Short Story: One by Nidhi Srivastava Asthana
1 min read
In this short story, Nidhi Asthana tells the poignant tale of two lovers reminiscent of the Gift of the Magi.
½
He could have bought her a lacquered wooden doll from Russia. For her to place on her nightstand. Or maybe a Nigerian wooden elephant? The talented Lao had beautifully woven cane boxes and baskets on sale: ‘No, probably of interest only to matrons.’ The string of miniature copper utensils from the Iranian stall was quite unique. Better to buy such domestic offerings till after they were married and had a kitchen or dining room to decorate; such ‘diplomatic charity bazaars’ happened often enough in Bangkok.
No, he wanted to give her something for her… a beaded purse? There were at least two kiosks selling them. The ones from India were expectedly a wee bit over-decorated but cheaper. Would it be better to give her something she could wear? The Indonesians were selling batik scarves. Could he find something affordable that would last and remind her, year after year, of his love? The bangles at the Indian stall would not do. He knew she loved them, but they were breakable.
