The Sacrifice

The Sacrifice

Fiction Story

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In the city of Bihar, there lived a boy who had compassion in his heart. Although being orphan, he learned the beauty of caring. How? From his unconditional lover, his Grand Mother. His parents died, a year after his birth. He was sad till his Grand Mom gifted him a puppy. He played with it and danced with it in bliss. Stuffy he named it. His best friend, his complete family, and his little universe it became. He would take it to morning walks; he wouldn’t get tired of Stuffy’s 1 A.M ‘hunger-barks’. The bond increased with the time’s flow. Their bond was no less than two true lover’s glow. It would be hungry and he would just know. He would miss his parents and it would round itself around his legs. It would leak his toe, the tickle he would feel and forget all the lamentable mess. Like a mother and son relationship, their bonding grew.  

Granny’s health went low, finance decreased, and survival seemed not so easy. He left his school and learned to drive. He learned to drive and took a job. Bus driver he wisely became. ‘That what’s orphan fortune’ he thought and never wished anyone the same. There was no difference between the boys sitting behind and the one driving them off: one went school and same aged drove them off, wow- the act of poverty. He left the Stuffy back at home, but he drive with its photo on steering wheel. All ate tiffin. He lived all day on banana. He drive steady and safely, the way he presented his maturity. But some doltish school teachers were always in a hurry. They would scold and shout, teenagers would tease him out for a fast and furry. After a stressful day of various buses and several drives, he would reach home and eat his dinner peacefully with Stuffy.

Stuffy would wait for him all the day, cutely at the window towards the road it would peep. For his one glance it would stay away from its necessary sleep. Maybe it was his smell or his aura, but when he would step near the house, it would just jump with joy. How does it recognize his beloved’s charisma? Maybe it just knows. They would eat in gloomy light, their only affordable candle light. Gazing each other, talking with eyes.

Dark clouds gathered one day. After that the rain came and both danced with gay. Season swiped and Granny’s worst health finally made her wave, her last good bye. He felt heart broken, standing at her grave. In the rain he cried, although tears tried to hide but clever Stuffy recognized. Form a nearby bin, a red ball it brought. Rolled it around his legs, it would make him happy, it thought. He played and smiled, seeing his pet running away, behind the ball; he felt the horror of losing it. Stuffy he wailed, it turned back and ran back to him, both hugged. My only friend, my only family, whatever that’s left was now only Stuffy, his heart cried.   

Time taught him lessons of life and made him wiser. Success of happiness was something within, he often thought. Still he followed the people the way they guided him to drive. His routine drive passed from the road near his house. Now every day he would wave Stuffy from the window up. Stuffy would jump as it would see him pass. One day that red ball rolled out wards and Stuffy ran behind. In between cruel wheels, it found itself baffled. A four wheel rushed towards it, Stuffy tried to escape but devil wheel ran on its leg. It wailed and sobbed but there was no one to listen as he was on his job. After hours of suffering its master came and cried. Seeing him in such agony, his heart burst out. He took it for cure but to the unfair; Stuffy’s one leg had completely gone. Instead of lacking interest, his love grew more. That’s true love, maybe Stuffy thought. He took a break from his duty, to take care of his puppy. He joined again only after Stuffy’s complete recovery. 

Stuffy was waiting for him through the window open wide. Maybe past like ball, air this time played villian’s role. It fumbled his only family pic, in its swings and turns. ‘Rush it fast, we have meeting today’ the teacher barked. Speedometer’s needle from 40 to 60 he despaired. Wind flew it to road, Stuffy innocently ran behind, as photo it was his master’s most precious gift. He drove extreme, as teachers pulling his nerves. He reached near his house’s lane and at the window he searched for it. To his surprise Stuffy was unfound. He went to fourth gear, anger controlled his drive now. In between the road he found stuffy picking the pic. Within a second he understood the scene, he couldn’t apply brake to the wheel, neither turn nor stop. A little left or right and it would risk all passengers’ life. He gazed deep into Stuffy’s eyes and Stuffy looked pretty satisfied. With three legs, it couldn’t hurry and cross the road. It stood there helpless, innocently, let the god do the rest. It looked into his masters eyes, and he first time saw an animal cry.

Stuffy looked down, as the pic fell down, it blew it away from itself. Then it smiled its tongue out. It suddenly got elated as if it discovered universe biggest secret out. What’s much better than to die from your beloved’s hands? Was it this or some happy end? Stuffy gazed deep inside his master’s eyes and he continued to drive. He cried with blood tears. The way he made a beautiful sacrifice.

He holds the family pic in his hand, he turns it around and smile, Stuffy sketch he made, at the backside.

The Sacrifice

-Shail Raval