Short Story - Chess
Usha heard some voices coming out from Anandu’s room. She thought he is playing with the computer. Her anxiety grew into hunch when she heard Anandu is talking to someone. She rushed to his room and stood in bewilderment. She found Anandu is talking to an empty chair, a chair of his beloved grandpa.
She heard him clearly saying “No grandpa, you can’t beat me this time. You see my new magical knights. They will break through your defense”
Scared Usha called out “Anandu”. She covered him with her arms around his shoulders. She thought may be Anandu is missing grandpa, who passed away last month. Anandu was still lost in conversation and kept murmuring something like
“knight…pawns… attack…no…..please!!!!”
She had noticed few changes in Anandu’s behavior after grandpa’s death. He has become reclusive, disoriented, quieter and always lost in his own thoughts.
He would only play with chess pieces, talk to them as if they exist in real life. He would mutter something and pretend as if the pieces are alive. Several times, Usha peeped into his room to overhear his seemingly mysterious conversation with invisible Grandpa. She could hear few words like grandpa, black knight and attack. She knew Anandu is definitely missing his grandpa, but there is something else as well.
Even at the dining table during the meal, Anandu would pick up the morsel and move his hand in the unusual knight walk, one, two, two and half position jumping over yogurt and vegetables. He would often treat the different edible things in the plate as kind of chess pieces and starts playing with them. He would play until Usha shout at him and gives her ‘enough is enough’ look.
One day Anandu came running to kitchen. He was scared, gasping for breath, throwing the pieces all over the rooms, squalling all the way
“Go away! Go away!!”
Usha gave him the cover and he hid behind Usha’s body. Anandu was panting and trembling. He held Usha so tightly as if someone is going to snatch him away.
The pair of black knights was scattered away from the board at the corner. For a moment, Usha thought that the knights are staring at her and Anandu.
She decided that she will throw away this new chess board somewhere beyond Anandu’s reach. She also decided she won’t allow Anandu to play chess anymore. She was going to talk to Kiran, his father, who was on business tour and away from home.
Kiran listened to Usha’s grumbling about Anandu and chess. Usha told Kiran about Anandu’s withdrawal from day to day life, talking to himself in the enclosed room and his deteriorating health. She insisted that Anandu needs doctor’s help and preferably psychiatrist.
The other day, Anandu’s school organized a drawing contest. Each student was to draw anything they like to draw, using their own imagination. Later in the day, few selected drawings had been put up for display in the prayer hall. Usha was congratulated by other parents as Anandu’s drawing was also chosen for exhibition. Usha was happy receiving greetings, however she was surprised and feeling queasy. Anandu had neither shown any keen interest in colors, drawings since childhood nor was he good at drawings. He never participated in any competition or school spots.
With growing anxiety, she wended her through the gathering and reached to the pole where Anandu’s drawing was displayed. With one glimpse on the wall, ripples of uncertainty and fear ran through her body. The drawing depicts a man riding on the horse, wearing full mail armor and great helms at a joust, ready to plunge out of paper. People observed keenly the inscrutable painting dangled on the wall. She could hear few voices from the crowd saying, ‘marvelous’, ‘beautiful’, ‘something unusual for a kid to draw’.
Usha was against chess since the time Anandu’s performance in tournaments was deteriorating. Kiran attributed his non performance to grandpa’s death. He knew Anandu needs support at this point of time in his career. He did exceedingly well in the initial tournaments. His performance degraded only after grandpa hit the bed six months back.
He remembered the last game in the national level tournament Anandu played was a disaster. Anandu had forgotten to play his moves several times. He stared at the chess board consistently for a long period of time. Opponent was a gentleman, kind enough to break his attention and request Anandu to play his moves. Kiran thought of giving him a break for some time.
He remembered Anandu’s happy and excited face when he brought him the new chess board from Shanghai last month. He was planning to buy some clothes and toys for Anandu as usual, but he could not resist himself when he saw this antic piece. The chess board was checkered with dark red and black color. The combination of red and black color instead of white and black checks was spectacular. The pieces were carved out of glistening stones sculptured making horses, elephants, soldiers and others. Pieces were expressive and attention seizing. Especially the pair of black knight who had a striking fighter and worrier looks, representing an armoured cavalry.
Usha wasn’t happy with Kiran keeping quiet about Anandu. She kept grumbling with Kiran about Anandu needing special care.
The other day she was busy working in the kitchen. She heard a loud noise from Anandu’s room. He was yelling for help. She rushed towards his room, she saw Anandu standing at the corner of the room, scared, perspiring, horrendously staring at the wall, shouting from the top of his voice
“No, No, please don’t move forward. Don’t kill me, No”
She searched on the wall for something but there was no one in the room. The wall and the place where Anandu was staring at, was nothing except feeble shadow of ceiling fan. She hugged him, gave him comfort. He took a long time to calm down. He kept murmuring,
“No, please!!!…..He will kill me, the black knight”
Anandu now was hospitalized. Usha would not leave him alone at the hospital. She would sit at his bed through the day and night just to make sure that Anandu’s not feeling alone.
Anandu had shown no progress and no response to medicines. Doctors were struggling to understand his symptoms. Anandu kept talking to his grandpa, over the game again and again, he kept murmuring about attacks, threats and black knight.
It’s been a month now Anandu has been hospitalized. Kiran was already feeling guilty for not giving enough attention to what Usha was trying to communicate. He knew he was guilty, guilty of enforcing and loading Anandu with his own dreams, guilty of snatching his childhood without his own knowledge.
Anandu was the only treasure they had and he could see Anandu’s degrading health day after day. He wanted Anandu back at any cost, anyhow. Doctors were making significant efforts and keeping the hope alive.
Some moments flashed though Kiran’s memory. Grandpa, his father had taught him to play chess. Kiran himself was brilliant player. He had defeated several ranked players during those days. He had to quit the game because of lack of monitory support, no coaching available in the small town. He had to find himself work and support grandpa. It took a lot of time for him to settle down in life. He had high ambitions and expectations from life. The only thing he could achieve playing chess was to secure a job under sport quota with one of the government organization.
When Anandu was born, Kiran had decided that he will make Anandu best in class chess player in the country. He introduced Anandu to chess at a very early stage in his life. Anandu grew chewing the Pawns, Knights, Rooks, Kings, Queens and Bishops. Slowly he started recognizing and playing with them.
As expected, Anandu started showing interest in the game. He learned trick and trade of the game under the guidance of Kiran. Kiran was happy with his progress. He had already planned for Anandu’s chess career. He decided to introduce Anandu into one of the reputed chess tournament. Wherein he knew several interesting and ranked players participates.
Anandu was equally happy to get so much of attention from his parents, all the time, every time. Usha, though was happy with his father taking special effort for the son, however she wanted Anandu to enjoy his childhood, and choose whatever he likes to do. She encouraged Anandu to play cricket, football and other outdoor games with his colony friends.
Anandu showed a brilliant performance in the debut tournament. He displayed his long thought out actions and moves. He stunned several good and highly ranked players in the tournament. He secured 2nd position which was commendable given the fact that he was playing first time amongst such high profile players. Most of the competing players liked Anandu’s game and they openly praised and congratulated him on his success. However Kiran told Usha that Anandu has the potential and he should not settle down anything below 1st position.
There was no looking back for Anandu. Kiran made him play several high profile tournaments. Anandu responded well to his father in terms of securing positions in the top 3 slots. Kiran was sure that if Anandu continues this performance he would get nominated for chess Olympiad next year. He would get opportunity to play at the international level to represent the country. This was one of his dreams.
Usha on the other hand, kept repeating Kiran that Anandu needs to make friends of his age, play some outdoor game, take interest in studies, do normal things as all kids do. She knew Anandu is running for achieving his father’s dream. She wanted to enjoy her own motherhood with him. She brooded over this issue with Kiran several times; however Kiran never paid any attention to her.
Anandu used to enjoy playing with Grandpa. Anandu was fond of his grandpa and loved being with him. Grandpa was his friend, to whom he can express his feelings freely. Anandu’s interest in the game was scaling down since the time Grandpa was hospitalized. He was living with a hope that Grandpa will be back at home someday and he will play with him, fight with him and share some of his secrets.
In one of the major tournament, Anandu was struggling to even fetch a drawn in the match. He lost to some junior players making serious blunders. Kiran in a fit of rage slapped him in front of all the players.
One day Grandpa passed away. Kiran and Usha knew that it’s going to be difficult to handle Anandu. Anandu cried for several days, he did not speak to anyone. He would go and sit down at Grandpa’s chair.
Kiran was running short of time, he wanted to prepare Anandu for the Olympiad qualifier tournament. Because of the last incident, Kiran did not want take dual responsibility of a coach and father. He told Usha and Anandu that he is planning to hire a coach who will help Anandu cope up with pressure, and do well at the international level.
Usha grumbled and told Kiran that Anandu needs time, needs fresh air in life. He needs to move away from the chess board. She warned Kiran for putting undue pressure on him. Usha overheard some conversation wherein Kiran was talking to someone for Anandu’s coaching and buying a computer with sophisticated chess software. In a fit of pique, shouted and repeatedly told Kiran to forgive her son, to let him live his life like any other normal kid. She knew that Kiran is trying to complete his unfulfilled ambitions from the game though Anandu.
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Doctors were failing to understand and reach to any conclusion. Anandu’s health was deteriorating with every passing day. He does not recognize Usha and Kiran anymore. He sleeps unevenly, losing his conscious several times a day. He still talks to his Grandpa, talks to shadows and fight with them over a game. Sometimes during the night, he gets scared and screams for help muttering about some black knights attacking him. Usha is always sitting at the corner of his bed helping Anandu in every possible way. She spends most of the time with Anandu. She does not talk to Kiran these days. She considers him responsible for Anandu’s condition.
Today she was feeling lonely. It’s terrible thing, loneliness. She supported and absorbed Kiran during emotional outbursts. She would say,
“Let these things go, otherwise the resentment will burn you from inside”.
Kiran requested Usha to go home and take some rest. She had refused to move away from Anandu’s bed since the time he was hospitalized. Kiran, had accepted the blame, cried several times like a helpless baby in her lap. Apart from Grandpa’s death, the only reason he could figure out is the ‘antic chess board’ after which several events triggered. He regretted his tour to Shanghai. He could have bought some toys and clothes, which he wanted to buy for Anandu.
With some noise outside of ICU room he got up, he slept without any realization of time, reining in the darkness of his own thoughts. Anandu was sleeping, as usual with a thoughtful expression, dark circles enveloping his eyes, slightly opened dried little lips as if it will take a lifetime to quench his thirst.
He noticed the place where Usha sits was empty. He thought she must be resting at home. He looked at the wall clock stroking time beyond dusk. It’s high time. She should have been back by now. He called up home but nobody responded.
He immediately decided to go home. The door was open. Everything seems to be in order. His eyes was searching for Usha, in the kitchen, living room, backyard. He gave a shout “Usha, Usha” couple times. He saw a small light in Anandu’s room. He rushed towards the room. Usha was standing at the corner, drawing support from the wall, completely lost and not sensing his presence, staring at the wall. She was uttering something,
“No, No, please don’t move forward. Don’t kill me, No”
“No, please!!!…..He will kill me, the black knight”
He saw a faint shadow of a whirring ceiling fan on the wall. He felt as if moon is trying to ensnare him in its gravity. The pair of black knights was scattered away from the board at the corner. For a moment, He thought that the knights are staring and waiting to attack him.
- Devendra
