The Dawn

With wet eyes she looked at the horizon. The sky was exhibiting the shades of colors nature had. She felt like nature was mocking her black and while life by showing all the possible permutation of blee. At the distant, a ship which had just started its voyage with a hope to reach the destination was in speculation still. A couple was immersed into each other isolating themselves from rest of the world. It reminded her of them, of him, being together. It had been about two months since he left. In more appropriate way, since god deprived him from her. This was the place they used to come most often. Since he wasn’t anymore, she hasn’t come here.

Foggy pictures of memories she had, of them, flashed through her eyes. How they met as strangers, how they had their first conversation, how they became acquainted from unknowns, and finally a single soul from two different souls. She still wasn’t able to believe what happened. The person, whom she had loved more than anyone else, whom she had trusted more than anyone else, with whom she had envisaged her entire life, left her. A single unfortunate moment stole the most precious thing from her. It was an accident which took him away from her. Neither in miles nor for the days, it snatched him to the different world leaving her alone in this world to survive without him. That meant she has to live her entire life without him, with memories only. Memories of their dates, that wait for him, that long walks, those silly fights. She missed a heartbeat realising there will be no more dates accompanied by gentle kiss full of grace, no more squabbles ending by tight hug full of warmth, no more walks on the street holding hands of each other amidst darkness of the night. It seemed impossible for her to live without him.

Seeing towards horizon, thinking about him, she felt something. Amid the roar and crash of the surf, she found a deep calmness. That tranquillity was telling her something, was reminding her of feeling she used to have being wrapped in his arms. That peace, that obliviousness of the rest world, all those feelings she used to experience being with him, she felt then. For a moment, she felt his presence there. She felt his strong vibe there. She couldn’t see him but strongly felt him. It gave her goose bumps. In a moment, it all gone away. But something has changed. She found herself back at the beach again, alone, amid the world full of hallucination, but a different one. Instead of being indulged in misery and sorrow, she found herself full of happiness and enthusiasm. From a saturnine to an effervescent. That sudden change, she knew it wasn’t accidental. She knew it was him. Yes for sure, it was him. She knew her love had pulled him from transcendental world to this inferior world. He always wanted her to live the life with passion. From the entire different world also, he pulled her girl back from ocean of gloom to the sky full of happiness. He indeed proved the worth of love, a pure love.

She realized it was getting dark. With a gentle smile, she stood up. Making her from a gloomy to a fanatic one, though it was a twilight, it turned out a dawn for her. A dawn of her life…!

An Unexpected Dilemma

"Jai Mata di Bhaiya" he drew my attention by it. I also chanted in reply. It was usual to wish everyone who come across you in a pilgrimage. I didn’t see the forthcoming dilemma. Anyway, this is how, it was started.

In the end of our fascinating journey of Dalhousie trek, as already decided, we went to Vaishnodevi. I already had been there once, yet I convinced all for that pilgrimage. I always love to visit it. So as per plan, we were there. Somehow we were in a situation that we had to check out from room we stayed erstwhile as earlier as possible. So in a hurry to reach the bottom, we were descending rapidly. We all got segregated. Parth was with me. Mostly we were using stairs to come down faster instead of descent. While moving down from one of the stairs, he stopped me. He was ascending, while we were descending. There were many people but he stopped me only. Afterwards we both were astonished that why did he specifically stop me only.

After greetings, he asked me as an introductory part about my inhabitant province. So as a formal conversation, I replied decently. He was with a child and his wife. Then he asked me to help him. I enquired about the nature of help. He told me “bhaiya hum log bus se aa rhe the, whi hamari bag chori ho gai. Mera wallet bhi usme tha”. So basically he wanted monetary assistance. I further ambiguously asked if he complained in police. He replied affirmatively but also told about expected inactivity of police. He told me that he was coming from Shirdi (in Maharshtra). In his journey, he had planned to cover some places in Punjab also but now it wasn’t possible. We also discussed about cell phone but prepaid cell gets inactive there, as it was J & K. so there came a confusing situation for both of us.

My mind started to think in both directions. It really was a bewilderment. On one hand, my intellect was doubting if he was just a knave, on the other hand my intuition was guiding me that he really was in a genuine problem. Parth was also amazed by that sudden facing of a stranger. We weren’t able to decide what to do. A rapid thinking was going on in my mind. Let me elaborate both points of view.

If his bag was really stolen, first doubt was who keeps continue their journey without money. I mean, if you are in such condition, you first try to contact your relatives and somehow manage to collect some money via indirect contacts. If u cannot manage to get money, you stop your journey and try to get back home as early as possible. Instead, he continued journey. In spite, they were three persons including child. His bag was stolen, now, who manages to travel so long distance only with a single bag. I mean at least there should be 2 bags to accommodate all belongings of two individuals. There were many possible reasons to doubt them.

Now other aspect was my intuition guidance. The truthfulness I saw in his voice, his wife’s anxious face, child’s innocence. All your intellectuality, your cognition, your thoughtfulness becomes lack lustre when your intuition guides you strongly. In spite there also lies arguments which nullify aforementioned doubts. He & his wife were totally okay even if we don’t help them. They didn’t have an urge for money. This was inclining me to help them. So basically I had both directive thoughts.

Somehow we mutually took decision. What we did, I won’t state here. I don’t want to be judged. My purpose to write this is not to discuss whether my deed was right or wrong, whether that person was in actual trouble or was just a knave. The sole motive I want to convey here is to have a look inside yourself only. Many among us might have come across in a situation like this and have dealt with it. That person might be honest or might be a dishonest one but that person doesn’t define anything. You, yourself, define everything. It defines the society you represent, rather it defines yourself more. After all a society or a community is build up by aggregation of many ‘You’ or ‘Me’. Put yourself in the similar situation, think.

At the end, you don’t need to prove it to anyone. You just need to prove to your soul only.  

NIT Srinagar- The Institute of National Importance

Kashmir- The paradise on earth. The creator has endowed it with abundance beauty. The valley of sparkling rivers, splendid gardens, snow-capped peaks of magnificent mountains and meadows covered with beautiful flowers. I have been there once. If you visit it once, it surely will leave indelible imprints on your heart. Especially Srinagar, the city of lakes.  Anyone would love to study there, in the heaven, in the Kashmir.

By hearing NIT-Srinagar, everyone would fantasize a campus in the lap of nature, furnished with the beauty of snow covered mountains. In actual also, the campus is one of the most beautiful campus in India. So a virtual tour of NIT-Srinagar would be similar to aforesaid.

Now, imagine a situation, you are studying miles away from your home. In your own country but being seen as an outsider. Living in a sphere of people having more affiliation with another country. Facing a strong aversion in your country, for some people, in their own state. You used to celebrate when your country won, but here you cannot even show that happiness. You do have pride for your nation, but you cannot express it. This is what a real situation of the campus lying in the nature's lap.

An incident happened here couple of days ago. When the whole India was shocked by India's defeat in semifinal, a celebration was going on in NIT-Srinagar. The next day, students, who are seen as outsiders there, hoisted tri-color in campus and chanted 'Bharat Mata ki Jay' to oppose it. After that, students who tried to be  proud Indians were assaulted brutally. They are getting threats from day-scholars. Even teachers are threatening them. They cannot go out of their hostels. Local residents threatening them of a death. Situation is really frightening there. They indeed need a support armed as well as psychological.

Now, the question here lies is can't you even hoist national flag in your institution, in your country, especially when it is declared an institute having national importance. Pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans are chanted there and when you chant a national slogan, you are assaulted brutally. They need to be reminded that Kashmir is an integrated part of India. Those students did nothing wrong by hoisting national flag and chanting national slogan.

Let us support them and ask government to take necessary steps to assuage situation there. At the last, We, The whole country is with you nationalists.

Two Contemporary Scenes of Tolerant India

Two contemporary scenes of incredible India.

Scene 1

JNU Campus, New Delhi

Some leftist and kashmiri students were protesting by anti-india and pro-pakistan slogans to oppose ‘judicial killing’ of Afzal guru. In fact, they had planned to mark hanging of terrorist Afzal guru by a cultural event on 9^th February. The event didn’t get permission when it came into attention of college authority. Though, without permission, they went ahead and organized an event.

Scene 2

Army research and referral hospital, New Delhi

Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, a brave india soldier, was fighting against death. He was discovered in siachen, buried under 35 ft snow for five days, still conscious. Whole country was praying for her brave-heart son.

A soldier who gives his precious life to serve our nation, to make us feel safe. He remains awake in -30 degree Celsius so that we can sleep with comfort in our beds with soft pillow, beneath a blanket. He strives to defend India and its people from terrorists and external aggression. Then, there are some people who advocate those terrorists. Today, they are doing this for Afzal guru, in the name of kshmiriyat, tomorrow they will do the same for Yakub Memon, then Kasab. Instead of denouncing it, our political superstar (no need to name him) is supporting them by condemning police action against them. Absurdness is that they are doing this with political motivation. All I want to say, political agenda should be left aside, at least matters relating to defence of our country. But our politicians are not mature enough to understand it. There was a time, congress was in rule, they sent opposition leader Mr. Vajpayee to represent India in UN. Pakistan was shocked by that action. He represented India as an Indian, not as opposition leader. In this time, political leaders need to develop that kind of patriotic nature. That kind of political maturity India needs now.

Finally, a salute to L/n hanumanthappa and those nine brave-heart sons of bharatmata. They left us devastated and sad. Om shanti om!