Tuesday 28 January 2014

The story of Yin and Yang

She would always get annoyed when he lectured on her immaturity. On most days she would approach him with an emotional problem, all hyper and excited and asking for advice, and he in turn would just ask her to be patient and calm. "You never give me a concrete advice, only tell me stupid philosophical stuff that solves nothing. What's the point of being calm when the problem is not solved in the end?" she would ask angrily. In response, he would say that the key to mental peace was to be able to handle a crisis calmly, angering her even more. 

Often, she would think how two people could be so much different. There she was- chatterbox and a social butterfly, excessively extrovert, hyperactive most of the time, and sensitive; while he was- practical with strong principles, a quiet listener, lazy, and completely at peace with everything around. She would wonder how he was capable of not reacting to situations, not getting angry, and could stay calm most of the time. During fights, she would throw the choicest of words at him, and he would listen without any argument or protest. After awhile of one-sided blood-boiling conversation, he would finally say "Do not get so angry, you'll get a headache otherwise". Often at that point, she would rush out of the door, contemplating murder and wondering if he was the biggest mistake of her life. Later at night, she would lay awake in bed and wonder how perfect life would have been if they hadn't been so dissimilar. 

Then one day, her wish was granted. She was complaining about something, when suddenly he turned to her and let out a loud grunt. With that, he started replying to her every complaint, pointing out her faults one by one. Dumbstruck and alarmed, she tried to put forth her claims but was silenced again and again. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and being unable to hide them, she ran inside. Later that night, she stayed up in bed with swollen eyes and thought how scary and emotionally draining counter-arguments were. "I need to have a proper talk with him in the morning", she decided before dozing off. 

The morning turned out to be no different from the day before. She tried to talk, but got no response from him. He uttered not a word, and quietly sipped tea. "Are you listening to me? Can we atleast have a sensible talk about the whole issue?" she asked. "I do not want to talk, please leave me alone", he flatly said without looking up. Like a bolt of lightning, it struck her then. "That's not him, that's how I am! I am the one who fights and gets angry. I am the one who shouts and screams, and later needs to be pacified. I am the one who gets agitated and starts complaining. I am the one who is immature and not capable of handling a problem peacefully. That's all me!" She stood there, stunned into silence by the realization, and prayed for him to be his old self again. Later that night, as she laid in bed with her head on his shoulders, she noticed for the first time how complete a picture the incompletenesses drew.




Yin and Yang. That's what they have been called ever since.

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