Lesson in responsibility

I would like to narrate an incident which happened in my life, this was when I was in my junior college and I was staying at 4-bungalow in Andheri. I had good acquaintance with young junta of few of the blocks around my building, this was the time of the year when we were glued to apache Indian songs on Walkman and were already getting bored with watching and discussing WWF, we had no other choice but to stick to MTV VJ and listen to there crap.

It was a dhai handi day and since my friends from the neighbourhood saw that there was lot of romp and funfare being enjoyed by all the kids from nearby locality when they were roaming on the street, we thought that we should also come down and play.

We had a Marathi chap named lalu, he was first one to pull and pester us to come down to play at that time of the year we didn't had mobile phones we had to go at each and every one's house make a knock on there door plead there parents that we will play safe and be early.

Just few days ago there was a fresh new tar road laid down which was shining with sun and water, we agreed to tie up the rope from 2nd floor but even that was a big for us, the blue-eyed boys. Hailing from upper middle class, apart from carrying the bulky sag-pack with the baggy pants there were hardly few who would have been regular in lifting weights in gym, there we 12 to 15 of us we came down in suitable attire. Never did any of us tried this unusual foot of forming a human pyramid. There were one or two guys who agreed to participate provided there hair-style would not get disturb in the whole process.

Finally with lot of hesitation we gathered around to form the first layer, since I was tall I was kept at the bottom layer, I was upset because of this I weigh only 60 kg at that time and I knew that my legs were weak and I can't hold anyone on my shoulders. I opposed as well as pleaded that I should be on first layer. But my heed went to the deaf ears, within no time there were 5 people on the 1st layer, my legs were literally shaking and looking at my chicken legs the guy guy next to my shoulder was giggling and abusing me.

Our first attempt we a failed, we could just go one layer after which everyone came down, I had to bend on my knees as there was a hefty guy with his thigh on my shoulder, hanging upside down but this nasty creep had hold my T-shirt tightly.

We tried 2nd attempt we failed again, people were now pouring water from there balcony. By this time I sensed that not just me but all the other guys at the bottom are now having sore back and shoulder and that they are breaking the chain at drop of hat without striving hard to sustain it.

So back again for 3rd time, after exchange of few abuses and curses on those who were showing less effort and whose who were weak, in spite of being tired and we tried again, this time we went for the 3rd layer I was feeling like hell because of all the weight few sec began to be look like a big huge minute which would just not get finished, suddenly through all the chaos and noise there was a distinct “hurrah” from the 2nd layer.

One of the guy in front of me snapped out and got out of the chain, immediately I was 2nd to back out and took breath of relief. The bottom layer of was completely dismantled by now, all the guys on the 1st layer made a small 5 feet jump from there standing position.

The whole pyramid came tumbling down, It was at this time a mishap happened a kid from, 2nd layer of the pyramid came down head first hit the tar road on head and shoulder there was big thud his head and jaw was now bleeding, the spot was not spread with red thick blood on jet black tar road and within no time he went unconscious, we were dumb struck and did know what to do.

Later on he was take to hospital though nothing serious happened, we was in plaster for few month, with bruise on this shoulder and a hand fractured, recovered completely without any problem.

On the hind sight, I when I did introspection, I thought that It was the moment when I snapped out and jilted my shoulder away when this terrible thing happened even I was responsible for what happened, I shouldn't have backed out no matter what.

Many of you would take different lesson from this incident, many of you would say it was accident and chuck it, many would think that we were not well trained and didn’t had any experience. For me its a lesson in responsibility many a times in life people will not tell you what is your responsibility, many a times in life you would not like the responsibility levied on your shoulder you might be upset on that, and even with you best of effort, being cautions and being on guards, some incidents might happen that will sweep the floor off the ground your standing and get you in trenches and that people might point fingers at you for explanation.

I believe god has gifted us shoulder to take up responsibility not as a burden but as an honour and that those who do so are true saviour, they might be weak in shoulder but only after using them again and again they become strong. Last but not the least its that single nerve in our brain that keeps the pumping the virtue called 'determination' within us which keeps the evil-mind at the bay from snapping out or running away from the responsibility.