I still love to hear those stories narrated by my grandmother. From the starting punch line of "Once upon a time...." to the exciting finishing statement,and finally, after that, they lived happily." I used to get engrossed in every nuance of her narration.
I used to persuade her to narrate the Cinderella-type story many times. The way she used to begin perfectly drew me into her story.
"Once upon a time, there used to be a pretty girl who often rested her heart, mind, and soul every evening on the steps of the front end of her house after doing all household chores dumped on her by her arrogant stepmother and sisters. She knew no prince would come out of nowhere and hold her hands before taking her away. It happens only in dreams. Still, she waits for someone who will not come. She knows that she is bound to continue as a puppet here."
Then my grandmother took a deep sigh and expressed her wish as she looked at me: "You know, Krishna, I hope that, one day, the prince from her dream will arrive and rescue her from this hell. But none of us can predict the future."

I then raised my head from her lap, and looking at her eyes, I put forward my curiosity, "Will the prince arrive, Grandma?"

"Even the gods cannot resist the glowing beauty that radiates from her, along with her pure heart, let alone a prince! Let's see."
She remarked, before continuing with her story!

© Krishnan
#microtale #writco #grandmother #stories