It was a hot sunny day. I was already late for my office, and adding more time to the clock was the stoppage at every next signal.
It was difficult to focus on any situation around. My tight collar shirt was suffocative. In the cloud full of pollution it became hard to breathe. I stared my face hard in the mirror, eyes were restless and tired as if they were crying for a long vacation to sleep. Body was tired and mind was exhausted, Soul was dead yet consciousness was alive. Just when I had closed my eyes kneeling on my bike’s speedometer,An old-man in his mid 70’s approached me. He was carrying packs full of ear cleaners, His eyes looked more tired then mine. His wrinkles reflected the harsh facets of his life. His torn shirt was unwashed since months. His meek shoulders barely able to lift his head and his legs barely able to withstand his upper body.
At the age when he was supposed to play with his offsprings, and enjoy the quite time of his life, the man was trying to earn his daily bread. I couldn’t help seeing his condition. I bought a year full of stock from the man, handing over the 500 rupee note, I started my bike as the signal turned green and traffic from behind grew restless. Asking to keep the change I gave throttle to my bike. Last thing I remember was a smile on his lips and sparkle in his eyes.
The fact that man will not sleep hungry for day made me feel contented. This is what I live for, this is what I want to do. With the dreams reborn in my eyes I hurried for my day’s conquest to capture the real fort of my life. Making an oath to feed dreams to millions of lifeless Indians make me live more in my life.
I remembered the lines written by great Rabindranath Tagore on the very day–
'Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.'
