[This is something very close to my heart so i wanted to share with you guys, you can ignore it if you want as this isn't part of the novel.]
It's hazy evening and I am walking down into the unknown forest, I don't remember my identity but for survival I am walking since hours.
Slowly night is taking over and my heart beat is also slowly slowly getting faster as I can't see anything in the dark.
Somewhere in right direction, I can see a cave and there is light coming from it, i entered the cave. In the cave I can see my mother and my younger me, my mother is sending me to school and I don't want to go, I am screaming that I want to watch Ben 10 and I also don't have shiney school bag that my classmates have.
But my mother scolded me and forcefully sent me to school.
"So you want to stay here?"
A voice from the cave asked me.
"Nah who wants to stay here where I can't watch tv and I can't even afford a good school bag." I said in a disappointed tone to that voice.
I left the cave.
In the hope of something better, I continued my journey in the dark and I can see another cave with light from it but this time the light is slightly dim.
I entered the cave and i can see myself, I'm getting ready for going to the college and I'm asking my dad to buy that new mobile for me so that i can get some recognition in the class but he said my old phone is working good and we can't afford that costly phone, so i walked off to the college without eating. My mom is very sad and my dad is very disappointed.
"You want to stay here?"
The voice again asked me.
"Obviously no, you idiot, why would I settle for this life?"
I furiously left the cave.
As a bootstrap paradox, i entered in new cave and with each cave the light is getting more dim.
This time I can see myself happy, I am traveling with two friends and I can hear both of them. We are going for a photography workshop but I can see in my eyes, there was something missing and I got the answer soon as I came to know that I am not paying for my expenses but my friends are.
"What kind of loser lives on friends money?" I whispered.
"So you want to stay here?"
The voice asked me again.
"I will return here but after earning something so as for now I want to leave."
I left again thinking, the journey is all about leaving places in hope for finding something better.
Next cave has vibrant lights and some voices can be heard from outside. Slowly I entered.
I can see thousands of rats holding books and I am one of them, some rats are screaming in anger and some rats are happy with their performance.
Soon i understand that all are running for a decent job, higher social acceptance and money.
"Damn it, focus only on me, why are you showing all of them." I said to the voice.
"Because they are also part of this race." The voice replied "Everyone has suffered the same as you, you can't be only one."
"Okay okay shut up and let me see."
I walked more and more inside the cave.
Time passed and I can see some rats are happy now, I guess they got what they wanted. They are wearing a card with their name on it and I think it is feeding thier ego and making them happy.
"Where am I?"
The voice replied "There, look at the corner."
I can see I am also wearing the same cards as others.
"Sigh, finally I achieved it." I said to myself with a soothing feeling.
I can see that I have money and now I can buy all those shiney bags or those mobiles but why am I not happy?
I asked that to the voice.
"Why don't you ask yourself." It replied.
I did as that voice said.
I asked to that cave version of myself "Why are you not happy? You have everything you wished for."
"So you finally are here, you moron. Can't you see with every cave you left a part of yourself there and are you blind that you didn't notice lights getting dimmer. Yes I have money so what? Tell me so what?"
I was perplexed but the cave version continued yelling at me.
"Look at that rat, he's so happy." I said pointing towards a rat who looked really happy.
"Yes because it's feeding it's ego, maybe he wants to live for others, to get appreciated by others, do you also want that?"
"No" I replied.
"Then get out of my face, you loser."
"But then what do you want?"
"I just want to watch Ben 10 and I want to go to school." The cave version replied.
I was numb now and left that cave as well.
Now I can see more caves in my way but I don't have the courage to go into them.
So I decided to continue my journey in the dark, in that forest.
Suddenly I feel into a river and i can see some tribes of the forest are trying to save me.
But now I don't want to be saved. I feel like to let this river take me where it goes, I don't bother to swim or getting help from those tribes.
What is life
Leaving best in hope for good
Moving from one disappointment to another one
What's your next move?
Well let the river run.
——
Let The River Run
Original