AND THE LIGHTS WENT OFF…

Life is unpredictable. You never know what awaits you at the next turn. With every passing moment we witness a twist of faith, the real questions being whether this twist will be a fortunate or unfortunate one.

Life practices a reflex action of throwing up surprises. No matter how much one prepares for such surprises one is invariably caught off guard. The irony is the smallest of such surprises can make or break us. They can make us forget our greatest sorrows and leave us rejuvenated; they can also draw a hole in our hearts.

Most of the unpredictable nature of life is caused due to circumstances. Numerous times the surroundings control our actions. We are forced to ‘go with the flow’. Circumstances make us do the meanest of things as well as the holiest of activities. It’s beyond our control .We can’t resist the temptation and are lured into doing what the situation demands.

I recently had a faceoff with such a circumstance where we all were driven to do something that we wouldn’t have done otherwise. Fortunately for us we did something truly outrageous which made us pay attention to the finer details in life.

It was exam time. Adrenaline was running high. Previous failure had made us realize our fragility as student and pushed us into unknown territory-“seriousness”. Yes we are were seriously into books, so much so that he had left our merry ways of ridiculing every object which can be ridiculed. We had lost our gift.

But then it happened. Circumstances made us their tamed creatures. We submitted, THE LIGHTS WENT OFF……

All of us were dinning in our common mess. Everybody was eager to finish this unwanted chore so that we can return to our studious ways. But then we had a power failure.

No body knew what happened. No body new how to react. There was silence, but not for long. It had happened. The shield was removed, we were all back to our original selves, we were back to being rogues.

There was a scream. An illogical, meaningless scream but it broke the ice. It started the chain reaction. Soon all of us pitched it. Meaning less slogans were shouted out, mockery of uncanning suspects were handed out, tables were banged, songs were sung in the most painful manners. All this, in the protection of darkness. It gave us the license to do as will with no strings attached and no one to answer to.

Yes it was just a few lunatics makes a few noises in the dark but there was so much more to it. It reminded us of our undoubting inclination to be happy and do as one wishes to. It reminded us of how free we are and that no hardship can kill our spirits which inspires us to overcome all odds and smile no matter what.

It is refreshing to know that in a world which is hell bent to squeeze out the last ounce of fun from our life we somehow always, and I mean always find a way to break free.

RACE TO BE BACKWARD

The recent reservation policy has instilled an irrepressible zeal in many to be backward. The GUJJARS’ demanded their right to be ‘backward’ and resorted to everything from road blockage to stone pelting to become ‘backwards’. But the MEENA’s who didn’t want to loose any of their exclusive rights to ‘backwardness’ rigorously protested the GUJJARS’ bid to be ‘backward’.

This unabashed display should have shaken us up. It should have been a death blow to the dangerous being called ‘reservations’ but I served as a catalyst and triggered numerous similar claims.

Man…..how foolish is man???

But I am a die hard optimist. Even with regards to something as illogical as ‘The race to be backward’ I can mould it to suit my requirements. After all life is all about perception. You see what you want to see. So because of my keen sense of observations and the eccentric ways of my classmates I stumbled across a new definition of ‘the race to be backward’ and then found myself laughing out of my skin.

The race is held every single day. It begins with the rising sun. The racers prepare themselves fully aware of the dangers ahead, the joy of triumph and the misery of defeat. The act is no small feat; it will have far ranging consequences. It will determine the course of the day. Failure is not an option. Fully armored and rearing to go, they enter the race tracks.

But this is not an ordinary race. Speed and accuracy matter the most. There is no margin for the slightest error. But the goal is different. No body wants to be ahead every body is racing to be backward.

So as the clock strikes eight and the lazy peon finally figures out which key opens the dreaded door….THE RACE BEGINS.

It’s a war. No mercy is shown. Only the best will survive. The key is twisted, the lock opens, the door swings open and they are off.
Rushing through mad traffic, squeezing through the tiny door, they reach out for their trophy.

Not all will savor victory. “Success goes to the most perseverant”. So after squeezing your way, for the first time in the day you see the reason for this race. You grab it.

Now seated on your prize you realize it was so worth it. “THE LAST BENCH” that’s the prize. It was a race to reach the end of the class, to be as far away from the devilish looks of the professor, it was a race to be ‘backward’.

The last BENCH in the class is a student’s ultimate destination. But only a few make it. The rest say to themselves “May be tomorrow”.

So there you have it. A race to be backward. A race to distant yourself from the disease called
“Education”. A race which reminds you how hilarious and ironical life can be.
RACE ON…….