THE BEAST IN A BOX

Once upon a time, there was a big box situated up a hill. It was a dark humongous box awkwardly placed above the lush green hill. Neighborhood people all believed a beast was captured inside the box long time ago. It was too dangerous to be allowed to roam around others. So nobody not even dared to go up the hill, forget about near the box. Soon, it became a taboo to go there. Parents taught children to not go near the hill. Stories started circulating about how vicious the beast was and how brave men fought to capture it inside the box up the hill. It became like an urban legend.


One fortunate day, in an unfortunate event a girl from a far off place, who just came to countryside to enjoy the serenity of the seas, lost her way. Wandering aimlessly, her path took her to a beautiful field with lush green grass and an array of exotic flowers. The air was filled with sweet aromas of the flower. Picturesque butterflies flew above them. Children ran through the fields playing , laughing under the warm rays of the sun. She walked through the fields. Her hands touching the soft flowers, as the grass under her feet felt like an expensive carpet. For this moment, she felt grateful she lost her way and found this beautiful place. As she walked further, a large hill started emerging. Close to the coast, elegantly rising through the green field. Clashing with the vigorous waves from one side. And above that hill, an unusual sight met with her eyes. A big black box was staring down at her, like it was calling her. It was so out of place from the whole scenery, that it peeked her curiosity. "Who and why someone took that box so up that hill?" She thought and her curiosity made her body pacing towards the unusual sight. Crossing arms, with eyes filled with an urge to find the story behind it, she reached the base of the hill. As soon as she took a step onto the slope, ready to scale the hill, a hand on her shoulder suddenly stopped her stride. "Hey young girl! Don't go up there!" She turns to find an older man looking at her with wide eyes. "Sorry… sorry. I am kinda lost and wandered till i reached here. Is there any place near where I can get some food?" She said bowing..feeling she might have trespassed by mistake onto this old man's field. "Oh… don't worry miss. Go straight down the path, you will find a village there. My wife runs a eatery there. She bakes the best bread." The old man's eyes lit up, with a broad welcoming smile. The smile comforted her to believe him. "By the way, is this your fields? What's that box doing up there?" The smile faded with her question, "Don't go up that hill miss, there's a beast in that box!"

The villagers welcomed her with open arms. They fed her, gave her a place to stay, and even gave her directions to how she can go to her original location. Not many people visited this small village, so everyone was very excited. She was so moved by the warmth  the people showed her , she decided to stay here for sometime. Everyday she visited the beautiful fields but never went up the hill. As per the villagers, a beast lived in that box, captured long ago. Everybody was scared to even scale the hill. "The beast has long claws and red eyes!...... I have seen that thing come out of the box at night, howling….. many brave men fought to capture that beast up that hill. The beast never sees the sun. It burns and kills the beast" The stories about the beast in the box were very vivid and scary. Every story made her a little bit more curious day by day. She believed them and never wanted to cause any trouble. Hence, she respected the wish of the villagers. She locked her curiosity in a box and threw it into the waves in the beach which slowly melted the sand away with them.

One night, she was taking a stroll around the village after dinner, when she saw a rabbit. As white as snow, sparkling under the moonlight, with eyes red as ruby, looking at her, as if calling her. As soon as she took a step towards it, it hopped away a little and then looked at her. "Am I seeing things? Or this rabbit wants me to follow?" Perplexed she went with her guts and followed the rabbit. The rabbit made her lock her eyes onto it and keep following into the moonlit night. And finally when the rabbit reached a slant path, she looked up, processing where she was. As her eyes roam around, she saw the hill, right in front of her, and the box, looking magnificent in the starry night. The rabbit jumped up to the path up the hill and looked back, as if calling her, to make a leap of faith like it. But how can she? How can she break the trust of the people of the village. They never said never to her, but for this one rule. The curiosity about this, she already abandoned. So she should respect the villagers and so she turned away. And that's when…… a sweet melody of guitar entered her ears.

The atmosphere changed…… the aroma of the flowers mixed with the cool breeze of the sea.  The stars above starts twinkling a little bit more, the moon shone a little bit more. The flowers started swaying with the melody of the guitar as if they started dancing. It looked like the song harmonized everything. Mesmerized by the atmosphere around her, she turned towards the hill. The rabbit still there, looking up the hill, touching it's whiskers. It glanced once at her and then hopped onto the path up the hill right towards the sound of the guitar. It was like magic, like someone pushed her to take the first step up the hill. After that it became easy going up…following the sound of the guitar. The sound became clearer and clearer, louder and louder. All her worries left her, she completely forgot the things everyone said. The only thing in her mind was who is making this song? As she reached the summit, she was shocked! There was a man, holding the guitar, facing the opposite side, sat facing the sea. Two white rabbits, sitting beside him, following his gaze. The moon shinning magnificently over them. Tulips, glazing under the night sky in a small garden around the box. From where she stood, she was unable to look at his face. The curiosity she threw away many days ago, came crashing into her. Like the waves crashing onto the foot of the hill. As the guy strummed through the guitar, a sudden crack breaks the moment. The girl looks down to find she stepped on a twig. The guitar stopped producing the melody, she clenched her eyes, how clumsy of her. The guy stands up, the rabbits disperse in a haste. The guy bends his neck, so only the side of the face was visible. The girl's eyes grew big, as a beautiful face emerged under the moonlight. Their eyes meet for a second, but felt like an eternity. In a swift move, the guy runs back into the box and closes the door. The girl stood there, perplexed by what happened right now. Her heart pounding, hard enough to start paining. Words wanted to come out, she wanted to say hi. She wanted to ask his name. But only thing she felt was a pounding heart. She turned back. Walking through the fields returned to her room, thinking about what she witnessed.

For next couple of days, the heart kept pounding, paining, as she kept thinking about that magical night. Was anything real? It felt like fantasy. It was too good to be true. Finally she decided, to uncover the mystery, for the sake of her heart. And as night ate the day off, she was ready, this time to be more careful. She reached the hill top even earlier than the sound of guitar started. It was a rather starless night, soo it was darker than most nights, like the gods were making them meet. She hid behind a rock and waited. With a thudding voice…. The door opened, and he comes out! Holding his guitar in one hand, and a watering can in the other. He first waters the tulips…. Then sits down on the velvety grass. As he starts strumming, the rabbits hop into the area from the darkness. Both white with beautiful red eyes. They sit close to his lap, listening to the melody, which starts to unifying the night again. The sound of his guitar starts soothing the turbulent waves, as they become quieter, the melody becomes louder. Her heart, which was paining, slowly calmed down, she  felt completed. From the back of the rock, she closes her eyes, and goes in a trance feeling each sound by each pluck of his finger. As the song cones to an end, she stands up, something in her changed. She felt comfortable with his presence, like she knew him from ages ago. She walks up-to him. As he packs the guitar, she musters up the courage and finally words come out of her voice, "Umm….Hi!" The guy froze, like a stone. He turns, shaking, only to find her. Her hands behind her back, her white gown flowing with the cool breeze, her face glowing, twinkling like a star. Their eyes again meet for a second, but this time she saw his full face. His big eyes, were shocked! His sharp jaw and small mouth made him look nothing like a beast but more like a prince. He again swiftly turns , and runs into the box. But this time, she had the all the courage she needed.

He locks the door as soon as he enters the box. It's pitch dark inside it. His heart beating faster than ever. Who is shy? Why is she here? Isn't she afraid of the stories? Will she tell everyone? A million questions flooded his brain. He strokes his dark hair off his eyes and slumps down with his back touching the door. As he starts to calm down… 'Knock knock!' he panics! "Hey mister, isn't it rude to bang the door on a girl's face? Not very chivalrous of you." A sweet voice from the outside came after the knock. It was too exhilarating for him… words were not his best feature. This door has not been knocked for a very long time. Also, no one addressed him while talking for a long time. He liked the way it was.  This new change was making him way too nervous. Beads of sweat start emerging onto his head. He holds the lock from the inside, trying to be sure if someone tried to break it from the outside. He doesn't want this, he doesn't want the attention. He wants the quite peace. If he replies, it will start a conversation, conversation make him anxious. So he waited for the storm to pass. He could feel her presence, still outside the door waiting for an answer. They both waited, for opposite things. After some time he hears her voice again, " OK you win today, But I am not good with losing. See you tomorrow, bye, the beast in the box." He can hear her chuckling as she moves away from the box.

For the next couple of weeks, every night, she went there, breaking his silent life. Banging on the door, every night, hoping this is the day when she will hear his first words. But every night, he kept silent. Like a statue, he ignored her. But one night, when she was thinking that this is it, she will stop this from the next day, "W….w….why?" A faint sound came from inside the box. Her heart, started pounding again…."Oh my god… so you can talk? I thought you might be unable to. What why?"  He replies from inside, " W…why you doing this to me? People make me anxious. You make me anxious. Please leave." He waits from the inside. But their is no reply this time. Was she waiting to hear my voice? Why did she give up all of a sudden? He presses his ear onto the door, trying to listen her footsteps. But he hears nothing. Is she gone? His mouth opens, "You there?" This even amazes himself…why did this came out of his mouth? And suddenly he hears laughter from the other side. "What… you ain't anxious anymore?" She chuckles as he strokes his hair clinching his eyes…. what has he done? He gave her more motivation for pestering him. "Think about what you did tonight. And I'll come tomorrow. I bet it's a long time for you too, to listen your own voice, bye!" As he hears her footsteps going away…he thinks…. it is actually true, he actually had forgotten how his voice was. "Bye" He says.

The next few days he waited for her, to come and hide behind the rock. Only then he started strumming. After that, they talked sitting opposite sides of the door. He told her, how he was always this anxious to talk to people. How it's uncomfortable for him to come out during the day when everyone could see him. How he is unable to look into people's eyes and hold a conversation. "Well you are holding the conversation pretty good with me." She chuckles. And after that for the very first time she hears a faint chuckling voice from inside. Her heart skipped a beat. The cool wind swept her off balance …" Ouch!" As soon as he hears this, his heart sank. His hands reflexively grabs the door knob, ready to open"Ww…wwhat happened? Are you OK?" She reassures him about what happened and starts laughing. "What you worried about me now?" He looks at his hands grabbing the door knob. He releases it, and thinks. What is this? Was I ready to go out for her? Was I ready to face her? He goes silent. "No…not at all. If you get hurt, people will say the beast in the box hurt you. I don't like the rumors already." He says holding his head. What is going on? Why do I care about her out of the blue? "Don't worry… wait for me tomorrow, I got a surprise for you.Bye." A surprise? What could it be?

The next night, after he finishes his melody, he stands up, ready to retreat into the box when…" Wait! Close your eyes." A sweet voice from behind stops him. His heart starts beating faster and faster. "Wha…what is it?" He asks. "Don't you trust me?" She says in a cheerful voice. And starts walking towards him. "No not all." He says closing his eyes, sensing her closing up on him. " Then why you standing here with closed eyes?" She whispers into his ears leaning from the back. Her breathe sends chills down his body. She is so close, he could hear her heartbeat, syncing with his. Then he feels something coming over his head. "What's this?" He opens his eyes. He find his familiar darkness surrounding him with two small spots from where he could see. "It's your box for when you are outside. Turn around try it." She says as she places a small box over his head with two holes from where he could see. He turns around and for the first time, looks at her without feeling anxious…without any fear. Her golden hair flowing, her eyes looking right through the box, into his eyes. Her smile stretched warming his heart. "Well it's not that bad." He chuckles. After this night, whenever they met, they talked sitting on the grass, close to each other. With his head inside the smaller box.

Both of them spent their days thinking about each other until they met in the night. High up on the hill, where they sat close to each other, along with the two rabbits. Within few days she stopped coming at night. "Why…is she gone? Did something happened? Did i made her uncomfortable?" Thoughts stormed through his mind. The guy who was anxious by even the thought of another person, was now anxiously waiting for her to come back. As few more days passed, it became intolerable for him. The box which felt warm for all of his life until now, felt chilly and unbearable. That's it. He was ready to take the next step.

The next day was eventful in the village. News spread like wildfire in the small village. A guy, with a box over his head is roaming around the village. The eatery's door gets plunged open. A gust of children laughter entered the small room followed by the man with the box over his head. He comes in, shakily closes the door as kids come banging on the door, to get a glance of the unusual man. He holds the door as tight as he could. So the pestering kids don't come in. Watching this the lady from the diner picks up the broom beside her and storms out the door. "Go away kids! Or you will get a good beating from me!" The kids disperse laughing and chattering. She comes in and with a warm comforting smile looks at the flustered man, exhausted by all the running. "Sorry, the kids might have caused you a lot of trouble. I don't blame them though. " She laughs and places a glass of water and turns the opposite side. "Drink it… I won't look."  He takes off the box and with one eye on the old lady, quenches his thirst, and swiftly wears his box again. "Th……thanks a lot mam." He says controlling his breathing finally. "I know who you looking for. She is at the second floor, second room. When she said someone with a box for a head would come any day soon, I thought she hit her head when she fell from the cliff that day." She laughs. "She fell from the cliff? When? How?" The voice from the box became shaky, tensed and wavering. "Don't worry son, she fractured her leg only. She is resting now. She will be perfect in a few weeks. Now go and meet her. You took a long time already making up your mind to meet her." She smiles, grabs his hands and pushes him, towards the stairs.

She was waiting in her room, looking out of the window from where the hill and the big box could be seen. Her leg, covered in white cast was supported with a pillow underneath. A faint sound started coming from outside the door. With every note of melody her smile kept growing. Pearls of tears started emerging from her eyes. She closes her eyes as the song continued. She remembers how an unfortunate turn she took brought her to this place and how she met this ….. beast in the box. How he made her life a fairy tale and how she helped him to break free. As she opens her eyes, she sees him, with the box over his eyes. He reaches for his pocket and takes out a marker. He opens the marker, and draws a smile on the box. She laughs with her heart melting with love. He then draws tears from the eye holes. " I missed you….umm… a lot." He chuckles and moves closer to her. She looks at him, through the box just like the first time. Smiles and extends her hand towards him and gestures to come closer. He leans forward.  She reaches the box and … 'knock knock' To his surprise, she knocks twice on the box. "Hey mister…. Isn't it rude to wear a box over your pretty face. Not very chivalrous of you." She laughs again as he gets the clue and starts laughing too. With a little hesitation, he removes the box from over his face and stares into her eyes. " For someone who couldn't look into others eyes…you staring into mine for quite some time." She strokes his hair back from his face. " For someone who hiked a hill every night to disturb me, aren't you pretty still today." He smirks and places a hand over her cast affectionately. His eyes gets moist, looking at her fractured leg. "I disturbed you too much didn't I?" She says as she cups his cheeks with her palm. "Maybe I wanted to be disturbed. Maybe I wanted someone to knock on my door. Maybe I wanted someone to help me. Thank you. Thanks a lot." He kisses her forehead and embraces her with a warm hug.

There are people, waiting patiently in a box. Thinking that the warmth of their box is what they only need. People often brand them as introverts. Thinking they should be left like they are, judging them, making rumors just because they are hard to reach. But they too have stories to tell, they too have experiences to share and a life to fill with happiness. The only thing they are waiting is a knock on their door. Someone who disturbs them, embraces who they are and don't force a change. Someone who lends them a ear. Soon, the so called, beast breaks the box and frees itself. Even a mere knock can break the age old box which traps them. So reach them with open hearts and open arms. Who knows, you might find someone pretty special.