~ Himalayan Retreat... ~

 A recent sojourn to the foothills of Himalayas, I sat alone in a meditative stance , contemplating the life I have lived – with all calmness and serenity being bestowed on me, I was ‘Just Myself’ nothing else. There were no horns or screeching sounds, no humdrum of life as we see in our daily living in big cities, just me and my soul and believe me throughout my life I have been a reading buff and have read many books telling me that there is something inside you which is your true self – I faintly admit that I found “HIM” may be for a minutest of seconds but I certainly had the tinge of who he really is….

It is you and solely you who has to experience that magnificence where there is no thought and you are just in a vegetative state of composure – no disturbance, no future , no past …just the present , just the you – I met someone special who could guide me to this state, he surely was an evolved soul who himself had come from Mumbai and was looking for that great experience. We met at the local ashram and believe me, his first glance was nothing more than of a puritan soul who was surely not of this world – his composure and his talking sense was so submissive, calm and composed. As we exchanged few Hi’s and Hello’s, the bond started to build up – starting from what we do to earn and living to what we are looking for from life – the talks got synonymous. Our common ground was our interest in few things – to find the real self, to take a break from life’s daily humdrum and also to try to be different from people around us. 

As he slowly opened up, I got to know that he was from film industry and he has been assisted directors for some of the few branded films of Bollywood – certainly that was no mean achievement but the flashiness and unevenness of Bollywood had taken a big toll on his composure and mental health – he surely wanted an escape for some time and went hunting for such a retreat.

As it was my turn of the story which was no different but with the only twist that I came from a corporate background and wanted a sought-after break from daily haphazardness. Though our paths were different but the common ground stuck a great chord between us and we bonded like good old pals. Two days just went passed as quickly as next breadth – we exchanged our phone number and now that we have started to whatsapp each other we are surely looking for another meeting soon in the reigns of the Himalayas – same old retreat – an ashram as raw as a jungle with almost negligible human touch or interference – the morning alarm is the twitter of the birds ( not the other twitter 😊) – the daily chores are as natural as animals living therein – there is no targets to be met – just be your real self – have satvik food – with loads of raw intake – natural Ganga water – what a life it is….Man surely has steered away from his destiny and has started to tread a path where there is no end…only falsifying hopes and peer expectations….till the time a knock of destiny corrects him… he would keep on running to no infinity….

~ The Want of a School…~

The lad was so confident in his appearance, just a toddler worth his age – he was just loitering around the voting center the other day, oblivious to what was happening around ‘the huge building’ ( as he described) – in our dictum it is called “School’ as I told him….

His face grimaced but was soon turned dull as wanted to be inside the building – the next obvious question was “ Yahan Police kyon baithi hai?” (Why police is sitting outside the entrance!”)

I smilingly answered – because It is voting day!

“Who kya hota hai Uncle?” (What that means Uncle?)

I responded “ Beta kuch nahi 😊!” , as I certainly didn’t want to open a Pandora's box for him, as he was not too big to be told, I pondered.

He was carrying a gunny sack on his shoulder, collecting old plastic bags and water bottles thrown outside the polling booth – he had just one selfish interest – to collect as may bottles as he can, as the task given was soon be gauged and thus converted to moolah for him.

“Ah” – as I enquired, “Beta, aapka naam kya hai?”  (What is your name?)

“Karan” , he quipped shyly…”Where do you stay” and where is your mummy, Papa?

He had no answer to this but replied with a quaint reply which I was not expecting out of him and that was….“Uncle mereko ismein padna hai …!!!” – my heart just melted…. He was so small, without any footwear , in a dilapidated clothes but for sure he knew the value of education and going to school.

His reply stunned me to the core, I asked him again about where he is staying and that I have never seen him around – “ Pehli baar aaya hoon idhar, plastic bottles collect karne!” (I have come here for the first time to collect empty plastic bottles.)

He certainly was not liking his job but unfortunately had no or little scope on maneuvering as his innermost desire will be unanswered – his predicament was his destiny –

I kept watching him as he collected bottles hungrily so that he could get good money – plastic bottles thrown by policemen on election duty – the sight was too much for many of us – A small boy all of 6-7 years desired to study was doing a job not suited for him….

No one came to fetch him as I kept an eye on him – he was oblivious to my observance but was looking for plastic bottles with a hawk eye – There were so well dressed kids coming to polling center to satiate their inquisition of how voting takes place inside the polling station, but here was this street urchin completely in different tone of life – a life which offered him tough choices as a kid …

I went to him for the last time to know if he will come again the next day – “Patan ahi uncle, Jahan bolenge wahin jaunga…” ( Don’t know uncle, wherever they (his handler, or parents) will send him, he will oblige) ….

Today was no different as he didn’t turn up… I consider that meeting to be an eyeopener for many of us who are so privileged for the life we are living…for any contrarian thought, just think of ‘Karan’ … you would have counted a sizeable number of goodies life has offered you…

~ Football & the Virtues of Life...~

 As the Soccer world cup begins today at Qatar, I reminisce the game I used to cherish and play for insane long hours, never to be told when to come back at home. The neighborhood park is a mute testimony to what time I have lived and cherished whilst I was a striker of my team.

Football for me  and for that matter for all of us is just not a game to be played for fun, It is a way of life and formulates our character to what we really are in real world…it has much hidden life skills that it so subtly teaches if one has an open eye. The game can be personified as a life skill if one decides so.

It is brimming with key leadership lessons to name a few, leadership, selflessness, planning and execution and most importantly accepting the outcome, be whatever it may be when the game is over. All these virtues are much needed in living a decent and sane life today. 

The game is a strong interlude of maneuvering passes and strict discipline. It makes an individual a strong and forward-looking thinker with an ability to think beyond the rational. It bestows on you a sense of ownership and teamwork, cascades along many boundaries to show your true character as a leader and a playmate. As a planner and a perfect executioner of moves, your leadership character is what is put to test whilst the game is on. Your leading by example is what your fellow teammates are looking upon you – I once remember the game in which we were being pushed and mellowed by the opposite team as they were playing rough but our leader took upon himself to judge the track of the game and changed the strategy to play short passes and make quick moves for them to not entangle with our key visible front enders – the result, they were exhausted running to trap the ball and injure the key players as all were getting the ball in equal intervals!!! – the outcome was inevitable….

Sacrifice is another great virtue which this fantastic game teaches … there may be occasions when your selfish interest will make you take control of the ball and you in all probability will try to steer around to score a brownie goal for audience to cheer the newfound Ronaldo in you  - having done so , you may score or you might not but a good player would always ‘Sacrifice’ your chance to score if you realize that your fellow being is in a better position to hit the ball to the nets… that quick decision of yours will cascade your character and that is what the game does to you…

No doubt the game is full of enthralling moments and it tests your patience and your strength, there may be moments when your body is in no mood to run that extra inch but the lure of getting so close to the nets and scoring a winning goal is what keeps you going - It is so much similar to life, at times when you plan to quit or are hellbent to not go that extra mile as you are not sure of the result, a tinge of thought that may be I should try for that last time as I did in that match winning game...who knows I might succeed this time....

I have realized that I am in awe with this game and it is the on top of my list of to-do things when I will next spot the street urchins playing at their usual self in the park. After all, age has nothing to do with your love of life – I love football and would continue too do so till eternity! The best part of playing this game is when people ask, “at this age, how you maintain your sprint, focus and quick thinking on the field?” My quirky answer is “The football does not know how old I am. All you need to do is to stop yourself to stopping yourself to play the game.” – I thank football not only as a game but shaping myself into a person which I have become today!

~ Man's Best Moments..~

He is a regular in the park and his sack is full of various goodies for his little friends – ants, dogs, pigeons and birds and I see him doing this for quite long.

He surely believe in the idiom “ Giving is Receiving” though he has no qualms if he doesn’t receive anything in return – he has lived a noble life although and does not carry the burden of swelling debt or children not settled or not having a good health at this juncture of his life – He surely has it all in his kitty.

Just the other day, I conversed with him to know about his act of doing what he does every morning and he had some revelations to make – “Son, I have been doing this since decades as it gives me a feeling of immense satisfaction – these speechless insects and beings of GOD have been are living partners since ages and we trample them under our feet – uncaringly as if we rule the roost of this universe!”

His thoughts had a valid point and comprehensive to talk about what we all know about the working of this grand design we called UNIVERSE where everyone is sought equal and have right to life as we humans do but this is not the norm of the day necessarily.

As we further conversed, uncle ( I didn’t know his name though) spoke -

Our being on the top of the food chain surely have given us an edge of sentinel beings around us – many cant converse, many still are fearful of our dreaded size and many are in awe of our existence for what we have done to this planet.

I suggest you do a social experiment, start talking with the pigeons, crows and squirrels who are part of this ecosystem – try to make them friends – you will see that they will start making noise in a convenient way which is there way of accepting your presence for a good reason – and that is – you have come with some goodies, food, water for them.” 

His advice was a bit late as this has been norm of the day for me for quite some time – I have seen this happening in my daily morning chores in the park – as I enter the park, I start to hear crow’s cawing, dogs come up wagging their tail and squirrels happily run around – a clear sign of they being happy to see me alive and also that now they would be getting their breakfast 😊 ! 

Surely, I have made friends with them, as now they have accepted my presence and me being some part of their unknowing existence – they are not afraid of me and they hanker around what I have bought for them …it is their inquisition and love which takes me to their groves every now and then…

Whilst we parted way – Uncle’s sack was getting almost emptied as he had shared his brought to his animal and insect pals…. The dogs were wagging their tail around him, the squirrels and crows were having their sumptuous breakfast…the whole scenario seems was treat to one’s eye… here was man who was segregated from the daily rush of morning hour and living and sharing his life with nature’s true creation….Surely the idiom “ To give is to receive” was all that I was seeing in front of me…really in the working….

~ Kiss of Death... ~

“I am alive and my eternal belief in the existence of GOD has been exemplified by the pain and trauma I went through for almost two months that I have solely lived on the edge in a ICU of a Delhi hospital.

The worth of human life was at its nadir, with not a single day I would not see my ICU neighbor dying whilst gasping of that next breath and suddenly collapsing – at its peak, Covid took the toll on many of us but this is the firsthand account of a gentleman – my ex-office colleague who still has not fully recovered and is a victim of Long- covid. His lungs have contracted 40% and he can’t brisk walk or can do any heavy stuff in his day-to-day life.

“Sir, I have understood and have started to believe in this idiom “Health is Wealth!” – as I used to see young and old coming to ICU and becoming my next-bed neighbors and staying with me for about a week before resigning to their destiny – Doctors were helpless as there seems to be no way out!”

The bodies were quickly wrapped in body bags by specially designated hospital ward boys, who were un-emotional in handling the body bags as the stigma of the disease was at its peak – there were almost no family or friends who used to come to collect the bodies as they seem to go directly to the cremation grounds without any “Last Rites”. 

“I became suicidal in the 4^th week of my stay at hospital, as I could not see sun entering in the ICU , beams of tube lights and blinking machine sounds had cast away my sleep and had made me a zombie who was solely surviving on artificial induced Oxygen along with daily dose of injections which I now am bearing the brunt of – I have lost natural immunity and a slight change in the season leads to me getting sneezing attack and periodical fever- though I am alive and thank GOD profusely as I was lucky to surpass that turbulent times from grit and faith in tomorrow!

Life has surely given me another chance and a meaning to explore the beauty of living – earlier the chase of career and promotions, power and pelf was the only aim of life – not getting my next streak of oxygen became my top most priority and now that I am recovering, I view life from a completely different perspective.

How can I convince people who are abusing there bodies and taking it for granted – thinking they can dodge death – they are befooling their living and their existence, for they don’t know that body can soon become a liability when not taken care of! – but they wont understand as I was a bit unlucky to get caught in the vicious circle of Covid and had to be hospitalized as when I tell my ordeal to my friends, they laugh it out as they were cured in the premise of their own home having to take almost nothing.

I still thank GOD for his magnanimity and divine grace when I came out of the ICU to general ward and when I was granted leave, my mom and my wife were in tears – being covid victims themselves, they were not allowed to come to see me in the ICU as they had restricted mobility.

Phones were only way to connect and that too with a limited amount of time as I could not talk due to air exasperation – either I could see the dead being siphoned off or tell the hellish condition I was in, there was no reprieve.

Each day bought new problems as I was heavy on intravenous steroids, the pain and the trauma were me to record as I had nothing to do. Being in ICU for almost two months, Death became a friend as everyday the Doctors pronounced their decree without any human emotions.

So what was the take away of this episode – ‘Respect the nitty gritty of life, the family, friends and every such relation which you have made is for a purpose – no matter what, be humble and obey the command of ‘Time’ and accept things – everything is for a reason and a purpose’ – Taking me as an example and my youthful exuberance, I never valued anything much and took almost everything as granted – Not anymore, whilst I speak to you , every intake of breath I consciously breathe is being thanked by me internally, this is what Covid has taught me ….

~ My Diwali Dost...~

He was my Diwali man – living a secluded life in a petrol pump on Diwali night when all of Delhi was busy in the festivities of the Diwali moment. Deepinder had his own way of enjoyment as someone had given him a packet of sweets along with some candles which he had lighted near a dilapidated tyre shop which he worked in.

A big time KGF fan, Deepinder belongs to a village in UP and has been an inhabitant of Delhi since last 4 years as his father didn’t have the resources to make him study further – he is class 8^th pass, smilingingly he told me as if this was a sort of achievement for him. As I asked him if he wanted to study as I could help in a way, his blunt answer was “No” I want to have my own business, the time and my years for studies is over”. No wonder his answer was quite an accepting shock to me as he seemed to like his passion of business.

It was Diwali night of fun and frolic, of sparkle and lights but he had lit a single candle and a string of lights on his tyre puncture roadside shop cum living shanty – he was alone and ‘on the job’ of filling deflated tyres , it seemed to be a regular evening for him. There was a bit of uniqueness though, he had lighten a small ‘Diya’ (earthen lamp) in front of his favourite diety’s pic which he had placed on a dilapidated wooden podium.

I asked him” Deepinder, where are you from? And when almost half of Delhi has gone back to their native villages for Diwali celebrations, why are you still working in this city – you could have taken a break from daily rigmarole of duties which life offers us.”, he candidly replied “ Bhaiya, everyone took leave and there has to be someone managing the ‘Business’!, probably I will go on holi. We take turns whilst taking holidays, so my holi holidays are certainly booked.!”

“So don’t you miss your natives, friends on this special hour, when roads are almost empty ( a rare condition in Delhi!) and that everyone is eating, burning firecrackers and making merry – he replied “ I am happy as I have had a whatsapp videocall with my sisters and parents in Bihar” – though they were missing me but they understood the need of the hour.

No wonder, those 10 minutes of meeting Deepinder pointed certainities of life – that be whatever, there are silent workers for us who are at best making sacrifices to comply with their daily duties, be it festivities or a regular day, they are always there working to bring smile on people’s’ faces!

“Happy Diwali Deepinder and God Bless you!” were my last words of acknowledgement whilst he completed the task of inflating my car tyres , a job which he did without any qualms. A final adieu with all smiles was the last scene which made me see him for the last time before I headed to my destination, not before thinking about Deepinder till I reached my final home for Diwali Celebrations!...

~ A Life Different ...~

In this vast sea of heads counting, we all try to find our own identity – we are unique in every sense but still we are intrinsically alone and aloof. Have you observed there is something in you who converses with you for many singular topics – who is that? It is your conscience or the hidden ‘God’ which keeps you giving the hint to do what is right and in accordance with the laws of living.

Such deep thoughts were echoed with one my childhood friend who has had a spiritual bent of mind from the very beginning of his childhood – no surprise that he has made spirituality a seeking profession for himself and found ways to earn through it whilst he enjoys the company of many elated souls who are always in conversation with him on varied topics of life and its living! 

“Opening a small hut resort was my passion and my seeking from the very onset of what I realize who I was!” – as my friend met me this Diwali, I saw him after ages – his face had a radiant smile and he was balanced in his approach of life -spewing positivity and a contagious grin – he was surely a class apart from a typical “Delhiwalla” who I always see has bunch of complaints to fall upon!

As we conversed further, my friend started to tell his stories about some of the unique guests who have been a part of his journey – there has been some “Aghori’s” too! As he told me.

“So, what was your experience too with them?” as I asked him with lot of inquisitions.

“It was quite frightening but as they conversed, I felt quite at ease with them – believe me they are a class apart and what we have heard about them is not a fraction of what they are!”. As he further told me “They also gave me Ashirwad (blessing's) for a long life and a good future. It has been almost a month that they visited me and since then, I have been immersed with their positive aroma – business has also grown since then.”

There have been other visitors too, they are fun and frolic people from the plains – Mumbaiietes and Delhiietes throng his hut houses with equal fervor – “they just love it – the peace, the calm, the shinning stars, the serenity of atmosphere and above all – No messy Noise” – they feel at peace…

As we exchanged Diwali pleasentries, it was time to say goodbye and with a promise that I shall soon be visiting his small resort in upper regions of Rishikesh – the countdown for me has begun – surely everyone needs a reprieve from this madding crowd and the noise that hounds us although the day – to find your own being – this excursion is for sure on a “to-do-list” – time is the best testimony of when that happens….

~ The Couch Legacy ~

This is used to be foreground of discussions of all the roadside vendors – be it chaiwallas, Rikshawpullers or just souls who lost their way in life but now it is a dilapidated looking wearied out old couch set being discarded beyond any measure and left at the mercy of Delhi’s inclement weather.

The couch is an ode to many important discussions on myriad subjects of life – favorite was Indian politics, but not less was other important discussions regarding India’s growth, the changing value system of society, the religious debates in the country etc…

The nearby ‘Shyam Tea Stall’ is still there but no one sits on the couch anymore as it is in no condition to be sat on – it has endured the test of time and has weathered all seasons be it rain or storms, it remains intact but not without the skin. Surely, seeing its dilapidated condition, there is a talk to renovate it and again bring it to use. 

The favorite timepass of us Indian’s rolling over the subject of ‘Politics’ non-stop, we can have arguments and counterarguments till ages and yet cannot come to a conclusion – this sofa seat is a testament to those long standing discussions and timepass rendezvous – many of the proud inhabitants who have domed the this ‘throne’ has been a witness to some of the finest razzmatazz of talk, though with no certain end!

Nowdays, when I bypass the Tea stall, I could see some of the new occupants of this sofa seat, they are happy sitting on it and cuddle amongst themselves , for they are the street canines who have found temporary refuge in it whilst in the evening and night the change of weather has bring forth gush of cold air.

Surely, the couch has become a blessing in disguise for them as they play and make merry to everyone’s amusement and has thus become the benchmark of all life forms making good use of it with every passing day – in the morning, it is a makeshift point for labourers and passersby, in the evening and late night it gets occupied by dogs and cats sometimes …

As a testimony of time, it will wither away to its newness only when ‘Shyam ji’ will take the complete control and ownership of it and give it a complete facelift and given many of his regular customers to sit on it and again gaggle in endless discussions about life and its being… till then, it will be a standalone benchmark of his makeshift shop being evenly guarded by canines in the night…

~ Power of Silence...~

 Both mother daughter duo sat in the aisle of local market engrossed in a cheeky smile. Being a festive season, they had put up a makeshift stall for the comfort of their seasoned customers, a PAYTM tagbox was all that was kept to receive payments along with a small box for change (if customers wanted to pay in cash).

The sell was all small festive items, from diyas to designer candles and other decorative items such as earthen lamps and handcrafted pastel stickers. The intriguing part being both mother-daughter duo was chatting and gesticulating in a particular way – ‘Sign language!’ – at first instance it didn’t make any sense to the causal onlooker as one is not interested in a small shop with inadequate flashy signs and bereft of any flashy marketing but on a closer look, one may see that the daughter seems to be deaf and dump and that in particular the mother was making a happy effort to communicate with her in same parlance – one could surely conclude that she must have learnt the language as a need of the hour!

Suddenly a female customer turns up to enquire about their sell and the daughter (about 30 years of age) welcomes her with her intriguing smile and a folded hand ‘Namaste’ – the gesture surely touched the customer and in ignorance she starts to ask for price of the items displayed – in nick of time her mother jumps in and steer’s the talk to her favour and tries to answer customer’s query – the daughter still showcasing her smiling face.

It was my turn to approach the makeshift shop and started to enquire about an item which probably was not displayed – the mother asked her daughter gesticulating in sign language, post which frantic search was initiated by the daughter to find the missing item. The search bore fruit and a pack of decorative candles were found to everyone’s satisfaction, the smile on daughter’s face was captivating.

The shopping soon turned quite interesting when the Aunty told me that all these items have been dedicated been made by her over two months’ time, she employees two likeminded staff – both deaf and dump, I asked “Aunty how all of them communicate, especially they have a white board and markers, whatever they cannot share while gestures, they communicate via writing and drawing!” – the parable, ‘Need of the hour produces a man’ proved on dotted line… She still sits on her makeshift shop in the evening with her mother , every time I pass through her small shop, she smiles and does greets me with a customary ‘Namaste!”, the best thing is that everytime I find more tempting items to be bought…. The next shopping spree is just round the corner with a certain hope and pray that one fine day I want to see her with her own permanent shop to sell her items, time has the only answer to this question….

~ As Luck would have it...! ~

 The discussion became intense on the ‘Luck’ factor of life, as the group argued with their points and counterpoints. Many in the group were arguing as to who was lucky and where luck played its part to get to a level of life where they are now. Considering the life many of us have lived, the ups and the troughs have been the part of the game and this is bound to happen for everyone, many of us would fall through the headwinds but many would take those as the opportunities provided by ‘providence’.

Today, as I met the diehard survivor (Manoji) who was purely ‘lucky’ to survive a disastrous streak of a life-threatening disease, he didn’t have many qualms of why he got it at the first place, all he his focus was on how to overcome this impediment of life course and tag himself to be lucky to have done that!

Talking of luck as a biproduct of effort and daily labour, he was much affirmative of the thoughts that come by when a tragedy strikes us, the daily living has its own set of questions to be answered and the luck factor remains elusive in most of them.

He was simple in his rationale and his “What if?” was admissible in our discussion. To name a few, as he stated to augur his point,

“What if you were born without limbs or partially blind?, how would your life have been OR, “What if you were born with mental disorder?” – you could not have comprehended the beauty of life OR “What if you were born in a situation of utter poverty and had no means for a two meals a day? – how would your life be in these circumstances?” – the radical of his thought were profound , as was his wisdom.

We surely ignore the daily lucky instances that have been bestowed on us in our day-to-day life and are more focused on something great to happen through “Luck”! – surely there have been super lucky people in this world who just by their instincts have done some acts which has given them much pelf as in the case of a Kerala Auto driver winning Rs 25 crore in Onam lottery on just an instinct of choosing a ticket!.

As Manoji  says “don’t worry, you wont be so lucky 😊!” – but as all was discussed in length and breadth, we are all lucky in one sense or the other, for those who have perfect health – they are lucky against those who have timely minutes left to leave the world! , for those who have loving family – they seem to be lucky against those who are left alone ,especially after the Delta wave of Covid!

“Just living hale and hearty with a loving family and managing our expenses with our own house makes a ‘PERFECT’ definition of being lucky in this material world, for the rest, chasing incessant dreams will take away things which you have always taken for granted! – the last guide to living as spoken by Manoji is just prudent enough to be lived the ways he has felt….the results will mesmerize you…

~ A Cobbler's Life...~

 He has been around for more than three decades doing the same work and always wearing the same smile as he always did when I used to see him as a kid. The shanty he made as his shop resembles the same emblem and also that nothing has changed in it either. As it is a small 6X6 meter makeshift space that he made it as his workplace, that time was different and that there was only a flower bearing a shrub which has not blossomed itself to be cascading all around his sitting, it does give a marvelous look.

I met ‘Salim after ages, I would say so, he still smiled on seeing me and always welcomed me the way he used to do when I was young enough. Salim is our local cobbler and he has been around since time immemorial, now that many of us don’t visit such places and repair our broken / wear-out footwear, the mall culture has tamed us to use and throw our buys in quick succession – after all it is the time of impulsive consumerism!

Coming back to my original theme, Salim sits in the same posture, on the elevated ground, cuddling himself to comfort – for that is the best posture for him to do his work type with precision, after all, there are some costly footwear repairs which comes his way and any scope of error would be a fallibility on his part and he would loose his customer and brand of a top cobbler in the vicinity – mind it , at his level too, the competition plays its part.

As I sat along with him in his shanty, the talk of good old times started to come up – as we exchanged our past lives and what we have been doing since years passed by, I was wonderstruck to listen to his story of life. His two sons were working in Gurgoan in top MNC’s in CAD (computer Aided design) and were English speakers, unlike him – his eyes widened up with profound honour when he thus spoke of them, I was seeing the proud feeling of a father who could not do much in his life but silently focused on his work and towards his aim to make both of his sons a English speaking gentlemen – his dream was almost fulfilled as he had one wish (which is the wish of a father across the globe) – to get his sons married and make them settled in life.

“What after that, Salimji?” as I asked.

“Nothing, life would be same again but with a difference, I will have the honour to take a break out of this shop!, I have chosen Sunday as the day when I wont come here and be at home.” – this opened a pandoras box for me as I asked “ So you have not taken any holiday or an off during these times?”

“Yes, Almost, I can count my days on my fingertips and tell you when I was on off, hearing about such commitment made me stand still – the man truly deserved honours, a silent worker just like India’s mountain man’ “Dashrath Manjhi” , a labourer from Gaya,Bihar, India - who silently worked for decades to carve out a way by manually doing labour work with a chisel and hammer.

As Salimji had repared my slippers, it was time to go and say goodbye – the penultimate gesture which touched me was his fees , still he asks his fee with a sentence “ Bauji, jo sahi samjho dedo!” [Whatever you deem fit for my work, give it.], the thought till now keeps me mesmerized with such souls in and around you, especially in the world of people insanely running about wealth and possessions , though they have done more harm to themselves that anybody else… Salimji is an example of focus of life and the way one should live it!

~ The Walk…~

My morning walk saga has changed a bit and that is due to an unaccustomed mate who has joined me. I don’t know him nor does he know me, as I have seen him since two days sitting in the muddy water, cooling himself of this humid climate. Just the other day our eyeball-to-eyeball contact led him to follow me rigorously as he was my obedient fellow pal. Surely, this act of his made others walking on the aisle a bit nervous and uncomfortable as the was after all a street dog!

As I also started to observe his gestures with adamant care, he had followed me in a unique way. Testing him was the only way I could have had a glimpse of his loyalty towards me. I steered away from my usual path and so did he, when I stopped, he stopped too wagging his tail quite often. I don’t know what past life connect we both might have, his expecting eyes were intriguing and just looking at him would make him happy, all I could guess was that he just wanted to be with me and I was too loving my just found company!

Suddenly, I stopped as it was time for my stretching exercises, he stopped too and to my amazement started to softly meow as if he wanted to walk more with me – his tail wagged non-stop. I immediately sensed his want and swiftly did my exercise with a motive to walk as the cannel so wanted – I realized that I had just formed a bond with him and wanted to keep that for long , so soon I started to look around for him as I walked, a clear sense of ‘sensitivity’ had dawned upon me, knowingly fully well that there were so many other street dogs in the part who could pose a real danger to my friend, citing so that he was frail and not that strong to defend himself of any eventuality.

Then the time came that I had to leave as time was pointing me to start my daily chores though internally, I was in no mood to say ‘adieu’ but the situation became so. I turned around and caressed him, he too obliged and sat on his haunches and incessantly wagged his tail showing his sweet nature and love for me. The whole gesture became a timeless moment and in that I gave him a name “Milo”.

He kind of loved his newfound name as when I started to walk he had sensed that it was end of today’s meeting as he could see the exit gate of the park. He stopped and when I turned back and voiced ‘Milo’ he came running towards me.

I had surely overrun the time for my daily walk but was in no repentance, the time I had spend with Milo was a memorable one, the Cynophile that I am, my love for dogs (especially street dogs) is no secret, almost every canine who lives in my vicinity knows me and wags his/her tail when they see me.

Now I wait for the sunset today when I will again be meeting my friend ‘Milo’ and would thus walk with him – thinking of even talking with him even if our languages are different but ‘Love’ being the bridge will fill the vacuum…

~ My Coconut Friend...~

 He has taken a vow to make people healthy and he is totally committed to this cause. ‘Dayanand’ as he is called with love amongst many of the early bird’s aka ‘Morning Walkers’ many of whom make it a point to have “narial pani” [Coconut Water] after their sweat chocked walk. 

He is dot on time and that is 6:00 a.m. and mostly is accompanied by his son who is a helping hand in his morning chores. After corona, people have risen to one reality of life and that is , “Health is Wealth!” – they have seen human deprivation and death as never before, helpless people who earnestly wanted a life were not given a chance to take the next breath! – All this becomes a glimpse reminder of the near past and this probably is the main cause of many people flocking our neighborhood park to be fit and remain healthy.

bnDayanand is adding to their resolve and bring with him a cart full of about 100 odd coconuts to be distributed on ‘discounted’ price. Some ask him to slice it so that they can have it there and then, many of the morning walkers make it a point to take them home. Just the other day, a gentleman proposed Dayanand if he can bring an icebox to keep some coconuts in it so that many of his customers can enjoy the coolness of the coconut drink.

Dayanand is a humble businessman and is not very strict about pricing his ‘product’ – he knows that many of his customers are his friends and he is in a thorough conversation with him – selling coconuts is just a time pass as he laughingly says sometimes 😊!

His son “Sagar’ was the main reason he switched to selling coconuts – earlier he was a vegetable seller for many years as he tells me. “ Mera beta bahu bimar ho gaya tha, doctor ne jawab de diya tha, nariyal peene se hi theek hua…[My son became seriously ill, he was put on liquid diet, coconut came out as a life saviour for him!] , ever since I have switched my product and started to sell coconut – I now know its therapeutic qualities and is generally good for health – As he spoke, I contemplated that the man who was not so much educated was a degree-less doctor who had taken upon himself to make people drink coconut water for he knew that is good for their health!

To many of his customers, he jokes “100 saal jiyoge agar mera nariyal pani peeyoge 😊!” [ 100 years you will live if you will drink my coconut water!], for sure he is a good marketeer, his laugh is contagious , though he himself is soaked in sweat as his work is purely manual, but he always has an alternative and that is his “Break time” wherein he slashes through on of his ‘Malaaidar Nariyal’ [Cream Coconut] and sips through its content, side by side conversing the benefits to his customers…

Thanks Gayanand for making us connect with the benefits of this drink, I have taken a complete U-turn of having my morning tea-cuppa with an aim to live 100 years as my morning friend vehemently so voices…!

~ My Name is Vicky..~

“My name is Vicky!” – this one vernacular made me look at the man with astonishment. I could have never believed him to reply to me like this. The firmness in his tone was beyond my wildest comprehension.

The man wearing a dilapidated and unwashed wardrobe was sitting on the pavement with a small “Dafli” and singing orthodox songs fascinated some passersby, I being one of them. He was totally engrossed in his music, with closed eyes and caring for none – as if he was finetuned with God at the moment. His music made me stop for few minutes as I got mesmerized with is love for music and the way he was singing. Suddenly he stopped and open his eyes as if he just had had an internal sense of realization that he was being closely watched.

A Sudden eye contact with him made me speak about his singing attributes and that he matched the ‘dafli’ to the tunes he was singing. His worn-out attire was testament to a life he was living, giving him alms made him hurt his ego as he certainly was not a beggar but had fallen on severe bad times.

“Sir, I am a graduate but lost the plot of life, I am no beggar!” – his second line was a one liner description of his life – certainly, he had to be convinced to accept something for the music he had made for us.

He took it reluctantly, may be his ego was not allowing him to take it. On much prodding and trying to make a bond with him, me and a friend accompanying me started to delve into his previous life and what made him reach this predicament of life. Vicky was shaky in start but he belonged to good family in Lucknow where his parents were government officials and he had a sister who is married in Delhi…”Koi nahi poochta ab, parents hai nahi aur didi nahi baat karti!” [Nobody asks about my whereabouts, my mom and dad are no more, my sister is least bothered about me.”

“Sab meri hi karni hai,buri sangat ka asar , [Its all my fault, I fell in bad company when I came in Delhi!], he took the money with a little smile on his face and then deep melancholy befell on his face – I could judge that he was severely repentant of his life and what he had made out of it.

Vicky fell in bad company when he came in Delhi , a state which he had come with lots of dreams and aspirations, all fell like pack of cards…now that he is alone and is living a life of penury, his only passion sometimes come to his help “music and singing which I love” so whemently he speaks about….

“Yeh mere saath akhri tak jayega…jab tak mein hoon…” – [This will go till the end of my journey of life]…he laughs…with his toothless smile….his journey continues… pavement to pavement… singing his melodies to his hearts content…

~ Life as it is...~

Today was a different day, having gone through the rigmarole of life, varied thoughts came to my mind – visiting hospitals and seeing the miserly of mankind brings forth certain revolting questions to your conscious mind.

Everyone at some time in life wonders what happens after death. Throughout history, some of the most thoughtful minds have advocated that life does not end with the death of our body but continues on via a process known as reincarnation. In the Western world, followers of the Orphic religion in ancient Greece were the first known exponents of reincarnation. They were succeeded by Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato and a host of other philosophers. 

The Vedic literature of India advocates that the “Soul”, or “Atma”, gives life to the body. Life does not arise from a particular combination of material elements as some modern scientists theorize. At the time of death, we leave one body and enter a new one. That is what we call reincarnation. 

The concept is not as alien as it might seem. We can observe that we change from one body to another throughout our lifetime. Our body at birth is completely different from our adult body. Yet throughout these changes, the conscious self remains the same. Similarly, the conscious self remains the same at death and transfers from one body to the next in the cycle of reincarnation. 

Recent studies by Dr Ian Stevenson have proved beyond doubt that cases of reincarnation have happened throughout the world. The conceptualized theory spoken by the Lord has been materialized in the physical world, it is us who have to have an stern single minded faith in him and his maya! 

Our present body is the result of a long series of actions and reactions in previous lives. The law that governs this is known as karma: every action has a reaction. Our previous actions have produced our present body, and our current actions will determine our next body.

Only in the human form can we free ourselves from the endless cycle of reincarnation, of birth and death, by re-establishing our eternal, loving relationship with Lord Krishna. As Krishna states in Bhagavad Gita 8.16, “From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one attains to My abode. never takes birth again.” 

So when you find someone as articulate as your next door uncle who is currently hospitalized waiting his turn to be reincarnated, the unfathomable faith in the truth of afterlife and getting born again rises to no self-doubt – he is firm advocate of this theology and lived by it.

 

~ ALI...~

 He came running upstairs and whilst he was in a hurry, he didn’t respond to my customary “Hello” and went of in a whisker… he was running late and had to do his task well in time and that was to wash the utensils so that we can all have a cup of evening tea – He is employed by an office lady who seems to be helping him in find an employment while he goes to a temporary school.

The best part being “ALI” as he likes himself to be called, is a reticent fellow, all of 15-16 years of age. His mother is a homemaker and father a factory employee who masters in knitting and stitching. Just yesterday when he came on a tight timelines – As I asked him why he was in such a hurry, his caring reply had touched my heart… “Madam, staff and you must be waiting for evening Tea…” , this he spoke in a smiling gesture and we all sitting there were somewhat touched though none of us showed that in an overwhelming emotion.

In next 10 mins, he was almost through with the utensils which he had washed in a flurry of dashing noises symbolic of his eagerness to serve us tea – The fist time I met him and said a “hello” to him, he dint replied but passed it as reverting reply… I was immediately told to have tea made by him… As I am a “TEA- totler” of sorts, with an elegant knack of good aromatic tea populated with ginger, I took up the challenge to taste its aroma.

Ali doesn’t like study and wants to open his own food stall, he is saving money and plans to hit the turf in next couple of months, and you know what… “He wants to begin with a ‘Tea Stall’ of his own. His passion to cook some fine delicacies also came out of the woods when one day he made us all eat one of my favorite recipe “ Rajma Chawal” … it made my day… As my perception of India got justified… This country is full of exemplary talent the only flaw being the pedestal… if Guys like ALI get a hand holding, he can be a full-fledged entrepreneur in some years…. And who knows “Chaayos” is a thing of the past…

Mind it, I have had a tea cuppa there too… with all exotic flavors one can get in that mega Tea restaurant, Ali certainly can be a tough challenge to their founding fathers….

As he was done with his chores, smilingly came to me with an expectation and that was of his feedback. As usual, I gave him 10/10 for his Midas touch, his shyness and smiling glance always add flavor to each cup we all have… Ali you are what you are, all we want us is to see you doing something good in times to come… You have been certainly bestowed with talent .. marketing is what is need of the hour… lets see when this gets open to the world….

~ A Happy Multitasker...~

They both were sitting in their natural calmness watching the roadside traffic passing by. The Gent was smoking his “Biddee” (a village smoke as we call it in India, though it is a cult in itself for habitual smokers!), that his wife shouted in her raw vernacular tone – none of it was able to be understood by me or my pal who I had accompanied to have a taste of ‘roasted Corn’ as the aura demanded so.

He came back running whilst h crossed the road in no time, seeing in me and my friend a prospective customer, quickly he asked me “ Kitni Bhunoo” (How many should I roast?), in the same parlance I revert “Dou” (2 )! And he was quick on it.

As he was doing his work, an unknown visitor approached him, a girl all in her teens and happily asking “Papa, mere liye bhi ek!” 😊 …(Father, one for me too!),. The next step was sure to qualify him to be a doting father, he immediately scanned his sack of maize and effortlessly selected the best amongst the lot – I jokingly said” You could have roasted this one for us!”, he laughed and reverted “ This was specially saved for my daughter.”

This tinge of love was all he could give to his daughter as he sat on the footpath and tried for a decent earning. I further enquired about his daughter’s education – “Sulekha, studies in class 8^th in a nearby government school. She plays with her new found friends in neighborhood park in the evening. In the morning, I change my profession to be a Car washer, in the afternoon a rickshaw puller and this time as I cannot see much, I change track and be a roadside seasonal vendor – now it is maze, after some days when a trace of winter sets in , I will have a cart of winter specialties as roasted pop-corn and groundnuts.”

As he game me my buy and was paying him for his sell, I asked him where the family was from – he said was born in Delhi when his parents had migrated from Bengal. “My wife is originally from UP and we met here in Delhi” – no wonder the camaraderie between both him and his wife was visible. As a family powerhouse, she was all in support for her husband and was busy helping him in his makeshift pavement shop.

As I understood, they are a happy lot with not much demands from life – the smile on the faces is a testimony to throw back at life what it has offered them – they are certainly from the downtrodden strata of society BUT happy – an oxymoron now days. We see such people around our vicinity and on carefully observing them, we can surely take life lessons for us to tread a path of joyfulness in life and respect what life has to offer us…. In theory this looks good, but start to lookout for such people around you who live in the practicality of such thoughts…It Is tough to exemplify but not impossible…  

~ Give to receive...~

It is about satisfaction and when you see people living in deprivation and destitution…you seem to be way ahead of what providence has given you , do you really value it though?? – Ask this question to yourself not as a sense of comparison but with an open thought

The simple thing in life is a struggle for them…the next meal would come on plate or no in itself is a challenge.

Everyone is in search of that inevitable “Truth” – Who am I and what is the purpose of such a living will confront you once in a lifetime, mostly during the mid-phase of one’s life.

Ample talks I have had with many and the crux converges to basic necessities of life – food, clothing, social security and a secure bank balance, anything much above than this is actually not a necessity but greed. India hasn’t had the phenomenon of “Philanthropy” much to the tune of the west where big business tycoons and companies commit billions towards various philanthropic causes but the trend is catching up of late, when you read big business houses such as Wipro and Adani committing huge sums of money that they simply “don’t Want’ to embark on a new business venture but sounds prudent to give it all away for social causes which they think is much more important and beneficial to the society.

When Jackie Chan donates almost his entire gamut of his wealth and persona and wants his children to just start afresh and live life with a sense of learning – it definitely defines a different set of minds quite unlike many others who want their children to just sit on readymade throne of their parents and bypass any struggle and grill of life. As our prudent oldies often say... “ Your are getting because you gave once…time and dimension is not known to you but someone has a perfect record!” … If you intuitively perceive what this means, you will have ample of examples which fits the bill, you did receive many things just for “Free”… doing just nothing or did not run after it!...

There are zillion souls struggling for a singular meal which they cannot afford for themselves or their kids, they are honest and also hardworking but still lack the acumen to become competent or rich to beat penury, the life thus lived is full of deprivation and destitution, but they keep going as they are not left with a set of ample choices!

As life culminates, what I have observed of people who have had phenomenal posts and job titles over their career spans, just sitting idle and guessing and asking some of life’s intricate questions …such as “ What we came here for?” , “What next?”, “ what so much hard work or running-around was worth it?”

Don’t know if such a contemplative  bug has hit you…for me it indeed has….

~ Live the Show...~

 We all have 24 hour day at our disposal, it is our perception of what we make out of it, the same is true for the entire spectrum of life that has been bestowed on us – taking an average of 65-70 years of hale and hearty living (a hard presumption in current scenario), it is us who have to decide what we make out of it.

My daily chores which consist of brisk walking and yoga for more than two years have given me an alternative perspective of life, a life which many of us should live and that we came here for – the rigmarole and jingles of life what we have made out of it – the fake dreams and aspirations were never to be a true calling for anyone on this planet – though we made it a frivolous aim.

No wonder, the society is falling in the trap and getting depression and frustrated – what you decide may not happen, all you can do is to work sincerely and honestly to achieve your objective – this is simple to understand but very complex to follow. The young today is full of overexert confidence and the energy needs to be channelized in path which gets converted to something useful for not only themselves but also the society – remember, you surely are a citizen of this society and then global family, which has given us every resource for us to propagate and act.

The best time of the day begins in the morning when we are fresh – give time to your living, think, ponder, and decide the course of the day – the best you can do as according to your abilities, leave rest to HIM.

Today, we had a deep discussion about Bhagwat Gita – it has both elementary and complex teachings of life – any way you take it – “We all face situation on a day to day basis and ponder to react in our own way.

The choice to react in a particular way is our own – the way you choose it will simplify your life and living , though the outcome of the situation will happen in its own way – the sooner the better we all learn “ – this was the source of our generalized talk, it encompasses the whole living and nobody can abstain from its clutches , yet many will disagree and keep on running the show in their own way and expecting the outcome to steer their own way as they may like. Doing so, they will fail many times and at times they may pass, but the best possible explanation comes from the quote from the Bhagwat Gita

“BG 4:23 Karma Yogi-who is free from attachment, whose mind is fixed in Self-knowledge, and who does work as a service to the Lord merges completely in the knowledge form as Brahman”

Start living by this precinct, life will start to throw subtle surprises at you…see it for yourself…

~ Be Happy, Make Merry...~

What a conversation it was, full of laughter and mimicry, some days are just an excellent start, today was one of those days. As a resolution one of my ‘walking partner’ , who happens to be a businessman has a versatile personality, he is vivacious and takes life for granted as he has seen his own set of ups and downs through his journey. He is almost 50 and has seen it all, deaths, business closures, job losses and now that he is very well established and financially very well off, he sees no point in running after life and that pound of pelf… for him, it is to remain happy all the time along stretching a helping hand always when someone comes to you with a plea.

The best point of SurinderJi is that he is a total atheist – he believes in the power of now, as a friendly friction of thoughts always begets between us as we question him always about universe’s inexplicable questions and facts, he certainly has some pragmatic answers, though still we remain on different trajectory towards his thoughts, it is his thrilling persona which binds us all. 

His only mantra in life is to remain “Happy Always, be whatever” for which he himself construes it to be a tough call of living – “Situations will change every moment, but to tackle those situation is more of a state of mind, you will not be able to handle or change the situations if you become irate, angry or question God!, it has been bestowed on you and you have to live it !!!” 

Being from a business background, he has roams in the upper stratums of Delhi’s business circle and makes it a point to put his argument in a different perspective by giving examples of his friends who are entangled in the quagmire of false aspirations and expectations. “They have it all but still want more! And this mindset makes them unhappy and cribbing.”

They can’t eat their favorite food , if they eat sweets – they develop high sugar, if they have more of salt – they have high BP! 😊, they take sleeping pills as they have tension of family and business -  all of them have some form of ailment whether it is Diabetes or blood Pressure, though they have vanquished their competitors in business but he cost they have paid is certainly not worth it!”

Contemplating todays talk as we moved back home, Surinderji was telling us mundane living secrets which we probably all know but still befool ourselves and are running a blind rat race, to be defeated one day as someone somewhere would certainly outdone us, this is everyone’s life inevitability which would sooner or later take shape… till then what path you tread is just your calling… being happy surely is the only out … as Surinderji says as he sums up his talk….!!!