Dawn of Decisions
No turning back now. Between love and career, he had to select one. His parents had stopped trying. Everything was in his hands now. Lying on the terrace, looking up at the vast universe staring down at him, he felt insignificant, a speck in the vast cosmos. Millions of shining stars reminded him of the millions of promises that he had made — to his parents and his love.
But weren’t promises meant to be broken?
The haunting and eerie silence amplified his internal storms. The cold breeze of the midnight sky chilled his soul, amplifying the burdens of his decision. Through the heavy storm that raged in his mind, he could only see two paths ahead. Even in this tense situation, a smile passed across his lips, remembering the protagonist of Robert Frost’s A Road Not Taken, where he faced a similar dilemma. He knew one road would take him to high places, but he felt the other one was just as versatile. He was sure that he would be happy in one of them but was afraid of what might be the price for that happiness.
A sigh escaped his lips as he continued to ponder over the situation. The tense atmosphere seemed to keep on increasing to the point of suffocation and he felt that he could not breathe anymore. Yet, he kept on staring at the vast nothingness, unblinking, unmoving — all his muscles tense, ready for war, sudden action, if required. Only he could fathom the thoughts in his mind — a million different thoughts: weighing down one alternative with another, calculating possibilities, calculating outcomes. Truly, the human mind is a marvel.
His love and his parents were oblivious to the fact that a boy of 17 was making such a big decision; a decision that would change his life forever. Maybe even change the lives of those around him — his family, friends, love. Something which he understood better than anything else is that both the paths never crossed. Both ran in opposite directions. A gentle breeze brought with it the cry of a nightjar and it felt like honey in the ears of our young lover — a poor boy, from a middle-class family, a single child. His father, a salesperson, did not earn too much. In a few years, all the responsibility would fall on his shoulders.
On the other hand, there was the love of his life, who had been with him through thick and thin. Could he forsake her for the sake of his future? Could he break her heart? Was it necessary to break her heart? Couldn’t he do both the duties together? No! He could not. Oh! If only he could.
Hours had passed and still, he had not moved an inch. As time ambled on, the sun was getting ready to ward off the evils of darkness. Through the storm that raged in his mind, through the darkness all around him, he could suddenly see a faint light. As the first rays of the sun touched him, something inside him stirred suddenly. Although his lips curved upwards, the eyes seemed to betray him. As he stood up slowly, he was becoming surer of himself. Standing at the edge of the terrace, our young lover looked at the vast expanse of rooftops ahead of him. The city too, was slowly waking up. Soon Dad would be rushing to catch the early bus that took him to his workplace and Mum would be fussing over him relentlessly. As he tiptoed back to his room, he had one last glance at the morning sky. The playful hues were slowly painting the sky, clearing away the last vestige of darkness. His mind was set. He was finally sure of himself. He had made the decision.
