That One Night

Little Ash was wide awake. 


Through the  dim light of her bedside night lamp, she could see the hour hand of the clock touch two. 

This was well past her sleeping time in her tiny, beautiful world. For the past four hours, she was trying to sleep, but to no avail. 

She had tried everything she could. 
Wearing her favourite Barbie night suit which matched with her chubby rosy cheeks , she had cuddled her coziest teddy for a long long time, counted to 100 and even backwards , but she still couldn't sleep.

How could she!

What she had seen that day was of claustrophobic proportions. It had completely changed her view of life. 

Back in the day, during lunch , while she was munching her favourite Aloo Parathas, her friend was telling everyone about this. She found it too hard to be true. 

Pedalling back home, she was giving this a thought while her yellow house batch fluttered through thin air which was whistling through strands of her silky hair.  

But there was it.
First "Harry Potter  & The Sorcerer's Stone"

Followed by 
"The Chamber of Secrets."

She would have continued but her mother would not allow her to . According to her, 'Homework' was more important than such movies. 

The HW copy stayed inside her Dora bag that day. Why would she waste her time in such trivial, mundane things. Prabhakar sir would not punish her anyway. 


Her thoughts went back to the epitome of fairy tales. Everything about the movie was so amazing. She could connect flawlessly with the narrative. She got so involved that Harry's problems, struggles, adventures and even his scar seemed to be hers as well. As every frame of the movie unfolded, she was completely amazed , left in awe , waiting impatiently for the next scene . 

This was not just a movie. It was a treasure trove with deep lying secrets of the beloved hallways of Hogwarts.  She so badly wanted to be at the Hogwarts. At the same place as Harry , Hermoinie and Ron, enjoying exactly the same feast as theirs , and having even more adventures. 


She had already confessed to her mom the idea of joining Hogwarts, which her mom did not seem much interested in. 

But she had decided, she had to get a magic broom of her own. It was a necessity. Like Harry, even she had some unfinished business. 


Suddenly , she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.



 Her mom was up for having water. 


She closed her eyelids tightly and acted her best. But before she could hear the door creaking close, she actually dozed off. 

She didn't know she had to deal with oneirataxia for the next few days. Harry and his life at Hogwarts had become her panacea, the cure for all her worries, there for her through the thick and thin. 

What cute, little,  adorable Ash didn't know was that years later, someone who didn't know a thing about Harry or his adventures would try very hard to write a story on him just to see that one smile on her face.
That smile which meant everything to him .