The End

THE END

A huge unwanted cement pipe piece lying close to the pavement and Narain felt as though he had found his saviour in it. Actually more than him, it was his feet that were rejoiced. As he was no longer being able to hold himself together, he let go of his weight on the pipe and sighed with relief. After walking for the past two hours, he had yet to reach where he wanted to go. ‘When would he finally get there?’ he wondered silently.

Time usually flies, but right now, it was painfully making Narain aware of its passage. Every minute reminded him of the fact that his destination was as away from him as when he had started out. The unending roads, mysterious turns and so-called landmarks had landed him nowhere.  Every person had confidently led him to a way that ultimately turned out to be a dead-end for him. ‘Go right, then left, then straight and you’ll find a blue building next to which is the place you want’, a beautiful girl had said. When he arrived there, the local shop owner had told him that there were a few more miles to go. He proceeded with a lot of hope, only to be disappointed at the end. ‘You’ve come in the wrong direction, just go back a few blocks and take the left turn where you see McDonalds’, directed a young executive. Before Narain realized, he had walked for two hours and was still on the way. How completely frustrating it felt. He was paying a heavy price for something that should have taken him not more than a few minutes. All he had to do was deliver some medicines to his friend’s grandma who was unwell. As fate would have it, his friend had gone out of town and the phone at the old lady’s home was dead. That left him with no choice but to find the place somehow. He didn’t have the heart to tell his friend that he had not done his work. Though his feet were hurting, he decided to try some more. He fervently wished that the next person he asked would know the place. After all, it was the only way his agony would come to an end.

He stopped a man who was passing by, and removed the address sheet from his pocket. The sheet, like his hope, was falling apart. The stranger read the address and smirked. He then looked at the building behind and Narain’s eyes followed his gaze. There it was! The place he was looking for so desperately was standing in front of his eyes. Wow! He thanked the man profusely who got confused by his intense reaction. Suddenly Narain felt as though his feet had received a new life and he sprinted towards the house. He dropped the parcel and with a sense of great achievement returned to his office.

‘What a journey’, he thought, on his way back. Just because he was ignorant of the way, everyone showed him a way they knew. And took his destination that much away from him. He realised that not only knowing the end was essential but knowing the way to that end was equally important. Then of course, one also had to wait for the right time. Because in the end, that was when things actually fell into place.