Friday 22 July 2011

The souvenir


It was his last day. He stood besides the tracks. He has been hearing the rattling of the tracks ever since he was born, now for the last time perhaps. He found no scope of a return. He kept them on the tracks and awaited the train. It will be there in another ten minutes.
Change is inevitable. He was trying to cope up with it, but it has been really tough. Departing with what was his dear. But he consoled himself with the sweet memories that will remain. But still he aspired for something more. Then the idea; he has read it from the books that he used to take from chacha's scrapshop. Why not try it; it will be a souvenir, in memory of the change.
He pressed his hears on to the tracks. Lo! here comes the train. He prayed to the unknown gods that everything goes well. The train was fast approaching and he was worried that the tremble of the tracks would shatter his need. It came with a gust of wind, disturbing the harmony of his neatly parted oily hair. He stood there just hoping that he would get what he wanted. And when the gust of wind ended abruptly, there were two of them shining under the morning sun on the tracks, which were once upon a time one rupee coins. He hurried to find whether they were magnetised, but no, they weren't. No, he wasn't sad; he wanted a souvenir and that he has, two elongated coins which are not worth in the outside world, but of worth, for him. He would give one to his friend and the other , he would keep for himself; to face the change, the change of shelter to the newly built ones of the government, with memories of a childhood happily spent and with the sorrow that he had to depart with it.