The Gallery Seater

Holy cow! The IPL  is in full swing. What a time when exams are over. No one hovering over or pestering to get back to books .Most of the  bosses having lost an opportunity  to glare and  breathe down necks during the day.

As per schedule the fields are  ready with kings, super kings, elevens, challengers, riders, warriors, chargers , tuskers, devils etc in the  fray  for the coveted championship. Off the field the  gallery/VIP/box/TV viewers are all geared up,  well armed with placards,  face masks, colored wigs to  share the enthusiasm while the batsman  is lunging the ball with force to hit a four or a six, or the bowler, taking wickets  or the fielder  fielding well in his domain. It is nothing unusual of course.  Time  passes with a lot of off field discussions by viewers, cricket lovers and others.

I also don’t  miss a chance to comment or clap a hand. O he missed that shot, how sad he dropped a catch, the bowling was superb, blah, blah it goes on endlessly.

My little daughter in height just looks up and stares at me as she finds it absurd that I am watching a live cricket match. She is ignorant that I love limited over’s match. Well how would she because I never betrayed a trace of emotion for the game these many years. Very natural for her to think I had gone bonkers.

She started watching me from the corner of her eyes as if everything was not okay.

 But I continued being myself. If one is at the stadium the enthusiasm is infectious, whereas at home it is a live match in the living room on the sofa. The potato chips and snacks are steadily gorged upon while a match is in progress.

As an afterthought after all the excitement died and while I lay in bed, I thought how stupid I was! Arre ‘what difference did my clapping or comment make to the batsman, bowler or fielder. No difference at all. I am  sitting here 100’s of miles away and  neither the batsman nor the bowler nor fielder know me .Here I am in full  throttle, cheering .

Whereas each of the players on the field was waiting for the crucial moment to act. It was this which  would make a difference to the game.

Eureka, I sat up and realized that action is what counts in every sphere of our life. Comments, gossips  etc do not add any value at all. The moment inertia is sidelined and action starts there is momentum and value addition begins because  by standards hard work  has begun.

Dhoni ,Gilchrist,Gayle and all the players caused action and effect while I remained the Gallery seater.

I mused, I will continue  to remain the gallery seater without action and value addition unless I decide otherwise.

For a change I will switch sides to bring the action and excitement in because I am the maker of my destiny.

O My GOD!

PUC results out .

O My God!  OMG! what happened to the pretty young things and  cool dudes whizzing past on bikes or  spending time  digging into burgers at KFC or slowly sipping the Barista coffee  or frequenting the Coffee Day with sling bags thrown across shoulders  sporting  trendy dresses or sitting at malls  enjoying themselves or  seeing movies when ideally they should be in class rooms for getting some stuff into their heads.The latest cellphone  with hands free plugs  as if on 24 hour combat will put  any one to shame for not owning one.The coochicoo and noyaas and constant jabbering mundane somethings in hushed whispers all seemed comic.

The bhenjis and the lehenga wallis   took the limelight while the urban  somethings chilled and relaxed splurging  the not earned money to remain cool.There are exceptions to the urban  crowd whereas the majority   foolishly thought to be in  teens and adolescence meant  anything and everything is acceptable from shirking responsibilities and duties to whipping out knives.

The colleges  made rules but the Dudes and PYTs craftily maneuvered to remain within the frame for  cutoff rules. Mind you all within the college time framework . Whichever parent thought what went behind the excellent time framework. The truth comes out when the results are out.

 O My GOD! what happened I studied so well since the previous night whatever could have happened. The parents and the kids wring their their hands O My GOD!

 I for one am very proud that  kids  are working hard to change  life and that of their families who are not from  privileged background .They enjoy life in their struggle while those haves are struggling to keep themselves afloat.

O My GOD! WHAT A RESULT!

The Caretaker

It was a landlocked place with few inhabitants and a few work in progress construction going on.The silence was very comforting except for the occasional express trains speeding by.Standing at the doorway  I could see the caretakers a husband and wife duo  taking sand bags on their heads to the second floor of  the building in progress. Their only child aged two was happily playing in the nearby sand heap and also assisting by shoveling some sand into a sack and lugging whatever his tiny shoulders could withstand, lending support to his caretakers.

The child hummed along .I heard no complaints of not having good toys or  biscuits or Kentucky Fried Chicken or the Cornerhouse Ice Cream.It sounded rather strange.Perhaps not subjected to  enough exposure. As soon as the time neared  for end of a  day's work they quickly freshened  and left for the day. I felt strangely happy  at how the three of them supplemented each other.

Through the windowsill I became  a daily witness to the caretaker and a young inmate of the nearby bungalow.Perhaps for paucity of funds or perhaps the exorbitant fees for  a maid, the caretaker doubled as a domestic help. These services of the caretaker remain unpaid and is not accounted in our national Income.

Yet we find without fail sons and daughters  oozing  oodles of love on mother's day and father's day.

It was a routine, by 10 or 11 each day the young inmate woke up,quickly freshened as if to catch the express train and quickly slung a bag as if  leaving for making better prospects in great haste and returned each evening  in a great rush as if something was misplaced.

It amused  the onlooker because  no value was added anywhere except in  fantasy.This was a daily affair.  Conversations were few and far between. Sometimes just to ask  for the  insipid menu to decide whether it is worthwhile eating. This has been a routine for quite sometime.The onlooker wondered at what was their role in life .It was just pushing each day to the next, no aim at all in life.

One day a singing  bard came to this landlocked place. All the inhabitants came out to listen.Few listened and  and were amused as he rendered it so  flawlessly simple the narration  of his  role as a caretaker in the family.

The young said it was "bull shit' while the old wiped their tears  as it was the same  untold story  in their homes being a daily witness to it.

Creation of Happiness

For quite sometime I have been wanting  to say this.I have come across  many people doing wonderfully well in life because of their singular devotion in doing it. This singular devotion comes from understanding self and the surroundings in its total reality.

Take for example Rani who comes from not a very well to do family. She appreciated her home  and people for supporting her and as soon as she could lay her hands on a job she settled for one. She took over the reins from then on. She saved  a little as it was her right, she looked after her family as it was her duty she  tutored her siblings with hope of creating a face lift to her home. She was positive  in her outlook and she  attracted all the good  surrounding her to  encourage in her upward growth. Her world changed and so also the home. There was happiness and cheer all around.The home knew  the dependence was short lived  as soon a nest would be made elsewhere. That  was not a problem at all. There was happiness all around .The motion of happiness was triggered. This motion became  infectious and it continues.It follows a simple truth of life that happiness has to be created.

In doubt? Take a look at Bindu who also comes from a similar family. She took up a job. She was never satisfied always on a roll of changing jobs..She understood very little of herself and her surroundings.She had no idea about the art of appreciation or respect for the people around her.In pursuit of her  wants she  forgot her roots ,what is happiness and the meaning of happiness to people around.Always in a constant state of unrest and anger. She attracted  a lot of negative forces around her because no one thought good about her.This negativity outweighed the good thoughts  and became a cause for not growing and towards dooms day. The  days turned into months and months to years and the family also deteriorated with only unhappiness and debts  around. The simple truth of life did not work here as selfishness prevailed.

In doubt?? let us once again take a look at Seema  who also hailed from a similar background. As usual after degree took up a job. The moment  chikkadis  touched  she  became a totally transformed person.She thought the world about her. She did not want any one any more.She thought she was cool in her attitude and outlook, spent lavishly and partied hard and the home remained a house without growth. The siblings found it hard to digest of the change in her.There was general unpleasantness around which increased by the day.Her income outmatched her lifestyle and was soon in debts.She felt herself alone and miserable. She attracted a lot of negativity and started realizing. She quickly mended her ways. She arrested her debts and from then on  curtailed her lavishness, looked after her family and siblings . There was an improvement in situation, happiness started trickling in  slowly at first then it became a routine. Her debts were cleared by her as she felt genuinely sorry for being a cad.There was happiness all around .The motion of happiness was triggered. This motion became  infectious and it continues.It follows a simple truth of life that happiness has to be created. The family started growing and  Seema and her siblings changed the outlook of their home.Hard to believe?? Yet it remains the truth.

Be it Rani, Seema or Bindu ,Rahul or Joe . Each one is entitled to have a  different outlook about life . However ,each  is responsible for changing situations and spreading sunshine around.

Similarly it is in our hands to attract  positivity and negativity.Selfishness,deceit have no place at all. With love, understanding, spreading sunshine we have the greater power of attracting the good things of life.

To get happiness we have to be in tune with self, family and surroundings.Being at peace involves being at peace with self and family first and then others.

Remember to climb a ladder you have to first step on the first rung. The first rung invariably is self and family.This creates the ripple effect of happiness.

Now do you agree happiness is creation.

A surprise on turning 56

It was past midnight  when  the little one comes and whispers a Happy birthday and the phone rings and a birthday wish from overseas. indeed a nice way to start a day.

 A friend sends a message  and many new new friends  follow suit.

A day not different for me from my regular one. I  happen to go to my brothers place as his vehicle was with me as mine went for servicing .In the stop gap arrangement i wait till he finishes his chores and take a trip to my mom;s place. Yo! la she is making  payasam for me. Something out of the blue. I savoured every moment and evening kids arranged for a cake cutting and  dinner  with the family at Tamarind.

Now this is what is called Birthday bash of binding ties and relationshisp.
This is about being grateful  for all the things in life.