— Blogging Challenge, Fiction, Story-telling, Such is life, Writing —

Chotu gets his first

October 7, 2025

Chotu clandestinely hid behind a discarded wooden table, his tense eyes locked intently on the door. His tiny frame betrayed his age making him look younger than his ten years. The torn, ragged clothes on him were picked from a garbage dump and smelt funny. Anytime now, he thought.

The main street was lined with many fancy restaurants whose backdoors opened into this dingy lane. The stained walls and rancid air around here were in stark contrast to all the glitz and glam masking it. Appearances mattered, after all. From decomposing food and decaying waste to broken cutlery and unwashed cookware, the sight was nauseating. This place was a hotbed for diseases.

Chotu was too tenacious to be deterred by them though. The tiny hut he shared with his parents and three siblings wasn’t exactly a royal suite to brag about. His parents were daily labourers working at a construction site nearby. As the eldest he was responsible to keep his brothers and sister out of harm’s way and fed. The former was doable, the latter tricky. There was never enough money to feed all their mouths.

Blessed to have discovered this lane a few days ago he felt like a superhero with a flowing dupatta from the posters at the traffic signal. Thanks to these restaurants throwing away perfectly good food, they could eat every day. Timing was paramount though. He had to pick up and run or get beaten for stealing. Funny how they could waste it instead of giving it away. Bland, sweet or spicy, it was often unpredictable but filled their tummies. Food meant survival and he could do anything for it. 

“Tu phir aa gaya?” Chotu panicked at the sudden voice behind him. Dressed in different and better clothes than the waiters he regularly saw, this man seemed important. “Is this the manager they talk about?” Chotu wondered. The man had caught him lingering in that lane before and had shooed him away. He was tall and generously endowed around the middle. The thick moustache on his face gave him a fierce look but his eyes were kind and generous. He stepped out of the backdoor and gestured for Chotu to come out of his hiding place. His gaze moved gingerly from Chotu’s head to toe.

Clearly displeased at what he saw, he called him closer and asked gently, “Tu roz yahan aata hai?” Chotu shamefacedly nodded, thinking of a tenable reply. “Aise khana churana acchi baat nahi hai. Kuch kaam aata hai tujhe?” Chotu replied excitedly, “Kya karwana hai batao saab, sab seekh loonga!” The manager tenderly smiled. “Main bolta hun kisiko tujhe kuch kaam dene. Jo chahiye khana leke jaana aur saath mein ten rupees, teri mehnat ka. Roz aa sakta hai par kaam karna padega. Chalega?”

Chotu nodded ecstatically. As he waited impatiently to be assigned work his mind had already started deciding on what to do with his first earning, the ten rupees.

This post was created for the Blogaberry Creative (Monthly) Challenge with Theme word – TEN.

This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’  hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.

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24 thoughts on “Chotu gets his first”

  1. The last line chocked me with emotions. That Chhotu’s life finally improved is the satisfaction, Both characters Chhotu and the Manager are well etched. The story has smooth flow and a positive ending.

  3. I am curious to know one thing. When you write fiction do you entirely rely upon your imagination or known/seen facts or both. For instance, here in this story have you actually seen hotels throwing away food through the back door is it simply your imagination ?

  4. Such a touching tale, V. My heart went out to Chotu, who at the tender age of 10 had the responsibilty of his younger siblings. Glad he had drive and self respect too. So well written, it was a plasure to read this.

  5. Your created Chotu’s world so vividly with those ragged clothes, the stench, the tension behind closed doors, I could imagine the smell of the lane and feel his hunger. When the manager offers him work and 10 rupees, it felt like a fragile door opening in darkness. I love how you captured Chotu’s mix of shame and excitement, that moment when survival and hope tangled.

  11. Dreams takes us ahead in life and what I can see in this beautiful story is dreams of Chotu. Chotu ka sapna chota nahi bahot bara ha… Uran bharo Chotu… My wishes are with you.

  12. I wish to say so many things after reading this post.
    1. Your story telling is extremely good Varsha and is getting better, the sensory detail almost made the street scene come alive for me, kudos !
    2. Chhotu’s story is a sad reminder of the lives of about a crore of our children still living on the streets.
    3. I am glad you gave this a positive ending , I needed that bit of hope.
    4. I hope all Chhotus of this world can have safety and full tummies.

  14. What a touching and powerful story. Chotu’s resilience, his hope rising from hardship, and the dignity in his first earning moved me deeply. You’ve written his journey with both empathy and realism. Truly inspiring.

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