I opened my eyes, with a gentle breeze caressing me, the first ray of light giving me the fresh feeling. I stood there for years, same place, growing nurturing. The blue sky above me and the soil below, I never needed anything beyond. The blessed life that I ever wanted. I looked around me and all around me was bliss, or it seemed so because of the joy and content inside me.
There was nothing unusual about that day. I saw the horizon. It was crimson red. The unusual feeling crept in me, I shivered. I have seen it before. It was not pleasant. The last time, when it came, it swept everything with it. There was nothing left, just the sky and the soil. It took only seconds for it to destroy everything. Only remnants of memories were left. It took me years to grow and bloom again. But today I see it again, coming towards me. I wanted to armor myself. I wanted to run away, hide somewhere. I wished some miracle, so that it couldn’t touch me this time. But I can’t. I know it, yet was behaving like a pigeon that closed its eyes on seeing a cat approaching towards it.
The sky was changing its colours fast. I closed my eyes so that I don’t see those colours, but could feel the heat. It was burning me from inside. Had it been the first strike, I wouldn’t have known its strength until it would have hit me, but now I know what it is. It will take everything away from me in seconds what I created in years. The loss and recovery – I stopped calculating.
It was approaching fast. I was running, though I knew there is no escape. I finally stumbled upon, and tasted the mud. “Let’s face it, I won’t be ready ever” and I stood looking at it. “Come, show me what you got!” I know my strengths but is it good enough? The testing times, tough times. Some optimist thoughts crept in me and told me “we can call them learning times as well” but the dark side resisted “how much learning? And why learning has to be so painful always?”
Finally it is so close that I can feel and touch it. Now it seems to be still. It wants to show me its levels of strength; every fragment hissed. The fangs are deadly and poisonous. The time seemed to have stopped. I want it to get over as soon as possible. But it was taking its own time. I have closed my eyes, and flashing before me are the endless happy memories and moments, which no one can ever take away from me. The tears are flowing. What will it take this time? Never mind, I will start all over, will be better than ever. Afterall that’s what life is all about!
