Life Works Out. (A Puppet Show - Part II)

Three simple words – and yet most of the times it seems impossible that these words will figure in our lives one day.

…

She came and spoke to me in my sleep. Did I hear it right? I don’t think so. It’s a dream, a silly thought – that I wish was somehow true.

I woke up with a smile – a big one. For a change I could actually feel my muscles stretching. I looked into the mirror. So this is what genuine happiness felt like?

I rubbed my eyes hard so that I was sure of what I saw.

There were no more strings attached to my body. The pain was gone and I felt light – almost feather like.

Was it true then?

I had to be sure and there was only one way to do so.

She was standing at the door, gazing out into the open sky – lost in her world. Somehow I mustered all the courage that I had in myself to ask her and just as I opened my mouth, she looked me in the eye and said -

‘I trust you. Don’t let me down.’

I noticed the sun coming out bright and shining and a smile on her face - I think!

…

In its own funny way – Life does work out.

For all those still waiting for the sun to shine. It will.

- Dedicated to Shruti Swaminathan.

A Puppet Show

I woke up this morning with a strange feeling. I didn’t know what it was or how I felt. It was just different, unlike anything I had every felt before. The moment I got down from my bed, I felt a jerk. I felt my body was being pulled behind, a sharp pain at the back of my neck – as if somebody was pushing a needle through it. My elbows were stiff and my back was rigid. My shoulders were pulled back and my knees hurt. I touched myself but found nothing. My face hurt. I felt suffocated as if I was being wrapped with plastic. There was nothing pulling or being pushed into my body, but somehow I could feel the burden. It was heavy – heavier than anything I had ever carried.

There was nothing and yet I could feel the pain.

I looked into the mirror – just stood and stared into it. My eyes refused to believe what they saw. Was this even possible? I understood the reason for the pain. The sharp pains at the joints were needles and the reason for the stiffness were the strings attached to my body.

I had turned into a puppet. Or was I always one?

How could that be possible? I always got what I needed. I did what I liked to do. I ate what I felt like eating.

I looked closely into the mirror. I noticed the string attached to my right shoulder was broken.

NO. I got what was given to me. I did what I was told to do and I ate what was served on my plate. It was true. I was always a puppet. I continued to stare into the mirror. My cheeks were wet, I could feel the tears rolling down – I just couldn’t see them. My heart cried like a baby and yet I could see myself faintly smiling.

I guess it didn’t matter if one string let go of itself. I have to wait for all of them to break and let go of me. Till then I will be trapped in the body of this puppet.

It’s just a matter of time.

For all those waiting to break free.