A Walk To Remember!

Have you ever thought about any incident or tragedy that could entirely change your life? Imagine a life full of love, joy, happiness, peace, and success. You attain what you have desired for, and all you long is a hassle-free life. The best moments of your life are about to begin when an unexpected turn takes away all the joys that you were waiting to reap. Can life be so cruel?

I recently met an old friend of mine over a cup of coffee. I still remember this lucky go easy chap, who never believed in boundaries. An immensely self-obsessed lad, weighing around 110 kilograms, yet someone who lived life king size. His fitness was never a hindrance to his outbound activities. He would join us for all the trekking and adventurous activities. Irrespective of his weight issues, he would define himself healthy, dark-complexioned,yet he would consider himself as a threat to Mr. India, the nest over his head or rather his hairstyle would be home to a couple of birds and the extra fats around his abdomen can make any baby sleep. 

I am not sure if anybody has fallen for his appearance but definitely for his brains. He was a techie by profession.

He was at the top of the world when he was engaged to Tamanna, the girl of his choice. He admired her and loved her deeply. Her pics were displayed at every corner of his house. Tamana was equally interested in him and was waiting for the wedding day. It appeared as though they were made for each other. It was that moment that changed his entire life. An accident can be so disastrous sometimes, such that it teaches you the true meaning of life. 

The spinning wheels of the car, blood and Tamana was all he could recollect when he opened his eyes in the operation ward. There was a severe injury in his right leg, the femur was broken into pieces, and there was no hope of his recovery before a year or two. The metal rod was inserted into the leg, and the doctor informed that he wouldn’t be able to walk normally. The metal rod was his only support for the rest of his life, and he could no longer trek or be a part of any other outbound activities. The news shattered him, but the presence of Tamanna in his life cheered him up.

He was expecting Tamanna to support him morally and help him recover. He needed her the most while she was busy calculating the do’s and do n’t’s of the marriage. She no longer wanted a crippled man in her life. She wanted to be rational with her decisions. Her love vanished with time. He was left with no option but to let her go. The dream that he built with her vanished all of a sudden. It was as though it never existed. A few days of the wedding and beautiful life was welcoming him ahead, but all in vain. He cherished his courtship period and consoled himself that it was destined to happen. Was it the bank balance that lured her and the family, or was it a way of God to teach him the hard truths of life? I leave the readers to decide.

I wasn’t reacting when he was narrating it to me; instead, I would say, I didn’t know how to respond at the tragedy. It was disheartening to see the changes in him. Our chirpy friend was silent, dull, and had a different approach to life. Was he struggling with his disability of walking in life again or was it his broken heart that kept him occupied? Too many thoughts with no conclusion at all. There was a moment of silence between us. I broke the silence and tried empathizing with him, to my surprise, he just stood up and walked a few meters. He walked back to me and slowly whispered,” I can WALK.  A broken heart is more painful than a broken leg.  And that mental agony gives you physical strength.” I was numb. I salute him for his courage and the desire to live life once again. Kudos!

 Had you been Tamana, what would you have done?