Telescope

The endless sky has its own story to tell, about the stars that beautify it.

I still remember the time when my grandfather died. My mother hid her tears under her smile and comforted me. The fact that I cannot see him again gave immense pain to my little heart. Seeing my situation getting worse, my mom sat beside me and whispered into my ears, "When you see a star shining brighter than others, it is your grandfather smiling at you."

I was only six then and could not think beyond the myths that were imprinted into my mind. That night, I stood on my balcony. The cold wind blew straight into my eyes. Tears blurred my vision. The sky painted itself in a beautiful dark blue colour and thousands of stars beautified the picture.

I called my mother and said, "Mom, there are many stars. Which one of these is grandpa?"

She was surprised. Maybe, she might have thought I had forgotten. She looked at the night sky for a few moments, then broke into a smile.

She pointed at the sky and said, "That one, dear. Can't you see it shining brighter than the rest?"

My eyes followed her finger and saw that one star that looked bigger, brighter and more beautiful than the rest. My eyes twinkled with joy. I stared at the star with immense curiosity, as though I was seeing a star for the first time.

It still gives me pain as I recollect those few days before my fourteenth birthday. I was at my grandma's house, which was in a village. I was enjoying the beauty that the place had to offer. The city had exhausted my spirit, but the village was always different.

I was playing five stones with my cousins in the backyard that day when I noticed a car approaching the house. Soon after its arrival, grandma called me. I saw my father and uncle, and they said that I had to go back to my house. Despite my protests, they took me to the car.

When we reached home, I noticed an unusually high crowd outside our house. Holding my hand, my dad pushed through the crowd. He was very silent.

I soon saw that painful sight. My mother lied there, still and lifeless. It took me a few moments to process what was happening. I started crying. I cried out loud , letting the endless tears flow. I was pulled away from my mother's dead body.

I was in a terrible condition the entire day. That night, I stood on my balcony again and I saw two brightly shining stars. A lone tear dropped from my eye.

I've had a fascination for stars since. I pursued my higher studies in astronomy. Years of determination and hard work finally brought me to ISRO. It was a proud moment for my father and I. That blissful night, I looked through my telescope. I saw those two stars shining brighter than ever.

Years of studies, of course, shattered my belief in those myths. But those two stars were always there, in every rise and fall of mine that I couldn't help but wish that they were the souls of my grandfather and mother, who added beauty to the star-filled night sky.