Why Death is important ?

In my recent visit to the hospital, life percept changes when you observe the people visiting their near and dear ones expecting a miracle to happen for the terminally ill or age old patients who have a skimpy chance to get back to life…!

Though death is inevitable but necessary as it brings down curtains to one’s life – by the time death occurs, the body is withered out and is unbearable to various pains – the same body now demands rest and cannot bear more gruesome wrinkles on your skin

Asked by one of the octogenarian, one asks for death as it is just unbearable to live as a burden with the body – as an idiom “the biggest liability of your life in old age would be your health and body and it certainly would be NOT financial.” , the sooner one understands this , the better. 

Though an inevitable truth, you cant help it as it is so natural – This moment will kiss everyone in life, though for most of us it is an unwanted truth but this would be a sure shot certainty!

Just recently, I have had an unceremonious visit to the hospital and could see octogenarians lying as lifeless , being supported by all kinds of machines – be it a ventilator or a pacemaker, some home life is clinging to the body – to the amazement of it, the Doctor so practically described it as a “ an Artificial Life with in a Body!” for the sake of someone’s relative who doesn’t want his / her mother to leave the body and move to the other realm – certainly not knowing the excruciating ‘pain’ the body has to endure to keep the soul intact!

The subject is the body which has lost its capacity to sustain life but our emotions towards our near and dear ones run high and we are just not ready to say a final goodbye to our dying relative!

In this case, the children were quite understanding and they took the final decision to remove the ventilator support for their mother and let the expected happen, which it did!

Aunty was no more in flesh and blood though the first thought which came to our mind was a jest of life she carried when she always said “ Let me go in Peace whenever my time arrives…don’t make me cling to machines for injecting an artificial living… Death is beautiful too …!”

Her words have always resonated in my moment of dullness and melancholy, as an ultimate end everyone has to embrace death and leaving the body would be a cumbersome task which is a painful in itself but cant be skipped!

Certainly death is beautiful in its own way, it relieves the body from pain and gives peace and calmness to the leaving soul…why cling to the body which has obeyed you for ages and now has stopped doing so due to its inability to hold on – surely it has aged and is beyond its limits to cater to your day to day functions…. So why not say a timely and thankful goodbye to it before you say “Adieu” to your soulmate, family and friends, more so, the first relationship of you was your own body which culminates in Death… the proven truth of living…

So next time you see or are in a situation, pray for the departing soul and let go of her with smile and heartful thanks for time she has spent with you in this lifetime, ask the Almighty to guide the departed towards light and prepare the soul for its next sojourn, until your paths again meet in a lifetime in different situation and relations!!!

~ A Photostat Life...~

He is the man sitting in a dingy little room converted into a shop of photostat and printing – with offline shelves stacked of stationery and enquiring about him more, you will get to know that Mahesh – what he likes calling himself, he has been working here for past 5 years.

He loves his job and is punctual to the surprise of everyone, as he reaches to open the shop himself by 8 a.m regularly, without fail. Mahesh is all smiles as he received me on his shop – as I was enquiring about any photostat shop in close vicinity – it was urgent for me that day – suddenly I stumbled upon Mahesh and quickly asked him “ Photostat ho jayegi?” [ Is Photostat available?] – he answered with equally quick ‘Yes’ and with an ear-to-ear smile. 

The deal was thus done – in the midst of the act, I asked him questions about his life and where he belongs and what is the best thing about his ‘JOB’ that he does with so much fervour. As he was working along with, he was intermittently answering my questions but one thing constant was his captivating smile.

“Bhaiya, I am from Gurgoan and I travel 30 kms one side everyday to do this ‘JOB’, which I have been doing for past 5 years non – stop. I love this job as it gives me a stable income, the malik {Employer} is a happy go lucky person and he has given me full command to run this shop and hardly interferes in whatever decisions I take in my day-to-day functioning.”

He was a man of his words – as the job entailed paying change of rupee notes, here was a man who PayTm’ed me back a paltry sum of Rs 2/- which had remainder of the job, as I said “ Leave it!” he was quick to revert “ No Bhaiya, business is business, I have to pay you Rs 2 which he did!”

Asking about what future holds for him and what he think about future, he was very positive, “ Bhaiya , I am not married as now but soon will be getting married, I earn ok and I have told everything very clearly to my fiancée and she is OK with it as far as we both are happily married. – though one day I would like to have my own setup of printing and photostat!”

His meagre aims and aspirations and living satisfactorily in these times begets him of a title of a Saint in today’s time! – he is oblivious of people who are incessantly running after power, positions and titles and not paying heed to other important goodies life has offered them – health, family, wife, parents, kids, family and friends… as I always keep on chatting with people I meet everyday and try to form a human bond and strike a talking deal – I see loads of such souls who are living well beyond one’s means BUT are satisfied souls…a true examples to emulate in this age of run and noise!

~ Finding HIM ~

 In my quest of search for the self and trying meeting the unknown, I have found many such souls who took the same plunge and have so far achieved somewhat a tinge of that ‘Known’ we call called GOD.

Recently my stay in the hotel was fructified by closing in with a gentleman “Mangat Ram” as he vehemently pronounced his name – out of a lineage that he carried of his grandfather – on further prodding, he juxtaposed his name with his Grandfather – a true legion living his past!

Mangat Ram was a keep in a guest house that I recently checked in – he was quick to come to us to offer his services – though limited as age had taken over his body and he was incessantly limping whilst he walked – though the zeal was never low enough to not generate an adrenaline rush your spine – he was a chatterbox ( just like me 😊) and he started on an instant note – enquiring about me and where I was from.

I never though this man with his village look could be a deep dive in meditations and on an internal stern spiritual path – he had somewhat achieved the ‘silence of mind’ and boasted of being happy always, come what may – his smile was a true testament of his sayings!

Soon, he took custody of my baggage and lead me through a newly allotted room, he was at his marketing best – though seem to be less educated, he was good in selling the features of his hotel room at best he could.

He surely qualified for a tip as the room was on the second floor and he had done hard work, beyond his age, to life two full throttle bags and carried it skilfully and cautiously to my allotted room. As I paid him, to his gratification, the tipping point was bust, he soon started to talk with a sense of camaraderie and break the silence barrier between us – as he asked about my whereabouts and as to where I came from and what was the purpose?

The last question was of particular interest to me and I was quick to respond “ In search of myself and the Unknown!” – believe me, hearing this from my mouth, the guy burst into laughter, as something amusing had happened – I felt a little embarrassed on his reaction but was soon gathered courage to ask him “ Mangatram ji, What happened? Any joke that I have just stated?”

He was still laughing but chose to answer my question – he said “ Sir, I am still searching for him and could not find him, though I have achieved a tinge of HIM in my own self- believe me HE is there INSIDE all of us – spectacularly confiding in our genre and being – the only thing is that we don’t TALK to him , though he is always outspoken and guides us in our right’s and wrong’s – that “Inner Voice”is your own conscience which is ingrained for ever till you take your last breath and goes with your soul when you call it quits in life!”

 I kept mum for a minute – how on earth a semi-educated man was so knowledgeable and explaining life in such simple terms – he was beyond human anymore – though doing a job to cater to his family – Mangatram ji was a true exception as he earned a true badge of knowledgeable and Advaita for me!

More had to come – as I enquired about his credentials, he was loud and clear and not hesistant to spell the beans of his achievements and was vociferous about describing his life path – he was a doctorate in Sanskrit and had been studying the various Sanskrit artefacts since more than a decade – a deep meditator , a trekker and a solitude lover – he had renounced his family long back and didn’t like to talk about it anymore- nor was he in any touch with them.

I took a strong exception to this fact, as he counter- argued, “Sir, it was tough for me to balance things – my spiritual quest was much more aggressive than living a family life – though I had made ample arrangements for my wife and kids to live a normal life as I was a zamindar and have transferred my land to them.” 

“What is your future plans now?”, as I asked, he was quick to reply, “Sir, I am living here as a small peasant and the hotel owner has given me a small room to sustain – that is enough for me. My aim is to uplift myself spiritually and know the bigger purpose of life and its meanings!”

As he started to move out, in a laughing stance he finally spoke “Sir there are many souls wandering in Himalayas like me, who have been bitten by the spiritual bug – lets see who gets to know HIM. Please let me know if anything else is needed and I shall make sure you get it! – one request though – I won’t solicit calls in early morning and late evenings as that is my ‘Dhayan / Meditation ” time!”

As he squelched his slippers, the sound got dim and he just vanished before my eyes, the next few minutes was devoted to him and his talk – rarely will you get such souls living in such trajectory and fulfilling his soul’s quest – though I still firmly argue with myself that he should not have left his family for he might be termed selfish by society – no matter what he might think, he is truly living his destiny as we all are – some living the conventional way , others unconventionally!

~ What is Success? ~

 A very interesting conversation took place just recently on a trip to one of my favorite places in the Himalayas – the king of Mountains , a simple question was raised by a deep thinker friend – the question is synonymous with lives of many of us , and once in a lifetime we all stop and ponder and think aggressively to find the answers to this all pervasive question, “What is Success?”

The question itself opened a pandoras box amongst group of individuals sitting together and having a quality time – the time to ponder had just started.

One of us took the plunge and tried to answered my friend’s quest by simply saying “Dude, when you have everything at your disposal AND you can further buy anything your soul wants…start thinking that you are successful!”

No sooner this was stated, one of my other friend confronted his thoughts as if he took a serious offence of the answer which was given – for him success was NOT ONLY about moolah or materialism but quite a lot depended on being satiated soul and living a content life, free of disease and a life full of contentment – this seems to be quite a practical answer derived from keen observations from other people’s life  but it still lagged some gaps , as according to another gentleman in our group – who was keen listener and was absorbing other’s thoughts – as he started to speak about his take on success, he had a clear definition – for him Success is all about being satisfaction in whatever one is doing, mutually exclusive about the money one is earning or not – having time for the family and being healthy and foremost being humble and not beating a  trumpet  about one’s achievement.

Myself being the last one who was asked about the definition of success – for me Success is a continues process and not a definitive destination – it starts to living one’s life with humility and care and sensitivity for others, see around you – how much you are lucky – you are able bodied with no missing limbs, arms or eyes ! – is that not a miracle, you are not a paraplegic or having a differential abilities – this itself is a recipe of success – the second measure of success is to have ample time for yourself and your family – your parents, kids and other family members – sitting down on the dinning table with a giggle and making merry about day to day life’s situations! 

Sure, a certain amount of moolah is needed to have a life full of contentment but don’t be prey to over accomplishments – the more you will earn, the more next aims and objectives will be formed in your conscience and you will start to run after them – this will soon turn out to be a life’s never ending chimera which you will never be able to achieve, even at fag end of your life – so a final measure of success is ‘Contentment’ in your life’s current situation – you are doing your best and the rest will come as a measure of your karma and efforts.

Success is relative – one’s aim and aspirations and definition of success may not suffice with yours; be content, be happy and spend quality time on yourself and with your family and took care of the best gift from GOD i.e your Body – the recipe of success ends here – at least for me …. Rest it’s your call…!

~ A Life Anonymous...~

 During my Annual visit to the Himalayas, I have come across people who are living with their own stringent set of thoughts and actions – somehow during the course of their lives, they have encountered situations and turbulences which have made them adamant to situational living – their set of thoughts may sound weird but are exceptionally true to their sense of living and working fine for them, may be!

Prabhu Narayan is one such octogenarian who I have met quite few times – the first meeting being two years ago – he is an exceptional character with a demeanor different from many others – you can spot him with his genre looks and desperate eyes as he seems a class apart from the mundane surrounding, he stands. 

The hustle and bustle of mart does not bother him much as he is there for a mission – a mission which begets a bigger purpose of his living and the hidden sacrifices that he has done in his life.

This time when I saw him, I purposed the courage to meet him to ‘help’ him in my own little ways – by buying some pics and stickers of the ‘Goddess’ he so eagerly sells , reaching near him I could sense his despondant looks and a mild argument between him and a prospect customer who was arguing senselessly about the ‘high’ price of his sell.

As the deal broke down and the prospective customer moved out, I was in the queue – I was quick to buy some of the items he was selling but with a hidden purpose to engage with him , asking about his life, family and what he was all about. His reticence was his character, and as he spoke less to my lengthy questions , I was quick to decipher his character – truly a man of karma … as he told me that he was a Bachelor and purposely didn’t marry as he had adopted 10-12 orphan girls who he was a father, mother and a guardian – 2 of the girls had started to work after completing their education and the arrangement was soon turning out to be a successful NGO! – the zeal of uncle was unmatched as he lit up when he made profits through me , I could surely sense that at the back of his mind what was going on and what the evening would be.

As we were talking , a sardarji was a intriguing listener who sold bangles on the street and often saw uncleji loitering around – as I moved after purchasing necessary photos and pics, Sardarji followed suit and spoke that he knew him more than a decade and he stays close by helping orphaned and abandoned girls and is a school teacher by the day and a street vendor in the evening for 2-3 hours! – at this octogenarian age, the effort was no less than a miracle – truly he was driven by the ‘Divine Force!’ – the pic of which he was so zealously selling – totally comprehensible of the fact that it is the divine mother which is making him do things, which otherwise could not fit well at this age of his life…

Such are the souls living anonymously but quite enriching doing their Karma for the purity of humanity - no noise , no boisterous tantrums but plain karma as according to their means and effort!

Kudos uncle as reminisce you today and eagerly wait to meet you again when the Divine mother calls me again at her Abode!...till then pip pip!

~ AntMan ~

 I see him quite often strolling the lanes of park looking for ants and other small creatures – his only mission is to feed them to his contentment – the confinement of the park is a vast land of about 600 meters and being and octogenarian he has still strength left tread the aisle for a complete round.

He has been doing this for many years as I see him almost every day – his rapt attention is always on the ground beneath as he tries to find the anthills where he could spread wheat-flour mixed with sugar and also has a set of mash biscuits.

Knowingly or unknowingly, he is doing his and earning karmic impressions before he calls it a day from this world – the idiom “Give to Receive” is a perfect blend of his actions and his learnings in life.

His total white clearly combed hair says oodles of experience and so does the calmness and composure of his face as if he is fully satiated after going through every up and down life had thrown onto him.

Generally, I have seen him wearing the same clothes – a blue coloured kurta pyjama and having a carry-bag on his shoulders – the mystery lies therein – Mr X – as I don’t know uncle’s name, goes to his designated spot – generally trees having nests and ants having ant-hills beneath to ‘treat’ them to day’s meal – flour for the ants and biscuits, fruits and night leftovers of dinner.

The sight is worth a watch – no sooner does he arrives and makes a peculiar pooch sound, there is a vibration in the insect and birds ecosystem residing on the tree – the ants start to circle around endlessly and environment gets to vibrate of birds chirps and crows caws – as if they know that their feed has come 😊 .

Uncle has a different type of connect with his fellow beings – though both shower different language but still the emotions run the roost and there is a certainty of love and affection.

As you watch from a distance, you could see that his timeless devotion and effort day after day has borne fruit and now that he has made friends with ants, crows, birds and other flora and fauna of our neighborhood park, he is a sole personality who is mostly escorted by the canines – a tag mark which gives him a unique identity amongst many strollers.

At this fag end of his life, uncle has set his path on the principle of ‘Giving selflessly and without an expectation of any returns and rewards’ – the wisdom is a true practicality of our ancient books and philosophy of life – For all the effort he does, he is rewarded with pure love and satisfaction which is bestowed by the gestures of dogs, birds, ants, squirrels as they come running without any fear of their safety – All I can say is that Mr X is unique example of living in harmony with our fellow beings, not only humans but more so with other species – as I experience the ecstasy and calmness on his face, the idiom ‘Living in harmony’ has truly found its place in todays world of turmoil and enmity!!!

~ Pintoo - My Roadside Tailor...~

He is my Ad-hoc stich-man and occupies a pavement on the roadside, always chirping and laughing, his demeanor is effervescent and bubbly – many a time I see him sitting idle and talking to himself with a laugh on his face – I wonder whom he is talking with as visibly I could see no one – a ghost may be or some anonymous being which only he can sense – Alas, whatever may be ‘Pintoo’ as he likes to call himself is a great human being!

He is my new found friend, a trusted human being who is all by himself and does his stich work with perfection – mind you, he is polio ridden and can barely walk but alas, he drives a cycle which he bought with his ‘hard work’ and learn to balance over a period of time – life can be tricky and demanding at the same time and he is a perfect example of both virtue of his living.

How I met him is a tale in itself, just the other day, I was searching for a workman who could alter my kids school uniforms, it was a basic job which any low-end tailor could do and I was not expected to go to a full branded cloth showroom to have it done.

As I was engrossed in my worldly thoughts, I could see a young man sitting with his sewing machine and trying to mend some clothes which his customers had given him – the pile of clothes next to him made it amply clear that he was a master of his art and people had trust in his abilities.

Seeing his visible inference, I approached him and showed him what I was expecting out of him and asked him one stupid question “Will you be able to do it?” [ ‘Kar Paoge Bhaiya!”], he laughed and said “Kyon Nahi, yeh toh Roz ka kaam hai Bhaiya ” [Why not?, this is my everyday job sir!”] – his confidence was a stamp on the work he had earned from me and immediate I gave him the dresses which he had to be mended – as a concerned customer, the next concerned question was “ how much price will you take for this?” , he halted and gave a aimed look at the dresses and quickly calculated the amount of effort he would take to fix and amend the dresses – then he spoke with an unusual trance “ Bhaiya kuch bhi de dena 😊, pehle kaam dekhna” [Brother, give me anything you like, first see the work!]

I was impressed by his confidence or rather overconfidence as only time would tell as a benchmark of his words – as I asked him the time when I should come to collect it – he said “ 2 hours will be sufficient as I have other pending work” – as this worked for me and I was in no hurry, I left and expected things to be rightly fixed after the decided time.

Time passed by as I got consumed with my daily chores, suddenly I was reminded of the impending task and that led me quickly to Pintoo as he was sitting in his usually demeanour stitching and consumed in his own thoughts – though ever smiling – another ‘hi’ started the conversation …

“Ho gayi Pintooji?” [“is it done Pintoo?], as I asked, as his key panache, he replied in affirmative, smiling and reverted …”Sir, please check!” – as his confidence was exuding with conviction, I checked was I was looking and Pintoo lived upto his expectations – his work was perfection executed and he truly lived upto expectations.

He finally asked “Bhaiya, sab theek hai na, koi kami toh nahi reh gayi?” [Brother, hope everything is ok and as per your expectations.], I replied in affirmative and thanked him – as I asked him about his background and whereabouts as till recently, I had seen him occupying this place – his reply was quick …

“Bhaiya I am from UP and was a tailor in my village, now that there is not much work and I have three kids to raise, I cannot afford to be in my native village and is seeking opportunities here.” As he continued, “ I can’t afford a rented shop as of now so I bought my sewing machine along with and have set up a roadside shop to earn my bread and butter!”

Truly, Pintoo was fighter, affected with polio and with much effort, cycling to his ‘Workplace and home to and fro’ ,he was an example everyone can emulate – what human grit can make one achieve – the best part was still his ‘Smile’ – with such decrepit situation life had offered him, he was happy and living a more or less satisfied life….

As finally he was asked the final question “Pintoo, how much for this piece of work…?”, he stood by his previous answer “Bhaiya, jo aap theek samjho who de do…” [Brother, whatever you deem fit, give…], he had conquered me in a way… A man not greedy about Money in today’s world where everyone is fighting hard to earn that extra buck, Pintoo was a genre in himself…

I could not resist asking him one last question “Pintoo, why don’t you have a price of work which you do? there must be people who would give you much less than what your effort is…his plain and simple reply was “ Bhaiya, dene walla toh who hai , aap aur who log kaun hotey hain?” [Brother, who are you to give me, it is HIM who is responsible for what should be given to me], his answer was full of magical prudence and I kept on thinking about my new found friend “Pintoo” …hope what I gave him for his services was adequate and that his faith on HIM remained astounded….

~ Shona Shona....Dil mera Shona...~

 The Pooch is always ready to greet any visitor who gives her a glance and is little affectionate towards her – she is effervescent and always wagging her tail when she comes to you and greet you ‘Good Morning’ in her own style – believe me, it has become a regular feature – if you observe her, she has stories to tell but the language barrier is the only bottleneck which she has far surpassed now –  Just observe her face  and you will see a qualm and at the same time inquisitiveness of living. 

The Canine is a new found friend and she stays in my neighborhood park – her broken left leg is a testimony to the fact that she had to fight her existence between other dogs in the vicinity to make a remarkable space for herself – she is alone and has no partner – confined to a limited area, she can be seen around the open gym which DDA has erected in various parks of Delhi.

Almost everyone likes her for the calm she has and a loving acceptance she bestows when she would meet you – I have lately named her ‘Shona’ ( meaning lovable in Punjabi 😊) and she seems to be a true synonym of her name – now that she has also got used to this new word / sound in her listening, she comes running when called with this name.

Just the other day she was missed as I was looking for her and thinking where she has gone – whether she is safe or has been shooed off by other dogs who have a considerable acumen in the area – as I searched, my worst fears came true – I could see her howling in excruciating pain as visible she was distraught – I could clearly sense that she has been attacked and she must have fought bravely but had clearly been outnumbered by a bunch of bow-wows who didn’t want to add any other dog in the vicinity.

As I neared her, she slowly wagged her tail, sensing that I was no stranger to her, she howled with love this time as I caressed her – she felt a little warmth and slowly tried to stand, which she was able to after some time and much effort – Now that the time has passed and she has recuperated well and is almost back to her true lovable self , I see her roaming fearlessly in the park , now that she has established new found home.

Amongst my good morning friends ,‘Shona’ has become the latest edition , each morning I expect to see her hale and hearty and it is only when I have a glimpse of her that the day is ‘sort of’ to a good start 😊 – my only contention being that she does not like the ‘Parle -G’ biscuits that I intent to feed her with – maybe she doesn’t like sugary things – quite unlike other canines in the area, who always have a sumptuous feast of the poor man’s biscuit. 

May be next time , I would try something better off – a load of milk soaked bread or Chapati mixed with milk – and she can accept my hospitality in all earnest – till then I am cherishing my new friend… a soul which makes me happy in the morning and starts my day with a woosh and energy… Thank you Shona for that presence…!

~ Narayan - true to HIS name...~

Delhi is beautifully filled by zealous people – Lot of happy – Sad stories but in general, life carries on and the razzmatazz of the characters of this city makes this city a lively place to live and die – You get out and you will see people of all Colors, cultures and what not – they are always on the prowl – running in unison and also in a haste – someone rushing to office, some just loitering out and many have self-imposed deadlines to achieve – this is the stirring which one sees and gets consumed.

Just the other day, had to go out to meet a friend who has been back to India after ages and seeing the Rainy season and also the traffic snarls in Delhi, I found it prudent to take an Auto and set the ball rolling – the first halt which was just instantaneous was from a man who just laughed at me and just stopped near by – “Aajao Sahab” – (Please come Sir) – he had already made his first impression…

As I asked where I wanted to go and what my intention to pay him was – he was all inclusive and didn’t argue… a rare phenomenon in todays world – especially in city like Delhi, where you cant have such noble autorickshaw wallas who can oblige to what you say that you will give for a trip !

As the journey began, he himself broke the silence an asked “Sir kahan se ho?” [Sir, Where are you from?... though, I was not in the mindset to face this question as I was thinking about something better 😊 , I quickly replied “from Delhi!” !, he laughed and said “ Me too!” – as if is had asked, I murmured!

I could see lot of ‘Bhagwan’s Pics near his steering and could not hold myself back and asked “Do you believe in so many Gods?”, - as if I had open flood gates of the most profound question of his mind…he laughed out loud and kept doing so – to my embarrassment, I could see the traffic pass by peeping into our auto as if there was something interesting going on 😊 …

After a though, he replied “Sir, I believe in Karma an act of doing things without being adequately rewarded… as I believe in the percept of Bhagwat Gita – Do your Duty and leave everything to GOD..Don’t think about the award of your efforts as that is not in you hand….” – Sounds prudent as I knew this famous saying but then why was he having pics of so much of God and Goddesses on his dashboard – as I asked him again – the inquisition was too much for me to know as the time passed…

Bhaiya – this is for my passengers 😊 – he laughed again- as I am cosmopolitan I can get any type of passengers – of ALL religions and  ages , any customer of mine should not feel the inhibition of not having a pic of HIS faith…, I have had lot of customers , especially old ladies, who believe in a particular faith and if they don’t see the pic of her God , she asks me …” Don’t you believe in so and so?”

I started with one pic and now I have twelve – as I told him, that is why it became cynosure of my eye and I asked you this very question “ Do You believe in So many Gods? 😊 “ –

“Why are you always laughing?” was my next obvious question, he quickly shed the veil of this secret – Sir I am a cancer survivor and now that I am cancer free, I have started to live life with a different percept, I have seen death from very close quarters, and all this life I see around me is a mere drama…people living with false ego of accomplishments, boasting about their wealth, knowledge, beauty and anything they think can make them stand above other beings – all this is worthless – laying lifeless in hospital bed with no one around you and streams of injects in you body everyday , you gain the real knowledge of what life is all about ! “ 

Now whatever life I have, I feel blessed and thank GOD for what he has shown me as this changed me into something better…. My kids are well settled and me and my wife live in a one Bedroom house, - Contented to the core….no qualms and no regrets…! 😊

I immediately went into thoughtful mood – here was a man living in life’s ecstasy and feeling all the bliss …driving in pollution and noise all the time, internally he is so pacified about life and thankful to GOD that external percept doesn’t hinder his smile – as I was in my thoughtful mood , a honking sound from behind our autorickshaw irritated me, as I turned back , I could see a flamboyant looking young blood with his beautiful Girlfriend in a luxurious car  bonking and abusing my Auto driver and zooming past – as he didn’t had the patience to be given the way to overtake….

As a test of time and knowledge – “Narayan” kept quite and smiling… driving in his own sweet mood….” Ah , I never told you that the man showed his prowess as according true to HIS Name… the name of ‘Almighty!”…

~ Are You Rare? ...~

Be Rare as you already are but you don’t know it! – why have you made yourself a scapegoat of situations where you fall again and again – and that you after you give up, something in you again ‘talks’ to you and ‘asks’ you to get up and start all over again – Yes – because you are unique in your own self and that you were surely born for a purpose and are here for a definitive reason.

You are just ‘You’ and nobody can imitate you or replicate you for any good reason – the vice versa is also true – the situations and the life you have been ‘ordered’ to live is yours – it is just like a videogame which you have to win at the end of it – not before steering through its ups and downs, highs and lows – and that you may also loose as there is no sure shot guarantee that success is determined – but again you have to play and carry on , as that is your basic nature of living. 

Each day would be a new day throwing you the possibilities to conquer the world, it is your conscience which would make or break you but you have to carry yourself and keep walking, of if roughness is too much, dragging to achieve a definitive goal – it won’t be always your monetary achievements that would give you the ‘ego’ for something achieved! – but the satisfaction that ‘You did it’ what you had aimed for and that what you had started off keeping in mind.

Many of us would face the ups and downs of life in its certain phases, but that is the true nature of living, some would carry on and keep walking whilst others would go slow and some may call it quits – the last one being too radical but again the journey of life has to be started in some other form – as the Bhagwat Gita so rightly states – you certainly cannot escape to rigmarole of life and its situations.

Live life without regrets- It is only once that you have come as Mr. X or Miss Y and will never repeat such existence – believe in your rarity and that only you could have lived life the way you are living – the perfect gap had to be filled by you. This seems to be easier said than done but this is the way it, whether you believe or no – it is going to happen and is happening. 

All of us would hit mid life crisis at one point of time and it is our individual uniqueness that will make us live – at that stage your ‘Rarity’ and a differential sense of living will save you from the monotony – Peers, friends and even family members will raise questions on you for inculcating such thoughts and executing them – but you are ‘You’ with your own uniqueness and inquisitiveness – Everyone of us have the liberty to question our life which we are living and also the situations we are facing – Why not? It is after all our life , living it once with all the richness and questioning is worth it – this is what will make you ‘Rare’ from the heard of people living along with at this phase of your life…. As I again reemphasize – ‘Be Rare’ and taste the difference in your existence...

~ 24 Hours to Live ~

Someone asked me the other day in a casual mood “What would you do if someone tells you that You have only one day or 24 hours to live? What is the best you can do and how would you take this news in your life?”

Seems interesting! - this is a point none of us have thought in our minds as almost all of us are busy in our day-to-day struggles and aspirations that if in reality this happens what are our final plans – or do we really have any plan left to execute of life for ourselves? In all probability the answer would be “NO” – no one has thought what if tomorrow you die – what is that you need to accomplish in life on last day on this planet. 

We have not been raised to think differently – but in cacophony of societal thoughts – get raised, get settled , marry, have kids, settle them and then call it quits – that is the circle of life which almost everyone lives and creates memories of.

Coming back to the question, I answered, “I want to just go to the hills and meditate – think retrospectively what wrong that I did or what I could have done better – and alas! – thank the almighty about this beautiful life which was given to me with all its situations and scenarios to tread.”

As I continued, I spoke “I have no qualms of not getting what others got as I dully know there were many people much better deserving than me who didn’t get what I got. – so as obedient servant of the almighty, I want to sincerely thank HIM for what path he chooses for me.! – Yes, as I faltered many a time and could have done much better in some situations, but stumbled – I heartfully say “Sorry” – may be next time.” 

As according to me, this is the best I could have asked while I depart from this earthly life – full of balancing acts – and false ego and aspirations. If you sit down and ponder at this question. 

You will more or less come up with your own answers but with a basic sense of similarity – that many of us want to rectify things which we could have done better and that we could have taken up situation which we sidelined – the opportunities – the friends you are no more in touch with – or for that matter married your girlfriend which you could not.

Today contemplate on this imitable question – what is the last day on this planet would be like – what you want to do , what you want to thank for or for that matter what you regret or want to say sorry for…. Everyone of us must be having some hidden desires or aspirations which we wanted to fulfil but now by virtue of this question “Your time is Up!” – you must be confronted with limited set of answers – so ponder and come up with an Earnest desire and answer this question to yourself – “What if you have only 24 hours left to live?” – Think well!!!

~ Be Ordinary...~

Your Best achievements will fade away one day and turn out to be a sham – no one would remember what effort you exerted to achieve your life’s aim, call it folly or beauty of time – but this is the way it is. Just go back to your past and you will recognize that once the best love or achievement of your life – something which you earnestly wanted in your life and you got it too , has not much importance – not that it is not relevant but it is just not worth it anymore with stamp of time – though it would have been a stepping stone in your life or career but still you somewhat not like talking or even remembering about it. 

People’s memory is short lived, when you are on a pedestal all the goodies would be showered on you – you make the best of the friends – though internally many will envy you 😊 – but overall, you are on seven skies… It here that the ‘trick’ starts and all those airy feelings will seep inside you and would start to give you a feel that all this melodrama will be always there for you and things and situations will behave the way you want them to…. Utterly wrong! –

Be whatever you achieve or leave when you are far gone from this world, People will forget you – it is general human tendency. If I were to ask you some questions, in all probability, you wont be able to answer them all – another strong possibility is that you may not even be interested in answering these questions – but think of the man, the moment which had happened in the past which got recorded in history and formed this question – how much of an effort and sweat must have gone for a particular achievement which leads us all to talk about the situation or a person who did this wonderful achievement. 

If I were to ask you to name the last 5 people who won the Noble Prize or Name the last 5 Miss Universe or Who was the first one to win a 100 m Olympic medal in the world! – Most of us would not be able to answer or ‘Remember’ the names – the point is ‘Applause Dies with time’ and awards are not remembered no one is interested in remembering the headlines of far-off yesterdays! 

Alternatively, if I were to ask you that Name your Math's teacher who taught you the subject in all simplicity or Name your first Boyfriend / Girlfriend who made you feel special or for that matter Name the friend who always have been beside you in times of need – In all probability , you would would have remembered the names of all of them!

Thus the learning which comes from life’s episode is that the people who you always tend to remember may not be Millionaires or with much money or awards or achievements but humble simpletons who have been carrying on with you in your ups and downs and in your journey of life – Life is full of such ordinary people who have been beside you in your rough tide and have made the world a better place for you – Sometimes being Ordinary is a great Blessing… Cherish your ordinary friends and Parents, brothers and sisters and many such souls around you who make you special everyday with each and every nitty gritty of life – hold them tight and see for yourself what life does to you!!!

~ Hari - as the Name So Suggest...~

 There are certain moments in life when you meet ‘Special ‘souls who are truly different – in each aspect they show their grace and their aura to mesmerize your persona. – In a recent trip to the hilly region of Mt Abu., I was fortunate to meet one such fellow – named ‘Hari’ a truly blessed and contended soul , always accepting you with an open smile.

He was no CEO or a big businessman or a boisterous corporate honcho but a small-time waiter / facilitator filled with true gratification towards his contemporaries and life – he had no qualms being doing a job many of us will filth doing, but there he was, truly satisfied and in restful stance of life – no running, no hush in doing things. 

As I met him for the first time, I was naturally attracted to his calmness – so will you! – he came to us on the table to take the order for lunch and very politely asked “ Sir, What would you like to have in lunch today?” – the subtleness in his voice was full of calm – his gentle smile added much demeanor to his personality – as I asked him to come after some time as we were in no mood to order our food, he was cool and said ‘OK sir, let me know when you have made up your mind to have finest of our cuisines!”.

I wondered, how can a man as serving us know the skills of serving, almost certain that I was, he must not be much educated or have attained a degree for hospitality or hotel management, yet his etiquettes were spot on – he had truly impressed all of us on the table within 120 seconds of intermittent conversation – how can he do that – but the fact was “he already had done so and had won our hearts 😊!

After some time we called him to take the order, which he did , not before explaining the cuisine jargons most of the hotels write on the menu – more than that a common customer like me in all likelihood bypasses all the complexities of menu items and order plain food comprehensible and easy to order – but as Hari’ made it look like so simple, he explained the preparation of every dish were interested to taste – Rajasthan is famous for its Maharaja Cuisine as so I am not shy in stating the prestige we were having to order the best of the lunches of a lifetime – till now! 😊

Soon the lunch was served and to everyone’s surprise, it looked sumptuous and have it all – Hari stood by our side from time to time and always kept on asking if anything else was indeed needed.

After we satiated our desire, it was time to leave the table, not before having a brief conversation with a gentle soul, who still was smiling and standing to say a final adieu for the day – his duty was getting over and it was time for him to go – as he stated himself, “ I live in the hotel premises and study after doing this duty, I am a Nepali and was born here and am doing my graduation in Arts!”

I congratulated him for what he had made himself and also inquisitively enquired as to how he is so comatose in todays ruptured world? The answer stupefied me “ Sir, I love my parents and want to stay with them and serve them, being the only child , it is my duty to help them, now that they are getting old and cant work to earn – I cant go outside this place to search for greener pastures – here I am not saying that I am not aspirational, but my Karma is here and I long for doing great things in future in this place – Mt Abu!. May be one day I might own a hotel or a restaurant of my own , life is full of surprises – but in this journey what God has given me – My parents , I am very thankful to him!”

His one-minute sentence flashed the gist of life in front of me – we all were freezed…a this tender age, the man had acknowledged the meaning of life and its living!

As we parted ways, it was time to say bye for the day, not before a great ‘Handshake’ with this gentle soul, who far away in hinterland of mountains was living in ‘Peace and composure’ , away from the chaotic world of false aspirations and achievements .

I could not meet Hari the next day as we had to board early for our return to our place, though these beautiful memories and his smiling face and composure would always be a part of my remembrance and learning, until I make a plan to visit him again.

Truly though, his name "HARI' is what his composure is all about - after all he is a living embodiment of God in a gist Soul...though calm quite unlike most of us!!!

 

 

~ My Friend’s Oscar! ~

Mornings are no good now a days, with scorching heat and sweat engulfing you through out the day, summers in Delhi have actually made a knock! But we, the souls are equally defiant and cling to our daily routine which includes our regular and timely attendance in out neighbourhood park – many of us are early risers and be it winters or summers, we hit most pricey ‘Asset’ which DDA has built for us!

Today’s conversation was quite unique as we transgressed towards topic of ‘Pet and Animal Love’ – Canines being the most adorable and sought after pets in our domestic households in India, the topic revolved around them – My friend ‘Rajeev’ has one such accomplice who is always awake ‘night and day’ as per his master’s (Rajeev’s) observation …the Doggie loves to be addressed as ‘Oscar’ – he is such a lovely dog and is always wagging his tale to all and sundry – be it strangers or his regular visitors…Oscar is at his happiest best! 😊

Rajeevji’s love for pets and other animals is incredible – be it other wild street dogs loitering around or birds , squirrels , he loves them all – infact many of our peers and group members share a common notion – “ Animals are equal owners of our planet!” 

Dogs being special are a real true friend of their owners, they share their emotions, happiness, melancholy and all other feelings , for they get to know the true nature of their master as they newly arrive in their new home – Rajeevji shares many of his life’s instances when Oscar has been his best listening partner – through the thick and thin and ups and downs of his life , Oscar has been a patient listener – A gentle hug from him instantly changes the mood and he is the motivation for me to be in the park on prescribed time – his barks and howling at different pitches quickly makes one understand what he wants …. Truly, Canine love is therapeutic!

There have been many examples of big shot people who have shared their genuine love for animals, especially Dogs! – one such gentleman is Shri Ratan Tata – his love for canines has been admirable – quite often , we keep on hearing about many precedence’s where he has had a key involvement in pushing forward to safeguard animals rights and working with many NGO’s – a brilliant case being “ the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai which has its own Canine Companion!” – the canine in talk is a street dog born in vicinity and has been a part of the Mega Hotel ever since, and loiter around in lobbies and in and around the hotel  - Mr Tata has especially advised his staff to NOT harass any animal including him , showcasing his humane side ( which he always has!) !  

Ponder, a ultra five star hotel property having street dogs roaming in its lobbies – Sounds weird – the business impact could be phenomenal as The Taj Mumbai hosts and welcomes keynote dignitaries , political personalities, Big Businessmen and of course Film stars … It is the intrinsic love and nature of any Animal lover whose first priority would be to love the being , be it a pet or otherwise…that is what love and care signifies, it forms your character and your shapes your personality as you live…

As we talked today, I could echo and sense the same feeling what My Friend Rajeev, Mr Tata and myself would be feeling for any canine love we all have…!!!

~ Damn, Its All Marks ~

 Is it really a bad world out there? Or it is making of our own thoughts? Expectations and aspirations of young ones are bothering them and they are feeling the burn for the quagmire they have in.

Just yest, I had privilege of talk with young ones, - adolescents and young blood brimming with life’s target’s – the class 12^th and 10^th results were out and they had come with expected eyes to see the marks which they has aimed for – many of them had hit a bullseye and had made their parents proud.

I could see the tears of happiness, all the toil and hard work the parents and teachers and students all combined had done to get the scorecard but this came out just as a beginning… a beginning of a new life and a new struggle – now what ..school is overand it is time to enroll for a ‘job oriented’ course – the primary desire of every student!  Is it really a bad world out there? Or it is making of our own thoughts? Expectations and aspirations of young ones are bothering them and they are feeling the burn for the quagmire they have in.

Just yest, I had privilege of talk with young ones, - adolescents and young blood brimming with life’s target’s – the class 12^th and 10^th results were out and they had come with expected eyes to see the marks which they has aimed for – many of them had hit a bullseye and had made their parents proud – I could see the tears of happiness, all the toil and hard work the parents and teachers and students all combined had done to get the scorecard but this came out just as a beginning… a beginning of a new life and a new struggle – now what ..school is over and it is time to enrol for a ‘job oriented’ course – the primary desire of every student!

As every year tagline that ‘Girls have outshined boys in this years 12^th and 10^th board results’ , and the overall pass %age of 87 was termed a little less for more than a million students who took the exams, there were many somber faces too – those unlucky ones I would say , who did not get the desired marks as per their toil and expectation – suddenly, life was changed and didn’t look like the same again – every question asked about the marks scored felt like deliberate taunt!

For me , this was a just a stepping stone, yes – marks give you a sense of confidence for sure, but at the same time also a sense of override sometimes as I could gauge with some students…. The ‘other’ ones who were not termed as toppers looked timid in their approach – suddenly, best friend was not the ‘Best’ anymore and had turned foes for some reason!

Talking to the some of the mediocre students, I wanted to be my witty best as I didn’t wanted to point out the just arrived ‘failure’ for these poor souls…there were zillion such examples given by me to push up their morale , as I continued  “Life for everyone is different – with different scenarios to tackle and different impediments to conquer – today if you feel you are successful, there would be many other days when you will be termed a ‘failure’ – take it in your stride guys.

Average students have also done remarkably well – so, put your chin up and face the world with same aplomb – you are unique and will have your own accomplishments in life as it unfolds day after day – some decades from now you will realize these lessons – there is nothing final and everything is temporary and bound to change….” – these words did make them smile to some extent but they need to live life to observe these teachings… after all we were also given such life lessons from our elders and they came to be so true to their thought!

~ "W"ealth or "H"ealth ~

What you think of a man, all in his mid-forties – a friend of yours who is all well and has been exercising regularly and is a teetotaler but still falls prey to minimal health due to a sudden Stroke that paralysis his left arm – to no avail, does exercise or timely medical help expediate his recovery. His chase for getting a respectful position in his professional pursuits made him fall into the situation he is in now – less sleep and more stress and overthinking to achieve the unimaginable, the neglect of his own being caused him much trouble. 

This is the nth number of health deterioration case that has come to my knowledge – cases have drastically increased, I have seen people with good health conditions falling prey to cardiac arrests, contacting sugar and BP and suddenly have lost weight and charm of their face!

Why is this happening, as I ask myself? What is causing this mischief? There was a time when hitting sweet 70th year of your living was termed as a life long lived, but not now – talk to anyone and ask him “How much years do you thing that you would survive in best of your health?”, the most common answer would be a firm “Don’t know!” , or in some cases many have answered “ Wont cross 60!” – this is actually a harsh reality in today’s living. Youngsters have compromised in their health, overstretching to insane working hours, coupled with high Adrenaline night life, boozes and drugs – these are all new age fashionista, which one needs to ingrain in his young life or he / she be left out and termed old fashioned. 

Rest there are working donkeys in corporate life chasing insane dreams and pay-cheques – not to understand that they would not live and see the day when they actually have fat bank balances – either their kids or their siblings would be “Enjoying” the fruits of your toil – not even shedding  tear or keeping you in their thoughts! – that is indeed the harsh reality of relationships and todays living – everyone needs a high life and is ready to be sacrificing his/her health to achieve a mark for themselves , thinking so that it will make the world fall under their feet – how misjudged they are! 

Ask simplest of the questions to your own self –“How much time you give to yourself?”, “ How much rest/sleep you give to your body?”, “How much you laugh and share your emotions with your family and friends?”, “How much You exercise in any form?” and “How much time you spend with your family daily!”– these are life-rudimentary questions and everyone knows them for sure, but no one is perfect in answering them – We all have our own excuses!

I always chant “Take a halt, refresh yourself, do things that you love, its not a rat race that needs to be won by You!” – my friend is slowly coming with terms when he almost kissed death – recuperating those days in hospital, he realized what his actual worth is – all the effort that he has been doing for his family and his own esteem would be a zilch when he would get to know that he is no more – all his ‘Achievements’ and his false ‘Ego’ he has been living with, would provide no succour! Now that damage is done, he has started to accept his fact learnt thought hard way – Many of us would not be so lucky to survive the pressure and stress of everyday life – the ‘moment’ may arrive anytime – but this would be of our own making, the choice would be ours what we want and at what cost “Health” or “Wealth”...

~ My Morning Friends...~

 There is so much life around, living just near you, with silence, having its own intelligence, may be much greater than you – If you have sat down and have put your intellectual arrogance aside, you will find the vast flora and fauna talking to you in their own sense – problem being, we don’t catch their signals of understanding.

Squirrels, dogs, birds, ants, insects ..all live in unison, though predatory in nature , they ensemble a unique diversity bestowing us with their remarkable grace ...they paint the flora and fauna with their presence, the chirping, howling, and what all noises...they certainly observe you and somewhat know you as a regular "visitor" in their life and vicinity...

Off late, I have made some good friends in my neighborhood park which is full of variety of tidbit animals replete with life – they have their own timelines, when to make noise, when to sleep and vanish from scene and when to reappear - they certainly follow the holistic timeclock and are living and behaving in tandem with sunrise and sunset – that is what you call universal intelligence which is spread all across in every sphere of life.

As a daily practice to feed them, now that they know me, they eagerly await for my presence under certain pickets where they reside – I couldn’t believe myself when i saw them appearing out of nowhere whey I approached with a bottle of water to be fed in their mud bowls and also the food which they so sumptuously cherish – unlike we humans, they have no tantrums in eating and relish almost everything which is put in the bowl – they certainly know the importance of every bit of food and are aware of the concept of no wastage.

The time spent with them is extraordinaire, the peace and tranquility you get to connect with them cannot be jotted down in words – making friends with them and earning their faith was indeed an arduous task, earlier they used to cling on to the upper echelons of trees well beyond your reach and in obscurity but now with passage of considerable amount of time, they stepped down and though with a distance, they observed me with a rant.

Surely, nature has its own intelligence, with limited sphere of influence and a restricted mind as compared to us, these small friends of mine surely bestow me with their love and grace everyday by their benign presence, they wait, make noises as if they are saying a “Hello” or a “Good Morning” , they wag their tail to show their love and acceptance towards me – now that they are not afraid of my presence in their vicinity, they like to roam around freely but also aware of other predators such as dogs, cats who stoop on them as they get a chance – its all happening there – the execution of food chain, universe happens without your intervention – My Mornings turn out to be blessings when I go and meet them every dawn.

Thanks my friends, as I write about you as you come to my mind during the day and also in the dead of night , eagerly awaiting the next morning meeting with all of you – surely we share the same mutual feelings, not before me deciding what to feed them the next day – the preparation thus begins, until I meet them tomorrow again with the same zeal of life and effervescence…