Family Short Story – Where the wind swayed
Photo credit: hotblack from morguefile.com
Here she was receiving award as the company had the fastest growth. She, Aakhya (means Fame) was the CEO of a finance company. As her name was called out to collect the award, Aakhya was shocked, surprised, filled with emotions, couldn’t believe her ears and people around were cheering for her. She was blank for the moment. She slowly walked down the red carpet, praying within her to be calm. Aakhya goes up to the stage and her hands were trembling as she collects the award, she can hear the audience cheering her achievement, young women in the crowd were giving her a standing ovation.
Here was Aakhya standing ‘Tall’ with the award as model to the next generation. She was asked to talk about her achievement, her throat choked, words weren’t coming… But then she had to talk. She slowly and steadily started the talk…
I didn’t walk away with the wind
But instead I stood still, when the wind swayed
I stood thinking which way to go ;
with the wind or away from the wind
I prayed hard about the direction to follow
Then, I listened to my inner voice
And I heard it say to me…
Go the way you are are confident,
Even if you are not aware of the road
Go the way, where you know the destination.
Road ahead may be rugged
Road ahead may be steep
Road ahead may have humps and bumps
But take the road which leads to your destination
You can overcome the ruggedness,
You can jump over the humps and bumps
But if you don’t know the destination
You are lost…
I didn’t sway with the wind
And so here I am today…
She said it all in a few words.. And came back to her seat.. People surrounded her, congratulating, cheering her, celebrating for her. She thanked each one for their support, for being with her.. She thanked God for His grace on her. She was humble of her achievement, she didn’t jump up high, and she was calm and composed as always.
She walked way back to home, reminiscing the bygone days…
As a child she never dreamt of being in this position, she had various dreams, become a doctor and serve people, become an astronaut, become a chef too… but dreams take a turn along with life.. Dreams mature with age and so was her dreams.. Shy little girl in school with very few friends.. Gone to college with dreams little more focussed goes on to become an extrovert. She remembers lying down on her mother’s lap and telling, mamma, I want to become like you when i grow up. Mamma brushing her hair says, dear you don’t be like me… you have to go into this world and achieve great heights and make your mamma proud.. You have to be a glittering star in this world that shines with light always… Her eyes filled with tears.. She made mamma proud, but mamma wasn’t around to see this day… She reaches home, her little children come running out.. They are happy their mamma is back home and they know nothing about the great achievement mamma has received. For children all that matters is mamma is back home.. She keeps her award on the table, carries her two little children and thinks, award is good for the world, but for herself nothing is greater than God’s blessing, her family. While walking in the world she didn’t sway with the wind, but in her life she did, she let herself be carried away with the wind… and her memories went back to her youth days….
Aakhya a confident, young, brilliant woman, who thought and took every move of her life, was walking along the sea one day… all around children were running and playing in the waves of sea and here she is dreaming of her life partner, dreaming of how happy she would be when she has a family and walking along, she bumps into handsome young man. Little did she realize that they would share their life together? As they bumped on to each other, strange glances and looks made way around them and they walked off… It was just a passing memory. Days passed by and years went along… Quite a few proposals came around for Aakhya and one day as she was browsing through the profile, her memories were carried back to her walk along the sea.. It struck her mind; this person is one she bumped into… We meet hundreds of people each day as we go along with our life routines, but we don’t remember any of them.. Aakhya thought to herself, how on earth she still remembered this guy.. Back in her memory somewhere.. this bump had made its own little space… She quickly grabbed the photo, read the profile and decided.. He is going to be my partner for life.. She just owed it all to God.. She knew it was God’s plan in her life and she let God work it out for her. Her parents, arranged for their meeting.. It was the day, she had to meet him, she picked out a sober outfit, left her hair to flow, picked up her bag and with thousands of thoughts running through her mind, she headed to meet him… She went to a restaurant where they were to meet and was waiting for him to come.. He came in little shortly and they introduced each other… she was hoping he would remember their bump years ago.. But no.. They spoke of the weather, things around them, their dreams, and aspirations and left…
And today she is here sharing her life with the one she bumped on……..
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