The Sunset

On my last trip from Mumbai to Nashik a journey of about 4 hours(the time may change according to the 

of the traveler's need  to go to the loo) I kept my phone charged, I had my laptop stuffed with all the necessary sitcoms I would need to go through these hours.I had my earphones, my chips(and things i cant mention). My journey started at about 3 pm it was a sunny day and the heat was unbearable just like any other mid summer day. Mumbai is a place you won't love if you are accustomed to peace, scarcely populated places with fresh air. As any other Mumbaite I was hardly interested to look around. All I could hear was intense honking. The desperate need to leave that place as if they wanted to take a dump. Anyways I didn't care about the things around me. Whether it was a Jalopy, a limo, an auto or simply Howard's mom it didn't really matter.Whenever I peeped outside whatever I saw wasn't anything new I could see unfortunate people asking for help, I could see smoke, I could see people who where uneasy I could see their tanned skin covered with sweat , I could see men on their bikes wearing the skull guard just for the sake of(we Indians wear them just to avoid the fine). There were kids trying to cross the road and women bargaining with the 'bhaiyas'. I could see a woman on the back seat of a scooter trying to adjust her tushy in the hardly available space. I could see people arguing and abusing each other. That was not unusual about Mumbai. It was the average bustle of my little city. No one was at peace. I crossed Mumbai it took me an hour to reach the outskirts.

After leaving Mumbai we started covering the innumerable not so famous small villages. I liked the places but they looked underdeveloped there were farms,many trees and lakes.The weather was much cooler. There weren't many bikes or cars, there wasn't any smoke. People spoke in regional language with a typical regional accent. I loved everything about those places. The simplicity, their attire,they working in farms everything made me smile. Before reaching the most awaited part of my journey 'The Kasaara Ghat' I took my halt at a small village. As I got down I stepped on the dark brown soil it looked nothing 

like the one I see in my city  I kept walking towards a patch of farm which was touching the road. I stood there I could feel the cool breeze touching my face.I didn't want to leave that place. I wanted that moment to last forever I kept walking and reached a tree. I sat under that tree disconnected from the

entire world I removed my chappals. I sat there all mesmerized staring at the orange sky and the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. There wasn't anyone around. I couldn't see the lands end. Finally I could hardly see the sun. I got up and dusted myself and started walking towards my ride. 

I got into the vehicle with heavy heart thinking about all the things that I had just seen.The sunset, the breeze everything I was thinking how lucky the villagers were. When I got in I couldn't find my earphones in my pocket.I thought I dropped them somewhere. I quickly got down to check the place. As I walked I saw a person he was covered with mud.His clothes looked unwashed. He was weak and old he sat on a small basket which was kept upside down which could easily support his negligible weight

he looked nothing near happy. I kept walking ahead to see 2-3 teen girls dressed in traditional Indian salwar kameez they didn't look happy either they were busy talking. They looked serious.Exactly next to them was a man arguing with the food served at the dhaba(roadside food outlet).They all looked chapfallen. Suddenly I heard a voice in typical regional accent I turned to see a woman I smiled at her she looked devastated her eyes were deep, her skin had intense wrinkles.

She had a bright red circle on her forehead which meant her husband was alive. She asked me "tai, chaha ghenar??" I couldn't stop staring at her skin. I said "nahi.. nako". I walked back to my bus after knowing that the earphones were in my bag itself. As I took my seat I looked at all of them again and thought are they foolish 

not to stand and look at those farms or to feel the breeze or to see the orange skies?I removed my book but this time I didn't open it. The thought which had just hit my mind I called it back again. Are they foolish? they have so much to be happy about unlike the Mumbaites. I looked at everyone in the bus, people looked happy they loved the place. I sat on my seat. Again the thought hit me this time it was hard 'Am I foolish?'. Have I missed things while arguing with people for change, have I missed things which were right before me because I was too busy complaining about my friend's farts? This was the moment I no more felt like going to the next village. I wanted to go back to see things I ignored.The things which are right before me. Next day I was back to my little city. I stood right midst the crowded lane of my burb with people arguing with each other over the rates and complaining about the heat and looking at me as if I were paranoid to stand there looking at the sky. I looked at them all I couldn't cut them off they made me and my life. I couldn't imagine having a life without chaos. I was happy to have them all. Finally I looked at the sky. Gradually it turned all colorful just before the sunset. I could feel the air, the smell of my city the happiness to be in one. Now it was the best sunset I'd ever seen. Life is what we make it. Let's stop surviving let's live.