The story deals with atrocities of society.  A story of man and a small girl who get fond of his clay dolls. It shows how we are getting attracted to minute-things and forget that happiness has a world of its own, without stratification. Problems are many but apart from encountering it are we also working on the reasons for which they are coming.  

He comes daily. Though I haven’t seen him on working days but on holidays he definitely comes. We all went crazy when we heard his sound announcing the things he has left. Indeed the things which he sold were great but make us more crazy was his bonhomie nature and how he personifies the clay dolls. Not only that, he also give us chocolate on each doll we buy. No one knows from where he is, but everyone becomes elated when he was with us. We also provide him food to eat which he refused but still we were stubborn. There were many questions which sometimes tackle in my mind that whether he went to school or not , he has kids or not, where he lives, how he makes such a nice doll with clay and much more. He always smiled that I like the most. Mother said that I should not get too much attached to it he is still a stranger. I nodded. Father was busy in his company works and he told me last year that there company is working on a construction of big amusement park for children, so I would better not disturb him.

One day when I returned from my school, I found him waiting at my gate. I was surprised and happy too. He greeted me and gave me a small doll. I took that and asked,” How much money, bhaiya”. He replied,” It’s a gift from me so no money”. “ Hey…come here faster and change your dress. You have to prepare for your test too”, yelled mother. I wonder sometimes that who was that guy who invented Test. Is he was ever a child in his life. I put the doll in my bagpack carefully and ran towards my room. That was what most children supposed to do when they hear something from mother or they will be charged for not behaving as a good child. After that I got engaged in my work and nearly forget to ask that why the seller was here. Sometimes we tend that we don’t worry about the things happening around us but still we want something out of it. The Saturday was near and I was hoping that I would see him soon. These clay dolls were masterpiece in themselves. There facial expression never bothers me and nor anyone as it seems smiling. It was covered by beautiful coloured clothes. There were various sizes, some small some tall and big. Some were male and some female. With so many differences all seems equal to us. Equal because we see them so.

I was eagerly waiting for him. This time I would buy a taller doll I thought. He didn’t showed up. It was the first time that it happened. I was sad but didn’t lose hope. I thought that may be he will show up tomorrow. I went back home and sat beside mother. She was little surprised and asked,” What happened? Why you look so unhappy? Any problem”. I said,” Nothing mom, I have a question can you answer me”. “ Yes, if you ask me then I will definitely answer you”. “Mom, it’s about the seller. Why he was here on that day”, I asked. “I don’t know. He want to meet your father but he was not here so he returned”. “I asked him that what he want but he said that he want to talk to your father”, replied mother. It was very unusual that he want to meet my father though he really know him well. “ He was in urgent need, I think”, mother said. “He didn’t showed up today. When he comes tomorrow I will ask him then that why he want to meet my father”, said I. “ That would be good. Now go and wash your hand and face properly and go in your room and study”, said mother. I nodded and do as she said escaping some of them. I sat on the bed and opened the maths book.

Continuously seeing the book I started wondering that who got such a time to write this book for us. If they would have asked us that we need it or not then obviously we wouldn’t have bothered him.

Though I was still thinking about him. I don’t know why it was but there was something unique in him that feels attractive. He was poor and mother said that life of poor is very hard. Their children don’t go school as they don’t have money to pay for it. They work with their parents to earn for their living. They sometimes sleep without food and it was the worst thing that I thought. I can’t think of me not eating for even 2 hours continuously. I never wanted the seller children to have a life like that. I summarized that tomorrow I will buy a doll from him and will ask him why he want to meet father and also I will ask his name and where he lives. I heard father steps towards my room so I concentrated myself back on the numbers.

All mornings are best but Sunday mornings are better. I woke up late and that was the best thing I like about Sundays. I freshen myself. I saw father reading newspaper and so I thought I better not disturb him with my ‘baseless queries’ as he called it. I took my clay dolls and went to play with them as this would be a better move to make the environment positive in helping me buy another one. I was waiting for him. Sometime I went to balcony to see if he don’t pass stealthily. I want to buy the first and the best one. Time was passing slow but lastly it passed and he hadn’t come. I returned in despair and directly to mother. “Today also he didn’t come. If father would have met him on that day, he would have surely come”. Mother replied,” He was desperate to meet him but your father told me that he had came to the office and needed help”. “ What kind of help?  Did father helped him?”. “Go and ask your father”. I ran directly to him. He was still busy with the paper and I interrupted and asked him about the seller and told him that for two days he had not showed up. “You will never see him again. He’s gone. It’s better that you should stop looking for him and get busy in your studies”, replied father. Father told me that he had found another job which has good earnings and with the income he can now send his children to school and can support the other needs. I was happy though I will miss him but still I thought that his latter is making him more happy than the former so he I put the last clay doll on the table in my room and fell on my bed.

“What type of job did he get”, asked mother. “No any type of job”, replied father. “But you told that he get a job better than the previous one”. “Yeah but he didn’t get it, it was a lie”. “why you told her so”. “He came to my office on that day. I was busy so I told him to wait and when I went to see him he was not there”. “It means you do not know why he will not come”.  “It’s not like that I don’t know as the next morning I got the news from the company that the area under encroachment has been cleared and now we can start the work on proposal of making kids amusement park”. “When I went there I found out that the area was inhabited by poor people, homeless. This was a success and then the construction manager came and asked for dates to start their work”. I told him that we will soon inform you and then suddenly I saw a clay doll same as that man sells in his hand and I asked him where did he get it. He told me that a man who lives here, gave him free saying that he also work for children but never bother other for it. “So where he is”. “He just went with his family. A person who don’t have house are worker than a prisoner, sir”.

“This is the reason I don’t tell her that why he is not coming. She will hate the amusement park if he she knows that it was earlier the home of that seller”. “You could have helped him if you would have listened to her when he went to office”, sighed mother. “Yes , I should have. The aim of the company and the man was the same but the way was different, his spiritualistic way was far more better than our materialistic one. He paid for being poor, doesn’t matter what he had in his heart. He sold happiness…”.