By V G Sathve
Roshni clutched her favourite locket tightly against her hand. Her friends used to describe it as artistically pleasing heart shaped gift of heaven, which had a tiny key to open it. It was a gift on her tenth birthday, what seemed to be simple gift for a child at that age, but it’s importance only grew with age, and it’s true importance only grew deeper in Roshni’s heart until she was totally immersed in it. She had moved to a new apartment, and was trying to fit in with the neighbourhood. The beautiful misty mornings tempted Roshni for morning walks around her building. The misty air, fresh environment always seemed to ease the burdern of her heart if not anything else. She would never go without her favourite locket which remained a constant in her life always. On such a morning walk, she felt light in her pocket but burden in her heart, her locket was missing. In the paths ahead or the ones faded in the past, she knew it would be difficult to find it. So she conitnued to walk on with her life. The unwinding walking path that lay ahead, when suddenly she felt a pat on her shoulder.
Rakesh introduced himself as her neighbour, and handed over the locket that fell out from her pocket.
“When did you move in ?” - Rakesh
“It been a week. It is a very beautiful locality. Thanks for finding my locket.” - Roshni
“No problem. It must have been important to you” - Rakesh
“Truly. It is as dear to me as my life” - Roshni.
“With whom do you live?” -Rakesh
“With my one and only best friend” - Roshni
After a few introductory conversations, they parted ways. Rakesh and Roshni became very good friends soon, they started bumping into each other often, and had beautiful conversations and felt that time passed in a second.
“What do you want in life?” - Rakesh
“The strength to move ahead no matter and what, and beautifully. What do you want ?”- Roshni
“More such moments where a lifetime feels like a second” - Rakesh
“Then you need to create more such moments. Stuck in your flat is not going to help.” - Roshni
“Sure. We can go out somewhere. Do you want to go to the temple outskirts or the momos place 30 km away.” - Rakesh
“I have done these thing often. I actually want to see a movie if thats possible” - Roshni
“Sure. Why not . I am so curious about your locket. Why is it locket. Where is the key?“ - Rakesh smiled.
“The key is with my best friend currently.” - Roshni
“Ok, very mysterious “ - Rakesh laughed
Rakesh held her hand until the theatre seat. It was a first time for Roshni to ever see a movie in a theatre. Rakesh kept talking non-stop, explaining detail and all his inputs of the movie. His non stop chatter was disturbing the other people, but he didnt care for once in his life.
“Can I ask you a question? “ - Raskesh
“Ya sure. There is no secret with you.” - Roshni
“Why is your locket so important? What is there inside.” - Rakesh
“More important than gold. You will know when the time comes.” - Roshni
“I have never seen you best friend yet.” - Rakesh
“She is an extreme introvert, likes resting against the wall, and never comes out until needed” - Roshni
“Why do you trust her with the locket key ?” - Rakesh
“I can trust her with my life also, like it depends on her.” - Roshni
“I am really curious now.” - Rakesh
“All in time, all in good time,my friend” - Roshni
The movie got over, and finally Rakesh’s non stop chattering also ended. They decided to go to karoeke nearby to end the bashing saturday night. Biting into her favourite crispy chilli paneer, and gulping down her chocolate milkshake, she was living like there was no tomorrow. Rakesh began to live in that smile, in that smile which she got from the little things in life. They decided to sing a karoeke song together. Rakesh’s favourite groovy party song, he kept glancing from second to second memorising the lyrics to sing a song. Roshni didnt need the lyrics sheet, she knew line by line and breathe her life and soul into the song.
When the song ended and Rakesh glanced over their seats to find Roshnis locket missing again. He caught Roshni’s hand and ran over to their seats, he knew what Roshi would go through. He started searching frantically for the locket. It was nowhere in sight. After a while, Rakesh placed the locket in a crying Roshni’s hand much to her relief. It was handed over by someone to the reception as a lost item.
“How many times you lose it, it will come back to you. I will be there always to find it.” - Rakesh
“I know that. Thanks. I am so sorry for troubling you so much.” - Roshni
“There is no trouble for people you care. You care about this locket so much, but you hand over the key to your best friend. Thats what I am not able to understand” - Rakesh
“I promised myself, I would reveal all this only to the person I trust the most.” - Roshni
“Ya that makes sense.” - Rakesh
“I trust you completely, more than anything else. I was just waiting for the right time. The time has finally come. “ - Roshni
“It is not for my curiousity. It is something you have a great connection with and something which is very important to you. I wanted to be a part of it, to ease the burden you are bearing.” - Rakesh
“Tomorrow come home for lunch. I will make you meet my best friend. I will take the key from here and open the locket. You will know the importance of it in my life. But you are already very important in my life.” - Roshni
“Thats great to know, feels like the peace of gushing waves near my ears. Lets go home. You must be sleepy.” - Rakesh
Rakesh had a sleepless night, he wondered what was so important to Roshni. He was also nervous in meeting Roshni’s extremely introvert best friend. Time went like an entire lifetime and finally Sunday afternoon arrived. Rakesh knocked on her door with a bouquet of Roshni’s favourite sunflowers. Roshni opened the door with her ever cheerful smile. Rakesh held her hand towards her hall.
“I cant believe, I am here at last.” - Rakesh
“At last. I have made your favourite biryani. Its smelling extremely nice.” - Roshni
“I could smell it from my house. Where do I put the bouquet of sunflowers. I will keep it here near the window with plenty sunlight.” - Rakesh
“Have lunch. Then I will explain you everything and even meet my best friend.” - Roshni
After a blissful mouth watering lunch filled with beautiful conversations.
“Before this, I really want to ask this. Do you ever regret meeting me?” - Roshni
“No, never. I never did, I never will.” - Rakesh
“My friend is in the stool near the entrance. Go get the key.” - Roshni
“There is no one at the entrance, we just came from there.” - Rakesh
“Are you sure, there is nothing on the stool.” - Roshni
Rakesh went to the entrance and was staring at the stool in shock. He came back to the hall and stared blankly at Roshni, looking for answers, but nothing changes yet whatever she told, she always remained special to him.
“This is my best friend, my best friend forever. You remember when I lost my locket while walking, how can a blind person like me search for it, I lost a locket but I got a fortune in the form of you. You never judged me though I was blind, loved me wholeheartedly everytime everywhere, you saw more to my sight, for which I am eternally grateful. You always guided me everywhere, even took me to the movies and explained me scene to scene. I didnt need the lyrics sheet at the karoeke, since I cant see them. You loved me more than destiny, knowing I am blind. My walking stick on the stool, that is my best friend. My best friend forever. I never needed after I met you, you became my light. My walking stick is an introvert and very shy, always leaning against the wall. I left it at the stool after opening the door for you today, because I knew I didnt need that anymore when you are there. Open the handle of the walking stick, there is a key inside its hollow. Open my locket.” - Roshni
Rakesh fell in love with her all over again, taking her hand, he opened the locket.
“The locket has the most important thing I need in my life, the most anyone needs. “ - Rakesh was smiling at the tiniest mirror in the locket.
“A mirror seems useless to a blind person, right. But it doesnt, my mom always told. The mirror is a person’s confidence which is the most important thing in the world. It is not the physical beauty which I can never see, but the beauty of my pure and selfless heart which would keep beating for more than end of time. It is the confidence I would need, the need to keep going and beautifully. It is more important than all the gold, luck and beauty combined. When I look at it, I can see the beauty of my soul, and now I can see the beauty of yours too. Will you keep this key forever. My walking stick doesnt need it, and I dont need my walking stick.” - Roshni
“Lets live forever in the mirror of our beautiful future, as beautiful and pure as your selfless heart.” - Rakesh
No one in independent, we are dependent on ourselves, that way I am dependent on myself. Dependent is not a weakness like we think, its ok to ask help, but not survive on it forever. But love overcomes all, the selfless love of Rakesh overcame the dependency Roshni had on a walking stick, he became her walking stick forever. Confidence is the most important thing more than any possession combined, find it in the mirror of the beauty of your selfless soul.
By V G Sathve
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