Life Is A Wonderful Blessing!

The fields filled with crops of various shades of green was something she loved to look at. When the wind blew hard, the crops would dance creating a pattern of waves. It was a beautiful sight. Our dear Aurora who grew up in a city with nothing but concrete buildings and traffic was enjoying the beauty that the mother nature had offered her. Away from the busy town, in the place that her mother had chosen, she lived like an enthusiastic butterfly. Always curious and excited about the little things. She found joy!

It was the holidays that enabled our stressed Aurora to leave her home in the city and join her mother and grandmother in a beautiful village. The house was simple, it had everything a house should have. With few cows and a sweet little calf, she was ecstatic. Her loving mother cooked her delicious foods while grandma still narrated the stories to our 21-year-old Aurora. She found her sanity back after she had lost it in her so-called ‘sophisticated’ city. 

Days rolled by, she used to sit by the riverside that flowed a little far from their house in the village, reading a book and listening to the songs sung by the beautiful peacocks. The sparrows that were nowhere to be seen in her city were now chirping beautifully on every tree she could find. Reading books by the great Shakespeare in this atmosphere filled her heart with pure joy and happiness.

One evening, she came across “the course of true love never did run smooth" while reading ‘A midsummer night’s dream’ by the riverside. With a huge sad sigh, she wondered about her love life that had created hell out of her life. With so many likings that changed from time to time, she always wondered if she could find the one. Of course her love life did not run smooth but was there a true love in her life or will one ever be in the future? She never knew! Slowly little things tormented her. She regretted even the little things she had done. Every little arguments that she had had in her life with people around her seemed to be absolutely terrifying. She blamed herself for every little thing. Sooner the girl who loved herself become the girl who hated herself.

 The river reflected the bright orange color that the setting sun created. She knew she had to go home as it would get dark sooner. She closed her book and stood there for a while before going home. 

She came to her senses when she smelt the delicious aroma of her mother’s cooking. She ran home like a child and ate the dinner which was as delicious as it smelled. But she knew she was not feeling as good as she seemed to be. She was worrying about her life. She went to bed early than usual but she couldn’t sleep even when all the lights in the village were off. Slowly she fell asleep.

The morning was cloudy and dark. The Sun was nowhere to be seen. She went outside and had a weird feeling about her day. Both her mother and grandmother were busy doing their works. A few steps away from her house, she found a guy standing. She was curious about him and was terrified to see that it was her ex-boyfriend! She went numb. She had cried for days after he had dumped her but when she realized that he was not the one for her, she stopped and forgot about him. But now he was standing in front of her grinning. He gestured her to come away from her house, she was scared but followed him.

He said, “I wanted to call you, but that would not seem right for this thing”. She wondered what ‘this thing’ meant. He continued, “I have been thinking about you lately", typical of you men thinking about people when they have imagined you dead she thought. “ I want you back", he said arrogantly, “huh" she said. “No, I don’t want you, I need you back right now” she could not digest the fact that he had shown up in a place which he never knew existed and was talking about getting her back. After a while, “Talk" he demanded. She startled. “Look, I have not come all the way just to see you stand like that scarecrow”, he pointed to the near by scarecrow amidst the field. She smirked and asked him to leave. He slapped her. “I will not put up with this behavior girl, you gotta stop being a bitch and listen to what I’ve got to say” She was petrified. 

When he heard her mother calling her name, he came closer to her and kissed her cheek and said, “Look, I’m sorry. You were dumped cuz you were dumb and you still haven’t changed a bit. My bad. But I need you. So call me later and meet me by the riverside in the evening. You have accepted me, haven’t you? Well, you haven’t gotten any options lady. You’re mine”. Just when he left, he came back again and pressed her cheeks hardly and said, “Remember you ain’t got choices. Come back before I’m gonna kill into pieces and throw you into the river. Well, well my baby’s gonna come, isn’t she?” saying this he kissed her on the lips and pushed her away in the direction of her house. “Adios baby,” he said and finally left. She could not believe that any of this happened. 

Her mother came out shouting Aurora's name. Aurora came in and sat on the bed. Right then her mother came into her room and “What is with you? How did I give birth to a girl like you?”. What? Aurora wondered. Had she seen them together? No, that could not be but why is mother shouting? She was terrified. “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? How terrible you look! Eat the food I prepare and sleep! What else do you have in your life? I’m ashamed of you. My life is ruined because of you. You are old enough and still, need to stay at my house? You ugly fat cow!” Tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt a sharp pain in her heart. “What is it that I have done, why is it this way? Have I committed a grave sin?” she asked and wept uncontrollably, “look at you and you’re crocodile tears, you should kill yourself for having such a life" saying this she stormed out of Aurora's room. Aurora needed someone by her side now, she ran to her grandmother helplessly, weeping like an abandoned child.

 

“You’re a curse to our family, how did my daughter have a girl like you? We’re ashamed to have you. Who will marry you? What will happen to us? You ought to kill yourself before you bring more disgrace to our family.”

Is it real life? As long as she can remember she had done nothing to deserve these harsh words from her mother and grandmother. A lovely girl like her needed none but her family. But they stood against like a cunning fox against a fawn. Everything seemed scary, every rustle of leaves seemed like a warning. Every ticking of clock choked her. She was not the girl she used to be. Unable to withstand, she fell down. She fell down on the ground, hard.

The bangles on her mother’s hand while waking Aurora up was magical. Aurora was sweating, her clothes were soaked in sweat. Her mother was worried and she tried to wake her up without startling her for she knew Aurora was having a nightmare. Like a newborn baby opening its eyelids, Aurora opened her eyes and saw her mother gently stroking her hair and speaking politely. “Good morning! It looks like you’ve been having a nightmare. Sit up I’ll get you a glass of water”. When her mother left to the kitchen, Aurora sat up and realized that her ex-boyfriend’s threatening, her mother and grandmother’s harsh words were just a dream, a nightmare she understood! Just then her mother brought her a glass of cold water and asked if she was feeling alright. Aurora nodded and suddenly hugged her mother crying happily. “Am I a burden to you?” Aurora asked. Her mother was surprised but smiled and said, “Has mother earth ever said that the trees are a burden for her even when they crack open her and live? No! You’re a blessing. How can you be a burden to me?” Both mother and daughter hugged each other happily. Grandmother came into Aurora’s room and sighed saying “and they are living happily ever after". 

We all now understand why Aurora had such a nightmare. Had she just been in the present, there would have been no such nightmare that terrified her. It was just her insecurities about herself.

 We have all done things that we regret once in a while but have we ever thought it would be good if we learned from our mistakes rather than regretting it? Overthinking ruins our precious lives.

Everything, even the beautiful, most wonderful and magical things in our lives turn into darkness just because of overthinking. And who does that? We! Take moments to appreciate yourself. Never underestimate the power that is residing in you. Live life being grateful for the creator and have trust in him so that at last he can say, “and they lived happily ever after!”.