Short Stories, Big Glories
After a long day of work, Nikhil was on his way back home in a cab. The weather was stormy, but he did not care, and neither did the driver. He was looking out the window at the greyish-black clouds that seemed to be rotating. He found it amusing and assumed it was some recent phenomenon. As they reached the flyover, lightning suddenly struck the cab and he felt a sharp twinge of pain travel from his nose down his spine. The next time he opened his eyes, he was in his home with little memory of what had happened. A chunk of his memory felt missing.
His alarm buzzed and he had to get to the office. As he got up, he felt a twinge in his nose and sneezed. Something metallic fell to the floor. He bent down and saw a shining gold-coloured coin. Confused, he placed it on his bedside table and went for a bath. Later, while returning home in the cab, he sneezed again and noticed the same kind of coin on the floor. He picked it up and slipped it into his pocket, becoming even more curious.
At home, he examined both coins and searched online for ways to verify gold, but he needed a goldsmith to be sure. By the weekend, he had seven coins, but he took only one to the goldsmith. The goldsmith told him it was pure gold but could not be sold legally due to the lack of receipts or hallmarks. He gave Nikhil the card of a shady buyer who would pay half the market price in cash.
After thinking for a day, Nikhil called the number and was asked to visit the man’s jewellery shop. He took sick leave the next day and went. The shop owner paid him half the market price in cash, and Nikhil accepted. The money he received was half his monthly salary, and he still had eleven coins at home. Excited but cautious, he decided he would sell only one coin per month at different jewellery shops. It felt like his time had finally come.
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I heard a loud sound that seemed like a helicopter flying above my house. I ran to the balcony and looked at the sky. The helicopter was flying very low, and I kept following it with my eyes. Then I saw something small heading toward it, and there was a sudden blast. The helicopter came tumbling down. I was terrified.
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Jerry felt lonely because Tom was on holiday, and he had no one to play with. This made him realise he should not put all his eggs in one basket. He opened a friend-making app, tapped the Make a Friend button, adjusted the parameters, and waited. Within twenty-four hours, his new friend showed up at his door. The world was going through an exciting phase.
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Naruto was sitting at home wondering why he was not allowed to join the Great Shinobi War. Ever since democracy came to the Leaf Village, the focus on climate change had increased. The House of Ninjas voted to ban the use of Jinchurikis in battle because their transformations released large amounts of carbon dioxide. The Leaf Village had only one Jinchuriki, which was Naruto, so he was confined to his house. All he could do was play video games and eat instant ramen.
He could roam the streets only with permission from the Street Council, but getting permission was extremely difficult because Forms 18C and 19K required witness signatures, and all of his friends were at the frontlines. The guard posted at his door felt sympathetic and wanted to make extra money, so he began selling marijuana to Naruto, which soon escalated to hard drugs. Naruto, once the hope of the Leaf Village, had now become a junkie who stayed home and played video games.
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