Born in a mud house, I opened my eyes to see my 7 brothers and sisters around me, gleefully looking at me.
Since birth, I didn’t get the right amount of food I required to grow into a healthy man. Usually, all of us (my brothers and sisters) used to end up snatching each-others food to fill up their stomachs. Being the youngest of all, my mother used to take good care of me.
I grew up playing in sand and stones. I had no toys to play with. My eldest brother who was just 12 yrs old then, used to ride a Tonga. My father used to assist my elder brother in his early days but later he switched his job to only sitting at home and patting Hari. Hari was 20 yrs old, and was the only source of living for our family.
A brown horse, with white patches on his body and short hair on his neck-line. He was the smartest horse, I might have seen in my life. Each day when he used to come back home, we used to play together. I used to get on his back and then sit and act as if I m riding on him. My other two brothers, who were of the age 8 and 9 used to go to bangle making factory, and bring in some amount of money, which was though not satisfactory but, valuable for all of us.
When I grew to 5 years of age, I got the very first opportunity to go with my elder brothers to the bangle making factory. By that time, my father had started a small shop by the road-side and sat there as a cobbler. About 5-10 Rs. each day, was what he used to make. They were then either spent in his drinking or smoking. Mother had nothing to do or say, because my father used to beat her a lot. Nobody in the house had that courage to ask him save that money for the rest of his family.
My 3 sisters would do nothing the whole day except going to the streets and begging for some food and money. As I started growing and began understanding things in a better way, I came to know that, to live my life, I need to work for myself. My eldest brother Shyam used to love me the most. So, when I was 8 yrs old, he asked me to come along with him to ride the Tonga. I agreed. I had no other option apart from this.
Since that day, I and Hari build a much stronger bond. I started understanding his needs and he understood mine. Providing him proper food and water at proper time was most important than anything else. I might stay hungry, eat nothing the whole day, but Hari had to. Because, it was only because of him that we had a living. I, Shyam and our mother.
Rest of my brothers and sisters had left the home by now and moved to the slums of other cities in search of some better living but, nobody knew, our life, our fate is nothing else but living a life of a poor and at times, even a beggar.
At the age of 8 when I started the Tonga, our first and foremost duty in the morning was to take the school children to their school safely. I used to look at them gleefully. The wonderful school dress, the black shoes, white socks and a school bag along with a water bottle. Everybody had this in common. Each day, when I saw them, I wished I could had gone to school myself and studied something so that I could had grown to be a successful person.
But, all my wishes were in vain. One day, when I asked my brother shyam about the same, he snapped at me, saying “Forget this. We cannot afford to send you to school. Who will bring in the living then? How would we survive?”
And I felt silent. As time passed by, I mastered the art of riding the Tonga. At the age of 10, I used to race my Tonga with the others and Hari always supported me. Shyam by then left Tonga riding and got into the habit of playing cards. He would not come back home for 4-5 days at length and if he did, he would only come to find me in peace and happiness.
My life had nothing more left. When I grew to the age of 20, Hari fell sick and died. I didn’t have the money to buy another horse. I was left with nothing now. Hari was gone. I was left alone along with my mother.
I started visiting the crackers factory nearby my area. Not knowing how injurious the material is, I started working there to get some money for myself and my mother. And since then, I never turned to look at another option.
I am 50 years old now, with my one hand’s fingers melted. If somebody would look at me, he would say I am in my 70’s. The crackers factory has given me all there bodily consequences but, I have no complaints about this. And, if I do have, then, who would listen to me? Is it the government or the public officers? Nobody.
It is Diwali tomorrow and I have no money to buy crackers. My children and my wife are waiting and looking forward to see me in the evening, so that they can see what new clothes do I have to gift them for this season. But, I have nothing to gift them.
I stop at a snacks shop to buy some namkeen mixture for 5 Rs. for my family. I wait for the shopkeeper to look and listen to me, but, he is busy making the bills of some big, filthy customers. A girl is standing there, near the counter and looking at me. My daughter might have looked the same, if I had the right amount of money for her to bring her good food to eat and new clothes to wear. But, my daughter is illiterate as I am.
The young girl there, looked away from me, the whole world does the same. There’s nothing new to it but, she is thinking something; something about this big bad world and about the people like us.
I keep standing for my turn to come and after waiting for next 10 minutes, I get my mixture packed. I looked at the girl again, she looked at me, wanting to say something, wanting to show her sympathy but, certain things are better not spoken.
I leave. Walked away, to see if I can buy a diya for this Diwali.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
StilL ALive
It was yet another day when the sun shone bright in the off-winter season and yet another day for everybody to look forward to their expectations.
The people were engaged in their work, working to earn their living and working hard to provide food to their family. Since last many years, my routine was the same. I used to get up and thank to god for providing me the basic necessities that I require and then going on to work. I used to open my shop, sit for hours, waiting for a customer to stop by and ask me to repair the bag chain or to sew the torn out bag. I had nothing else to think except for a better life for my growing kids. I wanted to earn and send them to a better school and let them learn English. My dream is to see them at the top of the world one day. But, my dreams shattered on the same night of this bright start of the day. The dark, stormy night has changed everything and took away each and everything that I had or I dreamt for.
The silence of the cold night broke when the jeeps of police officials stopped in our slum colony along with the car of the collector of our district. We all were asked to assemble below the big banyan tree. We all followed the directions, thinking there is something good for us by the government. But, all our happiness shattered when one of the officials read the order aloud… and the notice read that our houses were to be emptied by tomorrow morning as there was an order to break our houses and shops by the government because the roads were to be widened and we had built our houses illegally. A sense of fear and hopelessness could be seen on everybody’s face. There was nothing worst to come then this. “Where would I go now with my family?” was my first question, as the others might have also thought.
There were only 7 hours left for dawn to overtake dusk and we had to empty up our houses. My wife, my children were crying. We all still managed to help and support each other and set our household things aside. We took the wooden gates off the door and the teen shade apart from the roof of our 2 roomed home. We moved towards the other side of the street in a small colony from where our house was clearly visible. Money…. We only had some few pennies with us. My wife took them with her and tied it to the end of her sari. Crying and half-heartedly we prepared ourselves to see our home get destroyed in front of our eyes. It was 8 in the morning when the officials came again… with the bulldozers this time. All set to destroy our homes. We all assembled ourselves on the opposite side of the street. They started their work.
Within next one hour our house was destroyed. Each brick fell down.
The 2 roomed home, my sweet home, where I had spent 15 years of my life with my family, my wife, my children, my mother… where I had lived a dream each day was now no-more. With the house no-more… my dreams also shattered. I had nothing else to look forward too. There was nothing else to think about. Seeing the house fall down, my son rushed to me and asked me an innocent question- “papa, are we going to build a new big house here for ourselves???” and I had no answer to his question now. I had no roof to find shelter under, no money to feed him and no dream for him. I was a man with all senses and organs working but still felt like disabled. I had no more reason to live. The day passed by… the crane came and the dumper too. They cleared off the bricks that had fallen down. I stood there unmoved, watching my own house go off. I could have done nothing. I was helpless.
This is the story of a man who was turned homeless by being asked to empty his own house and get ready to get it destroyed. The dark side of moon… the other side of midnight... What worse can come in somebody’s life then this? Think of all the worse situations you fall in and you think to end your life… then read this real life story again and find the difference between your situation and the situation the man was in… you’d probably understand that whatever god has given you is enough and you should be happy with it. Never criticize for whatever you have… enjoy life, each minute, each moment because you never know what your tomorrow holds for you.
The people were engaged in their work, working to earn their living and working hard to provide food to their family. Since last many years, my routine was the same. I used to get up and thank to god for providing me the basic necessities that I require and then going on to work. I used to open my shop, sit for hours, waiting for a customer to stop by and ask me to repair the bag chain or to sew the torn out bag. I had nothing else to think except for a better life for my growing kids. I wanted to earn and send them to a better school and let them learn English. My dream is to see them at the top of the world one day. But, my dreams shattered on the same night of this bright start of the day. The dark, stormy night has changed everything and took away each and everything that I had or I dreamt for.
The silence of the cold night broke when the jeeps of police officials stopped in our slum colony along with the car of the collector of our district. We all were asked to assemble below the big banyan tree. We all followed the directions, thinking there is something good for us by the government. But, all our happiness shattered when one of the officials read the order aloud… and the notice read that our houses were to be emptied by tomorrow morning as there was an order to break our houses and shops by the government because the roads were to be widened and we had built our houses illegally. A sense of fear and hopelessness could be seen on everybody’s face. There was nothing worst to come then this. “Where would I go now with my family?” was my first question, as the others might have also thought.
There were only 7 hours left for dawn to overtake dusk and we had to empty up our houses. My wife, my children were crying. We all still managed to help and support each other and set our household things aside. We took the wooden gates off the door and the teen shade apart from the roof of our 2 roomed home. We moved towards the other side of the street in a small colony from where our house was clearly visible. Money…. We only had some few pennies with us. My wife took them with her and tied it to the end of her sari. Crying and half-heartedly we prepared ourselves to see our home get destroyed in front of our eyes. It was 8 in the morning when the officials came again… with the bulldozers this time. All set to destroy our homes. We all assembled ourselves on the opposite side of the street. They started their work.
Within next one hour our house was destroyed. Each brick fell down.
The 2 roomed home, my sweet home, where I had spent 15 years of my life with my family, my wife, my children, my mother… where I had lived a dream each day was now no-more. With the house no-more… my dreams also shattered. I had nothing else to look forward too. There was nothing else to think about. Seeing the house fall down, my son rushed to me and asked me an innocent question- “papa, are we going to build a new big house here for ourselves???” and I had no answer to his question now. I had no roof to find shelter under, no money to feed him and no dream for him. I was a man with all senses and organs working but still felt like disabled. I had no more reason to live. The day passed by… the crane came and the dumper too. They cleared off the bricks that had fallen down. I stood there unmoved, watching my own house go off. I could have done nothing. I was helpless.
This is the story of a man who was turned homeless by being asked to empty his own house and get ready to get it destroyed. The dark side of moon… the other side of midnight... What worse can come in somebody’s life then this? Think of all the worse situations you fall in and you think to end your life… then read this real life story again and find the difference between your situation and the situation the man was in… you’d probably understand that whatever god has given you is enough and you should be happy with it. Never criticize for whatever you have… enjoy life, each minute, each moment because you never know what your tomorrow holds for you.
Be together...
It was 3 years since they had been together, living with each-other and understanding each-other…
In college, canteen, coaching, lab, trainings…… be it anything you can think off on this Earth, they did it all together. They used to live for each-other. There was not a single day when the two did not talk to each other. Be it a cold war between the two or a fight like warriors… they always ended up strengthening their bonds between themselves.
They bunked their college, went out for movies stealthily and not to forget the endless hours spent with each- other on the bike…talking and enjoying the bike ride in just any weather…
They called themselves to be the heart of each- other. The hearts in those two bodies beat and lived for each- other. Each day they had something new to look at, something new to explore and something new to fight for and at the end of the day… it was another new strong bond and relation that was to stay for always.
How does it feel when you have such a person in your life???... Who lives for and with you at each moment of your life…? And then comes one day…
One day when the world cusses the two for being together. The remaining friends leave you all alone saying you do not turn up for them. What happens when because of all the people around, you need to decide between your bestest and sweetest and dearest of your friends and the others??? Maybe as what all the others do… you’d do the same. Leave that one person and move on with the world. But, for once think on it… would you leave your friend and stay happy… would you have a better tomorrow without your soul-mate???
And the answer I know is a clear no… so, for a better tomorrow… what counts is a courage and strength to face the world. For a better tomorrow… you need to be a sport… you need to look at what you want... what you desire for and what you can get and not at what the world wants to see to be with you.
Personally, I wouldn’t like to lose my friend… who has been my support for so long… who has been with me for so long… who never thought about the world and helped me out in any situation I was for these many years… I am proud to have a friend like him… and for a better tomorrow I know I’d not lose him in-fact I’ll strengthen the bond with him more… to always have my well-wisher with me… :)
So, the gist is… you may be miles apart but still closer… then, when you are really close then why to feel like miles apart? Be together… for a better tomorrow... :D
In college, canteen, coaching, lab, trainings…… be it anything you can think off on this Earth, they did it all together. They used to live for each-other. There was not a single day when the two did not talk to each other. Be it a cold war between the two or a fight like warriors… they always ended up strengthening their bonds between themselves.
They bunked their college, went out for movies stealthily and not to forget the endless hours spent with each- other on the bike…talking and enjoying the bike ride in just any weather…
They called themselves to be the heart of each- other. The hearts in those two bodies beat and lived for each- other. Each day they had something new to look at, something new to explore and something new to fight for and at the end of the day… it was another new strong bond and relation that was to stay for always.
How does it feel when you have such a person in your life???... Who lives for and with you at each moment of your life…? And then comes one day…
One day when the world cusses the two for being together. The remaining friends leave you all alone saying you do not turn up for them. What happens when because of all the people around, you need to decide between your bestest and sweetest and dearest of your friends and the others??? Maybe as what all the others do… you’d do the same. Leave that one person and move on with the world. But, for once think on it… would you leave your friend and stay happy… would you have a better tomorrow without your soul-mate???
And the answer I know is a clear no… so, for a better tomorrow… what counts is a courage and strength to face the world. For a better tomorrow… you need to be a sport… you need to look at what you want... what you desire for and what you can get and not at what the world wants to see to be with you.
Personally, I wouldn’t like to lose my friend… who has been my support for so long… who has been with me for so long… who never thought about the world and helped me out in any situation I was for these many years… I am proud to have a friend like him… and for a better tomorrow I know I’d not lose him in-fact I’ll strengthen the bond with him more… to always have my well-wisher with me… :)
So, the gist is… you may be miles apart but still closer… then, when you are really close then why to feel like miles apart? Be together… for a better tomorrow... :D
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Be my Valentine...
Of all the friends that I’ve made,
You were always my dearest…
Of all the conversations I’ve ever had,
The conversations between us were the loveliest…
Of all the things I’ve ever shared,
The things shared with you were the truest…
Of all the faith that I’ve had,
The faith on you was the purest…
Of all the blessings I’ve ever made,
You never knew, but they all were only for you…
Of all the time I’ve spent with you,
That time was simply the bestest…
Of all the memories I cherish today,
Your memories have been the fondest…
Of all the fights that I’ve ever done,
The fights with you were the cutest…
Of all the times when I’ve been in trouble,
Your support was all I’ve ever looked for…
Of all the people I’ve met in this world,
Only you managed to steal away my heart from me…
And yet you say- we are only friends,
Oh! I’d like to break this silence today…
To let my heart open up and say,
What my mind always fails to pay….
Would you be my love forever?
Would you be my lasting friend?
Do you care to be with me always…
Will you BE MY VALENTINE….???
You’ve been the one, who has made my
Each tear turn into a smile…
You’ve been the one, who has made my
Each pain turn into a laughter ride…
Apart from all the distances between us,
You’ve been so close to my heart…
I wouldn’t like to loose you my love,
Please BE MY VALENTINE………………
For ever and ever and ever…..
Till I last……… :)
You were always my dearest…
Of all the conversations I’ve ever had,
The conversations between us were the loveliest…
Of all the things I’ve ever shared,
The things shared with you were the truest…
Of all the faith that I’ve had,
The faith on you was the purest…
Of all the blessings I’ve ever made,
You never knew, but they all were only for you…
Of all the time I’ve spent with you,
That time was simply the bestest…
Of all the memories I cherish today,
Your memories have been the fondest…
Of all the fights that I’ve ever done,
The fights with you were the cutest…
Of all the times when I’ve been in trouble,
Your support was all I’ve ever looked for…
Of all the people I’ve met in this world,
Only you managed to steal away my heart from me…
And yet you say- we are only friends,
Oh! I’d like to break this silence today…
To let my heart open up and say,
What my mind always fails to pay….
Would you be my love forever?
Would you be my lasting friend?
Do you care to be with me always…
Will you BE MY VALENTINE….???
You’ve been the one, who has made my
Each tear turn into a smile…
You’ve been the one, who has made my
Each pain turn into a laughter ride…
Apart from all the distances between us,
You’ve been so close to my heart…
I wouldn’t like to loose you my love,
Please BE MY VALENTINE………………
For ever and ever and ever…..
Till I last……… :)
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