Part of growing up is realising you were scared of the silliest things.

I still remember my primary school ‘aayah’. She used to sit at the same spot everyday and monitor the kids during the lunch break. We had this tree in our school courtyard with tasty berries on them, I don’t know what they are called. My friends and I used to pluck the low hanging ripe ones and gorge on them. Apparently they weren’t supposed to be plucked by students (just meant to wilt and go waste I guess). One day the aayah caught me and held both my hands and gave me a death stare. She then said, ‘if I catch you again…’ and left it hanging there. It was a wonder I didn’t pee out of fright right there. For the longest time I avoided even looking at her. She was the scariest lady I knew.

Now when I look back, she was a frail woman who probably wouldn’t have done anything had I dared to pluck those berries again. But the little me found her as terrifying as pressure cooker whistles (they are the worst!)

One childhood fear I haven’t grown out of is watching people blow balloons. I am terrified of it bursting, the sound makes my heart stop each time. And when kids throw balloons up in a room where the ceiling fan is on? (Just writing that made my chest constrict) I’m willing to murder them to prevent the balloon from bursting. Yes, I’m weird.

What are some of the fears you outgrew?