Madaari

 

Rays of the sun crept in through a gap in between the curtains to flood my room. I stretched, rubbed my eyes and looked for water. I drank from a bowl and spotted a banana lying next to it. After eating it, I noticed something wasn’t right. I was flabbergasted to find myself in a cage!

 

I grabbed the bars of the cage and shouted for help. A grumpy, hideous looking man walked in from the other room.

“Quiet!” He yelled gruffly, obviously irritated by the commotion I was causing.

“Who are you?” I asked. “How did I land up in this cage?”

“Too many questions, little monkey. Wait, I’ll get you out first.”

He brought a rope, cautiously opened the cage door and attached the rope to a collar that was around my neck. Then he allowed me to walk out of the cage, even as he firmly held the other end of the rope. 

“Come, on the table,” he instructed.

I jumped up onto the table that was placed beside a mirror. When I saw myself, I screeched in horror.

“How can this be?” I questioned.

 

“What?” Asked the man.

“I am a man, I mean I was, how did I become a monkey?”

“Oh, you are not the first. This has happened to many men, my friend. You want to know what more I can do?”

“What?” I foolishly asked.

“Wait, I’ll show you,” he said and pulled out a pellet drum from a drawer.

He played the drum and instructed, “Jump, monkey.”

I obeyed and jumped.

“Now monkey you will do a somersault.”

I obeyed and did a somersault.

“You want to know who I am?” He asked.

“Yes, please tell me”

“I am the Madaari! You can also call me Life!”

 

“Life?” I enquired.

“Yes,” he said. “I am your life and I make you dance to my tunes. Ignorant men like you think you are in control, when actually you are just obeying my instructions.”

I stared at him, he looked so big. I felt small and insignificant in front of him. But I had to overcome my complex and probe further. So, I asked him, “But I have my own free will, I can decide what to do when.”

“You adorable little monkey! You see this rope that I use to keep you in check?” He asked, pointing to the rope.

“Yes.”

“This is the rope of your fears and doubts. As long as you are bound by them, you are in my control.”

 

“I refuse to live like this,” I proclaimed in retaliation. But the more I complained, the grumpier the man became.

“And I don’t want you to,” said the Madaari firmly. “I never want anyone to live like this. But you give me no choice.”

“What can I do? Please tell me!”

“Your fear and doubts give me control over you. But they are yours my friend, break free and regain control of your life!”

Immediately, I started chewing away the rope. One by one the strands of the rope started to break. With each breaking strand, I felt stronger. When the rope was completely severed, I felt a surge of energy in my body. I felt relieved, I felt free and when I looked up at the mirror, I saw I was a man once again.

 

Once the energy settled down a little, I looked for the man, but he was nowhere to be seen. As I sat contemplating what just happened, a smartly dressed good looking man walked in with two mugs of coffee.

“Who are you? And where is the Madaari?”

“Don’t you recognise me?” He asked. “I am the Madaari, I am your Life.”

“But you looked hideous earlier!”

“And bigger too! But it’s just your perspective, I am this and I am that. If you think I’m bad, I can be hideous. If you think I’m good, I can be beautiful!”

“You were so controlling and dominating earlier but look now, you bring me coffee as if you are my friend.”

“I am your friend, I am everyone’s friend, but most people don’t consider me to be one. I am generous and dependable, and I always want to give you the best. But the fear and doubts that reside in your heart, make you live like a monkey. The more you criticise me, the more you transform me into a Madaari. Slowly but surely, you learn to dance to the tune of my drum. So, don’t blame me for how I was! I am as good or as bad as you perceive me to be.”

 

We sipped on our coffee while talking. I realised, the happier I felt within, the more pleasant his personality became. Truly, life on the outside is merely a projection of what is happening inside. I reflected on what he, my Life, told me and how true he was. Most of our lives are controlled by our fears. These fears make life look terrible when it can be very pleasant. All we need to do is chew away the rope of our fears and change our perspective.