Boys without Names by Kashmira Sheth Read Free Book Online Page B

with her family. One day she saw a thousand-rupee bill fall from a rich man’s wallet. She picked it up and returned it. The man looked at the girl’stattered clothes and bare feet. ‘Don’t you think you need money more than I do? Why didn’t you keep it?’ he asked.
    â€œâ€˜Because that would be wrong,’ the girl replied. Her dark eyes shone brightly.
    â€œâ€˜You are an honest child and I would like to help you,’ the man said. ‘What would make you the happiest?’
    â€œThe girl closed her eyes and thought. Ever since she was little she wanted to open a bookstore, but she was afraid to tell the rich man. He would laugh at her for being so foolish. Maybe she should ask for food, clothes, or a place to live.
    â€œâ€˜Remember, you must ask for something truly special. If you ask for something you want or need, I will know.’”
    â€œI’d ask for—” Naren says.
    â€œYou were not supposed to talk in the middle. You can’t listen to the story anymore,” Sita says.
    She is so loud that a boy holding his baba’s hand turns around. “If you bicker I will stop right now,” I threaten them.
    They shake their heads. “We won’t.”
    I continue. “‘I would like a bookstore,’ the girl said.”
    Naren shoves his hands down under his legs as if he is stopping the urge to say something.
    â€œâ€˜A bookstore?’ The man’s eyebrow went up in surprise. ‘Are you sure, totally sure?’
    â€œThe girl replied with her hand on her heart. ‘Yes, I am.’
    â€œThe man helped the girl open up a bookstore. The girl read all the books she sold to make sure they were good stories. The people of Mumbai liked her little store so much that she was busy from morning until evening. Now she had money to buy fruits, vegetables, and even fish. She bought shoes for her family and three sets of clothes for each of them. And the best part was they had a place to live. It wasn’t as big as a palace, but she had four rooms and it was on the top floor of a building. When the clouds were low in the sky she felt like she could reach out and pull one in.
    â€œShe hadn’t forgotten the man who had helped her, though. When she gave him a pile of books to thank him, he said, ‘It is time for you to have a bigger store.’
    â€œThe girl liked the idea very much. She used the money she had saved up to buy a bigger place. The wooden shelves didn’t have a speck of dirt on them. Each of them was filled with books, and the place smelled of paper, ink, and colors. All day long she talked and helped the book buyers, and at night when she locked up she thought about the next day. She smiled. The bookstore made her so happy.”
    When I am done Sita is looking at me with her head crooked to one side, and Naren is staring.
    â€œYou didn’t like the story?” I ask.
    â€œI think that was not a girl but a boy,” Sita says. “It was you.”
    â€œHow do you know it was not Naren?”
    â€œBecause I’d have asked for a toy store.”
    â€œYes, he would have,” Sita agrees.
    â€œWill Baba be back soon?” Naren asks, looking around.
    â€œHo,” I say. I have to think of another distraction. “I’ll show you a new game called solitaire that Card-Man taught me.”
    I show them how to set it up. “This is hard,” Naren says.
    Sita rolls her eyes. “And no fun.”
    She turns to Aai. “I’m hungry.”
    Aai keeps her eyes closed and stays quiet. Quickly, I gather up the cards that I have spread on our faded rug. “Let’s all play together,” I say, waving a card. I divide the cards three ways and then one after the other we throw a card down until someone has a matching card—then they get to keep the pile and start a new round. We play for a while but I keep glancing at the street.
    â€œI’m done. I want