Stories

The Unusual Survivor

Don’t do it. Wind blew across her face. Heart pumping fast. Anna looked down. The water looked cold. The air, dry. The words still rung in her ears. Don’t do it, he said again. Standing on railing of the famous Howrah Bridge, Anna finally looked at him.

Tall and slender, the man bore through her. Standing little further, calm and composed despite the situation, he looked at her. Intense and deliberate.

“You don’t even know me!” Yelled Anna. “I agree” he said casually and continued, “but I very well know what you are planning to do now” Anna was unsure of what to say. The most obvious thing she could say was “So?” Silence paved its way between the two despite the heavy noise of traffic. He gave a small laugh and asked, “What’s the reason? What’s making you end your life?”

Anna looked at him. Hit by the fact that she’s standing on the railing of the bridge, awaiting to end her life. She once again contemplated her more. But convicted towards the step taken, she asked “why should I tell you? Who are you?” The man looked away. Thinking. He looked back at her and said. “How does it matter?”

Anna stared at him. Silence slid back between the two. Anna was almost half the age of the man who was trying to save her. Confused, exhausted and helpless, she gave in. She broke out a loud cry and yelled! “He dumped me!! He dumped me got damn it! Why? Why did he do it?

The man didn’t lose his composure. He kept looking at her. While he showed no reflex, his eyes gave away his inner self. He could feel her pain. Somewhere it hurt him too. With a straight face he said, “And so that’s an end of life? Just for a boy?”

Anna looked at him. Sharp and mad “he wasn’t just a boy. He was my everything!” “But you weren’t the same to him!” Replied the man instantly. “Had it been the case you wouldn’t have been here girl!” He said to support his statement. Anna looked away, towards the setting sun.

The cars made heavy noise. The water looked scary. The iron of the railing was cold and her body was aching bad. What this random stranger said hit Anna hard. She promptly stopped crying. Tears dried on her face, she looked different. Breathing slow, she felt that she was able to gather herself back.

She looked at the man again. “Don’t do it girl. Your life is much valuable than you think.” Anna gave a small nod. Just at the age of 20 she didn’t know the value of her life. However, this God man had helped her realize it. She got off the railing and came near the man. She said a polite thank you and turned back. With her head heavy with thoughts, she started to walk.

Suddenly she heard a splash and she froze in her path. Her heart beat increased and fear creeped up. Slowly she turned towards where the man stood few moments back. He wasn’t there. Crowd gathered.

Everyone looked down. “I think he is dead” said someone. “He jumped all of sudden” said another. Shocked and perplexed, Anna went near the spot where he stood. A wallet was fallen. May be it was his.

Anna bent down slow and picked it up. Looking at the water below her, involuntarily she opened the wallet. Inside stood a picture of a beautiful lady. A picture that was old and tattered. Torn out of a perfect photograph!

Stories

The value of happiness  

Sudhir was staring in his laptop. Room messy, fans and lights off, he didn’t care about the ambiance. The day had passed and had worn the shawl of evening. But Sudhir was unaware of anything.

Focused and determined, he was trying to work out something on his laptop. That’s when his door flew open. It hit the wall behind with a thud and that brought him back to the reality. He looked out of the laptop screen and the world seemed different.

Mr. Mehra walked in. Throwing the lights and fans on, he said “What have you done to your room son?”. Sudhir looked around. He was 27 by now, but he could easily pass for a 18-year-old.

Habits and looks, both were deceiving in his case. His father gave out a light laugh. He seemed to be in a good mood. Sudhir looked at him with a straight face. Unaware about what to say, he chose to stay quiet.

Mr. Mehra walked inside and sat on the bed. Sudhir was still perplexed. His father never walked into his room wearing a smile. In fact, he never bothered to walk into his room. It was always the other way round. 

Things were varied today and Sudhir couldn’t fathom the reality. “Come sit next to me son” said Mr. Mehra. Sudhir gulped and then sat beside his father. Mr. Mehra put his arm across his shoulders and said, “I heard from your mom, your start-up idea finally worked!”

Sudhir’s face turned pale. He didn’t know where the conversation was headed. He being the only child in the family had to bear a huge basket of hopes on his head, right from his young age. Born into a middle class family that believed in doing job and service, Sudhir’s dreams were different and unaccepted by his father. 

Yet, at his own will he decided to pursue a career in the Fin-tech industry and later he left his job to start his own venture. His decision was not accepted with grace at home and he was facing the toughest time of his life. 

While he was lost in his own thoughts, he was brought back to the reality when Mr. Mehra snapped his fingers. “And where are you lost now?” he asked, smiling. Sudhir nodded his head into a no. “So your mother was telling me that you participated in some start-up conclave and your project got a heavy investment!” 

Sudhir managed to nod into a yes. Mr. Mehra gave out a huge laugh and patted his back hard. “Now that’s like my boy! Very well done young man. You have no idea how proud I feel today!” He continued his celebratory laughter, but soon he realized that he was the only one celebrating. Sudhir was calm, lost in his own world.

“What happened kid? What’s the matter?” Mr. Mehra looked at his son with grave concern and said, “Your father is proud of you, doesn’t that make you happy?” 

Moments passed but Sudhir said nothing. He was looking at the floor beneath. Mr. Mehra kept looking at him. Awaiting a response. Finally Sudhir looked up and said “You are saying this for the first time dad. Hence I don’t know how to react…”

They both kept looking at each other. Mr. Mehra was perplexed and Sudhir displayed nothing humane on his face. “You have never been happy with whatever I did till now dad and hence I guess, I too have forgotten to be happy with whatever I have achieved…”

Stories

Sharing is really caring

The winter breeze was cool. The sun setting and the grass still fresh. It was a perfect time to sit in the park and munch on hot French fries. Alka looked at her son lovingly whose eyes had grown big looking at the large pack of hot French fries that she had got for him before picking him from the day care. They both sat in the park to have some mini family time.

As Rohan tore open the packet and started munching on the fries a little boy, as old as him came near the mother and son duo. Dressed in rags and dirty, he was a homeless boy. Looking at the hot fries he couldn’t keep the urge to ask for one.

He came close to Rohan and looked at him blank. As young as 4, the little boy didn’t know how to ask for things. All he could do was stare back with eyes that asked for some food. Rohan smiled at him and offered him the fries. A smile broke out on the young lad’s face. The twinkle in his eyes was innocent.

The glee on his face was priceless. He truly didn’t expect this gesture. He started to walk upto Rohan and that’s when Alka yelled. “Rohan! What are you doing? You are giving your fries to him?” Before little Rohan could react, Alka yelled at the kid and made him run away.

Rohan was baffled and hurt by his mother’s act. Sad and sulking he sat and slowly munched on his fries. After a few minutes the duo was joined by Rohan’s classmate Ayush and his mother. Alka exchanged greetings with her and settled down. Ayush’s eyes fell on the pack of fries and he tried to grab a few, but that’s when Rohan snatched it away.

Shocked to see her son’s reaction Alka gasped and yelled at him. “ROHAN! What are you doing?” Rohan stared at her. Ayush was petrified by now and his mom who was upset with Rohan’s reaction was happy with Alka’s yelling. Alka shouted again, “Rohan. Didn’t I teach you sharing is caring?”

Rohan kept looking at her for a while and then slowly said. “But mom you only stopped me from sharing a while ago…” Ashamed and embarrassed, Alka stayed quiet. Ayush and his mom were clueless. Alka looked up to her son. She then looked around.

The homeless boy was still around the corner, looking at the entire scene. Alka looked at him. Their eyes met. She slowly gestured at him to come near her. Slowly, watching every step he came close. Alka reached into the pack of fries, removed a handful of them and offered it to the boy.

The homeless boy started at her and then at Rohan. Shocked at the change he didn’t attempt to take. Alka smiled a little. He was a little boy after all. She smiled more and said, “Come here. Have this” the boy looked at Rohan who too was smiling with glee now. The little twinkle returned and the kid had the first, delicious French fry of his life…