Chicken Curry....:)

I recently took a small idol of Sai Baba with me to my office in order to create the presence of some tangible God on my desk. I had just placed the idol on my desk and was about to start my day when i heard the voice of my colleague who had recently joined my company:

“Tum Sai Baba ko maante ho kya?”

“Haan!!!” I thought a bit and replied, not in a mood to answer his silly questions.

“Phir to Sai mandir jaate hoge Tuesday ko?” he inquisitively asked.

“Nahin!! Bhai leke aaya tha Shirdi se, so I thought of bringing it to office.” I wanted to wrap the topic then and there.

“Ghar ja rahe ho?” he again asked me.

“Nahin yaar, parents ne kisi ka naam liya hua hai, aur woh satsang pe jaa rahe hain”, I told him.

“Phir to tum non-veg nahi khaate hoge?”

“Nahin!!! Char saal pehle chod diya.”

“Phir to peete bhi nahi hoge?”

“Kyon??? Sab peeta hu.”, I said with a smile, remembering my old golden days in college.

“Phir non-veg kyon chod diya?” he asked reciprocating to my smile.

“Bas aise hi”, I tried to give him the most truthful explanation.

“Girl friend ne bola hoga ya naam liya hua hai is liye?”

“Abe naam maine nahi liya hua, parents ne liya hua hai aur isme girl friend kahan se aa gayi? I left it because I don’t like the shit smell of those birds as I had had a bad experience a few years ago. Kaam kar lein ab thoda sa?” I finally ended the question and answer round with my first question itself.

I used to be very fond of butter-chicken in my college days so when I decided to switch to vegetarian status, I had to face all kinds of silly questions from my friends and colleagues. At that time, in order to support my decision, I gave the same rational explanation as above to my friends, but still there were a few friends who argued that there were some more genuine reasons that I did not want to reveal. Since then, every new place I have been to or every new person I have met, this question has followed me.

The thought that bothers me is that why people always expect highly meaningful answers to their questions. Why can’t they understand that some questions do not have perfect or highly rational answers or no answers at all? If you look closely, most of us are always busy in making our answers look rational. In case, we do not get a rational answer to a question, we switch to other means like astrology, superstitions, etc. to make the answer sound rational.

I came on this planet on 19th March, 1981. I am not sure of the exact time, but as my bearers say, it was somewhere between 6-6.30 am and being a good son (as I have always been one according to some very close family members), I have humbly accepted it. I have myself been to a few astrologers during these years and have listened to how they innocently coerced my parents to reach to a rational conclusion about any esoteric thing seemingly beyond my parents’ comprehension. The only rational answer that I have got is that it somewhat relieves them of their tensions which in turn relieves me of their tension, and being a good son, I have humbly accepted this ritual. Moreover, i have also learnt that in case you do not wish to give a rational answer to some question, just bring in astrology or some other esoteric thing to make it sound rational. Sometimes, it really saves you from more silly questions. :)

However, after more than 27 years of my existence and after adding a few inseparable aliases to my identity (I still thank my college buddies for that), I am still wondering what time has to do with a person’s birth? What if I had been born before 6 am or after 6.30 am, would I have been a different human altogether or at least more human than I am now? This simple thought again gives rise to a full spate of questions which have been bothering me for a long time now and I have not been able to find a rational answer to them:

1) What exactly is the definition of this word called “human”?

2) What was the aim he (whoever he was) had in his mind while creating humans? And what did he actually want the so called humans to do??

3) Why are some humans born in an affluent family while other poor souls have to struggle to make both ends meet? Who the hell actually decides whom to send where??

…..and some seemingly answerable ones:

4) Why do different humans think in so many different ways when dealing with the same problem within the same set of circumstances??

5) What makes some so called humans to fall to the lowest level of human psyche (if there exists one)??

6) What actually motivates people to do what they do?? (the most tricky one)

….and the list is endless.

I know, when asked about the answers to the above silly questions, God will definitely say," Bas aise hi!!!" :)

PS: TodayI went to lunch with that colleague of mine. I asked him if egg-bhurji would be fine with him to which he candidly replied, “Tuesday to kal hai, aaj to kha hi sakte hain.” Through this post, I want to tell that colleague of mine (though i know he is not going to visit my blog) that I can eat eggs and can take drinks on any day because I have not been able to find a rational answer to the question: “Why I should not?” and i don't even wish to find one. This reminds me of my favourite dialogue that I used to say in college whenever anyone used to raise an objection: “Shivji bhi to bhang peete hain.” I think this is a more rational answer and am sure my colleague will humbly accept it too. :)

The Flight of the Phoenix

Today is a great day in his life. All his dreams lay achieved in front of him, but still a deep melancholy has surrounded him...

"This is my only aim", he used to say, "and one day i will definitely achieve it." The day has come. He has risen to the highest echelons but something, that unknown something, is still missing inside him. He is not feeling even a bit elated. What's wrong with him???

A sudden thought appears from nowhere: "It wasn't my real aim. How can it be?" A drop of tear rolls down. The catharsis has set him free from all illusions.

He looks into the sky. He knows he will again have to go on a flight in search of his true aim.

The Flight of the Phoenix has started. A sudden thought appears from nowhere: "Tomorrow is going to be a great day of my life."

Sanguine Waters...

Water has got some very peculiar characteristics; it is odorless, tasteless, formless, colorless, and above all, selfless.

Being a Piscean, I have some unknown, deep attachment with water; in spite of its chemical nature. This does not mean that I have developed some sort of love for chemistry. Naaaahhhh!!!! I still hate chemistry because of those long chemical reactions which we were made to cram in college and surprisingly water used to be the by-product of almost every chemical reaction, shamelessly aggrandizing its involvement. Nevertheless, I am still more than 100% sure that this poor compound must have been forced into various reactions because of the bawdy actions of other not-so-poor compounds. And as the Newton’s third law (when twisted a bit) says “For every reaction there is an equal and opposite action”, I am eagerly waiting for this poor soul to spring into action. Come on man…it’s your turn now to show the world that you are not just a by-product!!!!

Jokes apart, I really love water, not because of its various peculiar characteristics but because of its sanguine nature. You put it into anything or you put anything into it, this water will not say a word but will adjust itself accordingly, giving you the desired result. It is this optimistic nature that has made water the most sought after thing on this planet. Some even say that the Third World War, if it happens, would be not because of any other reason but water.

Now, coming to the main point, just compare water’s nature with human nature. You will find that most humans are just like those not-so-poor compounds that I mentioned earlier: arrogant, rigid, making others a scapegoat of their actions, abusive, etc. etc. They are the least sanguine creatures on this earth, who instead of believing in themselves; believe more in what others think and say about them. So, unlike water, these humans (including me) have become colorful, wearing many colorful masks, trying to protect their original identity from themselves.

I know we can’t change ourselves, after all, who would like to act as a by product. Moreover, “Sanguine waters always run deep” and we humans were never born to act or think deep.

Ellipses . . .

Hey!! Wait!! I am not refering to some ISI-Al Qaida nexus here and nor do i have any intention of providing my expert comments on the recent solar eclipse but . . .

God!! I feel i have become obsessed with it; it has even followed me here to my blog. I know, this "three-dot thing" is not going to leave me so easily; infact i feel, one day it may even make me change my name to Munish . . . Mittal :). I don't remember when it started, but currently i am using "Ellipses" in my all means of communication with this world : emails, smses, poems, thoughts, gestures, and now blog, too. Being a laconic person, i derive a lot of satifaction whenever i get a chance to use an "Ellipsis" because it really gives me a lot of freedom to make myself sound sure of some esoteric thing, or to pretend like saying something when i don't wish to say anything, or to keep others guessing when i know those others are not going to get a word of what i wish to say. But, again, who the hell cares for . . .

Coming back to that 'three-dot thing." These small three dots have a lot in common but are very different from one another, just like human beings:

The first dot represents a person who is highly materialistic, has no values, or no concern for others' feelings. He remains at the start, highly attached with his wordly desires, dying every day to make a living.

The third dot represents a person who has found himself, has become aware of the fact that God is inside and not outside, and has reached Nirvana. This kind of person is difficult, but not impossible, to find.

The second dot represents the category which includes some idiots (include me here) who are always oscillating between the other two dots. They know they have an aim in life but don't know what that aim is. So these poor souls are always . . . from first dot to the third dot.

God!! I think i used it again. I am sure (thank God) i am still oscillating and thinking if i will ever be able to reach the third dot in this lifetime or . . .

I think i must wait for the third dot to trace its path back to the second one; that would be a better option. Amen!!!