It was a windy evening. Unable to withstand the cold, the sun seemed to disappear at 4 pm 😉 As my day at work ended at 6:30 pm, I headed back to my apartment. “Berlin follows Indian Standard Time maybe! It must be midnight 12 now” I laughed seeing the pitch darkness at 7:30 pm. With 4.5 hours difference, it was right. 12 in India and 7:30 pm in Berlin seemed similar – February nights!
The apartment is in the city center but one from India would find it hard to believe. One could see very few people around and most shops were already closed. Flashing my key, I entered the access door. As I walked in the corridor, “chip chip chip” the sensor lights started powering on. This happens usually in every apartment here and was not new to me. “This is like in a thriller movie” I laughed to myself. I continued to my flat and entered. I just got back to routine, prepared dinner as I was listening to music. Settling with dinner, I saw the clock ticking 8:30 pm. Fetching some articles to read, I retired to bed.
I was reading the same line again and again and understood that my brain was not fresh anymore and needed a break. Listening to lullabies from Maestro Ilayaraja, I did not realize when I fell asleep. “Cluch cluch cluch” a strange sound woke me up in the middle of the night. I saw the curtains from my bedroom window flapping quickly. It was quite unusual. How could the curtains flap when there is no space for air to enter? There is no fan too! Everything in this room is still and how could this happen? I knew this was funny too. In about a minute, the sound stopped and I slept again. I heard the sound again and this time I saw the clock ticking 2 am. I was too lazy to pay attention to this and went back to sleep. I heard the sound for the third time and this time my mind was not in control. “What if it’s like in thriller movies that someone has entered? What if it’s like in horror movies that the house is haunted?” I asked myself. I spent about half an hour thinking what could this be. My wild imagination flew miles and miles. I started questioning again “How could the curtain flap when there is no inflow of air?” I saw that it was 3 am and then decided to approach the curtain to see what it is!
“Stupid me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I screamed!” – I came out of my shower and felt the heat in my bedroom as the heater was turned on to 5. To make the room colder I opened the window partially, the previous morning. In a hurry to get to work soon, I left the window open. I did not remember to close it after I came back from work too! “It was a windy evening” my mind reminded! “Why not a windy night? Why wouldn’t the curtain flap to the wind? Why did I spend 2-3 hours of disturbed sleep? Why didn’t I break my laziness the first time and shut the window? Why didn’t I break my imagination and approach the curtain? Stupid me! I wasted few hours of sleep!” – I told myself!
“It was 5 am already. I wasted 3 hours!”, while I told myself, my mind interrupted me. “Wait! Isn’t this a learning? Many a times don’t we waste time imagining something which is not real? Think about it” – my mind hinted.
How true is this! “What would happen if I failed my exams? What would happen if I lost in love? What would happen if I don’t get a job? What would happen if I don’t earn well? What would happen if my relationship broke? What would happen if I get laid off? What would happen if I don’t have kids? What would happen if my kids aren’t healthy? What would happen if I don’t have enough savings? What would happen if I get diseased? What would happen if I die?” – These “What woulds” in our minds kill us each day.
“I didn’t score enough marks and entering a normal Engineering college! Is my future gone?”
“My love is lost. No life without a love! How will I live?”
“I did not get a job in a good company. I am not earning enough. How will I run my family?”
“My stomach is aching. Is this cancer? Am I going to leave away my family and kids??” – Wildest imagination from our daily lives.
Are we living the moment? Are we daring enough to face life as it comes? Most of us imagine too much and fear creeps in. As fear creeps in, so does it’s family – depression, anxiety, and stress!
I just wasted 2-3 hours of sleep imagining about a little curtain. Many of us are wasting almost our entire lives thinking of the future. Reality is not as cruel as our imagination! What would be the worst outcome even if our imagination turns true? You’d die just one day! This is far better than dying everyday in fear. Fear is a penalty for imagination!
Pitch darkess at 5 am – I went out for a short walk to experience the reality of calmness of the streets and not the imagined haunted streets! The best night that taught me life! With a fresh mind, I started writing!
Is the curtain of imagination flapping? Walk to it to see the reality behind. You’d be surprised it’s not as evil as you imagined! Live your life peacefully.