By Amruta Hastekar:
When I see a girl brutally gang raped succumbing to her injuries, a son killing his parents for money, people getting betrayed by their loved ones, an father who raped his daughter for 16 long years is let free, some madman shooting randomly at people; I wonder if life really is beautiful as they say.
How can happiness exist in such a world where rapists and killers are allowed to roam around? One incident makes sure that all the happiness is gone, all the innocence is lost; just because someone lost his bloody mind and decided to ruin a life for fun. There are several lives attached to that one person. The family is shattered. Friends are shocked. How can a 12 year old boy brush off the image of his father, who was standing right beside him, collapsing in a second because someone randomly opened fire? The biggest pillar of support in his life is lost. And the child gets a stained memory for life. The last image of his father is a bloodied corpse. How would you handle that?
We might be able to tackle terrorism and war but how do we tackle this internal terrorism that many among us suffer from every day? What do we say about those who love to exert their force and strength on women and children because they cannot display it elsewhere? About those who say “just the mere act of holding a gun makes me feel powerful”?
Everyday incidents like these make my mind refuse to accept that my destiny is in my hands. It looks like there is someone outside who has taken it upon himself to decide the course and duration of my life. If I leave my house in the morning, I don’t know if I’ll be back to see my loved ones and if I will be in one piece. The entire course of my life might be altered just by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. So when I am living every second of my life being wary that something might happen to my loved ones, how can I be happy? I am afraid to be happy because I know any second it might be snatched off from me. I am afraid to trust anyone because I don’t know what game he might play against me.
There are psychopaths out there. But then there are also people who care for each other. Even if they don’t know each other, they are together. Because they are all aiming for one thing, justice. They give me hope that all is not yet over. Somehow, I see the flame struggling to keep burning, it’s flickering, but it’s there. As I look at the reality I realize it might not be there for a long time. But for now, it’s there and it’s giving strength to millions like me. The question still remains. Why is the flame flickering? Why can’t it be a strong and burning fire?