~ 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…