Thumbs Down to the Evil Power

Death is a reality and dark one too,it scares every living soul. I am no exception; rather it is waiting to die is more horrible than the death. Fate is;one thing, which I forced to believe. While passing through the different paths of my life often a sharp turn came, some of those were horrible experiences and painful, but some were very pleasant one. Nothing planned, like a great actor standing on the stage acted spontaneously and played in the hand of the fate like a small child. Therefore, how I am going to die it is the big question. Yes! Not dieing, but how I am going to die, is a spine-chilling query that always made me uncomfortable.

Everyone born with certain qualities, good qualities are worth but it is always difficult to assess ones bad qualities and kicked it up for good. If everyone could do that then the world would have been different place to live around. If you got a beautiful brain gifted by God, worth sharpening, you are very lucky, at the same time you cannot be proud of it because it is gifted or inherited, what you can really feel proud of is that how you used it. I really appreciate and admire those who really tried and use their most precious little thing presented by God.

In current situation there are no taker of my appreciation, mainly there are so many lunatic crawling around us. Some of these madcap doing what they can do best. Bombing at Punes German Bakery on 13/02/2010 is what I am talking about. Few bright and energetic young people lost their life. Four of them from Kolkata itself, Shilpa Goenka, Rajeev Agarwal, Ankik and Anandi Dhar the brother and sister duo. Nevertheless, a victim is a victim; they do not come with a stamp, visa or passport. Death of sixteen young and beautiful mind. It pained me a lot. Our politician less bothered, except few customary visits and shameless interviews. Then you have great Thakres, sitting behind the Z-category security always playing their Amchi Mumbai card with baseless non issues and always a big chunk of police force wasted for nothing, only common man just fall prey of these faceless harebrained. How these families coped with it? How their life will be after these? It is certain that one day these lunatic also will get their own medicine, here I like to refer to the fate of killers of brave Neerja Bhanot .

A bright student, an IIT grad, a young commando not a just another one, they are very precious. It take lots of hardworking, dedication and honesty to achieve that. Of course, in death, anybody cannot be different from other but after achieving so much a young person dieing like this, why?

I was dumbfounded; nothing was in my hand, except a few drop of tear, a heartfelt pray and thought. In the same time, they were too young to think about dieing, they never waited for death, they died instantly. So, instant death what I am looking for, I am not sure. God, my only request to you-

!!!Spare these young and beautiful mind, if you cannot then please do not show them the light of these world.!!!

Awaken and walked to the spirituality with my little friend who stayed with me decades.

It is no more a secret that I was born in a very orthodox family and it was very difficult for me to shake out whatever I got in the beginning or what I inherited. During my life in Mumbai specially early part, I was very much involved with Christianity and I was always finding myself visiting different churches of  Mumbai. I often fitted there more than any die-hard Christians does.

While living in Middle East I was having many Muslim friends. Both the communities are drifted pole apart mainly due to partition and ugly scenario aftermath, and definitely, it will remain same in the context of latest happening in our country. However, it is true that I was having a few good friends out there. Even they were educated, God they were very orthodox. What about me? I was scared to eat any kind of meat at those friends house always thinking they may serve me beef or pork, so an orthodox Hindu always remains in me. Of course, one day I stopped eating all kinds of meat, not because I was an orthodox upbringing but because while eating meat I found myself some sort of uncivilized one. Sorry, who are eating, not meant to hurt them. While studying computer we often used to visit Haji Ali Dargah, it was really gave me nice feeling but cannot explain the cause.

Then I met a wonderful Sikh family, I was much close to the family, specially the daughter who was a friend of mine, now staying in Australia and her Sis-in-Law and no need to mention during that period I visited the Gurdwara regularly with them. I really liked the atmosphere and which prompted me to visit Golden Temple later.

Another community I liked to mention, very soft spoken and I was privilege to have a few friend among them too, yes, I am talking about Parses. Peoples from other communities never allowed to their holy place, I mean fire temple, so I cannot tell more about that.

Then a unique transition period came to my life. I finally settled in Mumbai, one day I realized that there were no God in me. I was not visiting any kind places that belongs to the any religious belief. During this time, things were very different for me, one day when I was waiting for someone near Matunga station, a known face smiled at me and asked

- Hi, going to temple?

There was small Ganesh Temple near by, but I was very irritated by her query and feeling as if she insulted me, shot back

- Why should I go to temple?

Then realized that she just asked a harmless question, instantly tried to repair the wrongdoing and replied with a smile

- Sorry, I am waiting for someone.

Therefore, every part of me including my soul was free from all kind of religion. In early nineties I moved to Dombivli, my friend from Vikhroli told me that moving to a new place, so I should perform a little puja. I told her if she feels that way then I do not mind. She found a priest and we performed a small puja. The priest left behind a small Ganesh idol and told me to find a proper place for the idol, I found one. Strangely, thereafter a unique feeling started creeping in me, as if somebody always watching me and slowly steadily I got back the belief I lost but it was not religion or religious belief, it was spirituality and again I was visiting different religious places without much religious belief, only thinking God exists and always with me.

During those uncertain time when I visited my home, always narrated how I enjoyed my visit to the churches, my people was very scared thinking that I may converted to Christianity, and one day asked me

- are you converted?

I was surprised, said – Converted? What converted?

The moment I think about converting, I may be giving myself to the orthodox belief of religion and by converting to other religion, I would have been more Hindu than before. All those temples may be luring me more.

Today I understand it is a spirituality, and not religion that you need, it gives you total peace. I had born with stamp, because I was not having any choice but try to die without any.

!!! I decided to donate my body after life, so when my ends come, it will be without any religious stamp!!!

Want a Supari? I Got One from Government.

Before I can proceed, I want to clarify about the word Supari. There are two types of Supari, one is a type of nuts, chewed with or without betel leaves for nothing and in result you will get a few problem, exact problem I also do not know, it is very funny because all addictions ends there only. Other Supari is more interesting one, it is money given to the contract killer to get rid of the thorn. This thorny affair is having lots of flesh and blood in it too. Yes, I am talking about the last one only.

Passion for two-wheeler: When I am all eleven, I decided to learn cycling and all by myself. My father’s cycle was the one available for me, which was huge and heavy. In Jammy, we were having a narrow road just behind our quarters directly goes to the Kharkai River. I used to take the cycle there and tried hard to get hold of it, it was no less than a wild horse. Most of the days, I used to return with deep gush on my elbows, knees, toes, even on forehead and spare me from disclosing anything aftermath. Most of the days have to run to the small hospital near the house meant for the Tata Employees, to get a bandage. However, after a while the cycle felt bad, most probably looking at my injuries and my blood donation ability, finally one day I succeed. Even not able to mount on the top but at least putting two feet across to the both paddle while resting my hand on the seat, we call it scissor. Apart from a cycle, those days we hardly could think about other vehicle, but I used to envy my P.T. teacher because she was having a Luna.

A branded middle class and living in Mumbai means you are always travelling by BEST buses and mostly by famous Mumbai locals. Later one played a very significant role in my life. Never mind those ugly moment while getting in, those pushing, hurting, foot stamping, fights but also having a big positive sides too, the nostalgic get-together and the gossip timing with friends from all sizes, shapes and all communities. While staying in I.I.T, often I used to hire a cycle and zoom around the campus.

During holidays whenever I visited Jammy tried my hand on my niece’s two-wheeler and when back to Kolkata decided to buy one. After lots of thinking, finally decided against it, that also for one thing only, the moment I get the machine I am not going walk anymore, so I decided to drop the idea. This was one of my wish list, which was achievable, affordable but still not permissible.

During my eight years in aboard always having different car for our travelling purpose, you name it – Merc, Volvo, all those Japanese cars, Land Rover, Hammers and of course car made by General motors. However, cannot forget the two doors Honda, it was my dream car. I am always a huge car buff and always keeping track with new machines around, but never dreamt to have a one. My brother is having a one, so one day I decided to learn driving, joined a motor training class, the fellow used to pick me up from home around 5.30a.m. After I finished with my training, my trainer informed me that to collect my license I have to appear for a test and also told me that it is just a routine job still I was damn nervous. After waiting outside Motor Vehicle Office somewhere in Alipore, Kolkata, a man came up to me with a file in hand and asked ‘What is the stop sign?’ I showed him the sign and he was gone. That was my driving test in Kolkata for the license. You believe me or not, yes that was the test for me and all aspirant drivers who wanted a driving license. So Kill Bill, sorry I am not in competition with Uma Thurman or Quentin Tarantino, I rather say

!!!OOPs, I got a License to Kill at will, that too from Government.!!!

Battered, Bruised Badly but Still Strong, Most Lovable and Raring To Go

Nothing gets bigger than these two things, mother and motherland. We just done with our sixtieth Republic Day celebration and that mean since Sixty years we are enjoying and living as a democratic person. Most people do not know meaning of democracy. I learned it very hard way and lucky still surviving. When I was in Middle East, first time I came to know how free we are when we express our thoughts. Many countries of the world where you just have to eat, sleep and pray in the name of the ruler and if you said a thing against them, you may be lying six feet under. While living some of those cities in the Middle East, one of that was Baghdad and other Jeddah too, we were living like total what can be describe as dumb dumb, never allowed to express your feeling and forced to strangle your religious belief and spirituality whatever was there. We lost all our freedom to express ourselves while living such places and only for sake of money, a bitter truth.

When India decided to go democratic way, that eventual day happened long before I was born. The day 26th January 1948 was indeed a historic one, agreed by all and so-called NRI’s too, specially those who accidentally found themselves in a non-democratic land and most probably learned same way as I did. All joy of democracy may be bit soured by the fact that  pioneer of India’s independent Mahatma Gandhi was no more that time, he was killed within six months after we finally got rid of the British rule. Today I look upon Gandhiji from little different perspective but still not very much agreed to his non-violent movement. Up to certain extent, I also can carry the baggage of non-violence but when pushed to the edges, it is time to flex my muscle too. Why not? I am no saint.

Like last year this year also, I visited the army campus in Fort William Kolkata. Spend a quality time with the Army personnel, got loads of knowledge about their life, modern artilleries and different kind of machinery they are using. I also surprised them with my knowledge specially in the field of networking devices.

Once, one of my friend told me ‘Look at the Indian map, it is very unique, it look like always ready to hug me’. Yes, it is always ready to hug you and it is time for you to stop complaining about Government and stop drawing a balance sheet all the time about what you got form Government, it is not between you and the Government it is between you and the country. Try to do something or anything; it is worth, just do it. It is a unique country with very rich culture curry. Battered by the neighbours, so called insider and traitor, bruised badly, still it is my country and that too largest democratic country of the world. India! Proud of you.

!!! Who said sixteen is sweet, sixty is sweeter. !!!