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!
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…
No comments:
Post a Comment