A Wish Upon a Star

Suman never tried hard, she literally didn't have to. Things came naturally to her, it's like she was born to enthrall everyone with her perfection. She couldn't help but be the best at everything she did, at sports or academics. She practically ruled the football field, sprinting around the pitch like a gazelle with a fierce look. Every time she touched the ball, something magical happened.

No one in her school could even hold a candlestick next to her. She made it look so easy. She could easily learn college-level science and math and mastered concepts that most adults found confusing. It was like she was a character from a novel, a character who never failed

You wouldn't blame Priya if she was just a teeny bit jealous of Suman, almost everyone was. If you're wondering who Priya is, she's Suman's best bud. She is the person whom Suman found solace with, the girl who clapped the hardest for her, the girl who cheered the loudest at Suman's games. Priya was just another average Joe, she was fine being that way. It would be natural for her to be jealous of Suman, but she never was. She found no reason to be, it was always that way. She was happy just being Priya. It didn't matter whether Suman was called a child prodigy, played almost every sport, was the school's President, or could play any musical piece on any instrument by looking at the notes just once. To Priya, she was just Suman, her bestie.

It didn't matter to Suman that Priya was visually impaired or that she lived alone with her grandmother, she knew her friend was more than that. Priya never missed one of Suman's games, even though she couldn't see them. She always had a smile on her face even if nothing was going her way. Everyone thought that Suman had an almost perfect life, one day almost changed that.

It was the night before Priya's birthday, Suman and Priya were lying on the grass outside Priya's home. Although Priya's house was very small, her grandmother made her feel like it was a palace. She tried her best to make Priya feel like other kids and make her never feel the absence of her parents. Suman and Priya often liked to hang out there. " It's a clear sky, today",

Suman remarked. " You should really enjoy it for the both of us", Priya said smiling wistfully.

Suman winced, She tried to change the topic " So, what time are we going to meet up tomorrow?".Suman and Priya did the same thing on Priya's birthday every year, they would plant a tree together in her backyard and would visit the local temple with Priya's grandmother, it was what Priya's parents' did on Priya's mom's birthday. " 7, as always ", Priya replied to Suman. They spent the rest of the night giggling about the most random things and talking about the silliest things. They didn't care about whether they were being silly or childish, they had fun together, and that's all that mattered." I will be over here as soon as I finish practice tomorrow, but you might have to wait a bit for me." Suman said as she was about to leave." Can't you skip one practice, like it's just one day" Priya whined." I promise I'll come as fast as I can, I might just be a bit late ." Suman said as reached over to touch a half-convinced Priya's hand." I have never skipped doing this with you on your birthday before, and I'm not going to start now." , Priya looked a little bit more convinced." Hey, a shooting star" Suman said with an excited look over her face." , Quick, make a wish ". Priya knew what she wanted the most, she wanted to admire a shooting star with Suman, she wanted to be able to watch Suman's games and play along with her, she wanted to see the pictures of her mother and see if she looked anything like her. "  I wish that I could see", Priya quickly made her wish before calling out to Suman

" What did you wish for ? ". "I'm not telling," Suman said in a singsong voice. Priya pouted as she tried to tickle Suman. Suman fell to her knees laughing, Priya pitied her and allowed her to get up." Fine, I'll see you tomorrow", Suman said as they took off. Priya tried to call out her name but Suman was already earshot.

Priya restlessly walked around in her room, it was 5 minutes to 7. She had been ready for almost an hour. She had called Suman, who was leaving for practice in the morning." I'll be over there with the biggest gift, you would have ever got in your life" she had said. Priya smiled as she recollected the words Suman repeated to her every single year. Suman always tried to make her feel special, she would describe the way the trees looked, she always walks her through school and would help her cross the street. Priya was grateful to have a friend like Suman.

She had been waiting for almost an hour more, surely it would not take Suman this long to arrive from practice. She heard her grandmother answer a call, her tone unusually hushed and weak. Priya waited till she heard her grandmother walk towards her room, " Grandma, who was that on the phone, why isn't Suman here yet" she asked. She heard her grandmother's muffled sobs, her grandmother usually never cried." Priya, dear... Suman may not be able to make it."

" What happened to her, is she sick or something", Priya asked apprehensively knowing that it was something more grave.

" She was leaving from practice when an overspeeding truck hit her car.......... " her grandmother replied between sobs.

It took some time for Priya to digest it,

" Is she going to be ok?" Priya asked weakly, tears flowing down her cheeks.

" Her parents faced only minor injuries, but she...... hit her head pretty badly, she's unconscious as of now.", Her grandmother sobbed as she hugged Priya.

" Priya.... before she was unconscious the last thing she wished for was to donate her eyes to you.", her grandmother was crying inconsolably.

Suman's voice flooded through Priya's brain, "

" I have never skipped doing this with you on your birthday before, and I'm not going to start now." 

Everything was crystal clear in her brain, the wish she made, the way they giggled yesterday, the words Suman spoke in the morning,

" I'll be over there with the biggest gift, you would have ever got in your life".

Suman had managed to give Priya the gift of sight, the thing Priya wanted the most. Except Priya didn't want it anymore. What was the use of being able to see if she couldn't look at Suman? Priya bellowed with pain, she simply couldn't accept Suman's donation. She couldn't bear to lose Suman too. She had lost her parents who were doctors, in a railway accident when she was a toddler. She and her grandmother had survived the accident, she couldn't express her sadness if she lost Suman. " Priya.....why don't we go to the temple and offer prayers for Suman" Priya's grandmother asked softly. Priya meekly agreed.

Priya had practically lived in the temple for about a week, she walked around lifelessly. She wasn't allowed to visit Suman who was in the intensive care unit. She was in her room when her grandmother had informed her prayers had worked. Suman had survived! It was a true miracle, all thanks to the doctor who had never left her side. Priya smiled after what seemed like years, within minutes she found herself at Suman's bedside.

"Did you really think I was going to leave you ?" Suman asked, a smile spreading over her face.

"You really did give me scare," Priya said with a weak smile, she heard a doctor walk into the room. " How are you doing now, hopefully, the pain is gone" the doctor inquired.

" Oh, I'm much better now. The pain vanished when Priya came to visit me" Suman beamed.

" Priya..." The doctor repeated under her breath. Priya heard some hushed voices as her grandmother and the doctor exited the room.

" What just happened?" Priya asked quizzically.

"I don't know, your granny stared at the doctor and they had a hushed conversation", Suman replied.

Priya heard the door open after Suman was done speaking, as if on cue

" Priya, dear ........ this is your mom" came the voice of her grandmother.

Both Suman and Priya were equally confused. "what?", they both echoed in unison.

" I thought you said, that we lost both mom and dad in a railway accident," Priya said.

" That's what I thought, we never found them. " her grandmother said sheepishly.

" Priya, your dad, and I thought that we lost you and your grandmom. It's only today when I saw your grandmom did I realize that I was mistaken."

Priya was lost for words, she felt both her grandmother and mother embrace her. She felt tears stream down her eyes.

" That's a lot to take in for one day," said Suman shaking her head. Priya's mother switched back into doctor mode. "Suman, you shouldn't strain yourself too much. You better sleep now" she said sternly.

3 months later

Suman and Priya were laying on the grass outside Priya's house."The sky's clear today." remarked Priya, who could finally look at the night sky. The wishes of both Suman and Priya had been fulfilled that night. Priya still couldn't see, of course. But the whole incident made her look at life from a different perspective. Life may or may not give you what you want, sometimes it may deny you something altogether or sometimes it may give you something that you wanted with dire consequences. Priya didn't get what she wanted but she realized she didn't need eyes to be happy. She was back to being just Priya. As for Suman, she wished for Priya and her to be happy.