MOVE ON…

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The lady, Sheena, walked into her workstation wearing a beautiful smile which perfectly complemented her floral white top and black skirt. The side-swept pony, pink lips, flushed cheeks and smoky eyes further accentuated her beauty. More than her outer appearance there was an inner sense of positivity which reflected in her calm-composed stride. At the drop of a hat, multiple eye sockets glared her from top to bottom. No one would believe it is the same woman who is leading the most tumultuous time of her life. Working as an air-hostess at a leading air-operator, Sheena was leading a perfectly normal life before a gruesome event turned it upside down. She hails from a small district of Nepal, Lamjung, approximately 180 Km North-West of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

25^th April, 2015 : 11:45 AM : The little girl snatched her brother’s cell-phone and blared on the speakers – “Bhabhi jaan, apne shohar se to aap baaten karti rahengi… abhi meri baari hai” meaning “Bhabhi, you will get enough time to talk to your husband, right now it’s my turn”. In the midst of this, the makeshift party hall set adjacent to Mr. Khan’s house was all geared to welcome the Nikah of their son, Shoaib. Bride to be, the protagonist – Sheena, was on her way travelling inside a local train blushing in the glory of her union with Shoaib this evening. It was a love at first sight for them. After a lot of persuasion the two families agreed to give a new name to their love, to tie their knot forever. Her parents were already there at the venue to see-through the marriage preparations. However before she could reach the destination, something else reached the spot – a deadly, God sponsored catastrophe – Earthquake; that changed the course of her life completely. The Earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale hit the suburb at around 11:56 AM. The buoyant faces turned horrific, the light walks turned into swift scampering as the very light walked out of their life. The catastrophe spared no one; it took the soul of one and all – her father, her husband, mother-in-law, father-n-law and her little sister-in-law. The impact of the quake was so huge that it left the entire district soaked in dried tears. However God did bestow a little mercy on her, Sheena’s mother could survive the quake only to leave her half body paralysed.

It was then and this is now, the girl hasn’t let those events change the course of her ambition. When I first came across her a week back, I imagined her like any other ambitious girl next-door, her demeanour clearly not revealing the hidden pain inside. She diffused confidence. When she walked, she walked with panache; when she smiled, she smiled gracefully and when she greeted she did that with compassion. However when I looked into her eyes, I was enchanted by the positive vibe they emanated from within as if nothing wrong ever happened to her. She did witness the ugly side yet she held something way more powerful within – HER DREAM. Being a lone child she had been like a daughter and son to her parents, dreamt of taking them on a world-tour, wished of making them see her reach skies. She had sweet night-visions of visiting exotic locations with her parents proudly standing by her side. Now with her mother bed-ridden and father no more; she stills clings to those dreams. When a blinding white light flashes across the sky she closes her eyes and observes her father right in front of him; when she opens them, the moist eyes are filled with a positive conviction; her father is everywhere. She still can make them happy by making herself happier. After all this is what every parent wish.

This is an anecdote of a lady who had chosen not to give up in life by what happened in her past.  I learnt from her story a very important lesson of life – What is done cannot be undone; there is no reverse gear in life. This is not a story of Sheena losing her loved ones. It is in fact a story of hundreds and thousands of people who have lost a lot in their life yet they moved on dauntlessly aspiring to conquer new mountains. They have not let their past guide their future course of action.

A lot of times in our life, we crib, complain, regret, and cry because we lose something/someone. While as human it is natural to do so, what we forget is – We need to MOVE ON. No matter what all bad and ugly things happen in your life –you need to accept one thing – it is not just you who is strangled between the devil and the deep sea – there are many others who may be going through a lot more rough patches then you may imagine. They might just not show. Just like good days, gloomy days too are a part of everyone’s life. So it is okay to be not okay. No one is really living a fairy tale because life is not one. Everyone has challenges and problems. However just like the lady above, we need to get above them completely; not just hide it the way some hide their pimpled face with a make-up. It is completely on us how we take each day, each event.  The depression needs to be handled and shared but with the right person. And sometimes that best person is you, yourself !

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