We are all strangers; unknown to each other. Even the closest of our friends and family have seen only parts of us. The hidden is beyond their reach. There are threads that bind people. These threads determine which part of a person’s soul is revealed to the other. To unravel a new part, a new thread has to be woven. Each thread is unique and special. It is the key to unlock a part of the person’s being. The individual may design duplicate keys and share them with other members of his acquaintance spectrum. But, no two keys are alike. And no one receives the same key. Human bonds are safeguarded by the strongest encryption, that no artificial algorithm in the world can decipher.
The parts of a human personality are often revealed in layers. The layer closest to us is the one that the thread of our bonding unlocks. Each of the outer layers protects a darker, inner sanctum. Some of these may remain hidden for a lifetime and merge with the ashes, when the soul beckons. A person behaving in a certain way at a certain moment is only responding to a stimulus. These are carefully curated responses, suited for the moment and the chosen audience. A predictable pattern of such responses reveals the shades of his/her personality. Knowing a person long enough to study all their response patterns is the only way to get a glimpse of his/her true character. Time is the currency here. If we value someone to the extent that we are willing to invest time to dive deep into their layers, windows may open for us; windows to select chambers of their self. These windows will remain open so long as we hold the precious keys to their heart. Trust is the fortress that is built to secure these keys, a fragile fortress that can be destroyed any time, by forces within or extraneous.
The parts of beings that interact in these mysterious transactions, are often unequal or disproportionate. One may reveal only a fraction of his/her hidden side, though the other person willingly offers a copious share. Every individual has this choice. Some choose to cover their layers with masks, bold and impenetrable. The perseverance of the other determines if these masks will be shed, torn apart or reinforced. People with severe scars sport their masks longer; till they find the healer.
When we talk about someone we know, we are highlighting the side of the individual that has been exposed to us, the part that we unlocked with our special key. Shades of this description might overlap with another’s portrayal of the same person. There may be striking contrasts too. This is by design. The quality of threads that bind us has a role to play in unraveling the mystic mind of the protagonist. A light, superficial thread may reveal only the outer most layer, which is more often than not, sunny and pleasant. Thicker threads cut deep. They bring out the darker shades from the layers deep within. If we are not ready for this reveal, it is better not to weave threads of the firmer kind. There is no room for experimentation. Human hearts are touched not by laboratories, but by labors of love; by silken threads of trust that entwine them and tug at their strings.
Piecing together all these part descriptions still does not produce the undivided whole. The picture it paints is deceptive. An individual cannot be construed as a sum of his/her multivariates. There are hidden elements that leave gaps in the puzzle. Some of these gaps are unknown even to the self. No description is accurate. This means, we are all approximations in the calculus of the universe, either rounded off or truncated. And the only way to know us, is to know as many parts of us as humanly possible, fully aware that the sum of parts is never equal to the whole.
