To: The Fearful People

Fear. 
This word has an ability to get you goose bumps. 

A lot of phobias are named after a number of fears (Just go and google phobia names and so long a list of phobias will be displayed that it’ll definitely make you feel that you are phobic - one or another.)

No, I’m not going to give detail of my phobias (and I don’t even think if I have one). While phobia is a long term persistent fear, I am going to talk about the scared-for-a-moment incidents.

Before starting, I must tell you that I love ‘booing' people (no matter how childish it may sound). If you read my blog consistently then you must have read a line or two about this habit of mine earlier as well. 

I have managed to frighten each and everyone in my house by booing them. I admit that it was difficult to get a squeak (out of fear) from mom and dad, but I finally succeeded after making repeated attempts.

I usually wake up late in the morning, consequently, I don’t fall asleep easily at night. So one day night (at around 12 AM or so) when my sibling went to prepare a feed for her toddler, I, out of boredom/desire, went towards her without making any noise with my footsteps, and booed her (as loud as it should be so that others sleeping in the side by room don’t get disturbed).

She screamed; dad took a turn and went back to his sleep. She confessed that she was already reciting prayers due to the fear of darkness/ghost hour to which I added another scare element, with my hair untied.

Another one of my siblings is such that even if she knows that I’m somewhere near her room and I boo her she would still get frightened. This is something which I find too strange to understand. Every time she would say, “Stop doing this! I was going to get a heart attack” which would make mom intervene asking me to stop doing this.

The other day, we were on a trip and everyone in the bus was sleeping (barring a few). I and my other friend decided to wake up the third one of us. Both of us screamed and the third one woke up abruptly, fearing what has happened so suddenly. After gaining her senses, she realised what was going on.

If you found the above incidents a bit childish, here are some other incidents which are related to fear in some or the other way.

There is this one friend of mine who is quite tall by the given standards for a regular girl (and not a model). Once she was passing a door, with a height of some 6⁺ foot, I out of worry asked her to bend down as she could have hurt her head by hitting something up there. She instantly bent down, after a few seconds she asked, “What was there?” I smiled widely saying “You are so tall, you could’ve hurt your head by banging it on the door.” Poor she, for she took my advice seriously and acted on it.


Advice reminds me of another incident. During school times there used to be a classmate of mine who wouldn’t dare to ask ‘anything’ from a teacher. Even if she has some doubt or going to a washroom, for that matter. 

Once I asked her that what it was which stops her from talking to the teacher. She said, "I don’t know. I, just, am too scared to be near them." I casually said, “Why be so scared? They are not going to hit you. And even if they do what more than that. Maximum to maximum one slap.”

I didn’t know that those words of mine stuck with her so much that now when I see her, I see a confident and vibrant girl in her. She even confessed that it was I who made her a little less fearful and more communicative.

Similarly, a fear runs in the hearts of the students when they hear that “The principal of the school is on the round.” But I wasn’t one of them. (Maybe because my dad used to teach in the same school, so the principal knew me and had once talked to me in a friendly manner.)

This principal-fear I can understand, but what I can’t understand how can one be so scared of one’s own parents. I have many cousins, who would run to their rooms the moment they get to know about their father’s presence; who would go all quiet in front of their parents; who can’t go an inch against (or even convince) their father. 

So, yes phobias are the extreme scenarios but even the littlest of the fears play their role. 
Be brave.