The Volcano and the Flower

If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom?  –  Khalil Gibran.

Hello friends it’s more than 100 days of the war and it’s still raging, killing, maiming and displacing innocent people as well as scores of brave soldiers from both sides. When and how it’s going to end, no body is sure. But one thing is certain that humanity is getting trampled in this mindless violence. I am reblogging my earlier post, on this, the relevance of which is still not lost. So here it is –

If something which has captured the worldwide attention, at present, is the unethical and barbaric invasion of one country by another. We used to surmise that however hard may be the posturing, actually attacking another country in such a savage way, was the possibility of the past expansionist era. Who would have imagined that someone could take the unholy plunge of reducing a peaceful and prospering neighbouring country into a devastating wreck with a hell bent intention to capture its land. In this context I must tell you a story.

It’s about an estranged couple, who had decided in the past, to part ways with more or less mutual consent. Despite living apart, the man used to feel possessive towards his erstwhile wife. On the other hand, the wife had moved on, charted her own course in  building her own life happy and independent.

The problem began, when the wife decided to become a member of the group of neighbors, with whom the husband nurtured a particular malice and dislike. He started threatening his former wife not to align with them. Yet the wife was determined to join them with an aim of furthering her own carreer prospects.

The man cajoled and coarsed her alike to make her fall in line with his dictat of not to have any liason with the club. But the woman was not ready to surrender her free will and independence, the club also assured her that in case of adverse eventuality, they will support her in every possible way.

The situation between the sparring couple became so volatile and explosive that the husband, in a spate of volcanic fury and perceived humiliation, decided to attack her physically. The wife, who had previously relied on the given assurance of the club to protect her, mounted the defence in her own way.

She was expecting to be propped up by the mighty group of neighbors,  but to her utter disappointment and dismay, they never came forward to defend her directly, only providing her moral and covert support. They had turned themselves into mere spectators to the savage act of violence. They feared that they might themselves get harmed by the ruthless man, if they come forward to fight on her behalf. The man started inflicting injuries one after the another on her body to make her own, once again.

The neighbors attempted to make the man to see reason, but the man was adamant. He wanted his wife back, whether she is willing or not. There was a general perception that the woman would capitulate in no time, as the man was  far more mightier than her, but surprise!

The woman decided to fight for her own  honour and dignity. She was mercilessly harmed. Her once beautiful body was scarred and dented yet she courageously put up a resistance to all the brutal use of force to subjugate her. She even striked back with all the vengeance she could muster. Her daunting courage at the face of adversity has made a heroine out of her, drawing all round admiration and praise. The once formidable man is now reduced into an uncouth villain.

Friends, the saga is yet to reache its conclusion. The man might eventually capture her body or some part of it, but can he ever succeed to enslave her soul? Will it satisfy his inflated ego, or the man might atlast come to realise that a woman can’t be won over by brutal force and let her go to live her own life according to her own free will?

We can only hope that the man comes to his senses, that there is no greatness in imposing yourself forcefully on others,  the real magnanimity lies in letting one go who doesn’t want to live with you anymore. The sooner, the better.

Let the lava guzzling volcanoes to cool again and allow flowers to bloom in full glory.

Featured photo courtesy: Riya.