Since young, 13 year-old Meena has longed to be like any other kid, enjoying her childhood and playing with other small kids everyday. Growing up in a wealthy family, Meena's parents are overprotective of her. They forbid her to leave the house as and when she likes. They never allow her to hang out with her schoolmates. They are afraid that her friends befriended her only because of her family’s riches. They want to protect their only daughter, preventing her from getting hurt and being taken advantaged of.
Whenever Meena’s classmates go out, they go without her. They know that she can never go out with them. But they don’t know the reason. She feels very sad. She wants so much to tell them about how her parents forbid her from hanging out with her friends, how much she wanted to be with them. But she couldn’t.
Everyday after school ended, Meena returns home with her back hunched and her head hung low. She goes to her room immediately and locks the door. Sitting on her bed, she picks up her only soft toy – a doll with 2 small wings on his back. It’s name is Juno, named after her late grandfather, who gave the doll to her as a birthday present..
Hugging it tightly in her arms, Meena starts sobbing. Telling it everything that she has kept inside her heart. All she long for is a friend, to keep her company, consoling her whenever she feels down. Her one and only wish is for her doll to come to life.
One night, she enters her room, preparing to go to bed. The time is 11:11pm. For the first time, she locks her hands together and makes a wish. Then, she switches off the lights and pulls on the blanket.
The hall clock strikes 3am, Meena wakes up suddenly. She wasn’t disturbed by the sound of the clock, but by the flapping sound outside her window. Afraid, she feels around the bed for her doll to accompany her. She cannot find it.
Meena walks nervously over to the window and lifts the curtains slowly. A boy is sitting on the ledge. Dressed in white shirt, grey pants and barefooted, he sits there quietly, looking at the clouds. Meena’s heartbeat is increasing gradually. As she goes closer, she can see that the boy’s back is grotesquely shaped in a humped over form.
All of a sudden, the boy turns and looks at Meena. He isn’t surprised by her appearance at all, but is somehow expecting her to be there. He smiles shyly at her.
Meena hugs the boy and says, “You are just like an angel watching over me.” “Really?” The boy asks with a surprised look on his face and smiles. With that, he stands up and opens the back of his shirt, allowing his wings to spread, then he says, “I am what you wished for,” with a twinkle in his eye. Meena is speechless and she realizes that what he says all made sense. Her missing doll and the wish she made before going to bed. Her wish came true; her doll had come to life.
The boy takes out a small pair of scissors from his pocket and hands it to the girl. “Clip away my wings.” He says in a serious tone. “What? Are u crazy?” Meena asks, shocked.
“Yes. Only after my wings are removed then I can stay by your side and keep you company.” The boy says, with a smile.
With trembling hands, Meena clips away the wings bit by bit. Tears start rolling down her cheeks. Feathers start floating all over Meena’s room. The wings on the boy’s back decreases in size until only two small buds are left.
Meena drops the pair of scissors and hugs the boy tightly, her tears flowing non-stop. Meena whispers into the boy’s ear, “Until now… I still do not know your name.”
“Juno. You gave me that name years ago.” The boy replied back shyly.
With that, he hugs her tightly in his arms.
~ The End ~
Special Thanks to Alfred & Jasper. ^^
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