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Sunday, December 10, 2006
Why the grudge?
By Madiha Anwar, from Pakistan
Recently a chat with a stranger on a deserted road was enough to break down the barriers of age-old conviction of goodness and respect, which we always try to give and receive. Why do we have so much hatred in our hearts and why can't we leave each other in peace? God knows, we have made this habit of living in "isolation" rather than finding a "solution."
Why am I saying this has a reason behind it, which will reveal itself in a due course of time but not before that. A family got a chance to visit America for the first time, it was a dream come true for them because it was an opportunity to meet their dear ones and explore the world of "perfection." They stayed there for three months and had their moments of joy and fun.
Just before their departure, a harmless incident took place, which changed the lives of so many people in ways they never imagined. It so happened that their 15-year-old son was surfing on the Internet, as usual chatting to his friends. Suddenly one of his cousins with whom he never got on well came online. Both of them started teasing each other but gradually the teasing turned into a row and a very serious one.
Soon the family came back but with confirmed convictions that the "other party" is to be blamed for that. Despite the other party's clarifications, the situation worsened. Many tried to heal the breach but failed because both the parties had their stubborn prides in making a first move towards peace.
Four years of seclusion have passed and still the battle continues. Life moves on and both the families have lost touch with each other. They meet each other on several occasions, measure each other by giving "icy stares" and "reserve smiles."
What about the children, who started the whole issue, will they ever forget this incident? No! They will transfer this "evil virus" to their next generation. Probably their parents have listened and supported their side of story but they shouldn't have made a mountain out of a molehill. Life is too short to fight over petty matters, we don't realise that but spend most of time blaming each other for our "own follies." If a third party tries to fill that gap, we accuse them of taking "wrong sides."
As the story approaches its end, so does the time for the stranger to leave. She has to go on a long journey, explore the world and meet new people. But her words, "Why the grudge for the sake of grudge?" will bang my head forever.
Recently a chat with a stranger on a deserted road was enough to break down the barriers of age-old conviction of goodness and respect, which we always try to give and receive. Why do we have so much hatred in our hearts and why can't we leave each other in peace? God knows, we have made this habit of living in "isolation" rather than finding a "solution."
Why am I saying this has a reason behind it, which will reveal itself in a due course of time but not before that. A family got a chance to visit America for the first time, it was a dream come true for them because it was an opportunity to meet their dear ones and explore the world of "perfection." They stayed there for three months and had their moments of joy and fun.
Just before their departure, a harmless incident took place, which changed the lives of so many people in ways they never imagined. It so happened that their 15-year-old son was surfing on the Internet, as usual chatting to his friends. Suddenly one of his cousins with whom he never got on well came online. Both of them started teasing each other but gradually the teasing turned into a row and a very serious one.
Soon the family came back but with confirmed convictions that the "other party" is to be blamed for that. Despite the other party's clarifications, the situation worsened. Many tried to heal the breach but failed because both the parties had their stubborn prides in making a first move towards peace.
Four years of seclusion have passed and still the battle continues. Life moves on and both the families have lost touch with each other. They meet each other on several occasions, measure each other by giving "icy stares" and "reserve smiles."
What about the children, who started the whole issue, will they ever forget this incident? No! They will transfer this "evil virus" to their next generation. Probably their parents have listened and supported their side of story but they shouldn't have made a mountain out of a molehill. Life is too short to fight over petty matters, we don't realise that but spend most of time blaming each other for our "own follies." If a third party tries to fill that gap, we accuse them of taking "wrong sides."
As the story approaches its end, so does the time for the stranger to leave. She has to go on a long journey, explore the world and meet new people. But her words, "Why the grudge for the sake of grudge?" will bang my head forever.
Labels: family feud, grudge, short story
