They were not just enjoying life, they were celebrating life.

The eyes spoke; spoke of the unfathomable, unseen adventures. It was in that moment that their untold stories take you to a place unknown, mysterious and yet you somehow feel comfortable to be in that journey. And then just like that the charm takes over and you feel that wave of happiness, that moment when you forget about everything that was bothering you and apparently pulling you down as well. You start to feel rising on the inside, in your inhibitions and that weight that you tied your feet with seems to float. Perhaps content, that is what the person in front of you is, the eyes shining with a sense of happiness. And well, as they say, happiness is contagious, and it just spreads like a drop of ink on the blotting paper. That precise moment you are in their shoes, drowning in this new found world of happiness that you chose to keep at an arm’s length.
Wait, why are you afraid of happiness?

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It was mid-afternoon, I had just arrived and they arrived a shortly after. The timing didn’t sync because of traffic. And who could blame it anyway? He had forgotten why he not socialized so far, or why he kept on the down low. Or why he still shy away from it. That day he had realized again why. But then again, he went ahead the following day to ‘socialize’ again, perhaps to break the norm he had created for himself.

I had met one of them earlier. The other two I was meeting for the first time. I knew all the three of them, thanks to social media, helping me connect with people I couldn’t meet in person. I was going out of my way and trying to be social. I remember the other day when someone invited me over, I had said that I woke up late that day, even though I got fruits for them. I don’t know how to make that move apparently. I think people take something to the other’s house when they go for the first time. And this was supposed to be a breakfast-meet at their house. Wine would have a good idea, thanks to my English TV series and movies addiction. But if only I knew about the wines. The closest I have come to grape is that small cup of wine that I once had at a Church. Either way, that day I somehow bailed on them and that was the last I heard from them. And also, this meet was sort of different. I didn’t have to take anything but also I did want to meet them as well. Yeah, I didn’t think of that inhibition that I usually have at that moment, perhaps I was trying to break that barrier that I made around me.

I could never break the ice. I think people take this awkwardness of mine like I have some sort of ego problem as if I want others to come to me and speak as if I am some sort of a celebrity, but that is not exactly the case at all. Having said that it doesn’t take much for others to figure out that I am not much of a talker. Mum’s the word, apparently, for every situation. The worst part is it is the case during viva and interviews. Their analogy says that I am observing everything and probably will put everything on the blog. Well, there’s a bit of truth to it as well. But that was not the case. Wait, I am putting it up here. So, there’s that.

While they engrossed each other with stories and life experiences that they have had and probably will have, as their eyes shone more brighter with each word they said. I was observing alright, how engrossing their stories were and how honest their eyes were. It was in that moment, while I was feeling content just by listening to them, keeping aside that … I had even forgotten that baggage that I keep carrying around existed. It was contagious, that celebration of life, that they commemorate every moment.  Having said that, life has its ups and downs. But it is always up to us to see the brighter picture in all the downs and the lows in ups, and those between the line things that we keep missing, in the euphoria of the highs. Life is mostly about the smaller things, so as to how we appreciate them wholly for what they are and not see how big or small they are, all the while finding and making better choices for tomorrow so that we learn and grow, along with everyone around.

However, it was a hard reminder of why I choose to live under a rock. Perhaps, it was the wakeup call to life away that invisible rock over me and not just live, but celebrate life.

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#ZtoAChallenge
#WeAllHaveAStoryWeDontTell

#ZtoAChallenge is a world-recognized challenge (it will be soon), wherein people (i.e. me and I alone) write posts on a specific theme (or just random stuff) to challenge oneself to writer better and hopefully learn along the way. This year’s theme is We all have a story we don’t tell. Hopefully, I will try to bring out the story as truthfully as I can. What I mean to say is I will try my best to write as much as I can and hopefully bring out what I really wanted to convey, those in between the lines stories.