As I traverse through the three and a half decades of my existence, I grapple with the transient nature of human connections. It is a reality that eludes romanticism or poetic grace. To those who have traversed my life’s path and those yet to do so: My love is yours. My longing, unending. Should you ever yearn for a return to me, you shall find the rear entrance unlocked.
In the world of cinema, it is not the musical accompaniment that entices the audience, yet it remains an indispensable element in enriching our visual and emotional experience at the theatre. So too, in life, are the myriad souls who subtly enhance our existence, though they may not occupy the limelight. The Careem cabbie suffusing your commute with good cheer. The office attendant who grasps the precise alchemy for your tea and coffee. The building maintenance expert who diligently rectifies an issue that has been gnawing at you. The familiar autorickshaw driver gifting you a hometown mango without embarrassment. The pediatrician offering a lolly pop to your toddler son after a checkup. The pharmacist who devotes extra moments to elucidate a doctor’s prescription with tenderness. In life, as in film, we focus on the stars – our lovers, family, friends. Yet the uncredited multitudes, whose names we neglect as we leave the theater, collectively create the movie’s essence. So too in our lives. Yet, it is those unsung heroes, whose names blur into the background as we exit the theater of life, that contribute to the wholeness of our life’s narrative. Think about it for a while.