“Good evening Aisling. You are looking gorgeous tonight. I have two questions for you. Do you have dream or dreams, Aisling? If yes,  do you have the vision to achieve those dreams?” asked the famous Hollywood superstar in his equally famous baritone, after clearing his throat.

Aisling smiled as she heard her favourite voice on earth. It was a fangirl moment for her but she had no time to lose in the self-indulgence of awestruck jubilation of being questioned by her childhood heartthrob. It was the crucial, last stepping stone for achieving her dream, a dream that would help her change many lives, bring a ray of hope and colours to the palate of many.

Aisling was well aware of the reality that she was not the only one there who deserved to win. Four other equally competent and beautiful souls were competing for their dreams to become a reality. It was the last round of the Miss World contest. The contest already had caught the world in rapt attention as it boasted of inclusivity. It was the most opportune time for Aisling to prove that she was a beauty with a brain and a person with a vision not just for self but for humanity.

She had yearned and waited for this moment for many years from now. For she was a dreamer who believed that she had what it takes to make the dreams come true. She took the mike in her hand confidently and glanced towards the superstar with her charismatic, characteristic smile.

“Very good evening Sir, esteemed judges and lovely audience here”.

Her youthful, mellifluous voice was greeted with impromptu applause from the audience that had rooted for her right from the beginning of the contest. There was an outpour of support for her on every social media. She had caught the fancy of the world by her talent, special abilities and congenial behaviour apart from her chiselled features. She bowed her head graciously to accept the support and continued…

“Thank you for your compliment Sir. Now to answer your question… I have a ‘dream’ in my name itself. Aisling means ‘golden dream’ in the Irish language. I had always carried a special dream with me. I have seen it with my eyes open and shut. Both. My dream is to make this world visible to all those who are deprived of the gift of sight. I wish everyone gets the privilege to see the wonders of the world, the beauty therein. And for this dream to come true I need a platform to appeal to the people, bring more awareness about it and raise funds for furthering the research that would enable it. What better platform than this Miss World, I could ask for”

There was a thunderous round of applause this time, one that would put the thunder on a stormy day to shame. For Aisling was a special person challenged with almost no sight, right from birth. At the age of nine, she had received the gift of vision in one eye when a benevolent donor had donated the eyes. Her indomitable spirit, coupled with support from her parents had helped her climb the ladder of success with brian and brawn. She was training to be a neuroscientist, as it was her idea to contribute to the cause of bringing light to the lives that are walled by the darkness. She wished to dedicate every breath of her life, every drop of her blood to the cause. It was her beauty this time that could be put to use to further the noble, pertinent cause and hence there she was at the pageant that boasted of inclusion.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no doubt. For that to happen, the beholder must have a sight”, she reflected as she sat in front of the mirror with the coveted crown adorning her gracious persona, as she re-lived the final moments of the pageant while contemplating the opportunities that she now had to make her dream come true as the new Miss World, to walk ahead on her road of vision, an empowered vision!


Image by Daniel Hannah from Pixabay

Dear reader, I take this opportunity to appeal to you to pledge for organ donation. There isn’t any gift precious than bringing life to the lives of deserving.

Categories: FictionShort Story

5 Comments

Pradeep · May 21, 2021 at 11:22 am

Wow! A nice feel-good story. Hope Aisling is able to inspire countless people for the noble cause.

Neepa Gudhaka · May 21, 2021 at 11:29 am

Really really impressed ..
The suspense opens up later n all of it makes perfect sense n one can feel d depth of it all..
Beauty with a really heartfelt purpose..
Once again..good going Anagha dear..

Meha · May 22, 2021 at 1:40 pm

Beautiful story Anagha ❤️ hope you are doing well.

Bio Personalizada · February 18, 2024 at 11:00 pm

Your blog is a gratitude voyage, navigating the seas of life with a compass of appreciation. Thank you for the enriching journey!

NFC Tecnológico · February 18, 2024 at 11:58 pm

“Your posts are the constellation of motivation and gratitude that lights up our nights. Thank you for the sparkling stars in the vast sky of inspiration!”

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