Monday, February 17, 2014

A Innocent Smile- Really?

Every since I clicked this picture (months ago), I have not been able to get this kid's smile from my head. I keep going to back to it on my computer and almost instantly, all the thoughts racing in my head come to a halt. I feel my cheek muscles involuntarily smile back at this kid. I wonder will I ever be able to smile like he is?


You see it all the time, be it from your loved ones or your close friends or your neighbor(whom you hardly talk to or even see) or your colleagues or just some stranger on the street, every day there is at least one if not many smiles that greet you. Most times, it is like a passing cloud, goes by unnoticed . At other times, when you can pause for a second and process that smile- the interpretation could be endless.

The Loved Ones- 
Well, I guess this is the easiest of them lot. You can bet your life that you know exactly what that smile meant. You know it has no hidden agenda, they give it to you because they care and love you. Unless you have been talking out of your line and they smile because they understand. That is a 'hold-on-son' or a 'take-your-time-dear' smile.

The Close Friend- 
This is a slightly more tricky lot but with the best intention for you. Often it is a 'good-going-mate' or a 'happy-for-you' kinda smile. But if you could take that second or two and watch closely, it could also mean 'are-you-sure-about-that-my-friend' or a 'I-know-you-will-comeback-to-me-crying-about-this-choice'. You can be assured though that he/she only means for your good.

The Neighbor-
Ahh! The only neighbor smiles I have got are those that meant 'awake-so-early-are-you' or 'these-crazy-bachelors-and-their-midnight-music' or 'do-they-ever-think-this-is-a-residential-place' or in worst cases 'the-guy-whose-house-smells'.

The Colleague- 
For obvious reasons, I would not comment on this one on a public forum <wink><wink>.

The Stranger- 
Well, now this is a gold mine. The interpretations are limitless. From the lady at the bus-stop with her 'oh-my-god-please-stop-starring' smile, to the random barber's 'do-you-ever-bathe', the auto-driver's 'jackpot-he-is-non-local' smirk, the restaurant waiter's 'this-lousy-tipper-again', the branded clothes shop attendant's 'aapke-pocket-ki-aukaat-mein-nahin-hein', the tailor's 'how-did-you-manage-to-tear-at-this-place', the pizza delivery guy's secret 'lift-nahi-hein-kya<angry smile>' (since, I live on the fourth floor), the second hand furniture guy's 'haha!-what-a-fool', your friend's 'dude-click-the-pic-man-my-cheeks-are-hurting'smile. The list can go on and on. 

Well, the best smile for me, apart from a loved one's smile, is the one that kid in the picture is sporting. An innocent one. He had no agenda folks. He smiled for the sake of smiling. And that is the rarest kind and I was lucky to get that. That is the kind of smile that would be infectious and will not let go of you until you give one back.
The next time you have been lucky enough to get a smile from someone- take a pause, smile back, and think. It can mean so much more.!!

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