Reflection

In this story, we are going to accompany Smriti who is a free-spirited girl and is avoided by everyone. She is the kind of girl who hates to mingle with everyone since nobody understands her. What if someday her life can change to be awesome or is it only a dream..........

 'Hi, I am Smriti.....' No no not like this maybe like.... 'Hello this is Smriti and what is your name'... No no no no... Okay now let's say now....'Hi, I am Smriti, your classmate, actually, I have been looking for a partner for the school project, so I have been thinking like uh.. if you don't mind you can join me'...... Ufff .... that's it. I am not going to ask anyone as I know that nobody will like to join me. So seems like this time also I am not going to pass since I can't make any project....., Smriti worried.

BANG.....

The door opened suddenly and...

"SMRITI! HAVE YOU GOT A PARTNER FOR YOUR PROJECT?...", mom yelled at Smriti.

"Uhh..... Uhmm....mom... Uhh", struggled Smriti.

"OPEN YOUR MOUTH SMRITI, ANSWER ME! YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU NEED ATLEAST ONE PARTNER COMPULSORILY TO BE JOINED WITH YOU OTHERWISE YOU WON'T PASS, RIGHT? THEN WHY ARE YOU SO CARELESS???", shouted mom angrily.

"Please mom why are you not at all understanding me? I try to befriend everyone in my class but not even a single student hardly speaks to me, it's not my fault to be a dull student, it's not my fault to be an unwanted person everywhere, please just understand mom.....", Smriti replied as she started crying a lot. Her mom can't speak anything so she just went out of her room. All through the night, the house was filled with sobbing sounds.

"What if I too had a best friend who would be there with me all the times....", Smriti wondered as she drifted off to a sound sleep.

"NAME - SMRITI..

 AGE - 10

 INTEREST - NONE

 FRIENDS - NONE..............

    OH GOD, YOU ARE SUCH A BORING PERSON JUST GO AWAY IS YOUR NAME ALSO NONE UH GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY GO AWAY........

"Stop it she has a friend and it's me", a girly voice said............... And.................

Beep Beep.........

"Oh, again a nightmare but the last voice......" Smriti wondered.

"Yeah Smriti it's me", that same voice replied. Smriti turned to see who was it.

She became astounded to see a pretty girl behind her. She was so beautiful, she had doll eyes, with a cute bow ribbon on her head, and a pretty little red frock.

"You..... This can't be possible... You are just like-"

"The friend of yours who you imagined to be. Yes, Smriti I am your imaginary friend", the girl replied.

"Really????? But I can't believe-"

"Yes it is true, you are not in a dream my dear friend," said the girl.

"What? Did you call me like your friend!!!!! I am so happy, I have never had a friend in my life, this is just...... AMAZING!!!!", Smriti replied with teary eyes.

"Thank you so much for being my friend", Smriti said while hugging the girl.

"But I still don't have a name, what do you like to call me Smriti?" asked the girl curiously.

Smriti thought for a while and replied,"Bow.... aa.... Uh....or..ie.... Yes! Your name is Bowy!"

"I love the name Smriti! Bowy and Smriti are best friends forever! But Smriti keep one thing in mind, I am visible only to you since I am only your imaginary friend, got it?", asked Bowy to which Smriti nodded.

"Will you accompany me to my school too?", asked Smriti.

"Yes, of course, I will accompany you wherever you go", replied Bowy.

"Ok then come to Bowy, it's already time to school, let's go..."

At school......

Riiingggg.....

"Okay students all of you have passed except for Smriti. Especially you are weak in maths Smriti. You have to concentrate in your studies. Also you are the most boring student not only in our class but also in our whole school. Try to mingle with everyone!", said the class teacher to which Smriti just nodded her head.

"Okay students, see you all tomorrow", said the teacher.

At home.....

"Hey Smriti shall we go and play in the garden?", asked Bowy.

"Yes Bowy, sure" said Smriti.

First, they played hide and seek. Bowy was the one to hide and Smriti is the seeker. She hid behind the banyan tree but Smriti caught her within a few minutes. Then they started a water balloon fight. After running, chasing and playing a lot, they rested for a while on the swing.

"Actually I never expected a friend in my life...... Thank you so much for coming in my life",said Smriti.

"You are worth to have a lot of friends Smriti don't worry you will get-"

"No Bowy you are enough for me", said Smriti.

"Ok just leave the topic, now we can go and study", said Bowy.

"Ok Bowy.... Hey can you teach me maths?", asked Smriti.

"No Smriti I have never gone to school like you but I can help you by encouraging you and by keeping you in a happy mood so that you can study freely", replied Bowy.

"Ok but don't worry I will teach you but first I will study hard and thorough all the topics in all the subjects so that I can able to teach you", said Smriti.

"Wow, that's amazing, then I can help you in making a regular time table and so you can follow the schedule", replied Bowy as they both started their plan happily.

The next day.......

"Hey mom, Good morning", said Smriti.

"Oh my god I can't believe my eyes, why are you awake in such an early morning?" asked mom.

"Today I have a class test, I have to go to school today early because I have some topics remaining to study", replied Smriti as she winked at Bowy who was standing next to her(visible only to Smriti).

"Uh... okay", said a confused mom.

At school......

"Today's test papers are here.....

Monu! 85 for !...... Siya! as usual ! and Smriti!... Uh... Wait a minute..... Uh... Well done Smriti, you got 80 marks in today's maths test! Keep it up!", the class teacher said and the whole class became silent. Both Bowy and Smriti are overjoyed to hear this.

Day by day, Smriti's performance has increased, not only in studies but also in extracurricular activities. This was all because of her best friend Bowy. She changed her life from boring to awesome.....

One day Smriti's mom happened to pass by the lawn where she saw Smriti playing hide and seek alone. She thought that maybe she is just playing with her dolls as there were many dolls around her. But the next day when she passed by her room she heard Smriti talking alone. At first, she thought that this time also she is playing with her doll but when she peeped through the door she was shocked. Smriti was indeed talking alone, there were no toys this time. She was just waving her hands in the air and seemed to be hugging as if there is some person. But actually, there is no one. Her mom got both shocked and scared. So immediately she questioned her about it to which Smriti replied that it was her imaginary friend Bowy and that she is visible only to her. Suddenly mom got a phone call and she went downstairs to attend to it.

"Why nobody is believing me Bowy, I already said this to my teacher and some of my classmates too but nobody is believing me", said Smriti worriedly.

"But what is important is that you believe me and I believe you my dear best friend", said Bowy and Smriti chuckled.

"SMRITI YOUR TEACHER HAD CALLED ME, YOU TOLD THAT BOWY STORY TO HER TOO UH, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH NOW JUST COME WITH ME", as she dragged Smriti out of her room.

At the hospital...

"What is your friend's name?", asked the doctor.

"Bowy. Actually, I kept it. I like her a lot. She is my one and only best friend. We used to play a lot. I even teach her, doctor. But nobody believes me. But that doesn't bother me because Bowy told me that she will believe me always and-"

"Okay okay Smriti it's enough, I think you are so excited uh? You seem to be so happy than before. Don't worry mam, your daughter is alright, in fact, she seems to be happier than ever. Last time when you got her she was very depressed but now she has improved a lot, I think it's because of her so-called friend, just let it be, she is just a kid, after some 1 year or 2 years she will totally forget this Bowy topic since she will get maturity at that age", said the doctor.

"No doctor I will never ever forget Bowy", said Smriti.

"Ok ok angel, you won't forget her, I accept my defeat", the doctor said as he raised both his hands up in the air to which Smriti chuckled.

Days rolled by and Smriti started to get some friends as she improved a lot. Bowy wiped away her shyness, it was she who taught her to be bold to face any problem in her life. One day as Smriti and Bowy were chatting," Smriti, I think it's time my buddy, I have to go", said Bowy in a husky tone.

"Uh, what are you telling Bowy, I can't get it", said a puzzled Smriti.

"I need to go..... Forever", said Bowy with teary eyes.

Smriti was totally shocked. She became numb. She was speechless. Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"But..... but....... No .......this is not possible..... You...... you can't leave me..... Noooooooo", said Smriti.

"No Smriti, my time is up, I can't stay with you forever, I just came here only to make you happy, to make you the best person and my job is over, your life is awesome now, you have also got new friends, you are happier than ever", said Bowy.

"No Bowy no ...... I am happy only because of you being with me. Please don't leave me, I don't want any other friend, you are the most important person in my life, moreover, you are my first BEST FRIEND Bowy, and you will always be the last too because no one can replace you, yes I accept it you are my imaginary friend but you are real, I don't care what others say but to me YOU ARE REAL Bowy, to be without you is like to be without my shadow, you have always been like my shadow, how can I Bowy........" said Smriti as she started to cry more.

"Please don't cry Smriti, this is fate, we can't change it, try to accept it but who said that I won't be with you, no Smriti you are wrong, I will be always with you, you won't be able to see or hear me but you can feel me as I will be around you always, I will be always in your reflection, bye Smriti", Bowy said as she cupped Smriti's face and wiped her tears. A tear escaped from Bowy's face as she vanished and mixed with the air. Much to Smriti's surprise Bowy's tear had fallen on her hand and she can feel the water. When there is true friendship, even the barrier between reality and imagination can be broken easily and this is a live example of it. She smiled seeing it and carefully transferred the tear to a test tube-like small bottle and kept it safely in the cupboard.

The next day while looking in the mirror Smriti got reminded of Bowy's words and she imagined her reflection to be of Bowy's.

"Yes Bowy I know you are always with me right", she said and smiled as the wind chime which was hanging there made a sweet tinkling sound........