Apology to a life forgotten to live

In the relentless march towards a better future, we often become unwitting prisoners of our own desires. The siren call of success and progress lures us into a ceaseless voyage, and in the headlong rush, we forsake the simple joys that make life worth living. We chase mirages, unaware that the oasis lies right beneath our weary feet.

Posing as epiphanies, the realisations also bring accord of apology – to a life the business of busyness reduces to a mere existence.  Ambition, burdens to bear, workload, frustration, burnouts, grief or blatant greed – a myriad act behind this predicament. 

This realisation was evoked by poem by Indian Urdu poet Gulzar:

Tujhe Behetar Banane Ki Koshish Mein-

Tujhe Hee Waqt Nahi De Paa Rahe Hum,

Maaf Karna Ae Zindagi-

Tujhe Hee Nahi Jee Paa Rahe Hum.

It translates as:

In my quest to give you all that is fine-

I have strayed far from you,

Forgive me, dear life-

I failed my promise to live you.

Gulzar sahab's words are like a deep sigh - a request to life itself for forgiveness.  While we go rush on the rat-race, thinking it will lead us to happiness, but as we go further, it feels like drifting away from what life truly means. The verses speak to the depths of the soul. His words are a reminder that amid the clutter and clamour of life's demands, we must pause to savour the cascades that is deep inside us.

We live in a web of complexities, and our true selves get obscured in the middle of the noise of our ambitions against the constraints of our capabilities and forces outside out control. It's like holding sand in a fist; the tighter we hold, the quicker it slips through our fingers. It is a life where laughter is stifled by the relentless pursuit of productivity, where the bloom of a rose goes unnoticed in the shadow of ambition.

However, there's hope in this realisation. These lines remind us to reconsider our priorities and to rediscover what truly matters. Life is not about impressive achievements or possessions; it's about our experiences, relationships, connections, and being true to ourselves.

The pursuit of betterment need not come at the cost of living. Life, like poetry, is best savored when one pauses to appreciate its nuances. Like a lighthouse guides a ship lost in a storm - beckoning us to reclaim the moments we have sacrificed at the altar of progress, to rekindle the flames of passion, and to rediscover the lost melodies of our hearts.

In our pursuit of what's considered "fine," we often dry out the "flow" of life. The pursuit of betterment should not be a relentless sprint but a graceful waltz with life's rhythm.