Fake smiles...

She’s one of the cutest ones in my class. I’ve always wanted to be friends with her. We talk, we laugh, share messages once in a while but I’ll never say we’re friends. We’re class mates. She knows me and I know her. That is all. But I’ve always wanted to be friends with her…

Today the moment she entered the class, I knew there was something different. She wasn’t wearing her regular make up. The kajal, the lip stick and everything else she uses was all missing and yet she looked cuter than she usually did. She was happier I guess but that is just a guess and since we’re not that close, a guess is all I could do. Sometime later, her friends announced it was her birthday. We all sang and wished her.

After the classes are over I’m on my bike when I spot her walking by the road, talking to someone on her expensive Nokia N93. I pull over, hold my hand out and say, “Hey ‘X’! Happy birthday to you!”

Frankly, I can see she isn’t even interested. But she has no choice. She shakes my hand and gives a fake smile. But I like that smile. Though fake, it too is cute like her…


I like people who give fakes smiles. Particularly when those smiles are either cute, sweet or sexy. A smile says so many things. It is quite difficult to say all that animatedly and that too when you know that the person you are smiling at knows that your smile is fake. One has to be both while giving a fake smile, a good actor and above all, shameless.

Just imagine two opponent gamblers having high stakes against each other smiling. Smiling at each other while the game is just about to begin. Both know each others cards. They know the questions in each others minds and they know their answers. Yet they smile and wish best of luck to each other. They don’t ask each other any questions. They don’t say “I know your cards” to each other either. They just wish and they smile. It is a cunning smile and yet a friendly one. Their eyes say, “Just wait and watch how I slaughter you” but the muscles on the face and the lips say “May the best man win.”

Then after the game is over, after one has lost and the other one has won, they shake hands again and they smile. This is a different smile. The winner smiles thinking, “Son of a bitch! I’ve shown him his place finally. I guess I fell a little short of getting him on streets. No problem though, next time I’ll see to it that he sweeps my floor at home.” The loser smiles too. He says, “It was your day Johnny.” But he thinks, “Son of a bitch has cheated again. I must learn his trick of shuffling the cards though. He’s too good at it. I haven’t lost anything though. Just a small price for learning his tricks in the game.” And thus, they move on to meet again.

Johnny doesn’t stop either learning new tricks or cheating. Tommy doesn’t stop gambling either. No matter how badly Tommy has lost, he will play again. That’s both, his profession and passion. When he will walk on the street, people will point out and say, “Yeah! You see that loser? That is Tommy. Johnny fell short of getting him on the street the other day.”

Tommy will borrow more to gamble more, people will shoo him. Still, he will ask shamelessly. Smile at them when they abuse him. They will kick him and yet, he will smile. That will be a different smile. Foolish, sheepish. The one that says, “Yeah, say that. I’m used to that and I expect that.” Then eventually someone will lend him some money. Some day his tricks and all previous experience along with luck will favour him. He will start winning.

Then he will decide to take revenge from those who abused him. He won’t go and say that to them. One by one he will acquire their properties. Get them on streets. They will come to him and whine. They’ll ask for mercy. His eyes will say. “Oh! How I love to see you whine like that? You remember me when I used to whine like that in front of you? Who’s better at whining do you think? You or me?” but muscles on his face will just smile. His lips, if at all they say anything, they’ll say,”Oh! They did that to you? How cruel! How I wish I could help you. But I have nothing to do with this. I’m so sorry!” and he will smile.

All fake shameless smiles. Smiles that don’t mean what they say. But they are the smiles one must yearn for in life. They’re the most useful ones and they take years to cultivate. It takes defeats, wins and a lot of experience to cultivate a smile like that. So smile. Be shameless and move on.

The Happy Prince.