Short Stories

2:"A Memorable Gift"

The Golden rays of the fiery orb merged with the sky. Silhouette of birds rushing back to their home. Say brilliancy of colours or either nature is at it's best at the time of sunset such rich and varied dyes can be visible in just few moments. As the Golden, orange velvet gown started turning pink then purple and slowly changing to obsidian black.

Streets of the town were full of rush and loud noise of horn and hawckers. But still nothing affected him. He was walking on the street like a ghost will all engrossed in his deep thoughts.

Shiv Agrawal, a common man like any other man of an Indian middle class family but with extraordinary feelings and a soft heart that resides in his tough body. His grandfather, Shekhar Agrawal was not a middle class person but a rich and named personality of high class society but time is never same. Shekhar got bankrupt due to the conspiracy against him by his own brother who was his partner in business as well. He trusted him more than anyone but his brother cheated him. He got an heart attack and died.

Shiv's grand mother died before his grandfather.  His mom and dad now owed a small exactly a very very small shop or more appropriately say an ice-cream and cooking stall where his mother cooked and his father served. He was just eighteen when all these happened. He has seen his parent's suffer a lot and now he anyhow wanted to help them but today again he failed miserably to find a job.

A lone tear escaped his eyes as tomorrow is raksha bandhan, a sacred festivals that celebrates the love of brother and sister. He loves his sister like he loves no one.  He cannot stand a single drop of tears in his eyes.
And tomorrow is the last raskha bandhan that she will celebrate with him in their house as within one month she is going to get married. He pressed his eyes tight and a lone tear traced it's path from his eyes to his chin and then his moving foot. His dirty shoes were stained with his tear drop.

Even the mere thought of her marriage brings tears in his eyes, how will he live without her when she will leave. He sighed. He wanted to make this raksha bandhan the most memorable one, so just few hours before he thought to buy a unique and memorable gift for his sister but he had no money not even single paise, his pocket was totally empty. Suddenly his train of thoughts was broken by flash of light and loud horn.  He with shock and wide eyes looks that a car was rushing speedily towards him and in nick of moment her jumps out of the way before car could hit him. He was lying on street with his clothes covered in mud.  He got up and stared the car till it disappeared from his sight. He gulped as he recalled past few minutes.  He saw the place he was standing just few moments before.

What if he didn't move on time? The same place where he walked, he might might have been lying in pool of blood.

Just then something clicked his mind and the packet he was hugging close to his chest he worried looked that if it's safe and gives out a huge sigh of relief seeing it safe.

He walks to his home where his family might be waiting for him at dinner. He rushed to his room and safely placed the packet inside his cupboard and he gets emotional when he touches the hanger that was empty hanging in his cupboard. Cleaning himself and changing to night dress he went to kitchen where all there were having dinner. They lived in a SMALL ONE BHK flat. He smiled at his sister, siya who glared at him for making her wait for dinner.
He passed a sorry look with puppy face which made her smile.

Siya Agrawal,  sister of shiv Agrawal. No doubt he loved him back the same way he loved her. She always had the habit to show tantrums to him and he always had the habit to bear all her tantrums. She never had an meal of the day without him. She always wanted her brother to be happy and successful, similar to her brother even she wanted tomorrow to be the most memorable raksha bandhan. She loved her grand mother, surekha a lot. When she was kid she use to sleep in her grandmother's laps hearing innumerable stories either fictional,  mythological or her grandmother's childhood. Before Surekha died she gave her a beautiful stitched Indian bridal dress which had work of gold over it. That was her favourite dress and the thing most close to her heart, but she was never able to wear it as it didn't had a matching stole(odhni/ duppata) . Today,  whole day she was in dilemma what she should do on be half of her to make the day memorable, what should she gift her brother just as precious as the dress given by her grand mom was to her. Just in evening something clicked her mind only she hoped and prayed that his brother will like her gift.