Solemn-Commitment

My mind started spinning, as the face of that boy flashed through my eyes, emptiness filled my heart. I left the crowd and went to find a quiet corner for solitude. I looked intently at the boogie crowd, totally absorbed in the merry making, considering them to be proud Sadiqians; gathered on a reunion night. These are the future office holders of my country, I realized. How lucky they are to be given a golden ticket to success. This event seemed to be a training camp organized by the snobbish elites, their fathers, how to misuse the wealth that God has made them guardian of. A grave thought struck me hard and my conscience asked, “What sort of humans are they, am I one of them?!” “No, I can’t be, Then why I am among them???”

I tossed a five rupee coin toward that street boy, for cleaning the wind screen over the red signal. Though it had brought the faint smile on his innocent face, but died even before reaching his gloomy eyes. Indeed! That boy and many others like him spend sleepless nights, working hard to earn just enough to feed their families and maybe a little for themselves. Tears filled my eye blurring the vision of the inside crowd that appeared to belong to another planet- Utopia. Why have we become so blind and so deaf that we can neither see nor hear the hunger stricken families tapping at the windows of our luxurious saloon cars? My weary eyes kept wandering around when caught sight of one of my teachers, whose moralistic lectures had greatly influenced my thoughts. How truly he had said, “The necessary discipline to be a good ruler is to hear the unheard, only then the he can instill confidence in his people.” But here the majority was the sons of the democratic lords of Pakistan, a third world, developing common wealth sovereign country, and a nation who has been the victim of these generations for the last few decades.

That day was fabulous because I had learnt a hard but significant lesson, the value of availing the opportunity to the maximum. Eyes are said to be the doors to the heart. Leonardo Da Vinci’s portrait of Mona Lisa is famous for its smile but her eyes are just as lonely and sad as this boy’s. I realize now, what the painter had wanted to show. Perhaps Da Vinci wanted to give two fold themes to his master piece, one, the idea of perfect beauty wrapped in innocence and the other, deception marked with cruel dexterity. Looking into the boy’s eyes I saw sadness, though the smile crossed his lips but his eyes were melancholic. So then, was the boy cleverly portraying the picture of injustice and prejudice to gain sympathy and earn easy money from streets? Or was he really the one who has explored all the horizons of opportunities but was unlucky every time, which I doubt!

Snap! Back to reality, the celebration of the reunion is our achievement of success that we all acquired after burning the midnight oil. This ecstasy is hard earned and I have every right to enjoy it. I fear that I might not be one of those who play the blame game. This should be done! So, why that was not done? So on and so forth. I know these ifs and buts that bombard my mind would push me to pessimism. I had to free my mind, make myself happy and contended if I want to do justice to my capabilities and make a desirable difference in the society. I don’t want to wear the disguise of that street boy and project myself to be the dejected youth.

Focus! Focus! I am not an anarchist. I believe, if you don’t like a law, follow it, reach to the top and then change it. You need to have a dream, a faith in it, and then courage to strive with all your might, finally strong perseverance till it is conquered. Undeniably! We can change the future and benefit our country only if we excel in our respective field and stay focused with the positive approach. Now I stand out here alone. I ask a question. Who am I…….? I am no one special, they would have no monuments named after me, and my name shall soon be forgotten after I am no more. Yet, this ordinary person has an extra ordinary dream and is passionate enough to follow it. I know I shall and I will accomplish it, no destitution is too hard; no wall is too high, no ocean too wide. I will climb every cliff; I will ford every stream; I will battle every field until I fulfill the solemn commitment I have set for myself.