Sereneness

This is the story of meeting serenity in the most unlike of circumstances. Beauty drawn from within, incomparable to vanity though more attractive and flamboyant, the irony of life prevails.

Such is the existence of the human race.

Life by the mountain side, the luscious green as far as the eye can see, the sun’s rays sparkling through the thick green, as though ornamented by a diamond necklace from above, streams flowing down the mountain resembling tiny pieces of mirrors sparkling in the sun. Shack by the stream side, shadowed from the sun by the mountain line, dewdrops still resting on the shrubs and the  smell of dying coal keeping the shack warm, chimney puffing its last breath as the sun creeps out from behind the mountain, that  eternal source of heat.

The wooden planks beneath his feet creaked, the kettle whistled, the smell of coffee intoxicated his nostrils with the sense of a bright new morning. Stepping from the warmth of his shack into the gentle mist and wet grass, he longed for the presence of a living being to commune with, though he never lacked silent creatures for company. Their silence meaning more than a million empty words he'd heard in the metropolis, though never missing its vanity all he wished for was a companion whose presence would comfort the silence of mountains.

The roads crowded with people marching silently but steadily back after a day's work amidst the burden of travel in overcrowded buses of an ever growing but never ceasing economy was gruesome.

A lone one walked the dimmed streets careful not to trip on the unpaved paths of the cosmopolitan; she walked past the hustle and bustle concentrating on reaching the destination as soon as possible or used these days as ASAP. Lost in a world, imagination taken over with no significant human presence in an ever crowded society, moving unnoticed, loneliness lurked the inmost of her soul. 

Resting his eyes to the early morning light, thoughts wandered, the stillness of night left his soul, as the engine roars in the background for any machine his thoughts worked inwardly causing his soul to groan for reasons which his conscious mind had forgotten as time crept by. His thoughts faded into sleep, dreams took hold, driving amidst the hustle and bustle, hurrying towards the destination passing by faces which bore age greater than reality, silence and dullness prevailed but for the occasional loud noises that resounded in the background. Out the window the only scenery was that of ruins and occasional make shift shelters, nothing moved the stillness of mind, a large noise startled but still in control he tried to steer his heavy duty vehicle out of harm’s way one more noise and shards of glass were strewn all around, ‘red’ the color prevailed. Woken by gasps for air, sweat dropping off his brow, he stilled himself the way he was taught to and moved on with the rest of the day

Thoughts crammed her mind about him, that serene face she had seen but never forgotten that one time in the darkness of the street where she saw him dropping off a friend she wondered who that girl was, family or friend or was she something more than a friend. She didn’t know much but what she knew was the man possessed a certain sereneness which she longed for. A glance and his aura spread to everyone who met him, hair combed back, eyes perfect with stillness, strong jawed. 

260 kilometers from his safe nestle, the city life brought some kind of chaotic music back into his life. He roamed the city with little less of a map or a mind, neither the lotus temple nor the tomb of one of the Mughals enthralled him. Dawn turned noon, noon turned dusk and twilight prevailed and people slowly moved back into their own little dens. The lone walked swiftly, suddenly the swiftness turned into amazement as she saw the same aura once again, she saw him standing there with no clue as to where to turn to, still composed still serene, one would think a mind with such calmness is worth envy, but none would dare to think that still waters run deep. A strange urge captured her to go say, “what is the secret of your calm face?” he recognized her from few years back the same inquisitive curious eyes which met his on an evening like this with a million questions buzzing through her mind not knowing how to prioritize or ask them. Her eyes beamed with childlike charm which made him want to introduce himself.

On a road he’d hardly travelled, to a stranger in the midst of a million other strangers would a Hi count would a name make a difference or would it be just another scam? Eyes fixed on each other, passing each other by they could not but wonder if sereneness would bring life into the lonesome and the child like beam bring company to the grim.