He woke up to the sound of birds chirping, turning to the window, delighted to see a calming bright sky. Staring into the grey, he felt soothed by it. Clouds covered the entire sky, setting a veil, a blanket of introspection enveloping the Earth, barely letting the blue seep through. The whole world was what was right in front of him because everything else was consumed by the grey sky.
“Your day is like a spiral staircase.” “If you start positively, the rest will surely follow”, thinking that, he stepped out onto his sky-scraping balcony. He looked down at the tracks, the early risers. Some were stretching against railings, and some pretended to jog, barely moving their legs, only shaking their palms. In the dim light, he saw her muffled up, wearing tights; self-jogging. She blushed slightly as she sprinted forward, someone else was waiting for her, and she went away with him. The exchange of smiles between joggers passing by hurt his chest. Suddenly, everything did.
Young men walking around with buckets in their hands, the cars disliked being touched by others, remembering the random Sundays their owners came to wash them. Speed caught his attention, white-collared individuals on bikes were fully covered, heading into a battle of their offline lives. His gaze shifted to a puppy pulling a young boy by its leash, who was a little too weak to handle the energetic pet. He smiled but it disappeared almost immediately, as though it came up by fault.
His throat filled with angst, he took a breath, closed his eyes and opened them up, to the sky. The mighty kite wide-spread his wings, slowly patrolling the area, looking for some happy news he could report back to the heavens. The sky was silver, brimming with exposure, she created her own contrast with the dark clouds, who wanted to let it all out, cry, “just like me”, he thought to himself.
Birds flying in all directions, chaos, as the clouds opened up, gradient showers of rain descended from the sombre clouds. The wind altered his rhythm with the leaves and decided to stay still in the air, waiting to be one with the rain, wanting to hold the falling tears. The atmosphere turned to ice, nothing but one sound remained that morning, piercing raindrops hitting the broken, hard concrete and disappearing.
“A Melancholic Morning” is a poignant and evocative piece of writing that transports the reader into a world of introspection and emotional depth. Through vivid descriptions and powerful imagery, the author captures the somber atmosphere of the morning, painting a picture of solitude and longing. The contrast between the grey sky and the yearning for positivity creates a captivating narrative. The reader is left with a sense of empathy and a reminder of the beauty that can be found in melancholy.
A fantastic portrayal of a heart’s pessimistiveness and yearning, “A Melancholic Morning” by Rashmi Khotlande is a sharp detailed and refreshingly poignant take on the tug of war of emotions inside a heart forsaken by hope and is able to successfully evoke the much needed emotional connection between the reader and the author .
The story is one of hope , desire and angst. A story of a lookout for positivity in a world deprived of it. The author – delicate in the subject approach and attentive to the strings of feelings, successfully brings out the barest of emotions that nest within the protagonist’s mind and enthrall him. Highlighting the absence of the light hearted Hope in today’s world of work and stress, the story is able to give words to feelings indescribable and often unheard. The premise – cold, busy and familiar, is accurately weighed – resonating almost in rhythm with the thoughts of the reader. The descriptions hit home with their to the point display of a typical start to a day. The themes highlight through the words themselves and the words spill into feelings – binding emotions into thoughts. The whole take makes the reader wonder whether there is still hope somewhere lurking in the shadows waiting for the now cold humanity to find and embrace its warmth.
The author is able to build up a background that cradles the delicate heart of each reader and which, though simple, carries the profound weight of much needed emotions.
The story is mind opening. The message is clear . The setup is a prologue to the reality of many and the story a mirror of each.