The Magical Bracelet

The compartment of the train was in a state of pandemonium, babies crying, middle-aged women busy talking about the problems faced by the actress in a Television serial, children singing out the newly taught rhyme, Samosa vendor seeing this as an opportunity, and shoving the basket at everyone’s face. Amidst this chaos, a tranquil soul, completely undisturbed by the surroundings, was staring out of the window with no sense of emotions. The darkness had covered his heart just as the fog covered the windows

. His name is Anand, something which remained only in his name and left his life when he was seven. Happiness in his life left him 20 years ago, along with his mother, who left Earth after a car accident. He had an adorable mom, who used to tell him stories and take him on long walks in their village. She used to call him Anu. Something which embarrassed him, ‘Anu come here ‘‘Amma, stop calling me Anu, my name is Anand ‘, then she would give him a pleasant smile. They both had unconditional love for each other. They would act as kings, his mom would take the ending of her beautiful long hair and rest it on her lip, making her look like a king with a long mustache, and he would draw a mustache unevenly on his face with a sketch, and would talk about conquering kingdoms that never existed. His mother used to take him to the fare in Araku by train; she made him play in the train, showed him hills, and told him stories about monsters hiding in tunnels. In the fare, he once asked her to buy him the 'Ben10' watch, but as she was short on money, she couldn't buy, disappointing him.

On that day, she told him, "This Ben10 Watch has no comparison to her bracelet. She told him that her bracelet could make his sadness disappear, she called it ‘The Magical Bracelet’. Saying these words, she gently placed the bracelet on his wrist. That was the only memory he could carry with him for 15 years until he finally lost it. He still regrets losing it. He had no tangible memory of his mother. He doesn’t remember his mom’s face well, but he knew her smile was elegant and beautiful, just like her. He used to cherish all the beautiful moments with her mother and daydream, ignoring the surroundings, so the chaos in the train compartment didn’t even come to his notice. The samosa vendor brought him back to reality

. Anand's ears rang with the words, "Do you want samosa saab? No thanks, replied Anand. the samosa vendor said, "Try a samosa saab, they are delicious and fresh." Saying this, he took an oil-filled samosa and put it almost near his mouth, asking him to taste it. Not wanting to get into an awkward situation, Anand asked him to give him two Samosas. That was when he started noticing his surroundings. His eyes ran through the middle-aged women and children, and then they stopped at a young woman sitting in front of him. Her dress looked a bit old-fashioned, her eyes were dark and beautiful, and she had long flowing hair. She smiled at him and asked, 'where are you heading?' He stammered out ‘Ara ... Araku ‘. Araku is a beautiful place, she said, smiling. Yes, I grew up there. It is worth a visit. Are there any people waiting for you in Araku? ‘She asked. My orphanage invited me to give a success speech, he said with a tinge of pride. I wouldn’t consider myself successful, but for them, anyone who can donate them a lakh or two is a successful candidate. Laughing, she nodded in appreciation. Her smile resembled someone. Anand does not share his information with any of them.

Normally, he doesn't trust people, but this young woman's smile and aura captivated him. He trusted her for some reason. He enquired where she was heading. Her destination was Lambasingi, a picturesque place with lush green forests and cold weather. It was in Lambasingi that Anand lived with his mother until he was seven years old. Anand asked the young woman if she wanted the samosa. "Sure, I like samosas, especially onion-flavored ones", she replied. Even my mother loved onion samosas. Her regular stop is the Samosa vendor, who sells not-so-good samosas. She still liked them despite the flies having an adventure jumping from one samosa to another. Anand recalled.

The young woman was nodding and enjoying the samosa. Anand looked at her keenly. She had dark, beautiful eyes. Her way of eating samosa resembled his mom's. She broke the silence by asking, "what do you do for a living?". My profession is journalism. What about you? He spoke. 'I make necklaces, baskets, and earrings and sell them at the market.An unusual source of income, but I enjoy it,' she added. Before he could find out more about her, the train entered the platform, and she started getting ready with her bags. The train entered Lambasingi. It was time for her to get down. She stood up, looked into his eyes, and put her hand on his shoulder. He felt an impulse through his body. Her hand provided warmth to him. She told him, 'I'm leaving now. It was a pleasure speaking with you.

She smiled and searched her bag for a moment. She took a well-designed box and handed it to him, explaining, 'this is my artwork. You don't have to pay me. I need your satisfaction. I hope you like it. She smiled and took her hand gently away from his shoulder and walked away. He was in a state of confusion. He wanted to speak with her more. He wanted to know her more. She gave him joy, something which he lost when he was seven. He looked through the window to see if he could look at her for one last time. He couldn’t find her. The train left the station. Opening the box, Anand found a bracelet exactly as his mother gave him when he was seven. Underneath it was a small note. It was written: "Don't search for me, I am within you, don't think I am gone, I'm always with you. Cherish your life to the fullest, do not dwell in the past. I'm happy your mustache now looks better than the one you used to draw as a child, you have a bright future, Anu.

He took the bracelet and wore it on his wrist. Anu, he murmured, with a sense of gratitude. The last time he heard anyone call him Anu was when he was seven. He used to feel embarrassed whenever his mom called him like that, but now he wasn’t. Now he was satisfied. His whole body resonated with a sense of satisfaction.