THRIVE …

Prologue:

Back in 2006, I wrote a short story for a Flash Fiction competition in my office.

The contest imposed a word limit and insisted that the piece of fiction start with the sentence -- On a dark and foggy night, a small figure lay huddled on the railway tracks leading to the Bangalore station.

Now, I post below, the entry, I wrote for the contest. It got a special mention then.

Article: (I chose to name it Thrive .. and that's the title for this blog post as well)

Thrive ...

On a dark and foggy night, a small figure lay huddled on the railway tracks leading to the Bangalore station. I drew close by; a girl lay there, it seemed I knew her since my birth – had to be so as she resembled me in every way. Astounded by the similarities, I stood there, holding her in my arms, feeling an eerie sense of weightlessness.

I was left staring at her pale eyes, face marked with wrinkles. She was weary of deep thought, helplessness and fear of failure. Her intensely morose look held me in silence and she softly uttered – “Life holds no meaning to me, no more. I have failed to accomplish what I wanted to!” Her voice revealed strong pessimism, lack of drive to make her dreams come true, haste, pandemonium and much more. She was choked – choked out of peer pressure, her accountability to her family, a burden of satisfying everyone around her which she took on her out of her own volition.

Just as she hung her head in shame and frustration, not willing to talk more about her pitiable state for which she took sole responsibility, I took my turn to speak . In a solemn tone, I tried to make her understand that a person derives the energy of fulfilling his/her ambitions out of sheer self-faith, being selfish about one’s own interests to a sensible extent that peers, parents and their thoughts cannot intrude that private space.

Hitting it harder than ever, I said, “Thrive , FIRST for your self , then think of others around you!!”. We talked, one at a time and I silently, inferred !!!

She had lots of dreams, profound interest in many diverse subjects, in academic and arts and was capable of excelling in all fields. However, her intention to keep everyone happy with her choices weighed upon her extensively and thrust her into a hollow circle of failure. She had gone off the tangent into the circular trap and there was no getting back. Unable to overcome the inertia of her negative thoughts, her helplessness only increased and my words imparted no change in her.

At this moment, I let her go and climbed on to an elevation off the track. I turned back and saw her run over by a train, more aptly, a behemoth of pessimism and fear, squashing her dreams even before they came into existence in this material world.

A loud screech and a sudden halt woke me up , the train arrived at Bangalore Cantontment station. I got down with just one thought in my mind “Thrive , FIRST for yourself , nurture your dreams boldly and give them a form , don't give them up in fear of others petty opinions!”