#05. Scarlet Scars Thus Speak

Advertising has evolved into something more profound. Remember the two half circles that gracefully matched up to form the Doordarshan logo? Much like our lives – two circles, perhaps many more, weaving together to create that one magnificent circle, engulfing all the experiences we carry within us.

Picture a child playing in the mud, returning home with dirt-stained clothes, tiptoeing quietly to the washing machine and slipping that little t-shirt into the drum already brimming with garments. Finally emerges a whitewashed piece of clothing – "Daag acche hai na?" (Stains are good, right?) Stains can be whitewashed, scrubbed away until they vanish, but scars? Scars leave an indelible mark not just upon the skin but deep within the soul. And yet, scars are good. If not for those scars, who would we truly be? If not for the scars, where would we find that treasure chest brimming with experiences?

We believe in things, even knowing they may not hold truth. We believe this would last 'forever.' Forever is a fancy word reserved for fairy tales where Rapunzel waits patiently and her prince eventually arrives. We wait like Hachiko, the Akita Dog with unwavering hope that his master Mr. Ueno will return. But where are the scars? Do you see mine? Do I see yours? We camouflage them beneath countless variations of smiles and laughter. It was that invisible scar that appeared when we walked with that dear friend till the turning point, and when we finally turned around – whoosh! They were gone. The friend had vanished. Later, the mind contemplates endlessly – was it even real? What truly happened? The mind, you see, remains ever practical, but the soul harbours that heart – forever young, forever dreaming. (Dil to baccha hai ji – excuse me, I refuse to grow up, it declares!)

The soul understands deeply that the scars were good. They delivered piercing, unforgettable pain, but the scars were good. If not for these scars, how would we ever truly meet ourselves? How would we ever become who we are meant to be? How would we look back with tender smiles and relish each precious moment that we lived, lived without a single regret? It was us then! This is us now!

A drum overflowing with hope and clouds. Clouds pregnant with hope and pain. Pain interwoven with smiles and laughter. Laughter bursting with Zindagi! Life itself, in all its messy glory...

So, won't you agree – "Daag acche hai na?"

The scars, my friend, not just the stains!

(Pic.)  Scars :)