“Everybody is fighting a
hard battle that you know nothing about, never give up with yours.” ― Auliq Ice
Shreya saw the morning sun’s augmentation into an
Shreya
began her walk indifferently through the building complex. She now began looking around lethargically, at the end of the building complex was a small
cemented room in a large plot of empty land. The ground was adjacent to
the houses in her building. It had been recently occupied by a family of five.
Parents and three kids who seemed in the age group of 3 to 7. She had seen the
parents several times early in the
morning cooking chapatis on firewood with the kids coughing owing to the smoke
in the tiny room. Today it was late, the kids were out. The father tethered a hamm ock made of a rag
between the almond tree and the electric pole. The eldest daughter swayed in
it, the younger ones were playing with a dirty toy car. It was a cold winter
morning. Shreya saw the kids roaming around without socks or footwear. She felt
a tinge of pain as the little one walked on the rough concrete surface. Their
mother was busy washing clothes in the open ground while the man was busy with wetting the cemented surface with piped
water in the skeleton of an upcoming building. None of them felt the cold. The
children sang as they played. They moved around cheerfully. Shreya got lost in
those surprising moments of life. She realised that no amount of wealth could
buy the happiness and satiation this family had.
As
realisation began to dawn, Shreya grew alert and walked steadily. At the other
end of the next colony was a playground where kids played clutching each other
in the cold wind. They were engrossed in the world of amity. Men and women exchanged their views as they walked on the
cold dew clad grass. They enjoyed the joy of togetherness and bonding. Still
ahead was another playground that had a stage. On the stage sat a middle aged lady all alone. In general, Shreya
had seen many men and women practicing yoga,
but today the sun was up and this lady sat with closed eyes and
practiced Brahmi Yogasana as she hummed the mantra ‘Om ’
in deep breaths. She was all alone in
the state of tranquility as she practiced the asana because she loved herself
and concentrated on improving her health. Shreya realised the importance as she
recollected the numerous old and young who wholeheartedly managed their
schedules to walk, sports and Zumba. It definitely made people more
enthusiastic and joyful. Shreya now gath ered
herself and began walking briskly.
She crossed
the place and reached the temple. She stood outside the temple and prayed Lord
Ganesha, she saw that people had come to
clean the surroundings, some were praying and a few others were just sitting in deep contemplation
as tears flowed down their cheeks. She wondered was there just grief around.
She recollected the death of youngsters due to the inability to face failures,
she tried to picture the friends she knew in all stages of life, each one had
something to worry or cherish yet most of them chose to speak about what they
had lost rather than what they had. The mother of a married daughter worries
about her ability to sustain in the new home while that of an unmarried
daughter worries about her marriage. The one who has an own house fears about
the repairs and taxes while the one who doesn’t have one wants to possess a house. It reminded her of the monkey’s hand
caught in a trap with nuts where the monkey is unable to pull its hand with the
nuts. It doesn’t understand that it has got caught in the trap due to the
nuts and can be free once it leaves the nuts. The monkey hangs on to the nuts
reminding us of human beings who hang on to uncertainties till worries gobble them.
Struggles and challenges in life are like the nuts in the trap, the minute you
let them go, you are free in life to derive pleasure from the simple things in
life, like a toothless smile of a baby, the warm sunshine on a cold winter day,
a cup of tea with friends, a trek in the forests, the blossoming of a rose in the
garden, tiny drops of the first rain on a parched summer evening, riding a bicycle,
flying a kite, playing tennis, swimming or merely running a marathon. The
closed door of crisis agonizes and impedes one from seeing the delicate world
of opportunities.
“Always look heavenward in
any situation. Trust God to grant you the needed grace and strength to overcome
the situation.” ― Lailah Gifty
Nice...another coffee of Inspiration...got your message in a sweet and motivating way indeed lil painful...
ReplyDeleteRgds,
Priya
Thank you Priya, thanks for the constant appreciation.
DeleteSuperb article : monkey trap! ! Despite repeated advices from well wishers human beings enjoy worrying. Why do they like to wallow in self pity? Actually this is a research topic for Psychiatrists and or Psychologists. Small small happiness like smell of earth after first rain or blooming flower ( as mentioned in your article) are enjoyed only if u r in happy mood. Why so? Again a dilemma! !
ReplyDeleteHuman mind is incorrigible and incomprehensible. It desires what others have and u don't have. If trying to get that something you fail u get frustrated. This is what students feel when they don't get marks and someone gets distinction. Same in the field of employment. All of us have experienced jelousy, frustration, anger, hatred towards others who have everything that we wish to have. Our mind refuses to accept the worlds of haves and have nots. Dr. Neeta Kulkarni