Threads of Time and Wisdom
Sushant’s daily life in Los Angeles was a whirlwind of activity. He had a prestigious tech job and had worked tirelessly to climb the corporate ladder. On the surface, he seemed to have it all — a plush apartment in Southern Cali, financial freedom, and an active social life comprising friends both old and new.
The view from outside was great. A text book life. The kind of life that brings immigrants to America. In many ways, the archetypical American dream.
Deep within the recesses of his own heart though, there was a palpable sense of meaninglessness. His achievements might have managed to impress his friends, family and peers, yet his own mind remained unimpressed.
Excruciatingly, his mind preferred dwelling on what could have been rather than what was. An affliction to which none of us are strangers, albeit to varying degrees.
Sushant would often spend his evenings at one of the many pristine beaches of Southern California. He would be surrounded by runners, swimmers, surfers and increasingly teenage Tik-tokers. Amidst all the happenings, Sushant would sit by himself, gentle waves of the Pacific often subsumed in his internal tsunami of thoughts.
He was desperate to unearth the cause of his emptiness. But an explanation for the chasm eluded him. He never truly felt comfortable seeking help from a professional because life had been so kind to him. As an immigrant from a middle class Indian family, he was doing more than alright. In fact, per the societal barometer, he was crushing it. And, yet, within, he was the one who felt crushed.
And so, thus his life trudged along. Mornings and afternoons were spent staring at the computer screen. Evenings at the beach, by the pier, alone. Sushant thought about his past a lot — an examination both laborious and futile — a terrible combination.
Late one night, as the city lights painted an intricate tapestry below his twentieth floor bed room window, Sushant found himself lost in thought. The echoes of his past decisions reverberated through his mind, each one tinged with regret. Somewhere, he must have taken a wrong turn in his life, he reckoned.
What if he had pursued a different career?
What if he had pursued the opportunity to start his own business?
What if he had opened his heart more?
What if he had stayed back in India?
During one such night, ruminating in anguish, Sushant fell asleep and drifted off. He had a dream that bore the potential to pluck him out of his slump. In this unusually vivid dream, Sushant found himself trekking through the towering peaks of Himalayas, the scent of pine and teak filling the crisp mountain air. As he navigated the rugged terrain, a figure emerged from the mist — a Yogi, his gaze sparkling with otherworldly wisdom.
Sushant’s heart raced as he approached the Yogi. An inexplicable connection forging with each step. The Yogi was sitting atop a large jagged boulder. There was enough space for two. Therefore, Sushant sat down cross legged next to the Yogi. It seemed appropriate.
The Yogi smiled a warm smile. He did not utter a single word, using merely a head motion to indicate that he was all ears. It is an Indian thing. Depending upon the context, the same head motion could convey an array of emotions.
And so, beneath the watchful gaze of towering mountains, Sushant poured his heart, recounting his life’s journey and the persistent ache of his regrets. And most importantly, a deep sense of shame that he, a man truly blessed in every sense, had any discontentment to begin with.
The Yogi listened intently. His serene demeanor was a sight to behold. It was almost as though the Yogi already knew what was in Sushant’s mind. Perhaps, that is what led to Sushant opening up his heart and mind. Here is a man — this Yogi, Sushant felt, who can see my soul. Heart and mind pale in comparison to the soul.
When Sushant was finally done, the Yogi spoke, his voice carrying a soothing cadence.
“Young one, I hold the power to turn back the wheels of time, to grant you a chance to rewrite your story. But first, you must choose a point in your past to revisit. A moment where you wish you had acted differently.”
Sushant’s mind raced. The arrow of time, against the known laws of Physics, moved in reverse.
He thought of missed opportunities, heartaches, and the crossroads he had encountered in life. He recounted a particular job offer he had turned down, imagining how it might have altered his trajectory. The Yogi nodded, and Sushant was transported back in time, the world around him morphing into the memory he had chosen.
Yet, as Sushant navigated this altered reality, he discovered that the threads of his life were more intricate than he had realised. Changing one decision led to a cascade of new events, some favorable, others not. The Yogi then brought him back to the present moment in the Himalayan cave.
Care to choose another moment from the past, my dear, he asks Sushant.
Sushant’s mind races once again. This time, he remembers a girl who he had loved deeply. Things had not worked out, but he had always wondered what might have been.
The Yogi nods, again.
Sushant is transported back to a time when the girl was in his life. One more time, Sushant discovers that he can have his relationship but he can’t have it all.
Sushant feels a bit unsettled.
The Yogi’s words echoed in his mind — a reminder that every choice held consequences, and that rewriting the past was by no means a trivial task. Sushant was beginning to grasp the reality of reality. He was beginning to see the futility of pondering incessantly about the past.
The Yogi insisted they keep going. So, Sushant recounted another memory, then another, each time hoping for a different outcome. But the more he tried, the more he realized the futility of this quest.
No matter what he did, no matter where he went, he always ended up in a similar mental state. Sushant had been so fixated on altering his past that he had lost sight of the beauty of the present. The Yogi’s smile deepened as he observed Sushant’s journey through time.
“You see, young one, the past is a tapestry woven with threads of experiences, both joyful and sorrowful. Every moment, every decision, has shaped the person you are today. To alter one thread is to risk unraveling the entire masterpiece.”
As the words settled in, Sushant suddenly awoke, his heart pounding as if he had been running a marathon. The dream was over. But it would go on to leave an indelible mark. A dream encounter with a mysterious Yogi in a nameless Himalayan hamlet had caused a profound realisation in Sushant.
He realised that he couldn’t change his past, but he could transform his present. And shape his future. Not all at once, but the ache of regret began to dissipate gradually, replaced by a newfound appreciation for the beauty of life as it was.
In the days that followed, Sushant’s perspective began to shift. He started living in the moment, finding joy in simple pleasures and embracing the opportunities before him. He rekindled friendships, pursued passions, met a girl, and even took a leap of faith in his career. The gnawing emptiness gradually dissolved, replaced by a sense of contentment he had never known.
One evening, Sushant found himself on a bench overlooking the sprawling city of Los Angeles. The same city that had once felt overwhelming now seemed to pulse with energy and possibility. He gazed at the horizon, the sun’s warm embrace casting a golden hue over the landscape.
A sense of peace settled within him, and he whispered to himself, “No matter what point I could go back to, it wouldn’t compare to the magic of that dream, the wisdom of the Yogi, and the journey it set me on.” The Yogi’s smile had become a symbol of the profound change that had taken root within him.
With a heart full of gratitude, Sushant rose from the bench, ready to embrace the future with open arms. The dream had shown him that the most profound experiences often reside within us, waiting to be discovered amidst the chaos of our outwardly lives.
