Insane

Far off in the distance stood a humongous mountain crowned by the clouds.

It's unearthly might fascinating the young big palms which clenched the mountain from the roof of a distant house.

"Just as I have clenched this mountain from afar, I shall clench its peak too." The young lad hissed clear and loud,

But fear and terror overwhelmed him when the mountain's ghostly enormousness made him feel like a mere little louse.

Laughing at the lad's misery, the sadist mountain stood high and proud,

Myriad people trod towards the peak, but before the almighty boulder, they look nothing more than a tiny little mouse.

"Abandon the thought of joining those fools in their race. Lend those unwise ears to me for a sec." The old man with a flowing white beard howled.

He continued, "You arrive in this world with nothing and depart with nothing, so what is the point of chasing these materialistic gains?

Instead, tread the path of knowledge and spirituality, and you can go beyond the skies and even beyond this realm. So abandon this meaningless quest."

The young lad smiled and spoke, "If not for the power and glory that resides at the peak, I might have become your guest.

But to begin with, I neither was and nor intend to be someone sane."

The old man sighed and chuckled and then slowly muttered, "Such a waste."

"But mark my words young man, the path that lies ahead of you is filled with sorrow, misery and pain."

"I won't complain!" Exclaiming the young lad started the journey with a protruding chest.

Some people greeted along the monotonous journey while others frowned and obstructed his way,

But he carried patience in his heart and thanked the heavens for all the people that he ever met.

Soon the spiralling path and biting cold broke the people around him, his heart heavy now as he didn't have the luxury to stay.

Burdens of expectations and responsibilities grew on his back and loneliness consumed his heart, yet he carried on because his aim was dead set.

But embracing the solitude he shed tears for many sleepless nights and reminisced the memories so gay.

And each night the old man's words stabbed his vulnerable self, but he only chanted, "There is no need to shed tears cause I chose my fate."

Even though doubts lurked in his shadow, he still dreamed and envisioned that fateful day.

As he continued on his dreadful journey, a huge rock tumbled over his dominant hand,

Making a cacophony of crushing bones and shattering hopes.

Ineffable agony blinded his vision and the only thing visible was his dreams being reduced to sand.

Tears won't stop and the suffering worsened making each cell of his body desire the cowardly yet safe choice of eloping.

If he did elope then some compassionate tears would heal his beautiful scars and the biting sharp cold will be dulled by the warmth and love of his land,

But such was the paradise that he had left behind and the only thing pumping life in his veins was the rope.

So clutching it tightly, he pushed himself upwards just as he had initially planned.

Months passed in solitude and distress and his desperate eyes yearned and begged for the sight of the peak.

The doubts that lurked in his shadow sneaked around him and he lost himself to the eternal darkness. 

But one day while plodding in that hell, he saw his ray of light, and then a smile crept upon his face and he felt warmth in his cheek.

He ran like a frantic and reached his goal killing the surrounding doubt and bleakness.

He felt immense power and pride surging through his chest and the burdens on his back becoming meek.

Tears overflowed from his eyes as he saw the end of his misery, pain, suffering, solitude, frustration and eternal blackness.

"I win! I proved every one of you wrong. The old man. My pals. Everyone! See me shine!!" He shouted like a freak.

But when he gazed around himself, terror and fear instilled in his eyes,

As he saw that among the clouds, he stood on the peak smallest of all.

The humongous mountain of all, the largest of all, all of this was an eye-opening yet painful lie.

Tears of joy turned melancholy which blinded his vision and he secretly wished that he never were to reach or maybe better he had fallen.

Asking the heavens he screamed, "Is it fine to stay here or should I venture further? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. What the hell was that dream of my?"

Closing his eyes, he let loose himself of all the burdens on his back saying, "I have got no time to stall."

"Because I neither was and never intend to be someone sane." He said with an excited sigh.