The Favourite Number

Aditi Lahiry posted under Flash Fiction Nine Tales on 2020-10-24



While playing the rapid-fire round with her friends, Tanu said “My favourite number is nine”. Everyone was perplexed and asked her the reason for such a fascination. She said “it’s a long story but let me start-my parents got separated when I was two years old. My father does an ordinary job, and my mother is a celebrity!! She always wanted to pursue a goal in-spite of my dad’s regular objection. After my parent separated, I could visit my father only once in a month and during my summer vacations. These were for me the happiest times of the year because, though, he did an ordinary job, he always found time and took me to the outings to various hill stations and beaches. Mom could never find time for me amidst her tight schedule and hardly went out with me.  As the year started rolling, I found it difficult to manage myself without the constant presence of my father. At times, I would be desperate to meet him often and almost every day. Once during my visit, to dad, I expressed my desire. I wanted them to stay together for ever. I had already convinced my father, who by now had begun to accept mother’s profession but he still wanted her to restrict her tours. On my nineth birthday, just as I was recovering from a strong typhoid, which kept me admitted in hospital and my parents working in tandem after ages, I took the opportunity to express my opinion and told my mother “please, can we all stay together under the same roof forever and bury the hatchet?” Mom was reluctant for a while but agreed provided that she would be able to continue her dancing career, after a break, specially once I started going to college.  I felt extremely happy that day!! In-fact the number nine has become my lucky charm after that day. I always try to do around the number nine, and it has never failed me so far.

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