Thursday, July 19, 2012

Mechanic

I was using, my brother's bike.(I am using it even now). One day petrol started leaking from it.
I had to switch on  the petrol tap for a five hundred meter ride and switch off it when it overflows. Even then I was using it. It was afternoon then. It stopped after one and a half kilometers from my home. No idea of mine could start my bike.I started pushing it to the nearby garage.
I saw no other bike or any vehicle in that garage other than mine. The mechanic came out from the garage. He was around 50 years of age. He started looking into the problem. He told me there is some problem with the carburetor. There was leakage in the float valve.

 Reading Sherlock Holmes stories always has its effect. After reading detective stories more, I started to observe others in detail for their occupation and their character.  I found my Mechanic to have some sort of serious illness, for his legs were swollen.
 He fixed the leak in float. He removed the carburetor and started working on it. Its was around three o clock in the afternoon. A group of  five people came there to discuss something which I could not understand. They went inside along with my Mechanic ( my work half done) . I saw them take a bottle and have drinks in plastic-use and throw glasses. I understood his illness then. He was a drunkard.

His movements became sluggish. He misplaced a tiny part of carburetor. It took one hour to find it from the scrap. But he managed to repair it with great difficulty.

I felt really sad when he asked me the charges for repairing my bike. It was very less compared to the quantum of work he did. He was more interested in going back to the shelter again to have his next drink.

I now understand that throughout my native place, such groups are increasing at an alarming rate ,making exceptional talents like our Mechanic drown in the ocean of alcohol. The money meant for making their children happy, making their lives better is either drenched in alcohol or spent in a hospital.

Alcohol is spoiling the lives of many. It is an evil so slow that  we will never know when it overpowers us. Alcoholics are having a disease like a typhoid or diabetes. It is not their egoism which shouts against those who questions them,  it is because of their slavery to the substance.
Lets hate Alcohol. Let it not be a status symbol. Let it be like the old days where people using alcohol were looked down upon.




Monday, May 7, 2012

Inevitability of Death and Hindu Mythology

Death, the word brings fear to many, ease to some with terminal illness, and lack of time to the under acheived. Though humans evolved 200,000 years ago we still don't have any solid idea about what happens after death and why it happens. People in all  parts of the world has tried to crack the mystery of what lies beyond that. People from time immemorial has tried to stop the phenomenon of death.

Ayurveda traditional medicine native to India, claims to have a  treatment called Kayakalpa ( meaning: body rejuvenation). It is said that by purification of the body, the old is rejuvenated to young. The practice is continued even today. ( the news of kayakalpa treatment carried out is heard even to this day).

It is very interesting to read stories from Hindu mythology about people who tried to overcome death.
 One such story is of Hiranyakashipu, an Asura ( meaning for easy understanding : A Demon). He prayed to God ( Penance). The Lord Brahma (one of the three main Gods) became happy with his penance and granted him a boon. Hiranyakashipu asked him something close immortality as immortality cannot be asked as a boon directly.
 He asked for a boon that he should not be killed by a  human, not an animal, not during the day, not at night , not inside the house ,not outside, not on earth,not on the sky, not by a living or non living thing. The boon was granted.
Hiranyakashipu became overconfident and started doing bad deeds on a large scale.
Lord Vishnu (one of the three main Gods) had to act. He took the form of Narasimha ( Nara- Human, Simha- Lion). Not a human, not an animal, he took him to the threshold of a courtyard( not inside , not outside the house), placed him on his thigh ( not on earth, not on the sky), and killed him with his nails ( as nails cant be said for sure as a living or non living weapon) at twilight ( not during the day, not at night). So death is certain how hard the conditions laid against it.

Another story is the death of Lord Krishna ( One of the incarnates of Lord Vishnu). In puranas it is seen that sages are given  much importance , even by the kings or incarnations of God .
One such sage was Durvasa. He demands lord Krishna to smear  Krishna's body with his leftover food (Kheer/Payasam a sweet dish). Krishna obeys , that he becomes pleased and grants him boon that Krishna will not be harmed at any of the places which was smeared with the dish. Unfortunately his leg was not smeared. ( Krishna gave respect to that food without touching with his feet).
His leg became his weak spot (Like Achilles heel in Greek Mythology). Death happens to Krishna by an arrow which strikes his foot. The arrow was from the metal recovered from the mouth of a fish. It was the last part of the cursed  Iron pounding pestal, which was powdered to save the people from the curse. The lst part was flung to the ocean. A fish ate thinking it as food and the fish was caught and was bought by the blacksmith. The last piece of the pestal became the fatal arrow that killed Krishna.

Its interesting to see how it strikes, no matter how hard people to try to escape from it.
There is no escape, end is always sorrow at least to near ones,but lets hope that the path tread be a good one.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Anaemia

It was dark when I reached her house for giving the broadband connection. The subscriber had insisted me to come in the evening after 5:00 PM or on Sunday, and she told me that she will be available at home only that time . She was a teacher in the local school. I didn't want to spare the holiday available in the week. So started to her house on that eventful Friday evening after five from my station.

It seemed little odd when she told me that her house is near the old palm tree. Tress cannot be given as Landmarks here as the village is full of trees. I thought how foolish she was to give her address that way.

It was really a noticeable tree with full of seeds. I then remembered the comparison old people used to give about palm tree seeds hanging and ladies hairs.
The Old palm tree looked elegant and seemed to be touching the evening sky.It was getting dark and its shades covered all over the road. Very near to the tree I found the gate to her house. It was difficult for me to open it because I was sitting in my bike balancing it with a single hand and opening the gate with the other.
I was welcomed by her cat. It meowed and looked at me and went inside. It seemed like it went to call her mistress.
The beautiful lady came down to greet me, asked me if I had any trouble in finding the location. I just smiled. I had a nice time afterward.

The hot coffee she gave was really stimulating my nerves. My work was simple as her computer was new. It was done in five minutes time. As I was sipping the coffee, I inquired about her job and reason for staying alone, kids etc. She told me she was an artist, a singer and dancer by profession and she taught children dance at school. The couple had no children. Her husband was on a business trip. She asked about me and I told her about my hobbies and my favorite singers,the books I read and the films I watch. She listened to me like a curious kid listening to her grandma's story.

As I had to return to the empty quarters after providing this connection, I didn't hesitate to help her to make a facebook id . I don't remember when it started. All I new was that i was kissing her. I felt the fragrance of a flower filling the room. It was an ethereal experience.

When i opened my eyes i was in my quarters, lying weak. My friend took me to the nearest hospital. I had a burning pain in my neck and I was diagnosed as having anaemia

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I am still there.

Now I may not be there to give warmth to your feet with mine.
But I am the heat from the fire place which is making your feet warm.

Now I may not be there to kiss the tiredness away from your eyes.
But I am the water which you splashed over your eyes.

Now I may not be there to make a sand castle in the beach with you.
But I am the soft earth on which you tread.

Now I may not be there to whistle and tickle your ears.
But I am the air that breezes past your lovely hair.

Now I may not be there to give you the space just enough to move within my arms.
But I am the space where you move around.

I love you.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

NASHA

When I was fifteen we became friends. My classmate introduced him to me. We used to meet in the evenings once in a month or so. I was proud to have him as a friend as he expanded my friends circle suddenly. I was I was relieved of my reservations whenever I was with him. I even formed friendship with old people . Some of them were so old that they were my father's acquaintances.


Steadily my neighbourhood knew about me. I married ar twentyfour. He was with me even just before my first night.
God blessed me with a kid.
Once I has a quarrel with my wife over an issue about him. I slapped her for the first time in my life as she questioned his integrity.
I told her that he has got even millionaire friends, there is no reason for him to ditch me.
Next whole day I was with him. I was feeling guilty to go back home.I was feeling inferior to others.
Life was going steady as my friendship with him grew.
I was lacking money. I was lacking the luck other friends had.
He shared my soul. He made me forget things.
My wife became independent. She was now not more than headache to me. I was not knowing even my son's grades, or mother's illness.
He made me forget all the worries, even the edema which started in my legs.
My parents my wife were worried about me. But in his company, I hated him. I started taking money from my wife for him, from my friends and then from my neighbours.
I needed more money, I needed more peace of mind. I asked my friend for peace.
He guided me there also. I felt it is better to be dead than unlucky. He gave me the rope to do it. He even made the noose with the rope for me.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

A Cup of Tea in rain

It was drizzling. I knew it was impossible to reach my work place next day to join on duty if I alighted from the train and I was having no idea where I will reach that night. Still I decided to see her. I was on the hope of having a decision taken after seeing her. Holding her hand back to my home if she agrees.
Within an hour or two I was in front of big boundary wall separating me from her. I felt myself to be very small in front of it. I rang her, she told she will come with a friend.
 I drenched in rain. After a while she ( her friend didn't turn up) came with an umbrella.
I requested her to have a tea with me.  I was not in a mood to have a tea but I wanted to spent some time with her. She refused. But I insisted. She seemed very busy. My case seemed to be very trivial to her.
Rain water was falling into the hot tea. I was not in a mood to have it. It seemed like a part of me is being separated from me without any mercy.
I was learning that it will be the last time seeing her, but I didn't tell her. She had her tea and congratulated me on my status change. She had no idea that something inside me was dying at that time and I was going to cry.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

CRUSH BUSTERS



If you have a crush on a girl and if the feel is beyond your control and if you want to get rid of it or to make it grow.....
Here are some tips.
  1. Usually people who are in crush tend to compare the person with a celebrity(If the object of the your crush is a celebrity then this tip can't save you), if possible have photos of both and compare.
  2. Talk to the girl on a common topic. Communication will either build or destroy a relationship. Check whether anybody is getting bored or not. You can know whether it is just a physical attraction or more than that.
  3. Think about the girl sharing the same dining table with your parents. Find if there will be any mismatch or not.
  4. Think about you being in her parents apartment.
  5. Try to build good relation with her siblings
  6. Try to know her,( her habits, likes/dislikes, hobbies, skills etc ).
  7. If you are still persisting on the case after doing all these steps I believe you love her.
  8. She will be there for you if she is meant for you after being close to her. So don't fear, go ahead.
Good Luck