Those Doleful Eyes…

                         Those were the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. Those eyes had no sparkle or a tinkle in them. They seemed like the still water of a dark lake. And the irony was that that they looked calm and miserable at the same time. The countenance on her face was very deplorable. A packet of ‘Parle G’ clutched in one hand and a few coins in other; she looked at me with hope. She must have been 6-8 years old. Her hair was cropped. She had worn a magenta coloured top and skirt which was frayed at several places. She looked fragile and lost. She advanced towards me with an expectation to get some alms in return; maybe a rupee or two. Usually I don’t give alms to children. Instead I give food to them. Since I didn’t have any food with me, I ignored her and continued listening to music as the train passed through Chembur station.

                        But something kept on bothering me. I realized that I was so lucky that my parents could provide me with everything that I needed. Because of my parents I had access to education and a plethora of opportunities whereas that little girl was helpless. She had no access to basic human needs. There are many children like her who are denied their childhood. They are made to beg. And I felt really bad about it. My eyes were almost moist. I succeeded in suppressing my break down which otherwise would have resulted in public humiliation. Yet, I couldn’t shake out that feeling.

                        So, I called that girl and gave her twenty rupees. Not that it would have helped her a lot but anyway I would have ended up spending it on some silly thing. And if that was making her happy I was ready to give it to her. She took the note from me and went and stood near the exit. As Kurla station approached, she got down. She came to the window where I was sitting and smiled at me. That was the most genuine and warm smile I had ever seen.  The train started to move ahead and she disappeared in the crowd on the platform. I looked out for her until she vanished out of my sight. And there I sat in the train, contemplating about children like her whose childhood was tormented.

Dream On...

“When you really want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”

-The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

***

And I was scared when they questioned my dreams. I thought; maybe they were right. It’s just a dream after all. It won’t even come true. But who was I tricking. My goals where set and the target was locked. I had to achieve what I had dreamt of. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I would have to face those imbeciles who thought that I would never succeed. I’ve learnt that self deception and living in denial are the worst things you could do to yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.

Don’t let the world tell you what you cannot do. Stand up for your ideas and for yourself. Do what you feel like. Breathe. Go for a walk. Write a poem. Tell a lie. Live your life. Go chase your dreams. There’s no point in living in an eternal penumbral shadow of other’s aspirations and expectations. If you can’t pick your own dreams and paths, then that life is of no use. You may feel scared, lost and blah! Everyone does. But at times, one has to take that leap of faith and just walk down the path. All you have to do is dedicate yourself completely to your dreams. Work towards them. Believe you deserve everything you dream about.

Don’t expect everyone to support you. Some will and some won’t. Remember, friends come and go. But hang on to those precious one’s who have stuck around. In the process of materializing your dreams, you will have to face failures. Make sure you take it positively. Don’t give up that easily. And the dreams might not necessarily be about career. Your dream might be to become a better person, exercising to be become healthy and fit, finish that half read novel, etc. Be unconventional be quirky, and be full of life. Be whatever you want to be. Just don’t forget to DREAM ON….

***

“I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

-         The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost