Treasured

124 was peaceful. It was so quiet that sometimes neighbors were confused thinking is it really occupied or not. It was a two-storied house with construction work of the 80s. The exterior looked faded as if it’s not been painted for a long time. In the city of high raised buildings that small old house was standing like a non-existent.

It was a sunny day. Mr. Kabir went to the nearby grocery shop. His wife told him to buy some vegetable for dinner. He was employed in an oil company and was living in the same neighborhood. He owned an apartment in a high raised building, which was a bit far from the grocery market. However, when he was buying vegetables, he saw a person coming towards him. At first, Mr. Kabir couldn’t recognize the face, but as soon as the person came closer, he figured it out. It was Mr. Zaman. He was advanced in age, had a medium-sized white beard on his chin, and used a walking stick to walk. His wooden walking stick was so uniquely crafter that it looked like an antique from the museum. However, he was a retired army officer and the owner of that old two-storied house. His house was very close to the grocery shop. As this was the only grocery shop in town, Kabir had no other choice unless buying grocery items from this shop.  All the more, this was the place where they got first introduced with each other. Mr. Zaman was a man of few words, and that's the reason Kabir knew very little about him. He only knew Mr. Zaman was in the army, now retired and owned that house. Another day he also mentioned about his grand-daughter who also lived with him in that house. After a while, Mr. Zaman came very near to Kabir. Mr. Zaman was just about to cross him when Kabir stopped him and said, "Hello, Mr. Zaman, how are you?” Mr. Zaman replied, "I'm fine, Kabir. How are you and everyone at your home?”

“We are good. My wife woke me up from my beloved sleep, handed me this list, and sent me here. She just ruined my holiday.” Mr. Zaman laughed and said, "It happens with every married man, and you are not different." After a laugh, Kabir asked, “How is your grand-daughter? What does she do? I want to invite both of you to my place. My wife too wants to see you and your grand-daughter.”

“Really? Why your wife is so interested in us?”

“There is a story behind this. It happened one a day when we were going somewhere, and while our car passed your house, my wife said that this house looks different in the surrounding of all tall buildings. She was very curious to know about the owner and dwellers of your house. Luckily I knew you and spoiling all her curiosity I told her that I know the owner of this house. From that moment till now she every day asks me did I invite you and your grand-daughter or not.”

Mr. Zaman, with a mild smile on his face, replied, "Okay, we will come someday, but now I'm really getting late Kabir. I have some other work too so bye for now.” and walked away in a hurry. Mr. Kabir also left the place with a dead loss attempt to invite the man of the age.

A month of Sundays gone, and the sky looked muddy with heavy clouds. Kabir was also feeling under the weather. At first, he was somewhat unwilling to go to the vegetable market, but sooner he realized the fact of life. The fridge was out of stock, and the wife went to his parent’s house. In this situation, if he doesn't go to the supermarket, he will have to starve. Kabir then decided to go to the restaurant for lunch. There was a greasy spoon nearby the grocery shop. Previously he noticed the restaurant offered a blue plate special. Kabir took the umbrella and started towards the restaurant. When he reached near the restaurant, he saw the meal was selling like a hotcake, so he ordered two meals and asked to pack one of them for taking away.

After having lunch, he looked outside. It was drizzling. He decided to go out as it was not raining heavily and walked towards home as the crow flies. But the misery was in his fortune that day. After walking for a few minutes, it started to rain heavily. The wind was so forceful that he couldn't rely on the umbrella anymore. Kabir looked for shelter nearby, and in the twinkling of an eye, he discovered Mr. Zaman’s two-storied residence. Very quickly, he opened the wooden fence like gate and stepped inside the premise of that house. He passed the front yard, and a staircase then reached in front of the beautifully crafted wooden front door. Kabir knocked on the door, rang the bell, and after a while, Mr. Zaman opened the door. Kabir without any delay asked, "Can I get inside pleased? It's raining heavily, and even more, I’m not feeling well.” Mr. Zaman was a man of ethical virtue; that's why he couldn't refuse but let him in. Kabir was soaked up with rainwater, that's why Mr. Zaman showed him a room on the ground floor to get dry. Kabir was inside this house for the first time. It was a big house decorated with woodworks and so many photos hanging on walls all over the house that it almost looked like a museum.

While Kabir was getting dry under the speedy fan, he heard a sound. It was a sound of footsteps. Along with that, he also listened to a humming of a female voice. Someone was humming a song and coming towards the room. Hearing that, Kabir put on his shirt quickly. Very soon a beautiful young girl appeared in front of the room. She might be fourteen or fifteen years old and must be the grand-daughter of Mr. Zaman Kabir guessed. He asked, "How are you, dear?" The girl said, “I’m fine. Do you know my name?” Kabir replied, "I'm sorry. Actually, your grandfather never mentioned your name neither he talked about you.” The girl with a chuckle said, “My name is Maria.”

"That's a beautiful name. Which school do you go, Maria?" Kabir asked. Maria laughed a lot and ran away straight without answering Kabir’s question. With a confused look, Kabir again got busy in drying his clothes. At the same time, he was also thinking of Maria and why she left without answering his question. Then suddenly, his eye goes on a big wooden box. Kabir felt curious to check what's inside the box. At the back of his mind, he also thought maybe it's not right to open someone else's box without permission. But ultimately his curiosity surpassed his uprightness and opened the big wooden box. He discovered the box was filled with old documents and newspapers. Suddenly a sight of a newspaper made him unwilling to believe what he saw was real. On a paper, he saw a picture of Maria, an adult man and woman and a crashed car with a headline A car crash killed parents along with their 15-year-old daughter on the highway the sight jangled Kabir’s nerves and out of fear he went out of the room to see where Maria did go. Kabir remembered that she went straight away but when Kabir looked that way he saw just a wall. He was shocked out of fear and thought about how she went to that way? Was it Maria’s ghost he talked with a few minutes ago? Startled with fright Kabir immediately ran towards the front door and left the house. He was so scared that he kept running in the drizzling rain until he reached home. That day the sky was so dark with clouds that it seemed the big sky wants to hide something.