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.

For sale

Lalithamma came home complaining that Sandu, her college going son, had lost his sleep for the last couple of days.
When asked, she said Sandu is very upset, as his friend Vinu's mother is going to donate her kidney to pay off the debts.
.....
Saranya, Vinu's elder sister turned 20. Her mother wanted her to be given in marriage soon. The marriage broker came with the proposal. He asked Twenty Thousand and 10 Sovereigns of Gold as "gift" for the proposed boy (I don't use the word "dowry"! It can take me to the authorities!)

The poor mother had to borrow from many people, including a Gold Jewellery owner.
Saranya leads almost a happy life with her husband. Thank God!
----
A year went by, Vinu's mother could not pay off the debts. The Gold Jewellery owner asked her to pay back the money, otherwise he would take legal actions against Saranya, as she is the signee in the promisory note.

The mother found no other way but to "sell" her organ to pay off the debts. The docs asked her to take a months complete rest to be healthy enough to undergo the surgery.
------
A poor, unhealthy mother is going to sell her kidney... to pay off her debts!!

The Moral Cops

The moral cops had no sleep in the night. Theyhad to devise an effective plan to chastise the sheep that went astray. At last they decided.... to kill!!

........

Rema was eking out a living by giving home tuition for children of well to do families. With her hard earned money she could giver her own children a healthy and happy living.

But her husband, a drone that he was, lived for smoking, drinking, and roaming around without doing anything. He was jealous of his wife, and it was sprouted and flourished in his idle mind. He had to depend his wife for everything. He felt he was inferior to her. But she never thought so.

It was he, who complained first, of his wife's character. He did not spoke about it with her, but with the neighbors. He said that she had affairs with other men.

It had its powerful effect in the vicinity. People started spreading roumours about Rema. They had their eyes always on her.


The youngsters kept night vigil. They waited in the night on the terraces of the nearby houses. They were waiting for her "secret companions who come only in the night." Thy wanted to catch them red handed. But they could not find any one. They got angry and pelted stones at her house. Her husband, joined them for all these and he enjoyed all these.

The next day, the moral cops, prepared a mass petition that alleged Rema to be a prostitute, and got it signed by her neighbors. They wanted Rema to be punished for immoral trafficking. They wanted her to bow her head, helplessly before them.

At last she had to!

........

Even in her trials and tribulations nobody ever saw Rema crying.
She never hate her husband.
She worked hard for her family, until she was brutally molested and beaten to death by the moral cops, the "sentinels of the society."

After 1pm

There were a lot of smiling faces around us.
They sat beside us with compassion and love. They wiped our tears. They laughed when we laughed. They shared their meal with us. Sang for us and gave us gifts.
When they reached at 10 am, we could not mingle with them. But soon they stole our hearts. By noon we became like a family. Joy and laughter all around.

Then the clock struck 1.
They all began to pack up hurriedly. They were too busy doing it, even to look at us. We tried to talk to them. But they did not. They did not even smile. They seemed as if they were in the wrong place. They finished packing within seconds.
They said good bye to the orphanage's manager. They drove away to their next destination, a water theme park.

Now, they're gone...
We're left behind, now by them too...
And now, after 1pm, everything in this orphanage is same as they were before 10 am.
It's pale, colourless, as the lives of the inmates like me.