CACTUS

it was morning time and the day had just begun. since it was a Sunday, Anuj didn't have much to do. so he finished his morning work and then went out for a stroll. it had been two weeks since he moved to Bangalore and this was his first holiday here. the last Sunday was spend in arranging the furniture.

he hadn't got a chance to take a look at the neighborhood since he had been so very packed that he hardly got a chance to breathe.

the place seemed nice. he knew his cooking skills were below zero and one cant live on Maggie forever. he thought of buying some breakfast. he was haunting for a food store when he saw an old man trying to pick up real heavy sacks. he moved closer to him and asked "may i help?"

the man looked at him and said with a smile "that would be very kind of you"

he carried some of the sacks into the store the man had just opened. it was a nursery. 

the man said "please keep it down there at the corner"

Anuj did so and then looked around. there was greenery everywhere and many kinds of flowers bloomed. the room was filled with mesmerizing aroma and an array of colors.

the man asked "do you like anything son?"

Anuj said "everything here is very beautiful. did you plant all these?"

the man replied, "gardening is my passion, and after my retirement i opened this nursery to help plant lovers like me. you can take a look around."

anuj went around the nursery and saw many variety of plants. some were known some were unknown. some had beautiful flowers, some had strange leaves and there were small price tags on each pot. 

at the corner of the nursery, it was a small table containing a range of cactus plants.

he was about to leave when the man said "son, i would like to gift you a plant for helping me" and handed anuj a cactus plant.

anuj was thinking "why did he give me a cactus?" but he knew it would be rude if he asked it., so he thanked the man and left for home.

once home, he placed the cactus near the window as he was told by the man. after that he used to plant the cactus everyday before going to the office. also he started going to the nursery often and the old man  and anuj soon became good friends.

anuj came to know that the man's wife passed away last year and since his children were living out of town, and he didn't want to leave his house, he had to do something to pass his time. he built the nursery some months ago and was now spending most of his time there.

in an unknown city, anuj had found a good company and liked to listen to him. after visiting the nursery few times, anuj observed that most of the time the old man gave away the plants at very minimum prices and sometimes even for free. when anuj asked him about it, the man said "its not my profession to sell plants. when someone comes up to me saying that he wants to raise a plant, i don't deny. after all when the flower will bloom, that person will remember me"

anuj could not hold his curiosity anymore. he asked "remember the first time i visited here?"

the man said "the first time you helped me with the goods. how can i forget?"

anuj said "i always wonder why you gifted me a cactus? i mean you could have gifted me some flowering plant. and i have noticed that you don't sell cactus. why do you have them?"

the man smiled and said "i don't sell them but i love them. and i love them because very few can love a plant full of spines. but if we overlook the spines and keep watering the plant, it blooms.. and the flower of cactus is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world. likewise in life, we dont always come across good people, but if we keep pouring our love and affection, someday something good will bloom in that relationship. everyone has some good quality, we just have to overlook the bad ones"