The Dark Sky! - A Short Story.

?It’s 5.30 pm. The dark sky seems to overpower the golden rays of the evening sun. Like many, I enjoy rain best through a window with the sip of a hot tea, but today I am outside.

‘I have to rush! Being a woman, driving after dark, is always a nightmare to me. On top of it, the signs of rain are explicit! It’s time to pick up my daughter Raksha from school’.

Here I am, on my Honda Activa, driving at an unusual speed. Raksha had dance rehearsals for the annual day and her routine pickup time got a shift.

The security uncle of the school is an amazing company and has a lot of patience to answer all her curious questions. On many occasions, I would wait for them to finish the conversation. I had envied the knowledge and spontaneity of the Security uncle. I enjoy looking at Raksha’s raised eyebrows while listening to the answers. The dark sky just started roaring as I reached the gates of the school.

I could see the security uncle backing her. The big shower is on, it’s pouring. I joined them as one of the many companions waiting for the rain to get over.

Raksha said,

“These dark skies look scary uncle, “if, given the power, I would paint them with a different color .”

“What color would you paint it with?” asked the uncle.

Raksha said, “orange!!”

Few other children waiting for the rain to withdraw invited themselves into the conversation. One said green, the other said yellow, some said it should be purple and it went on for few minutes. Raksha looked at the uncle as if he is the umpire. Uncle asked Raksha to pull out her drawing book and the color pencil kit.

He looked at the other kids and said, “pick your favorite color (pencil).”

Children were curious. Security uncle quickly drew an outline of the cloud and gave it to Raksha. Paint your favorite color on it and pass it on to others. The cloud was layered with multiple colors and it finally came back to Raksha’s hands. Her eyebrows were losing the grip of gravity. She was on a high pitch “It’s Black“

She moved her eyes from the colored sky on paper to the real dark sky and said,

“you are the most colorful!”

Now Raksha was eye to eye with the uncle, waiting for his final comment. I too was getting curious about what is he going to say.

Uncle touched her head and said,

‘Raksha!, you said, “If I had the power I will change the color of the sky” but the ultimate power is to remain powerless & start living with total acceptance. Black symbolizes that total acceptance’

Raksha was still looking into his eyes. It looked like she wanted an addon explanation.

Uncle continued after a short pause, “What color do you see in the remains of multiple things of different colors burnt together”

All the kids along with Raksha shouted?“Black”?with an ‘I got it‘ feeling!

“Yes!! Accepting all shades, swallowing their individual identities and making them equal without any disparities is Black”

The sky was clearing her throat and shade, allowing people to get ready. Raksha picked her bag and was waving a warm bye-bye to the security uncle.

I cannot resist asking, “Raksha what did you understand.”

Holding me tight in the pillion, she shouted to let her voice penetrate my helmet

“Security uncle is a mix of all color shades. He is Black”

I smiled, it’s already dark and I am driving into the all color shade, but this time, fearless!