"The game of Seconds!"

This story from my childhood still gives me goosebumps whenever I recall it.

THAT DAY...

My father, younger brother, and I went to a beautiful park called Madhav Uddhyaan, filled with lush greenery and a serene lake on one side. But the one thing I used to hate was the dense trees all around — they always gave me the feeling of being in a labyrinth.

Photo : 123RF

 I was around 6 years old, and my brother was 4 then. He was extremely naughty but also incredibly cute. I was always the one who had to (and still do) tolerate all his mischief, protect him from trouble — and in return, got nothing... not even a simple "thank you" :/

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Our father had been chatting with a friend, and my brother suddenly started running toward the park's exit. I was running after him, calling out “Papa-Papa” loudly, but he couldn’t hear me due to the noisy surroundings. My brother just kept running — and suddenly, a tall man with a thick beard and mustache, accompanied by two others, picked him up and began walking toward the main gate.

They were trying to kidnap him!

I reached them within seconds, panting and furious, and shouted at the man to put my brother down!

The man turned and said, “He isn’t your brother, beta! He’s the son of a lady who’s sitting in the next block of the park, crying because her son is missing.”

(And those men took one more step ahead. My brother was crying silently, I was yelling at them to stop, and they hesitated every time they heard me.)

Within a fraction of a second, my father appeared — and everything returned to normal.

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Huh!

So, what did I learn from this?

I realised that if I hadn’t gone to the park that day, or had just walked with my father, or hadn't chased my brother — if I hadn’t stopped those kidnappers or shouted at the right time — then this story would’ve ended very differently.

Because that was truly a “game of seconds.”

shutterstock photo

What I concluded from this real-life incident:

1) You must be very alert all the time.

The mind plays a crucial role here. You never know what’s coming next. You must know how to handle situations — and that comes from a calm and alert mind.

2) Bravery!

Staying brave in the face of fear is the best thing you can do. I could’ve burst into tears, but I didn’t. Because I was bold and strong, even those men hesitated — they feared my shouting.

3) Make every possible effort you can.

Each second in life is precious. You can either make wonders or lose everything in moments. You’ll see this “game of seconds” at every stage of life.

Let me give you an example:

> If a person is attending a personality interview, they will be judged within a limited time frame — just a few minutes to make an impression. It doesn’t matter what achievements or knowledge they carry. What truly matters is how they respond in that one moment.

And that’s why… it’s a GAME OF SECONDS!

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Thanks.

~ And yes, A sentence to my younger one -

Your sister loves you more than words can say.

- Anshika Chaturvedi