The Tunnel Runner

I pushed the match stick against the combustible brown strip, making it seem like a super-hero sliding down off the walls of a tall building in the midst of blazing action. It emanated a glow, diffusing the smell of burnt phosphorous into my nostrils. I brought it closer to my mouth as it gave life to the cigarette between my lips. My back rested against the walls of the darkened space, and one of my feet rested on the wall, above from the ground. I took in the sweet perfume of tobacco into my throat as I heard the echo of footsteps from a distance. The empty and soul-less area multiplied the travelling sounds of the running traveler and boomed into my ears.

Soon, the sound producer was near enough to cause ‘puffs’ and ‘pants’ to be mixed along with the sound of his footsteps. It was pitch-black and hence, I could not see his face, neither anything around me, except the warm tip of my cigarette’s end burning like the hot sun dispelling darkness to the limit allowed by its luminosity.

Feeling him to be near enough to receive my words, I yelled, “Why are you running?” The Runner stopped and in between his breathy exertions, replied, “To see the light at the end of the tunnel.” “Can you see it from here?” I asked. “No, but many people say, there is light at the end of the tunnel.” “Oh, yes! There could be,” I mused and then asked further, “But why are you running towards it?” He responded, “because, I don’t like this darkness. We are not meant for darkness. Lead us to light, isn’t that what everyone says? Light is what will deliver us, light is powerful. Its like knowledge, that breaks through the dark recesses of an animal and leads him to purpose. Light is the ultimate goal where we have to reach, and hence I shall tirelessly run towards it.”

“What is it about this particular light that you have to run towards it? Can it not come to you? Does this light have an ego of its own, that it makes you undertake the effort, rather than light itself coming to you, of its own volition? If this light is supposed to be all that what you said, should not it come to you of its own rather than tiring the living daylights out of you?” said I as I replied to him with a volley of questions.

I said further, “This light is light! If its there at the end of the tunnel, its also there above the tunnel, beyond the tunnel, within the tunnel, outside the tunnel. Its everywhere. The darkness is not in this tunnel. The darkness is in you. This tunnel is your mind, its walls are not outside of you, but inside of you. The tunnel is your own construction and you in turn, let this tunnel make you run through it as well for the sheer pleasure of this tunnel alone. You will run your whole life through it convincing yourself of a purpose of your existence, by undertaking this run. In the end, you will only end up with strong legs and nothing more than that. Stand here with me, and soak in the light effulgent in this darkness.”

“Here, take this cigarette,” I added, as I produced a smoky cusp of warm glow again in the darkness.

Image from here