New Beginnings
The playground was full of children as it usually was near sunset. The younger ones waited for a chance on the swings or the monkey bars, while the older ones played badminton or football. The parents took their chance too, sitting on one of the benches around the park, watching their darlings play while they caught up on the neighborhood gossip.
Ajay saw his new classmate sitting on the swings. While most children would have been laughing as they swung high and tried to touch the clouds, he saw that Mira was still the serious girl the teacher had introduced to his class a few days back.
“Hi Mira!” he called out, smiling as he walked toward the swings.
“And what do you want?” she replied, digging her heels into the soft earth as she brought the swing to a stop.
“Well, you’re new here. Maybe we could be friends.”
“No. I don’t want anyone around.”
Before Ajay could tell anything, she walked off, the sullen expression on her face deepened.
“What a strange girl,” he wondered, sitting on the swing she had left.
The next day evening, as Ajay walked back from school, he saw Mira walking ahead of him. As he watched, she slowed down, and went to the side of the road. She picked up a stray puppy, and as she held the puppy and gave her a biscuit from her lunch bag, Ajay saw Mira smile for the first time.
“How kind she is, and yet, she is so rude towards others!” he thought. He walked past her, pretending not to notice the smile. When he crossed her house, Ajay saw her grandmother at the gate. He had seen her once before and he waved a hello and went to talk.
“Hello. I’m Ajay. I’m Mira’s classmate, naani ji,” he introduced himself. The smile she gave in return reminded him of Mira’s, and put him at ease with her immediately.
“Mira has that same smile,” he told her.
“She does. But I haven’t seen it on her face in months, beta,” she told him, the smile lost for a moment.
“She doesn’t smile in class either. But I saw it a few minutes back. Why is she so sad?”
“She lost her mother a few months back. Her father works here, and so we had to move. And since we reached here, he has not been home much. I think Mira feels lonely. She’s really a sweet girl, but tries to act strong and not share her sadness to others.”
Seeing Mira coming, Ajay thanked her naani, and quickly walked ahead.
“So that was the reason!” he thought to himself. “She really needs a friend.”
The next day was a Saturday. When Mira walked toward the swings in the park, she saw Ajay sitting on one of the benches. He had a puppy with him, a golden retriever with a red collar who gave a big friendly woof on seeing her.
“Want to say hello?” he called to her.
Mira went to the bench, a happy glint in her eyes. She loved dogs, having had one of her own once.
“What’s his name?” she asked Ajay.
“His name is Scoot. He’s very friendly.”
“Say hello, Scoot,” he told the pup, who promptly put up a paw to Mira.
Mira smiled as she happily shook hands with the pup, forgetting to be rude to Ajay as she did so.
“You have a lovely smile, Mira,” Ajay told her. “Maybe you could show that side to the class too. Let us help you feel a bit more at home.”
For once, Mira had no words to rebut that of his. As her sadness was forgotten, his approach seemed genuine.
“I’ll try,” she heard herself say, much to her surprise.
On that bench, in the warm orange glow of a sunset, an enigma was understood, and a friendship was born.
My theme for this April is something I call ON SHORT NOTICE. The topic for the letter E is Enigma as suggested by Janani & Shalini, in the previous post. I request you, my readers, to suggest a word with F that might inspire my post for F. I’ll choose one from the options I get, and write on that. I won’t choose the same reader for successive days. Thanks in advance!
(© Vinay Leo R. @ I Rhyme Without Reason,
6th April, 2017)
Vinay Leo R.
Poetry & writing are to me, a breath of fresh air in a life that is sometimes covered by the smoke of sorrow or self doubt. They also become the sweets I share to celebrate when life offers me a reason to. But most of all, they are to me, my life. For each word I write is a piece of my heart, a thought that just had to find its way into the world.
Beautiful! I am glad you chose to write a lengthy story this time. There is always more to what meets the eye. It’s a very endearing story on friendship. Lovely take on the topic Enigma.
A smile can always bridge the gap and bring that understanding between souls
Loved it Vinu…
I think the topic chose a longer story, Janie. 🙂 It just flowed and went on. 😀
Glad you loved the story and found it endearing. Joy can bridge the gap, yes. 🙂
An enigma was understood, and a friendship was born 😀
Superb. I loved it.
F for friendship? Fastidious? Fascimile?
Glad you loved it, Panda. 🙂 Friendship is a popular option. Nothing as yet inspiring me.
Very sweet story. It was his dog, right?
John Holton
A to Z Challenge Co-Host
(John Holton recently posted…Deep Dive #atozchallenge)
Could be the dog too, and could be the boy! 🙂 Mix of both. Thanks, John.
i hope this friendship remains for a long long time – people need such friends – to give you confidence
(Tina Basu recently posted…Enjoy Life – Step 5 To Leading a Meaningful Life | #AtoZChallenge)
I hope that such kind of friendships come into our lives too, and that they stay for a long long time! Thanks, Tina.
Puppies to the rescue.. and none other than Dean Koontz’ golden retriever to boot 🙂
(Roshan Radhakrishnan recently posted…Elizabeth Laird is a Shining Example of Compassion #AtoZChallenge)
Yes! Puppies and a friend, can cheer you no end, I guess. 😀 Glad you liked the story, Roshan. 🙂
Sometimes, an empathetic gesture and lots of compassion is all that’s needed to break the ice and unravel the enigma of a mystery. This was very sweet to read.
(Shailaja Vishwanath recently posted…Eloquent – #FlashFiction #AtoZChallenge)
Yes. Compassion breaks the ice often, but we forget that as often too. Glad you liked reading it, Shailaja. 🙂 Thanks!
What a nice little story! Brilliant! For F, I suggest Fortitude.
Thanks, Sreedeep. 🙂 Fortitude sounds nice too. Let me see if it inspires!
Such a beautiful story Vinay! I enjoy reading your posts:)
F- Friendship, Fatal, Foe, Finally, Future!
(Radhika recently posted…Alphabet E – Escape)
Glad you enjoy reading my posts, Radhika. 🙂 Thank you much.
Future sounds interesting, from the topics you’ve suggested. 😀
Wow! I’m in awe. Seriously. That is such a sweet little tale. Excellent take on the prompt again.
So, here is mine for F: Forbidden Fruit 😀
(Shalini recently posted…Egg Curry | Chettinad Style)
Glad you liked the story, and felt it was a sweet take, Shalzzz. 🙂 Thank you so much.
God bless that Ajay who showed so much compassion and maturity at such a young age to bring back the smiles on the lil girl’s face. Wish we have more friends like him.
(Shilpa Garg recently posted…Escape #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z)
I know. I think as children, we do have compassion, but it begins to lessen as we grow up. Not true for every child, I know, and not true for every adult either. 🙂
I hope more such Ajays come in reality too, and am glad you liked the story, Shilpa. 😀
Loved the warmth in the post dear. I am so glad Mira and Ajay became friends eventually. May be you can pick F-Friendship for your theme tomorrow buddy for I see you are perfect in weaving them 🙂
Truly Yours Roma
Yeah. Friendship is quite a nice theme to write on, so I do it often. 🙂 Makes me happy.
Glad you loved the story and the warmth in it. 😀 Thank you, Roma.
Such a sweet story. I wish we all had a friend like Ajay.
(Suzy recently posted…Expectation can … #atozchallenge letter E)
I wish so too, Suzy. 🙂
So sweet of him to make an effort to understand the reason behind her rudeness and then helping her out. We all need friends like this in our life 🙂
(Swathi Shenoy recently posted…Exams)
Yes. Such friends are gems. 🙂 And makes the world around seem a better place.
Glad you liked the story, Swathi.
We really need someone to hold our hand when we are in grief. Beautifully penned story.
Can I suggest F for Friend or Foe?
(Namratha recently posted…An Education for all: #AtoZChallenge)
Yes. That support helps a lot more than we realize, Namratha. 🙂 Thank you.
Friend or Foe? hmm. Let me see what transpires! 😀
I like him. I like him for the effort he took to befriend Mira. We need more human beings like him.
(Sheethal recently posted…Extra can make you Extraordinary.)
I like him too, SSJ. and we definitely need more like him for sure. 😀
A very sweet story Vinay…I felt like it could be something read to children about acceptance and friendship 🙂
(Sanch @ Sanch Writes recently posted…#Etheree: Dreary #atozchallenge)
That’s a praise I am proud to have got, Babby. 🙂 Thank you.
(Vinay Leo R. recently posted…#AtoZChallenge 2017 – E for Enigma)
This is such a endearing story, Vinay with such a sweet lesson. So glad I read it:)
Mayuri
Glad you read it and felt it endearing too. 😀 Thanks, Mayuri.
What a gift to have such a wonderful friend like Ajay! My closest buddy is also named Ajay, and he’s quite like this chap!
Shubhangi @ The Little Princess
(shubhangi srikanth recently posted…E – 5 downsides to being an Extrovert!)
Yes. It is a blessing for sure, Titli. 🙂 Glad you could relate to my story.
That was a really heart warming story!!
(Nibha Gupta recently posted…(E)ntangled #AtoZChallenge)
Thank you, Nibhz. 🙂
Heart warming tale. Often an enigma is just a heart looking for an understanding friend. Nicely written
Yes. That understanding friend makes a lot of difference, Archana. Thank you.
Kind of Ajay not to give up on Mira’s friendship. Of course, pets always help to bridge a conversational gap.
(Gail M Baugniet (@GailMBaugniet) recently posted…E is for ELIXER #PoetryMonth #AtoZChallenge)
Yeah. That they do, Gail. 🙂 Glad that Ajay did not give up too.