Question

Write an original short story entitled ‘The Gift’.

Answer 1

Hint: The story is a way of expressing ideas, emotions, and facts through real or imaginary characters woven into a scene or series of events.

Complete answer:
According to the hint, we will build a storyline that will be based on the title ‘The Gift’.

                                                       ‘The Gift’


Holding a cup of coffee in her hand, Meera was lost in her thoughts. She was aimlessly watching outside the window the drops of rain that were flowing with so much freedom and ease. Suddenly she was distracted by the babbling of her brother. He was very angry and was scolding someone over the phone. Meera’s attention diverted from the rain towards her brother. Their mother came and gave a glass of water to Som (Meera’s brother). Looking at his mother all the anger and stress disappeared from Som’s face. Mother sat beside Som and he started his story without asking.

Meera and her mother were patiently listening to his story. And the crux of his story that Meera could understand was that Som was shouting at a friend of him for taunting him that Meera was not his real sister. This incident flooded Meera’s heart with the memory of the day when she first met Som.
It was the day of Raksha Bandhan around 10 years ago. Everyone around was busy expressing their love and celebrating the auspicious festival. But suddenly there was breaking news all around.

A human trafficking racket was arrested by the police team under IPS Som. Around 25 girls were rescued by the team from the clutches of that gang. As soon as the girls were taken into police custody, Som went to them to make them feel comfortable. There came out an 8-year-old girl with beautiful eyes and innocent smile who was the youngest of all the rescued girls. She hugged Som and called him ‘bhaiya’. Som could not control his emotions. He warmly held the girl and asked her the reason why she called him bhaiya. The answer which she gave brought tears in his eyes. In her innocent feeble voice, she said to Som, "My Mumma often told me that one who gives you the gift of safety and protection is your 'Bhaiya' and you have saved my life, that’s why you're my bhaiya.” Som came to understand after an inquiry that there's nobody to require custody of this beautiful soul. Therefore, he took this girl home and soon after his parents adopted the girl and gave her this beautiful name Meera.
As soon as Meera came out of her thoughts, she rushed and hugged Som. Som could not help but smile and Meera again thanked him for the gift of protection and new life that Som gave her.

Note: All feelings, events and characters in a story should be beautifully and meaningfully connected.