The Birthday

There are incidents that you can never forget in life. Somehow they are clung by you unknowingly in such a way that some or the other thing keep reminding of them. Like many other, even I had one which not exactly an incident but a story i heard on one of those long train journeys. 

Picture Courtesy: Hugo Roy, Kickstarter

There was a girl, young, innocent with a beautiful heart. She had just fallen in love with a handsome boy of her age. She would meet him daily on outskirts of their small town. Together they would sit, talk and share their dreams, happiness and sorrows. 

Everything was going good when one day boy told her that he had to leave town for a fortnight to do business in another town. The girl became very sad. It wasn't the first time the boy was leaving her but she was going to miss him on his birthday which was due next week. 

She had planned many things for his birthday as it was the first time they would be together celebrating it. So she asked him to meet her early morning before he leaves the town. 

Next day, the girl was waiting for him at their usual meeting place. There was still a lot of time for sunrise. The boy came and she handed over a sealed letter to him. 

She said, "Open this letter on your birthday and you will get the gift that I wanted you to have."

He promised and left. The trade made him very busy that he forgot about his birthday and also the letter she gave him. While he was on his way back to his town, he realised that he hadn't opened the letter. 

He checked his bag for letter but couldn't find it. He was sorrowful that he would have to wait to meet her to know what was his birthday gift. 

On their usual time, at their place he went to meet her but she never came. So he went to the area where she lived. He inquired about her and got to know that she went away to meet someone last week and no one has ever heard of her yet. 

So what happened to that boy?, I asked as the uncle in the train opened his water bottle to take a few sips. 

He reclined and said, "It is not the real concern. You remember the letter?" 

I nodded. 

"It is said that in the letter, the girl had written to give her body, mind and soul to the one who is reading it. She never thought it would happen that someone other than the boy would read it. While the boy was travelling, the letter was left at one of the trees where he was resting. After he left, the tree read the letter. As the letter ended the girl was transported to that place and she became a part of that tree." 

What rubbish?, I told uncle. 

He smirked and said, "Sometimes we want too much for someone on their birthday."

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