Thursday, August 14, 2008
My Hawker Brother......
As i entered my colony , a neighbouring aunty called and told me , " hey guess who came today ?" I asked , who ? "Your long lost brother". I was baffled. My"long lost brother ?" . I asked her again to be double sure I heard right. Any way i reached home and there i was standing in front of a person whom i haven't met for some 27 odd years and if i din't get the news beforehand, i would have not recognised him ....I stood there shocked and numbed with emotions as the memories of the by gone years came rushing in front of me in flash backs...... was this the same person who years ago had taken me as his little sister and whom i adored like my big brother.....???? . I looked at him and my eyes told me time has not been kind to him.......it had taken a toll on him which was clearly visible on his face. Overcoming the shock , we got down to catch up with what has been happening in our lives. I came to know he lost both his parents as soon as they left shillong thus leaving him an orphan at a very young age. With no one really to take care of him he had to fend for himself and thus survived those initial years doing odd jobs......studies by now all forgotten. Finally with what ever little money he could save ,decided to enter the hawkery trade and then life was a little better in the sense that he now knew where his next meal would come from. As the years rolled by , he got married and had two children. Both doing well in studies . Dada as i fondly call him told me that his daughter wants to study medicine.Son was doing his last year in college before he becomes a commerse graduate. I sat there listening to his stories as he told me first hand the life of a hawker. He was doing remarkably well in his chosen field. what surprised me was that i was looking at this trade as a profession for the first time......All this while a hawker for me was someone who would be wondering in the trains calling out for their goods. and sometimes even looked upon with suspision .I failed to realise that even these people have families back home ......... have children who also have dreams to make it big.......who dreams that their daughter find a good groom....... my dada even had pension plans. I was really brought down to the harsh realities of life..... and to think of our past by gone days when his parents were there what a cushioned life he led......not a worry ........those were the peaceful days.......those days when we use to all sit around in the late afternoon sun in the bitter cold months of january and play chinese checkers......the day he got a doll for me .... which i still have till date.....was he ....could he have been the same person ????? . He stayed with us for a couple of days......and then left for kolkatta where he stays with his family. As i saw him off ,I stood there till his shadow disappeared..... wondering when will we ever meet again....... What ever his chosen profession is .... he is and will always be my brother....the bond we shared will never change........I can only say a silent prayer for him as he goes about his daily trade.....wishing him all the best always.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
A Medical Prayer.......
These are lines I took from a poster given to me by a medical representative friend..... I loved these wordings so much because it actually speaks what we doctors irrespective of which ever departments we belong to at some point of our lifes really feel while we treat our patients.......I qoute here......
"It is indeed a tragedy of circumstances My Lord,
that my livelihood involves meeting people with unbearable pain,
but also it is my good fortune the You have given me this excellent opportunity to
mitigate their sufferings and thus atone for whatever selfish interest I might have.
You have cast upon my shoulders this great responsibility and have given me dexterity to
do it.
Please grant me the strength , My God, to enable me to fulfil this task in all earnestness.
And yet , all the while , let me not ever forget that ultimately it is You , who is the real
great Healer and the Fountainhead of well being and that , I am merely a medium through
which your benovelence flows,
Oh, My Lord, bestow upon my patients thy healing touch........"
"It is indeed a tragedy of circumstances My Lord,
that my livelihood involves meeting people with unbearable pain,
but also it is my good fortune the You have given me this excellent opportunity to
mitigate their sufferings and thus atone for whatever selfish interest I might have.
You have cast upon my shoulders this great responsibility and have given me dexterity to
do it.
Please grant me the strength , My God, to enable me to fulfil this task in all earnestness.
And yet , all the while , let me not ever forget that ultimately it is You , who is the real
great Healer and the Fountainhead of well being and that , I am merely a medium through
which your benovelence flows,
Oh, My Lord, bestow upon my patients thy healing touch........"
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sun Set .........
This is a picture of the setting sun I took a couple of days back from our balcony. The sky looked so beautiful that I simply had to capture it on my cam and share it here.The evening sky looked as if Mother Nature decided to paint it herself.....the different shades of greys and oranges ....is it possible to get such vibrant colours from the man made paints we get in the market????? Well should ask Mr. M.F.Hussian about it.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Salute......
There are a lot of things that we take for granted in life, comfort is one of them. So when I got married to a uniform man I was spoilt to no ends right from the start so much so that I forgot that the security aids we have with us at home are the same soldiers who guard our country. As the years rolled by my husband was posted to many different places and each new place brought in new experiences. By then we were blessed with a lovely baby and my little one started travelling when he was barely 5 months.
During this time our posting was in one of the very difficult areas. I saw what life was like for a soldier when I went over in one such visits. Every morning my husband would brief his men before they left for their duties and each briefing would be like d last briefing as if there was no tomorrow. I looked into each soldier's face and wondered what each one of them must be thinking as they leave their temporary abode. All had families back home.... many had pregnant wives and lived with the hope that next time he went home he would see an additional member in the family......while some had ailing parents who had all their hopes pinned on their sons. Every one would leave the camp thinking that may be it was the last time they were seeing their friend's face or many be it was the last supper they were sharing together. Their blank faces hid the mental agony.
During my short stay , not a single evening passed when dinner could be taken peacefully. Even a tyre puncture in the distant night brought my husband and his men to take positions. Our suitcases were kept always packed. Every night I went to bed thinking whether I would be getting up in the same place in the morning . My husband escaped an ambush several times by God's grace. Not every one can get so lucky.
Security was becoming claustrophobic for me. Many a times we had to change plans in the last moment for security reasons. Even a brief visit to a friend's place had to be planned very discreetly and when i finally did manage to go I had five vehicles following me. So much so that I could not sit with her for more than half an hour thinking that while I had come for a pleasure trip , another five vehicles were on duty. We were always living on the edge.
The only person who was blissfully unaware of his surroundings was our five month old son who played when his moods allowed him and cried when he demanded attention.
Days passed off and before I knew it it was time for me to come back but i didnot know when. I was asked to be ready both mentally and with my baggage. Any time my flight tickets would come and I would be sent home.
Can't say that Iwas not happy though I felt guilty instantly. Apart from leaving behind my husband I thought of all the soldiers who were always on the fore front working towards a safe and secure India. They are the back bone of a force representing millions of people in India. The hardships that they have to go through is nothing compared to the mental tension they have to go through living away from their families and a life so unsure.
They are the brave Messiah of God whom we really need to salute for doing such a thankless and selfless job.
I came back a changed person. It taught me not to take things for granted in life.Today my husband has hung his uniform but looking back our whole tenure in the armed forces, it was an experience Iwould not forget in my life time. And I take this opportunity to salute all the men in uniform in what ever rank they are .....where ever they are because they are the actual heros of our country. Jai Hind.
During this time our posting was in one of the very difficult areas. I saw what life was like for a soldier when I went over in one such visits. Every morning my husband would brief his men before they left for their duties and each briefing would be like d last briefing as if there was no tomorrow. I looked into each soldier's face and wondered what each one of them must be thinking as they leave their temporary abode. All had families back home.... many had pregnant wives and lived with the hope that next time he went home he would see an additional member in the family......while some had ailing parents who had all their hopes pinned on their sons. Every one would leave the camp thinking that may be it was the last time they were seeing their friend's face or many be it was the last supper they were sharing together. Their blank faces hid the mental agony.
During my short stay , not a single evening passed when dinner could be taken peacefully. Even a tyre puncture in the distant night brought my husband and his men to take positions. Our suitcases were kept always packed. Every night I went to bed thinking whether I would be getting up in the same place in the morning . My husband escaped an ambush several times by God's grace. Not every one can get so lucky.
Security was becoming claustrophobic for me. Many a times we had to change plans in the last moment for security reasons. Even a brief visit to a friend's place had to be planned very discreetly and when i finally did manage to go I had five vehicles following me. So much so that I could not sit with her for more than half an hour thinking that while I had come for a pleasure trip , another five vehicles were on duty. We were always living on the edge.
The only person who was blissfully unaware of his surroundings was our five month old son who played when his moods allowed him and cried when he demanded attention.
Days passed off and before I knew it it was time for me to come back but i didnot know when. I was asked to be ready both mentally and with my baggage. Any time my flight tickets would come and I would be sent home.
Can't say that Iwas not happy though I felt guilty instantly. Apart from leaving behind my husband I thought of all the soldiers who were always on the fore front working towards a safe and secure India. They are the back bone of a force representing millions of people in India. The hardships that they have to go through is nothing compared to the mental tension they have to go through living away from their families and a life so unsure.
They are the brave Messiah of God whom we really need to salute for doing such a thankless and selfless job.
I came back a changed person. It taught me not to take things for granted in life.Today my husband has hung his uniform but looking back our whole tenure in the armed forces, it was an experience Iwould not forget in my life time. And I take this opportunity to salute all the men in uniform in what ever rank they are .....where ever they are because they are the actual heros of our country. Jai Hind.
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