When I was about 5-6 years old, one of my
Mamaji’s friends seeing me with a pen in my hand, trying to solve a sum, had remarked – “
Mat pakdo beta…mat pakdo…ek baar is cheez ko pakad liye to phir kabhi peechha nahi chodegi.”
Words of wisdom, if there ever were any.
When I was in primary school, I was promised that mathematical tables and crappy essay assignments were only part of the learning curve; this would pass eventually and +2 is all about bunking classes, going to the theatres, having fun.
When I was in +2, I was promised that the Board exams were only a meaningless hurdle which had to be passed and passed gracefully nonetheless, that the nerve-shattering entrance examinations were that price I would have to pay for a comfortable life afterwards, that college comprises the best years of a person’s life, I was only to wait.
When I’m in college, I am promised that all I need to do is to work hard for good grades and get myself a nice job. A fat salary, nice start to my corporate career - everything’s going to be an easy ride after that. Life begins at 40, isn’t that how the famous saying goes?
I have this gut feeling that when I’m 40, I will be promised to slog it out for another decade or so; after all, I’ll have a family to take care of, the children’s education, big, never-ending loans to pay off and whatnot.
By the time I’m 60, thanks to Classic Regular, I guess lung cancer would surely have had its final say.
So tell me, my dear reader, when I’m dying, ready for the final goodbye, with the pen no more in my tired hands, will the priest at my deathbed promise me a happy, hassle-free afterlife? And more importantly, how credible would that last promise be?
7 comments:
Incidentally this post of urs does remind me of the comments you made on freshers nite!! Born in youth would have saved us frm the troubles!
no..it would only have shortened the period of agony
gawd...it never ends does it ??
what r ur plans balloo??
to end this vicious cycle?
any bright ideas?
yeah..I have one..that is to wipe off asses like you from the face of this earth..I'm sure that'll qualify as a noble deed and I'll go straight to heaven and have a wonderful time !
not bad eh...
u got brains i must say
You have got it all wrong... man, despite the fact that I teach you new things everyday. You are still stuck in the wilderness of cliches. (hehehe!)
Sorry for the exaggeration, I don't teach you anything but you are still stuck. The act of holding that pen for the first time to solve a math problem, the board exam, the college and its terrible schedule, the hectic job... its all that there is that defines our middle class existence. If you just watch films as you wish you could, you would loose your purpose in life of fulfilling the dream of a middle-class life!
Purpose is important... the hope of a successful, affluent lifestyle is the only thing that helps you survive the everydayness of your iterative struggle with mediocrity... without the promise of heaven... nobody wants to die!
At least, I wouldn't die until I believe that there is eternity of happiness in the transition. Enjoy the slog because right now you can... when you are sixty and your son throws you out of your own house! You will realize that you don't even have enough energy to fight back. Use the energy within you for something constructive. Otherwise you would end up just hoping for the change that never occurs!
interesting thoughts... i guess thats why they say live life as if you are going to die tomorrow... find happiness in small things... cherish the mometns with yor loved months... i know all this sounds too cliched... but then do we have any other way out? :)
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