The Mask

At some point in life, one simply has to calm down. The world will always be full of noise, chaos, shouting and squabbling. But you, my friend, need to learn to sit still for a while.

Nothing worthwhile ever comes out of being agitated. In fact, more often than not, it ruins whatever might have been. On the other hand, if you remain calm, the person in front of you might feel a little intimidated. People don’t quite know what to make of someone who stays silent, so they tread carefully around them. Try to remain calm in everything you do.

Don’t think you don't have to perform at home. A house can be a battlefield too. Every marriage has its daily squabbles. It is a relentless contest for territory and control. Don’t believe me? That’s fine. Perhaps you’re one of the fortunate few who’ve found a soulmate in every sense of the word.

But for people like us, the daily-wage labourers of life, the mask is nothing short of a survival tool. A mask at the office, a mask at home, even a mask when we go to bed.

But who can you take the mask off for? Listen, I’ll tell you.

If you wear the mask all the time, you’ll suffocate. You must take it off, but do so with awareness. First and foremost, know this. Your mother is dearer than heaven. Never wear a mask in front of your mother. While she is alive, you truly have nothing to fear. There’s no one else left in the world who will hear your tears the way she does.

Don’t go crying to your father. That poor man has nothing left to give you. No one ever gave him anything either. Yes, your mother, that remarkable woman, drained him completely. You just never realised it.

There are, of course, a few friends. The ones from childhood. Even if you push them away a hundred times, they won’t leave you. Or if they do, they’ll come back. Because you need them. And they too are suffering, just like you. The only reason they haven’t said anything is shame. But there’s no place for shame between friends.

And who else can you take the mask off for? The person dearest to your heart. The one you wouldn’t hesitate to die for. The one who makes life worth living. Never, ever wear a mask in front of your child.

Let your child never see your mask. Not now, not in old age, not even in your final moments. Wearing a mask before your own child is a sin. Because in the boundless ocean of domestic life, your child is the hidden pearl inside the hardened shell of your heart.