Ever wondered were people get the inspiration to write stories? Even though I have read many novels, I never felt the urge to write a story myself. But, when I started reading the stories put on our CHN-INK, I was inspired to write one myself. May be, its the realization that, people like me can be creative too. Anyway, I managed to pen down a story which I haven't published in CHN-INK. It's called "Enigma".

Enigma

I looked out of the window, to check if the rains have receded. It was a week since I went to work. It has been raining incessantly for a week now.
About myself, I am Vishnu, a system analyst. I live in Texas, USA. I came to US 10 years ago to do my MS, like many others. I got a job in Texas soon after I finished my MS. I worked hard all through my life to settle down with a good job. I hate being even second to the best. I love my job. I love my work environment. I spend 15 hrs in office, just to be closer to the thing I love the most.
I am married to a loving wife and a wonderful 6 year old daughter. Our wedding was nothing different from the typical South Indian wedding. I was never interested in getting wedded. But, my parents wouldn’t leave me. So, I gave them the green signal to look out for a girl. They chose Vasuki for me. I didn’t get to meet her or speak to her until the day before the wedding.
My wife Vasuki is a very understanding person. I never expected Indian women to be understanding, which is why I was against getting married. But, Vasuki knew how much I loved my work.
Things didn’t change much after my wedding. I still work for 15 hrs a day.But now, with the heavy down pour, I had to lock myself at home. As the communication lines were down, I couldn’t work from home too.
I spent most part of the week, thinking about my work , sleeping, watching my favorite science channels with my daughter ( Although she would insist on watching her favorite cartoon channels, I felt it was high time she embraced science), watching the trends in the industry and the bull run of the markets.
Vasuki would to be busy with her daily chores. She would also play with Kripa whenever time permits. Kripa would play with all the electronic gadgets I got her. All in all, everyone minded their own business.
It was Saturday morning and the rains had receded, but the city looked out of sorts, so all schools and business establishments remained closed.
Kripa got bored playing with her gadgets, so she went out to play in the rain. I hurried out behind her, to get her back in. As I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her inside, she bit my knuckles and let herself loose. She ran towards her mom, who was also standing in the rain at that moment. I was glad to see her. I came in, hoping Vasuki will bring Kripa in and dry her up.
Neither of them turned up for a long time. I looked out of the window, to my surprise, both mom and daughter were busy playing in the rain. I felt a sense of rage, as I was wondering how careless Vasuki was about Kripa’s health. Suddenly, I felt someone drag me out of my house.
Kripa and Vasuki managed to pull me out of the house and throw me on the ground. Kripa sat on me and Vasuki rubbed the wet mud on my face. Kripa and Vasuki were laughing heartily at my mud filled face.
The last time someone had done that was, my granny. She and I would play in the rain and rub the wet mud on our faces. My dad would come screaming and drag me into the house only to give me some lashes. He had big dreams for me, and I made them come true. I had forgotten what fun was.
I suddenly realized that I was following my father’s footsteps. Was I wrong? Didn’t I enjoy playing in the wet mud with my granny? Didn’t I curse my dad for not letting me play in the rain? Was my daughter cursing me for this? But, I am what I am, because of my father. Shouldn’t I be like that if I want my daughter to be like me? Should I give her a “chance” to change or “choice” to be what she wants to be? But I am doing this for her own good. Should I just take a risk of letting her loose?
Risk - The one thing I learnt from my job was to take risks. I remembered the words that my manager always says, “The thing you’ll regret the most is not what you have done but the risks you haven’t taken in life”. I took a handful of mud and rubbed it on my daughter’s face. And soon, I was cherishing my childhood days. I had never seen Vasuki smile from one end of the ear to the other. I didn’t know that a smile can make you feel so good. I now spend more time with my family. I work for only 9 hrs a day. I enjoy playing with my daughter and teaching her what she needs to learn.