Short story - "The Real Value"

Ankur Mishra

Here is the short story "The Real Value" written by Mr Ankur Mishra...read it..if you find it good then plz comment n share... 

The real value

It was a Tuesday evening. Mr Verma, the retired physics lecturer who was also a great adorer of Lord Hanuman, was on his way to the famous Hanuman Temple in the city by on foot. His well ironed white shirt and grey trousers were assisting well to display his true gentleman personality. Though his black leather shoes were struggling with the dirt, but the fingers of some of his old students, who met on the way, had brushed it fairly.

Mr Verma was walking with his natural smile and his shoes with pride.

After a kilometer walk he reached the destination. He was about to put off his shoes to enter the temple, but another hand restricted him for few seconds. The shoes were wiped again.

"Pranam Guruji, How are you?" a young man asked with courtesy.

"I am good, Beta. Have you worshipped?" Guruji asked back.

"Yeah, I was just returning." He replied.

"Okay, good. Stay blessed." Guruji said.

The young man left and the conversation had ended. But another conversation was still going on between his shoes and the ground.

"Did you see all that? Did you see how many people bend to clean me?" The shoes asked with pride.

"They were not respecting you because of your character. They were respecting you due to your post, the place you belong to, and it is Guruji's feet." replied the ground.

"Oh! you poor fellow, no one gives you such respect so you are getting jealous with me." said the shoes.

"Whatever you think, but it is the truth." replied the ground calmly.

The shoes became free when the guruji put it off to enter the temple.

Another retired man, an ex-officer from the state govt. came outside of the temple. Not a single person met him with such respect since his retirement that Guruji got on a normal day. He even overheard two people talking about him- "He was very corrupt. I have heard that he never worked without taking bribe. He didn't spare even poor people and his relatives too."

The ears, which were habitual of hearing the word 'Sahab' upto the retirement, now had to hear all that.

The shoes of Guruji were relaxing outside the temple. Suddenly few feet stepped on them and had crushed them heartlessly. But with them their pride had been crushed too. They were in real pain. The ground had sympathy with them but it was happy that their pride had died.

The retired officer and the shoes had realized their real values.

by--Ankur Mishra

         Officer(Public Sector Bank)

         Sitapur(U.P.)