SANS THE BED OF ROSES...

A bed of roses spread on the green earth- the blue sky embellised with the jewels of the night and a soft breeze humming my favorite tune- gently, I fall asleep and smiling to myself as I do so; yet aware of the new dawn that lies ahead of me: a dawn that would take me away from all the luxuries that I had been enjoying so lavishly. And yet, I wanted to see this dawn; wanted it to come soon and deprive me of my luxuries,wanted to so desparately that my bed of roses failed to put me into the instant sleep as it usually does!
But why would I want it to come? Why would anyone ever want to deprive oneself of all the luxuries of life? The reason was simple. I wanted to see myself without my privileges. I wanted to see, how I would be if I weren't allowed what I had been enjoying in the past. Wanted to be like some my friends in my college- who were like me before they faced the "dawn"; but were full of praises for it, which was so tempting that I wanted to try it out as soon as possible and I was ready to pay the price!
As it came near, my curiosity was enroused. I was excited, nervous but happy all at once. But soon, I reached my new world- sans the bed of roses, sans the green earth and blue sky; but a world entrapped inside the pale blue walls that starts with a door of cheap wood without even a proper lock and ended with a rusted nail on the other side of that tiny room. All that the room could hold were three beds, placed so close to each other and yet there was no space to walk inside that room. An open shelf to "guard" my precious possessions- two windows that allowed the light from outside even during night time; a light without light and a fan with a broken regulator!
I was on my own. And this was what I had ever wanted.And if a broken regulator and some broken cot was the price that I was asked to pay for it- I was ready to pay it! But was I happy? Ofcourse yes! But this was a totally different kind of happiness. A happiness that came from finding myself in a situation where I had never been placed before and finding myself coping up with it. May be at a small level, but I was feeling as happy as a toddler as he tries and succeeds in taking his first step without his mother. I was as happy as a plant that tastes the first rain of the year. And as happy as a starving dog who gets his first piece of bone!
It was nearly two weeks since I had changed my world.Did I miss my world? Yes. So I hated my new world? Ofcourse not! But yes, I would surely like to go back to where I came from. But will I miss this world? Well, yes and no. Yes, for it taught me so many things that I had no chance of learning in my world- like to wash my clothes, adjust to a bad food, compromise with the not-so-good people around me, manage my time to suit my schedulde, and not to let go Mr. Gandhi unless he wanted to leave me. No, simply because, it wasn't my world, and I was very happy with mine that I do not need this one- not that I would forget my lessons; for they were chapters on survival which were vital- not just for me, but for everyone.
And so I am back into my world- my home; am happy and full of memories of my room, my bed, my account book and my life, at the hostel!