“Bahut accha hai. Par kuch fit nahin ho raha. Samajh mein nahin aa raha kya. But love it.”
This was the comment that I received from Apu on this pic. And it made me look at it again and see what it was about the pic that he liked. Usse bhi samajh to nahi hi aya tha :) par socha chalo try karte hai! What I vaguely remember is that the only thing that had made me click the pic was an object that was supposed to be outside, on the road; but it was inside a house. Honestly, I had not thought much while pressing the click button. But now, having received this comment, when I look back at the pic, I find many interesting things about it.
The thoughts are definitely mine, can be called fictitious and are not related to any object, living or dead. Any resemblance might just be a coincidence :) So don’t think much!
Look at the photo again. There is a house with doors open. The doors are having carvings, indicating that they are probably made of wood and are apparently pretty old. The opening into the house is pretty narrow, perhaps characteristic of the old houses. There is a pipe that is going inside the house; or probably outside (I don’t remember observing it in that detail). Chances are high that it is coming outside, from the tap somewhere inside, on the first floor (I can say that because the pipe is rising as it goes in), so that water can be sprayed outside the house (it is an old practice, followed by many people so as to keep their houses clean and cool outside). And there are a few electricity meters, looking old because of the wooden plate on which they are fixed, but are actually new, replaced by the company (I know because I have similar ones at my home).
And finally coming to the point, there is a bicycle, resting against the wall of the room. Look carefully. It is a bicycle, a means of transportation. It is supposed to be outside the house and not inside. Again look carefully. The front wheel is nicely locked with the cross metal bar so that it can’t be moved. The reason the possessor of the bicycle might have kept it inside is the fear of it getting stolen, if kept outside. Funny! Isn’t it? Not really. It somewhere depicts the condition of the human mind. Not all, but definitely some. It wants to be outside but it’s not allowed to be; just because of the fear of it getting wasted. It wants to be free, but it is kept locked most of the time; unfortunately, again due to some kind of fear. It can’t move on its own but it can definitely carry someone on it, if made effort by that someone.
Shouldn’t the bicycle be lying outside? Shouldn’t the mind be let free most of the time? Shouldn’t the bicycle be kept unlocked when it is under one's supervision? Shouldn’t our mind be allowed to imagine when we are there to consciously bring it back to the desired state? Shouldn’t we make an effort to ride the bicycle, travel and explore places? Should our mind be allowed to think, go beyond the expected reality and explore something new, something true?
Let’s ride the bicycle of imagination!
