The Little Things

By Aishani Arpita Bhattacharya

Rohini picked up the bleached milk-white seashell that she encountered while walking along the shore. It was a vibrant one—the shell—with tinges of fluorescent yellow demarcating the edges and with granulated beads of sand aligning the margin so profoundly that it appeared to be embedded within it. This one would be worth at least 60 rupees she estimated, enough for a breakfast and midday meal. She placed it in her pocket and returned triumphantly to the corner of the beach where she resided.

Rohini was a girl of 7 years of age, who had been abandoned when she was 3 in the streets of Mumbai, India. At this young age, she was adopted by a family who ultimately remained unbothered by her existence. They had then shifted to the outskirts of Kolkata, near Mandarmani. Her life was an everyday struggle, as one’s life always is.

Despite this, Rohini was an opportunist. She decided to perceive every experience as novel which inevitably added to her strength of character. The following evening, Rohini encountered something perhaps unusual—the daily low tide of the sea had made it return back even further than the norm. It was truly a picturesque view- The tangerine coral-like sun was setting beautifully among the cotton ball clouds scantily distributed in the sky, shining upon the glazing beads of sand where formerly lay the saltwater of the receded sea. This made Rohini very excited and awe-struck. She travelled far along the horizon, unbothered by the fact whether the sea would return abruptly or not. It was the little things that made her happy, it was the little things that mattered.

A few hours later, the water began to return once more. Wading stealthily in the water, Rohini’s eye caught upon a shimmering sight. Inching towards the dazzling speck of light in the prussian-blue waters, Rohini picked the item up. It seemed to her a jewel—a rare one—something she had never seen before. Puzzled by this novel piece—she took it back to where she lived. It appeared to be an emerald green jewel—a new exclusive item in her daily sales. Since the low tide receded beyond it’s usual limit that day, it must have picked up things from far-she wondered.

The next day, Rohini got up plump and pleasant, she had a mission today: the sale of a novel and perhaps unexplored item. Rohini approached many people that day, showcasing her new item, which none of them had interest for. One man had even gone to the extent of verbal abusing Rohini when she was offering the gem. But that did not bother Rohini. She sat back and was still proud of herself for trying A woman in a blue apparel who was observing Rohini, approached her and asked her why she was so jocular despite being beaten down and spending her entire morning under the bright summer sun, just toiling. Rohini explained the reason of her glee-and then showed her the jewel. The woman seemed to be taken aback. She explained to Rohini that she was a paleontologist and that the jewel that she found belonged to an extinct animal, that is, the multistar orion tortoise. The jewel was a piece of nature—dating back to hundred years at the least. Rohini’s eyes filled up with joy and exclaimed to the lady if she would buy it from her.

The woman replied she will do something better. The next day Rohini flew to Gujarat with the lady where the gem was put up in a museum now worth millions of rupees.

For Rohini’s great historical discovery, she was provided a home as well as means of sustenance.

You may think it was one gem that changed Rohini’s life, but it was really her determination; her persistence to live and to find how to mend every piece of broken glass. It was her courage to go on that helped her live. It was the little things.

By Aishani Arpita Bhattacharya