A Leaf gave Her Life

Disclaimer: This is my first attempt to write a story. Would love to hear your feedback on this...:)

It was normal day like no other. Don't know why but somehow she felt that today would be an interesting day. Like every other day, today also she took a morning walk. While she was walking, she saw some dried leaves of a tree. It was beautiful. She kind of loved the color, a light golden one with a mixture of yellow and with stripes on it. It was totally different. Even though she sees them every other day, but today it was something different. She felt the need to pick up one of the leaves. She took one, finished her morning walk and came back home.

She got ready to go to office wearing one of her elegant dress that makes her feel awwww at herself. As she was about to pick up her bike keys, she noticed that dried leaf, which she had picked, it up during her morning walks. With a curious smile she picked up that leaf and left. While traveling, she had the same feeling, which she had in the morning, that this day could be something different for her. Something very special may be, she thought. But she didn't know what and how.

 

She entered the office with her trademark bright smile. That smile which her colleagues would love to see and adore all the time. She kept her bag, scarf and other things in her personal drawer. Then she saw that dried leaf and her curious smile was back. She was still wondering as to why did she pick that up at first place and why she is still carrying it along with her. Yet there was some strange feeling, which made her to carry that leaf wherever she goes. Normally she doesn't keep any of her personal things on the desk. But that day she felt the need to keep that dried leaf on her desk. Didn't know why, but she placed that leaf slowly on her desk.

It was a usual busy day at office. As she finished her work, she decided to pack up and leave for the day. She was tired and exhausted. As she was about to leave, she saw that leaf and an innocent smile appeared on her face. It was a beautiful smile. It was just a pure smile, nothing else. She carefully picked it up and left the office. As she drove back, she was still wondering why she has a strange good feeling about that dried leaf. As the traffic lights turned from red to yellow and then to green, her mind was still in that red color state, just stagnant as what is it about that leaf that is making her curious every moment, that is making her wonder what's gonna happen.

She reached home and directly went to her room. She kept that dried leaf on the table. As she was changing her dress, her eyes immediately pointed towards that dried leaf. After changing her dress she went and picked up that leaf and saw it. This time also only a curious smile appeared on her face with specific answers as to why she picked it up at first place and secondly why she carried it all day long with her. It was just a dried leaf, but she didn't feel so. She finished her dinner and decided to call it a day. As she was about to hit the bed, she took that dried leaf saw it for one last time for the day, didn't get any answers. She kept it on the small table that is next to her bed and slept with that curious smile on her face. Generally she keeps her mobile there but that day she didn't know why, but kept that leaf there.

The next morning when she woke up, her hand would by default go to that specific place on the table where she used to keep her mobile checking her mails, Facebook status and twitter updates. But it was not to be so. She just touched something that sent a strange happy feeling through her body. She had forgotten that last night she had kept that leaf there. When she woke up and saw it, there was a message on that dried leaf which was glowing. It said,

"Thank you very much. I didn't know how to say it since I am already dead. There are no accidents in life, everything happens for a reason. I was glad to experience what goes on in a human being's life. I have a simple message for you. You are lucky to be born as human being. Of all the living beings, god has given you the opportunity to live. You are smarter than all the other living beings on this earth. Please make the best use of the life you have. It does not matter what you were in your previous life or what you will become in your next life. You only have one life, make the best use of it. Value the relationships and the people who care for you. At the end of the day what matters is the moments you share with your loved ones. I did not have the opportunity but you have."

It was an awakening for her. She felt as if some bright light hit her emotions so hard that she started crying. She said to herself, Is this the life, which I wanted to live? For which she had no answer. So she called up her office guys, took a leave and decided to spend the entire day just to do what she wanted to do. The whole day she went shopping, wore hear favourite Levi's jeans and a white top, roaming around her neighbourhood looking at some old houses which she had forgot to notice in her fast paced life, had an haircut which she wanted for long, went for a movie, took her camera and captured some amazing photos, and wandered like a lost kid. At the end of the day, she came back relieved, refreshed and more importantly as a much better person.

She asked the same question again, Is this the life, which I wanted to live? Now she had an answer that came from her heart...:) She thanked the leaf for making her realize that the best things in Life are the moments which one shares with their loved ones. From that day onwards, she stopped blaming or cribbing about Life; rather started embracing it for a wonderful tomorrow that awaits her presence. At last the leaf said,

"Whenever you feel depressed or sad or low, just remember me. My life span is just one day but yours is left to your imagination"

Prashanth

Image Source: Google Images