Two cans of freshly procured Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets, arrive at a plastic container factory.

……..

One of the cans goes into the Bottle making section where it is melted and moulded into PET bottles. An extra layer of Polyvinyl alcohol is added to reinforce each bottle adequately enough for packaging carbonated drinks. One such newly constructed bottle looks at its own shadow appreciatively. Slim and trendy, his long sturdy neck widening out into strong and broad shoulders are in perfect alignment with the target market – the new generation of ‘on the go’ youngsters. He is proud for he is meant to package the most popular fizzy drink of the time.

……..

The second can of PET goes into the jar section. It is moulded into wide mouthed jars supposed to be supplied to a health food company. The PET jars are supposed to keep the nutrition intact and the food inside, fresh and crunchy.

…………

An Appy Fizz Bottle rests elegantly on the shelf of a well frequented shopping mall. With a brash smile on his face, he looks at the scores of people that browse through the shelves and thinks, “Who will be the one to take me home?” 

A mall employee comes now and then and dusts him and the others with a cloth. It feels good to be in shape and attractive. He is happy when a fashionable young girl comes round and picks him off the shelf. As she caresses his neck with her soft palms, the warmth of the female hand sets him tingling with anticipation.

………

In another section of the same mall, a jar of Muesli was waiting to be taken. Not too many people visit this section. Most of those who do, prefer sachet packs to jars because the jar is priced ten rupees dearer than the sachet. Today however seems to be his lucky day. 

A lady takes him in her hands and studiously pores through the label for some time. She then rolls him around , and with her knuckle, taps him on one side followed by another. He is elated with his first human touch. He likes the lady and prays to God that she may take him with her. The lady looks satisfied, perhaps with how he sounds? Whatever the reason, he finds that much coveted place, in a shopping cart. He is overjoyed.

………

The Appy Fizz bottle meets his moment of ecstasy on a speeding bike, caressed by a pair of tender female lips riding pilion behind her boyfriend. Delirious with desire he fails to sense the moment before his jubilation comes to an abrupt end. In a few minutes, the girl takes a last drag from the bottle and tosses him unceremoniously into a ditch by the roadside. 

Dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, the Appy bottle bounces a couple of times and lands into a puddle, while the couple speed off on their bike. In the grand scheme of things, the bottle realises sadly as he gathers himself, he has lost relevance. Surrendering to his fate, he hugs the earth and lies in the desolate puddle, abandoned.

…….

Our Muesli bottle looks around in delight as the grocery bag is unpacked and he is put on a kitchen shelf. Neat, clean and spacious; he feels like he is finally home. This is what he has always longed for. His love affair with the lady of the house continues for twenty long days. Every morning she holds him in her hands and shakes him up to pour the muesli out into her bowl of milk, and then carefully keeps him back in his place. 

It is however in the last couple of days when only the last two spoon-fills of muesli remain, that he becomes sad. He knows its time to leave. The day the muesli gets exhausted, he feels an unknown emotion take hold of him, he is not sure, “Is it sorrow or is it fear?”  He is faced with an existential crisis; he has no more muesli left to offer. He has his entire life left in him yet he feels he has lost relevance. He does not see a purpose.  

The lady appears with a pair of scissors in her hands and to his horror, impales him mercilessly through his neck.  So much for their twenty day love affair, he thinks. She slits his neck open and then raises him to her eyes for appraisal. He is shocked at how cruel she can be. Seeming satisfied, she takes him out to the veranda. He is disgusted as she fills him with loose earth and then plants some seeds into the soil. It takes him sometime before he understands what is happening. He finds a new place in the house, on the veranda sill with many others like him. It is not as comfortable or as classy but it is still ‘home’. He falls in love with the lady again for giving his life a new purpose. His love story is destined to continue longer than he could have imagined before. 

Every morning the lady waters all her plants and then sits with a newspaper on the easy chair. He cannot help but admire her pretty face and flying locks. Every new morning he seems to fall in love with her all over again. A couple of weeks hence, our muesli jar bears his first bloom. It is gratifying to see the smile on the lady’s face as she caresses the pink flowers. Our muesli jar beams with joy; in the grand scheme of things he knows that he is still relevant. It is because, as he realises today, he was designed to diversify.

…….

Life is just like that. No one wants to end up like the Appy bottle. We all want to be relevant till the very end, that’s our human nature. The question is are we ready to adapt, to be able to change, to diversify? Do we have enough to offer and then still have some more.

Where do you stand? Do you think you will still pack a crunch (or punch) or will you just let out your fizz and be done with it?

Food for thought.

Posted in response to Daily post prompt Irrelevant