What is life? , I thought.
There could be so many different definitions, depending on how you look at it. Leave alone other subjects, just scientifically you could define it from a chemical, physical, obviously biological and a possibly mathematical perspective. Which leaves infinite endless arguments all hovering around these four magical letters.
I took out a small green pocket comb and brushed my hair back.
They say, our hair is dead. Some graveyard it was on the scalp of Rapunzel !
Beautiful , isn't it ? Look all over you - the indomitable power of the dead makes you all the more living.
I scratched my armpits.
What is more powerful, then ? Life , or lifelessness?
Good question.
Both, I think. We are locked in this spiritual vacuum - floating as we speak , tightly held in position by nooses from above and below. I am, literally. You are, metaphorically.
And in all these arguments about heaven and hell and afterlife and pre-incarnations, what really boggles me is that everything ends with death. As if the sole purpose of infusing life in a system is to end it. Why create life at all, then ? Even if you did , why make it so precious ? Scared of death ? Not me. Never.
Okay. May be. Slightly.
I unbuttoned my shirt a little, wiped the sweat around my neck with my white handkerchief and made loud noises hitting the door in front of me.
The floor beneath me shook violently.
I took a step back.
What do you do, I thought, when heaven and hell pulls you with equal forces ? Do you remain stuck where you are , or do you expect one of them to get defeated, lose control and let you go to the other half? What if they both forsake you , discard you and leave you in this post-existential void of nothingness ?
That's even worse.
My stomach started grumbling. Partly in fear, partly due to something else. No, I guess it's wholly in fear.
I took out my cell phone. It was outside the coverage area.
I picked up the intercom on the wall. Dead.
Damn it !
Death seems to be at the doorstep, leaving signs everywhere for me.
It's time.
But no. I shall not be defeated this easily. I have fought the Mughals and the English on the battlefield , the West Indians and Australians on the cricket pitch and my wife and my boss till just a few hours ago. And therefore, I inhaled deeply and let out one loud -
Twirrrrrrng ! Gwrrroooong ! Frrrrrrrwissshhhh !!
The power supply returned. Lights blinked back to life.
My elevator started moving again.
