It takes four muscles....

The child was crying. Someone handed a lolly. The child smiled. They said, “What an innocent smile.”

                        It was the boy’s birthday. His father gave him a penny. The boy smiled. Father mused with love, “What a cute smile”

                                              The guy was waiting for her as usual at that curve. The moment she came, he smiled. Her friend said, “What a mischievous smile.”

                      He came home and there she was, his wife waiting with the tiny little cake with lone candle shimmering on top. He smiled. He had forgotten their marriage anniversary. His wife brimmed with pride, “What a beautiful smile”.

                                                                                                  The last chopper had left. “We will send reinforcement and help the moment we reach base. You understand soldier?” That was what the old seasoned Major had shouted over the monstrous whirl of gigantic Cobra chopper. The soldier knew it would be late even if the old sod was telling the truth. Soldiers after all are nothing but pawns. Expendable. Bullets rained like angry monsoon Gods. There was the occasional boom and flash of the rigger shells, punctuating the rain like thunderclaps. He waited for the merciful volley of bullets to find him and free him from the misery of this wait for death. And then he heard that hum. They said death came with a song. Was it the death hum? No, darn it! They had come and come in time. The ugly black cockpit of the Cobra chopper was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his life. And there he was. The old seasoned Major. Solid, firm and composed with his trademark smile beneath those busy moustaches. “What an assuring smile”, thought the soldier.

                            “Grandpa it’s a lost case”. Irritation was creeping in the young lawyer’s voice as he tried to convince the bent old man for sixteenth time. It was a lost case. It wasn’t really a case at all. The young man knew better than to take such a ragged case to court. The defense lawyer will tatter not only the case within moments but his future as well. After all it was his first case and if there was anyone mad enough to make a record for being the debut lawyer with briefest losing case, it was not going to be him. He needed a career with good solid start. How else could he think of marrying her that very spring?  It was a plain open and shut case involving regulations of contract. The Insurance Company had clearly and precisely stated, in the finest of prints and loftiest of language, that in case any of the dependents covered under insurance was to fall sick or meet with an accident, the insurance claim will be settled after three months of submitting the entire bill of treatment only after completion of treatment. A further clarification was added that three months were taken to verify the authenticity of the med claim bills and these were nothing but routine procedures. He had seen the entire pile of documents the old man had brought. The old man’s lone son was suffering from atrial septal defect, a case with hole in upper two chambers of heart. He had seen the attached medical bills already tallying up to mammoth amount. But the treatment was not complete yet. Another quarter million was required for the immediately needed open heart surgery. He could make out that old man was left with nothing to sell and now all his hopes were pinned on that insurance claim. The young lawyer could do nothing till the surgery was finished and final bill be produced for the company to investigate it for three months. He bundled up all the documents and with a pang in his heart handed those to the old man for the pang in his stomach reminded him of the long gone lunch hour. The bent old man collected all his documents, clutching them close to his heart and smiled at him in despair before leaving. He saw that haggard face, that heart broken smile, those brimming eyes and sighed, “What a sad smile”……………….



Tender, developing, young, strong, mature, aging…..it took only four muscles to smile every time.