The Nostalgia Shop

Soirindhri looked at the shop. Fragile and dilapidated.

'Nostalgia shop', it read. The name of the shop had gathered layers of dust making it almost unreadable for anyone. What struck her the most, was how she missed seeing this shop, despite crossing this lane twice a day for the last three days. Tucked in a corner, swallowed by darkness, the structure seemed as if it was meant to be missed, and only the ones looking for it, probably be able to locate it!

She went in. The door opened with a creaking noise followed by a soft whistle. The place was engulfed in a strange silence and half darkness.No one moved. Soirindhri coughed, hoping someone or something would erupt out of the eerie-ness.No response!

Her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the half-darkness! She figured out that there are numerous shelves covered in glass, which consisted of something or the other. Pretty weird objects, she discovered, as she moved near to one shelf. The hollow sound of the wooden floors scared her, but her eyes caught hold of something, something she felt she knew, something that sent her back, many years back!

She gasped in disbelief when she saw her favorite Pencil Box, which her father had gifted her on, probably her tenth birthday, which she used for so many years. It was so special to her that it stayed with her for many more years until she left it, and everyone!

She tried touching it and felt she touched it before her hands struck the glass pane. The pencil box opened suddenly, to reveal her name, which she had scribbled over and over again with various colored pens, some of it rusty, but understandable if you look closely- SOIRINDHRI, in caps!

And there was her favorite pen, which was her grandfather's which he had received as a gift when working in Bangladesh. She remembered how beautiful the ink was. Slid beside the pen were some pencils, sharpened perfectly. You can even slide open the pencil box revealing a second compartment which consisted of an old wristwatch, again a gift which travelled from generations, was pretty old but she always loved things that are old and sober rather than modern and flashy!

There was that miniature eraser, faded and half-broken, but she remembered it alright. A shark eraser. Based on that cartoon character that made her so attached to it. But it was a cartoon dolphin, was it? But this one’s a shark, a hammerhead probably. Who knows. She smiled when she remembered those fights she had with friends when she showed them this eraser from the cartoon show. Everyone felt jealous and wanted to use it and smell it. She bought it near her nose to probably feel that sweet smell that used to come out from those erasers. But the smell’s gone and so’s childhood. Now, sharks are endangered due to human greed. Maybe things will change.

The last thing which she saw was a picture of her mother and father! She kept that picture with her always, she had a few copies of the same tucked in her purse as well!

Soirindhri felt nauseated and looked around but there was no one until one hand came near her face with a glass of water. A very old man, with funny, pointy eyebrows and black, round-rimmed spectacles around his inquisitive, brown eyes. He indicated her to drink the water and smiled. A genuine smile made the skin on his face ripple all around momentarily before settling back, not fully, though.

She gulped the water down, and as she was about to speak, the old man said.

“I was about to close shop for today, did not realize someone was already in.”

Soirindhri felt a bit better, and questions clouded her mind like never before.

“Who are you? And how did you get hold of my box? What is the point of this shop anyways?”

“So many questions, but so little time” the old man shrugged, as he moved towards the door.” Let's just say, this shop opens only for people in need, people who need to trace back their roots, people, who, in the mumbo jumbo of life’s circus, has forgotten the quaint little corner of their home. That is what the name suggests, right?” he smiled that cozy smile again and indicated her to come out of the shop.

She came out of the shop as the outside weather turned gloomy and cloudy!

Her mind still had questions, but the old man seemed unconcerned. He kept humming some tune. She noticed him properly now. He was a normal person, dressed in a Khadi Kurta, reminiscent of her grandad, and a Pyjama. Nonchalantly, he locked the doors and looked at her, smiling.”It would rain very soon, I think you should go home, your parents must be waiting for you for a long, long time.”

Her resolute defense broke down, after hearing him. She had to go back, now!

She was lost in thoughts for a moment, but as she turned back to locate the old man, there was no one! He had vanished into thin air! She felt dizzy again but with much conviction, kept the thoughts at bay and decided to walk, walk towards her home!

As she neared her locality, her mind wondered about the shop, its existence, and whatever she saw inside it, which is not easy to believe. Did her mind play tricks or not! Maybe.Maybe not! She decided to come back to the shop, is there a possibility that it contained more nostalgia for her? Is the shop only visible to those who need it? Those who are lost and want to find a way!

She stood in front of her house. This was the third time during the last three days she is here. She failed to enter the past two times. She simply could not gather enough courage. And what would she tell her parents? That just because of a momentary fit of anger, she just left. Left without a trace. Only to realize her mistake after five years, will they forgive her? Her foolery? The prospect of facing them frightened her.

Her legs trembled.

The house that saw her birth, saw her playing on its roofs, saw her dancing inside it, singing, and then quarreling and leaving it, all alone. It bore a sad look, the outside needed repair very soon. But, she wondered about the insides! With all her courage, she stepped towards it. It had started raining, small round drops eventually gaining momentum. Her right hand reached the bell and just like her habit, she rang it thrice, in a row! She was surprised, that old sound!

She heard a female voice shout, "Wait…Please Wait………"

There was a hush. She knew Maa knows her pattern of ringing a bell. Did Maa understand? After all these years?

She heard Maa shout to her Dad, to come as well. Did they guess? Maybe…Maybe not!

Her heart pounded like never before, she tried hard to control her tears but they kept rolling down her cheeks. She tried hard to smile, all she wanted was to go in and say nothing, and hug them both.

She waited as the door seemed to take centuries to open up.

And then she smiled as it opened, she felt she never smiled like this in the past five years after she left home! She kept smiling.

***