The Messenger

Vincent,after having done with his end term exams at college, was all set to visit his Granny's place at Kathgodaam. He boarded the train & had the compartment up to the destined place.The train wasn't too much crowded & almost half of the compartments remained unoccupied.

He alighted on the seat & the train soon pulled out of the station.

He was half asleep when the Ticket checker nudged him.Vincent drawled "Whats it?"

"Ticket please" callously replied the TT. Vincent flaring resentment in his eyebrows, drew the ticket out of his wallet. The TT thoroughly inspected it.

"What an imbecile red-nosed fellow!" thought Vincent.

After handing him over the ticket, the TT left & Vincent relapsed into his seat with a magazine.

Soon, the dusk was overpowered by a dark murky night.It was around midnight when the train again slowed down for a screeching halt. Vincent rubbed sleep off his eyes to check what station that was. He opened the rusty window & peeped out where he could see a dimly-lit board on which it was written "ZAMANIA" . The station boasted a single tea-stall & a few stray dogs. The place showed no signs of passengers. Vincent sat back calmly & then he heard the sturdy footsteps that were becoming louder with each moment. A lean haggard man barged into his compartment. The man was tall in his early fifties ,bearing a pale face & dark smoldering impatient eyes.

The man sat & after sometime,he clenched a cigarette in between his lips & puffed little clouds of smoke. Vincent noticed an eerie equanimity in that man. The train again pulled out & changed it's rhythm.

Vincent spoke for the first time trying to break the ice "Uncle!Where's your journey up to?"

The man smiled & said "Just four stations after,I shall dislodge"

Vincent wandered what the man had been doing so late at night at such an awful place like "Zamania"

The man was peering at Vincent through his silver rimmed specs that made Vincent feel uncomfortable. He again made an attempt to break the smothering uneasiness & said "Uncle! Where's your baggage?"

The man mumbled "I don't have any, my child!"

"Why??" retorted Vincent.

The man sighed "I met an accident my dear. Fortunately,I stayed unhurt but all my luggage got crushed under a lorry.It was God's mercy that I had money to buy myself a ticket to my hometown."

"Oh! Good Lord,you are unhurt!" exclaimed Vincent's concerned voice.

The man again continued "Child,would you please do me a favor?"

Vincent said "What's it Uncle? If I can be of any help,I would try my best"

The man slid his slender hands into the chest pocket of his check shirt & pulled out a folded piece of paper . He unfolded it & said "Child,this is a cheque of 5000 Rs,I want you to give this to FATHER RYAN OF ST.JONES CATHEDRAL"

Vincent intervened "You mean ST.JONES CATHEDRAL AT KATHGODAAM?"

The man said "Exactly,my child!"

Vincent again questioned "But,how did you know that Kathgodaam is my destination?"

The man gave a weary smile "Just a wild guess!"

Vincent tried to hush up his curiosity with a broad grin.

The man continued "Father Ryan runs an orphanage & I want you to hand him over this petty donation on my behalf."

Vincent said "But,why do you want me to do this, even you can , can't you? "

The man sneered at Vincent & regained his calm "Child, I don't have money for Kathgodaam & I have some urgent work that shall keep me on my toes.Please don't let me down"

The man sprang to his feet & sat next to him "You are a good soul.I know, you won't let me down,will you?"

Vincent nodded a "YES" & suddenly the impatience in the man's molten eyes vanished.His pale face glistened. He handed over the cheque to him.

Vincent quizzed "But, whats your name Uncle? "

The man muttered "John Acosta" & fell silent.

Vincent woke up the next morning,he saw the watch & it was 7.He started collecting his things & the train drew closely into the Kathgodaam station.Vincent dislodged the train & suddenly he remembered that cheque & that man. "John Acosta must have dislodged when I was asleep" thought Vincent.

He hired an auto & went to St.Jones Cathedral.He walked across a cemetery, entered the church & came across a white robed man.

Vincent asked "Father Ryan?"

The man said "Yeah ,my son!"

Vincent pulled out the cheque from his wallet & handed it over to him.Father Ryan looked at it intently & asked "Who gave you this my child? "

Vincent replied "This is a donation for your orphanage by a man called John Acosta who gave me this last night & asked me to hand this over to you"

Father Ryan gaped & stuttered "W....WHO? J...JOHN ACOSTA?"

Vincent nodded "Is everything alright Father?"

Father Ryan's trembling voice said "He's DEAD! He died a few months back in a road accident!"

Hearing this, a chill went down Vincent's spine & he shuddered "You mean, I met the dead?"

Father Ryan said "May be son!"

Vincent retorted "But, why did he choose ME?"

Father Ryan held Vincent's cold & numb hands & said " Child! God has a purpose behind everything.You may be a good soul & hence John Acosta's choice for this noble cause. He wanted you to be his MESSENGER"

John Acosta's words "You are a good soul" reverberated in Vincent's ears & a long sepulchral silence engulfed the two of them.

I love.....

1.I love the pleasant smell of the earth when it rains after a dry spell.

2.I love to walk barefoot on the dew kissed grass.

3.I love seeing the sun rising from the horizon & the way it's rays set ablaze the tree tops....

4.I love seeing the sunset & the changing hues of the sky-reddish to purplish.

5.I love the chirping of birds & I love the rustle of the tress.

6. I love the rattle of the river.

7.I love the gentle caress of the breeze.

8.I love playing vinyl records on an old gramophone & intently listen to the rhapsody while sitting & relaxing on a rocking chair.

9.I love lounging around when the clouds thunder.

10. I love listening to "TAVA-SUPRABHATAM" by M.S Subbulakshmi during the wee hours of the morning.

11. I love listening to the peeling of the temple bells.

12.I love listening to the Azaan with rapt attention.

13. I love the tinkling of the anklets,bangles & other such trinkets.

14. I would love to ride a bullock cart through the bucolic pastures someday,intently listening to the jingling of the bells tied around the bullock necks.

15.I love Greenery.

16.I love making random strokes of a paint dipped brush on a parched paper.

17. I love viewing the snow-covered peaks.

18. I love fathoming the unfathomable vastness of the sea, the tumultuous waves that dash against the shores & die down in a jiffy.

19. I love walking along the weary lone roads.

20. I love a child's tender touch.

21.I love flowers

22.I still love running after the butterflies.

23. I love pampering a puppy or a kitten or a lamb.

24. I love smelling the concoctions when mother prepares a new dish in the kitchen.

25.I love a star-studded night with a shining full moon.

26.I love listening to the eloquent silence.....:)

:)

Things that remain unsaid....

J... an itinerant,roving animal who hates to socialize (quite evident from his once in a blue moon appearance on Orkut). He's a hog who just finds an excuse to fulminate me,who without any reluctance would use the worst pejorative terms for me (Orkut would have banned me ,had I mentioned any one of them:P)

[Now,this is gotta be a testimonial,haha:D *a devil smile*]

I met this guy when he was not even able to take care of his dripping nose ,I still remember ,how plaintively he used to cry on being punished. Now, that brat has grown up to be a HANDSOME,PRIVY,PRISTINE GENTLEMAN! He is my BHAI-JAAN. We've grown up together, we were together admonished & even brusied for our petty peccadillos,we stumbled together,we plummetted together & yes, we soared up together!

He is perspicacious,sagacious & a go-getter ....A nonpareil LEADER!

Unlike the rest of the guys of his age who are busy in ensnaring brainless damsels, J.....is mad about his 1 lady.....the lady who makes him breathe ! Great bretheren! :)

Well, HE is one among those few people in this world against who I can't stand a single word. I've this childish chauvinism for him! If I am petulantly whimpering about something, the ONLY person who can mollify me is J....!

I just wish him all the luck & I'll be there with you always (either as a mortal or as a phantom :D)

Love ya!:):)

P.S:- J.... one of my best friends, who often coaxed me to write him a "SUPER-DUPER" TESTIMONIAL on Orkut that could sky rocket his TRP :P, well,jokes apart, he was a sweetheart & certainly deserved to be praised!

Yeah, you spotted that "WAS " in my previous sentence.J....died on 7th January 2009 due to a liver disorder ..... I made a little delay & couldn't post this on time.I was waiting for the right time but then God ,perhaps, never wanted my true emotions to come out of the confinement! I seriously regret not posting this before..... I miss you so much dear! RIP

Mysticism at its best

Here I pen down the lines from a movie called "DELHI-6" that instill "Rumaaniyat" in me:-

"Zarre-zarre mein usi ka noor hain, jhaak khood mein woh na tujhse door hain..

Ishq hain usse toh sabse ishq kar,is ibaadat ka yahi dastoor hain..

Isme-usme aur usme hain wohi,yaar mera har taraf bharpoor hain!"

Whenever, I feel low, I just play it for hours on my Ipod. The triplet beautifully carves out the divinity of the "OMNIPRESENT" lord & add to it, Amitabh Bachchan's baritone that re-kindles the spirit of the mind.

Whenever, I listen to these lines, I feel so connected to the divine entity.It magically relieves my stress & bolsters my belief on Him.

"Ibaadat" (PRAYER) has an unusual ability to take the "SELF" to a higher level. However, here I would emphasize "Ibaadat should be restrained in the territories of your mind,it should not be done to impress others". We just pray for ourselves but the real bliss lies in praying for the well being of others.

Its not imperative that for "Ibaadat", one has to visit a Temple\Mosque\Church or a Gurudwara....Ibaadat can be done anywhere , even if you are stuck in a traffic-jam,you can very well summon God!

Further,I would add:-"Do good to others only if your heart asks you to do so" & try to be selfless while you are doing that.I am not asking you to donate humongous amounts of money to a charity. A small but a genuine endeavor to spread love would also do.....It can be anything! Trust me.....:)

MoThEr'S DaY Special!

A YEAR BEFORE

1. Her "constant vigil" irritates the hell out of me.

2.At times, I even feel that she hovers about my head & makes a constant endeavor to intrude into my privacy.

3.She surreptitiously enters my room when I am away & inspects every corner of it.

She unfailingly, confiscates my mobile phone if she finds me talking to someone suspicious.

4.She halves down my allowances to a meager 5oo bucks when she sees me spending exorbitantly.

5. She doesn't let me do my choice.She raises an eyebrow when she sees me wearing a "skin tight Tee".

6. She frowns every time when she sees my "jean" sliding down to my pelvic girdle.

7. She never lets me attend the "late night parties", raises a myriad questions if she finds me chatting with an "unknown" on the Internet.

8.I can affirmatively say that my mom is the "WORLD'S WORST COOK"

9.I hate muchly when my mom tries to act a "career counselor" to me.

10.I HATE HER THE MOST BECAUSE SHE IS MY BIGGEST ENEMY.

Now, is there any reason left that would make me joyously celebrate the much hyped "MOTHER'S DAY"?

A YEAR AFTER

Scene:-a whopping 500 miles away from home, i am seated.Struggling hard to earn my bread....

1.Now, that I am ill, the thing that I yearn for the most is my mom's tender care, her affectionate "kiss" on my forehead & that "bear hug " of hers & yes that SPICE-LESS YET PRICELESS CONVALESCENT FOOD.....

2.I so badly regret taking up a career that is so "misfit" for me....How I wish lending an ear to my mom's advices a year ago!

3. The "SKIN-TIGHT TEE & THE SLIDING JEANS" have made me face a very many "awkward situations"....

4.Now,I've learnt the minute difference between being "Generous" & being "Spendthrift" . I value money.

5. A drunk guy even tried to molest me in one of the so-called "late-night parties" .

6.On the eve of this Mom's day, I just want to say a "heart-felt" sorry to my mother. I shouted at her for the "peskiest" & the "pettiest" things.....I made her cry for innumerable times....& here I culminate with these few lines:-

The world is unhappy, a place

but Ma, it's in you circle of embrace,

where I can find solace!

Happy Mother's Day Mumma!:)

P.S:-The "I" is not me!:D

Bela......

An excruciating day, that it was! I couldn't take it anymore & decided to while away in my University Campus.That was one of the days when I wanted to be with myself....with no one encroaching upon my solitude....completely lonesome,far away from the maddening crowd.

I wondered here & there completely occupied with my own thoughts when suddenly a girl not more than seven spotted me & ran towards me for alms...."Didi,kuch paise de do!".

I paused & perturbed by her repetitive requests , I raucously asked her to go away. The girl silently went away with a crestfallen face & I walked on & on until I reached my home.....

Throughout that night,the seven year old girl came into my mind.I wondered "I shouldn't have been rude to her ,I should have given her something".

The next day when I went to the University,I spotted the girl again.Reluctant she was,to come to me & ask for alms since the previous day i had shooed her away.I called her, hesitantly she came & I gave her a five rupee coin. She gave me a dazzling smile & went away.

After finishing my college chores,I decided to take a round of the University campus because it relieved me from my inner angst,sedated the turmoil that I was going through.I went to a park nearby & sat on an old wrought iron bench. I could feel the loneliness that was tormenting me when again I saw the 7 year old girl running behind a cute little puppy that was frisking around.Seeing me,she at once came to me & again bedazzled me with her warm smile & before she could utter a word, I politely interrupted..."Bacche,abhi mere paas kuch bhi nahi hain!" Her smile turned into a broad grin & she sat on the bench by my side.

I asked her, her name & she vehemently replied "Bela...." .That was for the first time ,I could have a complete glimpse of hers,from head to toe.She was a thin undernourished kid,all draped in an off-white tarnished frock.Her hair braided in two plots,tied neatly with a cute red ribbon & her toe nails painted pink. She was all engrossed with the stray pup & she smiled all along......

The girl had"something" in her that was too poignant to stay unnoticed.

I asked her about her family & she said that she had 5 sisters & a baby brother.She further added (& in her voice, a subtle numbness was palpable) that her father goes to a toddy shop nearby & in a drunken state beats his wife.She told that her mother washes utensils in the neighboring houses & often coughs blood.....

I was moved by her dire state & even more addled to see the way she always smiles ,even after being wrecked by the destiny.May be Bela was too small to understand the intricacies of life or may be she was way too mature !

She then added that neither she nor her sisters have ever been to a school.When I asked her if she wanted to study,pat came her reply "Haan, didi, main parhna chahti hoon!"

Saying these, she ran after the pup & I was deeply awestruck.

The following days,i continued to go to the park & always expected Bela's presence.Seeing me,Bela would gleefully come to me without any expectation of alms . I would merrily pull her cheeks & give her a candy. Once she said "Didi, aap bahot acche ho!" & hearing this I gave her an unsettling peck on her cheeks.

I told Bela that I would teach her & hearing this ,her happiness knew no bounds.Contented my soul was,since I made an endeavor to bring a small but a significant change in Bela's life but destiny had something else en- stored for me.....

"Your grandpa has passed away" said the shaky voice. I hung up the phone & I succumbed to a state of overwhelming distress. On the very next day,I had to catch up the train to my Grandpa's house.

In this situation of utter confusion & distress,I had completely forgotten about Bela but when I was going to the railway station,i asked the autowaalaah to take me to the same old park. Fortunately, I saw Bela, called her & said "Listen, Bela! I have to go out of station.My Grandpa is no more.I will come back after some days & then shall start your lessons"

Hearing this, a teary-eyed Bela said "Didi!Aap jaldi aana" & I hugged her......

I spent almost a month at my grandpa's place.I was so attached to him that I could never (not even in my wildest imaginations) imagine that he would part-away from me.I regretted not being with him during the last days of his life.

After a month,when I came back to my city,I tried to get back to normalcy.I said to myself " Life is a series of strange qualities.It has nothing constant except for the fact that it just moves on."

Bela came across my mind & so did my promise that I had made to her......the promise that I would educate her......I bought new note-books & pencils for Bela & went to the park.

I ransacked every nook & corner but couldn't find Bela anywhere.I wondered if she had left the place.I asked the kiosk owners & the street vendors about Bela but in vain.I asked the street kids about Bela's whereabouts & they pointed at a thatched,dilapidated hut,validating it as "Bela ka ghar".

I went inside & there I spotted a malnourished girl may be a little older than Bela & asked her "Bela,yahi rehti hain?" She nodded & called her "Amma". Her stick-thin mother came from inside & in her hoarse voice asked me "Kya Hain?"

I joined my hands & said "Namaste! Bela kaha hain?" & no sooner did she hear this than she thumped on the floor & started bowling "Bela, marr gayi!" ["Bela is no more"] .

I could not believe my ears & was taken aback. I couldn't imagine a young frolicking girl lying in eternal sleep! She went on saying that 15 days earlier ,Bela's father had brutally beaten her for a minor fault & he kept her outside the hut for the whole night.That night,it had been raining cats & dogs & all through the night,Bela cried incessantly & completely drenched,she caught cold & shivered to death.

Calming down after a while, she asked a shocked me "Aap kaun ho?" Anguished with not even a single word coming out of my mouth , I blurted....."Err....m....main Bela kk.....ki didi"....

The girl who was standing by her amma's side ,on hearing this went inside & brought a slate on which it was boldly written "DIDI" (in Hindi) ....She handed over the slate to me & said "Bela had learnt to write this & she was so excited to show it to you"

I flustered & gazed at the slate for a moment.Tears rolled down my cheeks like an unbroken stream......I took the slate & walked back into the pensive lanes of my life!