Joker

Shree could never understand his father’s fondness for the circus. In fact, father was passionately in love with his circus. And year after year, he had ensured that every show was performed on a grand scale. And to Shree’s anguish, he kept on diverting profits from his other businesses into his loss-making circus.

On his father’s untimely demise, Shree inherited everything including the circus.

And he decided to get rid of it forthwith.

Everyone in the circus was unhappy; they knew they had no life outside the circus.

Joker was the unhappiest of them all. He quietly approached Shree when he was alone in his father’s cabin

“You are not just killing the circus; you are killing all of us.”
“Who are you? And what do you do here?” Shree was annoyed with joker’s tone and tenor.

“I am the joker and…” 

Shree quickly interrupted him, “Joker? I can’t believe it. How old are you? sixty? sixty-five?”

“You are insulting me, sir. I am the best …...” he stopped for few moments and then said, “I think it's......it's beneath my dignity to even talk to a person who has no respect for a great performer.”

Joker walked out, angrily.

Shree felt infuriated.  He promptly summoned the Manager.

“We have a joker in the circus? How old is he? Can he really perform?”

“Of course, we have a joker and he is a brilliant performer.”

At this moment Shree noticed a picture on the wall. He pointed to it, “That person?”

Manager looked at the picture and sighed, “He was our joker but a long time ago. Ten years back he went to his home-town to get his sister married and never came back. No one knows what happened to him. We heard some rumours about him, but ……...”

Shree looked at the picture on the wall; no, he would not change his decision, he decided.

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A post for A to Z April Challenge

Today’s letter J