Smartwatch - An Essay

          It was my anniversary. My friend from the USA , Mr C was on a business trip to India. During our meeting this time he presented me with a smart watch. Or rather I asked him to get me one.( It was much cheaper in the USA).

           Gentleman that he is he did not accept any payment and told me that it was an anniversary gift. A part of me was happy that I had been given an expensive gift and another part was feeling bad about the fact that I had asked him to get me a smart wat111ch. Maybe subconsciously I knew that he would not accept any cash from me. Be that as it may I was thrilled with the watch. It was sleek and looked great on my wrist. The moment it was powered it started glowing and my nightmare started officially. It got personal when it asked me my age,weight and other vital statistics. I humoured it by entering the requisite  details.

          C and I went back a long way.We were classmates from 5th Grade. We used to travel by the same bus to school and would sit on the same desk. In those days we would interact even outside the school and it was not unknown for us to visit each others' homes on a regular basis. We knew each others' parents quite well. Whatever mischief was attributed to us during the course of this interaction, encompassed both the school and home.

           Our paths got defined when he opted for the engineering stream and I opted for the Army. While he aimed for higher things in life, my aim of opting for the Army was, that one did not have to study in the Army and it was all one big physical thing.Of course it was a huge misconception.C's brains got him a seat in the premier institution of India. After drifting through a few jobs in India and abroad he finally decided to settle in the USA. The nature of my job precluded the possibility of my going abroad. Internet in the nineties brought us together and with the dawn of the new century we established physical contact. He got married, I got married, we spawned one child and two children respectively. Sporadic contact in the recent years finally fructified in his presenting me with a smart watch.

          The day after, I proudly wore the watch and displayed it to all  and sundry. A flick of the wrist and it told me all I needed to know about myself. The rate at which my heart was beating, the number of steps that I walked till the moment of my seeing the display, the date, the time and a slew of information which was programmed into it. At first it was very novel. I was very careful as to how I used  it. I wiped it clean every time I took it off. and  put it in the case that came along with it. Inevitable comparison with other people who possessed such a device was always happening.... Maybe - just maybe- the thought  that I should have asked for a costlier model with more features flitted through my mind....

          The watch slowly took over my life. .Fittingly I named it Mr C. Every time the blue tooth was on I was connected to Mr C. In this manner I reduced the distance of oceans and continents separating us  to a mere few feet....
         
           If  I did not carry out ant activity for fifty minutes then it reminded me about the fact and suggested a few different exercises to merely prove that I had not become inanimate. I indulged in its reminders and did a few stretches - and when people looked at me oddly then I explained to them about this gadget. At the end of the week it gave me my weekly report - and if I did not exceed the previous week's target then it expressed its disapproval on my indolence. Apart from my wife's nagging I think that the watch was the only one from whom I accepted criticism meekly. And then again when I did well it complimented meI gratefully accepted its compliments. I was like a pet who received who liked receiving a pat on its head.

          The need to please the watch became an obsession. Just like in school when Mr C and I were teenagers with raging hormones - our need to impress girls. We would go to any length to do so. Writing letters (fraught with danger - that is where we learnt - never to leave documentary evidence - something which served us well in later life) studying hard to get good marks - which we thought would impress girls. And of course doing stupid things ... (Only in hindsight - but stupid nonetheless)
We had our good moments with girls at school..

          Pleasing  someone or the other throughout our life is something we all do. Our parents, Siblings, Relatives, Teachers, Neighbours , Friends, Bosses, wife/ves children and so on and so forth. So I did not see anything wrong in extending this desire to please inanimate objects also. The need to be approved was foremost in my mind. and a pre-programmed object goading me on did not seem wrong. So much so, that in one of the weeks I drove myself to ground for this approval.
Extreme Fatigue - the doctor ruled - and advised me a week's rest in the Hospital. All my belongings - including the phone and the smart watch were taken away from me forcibly. I instructed my wife the about the charging schedule and the dos and don'ts with regard to the watch and bid it a silent farewell. The withdrawal was slow and painful but I got over it . Attachments always give us grief - I realised....

          The rest of the week flew by and I came out of the Hospital a new man. The need to get back to a active routine became pressing when I found my tummy falling over my belt.
The watch was lying invitingly on my table fully charged.  Unconsciously my hands went to the watch and I absently strapped it on my wrist. A reassuring vibration and a congratulatory message for going active again got me on the path to fitness... till my next breakdown...

Animal Farm (Reconfiguration IV)

A letter from Tommy to God

Dear God,

We have had a long and a very good relationship. In the past I have been treated very well by you. When I had accompanied Yudhisthara on his ascent to the heavens you had granted me access - a thing which is discussed with great awe in my circles. In fact we have a lot in common. Our designations contain the same English letters.We are the same in our in  unconditional love for the humankind. Recently when my master started behaving in an odd fashion, I initially wrote it off as the stresses of life which normally affect humans. But as time passed I realised that you had induced quietly an earth shaking change in the humans - as to what this change was - only came to light when my sources in heaven confirmed my suspicions. Reconfiguration means ' To change the arrangement of something.

But in your zeal, when you decided to reconfigure the humans with the behavioral aspects of a dog , I really don't know what you were thinking. You are all seeing and in your love for all things that exist and all things which don't, but it my view that you  you have been blindsided.Your leaving it to your minions to do the needful has resulted in a muddle which I feel you must rectify immediately. Let me amplify.


Incest is not acceptable - not unless you are a dog. Did I get your attention? I hope so. In the past few months ever since your big overhaul, there have been many instances where my ilk have felt the heat of a changed human. It is one thing when humans show extreme affection to each other . But it is an entirely different ball game when they are overtly affectionate towards us. One has to draw a line somewhere.. We dogs require our space...

Man is essentially  monogamous.Now he has developed a roving eye. The animalistic character of 'might is right' has got reinforced in him. This may not bode well for the family values which you espouse - as God. I am sure that I need not amplify more on this. While there are many other unpalatable actions which a human is indulging in nowadays - suffice it to say that even as a dog they are unpalatable to me


In some ways, the  'upgrade' has worked for the humans. They have developed a healthy understanding of my clan. Like us they have become more trusting of other humans. Somewhere along the line while carrying out the upgrade your minions have failed to realise that even among the dogs there are those who are more privileged than the others. We have the breeds and we have the mongrels.... The skewed relationship among the humans because of this has not changed much. There are still those who 'have' and those who do not. Religious sentiments, Caste and Race lost their significance .

There are lesser fights among the humans and they are more tolerant of each other. But this does not prevent them from an occasional flare up - which I presume is the human side of their behavior in action - which has disastrous consequences. Man as an animal has not changed much.In spite of the upgrade the basic human instincts still exist. However some aspects have changed . His ability to hear was not bad earlier but now he has developed the ability to listen. Often times when my master was feeling sad I would be a mute listener to his rants about his work about his spouse about his children and various other   things including the government. I used to listen to him silently and comfort him by placing my head over his knee. Now he himself has become a good listener and shares other peoples' burden.

 They are no longer lazy and  are now maintaining a better health. They are now living for the moment and are not too worried about the future. Activity levels have gone up and his environmental consciousness has improved. Loud noises irritate him and this has had a positive effect on his overall ability to reduce noise pollution. It has worked to the advantage of us dogs too. No more crackers at Diwali to irritate our sensitive ears. The constant nagging of the spouses has also reduced when they realised how much noise they were creating. No more hiding of feelings for one another. A bit of growling - and if things got out of hand - bite each other and they were done with it.

Here I must take time out to tell you about one major aspect which has changed. The humans no longer found each other attractive unless it was the ' Season'. I visualise a large scale decrease in the population in the future - when due to the decrease in the activity -there is going to be a great reduction in the population....


One particular incident which I thought I must relate....

It was the 'Season'. My Master and I were both aware of the heady feeling of power when we went for a walk. As we were walking the park we saw this beautiful couple - A woman and a bitch. For once we were on the same frequency. Our aim was clear. I looked at my master and my master looked at me . The silent signal between us made me realise that there was no difference between me an my master. To paraphrase Orwell 'Dog looked at Man and man looked at the dog - and there was no difference between man and dog....
Oh God; Do you want such a world?
As Ever
Yours Faithfully
Tommy

Testing (Re - configuration III)

As Narrated By Tommy

          My master was always a bit mad. But that morning he was behaving in a fashion in which even I - as a liberal - was wont to look at in askance. As was my custom I went up to my master to wake him up to take me out for my morning constitutional/ablutions. Normally a bit of whining in a pitiable manner used to wake him up and he would- after scratching himself at all the wrong places - grumpily wake up and go to the bathroom while farting on the way there. Today there was something different. When I went to his bedside he was already awake and bright eyed. His tongue was out of his mouth and he was whining - as if to tell me that we should go out. Of course he did fart - and not silently too. The ecstasy of letting out fetid gases from his bowels was writ large on his face. His tongue hung out of his mouth and he was breathing rapidly. We have this sixth sense - and mine was was screaming that something was wrong. But knowing my master I reserved my judgement. My worst fears were confirmed when I followed him into the toilet. He was sniffing the bowl before he relieved himself. As if that was not enough - when he came out of the washroom he licked the lady of the house wetly on her cheek. Under normal circumstances, both me and my master were scared of disturbing her sleep . But obviously these were not normal circumstances. The lady instead of ' bitching' about it, languorously stretched herself and licked him back. This behaviour - was - making me all woozy and light headed. I had seen them do many things in the bed room

- many unspeakable things - but that is not the moot point. What was of immediate concern was this crazy behaviour of my master and his spouse. If what they did in the bedroom earlier was crazy,  this day their behaviour beat it all.If it continued, I would go mad. Maybe behave like a human or something...

Earlier in the Heavens

          God had approved a makeover of the human being , giving his approval to the man who could take only a single bite from his apple before the presentation on the makeover of man began. The man was given a free run of heaven to pick and choose his team for the important makeover. The idea was to improve mankind to ensure that there was less strife on earth. and the makeover suggested was to include certain behavioural aspects of a dog , such as loyalty, friendliness and other important qualities. While all the Gods approved of this plan in front of the GOD , knives were already out to sabotage and scuttle the plan. Improvement of the human being was not in the interest of various religious heads and they were doing everything in their power to keep their followers together. Members selected were those who looked good on paper but who were ready to stab the others in the back. For once it was the common goal of all to ensure that the makeover was not a success. Soon the committee was set up and the work on the reconfiguration of man was in full swing. Of course the naysayers were plenty. The Oracle was also a part of the whole set up.

          The deadline for carrying out the reconfiguration was fast approaching and there was still no consensus on what aspects of a dog were to be included in a man to ensure peace and stability on earth. The minions of the lesser Gods in heavens were doing their job perfectly and raising objections to all changes being proposed. An impasse was reached and the only one who could break the impasse was GOD himself. God was very short with the others. He had made up his mind and decided that the reconfiguration would go through irrespective of the objections raised. A bright spark suggested Beta testing. This was shot down immediately. The reason for this was that those who were being tested would be looked upon as crazy on the earth. After much discussion it was decided to include all the behavioural aspects of a dog in a man. It was also decided to do this for a limited period of a few months after which a review would be carried out. Based on the feedback further action would be worked out.

          Bureaucracy had finally reached the heavens!

Tommy's Narrative

          The madness did not stop that morning. Through the day my master and his spouse and his friends and the neighbours behaved in an odd fashion. their behaviour was taking a toll on me and my fellow dogs. Somewhere something was wrong. I could not put amy paw on it. My mistress - who - incidentally did not like dogs was even more offensive now. Every time I passed her she would bare her teeth and it was not beyond her to give me a well directed kick in the ribs when I passed close by. My master who loved throwing the ball for me would now reluctantly pull his arm back to throw the ball and then with a forward swing, halt in the mid stride put the ball in his own mouth and start chewing on it. All this was taking a heavy toll on my health. My blood pressure had shot up, making me feel lightheaded . I knew it would not be long before my master started eating from my bowl...

Tommy's Master

          When I woke up in the morning , I was feeling more energetic than ever before. I - who abhorred getting up early - could not wait to get out of bed and get going. My dog Tommy looked at me strangely when I got out of bed before he could lick my face to wake me up for his morning constitutional. Bright eyed , I walked to the toilet. The rich smell of my middle of the night endeavour to aim at the bowl assailed me. I took in a deep breath. The smell was both invigorating and refreshing. What I could not understand was why I wanted to further investigate, when I found myself close to the bowl sniffing away furiously. To cut short a long story, all this sniffing stimulated my bladder and I urinated copiously. For once it did not make a difference that I did not lift the seat in spite of a part of my brain screaming warnings to me against the dire consequences I would face for this dire omission from my wife. The day of drudgery at the office no longer bothered me. In fact I felt friendly towards the whole world - including my wife who was snoring away with her mouth open and her tongue hanging out. In my enthusiasm I licked her cheek and she responded likewise. It felt good.I was even prepared to love my  neighbour who played loud religious music early in the morning. Of course in my present state of mind I was not beyond biting him if I got the chance. The number of things that I could possibly do and wanted to do - in my present state of mind - made my mind boggle( with apologies to Wodehouse)...

The Presentation (Re-Configuration II)

          The biggest  opponent of the upgrade -which was at the moment under discussion in the heavens was the Oracle – who was also among the newer Gods. He was very vocal about the proposed change and made no bones about his protest. “Dogs have been known to bite the hand that feeds them’; he said to anyone and everyone who would listen to his viewpoint. He was speaking from experience,while on earth,it seemed. He openly canvassed against this proposed ‘upgradation’. “ How can it be an upgrade” he argued; “Dogs have been known to always be faithful to humans and those dogs which roam the streets are scared of man . It beats my imagination as to how an inferior brain will be an improvement”.

          

          Be that as it may, the day of the presentation dawned bright and pleasant. But then ‘it is always sunny in the heavens’. The general hubbub died down as The God walked in to preside over the proceedings of the day. The computer expert who was to give the presentation was naturally very nervous . To get over his nervousness he was eating an apple. He had just taken a bite when God had walked in. He hurriedly put the partially eaten apple to a side. God then looked kindly at him and said “ You had put forth an idea the last time. I am curious as to what you said and would like you to expand on the idea of improving the behavioural aspects of the humans”. "Do you have your presentation ready”? he asked.

          

          There were murmurs in the conference , some snickers and a few derisive comments. God raised his hand for silence (nothing escaped him).” I hear that some of you have expressed serious doubts over this idea . I would like you to express yourselves without reservations. We can always thrash out the details later after the presentation. It almost seemed that God was sold on the idea and was just toying with the rest of the congregation before he put the plan in action. Nevertheless the oracle decided that he should have his say. “ Sir my objections are that dogs are lesser beings and to turn to them for the so called 'improvement' of a human would be a fallacy. Some dogs – in fact all dogs are not equal and it is a ‘dog eat dog’ world out there. I feel that we should deliberate on this more before we take a precipitate step.

          

          God smiled at the Oracle and said “Let us first hear what our computer expert has to say before we jump to any conclusions”. "I shall definitely keep your viewpoint in mind before we implement anything”. And so began the presentation by the computer expert who was nervous and had only the time to take a bite from his apple before he had the stage.

          Unlike the Earth where there was a requirement of screens and hardware to project ones ideas , here in heaven the entire presentation was based on thought projection. Those sitting at the back of the room could see the presentation as those in the front. The computer expert cleared his throat and started off. This conference was started with the premise that there was widespread anarchy on the earth leading to hate jealousy enmity and unrest. And that there was a requirement of changing the situation for the better. I had proposed that we should upgrade the humans with the behavioural aspects of a dog to improve the situation. God agreed to it. ( The computer expert was not beyond sucking up to God by praising him).

          Dogs have an innate sense of loyalty. They are loyal to their masters unconditionally. This aspect would help prevent backstabbing among humans . Faithfulness among the humans  would increase and lead to a better quality life. 

          Dogs have no religion and would live without any religious pressures . Imagine a world with a single religion – that of humanity. As soon as he said this the religious heads in heavens started objecting. But God sharply told them to keep quite and listen..

          

          Dogs love unconditionally. Dogs do not believe in conditional love. When a dog loves someone it does not think about what is in store for it as a consequence of this love. In spite of anger shown by its master it does not plot revenge. It loves its master all the same.  Half our life as a human being we plot the downfall of the others and miss out on the main issue as to why we were sent to earth in the first place. Imagine an earth where there is no hate. It would be as good as Paradise. With people utilising their brains for constructive purpose rather than destructive purposes earth would be a good place to live in. The ability of a dog to forgive its master even if he kicked it will go a long way in ridding the earth of conflicts.

          While the presentation was on, the Gods were listening with increasing consternation. An earth without conflict, hate, jealousy and anger meant that people on the earth would not be polarised towards one religion or the other.People would no longer need religion for gaining solace . All religions and beliefs would cease. Their life’s work and their perceived  suffering  – while on earth would be destroyed. The populace would not have time for the lesser Gods. They would have only one God and that was The God.

          Perhaps this was why God was listening intently. He was also visualising the changes that would come into effect if  the plan as presented was implemented. God was tired of constant bickering among the others. He wanted to put an end to it. “ The plan seems very good . And I am sure with it being put into action the earth would be a better place to live on” He said; I would like you to work on it . Choose your team from all Gods available here . In due time we will put the plan in action..

In an unspoken agreement the other Gods kept quite, putting up a cheerful front while working on as to how to sabotage this idea. This required planning and flawless execution. 

          The lack of any major objections while not being a surprise for God certainly raised his eyebrows(that is right God has eyebrows- we are only built in his image). As was his wont he decided to wait and see as to how the plot would develop.....

Re-configuration

The conference was of a very high level. Gods of all religions gathered together. There was a sense of expectancy among the Gods. Of late it had been seen that earth which God (The First God) intended to be in his image was not actually panning out as he had desired . There was widespread despondency among the humans. People were killing people, there was a lot of backstabbing, betrayal and greed were the norm of the day. Humans were teaching their children to be cunning right from childhood. A child who was born with nothing on his mind at birth – except for the fact that he had to look for the first teat to suck on – was being taught the nuances of religion right from the start. Hospitals run by a particular religion were giving admission only to pregnant mothers of their following. Instances of mothers whose water broke being turned away from the hospitals were many.

Children were being groomed for hatred instead of brotherhood and love. The essence of divinity was secondary to the importance given to man-made structures and the bitter fights over such materialism. Survival of humanity was being threatened by religious beliefs. Humankind was no longer reflecting God and his good works. It was now all about cruelty, avarice and adultery. Time had come for God to intervene and set things right again. It was in this context that God had called this conference. Over the eons many new Gods had been added to the pantheon. On the Earth many new religions had sprung up. Interpretation of teachings of God had become very complex and elaborate and complex – leading people to explore newer avenues for gaining Moksha.

God was himself not displeased. In fact he encouraged this fresh interpretation of his ideas and thoughts. In the end all paths led to him. None of the newer religions propagated hate. But man being a devious creature by nature had become very arrogant and started using religion to his own profit. The time had come for God to step in to bring in a semblance of order on the Earth. And hence this conference .

The proceedings started off sedately enough with God’s spokesperson(there was gender equality in Heaven) laying down the terms of reference for the meeting.  Each of the lesser Gods was to be given a chance to review his religion since inception , the progress thereafter and the present status of the humans following that particular religion on Earth. The next term of reference was how the religion was faring on earth and what steps would be initiated to get rid of the shortcomings - if any. The third Term of reference was of course co – existence and how it would be implemented on the Earth.

The Aim was of course to clear the path for a peaceful atmosphere on the Earth making it possible for more and more people to attain Moksha.

Somehow the virus of hate had spread to the Heavens . This was evident from the fact that the Gods were  loath to admit any shortcomings in their religion and started insinuating that the shortcomings were in other Religions and not in their own, thus vitiating the serene surroundings of the heavens. Soon the conference turned into a verbal slanging match with each God shouting louder than the other  as to the merits of his/her religion. God was initially at loss as to this sudden turn of events. But soon his indignation boiled over and in his thundering voice told everyone to keep quite , before he lost his patience and banished them from heaven . In his rumbling voice he said “ You have all come to Heaven because of the Good things that you did on earth; Somehow the serene surroundings of heaven and the easy life here have made you very arrogant and stupid; There is no pleasure in resting on your laurels if you cannot keep your flock together and ensure peaceful Co- Existence”. “Since you are all bereft of Ideas I have no option but to turn to the newest entrants to the Heaven.

 “ In spite of the existing state of  anarchy on the Earth, these people have through their innate goodness have reached the Heavens; I am amenable to new ideas shall ask them for solutions to improve conditions of existence on the Earth”. Saying this God turned to the latest arrivals from Earth – who were there as observers – and said kindly – “ All of you through your good works have attained your place in the exalted Heaven”. “You people are also the latest and greatest minds from the Earth and are cognizant of the happenings on Earth; I am sure that it would be worthwhile to gain knowledge from your insights.” God then threw the house open to all members of Heaven to provide workable solutions.

Initially there was a hush in the heavens. The observers were hesitant in expressing their opinions. But then , one of them – who was a God Man on earth stood up and addressed God saying “ Sir I was your representative on Earth. I had a huge following from all religious denominations. I propagated love and peace in my congregations. My lot of people are doing good works on Earth. I say we propagate love”. Someone from the rear snidely said that the God man propagated too much love and that he had spent time in the jail for his misdemeanours. Thereafter the noise level  increased with everyone being encouraged to speak – now that the ice had been broken. 

Through all the noise God heard one voice saying –“ why don’t we rewire the humans for better understanding among themselves. God immediately raised his hand for silence.  He pointed to the individual and asked him to explain what he meant by ‘Rewiring the Humans’. The individual got up and said “ Sir I am a computer expert; For many thousands of years there has been no major upgrade in the humans – in fact ever since man started walking on two legs , there has been no major upgrade – only patches have been put on the human brain for better adaptation for life on earth. Time has come for overhauling the human brain.” God asked “ and how do you propose to do that?” The computer expert who attained Moksha said “ Sir in addition to maintaining the fine brain that a human has we should give him the behavioural aspects of a dog”. There was a huge silence before everyone burst out laughing – Every one except God – The more God thought about it the more he liked the Idea. It was already late and God decided to continue the discussion the next day. He asked the computer expert to prepare a presentation on his idea.....

Faith

       
           She looked so frail - lying in the hospital bed. It was not how the girl remembered her mother - surrounded by monitors constantly making a racket as they kept a check on her mother's condition.  Her mother had always been vibrant, active and larger than life. When her father died , it was her mother who took charge of her and her two sisters bringing them up without letting them feel the loss of their father.Hiding away her own grief and putting the welfare of the young children above everything else. Her strong character helped the children face the world bravely despite the loss of their father.

          And now here  her mother was in a coma, fighting for her life. The unfairness of the of the whole situation struck her forcibly as she asked herself and God "Why me?" Why my mother? repeatedly. The cause for her happy and vibrant world had shrunk to this hospital bed.
         
          When she had got the news that her mother was in the  hospital , she thought it was probably due to a cold or fever - but when her sister told her that her mother was in a coma - her world came crashing down. Impending examinations notwithstanding she rushed home - and to her mother's bedside.The diagnosis mentioned a cardiac event. Along with a lot of other medical terms that did not make sense to her - not that it mattered- she just wanted her mother to get out of the hospital and continue doing what she was best at - looking after her and her sisters. The doctors had come and  examined her mother and in quite tones instructed the nurse about the dosage of drugs that needed to be administered. When the doctors felt that they were out of her earshot they had quietly shaken their heads. While she could not hear them she could definitely sense their negative attitude. Not that she could blame the doctors. It was already the third day that her mother was in coma.

         
          By the fourth day the situation started getting more desperate. The doctors suggested that her mother be moved home - an idea she shot down immediately. The visitations of the doctors became less frequent in face of her obstinacy. The nurses also came only to administer drugs as prescribed. Their bedside manner had definitely become more brusque after her decision for keeping her mother in the hospital. "Whatever happened to the 'angels of compassion' ?" She thought idly as she sat next to her mother's bed.

          The only people who came and offered her solace were the nuns from the local church who visited her regularly. They promised her that her mother would be in their prayers everyday and that they would plead her cause with God for a speedy recovery.

          Her own dialogue with God had hit a wall . She pleaded everyday with Him to make her mother well. As of the moment her prayers had still gone unanswered. And she had no great hope that something good would happen , since the doctors had failed. Logic said that her mother's chances of survival were very few. Emotion expected that a miracle would take place and her mother would soon sit up, get out of this sterile environment - and go home with her - as if nothing serious had happened.

          The next day and the day after that did not show any  significant change in her mother's condition. The doctors still came in the morning but only to wish her  good morning and ask her how she was - and then with a cursory glance at her mother's chart - leave.The nuns also came everyday and asked her to put her trust in God. For it was HE who would perform the Miracle of bringing her mother back.By the seventh day she she was ready to try anything including appealing to a different God. She rationalized that God was one and it did not matter as long as her mother got well. She was fast losing hope.After a long and difficult night she dragged herself to the small chapel in the hospital. She then had a dialogue with God pouring out her anguish at her helplessness. Once again she beseeched God to make her mother well.

          On reaching home she fell asleep. In her dreams she saw her mother back at home. Working away as usual - as if the illness was just a dream...

          She woke up in the morning with fresh hope in her heart. When she reached her mother's room she found an unusually heavy concentration of Doctors and nurses. She rushed to her mother's bedside, fearing the worst. The nurses were  smiling. "Your mother has responded to treatment"said one of them "She has regained consciousness".

          Was it her faith? Or was it the treatment? In her Heart she had no doubt that God had finally answered her prayers. Doctors had nothing to do with her mother's recovery....

The Birthday Miracle

          Life is a miracle. Some people live an extraordinary life, some people live an ordinary life and some just survive. I belong to the last class or so I believed...

          But then humans are known for changing their minds based on the occurances in their lives. I was soon about to do so.         

           It was going to be just another lonely day. Notwithstanding the fact that it was going to be my birthday. The wife and daughter were not with me. My  son was at a different place pursuing his studies and I was stuck in my place of posting completing my time before I was re united with my family. I think only criminals and army men do their time before they are liberated from the prison. Both of their own creation My prison was my job. The diktats of the army had to be followed – for serving the country and earning a living in the process. The previous evening I had  kept awake till 1200h knowing that someone would call to wish me a happy birthday. That was not to be. Finally at 1230h after nodding off several times in anticipation of congratulatory messages on my having inhabited this earth, I went to sleep. No one called. Not that I was a celebrity that people would work themselves into a frenzy on my birth and kill each other on trying to outdo each other in the process of celebration....

          The next day dawned bright and cheerful. At least God was with me on my Birthday.

         
  I was rudely jolted out of my sleep when my phone’s shrill ring tone woke me up.( My family finally woke up to the fact that I was celebrating one more year of existence on this earth). “Happy Birthday” said my wife and daughter on the speaker phone. What is so happy about a birthday? I wanted to ask them. But stifled my inner thoughts and civilly thanked them for their wishes. Then it was my son,” Happy birthday” he said. And followed it by inquiring as to what I was doing. What would one do early in the morning after waking up? Anyhow the appropriate response was – “Nothing” and I so responded. ‘Nothing’ is a conversation stopper. We both did not know as to how to proceed from there. He again wished me a happy birthday and I again saidThank You. And that was that. As I came out of the bathroom, there were about fifteen missed calls on my mobile. I had to respond to each of them by calling back. In effect I had to pay for people wishing me a Happy Birthday. By the time I had got ready, the frequency of the calls abated. There was nothing else to look forward to the day was as good as over.  In my own turn  I wished all those people who shared a Birthday with me .... I confess I liked being wished a Happy Birthday even if the wishes were just a part of our civilised existence. ...

Elsewhere(Unknown to me)  

          “It is uncle’s Birthday” announced Anuj. His dad looked cornered.While the monetary aspect of a Birthday was not a problem, dad also knew that he would have to strain his gray cells for finding an appropriate present. He knew that something was coming up. He did not know what – but something was on.And what Anuj wanted Anuj got it done even if it meant that his father had to move Heaven and Earth. He did not have to wait long. Young Anuj did not need encouragement to continue. “And we would like to celebrate it with him” Anuj and his friend Bunny had been planning for days for this event. It was only on the penultimate day that they planned to involve their parents. They had it all chalked out. A present was to be given. A cake had to be cut and it was to be a surprise. The problem was the present and the children did not know what to present . Bunny suggested a Hulk Toy. Anuj thought of presenting an umbrella. It was then that they thought about bringing the elders in to the picture. Wiser counsels prevailed over the unbridled enthusiasm of the youngsters. The cake was ordered. Naturally the flavour had to be to the liking of the children. There was to be no compromise on this issue. Though they did not agree with the present selection , sometimes it was wise to listen to the elders.  The  presents bought. And the children were ready to bring joy into my life on a day which mattered to me most.

The Evening of My Birthday

          “Uncle come out” (From my room)said the children as they barged into my room in the evening, when I took some time, to  open the door to some rather noisy and persistent ringing of my doorbell. Thank God I was suitably attired!

          Anuj and Bunny adopted me for practicing their violin before each class. Every evening we spent some time over their violin classes and I helped them learn the nuances of improving their violin skills.And once I was satisfied with the practice we would then watch a movie together .

          It was dark outside when I stepped out as per their request. There was chill in the air. Suddenly there was a sharp pop like that of the champagne bottle being opened. I was showered  with sparkling confetti and the children sang the most popular song in the world. I was overcome with emotion. The party moved indoors. Anuj opened  the cake box and bunny set up the cake and the candle. Soon it was cake cutting time and we fed each other a piece of cake. Though the children liked chicken, they brought a vegetarian Pizza, keeping in view my food preferences. Presents were handed over. A pen from Bunny and a photo from Anuj. The ev ening slowly drew to a close....

          My mind went back to the beginning of the day when I was cynical  and scornful about people celebrating their birthdays with huge parties. While I was still against the parties , my birthday could not have been celebrated better than spending time with these thoughtful youngsters. It was the best present I could have gotten for my for my birthday.....