My father once told me “you should make your aspirations the people who are more fortunate than you and learn to live looking at people who are less fortunate than you.”
I wondered why my papa says so. Doesn’t he want me to get to the top? Doesn’t he want me to dream high? Does he still want us to be somewhere downs the line? I couldn’t get the answer to these questions then (might be because I could not think logically). But now as I go on the journey of life and see different people and different situations of life, I find his philosophy quite true. Yesterday I visited Balwadi, an NGO initiative. I saw the children over there. They were so innocent that when we took their pictures on a camera, they at first got scared and when we explained them what it was and showed them their recordings, they started posing for the pics. They would even out do the supermodels in giving pose (the most beautiful part not being their figure and body language, but their innocence and smiling faces). Can we imagine ourselves being in the school or college whole day, just for the sake of getting NASTA???... I don’t blame the NGO, because that is only what can help them getting the child to school. Never mind!!!! Let’s hope that one day they grow up to be good students, a good citizen and a good human being, who would provide their children good education and good life (by good life I don’t mean a lavish lifestyle).
The first thing I have noticed about these children of laborers, farm workers and dihari majdoors is that they are the happiest person in this world. I don’t know what for, but they are!! They sometimes lack the basic amenities, don’t get three meals a day, no proper clothes, no pocket money, no chocolates and all that we can’t do without. And still you would never see their face without a smile. Might be their situation have taught them to be happy, come what may. And I adore them for that. The second thing, few of them have an excellent memory and could grasp the thing at one go. No wonder why I wondered that in W.B., madhyamik toppers are mostly from the not so good to do family. They don’t have tuitions, no reference books, at times not even syllabus books, and the worst part they at times also have to work to support their family. Despite all these they manage to get above 98% in exams. I would never miss “JANPATH SAMACHAR” the day when results were declared, just because I wanted to read the stories of such guys. So humble they were that they never took the credit for their hard work. What most of them said was “it was all because of the help extended by my school teachers, principals and the blessings of my parents”. What an attitude!! HATS OFF TO THOSE GUYS!!!
I myself have at times tried to adopt their attitude, but as one can say, I failed!! I would maintain it for once, twice, thrice and at the fourth time, I would say myself “bahut ho gaya, enough is enough!!! I can’t keep on smiling and pretending to be happy, when I m not”. On introspecting the only reason I can find out for my getting angry was I WAS PRETENDING TO BE HAPPY, THEY ARE GENUINELY HAPPY. We want everything in life to lead a happy life; they need only life and can lead it happily anywhere, anyhow.
I respect my company, where I m doing my interns, for taking such initiative under the CSR policy and spreading happiness and hope to few of such people who really need it. I just hope that the chain goes on multiplying till it becomes so long that it could cover the whole of my “BHARAT”. Hoping for the best….
One song which would fit their attitude according to me is:
“Ruk jaana nahi tu kahi haarke
Kaaton pe chalke milenge saaye bahar ke…
O rahi…..o rahi…o rahi...o rahi”

kabhi alvida na kehna

I remember the first time I left for kolkata leaving my home and friends behind. since then, it has been no turnback. I have not been to home. I miss my room, mumma, my college and my friends. Its not a new thing for me. I have been used to this kind of thing. Shayad pa ke defence me hone se mujhe yahi lesson mili hain ki kabhi kahi bhi attachment mat banaya karo. But can't help it. I have made friends such that I can't forget them now. I miss them, moreover as I have a photogenic memory it's next to impossible for me to not remember them. I remember how I left Preeti at shillong and Piu at Assam and all. I remember how I first met Utsav, Manish and all at Kolkata and how we became good friends. I remeber how apprehensive I was when I first came to Mumbai. I thought that I was going to a land, where I would be all alone. Thanks to few people whom I call friends for making me extremely comfortable over there. It would be unfair on my part if I don't mention two people over here, Nainy (Poka) and Nidhi, my roomies!!!I remember how we use to do masti with each and every action of Nidhi aur uske muh kholte hi dar ke so jaana, the masti, fun and exams ke tension. Nyways, things were not the same when we came for interns and no one knows whose fault it was (everyone has their own perspective) but never mind!!! no digression....atleast one thing is for sure..we had FUN.Well talking about my memory, I at times feel bad that why can't I forget things even when I want to do that and move on. Might be there is something good in it..aakhir sab kuch achche ke liye hi hota hain. My memories haunt me anytime I leave for a new place. When I came to Mundra for my interns, I could not sleep at night. I would feel ki abhi door khulega aur koi to bhi aa jayega. I used to search for the road, which our room faced. I remeber how a dog used to sit over there and two people till late night and whenever I use to feel lonely, that would be my rescue....I would look on the road, speechless, without allowing any single thought to enter my mind. Strange but true, when I went to the washroom at Mundra's hostel, I could hear Nainy asking me "Sumi, aur kitna time lagega?" The next moment I realized what an idiot I was. I did some really stupid things. Got up at 7:35 in the morning and rushed to get my clothes, just with the intention that I don't miss the bus. Pehli baar aisa laga ki "kash hostel ka khana mil jaye." For the first time I found this all AC waala office nothing in front of my classroom. I looked at the pics we had of past days, and guess what?? the next moment I kept them aside, because I came here for a purpose, to learn and I don't want all those thoughts to keep coming to my mind and make me nostalgic (shayad jo ghar se bahar rehte hain unke liye hostel hi ghar hota hain). I know that I have to love my life this way hereafter.

If I get placed next year, then I will again have to live away from home and all alone. But never mind, yeh saari chije kuch hi din rehti hain. Jab sar pe kaam aata hain to haalat kharab ho jaati hain. That is what happened to me over here. I have seen people over here go crazy for their work and just pray ki meri haalat inke jaise na ho. Rest all God knows..

But its true I miss home, my room, all places I have been, Mumbai, ITM, Devi Vandana, Vada Paw waale bhaiya, Jassi da dhaba, Warden maam, hostel ka B'day celebration, Anand ke phate jokes, Ifti ki accent, Samson ke aaaaaaaa..., Nainy ki aew..!!!, Nidhi ki laughing buddha waala pose, sona ka gaana, Sharat ka "I mean", Cheulkar sir ke questions and the way he used to say "Nidhi priya can you please help Nainy, sumitra?", Das maam ki table and people ka pronunciation, Ani ki hindi, Vishaka ka mujhse dar jaana, Priyanka ka questions, Kabita maam ka "zero" (we won't hear it again since she left the college), Shekhari sir ki kahaniyan(Potli baba), Bus waali masti and bus waale bhaiya ki dadagiri, and all those things.....yaar memory ne dhokha de diya....kuch yaad hi nahi aa raha :)... khair baad me..

To end with, I heard this song today morning, isliye yaad reh gaya tha

"pyaar karte karte, hum tum kahi kho gaye agar

aur suni lagne lage, tumko yeh saari dagar

hum laut aayenge, tum bulate rehna

[ KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA]2