The Shell's Odyssey

The Shell's Odyssey

“Like seashells, we are beautiful and unique, each with a story to tell.”

I love the beach and the sea. The lashing waves, the cool breeze, the way the sea swallows the burning sun at dusk and gives way to a beautiful sunrise at dawn.

While walking on the beach alongside the exuberant sea, I looked at my footprints on the sand and multitude of seashells of all kinds scattered all over the shore. Of all sizes and different shapes, some were whole, some were chipped, lying silently on the ground.

I picked up a shell and thought to myself, “Every shell has a story”.

Nobody knows where it began, nobody knows how it ended, but every shell has a story. Each shell has had its own journey facing numerous storms, being lashed off the shore by thousands of waves, lying silently on the sand, having gone through its own transitions that nobody knows.

Then I looked around. Flocks of people with diverse expressions, some were smiling, some were depressed, some were wearing a mask of smile to hide the pain beneath. All different, still the same.

Just like seashells, each of us holds a story that nobody knows. A story with its own unique beginning, a journey that transformed us in various ways, shaping us into what we are today, leaving some of us still unbroken while some of us chipped and broken in their own perfect ways.

The world around us only sees what the shell looks like. Ever wondered what’s there inside? Ever tried to listen to the stories of people and their odyssey of life? Try it. Be kind to people. Don’t try to break their shells. Let them hatch out of their shells.

What happens when a shell cracks?

It gives birth to a new life. When an egg hatches, a chicken is born. When a cocoon breaks, a butterfly is born. It no longer crawls. It flies.

What goes on inside the shell we must know, because that’s what has caused the transformation. Our stories tell our journey that transformed us into who we are today. Doesn’t matter if the story is incomplete, doesn’t matter if it is painful or adventurous, our learning, our experiences and our journey will surely show someone lost the correct path to solve the maze of life.

So, what’s your story? Do you have a story to tell?

The Insomniac

The Insomniac

“The dark of the night illuminates the most hidden secrets.”

He is the lover of the night. The night that’s calm and soothing. The night that’s so dark, still so clear that it brings out all our secrets.

“Insomniac”, they call him.

When the world sleeps dreaming of a magical world, he is the one who dreams with open eyes to create a world of his own.

It was a cold winter night and the world was deep asleep. He had a rough day at work and was fighting with a farrago of emotions that couldn’t let him sleep. There was a hurricane inside him ripping him apart, but he could not share his feelings with anyone. Walking from one corner of his room to the other, he couldn’t find peace in any corner of the world. 02:00 a.m. and no sign of sleep.

He stepped out of his room into the balcony and that’s when he knew where he could find the inner peace he was longing for. The cold breeze kissed his face softly and took away all his worries. With a deep breath, he gazed at the dark sky dotted with twinkling stars and the moon shining bright over him. He forgot all the blows and bruises, all the hurtful things that were killing him from inside. He found that little window that could set him free into the tranquil world. He could feel as the breaker of his own chains. The chains that were binding him from getting liberated.

“He could dance to the music of that silent night.”

02:55 a.m. and the phone rang. “I couldn’t sleep. Thought of calling you. Were you asleep? Can we talk for some time?”, whispered his best friend in his deep, sleepy voice.

“I couldn’t sleep either. Thanks for calling.”, he replied, and they talked whole night.

He found his perfect partner. They opened their hearts and let all their emotions flow out. That’s the beauty of night, it unlocks all the emotions, all the feelings and lets you be who you actually are.
With a smile on his lips and a contentment in his heart, he entered the dawn and saw the sunrise enlightening his day. 

“08:00 A.M., appointment with Dr. Porter”, the reminder on his phone read loudly.

He got dressed up and left for his scheduled appointment with his psychotherapist.

“8 hours of sleep is all you need!”, advised Dr. Porter, as he always did.

“Not anymore, doc!”, he said with a smile and left.

He had found his secret keeper and his partner in crime. One he could open up to and pour out the painful emotions tearing his heart. He could remove his mask and reveal his inner self. Every night, he could erase the marks of his wounds of the past and start his day with a clean slate to take on new impressions.

No scars, no pain, no guilt to carry-on. Just an empty heart to get filled-in.

A heart as empty as his call logs!

The Warrior And The Walk Of Life

We often wonder, "Why do we fall? Why can't we simply walk the glorious path?"
That's because the glorious path is for us to pave and we fall so that we can learn to pick ourselves up, walk on and conquer!

Life is a beautiful voyage with a myriad of shades painting the horizon ahead, but, there is one thing about life - it is fragile and fickle, it teases you, it tests you.

He was born as a harbinger of happiness with a divine spark in his eyes and a cute smile on his lips. The moment they held him in their arms, his parents knew that he was born to light up the world with felicity and euphoria.

Holding the fingers of his parents and sister with his tiny hands, he learnt to walk and took his first steps into the world that held a lot more for him than anybody could imagine. With a smile, he began his journey.

The stage was set and began his role. He was a stellar performer in whatever he did. Academics, sports, art, creativity, he was the hero of all his acts. Hard work paid off and he was always at his best. The journey seemed smooth.

It was time for him to get a flavor of life, to walk the path of fire.

He lost his grandmother when he was 8. She was the closest to him. He always followed her teachings and got inspired by her stories. His day used to start with her and end with her. With parents working on their jobs, she was the one who raised him in their absence. One day, as usual, she fed him with her own hands and made him sleep listening to her stories. Something was different that day, he could feel that. He woke up at night and found her sleeping with people all around her. That was her last sleep. The sleep she would never wake up from. He had to gather the pieces of his shattered heart, rise up, follow her teachings and proceed on his journey.

His next scuffle with life was during his 10th grade examinations when he got diagnosed with a serious esophageal ailment due to a medical reaction. He was admitted in the I.C.U. for a month and a half during which he couldn't even drink water, let alone eat anything. The only thing that went into his body was glucose solution laced with medicines. However, with the most powerful weapons to fight this battle - his undying spirit and optimism, he fought like a warrior and emerged victorious. The ailment took away his physical strength, but deep inside he knew he had become much stronger than he was before.

A tryst with the reaper can change a person's entire outlook towards life. He started seeing the beauty of life with a more profound appreciation for it. It gave him a sense of purpose, the true purpose of his life. He decided to do something for the less fortunate. He began participating in CSR activities and social work through which he took up teaching kids under a social welfare trust. He used to spend time with old and lonely people in old-age homes, with children in orphanages, and made them feel they were not alone. He became their family. As he kept getting more and more engrossed, he wanted to do more for the society. Seeing them smile made him happy. Their gratitude and smile was the definition of eternal bliss for him. It always reminded him of his purpose and the realization that he had made a difference in the lives of many became the reason of his smile and contentment in his heart.

The path of life was never easy. He got a thousand blows that shattered him into pieces. It's the courage to rise up, gather those pieces, walk on and conquer, that matters. Once you start picking up the pieces of your shattered heart and joining them together, that's the time you realize that it's a mirror you are building. The more you build, the more you discover yourself. Getting blown away by the storm of people, thoughts, feelings, emotions and disappointments is not the way to live. Fighting against that fierce storm and moving forward towards achieving the purpose of your life is what makes you a true warrior.