Tomorrow is our Independence Day. How can we possibly forget? Although, the media constantly makes it a point to remind us .For some reason, whenever I think of freedom, I find myself humming this song from “Taaren Zameen Par”, of all the patriotic songs.

It goes:

        A little sweet,

       A little sour,

      A little close,

     Not too far,

   All I need, all I need, all I need is to be freeeeeeeee…..

 

Let me in,

Without a shout,

Let me in,

I have doubt,

There are more, many more, many more like meeeeee……….

 

The song sung by a small girl touched me the first time I heard it and has stuck to me ever since. How simple but yet how undeniably truthful. Being free is different things to different people.

A little child might feel, not being given homework that day as freedom……..( atleast that’s how I used to feel as a child)

A teenager might feel, not being questioned when he comes home late at night as freedom……(well, as a teenager, I was a very good girl )

An adult might feel, not having any responsibilities as freedom…….( I admit that is exactly how I feel at times)

An elderly person might feel, not having to take medicine instead of food as freedom…….( I pray I never have to see such a day)

And then, death. Supposedly, the ultimate freedom. We will never know. Not until we are on the other side. We can only speculate, until then.

Finally, it all comes to the state of mind. Here, another cliché comes to mind. “Live and let live”. Is it even practical? Most times, not. We are always dependent on something or the other, some person or the other, for all our needs.

Looks like, death is really the ultimate freedom.