The Other Side

I’m restless. I’ve been in this world for so long that it’s starting to feel dull. But today I’m restless. Silently edging around the darkness, I try to peek into the ‘other side’. I’ve heard so much about it, about how light penetrates even into the densest of corners there, about how everything is bright, shiny and colorful. But I’m used to the darkness now. Floating around like a ghost across the empty hallways and walking around unseen in the backdrop of these other happy souls.

I’m restless. I take a step forward again, this time toeing the line between the darkness and ‘the other side’. Resisting the temptation to jump forward, I first look around. It all seems refreshingly.. normal. I wonder what that would feel like. To be standing there, to be floating around in the sunshine and be normal. But something always pulls me back. Familiarity? Comfort? I decide that where I am right now isn’t that bad after all.

I’m restless. I pace around the empty hallways wondering what I could do to calm the storm in my heart. The chaos in my mind has reached a peak. The lights are starting to flicker in rhythm to the thoughts rushing in and out of my head.

I’m restless. The glass walls seem to be closing in, I can see my pale ghostly reflection as they reflect the light from the ‘other side’. I sit across it and stare at the ‘other side’. I stare for so long that at one point the glass doesn’t seem to exist, there seem to be no divide, no two sides. It’s as if I can put my hand through and it would face no resistance.

Who defines these things anyway? The darkness and the light. What is supposedly normal and what isn’t. That you need to fear the unknown.

Enough peeking. I decide that I wasn’t going to give in to the fear. I shatter the glass and set fire to the walls. I light up the hallway. I light up the walls. Standing in the darkness, I face the light and I let it wash all over me and shine in my heart.

There is no other side. There’s just you.

Trousers: Vajor | Tshirt: Marks & Spencers | Shrug, shoes: Koovs.com | Necklace: Accessorize

Conceptualization & Styling: Chandana Munipalle

Photography: Divya Medikonda

Location: Hyderabad Social

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