"Don't you stand so much in front of that mirror now. You know you look like a fairy. The most beautiful fairy in the world", his toothless mouth curled up into a silly smile. Not entirely toothless; that one brown stub of an erstwhile tooth added more character to his face than an entire set of sparkling dentures could ever have. His daughter Kirti, hardly paid any heed to his words, she was innocently lost in the reflection of her new dress just brought by her baba. The 10 year old had been hankering her father to get one, for weeks now. And now that he had bought it, she was in no mood to do anything else than admire herself, and giggle non-stop while doing so.
"Also don't go out to play like this. I do not want you to spoil your dress in any way."
"Don't worry Baba. I will not go out to play today. Can I please sleep in this dress tonight? It is so soft. I will wear it always," she giggled some more.
He didn't want to say anything that would burst her bubble of happiness. His thoughts went to his deceased wife. Aruna would have been very happy today. She loved her daughter very much, just as he did. If not for that fateful storm which had swept away half their village along with Aruna, destroyed farms, and diminished all their savings - they would have still been happily living there and busy working in their field. Nature's fury had turned their life on its head overnight.
Kirti's touch brought him back to the emptiness that the present world held in its wake. "Where is your watch Baba? Why did you take it off?"
He was stunned for a while. Then with some effort, he pushed himself away from her and said, "I lost it beta. I am not sure where. But I will keep on searching for it. It will be somewhere around, I am sure."
"Oh, you are so careless. It was Ma's only gift that you have na? Please find it. And if it's lost, please buy a new one for you. Your hand looks bare without it. You can sell my dress and use that money. I can do with the old one. Where will you search now in this big city?"
He hugged his daughter hard and wept inconsolable. "It is ok beta. The needs of the ones with us are more important than the memories of those gone. Watches will come and go, your happiness is worth more than anything else."
The owner of the clothes shop was still laughing at the foolishness of that wheelchair bound beggar who bartered a Swiss watch worth 2000 rupees for a dress of 200!!!
"Also don't go out to play like this. I do not want you to spoil your dress in any way."
"Don't worry Baba. I will not go out to play today. Can I please sleep in this dress tonight? It is so soft. I will wear it always," she giggled some more.
He didn't want to say anything that would burst her bubble of happiness. His thoughts went to his deceased wife. Aruna would have been very happy today. She loved her daughter very much, just as he did. If not for that fateful storm which had swept away half their village along with Aruna, destroyed farms, and diminished all their savings - they would have still been happily living there and busy working in their field. Nature's fury had turned their life on its head overnight.
Kirti's touch brought him back to the emptiness that the present world held in its wake. "Where is your watch Baba? Why did you take it off?"
He was stunned for a while. Then with some effort, he pushed himself away from her and said, "I lost it beta. I am not sure where. But I will keep on searching for it. It will be somewhere around, I am sure."
"Oh, you are so careless. It was Ma's only gift that you have na? Please find it. And if it's lost, please buy a new one for you. Your hand looks bare without it. You can sell my dress and use that money. I can do with the old one. Where will you search now in this big city?"
He hugged his daughter hard and wept inconsolable. "It is ok beta. The needs of the ones with us are more important than the memories of those gone. Watches will come and go, your happiness is worth more than anything else."
The owner of the clothes shop was still laughing at the foolishness of that wheelchair bound beggar who bartered a Swiss watch worth 2000 rupees for a dress of 200!!!
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