Face To Face with Life

Why do you always keep cribbing and crying, She asked me? I never had answers to her questions, she asked me questions which I never wanted to answer, made me go through lanes of my past, which I always wanted to forget! Why did she ever come into my life? As I got ready for work, I decided, no matter what, today I won’t let her dominate me!! Today I will confront her with questions!! I reached my work place and had a wonderful day at work, a few times, as though through an inner intuition I did certain things and guess what, a long persisting problem resolved, everyone was happy!! I came back home and made myself a steaming cup of coffee. A much deserved one I felt!

As I cozened myself, on the sofa, suddenly I looked on my right, and there she was, my self-proclaimed well-wisher, waiting for me, with a wicked smile on her face!! I looked at her and grinned, today I will suppress her!!

"So, long time no see, where were you these days?? " I asked her. She smiled and said, "I am always with you, just that you refuse to see me!". “Oh really, and what purpose is this visit for" I asked her. She replied saying, "All for your welfare". Then started a series of question and answers!!

Me: Why do u keep bugging me like this. Who are you, and why do u come here!!
She: I m your friend, just that you never look upon me as one!!

Me: okay, fine, let’s sort this today; what is it that you want to talk about!!
She: Ok, now that you have come to the point, let me ask u, why are u so sad??

Me: (laughing): You must be kidding me girl, I m so happy, I solved my problem today!!
She: Oh really, that’s good, why does your heart cry then!

Me: Nope, I m not crying, I m feeling so relaxed and happy!!
She: It is easy to fool your own self and the world, but not me!! Do u want me to start it!!
Fine, tell me, what happened that rainy night!!

My thoughts went racing into the past, into a dark and a long night!! It was raining very heavily. Adventurous that I was, I decided to go for a drive! I called up my best friend, Ronnie and she came to my place, ready for a wonderful night! What we didn’t know was, it was going to spell disaster!! I unlocked my car and started towards a place called Chilly Woods, a driving paradise, a beautiful place with wonderful lanes where I loved to go for long rides!! The rain, wonderful music really excited me! I was having the time of my life!! We were singing and laughing, suddenly I saw a car on the side of the road, it had slid off the road, a very bad accident, I slowed my car, and saw, there was a man bleeding. I instinctively stopped my car. We went near the man, he was breathing faintly, and he was still alive. I removed my cell phone, to call the ambulance. Ronnie stopped me, she was pointing to something. She was terrified. I looked where she was pointing, the man had a bullet injury on his shoulder and out of the corner I saw a black revolver in his hand. Oh my God, this is a police case. Nevertheless, I decided to call the police. As I dialed, Ronnie pulled my cell, canceled the call and said," Are you nuts? Don’t u see, this injury, why do we get entangled in police stuff" I argued saying, "out of humanity, I dodn’t care who he is, I m helping him". She dissuaded me saying "The police will first question our presence. Do u think all normal people, drive on such a rainy night to Chilly woods at one thirty!!" She made a point, I was scared now. What would I tell my parents, court case, police coming to my flat. I silently walked back to my car and we went home.

Next day morning, the headlines read "Good Samaritan, killed by Devils on Chilly Woods" . Apparently, the guy who died was a social worker, who had dedicated his life for the welfare of a village, fought against the superstitions and caste systems. The Village authorities, who feared he would take away their supremacy and power, had him killed. The report said, he died half an hour after he was shot at!! A black revolver was found in his hand, apparently, trying to make the scene look like a suicide. But the story came out, as an undisclosed witness complained against the village authorities. I was shocked, had I helped the man, he would have survived. I cursed Ronnie, called her and screamed at her for being mean and dissuading me. Before she said something, I hung the phone!!

A soft touch on my hand jolted me back to reality, tears streaming in my eyes I looked at my self-proclaimed well wisher and said "Why did u do this, why do u always make me walk through lanes I want to forget?". She smiled and said, "It wasn’t Ronnie's fault, she was scared, you must forgive her. Anyone in your place would have done that! Forgetting it is not the moral, but blaming her for your mistake isn’t correct either”. She told me how Ronnie had shut herself from the world after that! “If u feel so bad, you must resume the unfinished work for that village. Go and finish his task. What he dreamed. You have money and power!! Go do it. Crying and blaming are never solutions, learn to fight situations. That is the sign of a strong woman”.

I realized how wrong I was. My friend had really shown me my way. That evening I went to Ronnie's house hugged her and watched her melt into tears. We decided to forget all bygones and dedicate our lives to that village. That was all we could do for that wonderful man!!As I set towards that village I wished I met my well-wisher again. I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see my well-wisher standing behind me.

I hugged her and said,

ME: Thanks for making me realize. I m so indebted to u!! What is your name??
She: same as yours.

Me: Hey that’s nice!! Can I ask u a question? How did u know I was suffering from inside and why did u help me!!

She gave me a beautiful smile and said "That’s my duty. Coz I m your conscience"!!!


That’s when I realized, I had come face to face with my life!! No matter what, always follow your conscience!!