Sleeping Beauty in English Short Stories by Sunil Kapadia books and stories PDF | Sleeping Beauty

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Sleeping Beauty

It was a normal day. Neither very bright nor very dull. Pratham Shah was getting ready to go to his college. He was looking himself in the mirror. He told himself that you look very handsome and the truth was he was the most handsome boy of his college. And plenty of girls were anxious to talk to him. He was the center of attraction in the college. He was a bit proud also about that may be with beauty proud comes naturally. He came out of his home and started his bike. And he saw that the house exactly opposite to him was now occupied. Somebody was moving in. He glanced at the family and rode his bike towards his college.
He came back from college in the evening. He dined and went to his room on the first floor. He opened his window and he felt an amazing scent. The aroma had been so effective that he could not stop himself looking for the source of that aroma. And he saw a beautiful girl lying on her bed in the house just opposite to his. She was so beauteous that even the dark night could not hide the grace of her face. Pratham froze and could not move even his eyelashes. He just kept on staring her even after the light went off. His mother’s voice broke the silence and he came out of that dream. He started to think that , had he seen a dream or she was there . He went to sleep after deciding that he would inquire about that girl in the morning. But he was not able to sleep as that face was everywhere.
He woke very early in the morning. But the window was shut. He waited for more half an hour. But the window was still shut. He was very eager to see that he even tried to make some noise so might the window opened by someone. But the window remained shut and Pratham lost the hope and he went to take a bath. As soon as he came back to his surprise the window was opened but the bed was empty , he felt very empty too just like the bed. He was combing his hair and all of a sudden he saw some movement in the window he ran towards the window and saw the maid cleaning the window. He felt embarrassed. He came down for the breakfast. He ate but he could not taste anything he drank but without the real thirst. Then he got busy in his father’s work.
At 11 o’clock he came out of the porch and started to clean his bike but his eyes were just on that window. But he could not see anybody. He left for the college, but that day none of the girls could attract him. He came back early from the college. And with heavy steps he went to his room. He saw towards the window and to his surprise she was there just lying on the bed and reading something. So he was not able to see her face. He was praying the God that please let me see her face and then a miracle happened, a mild wave of air from the window moved the pages of the book and she saw outside the window. Pratham got stoned footed. He was neither able to move nor able to stop seeing her. She looked at him and that look was like a ray of the Sun that just burnt something in her heart. He was not able to understand what was happening to him. She again started to read the book , but he was still there waiting. She tried to see him behind the book but every time she was caught by the eyes of Pratham. She shut the window and he felt that the gate towards the heaven was shut.
He felt very nervous. He could not think of what to do to talk to her or how to get information about her. Then he had an idea. He went to his little sister and tried to inquire about their opposite door neighbours. But he could not get much information. His lifestyle was now changed he started to wake up early in the morning and then sitting at the window pretending to read but his concentration was only on that window. After two three days for the first time she smiled back. And Pratham he was feeling out of the world. He felt that she was also interested in him and their little love story started to fly. She also was found near by the window only sometimes lying idle and sometimes reading. Pratham was very keen to talk to her.
And one day he dared to ask her number. He wrote his number on a big board and showed to her. She read the number and then he was waiting. Few minutes passed the phone did not ring , he was loosing hope and the phone rang. For that moment that sound of his phone was the most beautiful sound of the world. He received the phone and said hello. A voice sweeter then honey struck his ears. He turned deaf for a while and could not answer back. She keenly asked r u there ? He said yes yes, and asked her name. She said Ujala. Pratham felt that the name was perfect as she was the sunrise of his life which he never wanted to set. They talked about their studies and her mother came so she hung up the phone. Pratham was in love very deeply but he needed to find out that whether she had the same feeling or not ?
That question was killing him because he was in love with her so deeply that he could not even think a life without her. He asked his sister to get familiar with the neighbours. His sister did it very nicely. Now he could have the information he needed. They started to talk daily , he could not think anything else except her . He stopped going to college he stopped meeting his friends. The only friend left was that window which was a bridge to the heart of his dreamgirl. Till now he was not able to tell her that how much he loved her but she could feel that in his eyes and he also felt the same feeling.
The warm stream of love was flowing among the four eyes. And then one day he dared to tell her that he loved her since the day he saw her for the first time. There was a silence on the phone , for him the silence was killing. He said , “arre yar kuchh to bolo ?” . She hung up the phone and shut the window. Pratham was feeling nothing as if he were dead. He could not believe what happened just . He called her again and she told that you didn’t know me very well you did not have any idea about my past. He enthusiastically said he did not want to know her past as he wanted to live her in the present and added that he could know her very well after their marriage. And then Pratham heard the most beautiful words in the entire universe said by millions and even heard by many more. I love you. He was feeling like a king he was thrilled excited his blood was heated up at that he could even fly if he would have tried.
Next day in the morning when he was moving downstairs to take the breakfast his sister was eagerly saying something about Ujala to his mother. His sharpened his ears to listen the conversation. She was telling that she was very unlucky. He started to think what could be the reason. She told that she met with an accident two years back and since then she could not walk as her spinal cord was broken. Pratham’s heart sank, he almost fainted. He ran away back to his room. He could not believe what he has just heard. He looked through the window and she was there as usual lying on the bed and smiling. She was looking gorgeous but he was not able to watch. Whole day he could not do anything and during the night he could not even sleep. And in the morning he decided something, he woke up and shut the window forever. And went to finish the routine work. He took his breakfast at 10 and went to college at 11. The window had lost its best friend and Ujala lost everything as he was the only happiness in her life. The love was defeated by the body and the heart was sobbing somewhere in the middle of two windows. Before two days he had decided not to live without her and today he started to live without her. Ujala met with the accident two years back but the actual pain was just started to hover. Now everyday she waits for him at the window but the wind can never bring the good news again.