The Bell

Annamalai has been working as a peon in the company for almost twenty years. Although the salary is not very attractive, his face suggests that he is not satisfied with it.

 It was Annamalai who reached the office early in the morning, cleaned the place thoroughly, and did all the things to set it in order on the tables. No one called Annamalai by name. He knew that every bell was a call for him and from which table it came. An uncultured Manager once poured tea on him saying that the tea served was too sweet. But Annamalai swallowed his manager's arrogance patiently.

For whom is Annamalai living?  Nobody knows where does he live? Nobody knows Annamalai is from which place? Nobody knows anything about him. Everyone knows only one thing that Annamalai was here with the same work when they joined to work in this company. No one needs to ask anything. Annamalai will be there if you ring the bell in front.

 On the day  he gets the salary, there is a small smile on his face. But it may seem more beautiful than a smile with two lips parted and teeth visible.

The manager who came after the old manager who retired was a clean man. He started calling Annamalai, Anna, out of respect for his age. He looked curiously at the bell on his desk. And then said. "This is for you, Anna, I don't need it."

He took it and tucked it into his waist, keeping his reply to himself. The new manager's modesty has not caught any appreciation of other staff. Someone whispered there that every new fellow came with reforms.

Months later...  Annamalai did not come to the office that day.

The manager asked angrily as he came out of the cabin after hearing the bells ringing many times.

 "Doesn't anyone here know what his name is?

By ringing this bell in turns, do you want to make a fuss?

After a moment of silence, someone said softly.

 "I'm sorry sir, I haven't seen him until now, in office."

 "Is this what we need to do? Is it not proper enough to call him where he lives? What if he is not well or something? What's wrong if you do what he does for one day?.

 After a few minutes he shouted again. "Someone give me that number. I'll call and tell you the rest."

The manager dials the number on his mobile. After talking inside his cabin, he came out and said something to everyone with a bit of  sober voice. 

 "He won't come anymore if you ring this bell again. He died last night. Anyway, I am going to his place. It's not enough for me to show at least that much courtesy to that man. If any of you want to come with me, you can come. If nothing else, don't you all call on him."

Three people accompanied the manager. There was silence in the office.

Annamalai lived in a building attached to an old age home called "Nirvana". In the past, Annamalai was in this shelter with his wife. After his wife died a few years ago, he lived alone. Their children did not come as all of them are outside India. None came, either of their parent's demise. Even though he received all the money sent by them every month, Annamalai did not use a single penny of it. He has given it to the welfare fund of Nirvana. His affairs were going on with the money he got from working. He liked to spend his free time with the inmates of the asylum.

 As the ambulance went to the crematorium with the dead body, the watchman stopped describing Annamalai. With a sigh, he walked towards the premises of Nirvana.

The bells may still be ringing in that office, without Annamalai hearing the call. Thinking that Annamalai might be silently listening to the bell as if he were in some other world where the bells do not ring, the manager and his colleagues got into the car and started their journey back.

Another year passed by and a new Manager took over. As part of his reforms, he abolished the post of Peon and along with vanished the bells to market with other sundry items and old newspapers. 

It was not known, anybody remembered Annamalai then!