FEAR OF THE DARK !!!

Life is a sine function as it goes up so it goes down. That day was, too, the day of heights. I was extremely elated, positive and confident. My four attempts for the highest post for the country had ended in failure, and this was the final one. A year ago I stood against all odds of my life and was determined to crack it this year.

My confidence was being reflected on my parents’ faces. My eyes were glittering for success as four failures meant to me a big success this time. I was loaded with luck- my 11 year old watch, that black sweater, along streak of tika and the blessings of the whole family. I boarded a bus to street no. 7 and then straight to the examination hall. Checking all my essentials I flashed back into the past. Those days of glory were rolling in front of my eyes. I was famous as a boy of logic at my school, which I approved by getting admission in the top technical university of the country. But this was the start. I started preparing for exhaustive post of the country. Four futile attempts had shattered me into pieces. But my family stood as a pillar for me to prop. For me “sky is the limit”. I wanted to change the destiny of the country but today my own was hanging in the balance. Then the approaching steps of the invigilator brought me back to the present. “O!!! What a paper…. I can do it in half the time”. I geared up towards the questions. But ohh!!! This is the same question which consumed my whole time last year (the root of all evil) I knew it this time but……

And then my negativity invaded my positivity. The pen was moving just to move. My past overtook my present. I came out of the examination hall……. Blank. Last attempt gone……. 5 years of life……. In vain!! I was shocked to the extent that I could not even cry. I was walking with the crowd but without any aim. From street no.13 I went into an underground tunnel. It was dead calm, still as if time had stopped. I too was walking sensefully. I won’t go home I decided; I can’t face my parents. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t realize that my mobile phone slipped off my hands. But suddenly, I noticed a flash of light on the walls of tunnel. I rushed towards the flash instead of picking my mobile up, which was throwing that glittering light on the wall. I had come back to senses. Touching that flash I broke into pieces with a thundering cry. I rolled my eyes over the surroundings. It was dark, all black, and one spot of light was making the difference.

This took me to my world of reason. With tears slowly invading my cheeks, I thought, this dark can only give way to light. Those who live in life only fear of dark! Why is this dark cursed? It shows you the importance of light. Why people avoid this tunnel, not because it is uncomfortable to walk here but because they fear of dark or actually the darker side of life. Those who don’t, actually win even after a big loss. Life is better than a teacher. A teacher teaches and then keeps the exam. But life keeps the exam first and then teaches the lesson.

OK! If life is dragging me back it must be launching me into victory. Now that dead calm meant silence to me because my heart was smiling. Always when we lose, life seems to come to an end as it was for me but then hope says ‘one more time’. Picking up the mobile phone, I rushed to the flight of the stairs, to go back home.

My parents were standing with a curve of smile and loads of expectations. I replied with a fake smile. Though no conversation took place but the thoughts were exchanged. I looked into their eyes, those were saying
“IT DOESN’T MATTER YOU WON OR LOST. WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU ROSE WITH TWICE THE CONFIDENCE WHENEVER YOU FALL”.

With my head held high, I looked into the sky. It looked new, fresh as if it was smiling. Everything was new to me as I had conquered my fear, THE FEAR OF THE DARK!!!

Survivor- the fittest

It was a slow rise of dawn, the dark of night sky was fading into the gradual invasion of morning glow. Apart from the herd, she was here, in solitude bidding goodbye to the florescence of moon. Soon a shadow came over; it was huge covering the vastness of her sky.

He stood tall, a golden brown giant with fiery eyes. On the spur of the moment the world turned upside down for her. They had an eye lock, where the electromagnetic beam of his line of sight was burning her eyes in fear. The axons didn’t respond! Or better say, a brown black female impala with an average built had lost her senses when a South African lion mirrored her.

He took a silent, imposing step ahead. She went numb, frozen, cursing her existence to bear the agony of its monstrous end. Before she would step into the state of mental trauma, his ear piercing roar hit her senses as if iron was being beaten on a giant anvil.

The hit was hard. It stirred her soul to the core. The sudden impact worked as a wakeup call. She was no more of a forlorn. Her eyelid raised, and the dark iris penetrated the sight of the beast of prey.
Before he could understand her fortitude, she responded…
With a step to her left and he followed her to his left. The sequence continued and soon both had a 180 degree flip. And it was true in all aspects. The exchange was not only in position but also that of psychic hold.
He found the instant valor of the timid creature as something hard to digest. But the mind games still were on…

A step straight right, he aped him in wrath. Then one straight back, he followed her. Now one somewhat tilted to right. He again….. and…… “aaahhhhh”.
A sharp spine hanging from the wild bush pierced his eye membrane and his built dismantled on the ground in pain.

“Yeah” was the subconscious reaction for her! The instant plan went like clockwork for her. Without wasting a single moment she wan rock hard for her survival. Within a few minutes, she had left the frightening beast miles back. Her stride was cheerful, and soul thanking the supreme power for all that happened. It happened for good, something that was to be written in the impalian history with the letters of gold.

She stood erect and her head bowed for the almighty “the win is of your existence, for making my morale stand high, for respecting the importance of my being in this world of yours” she thanked.
But Mother Nature had different rules…
A sudden grab from her back clutched her tight. Before she could come to a conclusion, he batted her hard with his front paws, and she hit hard on the ground. A blast of sand dimmed her vision. Soon, the mist cleared. It was surely not the same giant. After all, there is no dearth of predators. The dawn was finally overtaken by the first drop of sun.

A massive, fatal dig of his claw and left her at last gasp.
Was that survival of the fittest?.... might be!
Or better say survivor is the fittest. And rest all history.
Nature has firm rules, mind rules over matter, but still matter matters the most. A good omen is not always followed by knock of good time. A moment is momentary whether a win or a loss, happiness or sorrow. The continuity of time is discrete and no single fraction of second has impact or relation with the other. And why not? After all, it is the uncertainty of life which makes it beautiful, and each moment precious as gold.

PS: the use of he, she and other expressions is just to make the composition humanoid.