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Strange are the twists and turns of life. Soumya wonders what his life would be like if he had taken another path, of a fancy-free and footloose bohemian instead. An exclusive for Different Truths.
The most momentous decision of my life was what my friends call the only good decision I have taken. It involved convincing a petite accountant against her better judgment. She had to defy her family and friends in plying her troth with an unsuitable boy. He was from an alien culture. The said alien of course was yours truly. And we avoided the family objections by the masterly if simple stratagem of getting the certificate first and informing them later.
This led to a complete turnaround in my life. An irresponsible bohemian was tamed and became a responsible family man and wage earner. My employers too showed confidence in my new sober avatar. And they gave me greater responsibilities. It led to a career path that would have never happened to the old me. And led me to become a respectable member of the senior management.
An irresponsible bohemian was tamed and became a responsible family man and wage earner.
Hitchhiking Days
But what if this had not happened? At that point of time, I had plans with my friend from my hitchhiking days of working my way as a deckhand on a ship from Bombay to Basra. Then hop over to Europe, work in cafes while travelling the continent. And to work my passage over to the USA, then travel down to South America.
Matrimony, responsibility, elevation in job.
Matrimony, responsibility, elevation in job. These came with perks like a car and a flat at that tender age of twenty-five came in the way. And my friend continued this adventure alone, complaining bitterly of betrayal and my choice of *** over bros. His occasional letters from exotic locations had me wondering… ‘What if?’
What if I had decided differently? What if I had not given in to impulse and instead given in to family pressures of accepted behaviour?
A Different Turn
My life would have taken a totally different turn. Unfettered by any ties, I would have deserted my job and joined my friend in his adventures. And my wife would have married the man her father had selected and led a life of domesticity.
I can see myself, in tattered jeans and Kurta. Long tangle of hair and beard, unwashed since the last stay at some YMCA. Doing menial jobs at random locations across the globe. My mind would have been mildly addled by then through constant experiments with mind altering substances.
The frequent brushes with the law would have made me a wary creature.
The frequent brushes with the law would have made me a wary creature. And inhabiting sundry communes and squats would have made me tough. I would be an international citizen, although habiting the fringes of society. And a polyglot from having lived amongst so many cultures and so many languages.
Having floated around the world, I would have washed up in that haven where the flotsam of the world tends to congregate. And where my old comrade currently resides – in Amsterdam.
A Fake Guru
Living on my wits I would be falling back on the vocation of many of my countrymen. Perhaps that of a fake Guru or Seer. I would be there in my stall on the waterfront, in the regulation saffron, hair and beard in braids. Possibly telling fortunes and dispensing wisdom.
Then suddenly, I would spot my petite accountant, corpulent now, on her family vacation…
Then suddenly, I would spot my petite accountant, corpulent now, on her family vacation, with a harassed looking hubby. And a couple of brats in tow, forcing herself to enjoy it all.
I would call out. And correctly speak of her past, impressing onlookers. I would tell her that her life would have been quite different if she had not been such a dutiful daughter. All those long years ago…
And maybe encouraged her to make a clean break and live it up with a wild Yogi. As it’s never too late to discover oneself…
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