Seeking the Peak

 



Nihar was sitting at his study table and thinking! Why! Why was he going to office? Even when the Government had directed to the organisation - not more than 15% employees in the office everyday. However, Nihar had been going to office everyday. He had been a subject of stress for the entire family. He would go everyday to office, come back and sanitise himself well, lock himself into one room so that he doesn't transmit the dreaded corona virus to anyone. Earlier his family would at least get to spend time with him on the weekends.That was also not happening now. He would keep working over the weekend too! He had confined himself to a room and to the laptop which ensured that he kept his job and reached the next level. The next peak for him!
On that day though, he was completely off. He didn't want to be confined to the room. He didn't want to work on the process note that his manager asked him to. He didn't want to worry about losing the job. He didn't want to worry about the next increment!
He sat by his window and wondered. Why am I in so much stress all the time? Why am I working all the time? Why can't I get the peace that I want?
He was at a juncture in life where he started questioning everything.
Why can't we just look at the sunrise and enjoy the fact that there is day light? Why did the human beings try to find out how did this happen?
Why can't we just look at the river flow and enjoy the silky water fall? Why did we have to study how the river behaves in a particular fashion? Why did we stop the flow by building dams?
Why didn't he, not enjoy being a student and got into the rat race to be among the first 10 in his class? Why wasn't the education being focused on learning? Why was it focused on being the number 1?
As an employee, why couldn't he just focus on his own work and be rated basis that? Why was he always compared to others? Why did a bell curve exist?
He just could get one answer! He was seeking the peak all the time! And so were all others around him! The entire human race!
We sought the peak! Hence we built dams. Hence we found out the answer to why there is a Sun. We have an answer to why does the earth revolve around the sun. We sent folks to the moon. A lot (literally a lot) got to the highest peak on the Earth. Mount Everest! Just because we wanted to get to the peak!
Nihar was no different. He sought peak in education, in job, in being a husband, in being a parent. He was trying to be the best.
But! He realised he was burning himself out. He didn't enjoy it much. However, he could not do much about it. It is the way the world was moving. If he didn't shape in with it, he had to move out! He wasn't ready for it!
Even now when he was in 2020 and when the pandemic hit. He was happy. Finally! A break! But no, everyone around the world made the lock-down also a rat race! People were all over the social media talking about their certification, their work from home details etc etc etc!
He realised soon! We as human beings cannot, just cannot stop seeking the peak! That's the reason behind the evolution of the human race.
Even today, as the world and the country is trying to unlock. The whole world is waiting for the Virus to hit the Peak and then start slowly coming down... No, not for us to lead a healthy life or for the Earth to be a better place. Instead, for us to again seek our own individual peaks that we want to achieve!
Nihar, noded his head, smiled and dug his head into the laptop! His promotion was due - the next peak for him!

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