The gaze of a sea of stars formed shadows within Fier village, a settlement situated just south of the Himalayan mountains. Fireflies fluttered around like fairies and, to complete the picture of tranquility, the wind drifted past, forming ripples on the cerulean lake that bordered the village. Then a figure bolted past, an odd entity in the otherwise picturesque scene. As he finally stopped at the edge of the village, his ethereal green eyes pierced his surroundings with a gaze that conveyed immeasurable depth and compassion. “Time to get to work,” he thought while smiling to himself. He leisurely darted across the village in the blink of a second before he came across a house constructed of wood and sun-dried brick, and other than how it seemed to be on the brink of collapse, it seemed to hold no significance over all the other houses. The man’s eyes began to shine for a second and then, with a nod, he walked through the walls of the structure. Inside, he saw a frail woman sleeping next to two young children. One was a girl who seemed to be thirteen years of age while the other was a boy who couldn’t have been more than seven. Seeing their youth brought a flash of imagery to the man as he suddenly remembered where it all started. ~~~ A young boy with bright green eyes that stood in contrast to his dull and tattered clothes sat across from a man whose cobalt-blue eyes seemed to peer into the mysteries of the world. Between them was a table laid with a lavish meal and, every now and then, the boy would stuff his mouth full of food as if he hadn’t eaten in days. “So… Mister Star was it?” the boy asked curiously in between a mouthful. The man nodded in confirmation before the boy went on. “…why’d you help me? Buy me food I mean.” Mister Star’s eyes creased in a smile as he emanated a pleasant warmth. “Do I have to have a reason?” The boy shrugged before moving another portion of food to his plate. “No one ever does anything without a reason, especially for someone like me — a street orphan. So, what do you want in return?” Mister Star leaned forward, seemingly ignoring his question. “Have you ever wished for something?” “Of course I have! Everyone wishes for something.” The man nodded before continuing. “Exactly. And that is why I helped you. Because you had a wish, something pure. How could I not help?” The boy tilted his head in confusion. “But… how did you even know what my wish was?” Mister Star smiled in his uncanny way and seemed to dodge the question once again. “Do you know the power of a wish?” The boy nodded confidently. “Yeah! A wish has no power. If it did, I’d be rich!” The man shook his head. “That’s not your wish, that’s your desire. A wish is something borne from your very essence. While you can shape your desires, a wish is what shapes you.” At this, he paused for a moment before continuing. “Do you want me to tell you what your wish is?” The boy nodded nonchalantly, although his eyes betrayed his curiosity. “Sure.” “It’s to grant wishes.”
The street orphan erupted in laughter. “Even if that is true, that would be a ridiculous wish, right? How can I help others when I can’t even help myself? And how would I even know their wishes?” Mister Star’s cobalt gaze once again seemed to glow as he scanned the boy before nodding in approval. “Well… what about now?” As he spoke, he reached over and tapped the boy on the forehead. The boy was about to ask what that did when all of a sudden he heard a weak voice. ‘I wish to save my son.’ “Did you hear that?” The boy asked, looking around for who had spoken. Mister Star just stared at him, as if searching for something. ‘I wish I had food.’ ‘I wish I could share my art.” ‘I wish…’ A cascade of statements suddenly came out of nowhere, and the boy stared at the man across from him in panic. “What’s happening?” “Countless people wish upon a star for their deepest wish to be fulfilled, but how can something so far away grant wishes? I — no, we grant these wishes. We become that star they wish upon. And what you are hearing right now…? Those are wishes.” The man looked at him intensely. “Do you want to learn how to grant them?” The boy’s green eyes seemed to spark in wonder and delight as he nodded excitedly. Mister Star once again smiled. “Perfect.” Another tap and the boy suddenly felt something awaken — he could only describe it as a well of power. “Now you can grant them too. Try focusing on one wish and putting that new feeling into it.” The boy nodded before focusing on the first wish he heard. He suddenly felt the rest of the wishes growing quieter before all he could hear was ‘I wish to save my son’ — a wish of maternal affection. His eyes began to glow as he diverted his energy into the single wish, and soon he felt a feeling of contentment as the wish seemed to dissipate. “Is it done?” he asked the man eagerly. “Did I grant a wish?” Mister Star nodded before suddenly breaking into the widest grin he had seen all day. “I present a hearty welcome to the newest initiate of the Nebula.” “The Nebula?” the boy asked, confused. “I’m not the only wish granter, and neither are you. But, together, we — the people who fulfill dreams — refer to ourselves as the Nebula — the place where stars are forged and wishes are born. By taking on the mantle of a star you gain its power, something you have barely grazed.” Mister Star’s eyes suddenly twinkled before he pointed outside of the restaurant they were in. “Look.” As the boy turned around, he saw a woman that was holding a frail baby — her son — start weeping in joy. This was due to an obvious reason — a healthy pallor had been restored to the baby, who began to gurgle happily. The green-eyed boy let loose a brilliant smile at that moment. “Amazing,” he said breathlessly. He turned around excitedly, hoping to ask Mister Star a myriad of questions. Strangely, however, the seat across from him was empty as if Mister Star had never even existed. ~~~ The man shook himself out of his fond reverie before he glanced at the girl once more. She had long black hair and an aura that seemed to draw the trust of those around her. This was the girl that had the same wish as him. “A wish to be able to grant wishes.” The man chuckled once more at the beauty of that statement before utilizing the star’s power as he tapped the girl on her arm. With a single green glimmer of light, he and the girl were suddenly standing in the center of the lake as ripples converged at their location. The girl slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of warm, honey-brown spheres. Upon noticing that she was standing on top of the lake as the bright fireflies drifted about, she let loose a radiant smile. “What an incredible dream…” She then noticed the green-eyed man next to her, and upon sensing his warmth, she tilted her head curiously. “And… who are you?” The green-eyed man smiled as the stars shimmered in response. “My name? I am Mister Star.” Story by Ronak Kanodia Illustration by Alexandra Feldman Design by Soumya Kona
WISH UPON A STAR Spring 2021
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