Life or Something like it...
"There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra."
- Death Speaks from "To cut a long story short" by Jeffrey Archer
First love and then life! Think what you may, but its the fraility of life that has literally pushed me to write this blog. I did talk about the unexpectedness of life in my last blog as this thought had been brewing in my mind for quite sometime. Never would have I thought that I would be addressing the issue so soon. But then that is life!
Just a month back, on 24th September 2004, to be exact, I met with an accident. Coming back from my job treat my mind was restless on a trifling issue. I don't know what bit me but I decided to drive as fast as I could. It had drizzled and the roads were a little wet. But I was enjoying myself, playing hide and seek with the eternal truth. And suddenly it happened. On the tortuos flyover near Masjid, the bike slipped on the divider. I, in a frenzy, pushed the breaks, causing the wheels to get jammed. The bike got toppled and we (Ankush and I) were on the road skidding at speed close to 80 Kmph. Ankush pushed me off the bike and I rolled on the road for couple of feet while the bike came to rest. I don't know what had happened in those 15 secs, but one thing am very sure of is - I was closest to God then. I didn't even realise the gravity of the event, got up, checked my minor bruises, checked with Ankush, he too was not hurt. And I LAUGHED!!! I cannot believe how could I do that. Dasa, Harki, Chhotuu and other must have thought that I had got hit on my head and now that I ponder upon it, I couldn'thave agreed more with them! Ankush insisted on driving from there but I took the bike back from him near Dadar and drove it back to insti.
Now, exactly a month later, similar but much graver incident has brought all those memories back. In all of my interviews, I was asked what am I going to do 5 years hence. And I always had a fitting reply for such inquiries. Now that I think of it, I cannot but smile on such a farce question. How can you plan of 5 years down the lane when you don't know of things 5 sec from now! You may chalk out a foolproof plan to be the king of the world, but do you know whether you would survive till then!
Death .. Death is the ultimate truth. I see Death as God. Its in him we find solace, the eternal peace. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that is beyond its reach. Nothing has stood in its way since time began. Everyone is equal in his court, a rich is treated with same honour as a poor. It is everywhere. You may try and disprove its existence but it has its ways to mark his presence. It is with you, only just beyond your reach. Everyone is striving to touch him. Everyone knows one day he/she would reach him, yet is afraid of him. And above all, its when you need anyone the most that he would come and give his hands to give you rest from your pains! Who can have more powers than this but GOD?
I don't know whether there is life after death but then life and death are like two mates who just cannot be apart. So if one follows the other, I just won't be surprised. The only thing is I am not interested now to find it out! All I can say is I love life and I do it now even more!
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Just a month back, on 24th September 2004, to be exact, I met with an accident. Coming back from my job treat my mind was restless on a trifling issue. I don't know what bit me but I decided to drive as fast as I could. It had drizzled and the roads were a little wet. But I was enjoying myself, playing hide and seek with the eternal truth. And suddenly it happened. On the tortuos flyover near Masjid, the bike slipped on the divider. I, in a frenzy, pushed the breaks, causing the wheels to get jammed. The bike got toppled and we (Ankush and I) were on the road skidding at speed close to 80 Kmph. Ankush pushed me off the bike and I rolled on the road for couple of feet while the bike came to rest. I don't know what had happened in those 15 secs, but one thing am very sure of is - I was closest to God then. I didn't even realise the gravity of the event, got up, checked my minor bruises, checked with Ankush, he too was not hurt. And I LAUGHED!!! I cannot believe how could I do that. Dasa, Harki, Chhotuu and other must have thought that I had got hit on my head and now that I ponder upon it, I couldn'thave agreed more with them! Ankush insisted on driving from there but I took the bike back from him near Dadar and drove it back to insti.
Now, exactly a month later, similar but much graver incident has brought all those memories back. In all of my interviews, I was asked what am I going to do 5 years hence. And I always had a fitting reply for such inquiries. Now that I think of it, I cannot but smile on such a farce question. How can you plan of 5 years down the lane when you don't know of things 5 sec from now! You may chalk out a foolproof plan to be the king of the world, but do you know whether you would survive till then!
Death .. Death is the ultimate truth. I see Death as God. Its in him we find solace, the eternal peace. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that is beyond its reach. Nothing has stood in its way since time began. Everyone is equal in his court, a rich is treated with same honour as a poor. It is everywhere. You may try and disprove its existence but it has its ways to mark his presence. It is with you, only just beyond your reach. Everyone is striving to touch him. Everyone knows one day he/she would reach him, yet is afraid of him. And above all, its when you need anyone the most that he would come and give his hands to give you rest from your pains! Who can have more powers than this but GOD?
I don't know whether there is life after death but then life and death are like two mates who just cannot be apart. So if one follows the other, I just won't be surprised. The only thing is I am not interested now to find it out! All I can say is I love life and I do it now even more!
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
-- Abraham Lincoln
posted by Aatif @ 4:39 AM
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