Deepavali was just a few days away and Rohan’s parents were busy cleaning the house. It is a common belief — that the goddess of wealth, who makes her annual visit on the eve of Deepavali, prefers to enter tidy homes.
Mother collected clothes piled up in Rohan’s cupboard — clothes he hardly used. She folded and arranged them in a shopping bag.
“Rohan, give this bag to the Help Centre on your way to school tomorrow,” she said. Rohan was reluctant. He took out the clothes from the bag. “Mom, why do you want to give away my clothes? I’ve many beautiful memories attached to them,” he protested. But, both of them knew that he had outgrown those clothes. Yet, possessive Rohan did not like parting with them. So, he climbed up the attic and brought down a rucksack.
“I’ll drop this at the Help Centre,” he suggested. The old rucksack contained faded and torn shirts and pants, torn jeans, pants with zips and buttons missing!
Gift box
The Help Centre accepted clothes and other items which people no longer needed, to give to the poor and needy. The next morning, Rohan on his way to school, remembered he had forgotten to bring the rucksack. When he got home late that afternoon, he was greeted by an old cardboard box in the hall.
“Mona auntie left this. Ravi has read all the books in this box. So, she thought you can use them,” said mother. Ravi was Rohan’s cousin and both of them liked books. He immediately opened the box.
“Psch, this is not fair,” Rohan said, twitching his eyebrows. “These books are so old, we better buy new ones, mom.”
Mother said, “These books are at least readable. The clothes you are planning to give away at the Help Centre are not even usable!” she remarked. “Rohan, charity is not about dumping and getting rid of unusable things,” she said, walking away.
When Rohan went to bed that night, his mother’s words kept him awake.
The next morning, Rohan set out to the Help Centre with the shopping bag in hand. He dropped the bag in the designated slot and walked up to the counter where donations in cash were being accepted.
“We do not accept cash from young boys,” smiled the old man across the counter.
“My father gave this to me to buy fire crackers. But I am sure it’ll be put to better use here,” said Rohan, handing over the 2000-rupee-note. The old man accepted the money, all the while looking behind Rohan. When Rohan turned around, there stood his mother!
“Mom, beautiful memories are made of moments like these, right?” asked a beaming Rohan, as he walked back home.
