Random Thoughts

"You have to tell your parents" - A small girl, probably aged around 6-7 years, stops her and tells her.

Before she could catch her, the little girl in red disappears. Only the girl's laughter remains, swirling around her, mocking her. She stops in her step. The crowd behind her cuss loudly, asking her to move on. She falls back, reaches to one of the quieter corners and watches the sea of humanity cross her by.  A sudden gust of loneliness attacks her. She silently withdraws into her self. She wonders why she alone is feeling sad among all the faces around. All the other faces are smiling and laughing.

How did that girl know what she was thinking? Can she perceive what goes on in every one's life. Is such a thing even possible? Is it possible to read minds as easily as that little girl did? This little iota of doubt was always there. She had always wanted to tell her parents about moving in with Siva. She imagined her mother sobbing away and her father maintaining a stoic silence. A silence that can be more maddening that his outbursts. Wish he shouts at her instead of just listening to her and leaving her without a word. When did he move away from his uncontrolled shouting to deafening silence as his weapon to get back at her?

She thinks of Siva and how she convinced him that things will be alright if they moved together. They lied to the owner of the apartment that they were a couple. The last 3 months were the best time she spent in this city. A city with its own secret tucked away in each apartment - a million secrets silently waiting to be heard by others, waiting to be released into the wide world around. She wonders who among the couples walking around in the brightly lit mall have similar secrets like her.

She had today walked out of the apartment with a great jump in her steps,  she felt that she owned this city. How can one little comment from a girl change her perception? Anyway, who is that wretched girl? Wait, is she the daughter of owner of her apartment? No. that girl was much shorter and younger than this girl? It cannot be that kid? How did she know about her ? Why did she want her to tell her parents? Couldn't she enjoy the day for some more time. Why should she bring them into her alternate life in this new city anyway? Her father's face pops up again in the middle of her thoughts. Why did he always support her when she wanted to move to this new city?  It is always his fault. She thinks how her mother will shout at father for supporting her move to the new city. She suddenly decides then that it is time to tell the parents about Siva and see where this whole thing will go. She reaches for her mobile, but decides to do it in a much quieter place.

With a determined step she starts walking and almost bumps into a guy who had stopped in his tracks. A little girl pops out next to him with a great laugh and she hears her muttering away - "You have to tell your parents". It is the same girl. She realizes that the little girl has been telling this statement to every other person she takes a fancy too. The weight lifts off her shoulder, she regains the earlier jump in her step. She forgets about her parents. She thinks a bit about the guy who stopped in his track earlier. She wants to go and comfort him that the little girl is probably crazy; but leaves him to his thoughts.

Another secret remains hidden, for now, waiting to fly away.