# A SHORT STORY 

      As she hurried back home ,both hands clutched with gifts and goodies aplenty ;the occasion being her 18th birthday; she happened to catch a glimpse of him..... An impoverished boy, tip toeing and longingly looking up the window pane of a nearby bakery. She stopped briefly and sympathized at the child's predicament.
     As the evening progressed, she grew restless. More so when her family threw her a party...As she blew out the 18 lit candles on her cake,all she could see were those pair of eyes -his longing eyes..She wished she had helped him out. So what if she were late to return by a few minutes.Would it have really mattered ?Would her parents have chided her for being a few minutes late on her birthday?Wouldn't it have been a beautiful feeling to have been the reason for someone else's smile ?  she wondered ,as she cut her cake and posed for pictures with her family and friends.
   No sooner did the party wrap up, than her parents gifted her a special 18th b'day gift. It was a simple folder.Bemused; she opened it and suddenly was engulfed in a tsunami of emotions......
It was her adoption certificate,dated Sept 21st, 1997 .