A desire to fly...........

Not too many years ago, a little boy was running through the streets of his housing complex, screaming with delight. The cool evening breeze of Rajasthan brushing his face, he's out to have fun. He stumbles onto the lawn and lies down panting as his friends collapse one by one around him. They have been sprinting for a while now. He really loved to play. But, what he really wanted to be was an IAF officer. That was his dream. Everyday as he'd stare into the light blue sky, read about the freedom fights and the brave Rajputs, he cannot help but curse his age, why was he so young??

Times change, a year since then he got an eye infection. That changed his life, his ambition or rather loss of it. He now had glasses. His dream of flying the skies lay dashed to bits. At an age where other kids had started to spread their wings, he became listless. He no longer had any desire to grow up. What's the point?? He will never don a uniform for his nation. He drifted from one activity to another trying to figure out what is that could quieten his inner turmoil. Fine arts, cricket, lawn tennis.. they all had their fair chance. He was promising enough on all counts, yet became "Jack of all trades, master of none". The importance of education or rather good scores where impressed onto his mind by many around him. Things were not so simple. He started to hate the entire concept of studying. His grades dropped!!

The kid has gradually changed gears and started on the turbulent teens. Unable to understand what's happening to him, he started to read. And that became his obsession. Life sort of missed him by, his talents took a backseat as the boy, turned into a bookworm. His world was spun with nothing but words. Was he discovering his vocation then? Who knows?? And then he decided he wanted to be a doctor. Try as he might, he didn't get through to a good college. A childhood apathy towards the art of mugging and the Indian education in general had developed a mental block withing him. Ask him to study, he'll fall asleep faster than you can write your name. But then, he made to engineering colleges. He never studied for their exams. How did he clear them? He was bewildered. Perplexed, he followed advice and became an engineer. He still read but no longer wrote.

He graduated, got himself a job and moved into a different city. On his own, he eked out his living. Life was flowing smoothly, and then the bane of youth, a fluttering heart, took him to the doorsteps of a lady he had never set his eyes upon. As initial banters turned into something serious, he stopped drifting. He started to focus. But then, is he not again dreaming to be a pilot.... of his own life now?? Will again, they be thwarted by circumstances?? Or will he succeed??

He seeks control of his life, where he can make decisions on his own, without a care on who thinks high or low about it? But then, he no longer enjoys what he was qualified to do. A white-collared labour of the Indian IT regime, he had little faith in his himself now. He is driven by in his emotions, he has realised it but then can his emotions guide him now? It's treacherous out there, one false move his career plummet to the greatest of lows. And then he has a target to meet, a year to establish himself. But he also has to change track. Where should he move to? How does he get the break??

As thoughts like that chase each other around his head, he walk out into the open and savours the cold winter breeze after a long time!!

That my dear friends is how-story of an average Indian IT programmer goes like when they are a couple of years into the industry. The picture really is not rosy!! But then, dashed hopes, crushed dreams and yet the desire to fly is what makes one succeed I think!!