Let’s all say- “I CARE”

“I don’t feel sorry for you, I feel sorry for myself, for I didn’t help you chase your dreams before.” I said these lines to myself every night during my internship with CRY. I would think about the innocent faces I saw in the rural areas of Delhi during my field work.

I don’t feel sorry for them because they all seemed to be so happy and content in their small little world, but I feel sorry for myself because I made the mistake of being so unaware of the situation and enjoying myself, while the little kids there were unable to enjoy their childhood in real sense. Facing the most unreal hardships even before they could get hold of themselves is so disheartening.

Every child has the right to know how to spell APPLE or how to sing Twinkle Twinkle and also that 2+2=4 and not 5. We all think that we can only help them by making donations or getting associated with some or the other NGO. We have this thought running in our minds that only people who always have their pockets full can get the little ones’ shattered dreams put together again. But, I realised that apart from just donations and associations with NGO, there is so much more “WE” can do. It is just a matter of self-realisation and commitment that will help us help them.

Nothing can beat a selfless and an unconditional help. Imagine yourself in a condition of extreme poverty and negligence and how would you feel if society doesn’t consider you as one among many others living there. Doing something extraordinarily great is what is expected from any of us. Just a mere “I am there for you” attitude will make such a huge difference to the less fortunate ones.

We can just start to make a change from our own house. Say if we have a maid or a servant who is less than 14 years, we can help them by making them learn the Basic English words and Math problems and tell them how important education is in one’s life. Work is not meant for them to do right now. It might sound a bit bizarre doing something like this, but, I have tried this and trust me it does feel great to have made a change at least in one life.

Another possible and the most appropriate way is to take the child whose rights you think are being violated to any of the nearest child rights NGOs and tell them the situation. It is not necessary that you have to be an acquaintance to that NGO, but you can always take their help for any kind of constructive action.

Just think of 10 people doing this for a child everyday and the amount of changes that it will bring about in society.  Not everyone in the society has the drive to be “The Change maker”, it is just the inner voice that calls out to you to do something for the ones who are just like us. The only difference is that they do not get to enjoy the same things like we do. So come, let us all join hands together and prove that passion is the only thing required to give the deserving ones wings to fly high. 

COINCIDENCE?

The story starts with a lot of chaos and commotion at a railway crossing 200km from Bangalore city. There has been a severe bomb blast in which many have lost their own lives and their loved ones’ lives too. People are in state of shock and are unable to give any positive reactions. There we see two men carrying two severely wounded bodies on their shoulder. Only a shoe of one dead body is seen and a torn chappal of another is seen. They both walk together towards the tents where medications are being provided. On their way there, they look at each other not knowing what to say. They give a look to each other thanking god that they are alive. The story now shifts to what happened earlier during the day.

A typical bachelor’s house with two rooms. The guy is working in a reputed BPO as a customer care executive. His day starts with getting up in the morning and checking his mobile phone. He gets off his bed and puts on loud music.

The next scene is of a poorly constructed house with just one small room accommodating a family of five. A lady is preparing food for her husband to carry to work after sending her kids off to a municipality school nearby. A 1 year old baby is sleeping in the room when her father gets up and gives her a morning kiss. He smiles and admires how beautiful his little daughter is and then gets up from his mat to go for a shower.

Now the both stories will run in parallel comparing the two lives, living in the same city but with different mottos and backgrounds. The BPO guy takes his shower and comes out and increases the volume of his music player. The man on the other end comes out of his shower and hums prayers to the god and performs rituals that cater to his religion. The BPO guy puts on his branded shirt, the man puts on his vest that is a little torn here and there. The guy puts on his branded jeans, the man puts on his dhoti. The guy applies gel in his hair and sets it in a funky look, the man applies coconut oil in his hair and ties a red towel around his head. There is a sound of “ting” in the guy’s apartment. It indicated that his toast is ready. Here, in the man’s house, his wife calls him to indicate that his chapatti is ready. The next scene is on a split screen where both of them eat their own breakfast, thinking about their individual tasks for today. Both of them finish their breakfast and put on their foot wears. The guy wears his branded shoes and the man wears his chappals.

There is loud honk next to the guy’s apartment and he looks out from his balcony and then rushes down to board his office cab. The man on the other end leaves his house silently so his daughter wouldn’t wake up from her deep sleep. Both of them reach their respective workplace, the guy to his BPO and the man to his railway station where he works as a coolie.

The guy starts his work by taking calls from international clients, solving their queries and speaking in a highly US accent and the man waits for a long time until he gets some luggage to carry off the station. After a long wait he gets to begin his work by carrying two large suitcases on his head and two air bags on his either hands. Both their days are spent doing their own work at their own spaces. One sitting in an air-conditioned office, talking to foreign clients and the other one slogging in the heat lifting weights and pleading for a little more money for him and his family.

The guy usually leaves his office during late evening, but today he has to go for a meeting to a place called Yejipura. He leaves his work place at around 4pm to board a 5.30 train there. The man also has to go to Yejipura to bring his mother to his village to make her stay with him for a few days. The guy reaches the station a little late, so he runs making his way to the train and he accidentally bumps into the man and trips. He gets up and is almost about to hit him when the train starts moving. So, he pushes him and runs towards the train and gets in. The man also boards the same train from another compartment.

Everything is running smoothly. People are busy doing their own things like reading the paper, eating, talking or chatting, playing cards, etc. He plugs onto his earpiece and starts listening to music.

Suddenly, the train stops. Everyone wonders what is the problem and there is a lot of chaos. Then a loud sound of an explosion hits everyone’s ears. Everyone starts running here and there, a lot of confusion arises as to what to do, where to go. The guy is in a state of shock and doesn’t move from his seat. Then he sees a little baby on a seat crying out loud, with his mother’s dead body next to him. He suddenly realises his importance in other’s lives even if he doesn’t know them at all. He runs to that little kid, picks him up and jumps out of the train and passes on that kid to someone who was looking for that kid.

The man on the other end, as soon as he hears the loud sound he immediately breaks the window and starts helping people to jump out of the train through the broken window. The evening turns into night with the rescue party coming to take charge of the dead and the wounded ones.

Now, the first scene comes into the picture again, when both of them are walking together. The silence between them finally breaks when the guy asks the name his name. He tells him that his name is Ali and asks the guy for his name, he gives him his name as Rahul. Both of them just keep on looking at each other thinking about the fate that made them meet before and that made them meet now. The story fades away with both their backs shown as the visual walking towards the rescue tents. 

Addiction Continues

I am almost towards the end of the mythological journey of pages, and I must say I have never ever read a book so indulging and captivating. As I am flipping through every chapter, the thought of what's going to happen next keeps triggering inside me. One thing is for sure that the sequels are definitely going to get a place in my tiny book rack. 

So, the novel that made me a book worm is none other than "The Immortals Of Meluha". Yes, the amazing written work by Amish Tripathi. The creator has truly left me spellbound. He made me see this other side of Shiva.

Shiva- The Lover
Shiva- The Believer
Shiva- The Saviour
Shiva- The Friend
Shiva- The Devotee

And as cliche as it might sound.
Last but not the least

Shiva-The Human

The way Amish has portrayed 'The Mahadev' himself as a simple human being is just out of the world. It is hard to believe how can a man who has done nothing extraordinary in his life, a man who is running away from his past can become a saviour of thousands of lives. A man who hardly believes himself becomes a belief of the Meluhans. His character just stirres your soul. The book truly has every element in it; battles, love, friendship, loyalty, history, spirituality.  

This has been one of my best investments so far and as I said before the sequels have a special place in my book rack. 

My Recent Addiction

It had been a really long time since I read any books. So recently I started reading a piece of art. Before I bought it, to be honest I was a little finicky whether to buy a book that is mythologically influenced. For a simple reason being that I wouldn't enjoy reading about gods' and their super powers and how their wisdom helped people conquer the most impossible things in the world. So, I chose to read its reviews before making an investment on the book. The reviews were obviously pretty impressive as it has reached masses and classes on a wide range. I read as much as I could online to know more and more about the audience's response to the writer's creation. Readers' seemed to be really moved by his work, so I made a decision to spend some cash on it and gain some traditional wisdom.

I started...read the prologue as well. Since I knew what the book had in store for me. I had really high expectations from the book since the writer had got so much appreciation from a large number of reading addicts. Well, me being NOT an addict was influenced by the reviews which made me purchase it. So, I guess that in itself is an achievement for the author. 

Though, I don't know so much about the "novel writing styles" as I've read hardly any books since my childhood, still this piece of writing made me read and read and read. It is so engaging, compelling and yet maintains its simplistic approach towards the message that the composer of the art work has tried to convey. 

So far I am done with five chapters and trust me I think about the following chapters even while I am asleep. This book seems to be like a magic potion which I have consumed and is now running in blood through my veins.  I can't believe my own response to a mythological book. But yes, it has become a part of my daily routine and I make sure that I finish at least three chapters in a day. 

Well, what the book is will be revealed in the following posts. So, keep reading to be updated.

Intro

Hi! I am Pratibha. Tamilian by birth but born and brought up in the capital New Delhi. Being the youngest one in a family of four, I've grown up all pampered and loved. Have lived most of my life till now in Delhi, my schooling till my graduation in Mass Communication. Now, since two years I've been living in Bangalore. Came here to pursue MA in Mass Communication and I succeeded in completing my post graduation specialising in Audio Visual Communication. 

Ok, so that was all about my academics. Now, let me tell you about my interests and passions. I am a complete music freak. Music is the only way to vent out my emotions. I love to write. I have had a couple of blogs before but because of lack in time I couldn't continue writing. 

Some of my favourite quotes which really inspire me are:

 "As we drive along this road called Life, occasionally a gal will find herself a little lost. And when that happens, I guess she has to let go of the Coulda, shoulda, woulda, Buckle Up and just keep going." - Sarah Jessica Parker (TV show Sex And The City)

I've always been spiritual but I've never had a proper context, and it took me a while to find the proper context. It's hard to realize you can have any kind of relationship with God you want...and so now I have Punk Rock relationship with God - Billy Corgan.

" Love is a trap. When it appears, we see only its light, not its shadows: - Paulo Coelho 

I guess that is pretty much it about myself. So, let's get started with blogging.