Story 12: An Unwelcome Gift
This is the last story of 2018 I wrote for the 12 Short Stories site. After trying different ideas on for size, this one popped up out of nowhere...let me know what you thought of it... Rajaram strolled through the fair, watching the hawkers market their wares. The huge playground that wore a desolate look on normal days had come to life for this annual event in the tiny village of Gopalpur. Women haggled with the vendors over trinkets. Men stood cheering around the wrestling ring where two sturdy youngsters battled it out. The village kids crowded near the play area, awaiting their turn on the merry-go-round. Rajaram’s wife Meena was busy looking at necklaces inside a tent, so he had wandered out for a while after giving her enough money to buy what she liked. An old man sitting outside the nearby tea shop beckoned to Rajaram, and he went closer. “There’s something special about you. Show me your hand,” the old man demanded, and before Rajaram could react, he grabbed his right ha