Fighting spirit...

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon and as I was lazily sipping through my cup of tea on my couch, my wandering eyes halted at the family portrait on the wall. I kept glaring at it for sometime and I did see two protagonists in this portrait emerging out strongly. I looked deeply at the portrait again only to hear a inspiring story these protagonists had to say. A whole struggle to get to where they belong today, the upper strata of the society. They took me through their struggling yet intriguing journey of fighting for a respectable identity in terms of their social status.I was left with an awe at the end of it all.


Today when I retrospect on their struggle...the struggle of my close family folk..., I undoubtedly adore their fighting spirit that kept fuelling their life boat to get to the harbour when they were deserted by their own family amidst the tidal waves of the ocean.


To start with, life to them was a walk on the most tasty and yummy black forest cake that had all the necessary ingredients to look for. Richness and flattery of the metro lifestyle...a courtship with a college sweetheart eventually ending into a flaunting Punjabi wedding ceremony. All was a smooth ride until the wedding turned into a marriage, a union of not just two individuals but two families, two different ideologies clashing at its unison. What followed was not the expected happily ever after but unleashing the mask of a family that holds the title of educated, ultra modernity only to find a typical mother-in-law waiting with a "arti thali" to welcome the new bride into a power game.


And then what else would you expect? Nothing but a saas-bahu saga that had everything a competent high TRP K-serials would have to offer. Parents making the life of their son a hell by continuously taunting and finding fault with the new daughter-in-law for no reason. Getting into dirty power games with their own son and daughter-in-law. Not understanding the difference between assertiveness and misbehavior. Parents who out of their own ego had ruined their relationships with their son and daughter-in-law by closing all doors of learning, improvement and got themselves into a non-listening mode. Home was no more a comfort zone but a battlefield. The matter had so much gone out of control leaving no option but to separate amicably for better quality of life. "Amicable separation"...Its easily said than done for it took a lot out of the two noble souls. Amicable separation meant moving into a alien city leaving their hometown. It also meant resigning a permanent job position that had a promising career path and high salary into a contract job with lesser compensation. Above all it meant desertion from the family financially, socially, morally and emotionally. Though all these had its share of emotional turmoil on the devoted couple, but it was all taken on a stride. Their marriage was not just to feed the momentary physical needs and to topple on slight inconveniences. It was a marriage which stood all vicissitudes only to grow stronger and stable. It marked a new beginning of their life...


There was an initial jitter when they moved into a small town from a metro city. Everything was new. Job, home, environment, local language etc. They did not have all they had until now but what they had now was something they were yearning for months from the time of their wedding. QUALITY TIME FOR EACH OTHER...A space they had to share with no-one else...and within no time they had turned their abode into a home filled with happiness and love. They were strongest when they were together with no other person interfering into their arena. They moved on by working harder and harder day by day to get better at the career front, at the bank balance and at the home front. As days moved on it only got more tougher for the contract job was continuing to be a contract, the bank statements did not show fancy numbers and to make matter worse the duo had to go through the loss of a expected baby not
once but twice. But the couple did not lose heart and they tried harder and harder and each time they bounced back with more dedication, more determination and undisturbed focus. It involved sitting in the cyber cafe for several mid nights looking for a better career opportunity, cutting down costs on family extravaganza, travel and vacation. No hard work goes unblessed. Eventually a opportunity was waiting for the duo at the IT corridor of India with a job at an esteemed organization. They waited no longer to grab this opportunity and move into the new promising city.


Ah...Now there was some soothing fresh air to wipe off their sweaty struggle. They knew they had reached their first target. Now not only did they continue to have quality time for each other but now it was complimented with better quality of lifestyle and garnished with new set of aspirations and dreams. Life took a steeping turn with the new city that was young, hip and hop for the couple to look for some family extravaganza and a bank balance to meet the same. But what is most interesting was they did not stop over and take a nap like the famous rabbit in the running race with the tortoise. They also did not buy into the idea of slow and steady wins the race but their belief was fast and consistent wins the race. They moved on with great karizma and style in all sectors of life. Sector of career that brought in two quick and sequential promotions reciprocating the hard work, a dream home that was self made down to its every brick, a sedan to pamper their new social status and of all the precious gift of a newborn life to symbolize their divine love for eachother.The family portrait was complete when the misunderstood family bounced back with repentance and regret to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood.


Life has blessed their hard work, their dedication, determination and focus. They continue to progress for better day by day without stopping over. What amazes me is their unending weariless fighting spirit towards betterment of life and betterment of loved ones. You could look at their life in the most simplistic way or through its layers, it only has one message...Never stop fighting...for hard work with dedication, determination and focus always pays back and gets you to your target. And what is this target....its definitely not worldly or tangible, though it could seem so...its all about going a step beyond your orbit to show your divine selfless love for the love of your life.


A token of adoration towards the wonderful couple and their fighting spirit...
Archana