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[SHORT STORY] Race against Time

Let me Jump back to February 5, 2011. Our Farewell Day. Officially the last day of School and ofcourse, one of the most memorable days of my life. The evening was going fine, rather, good. Lovely dances, performances and a great video that got tears in my eyes. I had a plethora of feelings-of joy, fear, anxiousness, and offcourse, nostalgia of all that happened in the 12years. I was so much over-blended with emotions that day, that i couldn’t even express myself clearly in my diary. I was out of the real world, in a different temporary world of my own. To my surprise, somehow, i was also awarded with a title, Mr. MMS(mira model school). That was a wonderful moment. What was more wonderful was when, one of the teachers i’ve never been taught by, but always admired, complimented, ”You deserved it!”

Many of my close friends had won titles that day. Each was given a gift. Sweet! Great way to bid farewell, i thought. Then, offcourse, when i stepped up on the stage, i expected a gift. To a greater surprise, i got the biggest one out there in my hands.
The video that got my eyes wet was played just before the end of farewell and some of us were like standing just before the screen and seeing it, rather than caring to sit on the seats. Later, the video made the moment so emotional that we had lost every other emotion. It was just sheer sadness driven on our face, as we would be leaving our friends, our teachers, our school where we had spent 1/4th part of each day….of our lives…
But, that was a part of life and we couldn’t stop it. Me, being a sensitive guy, was lost in this, completely. There was nothing in my mind, except for the images of my friends, and me, doing work together, slapping each other, playing with each other, enjoying and living life with each other. Every nice memory was just striking again and bumping in my head. There was nothing else but the feeling of ‘how it feels when a child has to leave his mother for the first day of school!’
Lost in the video, i didn’t care about my seat. My Gift, was right there, on my seat, waiting for me to come and pick it up!
But, i couldn’t leave the chance to have some last snaps with the beautiful flowers that i’ve seen blooming up beside me. These memories were important, afterall. Soon, officialy, the night was called off and the farewell wishes had come from teachers. The programme had come to an end.
Just when i was about to step out of the school, i felt as if i’m missing something….and i was like ”Oh shit….where’s my gift?!”

and i ran at the speed of 100miles per hour to the ground to have it back. The Chairs were being taken back by the caterers and put in the truck. I was thinking, ”If i don’t get there fast, time won’t favour me. Anyway, i had a good time with me all through the evening.”
I met Dipika ma’am and Meeta ma’am in the mid of my Race against Time.
“What happened?” asked Dipika ma’am.
Knowing how careless i would sound, but since i wanted my gift, i answered, ”i forgot my gift on the seats.”
…and i ran to the seats. To my surprise, the gift was not there anymore. I had lost the race. It was perhaps, taken by someone – offcourse, that was the first thought and i never really thought again of it. I was not so sad, it was all right. The title meant much more than the gift. I didn’t even know what was in it! While running back, for my friends were waiting for me at the gate, i again met the two teachers.
Seeing me, empty-handed, Dipika ma’am enquired, “Didn’t you get it there?”
“No ma’am. Its not there. But, hmm, its ok, no problem.” i answered with a smile.
Meeta ma’am gave a weird cute look. A look that maybe meant, ‘How could YOU lose it?’
Feeling shameful, i just shifted my eyes to Dipika ma’am.
“Where did you keep it?” asked Dipika ma’am sounding like a CID officer who is going to really put all efforts untill we find it.
“There…in the second row of chairs.” i pointed with my fingers…
It took hardly a minute to reach there. Meeta ma’am also accompanied the two of us.
Bhaiya…Did you see any Gift here…on the chairs or around them, i mean.” Dipika ma’am asked the person who was keeping chairs in the truck.
“No, there was no gift present over here.” he answered.
And, for a second, i had that ‘loser’ look. Anyway, i was fine the next second. It felt good to have the teachers with me, helping me. That was perhaps a gift. Then, Meeta ma’am passed a smile and said ”Chalo, kuch nahi hota.” That was a bigger and a better gift for me. I answered, “Hmmm..” with a bigger smile.
Then, bading goodbye, i ran, because my friends were still waiting for me on the Gate. Well, atleast i hoped so, while running.
This was the third surprise of the night! Rahul Gusain was waiting for me. And the surprise was that his hands were holding my Gift. I was like feeling to kill him right there and then! But, then, he said, “Hey, careless person, take this! You forgot it on the seats. I took it for you” with a half-smile as he always gives. ‘That was sweet,’ i thought and thanked him.
So, the Race had been won! ‘The time was with me….’ i thought.
My friends being more excited about the gift than i was, didn’t take much time in opening it. As soon as we stepped out of the school, wished everyone the best for future…and stepped in the car, my gift was snatched away from me! It was opened, oops, wrong word. It was tore apart like it was having a love letter from someone or something. But, as soon as they got to know, what’s within, they just gave it to me. When i asked, they answered, “Its a wall Clock!”
After like 20-30minutes, while having a meal at McDonalds, i was amazed as how, all my thoughts were co-incidentially proving to be true.
‘If i dont get there fast, time won’t favour me. Anyway, i had a good time, today, all through the evening, with me.’,’Race against time’, ‘Time was with me.’
Wall Clock was a symbol for Time!
It felt wow! I was Amazed! How sometimes, the words we speak everyday, without thinking anything, become so meaningful and realistic after some time. πŸ™‚

Published in Short Stories

23 Comments

  1. quite intersting experience….. but best part is lies in 3-2 last phara which enhance my anxiety to what after next but your ending seems to like hindi movies in which hero succeeded at last……

  2. Bhawna Bhawna

    Well, u have a good expression so keep writing and i’ll keep reading

    • That made my day!! Thanks dear… πŸ™‚

  3. aarti jog aarti jog

    really a cute way of sharing ur thoughts…
    seriously speaking quite nostalgic kinda…a true mirate….:)

    • Thanku ji πŸ™‚ πŸ˜€

  4. bhavya bhandari bhavya bhandari

    cirsly a true miraite !!
    became nostalgic while reading ths ….
    lovely !!!

  5. Kanika Kanika

    Great post!
    Totally enjoyed reading!
    cute πŸ™‚

      • mohini mohini

        reading it was jst lyk flipping through d pages of tym nd visualizing dat moment b4 my eyes yr…n i cn well relate to ur anxiety…dats y mai tera gift chair k pass se utha k h ni lai thi:P(coz hmare gifts ek sath h pade the n i thought k tera gift n title tjhe wahan ni mila to u’ll kill me…stupid logic btw)…..bt d way u related dis incidnt to a greater philosophical view is rly mindblowing……no doubts yr,teddy is in d way of becuming a WIZARD OF WORDS!!!!!!!:)

        • Thanks a lot monu πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ . . . and ye le, one more – πŸ™‚ πŸ˜›

  6. Nice……. you forgot to mention Gargi’s Race against time to reach home before his dad.

    • haha..! That’s a good point!

  7. shilpa verma shilpa verma

    nice….actually very nice bhavuli..
    Amazing…
    Keep it up..:)

  8. rahul rahul

    awesome…. maynee.. tu eng chod de.. be a writer….

    • Leave english and be a writer ? How ?

      • rahul rahul

        i mean enggg.. damnit

        • haha! Nope. Writing is just a hobby. I don’t like to write for somebody, or for a topic. It’s just when i feel like writing about something, i do it. πŸ™‚

  9. namitsharma namitsharma

    nyc stuff……i dont realy reads anyone’s blog but i read dis one……

    • Thanks! I’m honoured, sir. πŸ˜›

      • yea’ by ‘i dont realy reads anyone’s blog’ he means mine πŸ˜›

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