An unexpected expert!

Image Courtesy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/22242261@N03/2143291713/

Sometimes, the journey of life seems so fast that its celerity usurps the precious beads of memories.  But when you happen to meet the memories in your life again, it imbues you with a pristine happiness. I also happened to meet one of such happiness after a fairly long time. 

I was visiting my ancestral home after three decades. My relatives had taken whatever care they could of my house. Despite all of their efforts the signs of dilapidation were starting to arrive on the several parts of the building.

I had gone to my village with a plan to stay there after my retirement. I had thought of devoting myself full time to agriculture after my retirement.

As I was indulged in the attempt to spruce up my house, I discovered a clay house in my courtyard covered with the tree leaves and other remnants of material existence of time. I removed all the debris around it and was astonished to find that the clay house was still in almost good condition.

All memories related to this clay house came unbidden.

I must have been 12 years then. And it was the time of Diwali. All the children of my age were busy making the ‘Gharonda’ for Diwali. I used to go to the house of my friends where their elder siblings used to make the ‘Gharonda’. Some clay houses were one story some were two stories. I used to get mesmerized by the enchanting world of ‘Gharondas’.  

One day I asked the elder sister of my friend to build one Gharonda in my house as well. But instead of answering my request she said ‘my brother’s Gharonda would be the best in the village.’ I knew that she had avoided me.

I went straight to my house and made the dough of the soil. But despite my several attempts I could not give any shape to the clay that would resemble a ‘Gharonda’.  My mother was observing all my painstaking endeavors from the kitchen of the house. She came to me and told me to bring some wooden planks and fresh volume of the clay. With all the finesse lurking in her deft fingers, she carved out a beautiful ‘Gharonda’. It was like a dream being transmuted into reality for me. She did not stop here; she painted the ‘Gharonda’ making amazing designs on it like an expert painter creating his/her chef d’oeuvre. 

I did not have the idea that there was lurking a great artist in my mother whom I considered a simple housewife.

On the night of Diwali, it was my ‘Gharonda’ that had stood out among other ‘Gharondas’ of the village and I was kind of hero of the village but I knew that real worthy of all the accolades for the imposing ‘Gharonda’ was my mother, but she unassumingly relished her son being praised.

Now still I could find the glory of that ‘Diwali’ night smeared on the façade of the ‘Gharonda’.

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P.S: This is a creative account for

Ek Nayi League: One new hope!

When my son was 10 years old he showed an inclination to play football. He was handpicked by the school sports teacher. Since then he got himself utterly immersed in the game. He used to go to different states of the country representing his school and on many occasions he represented the state as well.

I am a daily wage earner. My life has always been entangled in complexities to arrange the meals for three times a day for my family that consists of my wife and my three children. My world was only limited to my city. But when my son used to come from other parts of the country and tell us stories about the big cities my eyes used to dilate in wonder. I used to feel really proud of my son.

My son had been really dedicated to the game. Early in the morning he used to wake up and rush to the practice ground. Making 10 rounds to warm his body up was a ritual. I used to feel dizzy at the amount of numbers of rounds that he used to take. I am kind of a lazy person who relishes sleeping late in the morning and exercising in the morning had never been my cup of tea. But my son was in a stark contrast to me. He had made his muscles very strong by different kinds of exercises. And he had reaped the fruits of his strong muscles as well.

He was very good at dodging the opponents. He used to be the highest goal scorer of the game. Many a times he was adjudged best player of the tournament as well.

He was not dedicated only to improve his game alone but he was also very enthusiastic about coaching the younger lot. His coach used to say that one day he would play for the country and then he would also get a government job. At the mention of government job my eyes used to sparkle. Nobody in my family had ever been in the government job. We had always been labor class pandering to the needs of the development of the society. But I saw the dream of generations transmuting into reality in the form of my son.

A day came when my son got elected in the national team. And I thought that my dream of seeing my son work in the govt. job will get fulfilled soon. A year passed and then the next but the govt. job was nowhere in the picture. Meanwhile a fellow laborer’s son cracked IIT. I didn’t know what it meant. He told me that his son had got enrolled in a coaching center in a talent hunt and after that he cleared the exam. He informed me that now future of his son was almost settled and so was his.

I never knew that playing a game would be such a waste for my son in this country. I never knew that only being good at studies had a meaning in this country. Today, my son is in the trauma ward of a govt. hospital. He had attempted suicide in the desperation of joblessness last night. Now he is out of danger but his future remains still uncertain.

But then the doctor, who is treating my son, gives me a ray of hope. He tells me about the EkNayiLeague endeavour by Mr. Kapil Dev. In this EkNayiLeague endeavour, now every sportsperson would be given a sure job opportunity and furthermore this endeavour would make the sports an essential part of the curricula in the schools. Moreover, it would make sure that sports persons are given the respect that they deserve. EkNayiLeague resuscitated my languishing hopes in life.

P.S: This is a creative account

The faces that fail and fall!

There are two types of faces of the children of mother earth.

Type one face:  

They are happy faces. These faces have ebullience, vigor, and aplomb. These faces could be anyone ranging from Doctors, Engineers, Scientists,  Businessmen to a Common Man or Woman.  They are contributing to make this world a better place. They are inventing and using new ideas every day. That is resulting in more money and more happy faces. They are called successful persons of life. From earth to the sky they have made their presence felt. From unfathomable depth of earth to the infinite height of sky these faces have an indelible imprint on every iota of nature. They are digging the bosom of mother earth and making it bereft of its gems i.e. iron ores, minerals, coals, gas, oil and trees. These faces give the reasoning that depleting the lap of earth is important in order to be a developed human society. We have reaped huge benefits of the endeavor of these faces as well. We have swanky cars, big industrial plants and many happy families. The happy faces have a mammoth mouth that can devour everything that the earth has to offer. They say that by devouring they are designing happiness for the human society.

Type two face:

These faces have agony and grimace writ large over their faces. They are buried in the debris and rubble because a hungry earth quakes to replenish its depletion. They don’t laugh, they don’t even smile, what they do buried in the robust rubble is writhing in the pain and cursing the endeavors of happy faces who made the earth hollow. When sky roars, the deluge makes the crisp happy faces soggy. Many dreams of a better future get washed away and get drowned in the massive blow of the delicate water. Faces flogged by the wrath of the nature find it difficult to be proud of the feats achieved by the happy and successful faces.

Is it so difficult for the happy faces to create a happiness that is for everyone and every moment? Is it so difficult for the happy faces to plant more and more trees on the part of the earth that is ravaged for the glamour of human civilization?

And at last, is it so difficult to create an ounce of happiness for mother earth when the happy faces create gallons of mirth for themselves?

Visit http://greenyatra.org/ to learn more about the eandeavours of greenyatra people to replenish this earth with green again!

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ASUS Zenfone2: The best in the business!

It seems that ASUS Zenfone 2  is going to change the way we perceive our interaction with the smart phones. If the ASUS Zenfone2  gets into your palms, I am sure that it is going to stick to your palms like a second skin. You might be wondering that why I am going all gung- ho about ASUS Zenfone2. If you know about its wonderful features, you would also rave about it.

Here, I am listing out five prominent features that will make you a big fan of ASUS Zenfone 2.

1)      The behemoth RAM and sturdy processor:

In the lap of ASUS Zenfone 2, there resides 4 GB RAM and 2.3 GHz 64 bit Intel Atom Z3580 processor. It only goes to show that now you are in for an utterly different experience with your smartphone. With ASUS Zenfone2, you will now experience the general daily work related with a smart phone 3 times faster and as far as gaming experience is concerned it will improve up to 7 times better quality. Hey folks, can you get any better than this? Now there would be no hanging of phones while you are trying to play a high end game or want to play a high end video. Now a top-notch experience in the world of smart phones is waiting for you.

2)      Swift battery charge:

Now the yawning experience of charging your smartphone would become a talk of yesteryears. The ASUS -exclusive technology charges the 60% of battery in just 39 minutes. So your Smartphone   is ready with all its cannons to fire again in a very small time.

3)      Now you can be the light in the darkness:

With ASUS Zenfone2, you can take snaps or shoot videos even in the agonizing low-light atmospheres. The Pixel Master camera of ASUS Zenfone 2 ensures that you get 400% brighter pictures in a low light scenario or even a dark night situation and that too without using any flash.

4)      A touch that you would truly love:

With ASUS Zenfone 2 you can experience a buttery encounter of a screen touch. Its screen touch responds in just 60ms. The screen starts to dance on the tune of your touch in no time.  Scrolling is as smooth as it gets. The anti-fingerprint coating keeps any smudge or stains away from the screen keeping it new even after several touches. Now, I know with ASUS Zenfone2 , you ability to make wishes makes humble submission. But there is one more stunning quality of it waiting for you.

5)      A companion of anti-conformists:

If you love to revolt then you can’t hate ASUS Zenfone 2. The transfusion and illusion series of ASUS Zenfone 2 will reflect you in a different light. It will make you stand out in the crowd by giving you your unique identity.

So, if you accept nothing less that the perfect then ASUS Zenfone 2 is crafted for you. Grab it to experience it!

The bus ride with a known stranger!

The buses are always crowded in Kolkata.  Especially, in the evenings. People wanting to reach their homes as soon as possible want to take the very first bus that comes their way. They are so restless to reach the home that they leave all the reason behind and think that there will be only one bus going to their homes. So, they all bundle themselves into the first bus that go to the route of their homes.

It was one of those evenings when I was going home from office in a bus, it was so packed that it resembled the cages in which chickens are carried. It was so humid in the bus that I was literally feeling suffocated. Then at one stop some persons alighted and it made some space for the air to flow and some space to sit as well.

In the throng of the bus one face attracted my attention. She was wearing a simple Saree and was in her late forties. She had a girl around 20 years of age with her. She seemed very familiar to me. I felt a sudden urge to talk to her to know how I know her. Then suddenly I recalled that she used to come to our hostel when I was doing my MBA some 10 years ago.

Early in the morning, she used to come knocking on the door. I used to hate opening the door in the morning but my stubborn room-mate had decided not to budge for morning cleaning of the room, so left with no option, I had to open the door in the mornings. With my eyes half shut, I used to open the door and she used to clean the floor while both dwellers of the room slept.

Amid the tensions of the semesters and exams, it never occurred that how important role she had played in making the stay at the hostel comfortable. I passed the course and expressed my gratitude to professors and other teaching assistants. But failed to recognize her efforts. For that now I feel ashamed.

It never occurred that had it not been for her meticulous cleaning, I could not have passed the course. She helped maintain the hygiene of our room, otherwise the kind of filth we had in our room, we would have easily  fallen prey to infectious diseases .

 Both of the dwellers were enemy of cleanliness, cigerate butts, booze that we used to throw up in the room, stinky tea maker machines (that we mostly used for making ‘maggi’) used to deck up our room. Any normal person would have ostracised us, but she never hated us.

Without ever complaining she cleaned everything, every time.

Now she was alighting on one of the stop. I decided to tell her how much value she had in my life. I also got down the bus.

I followed her. She seemed nervous because of my following so I called out “Mausi, it is me!”

By being addressed as ‘Mausi’, she gained some faith in me that I was not that harmful. I went close to her, but her eyes kept lost in my face. She looked pale and sick. Hardships of life had clear imprints on the premature wrinkles on her face.

 I got that she was being unable to recognize me, ten years is always a long time. So, I told her whole story as to how I knew her. I touched her feet. Tears welled up in her eyes.

I invited her for a cup of tea, to which she agreed. I hailed a taxi. She said that tea stall was near by. I told her that I wanted her to taste a special cup of tea. She didn’t complain. She and her daughter sat in the taxi. Perhaps they were sitting in a taxi for the first time. Their faces had streaks of happiness of sitting in a taxi.

I took them to a plushy restaurant of the city and ordered best of tea and best of food for them. Her daughter packed some food for her younger siblings also. Both Mausi  and her daughter were really delighted. Her pale face blossomed like a fresh flower. I got immense happiness seeing them happy.

I gave her my number while parting so that she could call me if there is any problem. That evening I felt as if I had completed something that I had left incomplete.

I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdeal activity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.

The lad and the legspin!

On every Sunday, I used to make a point that I would go for the jogging in the field nearby my apartment. The field used to bustle with different kinds of people. Old and young were the essential part of the milieu of the field. After burning my excess fat (that I used to accumulate in the restaurants and office canteen the whole week) I loved watching kids play cricket on a bench. Watching them play their game would give me enjoyment that even watching the professional game didn’t give.  It was a real fun watching them. I also used to play cricket in my college days, so watching any form of cricket was always on my to-do list whenever a match is on.

There used to happen other things also between my gasping lungs and the kids’ cricket match. Many grandparents used to bring their grandchildren to the park. And while grandparents kept themselves busy deciphering the shlokas of ‘Geeta’, kids enjoyed themselves with the swings there.

As I was relaxing, a boy from the cricket match came to the place where I was relaxing and sat beside me. He was also panting, drenched in his own perspiration. I observed that though he was away from the game, his eyes were transfixed on the match that was going on.

“Why aren’t you playing? Tired?” I enquired.

He didn’t answer.

I didn’t prod him further, and pretended as if it didn’t matter even if he didn’t answer. I had observed his dejected face but didn’t want him to feel that I knew that he was sad.

“My bowling is bad…I gave too many runs in my last over that is why my captain told me to go out of the match in the middle of the over,” he informed me after being mum for a minute or two.

And I was thinking that their game was for fun.

“Is there any serious match going on?”

“Yes, it is a match between Block ‘B’ and Block ‘D’ of our society.”

“What kind of bowler are you?”

“Oh…we lost this match…my mistake…they will never play me again.” He didn’t answer my question but got up and moved towards his team-mates.

The sun was getting sharper with its rays so I also decided to move.

Next Sunday morning, I again went to the field as usual. I had completely forgotten the interaction with the kid last Sunday, but when I saw him practising, the conversation came back to my mind. I saw him trying to bowl leg spin but I judged from a distance that he was not gripping the ball properly. He got hit for a four.  He was crestfallen.

Since it just seemed a practice session, I went up to him and tapped on his shoulder and said “Can you give me the ball?”

He looked startled but gave me the ball. I taught him the niceties of gripping the ball for a leg spin. He practiced it and mastered it after bowling for two overs. He was really quick to pick. Then, I taught him the flipper and googly for a leg spinner.  He found it difficult to conceal the ball for a googly and a flipper so I told him that mastery on these two things will come after a lot of practice and hardwork.  I took a promise from him that he would practice on all the arts of the leg spin bowling.

I was away for three Sundays from the city owing to my marketing travels for the company I used to work with. When on the fourth Sunday, that I was available in the city, I went to the field again. After, doing my usual round of jogging. I sat at the bench where generally I used to sit.

I started watching the match and when the lad came to ball he scalped two wickets in one over. After the match ended he had achieved 4 wickets. His team won and he was adjudged man of the match. I felt happy for him.

As, I was going out of the field, someone pulled my t shirt, when I turned back, it was the lad.

“Thanks uncle! It is only because of you that I could bowl so well in the match today.”

“Hey that is all your hard work dear. Enjoy these moments of success… but never stop practicing.” I told him and moved outside of the field. He again joined the gang of his friends.

I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdeal activity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal.

P.S: This is a creative account!

A breakfast to remember!

It was a fine Sunday morning. I had come out to take a stroll in the park as usual.  It being a Sunday, the park was bustling with people. Generally, people who don’t prefer to exercise on the weekdays; they make it a point to go to the parks or other fitness centers on the weekends.

The park was a riot of colors. Every hue of the flowers present in the park was resplendent in its magnanimity. The grass smeared with the dew was a soothing mat to rub your feet on. You could find all kinds of brands of sports wears in the park. These parks are kind of good observation centers for the companies selling sports merchandise.

 “Good Morning Sharma Jee!” greeted Gupta Jee who lived in the same apartment where I lived.

“Good Morning!” I greeted back.

“Where are Bhabhi Jee and children?” asked Gupta Jee who had come to the park with his family.

“Yesterday evening my wife and children went to the marriage of my Brother-in-law.”

“You didn’t go?”

“I would be joining them after two days, on the very day of marriage.”

“Ok…ok… so how is life?”

“There is a lot of pressure in the marketing department of banks these days Gupta Jee, things are not that easy as it used to be 15 -20 years ago. Now, job in banking is tough there is so much of competition.”

“I can understand… but the completion is also good for the growth of the economy.”

“Yes… you are a professor of economics so you can look into the things at a deeper level. But for us mere mortals a comfortable job is all we want.”

“ha ha ha … mere mortals…. I am also a mere mortal Sharma Jee.”

The sun was getting sharper with its rays. So we decided to go back. Gupta jee called out to Mrs. Gupta and children who were busy with the swings in the park. 

“Why don’t you take the breakfast with us Sharma Jee?” suggested Gupta Jee.

“Yes, Bhai sahib, it would be really nice if you could come over for the breakfast,” added Mrs. Gupta.

Since, I also wanted to get away from the hassles of preparing the breakfast, I accepted their invitation.

I got freshen up and reached the home of the Guptas’.  

Mr. Gupta and I chatted on the breakfast table over the issues ranging from political arena of the country to the education of the children while Mrs. Gupta was preparing the breakfast. Mr. Gupta also time to time went in the kitchen to help Mrs. Gupta in the preparation of the breakfast.

When the breakfast arrived, I got bowled over by the different kinds of preparations in the breakfast. And the intriguing part was that Kellogg’s cornflakes were used to prepare all the scrumptious items of the breakfast.

Be it the Cornflakes Malai Gujhiya, Conflakes MawaHalwa or Cornflakes Date Shake everything was so lip-smacking and marvelous. Perhaps I had had such delectable and mouth- watering breakfast in years. 

I thanked Mr. Gupta and Mrs. Gupta profusely for the breakfast and came back to my house.

I told about the toothsome Kellogg’s Cornflakes breakfast at Gupta jee’s house to my wife later when we returned from the marriage.  And since then Gupta Jee became Kellogg’s wale Gupta Jee for our family.

And after my first breakfast at the Gupta's I looked for opportunities to have a breakfast at the Gupta Jee's house at regular intervals. On some occasions my wife also accompanied me and enjoyed the mouth watering  Kellogg's recipes.

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My Reasons for Happiness!

There are many things happening in the country that wear a gloomy masquerade. The news about ‘Rape’ in India is one of the major concerns and internationally people are using it to judge the males of India and overall impression about India. News channels and news papers are fraught with the news of ‘Rape’ everyday.

The pieces of information coming out on daily basis is really disheartening  but when I see scores of girls and women coming out of their homes going to their schools, colleges and offices defying all apprehensions of the dangers of the days and nights, my faith in inimitable zeal of feminine gender that can vanquish any odds gets reinstated. The indomitable will of girls and women to stare in the eyes of the dangers suggests that cowardice of some filthy mind can never have the last laugh in this country.  Every time, I see girls and women moving out of their homes in Delhi or any other part of the country for that matter, it gives me happiness and brings a smile on my lips. Happiness, because I see hopes in humanity being restored by the plucky pairs of legs that come out every day in the ring of life.

Every time, I see the news of cataclysmic floods, earthquakes or landslides devouring innumerable lives, my heart sinks. My mind starts to reason why the innocent lives had to stop breathing suddenly? My heart fills with the dejection and disappointment and I shudder to see the next day. But when I see a rainbow, it imbues my mind with immense happiness. Happiness, because the God, who can create a colourful painting using the colourless rainwater, can do any miracle. If the god can hang a rainbow in the sky without any support, then that God can very well support our lives and destiny with its invisible hands. And when the magnanimous might of God destroys anything there resides the seeds of life hidden in that destruction as well.

Whenever a traffic comes to a standstill and gives way for a ‘heart’ that needs to be transplanted in an ailing body; whenever a foreign- returned doctor cares about the health of the son of a rickshaw puller; and whenever bereaving parents donate the organs of their darlings to save the apple of eyes of others, it gives me immense happiness. Happiness, because even in the lap of adversity and luxury, people do not forget their basic human characteristics.

When I see children licking ice creams off their hands, smearing chocolates all over their faces, and giggling when they release the threads of balloons in the air I feel happiness. Happiness, because in this world when everything has become cosmetic and every expression of human beings seems fake, only children are capable of express pristine emotions of humanity.

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