The feeling of being alone is very frustrating for every one of us. It is unimaginable what one will do if he feels so lonely. Perhaps he will even think of saying goodbye to this world. We have heard of many such incidents which we call suicide. As we read such news items we might recall, we have had similar feelings.
Some people can feel the richness of friendship and the shade of relationships; some people watch the rays of the setting sun disappearing and the darkness of isolation entering.
In an Iranian film, a despondent man watches the sunset. Those who are around are enjoying the sunset; delighted in the sparkling light. But he is disappointed for various reasons. As the light fades, he becomes uneasy. We see his stringed nerves very visible in some shots.
As darkness falls, the shore becomes deserted. Finally, he is left alone on the shore. Then darkness fills the frame. Light returns at dawn. But he is not there on the shore. He must have given up himself to the waves.
Feelings of loneliness can occur in a fraction of a second. A person assumes that ‘he is alone’ at a very peak moment of continuous refusal. And he is not afraid of anything. A sheep in a flock is singled out by all the others. While eating food and drinking water, it was attacked by the other sheep. It is the same when it reaches the barn at night. Finally one day the master sold them all to the butcher. All the sheep screamed and cried as the butcher dragged them away. But the one who was made lonely by others did not cry. Why should it cry? It was killed a long ago. Such a situation is horrible.
Isolation is similar to be wounded. A wounded animal is the most dangerous, be it a tiger or a cat. Sometimes the lonely one turns out to be the all-rounder.
Someone once said: “I am alone. No one is with me. All are my enemies.” Even when he says he is alone, he has enemies. That is also a comfort for him, even if it is an enemy in a way.
In Daniel Defoe’s novel ‘Robinson Crusoe’, Robinson spends 27 long years isolated on an island. He is overjoyed when he finally finds Friday as a companion there.
It is easy to imagine that you are the only one on this earth who suffers, is sad, miserable, unhappy, and failing. But such a thought is a big lie. Someone will wait for you. Someone will be there for you somewhere. It has been read somewhere that the sound of a parrot singing in the distance has brought one back to life.
If all the sad and miserable people decide to commit suicide, this earth will not be enough for graves. All the spaces will be filled with graves. Some are weak enough to slip into such a predicament. But we are not like that. We are the ones who are brave and can survive any crisis. Moreover, we are not alone. One is truly alone only at birth and death. The rest of the time we will always be with someone.
The dawn, the chirping of the birds, the blossoming of the flowers and the rustling of the leaves are for you. You are not alone.
(This article is a translation from the Malayalam book ‘Ottachirakulla Malakha‘(One Winged Angel) written by G. Kadooparayil)
Translated by Sunisha V. F.