Story of a SPY

Every child has a dream and I was also a normal child. Some children want to become Doctor, some Engineer, some Collector, some Scientists, some Astronaut and some even Watchman or Conductor.

I wanted to become a ‘Spy’, like Sherlock Holmes.

Watching movies and series like Sherlock Holmes was always inspiring. I thought, what Sherlock Holmes could do, I could do even better.  I could anticipate things better. I could investigate better. I could anticipate better. Meaning, I was as good as Sherlock Homes, if not better.

I had this belief that I was meant to be a “Spy”. Indeed, I was a Junior Sherlock Holmes. After watching many Bollywood movies like Jewel Thief, Aankhen, Johny Mera Naam etc, my belief was only strengthening.

I could change my get-up quickly. I could change my voice swiftly. I could change my walk as I wanted. I could speak Chinese, Japanese, like Americans, Germans, French and even Indians. It was very fascinating and excited about what I was achieving. I was indeed becoming “Junior Sherlock Holmes”.

I could find out everything and anything that my father, mother, sisters or even brother could hide. I even knew which scale my father or mother are going to use today to punish me, though my sister used the same scale all the time.

I was successful in hiding my report card, though only once traced, I was made to stand against a wall, with my face toward the wall, and some marks of sticks on my lower back. Common, even Sherlock Holmes had failed sometimes.

“Success never came to those who never failed in life...”, my quote.

Still, the thought of becoming “Junior Sherlock Holmes”, never died.

Then finally, one day, I shared my dream with my father. My mother was also sitting beside him. My father heard my achievement very patiently and he smiled. I was confused. Was this acceptance of my dream or end of story of a Spy the “Junior Sherlock Holmes”? 

I was asked to bring a pen and a piece of paper. My father wrote his decision on that piece of paper and asked me to leave the room. Then he called me and said “if you could find that piece of paper, I would allow you to become a “Spy”, the “Junior Sherlock Holmes”.

I was confident, I was happy and was very sure of myself.

I searched, searched and searched. But I was not able to find the piece of paper. I have not given up. I am still searching. I am sure, someday, I will find that piece of paper that wrote my destiny.

Recently I happen to see the best movie ever made on investigation “The Assassination of JFK”. I could relate to everything. I even pointed out the points that were missed in the investigation. That flame of being “Junior Sherlock Holmes” had now turned into the “Senior Sherlock Holmes”.

I visited my father and asked him about that piece of paper. Initially he had forgotten, age takes its credit. But then he could recollect and laughed. He smiled the very much similar way and said “Mr. Junior Sherlock Holmes, my promise is still the same. Keep searching. The day you find it, the decision will be known to you.”

I remembered that my mother was the lone witness and would certainly know where he had kept that paper. I asked her many times, but she refused to divulge any details. My only witness had turned hostile. The mother had disowned the son for that piece of paper.

Now what. The “Senior Sherlock Holmes” in me is still alive and the investigation in progress.