Quiet

By Saraswati Varma

She stares at a blank surface with a blank expression on her face. She is caged in her own thoughts. She looks around at a room filled with people. She looks back in her book and scratches something off.

What is that quiet girl in the corner doing?

She has a frowned face. She has those empty eyes which hide away the shine which is brought by the person she adores the most. She waves a ‘hi’ to the people who pretend to know her. She has a fake smile plastered on her face to look normal.

She looks low but who will offer her a hand?

She wants attention but not pity. She thinks that even she wouldn’t like her own company. She hates herself for not fitting the definition of beauty created by this society. She apologizes after every line she tries to say. She fears that she might end up creating a situation that might break someone. She gets worried about the future and gets threatened by the past. She tries to shake away her anxiety. She expects someone even when she’s not expecting anyone. She creates this shield around her that is controlled by her past.

Sometimes I wonder, why can’t she just enjoy herself like others?

By Saraswati Varma