Dreading the unknown...

It was pitch dark outside as it was a moonless night and the winds were howling. It was raining like cats and dogs. The windows were barred with grill and were banging loudly against the wall. Shadows could be seen forming on the wall giving it a scary look. Cobwebs were hanging on the sides and suddenly a group of bats flew by. My heart was racing and I was scared to death. I cried for help but to my dismay none came. Frantically i tried searching for a way out but there was none which i could find. I climbed the creaking stairs praying hard that they don't break in search of a door or anything that could lead me away from this situation. On reaching I observed that the first floor looked more ghostly, with the paintings staring at your face and the chairs covered with dust and cobwebs. All this was fueling my level of fear and my desire to run was increasing. It felt as if i was locked in a box and the keys were thrown away someplace so that no one can find me. I didn't know what to do , how to get out. I was so helpless and alone. Then as if god heard me and took pity lightning struck and far in the corner of the room I saw something which resembled a door . I ran quickly towards it to check and Yes !! it was a door. I murmured a thank you and started moving the chairs which were stacked against it. When it was done, i tried opening the door and found that i still couldn't. Filled with anger and disappointment i sat down and wondered how to get out. I quickly scanned the room for any other option but i already knew that this door was my only hope. I kicked hard, banged the door with a hammer; tried everything possible i could in the situation , but the door just wouldn't budge. I was tired, scared and thirsty and still clueless. As i calmed down i scrutinized the room once again. The chandelier was antique, the curtains were velvet and the paintings which now looks scary in the dark were indeed masterpieces. The room must have been very royal once and a privy to lot of lavish parties and balls. Amidst all this thinking my fear had completely faded and i started to like the room. A sudden lightening reminded me of my task and i tried opening the door again. To my grave astonishment the door opened easily.

As i walked through the door, I entered the same room again but it was now in a much better shape. The windows were shining, curtains seemed washed and dry cleaned, paintings were all looking beautiful and the eerie feeling which the room gave earlier was replaced by a feeling of hope, warmth and happiness. The sun was bright outside, birds were flying in the garden and everything was perfect as it can ever be. I then realized it was not the room that had changed but my way of looking at it has changed. Earlier i feared the unknown but as my fear subsided i was able to come out of the nightmare to a more prosper situation.

In our daily lives too we dread certain things. These could be the fear of failure, fear of losing that someone special, fear of defaulting or the fear of not being respected and accepted by the peers. When we come across such fearful things we act like pigeons when they are attacked. Pigeons close their eyes thinking that as they cannot see the attacker, even the attacker cannot see them. But we all know its not the case. Turning blind eye to the problems is not the solution. We first need to fight our inner demons and then take on the world. We have to let go of the fear and fill ourselves with hope. Only then can we give in our 100% and achieve the pinnacle of success.

Trust!!

I came, I trusted , I was betrayed..

This is a very general phenomena which most of us have faced at some point of our lives. If we look at the surface why trust anyone? The risk is too great and the pain is too high. So why take a chance? Certainly we all have asked such questions, especially after feeling the sharp blade of hurt in the violation of our trust. We all have walked down a dark street at night in an unfamiliar city with an uneasy feeling; each footfall behind us seems menacing and we quicken our steps. We tend to look over our shoulder time and again, hyper-alert for any danger lurking in the shadows. This is the same thing we experience with Trust when we walk down the unfamiliar path, meet new people, depend on others for certain things and not know what lay ahead in future.

Somewhere along the journey called Life we have experienced betrayal leading to us becoming a little jaded in our view to the world. Initially we trusted every one we knew but as our experience grew, the little voice inside us raised caution with every decision involving trust. Hence, we discovered no one is immune to the pain of mistrust. Like walking down the dark street has taught us to trust but also told us to glance to and fro looking for the possible signs of trouble. Similarly, we need to find trust amongst the various faces of betrayal.

We cannot expect to achieve closeness with people unless we are willing to allow others to understand what we are like on the inside and unless others trust us enough to grant the same privilege. Trust hold life together. Families, marriages, friendship and even economies are based on trust.

This trust - mistrust battle is an ongoing one and continues to rage within us. Something within us wants to trust and something within wants to distrust our trusting judgment. We don't want to be cynical every time, yet we are suspicious of everyone around. We should know when to trust and when not to. We have to learn to differentiate and not allow few acts of betrayal overpower the other acts of trust.

The Unspoken

It was the spring season. The sun was shining bright, sky was clear with a light shade of blue, the trees were loaded with fresh juicy fruits waiting to be plucked and the meadows - full of ripe crops to be harvested. A cool breeze was blowing. People as usual were doing their daily chores with full enthusiasm. Amongst all this, far in the corner of the central park, a young man roughly of the age of 26 - 27 years was sitting. He carried a look of sadness and seemed dazed as if in some another world. Upon a closer inspection, hint of tears could be seen in his eyes. A lump was forming in his throat and he was trying hard to control the stream of salty water. After calming himself down he picked up the soggy piece of paper which was tightly clutched in his hand. It was the 5th time he was reading it and still couldn't believe; his Father was dead.

He opened his bag and took out a picture of his father. The picture brought back the memories of the last time he saw him. It was somewhere around 2 years back. Fresh out of college Mike wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a musician. His father being a business man criticized it. They had lots of fights and arguments and in the end Mike decided to leave to chase his dreams. He could still clearly remember the fuming face of his father, standing at the doorstep. It was a deep shade of red. After Mike became successful he became so busy with his life that he never got the chance to go back and visit his father. The visit was always postponed to the next available opportunity.

Suddenly, the phone rang and its shrill sound interrupted the stream of thoughts. It was his dad's lawyer who wanted to give a letter which his father wrote but could never post. It was the last piece of communication from his father. The letter said " I am sorry son that i never believed in you and in your dreams. But now upon seeing how successful you are i can only say how proud i am of you. Hope you achieve whatever your heart desires. My blessings are always with you. Love you".

At that point of time Mike wanted nothing more but to hug his father and tell him how much he loved him and how sorry he was that he wasnt there for him. He regretted all those times when he hated his father for not supporting him and the times when he couldnt be with him. A feeling of helplessness was slowly creeping in. Mike wanted to go back in time and undo all the wrongs. He wished that he had said the unsaid and not left the unspoken feelings behind.

In our life too we refrain from telling our loved ones how important they are and how much we love them. Life is short and very uncertain. You never know when the person you love the most is not around anymore. So share all your feelings with your loved ones and make them feel significant. Say the unspoken words so that you dont regret in future.