Happens not so often when someone or some incident tends to stick with you, to the extent of feeling the urge to write about the same.

And one such took place yesterday.

As I was about to cross a road on one of the signals, this gentleman with a beedi in his lips, held my hand, as if seeking some form of support.

On turning around, I noticed, this gentleman, who looked to be in his 60s, wearing a uniform, which you tend to identify with a watchman or a security guard.

The first thing, courtesy the nature of the mischievous mind, that popped up, made me wonder where this guard would be working and was the asset he was supposed to secure in safe hands.

On second, I realized that he wanted my help to cross the road. As we walked hand-in-hand, crossing probably the toughest obstacle of his life, at one of the most traffic-laden signals, his puffing the beedi and trying to breathe couldn’t go away unnoticed.

As we reached our final destination, he finally spoke:

“साहब, आप सोच रहे होंगे, कि ये बूढा सिक्योरिटी गार्ड क्या किसी को सिक्योरिटी देगा?” as if he had read my mind, he continued:

“साहब, क्या  बताऊँ, आर्मी में था, रिटायर होने के बाद सिक्योरिटी गार्ड बन गया. एक वक़्त था, जब हम साहब लोगों को गोलियों से बचाते थे, अब तो रोड क्रॉस करने में भी मदद की ज़रुरत पड़ती है.” as if he had found his much wanted ear to listen to all that he had preserved for long somewhere deep inside his heart.

“साहब सोचा था, आर्मी में आ गए तो बस ज़िन्दगी सुधर गयी, मुझे क्या मालूम था, कि ये दिन देखने पड़ेंगे. खैर, धन्यवाद आपका, ईश्वर आपको खुश रक्खे. बाकी ये सब तो चलता रहेगा, आखिर ज़िन्दगी तो मैंने भी जी ही ली है.” and then he continued, on his apparently, lonesome journey.

Somehow, the last line, struck a chord somewhere, “ज़िन्दगी: तो मैंने भी जी ही ली है!”

What we think will happen, doesn’t always happen our way, for it was so, then we might as well become the source of creation.

And even if its possible, am sure, it must require lot of hard work and striving to reach a stage, where the last line changes to, “ज़िन्दगी तो मैंने ही जी है!”

The journey from life leading you to you leading your life; from someone controlling you to gaining control over your mind, body and emotions; from you being a sorry figure to you enjoying each and every moment of your life; from you being the dependent one to becoming the dependable one; wonder whether all this requires an art or a skill.

And even if it exists, how may one access the same?

Wonder, whether it might need a lifetime to figure the same out?

Wonder, whether this was what we were supposed to do?

Wonder whether this is what it is, to experience the life to the fullest?

Wonder, whether wandering wild in the search of any such thing, makes sense?

Wonder, whether the sense itself was non-sense? 😉

But the very thought of moving from “ज़िन्दगी: तो मैंने भी जी ही ली है!” to “ज़िन्दगी: तो मैंने ही जी है!” is an incentive big enough to at least give a shot to try certain things along with your regular chores, isn’t it? 🙂

Source for the Image: http://hd-wall-papers.com/wallpapers/life-images.html