During our Elementary (Primary School in our time) days there was a story from our SAHITYA (literature) book in Class IV named, MUKTI RA ANANDA or "The joy of Freedom". A young man comes out of prison and goes to a local bird market. He purchases an entire cage of bird, only to release them to the bewilderment of the beholders. Long story short, the just jail released man wanted to extend his joy of freedom to the poor birds.
My friends, a wonderful couple and cat lovers adopted a stray cat left as a kitten by someone near their doorway. They adopted him, fed him well providing him with all comforts. But once the cat grew up, he left their home and their street not to be found again to taste his new found freedom. He was a feral cat who cherished the outside world was reluctant to stay bound to the comforts of home.
The quest for freedom is not just limited to birds and animals. It has been commonly observed that domestic helps in many houses strive to get out of the owner's homes, once they are into their teens. In many cases they simply vanish overnight, though they are treated excellently by their ever compassionate employers who feed, cloth and pay them handsomely, share their best toiletries and tip them on festive occasions. Yet they itch to get out to freely explore the world, to know more about the unknowns beyond the four walls of life. This desire is propelled by the quest for freedom, which often makes them sacrifice their prior abode of comfort and luxury.
I have encountered many Chinese and ex-Soviet Republic immigrants in USA, who unlike us immigrants of Indian origin hardly ever visit their motherland. Many forget that there is a country called China or Russia. Things are lot better now, especially in China. Yet growing up in a milieu minus the basic freedom, they are simply afraid and insecure about visiting the MiddleKingdom, lest they will lose their hard earned liberty. Many of them are fascinated by our frequent trips to India. They feel calling their folks back home every other month is more than enough. It's not unusual for them to take an American spouse by hook or crook to cement their stay in USA by getting American citizenship without any qualms about forgetting their roots.
Years back, an Odia officer from IFS (Indian Foreign Services) was posted in America. Per Foreign ministry rules, he was entitled to bring a Domestic help from India - an euphemism for a servant. He brought a semi-educated young man from his village in Cuttack, thinking him the last and the least likely one to escape. Or so he thought.
The officer, a bachelor, spent long days and evenings at work, often eating outside. Having nothing to do at home and getting bored watching TV in those days sans Cell phones and Social media, his "helping hand", popularly known as "CHAKARA TOKA" in Odia or NAUKAR in Hindi, helped himself by going around the city.
Slowly he started getting a taste of American life. One fine morning he decided to abscond without informing his employer. Our IFS Babu (Officer) anticipated that his fellow Odia must have melted away in Chicago, gobbled by the gargantuan city as an undocumented illegal immigrant doing some menial job.
Soon his suspicion turned out to be true. One evening he was in an Indian Restaurant where he saw his ex-helping hand mopping the floor. No sooner their eyes met than the later turned and ran away. Our Odia Officer bro chased him for a while, calling his name at top of his voice, that he is going to forgive him and his folks back home in India are now a worried lot.
It had no effect on the guy as he melted into the labyrinth of vehicles. If the officer wanted he could have followed up with the local authorities to trace him out. But he let him go, allowing the man from his village pursue his American dream. He returned back gasping like the Cheetah on National Geographic Channel after a failed attempt to catch its pray.
USA is known as "The Land of Freedom" as many of the forefathers of its inhabitants landed in America fleeing Europe to escape persecution. They were no doubt adventurous - for you need to be brave enough in order to migrate to a different corner of the world at a time when you don't know what's in store of you in a new world not connected by telephone, internet or social media. Yet, the call for freedom trumps all hurdles which can motivate humans to get adventurous, go above and beyond.
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