Enlightenment

Response to a prompt with the words 'I found a secret room'

I traipsed along in life without a care in the world. It was always about what's next, about thinking of the future, and not really about what was happening in the present. It’s not like I had any problems or major upheavals, but there was this constant feeling of being incomplete and something missing.

When I turned 40, my friends threw a big party, which was a rip-roaring affair. We celebrated like there was no tomorrow. The next morning, I woke up with a searing headache, and it was way past noon by the time I could function properly. I groggily made myself a cup of coffee, sat on my worn-out sofa, and gingerly sipped my brew, trying to figure out what to do with my life.

Finally, around four in the evening, I walked to the nearby temple where my parents had always gone. It’s not like I was religious, but it was a practice I did every year on my birthday.

Today seemed different. For one, the temple was empty save for the priest who knew our family for eons. He continued with his prayers and nodded imperceptibly when he saw me. I folded my hands and looked upon the gloriously decorated deity. A faint glow emanated from the sanctum sanctorum that I had never noticed before.

A sudden burst of lightness flooded me. I felt like a large weight was lifted from my head. Peace and contentment pervaded my senses. A part of me opened up that I didn’t know existed in me.

At that moment, I realized that I found a secret room.