Fear is a speck

Hassan -the fourth son of late Dadapeer Makandar. He is the last child of 7 children of Dadapeer. Hassan is the rich and successful person who has great respect in the society.

It was the time when Hassan was the child, his father was having a two wheeler garage at KJ Halli Bangalore. Dadapeer’s business was running successful enough to serve his wife and children. Dadapeer's house was at Padarayanapura near KR market; which, he purchased by taking loan from Kamal Seth and selling his ambassador car.

After they started residing in their new house, his business improved, and the couples got 3 boy children after 4 girls.  When, Hassan; his last son turned to the age of 3, Dadapeer cleared all his loan and purchased another house at KJ-Halli, and he opened a branch of his garage at Kengeri.

After opening new garage, it was difficult for him to maintain both of them. Time has become pure gold for him, and coming back to home was a rare advent.  Sleep and food were irregularly monitored, His health started deteriorating, observing his health getting deteriorated, his wife advised him to hire people to maintain garage.

Finally, he decided to hire 4 mechanics  to maintain his two garages. This made his life easier; But, unfortunates and accidents are unbidden. His garage at Kengeri set to fire due to a cylinder blast, which took the lives of his two mechanics. At KJ-Halli his garage was demolished by the Corporation for road widening and given him a shop away from main road. This all happened in one month.

After this incident, the pressure mounted on Dadapeer. Again, time has become pure gold for him, coming home has become a rare advent again. Sleep and food were irregularly monitored. Along with these,financial wane give him extreme stress.

Dadapeer lost his peace and he started drinking alcohol every day, he beat his children and shouting at his wife was common to him.

One day his wife shouted at him, and forced him to stop the garage, and start a new business. She told him, it's better quit; than risking the life with machines all the time . They both shouted, Dadapeer beaten his daughters, then drank heavily. He took his pet son Hassan outside and preached “Fear is death. Fear  will not allow anybody to move forward, Life is full of risks, without risk life will not move forward”.

While coming back home, they fell by bike, Dadapeer lost his life and Hassan's hand got fractured. The shock of his father’s death turned a havoc to him, he decided never to touch automobiles and machines.

Since then, Hassan never touched any automobile, he did not even learn bicycle. But when he finished his highschool, he felt ashamed when his friends laughed at him for not knowing bike riding. He was also embarrassed by the craze they have shown on bike, he  felt bad when they went for a road trip on bike.

But at last his father’s words came to his mind, he recalled them. He has thrown away his fear, and decided to learn bike; but, there was risk in it; as he was not aware even to ride a bicycle.

Initially, he took his friend's moped-bike instead of bicycle, he has fallen, hurt himself, broken his hand for the second time in his life, but he did not leave the task. The fear in him was absolutely gone and he learned bike.

He gained knowledge on construction of bikes, and four wheelers. He joined a garage as assistant, he learned four wheeler and then started modifying the bikes. Slowly he became expert in modifying bikes.

After few years of experience, Hassan opened his own Garage; where, he started modifying normal bikes into Race bikes. Along with modification; he started practicing race biking.   He has failed and his face got scrapped after falling, but he continued to move without fear.

Finally, he won a national level race and started taking part in international races, he got money, pride and girl  to marry. He started training the guys, opened a driving school, and today he is an official mechanic to perform service to Yamaha racer bikes and cars.

Loose Change and CDM

We all undergo the situations where we stand in a Queue in ATM to collect money and our ears are well versed with  the vibrations of these well versed bad news about ATM machines.

I have seen people checking balance and taking printout; despite knowing there balance paisa to paisa. Some strange persons checking notes from the ATM for their originality and wasting others time. 

People who often put their card reverse and blame their card for being faulty. Like this ATM gives different experiences for everyone. 

Along with ATM issues; people often find it difficult to find the change and follow their own path and methods to get the change. Giving a hundred rupee note to a beggar and asking him to give 95 rupees back is the method some people follow in front of the popular temples to get change. 

People search for nearby petrol pumps or else a nearby counter shot bars to get change for a thousand rupees or a 500 rupee note. Some buy a pen or pencil and few purchase cigarette or any other commodity. I saw people investing on cigarette to get change of two rupees when its cost was 8 rupees to give it to the conductor of the bus to avoid losing 8 or more rupees that conductor writes behind the ticket. People often forget to collect them back to increase conductor’s income.  

I, too had a different experience that could connect both the issues "the ATM and change".

It was early in the morning at 6. I was on the way to electronic city from my home towards my office I joined recently. It was initial punctuality that all the employees maintain were in my mind; and, my goal was to reach electronic city by 8 though my office timing was from 8: 30. 

To reach the destination, it was mandatory for me to travel 30 kms by bus after  changing at least two buses. Travelling 30 kms in Bangalore are like travelling 150 kms on a highway.  

I started, and started walking like, I was in 30km walk in the olympics, where sports persons walk for their destiny. I was walking fast for my pride and I reach bust sop. Morning hours are busy hours for Bangalore compatriots and buses will not make us wait in the morning in Bangalore. 

I got a bus and when the conductor came asking me to take a ticket, I opened the purse, It was 1000 rupees Gandhi, which was stiff like a tetanus infected body; erected and brand new. 

Conductors pitch raged and started scolding “Who will give you change for a 1000 rupee note, that too, early in the morning?” He continued "For me account has not yet opened for the day, you people spoil our moods and our day too will end in misery. Can’t you check the money before getting into the bus", his list of rebukes  continued  and he made me get down at the next stop. 

I tried all the nearby shops and all possible ways to get the change for 1000 rupees. But the effort was un-successful.

Then I was in a situation of helplessness, but the ATM came to my help. I knew the kiosk or E-lobby of an SBI was nearby. This kiosk contains three kinds of machines, one is the usual automated teller machine, another one is a kiosk; where, we can take print-out of transactions, DD and so on, but the most important one was a CDM- cash deposit machine. 

My mind rarely works for the situations;but, fortunately the flash of neurons passed fiercely and the idea sparked. I opened my SBI debit card and went to the CDM. I deposited 1000 rupee note; and the message displayed the balance in my SBI account which was just above the minimum balance tariff. 

After depositing money at CDM ,I used my ATM card to open 100 rupees from ATM machine; and I got change.   It was easy for me to travel in a  bus after getting 100 rupee notes. I reached office after utilizing the facilities of banking and realized the fact “Banking is a fun” with the best invention like CDM. 

CDM could prevent you from standing in a long Queue to deposit money, You can avoid hard hitting cashiers rebukes for not signing or for not putting date or for some other reason.  This saves the time and saves you from the rebukes of the cashier. 

With everything getting automated, the number of internet banking user is ascending and the fun of banking is being increased day by day  as the burden getting decreasing. 

Kiss Of Green

It was feverish Cold, which made my teeth make tattering sound for the chill out situation probably at 5 am . The window of the bus completely masked by the effects of dusk in the dawn. The confuse with the bus I got was, whether the one I was traveling in was a bus or else a gushing snake. It was moving here and there left and right, suddenly straight again curving towards small excavation. The was full of uphill’s, curling’s. It was a pin drop silence in my fellow travelers, including me, the boulevard was having more curls and curvatures; probably, more curves than a beautiful woman .

On one side and the only side I can look into, was through my window, after swiping a bit of water droplets on the window pane. It was a dense forest; and, by the time my eyes were stuttering to close. I somehow managed to go through the time by having a look at romantic spot and listening to equally romantic (Only for Bachelors) “Who ladki hain kaha” from "Dil Chahata hain" which was playing in my fun-book. I played the same song repeatedly at-least for not less than 7-8 times with a maximum volume that a fun-book can produce in a headphone.

It was 6 am, the time for “Kiss of Love”. The clouds were all over the mountain and both cloud and mountain were trying to hug each other to hold the crumpet  like feeling. The feet of cloud were on mountains toes, as if a girls foot was  on a boys toes who  try to close their lips. When the scene of love was on my mind, there comes the villain, definitely not  the sun ,but the shade of green of forest  that are formed by mammoth trees kissing the sky and forming the canopy.

This shuns the main villain-Sun ; and even,  shun my view of the romantic event that would still continue to flutter in my thoughts. The vista of beauty was gravitating, crawling toward my oculars crumpled in a matter of seconds. In a few minutes the stuttering eyes close without my notice; despite, of the song that was  playing .

When I opened my eyes and landed my foot on the ground, It was like heaven to me. I was happy to great extent; probably, the happiness that Neil Armstrong would have felt when he landed his leg on the moon. The climate was like a ice chilled beer and I was in a forest, legs were on the leaves fallen from the trees.  The leaves were rotten by the hyphae of fungi, few bacteria and the lichens making love on this fertile jewel. Even the rotten smell of leaves giving a feel of smell of a purple stock flower.

After a few seconds, the show of mate of two natural beauties made my mind rejoice-full and scene came more nearer to my sight than I saw in the bus. The scene of the mate of mountains and clouds was nearer, my neck was in a raised position involuntarily. But this time again the view was crushed and the villain was rain . 

The view I was looking was missint, but what I got was “Kiss of green”. The First drop due of rain slipped from the youngest of the trees and the greenest part of it directly fall onto my smog glittered lip. I thought ,this is what everybody feels when we get a kiss from somebody whom we love and the Kiss of green stamped an evergreen memory in my cerebrum.

Strokes and Flukes

Vasu has done his engineering degree in a private college in Bangalore. He got a seat after passing entrance exams with difficulty. He got 40000 rank out 50000 rankings given by the entrance cell . But; anyhow , Indian system of reservation reserved him a seat of a prestigious institute; in-fact, one of the top in India . It was here the game of Stroke and Fluke was started to Vasu. 

Fluke for getting a seat in top college and stroke of  the pressure build on him to be  as a champion in a champion college. First semester; Vasu passed exam with first rank from last, next semester two of his 6 wickets down for a very little score of 55. It means he scored 55% out of  the subjects he passed. Like this, he entered his branch subjects in 3^rd semester.

Semester by semester, his agony continued; and, the list of his backlog subjects increased with prolonged time. By making chits and cheating, he passed a few subjects, but for his misfortune, he was caught and his pride was thrown in dust while studying his 4^th semester. 

His good times started when  he started hard and he passed all his backlogs to successfully complete his engineering degree.

After passing out from college, he attended several interviews, tried backdoor entries; but, it was not possible for Vasu to taste the success of the job. 

Vasu initially not even got the opportunity for clerk like jobs. Vasu blamed his fate for choosing engineering, for passing it with difficulty, he thought he would have got some small profile job for a lesser qualification .

Days passed and black marks started to surround his oculars, his hairs started falling and remaining hairs started turning white. His debts started inflating and Vasu’s devastating life was running in misery.

  

One day, he got a call while he was sleeping in the noon, he got irritated as he thought it was a call from mobile service provider.After 10 minutes  he again got the call  from the same number which was irritating to Vasu.  

Mr.Vasu got up and started thinking about the number. His cerebrum started thinking and he realized that customer care people will not call the same number for two times. He thought it was Job agents, but again he thought that job agents call very frequently until the call is attended. After giving a bit more work to his brain, he slept back. 

After the gap of 30 minutes he got call from the same number; but, this time Vasu picked the call.  It was fluke as the call was from the placement officer of his college.

After conversing a very few formal words, Vasu was told about the interview to be held in the college from the reputed MNC.

Vasu’s sleep ran-away like a leopard, He got up and washed his face and packed his bag to run to Bangalore to fight for the job. He took a few materials to study while traveling.  It was 5:30 am, the next day when he reached Bangalore. He went to his friend's room that was nearer to college. 

Vasu got ready, but in a hurry, he left taking print-outs of resume; and, there were no photo copies of his educational certificates. Vasu stuttered to begin the day that he thought  shall be the lucky day for him.

The interview was at 10, and the time was 9, Vasu luckily got a Xerox shop opened at 9.  He has given all his certificates to photocopy.

Shopkeeper kept his marks-card set on top of Xerox machine where machine automatically engulf the papers, take a scan of the document and give back the originals and photocopy in separate outlets.

But,Vasu's fate of tough luck was playing its game.  The un-expected stroke was pain-full for Vasu as the machine engulfed the marks-cards, but given back the folded damaged marks cards . Vasu shattered for machine spoiled his marks cards and his life indirectly.

Marks cards and other original educational documents are the only property of the Jobless graduates who are in search of jobs.  Vasu’s lonely properties are damaged in a matter of seconds and  he wept for his dream of a job  would remain a dream again. Thinking all the possible negative thoughts, Vasu  with no other option folded his mark sheets and kept them in pocket to face interview.

He cleared the aptitude test, then technical round. The problem arose when Vasu was selected for HR round. He entered the interview room with his empty hand. There was no file, documents, resume and nothing in hand. 

He entered the interview room like a brat entering exam hall without hall ticket. When Interviewer asked the marks cards. Vasu open the folded paper pieces from his pocket. The interviewer was shocked to see those pieces of paper and inquired Vasu about marks cards in a commanding louder voice.  

At last Vasu folded up his fears and braved his mind, he told the entire drama that took in xerox shop. This is where his fluke shocked the strokes, HR believed and given him the job. Now Vasu is working as a team leader in an MNC with well settled life with family. 

The game of stroke and fluke tumbles fumbles, gambles, but surely it will lead us to earn the pearl.

 

 

Ugadi-The start of a new era

According to the Gregorian calendar, the world celebrates the new year on January , but according to Hindu  lunisolar calendar, the new year falls in the month of March/April.  Ugadi/Yugadi -literally means;the start of a new era. It is derived from two Sanskrit words yuga means era and adi means the start.

The festival is celebrated throughout India from Vindhya parvata ( mountain)to the provisions of  Kaveri  river who follows the lunar calendar which is called as panchangam/panchanga. 

In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh festival is known as Ugadi, in Maharashtra it is known as Gudi Padwa, Thapna in Rajasthan, Baisakh in Punjab, Puthandu in Tamilnadu and so on.

The festival has got its own importance, because, it signifies the start of the spring season, it signifies the start of the new season with the month Chaitra initiates the start of growth of plants ; thereby, the celebration is worshiping of the nature, and praying mother earth to keep the earth greener and  help us live with prosperity.

As per mythology , the festival has got its meaning ;where, it’s a day on which the earth started, Lord Brahma, who is the creator of the universe has started the creation of the earth on the first day of the Chaitra month. Also, it is believed that this was the day Lord Rama came back to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.

The festival starts early in the morning after the cleaning the house. Some families even paint the house with the festival few days away. After cleaning house, clean premises of the house are cleaned and sprinkled with clean water to avoid any dust, after cleaning process ladies execute their artistic culture and talent through beautiful and colorful Rangoli’s.

After all this, everyone in the house applies  their bodies with sesame or coconut oil and expose themselves to the sun . After sunbath a fresh hot water bath with neem and turmeric used as a soap to rejuvenate the body and help themselves to keep their mind calm.

Ladies prepare special dishes, sweets, but the specialty of the Ugadi is a kind of dish called as Bevu-which is a fixture of neem leaves, neem flowers, jaggery, un-ripened mango, tamarind juice to make it either a powder or juice .

This dish is a symbol of sweet and sour of life; hence, this dish is spread to all the neighbors, friends and relatives as a token of exchange of happiness and sorrow equally. 

Prayers, wishing , worshiping the sun, nature, cattle, farmland is a very common in all the festivals and Ugadi is not at all exclusive.

In some parts of India, people even play color to celebrate the joy of the new year.

Apart from dishes; Ugadi is a very auspicious occasion for Hindus, people buy the vehicle, gold and other bigger properties on this day. They start building houses, shops on this day, it’s a very big day on which people start their business. People keep up their pace in doing all the good things to keep the year a good and prosperous one.

Hindu New Year celebration is a very auspicious, ambitious, important festival celebration that prays for the welfare of all.