Being Street Dumb...

In the past I have written about my experiences while traveling around the city and specially in the Delhi Metro. I had written about how people have no civic sense or general decency to offer their seat to someone who needs it more. 

But of late, I have come to observe such behavior in an entirely different light which appears beyond decency and civic sense. Although it obviously appears to be about being street smart quite literally, but there’s more to it than just being street smart. 

Taking for example, the way people behave while traveling in the Delhi Metro, one needs to keenly observe to realize why people behave the way they do. Without fail, at various Metro stations (specially at the change points) one can see how passengers boarding the train literally scamper to occupy a vacant seat. Obviously not waiting to ascertain if it is labeled for a particular category of passengers (like senior citizens, ladies or the differently abled) they just make sure to get themselves seated first. 

Now, I have often wondered why people are so desperate to sit while traveling (which may be even for as short a journey as one minute). And I don’t mean about frail or sick people but even completely fit and healthy youngsters who can be seen scurrying to occupy seats marked for senior citizens. 

I used to think that maybe it was due to the intense tiredness that one is carrying on themselves after a hard day’s work, or maybe some strange sense of happiness that one experiences only after managing to get a seat even if one is fresh and ready to go to work. 

But I now realize that happiness it is. The happiness of the achievement of managing to win a seat for oneself in such an intensely competitive travel schedule. I have observed people taking it to be an achievement however small it may be. 

And maybe these are the types of small successes people have started to aim for in this highly competitive world. On several occasions, I have overheard people boasting of such a ‘success’ to colleagues at work. It sort of makes one’s day if he or she manages to claim a seat for themselves while traveling. 

The same goes for people who rush through dense crowds in order to stick in a foot between the closing doors of a lift marked only for the elderly or the disabled. On first thought one may feel that people are merely being street smart to make life easier for themselves. Obviously it wouldn’t hurt a twenty five year old if he or she had to stand during a journey that spans about fifteen minutes. Or for that matter, if he or she had to climb up or down about thirty stairs. 

But it is, in fact, the sense of achievement or success that one experiences that makes people ignore any civic sense towards fellow citizens. And maybe it is the street smartness which enables them to achieve these successes. 

It is nice to see people happy through a sense of achievement. But it hurts to imagine how low people set their aims for success. Or rather, everyday success. 

As for me, I’m still street dumb ! 

(Picture Credit : Google Images)

Strawberry Crush... (Part 5)

It is highly advisable that you read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 of this story to follow the thread.

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She sat on her bed, staring at the phone in her hand. She had tried to call him for the nth time in the past fifteen minutes, but without any luck. This was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. She had always dreamt so too. But it was turning out to be the saddest one. Finally, she decided to text him. But she had barely completed typing when suddenly the door burst open and in came her father.

She felt as if her heart had stopped beating. Her hands shivered uncontrollably as she felt the stare of his eyes. She could hardly breathe.

Her heart jumped into her throat as she was startled by a deafening shout in complete rage.

“GIVE ME THAT PHONE !!!”

As if in a reflex, she lifted the shaking hand towards him. She almost let out a gasp as he snatched the device from her palm. She could sense him reading the contents of the screen.

“You are not to put a step out of this room without my permission !” Her father snapped. She felt too mortified even to look up into his eyes.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND ?” He roared again.

She simply nodded her head while the man turned and slammed the door shut, locking it from outside. She looked up just as drops of tears rolled down her face. There was no hope now.

She sat quietly on her bed, clasping her knees close to her chest. She wondered what had gone wrong. How did her father know ? Did her Mom know too ? Nobody even cared to bring her lunch. What was going to happen to her ? She had decided she wouldn’t cry. But her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own.

It was late in the afternoon when she heard some sound outside her door. She quickly wiped off her face and dabbed at her eyes. She suddenly felt very emotional and vulnerable once she saw her friend Nancy walk in.

“Get up and get ready. Uncle asked me to take you to the bridal parlor. It’s getting late. We have to get you ready by seven.” Nancy exclaimed.

She had to make a great effort to register what her friend said. She tried to stand but her legs felt like wooden logs.

“I’ll just wash my face and come.” She replied before dragging herself towards the washroom.

Ten minutes later as she accompanied her friend through the corridor, she looked around for anything different. But everything was the same. People were running around for various errands. The house looked more decorated than ever. Music and the scent of flowers filled the atmosphere. But she couldn’t see her father anywhere around.

“Come on quick. Uncle has strictly instructed me to get you back as soon as possible. He looked kind of angry too. I wouldn’t want to upset him. Come on hurry…” Nancy pleaded as the two girls got into the big white car.

She looked out of the window as she saw various shades of life fly past. She had always wanted to go to America. And she was going to get married to a guy who lived there. She was going to experience what she had always dreamed of. But was she happy ?

She came back to her senses as she noticed Nancy pulling her out of the car and shoving her inside the door of the parlor. They were greeted by a short and well mannered lady.

“Hello. Please wait in the room backside. We’ll be right with you.”

“Go on. I’ll wait here for you. Just call me when you are ready.” Said Nancy as she shoved a bag into her hands and pushed her.

She had hardly shut the door behind her when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around. She simply couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw him standing there with a slight smile on his face.

“You…??? here… ??”

“Yes.” He continued to smile.

“But…” she tried to speak.

“Do you trust me ?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Then come on.” He picked up her bag, held her hand and guided her towards another door on the opposite end of the room.

Before she could understand a thing, they were out on a backside street. She was still trying her best to think as he took her up to a parked car and got her seated in it.

“What… I mean… where did you get this car ?? What’s happening ?” She asked him frantically.

“We are eloping !” He looked at her, smiled and turned on the ignition.

She was almost numb to all sensations by the time she noticed that they were now driving on the highway. The city was behind them. She pinched herself to make sure this wasn’t a dream. And suddenly she realized she was breathing. Breathing in a strange sense of relief.

She was startled by the sound of a musical tone. And even more so as she realized that it was the ring-tone of her own phone. He pulled the phone out of his pocket handing it to her.

“Here. Your phone. Must be for you.”

And her eyes split wide in utmost horror as she saw the name on the screen.

“PAPA !!!” She screamed.

“Oh. Let me see”. He said taking the phone from her trembling hands. She watched in horror as he pushed the green button and put the device to his ear.

“Hello. Ah… Yes. She’s with me.” He said into the phone as she stared terrified. “Ok. Here…” He said again as he pushed the phone towards her. “He wants to talk to you.”

Her body shivering with mortal fear, she felt as if her heart would jump out of her body. Her throat was dry and her tongue had stuck to the base of her mouth. But, to her own shock, she managed to put the phone to her ear and say, “Papa…”

“Shuggy… ?” came a voice from the device.  “Are you okay ?”

She felt stunned for probably the hundredth time in a matter of hours. Her father hadn’t called her by his favorite nickname in years.

“Y… Yes…” She managed to whisper back.  

“Good. Though I knew you would be fine, I just called because I wanted to tell you something. Are you listening ?” He asked.

“Hmmm…” She managed to mumble.

“You know dear, thirty years ago, I faced the biggest test of my life. To fight for something that was more important to me than anything else. But back then, I failed myself as I didn’t have the courage to fight the world. Not even for the person who mattered the most to me. I backed off. And I think life tested me again today when I met a man who had the courage which I lacked in me thirty years ago. But I have learned my lesson well. Today I have the courage to fight the world for something that matters the most to me. And that is you !”

She listened on with tears rolling down her face, biting her lips not to let a sound escape.

“And I want to tell you that your papa is there to fight for you. You don’t have to worry for anything. And remember this… even if at times, your own decisions don’t work out well for you, I won’t stop supporting you just because they were your decisions. I’ll be there for you. Always…”

“Papa…” she sobbed hysterically.

“Shhhh… Listen up. You both will be getting married tomorrow. I’ve fixed up everything. Though I had to be discreet about it. Had to throw in a bit of drama. You know how it is. One has got to give it to the world the way they expect it. You just take care. Will you ?”

“Yes papa !” she replied.

“And you hadn’t eaten anything all day. There are some sandwiches for you in your bag. Have a nice meal at some good place once you reach. Ah, and I also sneaked in a couple of your chocolates. But share it with the young man too. Okay ?”

“Yes papa.” She looked across at him smiling at her and simultaneously laughed and cried in an emotion which only she could perceive.

She looked out at the sunflower fields across the road which looked more beautiful than ever in the late afternoon sunshine. This was going to be the happiest day of her life.

Image courtesy : Google Images

The Eternal Peace...

Being in the field of Medicine for quite some time now, I have been witness to countless examples of people in distress. Be it a patient in a hospital or someone known, I have been able to relate their pain to the obvious or most probable cause according to medical knowledge.

A few weeks back, my uncle (Dad’s younger brother) called me up to consult me about the ill health of his sister-in-law. Being a lady in her seventh decade of life, she was admitted to a hospital due to severe weakness after an episode of viral infection. As her blood investigations revealed, she was severely anemic and thus had to be transfused with blood. They being rather unaware of medical details and being in another town, my uncle regularly used to update and consult me about her health and the treatment she was receiving.

One day, as the lady complained of abdominal pain while still at the hospital, the doctor in charge ordered for an ultrasound. And to everyone’s shock, the ultrasound suggested it to be a case of liver cancer which was confirmed by a subsequent CT scan. On consultation, even the oncologist confirmed the cancer to be in the fourth stage and declared his helplessness to consider any sort of curative treatment any further. Hence, she was taken back home by the family after giving up all hope of her getting any further treatment at the hospital.

Though her condition continued to deteriorate by each passing day, the family members tried out all sorts of medication they could possibly get their hands on. Meanwhile, my uncle kept me updated of any and every minor complication the lady used to develop.

Just the other day, when my uncle called me up late in the afternoon, he told me how she had developed severe swelling all over the body, specially around her face and that she was in severe distress being rather dis-oriented mentally. He said the doctor had come to check on her and ordered some investigations. I told him to inform me about the results of the investigations as soon as they arrived.

In the evening, when my uncle called up again and started to read out the investigation reports, I was already anticipating severe derangement in them. But I was surprised to hear that each and every aspect of her blood and urine investigations were not only within normal limits, but were almost the ideal values that a healthy human is expected to have.

For example, her SGPT (a liver enzyme) which has a normal range of 5-38 units per litre was found to be 20. While without doubt, a case of liver cancer is sure to have this value in several hundreds. Likewise, her serum creatinine was stated to be 0.62 (normal range 0.5-1.0) which was highly unlikely seeing the bad state of her kidneys. Similarly, all the other blood values and electrolytes were stated to be the ideal values.

On a reflex, I told my uncle that the lab had simply not done the tests. I asked him to get it done again from some other lab immediately. By midnight, I got a call from him once again informing me that they had got the investigations done again from another reputed lab but the results were still the same. Though they had also sent for the investigations from a nationally reputed lab whose results were expected by the morning.

It was beyond my understanding as to how all investigations of such a critically ill patient could be not just within the acceptable limits, but also be almost the ideal values. Though it was an extremely low probability, but could two labs commit gross errors in their reports at the same time ?

I was woken by my uncle’s call early next morning. And he gave me the most unfortunate news that the old lady had passed away in her sleep. Before he ended the call, he informed me that the third report had just been received and it had nothing different than the first two.

Though this was completely against medical logic, but if one was to believe the reports, everything inside the lady’s body (at least in her blood) was as perfect as it could be.

This incident has made me wonder whether everything does become perfect at the end. As if all the cells in a person’s body are at complete peace with themselves and with one another just before the end. As if the body is in the final preparation of the eternal peace of the soul.

I don’t really know. It still defies any medical logic. But as I ponder over this I can’t help but remember the title thought on the blog of a blog-friend Preethika….

“Everything is OK at the end. If it’s not OK, then it’s not the end…”

Do you agree ?

(Image courtesy : Google Images)

Regrets...

“Beep beep” !

The sound of my mobile startled me out of deep concentration I had managed for a few minutes reading through the latest trends in the treatment of Myocardial Ischemia. I looked up at the clock on the wall. 11:00 PM. I sighed as I closed the book and stood up for yet another round. The bi-weekly night shifts weren’t my favorite. But being a resident in a hospital had its drawbacks. Resigning to my fate, I picked up the stethoscope and stepped out of the duty-room into the Intensive Care Unit.

The I.C.U. seemed the calmest place on earth. Except for the continuous but rhythmic beeps of machines, there was not a sound to be heard. Each cubicle looked tranquil as I passed by them. But as I neared cubicle # 8, I could perceive sounds which seemed to break the patterns of beeps around. I remembered that the cubicle was occupied by the once famous business tycoon of the city who was admitted a couple of days back for breathlessness and chest pain. The man was no less than 85 years old.

Stepping into the glass walled cubicle, I saw the old man wincing and moaning in obvious pain.

“Pneumonia in old age is lethal. This doesn’t look good.” I thought.

“Are you having some trouble ?” I asked the old patient, looking at the vitals on the monitor and hardly expecting a reply.

“Uhh… huh… Can you give me something for the pain ?” The old man’s voice was so frail, I hardly heard it.

I turned towards the patient. The elderly patient was looking at me with tired eyes and a half open mouth which seemed to want to speak, but couldn’t.

“I’ll just give you an injection. That’ll ease the pain and help you sleep.” I said with the slightest smile. I could feel the old man’s eyes on myself as I prepared the dose. The man winced once more as the needle entered the skin. But then seemed to ease up.

As I discarded the used syringe, I turned back to look at the old man. The gentleman still had his eyes shut tightly. But I could clearly make out trails of tears down his cheek. I felt bad for hurting the elderly man. But injections pricked, and that couldn’t be helped. Still, I wanted to make the patient comfortable.

“Sorry. Did it hurt much ? You’ll soon feel better.” I said.

The old man opened his eyes slightly. “Come here son. Why don’t you sit here with me for a while…”

I moved across to the other side of the bed and sat down on the empty chair. All was quiet for a few minutes. The patient kept his eyes closed while I waited for the medicine to take effect. But suddenly, the old man opened his eyes. They were wet.

“I’m sorry if the injection hurt. But you see, it will bring you comfort in no time.” I tried to console the man.

“Do you know me ?” The old man asked.

“Yes. Who doesn’t ? You are such a well known figure. We have grown up watching you on tv.” I replied.

“But I guess, you would never have seen me crying on tv…” The old man smiled a bit.

“That’s ok. These things do hurt. Specially at your age. But you’ve taken it rather well.” I tried to reason.

“No son.” The old man interrupted. “It’s not my eyes that are crying. It’s my soul.”

“What ? Why ? You’ll be fine.” I blabbered.

“Pneumonia at my age doesn’t leave me with much time. I know it well… and I accept it.” The old man continued. “It’s just the realization of having lost in life that’s…”

“Lost ??? Sir, you have been one of the greatest and most successful businessmen of our times. People dream to be like you. You have achieved what others cannot even think of. How can you even use the word lost for yourself ???” I questioned.

“Come closer son. Let me tell you something that I’ve never told anyone.” He closed his eyes for a few moments. Then opened them again. “Sixty years ago, I was a poor man. I was an apprentice at a small company. I worked hard. Was honest to the core. And I had some big dreams. Really big. That was when I met this girl.”

The old man closed his eyes again. I could see the man was fighting some intense emotions.

“She used to work with us. Soon we became really good friends. Within a few months, I started to feel she was a lot different than all my other friends. She used to help me with everything. Used to share her lunch with me on days when I didn’t have any money to buy food. We used to sit and talk for hours after work. She always made me forget everything even after a tiring day’s work. I knew how she really cared for me. And I felt special.”

The old man stopped speaking again, swallowed, and continued.

“Then one day, she asked me to have dinner at her place. I was sure she was in love with me. Maybe I realized I was too. But I wanted to be sure. But as luck would have it, the owner of our company asked me to do some work for him the same day. And when I reached his house in the evening, he asked me to marry his daughter and take charge of all his business. I guess he was over-awed by my hard work and honesty. That was my chance to get my dream. And I couldn’t miss it. And I accepted.”

There was another pause. The old man took a deep breath.

“I married the owner’s daughter. Didn’t even tell my special friend the reason. And she never asked. She just left the job and went away. I progressed in life. Got all one could dream of. My wife loved me. I had a nice family. I had everything. And I have lived my life believing my success.”

The old man stopped again. And as he started again, a tear rolled out of the corner of his eye.

“But now, when I’m in the final moments of my life, it is destroying my very soul as I realize the emptiness my entire life had. As I lie here, counting my final moments, my entire life flashes in front of my eyes. And every time it pierces my soul by telling me I never had something which was my life. If only I would have told her how I felt for her… if only I had trusted her to accompany me to my dreams… if only I had some patience for success… if only…”

There was silence for a few minutes.

“Tell me son… have you ever loved ?” I was still quiet. “If you have, don’t wait for circumstances. Be honest and tell that someone special how you feel. Coz if you don’t, you’ll regret like me one day. And nothing can be worse than leaving the world with the biggest regret.”

As if on an impulse, I turned to look around. And I saw her across the hall, looking at an X-ray she held up against the light.

“Do you get me ?” Asked the old man.

“Yes sir. I get you !” I replied. I knew I had to wipe out any chances of possible regrets in my life. “Thank you sir !” I held the old man’s hand in my hands and smiled as I got up. “Good night.”

It was 8 AM in the morning but there wasn’t a hint of tiredness in me. The events of the night had changed my life. I felt like flying as I rushed across the long corridors of the hospital to get to the I.C.U. to tell the old man about what had happened during the night.

I was breathless as I reached cubicle # 8. It was empty. I stopped a nurse who passed by. “Nurse, where’s the patient of cubicle # 8 ?”

“Ohh. Don’t you know sir ? He passed away in his sleep last night.”




(Image courtesy : Google Images)

Lessons...

Off late, I had been rather busy in studies and certain complexities of life. In other words, the brain was too busy thinking whenever it wasn’t busy memorizing facts from books.

The exam season is on and I was to write an examination in Delhi in the first week of January. As per my experiences about Indian Railways in the past years, I decided to board an overnight train to Delhi. It has become a rule for the train services to be badly hit due to the winter-fog every year. So I thought it was better to spend the greater part of my journey sleeping rather than tiring myself out throughout the day sitting in a ‘day’ train.

Strangely enough, the weather seemed to change for the good for two to three days before my planned journey. There was no sign of any fog, much to my relief. And it remained so until two hours before the departure. Just as my luck would have it, the fog came down in heaps as the clock struck nine. My train was scheduled to depart at 11:45.

As usual, Dad had offered to drop me off at the railway station. But now with the ever increasing fog, we had to leave more than an hour earlier than usual because of the near-absent visibility. To add to my uneasiness, Mom declared that she would accompany us as well. I tried to reason with her about the intensity of cold and her vulnerability to it. But she was having none of it. So, we left home a good two hours before time.

Contrary to our guesses, we reached the station rather early in spite of the fog. I told the parents to leave immediately for home as I took out my luggage from our car. The train was already on the platform and I told them that I would make myself comfortable inside the train right away. Mom reminded me to call on phone as soon as the train moved from the station. I hastily yes-yessed and once again told them to leave.

Having said the customary good-byes, I entered the station, found my coach and got to my reserved berth. It was still about an hour to departure and so, the train was still pretty much empty. As I fixed my luggage at their proper places, I noticed an elderly couple sitting opposite to my berth. I noticed that they had already fixed their luggage and were sitting in complete silence facing each other on their berths.

Having sat down, I decided to make use of the time and started with a book I had brought along for my exam. People moved around the aisle, searching for their berths and handling their luggage. But this elderly couple sat there in silence without so much as raising an eyebrow. I sensed a strange calmness about them that felt rather abnormal.

I was well into the twentieth page of my book when my phone started to ring. It was Mom.

Mom : Hello.
Me : Ya.
Mom : You settled ?
Me : Ya.
Mom : Is it warm enough there ?
Me : Ya…
Mom : So, should we go ?
Me : ??!!?? You people are still here ??? I told you to leave !!! Huh…
Mom : Ok. We are going. Don’t forget to call when the train departs.
Me : Huh... I said yes. I’ll call. Now go !

I closed the book. It doesn’t help much to read when I’m irritated. Why did they have to wait when I assured them I would be ok ? They always treat me as a kid.

My thoughts were disturbed by a couple of porters who came up with huge suitcases and started to push them in beneath the berths across. The elderly man got up to make way and sat down besides his wife. A young man came up and checked the luggage, paid the porters and with a smile, requested the elderly man to look after the luggage for a while. The elderly man just nodded his head while this guy went out. So, I resumed with reading my book once again.

It was time for departure when I saw the young guy standing outside the aisle door with a young woman (who was probably his wife). Suddenly, the train started to pull away as I saw them waving to people out on the platform. And I didn’t miss noticing how the woman suddenly broke down into tears even as the young guy tried to console her.

As the train left the station, the young couple came inside and sat on the berth opposite to the older couple. The young woman was still wiping her tears amidst soft hiccups.

Suddenly, for the first time since I entered the coach, I heard the old lady speak in a really calm voice.

Old Lady : Were your relatives here to see you off ?
Young Woman : Yes. Mine and my husband’s parents and his sister.
Old Lady : Are you people going abroad ?
Young Woman : Yes. We are going to Australia. My husband works there.
Old Lady : I know it’s hard to say good bye.
The young woman managed a wry smile.
Old Lady : It’s ok. You should relax now.
Young Woman : I know. But it’s hard. You won’t understand.

There was a pause. A rather awkward one. And I was closely observing the people and their conversation.

Suddenly the elderly man spoke up in a voice as calm as his wife.

“We understand.”

The old lady resumed in her calm self. I could see a faint smile on her face that was probably there since the beginning, but it felt more pronounced now.

“Our son was once posted in Australia too. For six months. After that he moved to New Zealand. It’s a nice country he told us. But unfortunately his work didn’t let him stay there for long.”

“I see.” The young woman said wiping off the final traces of wetness from her eyes.

“Yes.” Continued the old lady. “He was then moved to the UK. They made him move all around Europe. In fact, they made him move almost everywhere around the world.”

“So you people must be habitual of this by now. No ? Where does your son work ?” The young woman asked.

It was once again the elderly man who spoke. And he spoke with an air of even greater calmness than his wife.

“He worked at a high post in the richest oil company in the world. But we lost him in the Kenya air crash in 2007. He was 25. Our only child.”

There was a weird but eerie silence just as the man uttered those words. Though not being a part of the conversation, I was still equally, if not more stunned than the young couple. The old lady continued.

“He used to come home every two or three months. His job required him to travel so much. We had gotten to, just like you said, being habitual of his arrivals and departures. And at times he used to say he was tired of traveling. And that he won’t go anywhere now. But every time he was off the very next day.”

“And he was coming home that time when the accident happened. That morning I had an altercation with him. He was complaining why I get so worked up every time he moves. That was the first time when I told him not to call me before leaving. I had got angry on him…”

That was when I saw the elderly man press at the hand of his wife. I felt that he knew he had to stop her. Though she still had that strange calmness about her face which also had that hint of a smile, maybe her husband knew too well where she was prone to break down.

I was still trying to look into my book. But it was all too hazy. And suddenly, I remembered something. I got up to move towards the door of the coach. On the way, I saw tears rolling freely from the young woman’s eyes now.

I took a deep breath as I came out of the door. The sudden chill outside the compartment made me gasp. I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed the number.

Mom : Hello. Bhaiya,… the train left ?
Me : Hmm.
Mom : Is it warm enough inside ?
Me : Hmm.
Mom : Don’t keep awake for long and don’t keep reading in that dim light.
Me : Hmm.
Mom : And don’t forget to call when you reach.
Me : Yes. I won’t forget.

(Image courtesy : Google Images)

Strawberry Crush... (Part 4)

It is highly advisable that you read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of this story to follow the thread.

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He suddenly opened his eyes wide. But all he could see was pitched darkness. He realized himself lying on his bed trying to recall the time since when he was asleep. Or was he unconscious… ?

He also realized that his abdomen had stopped hurting. He had lost track of when he had the last meal. It seemed like his stomach had gotten immune to the hunger pangs which his mind refused to acknowledge. His body seemed numb. He again tried to adjust his eyes to the complete darkness. The uselessness of the attempt made his mind to drown once again into the thoughts that had engulfed his mind. Engulfed his soul. Engulfed his very life. The thoughts of Her…

Once again he desperately tried to fight off the thoughts of the realization that in about twenty four hours time, she would belong to someone else… forever…

He clenched his fists and forced his eyes shut as if to prevent those images entering into his sight. But his eyelids couldn’t hold back what was brimming to spill over. And he could feel the cold traces of fluid which rolled over from the corners of his eyes moving across his face and falling on to the bed.

He gripped his head with his hands. His ears boomed with each beat of his heart. And the sounds kept getting louder and quicker. He knew he was hyperventilating, gasping for air. But little could he realize that it were the thoughts in his mind which were suffocating him. He tried hard to pick himself up from the bed and switched on the light. But once on his feet, he could feel his ears getting hot and strange sensations up in his nose. Something told him he was going to bleed through the nose.

He rushed inside the washroom and looked into the mirror. The face in the mirror looked hazy. Was it the mist in his own eyes… he thought. He quickly splashed handfuls of water on his face. And suddenly he noticed his fingernails which had turned to shades of purple. His fingertips felt numb. He looked up into the mirror. He had never tried to read his own eyes. But now he did. And they shouted back at him. He staggered back to the bed and slumped on it.

He could clearly feel his heartbeats racing like never before. His heart thumped heavily against his chest. His head seemed to be ready to burst any second. He reached out for his phone. He pushed the green button and saw her number right at the top. He remembered trying to call her many times… but pressing the red button before he could hear the bell ringing. He didn’t know what to say to her. Or how to say it. And the chain of thoughts began yet again.

It had been five days since he had seen her. And as each day passed, the levels of his anxiety reached a new high. He thought about talking to her. Telling her everything that was on his mind. The way she had captured all the available spaces in his heart. The way she was all around him.

He wanted to confess to her how he had been crazily searching for perfection all his life. And when he had finally been able to find that perfection, it wasn’t to be.

But then he thought about keeping everything concealed. Never to tell her how he felt about her. She had probably a happy life ahead in store for her. He didn’t want to disturb her in the most important phase of her life. Though he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it. But he wanted her peace of mind.

He was still fiddling with his phone. Watching her Facebook wall over and over again like the countless times in the past few days. And then he came on to a quote which said, “Nobody Will Know What’s Going in Your Mind… Its Better To Express Rather Than to Expect”.

And he knew what he was going to do. He wasn’t going to leave the world one day with the regret of not letting her know what he felt for her. He wasn’t afraid of the consequences now. He had to talk to her. And he pressed the green button.

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He opened his eyes as the sunrays hit his face through the open window. He was sprawled on his bed with half of his body on the floor. He jumped up to check the time in the clock on the wall. It was already 12 noon. She was getting married that very night.

How did he fall asleep ??? Maybe the lack of sleep for almost an entire week had taken its toll on him. He had to rush. He didn’t have any time.

It was already 1 pm as he walked towards the grandly decorated gate of the palatial building. There was brisk activity all around. People ran around with stuff while others shouted orders. He scanned the area twice to check for any possible hindrances. He rehearsed his words again in his mind, took a deep breath and moved inside the house.

He knew that asking for the bride’s father wouldn’t be much of a difficulty. People had enough on their hands already. So, no one even bothered to ask him any further details as one elderly man directed him towards the entrance of the room where he would find her father.

As he stepped up towards the door, for once his heart leapt up into his mouth and then settled back in its place. He knew now there was no turning back. And he stepped inside the room.

The only occupant of the room who was talking animatedly into a telephone had his back towards the door. He at once recognized him as her dad. The man was well known figure in the city’s who’s who and looked all the more imposing in his white dress.

“Yes… ??” He boomed back as he smashed the receiver back on the table and turned.

“What do you want ?” He enquired again.

“Namaste…” He folded his hands and introduced himself.

“Oh. So you are her classmate ? But she is very busy right now. I hope she invited you for the wedding tonight… ??” The father asked.

He swallowed once. And hardly taking another breath, he slowly said…

“Sir, I am in love with your daughter. And she is in love with me. And I humbly ask you to…….”

He couldn’t complete his sentence before he saw the color of blood in her dad’s eyes as the man in white leapt at him in utter rage.


(to be continued.......)


Image courtesy : Google Images

Strawberry Crush... (Part 3)

It is highly advisable that you read Part 1 and Part 2 of this story to follow the thread.

*** Warning : A very long post ***

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He was utterly bewildered. He simply had no idea about what was happening to him. He had lost track of everything. No clue to the lectures he attended. Or to those that he missed. Sunny reminded him that he had been absconding from the training for the entire week and that the coach was out in search of him with a cricket bat in his hands and breathing fire through his nostrils. He was even disoriented about the days and dates. He had been missing his meals and still didn’t remember feeling hungry. It was getting crazier by the day.

But one thing he never seemed to miss was to get to the lecture-theatre a good fifteen minutes early every morning. Staring towards the door and counting every passing second until he would catch a glimpse of that face. And then he would feel the blood rushing to his face. Blocking off all the noise in the hall from entering his ears. The sound of someone’s footsteps and the voice of their owner were just the sounds he could hear.

She had always hated waking up in the mornings. But all that hatred seemed to have vanished into thin air. Getting to the morning class had never felt so exciting. And she would find herself trying to catch her breath as she neared the lecture-theatre. And just round the bend, from the corner of her eye she would catch a glimpse of that face. But as she would make her way inside the door, she made sure not to let her eyes wander across to the far end of the hall.

He was hysterical this morning. It had been almost a week since he saw her. The strange sense of irritation was crushing him. He could feel his head hurt. He fidgeted for the hundredth time when suddenly he saw her entering the hall.

He suddenly decided that he couldn’t take it any longer. He had to put an end to all the misery. He had to talk.

By the time the longest ever lecture of his life concluded, he had meticulously planned his every move. He rehearsed each dialogue over and over again in his mind. There was no turning back. He leaped from his seat as he saw her leave the hall. He saw her walking towards the lawns. He quickly matched her pace and anticipated to catch her just round the fourth tree.

She could sense him following her. She felt a strange sense of fear and excitement. But she had to make sure. She suddenly stopped and turned around. He wasn’t expecting this from her. He stopped dead in his track. All the confidence which he had built during the past hour seemed to have made a dash for the restroom.

He took a quarter of an hour sitting beneath the guava tree trying to rebuild the confidence which had given him the slip at a crucial moment. And just then he saw her go into the cafeteria at the far end. He jumped up and rushed towards her to get it over with before it got too late again. With nerves of steel, he entered the cafeteria house to confront her when he saw her standing across the hall with five of her closest friends. Their eyes met. And he could feel steel turning to wax.

It was the post-lunch bell that got him out of his trance. He dejectedly walked towards the academic building with his head as clear as an empty can. He was still brooding, staring blankly as he turned the bend and found himself face to face with her just as she appeared from the opposite corridor.

Panic !

“Hi !” He said. Though he wasn’t sure if he heard his own voice.

“Hi.” She replied with a faint smile.

“Err… Umm..”

“Yes ??”

“Could you please guide me to Lab Three ??!!??”

“Yeah.”

She turned to walk. And he followed her. Still trying to gather his wits and telling himself that he actually spoke to her. They climbed two floors worth of stairs as she led him into a door labeled ‘Lab No. 3’.

As he walked across the strange smelling room, he was startled as a familiar voice boomed across. “Late again ?? You’ve been attending this lab for almost one year now. But you can’t ever come on time. Can you ???!!”

He was still sulking as he emerged out of the lab a couple of hours later, when he saw her talking to her friend.

“You go on. I’m going to talk to the HOD. See you later.” She said. Suddenly she looked back at him and turned around to the professor’s room.

He was petrified. It was clear she was going to report him. He tried desperately to think of some excuses. But he felt stymied. And in utter panic, he ran after her. She was already into the corridor when he reached her.

“Hey… !!”

“Hmmm ??” She looked at him.

“Why are you going to the Prof ??”

She kept walking. Still trying to think of something to say.

“You’ve got it all wrong. See, it’s nothing like that. I’m not like those guys. You’ve got to believe me !!” He implored.

She gave him one last look and turned to enter the professor’s room. He felt his heart sinking to newer depths. He turned to walk away to escape the inevitable. He had hardly got to the stairways when he realized the peon running after him.

“Sir wants to see you in his room.”

‘That’s it ! I’m done for.’ He thought, and moved towards the dreaded room, resigned to his fate.

“May I come in sir ?” He enquired feebly.

“Come in. See,… she’s missed two of my lectures last week. Just give her the notes and help her with any problems she has !” The professor ordered.

“Yes Sir !” He found his voice for a change. His heart which had gone into arrest, starting to beat once again. It was in an overdrive by the time they emerged from the teacher’s room. As they walked the length of the corridor, he looked at her and found her looking back. And suddenly, they both burst into laughter.

They found the lecture hall empty and decided to sit there so that she could copy down the text. She was still smiling when he handed over his notes to her.

“Why were you saying all that ?” She asked with a giggle.

“I thought you were going to report me for following you.” He replied looking away.

“You were following me ?? But why ???” She looked at him.

He looked back at her. And then he felt as if time had stopped again. Looking into her eyes, as she looked into his. Looking right through each other. They let the eyes do all the talking. The eyes confessed. And the eyes accepted. And suddenly, all seemed to clear.

All of a sudden, he didn’t feel that anxiety. He felt strangely calm. He felt like flying. And he wanted to capture the moment for ever.

She couldn’t believe what was happening too. She had never felt so happy. Not in a long time. She felt giddy.

And suddenly, her eyes stopped on her hand. And she felt as if she had been stabbed. She could feel her eyes brimming.

“You know, I wanted to say something to you…..” He started to speak.

She assembled her belongings in haste, and quickly got up to leave. He was taken aback by her sudden action. She got up and turned to leave.

“Hey…. !!! Heyy…. !!! What happened ??!!” He exclaimed.

She stopped. And put up her hand for him to see. The glitter of a jewel twinkled through his eyes.

She turned back to face him. “I’m getting married this Friday !”

And she walked away.

(to be continued.......)


Image courtesy : Google Images

The Hazards of Growing Up...

“God……. When will he grow up ??” exclaimed Mom, rolling her eyes heavenwards, as if having a one-to-one with the Almighty.

And without waiting for the Almighty to explain things, she looked back at me as I ended up sprawled on the floor, clutching my hurting tummy and laughing my wits off for the nth time in the last half hour, watching the ‘Tom & Jerry’ show on the telly.

Seeming to have given up on any hope she had for her elder son showing any signs of sanity, she walked off to the confines of her room, mumbling something to the effect of using the ‘parental control’ on our television set.


Ok. ‘Tom & Jerry’ has been one of my weak points, if not the weakest. But what’s it got to do with my growing up ?

Ohhh… Am I supposed to be a grown up ? Maybe…

But do I care ?? Not in this world !

Which makes me ponder… what is this thing about growing up ? When exactly does a person grow up ? Is it really the stage when one can reach up and quietly sneak away the cookies from the top of the shelf ??

I have seen lots of people (rather, kids) itching to ‘grow up’. Maybe so that they can do things which they cannot and should not do as long as they are kids. And I’ve seen people ‘growing up’ overnight on their eighteenth birthday. Maybe there’s a lot more fun on the other side of that landmark in one’s life. But I’ve seen more serious people than joyous ones towards the heavier side of eighteen.

Looking at most of the ‘grown ups’ around me, I always get the feeling that I’m in unknown territory. For a small example, mine was the only room in the entire campus during the days of Medical College, where one would always find a handful of comics on the table. Though they were not officially prescribed by the Indian Medical education, yet I wouldn’t be able to end my day without going through at least one comic.


I could sense some of my mates feeling tempted to ask me to borrow some of those at times. In fact, some actually did too. But most of the times, people showed more amusement of seeing those in my room rather than giving in to the urge of reading one.

At home I still maintain a vast collection of children’s books and comics into which I dive every other day and relieve myself whenever I’m in need to be refreshed.


But then, has age something to do with growing up ? People can drive, vote, consume liquor, marry and do quite a few other things once they cross a certain age. Legally, that is. Because I’ve also seen under aged individuals getting involved in things which they cannot legally be involved in at their age.

One can legally drive. And one can legally consume liquor after a certain age. But would a person who gets himself drunk and then drives around (and over unsuspecting people), really be called a grown up ?

Not including child marriages (which are still illegally practiced around India), so many ‘grown ups’ who can and do legally marry, don’t have a clue about what they are getting themselves into. And dare I mention about how most ‘grown ups’ use their right to vote ??

So what do grown ups do ? What are they supposed to do ? How are they supposed to behave ? And what do they do when they have some free time on their hands ??

And when I put myself through these trying questions, I can only come up with what grown ups don’t do, are not supposed to do and how they are not supposed to behave.

Because there aren’t many (or any) grown ups that I’ve seen who…

* Run out with a football while it rains instead of sitting in the shade and sipping tea.
* Or who play 'Caesar IV' on their computer overnight during holidays instead of muttering sweet nothings with a girl/boy friend on the phone.
* Or who share a toddler’s big balloon to play with instead of shouting at the kid to sit down and behave.
* Or who run around the house with their Mom chasing them with a glass of milk instead of sitting down at the dining table for a proper breakfast.
* Or who quietly sneak inside the refrigerator for some ‘Cadburys GEMS’ at 2 AM instead of snoring away in bed.
* Or who opt for a nice serving of Choco ice cream at a party instead of even giving a look to the liquor-bar.
* Or who are more interested in the latest Spanish-League scores instead of the values of the stock market in the daily news.

Even at my age I’m not considered a grown up and looking at some of my exploits as above, I don’t see me ‘growing up’ in the near future.

But I ask again, does being a grown up anything to do with one’s appearance, one’s age, one’s actions or does it depend upon one’s sensibilities ?

And, is it necessary to leave the child in one’s own self behind, as one continues to overtake new landmarks of age in life ? If that is necessary in order to grow up,……. What’s the big deal in growing up ???


Are you a grown up ???


(Picture credits : Google Images)

Strawberry Crush... (Part 2)

Please read Part 1 before reading the following continuation.

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He flipped the book on to the table as he stood up and ran his hand through his hair. What on earth is happening ?? He was utterly perplexed.

It had been getting crazier by the day ever since that incident in class. And he couldn’t even get a hold on matters. He was finding himself in awkward situations once too often.

Just the other day as he stood by the tree with his group of friends. And suddenly he saw Her. Across the lawns. Walking down the path with two of her friends. His eyes following her. Watching her face. And all he contributed to the discussion with his friends was a mumbled ‘Yeah’ to something Ronnie had said. And was startled to death as all of them exclaimed a ‘Whaattt ???’ in unison.

“Did you just agree with Ronnie that Sachin should be dropped from the team for the next series ??” asked one in complete disbelief. “Noo. Yeah. I mean. Noo. I didn’t… What ??” was all he could reply. Had they caught him looking at her ?? No. They didn’t. Could they ?? They shouldn’t…

And then the other day when he saw her coming out of the library. And how she had suddenly looked back. And he had turned hastily, bumping into Mrs. G ! He cringed at the mere thought of the events thereafter.

He had been able to make a complete fool of himself. But somehow, he had been finding her all around. In the class, in the library, in the canteen or in the corridors. Just about everywhere. Or maybe he had been hallucinating. He was completely baffled.

She was pretty disturbed. Her life was going on fine. At least for a normal girl. But things were getting complicated lately. Though she was happy before. But recently she had experienced moments when she felt even happier. And then hours when she felt really depressed. She wasn’t prepared for such a contrasting phase of emotions. What was happening ??

She remembered the other day when she was in her room, deep into a fantasy world, when she was shaken back to reality by her friend. “What are you dreaming about ? Do you want to be late for the lecture ??” asked Nancy. “Uhh.. Ohh… Actually, we are having a party at home. So, I was just thinking about which dress to wear…” She had tried to make up a story.

“Okk. We know who’s that special someone coming to the party. That’s why you want to look your best…” Her friend had winked while the others laughed. They had run off before she could get up to chase them.

Somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew what was disturbing her. It was Him ! Ever since that day, he had somehow captured her mind. He had hijacked her thoughts. And she kept running into him everywhere and every time. Every morning, she would find her eyes searching for him. And sooner than later, she would spot him. And then she would feel a strange sense of relief. Everyday, on returning, she would be filled with a sense of guilt. But all such sense would vanish into thin air on seeing him the very next day.

She had been catching him stealing quick glances at her. And every time she would catch him, he would quickly turn away or look elsewhere. And she would find herself fighting to prevent a small smile on her face. She could experience the delightful thrill in this other world of hers. She wanted to test if it was real. And she decided to play the game with him. Things were surely getting crazier.

It was still some time for the class to start. She looked around in search, and found him standing by the pillar talking to his friend. She walked up to the smart guy right across him.

“Hi”.

“Hi’. He replied.

“I was wondering if you could help me out with this question from yesterday’s test.” She asked him, while making sure He noticed her talking to this guy.

“Sure. Let’s sit here”.

She sat down on the empty bench trying to force her attention to what the guy was talking about. I hope he’s watching. He must be watching ! I’m not going to look up at him !

But it was hardly a minute before she gave in to the temptation and looked up. HE WAS GONE !

“So, you see, you just have to analyze…. ” the guy was still speaking.

“Ok. I got it. Thanks !” She said as she abruptly got up and walked towards the crowd of students near the hall.

“Hey… But I’ve not even started…” The guy called her, but she was already into the crowd. Searching for Him.

And then, she saw him talking… and laughing… with the girl who had almost every other boy falling for her.

He stood there, fixed, looking at them talk. When suddenly, he turned to look at her. Once again, their eyes met. But only this time, it was a lot different.

She turned away and walked. Fuming. While he turned in the opposite direction.

“I HATE HIM !!!”

“I HATE HER !!!”

(to be continued.......)

(Image source : Google Images)

Bride & The Prejudiced...

A very familiar scene:

Boy and girl, a very committed couple since long, having a candle-light dinner, with some soft mushy music playing in the background…(obviously!) are lost deep in each other’s eyes, when…

Boy: My princess…
Girl: My angel…
Boy: I love you…
Girl: I love you too…
Boy: Will you marry me?
Girl: Ohhh… YES!!
Boy: Great. Then let’s get you converted…
Girl: …… ??!??!!??!!

Well, maybe it’s not usually as bluntly put as that. Or maybe it is. I don’t really know. But it certainly is put sooner or later before a person decides to marry someone he (or sometimes… she) loves, who belongs to a different religion/caste/community.

And all this while people tell me that the new, young and developing India has moved into the twenty-first century!! (Really?)

Which makes me wonder that why would someone want to change a person he loves! People have simply no issues when they ‘supposedly’ decide to fall in love. No issues still while going around the town dating that someone special. And no issues still more while flaunting their ‘committed’ status on Facebook, Orkut and what not.

But when it comes to actually marrying a person from a different background, issues start appearing from absolutely nowhere. Then is the time when age-old and absolutely pathetic reasons fly out from left, right and center.

We have such different customs and traditions…
My family won’t accept her without getting converted…
We have to answer the society…

Do we ever realize the heights of ridiculous prejudices regarding different communities in our own country, though we see it all around us, everyday of our lives?

My granny’s cousin was so prejudiced against certain communities that she wouldn’t even let such a person anywhere near her kitchen, let alone eat the food prepared by him/her. Unfortunately, she passed away before I could put some of my questions for her to answer.

For any such person prejudiced against other communities, who happily eats food cooked by someone he or she approves, I’d just like to take things back to their origin. Does such a prejudiced person actually know…

• the caste/community/religion of the person who sowed seeds in the farms?
• the caste/community/religion of the person who carried the grain to the crusher?
• the caste/community/religion of the person who crushed the grain into flour?
• the caste/community/religion of the person who packed the flour?
• the caste/community/religion of the person who distributed it to the market?

The answer is a big NO!

We all travel in buses, trains and planes. Do we ever bother to ascertain the caste, community or religion of the driver or pilot? Someone in whose hands we literally put our lives…!!!

Does a person stop sending his/her child to the school because one of the teachers is from a different community? Does a person refuse to do business with someone of the other religion? Does a critically ill patient first ascertain the caste of the doctor on duty?

NO! Because those are our needs! In times of need, we let all our prejudices go into hibernation. Only to appear with renewed vigor when it’s the time for marriage!

And most often, it is the girl who is expected to ‘convert’ if she decides to marry into a different community (though there are many examples otherwise too… as per my own experiences!).

And then I again wonder why such ‘wisdom’ dawns on the individual not once before the talk of marriage. It baffles my mind no end. Are people in a state of illusion or delusion while they are falling in love? Do they imagine their love-interest to be of their own communities? Do they forget all such reasons of ‘wisdom’ while they date?

Why would a sane person try to change anything about someone he or she so dearly loves?

I have actually known people who broke-off their ‘relationship’ (that’s such a big misnomer!) just because the other didn’t agree to convert into their community. I seriously ought to be informed if there’s anything more ridiculous than that.

I would simply ask such people, that “while falling in love with that special person, did you ask your family’s, community’s or the society’s permission? (And did they allow you?) And even if your partner accepts your preposterous demands, wouldn’t you be changing the very identity of the person?

What would be better?

1. A bride who doesn’t convert, but cares for everyone and follows all the customs of her new family as they should be followed.
OR
2. A bride who converts (or is from the same community) but cares for nothing.

We, in India, are brought up on a daily dose of some outrageous prejudices regarding different communities. Though in unspoken terms, we are also taught to forget all such prejudices in times of materialistic needs. But as it is said, ‘Love is blind’, one becomes blind while falling in love.

I so dearly wish that love was deaf as well, so that all such ridiculous talks from our society wouldn’t affect lovers' ears…

Picture Credits: Google Images

Ties that Bind...

It is that special time of the year once again when people all around are busy diving in a sea of emotions for their brothers or sisters... Boys flaunting their 'Rakhi' covered wrists and girls beaming around with all those special gifts... :)

Here is a small collection of videos to further add to the emotions of Raksha-bandhan...

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This post is dedicated to my sisters who have always been a special motivating force behind me...

Debt to Debt....

Case Study #1 :

A small and happy Indian family. A husband, his wife and their son. The parents ensure the best possible upbringing of their son. The son completes his studies, doing exceedingly well all through. He gets a job overseas and hence migrates abroad. He works hard and well enough to get much more than a decent salary. He uses his finances to get his parents a beautiful villa back in India with all the luxuries possible, including servants, drivers, etc. He sends them a big cheque every month and calls them once a week.

A few years later when his father suggests him to return, he explains that his job abroad is a must for them to have a good life. And also that he wouldn’t be able to adjust in India again. But he ensures that his parents are well cared for.

Case Study #2 :
A similar small and happy Indian family. A husband, his wife and their son. The parents ensure the best possible upbringing of their son. The son completes his studies, doing exceedingly well all through. He gets a decent job in their town itself and so the family lives happily together.

A few months into the job, the son falls in love with a girl colleague. But their families have completely different backgrounds. The girl’s family is strictly against their marriage. The guy, hence, gives up his love and decides to marry a girl of his family’s choice for the sake of his parents’ wish to have a daughter-in-law.

The above two scenarios, though completely different, are a common occurrence in the Indian society. Most often than not, you will find young boys and girls taking steps to ensure proper care and well being of their parents, while also ensuring priority to their parents’ wishes. Something which is really heart-warming to find all around us.

But a deeper understanding of such actions provides evidence to a much heavier basis to the above attitudes.

In the first scenario above, the son was more concerned about his parents being well cared for, while in the second scenario, the son put his parents’ wishes on priority. And if you ask anyone, neither of them would be doing any wrong on their parts. In fact, both are being the good sons anyone could ask for.

But in most cases, (surely not all) the reason behind such a caring attitude of children towards their parents is because they seem to realize the great debt they owe to their parents. As per my experiences, people tend to care for their parents in order to repay that debt. You will most often hear someone say. “My parents have done so much for me. So I can’t be selfish. I have to care for them too.”

What I don’t understand here is that do parents care for their little kids so that they can pile on that debt on them which could be retrieved later in life ???

Obviously NO ! Parents do whatever they do for their kids because they love their kids more than anything. So where does this debt thing comes in between… ???

Suppose a guy has to borrow some money from a money-lender in some unfavorable times. He can always repay that debt once he has enough money of his own. But how can one even expect to repay the debt of one’s parents by any of his or her actions ??? In fact, considering the unconditional love of one’s parents to be as a debt is, in a way, reducing it to something cheap and materialistic.

And if one is adamant enough to consider it all as a debt, then, it is absolutely certain that such a debt can never be repaid by any action. Even if one lives for a million years earning a zillion bucks per hour !!!

And if one is adamant enough to consider it all as a debt, then, he will surely take this forward in the next generation onto his kids. Which usually happens later in life. People who believe in this ‘debt’ business towards their parents are the ones who deal for their children’s happiness later in return.

Why can’t people love their parents instead of trying to repay some debt all their lives. Our parents will never ask us for sacrifices in return for any ‘debt’. In fact, they won’t even ask for care or affection. It is actually onto the children to have real feelings for their parents which comes from within. Not due to any obligations.

If a person marries someone of her or his choice, that does not automatically mean that the person will stop loving, caring and respecting one's parents.

On the other hand, there are parents who demand a sacrifice from their child in the form of breaking off with the love-interest and marrying someone of their choice. Such parents are those who have carried the 'debt psychology' towards their own parents and hence expect the same from their own children.

The real happiness our parents have is through seeing us happily leading a good life and by us being with them. No amount of money or sacrifices would give any happiness to our parents if they see us unhappy or don’t see us at all.

I hope people would understand that they should care for their parents out of their love for them. Not because of trying to repay any debt.

We care for our parents because we love them. Not because we have to...

Hope...

Seven Random Facts about Myself...

This is the first ‘Tagged’ post on my blog, thanks to Garima. The following are just seven random facts about me.

1) I hate tea !

Though I never ever tasted it, I still hate the sight of tea. And being around people who literally survive on tea isn’t much fun either. Here’s an interesting incident that happened a few years back.

We were appearing for our University examination practicals in Anatomy at the Medical college. While in the midst of it all, I saw the attendant distributing small biscuit packets to the students. And much to my dislike it was followed by tea in small disposable cups. Before I could be handed one too, I saw my roomie Tarun being provided with one. As he didn’t usually like tea himself, he just refused taking it. Which was heard by our HOD (Head of the Department) who happened to be passing by.

As he was informed about Tarun’s dislike for tea, he softly said the following sentence in utmost seriousness. “Abhi pi le nahi to 6 maheene baad piyega !” (Better have one now or you’ll have it after six months). Which would surely happen if he failed him in the exam.

To which I saw Tarun gulping down the whole cup in one single go. Thanks to the Almighty, I finished up my work before my turn of being served. Otherwise I don’t know how many years I would have had to spend studying Anatomy… :P

2) I check the time often !

In fact, too often. Every few minutes I find myself looking at either the wall clock, the time on the table-piece or on my laptop. In fact, I’ve sort of unconsciously put a big clock on my desktop’s sidebar. Come to think of it, I must be checking the time at least 10-15 times every hour !

And another thing regarding time is that I keep my watch behind the actual time. You must have heard people keeping their watches ahead of time so that they don’t get late. But ever heard of anyone keeping it behind time ??? :D

3) I have this thing with animals !

I don’t know how, but I can communicate with most animals. Not verbally though… (If you are trying to imagine me making all sorts of animal sounds :P) But I can read their minds and nature. Something that really helps me to be friends with most animals quite easily.

4) I am bad at making choices !

Not just bad, I’m really lousy at choosing gifts or greeting cards for anyone. I’ve often entered stores to get one of those and took hours in choosing a suitable gift. It even happens if I’m trying to select an e-card online. :P

5) I survive on short-term memory !

I know people won’t believe it, but I’ve seen the biggest of examinations through by studying only the night before. Even those thick and heavy Medicine books have been read (and forgotten… :P) in just a day’s span. Maybe the reason that people at college had this thing going that I use the books as a pillow… :D

That doesn’t mean I’m good at cramming up things. In fact, I’m even worse at mugging up stuff. (A big reason why I shouldn’t be in the Med field as it is like in India… ) But once I remembered the value of ‘pie’ (22/7) to a hundred digits after the decimal both forwards and backwards in no more than fifteen minutes. Though I had already forgotten it by the next morning… :P

Maybe that’s why I can never remember phone numbers or Birthdays. :(

6) Currently my Blood Group is ‘A negative’. It was ‘B positive’ before !!!

Maybe you’ll have a hard time believing this just as I had when I saw my blood group change. But really, before I entered Medical college, my blood group was mentioned as ‘B positive’ wherever required. Surely it must have been investigated before being confirmed.

But when I tested my blood group myself during our Physiology practicals at college, it came out to be ‘A negative’ ! Well, yes, there may have been a mistake. So I got others to check mine too. But in the end it was confirmed to be ‘A’ instead of ‘B’. Strange ??? :D

7) I’m just not into religious rituals, ceremonies or functions !

I’d rather use my time doing something constructive that the Almighty would be happy about than having it one-on-one with him, trying to convince him to get pleased and bless me with what I don’t deserve. For me, belief is more important than praying.

So those were some strange random facts about me. I invite anyone who reads this post to tag herself/himself and let us all know some interesting facts about themselves. :)

Before it gets too late...

The other day, I saw the movie '2012'. Though its review requires a separate post in itself, I would like to share one scene from the movie which conveys more than just one message.

Here's an old man working in a music troupe on a cruise ship. He hasn't talked to his son ever since the son married a Japanese girl. But now he calls his son after knowing that the world is about to end....



A few messages that this short scene conveys beautifully are....

* Parents always love their children. No matter if they disapprove of certain decisions and pretend to break away, there is always the love....

* Love knows no boundaries. Be it either caste, religion, race or nationality. We ultimately love irrespective of any differences....

* One should not wait to accept and express love. One never knows when it gets a bit too late to do so....

I hope you like the scene. Specially the cute little girl... !