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The Quest is on - Sandhya Acharya Sandhya Acharya is presently studying MBA at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. She explains her view of life with - "My friends call me Dream Girl, because I dream a lot. I believe that dreams sustain your today and build your tomorrow."

So many miles away from home I am overwhelmed sometimes by nostalgia, sometimes melancholy and sometimes memories. There were some things I needed to seek and achieve and some things I needed to get away from. But I left behind much more than I imagined. The four walls of my house never beckoned me like they do now. Never before did I miss the voices of my parents waking me up and putting me to sleep as I do now. The monsoon never seemed so magical and the sun never seemed so bright. Never before did the music at home seem so divine and never before did the bonding of people seem so strong. Do some miles really make such a difference? To who you are and what you seek?

Everyday I hear of some more people who have like me come here in pursuit of a better life. Better Life? I close my eyes and try to think of what I am trying to run away from. The bedraggled urchin boy tugging at his disheveled mother begging for a few coins... living or existing?.. The shanties scattered across the tracks animals, children nameless in the same filth, the misery. The pandemonium and farce in the "Houses Of Order", the corruption, the dirty play of power. The rowdies on the road with no respect for life or dignity - theirs' or others'...

Is it from escaping that I seek relief? Shall not strife always accompany me be it in any form? I am here now. I see and feel clean water, clean air and a clean life. Or is it? There is unhappiness around, dissatisfaction and emptiness in spite of having everything. Storms brewing in innocent youth, in families searching for security... It is like a pack of cards neatly arranged but can be blown away by a single whiff of air. Insecurity, alienation and search for identity are today my new fears. It is not to say I am disappointed. There is love and peace amidst the confusion, but I realize my struggle is unique and just mine. And here I cannot look around but inwards.

I realize I cannot deny my roots. All problems can be overcome and there are never no problems. The quest is on for a purpose for a purpose gives life a direction. The point is to make a difference. The ground that you tread on does not make a difference to the direction you seek in life. The point is to find peace and answers from searching, not escaping. Perfection is elusive yet we yearn for it. Maybe it is just the pursuit of perfection that we can achieve and not perfection. This is not a conclusion. I am just sharing my thoughts. Am I addressing brain drain? Am I addressing westernization? Am I addressing a political upheaval? No. I am just addressing myself. Asking myself questions. Why? For what? I am still searching for answers. The quest is still on for me and I am curious, for how many more?

Till we connect again...

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