Time

Time has been one of the most elusive concepts for ordinary mortals, at least me. Time does not give you second chances. There are times, which I treasure, to relive which I would do anything. And, there are times, I repent, to correct which I would do anything. There are situations when the value of time seems to increase as the clock ticks by. The closer you get to the end, the more valuable each second becomes. And, at the end, you feel that you have fallen short. I recollect such moments in my life, and my heart pleads .. God, give me some more time.

It was a typical June morning, with the sun shining into my eyes. I was leaving home for higher studies and it was the first time away. I looked at my mother, standing by the gate, trying to conceal her tears, tying to put up a brave face, trying a forced smile, waving good bye. My heart pleaded .. God, give me one more minute.

It was the independence day parade at our town municipal grounds. The best parade performaces are awarded and we deserved one this time. The school platoon had practiced hard and I was the platoon commander. I guess we were doing well till I ended up on the wrong foot during the salute to the chief guest. I was sure I had ruined my teams chances of winning the prize. I wished to be given one more chance. My heart pleaded .. God, give me one more minute.

One of those days, I was standing next to this pretty girl. And, I had wanted to talk to her for quite some time. But, I could not get myself to talk, and I felt more than content just standing there. Time ticked away and she walked away, while I was still thinking of a way to start a conversation. My heart pleaded .. God, give me one more minute.



I went to my village for the holidays. And, I had sprinted to my grand father's place from the railway station. There were a lot of relatives in our home, which was very uncommon. My father told me that my grand mother had passed away. Childhood memories came fleeting, and I wished to talk to my grand mother for one last time. My heart pleaded .. God, give me one more minute.

It was one of those sultry summer evenings. After four years, I was heading home, leaving behind my hostel, leaving behind my friends, leaving behind the best days of my life, for ever. My friends helped me carry my luggage to the taxi standing outside the hostel. None of them would speak, since none knew what to say. None of us were sure if we would ever meet again. This could be the last time. But still none of us spoke, since none knew what to say. My heart pleaded .. God, give me one more minute.

I was having an early lunch since I had to catch a train. I was flying out of the country following the train journey. My aunt had made my favorite daal and my favorite curry. I sat there, beneath the fan, nibbling at my lunch, and my aunt was looking at me. None of us spoke. My heart pleaded .. God, give me one more minute.

There are these happy moments, the sad ones, the anxious times, and the nervous ones. I realized one thing, all these situations had something in common. Speechlessness. Time won everytime while I stared in silence.