This is the first part of a three part story. All the characters in the story are of course, imaginary and practical resemblance to anyone is not a possibility :)
"Its a girl, sir. She is beautiful. You should be a proud man", the nurse said to him.
"Thank you, Sophie. Thanks a ton!", he replied, walking towards Swetha's ward. She was asleep with a look of content on her face. He walked towards the small cradle beside her bed. There she was, neatly wrapped in a clean white towel. She was beautiful, indeed. Just like her mother. He slipped his little finger into her tiny little hand. She stirred a little, holding the finger tight. Standing there with his daughter's hand wrapped around his finger, he realized how happy he was. He closed his eyes and let the feeling sink in.
"Yes Sudheer, its a girl", he whispered into his mobile, walking out of the ward.
"Oh my god, Congrats Sri! I am so happy for you guys. I am coming right away", came the reply from the other end.
"Thanks yaar. Yes, I will wait at the coffee place down the road. Don't be late"
"I won't. See you soon."
Srikar or Sri, as he was called by people close to him, was the closest thing to what we would call "a happy man". At least, that was what he thought. He had a decent job as an accountant in a bank, a beautiful wife who loved him and whom he loved of course and now, a little angel for a daughter. He thanked god for all of it and thought he did not need anything else in life. He wondered if he deserved all this happiness.
After updating his parents and in-laws, he exited the hospital after leaving a small note telling Swetha that he would be back in an hour, in case she woke up. He started walking down the street towards the coffee place where he was supposed to meet Sudheer. Sudheer was his best friend for as long as he could remember. They grew up together, went to the same school, studied in the same college and now work in the same bank. In fact, he was the one who introduced Swetha to him. Bless him.
He was passing by a small garment shop when something caught his eye. It was a small frock. A bright yellow frock with white satin ribbons on it. It was the prettiest thing he ever saw and could not take his eyes off it. It would be beautiful on his daughter. He walked into the shop and checked the price. 500 rupees. Damn! He did not have much cash on him and the shop would not take cards. The bank where he worked was just a block away and it had an ATM. He hurried towards it. He withdrew the cash and was about to head back towards the shop when Ali, the mail guy called him.
"What is it, Ali?"
"Srikar saab, you have a package"
"A package? Who is it from?"
"I don't know. It was left at the front desk with your name on it. I guess someone must have left it when I was in the bathroom"
"Okay. I will take it. By the way, it's a girl, Ali"
"Inshahllah! Congrats Srikar saab. I will come after my shift to see her"
"Thanks Ali", said Srikar taking the package and walking towards the shop.
He picked up the frock and reached the coffee place. Sudheer was not there yet. He sat at a corner table, waiting. He ran his fingers on the frock he had bought, feeling its softness and imagined his daughter in it. He smiled to himself, content. He then remembered about the package and fished it out from the cover. It was a small box wrapped in a thick brown paper. No name or address on it too. He opened it to find a small cup and a note in it.
He picked up the cup. It was unlike any cup he had ever seen. It was clean and white. It did not have a handle and a single silver line ran around it near the brim. It felt light and delicate in his hands. Keeping it on the table, he picked up the note wondering who would give him such a weird gift.
He looked for a sign or a name on the note but he could find none. He let out a small muffled laugh. It must be a joke. A prank by one of his friends. The cup of woes, what a fancy name! He held up the cup and turned it round in his hands. It glinted at the brim catching a ray of sunlight from the window. It was certainly pretty and intriguing and for a moment, he almost felt that there was something really magical about it. Whoever had done this to him, did a good job with the selection. He put it back in its cover, ordered a coffee and sat back, waiting for Sudheer.
He did not know that his life was going to change for ever.
[To be continued..]
Update: Part 2 can be found here
"Its a girl, sir. She is beautiful. You should be a proud man", the nurse said to him.
"Thank you, Sophie. Thanks a ton!", he replied, walking towards Swetha's ward. She was asleep with a look of content on her face. He walked towards the small cradle beside her bed. There she was, neatly wrapped in a clean white towel. She was beautiful, indeed. Just like her mother. He slipped his little finger into her tiny little hand. She stirred a little, holding the finger tight. Standing there with his daughter's hand wrapped around his finger, he realized how happy he was. He closed his eyes and let the feeling sink in.
"Yes Sudheer, its a girl", he whispered into his mobile, walking out of the ward.
"Oh my god, Congrats Sri! I am so happy for you guys. I am coming right away", came the reply from the other end.
"Thanks yaar. Yes, I will wait at the coffee place down the road. Don't be late"
"I won't. See you soon."
Srikar or Sri, as he was called by people close to him, was the closest thing to what we would call "a happy man". At least, that was what he thought. He had a decent job as an accountant in a bank, a beautiful wife who loved him and whom he loved of course and now, a little angel for a daughter. He thanked god for all of it and thought he did not need anything else in life. He wondered if he deserved all this happiness.
After updating his parents and in-laws, he exited the hospital after leaving a small note telling Swetha that he would be back in an hour, in case she woke up. He started walking down the street towards the coffee place where he was supposed to meet Sudheer. Sudheer was his best friend for as long as he could remember. They grew up together, went to the same school, studied in the same college and now work in the same bank. In fact, he was the one who introduced Swetha to him. Bless him.
He was passing by a small garment shop when something caught his eye. It was a small frock. A bright yellow frock with white satin ribbons on it. It was the prettiest thing he ever saw and could not take his eyes off it. It would be beautiful on his daughter. He walked into the shop and checked the price. 500 rupees. Damn! He did not have much cash on him and the shop would not take cards. The bank where he worked was just a block away and it had an ATM. He hurried towards it. He withdrew the cash and was about to head back towards the shop when Ali, the mail guy called him.
"What is it, Ali?"
"Srikar saab, you have a package"
"A package? Who is it from?"
"I don't know. It was left at the front desk with your name on it. I guess someone must have left it when I was in the bathroom"
"Okay. I will take it. By the way, it's a girl, Ali"
"Inshahllah! Congrats Srikar saab. I will come after my shift to see her"
"Thanks Ali", said Srikar taking the package and walking towards the shop.
He picked up the frock and reached the coffee place. Sudheer was not there yet. He sat at a corner table, waiting. He ran his fingers on the frock he had bought, feeling its softness and imagined his daughter in it. He smiled to himself, content. He then remembered about the package and fished it out from the cover. It was a small box wrapped in a thick brown paper. No name or address on it too. He opened it to find a small cup and a note in it.
He picked up the cup. It was unlike any cup he had ever seen. It was clean and white. It did not have a handle and a single silver line ran around it near the brim. It felt light and delicate in his hands. Keeping it on the table, he picked up the note wondering who would give him such a weird gift.
"In your hands is the cup of woes
It shall turn your tears to pearls
Pass it on if you are happy enough
Break it if there is no place you can think of"
He looked for a sign or a name on the note but he could find none. He let out a small muffled laugh. It must be a joke. A prank by one of his friends. The cup of woes, what a fancy name! He held up the cup and turned it round in his hands. It glinted at the brim catching a ray of sunlight from the window. It was certainly pretty and intriguing and for a moment, he almost felt that there was something really magical about it. Whoever had done this to him, did a good job with the selection. He put it back in its cover, ordered a coffee and sat back, waiting for Sudheer.
He did not know that his life was going to change for ever.
[To be continued..]
Update: Part 2 can be found here
