Wednesday, January 26, 2011

LIGHT UP THOSE CORNERS....

On Jan20th… at 7 pm. Got up from my regular 4 hour nap, which started right after Heavy Lunch. Most of you might be thinking this is secret of me being me and my health. But FYI… As per studies conducted in a farm house of Cambodia... it is proven that buffalos which were made to graze well in the morning and made to sleep in the afternoon reduced ½ a pound every 3 months… {I know it is most Grosssse way of bringing comedy in to a Blog, but I cant help, these are after effects of watching “Tees Mar Khan*,Action replay*,Golmal 3*”. Naming these three movies will also ease the process of comparison… for my dearest readers who commented that my last blog….was Like RGV KI AAG*…}.



It took me 3 min… to get up….from my bed..


Similar was the state of my PC which was in the sleep mode from last 4 hours…. I pressed on Enter. It slowly started switch to active mode…. Logged on to my newly...found Interest... Facebook… started reading status updates….


“People Discussing separation of States… pros-cons”.


“People cautioning fellow employees and friends… to make sure they safely return their homes as the judgement of a land Dispute is due…”.


“People praying for the Global warming...to keep themselves warm, in winter.”


Self appointed activists bashing each other... on the above topics…for the reasons they themselves are confused about.... and after reading all these,different kind of emotions started to jump in my mind. One of them was, how my  grosse joke would be taken by Buffalo-Activists…and had a thought of adding a Disclaimer at the end. Meanwhile my tube light started blinking.. I looked at it which…was right behind me and the moment I turned back...My system started to reboot… aaah…..


My tubeLight was still blinking… I turned to look at it... I was half way through...it was completly dark… power was gone…. I tried to reach for the thread of my charging lamp… got hold and pulled to switch it ON… I could hear the switch Tick... But there was no light, the lamp was not charged …as there are no power cuts in winters and I stay out of town for work…So I had to resort to our age old kerosene lamp…it took me 15 min to find it.. Light it up… i looked from the window, It was one of those cloudy dark nights where you see the traces of moon due to the hint of glow in the moving clouds……


I slowly walked to front veranda of my house. From where… Normally I could see my whole street… but rightnow nothing was visible. To my right.. 3 blocks away from my house... where my street ends in a T junction, construction is going on  and there were pits in the road…I am sure residents of my street were having a tough time walking at the corner now...due to the darkness. Then I looked at my left… which was dark too. I could see some light at the end. It started getting brighter...it was a truck...with construction material Coming…towards me… Due to head lamps…..I could see whole street and every house… It passed before I could blink my eye as I was staring...with out blinking.. I guess ;) With a flash of light in my eyes…and as the truck passed from my street lane…It was Dark again...but I could clearly see the same street 15 years back… in my memory lane…. It was a similar truck in which I came to this street… when my dad got posted in Hometown and I was curiously…looking at the street.


“Long long ago very long ago very very long ago”…. This is how my aunt used to start telling stories in Mid 1990‘s summers during those 7 to 9 pm power cuts right here in this Veranda…


Most of her stories used to have some scientific realities such as, Moon is in size of a bullock carts wheel, and there is old lady on the moon, when she washes her clothes, it rains... and kid from opposite house used to ask, that his mom told that during eclipse…snake will come and eat moon,so what will happen to the lady then...… I used to wonder did Neil Armstrong met her.


Any ways….


 Kids from whole Street used to sit around her and listen to her stories. I used to get prime spot to sit “right at her feet” as me being new kid in the street..The moment  powercome back… we get to hear a High Pitch voice :“Orai Vedhava… akada vala tho enduku kurchunavu raaaa" (You stupid…Why the hell are you sitting with those people…) Suddenly few kids from opposite houses used to get up and started running  and stood infront of their houses…Then, from nowhere their moms emerged with a bowl of yellow water... (Turmeric water) and used to sprinkle on them…with a warning slap on their back… saying not to sit with community opposite.


My street had ten plus houses on the either side of the lane… One side was called Meat Eaters and otherside was called Non believers…by each other. These two communities which were pretty different from each other in their beliefs and culture ... somehow got settled in same street opposite to each other Which lead to one of the above sprinkling comedies and other comedies such as : Kids used to get a splash with bucket full of water...after they played with other community kids… : and with only one drinking water tap in the street, People wasted more water cleaning the tap and the stone upon which vessel was kept, Once other community…Filled their vessels.


In those days…. Even in broad daylight. Their vision was blocked by thick clouds of their blind beliefs, ignorance and false pride of supremacy of one over another… like some clouds in the sky today… and some in Facebook statuses in the evening.. which were blocking moonlight to enter in to our lives…and the only hint of Light was those kids from either sides. as they used to whisper in ears of each other  "Listen to the complete story and share it in the school next day”.


I looked to my Right… again... it was still Dark at the corner of the T junction 3 blocks away...… so I decided to walk towards the end... with the lamp and I hooked it to one of the construction poles… it was enough to lit the corner and for resident to walking fine.. and now they are able to make sure they avoid those pits.While I was coming back towards my house.. I was happy to see the Light in my street...even though it was still dark…  power was not back yet but emotions jumping in brain.. tend to reduce....

It was the Light which I saw...when I was hanging the lamp on the construction pole.I saw…My aunt and the lady who used to sprinkle turmeric water  years ego, were holding hands, laughing in sync with each other...and trying to cross the corner safely avoiding construction pits… I turned the Knob… to increase the flame… I was happy at what I was seeing…

After they crossed….


The lady Said: "Thank you for the lamp….son"


I said: "Thank you for the Light….aunty…"


She did not understand… the reason why I was thanking her… she laughed and tapped on my shoulder and left .


Reasons being… only known to me. As time passed....in all these years...kids got older… got educated, even elders realized the need of being united and were able to pick up the right things from the  awareness that society brought in whatever aspects…of their lives…and tried to light up their lives and atmosphere in the street... to an extent that My friends  now tell me yours is the most secular street…


I wish everyone takes these few steps and light up those dark corners of the society…and  hearts… which will help us to avoid the pits…  laid by the greedy politicians….  light up the dark fears.. induced from incidents of the past….

I came back and sat in my veranda.. for 45 min...power was..back.....  Logged on to my Facebook updated what was on my mind..... "LIGHT UP THOSE CORNERS.... "


Oh forgot...

Disclaimer:

1: I sincerely apologies to buffalos for linking their name with activists… ;)

2: All the movies names are used to generate more Google hits…(In lines with RGV ;)