Day By Day I Believe

By Shruti Kotabagi

‘Look out!’ Pair of arms quickly wrapped around me, breaking my fall.

‘Thank you’, I replied, adding ‘you are new here’; all the while feeling grateful for the support. I could feel a sense of surprise from the person as they released me.

‘Ah, you are right. I am holidaying with my family. This place had such amazing reviews, and I can see why.’ ‘So, what is it that caught your eye?’, I enquired, steadying myself. ‘You know, it is just so calming out here. The fast-paced city life can drive you crazy. This place is a much-needed getaway.’

I felt the proximity as the person stepped a little bit closer and added in a low voice, ‘If I must say there were certain rumours about the so-called mysterious owner.’

I stiffened a little at this.

With a nervous chuckle, I whispered, ‘So I have heard.’ Lowering my voice even further I added - ‘An undercover assassin, targeting climate change. A with praying for world order. Better yet, a Kryptonian scientist finding a cure for Man’s greed!’

At this, the person burst out laughing and countered my bizarre references with – ‘Hmm, a warm person. A dreamer. Better yet a believer!’

‘C’mon’, I growled. ‘Where’s the fun in that. Moreover, they don’t qualify as rumours. You lose!’

‘Hey. Not fair. I didn’t realise winning was at stake’, the person playfully retorted.

‘Life isn’t always fair. It will catch you off guard, knock you out unconscious and when you finally awake all that surrounds is darkness.’

The air suddenly grew heavy and not because of the overcast sky. There was an awkward silence, and I could feel the discomfort of the person.

Clearing my throat, I quickly added. ‘Then all you are left to find are a bat cave and Robin!’

‘And don’t forget Alfred’, the person chirped in. We both laughed at our crazy conversation, bit surprised how quickly we had eased into it.

‘If you don’t mind me asking. How did you know I was new here?’

‘Special powers. My kind can sense danger miles away. It comes with the territory’, I added with a smile.

‘Danger huh!’

‘Let’s just day survival instinct. Also, I guess that’s just how nature works. When one thing gets taken away, it tries to balance it with something else. The challenge is finding out what that is.’

‘Looks like you have found yours.’

‘Easier said. So called normal is not my default. Every day is an adventure; one way to look at it. Imagine living with a blind fold for the rest of your life. Scary right. That it how it was at first. Sense of being lost and disoriented. Stumbling along and finding the strength to get back up and move on. I guess the first step one can take, is towards acceptance and realising that we cannot control all the events that happen in our lives. But we certainly can control how we let them affect us. Gradually one will learn to adjust. I am grateful for having wonderful and understanding parents, whom I can rely on. Sadly, not many are as fortunate, and it not just about surviving. Rather re-living experiences one day at a time.’

A gentle squeeze on my hand snapped me out of my monologue.

Sensing my sadness, the person spoke cheerfully trying to lift my mood. ‘So, you are the adventurous type. Living life on the edge.’

Mindful of the effort, I replied with a smirk, ‘Do I have a choice!’

This drew out a chuckle from the person.

Silence settled back in. This time around it wasn’t awkward.

‘I think…’

‘I think…’

We both stopped and burst out laughing.

‘Just then it started drizzling, followed by thunder.

‘Guess, it’s time we head back. What were you doing here anyway, so far away from the cabins’, I enquired.

‘Thought of having some “me” time before leaving.’ ‘So much for your “me” time’, I replied as we began walking back.

Once we reached the common hall. We said our goodbyes.

As I was about to leave, the person said. ‘Can I ask you one last thing.

‘Yes?’, I replied sounding unsure.

‘What is your name?’, the person said chuckling.

‘Hope’, I answered through my smile.

‘Perfect’, the person replied.

‘It was nice meeting out Perfect!’, I yelled over my back as I hurried to my quarters. I heard a resounding laughter after a moment of confusion had passed by.

By Shruti Kotabagi