between dream and reality

It’s inevitable to pose when looking at a mirror. If only slightly. Sucking the cheeks inward. An angled turn of the head to sharpen the jaw. A tilt of the torso at a precise thirty degree angle such that the outline is slimmed, carving us into a smoothed figure. We pantomime images of flawless bodies and outfits in the freedom of our rooms. Free from the public eye, we assume the role of private contortionist, mushing ourselves into desirable shapes — the unseen craftsmanship behind the mirror photo. Flickering faintly in our minds: This is how I must be. This is how they see me. This unconscious shuffling applies to things other than physical appearance. The act of building one's self-image occurs in a variety of ways, and in the same manner that we tilt and flex and squeeze ourselves in the mirror in search of some consolation that we look like the individual we want to be, so too does our mind perform the exact same dance, drafting up falsities which unfold in our self-concept. The

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• Aadhithyan K S