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Every year, as the lights of Durga Puja brighten our hometowns, many of us find ourselves staring at office screens hundreds of miles away. We left our homes, our parents, and the rhythm of familiar streets chasing a dream — a better career, a higher salary, a modern city life that promised fulfillment.
But as the years rolled by, many young professionals silently began to feel a strange emptiness. The fast-moving cities gave us everything — comfort, money, recognition — yet slowly took away the small joys we once lived for. The laughter of childhood friends during pandal-hopping, the smell of home-cooked festive meals, and the sound of conch shells at dawn — they now live only in memory.
Some say it’s been ten, even fifteen years since they last saw Durga Puja in their hometown. Work deadlines replaced holidays, and promotions replaced peace. We tell ourselves, “Maybe next year,” but next year never comes.
In this endless race for a “better life,” many are realizing that our inner desires and outer desires rarely meet. We keep running — for success, for recognition — not knowing what exactly will make us stop and feel complete.
Perhaps it’s time to pause and ask: What are we really chasing? When will we feel fulfilled — when our wallets are full or when our hearts are light again?
Because someday, when the city lights fade and silence takes over, we might realize that the best version of life was the one we left behind — with our parents, our people, and our peace.
