I saw you today

Shaun Reed came to the dining room after bidding goodbye to his two sons. One was 15-years old and other was 17 years old. He had to rush up to his friend's company to check its progress and then to his lab. He called his wife.

"Hey, Jeez, It's getting late. My breakfast."

"Coming Shaun. Can you be a little more patient?"

"You know my schedule. Don't you darl? I have too many works eating my time."

"It's your fault. You shouldn't have taken up the task of supervising your friend's company."

"Don't start it again! He is my best friend and it's my duty to do it for he has entrusted me with this task."

"Where is he now? Why did he leave the place without telling anyone?"

"He wanted peace. He didn't have it in his life. When he will return is a million dollar question. Let us have some hope."

He was about to finish his breakfast when the door bell rang. Shaun attended the door. There was a post man standing with a smile on his lips. A black rimmed spectacle adorned his beard face.

"Shaun Reed?"

"You know my name?"

"It's there in the letter sir..."

"You look so familiar. Who are you?"

"New post man assigned for duty in this area sir." He handed the letter.

"What? From Hayte Kle?"

Tears started welling up his eyes. The visitor nodded his head in approval. Every day since his absence, Shaun Reed used to check his post box for his mails, mobile for his calls. But none came and today at last a post from him.

Shaun sat in the sofa thinking in retrospect. Those days were always adorable for him yet hurtful. Both were from the same college and Hayte got a job whereas Shaun entered the research line and continued his passion. Hayte flourished and started a company. Shaun became a scientist. After Hayte's sister's marriage, he bought a home near his sister's. He had taken care of everything, he had only his company duties. He asked Shaun to help him with it.

One fine day, (Probably bad day for his people) he left the place. None knew where he left. 15 years passed by since then.

"Hey, the envelope down here." Jeez shouted. Shaun came to his present. She gave him the envelope and it was addressed to Shaun Reed, him. He told her that he would see it in his office. After checking on Hayte Kle's company, he left for his lab. He noted in his mind that he should read the letter on reaching his lab.

He entered his cabin and tore the envelope open. His face showed a mixture of expressions as his gaze lowered down the envelope.

"Dear Shaun Reed, 

I don't wish to beat around the bush. I am sorry for everything. I am sorry for leaving you alone for 15 years. I am sorry for not looking after my parents and I am sorry for leaving that responsibility to you. I am sorry for not attending your marriage yet I am happy that I had made some efforts for the life you are living now. I am sorry for burdening you with my company responsibilities but I didn't have one to entrust them with this. And I am sorry for giving you that “major” burden. I don't have a reason for this. But I am sorry for the great battle going on in your mind whether to tell your wife that one of your boys is actually not yours but mine. I am sorry for that too.
The truth which you and I alone know. It is definitely not an ugly truth but not a truth to celebrate with others. The day your first child was born dead and you were not in a position to accept that, I had no other option but to give you my child, my adopted child. Yes Shaun, he isn't my boy and I actually adopted him from a very far place. I adopted him to remove the silence in me. I adopted him to make my parents believe that I had a child with some girl. I adopted a boy to forget my past memories with her. With her, Shaun. I wanted to forget her. 

And here I am without him. But I am happy here, Shaun, with all kids clouding my thoughts with their innocence. And I am happy that my son is safe with you with my friend. With my brother. I have always seen you as my brother, my younger brother.

You know my life, Shaun. You know my hurts and insults. You know my cowardice. You know my denial and weak mind. I have had enough experiences in my life in just 28 years what an octogenarian would have seen in his entire life. I never realized who were true until things started changing. I was always surrounded by selfish crocs who were waiting for me to slip into the water so that they could have their feast. I succumbed to their wishes. I never had courage to tell people what I had in my mind. I never had strong mind to take strict decisions in my life. Please don't grow your children that way.

Tell them that you once had a friend named Hayte Kle and the story.

""He was good, generous and intelligent. But he never had confidence in him. He was always clouded by fear throughout his life that he might become a loser. He never had the courage to tell what he had in his mind. He always stood first when it came to others. He was such a nice guy to hang out with. He always preferred relationships to his ego. And so he lost his self-respect and self-esteem. Everyone took advantage of his weak mind and used him for their benefits.

There was no one except a few which included your dad who had been telling him constantly to be confident and strong. But he didn't listen to our words and he started losing by gaining. He rose to a supreme position in his field but failed to keep true people near him. Courage eluded him when it came to his own life but supported him when it came to others'. He was one of the reasons that you two are leading a good life now.""

Be confident in life, learn to take strong decisions, never expect from others, learn to be a little selfish, learn to say 'No', never lose your self-esteem, be friendly to all, be careful in your life, shed your innocence after a point, Never take your victories to your head, Never run behind people instead make them come behind you, recognize the true people around you, and at last, never ignore people in life. I know how painful it will be.

I owe you a lot for taking care of my company and checking on my parents. I heard that all our close friends are doing well. Help them in case they need. Hope She is also fine. My parents too would be reading my letter now.

I hear you asking me a question. “You don't wish to see us?” I saw you all. I am very happy that I saw you today in morning. Every one of you. Bye.

With Love,
Hayte Kle.

"

I saw you today. The postman. Shaun started crying. Like a child. He had never cried in the past 15 years. Not after the day Hayte left everyone in despair. He threw away the letter in anguish sorrow. A newspaper flew onto the floor from the envelope. A photo caught his face, Hayte's and Shaun read the headline. 

"The Unknown guy, who has been in coma for the past 15 years, dies today morning."

Change, Are you ready?

I have always believed in this proverb. "Little drops of water make the mighty ocean." Whenever I think about a single change which is likely to bring an all round prosperity to our society, I often get confused how a single change will shake the entire society which has been built slowly for millions of years! The way we live today is a result of the slow but steady progress of the "minds" of our ancestors over a huge period of a little above hundreds of thousands of years! And how does a 'single' change is likely to change the entire condition?

And what else can we expect? A revolution? Like the French or the Cuban one? No, it isn't possible in our India. India isn't a country suitable for revolutions. What else can we possibly do to bring about this change? Only small changes in ourselves, in the minds of the people who wish to see a change, in the hearts of those who are eager to change this society, in the thoughts of those who just sit there to watch a change will bring about the change we desire. Yes. Everything, every single thing starts at a single point: "Me". If you wish to see a change in the country, first try to bring a change in your actions and that shall lead the country to.

One can ask me many questions pertaining to this. "We are common citizens and what can you expect from us to change this complex society?" Well, the answer is simple. It is in the proverb in which I have always believed. Little drops of ocean water make the mighty ocean. A tiny change in yourself and that shall shake the world. Let me introduce you a new character Mr. Changer alias Mr. C, who is a social activist.

Small change #1: There are several "Save energy, save power." campaigns going on all around the world. The environmentalists protest with placards "Don't waste power and hence the natural resources!” We all talk about those big, showy campaigns. We run marathons, participate in debates, give lectures etc., But how many of us follow that in our places? How many have that slightest attitude to switch off the fans and lights in the room when we leave the room, though we are going to return after two minutes? The statistics reports that nearly 50% of the energy used for home purposes are wasted in the inefficient usage of electricity like the above one.

It was a bright day and Mr. Changer was standing out of his home admiring the bright sun after 3 days of heavy downpour. Suddenly a small kid, around 7-8 years, called him.

"What’s the matter kid?"

"Changer sir, do you know where the control of the street lights located? It is a bright day and yet the street lights are all on. It is wastage of power, right? None seem to have any concern about it and switch it off. I myself will do it."

Mr. C was completely lost. He didn't notice that those lights were ON. He came out of his home, walked towards a lamp post and turned the switch off.

The kid smiled, "Thanks Changer sir."

And that kid left the place. C thought that he should have been the one to thank him. But he did and C admired his social thought.

Do we have this?

Small Change #2: Accidents, accidents and accidents everywhere! Yes, I do hear you saying that you are all very cautious in driving vehicles and it is not your fault. If every individual who rides vehicles justifies him/her, then who is the reason for accidents? Oh, it may be the vehicles themselves. Yeah we can blame it on the vehicles and even the road blocks. “I was riding vehicle and suddenly my vehicle fell in love with the bumper of the car in front of me and it wanted to impress the dash board and so it sped hitting (on) it! And so the accident.” Well, this might work only if you survive. What can we possibly do?

I also drive vehicle and I drive almost every day. And out of 10 vehicles, 9 don’t care to turn their indicators on or horn when they take a left and 4 don’t care to turn on their indicators even when they take a right.

Once a vehicle was taking a left turn in a day time but he didn't turn his indicator on. Mr. C saw this at a distance from his vehicle and drove to him.

"Hi Social buddy, what‘s up?"

"You didn't turn on your indicator while turning left."

"Hey, lefts are free in India and one need not turn on his indicator while turning left."

"Then why do vehicles manufactured in India come with a left indicator at the front and the rear?"

"But you always talk about energy saving? I saved power now without turning on the indicator unnecessarily."

"Oh, you quote energy saving now?"

"Yeah!" (A vicious smile!)

"Turn off your head lights. It is day time."

The guy couldn't reply and left the place. He took a left turn without his indicator ON again and ‘THUD’, a sound of a metal body crashing against other. C rushed to the place to find the guy on the road with his bike 30 feet away from him.

Small Change #3: These days, there are loads of opportunities abroad and we all study here and leave the country. After few years, we return to see our relatives and friends and to show off our standard. We follow the rules in that country but never care to follow them here.

Mr C went to a theater to see a documentary. During interval he went to buy a pack of popcorn. He heard a conversation between a dad and his son. Seeing the guy’s appearance, C thought that he should have recently returned from foreign. C noticed that the son’s pocket was full of empty chocolate papers. He approached the kid to inquire that.

"Son, why are you having many empty chocolate wrappers in your pocket? Why don’t you throw them off?"

"There are no dustbins around here sir."

"See over there, all are throwing their wastes in that corner. Put it there and the sweeper will clean it later."

"But that isn't a dustbin. I need a bin named "Please put your trash here" or something like that written and so I can throw it in the bin and not on the floor."

C was inspired. "What if you don’t find one?"


"I will carry these all the way to my home and put it in the dustbin there."

"Who taught you to do this?"

"We are from abroad and the rules there strictly tell us not to litter. My dad also told me not to litter there. Isn't that same everywhere?"

I patted his back and at the same time his dad threw his plastic cover on the floor several feet away from the corner.

Small Change #4: We all have become so selfish. We always want our work to be done first. We don’t care about others. We have become so self-centered and we never care to care for others.

Mr. C went to a show and they announced in the end that they would distribute gift bags to the people present there and the gift bags are less in number. They requested the people to form a queue. And suddenly the people from various corners of the hall rushed and crowded the place in front of the stage to get the gift bags. C stood as the last person in the crowd and got peevish because of the people’s behavior. He thought that he was the last person in the so-called queue and was surprised to find a small girl standing even behind him. He went near the girl and asked her in a loud voice so that everyone could listen. All turned to face them.

"Why are you standing here while the queue is so much far before you?"

"The organizers announced to form a queue and as per my calculation, the queue should end here."

"But the queue doesn't end here. See it has stopped much ahead you."

"Sir, a queue means one person should stand behind other and not two behind three or four behind five."

"Haha. That is fine. You are standing here and you think that this is going to make difference in them?"

"It will certainly sir. People are always afraid to stand at the last because they might lose the gift bag or whatever. They don’t want the last position. And so I have taken it and all of you can come and stand before me so that I will always be the last person to get the bag if there is any left."

The people hung their head in shame and they formed a queue. Almost all got the bags and the organizers gave that girl a big gift.

I have quoted you some small changes which we don't notice as necessary ones and there are further many more. See the incidents and all of us will know how these small changes will do miracles. Take a small step towards the change and we shall see a large change in the society. I shall rest my post here.

P.S: This blog post is submitted for the Indiblogger-Indichange-IDiya contest. Read more about IDiya here.

And they declared an indefinite closure!

For all the school students in higher secondary level, they have a fantasy about their college life! I was not an exception to it when I was in that stage! No studies, no books, no classes, bunks, cultural, ragging, freedom, leadership and strike! All the above except one have been a part of one's college life for centuries. Strike?! How or since when does this strike become a part of college life?

Fortunately or unfortunately, the films (especially, the Tamil counterparts!) which have college life as their main theme bring in strike as if a college life without a strike is incomplete! Announce strike for anything and everything you can! No election in college, strike! One student prohibited for writing exams, strike! No proper food in mess, strike! No facilities in college, strike! Scandal against an authority, strike!

And then, there will be four or five guys walking in heavy splash of rain around a corner with umbrellas protecting their skin while students will be shouting slogans getting wet! These guys will use a mike or whatever you call to maintain discipline! "Please call off your strike and go back to your classes else strict action will be taken! A group of student representatives can meet us and give your complaints and we shall look at it!" The students will not give up! They will shout without any amplifier but at the same pitch of that authority guy! "No, unless you fulfill our demands, we are not leaving this place!" Then suddenly, one can notice 3 or 4 vans full of police personnel entering the campus! One naughty guy in the crowd will do something eventually leading to charge!

Police will arrest students and now those four guys (Still in umbrellas though the rain has stopped) will support these students and announce "AN INDEFINITE CLOSURE" till a decision is made! The reopening date will be announced and there will be classes again! What is the result? A long period of holidays for students! Demands fulfilled! etc., etc.,

What this has to do with the current scenario? I too had that and I saw one yesterday! LTTE and SriLankan Government! Will our Government be just and stand against SriLanka President for its war and mass murders in 2009-10? Will Manmohan Singh announce Rajapakshe as a War Criminal? This has been the question nagging very few minds since the war. But now this is the question in every mind after the public witnessed that innocent face of Balachandran Prabhakaran! And that innocent face has provoked millions of people all around the world what thousands of decaying bodies did not! They are the Tamils and there is no surprise that Tamil Nadu people are much more agitated than others.

There started protests! Students form a major group of social society who react to the situations and so they joined the protests. Arts and science college students started this and 8 are on hunger strike. And yesterday my college, CEG (Anna University) witnessed a large number of students gathering in support of the Tamils in SriLanka!

Image: Harikrishna Raghuraman

Around 10 A.M. in the morning, I noticed a very few number of students sitting in front of our prestigious Red Building! A mere 100! But that replicated within afternoon. Around noon, there were 300-400 students and the multiplication continued. Around 2 P.M. around 1000 sat for strike! Police personnel (more than 15 vehicles and hundred police men and women) who have been outside the campus since Friday expecting a situation like this entered the campus! Press people started visiting the campus for the news and the number kept on increasing! The Dean and the VC requested the students to call off their strike but the students did not give in!

And this news spread like a wild fire! Many Engineering colleges had the same situation around afternoon and there came the cinematic announcement! Indefinite Closure for all the engineering colleges! I don’t wish to take a stand here! But I love their cause if it is a real social affection which made them sit under the hot sun! I loved their spirit and their patriotism, their broad-minded nature! I too went in and stood there for some time supporting those suffered and suffering people in our neighbouring country! But I left the campus after some time and the strike is still going on! 

But this caused some undesired results! The hostel students were asked to vacate their rooms immediately! Boys before 8 P.M. yesterday night and Girls before 9 A.M. today morning! And all the major travel points, Central, Egmore, and CMBT witnessed a whole crowd of students starting to their home towns! Many students didn't get tickets and didn't have a place to spend their nights! One of my friends was in the same situation and I called him to my place for the night! Fortunately, he a got a bus ticket and safely ended up his place! Some headed to their relatives and acquaintances in and around Chennai!

And now I am at home typing this! I am not enjoying this holiday because this is not another festival or rain holiday! This is not even a holiday but a closure due to some justified cause! I have a request to all those who didn't participate in the protest today like me. This is a holiday, I know! But not a holiday to enjoy but a holiday to think in retrospect and in prospect! Give your voice for people like us who are suffering there!

My mother is a woman and I need no other reason!

Women's day! International Women's day! What do I envision for the Women in Chennai? The question is not this! The question is not about the individual's opinion on Women. The question should be "What does the society envision for the Women in the current scenario?". Well, after so many brutal and inhuman incidents against them, people will quote rights, safety, laws, self-protection and so many as the major demands. We should start from the scratch I guess!

Almost all have dominant role playing women in their life. I am in no way an exception to that! My mother is one of the very few persons in this mortal world I am looking up to. Well I also have a small lovely sister! A lot of friends who are from this side and a lot of acquaintances too! Everyone in this God-created world must have realized the importance of women in their lives. If not the entire femininity, but at least mother, sisters, aunts, friends (Female), wife, daughters and so on. If these women take extra care on their men counter parts, the world will always be glorious. I am not blaming that everything is their responsibility but I am telling that things will be remarkable if they handle their men counterparts correctly.

What does this society envision for women?

W - Will power

O - Optimistic

M - Maturity

E - Enthusiastic

N - Noble

I recently saw a question in Quora! "Why don't we find girls doing as good in quizzing as their male counterparts?" One female quizzer replied this way, "I've taken part in my fair share of college-level quizzes and while never great or anything, I managed to win a few. On my way to food stalls after one such quiz, I overheard the all-male team from another college ribbing each other and laughing about how it was a damn shame the way they got beat by girls. My eyes burned hotly with tears and I cannot explain in words how angry and impotent I felt at that moment. It might not sound like a big deal and maybe I should have laughed it off, but I was much younger then, more fragile and thin-skinned and those random men had made me feel pretty spectacularly worthless." 

We still see them as weaker sex of the society! Once these views change, the entire concept will inverse! If you really think that they are weaker sex of the society, let me tell you something. You would not have been on this earth if not for a woman. Your mother! Your day mostly starts with her waking you up. Before you go to bath, your clothes will be kept ironed. By the time you finish, she will serve you hot breakfast with lunch packed. She will keep worrying about you if you don't give her a call after reaching your workplace. When you come back, she will give you a hot or a cold beverage depending on your mood which she will know it from your face! Which other woman you need to respect the femininity on this world? She is the embodiment of all women on this earth. Had you at least thought about your mother once, you would have never thought to degrade other women in this society. Each woman in this world attains that "MOTHER" role at some point of her life. If not for her character or actions, give the respect for this role of her. 

A serious doubt here! We, both the genders, have given the due respect for great women in history. Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Medha Patkar, Irom Sharmila, Rani Laxmi Bhai, Queen Victoria, Marie Curie, Indira Gandhi, Suu Kyi, Helen Keller and many. They also belong to this "so-called female section" of the society but we give them their due credit. Why is this partiality for these great women? One might answer that they all serviced and sacrificed. You think your "MOTHER" has not serviced and sacrificed? Bringing you up to hear your swear words is both service and sacrifice. Respect them! Many of us here will have sisters or female cousins. We just move our lips when we tell that single line of Pledge! "All Indians are my brothers and sisters!" Do we really think like that? If so, the Delhi incident would not have taken place! Many of us have friends who are female and yet we don't consider them equal. Today is one of my best friend's birthday who is a female! I am wishing her through this post.

We Indians have certain principles which quote Women as the embodiment of sacrifice and fragility more than any other country! We call our country Mother India. We have given feminine names to all the rivers in our country. We call our language as mother tongue! One step ahead, in myth, Shiva has given half of his body to his female counterpart Shakthi and Vishnu has given a place for Lakshmi in his heart. These may be myth yet these concepts are spread through out to make us realize the importance of this section of the society.

One may consider me as an active feminist or so! Irrespective of that, I have a cause and reason to see them equal to men! I respect them because I respect my mother, sister and my friends! I see them like I see men! Hope this International Women's day creates a change in the perspective on them!

P.S: This post is written as a part of CBC's a week long marathon on account of International Women's day! I thank Susan Deborah (Admin of CBC) for asking me to write! 

After two months, a post and an award!

Well, Two months go off without a new post in my blog! I really should not blame this on any one or any thing! It has been my fault. I should have found time to write posts but I didn't do that! And here I come back with a "Self-Boasting" post!

These are the questions from Panchali Bolchi mam! 

• Are you a morning person or night owl?

 Morning person!

• What is your favorite genre of music?

 Rap and Melody!

• What is your favorite hobby?

 Novels and Sleeping! (Isn't that a pastime?)

• Do you own any pets? If so, what kinds?

 My family has a pet! It's me :P

• How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

 I don't motivate and I so I don't exercise :P

• If you could move to any other city in the world, where would it be?

 Chennai and Chennai only!

• Something you learned recently...

 Never lose your self-esteem!

• What is your favorite season of the year?

 Winter!

• What was your favorite childhood toy..?

 I don't remember any toys mam :D

• Why did you start a blog?

 To put forth my opinions!

• Which electronic device you cannot live without...?

 Cell phone (that's obvious I guess)

I have come back to the present after this questionnaire I guess! :P And other rule is to nominate some fellow bloggers! Here is the most difficult part! I am neither a great blogger nor a regular one to nominate! So I am leaving that part alone! I thanks Panchali mam a lot for this memorable award!