A Heart Shaped Balloon

One frigid over cast day, I was strolling down the roads of a slum with my friend and rain drops were falling on our leather jackets.

“It’s biting cold today,” I said with a shivering voice.

We both traversed through the area watching several ladies selling vegetables on the road side. Poor children wearing torn sweaters were running on the streets with a wide smile on their face. I tried to count the holes in the sweater but my endeavor ended up in vain. I caressed the head of the child who surpassed me. He turned and greeted me with a decent smile.

We moved forward and found a geriatric selling helium balloons on the road side. The heart-shaped balloon seemed more prepossessing than a heart-shaped gold ring in my friend’s hand.

“I want this balloon,” my friend shouted enthusiastically.

“How much for this,” I asked

“Rs 10,” The seller answered in a gruffly voice.

We took the balloon and moved on. I could clearly see the real happiness in her glowing eyes after getting the balloon. She almost forgot the ring in her hand which I gifted a few days back. We just covered few steps and found a kid sitting in the car peeping through the closed window. His eyes were not deviating from the balloon. He cleaned the foggy mirror with his hand to get a clear glance. As soon the car passed us, he started to squall which I could hear.

I put my arm around my friend and we walked through the foggy road with a heart shaped balloon.

“Happiness comes from small things”, I mumbled to myself.