Life's Second Chance

Right from the days when we enter school to crossing over to college and then to jobs each and every one of us has always prayed to God for a second chance in life. I remember when in school exams I used to realize a silly mistake, how I wished I had a second chance. Then in college, during practical exams, if one reading used to go wrong, I used to wonder why couldn't I have a remote control for life where I could rewind that one moment. How I wish I could have those days of college where having fun was the main agenda of life! When I was happy for that first Valentine gift, how I longed to live that moment again and again. I am not married, but I am sure those who are would think of that special time again and again, those with kids would always remember that particular moment when they held their newborn kid for the first time. The list can go on, but how many of us got that second chance to live those moments again?

I met a couple recently that was given a second chance in life. I was visiting my sister in Pune. Nothing special. I just love being there. I don't have an elder sister or brother, but when I am with her I never feel bad about it. Even their friends have accepted me as one of their own. I just love being there, in her house, with jijaji teasing her lovingly, with her dog always trying to draw my attention. This weekend was also no different. I was busy watching TV, hogging pizzas and sleeping. Then I on Saturday evening I got an invitation for an engagement party. Its sounds normal...but it was not. The engagement party was of an elder sister of one of the closet friend of my sister. The engagement was of Sabina and Sunil. It was going to be a second marriage for both of them and both of them have kids.

Sabina lost her husband in mysterious circumstances. He was in Navy ( I guess, I am not sure). He was going from Mumbai to Pune in train. Something happened in between and he didn't make it home. Sunil is divorced. Sabina has two kids, elder son in 9th and younger daughter in 5th. Sunil has two kids whose elder son is in 10th and younger daughter is in 8th. Both have kids old enough to understand what's happening in their parent's life. Yet, I saw them smiling though out the ceremony. With kids of this age, one wonders how did the kids accept it all. A person like me who watches a movie every weekend, I thought that, it would have been a highly melodramatic event. But maybe it's only in movies and not in real life just like one would never really shout "Kutte mein tera khoon pijaunga" in real life.

The ceremony was just like any other engagement party. Loads of stuff to eat, drink and smoke. The Bride to-be was looking ravishing in red and the Groom to be was looking smart in suit on a hot evening. Everyone was happy. Parents, friends and well wishers. Kids were taking their parents snaps. Sabina and Sunil were talking to everyone and smiling like every bride and groom does. If I would not have known the background, I would have had never realized that it was their second chance to life.

Every person has a right to live his own life. If they would have thought what the kids might say, they would have had spent their platinum years alone. It's a cycle of life. Birds learn to fly to leave their nest empty. So do kids after they are grown up. What life does our parents have when we leave for better opportunities? I guess every parent should be given a chance to live their life like they want. We kids always shout of generation gap. We kids always think that we live our parents dreams and we not given a chance to live our own life.... how many of us would encourage our parents who are alone to start their life with a new partner? How many of us would be happy if our parents would like a second chance in Life?