{ जादू }

If you have a little child at home, do narrate this story to him/her and you will believe in magic all over again.

Delphi is a maid at Mr. Lobo’s house in the small fishing village of Agonda in Goa. She goes there in the morning and cooks for the family of three people. Mr. Lobo’s son Ferro loves the fish curry and fried fish that Delphi makes thrice a week. Delphi’s son Alex is a street magician and does magic shows to earn a living for him and his mother. 

Today was Alex’s lucky day and for the first time he had an audience of five people to see his magic tricks. The Russian tourists were quite mesmerized by the young man’s passion and belief in magic and gave him a white sparkling pearl as a token of gratitude. It was early afternoon and Alex decided to leave early for home. He usually came pretty late, mostly after Delphi would come back from Mr. Lobo’s house. He usually went back with nominal amount of money but today he had something surprising and enthralling for his mother, Delphi.

Delphi always dreamt of cooking the same fish curry and fried fish for Alex just the way she did for Ferro but she did not have enough money to buy him fish that often. Whatever little money Alex would earn from his magic tricks would go in buying basic needs for his home. If even for a day both of them would decide to be at home and not go for work, they would be insolvent. Delphi would always feel that her son should do something more meaningful with his life because she felt that magic would not feed them throughout and that magic is for the rich to believe in. Alex on the other hand felt that if something as abstract as magic could give people hope and joy then it would definitely make him believe in magic someday.

On his way back home Alex had to always take a boat ride through a small forest before reaching the shore and then his little house. The sun was beaming on the small pearl making it shine and looking at it Alex felt magical and invigorating. As he peeped down to look at the refection of the pearl in the water, it rolled swiftly on his sweaty fingers and fell in the water. Before Alex could react or do anything the mysterious pearl was gone. He felt a jitter through his body and was left still at the feeling of losing something that firstly meant a lot to him and secondly that he wouldn't be able to show Delphi what he had got for her.

                      * * * *

It was early evening and Delphi was about to leave Mr. Lobo's house. Ferro had a holiday and it was also one of the three days when Delphi cooked for him. The fried fish was over and there was some curry left without any fish in it. Mrs. Lobo asked Delphi to take the fish curry with her so that she could have it with Alex for dinner. Delphi was thrilled by the feeling of surprising the young magician with some fish curry for dinner. She took the curry in a small container and hoped that the fishermen near her home would be kind enough to give her some fish without asking for money or for lesser money. She too sat in the boat and as the boat started advancing towards the shore she saw that all the fishermen were gone for the day. It was dark and she was sad that she wouldn't be able to surprise Alex. The reflection of the moon in the water caught her attention and with a sad face she starred at it. Through that glowing face of the moon emerged a little face of a fish which glided with the ripples of the water the boat was creating. Instantly Delphi put her hand in the water and pulled out the tiny but fleshy fish in her hand.

With the curry container and the tiny fish hiding behind her back she went straight to the kitchen and cooked steaming hot curry and boiled rice for Alex. The aroma of garlic and cloves hovered in the little warmly lit house.  Alex was sad and chose not to tell his mother anything about what had happened in the day.

Delphi could sense that there was something wrong with the otherwise cheerful Alex. She instantly exclaimed, “Alex today I am the magician and here’s the magic!” She opened the earthen lid and the aromas in the curry brought a wide smile on Alex’s face. He started having it without even once looking away from the plate. As he ate the fish something struck his eyes, it was a small spherical thing, something that was hard yet smooth. To his surprise and astonishment, there was the sparkling pearl right out of the fish’s stomach. Magic! Magic! He exclaimed with tears and held the pearl in his hand. Delphi was surprised to see something unbelievable before her. With her eyes watery due to joy and heavy lips she said in a low breath, “Yes magic, magic!”

Have a magical weekend, a long weekend! Eid Mubarak to all you readers around the world. Also may the coming Indian Republic day get us hope for a better tomorrow.