transportation

Hi…I am a Wheel…
As per technicalities I am a circular component meant for rotating on an axial bearing.
As per history I was discovered in mid 4th millennium BC. I had several makes like from stone to wood and progressed to Rubber. My main purpose is to ease transportation. As my contact with surface is minimum compared to any other geometrical figure, hence I make transportation easy and fast. However now-a-days my functions have diversified and you will find me almost everywhere.
Now coming to my life..I keep on rotating and proceeding on and on till I am placed on my rim..but if you drop me flat on the surface then I have no use…I will lie there just like any other object.
You can even compare me with Life. Suppose I am standing on a high mountain and you give me a push…There a life is Born. My initial run is fast as I am travelling on a steep slope, just like childhood. Childhood passes very fast. In the first year itself we learn to sit, stand, and walk. Then start running and growing. In span of 15-18 years we almost learn all the theories of life. We know the geography of our planet, history of our culture, calculations of our daily life, Biology of ours and other living being, Physics of our system, reactions of radicals. Learn various Languages across the world. And if you notice that this path is one of the smoothest paths we travel. Always under the care and security of our parents.
After the steep slope we come towards the base of the mountain. This is neither very steep nor plain. Same is our youth. Though we have challenges yet we still have a tension free life…Our main concern is establishing ourselves in this society. Just like the wheel which after a steep slope is getting used to the not so steep slope. Even this phase is short term.
Then we slowly progress towards the plains…..this is our middle age. We have our own families now and we are responsible for their well being. Once we were dependent on our parents now our parents depend on us. When they walk they look for our support. The speed with which a wheel travels on a slope decreases to a considerable amount on the plains. Similarly our lives also slow down. From being an adventurous youth we look more for security. Both Financial and emotional stability is desired. But we move on. This phase is the longest. On a plain land chances of falling on pot holes are more. Friction even increases similarly challenges also increase. When we are young our decision had major affect on our lives. But now it affects our entire family. We have to be cautious in every step but keep the momentum alive and keep running.
Slowly we enter old age. As the wheel keeps on spinning it encounters lot of wear and tear which results in decrease of speed with which it was traveling. Similar with old age our body also undergoes lot of wear and tear, it starts developing lot of ailments and we slow down. We look for a push here and there to keep the momentum going. And somehow just manage to roll.
If you have ever noticed a rolling wheel before stopping it slows down and then suddenly looses its balance and falls down but tries to still roll and slowly slowly the momentum decreases and finally ceases. That’s the end. Life ceases. Breath stops. For a wheel external factors affect its movement but Breath is the fuel of Life. When external factors cease to act a wheel stops and when breath ceases Life stops.

At 22yrs I have just completed my bachelors and have got a decent job in a good IT company. How much I had waited for this life. Today I am independent- emphasizing on my financial independence. I am not liable to give any calculations of my expenditure to anybody…not even Dad. I can buy what I want, party every night in a way Live my Life King-size…

Till few months back had to ask money from Dad for every little thing I required…and then had to provide an itemized bill of all my expenditures…All my friends used to party and I with remorse in my heart and few pennies left in my wallet used to stare and tell myself-“a day will come and I will show u guys how to party”. Everybody had bikes or cars and I – just a bicycle. Isn’t it humiliating to take your bicycle to College when the girls swoon over the guys with bikes and cars? At times I used to take my father’s bike but that was again a simple old fashioned one. And from then onwards I started nursing a little dream of buying a BIG car- A Dream Car…A Mercedes….and used to pacify myself telling that once I get my job I will buy my car.

Life went by…Parties, dining… Shopping…Movies…Salary used to come and go. My Dad kept on telling “Son save …Save some money” but who cared…however through all this I still had my secret dream. The moment I entered office I would see my colleagues coming in their posh cars and once again the same feeling grew in my heart…”I don’t have a car (sigh)”…however managed to buy a bike..a standard one …nothing extravagant..Month’s passed by…and I came close to one of my colleague …and finally we decided that we can’t waste any more money in restaurants and living in separate rented apartments instead we should start cooking and eating home cooked food. After lot of discussions with our respective families we tied the knot.

Now this was a different phase which I had never imagined. Initially my money was spent on friends and parties but now it goes in groceries, utensils, spices….God my life changed. Once Saturdays meant parties and discos and Sundays was reserved only for sleeping…but now Saturdays are meant for shopping grocery and Sundays for cleaning the house. Once a free bird was caged now…still couldn’t track my expenses…at the end of the month we both used to be bankrupt. Then one day we decided that we cannot bear the expense of a rented flat anymore instead we should purchase our own flat. The next few months flew by in hunting a good standard flat and finally we zeroed down to our dream house – a simple 2 BHK but my dream kept on haunting me every night

Life was even worse now. Then once in a month dining out was even put to stop. The EMI was huge but yes we were living in our own house…Juggling our expenses…now I am changed…instead of auto I travel in Bus…Instead of pizzas I prefer the road side pakoras…which were again replaced by home cooked pakoras…Which again used to be once in a blue moon…thats the pain of having a working wife..she never has time… Life seemed a bit simplified and we slowly got used to our expenses and had started a little saving scheme…but what about my dream. Every night before going to bed I used to surf through different websites associated with cars…Just sit and admire them…classy…Sexy…Beautiful cars… my wife was curious about this habit of mine cause she had a firm believe that my eyes were admiring GIRLs and not cars….tried a lot to convince her..But girls u know…so finally left her with her thoughts and carried on with my silent love…my dream

Then came one more thunder…My wife was expecting….The most joyous moment had brought a huge sense of responsibility…God will I be able to shoulder this new responsibility…..9 months passed by and my wife delivered a cute little baby.

Felt like laying down the entire sky at her feet but the diaper and wipes charges were burning a hole in my pocket. Her smile was my most precious gift of God but somehow my wallet stopped smiling….Life went by and my daughter grew up and her steps had brought a new change in my life …I got a promotion and a hike in salary. I was able to provide a decent living to my family…

Now she is 3 years old and have to get her admitted to a school…and honestly can’t compromise on her education..But the school expense is beyond my understanding.

Thank God, had started the small saving scheme at least I was in a position to pay the initial amount to get my daughter admitted…

City travel expenses are at all time high as the petrol prices were hiked just like a bollywood movie being released every Friday. Finally I and wife decided that we need a four wheeler so that we three can travel together as our office and our daughter’s school was on the same way. Honestly we felt carrying our daughter in a bike includes risk…but are we able to invest in a four wheeler???…as the home loan was still on our head hanging like a sword … and job market being all time low.

After lot of ifs and buts we bought our first small budget car. Thanks to my wife she managed a car loan and convinced me that she can pull the loan through.

The moment we bought the car my little dream started pricking my heart….My Big dream car, which would make heads turn…But in reality was able to buy just a small car with nothing unusual…the sales agent handed me the keys and told with that usual smile “Sir here’s your car”. With a fake smile and a heavy heart I accepted the keys…But my eyes were fixed on that Big Luxury car which some rich business man had just purchased. And was driving out of the showroom…My heart bled…

I sat in the front seat and my daughter and wife took the adjacent seat…but as I touched the steering there was a different feeling…a feeling of pride…I felt it’s MY CAR..My 1^st car…Maybe it’s not a Mercedes but for me it is nothing less than that….and I drove off….

Now I proudly take my car to my office and show off…but whenever my dream car crosses my way .. my heart pains and I smile and say “I Wish……”I don’t know if my dream will remain a dream or will I ever be able to make it a reality……