Glaciers Of Darkness Within

"Madam, why do you always wear only black and gray shades of clothes and jewelry." Vasanthi asked very hesitantly to Ranjana Madam.

Eleven years have passed since Ranjana Madam joined this office.  Madam's colour selection of her cloth is something that everyone has noticed.   Be it Saree or Churidar, whether going to the temple or to the office or any functions, she can be seen wearing black or gray shade cloths only.  Not only that, be it a necklace, earrings, bangles, or even the nail polish that she uses, everything is the same black and gray shades.

No one had ever dared to ask her about it.   Firstly, a woman officer in a very senior position, not only that, but she also rarely interact with colleagues except for office work.  Moreso, everyone in the office feels she is very rude and arrogant.

The office Peon, Vasanthi, was retiring after forty years of service that day and  at a time when Vasanthi saw Ranjana Madam standing alone in a corner of the room during the sent-off get-together , she asked .

"Ma'am, please ignore my question, if you don't like it . Just curious to know. I am old and I don't even know if I will be able to see you all again once after leaving this place.  I will be with my children and don’t know where I would be living from now onwards. That is why this question, which has been carried in my mind for many years, is being asked today”.

"Didi, its’ ok.  No one had asked, that's why I didn't tell anyone. Otherwise, this is nothing to talk about.  At home, my daughter and her father, that is my husband, both  have a disease called color blindness.  Husband has monochromatic vision, a disease that occurs in one in a thousand. He can't recognize colors, can only see everything in shades of gray, and its slight contrasts.  My daughter doesn't have that much problem, but she can't identify the difference between certain colors when she sees them.”

While Vasanthi was listening calmly, Ranjana Madam  continued.

“Don't we wear our best clothes to show our family first?  When they don't identify the colors except these two black & grey shades,  why should I wear colorful dress, moreover whom I really wanted to impress can’t recognize it."

"I am sorry Ma'am, no one has told, and no one seems to know, that Maam’s husband and his daughter have such an illness."

"It’s ok Deedi, as I said earlier, what is there to hype in it?  Isn't everything a part of life? Anyway, God is great, at least there is no darkness in their lives."

"Sorry madam, unknowingly we all misunderstood you."

“Come on Deedi, it is quite natural, people define others in a way what they expect to see.  What we wear don’t change us.  If you wear dark glasses only your vision changes not what you see through it.”

Vasanthi felt the glaciers of darkness within her is melting and coming out as tears.