WHAT IS LIFE?

Newton was curious about the falling apples

Edison was curious about the chick coming to life

The very glimpses of life are felt when a child starts developing his identity. In this process he argues, he protests, he asks for reasons and at times he disagrees.

I never had a chance to be through all these things for the reason I had a strong, lovely, lively and a caring mother who always met my demands with a smile. When I happened to get  cuddled in her strong arms l felt the warmth that every mother carries in her bosom for her child. It has been 15 years she left us for her heavenly abode but the warmth, the love and the memories she has left behind remains intact. I never feel lonely and away from her.

I was born in a farmer family, where education did not matter much. The villagers are persons who live close to nature, away from the hustle and bustle of an urban life. Like every head of the family my grandfather also had a dream that the progeny behind should progress and move ahead with time. Even though being the only child in a big family I was sent to Bombay for convent education.

The city life of Bombay never attracted me and I always yearned for the meadows, the chirping birds, the refreshing gentle breeze, the river beside my village, the jingle of the temple bells, the river banks and the alluring sunrise and sunset in the hill.

The clutter of the city made me feel like a machine whereas the environment of the village made me feel like a human. If I was to be searched during my vacation, there were two places; if not at the river than at the orchard.  The orchard had thirteen shady mango trees. Once sitting underneath one of those trees I was glancing on the water-melon creeper spread on the river banks. A thought flashed in my mind; why does nature work the wrong way. A strong mango tree is given a small fruit where as a creeper is given a hefty one. The thought process was on when a mango hit my head. I came to senses understanding that nature works the right way. What if the mango tree was blessed with a fruit of the size of a water-melon?

I never came back to my village. After completing my education I took up a job and settled down in the city. My parents continued to live in the village. Once I received a call from my younger brother that mother is serious and we are bringing her to the city for medication. I got her admitted and diagnosed, she had double infection. Medication was not working.  I was always at her bed side, she used to talk less.  I asked her “Are you worried”. She said “With you to take care of the family, I have no worries”.  One day she slipped into unconsciousness and left us behind. Money, medicine, doctors, nurses nothing worked. She was destined to leave.

My father, who left us a fortnight ago used to sparingly visit my family. His visit were short lived, come dusk and he wanted to leave for the village. Life for him in the city was slow, he couldn’t find a person of his age group to whom he can relate to, he talked about God, he talked about the village whereas my children talked about computers, movies & partying.

Integration and disintegration are phase found not only in nature but also in human relationship. Everything that I liked, loved, or started loving, slipped away and became a past, leaving me with nothing but to start afresh. Is this process of making, breaking and remaking known as “LIFE”? 

The world of fantasy and the world of reality are distances apart

Life is  a journey not to be looked back but only to be marched ahead.