It’s Morning and…

These days, the morning rounds of D Gardens are my breakout into the world outside, to watch from close, life playing out in real. A small window in a day to sustain connections, fragile but welcome though, and build some new. A show with its moments of amusement and introspection, keeping me going. Actors: men – self-indulgent or self-inflicting😊, vendors, cleaning crew from the ward-office, alms-seekers, homeless, plants, trees…in an unchanging scene.

Sharing the few moments that stood out today…nothing to shake even a fallen dried leaf.  Perfectly forgettable at the end of the half-hour! But, at this age and in the morning, anything more dramatic – I can do without. Would take immediate steps – long ones, for sure – to remove myself asap from the scene:-)

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I have seen him, middle-aged, take brisk rounds around the garden without a pause. Sweating profusely and sometimes panting. A bushy white moustache giving him the look of a benign uncle, with a smile and voice to match! We would exchange ‘hi’s by gestures, no words spoken.

One day, I stopped him in his stride, risking him cannoning into me – he looked a bit heavy. And cautioned him about pushing oneself excessively at his age. Cited incidents of guys collapsing in gyms. Even gave him a tip given by my doc on what is excessive – you’re doing ok until, while on the ‘run’, you can talk steady without losing breath. He thanked me for the genuine concern and the tip. Assuring me he would be mindful of my caution, he continued with his routine.

A few days later, we got familiar enough to exchange a few inane comments. In one of the interactions, he said he has a clinic in the neighborhood. A clinic? Yes, he was a practicing doctor!!

Oh….so, I hold the record for advising a doctor on his well-being??

I still look him in his eyes shamelessly when we cross in our rounds!!!

And, today?

Just as I was starting my first round, I saw him coming away, lugging himself, shoulder dropping. He was signing off, finishing his rounds, it was clear.

‘Tired?’ I offered.

‘No, just exhausted.’

A nuance I’ve not learnt yet? Remains to be checked.

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Strangely I received a piece of humor today:

“In front of a car in motion, you’re tired. At the back you’re exhausted.”

Is that it?

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And then, I see this young man coming on in a jog on the track inside the gardens – our rounds are on the outside, less crowded. A young fellow, I could see even from a distance.

What is this? I blink. Something wrong with my eyes – I knew they were not alright, or worse, with my head, so far in the clear?? Facing my way, I could see he wasn’t coming any nearer!

Luckily for me it ended well!!! Saw him slowly go past a shrub behind…or was it ahead? Never seen it here. Yes, he was jogging backwards!!!

End

A Line On The Street

Well, as usual, I set out for temple-darshan followed by self-inflicted rounds at the D-Gardens 😦 wondering what (story) awaits this morning.  

Didn’t have to go far or wait for long. It was right there within a few steps taken outside of our apartment!!! It has to do with the pic below. Shows a ‘curious’ hibiscus bush spilling over the periphery-wall of the neighboring bungalow, peeking at the street running outside. 

As I came up, saw a young man picking a bud from the bush pushing outside. In simple clothes, he looked like a guard or a help employed at some place near about. 

I paused to ask him why is he plucking a ‘chotu’ bud. 

Not annoyed, he cared to explain:  the bud would be left in a bowl of water and soon it would blossom into a full sized flower for whatever use he had. 

He continued his search for another to pick.

Trying to be helpful, I drew his attention to a large flower already in full bloom on the same bush, a little inside of the wall. All he had to do was pull towards him the overhanging parts of the bush to access the flower. Easy thing to do.

He shook his head sideways for a ‘no’ and proceeded to explain his ‘dharma’!

A few words of explanation here: Dharma is a concept complex and conflicting even to the erudite well-grounded in scriptures. ‘Righteousness’ in English comes close.  Not monolithic. Besides a small set of cardinal and inviolable principles, a good part of it is adapted to the time, place and role we live in life!! Even so, difficult to practice in toto. Lesser mortals like us draw a line between the dharma we practice and the part we don’t. A ready example is the oft-heard dictum: ‘Adhithi devo  bhava’ – treat your guests like gods.  Today, if a stranger knocks on our door, we hurriedly slide home all the bolts! In some cases, for an extra measure, the heaviest furniture in the house is also moved against the door! Out of sheer fear and insecurity we live under. Induced by the news headlines stamped into our heads? Maybe…

So what gives here?

Our protoganist – he draws his line of dharma along the periphery wall! Anything outside is ok to pick. Inside the wall, he wouldn’t as much as touch without asking the owner!!!

Took it in with a hint of smile,  nodded my head and moved on.

For his age, he had his line in place!

End

The Way Of Life

The old man was at his usual place near the entry of the temple. It was Dwadashi (12^th day of every fortnight) – the day we cook ‘agatthi keerai’ (Sesbania Grandiflora) in our houses, a kind of spinach, uncommon, said to be endowed with medicinal properties.

He hailed from the far-away historic city of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Nudging eighties.

The day prior he had set out at midnight by a local train to a distant suburb where it was grown. Bought them, carried back and was ready at his station by early morning! His ‘shop’ was nothing more than a piece of white cloth laid out on the ground by the side of the street, with keerai bunches placed neatly in rows. Belonging to the mercantile community of baniya’s, he sold them at the best prices he could get!

On those days, as I left my footwear at the shoe-stand and he was not serving a customer, we greeted and engaged in some small talk. Brief and mostly inane, sometimes it included – no surprise for men of ripe age – info on health products, life’s wisdom, etc.  On one occasion, talking about painful knees, he strongly recommended an herbal oil ordered from Chennai – it had given him good relief. Another time, it was smarting teeth and bleeding gums. He was proud to tell me his tooth-brush cost Rs 200!! Wow!! To gently tend to the 3 or 4 tottering wards still left standing!

This Dwadashi, he had happily sold all his stock. Both of us were going homewards from the temple.

At a junction near my place, we paused to conclude an ongoing conversation before parting of the ways. That’s when he suddenly put his hand over my shirt near the shoulder blade. It was a hollowed hand, not a push or a punch.

All the same, an unexpected move. Our mutual familiarity did not extend to physical contact of this kind.

As I stood gathering my wits, he quickly took a few steps to one of those potted plants lining the street as part of a ‘green’ initiative rolled out by the local ward office. His palm gently opened on to a large leaf of the plant. Crawling out and disappearing swiftly and safely out of sight was a green caterpillar, unharmed!

So that was it! It had dropped onto my shirt from an overhead tree branch as we were standing and talking. A normal almost involuntary response would be to flick it off to ground where it could possibly be trampled upon by an unseeing or uncaring pedestrian. Now it would live to soon add a little color to a drab day!

With that he returned to resume the conversation – completely oblivious to the new found awe and respect in his company!!

End

Image from: https://www.herbalplantslive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/agathi-keerai-e1589200543565.jpg

An Unfinished Business Of The Morning

Saw this neat pile of small gift-wrapped boxes, for the first time a few days ago in my morning walk. And, there they were yesterday too. 

It was at the entry to a women’s salon on a main road busy all day with pedestrians.

The pile remained undisturbed!! Felt good – ours must be topping the table for suburbs with most honest folks!!!

During the day, out of sheer curiosity, I went back. I had to…

It was a working hour and the salon was open with a private security guard standing outside – the business must be good or it was a smuggler’s front for hoarding contraband gold!

I went in past the main gate. The guard, alerted, rushed to and held the glass door open for me. Nice of him.

Immediately I ruled out the smuggler’s angle. Who else but a ‘fresher’ would take a 70+ man having difficulty with his balance, unaccompanied, not appearing to be a vendor or a policeman, for a prospective customer to a women’s salon? Smugglers don’t trust ‘freshers’, the movies tell us.

Wanting to set the record straight, I nodded my head a couple of times from left to right, leaving him completely confused. Read his mind: Who else would I be? Didn’t look a beggar (no bowl in hand) , a funds-collector (no leaflets to hand out), canvasser (elections still months away), or an alzhiemer affected. Or father to a girl working or worked upon therein?

Went up to him and said in a low voice: “I have a question for you.” 

Looking at me a little more closely, he stepped back a little, considered and dismissed with disappointment the possibility I was from local TV station. There was no mic in my hand or a van with a dish (antenna) standing nearby.

Confusion deepened. This was not his morning. Giving up on his line of guesses, he lobbed at me a well-mannered ‘What is it?’ – a difficult thing to do, believe me, to be well-mannered, I mean, after all the exertions he had gone thru – I belong to the tribe that does not balk at giving credit where it is due.

I observed: “I’m surprised why someone from the street has not taken off with a box or two.”

Looking for some enlightenment, I was served: “Because they are empty!”

Now it was my turn to be confused: “Empty, did u say?”

“Yes, saheb, you heard me right.”

Lord Emsworth would have cried, “That’s dashed rummy,” or something to that effect.

I quizzed: “Then, why are they not in a waste bin instead where they rightly belong?”

It was obvious he had not thought of it.

“Will be back tomorrow. Let me know if there is a reason.”

Needed to ask one more thing, more intriguing.  Pressing on like a hound on scent: “How would any outsider know the boxes are empty?”

“Arre, saheb, why are you making fun of me? If a box is taken in hand and given a shake, wont the rattle give away? And, simply by the heft…”

Smarter than I had taken him for!! But the matter on hand remained unresolved as ever. I pointed out a few dried tree-leaves dropped on the pile and a chunri like cloth, lying in place undisturbed all these days.

He understood what I was getting at – obviously it was getting a bit more complex.

Leaving the hapless fellow to deal with it, I turned around and walked out.

End

Musings Of An Idle Philosopher

End

A Morning Wish

Playing to no fans, cheer, smile or nod.

No siblings to throw arms over shoulders.

Seeing many moons, sadly, not your lot.

For sun’s shine bend to give you a gentle kiss,

and, for the touch by soft hands of a sweet little Miss!

I wish for you, child…

Kayor

Did something today I had not in years!

Can’t figure why it took so long – ten+? Getting to know a little is my wont with his kind. ‘His kind’? Yes, cruel it is to lose him to a sans-identity collective noun. 

He is tall and gaunt, possibly in late forties, more aged by life than time. White hair thick and greyed on top, partly in order, partly disheveled. Always seen with a two- or three-day’s growth on sides of his face. Cheeks sunk in, deep set eyes, still alert, under bushy eyebrows. Typical punjabi looks and complexion. Mostly clad in reasonably clean looking kurta and pyjama!

Never seen him social with anyone. A loner? Don’t think he is shunning human contact.  Other way round is more likely. Though, often he does take off to the world of his own, completely oblivious to happenings around. His eyes looking at everything and not seeing anything! At times, mumbling inaudibly to himself. Humming a tune? Not likely. 

One could see eats – small food packets, a banana fruit, portion of bread loaf…given away by some generous soul(s) lying neatly on the floor by his side. And when he eats, he would walk the ten steps to the garbage piled nearby and deposit the remains. Not a crumb, a plastic wrapper or a piece of paper to be found strewn around him!! No bags or whatever, living by the day. Nothing carried over to the next!

Have not seen him ever put his hand out, but always took without fuss the tenner I give on the way to the temple. When I don’t (see), I look for him. If he is dozing off, I tap him on his shoulders and…Earlier I gave him for the days I didn’t go. Now I don’t. Not sure why so. No words exchanged, no effusive thanking gestures, but I know it mattered…On days when I am a little late, rushing to the temple without stopping by, he is sure to lock his quizzing eyes on me when I come out after darshan. Of course, I keep up my end.

At times I catch him pull out a sachet from his kurta pocket, draw a generous pinch of tobacco, open his mouth like the MGM lion and place it in somewhere carefully. When he meets with my frown he would quickly look away like a child caught in the act.

Strangely, in all these years, haven’t seen him even once stand up and have darshan of the deities inside the temple easily visible from outside, from near where he squatted…must ask him one of these days.

Can’t think of taking/including a snap of him here or wherever.

And, what did I do today?

Well, I got his name!!!

End

Jest The Stuff After Monday!

Bored Meeting?

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Coming Events Cast Their Pastors Before…

One day Sven & Ollie, local pastors, were seen pounding a sign into the ground, that said: “DA END ISS NEAR! TURN YERSELF AROUND NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE”

As a car sped past them, the driver leaned out his window and yelled, “Leave us alone, you religious nuts!”

From the curve we heard screeching tires and a big splash…

Rev. Ole turns to Pastor Sven and asks, “Do ya tink maybe da sign should yust say ‘Bridge Out’?”

**

Coming Events Get The Police After…

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Miseries Come In A Bunch

I asked my father-in-law, a crop duster, how his day had gone.
“I had just the worst day,” he replied. “This morning I was up in my plane dusting a field when I nicked a power line and damaged the wing on the plane. When I got back to the office, my boss chewed me out. Then the guy from the FAA chewed me out. On my way home, I stopped at a bar and was handed a warm beer. So I yelled at the bartender, ‘Don’t you have any cold beer?!’ The bartender said, ‘Sorry, but we’ve been out of electricity all day ever since some idiot crop-duster hit a power line down the road.'”

**

Wake Up

Here’s a little tip from me to you as an experienced traveler. Wake-up calls are the worst way to wake up. The phone rings, it’s loud and you can’t turn it down.
I leave the number of the room next to me. It just rings very quietly, and you hear a guy yell, “Why are you calling me?”
Then I get up and take a shower. It’s great.

**

Enter Here

A store owner was dismayed when a brand-new business much like his own opened up on his left and erected a huge sign which read, “BEST DEALS”.
He was shocked when another competitor opened up on his right, and announced its arrival with an even larger sign, reading, “LOWEST PRICES”.
Panic ensued until he had an idea. He put the biggest sign of all over his own shop. It read, “MAIN ENTRANCE”.

End

Source: AJokeADay.com

Chuckles For Monday…

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End

Bringing People Together!!

No one in his wildest imagination wld have thought it possible to bring these together on the same stage!!!

The unnamed genius did it by the trick of, as in any successful relationship, focusing on the common grounds than differences 🙂 He did uncover a few not-so-obvious ….

End

Vide Rajiv C on WA