Mohan had been buying lottery tickets for a long time. His dream was that one day luck would suddenly smile upon him and make him a millionaire. The people in the neighborhood often joked that Mohan bought the lottery first and dreamed later.
One day, filled with excitement, Mohan bought a special lottery ticket. He kept the ticket in his pocket as if it were a priceless treasure.
After reaching home, he hid the ticket inside the cupboard and told his wife, “This is the most valuable thing in my life.”
His wife asked, “What is it?”
Mohan smiled and said, “My fortune is locked inside; I am waiting for it to open.”
That night, Mohan woke up several times to check whether the ticket was safe. He was afraid that the train of his dreams might leave the station without him.
The next morning, he remembered that the lottery result was to be announced that day. He switched on the television and started matching the numbers. With every matching digit, Mohan’s heart began to beat faster.
Suddenly, the last number also matched. Mohan jumped with joy and shouted, “I have become a millionaire!”
He called his wife in excitement, “Come quickly, our luck has changed!”
His wife rushed in and asked, “What happened?”
Mohan said, “The lottery has been won!”
Both of them started dancing in happiness. Mohan immediately opened the cupboard to take out the ticket, but it was not there.
His eyes widened in shock. He searched the entire house—under the sofa, inside the bed, and even behind the refrigerator.
Then his wife said softly, “Yesterday while cleaning, I thought it was an old piece of paper and threw it away.”
The ground seemed to slip away from under Mohan’s feet. He realized that fortune had slipped from his hands.
In the evening, Mohan sat quietly, thinking that sometimes dreams fly away even before they come true. People in the neighborhood say that Mohan’s lottery slipped away, but he learned one important lesson—along with luck, one should also keep the cupboard safe.
RAJEEV VERMA 