I stand alone on a 'Iron Bridge', its a chilly night of 10 Oct, 2008. The Milestone reads "Manali – 0 KM" … This bridge was meant to help people cross the "Beas(Vyaas) River" ironically it had a damage yesteryears a slight hole on one of the corners so the vehicles are no more allowed on the bridge. Pedestals can still cross, they can still use the bridge to reach the other road but somehow I hear from the Tea walah that they have opted not too.. They do not believe the strength of the bridge anymore. Ironical Iron Bridge had to wait to be mended so that people can start using it all over again. As I stand there and observe I feel that its silently begging for attention.Its waiting for its turn to come, a time when people will notice it. I dont know why but I can feel its pain and desolation. For years it basked itself in the glory of being an indispensable one but suddenly out of the blue it has been dejected.For some faults and issues which were not such a hurdle, it reaps the results of its minor shortcomings. Suddenly realism has cleared the myth of self-importance and respect. Its no more needed.
People have long gone and forgotten it totally. For them its just useless piece of junk which is hanging in nothingness.
Though its an iron bridge and its soul is an exemplar of strength, its as vulnerable as a wax structure, ready to melt with a little more dejection.
It sometimes experiences a sudden fury too just like the waves in the river flowing beneath it .These are the times when it wants to crash down in the river carrying alongwith all those ungrateful souls who have used and thrown it away as an unnecessary piece.It wants to give it back to them for each and every time they held its railings to cross to and fro and the times it protected them from the river's mire.
As I feel the emotions of the iron bridge,a thought runs over my mind "Better to be broken, than to be used by others" – But is this a complete truth. Wasn't it much happy serving others and being the wanted one rather than just being the unrequired piece of junk now? I know it would have preferred being trampled by many footsteps and happily waiting for them everyday. Today it waits for a glance from any, might it be any. A soul which would make it feel that its still as strong as ever.
If Bridge would have had option to speak his last word would have been :
"Let me not bridge any gaps anymore --- let me not be the part of roads/journey… I yearn to be a destination; I yearn to be your life not just a part of it"