A Chance Meeting with the King

Today I met the King. I asked him, Sir, so what are you doing here? I hold him by his hand and persuaded him to speak up, as I felt he was a bit timid to speak up.
Then he started to explain to me in his soft voice what he was doing. He narrated to me how he solved the issues of an old lady whose farm land was messed up by the shelling of neighbouring Kingdom. He told me how he has ensured that all the children in the Kingdom have food, shelter, cloths and education. He started to tell me how he is going to re-build the roads that were in pathetic condition due to the heavy rains, within a week.
Impressed, I patted him on his shoulder and hugged him lovingly. As I was leaving I blessed him with these words: "Go on my boy... Go on with your good works... May God bless you." As I walked on, he stood there folding his and his head bowed down towards me...

Captain of the Stationary Ship

Help... The captain cried aloud from the deck! But there was no one left in the ship to hear him!
***
The ship was the gift of the Sultan to his daughter. She wanted the ship to set sail with the best crew and sailors, travel around the world and bring all possible precious things for her. She chose the best people for everything. But for the captain, she let her dad to decide.
He sent his newly recruited aide, a young and polite man. With his stories and lectures about many things he impressed the Sultan very much. So the Sultan thought he could help the ship to accomplish the missions of the princess.
***
The ship set sail and it moved into the sea. The first day, the sea was calm and the sailing was safe. But the next day the sea was rough. The crew was struggling hard to steer the ship clear of the high waves. Everyone was terrified but not as bad as the captain, the Sultan's aide.
He then came to the deck and commanded with the crew to keep the ship anchored. Though the experts in the crew tried to convince him, he did not listen to them but asked them just to obey him, the captain.
Then on, the captain took charge and took the ship according to his whims and fancies. Most of the time the ship was not moving. It was anchored. He sent good reports everyday, about the progress of the ship to the Sultan and his daughter without fail. They trusted the reports and were happy. In her dreams the princess saw the ship coming back with loads of Gold, Silver, Silk, Indian Spices and many other precious things.
Everyday, the captain lectured about new things to impress the crew. He came up with new strategies and plans for the sail, and changed all of them or at least part very soon. The crew was confused. They sensed the peril. The smart ones jumped out of the ship. As days passed by everyone left the captain and the anchored ship. Some of them joined other ships and sailed all over. A few of them swam back to the shore and made small boats and made a living by fishing.
But the captain never left the ship. Because he never knew how to swim!

A Ride into the Rain

It was raining when I stepped out of the office. The monsoon has covered the city like a dark blanket, which caused the sun to bid bye for the day too early.
As I was walking towards my bike, I saw people cursing the rain, as it made them "totally immobile." Their "frustrations" made me smile.
I put on my rain coat and headgear. Started the bike and ventured in to the rain... I felt as if the monsoon were embracing me with its loving hands. I felt the love and "warmth" of the rain. As I rode into depth of the night and the rain, I forgot all the stress and pains that used to haunt me...
Yes... God was washing away my pains with a blissful rain...

Renunciation

He knew from his early childhood itself what he wanted in his life. He was born a musician. His parents realised his taste for music and they put him under the tutorship of great musicians. As he grew up he mesmerised everyone with his skills. He earned fame as a great composer. Fans and money followed him. He travelled with his troupe all over the world. The world waited for the release of his albums. The big wigs in the music industry waited for months, and sometimes years, for his date.
But one day he chanced to meet a sage in one of the Himalayan villages. They had a chat. Since then he began to ponder deeply over the life and its meaning.

A few weeks later he closed his studio. Left his palatial residence. Left his parents and friends. And took up a job with a corporate.

Back to life

It was a cold evening and like many of you, I hated to step out
into a cold winter evening. But as you know, in most cases
our journeys are destined to be in unfavourable weather,
paths and along with people whom we don’t like. I was
walking as fast as I could to reach home. Each cell in my body
was yearning to be home. But then I stumbled on something
and almost fell over it. And in the dying rays of the setting sun
I found someone lying on the street next to me. Is he dead?
When I observed closely, I found some feeble signs of life in him. I thought I would give it a try to bring him back to life. I don’t know why I decided to “waste” my time for a stranger in that dirty place braving the cold wind!
I learned that he needed my help to breathe again. I covered his mouth with mine and blew hard... Lo! The darkness thickened around us as I saw some words entering his dying soul. He shivered as if he was electrocuted. He began to shower abusive words on me. I was embarrassed, but continued to breath into his soul. He spewed more abusive words at me. The process went on for a while and gradually he began to breath on his own. He started weeping and slowly he sat up. He looked deep into my eyes and cried again like a child...
When I left him that evening he was chanting some words like in fit. Though I could not understand what he uttered, those words spread fragrance around us.
****
Today I am attending a book-signing event by an author as his special guest. His books are known for its fragrance of love and kindness.

Sanity

It was not just another day for me. My daughter is grown enough to move out and be on her own. Today is the day for which she was waiting for all these years. All her hard work and sacrifices are paid off and she got the job she hunted. I am proud of my brilliant daughter...

The train started moving. My eyes were welled up with tears. As I was leaving her hands, I told her “Don't confine yourselves inside the room in the name of safety. Go out! Be it day or night! Wander through the streets! Breath the fresh air without fear. Pay deaf ear to those who tell you to lock yourself up in your room in the name of safety! Go out my child... go out!”

My child is going to Delhi. Don't call me insane for seeing her off with these words! If you call me insane, I say you are insane.

Dilemma

As I was helping out my niece, Nayana, to finish her school project on Dandi March, I was wondering how the freedom fighters struggled to keep them bound to the vow of non violence and peace as they were being beaten to the pulp.

Down the memory lanes of history the struggle for Indian Independence has been the source of courage and inspiration for many freedom fighters including Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. After much explorations in the sea of knowledge the internet offered, we finished the project pretty well and retired to bed.

That night, in my dreams I met many heroes of the freedom struggle, especially those unsung heroes who lost their lives clinging to the mantra of ahimsa to their heart. The chanting of bhajans in the morning prayer session of Mahatma came as a lullaby and I had a sound sleep. In the morning, as I took the newspaper, the main news was about the historic launch of India’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.

After reading it my niece asked me with a sheepish smile, "Uncle should I be proud of the "ahimsa" or "arihant"? and I was answerless.