TIDE OF TIME

They say change is the only constant. Indeed we as a race have learnt to take it in our stride. Change is inseparable from our activities and over time we accept it, whether consciously or subconsciously. The idea that time heals all wounds is but based on this ability of people to adopt to change in their lives.

Nature itself presents change to us every few months in the form of evolving seasons- from the radiant brightness, to the grey moistness to the crimson hue and finally the serene whiteness. And we being creatures of habit adapt to this constant change. How oxymoronic is that?

Think of Darwin and his theory of evolution survival of the fittest and all of that. The most supreme species is that which can acclimatize to its surroundings and adapt to survive. And adapt is what we do whenever change presents itself whether easy or tough, whether desirable or hateful!

But every once in a while, a change comes along which seems devastating to even perceive. The very thought of it disturbs the peace of mind that we are always seeking to maintain.  And that is the true test of our perseverance and will power learning to accept the painful inevitable. Once you imbibe the actual change it may not be as bad as imagined. Yet managing to reach that stage of acceptance is a battle in its own right. A battle of the desire to feel secure and happy  with the need to evolve and grow. A battle of what is effortless and painless with what is hurtful and necessary. In short a battle of the quiet determination of the mind with the persistent denial of the heart! And emerging victorious is not easy but what is even more heartbreaking is that it is not an option!

THE GREAT DIVIDE

I watched closely, as an infant stepped into this world.  It fluttered its tiny blue eyes and greeted the world with a euphoric smile. Before it could properly adjust itself to this newness, the world had already planned its fate. Little did it know that although it had all the features resembling other newborns, it would be divided on many other grounds. I then pondered upon a simple thought. When we as humans do not have the power to choose the wombs we are born into, then how can we divide each other on the basis of it? To simply put, our religion or our identity is given to us by chance not choice.

In India, this divide is not limited only to religions. Even within religions the divide continues. For instance, Hinduism consists of four fundamental castes or classes, the Brahmana, the Kshatriya, the Vaishya, and the Shudra. The Shudras are considered to be most inferior and the Brahmanas enjoy superiority among all the classes. Further, this kind of classification is again not restricted only to Hinduism. If we look at other religions too, it will be apparent how mere interpretation of  holy texts and historic events leads to a formation of a completely different class within a religion. Is this classification needed in a society? In a multi-cultural and diverse society as ours, where each region may be considered as a separate country, this great divide creates complexities and has in many instances lead to loss of innocent lives due to riots. When a marriage is arranged in India, the first basic question generally asked is whether the bride or the bridegroom is from the same caste and religion. I wondered then, where is the question of those two respective people being compatible for each other or the fact that whether they can be happy with each other. The final goal, as I have come to understand, of each one of us, as he/she later realizes is his/her search for happiness. Aren’t we then with these categorizations only complicating what is a simple truth of life and searching for a power which clearly resides within us?

This great divide is omnipresent, as if to say humans are born to stereotype. But for a society to really evolve, these frivolous groupings need to come to an immediate end. The world has seen enough bloodshed based on religion and it is now time rise above these differences and to live with peace and tranquility. Nelson Mandela once said:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite”.

Home Delivery

Sprawled across the couch, which was turned to face the television set lying in the centre of a coffee table, he did what he had always done whenever he started to get uneasy.  He cranked up the volume of the television set as if the blaring sound from that obsolete piece could dispel the gloominess of his silent and bare home. Though not badly furnished, the house however lacked a certain warmth in appearance, which a woman usually brings to it. Suddenly getting irritable with the cacophony of the television, he turned the volume down to low. It was an unfortunate time to do this, since that very moment the clock placed on the mantelpiece suddenly ticked shrilly to announce the arrival of the hour, piercing sharply through the eerie silence of the room. At the same time his stomach rumbled loudly in hunger. The combined sounds startled him out of his skin. He cursed loudly with a choice selection of words he had reserved for those who delayed his meals. That day the object of his outburst was the pizzeria which was supposed to deliver his meal about a quarter of an hour ago.

As an afterthought, he found himself wondering aloud why he had started getting so jumpy in the late evenings. For the lack of something better to do, he switched to the eleven O’ clock news. The newsreader wrapped up the national headlines in the first quarter of the hour. It was followed by the local news. The local news that day was a special segment on an escaped convict last sighted in the man’s very own locality. He was known to seek shelter in local homes for the night, often killing the occupants of his refuge lest they squeal about his whereabouts to the police. The police had finally understood the pattern between those seemingly random murders the last month and had linked it to the convict who had escaped about then too.

Though the man hated to admit it to himself, he was suddenly quite alarmed. He listened intently to the description being given on the news, which was mostly ordinary except for a tiny scar running down the left cheek of the convict. “How dramatic!” he sighed to himself, losing his faith in the story with every passing minute.

Yet such is the nature of humans that even the flicker of a doubt can put one in deep unease. He wondered why he suddenly felt inclined to close all the windows as advised on the broadcast. Having made the decision to comply made him feel both better and worse at the same time. Though he felt easier in the mind, he was also a little disgusted that he had relented so quickly. To feel better about himself, he turned off the news to prove his incredulity of its content even though he was fooling no one. Then as he moved to the first window to fasten it, he was taken aback to see that it was pouring heavily outside. He shook his head in disbelief at how he hadn’t even heard the heavy downpour. As if on cue, a bolt of lightning thundered across the sky to make its presence felt to him.

For that split second, the shadowy garden suddenly lit up and it revealed the silhouette of a crouching man! He jumped back in alarm and temporarily froze in terror. Then a nagging sensation in his brain reminded him of what he needed to do. He rushed to every window and shuttered it ferociously and in under a minute he had accomplished the intended task. He had also triple locked the main door of the house. Suddenly, a loud flash of lightning passed across the sky and the front door started rattling loudly as if it was being forced from the outside. Terror seized the man, who at first decided to hide but then as the rattling of the door got louder rushed to the telephone to call for assistance. He realized he was speaking into a dead phone. Naturally with the heavy downpour the phone lines had given way. He rushed to his next best option, but his cell phone too refused to yield since there was no signal available in this atrocious weather.

Bracing himself for his fate, he grabbed a long sharp kitchen knife that he used for chopping meat and held it behind his back, while cautiously proceeding towards the door. The shaking of the door was getting more violent by the second. Saying a silent prayer in his mind, the man flung the door open and recoiled backwards in anticipation of the worst.

The sight of a young man drenched in the heavy downpour clutching a cardboard box, at first bewildered him and then as realization sunk in, relief as he had never known it before passed over him. It was the pizza delivery guy! The man suddenly felt giddy with relief and sunk to his knees. The knife he had held clattered loudly as it hit the floor behind him. The delivery boy was alarmed at his sudden collapse and rushed forward to help him up. The man however was so delighted that he felt like hugging the delivery boy. Then, sensing the unease of the delivery boy at his odd behavior, he drew out the required amount for paying him off, tipping him largely to compensate for his seemingly absurd conduct. Just as he was about to close the door, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and for the first time revealed the face of the pizza delivery boy. It was quite a handsome face on the whole, except for a tiny little scar running down the left cheek!

THE COMPLICATED WORLD

Today everyone in this world talks about Equality, Justice, Rights, but how many of us really understand the importance of these powerful political words? Women have mostly been the victim of inequality and injustice all over the world. When it comes to providing justice or equality or letting women get their basic rights , many people come forward to make sure they are achieved but usually it’s too late for these things. But never the less it is important that action should be taken.

What disturbs me or what for me is thought-provoking is that why is it that we always ask for women’s rights or equality and if we see any injustice happening to a man it really never becomes such a big issue. Is it because men for long have made women the target of injustice or inequality that many feel it is okay to men suffer like that or is it that the meaning of “equality” is more prevalent to women? We generally hear or witness in our society that if a girl is of a ‘lower class’or ‘middle class’ society the only wish of many of the parents is that their daughter should get married to a well to do family and should be earning well so that their daughter’s life is settled. But then why is it that if a guy from not so well to do background or educated background likes a girl of higher class/ wishes to marry mutually is a great problem for the society? Does the man from lower society not have the right to think about his happiness just because of his background?

The Indian society specifically believes in a lot many traditional things which are being followed since eternity but not many would be knowing the meaning behind those traditions or rituals, as they were questioned and feel that they need to be followed even by the progressing generation without asking or using their mind.  Rights are for everyone, Equality means being equal towards everything, Justice means to be fair looking at the situation. It is always easy to say than to do, but if we really want to bring about a positive change in the society WE need to work on it sincerely and take action.