A myriad of colours is all that is seen, hues of red and orange everywhere. A cluster of muted voices is all that could be heard, but that, in itself, arouses fear in my mind. For someone like me, who hasn’t had the opportunity to see, felt the joy in hearing, or even listening to others, or known of the wonderful tool called voice; sound and colour, are nothing but alien. Yet, I was able to sense it. Sense is an inherent part of everyone; it doesn’t require training or thought.

I knew it. Something was going to take over my precious, secluded, protected life. My life, protected until now from every force of evil, and nurtured in the most comfortable nook of the earth. Life so young, so naïve. Life, which was going to face the harsh light of day, and an unending cycle of misery, called the life of a human.

Why should I change, why should I leave? I do not wish to do so; I am comfortable where I am. I am blissful with ignorance; knowledge isn’t what I seek. I resist and abhor the process of change, for it isn’t meant for me. Laziness is a trait I pride myself in, I’m used to being fed and carried, servants called blood and serum serving me day and night. The thought of work seemed inherently alarming. What would I ever do without my very faithful servants?

And then, I begin to realise the change. Visually, I was seeing something I’d never seen in life. What else could you expect, from someone so used to darkness? Colour is alien to me, different in its very own self. Darkness was my life; I had lived within it all this time. Day and night were no different, as only one thing prevailed. Darkness. Not only that, I could feel something. Feel wetness and moisture. It was all alien. The feeling itself, was a sense which I hadn’t experienced, and it was new. I longed for more.

Sound emanated from somewhere around me, I didn’t know where. It was melodious, soothing, and at the same time, frightening. How was that produced? Who was producing it? Could I do the same?

And then, I realised I did want to know. As much as I loved ignorance, I couldn’t help, but question. Ponder over the mysteries of life, wonder at what I am. Questions without answers dominated, one by one. And I suddenly wanted to get out. I wanted to travel, explore, and sense what life meant. The safe haven which had protected me all this while suddenly seemed to be constricting, restricting my growth. It didn’t have any answers. And answers were what I sought.

And then, there was movement. Alien, yet again. I had never felt it, but it was something I longed to feel. I then seemed to try it, try moving, as I wanted to. More voices, more noise. More motion, more sense, more feeling. All different, but all a part of learning. Learning, the only thing I would ever do.

And then, I longed to scream, scream at all that I never knew of, and scream at all that which restricted me. There arose another sound, this time my very own. Sound from my body, or what I lived within. Without it, I would be nothing. Joyously I faced the harsh light, the light which I had been so afraid of, just moments before. For now, it seemed welcoming, enveloping me with warmth.

So there I was, at the beginning of a journey, a journey unknown, and the path untravelled. The only thing certain was an end, an end to this beginning. For everything did end, nothing was constant. Here ended my ignorance. One day, it would be life.