An unloved short story.

Once upon a time there was a man. Well, he was a man or a ghost or just a wisp of smoke. No one knew for sure. He lived all by himself in this very big castle. No one lived with him, except that a servant lady came sometimes to check if he was alive or dead. ...

Sometimes, he just slept slept for whole weeks ,doing nothing as if he had no life in him. Some said he had some great treasure whcih he was guarding. Some thought he was just a grouch. Very few though though he was a man with a broken heart .No one was sure.

A young girl from the nearby village came to play near the caste grounds with her pets. She was curious and brave. She had heard talks of he mysterious man of the castle. Either she was brave or dumb but she decided to explore the castle. She walked into the castle, looking at grimy walls broken windows, dusty fireplaces ...


Then she saw flights of staircase. Marble, shining glowing although not in use. She went up the stairs to a fleet of bed rooms. None of the doors were locked .One by one she checked each room. One was a woman's room, neat curtains beautiful carpets and a portrait of her hung on the wall. She was not beautiful in a layman's terms, but yes caught ones imagination .

The young girl was mesmerised by the grandeur. She moved to the next room. It seemed more like a study. Books books books. Books on the floor, books on the oakwood table. Papers strewn all over with writings on them. She did not know how to read But she could make out the beauiful handwriting of the author. She fell in love with the letters. She picked up all the papers lying all over the room and arranged them neatly.

Clutching them tightly to her chest, she went ino the next room here she found the room musty and dirty. Filthy and unclean. She was repulsed by it. As she was about to move out she saw something.


She saw someone rather. On the grand bed. She moved closer. There was a young man sleeping. Sleeping or dead she could not make out. She was curious. Placing the papers on the bedside table, she moved closer she called lightly.

Nothing

She called a little louder.

Still nothing. She saw some papers beside him they had the same hadnwriting as her set of papers. She guessed this young man must be the writer but was he dead. She did not know. She thought of shaking him. But she was afriad if he would be angry for tresspassing on his property

Thus she decided to leave. She picked up the papers and began to move towards to the open door. She looked at the beautiful writings again and at the young writer and back at the papers she considered something.

With swift movement she climbed on to the bed kissed him gently on the lips and then left the castle.



le fin