Ten Rupees

At that moment, I was just a stall-keeper for her…in one of those fairs where I use to sell handmade wooden key chains, so that I could get some financial help for my pocket money. It is not that I haven’t seen any beautiful girl before… nor was she the most beautiful girl. Even though, I don’t know why, I felt an immense attraction for her. The first time she came, she was accompanied by two handsome brats (probably her buddies). Her face was glowing in the dim twilight… It was the only chaos of the fair that kept me busy from starring at her…

“What’s the cost?” she said with her elegant vocal cords and I felt glad that she didn’t called me ‘BHAYYA’ (big buddy). She was not a local girl, as I could guess that from her body language. Her bargain had an awful attitude that no one could probably have… “Fifty rupees!!!” thanks to my involuntary muscles that spoke out without any hesitation. She asked 5 keychains each for 30 bucks. To my surprise, I agreed to it without any further bargain (well, a clever guy would have engaged some more time in same, wishing to stop her).

At night after dinner, I was on my so-called bed, glancing the stars twinkling in the dark sky above. It looked like they were shinier than yesterday… That’s what happens when you are acquired by any sweet emotion… the emotion of affection… attraction… L…O…V…E…

I can’t tell the true meaning. The thing I could only express is that ‘IT FEELS AWESOME.’

Next day was followed the same chaos… had the similar faces that bargained… I can’t tell why I was so eagerly waiting for her. She was just a passing cloud for me… I mean … she should… I don’t think there was any emotional or spiritual string between us, that she could answer for my telepathic calling… However, to my surprise, she came…she … had… come… and as soon as I saw her, I felt an unknown excitement in my heart… I could feel the sinking in my belly… I could hear the rise in my heartbeat… however, I was aware about having control on myself … I was aware that I must remain aware…

She ordered two keychains with the imprints of ‘GOOD LUCK’ on them. I was frozen to make any talk. Without taking a word out of me, I pointed towards the keychains for her to select. “Two wooden leaves”, she said with the same grace in her tone, “stick a wooden heart on it too as a compliment”, she further added. I use to take ten rupees extra for sticking a wooden heart on keychains, but this time, without taking any prior permission from my spine, my hand rose, took a heart and fixed it on one of that leaf.

She handed me a 100 rupee note. 40 rupees was what I must return… I took four notes of ten’s and showed it to her. Without touching her fingers with mine, she carefully took 3 notes and went off with her keychains…

Who was she???

What was her name???

Will I meet her again???

I don’t know…

I could only feel the rough touch of ten rupees on my hand… that she had rewarded me for my heart….