"Once upon a time,"I said softly, tucking the blanket around my niece and nephew,
"There was a girl who believed in magic ....even when life wasn't magical."
They looked at me with big, sleepy eyes.
My nephew, just five, asked,
"What kind of magic?"
I smiled.
"The kind that appears when you least expect it."I said.
"When everything feels dark and you're ready to give up.....
When every door in life is closed....."
"Then what happens...",my niece whispered.
"That's when God opens a door,"I said gently, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.
"A door we can't see- not because it's hidden....but because our eyes are full of tears."
They were quiet for a moment, thinking hard.
"So...God makes a secret door?" My nephew asked with wonder.
I nodded,"yes .And it leads to something beautiful, something worth waiting for."
"Like a miracle?" My niece asked.
"Exactly,"I whispered.
They slowly closed their eyes, finally drifting off to sleep.
I stayed there for a while, staring at the ceiling.
I didn't know if that door would open for me .
But I had to believe it would.
Because sometimes..... that's the only thing that keeps your heart alive.
The room was quiet now.Only the soft sound of the ceiling fan and the peaceful breathing of two sleeping children remained.
I stood up slowly, placing a gentle kiss on each of their foreheads.
"Sweet dreams,"I whispered.
Just as I was about to leave the room ,I heard my mother's voice from kitchen.
"Surabhi! It's time for your medicine!"
I paused.My smile faded just a little.
A tiny ache in my chest remained me that
I couldn't forget--not even for one night.
While Surabhi whispered fairy tales in a small room it by soft dreams..
Somewhere for away ,in a grand mission filled with golden silence...
Glass shattered ,
A vase hit the floor,... breaking into pieces.
"Get out!",he shouted.
"All of you --just leave me alone!"
The servants frozen,unsure whether to move or stay.
This wasn't the first time.
It wouldn't be the last.
The boy-talled-sharp-jawed,and blind_
Stood in the middle of his room like a strom.
His breathing was heavy .His hands trembling.
"Sir,please-"
"Don't call me sir! I'm not a king locked in a golden cage!"
He threw his walking stick aside .It hit the wall with a loud thud.
He couldn't see the message he was making.But he felt it.
The chaos around him was the only thing that reminded him he was still alive
Everyone in that house walked on eggshells around him.
They bowed.They obeyed.
But none of them understood the fire inside him-the pain of living in a world he couldn't see.....
And didn't want to feel anymore.
"I'm tired of this life."he muttered
Under his breathe
"Tired of these people,this silence ,this blindness.....this fake sympathy."
He slumped down on the couch, gripping his hair with both hands.
"Is there anything left in his world...
Worth feeling?"
The house remained silent.
Too big.Too quiet.
Too empty -just like him.
The morning sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows of the mansion -not that it mattered to him.
He slowly cane down the stairs,tapping his cane softly against the marble floor.His steps were calm,but his face held the same silent strom from the night before.
His mother's voice echoed from the hall.
"Arjun!Come,dear. They're waiting for you."
He stopped at the last step.His jaw clenched.
"Not again...."he whispered to himself.
In the hall sat three eye specialists-expensive,experienced,hopeful.
They stood up politely as he walked in.
"Good morning,Mr.Arjun,"one of them greeted with forced cheer.
He didn't respond.
His mother,dressed in anime elegant saree,smiled nervously.
"These doctors came all the way from Delhi. They say there's a new treatment. A possibility -"
"How many times,maa?" He said,his voice low but firm.
"How many more doctor's?"
She flinched slightly, but kept her smile on.
"I just want you to try-"
"I've tired.
And I'm done trying."
He turned to the doctors.
"You can leave . I don't want fake hope today."
"But sir,if we just examine your-"
"I said leave."
One of the servants quietly opened the door. The doctors exchanged awkward glances and left one by one.
His mother sat down, wiping a year secretly.
"You're giving up, Arjun...."
"No",he replied.
"I just stopped pretending, I'm not waiting for something good to happen, anymore."
A long silence filled the room.
"Your car is ready ,sir ," a servant finally said.
Without another word, Arjun picked up his bag and cane.... and walked towards the door- towards the same world he couldn't see,and no longer cared to feel.