A Light Left Behind

A light left behind

In the womb of the lantern a flame flickered, dancing, twirling around in
Happiness. It swayed a gentle rhythm of light, flirting with the darkness
Around it as if trying to embrace it. For a heartbeat “Muskaan Ganj” Seemed
To hold its breath as this small flame breathed life into the night.

Ganpat’s fingers hovered near the wick, his touch as delicate as velvet for
There was an unspoken ease in his hands,a familiarity born of repetition &
Reverence. Standing isolated, forgotten in time his shop stood like a
graveyard where Just like the lanterns people were loosing the flames of
hope.

In Muskaan Ganj time was dressed as light, gently guiding people through
Their lives, one soft step at a time, like the warm glow of a lantern that never
asked for attention but always led the way.

The lanterns once the smile of Muskaan Ganj were now drenched in tears.
The flickers that once bathed the village in gold had now turned cold,
Swallowed by the unwelcoming feeling of the modern age.

In the same streets that once shone , the people especially the youth now
walked with their Heads down.Faces lit by the pale glow of their screens. The
vibrant pulse was no longer in the dance of the flames but in the taps of The
fingers in the glass.

The wild LED lights replaced the comfort of the Lanterns in every home
Casting sterile lights that left no room for shadowed Stories.People no
longer Gathered beneath the lantern’s glow, No longer shared the Quiet
moments of Dusk: instead they sat apart in their own little world their hearts
flickering in Rhythms no flame could follow.

Neha wandered aimlessly through the empty streets her steps devoid of
Intent, her eyes captivated by the wonder box called smart phone, Her
Fingers Dancing up & down Like a puppet for her master, when her steps
Faltered as the lanterns glow from Ganpat’s shop brushed against her skin.
The soft, gold brushed against her silver skin like butter gliding across the
Glade of a Knife. It was as if time itself had come to a hault tired of constant
Motion. The glow lingered in the air,a silent invitation, coaxing Neha to step
Closer. She was suspended between two worlds- One where the glow of her
Phone was a constant companion while the other was something older, wiser
Infinetly warmer calling to her.

Her fingers still holding her phone, twitched involuntarily, as if torn between
The familiar comfort of the screen vs the strange, magnetic pull of the
Lantern’s light. As if the flame whispered a truth to her.A truth she had long
Forgotten- Something she couldn’t quiet grasp yet felt deeply.

The lantern’s glow began draping her like a snake on sandalwood, its warmth
Slithering gently, coaxing her to remember something buried deep within her.
Just enough to melt the monotony of the harsh blue light that pulsed with a
Rhythm of a pretentious world. Neha’s feet rooted in place, swayed slightly,a
Subtle dance of hesitation. It was almost as if the flame had reached out to
Her not with force but with the softness of a breeze that brushes your face in
The early hours of the dawn.

Ganpat watched her from the shadows like a mute spectator. His Hands
Trembled ever so slightly, not from age but from something deeper. A pulse,
A silent understanding that the world around them was shifting.
“ Neha” His voice breaking the silence like the gentle hum of an old song.“
Kuch yaad aaya?

The pearl of Neha’s eyes transfixed on the lantern’s now steered to that of
Ganpat’s. And in that moment something shifted -A breif recognition
Unspoken yet profound.
“ I don’t know” she whispered the words almost a confession. “This light feels
Like a compass pulls me towards it yet pushes me into an unknown journey”
Ganpat nodded, his eyes softening with something akin to Nostalgia, the kind
that clings to the edges of the memory, yet never quiet forms a picture.
“ Perhaps you haven’t forgotten it Neha. Maybe its just waiting for you to
Remember”

Neha ‘s heart skipped a beat for there was a strange resonance in his words
As if they were not mere words but magic works, like a magician’s smirk. She
Stepped closer to the lantern, caressing every curve like strokes of a
Painting. A sudden warmth surged through her, not from the light itself but
From the sense of familiarity that enveloped her.

The lantern whispered in its own way burning bright, igniting her nerves ,a
Soft almost imperceptible hum that resonated with her very being oh & it
Wasn’t the same hum that filled the streets now- The cold impersonal hum of
The LED’s or from the screens. No this was different. This felt like a hug, like
A voice heard. This felt like eating a strawberry on a winter morning, This
Felt like swimming on a hard summer day.

She closed her eyes for a moment. Her mind wandering back to the stories
Her grandmother used to narrate. Stories of a time when lanterns didn’t just
Light the path but they became the path. Leading people towards the quiet
Moments of clarity that has now been lost in the arms of the modern life. The
Stories had now become ghosts heard by everyone seen by few experienced
By almost none.

“ Ganpat Ji” She asked her voice tentative “ Do you believe these lanterns
still have a purpose?”
For a brief moment, the air between them felt heavy, changing with the weight
Of unspoken truth for Ganpat’s eyes the testimony to 100’ of such stories met
Her’s. He smiled-a soft wistful smile.

“ Purpose is never lost” He replied his voice now steady & sure “ But
Sometimes we forget where to look.”
Like smoked barbeque, his words drifted into Neha’s mind- Thick, rich,
Intoxicating. They did not ask for space they claimed it, sinking into the
Marrow of her thoughts,smoldering slow & deliberate. Then without a
Warning it struck-a thought wild & untamed like bolts of lightning making
Love to her mind.

What if this lantern- this light held the answers i’ve been searching for?
But before she could ask more, the sound of footsteps echoed down the
Empty Street. The faint mechanical whir of a car engine broke the stillness &
A Shadow fell over them.A flash of light caught her eye. It wasn’t the soft,
Warm glow from Ganpat’s lantern. This was sharper, colder & much more
Insistent.

Tearing through the darkness was a figure. An unfamiliar face, yet one she
Felt she should know. This was a young man, in his late 20’s dressed in a
Sharp, modern suit, his phone glowing brightly in his hand. He walked with a
Purpose, eyes fixed ahead unaware of the world around him. Neha couldn’t
Help but notice the faint look of disdain in his eyes, directed not at her, but at
The shop- At the lantern.

For a brief moment, their eyes met, & Neha saw something flickering in his
Gaze. As if a flash of recognition but followed by confusion. He paused for a
Second, his eyes darting back to the lantern before quickly dismissing it as if
It were an old, irrelevant relic.

“ Strange” she muttered, Isn’t it funny how we can walk past something so
Familiar , Something that’s been with us all our lives & still not see it ?
Ganpat didn’t respond. He simply watched the man retreat into the distance
For it was the lantern’s turn to respond. It pulsed in response, its light
Growing warmer for just a heartbeat.

Neha glanced back at Ganpat,a small frown creasing her brow. “ Do you
Think he saw it? The lantern ?
Ganpat’s gaze lingered on the spot where the man had vanished & then with a
Quiet sigh, he replied “Some people are too focused on their own light to
Notice the one that is already guiding them”

Neha pondered his words, feeling them settle deep within her. She had
Always been so caught up in the glow of her own world- her phone, her
Social media, the endless scroll of distractions that kept her anchored in a
Reality that felt safe but hollow & yet, here she was, standing in front of a
Simple lantern, feeling something stir within her that she couldn’t quite
Explain.

She turned back to the shop, her mind racing with thoughts she couldn’t fully
Articulate. The glow from the lantern seemed to beckon her once more & she
Found herself stepping forward closer to the warmth, closer to the light.
“ Ganpat Ji” she said her voice steady now a sense of resolve settling over
Her “ What if i am ready to remember ?”
The old man’s eyes twinkled like the ghost of a memory, his lips curling into a
Smile “ Then Neha the light will do what it always does, guide people, guide
You “

Neha was now caught between two lights one radiating with the comfort of a
Familiar prison while the other whispered the promise of unfamiliar wings.
With a breath held in the empty space around her, she closed her eyes &
Allowed the silence to guide her, as if lifting a weight from her chest.
“I think I understand now”, She whispered her voice soft but clear. “
Sometimes, we just need to stop running from the light within us”

And with that, the lantern’s slow seemed to be brighten, as if acknowledging
Her words flickering yet steadfast like a promise made in the quiet corners of
The universe.

Neha’s voice barely escaped her lips, fragile as a candle in the wind. “ We
Just need to stop running from the light…”
Ganpat said nothing. Instead he reached for a lantern- one of the last of its
Kind- And placed it in Neha’s hands.

For a moment, She just stood there, feeling its warmth seep into her skin, its
Golden glow draping over her like a soft hug. The comfort of it was not just in
Her palms but in her chest too, pressing against something she never
Realised was empty.

Ganpat exhaled,a smile ghosting his lips. “ Hum zindagi se tohfe ki Umeed
Karte hai” his fingers brushed the lantern’s frame before continuing “ Par
Tohfa to zindagi hai”

* THE END*

Written By: Mohit.Kamlesh.Tolani
[M.K.T ]

Note: Image used is Ai generated