I want you all to close your eyes and remember when you bought your big purchase with your own money?

Can you see it? Can you see how happy and excited you were? How proud you were?

I want you to open your eyes, but hold on to that happy thought.

Fellow Toastmasters & Dear Guests,

My years of hard work paid off when I ordered a new car.

My happiness knew no bounds; I was excited & eagerly waiting to go on a drive with my beloved new car.

I stood at the gate, admiring its sparkling bright colour. My dream had come true & I wanted to share my happiness with the world.

So I logged into Facebook and updated a photo with my Status “Finally with one thousand one hundred and ten days of savings, Just bought (p) TATA NANO”.

————Long pause———-

Now to satiate my excitement and to test the competency of my new car, I decided to plan an adventurous trip to Mahabaleshwar.

I drove on the serpentine roads to the beautiful valley of Mahabaleshwar.

On the right side, I could see the lustrous valley reflecting the lush green pasture.

On the left side, I could see the undulating range of mountains reflecting the brown pasture.

I was driving the car with maximum speed, (p) maximum music volume and (p) maximum enthusiasm.

& suddenly a truck came from the wrong side in front of me.

To avoid a head on collision, I steered my car towards the right & applied the brake – (sshhhhhummmmmmmmmmm) my car skid and drifted into the valley.

Minutes later, I found myself sitting in what felt like a floating chair (p). I looked around to discover that I was sitting on the Clouds.

“Holy Cow” This can’t be true. I must be hallucinating, to check it, I pinched myself.

*Ouch* it hurt and I was sure I wasn’t hallucinating. But I still couldn’t believe what was happening around me.

I took a deep breath & looked around,

I saw a person sitting behind a table. He looked like glowing metal. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. A round ring was above his head. On his table, there was a plaque declaring him “GOD”.

Next to him, another person was sitting who had a blood like red face and his eyes were like blazing fire & thorn above his head. On his table, there was a plaque declaring him “DEVIL”.

The devil looked at me said “hhhhhhhhehhhhhhhaaaaaaa, Welcome to the JUNCTION” (V)

He told me that I was dead (p) & I was at the junction between HELL & HEAVEN.

“O’Nooooooooooo” (Scream)

I cried.

This can’t be true, “God you can’t do this to me”

I can’t die – I’m just a 25 year old unhappy frustrated Software engineer.

I just bought a new car; I didn’t even get a Promotion or an on-site.

I pleaded again and again.

The devil said “we are going to interview you”.

The last time I heard this line, I ended up in a monotonous job. He further said-

If you pass, you will go to the Heaven otherwise; Heeeehhhaaaaaaaaaaaa (V)

He showed me a bowl & asked me to pick 3 chits.

I was petrified, *chilled to the spine* and my hands were shaking.

I picked up the first chit.

Q1: Which company did you work for?

A: Easy question.

“Wait, you don’t have to say it”

The god said. The poor kid, has suffered a lot on earth, let him live in peace in heaven.

I picked up the second chit.

Q2: How many girlfriends?

A: I smiled & answered ‘1’

The devil screamed “Liar. You’re lying our database shows. You had only (p) 0 girlfriends”

I replied yes and looked towards the god

The god looked at me and said the poor kid, has suffered a lot on earth; let him live in peace in heaven.

Q3: How many entrance exam have you given?

Ans: IITJEE, AIEEE, CET, CAT, XAT, SNAP, IIFT, NMAT, GATE, GMAT, GRE….. (Again I start Counting)…

GMAT, GRE, CAT, XAT, SNAP, IIFT, NMAT, GATE, IITJEE, AIEEE, CET……

The god looked at me and said the poor kid, has suffered a lot on earth; let him live in peace in heaven.

—-They asked me to wait while they decide my fate—

Friends, when you’re at the junction of life and death, your entire life reflects back at you.

Your first new car, new promotion and new phone all seem meaningless.

At that moment, you regret that you couldn’t say those unspoken words to your loved ones, you couldn’t say Sorry to people whom you hurt, and you couldn’t ignore those fights and ego clashes. 

I asked myself –

Was I kind and polite to the people around me? Did I help the poor and the needy? Did I leave an impact on the world?

I realized “It’s not what you create for yourself; it’s what you leave behind that defines success.”

I was pondering over the thought; suddenly god came to declare my result.

The god said “SON, YOU WERE WEARING A SEAT BELT. WE HAVE TO SEND YOU BACK”

Friends,

& the next moment, I found myself sitting in the smashed car with a seat belt strapped around me.

The next few months in my life were a blur, but there were some things that I remembered… And now I constantly tell my family I love them, I make an effort to live life spreading joy and cheer, and of course, I always wear a seat belt.

THANK YOU.

Over to Mr Toastmaster.

prAts!