story
Anamika
12 March 2026
During a football match, a sudden cramp shot through my calf. The pain was so sharp that I limped off the field and sat against an old tree near the boundary. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe through it. That was when something strange happened.A thin root near the surface shifted slightly and touched my leg. The moment it brushed my calf, the cramp loosened instantly, like someone had pressed the perfect spot.I stared at the root, confused, but convinced myself I was imagining it. I went back to the game.The next morning, while jogging, I stopped near the same tree to tie my shoelace. A small water drop landed on my shoulder. I assumed it was dew and continued running.That night, I had a dream.In the dream, I was hugging the same tree. Inside it, I saw the soul of a girl. She wore a golden necklace with a pendant that said “Anamika.” Before I could understand anything, a group of people appeared carrying firelights, walking toward us.I woke up suddenly, breathing hard. The spot where the drop had fallen on my shoulder was hurting.Something felt wrong.I ran to the park in the morning and asked the guard if anything was going to happen there. He said government people would come in the afternoon to cut down all the trees to build a mall.My heart sank.The whole day, I tried to stop them. I argued, pleaded, and stood in front of the machines. Eventually, they dragged me away, and I was taken to the police station for interfering. When I was released that night, everything was already over.All the trees were gone.The park looked empty now, only stumps everywhere. I walked to where that tree had once stood and picked up a thin broken stick from the stump. I took it home and placed it on my table under the moonlight.I stared at it for a long time, questioning myself —
Why did she ask me for help? Why did she show herself to me? Why tell me this?Eventually, I fell asleep.In my dream, I was back under the living tree. The same soul of the girl with golden necklace with pendant Anamika sat beside me, quiet and calm. She told me that long ago, when she was just a seed, pigeons tried to peck her away, and I had chased them off. Later, when she was a small plant, a goat began eating her leaves, and again I had scared it away. I didn’t remember these moments, but she said I had saved her twice without knowing.Suddenly, I woke to the sound of wings.A sparrow was inside my room, holding the stick in its beak. It flew out of the window. I instinctively ran after it.I followed the sparrow to a small tree where it had built a nest. Inside the nest, something golden was shining. I gently moved a few twigs aside.It was the same golden necklace with pendant Anamika.