Smile (No, It won't kill you)

As long as I live and breathe, I will never forget that smile. Coal-dark skin, blazing under the sweltering sun, lanky matted hair, dirty feet, filthy hands and the most amazingly beautiful sparkling white pair of teeth under it all. It was a priceless gift that I had been awarded with after I gave her a mars bar lying in the recess of my bag. It was an ordinary day considering that I had bunked my classes again and decided to spend it on a favourite spot at Juhu beach, gazing at the serenity that bounced swiftly to and fro, from the blooming waves. I was the moon and the sea was the sun as it effortlessly reflected its calm understanding and placid beauty in my heart and soul. I sat there, on a rock, nursing my battered spirits, preparing myself for another onslaught by the fast and the furious that define Mumbai like the stars define midnight.

 A tiny pair of grimy hands interrupted my reverie as they tugged on the hem of my skirt, swaying with a plea for alms. I swiped my arms in a waving motion with the usual ‘Haath nahi laganeka’ as I saw her sorry face swarming with disappointment. Remembering the superfluous piece of comfort food that I had smuggled under my mother’s nose, I fumbled around in my bag and presented her with the chocolate bar. There it was. That smile. Brighter than the sun, the sea and the city put together. So sweet and so simple was the moment, that it etched itself in my memory forever. Her face transformed instantly as her eyes brightened and her face split into a broad grin, echoing with unconditional happiness and gratitude.

It made me wonder, have I ever been that happy? I’ve had more comfort and much more opportunities in life than she has or will ever have. Yet, I doubt if I have ever felt that way. It was then that I had an epiphany. We all can be just as happy, no matter how big or small the object of our joy is. We simply choose to be despondent and discontented. We choose to be pessimistic and unsatisfied. The reason for this stigma is probably the fact that being cynical and displeased is much easier than being happy, grateful and fulfilled in what you have and who you are. It’s the easy way out, which is probably the reason why most of us do it. We never consider each moment as something of an entity in itself but just as a passing figment of endless time. However, we forget that each of those ephemeral figments together form our entire existence. If even a single moment was skipped, who knows what would happen to the world as we know it?

Ask anyone who has ever been or is in love. They will talk about a phenomenon called ‘time standing still’. It’s not the time that stands still, but a momentary lapse in our eternal ignorance of how much each and every moment counts. Suddenly, time doesn’t exist anymore but just the beautiful existence of a feeling so exquisite that the moment in which it was felt is suddenly elevated from a fleeting scrap of incessant time to an entity of its own, to be remembered and cherished. Why can’t we revere every moment like that? Why not? Imagine if we choose to appreciate every moment like that.

So here it is: It’s completely your call. Take some time out today, to be you and to be happy being you. For all you know, your problems, your difficulties, the people around you, this entire world might be a figment of your own fertile imagination. Who knows? Do you? Might as well enjoy it.