20
The Loud Silence
Posted by Ramya Shankar
on
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
in
Fiction
She had always been the serene, non-troublesome, obedient and disciplined child that most parents wished for. She was all that everyone wanted her to be, not for herself, not for them, she never knew why. She was like a chameleon, disappearing into the background. Infact it took people a while to take in her presence while being in the same room as her.
The quiet child that she had been, nobody was able to point out with a precision as to when the silence had crept its way into her and rendered her mute. It had been a process in stealth. The surprising part was that the silence had never been accusing or intrusive. Neither had the silence been loud enough to acknowledge her presence. But the moment it arrived, it spread and consumed her.
Over years, the accusing silence blend itself into the surroundings and the physical presence was so meager that none realized when the eternal silence came. Much sooner than she anticipated. It all began and ended in an absolute zilch.
The quiet child that she had been, nobody was able to point out with a precision as to when the silence had crept its way into her and rendered her mute. It had been a process in stealth. The surprising part was that the silence had never been accusing or intrusive. Neither had the silence been loud enough to acknowledge her presence. But the moment it arrived, it spread and consumed her.
Over years, the accusing silence blend itself into the surroundings and the physical presence was so meager that none realized when the eternal silence came. Much sooner than she anticipated. It all began and ended in an absolute zilch.
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