A Young Boy Was Standing With a Young Girl Close to That old man.

The evening sun was sinking below the horizon. And the dying rays of that fading sun were falling on an old man. He was sitting on a dilapidated wooden bench at the bus station. He was bent over a half-opened biscuit packet and his trembling hands slowly and painfully put bits of biscuits in his toothless mouth. He had to eat because life was still in him and that day he had only those biscuits with him to eat. He was helpless because old age had robbed all his strength. He appeared like a lonely scarecrow which was left alone on a deserted field after the harvest. 

The sun completely faded and a shower of rain covered the bus station with layers of mud. The people in the bus station huddled themselves under the station roof for shelter. Now many people stood around that old man but nobody had time to take interest in that old man. The hurry of the average man to collect tickets from the counter, the deafening noise of horns and motor vehicles had successfully obscured the old man’s feeble presence. 

A young boy was standing with a young girl close to that old man. The girl was like a smiling flower and the boy was like a dancing river. They talked with each other on the notes of a young love. In the eyes of the boy there was deep appreciation for the girl and the girl had wholehearted acceptance. Their heads bent over each other and they looked to the distant lands with millions of dreams in their eyes.       

The buses were drawing impressions of their tyres on the wet ground. And the love between the pair was getting deeper and deeper…….

A honk of the horn from a bus startled the love-pair. The girl had to board that bus. She reluctantly approached the bus. By that time her eyes were full of tears. She was no more a smiling flower. The boy stood still like an iced up river. After the final call of the departing bus the girl had to board the bus. She waved her pretty hand to the boy. The boy blew a kiss in the air …….

The bus went away drawing a neat impression of its tyres on the wet ground. And the boy was left alone in a thoughtful silence, grief-stricken and desolate. The old man drew closer to the boy and asked, “Do you really love that girl?” The boy was very sad and with a shaky voice told, “Yes”. The old man offered a piece of biscuit to the boy and told, “Treasure today’s memory in your heart safely. Because it is the most precious gift that Time and Life can fetch you. Time robs everything. Time erodes everything but it cannot rob the true feelings of love. And when you come to my age, you may realise that the flash of such a memory can enlighten a dying old man.”