By Christina K Sangma
Nikita loved jokes and funny people. She enjoyed being around laughter and silly conversations, but she herself hardly ever laughed. Because of that, people often misunderstood her. Many thought she was rude or unfriendly, when in truth she was simply careful.
One evening at a social gathering, everyone was talking and enjoying themselves. Someone told a joke and the whole room burst into laughter. People leaned on each other, clapped their hands, and laughed loudly. Everyone laughed, except Nikita. She simply sat there quietly with a small smile.
A few people noticed.
How rude! Somebody whispered.
“She didn’t even laugh,” another said.
Nikita heard them, but she said nothing. They didn’t know the real reason.
Her parents did. Whenever people asked why Nikita never laughed, they would gently say, “Oh, she just doesn’t get the jokes.” They never scolded her or forced her to laugh. They simply protected her secret.
Because whenever Nikita laughed, she became invisible.
When she was a child, she laughed all the time. Her laugh was loud and joyful. But one day while playing in the park, another child told a silly joke. Nikita laughed so hard that suddenly, she disappeared.
At first the children thought it was a trick. But when they couldn’t see her anywhere, they became scared. Some ran away and others stared at the empty space where she had been standing.
A few moments later, Nikita slowly appeared again. But after that day, things changed. The other children looked at her strangely. Some were frightened, others whispered about her.
So, Nikita decided something important. She would stop laughing. Years passed, and she became very good at hiding her laughter.
One afternoon while crossing the road, Nikita accidentally bumped into a small girl.
“Oh! I’m so sorry,” Nikita said quickly. The little girl looked up and smiled. “It’s okay.”
Feeling bad, Nikita said, “How about I make it up to you with some ice cream?”
The girl agreed happily, and soon they were sitting together at a small ice cream shop. The little girl chatted about school, her favourite cartoons, and her dog who loved stealing socks.
Then she told a very funny story about how her dog once tried to bury an entire pizza in the garden. Before Nikita could stop herself, she laughed. And instantly, she vanished.
Nikita felt a rush of panic. She thought the girl would scream or run away. Slowly, as the laughter faded and she appeared again, Nikita nervously looked at her.
But the girl wasn’t scared. Her eyes were wide with amazement. “Wow!” she said. “You disappeared! That’s so cool!” Nikita blinked in surprise. “You’re not frightened? Why would I be?” the girl said. “It’s like magic!
For a moment, Nikita watched the girl laugh freely, without holding anything back. It reminded her of how she used to laugh when she was younger. Maybe there was nothing to be ashamed of.
And for the first time in many years, Nikita allowed herself to laugh again. Even if she disappeared for a moment, she realised something important: her laughter was still something beautiful.
