Kitna chain hota hai sachchai mein

I am a small town girl. I am very happy that both my mother and father have been  very caring parents, looking after me to the best of their capability. They have instilled in me good moral values and most importantly the habit of speaking the truth. According to them speaking lies weighs heavily on your conscience and makes you restless. All my childhood was spent in their supervision and loving guidance.

I did my schooling in an environment that was secure and protected and I had no great interactions with the outside world. My daily routine comprised of going to school and coming back home. The school hours were spent under the strict supervision of the teachers and at home I was under the loving care of my parents.

Then I completed school and joined a college. Every thing was completely new for me, the environment and the people. I felt like the young bird which has just left its nest. I had to fend for myself and carve out my own path.

My parents were greatly happy that I had embarked on a new phase of my life. At the same time they were also fearful that I may not fall into bad company, as the students   were a varied lot with different thoughts and perceptions of life. Although they were sure that their teachings would come to my aid and help me in choosing the right path, they imposed certain rules for me to follow. I was not to be gullible and misled by the ideas of my fellow class mates and other students with whom I came into contact daily. I was to follow my instincts in determining the good from the bad and above all I was not to loiter aimlessly and there were to be no late night parties or gatherings for me. I was not allowed to attend events that meant being away from home in the evenings and of course the nights were a big taboo for me. Although I knew this was for my good but I felt as if my wings had been clipped even before I could fly.

I soon had a group of friends but they were a variable lot, coming from different backgrounds, they did not believe in restrictions. We were all on a new ground and keen to explore and experiment. We all wanted to savor our new found freedom. Just a few months after my joining college a trip was organized which involved coming back home late at night. I knew that it was not for me, knowing well that my parents would never permit me to go on such a trip.

My group of friends insisted that I join them and also suggested that I should tell my parents that as I had to attend some extra classes I would be coming home late. They also assured me that they would talk to my parents about my need of attending these classes.

It was such a tempting thought that I gave in and agreed to join the group. So I phoned my mother and told her that I would be coming home late as I had to attend these classes. Before she could agree or disagree I hung off the phone. Soon we were off on the trip. It was a very gay atmosphere with everyone laughing, cutting jokes and singing. But for me something was missing. I had never behaved like this before nor spoken a statement that was not true. The trip had lost its sheen for me and the thought that I had spoken a lie weighed heavily on my mind. I was restless and knew that I had to come out with the truth. So I phoned home and told my mother the truth .She heard me out and then spoke softly asking me to enjoy the trip. Suddenly a weight lifted from my heart and I found myself relaxed and smiling.

Kinley 2014 TVC