An epoch

“Chill, just chill”, I said to myself. The words I always use to calm myself down, whenever I am in tension. But the words hardly had any effect on me; I could still feel my heart pumping hard. An unknown fear was engulfing me. I repeated the words, forcing my brain to take over my heart. I looked around to see the people waiting in the airport lounge, and tried hard to relax. My obedient brain began to look for some logic to convince my poor heart not to panic.

All of a sudden, I heard my brain,

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? You are travelling all alone for the last 3 years, had been to new places alone, met new people, dealt with your problems boldly all by yourself; then? What’s making you so tensed? ”

“I know, I know… but it was India, my own place, I knew the people there, my parents were just a call away” mumbled my timid heart.

“You are not going out of the world dear, and don’t they have phone in the US?” my brain said with a smirk.

“Yes but it’s too far, I couldn’t take a day or two off and visit my home whenever I would feel like; I don’t even know when I am going to meet my parents and sisters next” said my upset heart.

“Com’on, grow up now! You are no more a child. Look all the people sitting around are going abroad, but no one seems to be shaky or morose like you.”

“Hmm… each one has a different story and mine is leading to an uncertain future, can you deny that?”…my heart defended.

“Everyone’s future is uncertain; you never know what’s there in store for you, and that’s the reason you are sitting in the airport now and waiting for your flight to the US.”

My heart kept mum for a while, and then slowly said “I think you are right. But still I’m a bit skeptical. I could only see a big ‘?’(question mark) in front of my eyes.”

“That’s better in fact,” my brain grinned…”You know. Unless you see a question mark (‘?’), you would not go for the answers, would you? And that makes life interesting. New questions will always come up and you have to find their answers to know your life and grow in your life.”

“Ok ok enough, han! I got it.”

“That’s good... Hey! Listen to the announcement for boarding.”

“Oh, yes. I have to go. Thanks, but your words couldn’t help me much. ” said my fast beating heart as I got up from my chair. My brain felt aggrieved.

I picked my hand luggage and proceeded towards the queue to board the plane.

I took my window seat. I was the only person sitting in my row. I edgily watched the other passengers boarding. A bit of sadness was invading my heart along with tension and fear, making my heart restive.

Suddenly I heard a loud scold, “Stop being coward, enough of it!! Now be confident and have courage. Look outside.”

My heart remained silent. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and looked out of the small window.

“Oh it’s awesome!!” the words came out of me.

The sky was tinged with red and orange. The sun was rising. I took out my camera-mobile enchanted by the beauty and clicked; captured the first sunrise of the new chapter of my life. The soft rays of the rising sun soothed me, a tear rolled down my eyes, my heart found solace.

The plane took off.