~ A Young Shopkeeper...~

She is the youngest and the cutest of the shopkeeper I have ever encountered in my life – Radhika was quick on her heels when we approached her and asked like a professional as expected from a shopkeeper “Yes, what you want?” – As she stood just in front of me – not even half of me in height, she was confident enough to face anyone.

As her mother has a small flower shop next to a temple nearby, she has lot of paraphernalia to be sold – as her mother was not around, her question was in line with what she asked – As I reverted that “I want a flower garland “ , she was quick to respond and picked up one and quoted the price – Rs 30” - her answer was short and crisp - to the point.

I was flabbergasted at her training , how on earth a toddler be so upright and a good Smartian, must be her training – I could not see either or father of mother around – this small kid was handling things of her own.

Now the best part – as I gave a Rs 100 currency note, she went running to a vendor next door and quick to ask ‘ Uncle Change De do” –[ Uncle please give me change] – All this was interestingly observed by me – she had something in her – a upcoming early entrepreneur but the next thought was – at what cost ? – Why her parents are making her work? – What about her studies and her childhood.

These were perplexing questions to my mind – the kids of her age and enjoying with their pals , here is a toddler burdened with life in early age…though she is enjoying her journey – the freedom and learning things early.

She truly is the next-Gen toddler - with a smart phone she was well versed and adept in looking for reels and videos - benchmark trait of the Gen Z! - 

As her mother turned up – I asked her the only question in my mind – “Didi, does she not got to school? it’s her age to study and you are making her work!”

She laughed and replied “ Radhika does go to school and study in a nearby primary government school – she comes early and then lovingly sits with me on this makeshift shop – I don’t force her to work, but out of gut she loves to be here!”

These words pacified my to some extend – I could not see a life getting spoiled early as for me this is the right age to exemplify your abilities to learn and educate and certainly not be on the streets – said that, on the contrary I see million such Radhika’s plying on streets, begging, doing street dance, selling petty goods and making ends meet for their parents – unknown to the fact that life would be tough for them in future!

As I said a lovingly goodbye – she reciprocated with a big smile and a “Bye- bye” – it made my day not before promising myself to be a regular visitor and enquire about my little friend – but at the same time pondering about other such souls on Delhi’s streets and also with a silent prayer for their upliftment in life to come!!!

Death wont do us Apart

 

“Kal kisne Dekha ? “ [who has seen tommrow?] this was always his mantra of life and he truly lived by it – Manoj is no more today but what was his steadfast resolution he lived by it – Always !

He died in his sleep may be due to a silent heart attack – may be he had premonitions so he had started to talk on a different tangent altogether – he was fit and fine and had no major ailments but as luck would betray us all one day – the calling will be “final” and we all have to obey it honestly – no escape! 

Manoj was a lovely friend and always chirpy and would crack jokes on life’s situations- as if for him life was just a dream to be lived and one day when you will “Wake” up in true sense – you would be gone – for him, there was no God and he was a total Athiest – life was a beautiful coincidence which just happened on this planet .. “ There would certainly be other dimensions and parallel universes which would have formed via the same coincidences, but science would take generations to unearth the enigma!”  - he would always parrot these lines…. 

I loved his sincere thoughts and clear thinking about his living on this planet – no frills involved a simple life and no greed for money or Power… Life, as he kept so simple was a true embodiment of a “Wordly Saint!” as I would call him always, as we always joked on this topic!

For him “ Life is beautiful till you make it one…there are zillion problems that one would face every now and then and you have to steer your ship of family, finance, health, relationship through the best possible turmoil – But somehow you will have that faith on yourself that You always Will!

My major confrontation with Manoj was with relation to ‘GOD’ and His Existence – he was clear in his thinking about this – for him all the events in this world – where kids are dying and people are suffering – is GOD making them suffer ?? – IF yes, then why were they born at first place – just to Suffer and live in penury , born blind or with no Arms and Legs…. And with All sorts of bodily Ailments…??? 

Does God want his ‘Puppet Kids” to remain like this and make him Happy??? – to this argument, I would always say “ Manoj – It is due to one’s Karma” – he used to quickly revert then “Do Good Karma – why believe in his existence…even if Exists in an iota , he would have to abide by his rules and have to thus honor his creation – why pray for mercy?”

The argument used to go in a vicious cycle with no end or conclusion – now that he is gone, his thoughts and vision will aways remain with me forever and this is a subject I would always keep my search on for valid and rational arguments…May be one day when I meet him in other world, I would win by giving him an argument he would have no counter argument for …Till then enjoy your journey Manoj as I do here …your meeting me in this plane was momentous!

~ Life's Giggles...~

 “So, what was the most Giggling moment of your life today?” – this is the primordial Question that I often ask kids when I meet them – be whatever time of the day or night it is – this has to be asked to start a valid conversation!

Kids being kids, Many a time I get a story of sorts about what happy moments they have lived in a day – be it in school, home or park or college…most of the time I hear all sorts of stories and parables from them which made their day and made them laugh.

If the answer is “Nothing / No” – I cheekily put forward another question “Ah! Life was too serious today …hah! 😊!” – Kidds are all smiles then…

For me there could be no such moment in a day which life offers you and you don’t smile or make you happy – it could be as foolish for people as you wearing different pair socks or shoes to schools and inadvertently notice when you reach the premise – you will laugh on your own self on this folly and you nailed the moment as a mark of true remembrance in your life to come – may be to store in your memory to be refurbished in times to come for your kids or younger ones!

In today’s world of hard core competitiveness and comparison – everyone is trying hard to exist to his optimum – chasing never ending dreams and aspire to get something better and best than what they already have – The journey begins with kids as they are groomed to do their best  and obtain good percentiles in schools and competitive exams – parenting is tough but we all are giving our baggage of failure to them – what we could not achieve, we want them to achieve – for what? ..just to satisfy your own ego and tell the world that you have arrived!

In doing so kids are at the receiving end, see for yourself the cases of depression, suicides and other mental issues kids are facing – in schools, the most sought after teacher for parents is not of Math's / Physics / Chemistry or Economics but of ‘Counsellor” – parents are seeing psychiatric help for their kids in school as they face mental and behavioral issues on day to day basis…the peer and parental pressure alike, kids are turning nerds and stale – often forgetting that life is to be laughed , lived and enjoyed in its journey and not merely be lived with seriousness all the time!

My experiment with kids have been successful so far as whenever I meet kids, they are always grinning and ready to tell their best moments of the day – they have certainly become conscious of the fact the laughter is the best medicine for any sort of depression and tension – once you are in a good mental health, your acts will make things fall in place…

So start doing it – test it yourself and ask your kid this Golden question “What was the most funny moment of the day you lived?” – see the smile on your kids face …resplendent with story about to be told….See for yourself how you turn your kids to a better human being ready to take life’s challenges with equal force as life throws at them everyday….!!!

Celebrate Life...

 I often read on many obituaries “Untimely demise of …."

I question myself, who is deciding the time of our departure? How can we? are we capable enough to do so or to begin with did you choose the time to get born?

Were your parents were thinking of you when they were in the 'Act'? These are questions that comes through deep thought or may be just by observing and thinking at a different tangent!

Just the other day , I heard about a far off acquaintance who left for his heavily abode - ( sometimes I too think that there must NOT be any Hell , as I have not seen anybody writing or going there :) ) - the discussion amongst our peer groups started with a melancholic note - Mr X was a good human being , why did God did this to him - he has a small kid and a family to fend - old parents and all sorts of responsibilities - a home loan and what not. 

My only question to them was - Can you stop your death? - if tomorrow something happens to you, do you have in your control that you can say NO to the happening?  Gods’ plans are 'perfect' and 'Timely' - you cannot predict the accuracy of a particular soul's departure - yes, it is a huge upsetting emotional trauma if one goes from one's life - unannounced or just like that - but again it was all part and parcel of his time and destiny that he had to be in your life for that very time and years.

As Osho always said " Rejoice Life, Why Sulk and wait for your death??" - Live as if there would be NO tomorrow and that you won’t get up the next morning to see the sunrise! - In this percept, you will start to live more deeply and with consciousness - with remembrance of GOD and someone who is channelizing this Universe!

In this short span of your living, live to the best of your abilities and performances - live each day as there would be No tomorrow - you will not rise from the Bed - this way, you will see that you have aligned yourself to what universe has decided for your and that is - just live to the optimum and be Happy! 

Why sulk for things that are beyond your comprehension and control - you can’t change the situation - example 'Death' it is harsh reality and we all have to leave our near and dear ones one fine day - but what have we doing till the time we are alive? , are we thanking his presence and his gift of life as human being - most of us would say "NO" - Start doing it - offer your gratitude towards HIS grace and you will see your life changing - you will be better off many people who Death would choose soon -

Your obituary should speak about how you have Celebrated your life and how you have touched life of people around you and what a human being you were...!!!

God , Freewill , Karma?

 The tussle is between ‘Karma’ and ‘ God’s Will’ or ‘Your Free Will’ – Who will win?

The topic was deep dived with my recent engagements with a priest of a temple I visited recently – his bend of mind obviously was towards ‘Gods Will’ as by virtue of profession he was in – continuously sitting 2X7 in front of God’s idol and sometimes meditating on his mantras and form!

As I put my argument in front of this octogenarian, “ I worked hard and got what I wanted – that was my free will – Had I not worked hard, how would it be possible to achieve what I have?”

The priest’s answer was unequivocal: “ May work hard with great free will But still not able to achieve what they want?, where is the concept of free will then?”

Point taken, but then the counterargument followed immediately “That was their Karma too, they were not destined to get what they ought for! – their karma was not good enough to have the fruits in this life!”

His cheeky smile made me think that he was obviously thinking my arguments as ‘Kiddish” or lack of knowledge – he was born 20 years earlier than me and so might have much knowledge of the world and their working.

He quickly followed with another great example “ People come to this temple with all sort of problems, I listen to every problem and pray on their behalf, you will be astonished to know about the miracles of prayer and ‘Gods Will” – you only have to fall at his feet and ‘Submit’ your ego and knowledge Infront of him and see how he shapes your destiny and Your life!

This was something quite cerebral for me to digest – for sure I knew there exists some ‘Great existential power’ in this universe who is channelizing and governing this world on certain precepts! – He surely is omnipresent in every aspect.

 But still the question from my side was partially answered “ If everything is Governed by HIM and his grace, the why are we trying so much and running around with our aspirations and fluid expectations – many of which don’t get materialized and then melancholy follows!”

His percept was candid clear and quoted Bhagwat Gita – a rule book of life – in which Lord Krishna spells his divine wisdom “ You only have the power to act according to your knowledge and sphere of influence – the end results of your action and Karma is in my hand and NOT yours!”

Your Karma’s from previous life play here and it is also Karma from this life which is in activation – it is a grandeur mix of both these that will bring froth the situation and scenarios you are currently in!

Though you have to live your Karma But you also have to fall at HIS feet for forgiveness for any bad karma which you have done knowingly or unknowingly – the ball is always in HIS court, he might give you according to your aspiration or he might not – you cannot challenge his decision!”

So finally, after arguments and counter arguments, I could only decipher one thing which forms assimilation of this verbiage “Keep on doing your good karma > Without any expectations > knowing fully well that there is some Mighty “Great” who is watching your acts of benevolence and your day to day behaviour towards others ..The story and concept of living life ends here….. 

~ From Kid to a Man ~

 I have seen him in arms to a grow up in adolescence – how life changes and time flies, really.!

Kashiv was the name his father, a general grocer I my vicinity, had given him happily and how as a first born ‘Son’ was rejoiced by his father, distributing sweets to the entire clan which he knew and also who’s who came to his shop!

Now as years have passed, Kashiv turned 21 and today as I saw him after a long time, I made him remind the very day when I ate sweets when he was born 😊 – his cheeky smile was a reminiscent past of his reaching this stage of his life – as his father stood by – still working and getting up at 5 a.m to open his shop which has been an integral part of father and son journey.

Today, the day came when his father again spoke to me about a prospective match, he was seeking to get kashiv married and relieve him of his duties – a typical household mentality in India of every parent.

“The boy is settled in his own might and has finished his graduation and MBA and is working in a company!” – the proudness in his father’s voice was apparent and came from a man who didn’t study beyond class 8^th !

“Sir, I could not study as I lost my father early in life when we came from my native village in Bihar – I had an uneducated mother and two sisters to take care of – being the only Eldest sibling and a Son, I was tasked to run the show!”

“Though life treated me little differently, and I have not much regret, I vowed upon myself to make my children educated and achieve great heights!

The words were surely brewing with wisdom and I guess almost all the father’s in this world would share more or less the same thoughts and sentiments, and it must be, as what more great than a son bypassing his father’s achievements and making him proud!

As we were discussing things, Kashiv came and tried to change the topic, which generally kids do as he wanted to start his career in ‘Corporate world’ and make a mark for himself!

Getting back after my buy, I started to reminisce the life of father, son duo and how time subtly changes, seep by seep, day by day until we as parents realize that you have a handsome hunk and a beautiful damsel standing in front of you as your son or daughter, ready to take on the world and materialize your dreams which you could not due to unforeseen circumstances beyond your reach!

Life is such for everyone, and that is the beauty of time…waiting for Kashiv to get married but also achieve his dreams which he has so rightly thought so!

~ Life is Beautiful ~

 ‘Life is beautiful…Jiyo Dil se!” – the laugh that followed is a lifetime remembrance- It was surprise as It came from a man which apparently was a villager and of little means!

Everyone has a different percept of life and one is living as according to his beliefs and aspirations, I thought and moved ahead – it was a short stint with a man who I met on a recent excursion in the hills.

Damodaran he loved to call himself and he is a villager and has never travelled in a Car – if he does so, It would be an achievement – again, thinking so , I realised that there are people in this world with little ambitions. 

To fend himself, Damodaran makes ‘Lemon Water’  or Neemboo Pani as people call it in local dialect and thus makes a ‘Decent Living’ – as it was a chance encounter, the heat and humidity accompanied me and made me exhausted – Call it a meeting which was destined to happen and it do so at the right time – Damodar had a bad habit as I could sense and Smell – he had made a Morning Drink for himself – probably a peg as I vividly thought so.

The smell was apparent and staunch and it led me to talk to Damodaran with a whimsical smile back as I asked “ Sir, Subhay – Subhay hi chadda li 😊?, Din tak to ruk jatte !” { Sir, You had a drink in the morning 😊 , could have waited till afternoon at least!}

Hearing this he laughed like anything as there was nothing beyond that – I just left his gist about his laughing from heart – he surely has life a very observant life, as I thought – he matched my thoughts as if it was some kind of frequency match and thus spoke “ Zindagi mein aish karo, kal ka pata nahi – jo mann karta hai karke jao – kal kya baankar aauge wapis is duniya mein, kisko pata!”  { Life is uncertain and whatever you need to do , do it right away and don’t procrastinate – don’t know when, where and as what you would be born again, Who knows ?”}

Hearing these words of wisdom was so in line with my percept of Damodar – he was a man of wisdom – though he didn’t seem much educated and all his life, he had lived in his village and had hardly moved out to town – his simplicity and knowledge of life was remarkable. 

The talk deserved another Neembu Pani {Lemon water} and as I ordered so, he was quick to prepare one with much enthusiasm, alongwith he started to ask me about my whereabouts – what you do and where you work – much of it was sort of over head transmission for him, as I could sense his reaction to my answers.

The second Neembu pani was much tastier 😊 – don’t know why, but maybe Damodar had accepted me as a friend now 😊 – as I paid him and started my journey, we exchanged an open ended goodbyes – “open ended” because, you never know what is store for us – we may meet again in sometime, which both of us wish so – till then ..let seconds pass…

~ And WE Met Again ~

He withholds the test of time – his age and maturity is beyond comparison – just 4 years back when I met him, he looked the same and this time I see him in the same dimension – Alas! , somethings don’t change for good.

Raghu has been selling Tea and local snacks for most of his life – he lives on a plateau covered with lush greenery and to the amazement of everyone, always blessed with pleasantness of weather – the western ghats are truly accommodative to rains in much of the year.

Treading the western ghats with slush and slippery terrain, you can reach his small makeshift shop – He will always be present with his welcoming smile and asking you that medieval question “ Sir Chai?” [ Sir Tea?] – this time I met him after a gap and as a natural human tendency he didn’t recognize me, but thanks to rage of Camera Phones, an old pic gelled the bond – instantly a loud laugh made its way between both of us !

Life is so funny sometimes, you meet strangers and develop a sense of intangible bond and you want to capture those finetuned moments that one can remember back home – seeing the pics and living the moment again and again – this was once such occasion.

I asked him to make ‘Kadak Chai’ [ Strong Tea] for me as a mark of remembrance of this meeting – he readily agreed and offered me a place to sit – it was nothing more than a finetuned rock covered with a neatly labelled cloth – as the meeting progressed, we exchanged pleasantries as now that he had recognized me Suo moto on the basis of last trip’s pictures.

I keenly observed his aura and found he had not changed at all – Raghu was the same man I had met four years back – the only change was his salt and pepper look – his hair was greyed and he had grown and dense beard – his tone and calm and welcoming demeanor was the same! 

As I enquired about his family , I vividly remembered about his two daughters that he had told me last time – both of them were now in local college! – the adage “Girls grow fast!” had again proved itself!

AS I again asked him “What about your wife?, does she not come here to help you?”

With a comatose smile, Raghu answered “ No sir, Who will look after the girls then!, I stay here for whole week and then close my shop on Sunday and go and meet them in the town!”, a routine that Raghu has followed since he got married.

“Sir, Kamana bhi toh hai!, Ghar kaise chalega agar kaam nahi karenge!” – that was the responsibility almost All of us shoulder in tandem – The living and character of World remains the same wherever you go – it is the essence of human  Nature.

“Raghu, aap chai mast banatey ho!,”[Raghu you make fabulous tea!], as I prodded after having my first sip – in reciprocity, he laughed gently – a general talk regarding customer footfall and business followed – Raghu was happy in his life and always paid his obeisance  to the almighty – indeed, I knew him to be a God fearing man, a point which was proved by the pictures of Gods he had in his shop.

After a brief stoppage, it was certainly time to say a “Goodbye” , until destiny would meet us again – As a token of respect for each other, pleasantries were exchanged and a friend hug culminated this meeting….{don’t worry, I paid him too for my tea cuppa 😊}.

Thanks Raghu for the sumptuous cup of Tea that you always make with all your love – hope to have it again, don’t know when though – but for sure before we say goodbye to this world, hopefully things would have progressed in your life till then….and you would have a different story to tell!!

" Nothing is Pending"

 Only until you reach the last day of your life that you may spell these golden lines " Nothing is Pending!" …. 

Was just sitting with an Octogenarian who I know for quite some time now and the best communication one can have with such souls is about Life itself, coz they are a treasure trove of life's ups and downs and full of experiences about their successes and failures.

'Rehman' Saab as we all address him, has been a man of his own stature - he sells seasonal fruits in a local market near my place and is always a talk of the town - as he has a unique communiqué of selling his fruits - for him , he is a 'Free Bird" with NO responsibilities and for him life has been a beautiful ride which bestowed upon him goodies and bad times in equal measure. His two sons and two daughters are well "Settled" in their respective household and that he lost his beloved wife just last year due to age related problems.

As I asked him " What is your age Rehman -Ji"?"

"Babu , 75 saal ka ho gaya hoon is Saal, uski Rehmat Se!" { Sir, I have turned 75 odd years this year, By his Grace!}

As I laughed and popped up another timely question " Aur kitna jeene ke Khwaish hai?" { How much more you long to live?"

"Arre Kal utha lo, kuch nahi raha , sara kaam khatam kar diya life mein, sari zimmedari nibha li!" { If God May call me tommrow, I am better off as I have fulfilled my family Responsibilities!"}

Rehman ji, is living a dream life, he is self sufficient and is still able bodied and is not dependent on his children for his livelihood - he is proud of this fact - As I further conversed with him , he started to talk about the living Wisdom of life.

It was a crowded flea market where people flock to buy Vegetables, fruits and the sundry, Rehman is a keen observer and talks of his wisdom.

"Yeh jo sare log bhaag rahe hain na, ek din thakk ke chup karke baith jayenge….fir sochenge , itne bhagne ki kya zaroorat thi zindagi mein?" { These people which I see are running around and trying to make ends meet, one day they will exert themselves and then will sit down and ponder about life and that was it all the effort to run around in life for frivolous things?}

As I grimaced in affirmative , I was equally reciprocated by Rehman, I surely knew , I had a man standing in front of me who chuckles about people's life and their follies...

This small 2 minute talk made me ponder over this one life which he stated " Nothing is Pending!" - this thought had a deep meaning for me - as I wonder when that time would come for All of us to say this …

The hush - hush and running around will stop one day, even if you want it or no, Our bodies will wither and with each passing day and a click of a second, we are nearing our last time on this planet...but the race is between time and our responsibilities.

Surely , Rehman has beaten time and has made himself available to be taken back to heaven as and when his time comes, for he has 'Nothing Pending or unfulfilled desire or a Wish which is a leftover for him..", In a true sense, he is a Man of Acceptance of life who internally laughs on all of us running around to chase our grandeur dreams and Aspirations...most of which we have to leave , even if we conquer them... for this is the vicissitude of life ….

{N.B.: Rehman-ji , allowed me to click his 1 picture on special request, though he is not very interested to be published on the internet, when I spoke so regarding this fact! :) }

~ Rejoice Your Failure ~

 Nothing is greater than 'LIFE' as it is the only pretext your living - problems will come and go but your zeal and continuous aim to do something or other will  make you walking unknown paths.

There would be numerous Big defeats and small wins too , something in you will make you stand again and start afresh. There are numerous such examples where people have turned exceptional with failures, I want to quote some examples here to prove my point.

In today's world of cut throat competition and where students have taken 'suicide' as a route to escapism, I see people enjoying their failures - In recent such example I came across parents who were enjoying with their son who had 'flunked' the Class 10 / higher secondary exams - they were rejoicing because they know the hard truth about life and that is , Life doesn't limit itself to exam results! 

The picture of parents boasting of their son's 'Exceptional Feat' has stormed the internet - at a time when students are ending their life as they didn't clear prestigious IIT / NEET exams , as if they wont be able to do anything in life other than being a 'Cyber Clerk' {as I call software engineer's} and doctors!

As the boy's parents say ' It was disappointing result But you have NOT failed in life, It always give's other chance!" - Though the boy's friends made fun of him and even mocked him for flunking the exams - in all the subjects , his parents were rock solid support for him - as for them this is also not a mean feat! :)  - Why not, this has become a life solving problem for many students who are not much academically strong and are average students - not securing 90+% in exams and securing seat in prestigious colleges wont be an end of life and it should not be! - As I write this ,  "Kudos" to such parents who are standing behind this achievement, what the school had to teach - "the art of accepting and handling failures', parents very neatly did this job and proved a great example to the society!

Another instance I would like to quote is from a prestigious school from Delhi, as the exams results for senior secondary school exams were out , I could see the flashy numbers which the school website had displayed to boast about their academic excellence - almost everyone got more than 90% marks except one - out of heard of high scorers , here was a humble name who had scored in mid 50%'s and that made him so unique - my eyes were scrolling though top performers But stopped at this unique boy's name who proved himself different!  

Suicide wont give life another chance  - you can change your defeats to wins but for that you need to give life another shot - today i write this with somber mood as i know a child who is not in this world because she did not got the result according to her aspirations, rather I would say her parents aspirations - what is life now in those parents life who might have pressurized their only daughter to become a doctor or something exceptional which they themselves were not !

Life is beautiful and consider it to be a batsman standing on the pitch getting bouncer's but you need just one bad ball to hit a Six ! - for me, this has been an idiom which I have lived by and preach - for our motto in life is toe enjoy defeats too and when you that loose Ball comes , come out with flying colours!

~ 'Change' - The True meaning of life ~

 Change is inevitable, what looks stable and in control today will change - the change is for good and sometimes not but every change begets a new learning and a new opportunity. Initially we might think situations going out of control but in the long run , when you are in a position to judge what went past, you will realise and obliged that what change brought was for you
r betterment.

Just the other day , I was in conversation with a close friend who had lost his job due to current global churning - one of fine technocrat from a good engineering institute from Delhi - He was in a state of mental disbelief and shock - just few months back he had bought his second home and a brand new high end model car - life was transitioning smooth, from a high middle class to 'Rich' status , but the change was to happen, know body new and for sure , he himself was oblivious to such a change.

Meeting him after a decade was sure pleasure but he was  a changed man, a sense of comatose had engulfed him - all the running around after latest degrees and self-prophesised certificates 😊was not helping him either.

As I asked him what was the learning curve from this episode of life - he was in wits and laughed at my question - a truthful answer was " Life is unpredictable and anything can happen anytime, beyond a certain degree of measure!" -

"Now my Boy, you are living Consciously! and have started to know true meaning of Life!" - as I laughingly commented on his statement!

Tea arrived in no time and sipping through we were reminiscing our past, the playground which was our 'partner in crime' place and also our old pals, many of them had left the colony , suddenly a gush of emotion passed through my friend and he had teary eyes - he turned himself into a pensive mood and at that very moment he said something which was truly out of wisdom - "Sanjeev, was this all running around so necessary and worth it!"

I had no answer to this direct question though I subtly knew that we all are part of that infamous rat race and the 'Crab Story!" where you put a crab in a bowl and no Crab would be lucky to get out as other Crabs would always pull him down! - As I replied in honestly -"Sameer, We realize this when we get torn apart from our usual running around! , when something exceptional happen to us and we sit down and take stock of the situation - when things go out of control and in spite of our best effort and planning things go haywire - you get to learn the toughest and wisest lesson of life - " It just Happens and traverse without your doing and control!"  

I keep on insisting on this idiom through my journey of life - whatever planning I did , much of it just didn't happen :) , on the contrary I lived a life out of the blue - never ever I thought that I would be living this way and, in these situations, - I am still very thankful to HIS grace - I guess this path is better off in many ways that I had perceived.

At the end, I culminate, 'Change is inevitable! and it would surely happen on its own time!" - love it our ignore it , this would happen and at the fag end of your life , you will be a testimony to it!

~ Purpose OR Need ~

 Often many of us sway our thoughts between two words 'Need' and 'Purpose' - both are equally important for our living but many will oblige when I say that I have a better inclination for 'Purpose' - the purpose to live and the purpose to do things while you exist.

'Need' is equally on the pedestal but has a sense of tangible greed - you could be needy for many materialistic things and aspire for much beyond your purpose.

Contemplating on the subject once you have passed that breakeven age and are enduring mid life crisis , you start to seek what you are here for and what is your purpose to live and achieve?. Delving into those golden years that you have lived - childhood, adolescence, middle life and now progressing towards old age, you must have achieved quite a lot and if not, the need or greed must still be there but now thoughts waver at another tangent - what is the purpose of achieving all this? , for those who have achieved quite much, a question they ponder is was all the running around to achieve this much was worth it?

A famous thinker once said "Don't earn this much that you need to distribute in alms!" - the sayings is true in real sense today, looking at the trend of philanthropy now a days, big shot billionaires as donating their wealth!!!- money that they ran for in their entire life, and the killing hard work they must have done to earn so much , at the end of the day , they are of mind percept to 'Give' - so the purpose of need dilutes here - they must have satiated their needs for they have started to give back to the society and the deprived.

On the other hand, what about the 'purpose' - according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs , the top most need is spiritual - beyond which everything else fades, after you have achieved the societal needs and saved much for your living, you start to look for the 'Purpose' of your existence, this is another interpretation of what Maslow calls 'Self Actualization' - Questions such as - "why are you here for?", " what were you destined to achieve?" ,"Did you achieve your true purpose in life?" and  "Where you will go from here?" , are the true askance of your living.

In Hinduism your living has been categorized broadly into 4 stages - the  last stage of life as prescribed in the texts is  "Vanprastha" - meaning renunciation of worldly life and moving to seclusion and life of austerity and spirituality - it is in this context that you seek answers to your existence and your purpose. 

Many of us talk to ourselves and ponder on this question but the jest of life supersedes the search for answers - very few beings consider themselves lucky to break the cage of daily razzmatazz of life and look for true answers but the pulls of life will damn you back to its basics and one day you will also find yourself stranded between the question of 'Purpose v/s Need' ...life will ask... wait for the moment...!!!

~ Free Tea With Rusk...~

 You meet certain people in life which makes you feel that you are special - Naveen Bhai is one such soul that I have befreineded over a period of time and mind you I have not spend a fortune to make him my friend - Instead our love for a common beverage "Tea" is that has made us good friends!

My bi-monthly sojourn to Himalayas has become a norm of the day in my life, as I eagerly wait for the time to come and go into my own spiritual shell, the feeling and experience is always majestic - New learnings and thinking about life from a different perspective is what I always do, not returning before making new friends and delving into life of many such souls who become part of my seeking journey.

This time I met Naveen after quite some time as he had left the area where he was always abound - his bread and butter always revolved around making tea and coffee for roadside commuters - his timing was phenomenal - from 6 a.m in the morning till 6 p.m in the night - this seem to be a full time job for him - one can surely imagine standing for 12 odd hours every day with rapt attention as customer can turn up anytime.

 After finishing his duty, he goes to his electrical repair makeshift workshop and dons the hat of an electrician - his diploma in electronics comes handy here. He doesn't take any off's on  Saturday or a Sunday - once I asked him why he is putting on so many hours and doesn't give a sigh of relief to himself - he was upfront in his revert " Bhaiya, I love my job and be a part of this market where I stand, the hustle and bustle gives me an adrenaline rush to continue for long hours not realizing how much time has passed.!"

I have known Naveen for more than a decade and this time I promised him to write about him in my blog - which I am doing so... post this, I plan to share my writings with him on his WhatsApp number - a technology enthusiast , he is a diploma holder in electronics but could not pursue his studies due to impending financial crisis - though he is making no stones unturned to make both his sons study in good private schools - his brief stint in one of the radio manufacturing companies made him self learn things and as a part timer, he is an electronics repair man!!!! 

He dons a hat based on life's situations - to me he is a true family man balancing life in all its spheres with whatever resources he has in his kitty.

Just the other day, he was elated and told me, "Bhaiya, my elder son is a graduate now, and wants to do his master's ! - this truly is an accomplishment for all of us in my family as none of us are Graduates!" - As we both cherished his son's achievement, I was treated with a free cup of tea along with baked 'Rusk' - believe me you, the sweetness and the taste of such a succor was unmatched - Naveen made my day in the morning itself! 

I look forward to Naveen breaking the news of his son's academic accomplishment in few years from now when he completes his Masters and finds a good job to start his career - this would be a true tribute to his hardworking father who dotes on his son's achievement - as an unspoken word, Naveen see's his hardships being converted to success story through his Son's - All the best Naveen Bhai - I know your dedication will surely bear fruit one day and I am eagerly waiting that free cup of tea accompanied with baked Rusk to celebrate another extravaganza of your life and family...!!!

~ 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!”…

~ That Elusive Happyness...~

 So is it “Happyness” a myth in our daily lives now – certainly Not… It is the way you deal with your circumstances which makes you believe in life – everyone has hard and soft situations to deal with – life’s daily itinerary is full of surprises which are bestowed on us at regular intervals.

Look around, people with meagre resources are joyous then you – they are deeply loving life and its circumstances, it doesn’t mean that they have accepted life’s realities but have made themselves the way to keep chirping and live happily, not to forget that they are doing continuous effort to improve their chances and their quality of life.

“Death would kiss you Anytime!” – these words still resonate in my mind and it came from an elderly octogenarian who is no longer in flesh and blood – he lived his dream on this planet and said goodbye with a smile – as he told me verbatim “ I only Thank almighty to give me human life and enrich my living by my daily experiences, first in the army and then in Civil life…, I fought 3 wars and saw death and destruction but my resolve to live life in completeness was not shattered but only became more resolute with time!”

So how one can be happy …for me it is to Talk and do small small things which make a difference in your psyche – reading a book or talking to a solitude soul can change your own self – there is much to learn from the universe – how many of us look up in the sky during one’s day ? – If even you are lucky to be on a break from your daily schedule – try look at the twinkling stars, those unfathomable mountains, endless flowing rivers – doesn’t a though transgress your mind to be living meaningful?

Certainly, life will throw its own nutshells with passage of time and it is you who has to spearhead your resolve to live it to the fullest and overcome its challenges – the one who is always happy will be truly called the winner – I come across lot of people who are doing very well in life professionally but they are damn unhappy and they are in a flux of life scenes which they cannot comprehend.

Many of them diseased and having all health problems – a scenario of their own making- for others, personal life is on a tailspin and they never thought of being in such a predicament – happiness seems to be elusive dream from them, for they are always in precarious situation life offers them – they do the daily balancing act.

Remember – you are not here to crib and sulk BUT to to be happy and thank the existence for HIM to be given this human birth – enjoy it to the fullest and spread the fragrance of happiness and positivity around you  - people whom you meet should keep you in your minds and remember you for the person you are – if possible, change the way they are living and educate them to live and always look at the positives of life – there is certainly much what life would offer – the key is with you to open the door for life to enter…Stay Happy and Stay charming…..!!!

~ His Black World…~

It is one of the important organ of your body and engages you with the world – the world and situations that  you see and feel , “Eyes” as it is called may not be the penultimate piece of art that God has added in your body but is no less, ask those who are deprived of vision and have no colours in their life and have to exist with only the darkness of life and its many facets – Black is the only colour attributed to the unlucky those.

In my recent religious sojourn, I came back to terms with this fact that “Eyes” that we generally ignore are so important. The Individual who doesn’t have it know the true value of being visionless and being blind. I could see one such unfortunate soul sitting on the periphery and engrossed in his own living, having a flute and a gunny sack for alms, he was young enough to have missed the vision of the beauty of world. Looking at the calmness of his face, it was quite obvious that he had accepted the life he had been bestowed upon – though not having a sight was not a damper for him, for he was an excellent flute player and the sounds were melodious and captivating for every passer by – out of reverence for the artistic talent that he had, he was being paid and certainly NOT for his compromising situation and that he was disabled – Indeed he was commanding respect for his talent.

As the person that I am, I could not hold myself to just start a conversation with this young man.

What is your Name? I asked as I caught hold of his hand gently.

Pat came the reply “Ravi” and where do you live and what made you come on this pilgrimage?” , he was respondent and replied, “ I love Matarani ( Goddess Durga!” ) and that is why I am here to pay obeisance to her and playing flute and sometimes singing her Bhajans (Devotional Songs)”

He was thoroughly confident, and all by himself as he had come from a far-off place, making arrangements of his stay and also his departure.

As I asked, “Ravi, are you not scared of being looted or being mauled because you can’t see and can be taken from granted…”

He had a cheeky laugh and replied “Bhaiya, Ma Durga is my sole carrier and She is the one who is looking at everyone…”, such was the confidence he was exuberating. Alas, I went speechless and seeing his immense faith had no option but to watch him for some time whilst he started to play the flute with melody! 

Ravi’s life motto has been based on two sublime words… “Inclusion” & “Acceptance” – he has softly acknowledged these one word idioms in his life and that has given him the satisfaction and immense confidence in the way he has started living and conducting himself. Music for him has been a constant companion which gives him solace and respect in the society. It is is internal meditation as he tells me and it certainly cheers up his somber mood when he is feeling low.

One question that I asked him was “Have you ever SEEN your parents?” – He was little hesitant in answering this question and passed on my inquisition as a gentle smile, though he later did accept that he is born blind and do no know how people look like.

Surprisingly, he is a graduate and he did all his school and college via Brail learning and is in the midst of finding a constant job – A government job could be a certain add-on and he is hoping to find one someday.

Ravi certainly is a no eye catcher – he is just another disabled man who we quite often ignore and miss for his situation but beneath lies a deep sense of struggle and compassion, he doesn’t want any free alms but an equivocal respect like any other able-bodied beings.

As I started my journey again saying a friendly “Good Bye” and an “All the Best” as he got up to move, his confident smile complimented my greetings – surely, he was a soul I met by chance, internally he taught me a life lesson, come what may…just keep walking. Situation will change…

~ Care that she needs ~

She is sitting idle looking in the sky with expected eyes – the body has wearied out and limiting her to frequent movements – I have seen her in her prime, she was a school teacher, “Gita Aunty”.

She has been a school teacher in a Government school and I have seen him running here and there with her two sons – Ankur and Samar – the family always boasted about their academic achievements as one was soon going to be a doctor and one an engineer – both from prestigious colleges , which was a dream of a typical normal earning middle class family, which still is!

Every time we used to meet her, she would surely talk about her two sons fairing well in college and also enquire about us – visibly she was in love with her two sons, her husband was always away as he was in a transferrable job , we could hardly find uncle around her much! 

Now that she is all alone, Uncle has passed away a decade ago and both of her sons are happily married but ironically not live with her anymore – life is totally different for her – The usual boastings have gone mellow and now the challenge is with upkeeping hale and hearty sans any caretaker – that is a big change Aunty is facing.

In the park, while talking a walk down the aisle, the speed has gone slow, the big steps have converted to smaller ones – the pain in the joints have turned excruciating as I see her often grimacing whilst she walks… All this has lead to one penultimate question of life which every parent wants knowingly and unknowingly when they grow old …”Will my Children take care of them when I will be along or would be old enough to help myself?”

Though only time has the answer to this question, the society is turning oblivious to our “Oldies” and they have been left alone many a time – career aspirations, internal conflict and many other reasons can be attributed to this decimation of family now a days .

Just the other day I again had the opportunity to meet her as she was strolling slowly and I asked her the same question “ how about both of your son’s , are they fairing well and do they call or visit you often?” the face soon got a sense of dejection as I could see her mood changing , as she answer's with a sense of melancholy “ The elder one sometimes call when he gets time , the younger one has almost forgotten me and that he is doing quite well in America and is Busy with no time to call!”

In this answer I could see the dejection life had offered her at this moment – the same lady some years ago was all in praise for the success of her sons and that they are achievers and now when she is in want of them, if not both but atleast one, there is no one to take care of them.

The maid comes and cooks – certainly she is the most vulnerable citizen of our society and is cynosure of all eyes for criminals as she stays alone .

Writing about her , my mind is still pondering about what life has offered her at this fag end of her living – all through her life she struggled to make ends meet and raise two sons with honour and provide them more than enough for what she and her husband could have actually afforded and now when she is all alone living  in seclusion, she is hapless…. No one to take care of her… there could be any medical emergency which she can encounter and for sure there would be no one at that sensitive moment of her life….

Seeing such examples, one’s conscience makes one think… What life is for people like her … they can be termed as “Victims' of Success…” and this is the success which has made them alone at this stage of their life… May God help them and be with them when need be….

~ The Freedom of Independence ~

What does freedom mean to us? It is not sign of just physical liberty but also mental one – freedom of speech and action and our wholesome living was adjudicated by our constitution but where the society has gone now – we are entrapped by narrow domestic walls of our thoughts. The liberty is deemed to be locked in thoughts of referential living . 

We abide our living by our narrowed thinking and actions – what others have achieved or are doing form the base of our talks and thoughts – the cult of existence have changed a bit towards our strong material desires – we want everything in the world which satisfies our ego and makes us feel proud , be whatever it takes to achieve it .

We lost our freedom to attain peace whilst we live and share our relationships with each other – we chose our relationships and are bonded by our minds to ignore many – such is the freedom of thoughts' the society carries –

Not many of us our lucky, especially after Covid, there have been many losses of life and livelihood, how many of us still care about those who need our help and assistance on regular basis till they get their lives back on track? Do we care or are we more sought after our freedom to enjoy and care less for such souls! How many of us have conquered the bondages of our thoughts and have attainted freedom of thoughts to go all out in the society to help them?

The act of freedom has different definitions for many of us – for some the liberty which we get to act is the real freedom , for others it is an expression of saying “Yes” or “No” to anyone and portray our sense of ability – Very less are people who think and are responsible in expressing and executing the true freedom to be a kind and generous human being obliging to others with a sense of responsibility.

Remember this idiom “Power begets Responsibility” , and this holds true for all of us who are thoughtful of their new found freedom as they enter adolescence age! The scourge of suicides and the young going into act of depression is an aftermath of insane freedom laden with high aspiration of parents… why not give our young ones attainable goals and a sense of freedom to attain those with mild effort and enjoyment? 

Give Life a Chance, what if you don’t become and engineer from an IIT, or a Regional engineering college, or you don’t qualify NEET and become a doctor? – What makes them think that there is no career path if one could not be so – look around so many non-IIT’s or doctors have made it big in life without such degrees…. As I always say… “Give life a chance!” …. Go with your freedom of expression and thoughts and try a different path… We are here to live not to end our lives…

What stops us to have a egalitarian society which holds something good for all of us? That is the true freedom to live…