Soft
Not a day goes by when Ria does not feel let down by her partner, one way or the other. She has now settled on buying time before deciding whether to leave him or stay.
“Don’t let emotions rule you today”—her head chides her, as she begins her day. The eyes, though, have that distant look that speaks her heart.
Not one to hurl abuses or retaliate, she fights a silent battle to be her authentic self—soft, gentle and kind. Her journal holds her pain. Her doodles portray her anguish.
Hatred and anger tap on her door every morning, but she shuts the door tight, not letting them in. On her bedside, lies a scribble, that acts as a constant reminder:
Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness.
This Flash Fiction was written for #FictionMonday, a blog hop hosted by Vinitha Dileep on her blog, ‘Reflections‘ based on the word prompt ‘Soft’.
It takes courage to be kind but first you need to be kind to yourself.
I am not sure if you got my comment earlier. I was saying “It does take a lot of courage to be kind and have a gentle heart in today’s ruthless world but is it worth it to stay on in an abusive relationship, and I lot of people do, but this is the part that I am pondering on “
True Esha it does take a lot of courage in today’s world to have a soft heart and be kind but I wonder if its worth it for people who ill treat you, isnt she doing greater harm to herself not walking out on a relationship that is abusive?
The hardest thing in the world. I really wonder how many people have truly hard hearts or they’ve just learned to put on a tough exterior to survive. I know I have! 🙂
That quote has my heart. One way or the other Ria will have to find peace for her own good. Nice to read a fiction from you.
Loved this Esha! Indeed takes a lot of courage to stay gentle and kind in a cruel world!
I keep reiterating this quote to myself on a daily basis. It is so true.
Its indeed very very tough to have softness in you when the world is harsh and cruel- what an interesting take on the prompt Esha – loved it!
That Katherine Henson quote is one of my favourites.
Such a beautiful heart but its tough to be like that for long time to be happy… I loved the quote…
What a beautiful piece! I am sure Ria with such a beautiful heart will find peace in her life. I loved that quote, Esha.
So happy to read your fiction this Monday morning. 🙂
Just like Shilpa said, the story feels like my own thoughts too. How I wish I could console Ria that if you have decided to stay, try clearing the hatred and anger. Life is a big pain living this way.
2 posts published in one day is worth an applause 🙂
These feel like my thoughts…my words..my story!
Welcome back, Esha! 😛