Mahesh's Story
Journey of a Cycle
MANYU KUMAR
In a small town lived a young boy named Mahesh. He was the son of a wealthy merchant. He was tall, slim and had black hair. He did not talk too much and had a handful of friends. One evening, his father got him a brand-new cycle. He had purchased it from a local cycle store, down the street. It was wonderful in every way. It was bright blue with black handles and a little shade of white.
Mahesh’s eyes glittered with excitement and happiness. He thanked his father several times. He decided to cycle it first thing tomorrow morning as it was a holiday. He woke up unusually early the next day. He cleaned his cycle, double-checked the air in the wheels and got ready to ride. He quickly sat on it and rode on an empty street beside his house. It was windy and dry leaves were falling
on the footpaths. He was cycling so merrily that he lost the track of time. It must be noon by the time he arrived home. That evening he even showed his cycle to his friends. It was one of the best days of his life. It was about a month and Mahesh was such an expert at riding his bike, it looked as if both of them were like the best of companions. It was until one day.
Mahesh’s father’s friend who was his trading companion was smuggling costly goods for the past 3 years without his notice. One day, the police caught him red-handed. Mahesh’s father was also put in custody. So, the family fought the case. They won the case but it took a lot of money from Mahesh’s family. So, they fell on hard times. His father had to sell their large house and had to buy a smaller
house. The family had to sell several things including Mahesh’s cycle. He was shocked and speechless to know this. At first, he opposed the decision but knew that selling his cycle was for the better good. It has now been 10 years since the incident. Mahesh moved out of his town into a large city with a well-paying job.
One day, he decided to visit his parents who were old and lived in the same house. He took a train to his town and reached in 9 hours. He had a very vague picture of the town in his mind. He found his old house with great difficulty. He rang the bell and waited for an answer. He looked at the lawn and saw a very familiar thing parked. It was his cycle, not even a day old from the last time he saw it.
THE END
