Arun had always dreamed of owning a shiny motorcycle of his own. But his wallet constantly looked like it was the last day of the month. Whenever he saw his friends zoom past on their bikes, his heart would whisper, “If only I had a machine that could talk to the wind!”
Finally, he made up his mind. “Even if I have to tighten my belt, I’m buying that bike.” From the next month onward, Arun slashed his expenses so drastically that even his family was surprised.
He cut the sugar in his tea in half, replaced samosas with just inhaling their aroma, and skipped movie outings by sitting in front of the TV with his eyes closed, pretending he’d seen the film. His friends asked, “Are you sick or something?”
Arun smiled and replied, “No, I’m preparing for the future.”
After six months of strict saving, he had finally gathered enough money in his bank account. One fine day, he walked into a showroom and bought the motorcycle of his choice. Seeing his new bike, he felt like a child who had just received his favorite toy.
As soon as he brought it home, he parked it in the courtyard and went out every five minutes to wipe it clean. The neighbors joked, “You don’t even show this much love to your wife!”
The next day at the office, Arun narrated the entire story of his sacrifice and savings. His friends laughed and said, “Now stop tightening your belt before your stomach actually disappears.”
But Arun paid no attention. Every evening he would start the bike, ride it for two minutes, and park it again. To save fuel, he had decided the bike would shine more than it would run.
One day his wife asked, “You’ve bought the bike, but how will we manage the household expenses now?”
Arun replied seriously, “With love.”
By the end of the month, however, his condition looked as though the bike had cut into his pocket all over again.
Still, Arun was happy. He would think, “Maybe my stomach feels lighter, but at least my dream has wheels now.”
And every morning, he would look at his bike and smile before heading to work, as if saying, “I tightened my belt, but I never gave up on my dream.”
RAJEEV VERMA 