[Photo Post] The Lock In My Heart

Up there in the cloudy tip of Penang Hill, which you can reach after a visually stunning inclined train ride, you get to a point where you find hundreds of 'Love Locks' on an iron grill. Inspired by many different locations around the world, I guess they started this in Penang Hill not too long ago, judging by the number of locks. Lovers write their initials on padlocks, and lock it in the grill and throw away the key, hoping their love would be locked forever. Although the concept seems nothing more than a sham to me, I was still having fun looking through all those different initials and names painted on the locks with bright colors. But I wasn't looking just randomly, rather I was searching for a very specific message, and I was hopeful I would find it, at least one. And I did find just one, but it was enough for me. Because it spoke my words.

Penang Hill, Penang, Malaysia.

It has happened to me so many times, that I'm travelling in the most spectacular of the waterfalls, the most gorgeous vistas, the majestic mountains, the sparkling cities, and all of a sudden the face of a loved one from my family would flash before my eyes. It can be the caring yet reserved smile of my Dad, or the boundless love in the face of my Mom, the anticipation in the eyes of my Sister-Friend. But worst of 'em all, it's the innocent smile of my nephew Zubair, a smile that has nothing but joy, that is purely love which is untouched by the corruption of the world. And my mind develops a face of my nephew smiling, yet there is a longing in his eyes that begs for me to come back from abroad and play with him. Not to forget the younger one, who can laugh and melt my heart in an instant.

And for that second or two, the mountains around me shrink down, the blue sky turns pale, the ocean stops gleaming, the cities look glum, the waterfall looses its flow. As that moment passes away and I'm back enjoying my time, the feeling that stays on is that of longing, and the thought of 'If only they were here with me now'. And there is a twisting, turning pain deep within the heart that doesn't go away. I guess that's the pain of the 'Love Lock', punched through the flesh and never to let go.

So when I found this lock, out of all the others with the initials of the so-called sweetheats, I felt happy, that at least someone thought about his or her family at this place. So, to whoever wrote this, May Allah bless your family and mine and everyone else's. I wish the pain from the lock in my heart always stays there. Because it reminds me that there are people who have their rights over my heart, who wait for me, think of me, worry for me.

I wish the key of that lock is lost forever.

[First posted May 10, 2014 on Google+]