The journey begins

When your heart desires something, a red satin blindfold appears, as if by magic, and before you know, you have been blind folded, taken in a desert, a pair of hands holds you by the shoulders, turn you round and round till you forget all sense of direction, and then a soft voice whispers in your ears ‘The thing you desire is yours…go and get it.”

"Go and get it ? But how ? I can’t see anything !”

The voice teasingly says “Yes, but if you really want it with all your heart, then you will find it.”

Then begins the JOURNEY.

Along with some friends who magically appear from somewhere and start walking with you. The first friend is DESIRE. It wears crimson robes and shines so bright that you can sense it even while you are blindfolded. It says to you “I want this…I want this with all my heart. I have never wanted anything as much I have wanted this. I know I can never rest till I attain it. My life will transform the moment I get it.”

When you turn around, desire has disappeared and a second friend has appeared. The name of the second friend is DESPAIR. It wears gray, charcoal colored tattered clothes. It says to you “Why have you been blindfolded ? How will you reach your goal ? This just has to be YOUR luck. The moment you wish for something, it becomes unattainable. I don’t think you can ever attain it.”

The third friend is HOPE. It is snow-white and skips along with you with a light step. It whispers “ Just a hundred steps more… just fifty steps more, yes, you can do it. You have it in you to attain it. Just keep walking.”

You keep walking uncertainly for a while, legs wobbly and mind uncertain. Before you know what’s happening, you have stumbled and fallen in an abyss.

There you will meet another friend, wearing black robes, smoke all around, who had been waiting for you to fall since a long time. Its name is FEAR. It smiles wickedly and says “Ah, here you are ! Many have fallen inside my depths. And you are the latest. I love to suck people like you inside my abyss. Hardly a handful of you ever manage to climb back. Welcome aboard ! Stay here with me, we will talk about how delicious failure can be. You have to do nothing else, just relax and crib all your life. Blame others for your failure. That's real fun too”

You are running now… trying to get back to your path. It is difficult, with your friend fear swooping down on you and trying to pull you back. Yet you make a heroic effort and get back. The next friend you meet is TEMPTATION, wearing silvery robes, sparkling like a mirage in a desert, wafting like a fragrance in the night. It says "Come hither, traveller, forget your goal, come and sleep a deep, peaceful sleep. You don’t need to go stumbling about, when you can be blissful with me.”

I am not sure you will be able to say ‘No’ to temptation. But if you do, you will be cursed by that beautiful friend. You will have to undergo a longer, darker journey, alone.

The last friend you will meet is LONELINESS. It will wear midnight blue robes and walk along with you, quiet and soothing. It is silent, does not speak a word, but never lets go of your hand.

And finally… Blindfold is taken off. You open your eyes, slowly. You are here. You have finally realized your dream. Are you ready to start on this journey ?