The Flying Man-Burger

 

I am Zunaid Hassan . Fair Complexion , Brown eyes and I smell delicious. I have always been a head turner , ever since the first few hairs started sprouting in my exterior. I loved the attention , the egotistical boost of being wanted without me doing anything. My Looks were a natural byproduct of good genes and  a special reward from the divine. Academic Journey was a smooth ladder because in the back of my head , I knew somehow I will make a living . My looks gave me a confidence that was magical and almost addictive. I built a careful cupboard and vanity shelf, trying to pair them up well for the right occasions. 

Guys and Girls used to constantly orbit around me , because I was the magnet and being associated with me was a symbiotic mutual pleasure myself and my following enjoyed. I hit my early 20s and there was a sudden upsurge in people coming and pinning their projections on me. My young impressionable mind delighted at the prospect of so many options and how ideas came to me unasked from random people. My Close friends used to call me Zeus . "Zeus - Dude , you will make a killer living being a Model.... Zeus , what are you still doing here ? Z-Dawg , You celluloid material Broda ! "....No one prepped me as to how I can build myself. It is not like , I take a walk outside and suddenly there is a Cloud burst of fortunes on me. I am not a flagship product that can be an instant success , without proper stratagem. 

I took some baby steps - Social media caught up with me. I posted a photo in timed intervals, secretly read the profiles and methods of other influencers and my crowd grew by 20 people every day. Imagine 600 new fans in a month. The trend continued, as I experimented different flavors of Online Fan Baiting. Of course I hit the Gym and even a shadow of my evolving body caused lusty sweats in my clout. I stopped feeling real excitement or happiness after a while , as the dose of thrill and ego boost was so predictable. It's effect was not as exhilarating as it was before but I ignored this . Who would worry about emotions when I got this much attention ?

Photoshoots and Random video titbits, were an everyday meal. One day, I posed in short grey trunks and the lighting and shadow effect unexpectedly boosted a certain part of my body ( IYWIM ) and my endorsements went berserk. Follow requests tripled and I started getting raunchy requests and most illogical offers to go mainstream. Man, Life was good. All this aside, I still didn't lose focus of the fact that I am a complete outsider to Media or the Modelling Business. We see so many good looking folks at the most random contexts, not everyone wants to be at the receiving end of the shutter. So, I pursued Aeronautical engineering and kept my physique in its prime form. I soon did some courses for Public relations , worked on my accents and slowly built my own USP. You know the drill, highlighted my unique features and mannerisms that worked most effectively on people.

I entered the Flight Business. Not as a Pilot, but as a ( Male )Air Host. I was a charming piece of eye candy.  Passengers used to eat me through their eyes and my fellow flight attendants used to tease me in most quirky ways. Like, for example, often the ladies with all their crimson lipsticks and tightly organized tresses, used to come close to me and whisper nonsense and every time I fell for this, thinking a certain passenger needed something or there as a shortage of some product. We have our code language to manage such situations and my naive mind used to think something serious when 90% of the times these chicks will come so close to me and simply murmur - Safe Flight, Good weather, Nice crowd etc 

It was so dope ! I met new people , made new memories , had innumerable close encounters of different dimensions and I was of so far off any traditions or strong sentiments. I lived in the moment with my head high like a dog through a window. I got tagged with an international airlines and they used me for a variety of Physical Roles. Security checking, Complaint management, Customer Engagement etc. Who would complain if a sexy man spent a few minutes with you in the airport and gave you that attention. I was literally like the Airline's Victoria Model. Soon the luxuries grew on me , engulfed me with so much comfort, so stealthily like a snake. Parties , Girls, Occasional flings, Booze and Binging on food and habits. I was so spoilt and developed a nice ring to my personality. Thanks to my different interactions with new people for different reasons. And one day , the Airlines Manager said, I have to go serve as a Flight Attendant for a few months as the in-flight crew lost some of their eye candies. 

I opened my wardrobe to pick up old uniforms when Disaster slapped the Ego out of me into oblivion. Thanks to the different Attires and overcoats I had been wearing, the lifestyle upgrade and a total blind spot to my fitness , I had gained 7 inches in my waist . I suddenly couldn't handle the shock about my weight gain. It's so tough when your looks are so dominant, the attention never ceases to forsake you, you don't specifically notice your changing body shape. I stood naked in front of the mirror mortified  as none of my previous uniforms fit me. Being an air host is different game. Passengers look at every part of your body, they have access to every inch of your physical self due to the space constriction and it's on us to make sure we look sharp. I swiped my card frantically to order some new uniforms and it was my sheer luck that the Airlines wasn't too finnicky about sizes, as long as what met the eye was pleasant. 

I revised my In-flight instructions , protocols and codes and educated myself. But I totally forgot to prep my Ego which was about to be badly bruised . Optimistically, I boarded the flight, only to see the excitement drain from passengers boarding the flight . They awaited the sight of a petite Attractive Barbie, but there I was. With my  flossed teeth , trimmed beard and hairy chest - a handsome matured  Male Air Host. You will feel so disgusted about how people forget to hide their emotions / judgements on another person. The utter dismay was written all over their faces , as I was neither a fit Young Man with Abs, nor a sexy woman. I used to cringe every now and then, as my warm Welcome smile would be met with a nonchalant nod. You have no idea, how often back then I had to remind every incoming passenger to "keep moving" as they used to gaze at me and get lost for a second. Reality shat on me royally as I bit my teeth and realized how careless I had been. I was humbled to the bones on how sleazy Life can be. 

I served my 6 months of Flight Attendant Role and went back to other responsibilities , which required both my charm and my brain, thanks to a decade long experience in the Airline Business. This time, I made sure to keep my eyes peeled and pause every moment before I moved a muscle.

Weight Gain is no joke folks. If you find yourself being body shamed, in a way thank your stars. Because, sometimes you will never find out otherwise before its too late. Watch what you put in your mouth. Holiday season or not, special occasions or not, tame your excuses. Regulate your oral pleasures ( pun intended ) . Even if your lifestyle expects a certain pattern , be stubborn in self care and grab some steady , everyday routine that keeps you healthy. Vanity or not, no one likes being fat or being with a fat person. I am not being unempathetic or immoral here. Unless , it's because of a genuine physical condition you suffer from obesity , there is no allowed excuse for you to not be wary of your weight. It's always a result of bad choices in your food, drinks or fleeting pleasures. Take Adamant Good Care of yourself. 

Remember, the world doesn't always follow you. You are the sole traveler in your journey of life.  You deserve to be healthy. This is an awareness post, written with my trademark cinematic narration, only to soften the blow. I made you travel with me , to vicariously enjoy Life through Zunaid's golden days but had to pause and pinch you on the exact objective I began writing this post. 

Much Love . See you next year !

A Decade old Blazer Yogi

 

                                                                

Do doctors really have that handwriting when they studied medicine ? One can only wonder. Who knows, after going through grueling studies on drugs , diabetes , depression and death, a young prospective doctor-to-be might be so aghast with the things they now know about the human body and they can't afford to unlearn it. They look at someone's skin and their brain shouts melanin , melatonin , water melon . Enough about doctors, as I embark into a decade of my living existence to celebrate a personal anniversary - I wanted to do a backward timelapse on the effects my job has had on me. 

Today, by the Lord's Blessing , I step into the 10th year in the IT industry and I am in my 3rd company already. Back when I started, I was in a constant pissing contest against my peers - thanks to my young naive brain that wasn't ready to read the people or the circumstances that brought them.  Today, I know better - but not everything. I have had the blessing of making mistakes, wrong judgements, wrong calls , improper interpretations and all the nonsense that was painful at that time but rewarding now, as a lesson from the past always is reason to feel wise in the present.    

Here are some of the things that the industry had taught me, or may be , I cared enough to take those lessons for myself - as who am I kidding, this industry doesn't do things out of the goodness of its heart.  It simply is the way it is. The ones that can deal with it, survive.

It is ok to Fail 

Normalize getting things wrong. Years and years of educational complex and common ignorance in parents is that it is a sin to fail. This destroys a child's capacity to impartially, treat a failure just as a round 2 and not an exit. As the child grows , this evolves into a cancerous trait that halts their basic risk taking ability. Sometimes, when we get it wrong  owning it and learning from it is the only right thing to do. If you point fingers or rain excuses instead of accepting you misfired , it's not going to help. Trying to not repeat the same mistake is all that matters. Take risks, shoot and see where it lands .  

Taking nothing personal  

Well, it is a pyramid structure. There is always someone above us and some below us - each one tries to make a living by ensuring those below don't pull the rug under them with a mistake and those above don't let you take the hit directly. If someone talks to you in a certain way, with time and proper emotional intelligence, one learns to understand the core context and intent of a conversation and not just go tone deaf because from whom it is coming.  Learning to discern people and their words and pivoting them towards your self growth is as much important as toying software in those laptops. If indeed your ethics radar detects a personal vendetta - read further.

Handling Tricky people 

No one is cut from the same cloth. Our journeys are incredibly unique but similar. How we personally deal with a situation and the people involved in it really is what brings that difference among us.  Burning bridges is not always a complete no-no - you can do that but only when you clearly see that as a last resort. If you feel, there is still some potential in a situation to handle it by putting the foot down on your emotions and ego, do it . It will be tough , but the more times you swallow that lump and go through it, you will become level headed and impossible to break even by the most vicious people or situations.  Be a class act. Communicate and let it run its course.  Slowly press the gas on how you respond. It's called a professional environment for a reason.

Understanding What matters to you 

We are all in this circus for a basic fundamental reason - use our brains to make it rain  cash . But, a few years down the lane, you must do a rain check to see how are you growing overall and not just limit your goals to salary or skills. You should use this job's unique experiences to sculpt your emotional quotient, work on your personal maturity ,  find what 'satisfies' you as a human being . You may be successful on the job, people might value you, you might get a fat check but if you still feel a void - you are having blind spots that you need to immediately attend to.  People might give feedback on your work and make comments on how much you earn - but remember PEOPLE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE OBVIOUS. It's on you to do a retro on yourself, to see where you are going - explore those unseen portions of your mental structure.  Invest on your personality as much as you do on your actual work.

Estimate your Weaknesses 

This is something that comes with age and after repeat fights between your persisting self and zen self. With time and a certain level of self introspection, you should be able to see which battles to take and which ones to accept as they are. Not every skill or situation you can ace, as much as you want to stroke your ego with a never-say-never attitude. You should know it with clarity - make a clear rundown on how far you KNOW you can handle a situation and how best you can communicate to people . Don't put yourself in a spot where people will just assume you will deliver but you end up limping in the middle. It is ok to not be a jack of all trades, try to be decent in  aspects that matter but don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself trying to hype your reputation. 

Snake Detector Brain

Like my handwriting quip in the beginning, some people enter the industry with basic bad behavior. They have a proclivity to trade gossips, demotivate, ill educate people to throw others under the bus, find every opportunity to pull down someone, not extend a clap when something good happens to someone . There are always going to be people like that , with varying magnitudes of such unpleasant features. The trick is to not avoid them, but find a way to work with them. You may not control them, or those gullible tongues that repeat whatever nonsense these snakes feed to them, but you can certainly manage by being true to yourself and make sure YOU let others know the good things you have been doing. Be your own Advocate. After a while , all that trash talk loses power and has no option but to surrender to the Truth and you would have had a comfortable upper hand. Don't retaliate fire with fire . Don't wrestle with pigs even if they tempt you. Albeit, sometimes you indeed have to enter the race , find out what their weapons are, what their intent is , who are they in bed with - just to understand the situation.  Once you have had a grip , turn down every single opportunity that makes you lose it and deal it with educated poise.

Appreciating Personal Health

Most of us lose shape, develop sedentary coping mechanisms, life style induced problems and such , as we continue to meet the demands of our work. Some of us are wise to be pig headed to not give in to our weaknesses, but most of us, lose a certain aspect of personal health and then fight hard to restore it . Obesity, Stress, Depression , Vanity Struggles ( inflated lifestyle choices to "be" with people) etc . It's ok if you realize at some point that you have slipped - you can always maneuver towards the ideal trajectory , if you work on yourself. 

Communication

The basic survival skill required to simply be in the game. If you don't make efforts to communicate properly , understand when others communicate and foresee a communication about to happen after a few years on the job, you have another thing coming at you.  Anyone can speak like a loose cannon. It takes intelligence, grace and deep situational awareness to communicate the right things at the right place , at right time and around the right people. Fancy jargons or not, if people can see the sincerity in your work and ethics, plain simple talk does the trick.  We sometimes find leaders who amazingly communicate , without actual saying it  and you still get the message when you work with them. Emulate that. Never go on record if you are not 100% sure about it 10 steps from the present and 10 minutes later . Guide people to the intent cogently. 

Empathy 

You learn to cultivate empathy and not take people for their face value or the role they play at work. A boss barking at your head means, they just got slapped by their boss. People are people.  Understand the humanness in your colleagues,  see how best you can help them or be helped by them by effectively making an astute study of their personality. Be kind . Don't let your emotions determine your manners. Learn to appreciate when someone is having their 'Moment'. Yours will come. Not everyone gets the trophy at the same time. Wish well for those around you and it all comes back. You have no idea how many times somebody might have had your back but they never tell you. Your manager or junior is not just who they are at work. That is one alive human being with as much flesh, blood ,bones and emotions as much as you are and never let your humanity desert you. 

You Matter ! - You can always correct a situation

There is always a solution. Unfortunately, some moments push us to the extent of taking our own life, when we can't meet a deadline, or we let down someone because of our mistake , or we simply realize the chinks in our armor. A well-wisher once told me "Sometimes being too close to a problem can also play against us" and it made a lot of sense to me. Remember, to ask "What's the worst that can happen?" . Answer that question, try to clean up your act but never give up and surrender to a dangerous pattern of thinking that, "it's gone, i am done, this is the end of me'. Nothing is worth it. Nobody is worth it. You are what's worth. You are not just the money you make to your family or the results you deliver to your client. You have a family with you and they need you as much as you need them, never ever lose that thought.

I can go on. But, I stop here for a healthy pause . 

Be thankful, if you have something worthwhile to do with your time and for the very aspect of being alive. The IT Industry does have many dimensions and you trying to be true to yourself is all that matters. Do what you have got to do.  Help each other, pray you don't become the prey and don't forget the whole intent of all this experience - It's just a day at work. Life goes on ! 

I , Ambrish Rangan hereby...

 

In a country which is riddled with nepotism and multiple green corridors laid out through hidden stratagems and countless conspiracies, to have a seat at the office, it takes a man of real grit and gumption to become one of the most influential men in power by their own efforts. This might sound pompous and arrogant, but my rise to the senior office was not a bed of roses. Every drop of blood, sweat and adrenaline that has channeled me through the years have made me the man I am today. 

I , am Ambrish Rangan , the President of Mundosa . My country is surrounded by crocodiles, in the form of powerful developed nations and given our topography, the weather conditions and the poor decisions of the men in the past, I took over the office with little ammunition . In my zeal to win popular votes, I can't make decisions that make the outgoing Government look bad. I have to carefully enact policies that don't reflect decelerative politics. Describing the previous Leader in bad taste is an indirect way of me saying the people don't know how to vote. This can backfire. Hence, I can't undo everything that was already done before , I also can't restart something from scratch. I have to pick where it was and give it a new polish. To drive a country which is dependent on the resources it imports and the few items of value that gets exported, managing the internal and external affairs by winning everyone's heart and still driving a tough bargain like a vile fox is no easy feat. I chose my office and cabinet with great care, keeping in mind the power hungry jackals around me. I had to satisfy some of them to get me the support I need , when I made certain big decisions affecting the entire country. I know that at the end of the day, I can either be a good man in the country or a good leader in the world. Expecting an overall good rating is a bit far fetched indeed. Being a top politician means we will always be vilified in someone's perception and this is out of their hands. I am fully aware of my priorities and the resources at hand, yet I have to make decisions that will burn some bridges from time to time. My career was built with good education, carefully chosen company of friends and intelligent association with my arch nemeses, done simply with the intention to study their game in bringing me down.  

The increasing debt, the weather disasters, the communal riots and the precarious position I am in , to take a side between two warring countries in both sides of our border - I don't know which battle to take , how long I should put a fight, where do I have to submit and how to understand what actually can be seen as a win for me.  Some days, I just feel like encashing my exchequer and quitting all this nonsense once and for all. But with someone like me, who has seen the insides of this country, it will be an abuse of my breath if I chose to let all this influence I have go in vain. I might not be able to rewrite the entire book. But sure, I can change some of the chapters for as long as I hold the pen and sign under the prestigious label, 'The President'. I can't trust anyone anywhere, yet I have to give the impression that I do. The decisions I take are always a hit or a miss and either way, the pressure of converting a situation to the better is always on my shoulders. Simply because I sit in the highest chair and no one else shares my stock of responsibilities. 

I sometimes wanted to call up a friendlier nation and seriously bitch about the battles I am facing, but as much I would like to do that , it is the task of my diplomats and officers in charge of external affairs to do the handshakes and exchange notes. If it comes from me, it should be legit, always official and I am always quoted and under oath at all times. Imagine being seen by all, and still you have to hide your blinks and burps. I am tested most, when I have to prioritize between my 4 states during crisis situations. I naturally had to present a manifesto that was popular and sounding beneficial for 'everyone'. But to implement it takes time as I have to battle the holes that drill my wallet out of nowhere. While the country of Vidola and Naikoli were at severe loggerheads and Mundosa being in the middle had to take a stand on where it will support with it's resources, I also had to deal with a volcano situation in the State of Hultopy and a flood situation in Danitoba .  The opposition keeps firing bullets ruthlessly at me , giving me no second to slacken or make ONE wrong  move. Internally and externally, the carefully thought out decisions by my Informed officers finally go out from my mouth and in my voice as I am the one who signs under the dotted line in Green Ink. 

My own health , though with great assurance and support from the highest facilities I get to experience, is just but ONE decision of Life. If Life decides to not wake me up the next day, whatever I held the previous minute ceases to exist with me. I feel so powerful and so powerless at the same time during many times of the day but I am fully aware of this journey as I willingly wore the saddle and got up on the Horse. Sometimes I am caught in a moral quandary, as my personal sentiments are against the official code but I have to swallow what I feel to give way to what I should do.

Besides all this, I am also required to be aware of what happens in Wacamby , a country to the extreme opposite of us on the other side of the Earth because the Cameras never waste a moment to get my thoughts on what goes on everywhere. I sometimes question if all this is worth it, to be under fire and trying to do the right thing always. As time flies and every now and then there is a fresh line of attack and I have to reorient everything with fresh perspective.  No plan of mine goes through the estimated schedule or adheres the timeline. I Try. I simply try.  Whatever impression sticks to the public, sticks and as much as I can fool myself into thinking I control the narrative, I know I am but a pawn in the hands of destiny but wearing the King's Blazer for a brief while. My situation can be compared to the tender pistachio inside a rough exterior. I am roasted, licked and tossed around, according to the situation but I am always sought after for what I have to offer from the inside. And when the time comes, I break out of my shell only to be consumed by the first pair of eyes that see me, waiting ravenously to finish me off.

But I will not give up, for I am the chosen one and as long as I hold the office that matters the most, wield the pen that matters the most , I will do everything in my domain to get this country up and running with all that I have. Even the sun is frowned for the heat while some look forward to the summer in some places. Who am I , after all. A Human , with some elevated responsibilities and tools to handle that. I can try my best to pivot the status quo of Mundosa to the better. If it indeed humors my efforts and becomes better, I am lucky. If not, I know I join a long list of Men and Women, who have been in this chair , trying to do the same all these centuries. We all try . For some of us, it works out. For the Rest , we are just a 'yet another' and no one outside is privy to what actually goes on with someone who are in our shoes. 

To be a human and to be in Politics, makes a politician live 9 lives of drama in a single life. 

Minimalistic Living - A Sales boy's Story

 

My name is Chintu and I work in a supermarket as a billing boy. I am an only son and many days I had thanked the stars for not giving me a sibling . My  father likes to do 2 things in life.  Take money from me and get wasted . My mother is no exception. She used to be a tad bit better than my father but she got so tired trying to maintain our family , she started taking in to coping mechanisms like low budget ganja and flavored tobacco scrapes. She works as a house maid in 5 houses from morning after preparing something to eat in the house for lunch. I don't think I have had breakfast in years.  Luckily the neighborhood local shop owners know about our family and everyday I get one free coffee and one banana from two shops as my morning meal.  I somehow managed to study till 10th , thanks to my relatives monetary help and some friends who lent money for my 10th exam, apart from the school management reducing fees for me as an exception. I got 77% in my tenth board.

I liked a girl by name Kanaka in my school, we used to hang out after school as I disliked going back to my home immediately from school. We developed some childish attraction and have shared some kisses from time to time. Once I got more excited and she became nervous and didn't talk to me for days. Those were the most depressing days for me as I had no cell phone, no money for cable tv and my male friends are not much of a source of warmth. It's just fun , cussing and playing with the boys. I actually feel like a normal person when I am with her.  One day she herself came up to me boldly and told me that we should not let our emotions get the better out of us  , given that both of us were from poor families and if she ends up getting pregnant both their lives will become living hell. I agreed with her, apologized sincerely and  promised to not come near her unless she permitted.  Looking at my sincerity she pulled me closer and we had our longest kiss in months.  We dispersed after catching up with what was going on in our lives . She happened to tell me that she was planning to join a local supermarket as a sales girl as if she didn't do anything and sat at home, some elders in the family will take her up for family breeding to one of the relatives sons. I asked her what were the criteria involved for the selection and she said basic 10th grade pass with 70% score and decent looking. Both of us may not be the most gorgeous looking couple but we were decently good looking compared to our peers and we made a pact to study hard and take a job there.

Tenth board exams were done, results came out and as soon as we got to know our scores, we rushed to the supermarket to see if the vacancies were still there.. Luckily, due to the minimal salary,  menial benefits and maximum physical work,  people kept leaving the job and we both had a shot at the  job. We had a quick screening , we submitted our basic documents and promised to submit mark sheet once the school gave it to us . We enrolled in the super market and both our parents luckily didn't object to it , even though we didn't really ask them for their blessing.  Reason being, it wasn't a proper family set up, we were just people living together doing things for our own pleasure and self respect and ensured no one died. The fact that we will be bringing in some money into the families was the cherry on the top for our folks. Life went on normally, I used to have a simple routine and spend most of my daytime in the shop. To me, that was heaven for multiple reasons. I made money, spent time with a girl I really liked , there was tea/coffee three times a day  with some butter biscuits , there was air conditioning, I had uniforms and I developed self respect for what I did.  I didn't give the full money I made in the shop to my parents. We decided to not let our parents know about the actual salary , for obvious reasons. I decided to slowly build some savings from this opportunity. 

On some lucky days, me and kanaka will be working in the same booth and we will really work extra motivated those days. I learnt computer skills, basic sales skills, alertness and shrewdness in checking items and calculating offers etc and got to meet people way over my station , rich people, other language people and old folks etc. I felt life was finally showing some mercy on me. Often I used to get backpain because of the constant standing and billing , but a nice warm shower in the next morning fixes me magically. Sometimes the shop rolls out 50% off  offers on weekends and boy, it is hell for all of us sales folks. We have to do so much inventory work, pricing, package checking , cleaning , shelf arrangement and crowd management apart from the horrible billing work because the crowds will go crazy. Sometimes I used to recognize repeat customers and some of them used to bring me some used clothes or buy snacks from the store itself for me on their expense , and rarely some have even tipped me over the billing amount. I am not used to such acts of kindness and goodwill and it was very humbling to me. I have had such questionable upbringing but thankfully the one thing I did well in life was to not give in to such bad patterns.  I wasn't much attracted to smoking or drinking but the only adolescent vice I had was to watch some porn magazines which my boys used to bring whenever we met.  

One of those offer days, a customer had billed goods for 5000 INR and were in great hurry.  From their outlook and mannerisms , it was an easy call to deduce that they were rich. Out of their hurry, they went forgot their credit card at my counter and thankfully that day kanaka was my billing partner. She promised to manage the line while I quickly went to return the card to their owner . By that time, they were at the parking lot and were not even aware of the situation. When I stopped them to return the card, the man got out of the car and had a long look at me. He said, the card had no upper limit on daily spends and required no authorization for spending.  He grabbed me by my young tired self-respecting shoulders and told me that I was just one decision away from misusing the card to my whim. The reason why he was in a hurry was because they were leaving for Bangalore in 2 days and and they had to restock the provisions for the week for their college son to manage until they returned.  He gave me his number and asked me to come see him that evening after my shift. I went with high hopes to their flat, he invited me in and offered tea , snacks and asked about me . He then said, If I was interested , he was willing to hire me as an office assistant for his business once he returned.  I took a moment to think and honestly told him that his house was a bit far from my place and the travel cost and time might be a challenge for me. He then asked me to wait outside and had a long discussion with his wife. 

He then called me and told me, he will clear out the godown in the basement, and I can come and stay there with them and work during the day and retire back to the basement for the night . He said , that since he was permitting me to live and use the facilities of the house, I will be paid bi-monthly only as I will not be charged for any rent . I was allowed to eat , work and stay at their house and return to my family twice a month. I was also required to help on other affairs of the house like gardening, helping his college son with basic errands etc . I was basically adopted into their home with such good conditions . I agreed to everything he said . He finally gifted me with a basic cellphone with sim to be accessible to the family at all times. Life finally became heaven for me.  

I told a lie to my parents that I got a job in another city and promised to visit them once in a while. Kanaka continued to work in the shop and we met whenever I went to visit my parents to give money to them for their expenses. I gave some money to the local shop owners who had been feeding me all these years out of their selfless compassion.  They refused till the end but they finally accepted it when I said it was about my self respect . They told me, this was the cleanest money their hands ever touched and I became emotional.

I am telling all this to remind each one of you , how blessed your lives are , even for the most basic of things. If you had a family that cared, a place to live , good health and sound Personal ethics and character , you already won at life.  Be grateful , be a good person. That's all that matters.

PS : 

All of this is fiction , but I was moved and inspired by simply looking at a sales boy today in a major supermarket when I had gone to purchase my monthly grocery and decided to write about people like him.  Thanks for patiently reading !

Man's Eternal Duty - A Ripe Reminder

 

May all be well .

There is not an experience that has missed my eyes in my long life . I still remember when Govind came to me , with tears in his eyes while he narrated about the lack of irrigation for his crops and opened his heart to me . I pleaded on his behalf and some rains were arranged on his name. He bore his heart and soul to me whenever we conversed. He had no fear of me misusing the trust he had on me and it was so heartening to see someone find that deep comfort in you and what you stand for . The other day , he lamented about the contaminated water, the industrial pollution that was affecting the saline levels and this time , he was worried that there might not be enough water itself, leave bad quality water . I comforted him, in my characteristic way , as he hugged me , patted me and stopped talking for some time until he composed himself in my halcyon presence. He left with a lighter heart with a ripe mango in his hand as I bid him farewell and eagerly longed for my next conversation with him. 

I am a Mango tree and I live in Govind's backyard and I am quite old. I have seen the rise in prosperity of Govind, over the years,  the way his family and living space improved. I find great purpose in my life as God's creation seek shelter in my presence, and it feels good that even though I am immobile because of who I am , I still have a magnetic effect on the recipients of my products. The other day , Kalia the crow was telling me about how it enjoyed a wonderful feast on a New Moon day in Govind's terrace as they seemed to lay out a great spread on those days without fail . It told me to always have an eye on their house, to protect them from earthquakes and other disasters.  I try to not cause too much litter , but because of my age and my eternal tryst with the forever partner, the Wind , I keep losing my leaves from time to time . I feel bad that Govind's household have to constantly clean my area. Albeit, truth be told, I did enjoy their company whenever they came to clean . The only times I feel a bit frustrated is when some children or random people throw stones at me for my mangoes and they don't wait for me to offer them at it's natural course . But what to do, there are so many of them out there and so few of us ( trees ) here and I pardon them . For what's worth , I feel needed and this is a penalty I have to pay for being kept alive. 

You have not the slightest idea , how it feels to hear my friends cry and moan, when they were uprooted and cut down by these people , to make way for yet another civil structure. One season, I fought against mother nature herself, as I refused to bear fruit, because I saw a Neem tree being cut down  . I got so pissed and I delayed my fruits by one month and even the first yield tasted average. But for Govind's pure love, I yielded , otherwise I couldn't selfishly carry on with my business while my fellow folks were abruptly ended . In a corner of my heart I knew that one day my time will also come, but I was sincerely hoping that Govind should not be the one to do it. He must never be put in a position so as to choose me or something else. I did have that much intelligence to understand that , with all his wealth and resources, Govind can easily take me down and build a new structure on my place and make some more money out of it.  But, in all my conversations, his love and gratitude for me was consistent , pure and without ulterior motives and I understood he will never lay a hand on me.  

Our folks got a tip from the bird flock that a major weather condition was to happen in the next few weeks and we better ensure our roots were strong enough . Govind carefully ensured that my roots were unaffected and the soil structure around me feet were solid. I lived by eating the love he had to offer and the rain and shine , the creator showered on me out of his mercy . I made a deal with the birds and my wind  buddy , to look for my most fertile parts and help me live incase the weather disaster ended me.  A couple of dogs and some cows helped carry the fertile fruits and stems that had some life force in them. My wind buddy randomly shook my branches as these creatures picked the selected ones and started scattering them in places where they felt I will survive. The process was like this, my wind buddy tickles me, the birds pecked my selected branches as I jokingly told them to look here, look there . 

I had to look out for them , as the humans might think some stray animals were loitering around their premises and chase them away.  Little did they knew that a whole project was underway here. The chosen parts of me that fell down - the seeds and stems were carried by my animal friends . The cows selected the spots, they weakened and moistened the spot by stamping on the soil , the dogs started digging , the cows then rained dung and urine for manure , then the dogs started cremating the place with the loose and damp sand. It was so heartwarming to see how the creator finds ways to maintain his creation. If only humans could learn or listen to us. It was funny, when once I saw a snake also help but since the cows were a bit afraid and I also know that Govind is not fond of snakes, I politely requested him to not participate. However, I did give him a task.  I asked him to look out for rats , mice and squirrels, and scare them away as my fertile parts were being taken to the chosen spots.  These creatures enjoy my fruits as well , but for now my priorities were clear. To survive , beyond test of man and Time. 

This went on for few days, when the day of the cyclones arrived. It was a terrible show. My wind buddy warned me that he had to do this and requested my cooperation as it was a command from the head office to cause torrential rains and high speed winds. I agreed with him, but sought his help in not excavating the carefully planted saplings strewn around. He said, he will move some boulders and heavy  objects as protection , so that the excess wind and water didn't kill them.  I patiently saw Nature do it's thing. A few hard days, but then it became normal. As the water drained and the humans started rebuilding their lives because of the ruthless cyclone , I saw Govind open his window and look at me from a distance. I kind of shrugged a few leaves and broken twigs on my higher branches , to let him know I was still alive and I am still standing. I could see a smile come on his face , as 

I mentally transmitted a message to him - "Nature never takes down nature . Its you all , who have to take care of us , because if you don't, we end up obeying instructions from the creator to teach you all some not so pleasant lessons".

Take care of the environment, may the fertility of mother nature never be prioritized over Man's never ending Vanity.