Cinderella, A Character I Wish To Become
I do not clearly remember when I first read this story but it has stayed with me since childhood. I have carried it in some corner of my heart — well preserved, untouched, and unforgettable. I say I don't know why, but actually I do. Come to think of it, anything that touches us, affects us, makes us feel nostalgic, and somewhere carries something that we can truly and deeply relate to. It is, but, human, to feel ecstatic at the fact that someone else too feels about something exactly the way we do. Having said that, Cinderella’s story that I read, is what it is for me, because I have seen it come into action, too many times to ignore.
For the uninitiated, the story goes something like this: There lived a girl named Cinderella who lost her mother at a very young age. She lived with her step mother and step sisters who didn’t treat her well. They made her do all the household chores. She couldn’t rest for a while. But even after all this mistreatment by her step mother and step sister, she didn’t complain ever. She didn’t feel any sort of hatred for them as she believed that her kindness and patience would be rewarded. One day news spread all over the kingdom that the king and the queen have organized a ball party. Cinderella wanted to go as well but her wishes were ignored. The stepsisters asked her to stitch their gowns and help them get ready for the ball. They left without her. When they left Cinderella started crying and contemplating on her destiny. Then appeared a fairy in front of her, she told her not to cry as she will help her to go to the ball. She changed her dirty clothes into a beautiful gown, transformed a pumpkin into carriage and mice into horses. But before leaving she told Cinderella that she must come back before midnight as the magic would last only till that time. Cinderella entered the ball with all poise as if she belonged there. Everyone was spellbound by her beauty. The prince asked her to dance with him and she did. Every other girl in the party became envious of her. Soon she lost the track of the time and suddenly remembered the fair’s words. She immediately ran out of the palace leaving the prince confused. In hurry one of her slippers came off and she went without it. Once she reached home everything came back to its original form. The prince fell in love with the beautiful lady with whom he danced but he didn’t know her name but he had her slipper. He soon announced that the lady whose foot fits in that slipper will be the one he marries. He then goes to each and every house but in vain. Then he comes to Cinderella’s house, the stepsisters try to squeeze in their foot but fail. When its Cinderella turn to try the slipper her step mother tries to stop her but the prince asks her to put on the slipper and once she does it fits her perfectly. Finally the prince finds his love and marries her. And they lived happily ever after.
The character that I wish to become is that of the Cinderella of course. Being a firm believer of God I know that there is someone out there who’s looking after us as their own child and no matter how many hardships you come across ultimately you will overcome all of them and emerge as a winner of your own life. I do believe that no matter at what position you are right now, you are going to come up as a winner. Besides this another thought that got stuck in my mind is the way people try to put the other person down and humiliate them instead of encouraging them. People don’t empathize with others.
The way Cinderella stepmother and her sister treated her even after knowing that she lost her mother. The way people can’t accept our happiness and have to do something or the other that distresses us or worse, spoils the day. The way Cinderella’s step mother wouldn’t let her try on the slippers. Intentionally or unintentionally, we all, make someone unhappy with our words or actions quite often. I wonder why. There is a goodie-good person residing inside all of us that knows what might unnecessarily hit the other person adversely, yet, it doesn't care to think too much. We don't. I have had several experiences wherein even after knowing that I am going through a rough patch, people do tend to press all the wrong buttons deliberately and then they call themselves my friends. So even the people you think won’t ever hurt you do so knowingly. Why can’t we accept others happinessI appreciate straight-forwardness and honesty, one shouldn't lie. Fake compliments too should be avoided. But of late, I have started to think, how important criticism really is? Even honest criticism for that matter. If I don't look good someday, how important is it for someone to comment, "ye kya ban ke ayi hai?" or if I got a new dress that I am happy to be wearing, how wise is it for someone to play the spoiler by saying, "yahi mila tha kya?" OR say, a girl and a guy are in a supposedly serious relationship, and a happy one at that. They maybe poles apart from each other, but happy still.
We, as spectators, obviously don't know the deeper nuances of their relationship. The girl maybe very short-tempered and the guy, a wise man; the girl may be hurting the guy everyday 'coz of this and the guy maybe the sweetest she could ever get, who deals with her patiently, and so on. We wouldn't get to know such things as outsiders. Then what fun do we get in comparing them both, maybe looks-wise, and casually commenting, "the girl is way too good for the guy man. Just look at him!!" We may mean no harm, but is it fair? Is it wise? Say one of them heard such things being said behind their back, how'd it feel? Would they be left totally unaffected?
Maybe we could just let others be happy as they are and not poke our noses when not invited? Maybe we could keep our honesty at one side sometimes and not be outright critical/cynical about someone; it isn't that we don't commit sins greater than dishonesty anyway. Maybe we could avoid indulging in mankind's favorite activity of describing others' faults to them. 'Coz admit it or not, the good old philosophy of "being honest" has been misinterpreted by everyone as "being unnecessary critical". Maybe we could let a person be happy if he is, and not be what the stepmother and sisters were to Cinderella in this story. Happiness, after all, is easier to lose and difficult to gain.
