Reflection

By Savi Surana

An adolescent girl sat in a corner of her room, teary-eyed, unfurling the previous day's event in her mind for the nth time. She was exhausted from crying all night, her nose was running and her throat was gasping for water like dry fish. She was missing her mother terribly who lost her battle to cancer last year. All efforts and crores of rupees went down the drain as her mother could not be saved.

The girl suddenly heard some movement. She looked up and saw a translucent figure, having the shape of a lady, standing with its back towards her. She stood up, saw the figure slowly turning and blimey, it was her MOTHER.

"Trisha, don't cry my baby?", said mom, embracing Trisha in her arms. Trisha started weeping vigorously. Her mom's warmth worked like a charm and filled her heart with solace. Trisha cried out "Mumma, why did you leave me? I don't want to live without you. Please take me with you." Mom hugged her tighter and said "Baby, I never left you. I am in you."

Trisha then poured her heart out:

"Mumma, nobody loves me. You stood like a rock with me all through no matter what. But others make fun of me. I am butt of all their jokes. They tease me to death and are never even a bit apologetic about it. Mumma I never reciprocated your love for me. I always took you for granted, fought with you many times, said rude words to you, but you never stopped loving me. But others, they make me feel as an object of their ridicule. Take yesterday's event for instance..."

Her mom interrupted saying "Baby, listen to me. Do you trust me?" Trisha nodded. Mom said "Then just close your eyes and remember how much I love you, how much I adore you, how much I am proud of you, remember that you mean the world to me." Trisha felt warmth rushing down her heart. A faint smile appeared on her pale face. Mom took Trisha's face gently in her hands and continued, "I am within you. So you should feel for yourself what I feel for you. Love yourself baby. Feel good about being YOU. And once you do that, the world will change, your perspective about life will change. Remember, just Love Yourself as much as I Love You." And with this, she disappears.

Trisha lifts herself up with a heavy heart. Clinging onto her mom's words she steps out. Her brother, Vivaan, was sitting on the porch playing candy crush on his mobile. On spotting Trisha, her brother announced, "Ladies & Gentlemen, your highness has arrived. Don't bully her or she may turn into a whimpering kid". Trisha ignored him. Her brother, who was laughing at his own joke, was left astonished. He rushed towards her and asked "Are you ok?". Trisha loved his concern. Never in her entire life did she witness it. Her heart jumped up and down with elation. She pulled his cheek and said "I have never been better bhai".

Few minutes later their father arrived home. Trisha ran towards her father, hugged him and pecked him on his hand. He hugged her and said "Keep smiling like this baby, your smile is infectious."

Trisha realized what her mother meant. She understood the basic rule of the universe: REFLECTION. Universe reflects what you feel. Love, hate, happy, sad, satisfied, frustrated each and every emotion of yours gets reflected by those around you. So all you need to do is love yourself, feel happy and others will reciprocate that love and happiness.

By Savi Surana