06/03/2024
He was once told, “You know, you are too sweet, just too sweet for this world.” He blushed then, and just laughed it off. He thought it was a beautiful compliment. He was proud of himself, of his pure heart. But he did not realize that it was a warning. He was stubborn. He kept on getting hurt, but he kept on believing in the goodness of people. He believed the next person who smiled at him, anyone who called him his own. But something within just kept on building, that heaviness. And one day, one person broke him beyond repair. It just shattered him. He realized that if he did not change, this world would kill him. So he changed. He became bitter. He became brick in his heart. He cried. He cried like a baby. He sobbed into his pillow. He cried in the shower, in the washroom, on the terrace, and what bloody place not. He suffered, silently, away from all eyes. And all those tears made him rude in his soul. He swore to himself that he will let no human come close to him.
So when you call him heartless today, there is a story. He is scared. He has scars, deeper than you could ever imagine. He does not get emotional because he knows the intensity of his emotions. He knows that if he falls weak again, there will be nothing left of him. He acts too strong because he is sick of being too weak. He has not lost his soul. He still feels those pure things. But he slaps himself to stay out. He acts all macho and tough. But deep down, he feels lonely. He misses being that sweet kid again, that innocence in his smile, that purity in his voice. He cracks the funniest jokes. But he screams in the quietest of silence. You might think that he has an attitude problem. But he is just a scared kid who is screaming at everyone because he does not want to get hurt. Inside, he longs for a hand on his shoulder. He craves a voice into his ears that will say “I understand who you really are. I know you are scared. But I won’t hurt you. You are not this heartless, rude guy. You are a beautiful soul. Hold my hand and come back. Trust me.” One day, maybe, he will find that soul. Will he? 🙂
~ Rahul Kaushik
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