Have you ever thought that besides having a voting card and being eligible for voting you still need something more to cast your vote? Any guess? I feel you need luck more than anything else to cast a vote. It sounds foolish, Alright! Let me explain to you then...

I was never The right person doing right things at right time. But after qualifying for voting in 1999, I had always dream of casting a vote in every general election held. I am not averse of politics. I will never be. Thanks to Dad. He is a keen political observer, not professionally but occasionally he comes to me and asks my opinion which keeps on dwindling all the time.

I have grown up hearing discussions on politics in my family. Though I was never part of it, I found them amusing. Mrs. I Gandhi was his favorite. He was Pro-Congress earlier, now I never bothered to know. He is known for his Pro views among friend circle. Or rather he was. He doesn't have the same notion now, but he still carries some Pro mindset about elections. Otherwise it wouldn't be possible to stand in long queues. Unless you have some reason for it, you never stand up for something. I was wrong.Voting is different.

Earlier I detested it very much. I never understood why my parents stood 30 min in a queue at a nearby polling booth, during last election. I never comprehend the essence of casting a vote. No one bothered to tell me about it. Neither my Dad. I was disinclined.

Some years back, after I voluntarily decided not to vote anymore, Dad came to me & said quietly "There is no need to declare war at polls! It doesn't make a difference what you say unless you do it" Somehow I realized that I was making some mistake, but I wasn't ready to accept it.

I always viewed casting a vote is a waste of time. Never mind, many of us still carry the same notion. On day of polls, I often watched news curiously.For me numbers are interesting. And if Pro views are winning, I was more happy. I felt like 'He' was winning. So watching news at the end of day had become must do task. It was obvious. Dad always insisted on knowing the things at first place, before we miss it. I really miss him now. He will again follow the old routine he followed during all elections.

When many of us will be casting a vote this General Election, I will be watching the news again, but regerting for not casting a vote. A missed opportunity! I will have to justify it, to myself. But often it makes a difficult decision to travel back home only for casting a vote. My leave request was rejected politely. There is always some or other work in pipelines, unless the other end is closed.

We often carry some kind of hope every day. We hope something will be better today. We all do! Something! It could be anything. And Dad carried the burden of hope, for past three decades that something will be better this time. It doesn't make a difference, who wins. It really doesn't make a difference when you say a single vote makes a difference. It doesn't make any sense, when you have kept faith alive for decades. He is different. It hardly makes any difference to him, what you say. Democracy is his favorite, casting a vote is his "Must Do duty" for Nation. Democracy always won and will always.

But anyways, I will be a mute spectators of drama of democracy once again. I really miss my home. Once again my Dad will wake up early on 23rd April and will be among the first people who casts vote. Mom, follows closely but independently. And me, still waiting for my turn to cast my vote. Better luck next time Atul!

Good Night