Study the picture given below. Write a short story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.
This is a photograph of Ramu, the eight-year-old son of our caretaker in our village house. It was clicked by me three years ago when we were visiting our village. It was probably the first and the last picture of that lively little boy.
He was so obsessed with mobile phones that he would spend hours making them out of paper, cardboard and even small pieces of wood. He would then play around the village with his little group of children. This picture was clicked during my first encounter with Ramu. As I was going down the dusty village path in the morning, I saw this group led by Ramu, pretending to click selfies using one of his slippers as a mobile camera. It was an amusing sight. Every time a selfie was clicked, the entire group would surround Ramu and they would pretend to admire the picture. This game went on for hours using different locations as selfie points. I also became a part of his playgroup.
He would ask, ‘‘Sahib, can you get a tuntuna for me;” his name for a mobile phone. I would say when you come down to stay with me in the city then I would get you one.
On returning, life went on as usual. Some months later Ramu’s father came to Lucknow. He had come to get medicines for Ramu, as he was very ill for the last one month. I contributed some money, and sincerely for his recovery.
Another week and I got the news that Ramu was seriously ill and was admitted to the hospital. I hurriedly reached the hospital. He was reduced to a skeleton. I asked him whether I should get him his ‘tuntuna’, but he showed no expressions. I was shocked when the doctor told me that his liver has failed completely and he won’t survive beyond a fortnight.
I visited the hospital daily. I tried to talk to Ramu, but he never responded. His condition worsened with each passing day and before long, he had passed into oblivion, as unreal as his selfies.
