EXTERNAL BEAUTY IS AN ILLUSION

                         EXTERNAL BEAUTY IS AN ILLUSION                          

Anu was a model and a college-going girl whose beauty was the talk of the town. She excelled in splendour and knowledge.  Her attractiveness gained her a lot of modelling contracts. As a result, she made a lot of money during her college days. Many were crazy about her. Among all the boys was Rahul, who was her biggest fan. He studied in the same college, and they were friends. He loved her a lot. He always expressed it to tell her. She was also fascinated by him, and his speech especially won her heart. He was zestful and exuberant. Days passed, and their meetings increased. Rahul would always claim that he loved her a lot. Anu believed him blindly.

After a year, they graduated from college. They used to meet when they had free time. Meanwhile, Anu's parents got an accurate proposal for their daughter. They were enthralled. Sunny was a well-behaved, honest boy who ran his own business. Though not very handsome to look at, he was very modest. His honesty and humble behavior influenced her parents.  They wanted Anu to meet him and to know him.  Initially, she refused, but when she was emotionally blackmailed, she agreed to meet him.

Anu and Sunny met at a mall and went for a cup of coffee. She was perplexed at her parent's choice.  She thought about how they could choose such an average-looking guy to be her partner for life. She felt arrogant that the whole world was behind her and her parents wanted such an average-looking fellow for her. Sunny was unbelievably soft-spoken and showed chivalry to Anu. He showed a lot of chivalry. His good manners and conduct with her forced her to remain silent and not say anything about Rahul. But she certainly did not like him. They met a few more times because of Anu's parent's force.  Though sunny impressed her through his behavior, her heart was hooked with Rahul. She respected him but never loved him. Sunny had started loving Anu a lot.

Anu thought about it a lot. She realized that sunny was in love with her. She did not want to play with him. So, she humbly told him that she was interested in another boy. She loved him even before she met him. Sunny was broken-hearted, but he said that he would be trying to persuade his love. He asked her to consider him if she changed her mind. Anu smiled and said, "Certainly, yes."

For a few days, Anu and Rahul would secretly meet with each other.  She told her parents that she did not like sunny and had a soft corner for another boy. They were reluctant about Rahul, but when Anu was stubborn, they were silent. Days passed swiftly.  After a few days, Anu fell severely sick as she had a stomach infection and had severe pain. She was admitted to the hospital.  Since the case was profoundly serious, she was admitted to the hospital for several days. The medicine's side effects and the pain she underwent during the operation showed up on her face. Her face had numerous pimples popping out. There were dark circles under her eyes. The beautiful and elegant Anu started changing. Beauty and money are not guaranteed entities and can slip from a person's hand at any time. Since she had been advised for bed rest, she was at home for an exceptionally long time.

As she was physically inactive, she started growing fat. She lost her mesmerizing figure. Rahul initially used to come to meet her in the hospital.  But after a few visits, he stopped coming. Anu grew overly concerned. Whereas sunny regularly came to meet her. He encouraged her to lead a healthy life, cracked jokes, and made her happy. He used to tell her all the things which would fill her with optimism. She used to cry a lot to see how much she had changed.  Her face had a lot of marks on them. A lot of boils. She would think of ways to hide them. She decided to become thin by dieting and exercising.

Her first wish, after she got well, was to meet Rahul.  She wanted to know why he did not come to meet her. She was amazed.  She called him and said that she wanted to meet him. He made reasons to avoid her. But when she called him continuously, he agreed to meet her. When they met, Anu's first question was what was brewing in his mind. He said that he was busy with hunting jobs and went on beating around the bush. She was stunned at his behavior.  Unable to understand, she frankly asked him whether there was someone else in his life. He asked her to meet him the next day, in a restaurant, and he would answer all her questions. She agreed. The next day she went anxiously. With great enthusiasm, she went in but was surprised to see Rahul with another girl. Her name was Rita. She was astonishingly beautiful.  He introduced Anu to Rita and said that she was his fiancée.  Anu was taken aback and stared at him with shock.  He said that he was blown at Rita's beauty and could not think of anyone to be his life partner but her. Anu smiled and said that he had the same opinion about her. He said that times had changed now, and she looked very ordinary.  She deserved somebody else. Anu was deeply hurt. Each word of Rahul slapped her tight.  She said that it was the punishment from God for being critical about sunny. She wept in repentance. 

The next few days were the worse days of her life. Every day she wept and cursed herself for being rude to sunny and for loving Rahul. She thought that this was the punishment for troubling her parents. Her parents could not see her suffer like that. They were also suffering along with her. Therefore, they called Sunny and told him the entire scenario. He was very understanding.  He told them to rest assured. He would say to them that he would take care of Anu and try to win her heart.  Every day he met Anu. He told her that it was OK to love a good face. It was the first thing we humans saw in each other. Indeed, good looks attract people around. He said that her beauty had attracted him, but he also loved her for her pure heart. He slowly and steadily won her heart. Very soon, they were married. Anu loved and respected sunny the most. For her, Sunny was the most handsome person in and out after the marriage. She obeyed and led a joyful and contented life.

On the other hand, Rahul also married Rita. Every day was a celebration for them for a few days. But Rita was a short-tempered and nagging girl and always fought with him over insignificant things. She insulted him publicly.  Just after a few days of marriage, Rahul started getting fed up with his marriage.  He could not bear her. He preferred external beauty over internal and reaped the fruit of it.

What we sow, so we reap.

External beauty is an illusion. It is like a mirage.  If one believes only in it and ignores the inner beauty, they will repent for their folly. External beauty fades off, but internal beauty stays forever. Internal beauty is like a light in the darkest place. Beauty is an illusion, but a beautiful heart and sharp brain always win the heart. It brings in optimism and makes life worth living. It keeps shining to give direction and warmth to everybody around. Always make a fair decision in life and never follow a beautiful myth. Though Anu had lost her external beauty, she was still beautiful in ways eyes could not see.

# *WRITING COMPETITION*

NOOR TABASSUM