AFTER-MATH : In conversation with self

I hope you had prayed for me enough to bail me out from this situation, and your prayers would hold something to HIM. We Indians (at least most human beings) are like this only. Even when AMERICA had declared war against OSAMA BIN LADEN and SADDAM HUSSAIN, most of us were praying for their safe passage, forgetting the crimes they had committed. I can only hope that my self-portrayal till now did not give you any bad idea of my character. In everyone’s life such thing happens, some are lucky enough to make amends, while some just perishes. And I was about to make amendments in my life, you know that, but now I think HE don’t want to give me any chance.

I think most of you could relate yourself with me now when you were in my age. Actually I am of the opinion that our age permits us to follow our passion and disregard any advice from elders. Take this example. You want to go for a late-night party, and your parents are against it. You think they don’t want you to enjoy and you stay back, only to share words with them. You feel extremely confident that whatever you do, you are doing the best and you simply disregard their feelings. You recognize it only when something odd happens to you. See, now where I have landed myself. But, is it only my fault?

Back to the game, I am still hanging on the bar, awaiting my faith and holding on your prayers. Speaking from my mind, I think any person you dislike throughout in the life; you will start liking him/her in such situation. No words of him/her will be hurting you now. See, I never believed in GOD, and when he put me in such situation, I am remembering and begging him for survival. But, here, what I needed is just one day so that I could set many things right. Should be able to say what I always needed to tell others, but hold them back because of my nature.

I don’t know whether hanging there would benefit me till the time help arrives, or should I fall into the nets. And lo, my already-under-test patience gave away. Now, I am freely flowing towards the net. Both my hands were in the direction of sky, as if, I am wanting sky to take me in his grip, but Mother Earth wanted me more, so she was pulling me towards her. The fall was really a wonderful experience; don’t look surprise. There was no worry in it, as I know I was safe in the nets. So I closed my eyes, and remember the greatest moment of life. Always the good memories bring smile on your face. Similarly, remembering the bad incident will make you aware of the mistakes you made. I take it like that. Strange in few seconds, you can summarize your life. What happened next I have no idea!

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When I opened my eyes, I don’t know where I was! I could see number of white-dressed person around me. Are they doctors? Did they operate me? Why aren’t they doing anything and standing still? I was completely convinced and you too will agree that I will be having at least one operation (because of that bar struck in my stomach). But, they seem to be more relaxed and a little grief-stricken, as if they can do nothing. Yes, they don’t have to do anything, I wasn’t feeling any pain. Why wasn’t there any pain? May be they have given me some pain-killers. But, do any pain-killers kill your entire pain after such accident?

I closed my eyes, as if to confirm I wasn’t dreaming. When I opened my eyes again, I realized I wasn’t in any OPERATION THEATRE, but my body was lying on the heap of wood. I was in Smashan-bhoomi. Wow, what was the net spread for then? Or was it the mistake of people holding the net? But, now what can I do!

Now, I realized that I am now the part of the past, with no present or future. But, I was extremely worried what stories would be circulating in the city behind my sudden death. And, how was my family going to fight against this? Specially, my cousin, all my family members believed her words that I don’t race. What explanation will she be giving to them? Already devasted by sudden death, how was she going to cope with all this? More police investigation, more media drama! OH! GOD, where I had put them!

But, I had a surprise. Peoples were in fact cursing the government. (They always do that.) What for? It was that unlucky stone on the flyover which had turned villain, giving me the chance to become a HERO. The story being circulated was that because of lack of awareness, many stones were lying on the fly-over and I was unlucky to hit by one of this stones. Really, when you are alive, your every move is scrutinized, and you are labeled either right or wrong, mostly the latter. But, once you are not the part of this world, all your mistake seems to be forgiven and you are always true.

Many peoples were gathered here to attend my funeral. But, I am not famous in this society. I leave in some other, where my passion gets attention, and I am not forced to do what I don’t want to do, where there are many peoples like me. Then what for they have come here. But, soon I realized that they hadn’t come for me; in fact they came because of my family’s popularity throughout.

So, I am dead now. Even though we knew that death is inevitable and desires never-ending, we still try to run away from death to fulfill our materialistic desires. Try to avoid death, but did anyone succeed to cheat the inevitable. But, no, we never think once that we got human life because of our past deeds, still we don’t want to do something that will be remembered forever, even after our death.

Next: AFTER-MATH 2: In conversation with parents.

Race for Survival

Welcome to the first un-official race for deciding the greatest biker from the eight metro cities of India. The crowd in comparison with the official racing championship is simply heart-warming. In India, anything un-official, anything unusual is accepted with open heart. Even, the un-official INDIAN CRICKET LEAGUE was accepted with warmth, which later played a part in the stupendous success of the official INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL). So, I hope the same thing happens in bike-racing too! Then only, my real worth will be proved to many!

The teenagers or the kids’ just-out-of-their-teens formed the major part of the crowd assembled to witness this race. I think only the young hot-blood ones can take this, no place for the faint-hearted or the oldies here! Everyone present, including the non-Mumbaities were just rooting for my win. (Hey! I am quite famous!). Most of them were eager to meet me, to shake hand with me or were just too happy to see me. Many of them have started idolizing me as a GOD in bike-racing. It happens only in INDIA!

The idea to organize this race surfaced, when the like-minded peoples were discussing the need for more official races on one of the social networking site. The idea didn’t have many takers initially, but the strong support I gathered within one month, paved the way for organizing the race. As the competition was in Mumbai and was the brain-child of mine, most of the responsibility rested with me. But, as I was participating in the race too, the responsibility was shared by my loyal friends then. They (just like Mr. LALIT MODI of IPL) were keeping no stone unturned for the success of the competition, but at the same time were vouching their complete support to me, although I saw some jealous face too.

So, the race started on the decided time, we all super-eights were equally confident of winning the race. But, my start was on a more confident note, and I soon overtook all of them. I was racing like I never did. The bike-meter constantly touched its maximum limits. The engine was roaring full. Wind playing its part too well. It was as if I will complete the race twice till the time others gets to the finishing line once. I was way-ahead and wanted to complete the race at the fastest speed ever imagined. Taking the sharp turns and flying from the speed-breakers, dived into my past, which were in plenty, of such turns and speed-breakers, and to combat against them, I was not alone, but I always had my cousin on my side.

I was more than happy to see her when she was born. Although, she was 5-years younger to me, the age difference hardly mattered. I used to have so much fun with her, that late-night munching, early-morning jog, and recently all-the-day on my bike or talking about it, were just pure fun. We shared so many things, right from the childhood. I did not care so much for anyone else. Never listened to others with any attention any time, but when she spoke something to me; it would mean everything to me! This explains why my parent chose her to keep with us. In fact, she became the remote control for all of them to control me.

Closeness between us grew with the years. She was the only person who knew that I love to race on bike, and was involved in many of such dangerous races. Rest of my family members had just heard about it, but to clarify they operated their remote-control. But very smartly she denied it just as the rumors. Although, she confirmed to them that I drive too fast, but race were not for me. All my secrets were never a secret for her, although she was not that opened to me.

Relieved to see someone on my side, I simply closed my eyes for a second. When I opened my eyes, I was in tears, not because of the speed, but they were tears of joy. I could hear the wind rushing through my hairs; but tears continuously kept my eyes wet. Soon, the last conversation with her was moving in pictures right in front of my eyes. Remembering her last words and the care she had taken of mine all the time, I was sure that I will keep my promise this time, and this would be my last un-official race. Tomorrow was definitely going to come in our life, in fact mine.

More relieved at my resolution, I applied the full accelerator, as if, was eager to tell her about this. Lost in my thoughts, I did not see the big stone on the fly-over. With accelerator at full, I lost my control on bike. Further, trying to control, I applied brakes which were absolutely the worst option imagined at such a high speed. Instead of gaining, I lost more, and was flung onto the side of the flyover. There wasn’t any relief either, and I was hanging on some of the bar coming outside, a shoddy work done by the contractor.

Now, the RACE FOR SURVIVAL in bike-racing had become RACE FOR SURVIVAL in real life. Hanging from the bar, little did I noticed, that one of the bar was right inside me and blood was coming out from the spot. When, I looked below, some on-lookers were frighteningly staring at me, some were gasping for breath, and some were just enjoying as it was the climax scene of any movie, and the villain was at the mercy of the HERO. Some intelligent person, without wasting a time, brought net from someplace, and 10 odd persons quickly spread it under me, ready to catch me anytime. I knew I would not be able to hold on for long time.

Here I am, holding and praying GOD for survival, but HE seems to be in no mood of mercy. My patience and control were slowly weakening. Till now, many of you would have imagined this to be a frightening one. Yes, it was indeed!

Hanging there, I saw my entire life in fast forward mode, all the people’s faces which were part of my life some or the other way. At this moment, I was begging GOD to spare me this time, and let me enjoy this FRIENDSHIP DAY with my dearest friend. Let me tell her, that the words tomorrow and promise were, in fact, in my dictionary and holds a meaning in my life too. Let me see her face, how proud and relieved she would be, on hearing this. Let me survive only this day!

Let me live! Let me live! Let me live!

Keep praying for me! Remember, you were my pillion!

Prologue to Race for Survival

“Hi.”

“Oh! You are there? You came to wish me.”

“No. I never like…

“Strange! Then what are you doing here?”

“Just! I was passing by. I heard about this race. And so...

“And so, what?

“I thought…

“Oh, I got it now. I think you were the person who informed my brother of my previous race. Now, go and tell everyone about this, especially to those who hate me and my passion for racing! Will this make you happy?”

“But, I ca…

“Hey, you are good at studies; I am good at bike-racing. Is there any comparison between us? What makes you so jealous of me?

“I am not jea…

“Please, I request you to stop interfering in my matter.”

“But.

“Better leave, before I lose my temper!”

“Ok. It’s your wish!”


Oh! It’s really wastage of time, talking to such mean peoples, who can’t digest your success? Sometimes they completely spoil the moment you were waiting for so long, just by their mere presence.

Hey, don’t start cursing this person to spoil my mood before the race as he is not the only person in my life, who spoils the things that give me joy. There are many, my parents, my brothers, in fact I think everyone in this world are like this only. They always want you to follow what they have done, not caring for what you can do or what you want to do. They always think that your passion for something will never hold you any great future. But, does anyone know, what’s stored in the future? No. Still they want you to survive, just to be in race, with all your feelings killed, all your dreams shattered!

I am too trapped in these races of survival. Right from childhood days, they expected me to come first or be in at least top 10 of my class. But, why can’t they understand the simple rule of the nature? Not everything in this world can be perfect. Even, all our fingers are not equal, but they serve their purpose! I was good in sports, but they wanted my grades in other subject to be more perfect.

I didn’t have any respite further, when I moved to high school, and then to college. Somebody’s son was taking medicine as his future profession, and they want me to follow suit, not caring for where my heart lies. And what they say they want my secure future. What are the guarantees that whether this will secure my future, or will develop insecurity for the entire life? I respect them for their experience in life, but after 18 years, I too know my strengths and weaknesses!

They had acted as my protector for all these years, but I don’t want them to be guardian for my entire life. Give me suggestion when I need them, and don’t just lecture me when I fail while following my passion. Be with me, not against me! But, does anyone care.

Right from beginning, they are training me to be perfect just to survive in this world. I too want to survive, but not by following someone else’s passion. It’s like carrying loads of someone else, while you will not reap any benefit from it. Only animals can survive like this! Am I any different from them?


Anyways, getting back to the reality, for those who don’t know about the RACE FOR SURVIVAL, be informed that it is the un-official race between the un-disputed champions from eight-different cities, and this year the venue was my Mumbai! I surely enjoy the home advantage and home support in plenty. I know the path of race very well and had practiced on the route daily. So, I know every turns, speed-breakers, and which route to avoid so as I don’t get to see any policeman’s face. Stay tuned!

Coming up next: RACE FOR SURVIVAL


(INVITATION: So, what are you waiting for? Come and be part of this ultimate racing experience in the world on SUNDAY, 10.00 pm onwards. Venue can not be disclosed as this is an un-official tie, but many will still know, including the policemen who are keener to make money, than stopping us.)