One late evening, after a long and exhausting day at the office, a young man named Abhiram sat alone on a wooden bench in the city park. His shoulders drooped under the weight of unkind words from his manager, missed deadlines, and the silent battles of corporate life. He stared at the ground, his mind drowning in frustration and doubt.
An elderly couple, slowly making their evening rounds, noticed the distress etched on his face. They exchanged a gentle glance and walked toward him. Without intruding, they sat quietly beside him, their calm presence soothing like the stillness after a storm.
At first, Abhiram was reluctant. He avoided eye contact, uneasy at the thought of talking to strangers. But the couple’s silence was patient, their words — when they finally spoke — warm and kind. Slowly, Abhiram found himself opening up. He spoke of his struggles at work, of the pressures he could not share with anyone, and of the emptiness he felt returning each night to his silent room.
The old couple listened without interruption. Then they shared pieces of their own lives — times when they too had stumbled, moments when they thought they would break, and how those very struggles became the foundation of their strength. Their stories were simple but powerful, each one carrying a quiet reassurance that storms never last forever.
When Abhiram left the park that night, his steps were lighter, his heart steadier. For the first time in weeks, he felt a flicker of hope.
The next evening, he returned. The couple was already seated, waiting as though they had known he would come. They spoke again — of resilience, of finding meaning in small victories, of the strength that hides inside every wounded soul. Abhiram listened intently, absorbing their words like a man drinking water after a long thirst.
On the third day, he rushed to the park, eager to meet them. But the bench was empty. He waited, glancing down every path, but they never arrived.
Puzzled, he turned to the juice vendor near the park entrance and asked, “Did you see the old couple who sit here every evening?”
The man gave him a strange look.
“Old couple? I never saw anyone sitting with you. For the past two days, you’ve just been talking… to yourself.”
Abhiram froze. A shiver ran down his spine.
He was an orphan. His parents had died in a road accident when he was just a baby. Perhaps… the couple had not been ordinary strangers.
That night, lying in bed, Abhiram closed his eyes and whispered a silent thank you. Whether they had been his parents’ spirits, angels, or simply the echo of his own soul giving him strength, he knew one thing for sure — he would face life’s storms with a stronger heart.
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