The Quest To Write

I remember my school teachers telling my parents during the meet that I was a "shy kid" and did not "participate in class discussions". Not that I was a poor student, but because I did not talk much and kept it to myself. My grades were above average and I scored fairly well in extra-curricular activities. So, neither my parents nor my teachers thought that my reticence was a cause of concern.
That being said, this 'shyness' gave me a hard time making friends. Why, you may ask? I was never the one to initiate a convo but when someone would come up to me, it took me seconds to create a 'comfortable' talking aura around myself. Seeing the kids my age having a 'clan' of their own would put me off. I too wanted to be among them. I too felt like having a big friend- circle of my own, but I couldn't because I wouldn't. I was the lone child to my parents till the time I reached the age of 7. I did not have many friends at school, no siblings and no cousins to talk to or play with.
The first seven years of my 'shy' life laid the foundations of the introvert in me today. It was when I was 8 and my sister was born that I no more felt lonely and that I would have someone to play with any time I wanted to.
As life progressed and I stepped into the teenage world, the realization of having no friends at school grew more profound. I could hear my peers passing remarks on my solitude life which made me sad and depressed. Talking about this to my sister was not a good idea. Being the doting, elder sister, I felt she was too young to understand the emotional strains my mind was going through. So, here I was, dealing with my anxious self all by myself. I kept overthinking which made me more miserable.

It was when I met a family friend who happened to be a psychologist, that I thought of talking to her. It was her job, so she would definitely lend an ear to my blabbering! We talked and I vented out my underlying emotions, negativity and whatever I had been hiding inside. She sympathized with me and I felt relieved of the load I had been carrying all these years. Though I couldn't explain her things in the minutest of details, I still felt better. She used to stay at a different city and her visits were not frequent. I asked her what could be the possible solution to easen up my mind? She thought for a moment and replied, "jot it down". I was staring at her with a blank face. Are you kidding me? Talking to a sheet of paper, you mean? She continued, "whenever you feel like bursting out at someone or something, never react. Write it down, trust me you'll feel way better"....and this is how writing became my best-friend, my confidante, my true companion.