I have posted below an extempore essay which I had written around 6 years back in my college.I have titled it "In the Wild".
Yes! I was in the wild both physically and mentally.It had been the worst day in my life .Being in the limelight for all the years with my very own charisma , I was down and out due to some unfortunate turn of events. I did't want to be among people anymore. I did't want to be a subject of debates for all the wrong reasons and I didn't want to be the symbol of shame for my family. Hence, after thinking hard, I had decided to take up 'Vanaprastha' , given up all my material desires and started travelling in search of inner peace through the woods.
I was not sure as to how how long I had been walking through the wild bushes, but I knew one thing for sure, that I had traveled far from my home and its own relational entanglements. I had walked through the entire length of the forest accompanied by the continuous buzz of insects revamped by the incessant rains. I was starting to feel light, probably thanks to the heavy downpour which I believed to have washed off some of my sins apart from hiding my tears. The rain had receded then into a slight drizzle.The moon was playing hide and seek with the dark clouds.
Feeling cold, I removed my red shirt, which was completely wet . With a numb mind and an equally numb body, I struggled to drag myself to a small cliff which was near a railway track. While moving, I heard the sound of water flowing furiously . On adjusting my eye to the distance, there was a huge railway bridge with old-fashioned girders standing atop a ferocious river nearly full due to the rains. Then I saw right in front of my eyes, one of the pillars of the bridge collapsing and few girders tumbling into the river like a pack of cards. Is the nature too trying to show her fury ? With this shocking scene flashing before my eyes, I sat on the cliff.
"Oh, Almighty! Your ardent devotee has nowhere to go but you. Show me the path to you. Make me listen to the devotional music, one last time. Show me the light so I could run towards it and reach you", I cried loud at the Heavens with my eyes closed. Just then, I listened to his sound, my Lord's sound, but, it was intermittent. I strained my ears towards the direction of the sound. It was increasing with time and then I saw 'The Light' zooming towards me . I jumped on to the railway track with my shirt and waited to catch of a glimpse of the God in his chariot. In the place of horses' neighing, it was the noise of metal on metal. It was the 'Garib rath ' the chariot on wheels from Indian Railways, a train, flashing its head light towards me and beyond .
Then I realized the inevitable. I ran in the middle of the track towards the speeding train . The sleepers and gravel soaked in the monsoon caused me to trip and slip. Still, holding my breath, I continued running and waved my red shirt hoping that the charioteer aka driver would be able to stop the train. Gathering all the might from my lungs, I shouted to catch his attention. The driver saw my signal and brought the train to a screeching halt, just in time before it could have plunged into the river from the bridge and also before crushing me over. Buoyed by happiness to have averted danger for many and lack of food for almost a day, I slipped into a state of unconsciousness.
I woke up the next morning in a hospital bed with a bottle of glucose injected into my vein in the left hand. I tried to sit straight, just then one of my relative gave the newspaper with a wry smile. Puzzled by his expression, I took the newspaper stretching my left hand.
The newspaper headline read "Former minister ousted by corruption charges saves thousands of people from a near accident. Is this a political drama?" with an inset of photo of me. I thought, "Oh God! What I did for dharma is interpreted as drama. Are you practicing dharma or drama?" and tried to close my mind as I was back to where I used to be, web of entanglements.
Yes! I was in the wild both physically and mentally.It had been the worst day in my life .Being in the limelight for all the years with my very own charisma , I was down and out due to some unfortunate turn of events. I did't want to be among people anymore. I did't want to be a subject of debates for all the wrong reasons and I didn't want to be the symbol of shame for my family. Hence, after thinking hard, I had decided to take up 'Vanaprastha' , given up all my material desires and started travelling in search of inner peace through the woods.
I was not sure as to how how long I had been walking through the wild bushes, but I knew one thing for sure, that I had traveled far from my home and its own relational entanglements. I had walked through the entire length of the forest accompanied by the continuous buzz of insects revamped by the incessant rains. I was starting to feel light, probably thanks to the heavy downpour which I believed to have washed off some of my sins apart from hiding my tears. The rain had receded then into a slight drizzle.The moon was playing hide and seek with the dark clouds.
Feeling cold, I removed my red shirt, which was completely wet . With a numb mind and an equally numb body, I struggled to drag myself to a small cliff which was near a railway track. While moving, I heard the sound of water flowing furiously . On adjusting my eye to the distance, there was a huge railway bridge with old-fashioned girders standing atop a ferocious river nearly full due to the rains. Then I saw right in front of my eyes, one of the pillars of the bridge collapsing and few girders tumbling into the river like a pack of cards. Is the nature too trying to show her fury ? With this shocking scene flashing before my eyes, I sat on the cliff.
"Oh, Almighty! Your ardent devotee has nowhere to go but you. Show me the path to you. Make me listen to the devotional music, one last time. Show me the light so I could run towards it and reach you", I cried loud at the Heavens with my eyes closed. Just then, I listened to his sound, my Lord's sound, but, it was intermittent. I strained my ears towards the direction of the sound. It was increasing with time and then I saw 'The Light' zooming towards me . I jumped on to the railway track with my shirt and waited to catch of a glimpse of the God in his chariot. In the place of horses' neighing, it was the noise of metal on metal. It was the 'Garib rath ' the chariot on wheels from Indian Railways, a train, flashing its head light towards me and beyond .
Then I realized the inevitable. I ran in the middle of the track towards the speeding train . The sleepers and gravel soaked in the monsoon caused me to trip and slip. Still, holding my breath, I continued running and waved my red shirt hoping that the charioteer aka driver would be able to stop the train. Gathering all the might from my lungs, I shouted to catch his attention. The driver saw my signal and brought the train to a screeching halt, just in time before it could have plunged into the river from the bridge and also before crushing me over. Buoyed by happiness to have averted danger for many and lack of food for almost a day, I slipped into a state of unconsciousness.
I woke up the next morning in a hospital bed with a bottle of glucose injected into my vein in the left hand. I tried to sit straight, just then one of my relative gave the newspaper with a wry smile. Puzzled by his expression, I took the newspaper stretching my left hand.
The newspaper headline read "Former minister ousted by corruption charges saves thousands of people from a near accident. Is this a political drama?" with an inset of photo of me. I thought, "Oh God! What I did for dharma is interpreted as drama. Are you practicing dharma or drama?" and tried to close my mind as I was back to where I used to be, web of entanglements.
