A life without fear

A life without fear

This was what I had asked for,

Cos there was nothing, that I wanted more

I wanted to find a place, where I was free,

The place where I had the feel like my own territory

Not long ago I was granted my wish,

It was here that my boundaries got unleashed.

It was three years back that I joined a language course in IIT- K. I fell in love with the place ‘at first sight’ and in the ‘first feel’. And I have always believed that it’s the feel that matters.  The place was away from the city and its rush, noise and pollution. It was quiet there and a strange serenity ran all over it. And one could easily feel that behind this calmness was another world. World of those who lived or studied or taught there. For them it could have been different. But for us (my friends and me) it was a whole new space of our own. The place had a calling. It made us want to become a part of it. Cos it had a sense of belongingness.

That was the place which inspired me to do something more than what I had been doing. Made me want to move out and explore. I didn’t know that which path would lead where, but, I just remember ‘asking for’ a similar place where the mind could be as free, to imagine and to explore. And finally, two years later, I found such a place, my college, IWSB.

This was another place located little far and away from civilization. At times it almost felt like being in the outer space. But, that’s what I liked the most about it. It was ‘away’ from all the rush and rush of the daily life. Distant from all the glitz and glitterati. But the best part here too, was the freedom and again the sense of belongingness. Where all of us were equal and no one was looked down upon. And from the very beginning it was made sure that all of us realized its system based on equality. Like one of my faculties, very inspiringly said, that it’s the system that brings about a change. An individual is just an atom of this macro system.

This learning was also ensured for the students by making us go through certain rigorous exercises and activities (outbound). It taught me how it was necessary to work in sync with the team because each one had some weakness and some strength. This made each one a weak as well as a strong link of the whole system. This was one of the very first lessons that I saw and learnt here myself, practically.

The freedom that I discovered here was kind of different. Like it gave me freedom to try, to speak, to express and feel. Inhale each breath of the air of the difference it had from the rest of the world. And, most important, ‘the freedom to make mistakes’. Because I knew that here I could fumble and stumble and no one would laugh. They might scold me and ask me to stand instantly. But, they would never discourage me. Rather the people there would inspire me by all the stories of people, both big and small, who fell and stood and made a difference. There are people who are always there when you reach out to them. Such an environment also made me understand the responsibilities attached to our each mistake, in a much better way. I no more call them consequences.

This is all that makes that place so special. A place where I have the freedom to fall, without any fear.