Dad's Always There
Hemant peeked at the empyrean domain, the moon's smile boosted his morale. It conceded and gave consent to his decision, giving him a high-five. Hanging on the other side of the railing, with his back to the otherwise lively world, he smiled back at the moon affirming his gratitude for being there with him.
Firmly, he held the railing with both his hands. Balancing on his toes, he leaned forward to inhale the freedom he was about to experience after leaving the grip of the railing. Freedom from expectations, worries and failures.
He deemed himself a total misfit in this competitive world. He found no place for himself and his dreams. This world wanted more from him.
He had invested his lifelong savings in a start-up which collapsed brutally. He had worked diligently in the corporate world for ten years and had saved a handsome amount to start his venture. He quit corporate life when he was at the peak of his career. Going against the wishes of his family, he invested every single dime of his savings in a venture which didn’t end up the way he had expected, leaving him penniless and a subject of public mockery.
At 3 am, the bridge which was always buzzing with vehicles and footpath vendors was silent as a grave. He was at peace. He had no regrets. He tried his best but to no use.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind shook him and he felt something fluttering beneath the pearl ring that his dad had given him to control his aggression. It was a piece of paper that had come flying from somewhere and got stuck in the ring.
The more he ignored it, the more it fluttered. It looked like a torn piece of paper from some book. Out of curiosity, he bent to read it. Under the bridgedge lighting, he could see just the highlighted words “DON’T LEAVE”.
The words jolted him as if waking up from a nightmare. He questioned his decision. Sweat started trickling down from his temples, his heart started pounding so hard that he could hear its beat. He was no more at peace.
He closed his eyes and reminisced what his father had once said, “DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT LEAVING A LASTING IMPRESSION. DON’T LEAVE MIDWAY THROUGH THE JOURNEY YOU HAVE STARTED. DON’T LEAVE YOUR DREAMS FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO PICK AND FULFIL. IT IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR DREAMS, YOUR STRUGGLES AND YOU SHOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO HANDLE AND LEARN FROM YOUR FAILURES TO ENJOY THE FRUIT OF SUCCESS LATER ON”
He opened his eyes and quickly climbed across the railing to be on the safer side. He took a deep breath and again looked at the azure sky to thank his dad.
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