The Road less Travelled

Priya watched all her classmates go along with the most popular and by far the richest girl in the school Ambika. No one even turned a backward glance at Priya who was left standing alone in the school campus. All the exams were over and just one more day left for school to close for the summer holidays. She knew why she was left behind. Everyone else did too.
Priya and Ambika had been close friends since their first standard at the same school.Today they were finishing their 8th standard exams. Everyone had been very busy studying for the final exams. Not a day went by without Ambika and Priya talking about all these preparations and so many other things.
Priya came from a middle class family where her parents worked very hard to make ends meet and had high hopes and dreams for their only daughter Priya. And Priya worked very hard to justify her parents' dreams. She always stood first in class.Followed closely by her best friend Ambika.
Priya still remembered vividly the scene from the morning exams. During the exams that morning, as usual, Priya and Ambika sat together at the back of the class along with a few other close friends.All the girls had their heads over the papers hurriedly going over the exam questions. It shocked Priya to glance beside her and find her friend Ambika opening a cheat sheet of all the possible answers written on it. Ambika was very busy and intent on copying from the sheet and was quite secure that no one else would see them since they sat at the back of the class. The others girls saw this too but chose to ignore it for they obviously did not want to cross paths with Ambika. Priya was initially so shocked that she could only stare trying to comprehend why her friend would do such a thing. Being so absorbed the girls failed to notice the teacher walk up beside them and watching them.
"Ambika please come with me", said the teacher in a very quiet voice. The whole class turned their heads to see what was happening.
"Please everyone continue with your work", instructed the teacher. "You too Priya" and then she left the room with Ambika surely taking her to the Principal's office. Priya was more numb with shock now that they left and somehow managed to finish the exam.
Everyone was just finishing their exams when Ambika returned with the teacher. Ambika's face had reddened and her eyes were angry. She did not seem to feel sad or sorry but more anger at having been caught.
Once the girls were outside the classroom, everyone gathered around Ambika to hear what happened. Ambika admitted to copying as she wanted to get the first place and thereby win the trophy on the final day of school. As Priya watched silently she was taken aback at the vehemence the girls exhibited towards the teacher. Not a single one of the girls told Ambika that she had done something wrong and no one rebuked her either.
Priya felt a pain in her heart as she sadly realised she was in the minority here. She could never accept the actions her friend had done. It was against everything she believed in. Her mind refused to go along with everyone else and support Ambika. Though she did not truly fathom her convictions she knew it would never be the same with Ambika and her anymore. Priya started to walk away. No one noticed. As if to make up for the teachers actions all the girls decided to give Ambika an icecream treat and everyone walked away with Ambika. Everyone but Priya.
As Priya realised her choice would make her alienated from the most popular group in the school, she felt saddened. She wished she was more like the other girls accepting the wrong and making it sound right. It pained her to stand up for what she believed in. Without any doubt in her mind she realised this pain would be there with her when she made tough choices in life. It was her nature to uphold her principle and her values. By choosing the road less travelled she knew she would have to endure to walk alone.

Dear AC,
there you go again...
i loved these words....
Without any doubt in her mind she realised this pain would be there with her when she made tough choices in life. It was her nature to uphold her principle and her values. By choosing the road less travelled she knew she would have to endure to walk alone.

i've often told myself that the most difficult journeys are often made alone....i was pleasantly surprised to find your post echoing the same words....u r right AC, it takes a lot of courage to take the road less travelled....
great going AC, wonder how you hit upon all these subjects....

Thank you my young friend Sowpar.. Glad you agree with me and its wonderful to read your appreciation:)

Hi AC,

Wow what a topic and what a difficult decision for Priya! But though she has to travel alone, God is with her na! After all she did not let down her moral conscience , that is what matters most and not the so called friendships of the other girls who are supporting the girl going in the wrong path!
Great story line and apt for the younger generation facing such situations in daily life!

Sudha my beauty queen
Dont you agree that it is so tough to make these choices.. For Priya the heart would rather go with the wrong ones so as to get the companionship of the other girls.. and so her mind wonders why should she choose different?.. Very glad to note you are also reading Tolle's book. Do these decisions come easier with age, with knowledge, with wisdom???

Hi AC,

Thanks for calling me beauty queen.....though we have all not seen each other, we are all beauty queens from the way we have been sharing heart to heart isn't it! So from one beauty queen to another.....
I guess when the time is right and we are ready to accept such profound thoughts or when we start searching inside us , these things happen....the right book is given to us , we are lead to the right gurus if we need one or we just hit upon such thoughts just being sitting also....dont u think so,....that too now that we can go the TOLLE's way of being Still and Inthe Now! What do you say......
At least i need these now and i think cos of it i am able to anchor myself and my family which needs all such support ....so .....

Yes Priya's path is tough , i have crossed such paths , during my dancing career, when it is money , fame or just my peace of mind....and i can happily say now that my peace of mind has stayed with me till now and that is what matters in the long run, when we are left to ourselves! what do you say?

As Priya realised her choice would make her alienated from the most popular group in the school, she felt saddened. She wished she was more like the other girls accepting the wrong and making it sound right. It pained her to stand up for what she believed in. Without any doubt in her mind she realised this pain would be there with her when she made tough choices in life. It was her nature to uphold her principle and her values. By choosing the road less travelled she knew she would have to endure to walk alone.

Dear AC

a very nice story. It takes a great deal of courage to stand for the right and become unpopular than just go with the crowd and be accepted in friends' circle.

Originally Posted by sundarusha

As Priya realised her choice would make her alienated from the most popular group in the school, she felt saddened. She wished she was more like the other girls accepting the wrong and making it sound right. It pained her to stand up for what she believed in. Without any doubt in her mind she realised this pain would be there with her when she made tough choices in life. It was her nature to uphold her principle and her values. By choosing the road less travelled she knew she would have to endure to walk alone.

Dear AC

a very nice story. It takes a great deal of courage to stand for the right and become unpopular than just go with the crowd and be accepted in friends' circle.

Dearmost Usha
You said it well and your signature says it better:)

AC,
The last line speaks it all...nicely expressed the feelings that went through Priya..when she encountered with such a situation....
Hats off to Priya for her 'outstanding performance' at that age....

sriniketan

Srinek This is a story to discuss about tough choice one might have to make.. glad you enjoyed it:)