Think about it. When you first came into the world – much like Adam and Eve – you knew no shame or guilt. Muscles worked themselves to form what is popularly known as a ‘smile’ when you were happy and they twitched into deformity when you weren’t. These expressions came with no manual attached. Everybody has his/ her first encounter with the big bad world, after which elders nudge him/ her into a state of reality. People start whispering into their ears constantly that there is no such thing as a “happily ever after...”
The first encounter could have been in the form of that boy who pushed you to the ground in an attempt to get that last piece of chocolate from the rack; an old woman who abused in a language you could not decipher because your mother refused to give her alms; your own brother for snitching on you to your parents; your biased teacher refusing to acknowledge your hard work; your best friend (till date) looks at you one morning before class assembly and decides she doesn’t want to you as a friend anymore (out of sheer boredom); being bullied and letting people bully you…
The effect of these help you in a self-exploration drive. You never knew feelings such as anger, extreme fear, anxiety and hope existed within yourself until you went through a parade of such encounters. Much like the biggest mystery one needs to solve during one’s lifetime is oneself. Constantly drifting through a one experience after the other, only to discover a little more.
My first encounter with reality was during my first year at school. It was Christmas time and all my friends were chirping about their list to Santa Clause under the pretty Christmas tree. Excitement dawned. I went back home and spoke to a disinterested family about Santa Clause and his charming adventures. I realized I had to take matters into my own hands and simply assume that the corner stand (which to my mind looked a lot like a Christmas tree) was my pretty tree – praying all the while that Santa forgives this small interchange. Wrote down a list, asking for a couple of skateboards and a colouring set in bad handwriting and stashed it under the ‘tree’.
The next morning – I couldn’t wait to wake up and see a set of neatly packed presents from Santa himself.
It took me a while to recover and gather myself to watch another ‘Christmas’ movie ever since.
