Growing up  

By Ananya Sharma

I went for an evening walk with my grandmother last weekend. I longed to spend time with her alone. During the evening, there were many long pauses in our conversations.

We did some small talk but my mind wandered in many places. To tell the truth, I was worried without any worries, occupied with thoughts without any productive thinking, uneasy while at ease and troubled without any troubles.

I looked at the shadows of trees. The setting sun caught my eye. I saw a little boy walking just ahead of us. But no! he wasn’t just walking, rather he seemed to be bouncing as if he had spring in his step.

The long and energetic swing of his arms showed how much pleasure he took in that walk. His cheerfulness and ecstasy was radiant. His ear to ear grin was so infectious that it forced a smile on my face too. On a closer look, I noticed that he held a half-eaten ice-cream in his hand, it looked like the obvious cause of his happiness. He was there with his father.

I overheard them talking. The boy was telling his father about his day. He did not have any sensational occurrences to recite yet, the innocent description of his world amused me. I could not hear more of it because the thoughts in my head held me back.

I recalled my younger years when I didn’t need a reason to be happy. As a kid, I was always ready to encounter new life experiences with an unusual zeal. Most importantly, I carried a smile on my face at all times. I was chatty and expressive. But, as I am growing up, it seems that I am weighed down, exhausted and a little lost. I don’t know what has changed or when it changed…