TRAVEL OF HOPE

by Dhanish Devadasan (India)

A leap into the unknown India

None of them couldn't figure out the greatness of the pravasi, the man,the expatriate,the traveller!! Majority of them didnt get into gulf country by choice. It was the moment when fate played in the role of drastic circumstantial antagonist. A giant leap to an unknown world was about to happen in his life. He was about get moulded in the shape of pravasi and metaphorically become an everglowing charcoal. But there was a boy who had a heart for his 11 membered family. Mathematics was his forte in his school but brick loading ,tile loading ,match sticksfactory etc overpowered his concentration towards studies but still even now he is a good mental calculator and a great human being. He used dive nicely from the dam to the river making asplash of water. But soon the same boy merged into the above mentioned man. An astral projection for survival instinct. Having a sheer confusion and half starving stomach he set out his journey from the God's own land KERALA to land of HOPE via bombay now mumbai. The slums ,the rich and all kinds of life varieties were awiting him. He travelled two days by standing in the train ,forced to enjoy his pain weakness. He ran for chappathis and banana which he bought for whatever he got for doing petty jobs include tailoring,helping his big brother etc later he proved to be so fortunate enough to witness 1983 kapil's 'dev'ils parade through roads after a scintillating victory aganist West indies in lords, while he was spray painting a shops board. Then his first flight take off lead to the turning point in his life. There was nothing in life that hadn't seen Gulf countries made life of many people but unsung fact is that people like him ,the pravasis,inorder to bring out a substancial change in their families thrived there with a half glass and khuboos under the sun. Pravasis made the gulf countries the heaven that we see now. I don't know why after a point in life he stopped to live for himself and even before he remained the same. He worked for his arbab in an interior decoration company. He gave new world to his wife and three children with his minimal income. He didn't had the right sleep or eat the food at time. He gifted arabian nights,he was the aladdin, taking his family in his magic carpet that is toyota corola along the seven emirates of the Dreamworld ,UAE. Through the dusty roads that hug the desert eternally grand mosque, ferrari world,and parks in abu dhabi ,burj khalifa and dubai shopping festivals in Dubai where the world comes in together. And many more like zoos in Sharjah,naturally carved rocky mountain in Ajman ,Hot springs in jebal ali mountais and Ras Al Khaimah,Atlantis water theme parks, Palm island ,ancient cities in Umm Al Quwain lush meadows and organic fans in alain and endless sea and beaches. Also savouring the taste of arabian food.Thats why pravasi like him always have card board of surprises while his return to India. Pravasis just kept an ideology make others happy even with what you don't have. Still he is known by brother's or sister's younger one . He is still unknown without an identity featuring the real life of pravasi. People may address them as unsuccessful but i haven't seen man like him its simply because of the pravasi's hardship that makes us to live and to have a enjoyable life in other countries especially like UAE. It is the love for the beloved that made the pravasis to travel through the crowded train,huge ships that goes through directionless doubtful waves,aeroplane etc. Now the man has become a veteran with the mind and soul of the same boy mentioned above. I liked these man just as the way he live and as himself. I've only seen two legends in my life. Everyone will have doubt when it comes topic of father and mother, whom do you love the most? Undoubtedly I prefer this man because he looks after my beloved mother like more than anything. I can proudly say that this man is my everything,my father.