The grey Esteem sped along the NH 16 on a quiet winter evening . Paulomi , a popular children's story writer was traveling all the way from Vizag to Kolkata with their Golden Retriever Goldie . She was going for her book launch at The International Book Fair.When their car was almost a hundred kilometers away from Cuttack, Goldie suddenly started feeling restless. Paulomi , took Goldie outside. She did not observe ,how the sky was over_ cast with dark clouds and a raging storm was approaching closer.
But soon, Paulomi and Goldie vanished in the storm like ghosts in thin air,beyond the highway.
Paulomi screamed feeling scared
“ Don’t pull me and run so fast Goldie. I will fall .”
Goldie kept on running before they reached a village adjacent to the Highway .
Paulomi kept walking after the storm subsided before entering inside a community, which was full of elderly people.
“ Why aren’t there any youngsters or children in this community?”
Paulomi asked an elderly woman. The lady offered Paulomi a glass of water and some mangoes before narrating her about their plight .
“ Five years ago , we were traveling with our children and grandchildren for an all India based pilgrimage on ‘ The Bharat Teertha’ Bus . When the bus approached this part of the Highway ,the bus halted at a Dhaba . We all sat down to have our lunch . But ,at that moment a lightning stuck on the bus ,parked along the highway. On that very moment our world turned upside down in front of our eyes. All the youngsters, including our children and grandchildren perished on the spot . We all settled down here and have built our own community called ‘ Sahara’ or ‘ Support ‘. We narrate stories like storytellers do and also provide cheap meals to the passersby at a very nominal rate. We could not dream of leaving this place adjacent to the Highway, where we lost our children. The rescuers arrived on the spot ,promptly and tried to rehabilitate us. But we refused immediately. For this place holds a lot of memories for us. Will you be interested to join us as a voulenteer?”
All this while Paulomi, was listening to the words of the elderly lady with rapt attention . She was lost in thoughts after listening to the heart_ wrenching reality . She promised the lady that ,she will soon join them. She left Goldie in the ‘Sahara’ community , as all the elders had developed a liking towards him during their short stay at ‘Sahara’.
A few days later , Paulomi returned from Kolkata . She stopped at the same spot on the highway. She was absolutely delighted ,to watch Goldie helping some of the elders cross the Highway dutifully .
As she entered the community , Paulomi decided to write a book based on the come_back story of those twenty elderly people. For they lost their children ,yet made a come_back on the same Highway.