The moment I entered Raheja High, I knew why I was raised on the hill. Almost mechanical beings thrived there, devoid of any human emotion. The only purpose to stay at home was to spend the night after their tiresome day at work.
Returning home, I perhaps did not realise the fundamental change I had gone through. Days passed into weeks, weeks passed into years, and I kept working. Hardwork barely seemed hard, I started gliding through life effortlessly. I loved every moment.
I met Krishna occasionally, because she was too occupied playing with the hill children and teaching them the art of living life under the guise of her jokes. What a person! Sometimes, she did not seem human at all, I knew she was some divine force that only few fortunate ones get to see, talk to, and befriend.
Only I could talk to Ivy, though. She and I became one. Often, we spoke about the past, reminiscing the old days. But don't get me wrong. We did not get entangled in our thoughts when I rested my back on her trunk and made her my safe haven. Her company was a liberating force in an indescribable way.
When I graduated school, then college, I had made a resolve. The change that had transformed me had to be spread to the world. So off I set, and decided to run for the Mayor. Whether it was the humanist approach in my campaigning or the innumerable people whom I had become friends with in the past years, I'm not sure. What I know is that I am the mayor of my city.
They say those who seek positions of power are narcissists and maniacs, deprived of love and affection throughout childhood. Maybe it's true, but that's a really gloomy way of thinking it over. I know for a fact that I have always received love and blessings from everyone around me- the wondrous sky smiling at me from afar, the playful birds singing their melodies, the lizard that came daily to meet me when I sat near Ivy, my companion and guide Krishna, my best friend Jared, my grandma, my parents. I feel loved, as if the planet has held me in a warm embrace.
Currently, I'm 23, and I'm making sure the city is going through a major redevelopment phase. The hill that almost gave up a decade ago is slowly being brought back to life. The river that bred dirt and squalor and factory waste now flows merrily. The relatively urban parts organise 'sustainable drives' every week, with volunteers springing up to plant trees, clean up colonies and spread the word of peace. The hill is my temple, Krishna is my God. The hill people treat me as their savior, and I say all thanks to Krishna.
When I married Jared under the gentle shade of my dear Ivy, I felt an unwavering faith in the goodness of humankind. How insignificant we seem in the vast expanse of the Universe, and yet experience profound emotions of happiness, grief, anger, and peace. Our lives are tiny bubbles bursting in the timeline of the Universe, each life heading towards its one and only destiny.
Does that really matter, though? Death is unpredictable. So are we going to be helpless? Or take charge and craft the reality we want with our beautiful bodies and will?
I took charge, explored possibilities, and am letting life unfold in this beautiful reality. All is well.
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Amber
Fiksi Remaja"Your true reflection can heal you when you're caught up in your fears." Amber is a socially anxious young girl struggling to find meaning in life. The only friends she makes are a speaking tree and later, a mischievous girl who lives near the river...
