The Lucky Day (Flash Fiction)

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Every day was a challenge for Santo as she struggled to make two ends meet. Collecting garbage from people’s homes, sorting useless things out from the useful items was a daunting task. It meant hours of scanning each and every garbage bag she received. Moreover her fragile 74 year old body refused to accommodate beyond a point.  She would have to strain her eyes till they started watering just to ensure she did not miss out anything valuable in the garbage.

The pastiwala paid her peanuts compared to the efforts she put in. She would argue endlessly with him to get an extra 5 rupees. But today she would not do that. She smiled as she walked towards her hut. There was a sense of achievement in her eyes. 'No garbage collection...' today she thought as she ran her hand over her blouse and silently thanked the Almighty.  Neatly tucked inside was a ten rupee note she had found near the garbage can today morning. Today was her lucky day.....

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