“Oh that was painful” said the man to himself gasping for air. He had just woken up from a from what felt like a long deep sleep.
But wasn’t it just moments ago, when he tied that noose around his neck and kicked away the old rickety chair.
“Any way who cares for I am free now, free as a bird. Free from the shackles of the so called life where my miseries ran deep.”
With that feeling of exuberance, the man got up and only then did he realize that he was in a place very unfamiliar.
He was in room that had many doors on either side. The door, the walls, the roof and the floor all were of color white.
“Where am I, what place is this?” just then did he hear a woman’s grief stricken shriek.
He dreaded to turn around and see who was in such agony, for he knew the voice too well and also knew the cause of her misery.
Slowly her cries weren’t the only ones for they soon were joined by an old man’s muffled sobs , but he could only guess for he could never be sure as to who the man was for he never heard the man cry before.
The cries, the sobs, the wailing was growing louder and louder, finally he could stand it no more so he turned around to see them,but was instead greeted by a cold hearted door.
He tried to open the door but the door was locked. “Open up” he shouted ferociously “let me see them or I’ll break you apart”.
“You can’t “ echoed a voice down the hall “for you closed it forever your self , when you tied that noose and kicked that chair”.
He turned around, alarmed for he didn’t realize that some one else was there , in that white washed lair.
He could see a man’s silhouette in the far shady corner of the room, he stood rooted there unable to decide what to do.
“Who are you ? What place is this? Whom do those voices belong to whom I can hear but cannot see.”
“Surely you recognize the voices don’t you? “
“No I do not” the man lied.
“Then in that case your guess is as good as mine.”
There was a brief pause as no one spoke
Frustrated the man repeated “ Who are you and what place is this ?”
“It does not matter who I am what matters is what you did”?
“Some thing that I did ? What did I do “
“You took something that did not belong to you”
Again there was a deadly silence for nobody spoke.
“ What do you mean by it was not mine to take, surely it belonged to me”.
“You foolish boy, nothing ever belonged to you and nothing will ever be, you were just one of the many cogs in a giant wheel.”
“You had a purpose, you had a destiny but you were arrogant , too proud to care and you threw every thing away when you tied that noose and kicked away the chair.”
“You know nothing of what I went through, you know nothing of my plight, I was like a sore to eyes of my people, it’s only fitting I went forever out of their sight”
“I was buried under their expectations, weary of the look in their eyes every time I failed, I was just tired, exhausted and wanted this dreary to end.”
“Nobody listened to what I wanted, nobody seemed to care, you say I had some obligation to fulfill, well I think I did a pretty decent job in tying the noose and kicking away the chair.”
“Child, the night is the darkest before dawn, gold is melted before being carved into jewels and even steel needs to be forged to make swords. Life was testing you and that’s why you kept falling, all you had to do was get up and realize your true calling”
“You are lying , you are lying “ broke down the man, “ There was no silver lining in my life, only miseries which I could no longer stand.”
“You don’t have to take my word, you don’t have to believe me, however just open any of the doors and tell me what you see.”
Reluctantly the man opened the first door to his left and was transfixed with what he saw , he could see himself in room full of children, they were hurdled around him and he was at the center. They were singing with him and some were dancing too and there he was with his old guitar, playing some rhythmic blues.
“You always loved singing didn’t you and you always played that guitar well, you would have been an amazing teacher only if you didn’t tie that noose and kicked away the chair. True you wouldn’t have earned much and its true you wouldn’t have led a lavish life, but the happiness and joy you could have brought to those children, wouldn’t that have sufficed?”
Tears poured down the man’s eyes, for now he finally realized that how wrong he had been. His legs felt weak and he fell on his knees and he cried, cried to his heart’s fill.
The man finally spoke, when he could cry no more “Who are you an what is this place ?”
“Me? They call me the devil and this place is called hell and behind each door you see, you will find various chapters from your life, which you could have lived, had you not chose to die”.
–END–
