Middle class, Upper Caste, private job- True Story!

I am a normal person. I pay all my bills. Water bill, Electricity bill, this bill, that bill every single bill. I pay all my taxes too- Road tax, income tax, sales tax, what not! I have my ration card but I can’t get any subsidized items because I don’t fall in the poverty line according to official definition. However I use it as an address proof. I buy rice at 45/50 per kg and dal at 200/kg (New price you see :D) I earlier bought onion at 80/kg too. I don’t have a white card because I don’t get medical problems (Or maybe am supposed to afford all the private hospital fee along with all the taxes paid). I did not get any reservation in my school, college and even for my job because I belong to the upper caste. I paid all my fee right from my schooling, there was no remission in spite of being a top performer all the time. I could not get into a government job because I could not compete with less capable people protected with multiple layers of reservation like nominal fee, lesser cut-off marks, age-relaxation and reserved portion of seats. I bear the hiked prices of petrol, inflation and tax hikes too. I buy my own LPG, yes the subsidized one which costs around 600 per cylinder. Sorry, couldn’t afford to give it up because I have to pay my child’s school fee of 25,000 per year in addition to all the above expenses. And as everyone else who wants a bright future for his/her child, even I want to send him to a private school, I have no choice. I even have to save for my daughter’s marriage because she isn’t eligible for the ‘kalyana laxmi’ scheme because she is an upper caste girl. I also have to plan for my retirement because I work for a small private firm where we don’t get pension benefits and I don’t fall under ‘Atal Pension Yojana’ as I am not poor.

Now when am back from my office after a tiresome day struggling to make the both ends meet and wish to hire a maid to do the daily chores and asked her how much she expects her salary to be, she says she doesn’t want to work because she’s got a free 2 bedroom flat, rice at 2/kg, other household items at nominal prices, white card for medical support, fee remission for her children and monetary support for her daughter’s marriage!

Social Responsibility - What is it?

We often come across this word 'social responsibility' many times and we often participate in discussions voicing our views regarding the same. But is it just about cleanliness, following traffic rules, helping others in distress, rescuing someone from danger, and donating our bit to the needy? May be this narrower interpretation is keeping most of us in dark and fooling us into believing that we are socially so responsible.

Its said, charity begins at home. Not just that, probably everything begins at home. Most of us are often perplexed at the way kids behave at a party when they incessantly speak embarrassing things and we fail to understand that it once began at home when they weren't warned by their parents, the first time they did. And to my astonishment, many believe that it is the way to live in today's society! Isn't that the social responsibility of a parent to up bring his child to make him a part of better society? After all, all of these kids form tomorrow's society. Isn't it?

Giving a word was once more valued than having a written document unlike today. We can however not expect times to change in a flash. But is it so difficult to say only those things which we really mean? To bluff people, make fun of them, fool them for no reason, pulling their legs has become more of a casual thing today. Is it really so casual as we assume it to be? Is it not our social responsibility to be a better person when we expect to live in a better society?

Nuclear families are present day's necessity. Work location, education, career opportunity, competition and many such. Whatever the reason may be, we are compelled to live away from our families. We meet our Grand parents, uncles, aunts and cousins only for some family get together parties. Quite logical that we don't share a great bond of affection unlike those olden days joint families. But isn't it our social responsibility to value relations for they teach us the value of love which is the very nature that binds mankind?

Not ignoring the very powerful force that molds us all with the very magic of its omnipresence and the deep penetration among the public- The Media! Yes, we are all influenced so easily with whatever we see and all that that grabs our attention that reaches us through the media. From inspirational stories to silly gossips, some bit of it enters our mind and tunes our behavior. But do we ever question and raise our voice against the unwanted subject content that media rubs on us just for the sake of their popularity? Isn't raising our voice against a value breach, our social responsibility for a better society to live in?

Each one of us is a part of this society. We have the power to design it, mold it, protect it and also tear it. We all make a society. A good deed is as contagious as a bad one. But rarely do we realize it because we think there is a pre-built society and we just need to dwell our lives in it. We are the makers of our own destiny and of course our society.

Solitude- The making of a person

It’s always a mystery! What we are being like and what we actually are may be very different as our inner self is camouflaged with timelessness. These busy lives have snatched from us all our precious possessions, dragging us into temptation of making money.

Hurried lives are a part of this speedy era. No wonder we don’t prefer wasting time over extraneous issues amidst this hectic schedule. Alarms and reminders have become necessities to keep up with time. Family, friends, relatives ought to be put second to work, at times.

That day I hardly took out some time to meet my friend at a coffee shop. I reached there a little before and ordered a hot coffee. Before it reached me, that pleasant aroma danced on my nose tickling my senses. I was lost in myself and then I heard someone speaking to me. There was none beside me. That voice sounded quite familiar. It took some time, to realize that it was me, my inner self.

It started speaking to me as my mirror. It elevated my flaws as much as it did highlight my strengths. It questioned me on my wrong decisions, and warned me against possible pitfalls. It did appreciate a little, but bashed me much more for the way I was not letting my life go hunky-dory. I was listening to a completely different version about me than I knew myself. It was pointing out at every single mistake I made which could have been avoided. And at some point I was unsure if it was talking about me. So was the effect of this mirror voice. Because I never knew I had been so foolish at times. I was ashamed that I knew so little about myself and that I wasn't aware of another ‘me’ in me.

That was a great coffee indeed. I was back home after the small meet we planned. I met my friend after a very long time and we were happy we did. But what made me much happy was the other person whom I never cared to meet, since ages. Myself! I never gave myself enough time to hear to my inner self. All the contradicting opinions I had with my mirror were obvious because I hardly lent it an ear.  

Had I not spent this little time at least now to myself, it’s no wonder that I would be going on in the path I never wanted to be on, and in the way that was never mine. I got to know what I am, and how I need be. True, talking to our inner self is so important, to be sure that we are what we want to be.

Bits, Pieces, Flakes, Specks and Chips- A Sad story of Vowels

A pleasant evening walk in a lush green garden, Ah! That would work wonders even for a pathetically gloomy person. And I was a simple normal one. So I could not resist but appreciate the beauty of those blooming buds, tender creepers, vibrant flowers and their dances to the musical breeze which is certainly worth experiencing. 

As I was walking down the park, suddenly I felt I crushed something under my foot. But not minding that, I moved ahead. The more I walked, more the crushing sensation I felt. And suddenly I heard a screechy moan! It was the alphabet 'a'. I was surprised. When I keenly observed, I could see the corpses of few more vowels beneath my shoes. Astonishingly but carefully I walked ahead. Moans, cries, weeps and groans! As I approached that banyan tree sounds grew louder. It was there, where their meeting is being held. All the vowels were discussing their problems, sharing their sorrows and few were deeply depressed that they remained silent with a bland look, at the meeting. Few consonants too joined the meet slowly.

I was the only person to go to that tree and no one else was there. But whenever someone passed by that tree, I felt all these tiny vowels jumping onto me, from the mobile phones people use. More the passersby more were the vowels. I was in a great confusion, ignorant of what was happening. I sat down there, for a while immersed in thoughts. And then I received a message from my friend, who wanted to meet me at the park. 

It read, “Whr r u?” 

The moment I received that message, six alphabets fell on my feet- ‘e’,’e’,’a’,’e’,’y’,’o’ from my phone!

Advertisements, More fun and interesting than the boring soap operas!!

It was another boring day when I was done with all the daily chores on a holiday, and sat down to watch Television. I had no clue about what I wanted to watch. I wasn't particular about anything. Then I started flipping channels randomly in search of something that could attract my attention and keep me stuck to it.

And then there was this man playing with snakes and frogs put in a tub. He was handling them as they were his noodles! Yuck! My God!! What kind of amusement people get watching those creepy things I thought. Next was a cookery show where a lady was making 'Apple Parantha'!!! I was wondering why would anyone be interested in such a stupid recipe! Bah! I sensed some confused fumes from my head, out of exasperation.

I continued changing channels, which finally somehow seemed interesting. That was a random clip where two old woman (sisters probably) were making a plan to surprise their brother on his birthday. Quietly they approach his place, and place a greeting card at his door. Soon as he opens the door, he would be surprised to see that someone had come all the way to wish him. And he guesses that they are none other than his elder sisters. Soon they start singing 'Happy birthday' song and rush to hug him. How incredible is the way of portraying their emotions! Lot of love and affection poured in, in just a 30 second advertisement! I liked it, more than any movie or soap. I stuck to that channel.

Next was an advertisement of 'Google' that unites two friends who were separated from each other during the India-Pakistan partition. That was a package of emotions! Laughs, smiles, tears and excitement, all in a slice of a video!

Until then, I was of an opinion that advertisements were breaks to movies or soaps. But it is more fun to watch these rather than something meaningless especially when they are creative enough to make us think for a moment. And special enough to make us smile!

It was a Midnight-Morning!

I didn't know that a thought could make you so uncomfortable. It was like a pebble in the sock and mosquito at the ear, not letting me sleep. Lots of thoughts, incidents, memories, were haunting me. But why?

I tried to change my positions to adjust myself to sleep. Nothing seemed to work. Random scenes kept playing in my mind, like a never ending shuffled movie. I was unable to make out the reason behind it, nor could I think of a solution that could help me sleep.

I had always topped all the exams in my school and college. Yeah, I was not dumb at extra curricular activities too. My friends called me 'College-Cuckoo' and I had also won lots of prizes in 'creative art' segment. Wonderful were those days when I cherished each and every moment of my life. Doing the things which I loved doing. I never had a regret of missing something.

Playing with my cats and kittens, I lose myself in time. Those belly-rubs and their paw-hits were my favorites. How miraculous were those days!!

Awwww..!! Am sunk in nostalgia. Then I started to realize that all my memory-dew had been dripping down with my busy job. Hhh.. Yeah am a software engineer working for a reputed multinational company. My brain is often occupied with nothing apart from those projects, deadlines and schedules. Sometimes I even tend to forget my own mobile number. How crappy has the life become!!

Then a spark struck my mind. That I renew my hobby of book-writing. And I was smiling with that very thought, imagining how stress free my life is going to be, doing that what I love doing.

It was a midnight-morning! Yeah!! It was a midnight that could make rest of my mornings cheerful. Idea so fresh like a morning sunshine that bombarded me on a midnight!!!