Tunnel 10

Image reference - Google 

Appu was different from other kids. When others played cricket and hide and seek, he used to sit at a distance and observe them.He noticed how they spoke, what they were wearing and how they reacted to what they were doing. He started this because of his grandmother’s stories. She told him about mythological and mystical stories of gods and celestial beings. That made him look everywhere and everyone in search of god. This thought of his became an idea, that idea nurtured a nature of curiosity in him. That curiosity turned into passion and passion turned into an obsession.

As he grew up, he started to experiment different things. He widened his spectrum and tried everything and became the best in what he did. That’s because his sole purpose was to find the one through all senses - sight, sound, smell touch and taste. He added his complete essence in everything and went on. Though the journey had different varieties, he always felt empty.

One evening he had quit what he was doing and started to travel to mountains. That was one of the main destinations for him. As per grandmother’s stories, all the enlightened ones met the holy one inside caves. So, he packed his bags and went up and down on several hill trails. On the way, he found several caves and pavements which were just a tourist attraction and nothing more than that.
Finally, he reached a mountain which was not placed on the radars of tourism and habitat. There was no one. Away from the human buzz, he found his solace. The quest he had was never-ending. There is no answer to it. Slowly he ran out of supplies and got exhausted. When he planned to head back he slipped and started sliding over a huge pavement. With nothing to hold, he fell way deep inside a tunnel. He tried crawling back, but nothing helped.

And that’s where his grandmother’s three easy steps came in. Like e-commerce website and retail products, God comes with three easy steps. Step one – he will never approach you, you have to reach him. Following step one, Appu tried to climb and crawl his way up. He fell back and it never worked. Step two – pray and reach out to him and make god realize that you are worthy to be saved. Following step two, he started shouting for help. His form of prayer was to reach out to the nearest for help. No one was around the vicinity and an ominous breeze howled when it traveled through the tunnel. The sun started to sink into darkness and the wilderness started to buzz. Step 3 – Never give up and believe in God, he will give you hope and he will save you. Though Appu was tired and completely exhausted, he did not give up; he continued his shouts for help and started throwing stones above. After several hours, the miracle happened.

On that moonlit night, a shepherd heard his voice and peeked into the tunnel. He screamed to know if there was someone inside the tunnel. That was the voice of GOD for Appu, finally, a tear of enlightenment and realization trickled down his cheek. The realization was simple. God is within us and we become Gods when we believe. The more we reach out to others needs, the more divine we emerge.