Her Other Side

There are billions and there would be millions more

Beaten, grazed & polluted mother earth is injured and sore

The almighty is confused what should come next

Should he just wipe us out on this pretext?

We don’t care and we just want to somehow dwell

And shall do the same in the coming years as well

Draw boundaries, wage a war, dig for oil or ruin the air

Who has time for this, who has a thought to spare

The start is not yet known to anyone of us

But one day there will be a full stop to this ruckus 

The seeds that we have sown are ripe and ready to sprout

The fruits of agony and pain will soon tell what it was all about

The pain is growing each second and she would rise at last

That day would show her other side, it would be the holocaust…..

Lucky

It was mid march and I had the same nostalgic feeling  as if I had my exams the next day . The whole atmosphere in India around this time of the year is like this  . Heat , tuitions , tests , exams  and the never ending thirst for getting the ranks or atleast the coveted 90’s. The pressure as they say is at its peak , When every family wants their sons or daughters to be the rank holders . Because this is what will decide your entire life in this country .

I was at my home enjoying my vacations. The kid next door had his exams and I could clearly feel the chaotic calls , shouts and all warning sounds . Some years back It was me in his place . The whole family preparing on war footing for the D-day .  Everything would be arranged and taken care of  . The only expectation from this whole tantrum was the double digit number  which could be proudly bragged of ,when talking to friends and family . Anyways let me not get too much of a critic about this prevalent ritual in our country.

The D-Day came and the kid was all set , His mother came out reiterating If he had kept everything for the exam as if He was a US marine assigned to Afghanistan . This was like a full kit checkup before going to the front . The routine ended with an arti and offering of sweet curd , which was the only difference with the checks done by those Marines  .  It was already time and then came the swanky air conditioned sedan to escort him to the battlefield. The whole rush ended with the vehicle disappearing in  the next corner . I was just about to enter when  a young kid of about 15 years came to the main gate of our house . He was looking for some work and we wanted to get some garden work done. So the deal was made and he quickly cleaned up the whole area ,watered the plants, dumped the waste and asked me for the money . I asked him casually if he was attending school , the answer was yes . He was studying  in the 9^th grade in the local government school  . The whole morning episode prompted me to ask about his exams and like our little marine he too had his exams  . There was a 2 day break in between the papers and his family asked him to get some cash . I was glued to where I was standing literally frozen in time . I wanted to talk to him and ask about this whole little adventure that he and his family was doing . His name was Lucky and he was very keen in studying further and wanted to get into a stable bank job in future .  His smile and the glow on the face was  concealing the sheer compulsion that he had . His next paper was social sciences and he was more than confident of scoring high . In fact he had planned to work the next day too . I handed him the money and gifted him a pen too , that was the only thing that was coming to my mind at that point of time. He promised to do well in his next paper and went on for his next assignment.

Our little marine returned home in some time  , I was roaming outside only and the look on his face suggested that the battle was not won today .  I asked him about his exam , he was disheartened and told me that today was not this day , All the topics that he had practiced did not come . He said “I am not lucky enough” .The line immediately rang some bells in my brain . I consoled him for the next exam but somewhere inside I agreed with his line  , He was not lucky just could not be ‘lucky’ enough ever and probably won’t realize how it feels to be lucky.

Next time when somebody tells me that he or she was not lucky  , I am sure I would have to admit that they actually are not and can never be….

The swing effect !

 It all began with a silly conversation on coffee and the very next weekend we were on the way to a coffee plantation resort far away from the human habitation in search of some clean air. We chose to stay in a 120 year bungalow made by some brit called AJ Thompson . Let me not write about the area and the name of the place , this should be a secret .

We had a large group and a typical fun filled journey . After traveling overnight on the busy highway we were  on the other side of the concrete world . There were lakes with birds flocking from every direction. There were coffee plantations everywhere and  we were mesmerized by just watching the sunrise , an event which happens daily but never relished.  My friends were skeptical about the place and the whole idea of going there , even I was but we kept pacifying each other by using the same line “yahi toh adventure hai yaar!” . A very typical line that most of us use when not sure of the place . I think even the GPS devices should have such messages in India ,I mean imagine when using a GPS device an error pops us saying “Location not found – Yahi toh adventure hai” . Anyways So we finally called up the caretaker who told us that he had to run to some high ground to talk to us . Now came the most difficult part , our driver was a telugu guy , the care taker spoke Kannada and I like most of the North Indians working down South was clueless !

Some words here and there and through simple typical words like aata jaata , righta ,lefta , deadenda and we managed to get the correct route .A steep climb followed by dense vegetation and  finally  we saw the shrub laden board showing us the direction for the bungalow. Now we were not expecting a gorgeous and alluring place like this . The path leading to the bungalow was right through the plantations cutting it like somebody had neatly combed the whole area. The sight was same as that of the old movie scenes where erstwhile heroes would drive open jeeps with some ladies dancing in the background. The biggest surprise was this chrome color building right in the middle of the plantation standing magnificently atop a hillock. Our quest for adventure had paid off . The place was a architecture marvel, the entry was marked by garden on either sides with beautiful lamps adoring the pathway. There was no door as such  and standing right in the middle of the veranda was a classy wooden swing which I guess was as the same age that of the bungalow. The flooring was reminiscent of the typical British structures and was made of wood . The distinct creaking when we walked added to the feel. The place was well kept keeping in mind its centennial age , there were 6 huge rooms and 1 central hall with a fireplace accompanied by old oil paintings and trophies. The staff quarters were at the back and there was a different way for the staff, again an  arrangement of the  typical British sahib system. The caretaker was extremely humble and the language barrier did not overshadow his hospitality skills. After  having a sumptuous meal , we all took some rest and explored the places nearby . I kept teasing my folks about the place being haunted and the real ‘adventure’ coming up in the night . Well this thought is obvious when you are spending your night in the middle of a jungle , sleeping in a building which is 120 year old made by some British man for his love . Yes as the caretaker told us , AJ made this building for his wife Amelia who had died waiting for him on the swing which was especially made out of solid teak and gifted by AJ . The look on everybody’s face explained the situation .When we returned to the bungalow in the evening; everyone was comfortable with the benches and chairs.

Soon the crickets started echoing in the background mixed with the calls of birds returning home. We had a perfect meal again and sat for the bonfire. Some songs, topics especially the horror stories were enough to set the tone for the evening. Tired with all the activity throughout the day, we all headed for our rooms for a good sleep.Lights soon switched off and I bearing the responsibility as the leader of the pack made sure that everything was ok. That night had a full moon and I was just returning from the main hall after checking the staff quarters. The eerie silence was deafening in a way and I somehow felt lonelier. The moonlight was directly coming from the top ventilator and fell upon on the oil painting in the center of the hall right above the fireplace. It was of a beautiful lady with a mona lisa smile sitting sideways. What a master piece it was and for a moment I thought she was directly gazing at me. I knew It was Amelia, AJ’s lady love and no doubt he made such a fantastic place for her  . I was just reading out some words in the painting when the swing which was kept straight in front of the fireplace in the hall moved. Well I had been making stories throughout the day and I knew I would be targeted, this was the start. So I quickly hid myself behind the doors, and kept my ears open for the creaking of the culprit’s steps. There was no movement and I came out of my hiding. All I heard was my own steps nothing else .I rechecked all the doors and they were all closed from inside. I came back towards the swing checked for any hidden wires or strings meant for the pranks but found nothing. It was still moving, I waited again and to my surprise the oscillations did not die out and the movement was continuous. I was not sure so I inched closer and to my absolute surprise , the swing suddenly stopped right in the middle . This was it , All I had in mind was my room’s door , a straight sprint and nothing else . But I couldn’t , I felt as If my feet were stuck in fresh concrete . Just as I moved across , the swing from a still position started its oscillations again erasing all the laws of simple harmonic motion in my mind . I kept walking and did not dare to look back . I reached the door and had a final glance, it had stopped again . I closed the door behind me slowly and by the time I did , it had started swinging again.

The next morning I was looking fairer, the effect of last night made my face whiter.  I was not telling any stories now. We roamed for some more time in the surrounding areas and decided to leave by lunch .Just before departing, I examined the swing again and just at the bottom, there was an engraving which said “Keep swinging always Amelia!  … Yours always AJ ” .Startled by the engraving  that I read ,  I turned my head and my eyes fell directly upon the oil painting in the hall and the smile looked even broader to me …

To this date I don’t prefer sitting on any kind of swing

Savera jarur ayega !

Rangeen ye duniya aur Kore kagaz se ye khayal hamare
Khuli kitab hai zindagi par fir bhi sawal itne saare
Chalte jaate hai bas anjani raho par har roj
Manzilen nikal jaati hai , khatm nahi hoti ye khoj
Kal ki soch mai aaj aur ab nikal jaega
Andhera hai abi agar toh savera b jarur ayegaa

Never Fear...

Never fear that Life is like a hill too high
Start Climbing and you can touch the sky

Never fear that Life is like a vast desert
you will not get lost if you stay alert

Never fear that Life is like a deep river
you will get across , keep it very clear

Never fear that Life is like a book that will never end
You write your own chapters , its all in your hand

Never fear that Life is like a road too long
take it like a journey , no turn taken is wrong

Never fear that Life is like a tough exam
Understand its concept , dont just cram

Never fear that Life is like a viperous jungle
You will always survive if you are humble

But do keep in mind that life will never stay still
it has never stopped and it never will...

When Life came to a halt...

It was the same annual ritual to reach my home for Diwali just like the salmons do but minus the turbulent waters , eggs and of course giving up my life. Finishing up the work on Friday and starting early to catch my train ,I was on track and all set for the journey. I boarded the train and was very soon at my berth along with some other fellow salmons  :)

The soothing temperature in the coach and the gloomy environment  prompted all of us to hit the berth cum bed.I woke up the next morning and had my coffee in the second of the 4 states that I was about to cross. The train was running late and this was the topic which became the ice breaker . The gentleman in the next seat asked the much expected question 'kaun sa station aya?' followed by a confirmation 'late chal rahi hai' . The guy who also seemed to be from my specie added 'Indian railways me aur kya hoga'
Very soon the whole cabin was very much more alive . The guys who were sleeping in their berths came down just like chimps descending down from tree tops. The conversation which started from a silly , harmless question shifted to politics , frustrations , problems with the system , movies , gossips ,experiences.Everybody as a whole was disgusted with the system , their jobs, traffic jams , settling down in some city , rising prices to name a few. There were some novel ideas flowing around and I wondered why do we have all the debates in lok sabhas & rajya sabhas , why not have such moving assemblies in our country . I had also joined in the discourse meanwhile . It made me feel all the more disgusted with my life and my job . There was a sense of restlessness which crept in . I got away from the confabulation and preferred my music player's company.

The train came to an abrupt halt in the evening . I had not seen the sky for a long time and so I came out of the air conditioned racks . A full gaze in all directions confirmed that we were right in the middle of a dense forest .It was a typical dusky sky with birds returning back to their homes , the gentle & fresh wind blowing on my face just gave me the perfect relaxation . I was now sure what I was missing . Very soon half hour passed at the same spot . I saw a human figure coming out from what looked like a bunker . It was the railway gang-man , with red & green flags folded and rolled in his hand. The other hand had a torch and a tool kit. A closer look revealed a man in his 50's with grey beard and wrinkled face resembling a famine hit ground . I was greeted with a broad smile . Anybody would have asked the same question 'bhaiya kya hua?' .He replied with extreme politeness 'track pe kaam chal raha hai , bas ho hi gaya saab' . Now this was not expected , how could some one be so polite and answer to somebody to whom he is not answerable at all?. He told me patiently that most of the trains had to stop because of the maintenance work going on .

 His job was to ensure safe passing of the trains and he had been doing it from the past 15 years . The number totally knocked me off , 15 years !!  at the same place doing the same thing? with nothing around ?The nearest village where he lived was 10 kms. There was a sense of absolute pride
 when he described me about the track and some small interesting incidents. He had tirelessly dedicated  his  nights for the past 15 years making sure that the lacs of people in the trains reached their destinations on time. Interestingly he had never celebrated diwali and had very little idea about the 'not to be missed at all' gala festival.I was astounded to find out that he had no complaints or any kind of frustrations for being there in the no man's land.With nothing coming out of my mouth ,I pretended to be normal and  talked about some other casual things like the tunnels on the track , wild animals , accidents etc .

Very soon the light turned green and he asked me to get on the train. All the while ,the smile had not gone from his dry & eroded face. The train's horn tore through the eerie silence of the place which was now mixed with the chorus of crickets in background. As the train moved , I saw the man waving off the green flag which was acknowledged by the train's guard. As if flashed by lightning , I settled back in my seat . There was a discussion which was still continuing and the abrupt halt had added more spice to it. My fellow salmon was furiously cursing the Indian railways for being so lousy 'Stupid railway people , they stop at such places where there is no mobile network even , can you imagine that?how can somebody manage without network connectivity'

I had nothing to say , All I had was the gang-man's smile in my mind......

Life....

It was a usual hectic Monday at office and I was wading through the endless traffic of Bangalore city returning back to my home . A very usual scene for the thousands of people like me  . For me its all about if's and buts and  seems like a journey where I  tirelessly keep cursing my own life . Its like a rendezvous with my own thoughts with the chorus of horns , shouts & abuses in the background .

As I was making my way out , I saw people trying to cross the road and some bikers trying to squeeze in before they could do so . This was followed by some on the fly altercations and the very usual dialogues on Indian roads 'dikhta nahi hai kya? , Chalana nahi ata?' . Then I waited at the next signal and I thought even more. . I had to follow the same routine again . But why? why this life? living just for the sake of it? I felt claustrophobic on that 4 lane road . This is like a cycle which goes on everyday , nothing much to worry .

I approached the final signal and I was waiting again . Just as I started  , the car right next to me sped off to make it quickly through the signal   in a very usual  & expected Indian way . As it came to the left , the driver didnot notice a man standing right in the front .The man was knocked off and he fell right on the footpath . I was just right behind when all of this happened  . Everybody  stopped and there was an expected jam . My mind got ready to hear some abuses and probably some fist fight  , now that the man was bleeding profusely from the head . The usual bystanders were ready to throw out their frustrations , it was as if they were waiting for the chance . As this all was happening  , I saw the middle aged man get up . He looked at the driver who was a young fellow and to my surprise gave out a smile , wiping out the blood on his forehead . He asked all the concerned bystanders to go away ,then He walked across the footpath and went towards , what appeared to be a gated community just along the side of the road . Within some time few people  and the guards took him inside . I was amazed at the level of patience he had and the control on his rage .Had it been me at his place , I would have carved out a scratch on the driver's face so deep that he would have remembered it for his entire life. With a very clueless mind , I started my bike .

Just as I was about to move , my eyes fell upon the board right next to the gate where the man had disappeared . The sign board promptly read "Karunashraya : Home for the advanced stage cancer patients"


I don't seem to get any thoughts on life after that monday.