Orange Juice or Apple Juice? – Grisha Gautam

Orange Juice or Apple Juice?
– Grisha Gautam

“Orange juice or apple juice?” the waiter asked.
A simple question, perhaps, one easily answered by a child with a tilt of the head and a bright-eyed
preference. But as the years unfold, and the world around us changes from a playground to a complex
labyrinth of choices, even the most trivial of decisions begins to cast a longer shadow.

Orange juice is a taste of childhood summers. It is the sticky sweetness of popsicles shared with friends,
the warm glow of sandy toes and laughter. It is the anticipation of unwrapping a birthday gift, the thrill of
a scraped knee kissed better by a mother’s love. Orange juice is the comfort of familiar rhythms, the
safety net of innocence.

Yet, as the world turns and seasons change, so too do our tastes. Apple juice, with its deeper undertones,
carries the weight of autumn leaves and crackling fires. It is the bittersweet realization that time marches
on, leaving behind footprints of cherished memories. It is the quiet contemplation of life’s complexities,
the recognition of shadows that dance with light. Apple juice is the realist in us, the one who
acknowledges the darkness.

We oscillate between these two extremes, between hope and despair, between the known and the
unknown. We are creatures of duality, torn between the allure of the familiar and the thrill of the
unfamiliar. And so, the choice between orange juice and apple juice becomes more than just a matter of
taste. It is a reflection of our inner selves, a snapshot of our evolving journey.

“Black coffee,” I replied.