It shook my soul so much that it completely changed my thoughts, my attitude towards life for good.

Being a weekend, my husband and I  decided to visit the Breach Candy hospital,  along with our 6year old kid. We had to collect some documents for the reimbursement of my father's Mediclaim who had been discharged recently after an intricate cancer surgery .
Since we reside in western suburbs of Mumbai, it took almost two hours for us to drive down to the other end of the city. Once we were through with the paper work, we decided to visit the 'Hanging Garden' which is at a short distance drive from the Hospital. It would otherwise be strenuous for us to plan a trip specifically to travel all the way there.

At around 7.30pm we reached the Hanging Garden. One of the beautiful tourist attractions of Mumbai. It was my husband and mine first visit to this place, even though we both have been born and brought-up in Mumbai itself. I wasn't aware that it was such a vast, scenic and well maintained place. Since it was beginning to get dark, we decided to just visit the Kamla Nehru Park area where-in we could see the 'boot house'. I had read about it that the shoe structure was that of an old women's shoe-house, inspired by the nursery rhyme 'There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.'

The sight of the huge beautiful blue shoe in front of us made my husband and me more happy than our kid. Since my childhood days I wanted to see this old woman's shoe which was shown brown color in books then. But now this bright blue paint looked far more attractive than the brown. This one  looked like not an old but a fairly younger woman's shoe instead.
At the entrance of the shoe stood a guard. Only kids up-to the age of 12 were allowed to enter in it. After they enter in, they would climb up the narrow-spiral-metallic steps which lead to a little balcony. The kids could peep out from the balcony which would give a chance to the parents waiting outside to click their picture. We let our kid get in. 

When our  kid peeped in from the balcony there were too many elder kids ahead of him. Therefore we couldn't capture him well in the picture. We reached to the exit when he came down. And we requested him to once again climb to the top while we get one proper glimpse of him in the camera. He half heartedly went back in. As adults we both were getting foolish to click memories of the moment rather then bask in the experience of enjoying it like real kids do.

We stood at the spot along with other parents to click the picture again. And once again there was a crowd of elder n taller kids in the balcony. So we decided to not stretch it further and leave for home.

Just then it hit both of us - like the previous time, this time we did not get to see any glimpse of our kid standing behind the older kids nor did we see him in the balcony. We assumed he was still climbing the stairs. But when almost a minute had passed and we did not see any further kids peeping in from the balcony, we decided to walk towards the exit of the boot. I peeped inside it and called out to him. There was no answer.
Just then, a little kid came out "Aunty there is no-one up there" he said. I stared at my hubby and without asking permission from guard I rushed in and climbed the stairs. I reached the balcony. To my horror my kid was not there. My legs started to tremble. I heard my husband's voice from outside asking me if he is there. I cried out saying "No he is not!!!! ". Balancing myself I climbed down the narrow spiral steps and sped out of the shoe.

My kid must have seen the crowd in the balcony and possibly decided against entering in again. He did not know the exact spot where we were standing, and in the crowd he missed us!! We started looking around the boot house. He was nowhere. Difficult to sink in, I felt like I am in beginning of a bad dream or rather I wished I was in one then.  I panicked. Started calling out to him aloud. The security guard as usual had no clue. His job possibly was not to watch the kids but the adults from entering in.

I ran to the gate of the garden. Continuously calling out my baby's name. People around, mostly parents of little kids started asking us the details. Some asked me to show his pic. My phone display picture always had my boy's latest pic, so I flashed that to all. He was looking the cutest in his pink singlet and red pajamas in the pic, taken just before he went to bed the previous night. My husband and I ran in different directions. Calling out to our kid aloud had turned into a helpless cry.

Being the month of August, it started to pour. The park floor had turned slippery so I took off my shoes and started to run aimlessly, just screaming and crying my baby's name aloud. Barefoot the floor was even more slippery and I even twisted my ankle a couple of times while running. But there was no life in me to feel any pain. My dear life was lost. It was such an agonizing  feeling. Dreadful thoughts were running in my mind.  The park was connected to many exits. For any experienced kidnapper it would be a cake walk to put my kid to sleep and sleek out carrying him along. How I hate myself for putting my kid into this.

The cops came and joined the search. Then I remembered the Almighty. And started to pray rather beg. Me drenched in rain, shoes in my hand, limping and running, in muddy legs, screeching my child's name and blabbering to my own-self. I must have surely looked insane to everyone.  

Just then one lady came to me and said,  "Your kid is found.!!" I seemed so lost that I just did not choose to believe what I heard. I was still blabbering to my self. I felt possibly she is mistaken me to someone else. So the lady actually hold me by my shoulders and shook me and said "Dear calm down, your kid is found. There he is" and pointed to some direction. I heard her this time. And I did not know how to react. Whether its really true to believe.

"Are you sure ma'am?? Are you talking of my kid?".

"Yes, yes. He is found. Stop crying now".

I ran, as fast as my legs could take me towards the direction the lady pointed me to. And Yes!! I finally saw him! I saw my angel, walking with my hubby, along with the many other parents. As soon as he saw me and came running to me crying. I bent down to hug my life back in me. The parent who came to me first to see my kid's pic had found him at a distance lost,  walking alone looking for us. All the parents along with their kids took all efforts in looking out for my kid and found him. I joined my hands and bowed my head in gratitude, thanking each one of them, tears still rolling down my eyes. They all gave me a warm hug.

This whole episode though scary, gave me a positive attitude to experience life. My happiness was always with me, yet I realized it only when for some time it drifted away from me.  This goes with our life experiences and relationships as well. We value and miss anyone and anything the most when it's away from us. That's when we remember the past memories and adore it.

We are too busy in missing/crying-over our past and awaiting/fearing our future that we refrain ourselves from clinging on to our present moments and appreciate it. We all know the truth, that this moment that we have today with us, is bound to change soon. Permanently. And will never return back. Our age, our health, our dear ones, and their presence in our lives....This whole beautiful picture we are blessed with today is definitely mend to change. Tomorrows an enigma. We are clueless on what picture it will bring but definitely it wont be this one. So grab your present and cherish it before time perishes it.



Sharon Lasrado.