Choices and life

An old man with matted beard came up to me asking for alms. I do not encourage begging but there are exceptions like this old

Man who would have been almost 75 years. When I gave him money he thanked me in English. His voice and tone suggested that he had seen better times. I was pleasantly surprised to hear him speak fluently. I got curious and I began chatting with him. 

The first sentence he uttered was , "I made the wrong choices. Now I am paying for it. "

And I asked him the reason. His name is Prakash. Prakash owned a distribution company for ITC. Plenty of money passed through his hands. He did not bother to save. He spent all of it on entertaining people in posh hotels. His mother would warn him every day that he ought to save. He did not pay heed. His vices grew.His wife died of asthma. His daughter died of brain tumour and his mother of old age. His biggest regret was that he could not afford treatment for his daughter. His money had all gone. So were the so called friends. He lost everything. 

Today Prakash wishes that he dies 

soon. But he knows even that is not in his hand. 

His parting shot was," make the right choices, you remind me of my daughter.. I wish..." 

indeed make or break our lives with choices!