Favourite: A Short Story
“I hate opposites. They are mean and difficult to remember” Manu told Dadu (his grandfather) after school. He was in first standard and lived in a small town near Indore with his family. He had a bad day in school. Dey ma’am was teaching opposites to the class when Rohan pointed at him to give an example of ‘fat’. “I too don’t like opposites.” Dadu told him. “You do not have to learn everything in life.”
Of the three kids in the house, Manu was Dadu’s favourite. He always got to choose his favourite colour of ‘Poppins’ candy before others. Dadu used to teach him ahead of the lessons in school. He taught him ‘Carry sums’ when the class began simple sums and meaning of word ‘bliss’ before that English chapter. He told him stories where stars were an icing on the night’s party cake or clouds were painters, giving different hues to the sky or thunder being a strict teacher shouting at a class of mischievous kids and raindrops were those kids being freed because of the ‘Home Bell’.
When Manu turned 20, he lost his grandfather. He feared that moment because he saw him growing older and weaker every day. When he turned 23, he got a job in a big city. He was excited to make new friends. To his surprise, people showed more shades of colours than Dadu taught him. They were well versed with opposites; small town-big city, rich-poor; which he always failed to learn and understand. He was a boy with no noticeable demeanour except for a paunch belly which spoke for his love for food. In this new place, everyone wanted to be different, but he was looking for people like him.
One day, a girl asked, “Hey! I saw you eating a big sandwich that day. Will you mind telling me where I can get it?” Surprised, he asked, “Did you say something?”. For the first time someone asked a different question than “Why do you eat so much?” He told, “I ordered it from Sagar Sandwich Shop it is nearby. They make the best sandwiches.”
Mutual love for food made them explore more places around the city. One day, she agreed to join him for a movie and pizza at his place. She was awestruck looking at his room which he painted like clouds and stars with glowing paint. She told him you are just ‘like me’ but a little quicker. I always imagined decorating my room like this, in my head.
For the first time he met someone who told him how similar they were. They sat in his balcony. He looked up at the sky, remembering how Dadu hated opposites too.
A star shone brighter that night.
