Destination

Prakriti Shrestha

I put my right leg outside
The door of my house
To reach my destination
From the place where I was.

Usually, I didn’t go out;
Alone I remained at home
Because I had no confidence
To do so.

Uncomfortable felt I
When people looked at me;
I wondered-
‘Am I looking funny?’

To myself talked I
While walking along the road
To avoid laughs and
People’s gossip.

Eyes fixed on the ground,
A question I bore in mind:
Does it happen only with me?

I remembered
My father telling:
Carry on your own style, and
Don’t care about the world.

I took a deep breath, and
My head was up with my eyes
Looking straight forward;
A charming smile on my face;
I reached my destination.

(Prakriti Shrestha, 16, is an 11th Grader (Management) at Vishwa Adarsha Academy, Itahari, Sunsari.)