ANITA’S DETERMINATION

(Published in Arunima Smarika -2072)

Vijaya Chalise

Anita was very much interested in drawing. Looking at the pictures drawn by a neighbourhood uncle, she also dreamt of drawing such pictures. Since the uncle was an artist, he was always busy in his art. Many people used to come from different places to visit him. Seeing that, her desire of becoming an artist grew even more.

“How nice it would be if I could draw like uncle!” She used to think looking at the beautiful strokes of uncle. Most of the time, she used to watch him draw. ‘If I could really draw such nice pictures…’ Alas! But both her hands didn’t work. She had polio at a very small age due to which her hands were crippled and therefore, she couldn’t use pen-pencil properly, leave alone drawing. Although she couldn’t write, she was a class four student in the village school. She had learnt to write A,B,C,D… with the help of her feet, putting pen/pencil in between her toes. And despite that her hands were crippled, she was very good in her studies.

Far from the city, there was not even a single health post in her village few years back and no one used to come to villages and distribute vaccines of polio and other diseases like they do it today. When people went sick, the only way of treatment was through sorcerers. And many lost their lives only because of that.

“You are very much interested in drawing pictures, aren’t you? If we have will to do something, then nothing can stop us, did u get me Anita? When there is a will, there is a way.” The uncle told Anita after knowing about her deep interest in drawing.

“I am pretty interested uncle but my hands don’t work. So, what should my interest worth?” Anita said sadly.

“Don’t lose hope my child. You write ABCD with your feet, don’t you? So you can try using brushes with your feet and practice drawing also! I am sure you can draw beautiful pictures with your feet very soon.” The uncle encouraged her.

Her spirit was enlivened by the uncle’s encouragement. But, in a condition when it was difficult to write even simple ABCDs, the idea of using brushes and drawing with her feet seemed next to impossible for her at first! Even then, she slowly started to practice using brushes with her feet.

“Look at her! A crippled is trying to draw pictures with feet. It’s like filling water in a bottomless tumbler.” The neigbour Rajiv was very boastful and thought no one knew as much as him. Though he was good in studies and drawing, many didn’t like him because of his that habit.

“Rajiv, don’t make fun of others. This same Anita will one day excel you in drawing and then let’s see how your arrogance shatters.” Rajiv’s elder sister Sarita tried to make him understand. But Rajiv was least convinced that Anita could also draw some day.

Now Anita was fully engrossed in holding brush between her toes and drawing pictures with her feet. Rajiv’s ego and Uncle’s encouragement had even more strengthened her determination of drawing good pictures at any cost.

With fear of getting teased by her school friends, Anita had practiced the use of toes and feet to hold brush and draw pictures in her home only. Sometimes she used to show those uneven lines of strokes to the uncle and he used to encourage her by saying – “Very good! Just work on to make this line more straight; this edge is not fine, put some more practice and it will be even better.” In this way, Anita kept on practicing drawing.

After six months, a drawing competition was to be held in school. No one could take pictures drawn at home. Everyone had to draw in front of the teachers on the school ground. There were ten participants including Rajiv and Anita. All the participants sat in a row on the garden and started using brushes and pencils to draw different pictures. Seeing the crippled Anita also sitting on the same row, Rajiv was teasing her shrugging his nose. But Anita was least concerned about Rajiv’s gestures and was busy on her own work of art. Teachers were walking here and there inspecting their drawings. Little afar was the neighbourhood uncle sitting.  Since uncle was a famous artist, so principal had called him to see the drawings and present award to the winner. Anita’s excitement grew no bounds seeing uncle as it was because of his encouragement that she had started practicing drawing with her feet. The drawing time of one hour was up. The teachers took drawings and started checking.

Everyone was wondering when the result of competition would be out. After teachers inspected and evaluated every drawing, head sir, other teachers and uncle all sat in a row on bench.  Everyone’s heart was pounding thinking who would come first. Anita was not hopeful at all, she didn’t believe that the drawing made by her anyhow would be better than her friends who drew by hand. She had participated only for practice.

Finally waiting was over. Head sir announced the result – “If anyone has will and strength to do anything, then nothing can stop him/her to do that.  Anita has proved this. Her drawing has stood first among all. So please congratulate her everyone.” Not only Anita, many of them didn’t believe what head sir said. But after sometime, everyone came to know that head sir was right. All the drawings were kept on exhibition and truly, the drawing made by Anita without hands and only with her feet was extraordinarily best.

“Congratulations Anita. Your determination has won. Keep on drawing more beautiful pictures than this. All the best.” These words said by uncle while giving prize brought tears of joy in Anita’s eyes.

Translated by- Jayanta Sharna