Freedom

“कौन कहता है कि स्वप्नों को न आने दे हृदय में,

देखते सब हैं इन्हें अपनी उमर, अपने समय में,”

-पथ की पहचान (हरिवंशराय बच्चन)

     This is a new concept I had in my mind today. Dream – who doesn’t know this word, but does anyone know ‘freedom’ being approximately the same?

     Let me tell you this: I was a bit sad after coming back here from the Mumbai trip. No, it wasn’t much enjoyable, but still I miss that place. There were no people we knew or any place we’ve been familiar with, but still the place remained in my mind and affected me more than I thought. I have been thinking since that day and it’s gonna be half month and I’m still unchanged. The same feeling when you miss a person. After a while I got to know with my experience that I missed that freedom!

     It’s kind of strange, but even though I was with my family and was a bit of under their control (yeah, they’re furious when you get missing, but you just have been hanging out nearer “without them” and they are worried about you!), I loved the independency. From wearing anything to travelling anyplace, there are people but they don’t care. You’re in train or any public transport service and you don’t have to bring your ‘Dupattaas’ wherever you go (it’s kind of a habit here).

     And so, from the clothes you’re wearing to the thoughts you’re carrying, there is freedom. Since then I’m thinking of leaving this labyrinth, in which I’m feeling trapped. There’s no turning back, or as my friend had said to me; “Gargi, you’ve no options…”, and I know that. Another fear I had in my mind was ‘what if I die being in this jumble’ and wouldn’t there be pain or something left in this world?

     I believe, when you dream, you gain the ability to get your freedom. And that’s what everyone wants, isn’t it? You want job, you want to be successful, have a good healthy family, but at the end what you want is you can live your life on your own terms.

     In countries like India, people have their support system called 'son'! I'm not being manist, but it's true. Indians still say, "बेटी पराया धन", and they don't force their daughter either, but I've seen this, boys have ambitions and not dreams. They want to get job faster so that they don't face the chances of asking their parents about pocket money. The dreams - ambitions all lead to the question of freedom.

     The dream is to get job. Mine is the same. People say, "it's not your place, that's why you want to escape." Well, I say, "true, but are there any guarantees of a job?" They can't simply handle or understand my answer, but everyone should have noticed: dreams lead to ambitions that lead to a good job (if no one, then I guarantee), pressure leads to escape that leads to a dead end(?)...

    Haven't you seen people committing suicide for their dreams? 

  Haven't you noticed that students are known as the age group of committing highest suicides in our country?

     Haven't you heard the news of suicide by a farmer?

      Haven't you ever had a thought that they were too sad and too sensitive to live their dreams?

    Let me tell you an example : if you're a cinema lover (or not!), you may have seen a movie named 'Manjhi - The Mountain Man'. That man's wife was killed, and he starts breaking the mountain to make a road on his own. He did it, of course. Aren't we supposed to do that same? So what if you have taken a bad road? You can make it a straight made-of-cement road. The previous straight one which you didn't choose first was about to end in a few years and this one takes more time than that. But at least, you know that you can make it.

यह बुरा है या कि अच्छा, व्यर्थ दिन इस पर बिताना,

अब असंभव छोड़ यह पथ दूसरे पर पग बढ़ाना,

तू इसे अच्छा समझ, यात्रा सरल इससे बनेगी,

सोच मत केवल तुझे ही यह पड़ा मन में बिठाना,

हर सफल पंथी यही विश्वास ले इस पर बढ़ा है,

-पथ की पहचान (हरिवंशराय बच्चन)

    Suicide is not an option, it's an end! If you're in danger, You just have to put the signboard:

    This left road has lions and is for dreamers. The right one contains tigers but it's for dreamers and mostly for the mediocre men.

    There are such roads, both are dangerous, and you also have the signboards, पर आप तो ठहरे mediocre, आप ऐसे थोड़ी ना मानेंगे! अगर आपके आगे लोग शेर के बदले बाघ की और जा रहे है, तो इसका मतलब बाघ नहीं मारेगा, हैं ना?!!

    Freedom is that dream. You cross the road, you kill that animal, and you get your home. What if you choose lion by yourself (as you're not afraid) and it becomes your pet! Freedom lies in your dreams and beyond your dreams, and I wish you get beyond your dreams; because you'll get through it, whatever the path you choose. Even if you're a mediocre person, then also it's just about getting freedom, because you'll always be the upper hand when you'll get your dreams. કશુય ન થાય તો સ્વપ્ન જોતાં તો શીખો...