Hello Zindagi!!

What is it with some people who have a compulsive habit of jumping the signal at every opportunity? The other day I was waiting at a crossroad for the signal to turn green and noticed that there were still a good 20 secs left. But this guy just vroomed ahead in his bike with total disregard for his life and of those around him. How far would he go by being ahead of others by plain 20 secs..I pondered. Was he running for his life? So, it seemed. I admit it’s a rat race out there and only the fittest survive. In this world of go getters, we need to be ahead of some rats at any given point of time in the race. But at what cost, is the question. And we can only get ahead of a certain number of rats in a lifetime. So, what do we do? Realise those rats, mark them out in our “target board” and start hitting them. That seems to be the answer, most applicable and correct, strategy-wise that people give me.

Sometimes, the rat you are trying to get ahead of will also be trying to get ahead of some other rats. In the process, if he succeeds you will be left with a new rat to deal with. So you must now adjust your gear, change the speed at which you move and begin the race anew. Phew, what a waste of time!

But hey, on one occasion you managed to get ahead of that one difficult rat. Now what? You still have some more to go. And so life goes on. Till one day, you are seating on a rocking chair by the window, reading a newspaper with your glasses on and trying hard to read the written word. The writing clearly says – You Have Lost...those precious moments when you could have greeted life with not just a hello, but could have asked her in and shared many a beautiful moments sipping coffee or tea and exchanging pleasantries.

Instead now you are left with a false set of teeth, a hearing aid and countable strands of hair on your balding head wondering what if….or wishing if only I had…But sadly, you would never know what could have been. My dear friends, zindagi na milegi dobara...so jiyo life while you can. Go slow, enjoy the views and experience the moments that make it and remember, speed thrills but kills too!