Part 1 Social worker

It was a late evening. A girl was standing at the end of a lane with her two-wheeler. It seemed she was waiting for someone. She saw a car coming towards her. She started her scooter hurriedly and got ready. She moved when she made sure that the car was going to enter the small lane. Yes, the car entered the lane. The girl rode her bike before the car not giving the space to overtake her bike no matter how many times she heard the car horn. The man who drove the car got irritated. He knew she intentionally rode the bike restricting his car from overtaking her. Suddenly she raised the speed of her scooter.

That was when the man in the car saw a few guys on the side of the lane. They looked at the scooter girl. They commented something and laughed. They took a step towards her but stopped seeing a car following her.

The carman was shocked to see them having alcohol bottles in their hands. The lane was the back of a famous private college in the district. There were many trees inside the college campus. Those were blocking the street light from spreading light to the street. The lights on the road also were dim. That made the lane look dark. It seemed the lights were only for formality. The alcohol guys didn't bother about anything. The girl's scooter and the car crossed them.

The girl stopped her scooter at the end of the long lane. Putting on the side stand of the scooter, she got down from the scooter and stopped the car showing her hand. The man in the car pressed the brake. She came to him and tapped the car window. He lowered the window and switched the light of the car on. He got stuck for a few seconds seeing the girl. She looked simple yet beautiful. He was curious to know why she stopped him.

"I'm sorry sir. I troubled you. Did you see the guys?"

He nodded yes.

"They trouble people a lot... Especially girls who come alone but they won't dare if someone is there. That's why I blocked your way. I'm sorry..."

"Why don't you file a complaint against them?"

"No use... People did that many times but nothing happened. The police pretended like taking action. The road looked normal for two days. After that, again they start... (she sighed.) Today there was only one gang. Sometimes we don't even get space to ride the bike..." She said.

He looked at her shockingly and became thoughtful. He was supposed to ask her something but she started walking while saying,

"Once again sorry and thanks" The girl left the place, starting the bike.

The man started the car and followed the girl until she took a right turn. He rode the car straight to reach his destination.

After a few minutes of the ride, the girl stopped the scooter in front of a house and saw a woman in her middle forties waiting for her.

"Khushi... why are you late today?" the woman asked.

"I had to wait at the DARK STREET for more than half an hour, Amma" Khushi said.

"Don't know when will this condition of our district change" Khushi's mother Garima murmured.

"Has not Babuji come yet?" Khushi asked.

"No... he will be late today."

"But why?"

"The new Collector is taking charge tomorrow. So, he will come only after clearing all the pending petitions"

"But, he never keeps pending petitions..."

"It's not enough if your father alone works hard but those who work under him... if the VAO (Village Administrative Officer) cleared the petitions, the RI (Revenue Inspector) won't... if the RI cleared it, then the ZDT( Zonal Deputy Tahsildar) would not... what will he do then? He could clear only after they signed it"

"Amma, Babuji is popular Tahsildar for his sincerity. He will make all of them work on it, don't worry"

"What's the use? This district is backward. I've been seeing this for ten years. There is no development in this district no matter how many Collectors came and went" Garima sighed.

"Yeah... people don't even have basic knowledge here due to lack of education. You know we are expecting volunteers for our REVIVAL foundation but no one is ready to serve for this country but only for salary" Khushi said wearily.

"Khushi, serving for the nation is not a simple thing. Not everyone is generous enough to spend their time without benefit. You are doing SOCIAL WORK because you are free with no commitments. If you get married, it will be very hard for you to continue the same. Do you think, your husband will let you plant trees in the whole district without any expectations?"

"I will marry the one who has the same wavelength as mine"

"I don't think, anyone would exist with your wavelength"

That was when Khushi's father came while talking on the phone.

"Yes, sir... only two certificates are pending, a Legal heir and one income certificate. I called the ZDT and asked him to clear it, sir,"

Shashi disconnected the call and looked at them.

"Babuji, it seems you became busier than usual?"

"Don't ask me about it, beta. The new collector is a FRESH appointment..."

"Means?"

"This is his first district after his collector posting"

"Ohh..."

"I heard he had been strict when he was a Deputy Collector"

"Babuji, however, you are going to do your work perfectly. Then why are you tensed?"

"No, beta... we don't know his expectation. So, we have to be ready"

"If you are so tensed, then, what about others who always search for an excuse to escape from their duty?" Garima was weary.

"Garima, why should we think of others? We should be perfect... we don't have to bother about others"

Garima sighed.

"Get fresh and come... you are fifty-five...! It's not good for your health to have dinner late. I don't know when you will understand that" Garima sighed.

"What can I do, Garima? I'm a public servant. I can't think of eating at the right time when my work makes me busy"

"I would bring you dinner every day if the DARK STREET problem is not there," Khushi said.

"It's a waste of time to talk about it," Garima said wearily.

"Yeah, I can't even say I'm a daughter of a Tahsildar when I'm getting someone's help to pass the street because they didn't want to think Tahsildar post has no power" Khushi pouted.

Shashi sighed and walked to his room.

The next day

Khushi as usual went to do some social work with her friends. They planted sixty trees on the highways. NK didn't come that day as he went to attend an interview. It was Khushi, Payal, and Akash, only three of them. As usual, it took the whole day and Khushi took her friend's leave in the late evening. She came to the DARK STREET and was about to stop her scooter at the entrance of the lane, but she was surprised, to see the lane with bright lights. The branches of the trees were trimmed. More to her surprise, there was a police check post at the entrance of the lane and two policemen were on duty.

She could not believe it was the same DARK STREET that lost the reason for its name. She rode the scooter fearlessly and found another check post at the end of the lane. There were also two policemen on duty... No drunkards in the lane. The lane looked clean. She felt like, it was a jugglery. What was happening here? Was she dreaming? Was that the same dark Street? She came home cheerfully.

"Khushi, how do you come home soon...? Didn't you guys do your work?"

"Mom... you won't believe it if I say what I saw"

"What did you see?"

"The DARK STREET looked BRIGHT today"

"Whaaaat?"

"Yes, Mom, there were two check posts in the lane"

"Is it?"

"Yessss... woooow... I can't believe this"

"I too can't believe this," Said Garima.

"Mom, after a long time, I came home at the TEA time. Please bring me tea"

Garima nodded smiling and went to the kitchen.

Khushi removed her phone and gave it a look. There were a lot of messages as she didn't get time to see them the whole day. She checked those messages and replied if needed. She saw a photo message from her father in the family group. Only three of them were in the group. They share common messages in the group. Khushi opened the message and was stunned, to see the photo. It was the photo that was captured when Shashi met the NEW collector. In that photo, Shashi was giving the collector an apple as per the custom. The collector was none other than the same man she met last evening in the DARK STREET and talked about the difficulties. She saw the name board on his table where 'ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA, the district collector' was written.

To be continued...