Attachments…

“Attachments!!”

“What’s with them?” his friend asked. His eyes were very much focused onto the screen, fingers tapping the buttons in rapid fire.

“I might not wanna get so…emotionally attached anymore,” his tone was flat, with hints of absent-mindedness. He was also concentrating on the screen.

It is a newly released console game. It was rated highly for its state-of-the-art graphics and supposingly tantalising gameplay. They decided that they must not missed this new game. So they chose a day to hang out together and try it out. To see how good the game is.

So they did.

“Well, you’re bound to interact with people or some sort. You can’t escape from them…Wow!!” His friend was interrupted by his own dramatic shout. He had just lost a live.

Throwing the controller aside, he continued, “I mean, it’s unavoidable”. He now had to wait for his avatar to re-spawn. He continued to observe the screen, eyes on the re-spawn countdown timer. Every lost second caused him to itch more and more; he can’t wait to get started again.

“It’s just that being attached to people, emotionally, can be frustrating. Friends, I mean,” his friend was wearing a suspicious look. “Look, we all lead different life, each to our own aspirations, needs, and to fulfil our own purposes…DAMN!!”

Now it was his turn to be ejected from the game momentarily. He would also have to wait to re-spawn.

“Ha, just about time! I was hoping that we could team up and kick his ass again! Looks like the HERO’s gotta save the day,” taking up the controller, threw a smirk, his friend continued the onslaught, trying to take out as much enemy as possible before his partner returns.

“Even between you and I, though sharing so much in common, we don’t do things together all the time.Sometimes I want to do things together, but my friends won’t necessarily be there for me. Then I’ll get upset about all this. Attachments, disappointments.”

“What do you mean? Hey, you’re back in the game,” his friend tossed the controller towards him, continued the game saying,”You mean you don’t wanna hang out together anymore?”

“No, I’m just saying that people need their own spaces. And I don’t wanna always be the bad guy who trespass onto that space.”

“Did I do or say something that offended you?”

“No dumbass!! Well, apart from the fact that you’re in the lead now.”

At that moment, several seconds of genuine laughter erupted, taking away most of the tense, gloomy atmosphere in the room.

“So you don’t wanna expect too much from people huh??”

“Ha!! You’re dead again. Exactly,” taking up the baton from his unfortunate friend, he resumed his mission. His friend lied on his back, face sulking.

He continued, “The lower the expectations, the less harder you fall. I love being with my friends, but sometimes they just don’t need me to be there. I don’t want to ruin what’s there between us by being overly demanding. Crap!! This game is a waste of money!!”

The war zone image in the interface vanished. Instead, the words “GAME OVER” flashed on the screen, with images of blood and gore decorating it.

“You shouldn’t have hoped for too much…” His friend gave a sarcastic laugh. He gave no reply.

Throwing himself back onto the sofa, he stared through the glass roof into the starless night, sighing,

“You wouldn’t fall if you won’t climb. You won’t lost any if you never had them.”

“Then you are as good as dead,” he interjected.

“I probably am, the way things are now.”