The Unusual Confidante

Everybody has a confidante in their lives. A friend, a mentor, a parent, a pet - one can find them in all forms. I, too, have a circle of friends who kept me whole when my own self had given way. But few days back, I realised I had a confidante without even knowing that I did.
Yes, it might sound weird, but it was the stairs. Or rather, I should say, it has been the flight of stairs. They have always been a part of any emotional or mental upheaval I have been going through. And not just turmoils, they have been the site of many leisurely activities which I had conveniently overlooked then but realise their importance now. Whether it was waking up early and not feeling like studying on my regular table - chair set or a casual evening tea with family, balcony-to-balcony chatting when the electricity played truant on a hot night. Whether it was a late night conference call with the girlfriends or the night out skyping with my boyfriend. When I wanted to watch a movie alone or cry without being disturbed. The heated discussions, the muted sighs, the slow build-up - the stairs have seen it all.
And like a confidante, they never judged and never budged. Always there - between here and up, when no other place could provide solace - patiently listening and silently absorbing it all, never giving away all they had heard and witnessed. All secrets buried somewhere in their heart.
And where I stand today, perhaps it was better for them to witness than all those who stood and judged....