Slow and steady wins the race, says the world to conceal the flaws of its own. After all, it's rigorous to accept a being without perfection, isn't it?

Lilah, a typical high achiever lived with her conflicting ideas about the world, in the very same world itself. She raised questions on every law hither or thither. Looking for answers that never existed.

She had a pet rabbit, mettle whom she applauded often. Of how despite the stain of failure and procrastination that symbolised his clan now, he lived in all his eminence. Associated with moon deities and signified rebirth or resurrection of hope and life.

She couldn't help but wonder, aren't we all the same rabbit who lost a not-so-crucial race from an apathetic tortoise?

Not all of us are always alert of the upcoming adversity, and it doesn't make us any less of a human. The scars we call flaws are actually engraved scribbles of the battles we fought. Won or not is not part of the context.

For how can one win over another, if every day they fight different battles?

Lilah was a quick-witted girl, she not only excelled in academics but sports. However, all good things must come to an end. For her, the farewell was bid when a pandemic disguised as doom knocked the world. Where some folks were bravely coping up with the wounds, she chose to find solace in the cracks and scoot away from reality.

The lockdown was announced for literally years, the cages ate up some, while others broke them apart only to burn into ashes. The igniting flames of the virus had mercy on none.

She fell behind in academics and became lethargic. Dullness overpowered her sparkle and she rusted with every vicious syllable that hit her.

After all the online technology fails to coordinate the emotional turmoils over long distances. Who is to blame, when the similar naivety is portrayed by the hearts beating across the room?

Quiescency can rebuke fervour guilts. Lack of anticipation about the marginalia of tomorrow is not just scary but frustrating too. It's hard to fathom one's forfeit, as it all gets dusted under the loads of sympathy and morals.

Nonetheless, it's said that the night gets darker when it's about to dawn. In the filthiest era of her age, she discovered something more pretentious to hold onto, herself.

She explored her own self, her interests and emotions. Her will and the hope to shine. She was the sunflower already before, now she just turned her back to the world to finally face the sun.

As the time passed she became an outcast in society for her conflicting ideas and desires. Now a sunflower can't fly like a dandelion, can it?

She met new people, had new experiences, and fought new battles. As if the world hit the reboot button, a sign for a fresh start.

She became an architect of her own life. From a silly attempt to find a cure for the pandemic to finally finding a group of friends she found solace with, things changed drastically for the good.

She looked at the world with a different perspective as if a sombre conspired her to interpret every misery and agony. Confronting the adversity of the world wasn't enough to knock her down and compromise.

The word itself wasn't in her dictionary she was an amateur harbinger of hope and joy. Unrestrained from every sob and setback that hit her way, she trampled down every fear that hindered her from herself.

Participating in new competitions, and pursuing new interests became the new normal. After all, not all changes are bad. They are just a significant part of life. As a serene cycle can be disrupting itself.

We humans are extraordinary creatures for an ordinary cause. To explore the beauty of simplicity in search of divine luxury. To live today to the fullest without doubt in the possibility of tomorrow. Focusing on the sanity of now can be peaceful to an extent no one could ever think of. Away from the degrees of good, better and best.

In fact, nothing is good or bad at all, it's the perspective and the time we hit across a certain turn. Which may or may not favour our journey keeping in mind the weather and safety.

Yet she stood firm through the storms, pebbles did hit her, and she got injured too, hence bled the tears of agony. Often an urge to give up crawled, but she shooed it away. For her plans for tomorrow demanded a lot more than some quintals of tears and sweat.

Just like that the clouds of caution dissolved into the infinity and the pandemic was declared to be over. The world went back to the square one, but her life was still stuck in the loop of the aftermath.

And unlike a fairytale, her chronicle didn't hit the pinnacle of a happy ending, yet.

She often finds herself muttering to her pet rabbit, "It's alright mettle, we'll live the life we ought to. And the world will bow in respect, even if it didn't our human spirit will guide us to such heights, that insects of setbacks will simply fail to follow our lead."

Mettle burps after his meal of carrot, oblivious to Lilah's words. Wondering if only his ancestors didn't sleep while a mere race and had won from the tortoise, how different the world would've been now?

Would they still be proud of his victory from a slow and steady? Or they'd have simply shrugged it off for being too obvious.

The whole fuss was made when something unusual occurred. Only to teach that you don't always need to run for life, a little effort every day can make a lot of a change. Of course, it's not an easy task at all, but the exaggeration since ages says the otherwise.

Nobody was interested in the challenges faced by the rabbit, they were only there to celebrate the triumph, be it whomsoever.

The rabbit might have been sleep-deprived or sick or maybe healthy as ever. But proving his victory to a fake world that didn't care at all was much to ask, and when he failed to offer that the history was rewritten.

The facts and analytics were shoved off into the back pockets of their pants, the only concern audible was "slow and steady wins the race."

The world intends to be controversial at times. At once it barks that time stops for none, live it to the fullest, and at the very other the velocity and the friction are ignored.

The velocity of motivation, hope and courage to wake up every day and live to be who you are, being deaf to the lullaby of the world's rule book. The hunger of motion for the betterment of today and tomorrow. An oblique reflection of your interest in the efforts.

The friction of insecurities, doubts and unease at lack of faith and support. The adversity one goes through emotionally, physically and mentally. The force required to escape the delusional idealism, the inability to furnish and be tamed. The echoes of the possessed claim of liability and inheritance of rage mistaken grief.

Nevertheless, it's not the end until it's the end. Every end is a new beginning somehow, and it's our courage and promise to self that outshines the pseudo-prestige of the world of false.

The only shimmer that exists is within our human spirit, which escorts us in the face of challenges, setbacks or adversity. After all, life would be too boring without spice, and we'll still have honey to wash away the sourness.

Lilah learnt that perfection was a mere illusion, one could never be desirable to every pupil. As they're themselves flawed in one way or another.

Now, she dreamt every day and worked to make it come true. She fought battles with courage and the insecurities which never left her stance. It was all part of the process, she knew it now.

At the end of the day, even if she failed. She didn't hesitate to cry and wash up those tears later. While her glossy eyes shined with a hope that maybe tomorrow it'd all work out and even if it didn't at least she lived to do what was designated by her destiny and will.

Diaphanous beings often fail to cherish the bucolic part of life. It's another part of being human after all, humanity comes with prices. Yet it guides the being out of troubles in its sylph.

Strength is all about how we stay strong and never give up, no matter what obstacles we face. It's about finding the courage and determination to keep going, even when things get tough. It's like having a fire inside that fuels us and helps us overcome any difficulties that come our way. It's about believing in ourselves and our ability to overcome any challenge. So, no matter what life throws at us, we can face it head-on and come out stronger on the other side.

And then Lilah and Mettle did live, a happy ever after.

© bhavya_sheisvintage