I saw him today after so many years. He was standing behind the door and peeping silently, looking at me. That was a 10 year old child. He was trying his best not to let me know that he was there. How could this happen? After all he was a kid. I knew that he was standing there hiding and watching me. Maybe he doesn't want to come forward or is too shy to meet. I calculated his frequency of peeping. Accordingly, as soon as he peeped next time, I looked at him and indicated to come to me. At first he just hid back.
Photo credit: furisumeru on VisualHunt.comThen he realized that there is no use in hiding now because I have seen him. So, hesitantly, he came forward from behind the door and stood still there. I got up from the chair and reached out to him and extended my hand. His face was still the same. Quite innocent. Same cute face. Silent, innocent eyes looking at me. In the same way as when I had left that ten-year-old child years ago. Despite his refusal. He wanted me not to leave him and go. I thought that without leaving him, I would not be able to move forward in life.
Once I left him, I never looked back at him. I never even remembered him all these years. Reason being I got lost in my new life. And that kid? He was there when I left him, as I left him, and stayed there for all these years. His appearance, age, stature, everything has become standstill. Even after so many years, when I met him, he was exactly the same as I had left. "How are you?" I asked. "Okay" the kid replied with complete innocence. A small smile appeared on his innocent face.
"I won't ask you how you are." He said. "Because I know you are not well. Your current condition is telling that you are very sad from inside.Although looking from outside, no one will be able to guess this. You have made a lot of progress.You have got all that you have. Like the rich and special people of the city, but you have lost your happiness, your innocence, your ability, all within you. Perhaps you lost all this on the same day that you lost me, your 10-11 years of childhood. That was the time I had to say goodbye to my childhood for the last time." Both of us had tears in our eyes. We cried for hours holding each other's hands.
