Merchants Of Smiles

I have always been an outright person. Never kept anything to myself, never thought before speaking and expressed every feeling right at its inception. But think of people who are not that outright, who do not and most of the times cannot express what they feel. For a person like me, that’s the most painful situation to be in.

Sometimes its fear, sometimes it’s the sense of futility, and sometimes it’s the basic nature of the person. Whatever the reason, not expressing what one feels, is always difficult. It becomes all the more difficult if you want someone to know what you feel. It is then that it becomes painful as well. It is painful when your heart cries and the eyes have to stay silent. It is painful when tears go dry. It is painful when you know you have an option to end the pain, but you know you won’t take it. They say silence is gold. I have a question. Is gold painful as well?

Someday if you find your friend acting weird, chances are he is trying his best to look happy, which most of you would know, is not an easy thing to do. But sometimes, what is harder is to share with your loved ones things that are preventing you from actually being happy. I know I’m being redundant here, but can you imagine the trauma that one goes through at not being able to express that single emotion that he desperately wants to get out of his system, at having to carry the weight of his sorrow alone. At that point of time, he is the loneliest person on planet, even if surrounded by a crowd of friends. I know most of you would understand, for most of us have been through this at least once in our lives.

It is said that it takes a lot of courage to speak out what one feels, to express. But I feel it takes a lot more courage not to, a lot of strength not to, and not to forget, a lot of talent to feign an emotion contrary to what one feels. That’s because that single emotion holds the potential to destroy the person, if not expressed, to ruin his life. But people have to take this risk, sometimes by choice and sometimes because they have none. And this requires courage, the courage to face the pain and say, “I am stronger.”

Today, I salute this courage. I salute the people who live through this agony and survive. They are the martyrs in the never ending war of emotions. They are the bearers of the world’s pain. They are the merchants of smiles with souls wet with tears. Today, I salute every person who has ever held back a tear, who has ever kept something to oneself, who has ever feigned a smile. Today, I salute every person who has ever felt and never expressed.