The Old Monk And The New Girl [Short Story]

Have you ever faced a situation where waiting and having faith in the outcome was the best thing to do?

Have you ever faced a situation where waiting and having faith in the outcome was the best thing to do?

Mesmerized by the calmness and the radiance of an old monk sitting next to a perplexed young girl, I could not stop myself from being around that spot and listening to their conversation.

The girl, in a soft voice, “How is one supposed to act when life feels stagnant, when everything appears topsy-turvy, when nothing makes sense, when one wants to question the very existence of the creator?”

The monk, in a very firm voice, “You know the answer.”

The girl, with a surprise: “No, I do not think so.”

The monk, with a smile: “Okay, let me try to bring that out. What is an unfinished sculpture assumed to do when the sculptor is away to bring the chisel?”

The girl: “The unfinished sculpture should just wait.”

The monk: “What is a music composition supposed to do when the composer is working on the rhythm?”

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The girl: “The music composition should just watch.”

The monk: “What is a painting in progress expected to do while the artist is mixing different shades of colours?”

The girl: “The unfinished painting should have faith in the artist’s choice of colors.”

The monk whispered: “See, I knew, you know the answer.”

The girl, with a perplexed face: “But I do not understand how the unfinished sculpture, incomplete music composition and a half-done painting are related to my question.”

The monk with a calm face: “Okay, tell me why the unfinished sculpture, incomplete music composition and the half-done painting should wait, watch or have faith?”

The girl, with joy: “Because the sculptor, the music composer and the artist are the creators and it’s certain that they would like to bring out the best in their art.”

The monk: “For how long should the sculpture, the composition and the painting wait?”

The girl with confidence:

“Until, the sculptor finds the fine chisel to carve the best sculpture out of the stone.

Until, the musician is back with pleasant rhythm to suit the music.

Until, the artist makes a choice of the colors.”

Then, there was a big pause and the girl was just looking at the monk.

The monk, with a radiant smile on his calm face: “Just try to do what the sculpture, music composition and the painting do while their creators are away.”

The girl, confused than ever: “All these are inanimate things, these can wait for the finishing of the sculpture, watch the fine tuning and correct combination for the music composition or can display unlimited faith in the choice of colors but I just can’t as I have a life.

The monk with his pleasant smile, and even calmer face than the previous ones: “Your life is no less than a chiseled sculpture, fine tuned piece music or a colorful painting where your struggles and hardships are acting like a chisel, unexpected events are the ways to hit the perfect tuning, your varied emotions are the shades of different colours trying to fit in a beautiful painting”.

The monk, while preparing to leave, again whispered:

Just wait, watch, have faith and let yourself be the masterpiece of the sculptor, the ultimate composition of a musician and the brightest painting of an artist.

After listing to this explanation the girl had a calmness on her face, as if there were no more questions in her head.

Before the old Monk started walking, the girl was smiling and her face was reflecting the radiance of the monk as if she was, The New Girl!

Image of young woman waiting via Shutterstock

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About the Author

Dr Monika Sharma

A scientist by training and science administrator by profession. An enthusiast traveller by choice and amateur writer by passion. In between the two -just love to dance, swim, dream and practice optimism! read more...

6 Posts | 17,842 Views

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