#AtoZChallenge : Opia
The cool breeze blowing on an otherwise hot summer day, brought along with it some relief. The sound of our easy conversation drowned the noise of our surroundings. We kept walking for a while for we had no destination in mind. The friendliness and warmth that your words had put me at ease. No, I wasn’t supposed to be so comfortable. But it all seemed to be familiar like I’d known you all along. But it hadn’t been long since we met and I didn’t know much about you.
We walked on talking about things that we both liked and we cribbed about things that we didn’t. So far I was okay with the things we spoke but a sense of uneasy began to grow within me. I had tried keeping to myself all this time because it felt comfortable after all that I’d been through. I was afraid to trust because I’d been betrayed. Life had made me realize that people come and go away and no one stays- in the end it is just I. The fact that I was talking to you so much about myself was surprising to me. Though it felt good to talk, it was scary. I wanted to run away.
I don’t know if you had read my mind for you stopped and you held my hand. You looked me in the eye and I didn’t know what you saw. Had you seen the part of me that I’d been hiding all along? Did you through all the facade that I’d put up? Could you see my secrets? Could you sense my fears? Not knowing what to do, I continued looking into your eyes. Did you also have a part of you which you’d hidden? I could sense it. Though I felt vulnerable, I knew you also felt vulnerable. Opia!
As we stood there, looking into each others eyes, trying to figure out how broken the other person was, was there something that we didn’t need words to convey? When had vulnerability turned into comfort? Was there something that we both knew, but were hesitant to put it into words?
Opia : the ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable
Source : Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
I’m participating in the A to Z Challenge again this year. This is my third time participating in the challenge. I’m going with the theme of “Rare, unusual and beautiful words from various languages”
I so love all these new words! Opia! What a stunning concept. Thanks for sharing. Next in A to Z Challenge: O is for Take every Opportunity to improve your life, improve your mind.
love your theme and the choice of words. i will definitely give a read to your posts from the start after the challenge. great to be connected through this post.. such a lovely collections of words Opia, meraki, latibule, nepenthe!
This word is some kind of a Eureka moment for me. I have been searching this word since long. Thanks for sharing.
Opia is such an alluring concept and you’ve woven a nice story around it. Kept me wanting to read more.
My favourite lines are:
“As we stood there, looking into each others eyes, trying to figure out how broken the other person was, was there something that we didn’t need words to convey? When had vulnerability turned into comfort? Was there something that we both knew, but were hesitant to put it into words?”
Do check out my #BlogchatterA2Z submission for letter O:
https://lonelycanopyblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/16/on-a-road-in-gokarna/
As beautiful as the word is, it breaks my heart!
Oh God as intense as the word, it communicates an intense look!!
Opia..what a beautiful word! Learning new words through your series. Intense word with intense meaning.
I like your theme. Opia! What a way to describe being invasive and vulnerable at the same time.
Love the word, it’s meaning and how you’ve incorporated it beautifully in this piece.