THE ESSENCE
Malla Jameel Ahmed ,
A chilly winter morning in our land with a temperature freezing below minus, snowing heavily and a breeze that can easily send shivers through an innocent body with hypothermic effect. No matter how much one tries to escape, it will engulf you make one submit in front of its rage. Even the droplets of water dripping and oozing from snowy rooftops are spared by this irreconcilable temperature freezing them to acquire spear shaped icicles as if the nature also tries to guard us from tormentors. What is left is window of my room surrounded by houses, hindering my desire to look at the other side of the window but somehow managed to see, see it all with my eyes though the limited view from my window. The anomaly in understanding the Human nature can be more appropriately elucidated by the fact that the very blanket/bedding that protects you from cold and keep one warm throughout the night suddenly becomes a source of ill omen if continued to be kept laid in the house. The matter of being ill omen is debatable but i need it most which means there is no point of blaming it of any unpleasant effects.
As I was telling about my window, there on the other side was a small boy with a white complexion, the only thing that noticeable from a distance. The mere presence of this person made me curious to observe him as in this bone chilling temperature, how he dared to walk like this in the street and when i say dared it is indeed an act of daring at least for me who even in normal summers catch cold and start coughing copious amount of phlegm. Leave it, what am i telling, the other side of window is what entices me, not this side, it gives me insight of a life as that small boy in itself depicts life . with every step coming closer and closer, more and more clarity came. He has a red cheeks reminding me of one of the guests in the News show mocking the cheeks of the people with no remorse, still not at all dispelling the effects of the winter, frail look said it all. My desperation is always a precursor of undesirable consequences that illuminates with the tears of other people, thereby profiling my temperament to the best of the readers. Desperately leaving my room in a jiffy, went
downstairs with my full energy just to catch a glimpse. On reaching starting staring , the staring is bad atleast that is what we are taught but i can’t resist myself, my desperation to know the story of a boy meant no limitations. Unnoticeably, there is a bucket in his hand, filling every time it with snow but not coming full, maybe he is confused, anxiety on his face reflects the chronicles of the past. Again asked what is this snow for, smile is what i got in return. He doesn’t want to answer but why the bucket is not filling up to the top, i know but wanted to hear it from him. All of a sudden, a word came what do you think why is this bucket not filling up to the brim with a snow. Feigning my ignorance simply not in scientific terms, nodded in denial. He continued with his words addressing me your life is like this bucket, initially not understanding anything but i continued to listen. The handle of which is in the hands of your family who always try to provide utmost care, guide you. This snow is like a love that is ushered upon you by the parents but always feel it less , sometimes take it for granted . Take the parable of melting ice seeping through the openings & crevices of bucket, love of your parents is always shadowed and sometimes diminished by external influences. Retaining the same will help you achieving a highest degree of contentment, wasting it will lead to disillusionment. Choice is yours. Feeling bit irritated, asked the boy why are you telling all this to me. Smilingly he said, times in the valley were not same for everyone, here a different story unravels with every new person, from the stories they try to derived their identity. Still not convinced, asked him why are you telling me all this. Smilingly, he said “I am an orphan”. Meanwhile, a feeble voice started running in my mind becoming louder and louder with an impatient effect on me, slightly making me angry. At once, i woke up with this frame of mind. It is my mother, why are you still sleeping. Smile on my face said it all, after all I belong to the nation where pain is asleep.
The writer is Government employee at Govt Dental College & Hospital, Srinagar.
