Just imagine how your life would be like when you think you are someone but in reality you are someone else. Radha's life didn't stopped with that. When she got settled with the thought that she is 'someone else'. Someone made her to feel like she w...
“Ma, can I go with Appa? To the temple? Please!!” Radha pleaded.
Liya looked at Ajith for a while and he is like “It’s ok”
“Ok, Radha,” liya said. “But remember my word,”
“Put on the sneakers, Radha,” Ajith said.
Radha thanked liya with a kiss and limped outside.
“We cannot keep her inside for a long time” Ajith said, looking at Liya.
“But when she walks in the road, it will make her uncomfortable.” Liya responded. “Why can’t you go in the bike,”
“She needs to face it, liya”
“I agree. But still..”
“It’ll be okay” Ajith consoled her.
"Pa, I’m ready” Radha shouted from outside.
“Yeah, I’m coming,”
Radha and Ajith walked for a while. Everything is cool. Nature is great. Wind is soothing their face and no hindrance so far. This is because, till now, they are walking in the streets. The main challenge is awaiting them in the main road. Ajith is ready to face anything.
“Radha, do you trust me?” Ajith said, tightening his grip.
“I do,”
They reached the main road. And the road is crowded with stores and people. This is the first time Radha is going out for a walk. And here comes the challenge. SYMPATHY!!. One of the toughest challenge that every differently abled people face every day. When they passed by the stationery shop, everyone stared at her with the eyes filled with sympathy and pity. It will be difficult to go unnoticed. It is not usual to see people like radha. So when we see them, we’ll feel sorry for them without even knowing. The thing about sympathy is, it can literally break a person when we show it those who don’t need it. This is what liya scared about. This is what Ajith is ready to face. And about Radha, she can feel something different but doesn’t know what it is. But Radha doesn’t react the way Ajith had expected. He is really happy about it. So what she did?. She smiled back at those who stared back at her.
Sympathy is totally different from kindness. Sympathy will make you cry but kindness will make others smile.
Ajith tried to distract her. “Do you like this, Radha?”.
She looked at those who are glaring at her. No, she doesn’t like that. It’s weird to her. She haven't felt like this in the school because everyone is of her age and they are not matured enough to notice the difference. But then she looked up. She loved the sky, she loved the walk, she loved the wind soothing her face.
So she nodded, “Yes”
“Which one?” Ajith asked.
Out of all, she loved the sky staring at her. “The sky” she said, pointing up.
In the meantime, they reached the temple. The stare continues. In addition to that comes the next challenge.
Some people will not leave with a stare. They will add a comment to it. “See, how cute she is, God must show some mercy” “How she is going to survive?” “God has no eyes” and some will come and ask “What happened?” And some will suggest some doctors. Radha is so obsessed with the place, so she couldn’t hear any of these things. But Ajith is obsessed with Radha, so he could hear each and every thing. That’s the worst part. You hear everything, but you must pretend like you didn’t. Ajith managed it well.
As soon as they went back home, the first question asked by Radha is, “Ma, why everyone is staring at me but not Appa?”. She asked it in a happy tone expecting something big in return.
Liya is stuck.
“It... happens to all of us, Radha,” liya blabbered.
“No, they are only staring at me, not Appa,” Radha demanded the answer.
“It’s because.....” Liya is searching for the words. Sweat dripping off her.
“It’s because you are our little princess” Ajith completed the sentence by picking her up from behind.
No, it does not satisfy Radha.
Ajith explained, “Do you remember Cinderella, the movie we watched together?”
Radha nodded.
“When she dressed up like Princess, everyone stared at her in awe,” Ajith said dramatically. “It’s because?”
“She is pretty,” Radha said, eyes wide open.
“Exactly!!, you are my pretty little princess” Ajith said, tossing her up in the air.
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Smile filled her face. Fear filled liya again. They cannot hide every time like this from her.
From that day on, Radha walked with pride as she doesn’t know it's a lie.
To be continued.... How long do you think they can hide it from her? And sorry for the late update.
