To Go or Not to Go?… That is the Question!

Winner – 4th Position

(Judges’ Choice)

All India Literature Competition 2019-20

by The Creative Post

— by Srishti Bhattacharyya

–Reading Time – 15 min Approx

The bright rays of the sun were shining brightly over the colossal cliff as the man stood on the edge. He had his hands behind him, fingers interlocked, and his lips pressed together in a grim line as he looked down on his countrymen. The beautiful surroundings were not enough to cheer up the man. He took no notice of the singing birds and the rustling leaves, his whole attention went down the cliff, over the picture of the country he once belonged to. Behind the man, there stood a train, scheduled to leave within fifteen minutes. The man still hadn’t decided whether to board that train or not. He knew the reason why God had decided to send him down to the realm of the living again, but certain things in his own mind held him back.

He was in the earth during the phase of the Second World War, known among his countrymen as one of the bravest freedom fighters the country has seen. He took the needed initiative; he shed blood and sweat to earn the country’s freedom. He traveled to places to gain support and help of strong forces around the world. He had to vanish creating a death mystery around himself. His only regret – he couldn’t live the freedom of his motherland like others did. However, the matter of his death had been a complete mystery. Some people believed that he died by the end of the Second World War, while some people believed that he lived on in disguise as a Monk in his free motherland.

His intentions were purely selfless. All he wanted was to give his countrymen freedom and peace. He didn’t expect anything in return. But it is not at all surprising that he felt hurt. He was more hurt than angry.

While he was busy reminiscing about his previous life and staring down with a bitter feeling about how the country, that has the potential to achieve so much, is not developing as fast as it should, another man, taller than him by almost a foot, came and stood beside him. This person had a small smile on his face as he observed the man before he turned to look down the cliff too.

“What brings that frown on your face, my friend?” He asked in a soft, calm, and soothing voice.

The man showed no sign of being surprised of the other man’s presence. His frown deepens as he shakes his head, “Just look at them, My Lord. All these men…”

“How many times do I have to tell you? Stop calling me Lord or God, it makes me feel old,” He smiled in a cheeky, mischievous manner, “Just call me K… isn’t that how the humans this generation call each other, with these short one word nicknames?” His smile turned gentle as he stared down lovingly. However, there was still a visible sad glint in K’s eyes. The man also smiled fondly at the friend he has made and turned back to what he was looking at before.

“They could have done so much better, K. All they had to do was stick together, help each other. But these foolish people, how’d they ever move ahead if they keep fighting among themselves? How will they ever help each other? Just look at them. It makes me sick to see them fighting like this.” He shook his head in a disappointing manner.

“It is unsettling, isn’t it, seeing them destroy themselves like this?” K muttered. “You were one of them, sent to the Earth by us. You are all like our children… imagine how hard it is for us to see our children fighting among themselves, killing themselves. Whole cities got destroyed in the past, and if the humans don’t learn to get past the differences, similar things will happen again in future.”

K gave a dejected smile and looked at the man. He raised his hand which was playing with a pen, rotating it like an expert. He studied the man before asking the question that bothered him, “Why are you so hesitant?”

The man looked astonished before he composed himself and turned to look at K. He had thought a lot about why he was hesitant, but saying it out loud to his friend, made it more real, made the hurt more real. He contemplated about what to say, how to phrase his feelings in words and sighed. He could feel his friend’s eyes reading his every move and he also knew that K would not stop until he got his answer.

“I did so much, everything that I could think of, for them, to give them the freedom they deserved. I fought against whatever stood in my way, in the best way that I knew. And these people, they made a mystery out of my death.” He blinked back the treacherous tears and looked away.

“So, what are you going to do now? Are you boarding that train?” K asked pointing toward the train trying to sound casual. He knew why the Gods have planned to send him back. The country was in a severe condition and this man, this soul had the power to bring the situations in balance. K knew why he felt like taking a walk now. This man needed the motivation from his friend to board the train. The man had been hurt; his pain is overriding his love for his country. K knew his friend well enough to know that and he also knew that if he didn’t board the train, he will regret not going to the aid of his country. That’s the kind of person that he is.

“I can’t help them K. Things were different back then. In my times, we were together, fighting against a common enemy. Now, the problem is in them, they are turning into their own enemies.”

“And you can show them the path, my friend. India is one of the largest countries. All of us had assembled in several meetings to come to this decision. Every one of us came to this mutual conclusion that you are the most able being to help these humans now. This is the last train to Earth that has a vacant seat. All the others are completely full now for the next few centuries. The old souls wanted to go back to the Earth, to live again. If you do not board this train,” K shook his head with sadness and disappointed, “then it might be too late for your country to reach its full potential.”

The man looked torn. He was happy, he felt blessed that his friend and the other gods felt this way about him. He could not help but think about what K said. Was it true? Could he really be of help to his country again? He could not, however, forget how much it had hurt, how insignificant it had made him feel earlier.

“No, K, I am not going. These kinds of people are hard to get rid of. They are like hydras. Cut off one’s head and two more will appear.” The man said. He was now grasping for reasons. K was a good friend to the man; he didn’t need him to spell out the words to know what was bothering him.

K smiled gently hearing his reason and took a step towards him. Placing his hand on the man’s shoulder, K spoke, “My friend, you are right. The fight has become harder now. But you are the one who taught them to fight. You showed them that they have the power to fight and win against any kind of crime and injustice. And now when they need you the most are you really going to let them down? It’s not just fighting the wrongdoers, but you can also help them reach their maximum potential, and it is time that they finally realize their worth.”

The man too smiled now. K’s words had done their job. He sighed deeply and finally uttered the thought that had been plaguing his mind since the time he was standing in the cliff, “Why is it that even after all this, I still want to fight for them, my heart still aches for them?”

“Because, my friend, the ignorance of a few people is worth nothing in front of the immense love and respect that people have for you. You feel for them who don’t know how to go about anymore but they still keep fighting because you taught them to fight for their rights, to never give up. This is the time when these people need you the most.” The man tore his eyes away from the sight below and turned completely to face K. K was smiling knowingly, he felt the moment when the man changed his mind. “Now go get on that train. It leaves within a minute.”

Smiling with joy, the man wrapped his arms around his friend in gratitude and rushed to board the train.

— by Srishti Bhattacharyya