Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Autobiography of a lamp post in a park

I remember that, a long time back I was fixed in the beautiful park, just at the entry. The experiences I have had are manifold, an admixture of happy, unhappy trendy adventures I have had are enough to write an autobiography of my life.
A long long time back, I remember even the process of my being born i.e. being moulded into my present shape. Oh! the terrific pain I used to feel when pieces of wrought iron were being moulded into my present shape. I felt the pangs of burns when the mechanic used to weld pieces of me, to make me a whole of this size. My body was being burnt day in and day out at the welding machine for I don’t know how long. You know I count like you all do, so, the number of days I felt the burns. I really can’t tell but I only remember the painful agony I had to face for a long time till this shape came. It was not me alone, a great number of my brethren were also being made and we all felt the pain alike. At night when the process of burning our bodies would stop, we would sit together in the workshop and discuss our tragic lives. We would all wonder when we would get out of this hell. Days passed by in this miserable life till one fine morning we realized that life was on the threshold of a major change.
That day, our manager came to the workshop and told the man there, to load a hundred of us colleagues in a truck standing in front of the workshop. I heard the instructions and wondered as to what would be in store for me. Not much time had lapsed when a few labourers came into the workshop and started lifting many of my friends and alas! Soon came my turn also. When the count of 100 stopped, we knew that we would have to bid adeau to our other friends. Anyway one thing was good that, some went to an unknown destination. The truck had hardly moved for a few minutes that it stopped, and we were told that our home had come. I did wonder what my new home would be like and said to myself that, I would be able to forget all my pains and burns only if I got a good home. I prayed to God that for one, the home would be good and comfortable and that all my friends would stay with me.
I am glad to tell you friends that both my prayers were heard and out new home was a beautiful park, and also that, all of us hundred would stay together in the same park. Having got both my prayers heard I thanked God and now looked forward to my place of posting and the assignment.
In this also I was very lucky I was placed first at the entry gate of the park. My assignment was also pleasing. It was to give light to all those who entered the park. Soon I was fixed at my post. When again I had to bear some pain but, once I was fixed, I was a merry individual.
The place was such that I could see all the passerby on the road, I could recognize all the people who entered the park and behold, could befriend all those who sat on the bench under my light. My place of posting was first too good but I was rather at a distance was well compensated by the company I got from people who sat under my light.
Let me now acquaint you with the part I am posted in. the name of the park is Kalindi Kunj. A huge park, beautifully maintained with lots of light given to visitors by me and my other lamp post friends. In the evening, beautiful fountains are a great attraction. Coloured lights emanate from each of these fountains and make the atmosphere beautiful and cool. The evening, specially in the summer months are a great solace to me as I stand in and going out of the park. I have been here now for quite a few years, I don’t really know how many but, I have had a lot of experience of main and his ways. This is because I see men all the day, convening, loving fighting and what not. My experiences are numerous but those that I think I can never forget, I shall narrate to you in brief.
The best experience of my life was, when one day a few children came and sat on the bench near me. It was day time and I wondered how they could come at this time. Is it a holiday or have they cut their classes? I became alert to listen to their conversation as, I would like to know how and why they were here at this time of the day. My friends, it did not take any time for me to understand that they had run away from a school nearby, When I heard their conversation my assessment was that, they had cut class because they were frightened of their teacher. Why on earth do teachers frighten the young, don’t they know that children should be taught with love and not scolding. These children sat there aimlessly, chatted for an hour and a half I think and went away. This incident gave me a shock of my life and I wondered where humanity was going. Even I, an inanimate object felt sad for the little ones what has happened to the human heart, which is believed to be the store home of love.
I had hardly got over the shock of this exasperating experience that, one fine day I saw two people sitting on the bench and fighting like dogs over a big bundle. I wondered what that bundle could be but soon I realized that there was a lot of money and jewellery in that bundle and they were fighting for the distribution of the spoils. They must have robbed some place and took shelter in the park to distribute the booty. Oh! there was a shiver in my spine when I saw the lot of wealth they had in front of them. I pitied the people they must have robbed and hoped that I could have the voice to call the police. Just imagine my plight when things are done in front of me and neither can I object or act, nor can I call anyone for action. This was another experience which destroyed my image of a man. Has he become so brutal so cruel and so selfish?
These two incidents lie so heavy on my mind that I can never forget either of them. However, there is, I must say some solace also in this world of man. One day just a few days ago I was so pleased to see a young loving couple having come to the park. They took a round of the park and finally came and sat on the bench near me. It gave me immense pleasure to see them talk to each other in words mixed as if with sugar. When they spoke to each other I went into raptures over them. This I felt was some consolation to the tearing and breaking world. I was so happy to see that there still is some love, sweetness and goodness existing in the world.
These are just a few experiences I have had in the park, which are worthy of remembering. People do come in and go out daily and I keep standing here as if on watch to all their activities. What I do not like about them is that most of them talk as if they are constantly fighting and I begin to wonder where is that sweet tongue that God gifted to man?
I stand here healthy till now but, I am sure after a few years I will get old and rusted and will be thrown away from this beautiful environment. Let me see what all is in store for me. I do pray I can find some more love among human beings as, this is one quality of man that I appreciate and find it fading by and by with the passage of time. I stand here and pray for man to become as good as he was meant to be.

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