I wondered Aww! I was in such a cosy place then... decades before. Life was so beautiful. Where have I landed today. It feels so strange now. "This way is blocked, you cannot proceed ahead." said the man dressed in khaki, interrupting my thoughts. We all had to take the diversion and move ahead.
The space was very crowded. It was as if a race had begun and everyone were busy looking out for their treasure. I was not well acquainted with the place, and I was not sure if I headed right. I felt its best to follow the crowd and so kept walking along with the rest.
"Simply take a left turn here and you will directly hit the rear entrance to the palace. Its just 5 minutes walk from there." said a passerby.
"I do not advice young girls like you to take that path. You better catch a cab and he will drop you at the right place. It wont cost you much." said another lady. - Oh young girl! I'm flattered. I thought.
"We need to be the first ones to reach the palace. So better hurry up & stop talking to strangers" said another woman to her teenage daughter.
Looking at everyones' pace, I questioned myself Am I into a race or something? It does not really feel like a race when you don't know where you are headed towards. At least there should be some announcements of the race. When did it start and when will it end? Will I be able to reach the finish line ever? I think I better hurry up.
I walked faster, and picked up pace. Soon I realized I had begun to RUN. I zipped past many people and moved faster-and-faster. Sometimes, I would take right and left turns only to realize that I returned back to the original crossroad which I had already passed by few minutes before. This race wasn't like my previous marathons where there were directions and boards indicating the distance covered. In that, you at least know your final destination and how much more is remaining to cover. There is no one to guide you here. Its your race, your way!!!
Not to mention the ups and downs. The scorching heat was melting me. I was sweating like never before. I wondered if I had to spend the rest of my life running like this. Wasn't there a cheat code or something like that which would simply take me to the finish line on click of a button. Hmm... wish there was one.
Did I not mention...? my parents too were with me. Yeah! I was not alone. They kept me moving. I even came across many known faces. My friends, colleagues, teachers, their kids and whole lot of others were all a part of it.
After a long journey, we finally bumped into some refreshments. After hydrating ourselves, we resumed our RUN. There wasn't enough time to relax. Just a few minutes later, I spotted Adarsh amongst the crowd. I never knew he was running too. We continued together from there on. The race was fun. Down the way, we clicked several pictures, met new friends, ate chocolates and cookies... giggling and singing all the way. Probably, by now, I had begun to love running. I don't mind running all my life with such wonderful people around me.
Now, this is what each one of our life looks like. Its a race after all. Before you realize you are into it, you would have begun to RUN. All you do is RUN... Sometimes slower, sometimes faster... Sometimes shortcuts, other times longer ones... Sometimes alone, sometimes with loved ones, and at times... with enemies too...
Well, I began my run somewhere-like-a 2 decades back or could be more than that. Just recently, I realized that it was a hard core race I got into! I am having fun though. Learn to enjoy your journey. Click a few snaps, hold your memories tight. Take breaks, refresh yourself. Talk to your neighbors and make new friends. Nourish yourself and always be prepared for hurdles. You are not the only one. Everyone is into it. Make your journey worthwhile.
Remember: Life is a journey, not a destination! Happy Journey Folks!
