Making the choice

It was the last English class for Dhanya's batch. The students were much relieved. The English Professor who was in his mid fifties decided to give some good advice to his students though he was not sure as to how many really cared for his advice, "Your English Paper wouldn't be a tough one. You will have choices....",

He looked at the boys and then at the girls and then continued, "Similarly in life. You will have choices to make at every stage. I remember what Batman's butler had to tell his master in the movie Dark Knight. 'Make the choice that no one else can make... Make the right choice'. Like the Joker, Life devises ingenious situations that force us to choose between impossible ethical decisions and a decision that will put us in a comfort zone but which may bring our downfall. The choice is ours."

The Professor knew that it was not easy for the class to understand without a example. And he decided to take a leaf from the cricket pages, "Back in 1930s, To win the ashes series and to counter Bradman's extraordinary run scoring skills, the then English Captain Douglas Jardine made a wrong but a easy choice... Instead of being sportive, He choose to employ the so called bodyline tactics that caused severe injuries to some Australian batsmen....English won 4-1 and Bradman's average came down but at what cost?"
Students listened with much interest and a cricket fan had to add some of his own remarks, "And the Australian did something worse during 1980-81 series against New Zealand. New Zealand need six from the last ball to tie the match. Greg Chappell, the then captain told his bowler, who was his own brother, to deliver the ball along the ground...you know.... under arm. The whole Australian crowd booed its own team. And yes.... Australia did win that match."

Professor then decided to talk about Politics, "Indira Gandhi was a great and effective leader. She has made many hard choices but at the same time she has made many wrong choices. People cant forget the decisive victory against the Pakistan in 1971 but at the same time they will not forget the situation of emergency imposed on the country in 1975. It cost her to be in the opposition for quite some time."
The students were smart and had their own analysis. As a girl with a specs commented, "But the people who opposed the emergency had adapted her strategy decades later.... what do you say about Prevention Of Terrorism Act. And one of the person who fought against Indira Gandhi Government and served time in jail during emergency and wrote poems from the cell.... He didn't learn anything from it. Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed the POTA that give wide authority to crack down and hold anybody. A wrong choice"

The professor decides to conclude, "But many youngsters face a different dilemma. They fall in love and some souls would have to make a choice between the one to whom they have given their heart and soul and their family which has put the hopes and dreams in them."
Dhanya who was silent till now had something to say, "I hope no one finds himself/herself in such a situation. But if such a situation arises, select your parents. Its not easy to bury the memories of someone you love and live as if nothing happened. But remember your parents were there when you opened the eyes for the first time and they would love you to be there in front of their eyes whenever they wish to see you. Don't disappoint them. Don't force them to say something they don't like to say."