Words
A word once scared me. Terror took over me every time I tried to utter the word. I felt anxious and nervous if I had to say it. I felt overwhelmed thinking about this word. In retrospect, I don’t think I was ever intimidated by the word. I was intimidated by the people who never missed an opportunity to make me feel small. I was afraid of people belittling me. "What if I say it wrong? What would they think about me? Will they think I am dumb?" I thought thrice before saying the word. I was endlessly thinking of alternate ways of resisting the use of the word rather than facing it. You might say that it was wrong of me. I should have faced this dilemma instead of averting it. I should have practiced. I shouldn't have run from my problems. The 17-year-old Vidushi agrees with you. But the 12-year-old Vidushi does not. Why would she? All the continuous nagging of people around her about being scared of a word. People made her the laughingstock of the group. "Vidushi, ...