9 to 5 of a LIFE..

9-5, a time which is important for crores of people, especially men who believe that a picture perfect life starts with going to work in the morning so that he could earn money and save something for his family and give his children a future that they would be proud of. 9-5, a time which keeps thousands of people engage in their work and forget their family so that they can build a future rememberable for their family. 9-5, a time which is important for every middle class man whose ego is hurt if they spend time sitting at home from Monday to Friday when the whole world goes to offices for work. I, myself, have been a victim for more than one month when 9-5 engagement was almost zero.

Never could I have imagined in my wildest dream that today morning I will wake up with news which would make my morning a mournful one. My cousin informed me that my uncle who was in his early 40s expired leaving his 12 year old daughter and wife alone in this world. For the past three days he was in coma struggling with brain hemorrhage. The last three days of struggle was in fact a struggle which started in his life when he suddenly lost his job in a small private company. Life was completely perfect until one day he heard that the company he was working for made losses and he was asked to leave the job. And, then probably after that, there were blurs which affected their picture perfect small happy family and what remained were humiliation, struggle and desperation. The job loss had already taken a toll on his health and he became incapable to fight with his own conscience which could have questioned his existence innumerable number of times. Though he had four more brothers and a well settled family to take care of him and his small family but it was not easy for him to sit at home and see the pity on others eyes. He has worked in worst of places so that he doesn’t find disrespect in his daughter’s eyes or the discomfort felt by his wife when suddenly someone questions the profession of his husband. Working day and night and cycling 10 kms everyday for a meager 3000 was not an easy task for him, where instead of respect for his good work, what came across was humility. And, mounting pressure and self hatredness built the plot for his death.

Today, I have nothing to say, nothing to express as myself have been through this when I was sitting jobless for more than a month. It’s not easy for a man whose family have some dreams attached to him, when other’s lives are directly connected to your survival. And, when your own survival flounders, what remains is an empty picture, an imperfect one which doesn’t fit your family, neither it support the dream of your children nor it shows direction to your own existence. 9-5 a time which has taken lives of thousands and still will take in the future. 9-5, perhaps a blessing for some and curse for some others……