Luck by chance
" I am the bad luck of the team. I will resign from the post. You guys carry on...", Ruth said. A minute of silence prevailed in the room.
Ashwathi broke the silence and said, " What is this non sensical luck you are talking about? Get back to your senses and see what could be done next, Ruth. And others as well."
Ashwathi and Ruth stayed back in the room looking at each other's faces in despair.
They had been practising for this inter college cultural competition for months and the news that their choreography has been stolen by the girls team of St. Augusten's college has left the team, especially the captain Ruth, and Vice captain Ashwathi devastated.
Ruth composed herself and said," You please motivate the girls and keep a look on opponent teams as well. All I wish for is to give a decent performance on stage without getting shamed..."
"It's the matter of prestige for Teresa's. I can't believe that my misfortune is following to places and affecting the entire team too..!", Ruth continued with a sly, broken tone.
Ashwathi was visibly pissed off by Ruth's complaints about her bad luck. She looked like she wanted to argue but stopped, because she was too tired of her usual bad luck drama.
Ashwathi suddenly appeared to be in thoughts. She then started, "Listen Ruth, I am really sick of your misfortune drama. There is nothing as such. If you think and believe something with all your heart, the universe will conspire and make your wish true. I don't know if you will believe this, but I want you to try for this one time..."
"Ruth, I just have two requests for you. One, believe that, we are going to win the competition and believe it with all your heart. Two, never ever complain about your luck and demotivate the team till the competition is over. Okay?"
"Hmm...okay", Ruth's voice was as feeble as it could be.
She then walked out of the room pondering about what Ashwathi had told. She decided that she will try.
She stopped right there, closed her eyes and thought about winning the competition and only that. Soon, the surroundings vanished in her thoughts, the other minuscule voices, noises and disturbances faded out. All she knew was that she will receive the trophy after the competition.
Everything felt so light and positive for Ruth, from the moment she opened her eyes. She appeared confident with a smile that is infectious. As she kept walking, she found a leaf on the staircase, that was in the shape of a heart. She took it and admired it for a second.
She then, moved forward.
The next minute, she noticed heart shaped hangings on the window of a room. It looked beautiful. Ruth, visibly stunned, took a picture of it.
She asked herself if they were signs of the universe that it is conspiring in favour of her prayers. She hoped it to be true, though the thought appeared silly for her a moment.
The signs of the universe as in Ruth's imagination, continued the whole day. Ruth felt more than being called astonished and surreal.
The evening when the team was getting ready for their performance, Ashwathi was really elated to see the change in behaviour of Ruth.
It was time for their performance. The anchor announced the name of St. Teresa's college of Arts and science. Ruth could feel nothing else than peace. It is not silence. Peace. Peace that felt like an enormity of nothing yet so contagious and pulling by force.
On the outside, she looked like she was an audience. She cheered for the team, word and applauded.
When the performance was over was when, Ruth's sailing on the peace voyage halted. A mysterious and spiritual glow occupied her face and radiated towards every direction she looked.
Ruth had almost forgotten about winning the competition and trophy now. She felt like the event was over on her mind and the trophy is in her hands.
Only when Ashwathi physically shook her and shouted amongst the other voices to go and collect the trophy, she realised the truth and rushed to the stage.
When she stepped down the stage, all that Ruth could feel was a giant wave of gratitude towards every element of the universe that helped her. She smiled at the thought that she doesn't even know what those elements are.
She came near Ashwathi and whispered, "Thank you."
A thank you, so loud, that the entire universe heard.
-Srinidhi Hariharan
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