Fated: Wars Against The Heart

Chapter 3: Broken Smiles

20th October 2018

Stupidity may be a stem of balancing the scales between it and intelligence. 

Mobius syndrome is a paralysis of the sixth and the seventh pair of cranial nerves, the seventh pair controls the facial expression. Her smile never wavered since she stepped into the hospital, and now looking at the little girl before her, all she wanted to do was to burst into tears. Before her, sat a beautiful girl, no sign of disorder or disabilities, perfectly flawless with her overwhelming beauty. Her eyes held emotions Taraa could easily read or understand, except that she couldn't understand why would she risk her life just to move a few reflexive muscles!

"How are we today?" Taraa began.

"Good!" She nodded and Taraa read the smile in her eyes. 

Taraa glanced at the name on the file which was holding and asked nonetheless, with the brightest of smiles and sweetest of tone, "You are?"  

"Juliana!" 

"That's a very beautiful name! So, how ar-"

Juliana cut her off and turned towards Ameen, "So, you brought someone else to talk me out of it?" 

Ameen internally rolled his eyes and slowly sighed, striding towards her and his wife, he replied, "She's my wife an-" 

"I'm not here to talk you out of anything, dear. I'm here to make you realize and see what you can't!" Taraa cut Ameen off before he could have answered Juliana's question. 

Ameen frowned, mentally rolling his eyes upon acknowledging where his wife was taking this conversation to. Sometimes, he confuses the theory between psychology and philosophy. 

"I'm not blind and I'm not dumb!" The patient countered.

"And I did not mean that!"

"You just said . . ."

"I meant, let's focus on the validity here, okay?" Taraa assured, her smile still in tact.

"My smile isn't invalid and how are my lips valid if I cannot smile? Do you even know what's it like to be ignored, disregarded by everyone just because you can't express a smile, you are considered as disabled or heartless, or a geek just because you weren't born normal? Do you even know how hard it is to fit in when all you need is a smile to do so, just its ability? It's not my fault, never asked for this kind of life. But I want to fix it, I want things to change. No one can tell if I'm happy, sad or scared, anything! I'm completely withdrawn!" Juliana finished.

Taraa was calm, Juliana's expected words were anticipated and all the more typical! She wanted to throw a bored and nonchalant look at the girl, but as a counsellor, that would violate her job's purpose. So, she took the girl's hand and placed it right at the latter's own chest.

She sensed Ameen's secret smile behind her and felt this strange sense of satisfaction that swirled in her veins upon recalling the conversation they had shared at the balcony the other night.

"You are stating about the world which isn't even yours and I am stating about your life with which without, you would not even be alive. I know it's hard, but let me tell you one thing, you are not everyone and everyone's not you. Stop trying so hard, stop trying to fit in, in a society which fails to accept your specialities, a society or a community which fails to acknowledge your uniqueness."

"That's not the point." The patient answered back with an annoyed expression.

"Your heart is the point here, your life is another one or the same. Stop fiddling with the little things, and think big, think of everyone else who have less than what you have. This surgery is medically unnecessary-"