~Money is boring...~

“Money is boring” – the word echoed in my ears from a stalwart who is in the US for more than 3 decades and he is a close relative who once had the dream run to make it big in the land of opportunities and to live the ‘American Dream’. Now that he has aged and is expecting an early retirement from the daily chores of his living, he stated this incredible line which made me pay attention to his state of mind.

No wonder many of us still believe in the dichotomy of living in our country – lovingly or not, but still thinking of going abroad for greener pastures – an average Indian honestly thinks so- as there are many follies that decimate our standard of living – be it the social overhead capital or the infrastructure as we call it or the health facilities and love for one country, we know where we stand.

The tables get turned when these are the subject of some foreign land , more so America, then the tide gets turned towards it supremacy and the life it offers to a common man.

Not likely – the gentleman who is the subject of my writing today has had an overwhelming life in worlds strongest nation and one may presume him to live a life of dignity and honour – but not the way it is perceived to be. The gentleman after completing his college education in India tried his luck in higher education in foreign land and was lucky enough to get into a management college in Chicago – and soon landed a job for himself in one of the prestigious management consultancy firm – as further luck shined on him, he was able to find a girl of his choice and soon got married with his parents affirmation – so far so good, then came the most remarkable moment of his life – his separation from his wife, who live with him for just one year and didn’t find him to by her type of husband – so suitable as it was, both got separated but not divorced and since then he has been living a private life full of self-discipline and loneliness.

As he laughingly says “ I only have one thing dear, and that is Money, no love and nothing that I can boast of as a relationship.” – as he is entering septuagenarian age, he is planning to come back and settle in Gurgoan but it seems to be tough as still according to him, the Indian way of life is not his cup of tea.

As I broached the subject of Indian IT doing spectacular business in the world – America being the prime market for it and zillion of IT engineers making it big in the land of opportunities – his only answer was “ they may try their luck in the world of professional relationship but they have to be doubly lucky in their personal life, as for them running after dollars will take them far off from their family and one day the breach would be well enough to be contained…!”

His advice and deep observation of life was well entrenched and pointing to the situation that he himself had faced overseas – the blind love of moolah  certainly took him too far off from his personal choice of love and care, which he might though of taking it for granted, but life did had a certain plan for him for the choice he made.

This profound conversation with him today made me feel a little pity for the man I knew for so long – his love lost story certainly deserved a patient hearing for he must not be having anyone to spare such a time for the man who once came to America with a dreamy eyes and a go getter attitude – but now life has come a full circle for him – and it is only his memories which would be his greatest partner he would ever cherish whilst he lives each day….

~ I think...~

So what is in a writer’s mind, nobody knows, his muse is the surroundings and situations around him, the life he is living, he is not oblivious to people’s turmoil’s but rather he is sensitive to situations.

The foremost principle of putting situations to words “ You need to put In emotions to related to a subject and the circumstances. Second and more importantly, you need to present the storyline with a penchant of heart and soul of the subject – why would one choose a muse as mundane as a common man we all see every day ?  The answer lies in its simplicity of situation and that  he is living with a world inside him and still he is calm and compose.

Everyday we confront so many people around us as ‘Subjects’ who are living life and accomplishing tasks which may look quite ordinary to you but in fact is a bread and butter for him. Be it a fruit seller who is raising his shouting and raising his voice to high decibel levels to make a sale or be it a garbage picker who makes his presence felt daily by his sound whisperings, all are doing their duty.

The observer in each one of us just make a passing glance to such regular happenings in our life as a daily chore but the writer identifies his subject to write upon – there are a zillion questions which he thinks when he observe and then carefully chooses his subject to write upon – questions such as ‘Would you would have done such task if you were on him? Or how he would be fair in life when he gets old and what has life stored for him in future considering the work  he is doing – does he save much for his old age and his future generations?, there is one life that he has got and for this purpose? …. All sorts of questions hit the thinking mind and when it fills up to the brim, the overflow happens in form of jotting of words… the turnaround is quite simple in fact.. what you observe in daily life, or the situations you face or people you meet, you ought to jot down in sentences, as if you don’t oblige your talkative mind, you won’t rest in peace and have a sound sleep, the internal tribulations would question you as a constant reminder to present before the world the common man who daily makes great difference in our life, though silently.

After all what the mind tells is that we are a part of that grand design entrapped in various scenes of life and fulfilling our respective tasks… a day would come to say goodbye… that inevitable truth, I thanks the knocking mind for being a friend to me and giving me ideas to jot down the stories which I feel should be written …not for people to read but for my own satisfaction and belief that these become a silent ode to those invisible characters we so potently ignore….

~ Plan of Life..~

 So, what is the plan for life? This is an intriguing question one encounters quite often, more so, when one one is in her/his teens, parents are worrying lot and many of them just observe their kids traits to just take a glimpse of what their kids would become. A casual talk with a friend made this question more so remarkable, considering the fact that he belong to the family of 2^nd generation doctors and all through thick and thin he was told to pursue this profession when he passes his 12^th – that his life was superseded by destiny, as he was just ‘told’ and not ‘asked’ this lifetime question.

I met suresh after many years of our separation as he had to Delhi to participate in the recently concluded republic day celebrations – he walked the aisle of Rashpathi Bhawan for the second time in his career spanning 20 years. He was an excited lot, though his father had retired as a CMO from one of the private hospitals of Delhi, he still had one regret – he didn’t become a ‘Doctor’!

Nonetheless, his parents , specially his mother was a proud woman who was always a chatting lot about his son’s achievement, be his posting in sensitive Kashmir or in the upper reigns of Himalayas – the great Siachen, he had accomplished it all and that became the subject of talking for his mother every now and then.

But this time we met as he came home yesterday, he was at his unusual self, he wanted his daughter to join the ‘Army’ 😊 as he considered it to be an upscale career option filled to the brim by honour and pride. “The respect and army man gets is unmatched, as officers, wherever we go we are saluted – specially in terror torn areas of our country – not to forget the amenities which we get  and the gentry we live with, we have our own aristocratic society to comply!” – hearing these words, I felt like to be degraded as we civilian folks were just good for anything and have wasted life and  earned for our own selfish self!

But as arguments matured, I put in the same question as his father had put forth him about 20 years ago. What is that you want to become in life and what is your plan of life? – he was repeating the same mistake, his father was a successful doctor and treated patients with care and thus whilst he did so, he patients that he treated game him lots of wishes which bloated his pride with humility and honour, no wonder, he wanted his son to be a top class doctor, but destiny superseded his choice of career. The wheel of time is churning again and Suresh is at its cusp – he meekly admitted his folly as I reminded him his times….

“Yes , we can only propose what our kids can be, now there are lots of career choices and what one can be, unlike our times.!” – Though internally, having kissed the dignity of Army life, he still want her elder daughter to be an officer – the recent government decision to include women as Permanent Commission officers added value to his argument – as we ended our discussion over a cup of coffee, the inevitable question still remained “What would want to be in life?”, … time would provide us the answers, "Man proposes, God Disposes is the only phrase which we can satisfy with....!!!

~ Vinodji - A Man in Reverence...~

 Thanks to the weather spoilsport, the urge to have a tea cuppa led me to an old tea kiosk which has its own uniqueness and that is – it is managed by a stalwart who has been doing this work with all his dedication and commitment for more than thirty long years… yes you read it right …’thirty long years’

Vinod-ji – the reverence comes naturally when you meet this man and fall for his contagious smile which leads your to his tea stall ‘Uttrakhand Tea Stall’ which he ‘founded’ as a small shanty. His entire life has been dedicated towards running this stall which started as a small tea shop and gained the singular distinction of being the longest running roadside tea shop for such long! As Vinodji has seen his hair turned grey and now they have completely turned white, his experience and determination says it all.

Even today the man in his early sixties, though he does not look so, wakes up at 4:00 a.m and starts preparation for his regular customers, who are mainly the labourers and now ‘urbanized’ dwellers from Axis bank which is across the roadside. The stall is opened till 10:00 pm every day , though nowadays the lockdown has hampered its opening and it gets closed by 8 p.m. His first daily task is to remember his God which he says has led him to tread such a long journey as he came empty handed from upper reigns of the Himalayas in order to make a life and career out of this big city. As time passed, he found an opportunity to start a small tea shop with only bare minimum he could save from his previous job. Single handedly, he started his kiosk with an aim to settle himself in this big city – it was early 80’s as he told me, “ I was hell-bent not to go back to my village and that I had no choice but to settle down and support myself in that phase of my life.!

In doing so, he had two things in his stride then – faith and hard work, which he could do relentlessly. Now that he terms himself as successful and with a strong daily base of customers and home in Delhi, he surely is a satisfied man – though now too, if you go and ask for a cup of tea, he would prepare it with all his love and infectious smile – you wont be able to keep silent at his kiosk and would definitely be breaking the norms of silence and start conversing with him.

My case was quite similar too, just after my morning jogging with my old pal and discussing matters as mundane, we both had the urge to have tea – the weather being benevolent and it was a little drizzle which prompted such desire in us – it lead us to Vinodji’s kiosk and as soon as he saw us coming, he started to give us his welcoming smile – the premature talk of weather led to discussion regarding the upcoming elections and also to other perky topics.

Suddenly, I noticed a young man working hand and glove with Vinodji – he was introduced to me as his son ‘Manish’ who was well qualified and was working in Gurgaon in IT sector – being a holiday today, he had just spared some time to help his father in his daily chores – though Vinodji has given employment to two associates. Installation of Paytm and Google pay scanner is purely his thought, as I could  clearly sense that his tech-savvy nature is giving wonderous results to Vinodji's' daily effort.

The conversation was routed to Manish and to what he does in life, to my surprise, he was a software engineer employed with an IT firm – it was his way of paying obeisance to his father and he had no shame in doing so – the best part being , he had a similar captivating smile on his face whilst he was doing his work – both the father-son duo  were a formidable combo – though the son didn’t seem too interested to tread on his fathers footsteps… but time is a great leveler… who knows…

My inquisition led me to ask questions to Vinodji about his family apart of his son and he smilingly said , “Sir, I have 4 daughters and 1 son” – all of my daughters are well settled, 2 are teachers and one is a UI designer in an IT firm and she is the one getting engaged tomorrow…. My question seems to be quite pertinent… I wished him a customary congratulations and internally felt the respect his hard work and accomplishments have done wonders for his family – the best part being, his son realizes his father’s life journey – for him being working on his tea stall on a holiday when others of his age are enjoying theirs is a silent salute to his father!!!

~ A timeless meet…~

There are people just around you whom you may see almost everyday when you pass through the aisles but you never have thought to converse with them. They are silent workers who may not be having all the material happiness in the world but they still drive the courage to dream big – they are just non-existent in the dictum of the world for they do menial jobs which many may desist to do but they are surely provide their worth in the value chain of life

During my recent sojourn, I felt a strong urge to have tea but could not find any meaningful place which could offer it to me – treading for almost half an hour, I could spot a dilapidated ‘Tea Stall’ which came as a respite for my dying soul – the weather in upper region of mountains change fast, and I was a witness to the fact – quite scarcely clothed, tea was the only hot-supper which could have given me relief from the chill.

Rushing to the gentlemen duo, I could see them both looking at me as I approached them – both had a welcoming smile which was well enough to break the ice for our conversation. A quick catchup followed but not before I straightforwardly asked them to prepare that life saving ‘Tea Cuppa’ which was the need of the hour…

The elder amongst the two was quick to respond and quickly poured water in the pan and started the process in no later than a second, I was impressed with his response and said ‘Thanks’, the younger lad was observing this quick one side conversation but his eyes had a catchiness in them. Both of them were little Shy as I could understand the mundane business they were doing – their tea stall was located in an unorthodox region of mountainous belt I was trekking, and were occasionally visited by few trekkers like me , above all who were tea lovers…

The conversation thus broke and I asked their names and from where they belonged. To my utter surprise I got an answer in English!!! that alerted me as this was not expected of from them. The elder of the lad with a sense of shyness told me that his name was ‘Kishore’ and he was a native of the same place and that  this was his tea stall – he had in fact ‘taken over’ this business from his father who ran the same shop for almost two decades! … and that he was a graduate in History from Shimla.

With a sense of reticence, he broke his silence again and thus spoke “ I wanted to purse IAS but situation and destiny had other plans for me.!” , whilst he narrated his tale, he popped up the tea cuppa in front of me in no time. As I was desperately in want of the beverage, I took the fist sip and inquired about his ‘Buddy’ – “Oh, his name is Rajesh and he is my maternal cousin!, he goes to school and often comes here to help me during the day...”. 

Having taken few sips of tea, which I should admit was one of its kind, I could not held myself back to appreciate his quick recipe. Kishore smiled again and thanked me for my genuine words of appreciation for him. He inquired about me and my purpose of the visit – I told my side of the story and what I do and what is that bought me to their dwelling. 

As I took the last sip, it was time to move forward, I profusely thanked the two for being such a good hosts not before taking snaps and asking them to pose for me as I wanted to capture the time of our meeting as a fond memory, they both reservedly   agreed with their chivalrous smile which confirmed my new found friendship with them… A final goodbye was the last thing I wanted to say to them but the need of the hour was something else…not before sparing me to pay them for such a beautiful gesture at the time of dire need…. A gesture which I will owe to them for my entire life…

~ Change, It Always Was ...~

 What happens when you start to observe a just-stand-up toddler running haywire on the green grass and asking her mother elementary questions about life? As for her everything is just new and a complete change – she has started to walk on her feet from a six month crawl and is inquisitive about things around her, be it birds flying or dogs barking – she is very careful while observing small nitty-gritties of the grand design around her!

A sudden and radical thought came to my mind whilst I observed her – her questions must not be making sense to many kids and other loiterer’s around her -even oblivious to her presence but to me it was something very subtle which almost each one of us almost ignores on day to day life and that is ‘Change’ that is happening around our living being…

Ponder over yourself, when you yourself were too small to walk and would held hands with your parents or grandma and learnt the art of walking, with passing of age, the silent change happened and you started to walk all by yourself – you probably ignored it as you seem to observe as just another activity around you. Then it was elementary school time and then a proper school hit you hard when you had to regularize your life to the new found environment around – that came out to be a big change but again you took it in your stride!

The next logical step was college but you didn’t realize that you had started to shave by that time 😊, and a change that you almost accepted with your machismo , it was happening around you just always and you were the one who was living it but took it for granted…

The biggest change came when you were asked to get ‘Settled’ – the definition of it being different for different people – the most equitable one being – ‘Getting Married’ and having children… you being an obedient child did just that and in doing so you on fine day saw ‘Salt and Pepper’ look on your hair, and you questioned that “When did this happen?” – as I say, it was already happening…

For many of us life is a constant change, the toddler playing was an eye-opener to the vastness of this change from we all started and have reached to the decades of our living. For many of us our bodies have started to defy our commands and we have adjusted to the habits of daily living, as change was the order of the day as it ever was…

In life’s many variables, the ‘truth’ is the only constant and that truth is ‘Change’ – we are made to accept it knowingly or unknowingly as you consciously observe it, seasons are changing, weather is changing, every cell in your body is subjected to change …it is continuous evolution.

The toddler made me realize another magical aspect of this aspect when she suddenly started to see an old man sitting far-off on a wheelchair which was being assisted by his caretaker – “Mom, why that uncle is on a wheelchair?, cant he walk ?, It is same as my pram that you made me take around for walks…!” – the question certainly had a deep meaning and a definitive answer… it was where we all are heading to one day, the change will surely take us there as that is the way life has always be…till then … enjoy your constant change as a part of living for it being your best friend knowingly or unknowingly…

~ Its a Dog's Life...~

He is my favorite companion in the park, always roams as a guard beside me and keeps on watching me eyeball to eyeball, don’t know if he has any past-life connection with me, may be yes – as his compassion and tail wagging love for me suggests.

Just today he was at its witty best, the ‘fog-hole’ sunshine had just lit whole ambience in the park as a streak of freshness – believe me it was just godly, with strings of wind and rays of sun giving your equal measure of warmth, the hound just came and jumped over me, as if he was just waiting for my love!

Many are scared of him as he falls in the category of unvaccinated street mongrel, many are dreadful of him and not even his playful nature can make their heart melt as for them he is always a threat whilst they do their regular runs and jogs on the park aisle.

Now the worst part was that he at one point of his life was a pet for somebody who seems to be insensitive to the mongrel – for me who has grown with vagaries of pets who were my upbringing companions – Dogs were the foremost, from German Shepard’s to Pomeranian, Cats were the next and also squirrels and once even a tortoise and Rabbit ( which we had suspiciously named ‘Einstein’ for his research capabilities !). So when I got to know that my Park buddy was actually abandoned by the owner, I felt angry and my mood swings were for everyone to see as I could see the agony of being all alone in a world where he was not prepared to exist. How he must have managed his living and made a place for himself along with other hounds who were kings of a particular area. Also, how he would have fend for himself – all these questions were palpable in my questionable mind and I could decipher the situation he must have gone through.

I just wanted to know the owner and may be if possible convince him to take the mongrel back as fully qualified to be a sensible pet but suddenly I was made aware of the tragedy that had struck at his owners house which had led the dog as homeless and wandering the streets. The story was regretful when I heard it and fully sympathized with the fall of events – the owner and his wife were happy married family of two living with the dog but a sudden bout of corona had struck both of them and they were just no more! – The neighbor’s tried to adopt the pet but he was remorseful and didn’t wanted to be tied up at any home sans his original masters, hence he had adopted to the new situation in his life.

The guy telling me the story was actually the couple’s neighbor and it was him who was quite familiar with the pet that he would come along with him in the park – other than that, ‘Monty’ as the mongrel’s name was, used to sit just outside the locked house for hours – “We give him his daily food and he has been staying here as a street dog for more than a year now! He is a good pet and obedient one, who knows each and every person living in the vicinity – we all love him for his nature , though we are equally sorry for his predicament!”

Hearing the sorry state of affairs for Monty, I fell in love with his demeanor, he truly has become my closet confidante in my early morning walks, though I don’t find him everyday but whenever he is there, he is always brimming with that oomph moment and believe me it is quite contagious for it cheerz me up too….

~ A Grave that was...~

He died in peace, hope so and he is being terribly missed – a fact that one can accentuate when one sees pigeons around his ‘Grave’ which was dig up by a noble soul visiting the park. A feather was put on it resembling the lost honour of the pigeon group.

Birds mourn! I could see the semblance in-live and could not believe my eyes, as a daily rote of spending time with birds, pigeons and crows, my early morning saga was quite different today – whilst I  visit a particular spot where all of the pigeons and crows assemble to have their morning fiesta – millets , which many offer them – some out of a ritual and others to please gods!  

Today the departed souls friends of departed soul were mournful and they had a peculiar way of making their presence felt – they were hovering around his grave and some were just loitering around the grave.

Seeing the grave, it was an ode to the pigeon by a compassionate soul, don’t know who he/she was but whomsoever did it had a compassion for life and towards a dignity of a sound burial the pigeon deserved, else it might have been subject to the food of dogs and other mongrels.

The mood was agnostic amongst the birds and they were just not interested in leaving their friend in all loneliness, I realized the pain they must be going through, it was quite evident – though I would never be able to know how the pigeon died or might have been killed by street dogs who roam in plenty in the park and are on a continuous prowl for such preys.The scene  was quite solemn to be kept in mind for the whole day as it was the first time I was seeing mourning of the birds and their continuous chirping as if to tell the whole world what had happened, though many of the birds don’t find such a respectful farewell – in fact, Birds and pigeons die in their nest or are generally caught and eaten up and that is why we cant see their bodies quite often.

The millets lay as they were for some time but were eaten up by the pigeons who later came in groups and started their daily chores – I

t seems that suddenly the mood of the flock of pigeons got changed as they unanimously accepted the hard truth of life and that is ‘Death’ , the business of living had overtaken their mourning and they quickly finished their daily morning breakfast to fly again and swirl around the park as they usually do… it was a sight worth seeing… they already had learnt the lesson well.. and they seem to be have taught it too, to the earnest seeker…. !!!

~ Happytude, A Way of Life... ~

 So, what can a pursuit of happiness take you to – you can’t imagine the degree to which you can go and stretch yourself and find the real smile on your face. That effusive smile for which you may have struggled for ages and have climbed mountains, burnt the midnight oil or at times have gone completely berserk for that inner feeling of calmness. So, when more than 4.4 million people resign in America to do what makes them really ‘Happy & Contended”, it means something. 

The inner jolt that may have prompted them to go for the final assault and detach themselves knowingly fully well what they are doing or what could be the repercussions of their decision. Many have struggle to reach at the pinnacle of their success and where they are today but found out that ‘Happiness’ is still effusive and a fantasy – like a mirage in the desert which makes you run miles and on reaching the particular spot, you find not a drop of water! 

Many of the quitters wanted to do something of their own – probably the time had come to take the plunge, many others were bored of the daily rigmarole of office life which made them do repeated things and they seem to be getting dump, still others just wanted to take a break and wanted to pursue their passion – gaming, trekking, writing, travelling and other such activities which they had been postponing till eternity. Many of them have thought of joining happiness and laughter classes to feel that elusive emotion called ‘happiness’ which God had already given to us, but we unconsciously buried it under the weight of our falsifying aims and aspirations!

Covid has greatly leveraged their business of thought – while humanity has seen unforeseeable deaths in the near path, that too in developed nations, people’s imagination has started to wander around that big question “ Is it me for the next time and in the next wave?” – this question has jolted us many a time and hence the focus has changed to splurge on the goodies of the universe – many have started to explore new and unheard opportunities which life could have offered them in their mundane existence….

Nowadays, you will generally feel the change in the nature of people, many have gone the compassionate way, or have started to being more thoughtful, more god fearing and of helping nature and have turned humane, all these activities and gestures make them internal happy and they feel the calmness in their soul – or they may have turned God fearing from  – things have changed since past two years, it is huge change in the mindset of people induced by Covid and its aftermath.

 For many, the adage “Happiness is the greatest skill that one will ever learn!”, has turning out to be a practical lesson to emulate – with hovering uncertainties of life, thoughtful souls have started to do things they always loved. So next time you see someone sitting down in the park under the sun along a company of tumbler throwing out wave like steam, beware, he could be a professional who has just take a ‘conscious break’ and started to think laterally about his life and what he wants to do with it…..for the rest it would be business as usual…

~ A Daily Rendevouz...~

Its his everyday feature and that he has been doing this since long , may be decades – ask him this question as to why he does this and his quirky answer is “ Its bliss…” , many of us wont follow his meaning of this as we have not reached a level of understanding what universe is all about, but certainly not him.

His reticence is broken when he talks with his favorite everyday friends, the pigeons and crows throng him when he visits them everyday at a particular spot he has chosen to give them their daily meal of millets – the birds ( though very few of them in Delhi now) and the pigeons love it whilst they cherish their daily succour, for the crows it is an overnight bread or other sundry home leftovers.

The sight is just worth watching, the man, in his mid-60’s has formed a formidable friendship with his morning friends, the chirping and the caws of the crow is an admission that they are happy too while enjoying the company of him.

Shubash is his name as his friends call him  and he is alone in this world, he is a bachelor and never married – he retired from a government school and since then is living happily in his solitude as he has made some retired fellows as his friends to talk. Much of his time, he spends in the park co-cooing with his friends and birds and crows. The dogs love him as well as he brings for them their daily meal of milk ( as he buys it from across the road mother daily) and they come tail wagging seeing him – the sight is not liked by birds and crows as they have to reluctantly leave their daily feed and take a short fly up to the branches for the dogs to finish their gulp!

I see him talking to the crows and the pigeons in a peculiar gesture which he only can make me understand, though he has tried once but I have not reached the level of understanding. “It gives me peace of mind and I feel I am feeding my family whilst I do so regularly, the day when I don’t come – which is not quite often, they keep a waiting gaze from the park gate – I have myself seen them jumping and howling when they see me appearing unexpectedly, such is the love they shower on me!, I just reciprocate…”

As I start to do my daily jog, I see him smiling and feeding them with love – it is a splendid sight to see and emulate for all of us to love and care of the animals and other beings, they are as important to us as other beings – for they have the same insatiable feelings of being wanted and loved and caressed…as we would like our families to be… being at the top of the food chain does not honour us to ignore them out of our ego and pride…. The day when we would start to see and behave in the lateral sense, nature would start bestowing its goodies on us…unknowingly and unwantedly…for you have passed the test and have qualified its benevolence….start practicing to see the results….

~ Our New Guest…~

She has formed her own throne, there is no time she comes and pays us a visit but when she comes, she makes no noise and makes her presence felt via a silent image. She sometimes “meows” to make us all believe that she is just sitting outside but when we get to see our new guest, she gets cautious as her eyes tells us.

It was today that she meowed after a while as I could not see her presence in near past, all sorts of demon thoughts made into my mind as she has no less enemies in our vicinity – the canines are well aware of her presence and always are on the prowl – she knows this fact and has been stalwartly fighting her presence in the street. We sometimes hear the cat-fight she does with her siblings as she has one or two, this makes the street canines aware of their location but the winter sun makes them as lethargic as they shamelessly lay bare on the pathways not to care about their hunt!

The night belongs to the dogs as much as it is for the dinner for the feline , she comes sheepishly to have her evening sustenance but is equally aware of the hunt she can be a subject to – she knows that her foes are awake and active in the night as they foolishly bark under the darkness of the long wintery night…

The cat and dog game continues to intrigue us as this a new marvel in our locale but it is as much of  interesting parable she has become the cynosure of all eyes to see. She is beautiful and dusky; her intriguing and sharp looks excites us all. I have not been able to make her my friend though she knows and recognizes us amply. Many a time, she has paid us a visit secretly and we didn’t had her presence felt , the only evidence she leaves is the mud ridden paw marks on our invertor…the kids love the saga and eagerly await her next visit…

Sometimes the kitten comes with her sibling looking for her evening meal but finds nothing to nourish on, not even the leftovers of her rivals, though she still might have a plan be as I see her often storing her meal for those bad times. She surely has an advantage of being frisk and agile in her movement quite unlike the bunch of mongrels who run after her not to catch her at the end. The race is comfortable won by the cat as she stands the champion of the marathon, a quick jump over the tree is her life savior and the dogs then helplessly wait for her to come down. Soon after , the patience of these mongrels die down and they walk away for their own walk but the cat is as aware as she can be and comes down after a careful recce of the situation, after all its her life and she owns the sole responsibility of it!!!

~ The Future they Saw…~

 They both had a vision and they are living a dream – god gave them less of a normal life but they made much more out of the life they are living…. The challenges were accepted with an aplomb … Manoj and Shiv became friends by a common cause – their lack of sight, though Manoj is a partially blind and acts as a “Eyesight” to Shiv , both are each others support system. They met in a blind school but soon became friends as their interest match – both wanted to open a school for the blind children…. they indeed did!

The initial struggle did pose a hurdle, but when stakes are high and the resolve is resolute, you get to where you want… Today , I met them again, as they are a regular feature in our block, asking for funds for the kiddos ..the number has turned out to be 35, with two of them doing their graduation, many of them are in their early teens and are in primary and junior wing.

So what made them stand against all odds….it was a five letter word ‘Faith’ …Manoj is himself a graduate…and wanted to teach kids with visual disabilities, the challenges he faced should not be a stopping point for others. Shiv became his assistance as he was father of one of Manoj’s student. Both are on the formidable task which the able bodied would defy to take…

So, what was the tipping point as I casually asked him? – “I came across a partially blind girl sitting at home as her mother was a homemaker and her father was a rickshaw puller! – that was the tipping point for me to take the plunge. And I did… I gave her home tuitions for class 4^th in braille…and she passed class 12^th through this arrangement… the word of mouth spread and rest as they say is history.

“Didn’t you faced strong opposition from the situation you were in?” , as I asked Manoj, “Yes, I did , but my aim of life was to teach the visually handicapped, that is why I was made like this ….!” – his revert was everything to me…. Having a morning chat with such pulsating soul surely gives you the adrenaline rush to stand up and start walking…

They run a blind school for girls primarily from a dilapidated rented Shanty with little help from sundry, the clothes they wear and the situation in which they live is a testimony to their dire living but all is in their resolve and the journey is continuing… All they earn is the blessings of those girls who are out-casted as a nobody by the society but are made to believe in themselves…. For persons like Manoj and Shiv, all I can say is “”All the best , may God be with you in your karma which you have so rightly made your own” ….until I meet them next time… for which the count down has earnestly begun…

~ A Day Would Come...~

 He was my oldest friend who used to carry the everlasting youthfulness in his aura…. Speak to him anytime of the day and he would be refreshed with his talks and actions, be it buying a surprise drink or treating an unknown person with an ice-cream, he was all vivacious and at its best…all time of the day…

Today seeing him lifeless whilst he was being carried in a hearsay van reminded me of his words which he told me not just too long ago…. “Beta, yeh zindagi hai aisi hi chalegi… bas chaltey jao…bulawa aa hi jayega…” (Son, this is life and it would lead the way it would, one day your time will come to say goodbye to this world!) … a streak of tear flowed through and a feeling of sadness engulfed me… questioning God was futile as this is the way world has been… souls would come and form a bond and relationships and one day they would move on...

The rule of the game is simple “ Enjoy your streak in this world with limited time, the veil of saying goodbye will be raised anytime – it would not be taken into consideration if you are a king or a pauper, if its your day to go , you just have to! – today was his day and I became a mute witness…just helpless and all I could say was “Bye Bye...” As I knew him, he surely lived a life “the Gita way…” , doing his Karma and taking up his societal and family responsibilities in equal measure…but the chapter would close for all of us like this…and no differently…

Being emotional beings, we still cherish the ground covered on the pace of time, we will play, fight and would do insane things , as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, we will all live in togetherness but when suddenly someone departs, a void gets generated as we have tend to become so used to seeing this person everyday and taking him/her for all granted in our daily chores of our living. This remains tend to remain deep within us for some time but then the journey of time begins and we tend to forget the soul which once seemed indispensable in your life, but time plays its tune and life moves on… 

The great miracle of birth and death would keep on happening on this planet… we would live on, leaving a memory to cherish for some time and then we would soon become oblivious in the sands of time…that’s life…

Adieu Sabharwal Uncle, may you find peace and be our darling angel and guide us on our present sojourn on earth…I know the bodily pain you were going through was unbearable sometimes… my spending time with you whilst you met me adhoc would remain ingrained in me for life… As a toddler and as a young man… you have seen me grow…but now as they say ...” "Death never takes a wise man by surprise; he is always ready to go. ", you were the one well prepared for the final sojourn to heaven….

At the end six feet of earth makes us all equal and one day this would happen to all of us… till then goodbye and thanks for being a friend and a prudent guide…. Amen!

~ Fag end Friendships…~

They have done their life tasks and are sitting with each other having ‘Pakoras’ and ‘Samosas’. Many of them are toothless and have hit the octogenarian stamp on their identity – hilariously they talk of death and they are ready to move to the next dimension without any regret.

As they say life after 70 is just a bonus that one lives, the idiom is in all truth for these happy go lucky friends as they share their rich camaraderie amongst themselves, oblivion to the people around themselves, they have carved their own world of enjoyment.

Most of their talk is about their family and more so about their past life what they have lived – They are certainly rich in experience and their talks are an ample proof of their life. Some have had government jobs and many were shopkeepers or service professionals, all are unique in their sense of talk and it is their homogeneity of situation that brings them together.

The event today is 1^st of Jan’2022, and they are happy celebrating the first day of the year with greatness of God and also with a little melancholy – two of their friends have left for heavenly abode and they miss them tremendously. They are also very cautious of the latest onslaught of Corona strain – Omicron but at the same time have the zeal to live upto their expectations of love and bonding for each other. If anyone gets absent from their daily evening stroll, a quick call is made to know about his whereabouts – it turns out to be an authentic way to gauge the depth of their friendship.

Among them some have lost their life partners, some live along as their children are abroad, others live with their families and a nagging wife 😊, as she forms the centrality of talks amongst each other.

Talk to them and they will have a common stance – they meet everyday without fail to kill time as they have been made to retire from their daily life but being able bodied they have shunned themselves to be a recluse and sitting at home. Their newfound love for technology happens to be a game changer in their life as they connect with the world of WhatsApp and facebook.

They talk in loud about their newly formed WhatsApp group and are elated to share all sorts of forward messages – terming it to be a great time killer… I happen to be sitting next to them along with my young friend but these bunch of oldies have made me tied towards their gestures and talks… may be deep inside me I am trying to explain to myself, one day your time would be spend in a similar fashion. The dusk of life for many of us would be the same, the silver lining would be the kind of company we would have at that moment. At that time the definition of success would have greatly changed…it would not be career, pelf, power but would have been hijacked by health, wellbeing, respect and peace of mind and overall a dignified living…  

~ In the Weight Of Time…~

 He has a catchy smile and greets you with his self-taught gratitude, often with a “Namaste”. Manu Uncle, what most people call him,  is an old man with a self esteem and derives life’s inspiration from the school of life itself. Blessings come from him quite often as you greet him and you suddenly a sense of a catchy feelings gushes your spine to have an elongated conversation with this old man….

He has been a visitor to the park for quite some time now and has picked a particular spot in a DDA park where he usually stands and loiters around and spends much of his time of the day. He never invites anyone to make use of the “service” he provides free of cost but with a notion that nobody would avail it for free …almost everyone pays him out of respect that he commands. He comes with a weighing machine every morning and neatly places it at a particular corner and expects people – who are jogging or having a morning health drink – to come and get to weigh themselves in lieu of anything which they want to give him. Some give him a fruit such a banana that they are having, some offer him a morning tea cuppa, many offer him a sandwiched breakfast, he never denies the goodies though and cherishes them with fervor!

He is a well-respected man as many appreciate his nature and cheerfulness, he gels well with all sorts of people, without fail at a particular time he comes on his trade-mark bicycle… cycling about 5 kms from his shanty…to spend the entire day in his “dreamland”…what he calls is jokingly….

On enquiring about his well being and pondering about his past, you will come to know that he is not alone in this world but has a son who is happily married but does not stay with him. His wife died long back and he made it a point to not be dependent on his son for a living, so be it , here he is with his daily weighing machine which earns him enough to stupefy many about his survival in such tiring circumstances.

Come winter’s and you will see him jam packed with all sort of woolen clothes which are generally donated by people who know him – though the size does not suit him in person, but the purpose is solved.

His ever-smiling nature and all salt hair gives him reverence by many, even if you wont pay him after a shameless use of his weighing machine, you will see him smiling as ever, that is the nature of this man.

Today I met him after long time, he instantaneously recognized me and asked me about my well-being. His sweet smile tells me that he is happy and living without any burden of life – On days when he doesn’t turn up, he is missed by many as he is cynosure of discussion for the sundry. Manu uncle keeps himself up-to-date about politics and what is going on this world, a rare and unique feature for a man of his age but it is his hobby to read the morning newspaper which he brings with himself everyday – he told me once that he is a graduate in Hindi and has been working as a workman in a daily newspaper – it is from there that the bug of reading bit him and turned him into a voracious reader or sorts! After retirement, his self esteem didn't allow him to sit ideally at home and be a burden to his son and soon took to his next profession...

Many such souls bring a sense of hope and talking with them touches your soul – don’t know but you feel the goodness of such beings, they are no way connected to your sphere of life or for that matter your area of interest or work but somehow you “bump” into them in life and feel like talking to them… this is what makes this life a journey to follow…

As once Shakespeare so famously said, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women are merely players…”, the idiom holds ground when you start to observe and live in its real being…. Talk to such people out of curiosity while you shed your inhibition and shyness and you will feel that everyone in this world and society is a character of sorts fulfilling his life’s task, doing peculiar things for their living… when the director says cuts… you wont find him at the usual place you used to see him….that is what you call life…

~ The Year that was…~

As this year ends to a close, today is the time to reminisce the sweet and sour memories of time which many of us won’t be able to forget in our entire life… the test of time for all of us were tough and many of us were left in a guineapig like situation and became a mute spectator of life which quietly unfolded in front of us….day by day, minute by minute…

So how was it? many would say it was bad , indeed it was, business shut down, people loosing there source of livelihood and foremost loss of our near and dear ones…we saw it all happening in front of our eyes…we were helpless and could not have done more that we had already done. Medics preparing to safeguard life of the infected and in parallel we had scientists who were applying their mind to create a defense against this tiny enemy, but we failed miserably….

Some were born and many were lost, some smiled while others wept, we saw it all…but were helpless. The sirens of Ambulances knocking on our ears, the cries of humanity were unanswered…seconds just clicked one by one and we were forced to move on…that was the year…

So what did this onslaught tell us and what we got from all the hoopla of this enemy of humanity? Did we learn the subtle lesson what nature is trying to tell us…? The innumerable killings and the loss of value system amongst us have to result in such a calamity, it had to come and it came for us to see. The question is “ Can this be tamed by us?”, only time has the answer and none of us are clairvoyant to speculate that… we can always be positive for a good outcome but do we know when this would end – it is a tough question to crack!

As the new year unfolds and we rise in hope and aspire to follow our dreams which we had set for our lives, we can just say “ All the very best to ourselves and our near and dear ones” and thus try our best to achieve our objectives of bringing life back on our tracks….

With this hope and a sense of positivity, I beget just one question we should ask from our conscience…what was the one lesson we did learn from the past year numerical? And if we have learnt that well, have we vowed to ourselves to not repeat the same for a future course of action…. The answer remains with you… till then….  “Wishing all my readers a very Happy & Prosperous New Year….”