The Mysterious Artist
A short story by Ranjit K. Sahu
On the pavement of Times Square on weekends where hawkers sell trivia, you may come across a person sitting with his display of pencil sketches. If you pass by him, you would be asked if you wanted a quick portrait. A man with a plain face, partly covered by his hoodie. His display would enchant you. His fingers weave magic on the plain paper in minutes and before you knew it you would be staring at yourself on the plain white paper sheet is what he would claim. A personalized memento that would be a great take away to relish the memories of the travel to the Big Apple in posterity! You stop for a moment and contemplate as he looks earnestly at you. What would you get for five dollars anyway? As you sit down on the small cushion and pose, he loses himself in the paper, stealing glances now and then evaluating your facial contours.
In the fast-paced minutes on Times Square before you wonder how far your companions would have walked down the block, you are staring at a black and white reflection of yours on the paper. You look at the image with delight. The creator would be smiling seeing your joy. As you hold out the five-dollar bill and grab the sketch and turn to join your group, he has already turned his face into the flow of the weekend rush scanning it for his next client.
It could be days before you get to relook at the sketch at leisure. Only then you realize there is no signature of the artist and begin to wonder. ‘Why?’
Bio of the Writer: Ranjit K. Sahu writes in Odia and English. He lives in the USA. He is also a visual artist.
