I see him building bridges now, I saw him building Bridges then...

           

Picture Courtesey: i.dailymail.co.uk

It was a cold mosoon morning with dense clouds in the sky and gentle breeze flowing all over the place. The trees were moving together as if they were singing the same song. After a 2 days of heavy rainfall, life was on track again. People were coming out of their houses going to work. I was also ready to start my day. I remember I was sitting on the dining table holding my newspaper, waiting for the breakfast to be served. My kids playing, busy in their own world. My wife served me the meal along with her gossips. I was more into my newspaper than her chit-chat. As I was going through the  newspaper, I was going through a news where a family met with an accident and died because no one came out and helped them. I was thinking how on earth, so mean people can exist. Finding people who work for others is very rare. As I ended up with my breakfast, I took my bag and set off for work.

           I used to go to work by bus. Bus stand was in walking distance from home. The roads were full of traffic and  their horns. I could see the reason behind this commotion. Those big puddles on the road were the reason for everyone’s problem. As I was crossing those puddles like a long jump athlete, but there was a big lake-like puddle at the end. Finally, I have to step in water to cross it and reach to bus stop. While crossing Like everyone, I was complaining about the government not taking care of such problems and the corruption involved. Finally, I reached the bus stop and went to the office.

            After  a whole day of work I came back from office and reached the bus stand. I was tired and that big lake-like puddle added to my tiredness like a bonus. I was thinking of some alternate way,  but suddenly saw a stepping bridge made through the puddle for people. People were using the bridge to cross it. The bridge was made with two separate lanes of bricks so that people going both the way can cross simultaneously. As I was crossing it, hopping from one brick to another. I was thanking the creator of that bridge in my mind and when I was doing it I saw him sitting at the other end of puddle giving final touches to his creation. He was looking like a small kid wrapped up in mud fearful of the fact that he would have to face his mother with all those clothes.

           When I reached the end, I looked towards him and stood there for some time watching him doing his work in silence and surprise. That boy was my elder son who was picking the bricks from the nearby house construction site to complete his bridge. He was so busy in his task that he didn’t notice me standing there. I called his name. He stood there scared hearing my voice as if a prisoner stands before hearing his punishment I looked at him and asked why you are not playing like other kids. He replied pointing towards those bricks that I am playing with these toys.

            After eleven years of that incident when the memories of it were already faded, I was clear in my views in advising him an engineering branch when he was about to finish his secondary education. Yes, he chose civil engineering as an engineering discipline.  Today my son is a research scholar at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in the civil engineering department. Now, after twenty two years of that incident, I can proudly say his work in making efficient structures is supporting the dreams of many people of having their home. Similarly, many houses which are made by sons of many proud parents are listed here at https://housing.com/lookup. 
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