धन्वन्तरि की दुर्दशा

एक त्वचा रोग के सिलसिले में आज पहली बार आयुर्वेद औषधलाय जाना हुआ। भीड़ देख कर आश्चर्य हुआ की लोग आज भी आयुर्वेद को मानते है। थोड़ा सुना, जाना तो मालूम हुआ कि ये वो लोग है जो अंग्रेज़ी दवा दारू से थक हार कर आयुर्वेद की शरण में आए है।  

सरकारी संस्थाओ के पास इतनी सुविधाएँ है, इतनी प्रतिभा है फिर भी उनकी बद हाली देख कर दुःख होता है। रसायन शाला के नाम पर चन्द कमरे, उन्मे बैठे २-३ डॉक्टर, ३-५ उदासीन नर्स, १ दवा  बाँटने वाला और १ चपरासी। दूसरी ओर बीघों फैली ज़मीन शहर के सबसे बढ़िया हिस्से में, जालीदार गोखड़े, सदियों पुराने बरगद के पेड़ जिन्होंने शायद इतिहास बदलते देखा होगा आज समय के परिवर्तन की कहानी कहते है। कुछ जर्जर पंखे, बूढ़ी अलमारियाँ और अघनिकले दरवाज़े, लोहे की जंग लगी कुर्सियाँ, पुराने फटेहाल दस्तावेज़ और उनपे जमी मनो धूल मानो सब चीख़ चीख़ कर समय के गतिशील होने का अहसास करा रहे हो। धन्वन्तरि ने जब सभ्यता को आयुर्वेद की देन दी तो शायद ही कभी सोचा होगा की ये दिन भी इस कला को देखना पड़ेगा। 

एक सत्य जो आज भी क़ायम है वो ये की जिस अपनेपन से मरीज़ को देखा जाता है उसकी आधी बीमारी ऐसे ही ठीक हो जाती हैं। इस चिकित्सा पध्यति से व्यवसायिकता अभी भी कोसो दूर है। अंग्रेज़ी दवाओं की अपेक्षा आयुर्वेद बीमारी की जड़ पकड़ता है। आयुर्वेद का सार भारतीय रसोई में ही छुपा है ओर इसके कोई दुष्प्रभाव भी नहीं है। बीमारी के साथ साथ शरीर के विकारों को दूर कर एक स्वस्थ जीवन का मूल संदेश देता है आयुर्वेद। 

इसके प्रति लोगों की बढ़ती जागरूकता ख़ुशी का विषय है। हर सवाल का जवाब पश्चिम से आए ये ज़रूरी नहीं। हमारी अपनी सभ्यता में इतने जवाब है की आवश्यकता है विश्वास की। हमें अपनी सोच बदलनी होगी, अपना नज़रिया बदलना होगा। वहाँ डॉक्टर के साथ interns को देख बहुत गर्व हुआ की ये बच्चें इस कला को मानते है लेकिन चिंता का विषय ये  है कि क्या मरीज़ भविष्य में इन डॉक्टर को, इनकी पध्यति  को मानेंगे?

आइये सोच बदले देश बदले।। 

O womaniya

Just returned from a late night soirée with my girl gang. We spent  the evening watching the latest Ode to woman kind-Neerja. The girls could be seen wiping tears off at every frame despite Neerja proclaiming in Kaka style,"I hate tears Pushpa". Well, none of them were Pushpa though but just... 

The movie for me was lot of things together. It was Sonam on her yet another flat as a man chest acting spree. It was Shabana in her emotionally stoic best again. It was a fantastic lesson in service before self reminding me at times of 26/11. But what stuck with me was the soliloquy by Shabana portraying Neerja's mother towards the end of the movie on how we bring up our girls. Yes, she was so right...we tell our girls to run away on the first threat to modesty and then to life.   No points for guessing why. It is the way the society functions. It is the way women especially mothers keep the daughters cocooned in the protective environs of family. In the movie, if Neerja's mother was her weakness, her father was her strength. If even 10% of what is displayed in the movie as the role of father is true, I salute the man. He instilled in his daughter the courage to stand up against the wrong and be brave always. And that learning came to rescue Neerja when the time beckoned. When Neerja comes back with her husband to her family seeking support in divorcing the lunatic, her mother cajoles her into working it out because that is how it ought to be. Girls are born to adjust and compromise. I went back into the story to believe my ears if it said Neerja was a successful model. So much for being a smart, savvy, financially independent girl. And she does try to make things work by subjugating to domestic violence, emotional torment, living life of a slave. And amidst all this her dad who encouraged her to walk out and move on. What a marvel the man is. 

The movie had all of us girls debating if we would do what Neerja did. Well, sounds easier said than done but some of us turned cold turkey even at the thought of it. Reason...why take a panga. Thanks to our upbringing, maybe. With so much talks of empowerment around, breaking of glass ceilings, gender diversity and women    welfare this movie was a jolt that shook me out of reverie. The education needs to start at home. We need to make our women stronger and responsible. We need to make them capable of pulling their own chairs and not wait for chivalry to happen. Women were not born only to reproduce, they are an equally rather more responsible and Multi tasked segment of our society. We need to condition our women In reducing our dependencies on men folk to make us feel secure. Independence, more than financial needs to be mental and emotional.  

And yeah...hang on... Is that a lizard I see in the corner of my room. Oh my gawd!! Let me go and fetch a man to shoo it away while I put my sermon on women liberation on hold. After all we should not be making man kind completely redundant either. 

सरहद के आर पार

शहर से थोड़ा आगे मुड़ो सरहद दिखेगी 

वही सरहद जिसके उस पार दहशतगर्द है और इस पार आतंकी 

वही सरहद जिसके दोनो तरफ़ सियासतें है जो खेलती है मासूमों के दिल से दिमाग़ से 

सुना कल रात सरहद पर गोलियाँ चली, लहू बहा

वही सरहद जिसके उस पार भी लहू का रंग लाल था और इस पार भी।।

Learnings of a Bereaved soul

Diwali is approaching. And so are some of my intimate memories with my "One true love." Bosco, my friend and confidant who always blew the whistle at the wrong time. For those who know him, he was the most lovable, intelligent and obedient dog. Diwali after him has never been the same as before. My earlier memories are of spending heaps of money on fireworks which lasted no more than an hour or so. I would invite every possible relative to witness the show which was nothing less majestic than what states do on their anniversaries. It would be lot of pomp and show. Individually I would generate carbon footprints equivalent to a month of any pollution intensive activity. It would take my dad an hour next morning to clean the area around my house.

 

And then Bosco arrived. The happy, boisterous jumping jack through the year would turn into a demure, timid lad every Diwali. His plight hit me hard the 3rd Diwali he was with us. In a haste to be a part of celebrations, someone amongst us had left the door open. I was lighting an Anaar, Bosco saw this, came running from the inside room, kicked open the hydraulic door and threw himself on the Anaar. Though he did manage to put the anaar out but in the endeavor burnt his paw and nose slightly. Thereon it changed everything. From a loud noisy affair my festival catapulted into a silent night of lights only. I felt his pain with him after that every Diwali. I would sit inside besides the bed cuddling him for the entire night refusing to leave him alone even for a moment. I never went out socializing during those days only to save him some misery. Bosco is now no longer with me  but his painful memories are. I have given up on fireworks completely. Everyone around me is amazed at this transformation and my only excuse is that I have grown scared of them after so many daring years.  

 

Bosco has changed me in so many other ways too. He taught me to never take anyone for granted. His untimely demise drilled it hard that life is short and we should spend it appreciating good things in life. We should do what we love often. Thanks to him I never loose an opportunity to tell my family and friends how much I love them. At the same time he would conduct himself such that he never wasted time on someone who did not like him. He had his people clearly demarked. He cared two hoots for his haters ignoring them completely to their utter dismay. In short Bosco taught me to be at peace with myself, care more, love more and give more. I am a lot more compassionate and forgiving now.

 

To everyone else he was just a dog but to me he was a master. Living with him was an absolute pleasure besides some great learning. Many would laugh at it but I read somewhere "Dogs do speak, but only to those who listen". I did and was fortunate enough to make amend at the right time for I always wanted to be the one my dog thought I am.

 

Deeds of encouragement from a not so encouraging month

Gujarat is reeling. While I sit in my office and pen this down the surroundings outside wear a gloomy, deserted cover owing to the Patel reservations agitation.

The gloom manages to engulf me as well even though I have just returned from a laid back, all girls holiday which is my usual half yearly escapade. Yes, I am dejected because unlike the Patels and Gurjars no one fights for women like me. I could do with a reservation for special stag entries in night clubs, a reservation for guaranteed lower berths in trains since with passing age I am unable to climb up without hurting myself. Some assistance here and there and some men standing for me would just boost my morale up enough to sing praises to my motherland on days other than National holidays.

Oh…that reminds me of our 68^th Independence Day which has just passed. The kind of Citizen I am ever so passionate, loyal and go getter, I have high dreams for my country and I believe in channelizing them. Like I mentioned above, the holiday, I was in Lucknow then and this close friends’ home where I was staying had a very devoted maid working for her.  She was 10^th fail yet had very high aspirations. In one of my “we all are born equal” banter with her she voiced her desire for formal employment. The activist in me assimilated this information out speeding a Japanese express train and sent her to meet one of my HR friends in the city for job. Well, the prospect must have worked out because from the next day she stopped coming to work. My friend was a bit surprised since this poor thing had never ever ignored her calls nor ever given her a chance to complain and here she was, absent without information. That night I woke up from a terrifying dream where this so far best friend of mine was throwing my luggage out of her house shouting fury and this dame of hers is standing in a corner with a sweet box in her hand. One can only imagine the relief I breathed on catching my flight. So much for doing good to people and lowering the employment rate of the nation. Since then this friend has called me twice and both the times I have managed to miss her call expecting the worse.

As I step inside the elevator to attend my daily morning meeting with the top guns of the hotel (they can literally shoot by means of their candid conversations) it decides to stall at the next floor. I have always had this phobia of getting stuck in an elevator all by myself with no means of getting out. This time thankfully people are standing out and they know I am in there. I am seething with fury. I think of what a senior leader would do in such a circumstance. Instantly I am reminded of Amit Shah (yeah yeah the same Gujarati politico mastermind). He faced a similar predicament while on a visit to one of BJP’s headquarters. It was heard the HQ had their grants scraped for next two months. Bingo!! What an impact. Seeking encouragement, by the time I reached the meeting I had prepared my speech well on how unacceptable it is for technology in a upper upscale hotel to betray like this and the importance of regular checks and maintenances. My tone was well rehearsed to make a visible impact aiming at throwing some weight around. On finishing I looked around hoping to see some faces hung low in shame. Did I see a smile there instead? “But madam, the elevator has a notice pasted saying out of order”, blurts out a junior bloke. “Are you trying to tell me”, I argue, managing to maintain the same air, “it is more about reducing our lead time in sorting out issues. And that we still have not managed to do. Let’s begin the meeting.”

Needless to say my concentration had timed out and the moment meeting was over I ran down the stairs to my office and fetched this monthly horoscope out which had warned me about August being a tricky month for Sagittarians and how it would be in their best interest to keep their mouths zipped and ideas locked.  True to being an overconfident Sagittarian I had earlier trashed it maybe to read it now more carefully word by word only to save the rest of the month.

Happy Father's Day

"Oh dad, I love you", and Arun hugged his father tight. The father's eyes filled with tears, after all what more could an old relic ask for at this stage but to be loved by his only son. Arun took out a brand new I phone from his pocket and handed over to his dad. "Son, I do not need this". "Oh come on papa, you live alone here and this will be a good time pass". The father reluctantly accepted the gift. "Arun, it's been long since I met my daughter in lay and grand son, why don't you bring them here some day", the father pleaded. "Papa!! Not again, I have told you so many times they hardly get time". If Arun could read it, his father's eyes spelled dejection and disappointment. "Ok beta don't worry. As long as you all are happy I am fine. I have enough memories of your mother to help me survive".

Arun spent around an hour with his dad constantly looking at his watch. The doting father urged his son to go ahead and meet his important schedule. "Nothing much papa, but I promised rashi I will take go with her to meet her dad. I will take your leave, we are getting late". With this Arun marched off hurriedly to the compound of Jeevan Sandhya old age home where his car was parked and drove off. The father kept waving till the time the car did not vanish from his sight. He looked at the phone and it came ringing back to him "Happy Father's Day. 

Heart's way out

It was her first day in the Corporate World. She had so far led a very sheltered life with her parents in a small sleepy town with a few close friends. Suddenly her world was expanding and at a furious pace.

She entered the office, a small white room with just one desktop in the name of equipments. The room was cold or so she felt. The color of walls did nothing to warm her up. Her Boss sat next door. That did not loosen her up either. The only induction she received was the way to the mess and timings. She had her first meeting with her Boss in the next 10 minutes.

Grey hair and warm eyes were the first things she noticed in him. He talked to her about the job profile, expectations of the company and candidly enough the troubles she should anticipate in the corporate corridors. It lasted for around 30 minutes where she thought it wise to just use her ears well. Later during the day, she decided to introduce herself to everyone around. Sure enough, she could already feel the chill in the hot month of June. Within minutes she realized she was the youngest on board with a portfolio as wide as any of the seasoned players around. Wherever she went she was welcomed with cold shoulders, smoldering eyes and open sneers.

"There begins my ordeal", she thought to herself, "they will not be able to break me". And then on it became a daily ritual, silly allegations, petty conflicts and deriding remarks, till one fine day she could take it no more. She barged into her Boss's office. "I am surprised, you stood tall for longer than I thought". Tears welled up in her eyes and she could not control them. He got up from his seat, enveloped her in one Big Bear Hug which lasted long enough for her worries to drift apart. "I wanted you to learn walking first, now that you are already sprinting I shall run with you". And true to his words, since then he was always there to defend her. She was strong, all she needed was a pillar to fall back on. She came out with flying colors. For the first time people actually started noticing her, praising her.

And from there on, they developed a special bond. Sharing, discussing... a very platonic thing. Both found solace with each other in the corrupt power equations. They would often discuss people, tactics, strategies over endless cups of tea within or outside the confines of white walls. People talked, but who cared. They were floating closer in oblivion or probably it was a conscious disregard of the mortal ties. She enjoyed when he discussed work with her and asked her out for continuing the lengthy conversations. He was a man who wielded power at the right moment and that endeared him to her. The fact that he was concerned about her personal life, her relationships, her career placed him in high regards. She liked to believe there was more to what was going on. She yearned for those bear hugs. And so time moved with her growing stronger and confident in the role and in person.  Suddenly it was time for her to move to the next assignment. How she was torn between him and career progression. He urged her to choose the latter. Move, she made, with them staying in close touch for months to come. From regular to rare, their meetings turned sporadic and so did the calls. Before either of them realized it had stopped all together.

Today while sitting in front of him after a span of 15 long years, she realized nothing has changed. It was the same grey hair, warm eyes and above all the same bear hug. She was still in awe of him and it brought back a rush of memories. He, however, had moved on.

What was it.....a fatherly comfort that she needed the most then or something more intimate which she still longed for.