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From darkness to light
Abhay set out for a journey. It was the journey of a lifetime, seeking knowledge and fame. He was told the path was difficult, and he believed it. But, he was full of optimism, sure that there was no obstacle that could stop him. He believed he knew what his goal was, and he believed in it. All he needed to have was a fearless mind, and a big heart. From the little slice of the world he had seen, from all that he had been taught, he had worked out his own solution to walk the path. All he had to do was to persevere, and to follow the script. Meticulous that he was, he prepared for the journey, and packed all that was necessary. Save for a fire torch, for he believed that it was too crude a tool, with all the nice tools at his disposal. But the truth was - he was afraid of the fire, though he didn't suspect it himself.
He travelled long, facing difficulties, overcoming them with a bull-headed belief that nothing could stop him, when his approach was right. He travelled many a terrain - each beautiful, each a new experience. However, his eyes were set on his destination. The leisures of the path were not for him. The path seemed to be getting longer, there seemed to be not one destination, but many to choose from. His destination started to look like a mirage. Yet - the belief in his goal carried him through. However, life is strange. Somewhere down the line, doubt crept in, he got tired. He wasn't sure he could get through. And then he reached the big forest. It was pitch dark. He had navigated many obstacles along the way, but the paths were never so unfamiliar, he had never been so unsure. Yet he trudged along, for he had never known to give up. But it clear that he was struggling. The darkness hid the obstacles. He stumbled got up and walked again. "Just a minor hiccup .. everything's ok - I just got to be more careful", he told himself. The truth was the progress was slow, and may soon have soon halted.
Just then, he was faced with a huge boulder in his path. As we walked aroun it, he could see a light ahead. It was a white, calm and serene spot of light. Someone seemed to be moving in the same direction as him. He could see his way, and began to follow the light. It seemed to become much easier, with his guide leading the way. The light gave him a direction. Moreover, it briefly removed the thoughts that clouded his mind. He began walking, reassured that the path ahead would go smoothly. He noticed that the light ahead wasn't moving straight. There was no hurry. It took detours, it stopped to hear the sounds in the night, to see the silhouettes in the dark forest. He followed, he looked around. Till this point in his journey, he had never stopped to see the beauty that lay strewn along the path. Now, he saw a whole new world open. He started enjoying the path as much as the destination he was moving towards.
At the same time, his curiosity to know the source of light increased. He stepped up his pace, trying to catch up with the light. However, he was still moving in the dark, unknown to the source of light. The strange noises catching up must have ruffled the traveller, he saw that the light started to move faster and further away. He stepped up his pace too, and soon the two were moving faster in the dark. A frantic race developed. He couldn't understand why the light was running away, and the only way seemed to be to catch up. Suddenly, the light disappeared, everything was engulfed in the dark, and he heard a shriek. He moved to where the light had last been. On reaching there, he almost stumbled by a stone. The traveller seemed to have stumbled too, and the light source smashed beyond repair. He could hear a groan in the distance.
He realized, in an instant, why the source had been moving away. It was him, probably mistaken for a beast in the dark night, that was caused the traveller to hurry and stumble. It was Abhay's fear of the fire that was to blame for the traveller's fall. The price had to be paid by the traveller. He was left in the dark again. He groped, trying to find his way. The path was now harder, and there was no light. However, deep inside, he now believed that he could get through. His feet felt a foreign object. Stooping to pick it up, he found a matchbox. A fresh wave of energy surged within him. He collected some wood, and prepared a fire-torch. The flame glowed, and he felt the warmth of the fire, the saw his way in the bright light. The fear of the fire was gone, it had to go. For the destination was no longer his desire, but his responsibility. Not his own to claim, but dedicated to those who helped him reach so far, dedicated to the guide who showed him the way.
He travelled long, facing difficulties, overcoming them with a bull-headed belief that nothing could stop him, when his approach was right. He travelled many a terrain - each beautiful, each a new experience. However, his eyes were set on his destination. The leisures of the path were not for him. The path seemed to be getting longer, there seemed to be not one destination, but many to choose from. His destination started to look like a mirage. Yet - the belief in his goal carried him through. However, life is strange. Somewhere down the line, doubt crept in, he got tired. He wasn't sure he could get through. And then he reached the big forest. It was pitch dark. He had navigated many obstacles along the way, but the paths were never so unfamiliar, he had never been so unsure. Yet he trudged along, for he had never known to give up. But it clear that he was struggling. The darkness hid the obstacles. He stumbled got up and walked again. "Just a minor hiccup .. everything's ok - I just got to be more careful", he told himself. The truth was the progress was slow, and may soon have soon halted.
Just then, he was faced with a huge boulder in his path. As we walked aroun it, he could see a light ahead. It was a white, calm and serene spot of light. Someone seemed to be moving in the same direction as him. He could see his way, and began to follow the light. It seemed to become much easier, with his guide leading the way. The light gave him a direction. Moreover, it briefly removed the thoughts that clouded his mind. He began walking, reassured that the path ahead would go smoothly. He noticed that the light ahead wasn't moving straight. There was no hurry. It took detours, it stopped to hear the sounds in the night, to see the silhouettes in the dark forest. He followed, he looked around. Till this point in his journey, he had never stopped to see the beauty that lay strewn along the path. Now, he saw a whole new world open. He started enjoying the path as much as the destination he was moving towards.
At the same time, his curiosity to know the source of light increased. He stepped up his pace, trying to catch up with the light. However, he was still moving in the dark, unknown to the source of light. The strange noises catching up must have ruffled the traveller, he saw that the light started to move faster and further away. He stepped up his pace too, and soon the two were moving faster in the dark. A frantic race developed. He couldn't understand why the light was running away, and the only way seemed to be to catch up. Suddenly, the light disappeared, everything was engulfed in the dark, and he heard a shriek. He moved to where the light had last been. On reaching there, he almost stumbled by a stone. The traveller seemed to have stumbled too, and the light source smashed beyond repair. He could hear a groan in the distance.
He realized, in an instant, why the source had been moving away. It was him, probably mistaken for a beast in the dark night, that was caused the traveller to hurry and stumble. It was Abhay's fear of the fire that was to blame for the traveller's fall. The price had to be paid by the traveller. He was left in the dark again. He groped, trying to find his way. The path was now harder, and there was no light. However, deep inside, he now believed that he could get through. His feet felt a foreign object. Stooping to pick it up, he found a matchbox. A fresh wave of energy surged within him. He collected some wood, and prepared a fire-torch. The flame glowed, and he felt the warmth of the fire, the saw his way in the bright light. The fear of the fire was gone, it had to go. For the destination was no longer his desire, but his responsibility. Not his own to claim, but dedicated to those who helped him reach so far, dedicated to the guide who showed him the way.
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