Shadow

 Four year old Reena was playing in the huge lawns of her sprawling big bunglow in Allahabad. It was May, and one of the hottest summers . The neatly manicured garden was bejeweled with flowers, Marigold, Roses, Champa, Mogra, Parijaat, with a nice cool fountain adorning the lawns as a centerpiece. Ramu, the gardener, was painstakingly working in the garden, while Reena was chattering away loudly and happily with her friend.

“Reena, it’s time for lunch, come on in, don’t play in the hot sun”, called out Maya, her mother, a very successful and busy Doctor , too busy to devote some  time to Reena on weekdays and sometimes  even on weekends too. “Your father will be here any moment to fetch you”, she said. Maya and Ramesh, an environmental architect, were separated for a year now, after a rough divorce. Needless to say, the entire process had left little Reena scarred. She was slowly returning to her normal cheerful self, chattering and laughing, but all alone- or so the world thought.

“Who are you talking with Reena”, said Maya, as she came out in the garden to take her.

“Miljas, my friend”, came the innocent reply. “But where is she? I can’t see her”, said Maya.

“ Look Mumma, how can’t you see her,” she said pointing to her shadow. She follows me everywhere I go and listens to everything I say. She even tries to copy me”, said Reena with an innocent laugh. “But as soon as I go back inside the house, she just disappears and I get lonely again, she goes home in the evenings too and I have to contend myself playing with Aaya Aunty and I hate it. Why can’t Miljas stay with me forever,” cried out the little four year old. “But she’s your shadow”, Maya tried to explain to her.

Gradually, little Reena grew up and understood the concept of Shadows, but yet , Miljas, her shadow, remained her best friend. She would happily skip and dance with her, chatter and laugh with her and share all her loneliness with the shadow Miljas. She was branded as a dreamer in school, someone who talked to herself and was advised psychotherapy by her teachers and Principal. Despite all the efforts made by Maya, Reena still had a strong bond with her shadow, Miljas, although  gradually she  became very popular in her class and had made several friends.

Slowly, over the years, Reena too grew up to be a confident young lady and a beautiful model and won the much coveted Miss India crown.

“To what or whom  do you owe your success”, she was once asked in an interview ?

“I owe my success to my best friend, my shadow, Miljas”, boldly replied Reena. “She never ever left my back when I was a child, she always heard me out without being judgemental, she was a witness to all my sorrows, joys, happiness and heard out all my dreams. Even today, I feel confident when I see my shadow, Miljas lurking around in the background, it’s important to have someone you can share your world with, even though it’s a make believe friend, like your shadow, without being overwhelmed by what the world will say about it.”