Life Is Beautiful
(20 December 2006)
"1978", "1978", I heard my prison number being repeated in the hallway. I was thinking, finally I was going to get out from this cell after three decade of being locked up in the cell for the crime of murder. In the beginning I was sentenced for life, but I was pardoned for good behavior and being released after serving 30 years of my sentence. I was very confused, weather I will be able to adapt to the totally new environment, and how I will survive in this ever changing world. I knew of know one and no place to go for shelter. My wife of three years would have married off, as I told her to find a better husband, as I will never be released from prison. And I wonder how my daughter and son be doing in this current time, and weather they were with my ex-wife or with some one else. The thought of it made me change my mind of being release. I asked for the prison chief and waited for him. Finally he arrived and I told him, that I wanted to carry on staying in the prison, as I had no one and no place to go to. As I had grown closer with him during my sentence, he told me not to give up hope and everyone needs a second chance. He also told me some one would be waiting for me out side the prison. But I told him there was no one I knew of and there was a mistake about it. But he just advised me to not give up hope and wished me all the best. There I was not wanting to get out and a friend advising me to join back to society. I had no choice, but to agree with him. I started cleaning up my cell and met up with my jail mate, they bid me fare well. Almost every one I knew of bided me farewell and wished for the best. As I walked through the clearance room, I was wondering the harsh reality of the outside world than again I wanted to see it before I die. So with two different thought, I entered the room. Once in, they called me by my number and read through my sentenced and told me to obey the rule of the law and not to commit crimes.They wished me for the best, and gave me my belongings. After changing to a new pair of cloth, I was ready to leave. There was two police to escort me to the exit of the prison. As they led me to the exit, I was totally unsure of the image of the out side world. Finally I reached the exit, the door opened and the sun was shining brightly and I could smell the fresh air as I walked out, I felt free like a bird out of a cage. Bang, I heard the door closed behind me. Now out side, the place had changed a lot after serving 30 years of my prison sentence. There was some kind of mechanism that ran on four wheels something that I haven’t seen before starting my sentence. This amazed me. There were people doing their daily activity. As I was walking, I noticed a group staring at me. There were two ladies and a man. One of the ladies looked quite old and the girl and the boy looked young. I guessed the older lady must be the mother of the two. As I carried on walking, they kept looking at me. I was thinking they must have been curious as I just got released from the prison and avoided their look as I walked. Finally I had just passed a foot in front of them, when I heard my name being called. “Suman” I felt strange, as I didn’t knew of any one else. As I turned behind to look who it was, I realized it was my ex-wife Kartika. Her eye was filled with tears as she cried. She asked me if I had forgotten them in all this years while crying. I tried to hold back my tears but I wasn’t able to. I told her I missed them dearly and gave her a kiss and hug her firmly. Then I heard “Dad” called by the other two. Kartika then told me that two, were our kids. I felt so happy that my kids had lived with my ex-wife. I kissed and hugged them. I than asked my ex-wife, how she was doing and how her new husband was doing. She waited a few second and with a gasp she told me she hadn’t married and raised the kids all by her self. Now my eye was filled with more tears and realized how strong she was, as she raised the kids all by herself. This time I hug her even tighter and my kids concealed us. After about some time, we finally left. In my mind, I was very happy and thanked god.
