The Hero Part 2 : First Letter and Last Day

Next part of The Hero – The Celebrity

 

Arpit had a particularly suspicious dream last night.

It was a blank room filled with bright light, resembling heaven. A man was playing a memorable tune on a piano. He appeared to be around six feet tall, with a short beard and mustache. He was dressed entirely in white—a white coat, white trousers, and even white shoes. On his wrist, he wore a white wristwatch, which had symbols similar to those on a children’s watch.

“Who are you, sir? And where am I?” Arpit asked, his voice laced with fear.

The man turned towards Arpit, smiled, and glanced at his watch. All the hands of the watch pointed to a symbol of a building.

“So, here you are, boy! Nice! I think today is your birthday. Am I right?” the man asked politely yet mysteriously.

Arpit nodded.

“I am a doctor… Err… You can call me Dr.,” the man said, sounding somewhat unsure. “Happy Birthday, Arpit! Today, you turn thirteen. Now, you should be ready. Mr. Gupta will give you a letter that I wrote thirteen years ago. You will also learn about your identity and what your life is meant for.” The man spoke cryptically.

Then, he clicked a button on his watch and vanished.

Arpit felt both worried and frightened by his dream. This was the first time someone had spoken to him in a dream; in all his previous dreams, he had only seen visions of great things.

Suddenly, he was awakened by a voice shouting, “Happy Birthday!”

Rubbing his eyes, he sat up to see nearly everyone from the orphanage—including the staff and Mr. Gupta—gathered around to wish him. They were all beaming with joy because today was the birthday of the orphanage’s little celebrity.

Mr. Gupta stepped forward, holding a present wrapped in silver paper. It was a small box.

“Your first gift of the day! Unwrap it!” Mr. Gupta said with a warm smile.

Nobody knew what was inside the box except for Mr. Gupta; everyone was eager to find out. Mr. Gupta had gone to the shop late at night to buy this special gift for Arpit.

Arpit unwrapped the box—and inside was a pen. But not just any pen. It was an original Parker pen! Its body was made of gold, gleaming brilliantly as a sunbeam from the window hit it directly. It almost felt as if God Himself was sending birthday wishes.

He carefully placed the pen in his desk drawer.

“Thank you! Thank you, sir, and everyone here!” Arpit said politely.

“Freshen up; there’s one more surprise!” Mr. Gupta said with a smile.

On an ordinary day, there would be a long line of boys waiting, but today, everyone stepped aside for Arpit. He got ready and changed into his new clothes—a crisp white shirt, a golden coat, and black pants.

Soon, he made his way to the canteen, where a platter was waiting just for him. Aarav was already there, waiting as well. As usual, Arpit was the first to bathe, while Aarav had been in line.

At the canteen, a special chocolate pastry had been set aside for Arpit. In fact, he got two—because he had taken two platters!

It was nearly half past seven when Aarav entered the canteen. He spotted Arpit waiting for him at his favorite table near the window, where he could see the entire garden.

“Even though today is your birthday, you’re still waiting for a friend,” Aarav said with a smile.

Arpit had been gazing out the window, lost in thought. As he heard Aarav’s voice, he turned and said, “Oh! There you are. Come, sit—let’s start our breakfast.”

Aarav took a seat and began eating. First, he wished Arpit a happy birthday, and then, as usual, they started chatting about various things.

“So, what about your dream? Was it another giant monster, a mysterious building, a mountain, or something even more suspicious?” Aarav asked.

“Much more suspicious than my usual dreams! There was a strange man who told me that he would come to take me today!” Arpit replied.

“When did you have this dream? Was it before five in the morning?” Aarav asked.

“Yes! I think so—it must have been,” Arpit said thoughtfully.

Aarav gasped.

“What happened?” Arpit asked.

“The dreams we have in the morning come true!” Aarav said anxiously.

“I don’t believe that! How could someone in a dream tell me that he’s coming to take me?” Arpit replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

They had every reason to doubt it, and they did.

By the time they finished their breakfast and headed to wash their hands, it was a quarter past eight. Just then, an unfamiliar voice called out, “Is there an Arpit here?”

It was the newly joined peon.

“Yes, here he is!” Aarav said, pointing at Arpit.

“Mr. Gupta has called for him,” the peon informed.

Arpit was surprised. Mr. Gupta had already given him a gift—so why was he calling him to his office?

He quickly washed his hands and followed the man. Aarav, curious about Arpit’s next surprise, decided to go along. However, upon reaching the office, the man stopped Aarav at the door, allowing only Arpit to enter.

Still eager to know what was happening, Aarav watched everything through the office window.

“So, what about your dream? Was it another giant monster, a mysterious building, a mountain, or something even more suspicious?” Aarav asked.

“Much more suspicious than my usual dreams! There was a terrifying man who told me he would come to take me today!” Arpit replied.

“When did you have this dream? Was it before five in the morning?” Aarav asked.

“Yes! I think so—it must have been!” Arpit said.

The office was neatly arranged. A desk with a computer sat at the center of the room, a large bookshelf lined the wall behind it, and a window was positioned on Arpit’s left. The walls were painted orange, while the ceiling was white.

Mr. Gupta was working on his computer when he noticed Arpit entering.

“So, Arpit, how are you? I expect you’re feeling fine and happy—it is your birthday, after all,” Mr. Gupta said in an unusually mysterious tone.

Arpit had never seen Mr. Gupta behave this way before. He had always known him to be cheerful and helpful, not serious and profound.

Arpit nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on Mr. Gupta, trying to understand his unusual demeanor.

“Oh, that’s nice. Come on, sit, dear!” Mr. Gupta said, closing his computer. “Do you know how you came to this orphanage? You were left at the gate in a cardboard box covered with plastic on a rainy night. You were fast asleep. I picked you up and brought you inside.

There was a letter with you in the box. It said that it should be given to you when you turned thirteen. I have kept it safely in this drawer for the past thirteen years.”

He opened the desk drawer and took out a letter.

It was inside a white envelope, and on it was written: For the child, Arpit. The envelope had been placed in a bright, glowing red cardboard box.

“And today, you turn thirteen, my boy! So, it’s time for you to read it. You can go now,” Mr. Gupta said, his eyes welling up with tears.

He handed the envelope to Arpit. Holding it tightly, Arpit stepped out of the office.

“What’s that? A letter?” Aarav asked.

“Yes! Mr. Gupta gave it to me,” Arpit replied.

“Who wrote it?”

“The person who left me at the orphanage! He wrote it. He asked Mr. Gupta to give it to me when I turned thirteen.”

“I told you your dream would come true! Err… Does this mean you’re going home now?” Aarav asked sadly.

“I don’t think so. Mr. Gupta didn’t say anything about that. But even if someone comes for me, I won’t go,” Arpit said firmly.

Aarav hugged him tightly. “You’re an amazing friend, Arpit! I knew you wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“Do you really think I would leave this orphanage?” Arpit said with a smile. “This is my family!”

“NO! I’ve known you for thirteen years—I know you won’t,” Aarav said, smiling.

Arpit slipped the letter into the pocket of his new coat.

Soon, they walked to the garden and sat under a tree while Arpit started drawing. He sketched the man from his dream—the one playing the piano. It took him over three hours to complete the drawing because he was determined to capture every detail exactly as he had seen it.

When he finished, he handed it to Aarav first since Mr. Gupta wasn’t around that day.

“Is this the man who haunts you in your dreams?” Aarav asked, examining the drawing.

“The same—nothing different!” Arpit replied.

They showed the drawing to the other children before heading off to bring a chalkboard. Once they returned to the garden, they started playing. Aarav collected everything afterward, while Arpit went to the dormitory to put away his drawing book.

Later, they went for lunch. Since it was Arpit’s birthday, he took a picture of everyone at the table.

“This is a lucky day for all of us. Thank you for donating your entire scholarship to the orphanage! You’re truly amazing,” Aarav said.

“I’m not donating it—I’m giving it to my family!” Arpit replied with a smile.

“How much will it be per month?” Aarav asked.

“I don’t know the exact amount, but it’s more than fifteen thousand!”

“Per month?! Seriously?!” Aarav gasped.

They continued chatting, then washed their hands and returned to the dormitory. Aarav wanted to try out the Parker pen that Mr. Gupta had gifted Arpit.

Arpit took the pen from his drawer and handed it to Aarav. It was still in its box. Aarav opened it carefully, feeling its luxurious design. He took the pen out and wrote his name on a piece of paper.

“It’s so smooth—like butter gliding on the page,” Aarav said, amazed.

Just then, a voice interrupted them.

“Mr. Gupta has called for Arpit—someone has come to adopt him,” the peon announced.

The peon led Arpit toward Mr. Gupta’s office, with Aarav following closely behind, knowing something big was about to happen.

Inside the office, a man was seated.

“Arpit, Dr. Vishak wants to adopt you. What do you think?” Mr. Gupta asked gently.

Arpit stepped forward and looked at the man’s face carefully. It was the same man from his dream—only his outfit had changed.

He took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Vishak,” Arpit said softly. “I don’t want to go with you. I want to stay in this orphanage. Thank you for offering me a new life, but I’m happy here.”

“Do you really think this boy—”

“I’m sure, sir. And I’m sorry once again,” Arpit interrupted.

“Okay, thank you, sir. I must leave now,” Dr. Vishak said to Mr. Gupta.

He shook hands with Mr. Gupta and Arpit, giving Arpit another mysterious smile before leaving.

Aarav had been watching everything from outside, afraid that Arpit might leave with the man. As soon as Arpit stepped out of the office, Aarav rushed to him.

“What happened? What did that man say? Are you going with him?” Aarav asked anxiously.

“I already told you—I’m not going with anyone who comes to adopt me. And that’s final!” Arpit said firmly.

Aarav was overjoyed. It was already the best day—his best friend’s birthday—and now, Arpit was staying with him. Happiness burst within him.

They went to the garden and brought out a carrom board.

The sky had turned cloudy, and it looked like it might rain, but they still decided to play. Neither of them was a carrom champion, so the match was long and intense. The game stretched all the way to dinner time, as the summer sun didn’t set until seven o’clock. In the end, Aarav won.

After packing up the carrom board, they headed to the canteen.

Everyone was waiting for Arpit to cut his birthday cake—a grand, five-layer chocolate cake. The cake-cutting ceremony was filled with laughter and joy. Every child in the orphanage had made a handmade gift card for Arpit, making the celebration even more special.

Dinner was a feast, with more than five types of vegetables and several other delicious dishes. Even Mr. Gupta joined the children for the meal.

After a long and joyful evening, the party finally ended, and everyone went to bed.

Arpit had received over two hundred gift cards. He carefully placed them on his desk before heading to change his clothes. As he did, he found the letter in his coat pocket.

He was exhausted, so he placed the letter on his desk alongside the greeting cards and lay down. Within minutes, he drifted off to sleep.

To be continued…

***

Photo Credit – Copyright Free, Royalty Free images from Canva

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Read Part 1 – The Hero – The Celebrity I Story By Shreyash,14,Chh. Sambhaji Nagar

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