The Right Wish

This happened when I went to India last year.

My purpose of visiting India was just to explore variety of cultures that existed in the country but found something much better. While I was walking on the roads of Chennai with a camera in my hand,capturing what they called the street of mysteries

‘karamsampridh’, I came across something that I had only read in fantasy stories. Basically, it was an area where saints started building their “sacred”colonies. Based on my past experiences, frankly speaking, it was just another way to rob unsuspecting tourists off their money.

Anyways, it was said that many miracles took place in that area, which I now agree to myself.

I saw this old looking man with wrinkles mapping his face; he seemed to be a beggar. What captured my attention was a peculiar sign he was holding in his hand. The odd thing was that it was written in English. Well, in India, it is quite rare to find a beggar who knows how to speak English! I decided to give him a 100 rupee note; I know, I know, it’s too much for a beggar but I didn’t have any change at that point.

But what happened next changed my life.

As soon as I handed him the note, he opened his mouth to speak the following words, ‘Thank you! Thank you so much! In return to this, I lend you any one wish. Anything you desire, anything!’

Listening to this, I couldn’t help but give out a giggle. ‘What wish! Come on, we are in 21st century….’, my mind enunciated these words. Obviously he was kidding; no one could actually do that, right? What got me was the non-changing serious look he had on his face. Just then I decided to go with the little joke he had planned for me, and cleared my throat as I spoke, ‘Give me the power to know when someone is lying to me’. He replied immediately, ‘Ok, your wish is granted.From now on every time someone lies in front of you, a red circle would form above his/her head.’ That’s it? No laughs? No pranks? Nothing? I asked him to prove that it worked. He said he didn’t like my cowboy hat and to my disbelief, there it was, the red ring floating above his head. How stupid I was! I could have asked for money, strength, and what not. While these thoughts flooded my mind, he disrupted saying, ‘I know what you are thinking.You thought I was just bluffing, but trust me this is the best wish you could have asked for. This wish will save your life in future. But beware, the wish can just warn you about the danger ahead, acting upon it is your task’. I didn’t know what to say so just thanked the person and moved on. After spending some days there, I came back to my home town.

My life took a sharp turn to its better. In no time I got promoted and was now the general manager of the company I worked in. I knew when someone tried to fraud me, and also when someone tried to make a fool out of me. Everything was going on perfectly fine. I was having the best of time. It was like my own little secret to success. Time and again, I would thank the beggar.

While my life was on the pinnacle of glory, I found my lady love as well. She was one of my colleagues at the office and was impressed by my progress and ability to detect lies.

We loved each other, I thought, seriously until the day I had a fight with her. She refused to meet me due to ill health but was dating another chap. I found out that she was cheating on me.I confronted her. We had a pretty heated argument. I was clear on breaking up with her. Thanks to this power I had, I came to know about this cheat. Ending the argument, I furiously said that I was leaving and would never come back in the house. She spilled the words, ‘You can leave’. As I left the chair and started to make my way out, I don’t know why, but my brain recalled the line the beggar said, ‘this wish will save your life one day’. I was almost there at the door. But just one thing, why was there a red ring on her head? And why was her hand at her back?

I turned to see my lovely girlfriend. Oh no! She was running towards me with a shiny sharp object, the reflection piercing through my eyes………

‘Was I too late………..?’

By: HarsahajBir Singh khalsa

Bodhi international school deputy head boy (2019-20)