I was traveling through a train to reach my destination. I was in
sales and marketing and so was going out of Delhi due some office work. As soon
as I got inside the train it started.
“Oh God, just in time” I sighed and then tried to be comfortable.
After a few minutes I was all set for the journey. The train was
constantly running and I was sitting over my seat and looking outside. The
things were going backwards and we read it during our science classes that it
is due to relative motion. I looked at a distance and saw that things are going
forward. The train is going in the same direction, but the things nearer to the
train were going backwards and things farthest to the train seem to be going
along with the train. I smiled looking at this and then started looking around.
Every other seat was filled and next to my seat an uncle of approximately 40 to
45 years was resting. I took out my headphones and started listening to the
music. Music is a real healer and in present pain filled and lone world we need
this healer a lot. We could see most of the younger generation having these
earphones. Few would listen to music and few will talk on the phone. I was
listening to the music and looking outside.
Suddenly I saw a school where children were playing. It was afternoon
and I thought “Oh, Games period” and a smile crossed my lips remembering my own
school days. School days were not short periods, they were as long as they can
become. We spend around 14 years of our life in school and come out with an Aim
of join a college. It wasn’t strange but its truth.
“What are you thinking” Uncle said.
He was now looking fresh, he was waiting for food. My thought process
broke its journey and I looked at him.
“Nothing uncle, just common thoughts” I said with a smile.
“What thoughts” He said with a smile.
“Nothing Uncle, I was just thinking that how can we waste our 14 years
in school and come out with nothing in life. We still suffer with respect to
our careers and life.” I said to him.
“No beta, It is important to go to school and then college to rise
higher and earn a handsome amount” He said.
“Then why we study so many subjects in here. If we have to do a job
then we can start doing it at an early age. Why to waste such time?” I asked,
looking at him.
“It is not waste of time. They teach you the basics and then all
important things about a subject that are necessary. All these things would be
required for you in your future. And you need time to know yourself. Until and
unless you would not be open to so many subjects you will not understand your
strength” He said with a smile.
He was correct and I think he was spot on. So many subjects in school
might solve this purpose of knowing your strength. But there was one thing that
was inside me and I wanted to throw it off. I thought this might be the perfect
occasion. I continued the conversation with a smile.
“Ok uncle according to you what is the most important thing required
in any field?” I asked him softly.
“You should know your strengths and you should not fear of failures in
the path” He said like all our elders.
“So in short, I should be determined towards my goal and should know
where I am going” I tried to understand his point of view.
“Very correct, ” He said.
“But in our schools there is so much emphasis on marks and learning
subjects that doesn’t make you determine or even help you to understand the
true you. The number of books never ends and examinations seem like a never
ending journey. I mean to say why we don’t teach student about life and the
attitude towards it” I was trying to find out the answers of my questions.
“You should study hard to get high percentage and then you can do
whatever in your life” He said.
“That’s what our elders told us to do, but what if I didn’t like to
study the subjects available in my school? What if my interest is something
else?” I said
“You should listen to your elder as they do things for your good” He
again said.
“How can it be? Means if I didn’t know how to be happy or what are my
strengths or my goal in life or even what I am good at over 14 years of school,
isn’t it useless to go to school” I said
“You are a young boy and you will not understand its importance” The
uncle said and it was evident from his expressions that he had termed me as
another youngster who live for fun and away from his duties.
I was about to ask another question, but the food had arrived at the
scene and we both broke for the lunch. My mind was still continuing its
experiences and beliefs.
And after lunch that uncle went for another sleep. I think my first
impression got wrong with him.
“Brother, you were right” A voice struck my ears.
I saw towards that voice and there I saw a young boy sitting on his
seat. He came down and sat along with me.
“Really?” I said with a smile.
“Yes you are true, I was much interested in sports from my childhood
and my school didn’t have the facilities. I was really good at it.” He said
“Oh great, which sports” I asked.
“Football Bro” He said with a sigh.
“Oh, that‘s great, ” I said.
“Yes, but my family never supported me in this. They knew from the
earlier classes that I am good in it, but they always forced me to study and
get high percentage. I tried my best, but only able to secure 70%.” He said
with another big sigh.
“Yes, this is true for me too” Another voice came from the other side.
“You also?” I said
“Yes, I wanted to become a writer, but my parents forced me into a
job. I really had very little time for writing and after a few years I left
writing. I still have that tease inside me that if I would have been writing
till now I would be happier than this.” She said.
“What do you write” We both asked.
“Ummm, I write poetry mostly and short stories also” She said with a
smile.
It was really strange how the expression changes when we discuss about
something that we love to do in our life.
We kept on talking with each other and after a few hours we went back
to our seats. I again started thinking on my own.
“Why we can’t support our children in something they want to do? They
only want to achieve something and not doing anything wrong. They are not
harming anyone. They are just trying to give a try for something they love or
something they believe in. Why can’t we believe in their dreams? Why we force
them in our fear of life?”
I completed my journey in such thoughts and as I was coming out of the
railway station there was a school. I saw so many parents and children
standing. I saw report cards in the hands of parents and students. I smiled,
remembering my own school days. I continued walking and just overheard a
conversation.
“Only 55% marks? What will you do in your life” An angry parent was
trying to ask an unanswerable question.
“I told you I am not good in maths” the student said
“You don’t practice. You waste your time in useless sports. I told you
a hundred times to forget that sport. First get a good job and then along with
it does whatever you want to” The anger was in seventh heaven.
“But I tried my best. I couldn’t able to understand maths” He said
slowly.
“Till this day we wasted money on you. We spent lakhs of rupees on
your studies and tuition and this is what you gave us...” His father was in a
furious mood.
“But I told you I have no interest in this. I wanted to play
football.” He said in a low voice.
“Shut up you lazy boy! You don’t want to do anything in life. You are
an irresponsible boy who just wants to eat on behalf of your parents hard work.
Oh God! Why you gave us such a shameless boy who don’t even care about his
parents. He wants to play football and don’t even understand that he is
choosing something that will not give him money or anything else.” The father
was in pain.
“I will try my best to do well in Football. I will surely find a way”
The boy said stubbornly.
“Shut up your crap.....” And the father slapped him.
I had enough of sightseeing and I hurriedly went off the scene. I was
still thinking inside of my mind.
“That slap was on what? Was that slap on the boy or his dreams, on the
father’s inability to understand the dreams? Was that slap for the suffering
that his father had while letting him grow?”
I was still not evident on the reason of that slap. And this wasn’t
the single slap. There are numerous slaps sounding across the world. What this
slap signifies?
I thought of telling that father to let his son do whatever he
believes in but then when that will ask me what I am doing then. He will laugh
at me and say, “Son you are doing a job and earning money and that’s why you
are saying this crap, first do things yourself” I was also one of the lost
soldiers in the battle of passion versus money. In this never-ending battle of
thoughts I entered the hotel room and the one lone question that came to my
mind was - “Why I wasted my 14 years in school if I am not yet happy with what I
am doing”
