A nation at war!
The living room was full of people, relatives mostly. There were a few close friends. Everyone seemed low that he was leaving again. He had barely spent a week with his newly wed wife when the call of duty beckoned. "How long is it going to be this time?" one aunt asked. He looked at his wife. Should he repeat what he had told her that morning or should he say the truth. "I am not sure" seemed to be the best compromise.
The younger brother and one of his friends were busy bringing the luggage out. The mother was busy finishing the last set of parathas for the journey and later. Mrs. Singh who lived two houses away seemed to have tears swelling up in her eyes. More so because it had been 6 months since her own son left. A weekly phone call is all she got of him now.
As the cab showed up his wife burst into tears. She had one of her friends with her. He could not do anything and just quickly touched his parents feet... forced a smile and said good bye to friends and gave one last hug to his wife. She refused to let go for quite some time. And in one quick maneuvre, he got out of the embrace, into the cab and the cab started moving.
As he sat looking at the familiar streets of his neighborhood pass by, he could not prevent those tears he had so efficiently fought back. The cab driver seemed used to scenes like this and just didnt say a word for quite some time.
It was not after a good 30 minutes in heavy traffic that he began wondering "Why do I do this?" Why do I leave everything I care for and go. Is it just money or is it more. He was doing something he wanted to do for a long time. Infact, he had taken efforts to see to it that it was he who would be sent and not anybody else he worked with. Only if he would have known that going onsite to the US was going to be as tough as this. If only...
The younger brother and one of his friends were busy bringing the luggage out. The mother was busy finishing the last set of parathas for the journey and later. Mrs. Singh who lived two houses away seemed to have tears swelling up in her eyes. More so because it had been 6 months since her own son left. A weekly phone call is all she got of him now.
As the cab showed up his wife burst into tears. She had one of her friends with her. He could not do anything and just quickly touched his parents feet... forced a smile and said good bye to friends and gave one last hug to his wife. She refused to let go for quite some time. And in one quick maneuvre, he got out of the embrace, into the cab and the cab started moving.
As he sat looking at the familiar streets of his neighborhood pass by, he could not prevent those tears he had so efficiently fought back. The cab driver seemed used to scenes like this and just didnt say a word for quite some time.
It was not after a good 30 minutes in heavy traffic that he began wondering "Why do I do this?" Why do I leave everything I care for and go. Is it just money or is it more. He was doing something he wanted to do for a long time. Infact, he had taken efforts to see to it that it was he who would be sent and not anybody else he worked with. Only if he would have known that going onsite to the US was going to be as tough as this. If only...
posted by Nalin at 9:54 PM
5 Comments:
This is a very emotional blog... prolly the blogger is very sentimental at this point in time:) Its his call:):)
But....the real soldiers (I hope they never get to read it) will be very ashamed of it.... to what they are being compared to.
And if it is only used for the heck of comparison, its a very lousy comparison.
I agree. People going onsite are in no way to be compared to actual soldiers who risk their lives. But the feeling of loved ones is still comparable. At least the soldiers have a pride that they are doing whatever they are doing, for their nation. There is nothing for the others. Again, do not mean any disrespect to anyone.
Dullya, why the sudden pangs of emotions for guys going out of country for "onsite" projects? You haven't been in this situation for a long time and I think you wouldn't be in this situation in the near future. God knows.
yaar khupach senti zhala tu
Well .. I would rather say that this points to an even bigger question ... are we all becoming individual heroes? What do we aim to become? Why so much desperation to leave behind everything and yearn for that "something" is it money, fame, good life, just a self satisfaction or what?
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