The Reason Of My Only Happiness

1. The Stone Bench

It was evening, he went out of the house and started towards his favorite place. The stone bench place as he called it. He sat there, looking at the sky. He closed his eyes and tried to think about his childhood. He was accustomed to do one thing every day and that was to watch the sun set. He saw as the blazing sphere sunk into the horizon casting sunbeams everywhere and illuminating the evening sky which looked more beautiful than the morning one.

A Sixth grade boy stood up with a sigh of relief after having completed his assignment. He was fair-haired and sunburned and thoroughly awful. His hazel eyes scanning for his pen and pencil, sketch pens, eraser which lay scattered on the ground. The water was pretty, but Ishaan thought the hills surrounding it were maybe the coolest things he'd ever seen. They rose from the Earth in a hundred different sizes, green with trees and grass, dotted with the occasional houses. He undid his files and notebooks and rushed to his house. Running with all his might, waving hands as he passed by his friends in the narrow streets of Shimla. Within few minutes he was standing in front of his house. Looking at a very big apartment. He thought of himself. He thought about his childhood, but didn't caught anything. No memories, no great moments, no picnics with parents, he didn't even remember his mother, pampering him. He muttered his favourite lines as to distract away his mind

"Despite the love and care I get, I am alone in this little lovely world."

Everyone agreed that Malhotra, had built the most beautiful house in Shimla and some thought that it was one of the prettiest house in all Himachal Pradesh. A broad entryway leading to the sprawling house of marble floors and wide windows. Ishaan's room was on the first floor along with his mother's room. Living room was so big that it could hold around 50-60 members so easily. There hung some family photographs: A photo of Ishaan's grandfather, 3 years before he died of heart attack. There was a picture of Sameer Malhotra with air chief marshal of that time D.A La Fontaine and several other photographs. On the other side of the wall there stood a table covered with a cloth. A framed photograph of Sameer's grandfather lay standing there balanced with a piece of stick. Four candles lit there in front of it. There ambiance was so soft that one could hear them talking. If Sameer was asked about his house, he would not stop telling. From the company of the glass panes to the quality of the bricks and tiles used. From the imported carpets and flower pots to the costly paintings which hung in his study room.

He would tell them everything. Land used, number of labours hired, number of days it took to complete and so many other little things. But one thing he wouldn't tell anybody. He would not divulge how much the house cost him. People used to think that Sameer wasted all his money to make this house, saving none for his son who was still studying. Some thought that it was gifted to him by a rich British businessman for whom his grandfather worked during the British period. But they were just rumours and dirty thinking. That is what Ishaan believed.

Sameer Malhotra stood up from his chair as soon as he saw Ishaan entering the house. He hit his book hard on the table to show how angry he was. "So you are back Mr Ishaan Malhotra" he said.

Sameer Malhotra was a tall man with a shaved head and wrinkled face. His other son was doing a job in United States of which Ishaan was not aware. Risabh was doing a job of administrative consultant in one of the companies in Unites States. Risabh was a bright student and got a job easily without any donations. He didn't wanted to enter defence force, he didn't liked it. He was an independent man and was earning very good. Risabh knew he had a brother, he knew the full truth. Sameer didn't wanted Ishaan to know about it. Ishaan believed that he was the only son of his father. And somewhat he liked it. He liked himself being the only attraction and attention to his parents.