The Star (Flash Fiction)

She was envied by all the other stars for she was the most radiant among them all. She met the glances of her admirers with a rather tired look in her eyes. Beaming at her fans while they smiled at her; hiding behind cloudy curtains when certain facets about her life she was not supposed to reveal; being a role-model and infusing a sense of hope and solace in the darkest hours of the night for the “commoners” –  as she called them - she was bored of it all. 

The mysterious life she led was not really as glamorous as others imagined it to be – being a goldfish in a bowl had its price. Every step she walked, every action she did was noticed and talked about. In order to keep up with the changing trends of the industry, she was always having make-overs. She no longer recognized herself in the mirror – she looked different after every few days. On most days, she got it right and shone brightly before the world. There were a few goof-ups on some occasions and she had to retire to the darkest corners of her private world so that no one had any means of reaching her. Life wasn’t perfect but at least she was a “somebody”. Even in her wildest dreams, she could not imagine herself trading this life for any other. She looked down at all those beneath her. She was indeed a wonderful actor for no one could guess the ugly feelings she masked behind that angelic face. They continued to write verses and sing songs in praise of her even though they had to put up with her tantrums. She never appreciated anything. 

Blinded was she, to such an extent, by her own beauty, that she failed to see the ominous future that lay ahead. She kept walking with her head held high and nose in the air, not realizing that the number of people looking up at her was soon starting to dwindle. She was oblivious of the new star that was starting to rise from the other end of the horizon. Everyone now flocked over to this new star and looked forward to seeing him reach greater heights. His gaudy charm brought her fall. It was too late even to repent. The world had moved on. She no longer needed to hide herself behind that silver veil because it no longer mattered what she did. She cried as she realized that for every moon that boasts about the radiance it exudes from another source, there is a blazing sun in the sky to overshadow its glory...