A Matter Of Perception
Jitesh’s senses had stopped responding to the aroma of food.
It had been two days since he started having only salads and fruits as meals for the whole day. He wished he could say that he felt lighter and happier. Far from it. His existence had stopped mattering. Every morning, the dreadful aspect of dieting sucked up all the joy from his life.
But he had no other choice. Matters had reached an impasse.
Two days ago, he had seen himself in the mirror. Not just seen, but observed himself for what he had become. At 29 years of age, he was developing a beer-belly. His face had a flushed look. What had initially been a cute face, now looked as if it was threatening to explode. To summarize, all the junk food, the cold drinks and the app-delivery delicacies were finally taking a toll on him. It was then that he had decided to take stock of his food intake and reduce it.
“That is not a happy face.” Sharmita said as she sat opposite to him in the office canteen.
“You will never get to see me happy from now on.” Jitesh lamented. He looked at Sharmita as she took out her lunch box neatly divided into three sections – a little bit of salad, some rice and curry and some fruits. It was the same food that she brought every day. In fact, she followed a rigid routine for everything she did.
It helped with her autism.
Sometimes Jitesh wondered what she had seen in him. He was the only one she had latched on to since day one of her tenure in the office. She spoke to no one else. Their relationship was strictly professional and yet sometimes he got to see a vulnerable side of her that was both endearing and heartbreaking.
“You should do what makes you happy.” She said in her usual matter-of-fact tone.
“What made me happy, made me turn into this!” He said, waving his hand over his entire frame.
Sharmita looked at him in confusion. “I do not understand. It turned you into what, exactly?”
Jitesh shook his head. “A bulky frame, a beer belly… I am almost obese! Surely you can see that I have a long way to go when it comes to having a physique.”
“I only see a kind man who does not treat me differently like many do. I see someone who has a generous heart and is always ready to help people in need. I only see a good man when I look at you, Jitesh.”
He looked at her, his eyes filling up with a strange emotion.
“If you want to lose weight, do it for fitness and good health, not for physique or good looks. I think you are perfect the way you are.” She said, totally engrossed in eating.
Jitesh smiled. This precious girl!
Suddenly the salad and fruits looked much more appealing.
Author Note:
This narrative is based on the concluding sentence of Shashikala Gadepally’s entry for QuinTale 45. The link for the same is https://penmancy.com/nasty-bites
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