The Heirloom

“Oh man, see the mess here” cried Rohan as he opened the storeroom door which has been kept locked for the last 5 years. “It’s full of dust and dirt and, look, Tom, The spiders have already created their web all over the place.”

Tom blocked his nose with his handkerchief, “The foul smell is dominating this place. Why on earth it was kept lock for 5 years?”

“Yeah man, I told you right. This house belongs to my granddad. My father and my uncle fought with each other for the property, so my granddad locked this place and went abroad to find peace to the problem. Now, he yesterday, he called me told that, in the storeroom, an important heirloom of our family is kept. I need to take it out, clean it and keep it with me until my grandfather arrives.”

“But how come that clock, that, vintage black steampunk clock be such a big and special heirloom for the family?” questioned Tom.

“How knows? My duty is to find the clock and keep it with me. Since you’re my best friend, I thought of bringing you with me.”

So, they both continued their search. They took out their pocket torch and began to flash everywhere. They stumbled over many boxes and Tom got frightened by the sudden movement of a mouse in front of him! Rohan had a good hearty laugh!

Finally, they found the box, which was marked red in color, as per the instruction given by his granddad. Rohan opened the box with his pocket Swiss knife. The box was stacked with newspapers dating 1970’s and many clothes. He reached his hand to the bottom of the box, where he felt like some hard object. Tom held the light vertically above while Rohan bends the box sidewise and slowly took out the clock. It was covered with dirt and dust!

Rohan said, “Tom, you better go outside and clean the clock whereas I will clean the mess in the storeroom.”

Saying this, Tom went out of the room and Rohan began to arrange the box carefully. Suddenly, he heard a loud cry from Tom and he rushed outside to see what the matter was!

“Hey Tom, what happened? Why did you yell so loudly?” asked Rohan.

Tom was so frightened that he began to sweat! His hands were shaking with fright and his facial expressions suggested to Rohan that he saw felt or saw something horrible or scary!

“You won’t ever believe what has happened. See the clock; its hands are not moving right. So, when I came out of the room, I just kept the clock in my palm and began to blow the dust when suddenly, the clock’s hands began to move. Yes, it began to move and that too in the opposite direction! Not clockwise, but in the anti-clockwise direction!”

Rohan immediately called his grandfather.

“See Son, this clock belongs to the time of my great grandfather, who was a great freedom fighter. Many people were impressed by his ideologies and began to follow him. One such person who got impressed was an astrologer. He invented this clock and gave it to my great grandfather. When I was small, my grandfather told him that this is a special heirloom to the family. It was believed those days that, whatever work we do, we do it with our hands, whether it is good or bad. So, the astrologer gave it to my great granddad and told him that, whenever he was planning to do a task just spread his palm and keep the clock on it and gently blow it. First, it is not a clock but a machine that can detect our inner self! Whatever task if you’re thinking at the time of blowing, gets reflected in the clock. If the clock rotates anti-clockwise, which means the task is will be very hurting or repulsive or something bad. If it rotates normally in the clockwise direction, then it is a very good job which you are planning to, and you must carry on with it. This is how our inner self is measured, that is, what we are thinking is right or wrong.”

Rohan listened very carefully; indeed, it was a very nice thing. But one thing struck Rohan’s mind. When Tom blew the dust over the clock, why did it turn anti-clockwise? Is Tom planning something bad? He decided to ask him.

Rohan’s doubt turned into truth when he eavesdropped Tom while was speaking on the phone.

“……. yes, I have got it. Come fast inside, I’m waiting on the top floor” and he cut the call.

“Hey Tom” Rohan called him. He acted as if he just now finished speaking to his grandfather by putting the phone in his pocket.

“I just asked him about what you did to the clock. My grandfather was surprised and told that he shouldn’t have done that. Now great trouble will fall on your family! He told that it is also known as the devil’s clock. 5 years ago, when he accidentally blew the clock, as my grandfather got mistaken for something else, great trouble came on our family! My father and my brother started fighting for the property. So, he locked the clock in some neatly packed carton with newspaper and clothes so that he would never find it and he went abroad. Now since you have blown the clock by placing it over your palm, trouble will come in your family. He told me to beware to you.”

Tom got scared, “I didn’t want to blow the clock. I never wanted to touch the clock! It was Arjun who forced me to come with you and get the clock for him!”

There was a moment of silence between them. Arjun was none other than Rohan’s cousin, in other words, he was the son of Rohan’s uncle! Now Rohan understood everything! So, the dispute between his father and his uncle continues, and now he understood why his grandfather asked him to get the heirloom!

“See Rohan”, his granddad paused for a while and spoke, “The main reason for me coming abroad is the dispute between your father and your uncle. Both want to get hold of the clock so that they can sell it at The Antique’s and can earn money. There is no cost for the clock, it’s priceless and it’s a unique kind. So, please don’t give to anyone until I come. Keep it safe with you.” By saying this, his grandfather cut the call.

Rohan got the clock from Tom and placed it on his palm which he kept under the sun’s ray. He blew it gently thinking about the task his grandfather gave so that he can slowly see the dust particles rotating in the air and loo! The clock rotated in the clockwise direction!

This was the happiest moment for Rohan!