Short Stories Collection

One Untold Story

It's the 12th anniversary of the most well-known school in the country. After the cultural performances by the students, it was time for departure of the special guest, who's actually the trustee of this school and has a great role in establishing the institution. So, before he could leave, he was requested to give a speech by the principal. The special guest was a 85 year old man who somehow gathered strength and stepped into the stage.
He took a microphone and started his speech by greetings and giving complements on the cultural program. Then he started talking about his journey with kids, how it started and why he chose to build a residential school for kids all of a sudden. While telling them the story, he closed his eyes several times to remember the memories. It's quite difficult to recall everything as his memory wasn't strong enough then. Yet he tried to recall those memories and opened his mouth to tell them a story; the one untold story of his life.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The mountain of Himchori is the highest, where the colorful game of the sky can be seen standing, where the waterfalls can be seen standing, as far as you can see, only green plants can be seen, where the roar of sea can be heard standing, where the black waves of the sea in the moonlight can be seen on a full moonlit night , I'll build a small bungalow house in a place where nature will be wrapped in a sheet of fog on a winter morning, where the sunrays can be seen coming out of the fog sheets at sunrise. Birds will come and sing on the porch of that house. I'll listen to that song. Radhachura, Krishnachura, Shimul, Shiuli flower trees will be around my house. And those leaves and petals of flowers will be lying in the backyard.

Sometimes in the morning, or maybe afternoon, I'll go out for a walk as far as my heart wants. I'll just keep walking and think in my mind,

"I understand this path never
ends again
But how about it?"

But is there any place I can find???

---------------------------------------------------------

The old man was reading the diary of his wife. After reading it, he closed the diary and put it on the side table and glanced at the woman lying down on the bed, sleeping peacefully and a soft smile on her lips. The man put his hand on her head and started caressing her hair gently. She used to have a lot of thick, soft and shiny hair but had hair loss for chemotherapy.
The woman opened her eyes slowly and glanced at the man sitting in front of her. For the first time this man was showing his affection towards her. This man, her husband, never got the time to take care of his wife, never thought of making time to travel with her or to fulfill her wishes. He was so busy with his own work life that he couldn't do anything for his wife. And caressing her hair suddenly made her shocked as he was never the one to do such things.

-Why?

The woman asked him, tears formed in her eyes. His gaze softened but didn't respond and tried to avoid her question.

-Are you feeling good now?

The woman looked at him.

-I can never be alright, honey.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. The man wiped off the tears from her cheeks using his thumbs.

-It's okay, don't cry.

-Are you regretting? Feeling guilty of something?

The man sighed deeply.

-I couldn't do anything for you. I was so lost in my own world that I...I...

He couldn't finish what he was about to say. Loud sobs escaped his mouth. Seeing him like this, his wife's heart melted. She cupped his face.

-Don't blame yourself, honey.

Her husband never got emotional in his entire life, at least she'd never seen him like that before. But the feeling of losing his wife was killing him from inside. He was showing his affection and love towards his wife but it's already too late. She was in her last stage of blood cancer and had only a few days or perhaps a few hours in her life. How he wish he could create a lot of beautiful memories with her...

The woman grabbed his hands and told him.

-Promise me something.

He quickly wiped off his tears and nodded his head.

-You'll build a bungalow in an area like I described in my last story.

He sighed.

-What's the point if you're not beside me?

She smiled softly.

-Not for us to stay. Build it for kids and make it a residential school.

His eyes widened.

-Do you want me to do that?

-I only have a few more hours left in my life. I can't stay with you, honey. And as we couldn't make any babies, I want you to do something for kids.

He lowered his gaze, still sobbing.

-Won't you do that for me?

-Of course, I'll... (Sobbing)... Forgive me, please, for not doing anything for your happiness.

-It's okay, honey. I forgave you already.

-I'm sorry... (Sobbing)

-That's enough for me, honey.

Her heart was beating too fast that she couldn't breathe but didn't say anything to him. She just let him cry.

-I'm so sorry...

The woman was still smiling even though her eye lids were getting heavier and her heart was aching so much. She realized that her time has come. She glanced at her man once again. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She didn't want to leave him alone like that but what could she do about it?
She grabbed his hand. The man looked straight into her eyes, curious to know what she was going to say.
Just three words she needed to tell him before she leave him and the world forever. But it seemed she didn't even have that little energy to speak it out. Yet she opened her mouth and whispered,

-I love you...

And with that she closed her eyes and released a deep breath. Her heart stopped beating. The man was staring at her like a fool. One last thing, he couldn't even do that. His wife expressed her feelings so easily but he couldn't. He couldn't even express his feelings to his wife, not even before she left the world.

-I love you too...

He whispered to himself and touched her cheeks admiring her beautiful features for the first time in his life.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

He opened his eyes only to see every audience was crying hearing his story.

-So, this was my journey. That's how I started my journey with these kids and look, now it's one of the most well-known schools in our country. People from all areas know this school now.

Everyone started clapping, still crying as they never heard such story before. The old man standing on the stage was staring at the audiences with a wide smile on his face. He was thinking something in his mind that he didn't say in front of those people.

-I've finally fulfilled one wish of yours, honey... I've done it. I can now live the rest of my life in peace thinking about it...

Thanks for reading my story. Don't forget to give votes. Have a nice day ahead.

~Ahriman