Barfi woke up in his tiny room above the cafรฉ ๐๏ธโ and stretched like a dying cat ๐ต๐.Ceiling fan creaked. Morning light leaked through dusty curtains ๐ค๏ธ.
He washed his face ๐ฟ, brushed his teeth ๐ชฅ, and stared at himself in the cracked mirror.
"Today," he muttered seriously,"I will study properly." ๐๐ฅ
Like every day.
Downstairs, he unlocked the cafรฉ door ๐, switched on the lights ๐ก, and the bell above the entrance jingled softly ๐.Before starting the coffee machine, he clicked on the small TV near the counter ๐บ.
The volume blasted instantly.
"๐จ BREAKING NEWS ๐จA museum was robbed last night!"
Barfi froze mid-step โโ.
The reporter continued,"An elderly man dressed as Santa Claus ๐ stole a historical treasure map ๐บ๏ธ and was shot in the buttock ๐ while escaping."
CCTV footage rolled.
The old man ran in dramatic slow motion ๐, shouting,"HO HO NOOO!" ๐ฑ๐ before tripping over a trash can ๐๏ธ๐ฅ.
Barfi leaned closer, eyes narrowing ๐.
That run.That posture.Thatโฆ stupidity.
It looked familiar.
He shook his head quickly."Impossible. My boss is dumb ๐คกโฆ but not that dumb."
โ A NORMAL MORNING (SORT OF) โ
Customers slowly filled the cafรฉ ๐ .
๐ Students occupied the window seats.๐ผ An office worker ordered his usual triple-shot espresso.๐ด A delivery guy placed his helmet on the counter.
The bell jingled again ๐.
A little girl with pigtails ๐ง๐ ran inside, dragging her mother's hand.She came every morning before school.
She ran straight to Barfi, eyes sparkling โจ.
"Where is Funny Grandpa?""I want his stories! Yesterday he said he beat a shark in arm-wrestling!" ๐ฆ๐ช
Barfi smiled awkwardly ๐ ."Funny Grandpa isโฆ not here today."
She frowned."Why? Is he sleeping in the dustbin again?" ๐๏ธ๐ด
Her mother laughed nervously ๐ฌ."I think she believes everything he says."
Barfi sighed softly."He went on a trip."
The girl gasped dramatically ๐ฒ."A treasure trip?? He said he's a treasure hunter!" ๐ดโโ ๏ธ๐ฐ
Barfi nearly dropped the spoon ๐ฅ๐ฅ.
He tells kids this nonsense tooโฆ
๐ต EVERYONE MISSES WALTER ๐ต
The questions never stopped.
๐ต "Without Walter, this cafรฉ feels empty! I miss being called 'Danger Grandma'!"๐งโ๐ "Bro, did he steal my chewing gum again? He said it was evidence!"๐ง "Tell Walter he still owes me five dollars from 1992!"
Barfi nodded through everything ๐.
Inside, fear slowly crawled up his spine ๐.
The Santa costume from the TV replayed againโฆ and againโฆ ๐ ๐บ
๐ฅ NIGHTTIME DISASTER ๐ฅ
Night fell ๐.
Barfi was wiping the last table ๐งฝ whenโ
BANG! ๐ฅ
The cafรฉ door burst open.
Walter Blue stood there ๐ช, leaning on the frame, breathing heavily ๐ฎโ๐จ, clutching his backside ๐.
Barfi dropped the mop."SIR! WHAT HAPPENED!?" ๐ฑ
Walter puffed his chest proudly."Doctorโฆ I got shot." ๐
Barfi screamed,"IN CANADA!?" ๐จ๐ฆ๐
Walter nodded."Yes. In the butt." ๐๐ซ
A couple at the last table gasped ๐จ.
The man whispered,"This is why we should've eaten at McDonald's." ๐๐
Barfi rushed forward."Sir, sitโno! DON'T sit! Just stand!" ๐ซจ
Walter winced."They shot me for my Santa performance." ๐ ๐ญ
Barfi stared hard."You were the Santa on TV."
Walter smiled proudly ๐."Yes! They filmed me!"
"THAT WAS CCTV!" ๐น๐ก
"Oh," Walter nodded."That explains the lighting." ๐ก
๐ฉบ DESI EMERGENCY SURGERY ๐ฉบ
Upstairs, there was no medical kit โ.
So Barfi improvised like a true desi survivor ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฅ.
๐ฅ Kitchen spoon๐ง Hot water in a steel bowl๐ง Salt๐ด Fork๐งป Towel๐ And a prayer strong enough to shake heaven
Walter screamed before surgery even started ๐ฑ.
A neighbor shouted from outside,"IS SOMEONE DYING!?" ๐ฃ๏ธ
Barfi yelled back,"Minor surgery!" ๐ค
Walter screamed louder,"HE'S REMOVING MY SPINE!" ๐
Ten chaotic minutes later โฑ๏ธ๐ฅ, Barfi pulled the bullet out with the spoon.
Walter collapsed dramatically ๐๏ธ."Doctorโฆ once again, you saved a legend." ๐
Barfi wiped sweat ๐."Why do you do stupid things?"
Walter slowly pulled out a rolled paper ๐.
"The map. The treasure. Our destiny." ๐บ๏ธโจ
Barfi stared."YOU GOT SHOT FOR THIS!?" ๐ต
"No," Walter corrected calmly."I got shot for asking the guard if he wanted to join me." ๐ค๐ซ
Barfi covered his face ๐คฆ.
"Pack your bag, Doctor," Walter said proudly."Tomorrowโฆ treasure hunting." ๐ดโโ ๏ธ๐
๐ BASEMENT & MORNING ๐
Walter crawled into the cafรฉ's hidden basement ๐ณ๏ธ.
"Wake me when treasure calls," he whispered. ๐ด
Barfi locked the door."Please don't die." ๐
"If I do," Walter replied faintly,"write 'LEGEND' on my grave." โฐ๏ธโญ
Morning came ๐.
Barfi reopened the cafรฉ.
The part-timer, Sasha arrived ๐ฉโ๐ณ, chewing gum and tying her apron.
"Boss missing again?" ๐
Barfi nodded."Yeah."
She shrugged."Cool. Less shouting today." ๐
๐ NO BUS MONEY ๐
Barfi checked the time โ.
College in thirty minutes ๐จ.
He grabbed his bag ๐ and ran.
He had no money for the bus ๐ธโ.Running was the only option.
Shoes slapped the road ๐๐ฅ.Breath burned.Heart raced.
๐ THE POLICE KNOW ๐
A police car honked ๐๐ข.
Officer Hank stepped out.
"Barfi. We need to talk."
Santa costume.Museum robbery.Shot in the butt.
Barfi acted innocent ๐ถ.
Hank sighed."There's only one idiot capable of this. And he owns your cafรฉ."
"No proof," Hank admitted."That's why he's free."
Barfi looked straight at him."When I needed help, he was there. I don't leave people behind." ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ค
The walkie-talkie crackled ๐ป.
"This isn't over," Hank said, driving away.
๐ MIKO ๐
Barfi reached college exhausted ๐ฎโ๐จ and hungry ๐ฝ๏ธโ.
In the library, whispers followed him ๐.
Thenโ
A lunchbox landed softly on his desk ๐ฑโจ.
Miko.
A short Japanese girl ๐ฏ๐ต, round cheeks, quiet eyes, calm presence.Small in height. Sharp in mind.
"Eat," she said softly."You forgot again." ๐ฅบ
Warm rice ๐.Egg ๐ฅ.Vegetables ๐ฅฌ.
Homemade. Made with care โค๏ธ.
She sat beside him."I don't like seeing you struggle alone."
For the first time that dayโฆ
Barfi felt warm ๐ฅ.
Not treasure.Not adventure.
Just someone who cared.