Are you made up of paper?

“Are you made up of paper?” An odd question isn’t it? But before I address this, let’s go back to my 3rd year summer break.

College had just reopened after COVID break. We had completed our endsem exams and were deciding where could we go for our first trip together. Somehow we decided that we would go to northeast. Now where in northeast. One of my friend said, Meghalaya. So thats 5-6 days. We wanted a big trip as we were together after almost 2 years and it was going to be our first trip together. Then someone pips in Arunachal Pradesh. We prepared the trip budget and found it to be 3 times of what we were earning then. From our friends only 3 of us decided to be in. 1st trip, long trip, huge budget, we had the savings to do it.

We reached Guwahati, Tezpur and finally Tawang. We did take some breaks in between to cover this 14 hour journey. While returning back, we decided that we would make this 14 hour journey in one go from Tawang to Guwahati. As it was a budget trip for us, we were using public transport - shared Tata Sumos.

Woke up late in the night 4 O’ clock to start our journey back to Guwahati. We were supposed to start at 5am but were a bit late. Our drive had an upset stomach so we had a change of drivers. Now our driver was Ali bhai who hadn’t had sound sleep to 3 days in a row. He was to drive us for 14 hours straight. Scary. Isn’t it? But we had already started our journey. ❤️‍🔥

Midway somewhere in the middle of the forest, we had a flat tire and it was raining heavily. In the rain, he changed the tire quickly and we started our journey again. Because of the rain we had closed the windows and it was suffocating inside the Sumo. So, Ali bhai says “kaagaz ke bane hai kya”. Please roll down the windows, its suffocating inside. This had me thinking. Few moments later, Ali bhai was to show us that he was not made up of paper.

Our sumo started to make some terrifying noises. We were still in the hilly terrain and middle of forest. Two army engineers were there in the sumo with us and they mentioned some technical issues but Ali bhai gave a statement that the car will run for more 200km atleast and he was right. The car stopped again but Ali bhai made some jugad and we were back on our way. The vehicle completely stopped when we were just 50km away from Guwahati. Then he called his brother and we reached the destination around 10pm

So, are we made up of paper? The first thing which comes to mind is that paper is fragile, easily torn and crumpled. No we are not made up of paper. “kaagaz ke nhi bane hai”. We are far more resilient, enduring, and unyielding. Unlike paper, we do not crumple under pressure or tear at the slightest challenge. We are made up of our spirit, our willpower, our determination.

Our journey is not written on flimsy pages. It is etched in our hearts and minds, in the decisions we make, and the actions we take. Each step forward is a testament to our unbreakable spirit. We may encounter obstacles, but we navigate through them with courage.

But like paper, we carry stories. Each of us is a living manuscript, with pages that chronicle our triumphs, our challenges, and the experiences that shape who we are. Just as paper holds words of wisdom, love, and hope, our lives hold the essence of our journeys, the imprints of our dreams, and the marks of our resilience.

As you go about your life, remember this: You are not fragile. You are not easily torn. You are strong, resilient, and capable. You have the power to face any challenge, to rise above any adversity, and continue moving forward, no matter what.

Remember, you are the author of your destiny. Write a story that is bold, inspiring, unforgettable and worth telling.