Where the Mind is Without Fear…..

A few days back, I happened to watch a movie which left me overwhelmed with the underlying theme…….that being the feeling of “freedom in captivity while being shackled in apparent freedom”. For those of you who are cinephiles like me, you may have already guessed that the flick I am referring to here is ‘Highway’. However, the purpose today of getting down to my favourite way of communication (writing of course) is not to come up with yet another review of the movie in question here, but to ponder a little over this central theme which has somehow affected me deeply.

Keeping my own self in view here, I realized how most people experience the same emotion, in some way or the other, but refrain from accepting it or admitting to this fact, lest they be looked upon as being eccentric or self-centered people who try to question the norms of this society that we all willingly or unwillingly, have to be a part of. A good friend of mine always tells me, “life is tough, yet beautiful and worth every effort to live it and keep oneself happy”. I can guarantee that while most people acquiesce to this in the privacy of their inner self, when it comes to action, people take a step back, yet again considering those unseen ambits that we all have imposed on ourselves. Societal norms and public image get the better of the happiness of our inner soul. Whether this is right or wrong, is again a subjective thought. It is largely determined by the priorities people set in life and by the level of sacrifice deemed acceptable by one.

Life presents us with different situations, and we make our choice and settle for that as the destination. Given the context of the moment when the choice is made, it may have been the best possible option. But don’t times and people change? Is it wrong to change? Or is it necessary that we consciously turn a blind eye to the change and pretend that life is just the same? Why is it that, being truly happy becomes a conditional affair subject to restrictions that the rule book of the society lays down? When I put forth these questions, I certainly don’t want to sound like one who is saying so because she is the devil’s advocate justifying any act or desire as acceptable under the pretext of being happy. Certainly not. But I would definitely like to consider the flip side with the possibility of breaking the unseen barriers of right and wrong sadly decided in most cases by the rules of the world.

While the concept of “where the mind is without fear” is a pleasing idea, the fact remains that each one of us succumbs to those unseen inhibitions, the fear which prevents us from lending a ear to the will of the mind, from taking up the road less taken or that step considered taboo. This brings me to yet another distressing question. After all the painstaking effort to grow – physically, intellectually, socially…..settle well, do all that is done in life to be considered successful, claiming throughout that it is all done with the aim of leading a good and happy life, does life actually spell out into happiness for all with this. Yes, gladly for a lucky section, it does, but for most, life more often than not adds up to a series of subdued wishes, sacrifices and compromises. And all this for what……for the life we proudly claim to be our own, but end up living it as per the whims of the society. Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara…………..is it? If yes, is it worth wasting this precious gift because others wouldn’t approve of something and force ourselves to live the life the world wants us to live. Or should we spread the wings of our being far and wide and live life to the fullest, which necessarily doesn’t mean that we go on an inconsiderate rampage blurring all distinctions between right and wrong.

Of all the questions that I have raised, while I personally would respond with an answer that would be considered rebellious, it’s an irony that I still find it difficult to put my views into action. Fortunately or unfortunately, in so many years of the life that I have already lived (not sure though whether I can consider it living in the actual sense of the term), I could only muster the courage to raise the questions and answer them honestly….. action is still a distant dream.