It was a beautiful day. With her hands deep in her jacket pockets and her scarf fluttering slowly as she walked to the place she would love to call 'home', she felt unusually light. To be precise, it has been five months and 26 days. Every day, she takes the same route. She had watched these changes day by day. Every day, she crossed the park's trees, showing how different every day was. Every moment is unique. 

 

But she knew it well. Not everyone saw it. There is no time. Everyone was in a hurry. But she was not one of those busy people. It was routine to walk ten minutes from the bus station to her house. The one that gave meaning to her once-empty life.

 

As she walked in, Mrs. Parker smiled at the reception desk. When she smiled, her eyes were hidden behind her chubby cheeks. “Good morning dear…” She waved as she came closer. "Good morning Mrs. Parker, how are you?"

 

“Oh, it's great. Why not, my dear?" she replied with a friendly wink.

 

Of course, the one thing that she had learned in the past few months was this very significant secret of life. 

 

What’s not there around us? Everything is around us; we just need to look for it with the right mind. And not everyone is blessed with a mind that thinks in the right way. And she lived with that truth every day.

 

She walked closer to the room. It was a warm bedroom with a bed that was close to the wall and faced the window which was now open. The bed was neatly arranged with a white bed sheet sprinkled with yellow polka dots. The side table had a flower vase with a single white dahlia. And there she was, sitting by the edge of the bed and allowing a mid-aged lady to adjust her gown. She sat with this adorable grumpy face that looked so cute.

 

She knocked on the door and grabbed the attention of the members inside the room. “Ah, my dear. Right on time!” the lady who was helping the other, beamed and asked her to come in. I will leave you in her care, Mrs. John. Have a wonderful time. Would you like something more?”

 

“Yes…” the lady had a withered voice. “Please close the door when you leave. And yes, did I tell you that I didn't like you?”

 

“Of course Mrs. John. You already told me twice today. Ok, I will leave. Good day.”

 

The helper walked away with a reassuring smile. And then she turned back to her, Mrs. John. Aged 76, she had silver hair which was now neatly brushed by Angela, the caretaker who left just now. She had a flowery gown that came down to her knees. Her skin was now wrinkled but it said loud and clear that she was once a beauty. 

 

“How are you, Mrs. John?” She asked casually as she walked closer to the bed, placing her bag on the side table. “Oh, I am great. But do I know you?”

 

“Lord!! Where are my manners? Sorry, let me introduce myself. I am Naina. And we will be spending the whole day together, and maybe have some fun too.” 

 

“Thank you, Ms…. Um… Naina, right? Strange name, my love? Does it mean something?”

 

"Yup.. it means eyes."

 

“Eyes!!! Lovely!! And you do have a lovely pair of eyes. And I think I like you too. And maybe you are right; we may have some fun today!”

 

“Of course. So, did you have breakfast?"

 

“Yeah…” her voice was weary. “I hate oatmeal. It’s yucky. I want something… like barbecue..."

 

“Barbeque? Right in the morning? No… let’s see in the evening. Maybe we can have it.”

 

“That’s lovely, Little Eyes. And that lady who walked away when you came in, she calls herself Angela. Like an angel, she says I can’t have a barbecue. Isn’t that horrible?”

 

“Oh yes, it is. But don’t worry, I will make sure we have a barbecue this evening. But what would you like to do now?”

 

Mrs. John ponders for a while and looks out the window. “The weather looks perfect. How about a walk to the garden?”

 

“That’s a great idea. Let’s go." 

 

Naina wrapped a shawl around the lady who was now as excited as a kid about her school trip. She helped the older woman into a wheelchair and gently pushed her out of the room. In the corridor, some inmates walked or were assisted to walk or wheeled out by their caretakers. St. Louis Home was indeed a home for people like Mrs. John. 

 

The garden in front of the home was vast. It was away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a peaceful and well-kept part of the world. “Let’s sit there.” Mrs. John pointed to a place where there was a wooden bench too. Naina put the brakes on the wheels and made sure Mrs. John was in a happy place; content and happy.

 

By the time Naina settled on the seat near the wheelchair, Mrs. John had a faraway look. Naina followed her line of sight and reached the leaves scattered around her. On the green grass, it looked like golden sprinkles. This is one of her favorite seasons of the whole year. As someone had already said, “Autumn is the second spring when every leaf is a flower”. Mrs. John enjoyed this season as well. 

 

Naina bent down to pick a leaf that was close to her feet. The leaf felt so light when she twisted the twig. For a moment she missed Mrs. John’s eyes on her face and the leaf; she drifted away from the present to some time in her past. 

 

A young girl was hopping up and down as she walked past the road that was covered with dried leaves. They were not dead leaves; instead, they glowed on their own, as if stating that even the end was beautiful. A pair of open arms was waiting for her as she hopped straight toward them. She had a beautiful smile as she plucked the little girl from the ground. “Welcome home my angel? How was your day?”

 

“Mumma… it was great… I just want to get back to school…. It’s just fun at school…”

 

"OK... so you don’t want to stay with your Mumma, huh? Did you not miss me?" It was so cute when her Mumma acted upset. The little girl hugged her Mumma so tight and gave a loud kiss on her cheeks. “Aww… Mumma, I missed you too...”

 

“What’s it Little Eyes?” Naina was shaken back to reality by Mrs. John’s voice. 

 

“Oh, nothing. It’s just…”

 

“Please don’t lie to me. There is something in your eyes. And no you can’t rub it off. It’s something deep… like sadness…Like you are missing something”

 

“Ummm, it’s nothing. It’s just…” she sighed and stopped for a while. “I just miss my Mumma.”

 

"Oh... it’s OK to regret losing someone, my dear. "I long for some people sometimes, like..." She tries to think of some names. Naina knew it would be difficult for her to try to remember anything. “Well… I just miss them… what’s there in names, right? I just miss them.” She gave an unsure smile to Naina. 

 

Naina gently pressed her palm assuring her that everything would be fine. She passed the leaf to Mrs. John who kept looking at it for a while. "Fall is almost over Naina... Winter is coming fast. Do you like winter?”

 

“I love winter. All white and cold. I always wished to make a snowman. What about you?”

 

“I love fall, Little Eyes. Just like this leaf. See, it’s almost dead. It has fallen. Still, see its color. A fallen leaf is never the same as another. Every other leaf that stays on the tree will have to fall one day. And why should one just fall? Why not leave in style?"

 

Naina didn’t have a reply. She gave a life statement. Even in her last few days, she wants to leave an impression. But what has she done till now? Naina couldn’t stop herself from thinking about her own life.

 

She had stopped everything around her when her mother died a year ago. The once full-of-life bookstore that was owned by her Mumma was now on the verge of shutting down. For the past year, she only stepped in three or four times. Thanks to James, her Mumma’s best friend, it was still open. She felt the bookstore was so empty without her. She couldn’t breathe inside the store that was once her sanctuary. The Naina who used to love to bury herself behind the books was missing. It took more than four months for James and his family to persuade Naina to leave her home. And once she stepped out, she could hardly breathe again. She felt like a fish taken out of the water after a lot of talks. After a lot of talks, she agreed to work in an old age home as a day caretaker for the inmates. 

 

“You look lost again, Little Eyes. And you don’t seem to be too old to be lost.” 

 

Again Mrs. John took her by surprise. She looked at the leaf again before turning back to Naina. “Whatever it is, try to move ahead Naina. Otherwise, by the time you wake up, you will be in a wheelchair like this. Maybe a girl called Big Eyes will be beside you.” Her wrinkles smoothened when she laughed at her jokes.

 

Over the next few hours, they talked and laughed, sometimes at the popping jokes, sometimes at statements with deeper meanings. Soon Angela joined them and the smiling Mrs. John disappeared. “Here comes the Cruella. I am not sure who named her Angela. She loves to pull my gown down whenever she feels like it. She makes me eat and acts as if she owns me.”

 

Naina looked surprised and winked at Angela. Mrs. John was speaking as if Angela couldn’t hear her. “And did I tell you that I didn't like you?”

 

“Of course, Mrs. John,” Angela said as she wheeled her into the room. Mrs. John insisted that Naina feed her, as she didn’t want Cruela anywhere near. Naina agreed and fed her porridge and then tablets. “Read me a book, Little Eyes” And Naina took a book that she loved to hear. It had poems about the seasons. The verses were lovely. But somewhere close to the end, Naina was stopped by a hand. She watched the elderly woman fall asleep.

 

“Little Eyes… your Mumma misses you too. And do you know why? It’s because she can’t see her girl anymore. You are her shadow. Come out to the light, and be her girl again.” She paused to look at her side table and tried to reach the leaf on the side table. Naina helped her to get that leaf. “Remember Little Eyes, this fallen leaf may be a dead leaf, but when this one was outside, it was an autumn leaf. It glowed with it. It was shining out in the sun. It was taking your breath away when you saw it. Go out… live again. Unlike me, you are not just passing this time. Live again. It’s not just another day always…”

 

Naina could see her eyes getting droopy. She smiled at Naina. “Goodnight. Will you come tomorrow?”

 

“Yes, I will. Sleep well, Mrs. John.”

 

She stayed till the elderly lady slept and beyond that. She could still feel the words around her. For a brief moment, it was like her Mumma was talking to her. She slowly grabbed her bag and walked out remembering those words. The leaf that was in her hand felt heavy. She let it fall onto the other leaves. When it hit the ground, she saw it glittering back in the sunshine.

 

She walked away slowly. She took a bus mechanically. She walked again. Soon she was standing in front of her bookstore. She felt different. After a long time, it felt like home again.

 

James was surprised as he saw Naina walking in. Jenny, his wife, stopped him from speaking to her as Naina walked past them to the inner racks of books. She let her fingers glide through the rows of bound books. The smell of newly bound books was haunting her from the past. She entered a small cabin that used to be her Mumma’s. The simple leather chair behind the desk was empty. But today she didn’t feel it was hollow. There was something different in the air. She sat facing the chair for a while. After some time she felt a palm on her shoulder. It was James with Jenny.

 

"Are you OK, Naina?”

 

“I feel better now, James. After a long time, I am feeling much better."

 

“That’s great Naina. Now your Mumma will be at peace.”

 

“I know it took a long time. But now I will try to make it up. I will go to the store every afternoon. Let’s bring the bookstore back to its previous glory. Mumma won’t like it this way now. Isn’t it?”

 

“Exactly my dear. And don’t worry. We will do it together.”

 

She smiled confidently this time. Jenny was too pleased. “So that means you will join us for dinner? Please Naina, after all, we are family.”

 

It used to be an occasion for a get-together when she was alive and this time Naina was not looking forward to it. But now she was OK with it. “Of course, I will be there.”

 

Jenny squealed in joy and gave her a bear hug. Soon all three were back to themselves as they used to be.

 

 The next morning Naina walked the same route and reached Mrs. John’s door. She knocked and Angela welcomed her in. Mrs. John was back in her grumpy state. “Did I tell you that I don’t like you?”

 

“Of course Mrs. John. Ok, I will leave you with her.”

 

Naina walked into the room and set the bag on the side table. “Good morning Mrs. John.”

 

“Morning. But do I know you?”

 

Naina smiled at her. Mrs. John didn't have the liberty to remember how they started their day for the past five months and twenty-seven days. For all these months, she and Naina had a new day. But yesterday was very different. It changed Naina’s life forever. This fall was special for her.

 

Naina smiled at the old lady. “Sorry, let me introduce myself. I am Naina. And today we will have some fun.”