Freedom

It is difficult to say when it started. Lila won her first beauty
contest when she was six months old. Actually it was a baby show which
she topped. Whatever it may have been Lila grew to be a young girl who
was very conscious of her extraordinary looks. Everything about her was
amazing-her features, her height not to mention her rapunzel tresses.
Lila did whatever she could to enhance her beauty. She ate healthy
food, used a great beauty regimen and took prescribed exercises.
Naturally, as she turned eighteen she was the prettiest girl in her
country. From one sunrise to another she was busy with jobs that made
use of her immense beauty. During the day she was shooting for feature
films. The evenings were sometimes spent ramp-walking. All the time she
was required to look her best . For this she had to give up many things
that she loved in life-chocolates, ice cream and shopping for new
clothes. Yet she was plagued by the fear that one fine morning she
would wake up to find her precious looks all gone. Wherever she went
she asked the people whom she met how they kept looking like a million
bucks all the time. And they all said the same thing. Stick to a
balanced diet, take exercise, steer away from tension. It seemed to
work for them. Lila never believed anyone. Every morning she would
glance at herself in the mirror and announce, "You are not going to
look like this tomorrow." And all day long she would worry over
everything she did. She would say to herself, "The sunlight is too
harsh. The garment is too tight. The make-up is itchy". Not one day
passed when she did not shudder at how her looks might change the next
day. And yet with time Lila grew prettier and prettier. As more and
more people complimented her on her looks she grew wary of losing them.
Her fear had reached such levels that she now refused to leave home
because she thought that the moment she stepped out she would lose her
looks. So her family decided to go on picnic.
The entire family drove to the seaside at adjacent Diamond Harbour.
Lila had covered herself in dark clothes and was wearing dark glasses.
Her brothers started a game of cricket and requested her to join in.
But she was adamant. She came out of the car only for lunch and sat
under a tree eating her sandwiches. Once she was finished with the
sandwiches she wanted water. As she turned towards the car to fetch her
bottle of water she felt someone tugging at her garment. It was a
little boy. As she looked at him he pointed at a nearby tree in whose
shade an old woman was sitting. As if in a trance Lila followed the
boy. When they reached the tree the lady asked Lila to sit down. "I
know what you want my dear child. Take this necklace. As long as you
wear this necklace you will look just as you are today. But a day will
come when you will not need to wear this thing. When the person who
will love you not for your looks, not for selfish ends, but for what
you are from inside wears this necklace you will be freed. Thereafter
you will look as pretty as you are today as long as you live without
any necklace." Lila took the necklace from the woman and put it on.
Nothing seemed to change. She felt just as before. Lila was about to
thank the old lady and looked around for her. But neither the little
boy nor the lady were to be seen any more.
From the next day life changed for Lila. She was now sure that her
looks would never deteriorate. When she acted she felt she looked
great. When she modeled she was comfortable in the designer clothes.
Not for a moment did the thought cross her mind that her looks would
betray her. She was fully secure and safe in her chosen world. And she
never forgot the necklace. Everyone wanted to know about this new
ethnic jewellery that she was wearing but she refused to say anything.
Her colleagues thought it was a gift from her fianc?. Her fianc? on the
other hand thought that one of her colleagues had presented her with
the wooden necklace. But she told no one about it's secret. She got
married and had a daughter. But the necklace never came off. Over the
years she always looked young. It was as if she remained twenty-five
all her life. No one quite understood how she remained pretty. Some
said it was her diet. Some thought it was her beauty regimen while
others opined it was all the exercise she took. Lila did nothing to
preserve her looks other than the usual things. She went on to be a
screen goddess for nearly thirty years.
Lila was now forty-seven. Her daughter was twenty-six. Strangely enough
mother and daughter looked the same age. Lila was the proud grandmother
of Nila, her daughter's daughter. Nila loved her granny as dearly as
she could. To little Nila granny was just granny and nothing more. One
day Lila was taking her siesta and Nila was playing all around the
room. Suddenly Lila woke up with a start. As she gathered her wits
about her she found that her necklace was missing. She raced to the
mirror and found that she looked just as before. A smile appeared on
her face as she spotted Nila wearing the wooden necklace.
Lila the filmstar died the next day at dawn. On her lips was a smile of
peace and fulfillment.