Are We Brave Enough?

Shrishti's blood throbbed in her veins so hard that her whole body began to ache. She could feel her heart inside her body. She could feel her lungs take in the breath and release it, her brain registering sights and then giving meaning to them. The world had slowed down for her. It was beautiful. It was after a long time that she had felt so alive. She sat down to see the breeze move the leaves on the trees, her feet had suddenly begun to ache. It was too much, this sudden being able to feel everything around her and more importantly what Sunil did.

Shrishti met Sunil at a park, where she went for morning walks. Sunil dropped his daughters to school after his walk and Shrishti went for a walk after she dropped her daughter off at the bus stand. Of the ten rounds that Shrishti walked, she used to end up sharing only one or two rounds with Sunil. He always smiled at Shrishti and she smiled back at him. This had lasted for ten years. They briefly spoke about their girls and, though it was rare initially, he used to compliment Shrishti and she used to blush. Last April he had put his daughters in the school bus and they began coming to the park together.

Shrishti had begun sharing time with someone who was in her age bracket, after years, without any reason. Shrishti was a homemaker and every day, all the time, she was busy making her house a home. And she was so busy doing this that she never had time for anyone else and her husband had grown totally strange in the last 15 years.

Shrishti’s part-time maids, gardener, milkman, and shopkeepers had all become what one could remotely call as her friends. Then in came Sunil, who suddenly began to take interest in her, but began discussing his office problems with her. Amazingly enough, she started giving him solutions. Even when she didn’t, she would listen and then research online about them. Then she would give him her opinion.

Sunil was in the human resources department and the way he managed people intrigued Shrishti. He shared a lot of things. Even confidential sales reports. Shrishti had spent several mornings sitting down on the grass going through reports and helping him. He loved her fresh perspective. A part of Shrishti had lost faith in herself, but Sunil brought the zing back, making her think that she was capable of understanding all those complex things.

The last few months had been amazing for Shrishti. She was reading up on industry insights and Sunil was helping her understand them. Sunil talked to her about finance and shares. The world of numbers and news that seemed so drab earlier made sense to her. Even the pink Economic Times that she valued because it absorbed oil best became valuable. She had begun to read it. And to her surprise, she opened a DMAT account and had begun buying shares. There was so much more to the life she saw.

One day, she told Sunil that she had thought that she could not do complex, serious things. However, Sunil had made her have a new belief in herself, while on a walk that day morning. She further said that she was thinking of taking up a degree course in management in the distance mode. Sunil stopped in his path, took her hand and told her that she was a fast learner. He further said that she was worth so much more. Then he had leaned forward and kissed her so lightly on her forehead. Her blood rushed to her forehead and she did not feel offended at all. She should have been offended, but she felt elated. Elation is an understatement, she felt thrilled.

She had probably blushed majorly, for Sunil’s face turned white and he immediately left. Shrushti just kept standing for a bit and then the world began to look much clearer to her. Shrushti did not know what would happen with Sunil. Will he have the guts to take forward this friendship that they were enjoying? Will it not lead both of them down a dangerous road? Shrushti knew Sunil’s wife and she also knew that the latter did not know about this side of Sunil. According to her, Sunil was boring and as dry as Shrushti’s husband was. But Sunil was much more to Shrushti and she thought that she was selfish enough to want him around, for he was someone who had made her want to live, not just merely mindlessly exist.

Shrushti did not know if Sunil would come back tomorrow, but she would surely come. She would keep on hoping that he does come. And even if he does not turn up the next day or even the day after that, she knew that he would eventually turn up. It is easy to ignore that electricity between the two of them but brave enough to accept it. Shrushti wondered how many people would have the guts to do so if they were in her place. She wondered how many people had the guts to live and be alive. She also wondered how many people were BRAVE ENOUGH.