There is a good feeling in me….. of happiness, excitement, I don’t know…… but it is a nice feeling that something good is happening. I have some vague memory of having done this before but it was long time back. As I started I kept on becoming more and more positive……..for I knew the journey is long but finally it has began after all. A cozy journey with people I knew. A little bit of fun, a little bit of bumps but nearing my objective. Then a whirl wind of small small steps and I finally reach the starting point of my journey.
- Take one step at a time - Concentrate on each step - Focus on the immediate target - Don’t focus on others - Never look up beyond your height - Control your body and mind With these rules firmly entrenched in my mind I took the first step.
stood at the entry gate with a few friends who started with me and looked up……it seemed like an impossible task, however, there was no option but to go on. I had a firm resolution in my mind….I will not take any help, I will reach my target and accomplish my mission I had set out for myself. Can I do it? I asked myself! Yes…..if I follow the following rules: -
So the journey has begun. My body is healthy and fit and I am feeling youthful. I start taking the steps. All the people who started with me are still around. Some are moving very fast, some talking & gossiping while I with my mouth shut, focusing on each breath and each step…..my head level. Whenever I looked up I loose heart…it’s a long way and seems impossible that I can reach the top. Then I think in regret that I have broken the rule and again decide never look up beyond my eye level. My friends run, laugh, joke and soon I’m alone amongst a world of strangers on the path. I don’t blame my friends for I’ve become very boring because of my rules I have set for myself.
There were milestones which indicated how much of the journey I have completed like a birthday staring at you telling you how little of your life has passed…..after all it is just the beginning. At each mile stone I looked around me and see all that I have accomplished…..after all….the journey is to be enjoyed. The small breaks also give me energy to reach the next mile stone.
I don’t know what my friends are doing, for they have chosen their own way of going through this journey……I hope they are enjoying themselves. As I reach near half way I realize that I am all alone. For I had decided to take a longer break midway through the journey. I wanted to enjoy with all my friends for we had started this journey together. I wanted to share every thing I went through to reach this point. I wanted to listen to their experiences. I wanted to take the balance journey with friends and not with strangers.
Just as I was nearing Mid Way….tired and expectantly hopeful and with anxiety as to the big break I will take at midway. I saw a friend searching for me…..he was sent by other friends to look for me all of whom had all already reached mid way except one and were waiting for me. Apparently they also wanted to spend this break together. Soon we were all together. We all spent a long time together happily reminiscing the journey till now. We looked around and saw all what we have accomplished. We were at a height which looked a very difficult target when we have started.
We were all healthy and looked fit….however, physical reserves were lesser than what they were at the beginning of the journey. All of us had one question in our mind…..how to accomplish the full journey and what lies beyond for we were told that the journey is worth it. I hope we were all wiser now….we wanted to enjoy rest of the journey together and reach our targets.
We all started out together with some shared resolutions…..we will be near each other and look after each other for the rest of the journey. As before I reminded myself of the rules I set out before and I started taking the same small steps with my eyes straight neither looking up and nor looking down. I would stop more often enjoying the path….. I needed the breaks as my reserves were getting lower. At each milestone I had mixed emotions of so much having accomplished but so little left. My steps were getting smaller and I was moving very slowly.
Again all my friends disappeared from my vision. I should have chosen my friends better. People who I could trust for the whole journey. People like me. But it was too late. I just can’t befriend strangers now.
The one of my friends appeared. He like me was also taking the steps slowly and looked physically strained like me. We decided to walk together.
Now it was too late. I was making lesser mistakes, breaking the rules fewer times than before as I had become a lot more wiser.
At points I would stop totally drained physically and then I would see people who were worse then me moving along the path. Resolute I would move on. As I neared the end my body had almost left me and I was moving only on my sheer, mental strength and faith.
The last part of the journey was toughest. My only one friend besides me……. we would look at each other and even with a smile knew what was in our minds. We would encourage each other to move on. That wordless understanding helped us reach the target. At this stage of the journey our mind was dull with pain and it was only faith which gave us the courage to complete the journey.
We saw it last…… a white palace in clouds…..Yes this is what it was last time also…..it is the same place I had envisioned. We moved on and as we approached near saw growing crowds of people. We were reunited with all our friends and waited to enter what was to be heaven.
There was a long queue with people waiting to enter. However, we were the chosen ones and reached the gate without having to wait in those long queues. The gate was in front of us and only my friend who was with me till the end and I were called in. All my other friends had to go back and wait.
As we entered we were made to sit near a door. A family, the father, mother, Son and daughter were make to sit next to us. Then lot of other people who were in the queue were made to sit in the rest of the space. We were at the height of anxiety and did not know what was happening and what lay in store for us. Then the chanting started, the mantras the music and soon we were happily lost in it.
Suddenly six of us i.e. the family of four, my friend and me were taken to the entry and were told to wait there. It was freezing cold, the floor was wet, we were numb but did not feel the pain as we were full of faith that we are the chosen ones. After the short time which seems like eternity we were finally asked to go in. We were standing right in front of…………………..
This is a small story on the journey of the author to MAA VAISHNOO DEVI.
