live life with a smile
Move forward with a smile
Akash Malhotra was a 35-year-old software developer whose life was caught between morning traffic jams, office deadlines, and unfulfilled dreams at night. He always had a tired smile on his face, like a battery-operated robot. Wife Neha would often say, "Where did the sparkle in your eyes go?" Akash would reply, "The sparkle is stuck in paying bills." But one day, the doctor warned him—"Your blood pressure and stress level are dangerous. If not changed, there is a risk of heart attack." Akash realized for the first time that his life was like a blurred mirror in which he could not see his own face. That very evening, he told Neha, "Everything is going to change from tomorrow." Akash resigned. Neha was surprised, but Akash said, "Now I will do what makes me happy." He joined a small comedy class, where people were taught to laugh. On the first day, the teacher said, "Laughter should come from the heart, not just from the lips." Akash asked, "My heart has dried up." The teacher laughed, "Then give it water... with tears of laughter." In the same class, Akash met Radhika, a 60-year-old widow, who had come to fill her loneliness with laughter. Radhika said, "Son, I lost my husband, sent my son abroad... now this laughter is my companion." Akash thought—*Can grief and laughter really live together?* Akash started a "Laughter Therapy Walk". Every Sunday, he would go to the park and make people laugh for free. On the first day, only 5 people came. An old man said, "Son, there is pain hidden in your laughter." Akash replied, "Everyone has pain, but sharing laughter makes it lighter." Gradually, children, the elderly, and even people who were labeled as “mental” began to attend her sessions. One day, 12-year-old Rohit, who was suffering from depression, asked Akash, “Uncle, why do you keep laughing all the time?” Akash hugged him and said, “Because I am tired of crying.” Neha thought Akash’s journey was just a “phase.” One night, he said, “Your laughter will not let us fill our stomachs.” Akash replied, “You need bread to fill your stomach, but laughter to fill your heart.” The turning point came when a child in Neha’s school attempted suicide. He told Akash, “I don’t understand, how to handle this?” Akash took him to his session. There, Neha saw how a little girl, who had no legs, was making everyone laugh. That night, Neha told Akash, “You are right… laughter is the language that shares pain.”
