Mr. Rajat Tokas and his beloved wife Paridhi, is a young couple living in a modest apartment in New York. They have only two possessions between them in which they take selfless pride: Paridhi's beautiful flawless long flowing hair, almost to her knees, and Rajat's shiny Gold Watch, which had belonged to his father and grandfather.
ONE DOLLAR and EIGHTY-SEVEN Cents. That was all. Three times Paridhi counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be auspicious Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but sadly flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. This instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, misery, struggles, smiles, and sniffles predominating. Rajat and Paridhi actually lived a poor rustic life with minimal monthly salary.
While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding the domestic budget from first stage to second, took a look at their small home. The couple had to pay $8 per week as rent. Such was their complicated state of predicament. Eventually, Rajat's monthly income came down from $30 to $20. The couple struggled every now and then with ever growing inflation in united states.
One Fine Morning, Paridhi stood by the window and looked out dully at the chaotic streets. Tomorrow would be Christmas day and unfortunately she had only $1.87 with which she wanted to buy her hubby dearest Rajat a present. She had been struggling to save every penny she could for months, with this unsatisfactory result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Rajat. Many an hour had been spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine, rare and something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honour of being owned by him. Paridhi kept sobbing inside. Her doe like dazzling eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost all its colour within twenty seconds.
She gathered all her strength, put on her greenjacket (Rajat's favorite color 😳) and an old white hat. With a whirl of skirt and with the brilliant sparkle in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and went down the street. On her way, she stopped and read a sign board hanging over the top of the building: "Sofroine~Hair Goods of All Kinds." Immediately Paridhi willingly and curiously stepped straight into the shop, and asked the lady shopkeeper ..."Hey, Will you buy my hair?", "Yes Sure, First take your hat off and let me have a look at it" said the lady shopkeeper. Paridhi did it as per her request. Her hair was clipped off and gave her a trimmed boy cut. "Twenty Dollars Madame" said the Lady Shopkeeper. "Pretty fine, Please give it to me quickly," said Paridhi.
Without wasting any time Paridhi made a quick run to buy Rajat's Christmas present. She ransacked almost every possible store for his gift; such was her restless plight huh. Ahh! Paridhi sighed; finally she found it at last. It surely had been made perfectly for her man Rajat and no one else. It was a platinum fob chain, simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its unmatchable value with its priceless substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation. It was purely worthy of The Watch'.
Rajat was never late. Paridhi doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stairs and she turned plain white for just a moment. She had a habit of saying little silent prayers about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered; "Please God, make him think I'm still pretty."
The door opened and Rajat stepped in and closed it. He looked quite perplexed and serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two and to be burned with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.
Rajat stepped inside the door, his eyes were suddenly fixed upon Paridhi, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it extremely terrified her to the core. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. Rajat simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.
Paridhi wiggled off the table and instantly went to him.
"Rajat, darling," she cried, don't look at me that way please. Actually I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It will grow out again soon- hopefully you won't mind, will you honey? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say "Merry Christmas!" Rajat, and let's be happy as always. You have no idea what a beautiful and nice gift I've got for you dearest."
"You've cut off your hair Pari?" asked Rajat, laboriously, as if he had not yet arrived at the present fact even after the day's long hardest mental labor.
"YES.!! Cut it off and sold it," said Paridhi. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow Rajat? I'm me without my hair am I not?" Rajat looked about the room curiously. "You say your hair is gone? really?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.
"You needn't look for it," said Paridhi. "It's sold, I told you- sold and gone, too." Its Christmas Eve, my boy. Cheer up darling. May be the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with a sudden serious sweetness, "but no one could ever count my unconditional love for you my Rajat". Shall I put the fried chops and hot coffee on honey?"
Out of his trance Rajat seemed quickly to wake. He drew a package from his overcoat's pocket and put it on the table.
"Don't make any mistake, Pari," he said "about me. I don't think there is anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like the love of my life any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first." Paridhi responded and went onto unwrap that package and finally opened it. And there was an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! A quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails.
For there lay "The Combs" - the set of combs, side and back, that Paridhi had worshipped for pretty long. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims-just the shade to wear in the exotic vanished hair. They were quite expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now they were hers finally, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.
Paridhi hugged them to her bosom while profusely sobbing, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say, "My hair grows so fast, Rajat!" And then Paridhi lit up like a little cat and screamed, "Oh! Oh!" ... Rajat had not seen his beautiful present yet. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.
"Isn't it good, Rajat?" I hunted all over town to find it (the platinum simple fob chain). You'll have a look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your old gold watch sweetheart. I want to see how does it look on it?" Instead of obeying, Rajat tumbled down on the couch and put his hand under the back of his head and smiled.
"Pari," said he, "Let's put our Christmas presents away and keep'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold my old gold watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now I suppose you to put the fried chops and half hot coffee on." Paridhi was flabbergasted to the core on learning this fact. She couldn't believe her ears what she just heard from him. "He sold his Watch? Asked Paridhi to herself."
Paridhi stood up, ran to Rajat, and hugged him passionately with utmost love and started sobbing in his arms. She yelled, "I... I ... I ... I can't explain my situation right now dear, I'm immensely grateful to almighty for giving me such a loving and caring husband like you Rajat. Why you did this? Why?... Your watch was extremely special and precious to you; you sold it just for a set of combs? There was actually no need of this honey." Breaking the hug, Rajat said, "There was no need? Oh! Really? Then answer me Pari, why did you sell off your beautiful long hair just for the sake of my Christmas present? I was perfectly contented and happy with my half broken old gold watch, it gave me satisfaction indeed, and I did not want a platinum fob chain for it to be adorned with. And I sold my watch because I had seen your longing and wishful craving for these exquisite set of combs that would perfectly complement your beautiful and flawless long hair, You're my wife dear lady, and I love you more than anything in this world unconditionally. You're my ultimate strength and a reason to live. I wanted to see you happy and elated with my Christmas present for you no matter what I had to sell off. It just did not matter to me at all as long as you're with me my wifey dear." He sighed.
Paridhi stood motionless for a while with immense love in her eyes, and then she kissed Rajat on his cheeks and hugged him again out of love almost breaking into his manly muscular arms. Paridhi cried, ...
Sometimes brighter than the sunshine,
But you never fail to impress me with your priceless charm.
You make me cry like a baby,
You make me smile like a beautiful lady,
You often make me angry,
But you master the art of placating too.
You introduce me to the predictable,
You veil me from unpredictable,
You make me solve the toughest of puzzles,
But never allow me to solve the riddle embedded within you.
I owe you on my sparkling days,
I owe you on my gauche nights,
But at times you too owe me."
Rajat was ecstatic on witnessing his beloved wife confessing her true and pure love for him. He thanked God for bringing Paridhi in his life, his happiness knew no bounds right now, and he went speechless and couldn't comprehend his feelings to her, such was his shy nature. Rajat cupped her face and planted a kiss on her forehead. Paridhi felt electrical shivers penetrating down her spine whenever she was close to her hubby dearest. She knows he belongs to her only and she was selflessly proud of having him. They both hugged each other almost squeezing into arms. Their eyes were filled with tears of love for each other.
Rajat said with a teasing tone, "Ahem, Well Pari, don't mind honey but you're looking a childish tomboy," he chuckled. Paridhi broke the hug and said with an irritated voice, "What? A Tomboy you called me? I mean earlier you said you liked me in whatever way I am, now what's this sudden change huh? I knew you would dislike me without my long hair. Seriously men will be men." She glared at him and turned away from him and stood by the window. Rajat went near her and hugged her from back and kissed her collar bone and said, "Ahh! But Pari will be Pari, the love of my life, my cupcake. I love you the most when you're angry honey, your doe like magnificent eyes throw ignited daggers at me, ahh ... Enough to get bowled over. I LOVE YOU Paridhi, I LOVE YOU. "
Paridhi's cheeks turned crimson red due to excessive blushing and turned away, almost colliding with his chest and hugged him tightly with utmost passion. She didn't utter a word this moment, she ran out of words. Rajat embraced her back and they both spent a peaceful Christmas Eve in each other's arms and cherished each other's selfless and undying love to the core which gave them an ultimate reason to live a poor life with a smile on their faces as long as they had each other's unconditional support. They had wanted their gifts to be beautiful and useful and, unknown to each other, they make great personal sacrifices to buy their presents, and at last their sacrifices went futile. But it was their divine LOVE they had for each other that made them forget the loss and rather reminded themselves that more than gifts, it is the spirit in which these are exchanged that is truly important. In making their sacrifices in order to give Christmas to each other, Rajat and Paridhi stress what it means to be truly in love.
❤️ THE END ❤️
P.S: Hello People,😊 hopefully you liked my first ever OS, basically this story is inspired from O.Henry's masterpiece "The Gift of the Magi". I guess many of you must have read it in schools? I modified/edited the scenes a lot but the theme remained the same all throughout the story. It's been one of my all-time favorite "Treasure Trove of Short Stories" and I couldn't simply resist but pen down this moving piece with our beloved charming Rajat and Paridhi. Hope, I could keep you gripped and interested with my OS over here? Did I? 😳 Embracing myself for the best as I'm not veteran at it like many OS/SS/TS and FFs brilliant writers 😆, I bow down to them. It's my first ever attempt guys, pardon me for any sort of mistake in case I made. Stay blessed. The Gift of the Magi: When Jesus Christ was born, guided by a star, the three wise men had brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn king.
Regards,
Bindi
Udne Ki Aasha
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
