It was love at first sight...
I was there to attend the Annual Staircases Convention. It is a grand event hosted by the World Staircases Organization and is presided by the holy staircase to heaven. And like every other staircase in the world it had always been my wish to attend the convention at least once...
I am a simple hardworking staircase of a little four storey building. Its an old fashioned building. There are no elevators. People, young and old, use me day in and day out. Its a bit of a step-wearing work. But I am happy. There is just one little problem. People rely on me for their daily ascent and descent. They are loyal to me. They appreciate me and I am thankful for that. But this means that I get no holidays whatsoever. Not that I am complaining. But this makes it difficult for me to attend such events like this annual convention of the Stairs-kind. A missing staircase in old-fashioned buildings like mine is not really hard to miss.
But this time around I was really lucky. The wing in which I reside was undergoing some major repair-work. Most of my human folks had been forced to go visit relatives or to go on long trips. And right around the time when the Annual Staircase Convention took place. Which left me with a once in a staircase-lifetime opportunity to visit the grand event...
At the entrance were two massive broad staircase guards - the type of staircases you come across in big libraries or institution buildings. They ushered me in, but blocked off a couple of escalators. "Sorry, only static-stairs allowed...", they told the unlucky escalators...
It was a huge gathering. The place was teeming with staircases of all shapes and sizes. Never have I ever seen so many staircases assembled in a single place. There was the majestic holy Stairway to the Heavens, its beautiful golden stairs ascending into the sky. There were the broad marble staircases you usually find in museums and libraries. There were the exotic curved staircase twins you find in bunglows and grand manors. There were the steep, thin but sturdy staircases that led up the towers of forts and castles. And there were the short but beautifully decorated staircases that one finds in temples and churches. And there were the tall handsome staircases that inhabit the modern highrise skyscrapers.
She was with one such handsome staircase. For the longest time I kept staring at her, mesmerized by her beauty. Her body was white marble. Her curves aesthetically graceful, her balustrade beautifully handcrafted... She was a sight to behold. The tall fellow was taking animatedly to her. I was suddenly very conscious of my drab worn-out looks and my short stature. And then she looked up at me and smiled. And everything else faded, became a blur... She excused herself of the tall handsome new staircase's company and shuffled over to where I stood.
She introduced herself as the Staircase from the Mall. I was a bit awkward at first. I am not really used to chatting up with the opposite gender. But after a while, we were so comfortable that it was like we had known each other for ages... We talked... And talked... And talked...
We shared a dance... It was beautiful. She was beautiful. Many tall handsome young fellows from brand new highrise towers asked her for a dance. But she declined. She just wanted to spend time with me.
All the while, I was ecstatic... My elation knew no bounds. My heart would not stop thumping. Was this how it felt to be in love?
She looked so happy. But there was something underneath. I could sense a sadness underneath her laughter and her bubbly exterior. But I could not get at its root.
Finally, as we sat in a secluded corner, away from all the hubbub, I asked her, "Why are you so sad?"
At first she would not tell. But finally she broke...
"Yes I am sad... I am sad because we will not be able to meet again..."
"Why do you say that?"
There were tears in her eyes...
"Do you love me?", I asked. She nodded... I sighed. "I love you too... I can't imagine my life with anyone else but you..."
"Neither can I, my dearest..." she confessed...
"I would like to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?"
At this she burst out in tears...
I did not know what to say...
"I know there is something that's troubling you... What is it? Tell me. I cannot see you unhappy like this..."
After a long silence, she finally spilled her heart out... "Do you know why I rejected all those tall young fellows? Do you know why I liked you? They are tall, handsome, young. But they have no goal in life. No one uses them. Because all those highrise buildings have elevators. People simply ignore these stairs, except to smoke... Look at their bodies full of soot... But you? You are full of life. Full of purpose. People use you. Up and down they walk on you. Everyday. They rely on you... There is purpose for all of us staircases, my sweetheart... And that purpose is fulfilled only when we help people ascend or descend. Only when they use us... I reside in a Mall... I am beautiful. They keep me clean and tidy. But nobody ever uses me. They all prefer those robots. The hideous metallic Escalators... So now do you know why I am so sad? Because I cannot ever fulfill my purpose in life... And even if I know that you will go to any lengths to make me happy, I will still not be happy. Not really. That resentment of unfulfilled purpose will always keep eating away at me. And so neither would I be really happy, nor would I be able to make you happy..."
Finally I understood... It was so sad... And there was nothing I could do to drive away her resentment...
We spent the rest of the evening in each others company, knowing well that we may never meet again...
And as the day drew to a close, we kissed each other and parted ways...
I remember her even today. How can I forget? She was, is and will be, the love of my life.
Some days, in those lonely afternoons or those cold nights, when there are no human folk to ascend or descend me, I remember her... For I still have hope...
And hence my only request to you dear reader, is that the next time you visit the mall, if you are able-bodied enough, please use the stairs. If enough of you use the staircase, maybe my beloved will feel contented. And happy. She will have served her purpose in life... And then maybe someday, we will be together again... I hope... I hope...
I was there to attend the Annual Staircases Convention. It is a grand event hosted by the World Staircases Organization and is presided by the holy staircase to heaven. And like every other staircase in the world it had always been my wish to attend the convention at least once...
I am a simple hardworking staircase of a little four storey building. Its an old fashioned building. There are no elevators. People, young and old, use me day in and day out. Its a bit of a step-wearing work. But I am happy. There is just one little problem. People rely on me for their daily ascent and descent. They are loyal to me. They appreciate me and I am thankful for that. But this means that I get no holidays whatsoever. Not that I am complaining. But this makes it difficult for me to attend such events like this annual convention of the Stairs-kind. A missing staircase in old-fashioned buildings like mine is not really hard to miss.
But this time around I was really lucky. The wing in which I reside was undergoing some major repair-work. Most of my human folks had been forced to go visit relatives or to go on long trips. And right around the time when the Annual Staircase Convention took place. Which left me with a once in a staircase-lifetime opportunity to visit the grand event...
At the entrance were two massive broad staircase guards - the type of staircases you come across in big libraries or institution buildings. They ushered me in, but blocked off a couple of escalators. "Sorry, only static-stairs allowed...", they told the unlucky escalators...
It was a huge gathering. The place was teeming with staircases of all shapes and sizes. Never have I ever seen so many staircases assembled in a single place. There was the majestic holy Stairway to the Heavens, its beautiful golden stairs ascending into the sky. There were the broad marble staircases you usually find in museums and libraries. There were the exotic curved staircase twins you find in bunglows and grand manors. There were the steep, thin but sturdy staircases that led up the towers of forts and castles. And there were the short but beautifully decorated staircases that one finds in temples and churches. And there were the tall handsome staircases that inhabit the modern highrise skyscrapers.
She was with one such handsome staircase. For the longest time I kept staring at her, mesmerized by her beauty. Her body was white marble. Her curves aesthetically graceful, her balustrade beautifully handcrafted... She was a sight to behold. The tall fellow was taking animatedly to her. I was suddenly very conscious of my drab worn-out looks and my short stature. And then she looked up at me and smiled. And everything else faded, became a blur... She excused herself of the tall handsome new staircase's company and shuffled over to where I stood.
She introduced herself as the Staircase from the Mall. I was a bit awkward at first. I am not really used to chatting up with the opposite gender. But after a while, we were so comfortable that it was like we had known each other for ages... We talked... And talked... And talked...
We shared a dance... It was beautiful. She was beautiful. Many tall handsome young fellows from brand new highrise towers asked her for a dance. But she declined. She just wanted to spend time with me.
All the while, I was ecstatic... My elation knew no bounds. My heart would not stop thumping. Was this how it felt to be in love?
She looked so happy. But there was something underneath. I could sense a sadness underneath her laughter and her bubbly exterior. But I could not get at its root.
Finally, as we sat in a secluded corner, away from all the hubbub, I asked her, "Why are you so sad?"
At first she would not tell. But finally she broke...
"Yes I am sad... I am sad because we will not be able to meet again..."
"Why do you say that?"
There were tears in her eyes...
"Do you love me?", I asked. She nodded... I sighed. "I love you too... I can't imagine my life with anyone else but you..."
"Neither can I, my dearest..." she confessed...
"I would like to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?"
At this she burst out in tears...
I did not know what to say...
"I know there is something that's troubling you... What is it? Tell me. I cannot see you unhappy like this..."
After a long silence, she finally spilled her heart out... "Do you know why I rejected all those tall young fellows? Do you know why I liked you? They are tall, handsome, young. But they have no goal in life. No one uses them. Because all those highrise buildings have elevators. People simply ignore these stairs, except to smoke... Look at their bodies full of soot... But you? You are full of life. Full of purpose. People use you. Up and down they walk on you. Everyday. They rely on you... There is purpose for all of us staircases, my sweetheart... And that purpose is fulfilled only when we help people ascend or descend. Only when they use us... I reside in a Mall... I am beautiful. They keep me clean and tidy. But nobody ever uses me. They all prefer those robots. The hideous metallic Escalators... So now do you know why I am so sad? Because I cannot ever fulfill my purpose in life... And even if I know that you will go to any lengths to make me happy, I will still not be happy. Not really. That resentment of unfulfilled purpose will always keep eating away at me. And so neither would I be really happy, nor would I be able to make you happy..."
Finally I understood... It was so sad... And there was nothing I could do to drive away her resentment...
We spent the rest of the evening in each others company, knowing well that we may never meet again...
And as the day drew to a close, we kissed each other and parted ways...
I remember her even today. How can I forget? She was, is and will be, the love of my life.
Some days, in those lonely afternoons or those cold nights, when there are no human folk to ascend or descend me, I remember her... For I still have hope...
And hence my only request to you dear reader, is that the next time you visit the mall, if you are able-bodied enough, please use the stairs. If enough of you use the staircase, maybe my beloved will feel contented. And happy. She will have served her purpose in life... And then maybe someday, we will be together again... I hope... I hope...
