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..... 

P......2

            We were back at the bar. P--- was not in the best of moods.  The reason for his disquietude became evident when he told me that he had read  the story about his standing on the deck of the submarine in the face of a really bad storm and how he was brave in the face of it. "Angrezi acchha  likh lete ho". (Sarcastically)(You write well in english) he said.

            Before I could interrupt he put on his pedagogical face and continued"Storms happen. They are a way of life at sea. But what made this particular watch ( on the submarine) special, was that after my senior was sent below deck because of his injury I was alone on the deck. The constant battering by the waves was most enjoyable. Notwithstanding the damage that I was sustaining to my body. Was I Masochistic? I did not let that thought ruin my stint on the deck.  Memory seems hazy at this point. On a hindsight it was a huge wave that was my undoing. One moment I was on the deck and the next moment I was swallowing huge amounts of seawater. My battered body was was thrown about . I never hated salt more than at that moment. One moment I was close to fighting my way back onto the submarine and the next I  was pushed back relentlessly into the sea.The only good thing was that I was still tethered to the submarine with a rope. I was losing the will to fight back. It did come to my mind about ending it all by letting the sea have its way.  In those fleeting moments many thoughts passed through my mind. The thought of dying a virgin with no progeny to further the P--- line was abhorrent - and the fact that I had defied my dad to join the navy - when he wanted me to join the army energised me into struggling hard to get back onto the submarine - I had to prove him wrong." 

            The promise of  virgins in heaven did not in the least interest me. Whatever the bliss of conjugal life was - I wanted to experience it in this world. I regretted laughing at my my senior when he had got hurt and having considered him stupid for his carelessness. I resolved that when and if I got back on deck I would apologise to him. The going was tough . People say that negative thoughts are not good in times of emergency. I disagree. Negativity spurs you into action to do something positive.And this is precisely what happened. With the last remaining strength I somehow managed to get back on to the sub. I was terribly tired and ashamed of my carelessness.  My hands were chaffed and my stomach was full of salty seawater. For the next few minutes  I was puking my guts  out on the deck. Later I of course did not apologise to my senior. It would have been pointless as I myself was in a similar situation."

            By now P--- was in full flow.  "Have you ever experienced a moment in your life where your whole life rushed past you in a moment?" he said switching gears. "Yes" I replied; I was going to further expand on the subject but P--- did not give me a chance, he was on a roll and nothing would deter him from continuing about his life and times on the submarines. He continued as if I had not spoken.

             "You know" he said philosophically I have had a good life and I will continue to do so. A happy family good children and a fulfilling job full of challenges. But there are some defining moments when all that you have achieved seems inconsequential. Things which were important, no longer feel that way.   I resigned myself to a long night.

           " It was in the year 199- when we were in Bombay. I had settled into a routine on my submarine. Somewhere in the month of October we were out on an exercise at sea.The whole fleet was involved in this exercise. Our task was simulated attack on the fleet. We had achieved a good success rate and the mood in the submarine was upbeat. It was a trying time for all of us and the fact that we were getting back buoyed our mood tremendously. That was until the officer on the watch alerted us to the fact that we were were going to cross paths with a ship. The ship was headed south and our submarine was headed west . This is always a tense time for us as all the evasive maneuvers to avoid the ship were to be taken by us. Calculations were made and soon it was deemed safe and we were heaving a sigh of relief that an imminent collision was avoided .When we found to our horror that it was not. At that time I was in the conning tower on top of the submarine with another officer. As part of the drill the hatch on top of the conning tower and and the hatch at the bottom of the conning tower connecting to the submarine were sealed shut. The submarine was preparing to dive to avoid the ship. The periscope was unfortunately not lowered and  this proved our undoing. There was a screeching sound as metal ground against metal. The propeller of the ship struck the periscope and the conning tower was flooded with water. A part of the propeller sheared off the ship and got stuck in the submarine. Due to this sudden flooding there was no place left for me and my fellow officer to go. This was the moment of truth for me. Would I survive? Was there a chance for me to see my grand children? There was also a fleeting moment of relief that I would not have to repay my loans and there were these unresolved issues that I would not need to work out.... 

            The automatic desire to survive kicked in. In those few moments it was as if my brain rewired itself. No more useless thoughts. I was exploring each scenario  of survival with a clear and logical mind. And kept discarding each as quickly as they came to mind. Everything pointed to a sure demise at sea. I remembered from my training that it was most necessary to keep a calm mind. This did not seem possible at the moment because I was running out of options. Below the deck by now it must have been total emergency situation. The moment the breach was discovered the submarine crew instituted emergency drills to surface.Those moments almost proved costly to my life. The one scenario which stuck in my mind was the endeavour of the submarine to surface.When the submarine moved upwards I could feel the movement. By now everything had gone into slow motion. I could see my oxygen starved body slowly striving to reach towards the top of the conning tower. I kicked my legs and soon I was at the top sucking in oxygen(possibly created by the upward movement of the submarine) greedily. After a few moments in which I was thanking all the Gods for their munificence I suddenly realised that my fellow officer was nowhere to be seen. A part of my mind which strived for survival only a few moments earlier was hoping that he would surface soon, but the other part was sure that he would not... without a second thought I dove back into the water looking for my colleague. I found him at the bottom - passed out. I got hold of his collar and with desperation born out of the need to be alive I once again headed back to the top. To my great relief my colleague came to and started breathing as soon as we surfaced. The sea air never felt sweeter. I was glad that I pulled him out from under the water -  from what would have been certain death for him - had I left him there".It was one of the most rewarding moments of my life almost like a pregnant woman giving birth......In spite of the horrendous accident that had taken place the submarine managed to limp back to the harbour under its own steam. Not so the ship. Which had to be towed back by the tugboats from the harbour.

            For some time there was silence at the bar. It was a fascinating story. I was reluctant to disturb his memories as I could see that his face had a far off look. Finally I asked him "Did they award you a medal - for acting coolly under such tremendous pressure - for saving a life?" I asked him half in jest.

His smile said it all......

P....

His eyes followed her as she sashayed across the hotel lobby. He did not stop staring until she got into the lift. The girl became aware of him staring at her halfway across the lobby – almost stumbled in her hurry to reach the lift away from his penetrating stare. I was losing weight at his unashamed expression of admiration of the opposite sex – not because I did not like the opposite sex but because of the blatant way in which he did it.  In fact he was positively leering at her. I was silently beseeching him to ease off. His explanation – a poor one, I thought - was that her movement reminded him of the waves at sea. There was no point in telling him that half the hotel staff was aware of his interest. There was nothing one could do. It was a part of his existence.

Psychologically and physiologically there was nothing wrong with him. But he  had an affinity for closets. Don’t misunderstand me. He had a liking for closed spaces. Closets had nothing to do with sex .But one could definitely understand why he volunteered for Submarine duty.  Extrapolating from his present state into his past, one can safely say that he had an ordinary childhood. While in the academy, during the course of his training his propensity for getting into trouble with the authorities was legendary and he earned the sobriquet of ‘Punishment King’. The number of kilometres he clocked as a cadet undergoing punishments was phenomenal.

Thirty years later the only perceptible change was a bit of grey in his beard. He had lost none of his sprightliness and joie de vivre at them , making me apprehensive that we would be given marching orders  by the hotel staff . As it is they were eyeing us with a great deal of suspicion and dislike – stemming from the fact that we were there for a long time, drawing out on our drinks. That we were there for a long time was not their grouse. Constant criticism of their sloppy service and their poor turnout was really riling them. The conversation was desultory and comfortable. We were still trying to find our way around each other. Families, children and their progress and of course our course mates were all discussed, their relationships dissected and finally conclusions on their state of existence were arrived at.

In every conversation there comes that pregnant pause during which one does not know what to talk about. And so we turned back to the only thing that was common to both of us – our profession at arms. I had been meaning to ask him about his exploits on the Submarines. What sort of a life it was and why he joined the submarines. Even as I asked him his preference for submarines the answer came with a blinding insight -His love for closed spaces – that explained it all. His need for that extra thrill was already known. “Did you have any life threatening experiences?” was my next question.

“On my first voyage we had a rather crazy incident.” He said. “As you are aware the space in a submarine is very restricted. Privacy is nonexistent and the toilet is common to all . On this particular trip I was a raw youngster still getting to grips with my enforced incarceration in a tin can in the depths of the ocean. While I was mentally prepared for this, the reality was a huge shock. I felt like a caged lion who craved for the open spaces. This craving threatened to make itself vocal in a very drastic manner, when my prayers were answered. We developed a technical snag aboard the submarine.” “What snag?” I asked. P---  was rather put off by my interruption.“ Nothing it was just a technical snag” he said. He finally relented to my need for details and told me that the toilet was blocked . This created a huge stink in the submarine. “The whole problem in a submarine is that there is no place to run. The stink is all pervading. It gets into your brain into your clothes, it is there when you go to sleep and it is there when you wake up. There is no future.” His eyes clouded over with the memories of that stink. He roused himself from his reverie.

 “Anyhow to cut things short the submarine had to surface to affect repairs”; When we surfaced there was a full blown storm in progress . When a submarine surfaces a watch officer is detailed to man the conning tower. The drill is to stand on the conning tower, anchored to the railing so that one does not get washed away. Being the junior most I was the automatic choice for this task. There was nothing but a huge expanse of sea on all the sides. Do you know that the size of waves are determined by a variety of factors including the speed of the tide , prevailing ocean currents depth of the water and also the shape of the seafloor and presence of reefs sandbanks and temperature of the ocean? The  wind speed and open expanse of water play a major role in the size of the waves. All factors for my being thrashed about like a rag doll were present in abundance. But you know what? I revelled in being on the surface. I could actually see the waves building up as they rushed towards me. It was a scary experience and at the same time exhilarating. My body was cringing from the anticipated  pain as the waves rushed towards me. My mind on the other hand rushed out to embrace the oncoming waves. As each wave came towards me the beauty of this savagery excited me beyond my wildest dreams.

My senior who was alongside me, on the other hand was not having such a good time. His eyes were bloodshot and if could have his way he would have made short work of my happiness – despite the pounding the waves were giving me – by murdering me there and then. This went on for some time. I screaming in happiness with each new swell and my senior getting worked up at my incomprehensible glee. Finally he could not take it anymore. He turned towards me - probably to tell me to shut up – when a huge wave struck us. It took my breath away and in that unguarded moment banged my senior against the wall. Soon he was howling – not in happiness – in pain. He had injured his back. He was safely evacuated into the submarine and my moment of unfettered freedom was ended as the technical glitch was cleared.”

His description held me in a thrall. I wanted him to share more about his experiences. At this point his very disapproving  wife sent summons for us for dinner. In spite of  his bravado and hair raising experiences at sea (and under it ) it was obvious that P--- would not risk her ire. And so dinner it was with a promise of more at a later stage...

Run Srini Run

"I was always late for school" - Srini

It was the same story all over again. Srini found himself among the latecomers ,standing outside the gate. He could still hear the strains of the morning prayer from the assembly ground as a multitude of voices sang in unison. Soon he could see the children heading towards the classes in an orderly fashion. The ground was quite again. He braced himself for the punishment for his tardiness. The physical education teacher could be strict. He was also a sadist. The punishment could be anything from a few whacks on the bottom with a cane and if the teacher was feeling benevolent then a tongue lashing . The teacher was also unimaginative. So, as was usual it was a run round the periphery of the school. Srini soon found himself running. There was the danger  of still getting corporal punishment if he came in last. Not to mention the humiliation of a smarting bottom which made it difficult to sit in the class throughout the day. This put wings on his feet and he managed to come in before all the others.The initial classes were sweaty and uncomfortable. But as the sun dried out the sweat, school became tolerable.

"I Beat the System" - Srini

This continued through  the years in school. . Physiologically,as he got older his legs got stronger and his lungs built up endurance. Somewhere along the way he felt that coming late unnecessarily focussed unwanted attention on him.The idea was to beat the system. And so he made efforts to come on time.He still missed the school bus as he woke up late and had to travel by civil buses. This meant changing two buses . Invariably he got late.But now he learnt new tricks. As soon as he was off the bus, he would take of at a run. As time passed he perfected the art of beating the clock. He would reach the gates just as they were closing. With his slight frame he would manage to squeeze through and be home and dry.  Leaving the Physical training teacher fuming at having missed another opportunity to punish Srini. It soon became a battle of wits between the physical education teacher and him - and a source of entertainment for the other children. Of course the children were cheering Srini. In his more spiteful moments the Physical education teacher would close the gates a full five minutes before the scheduled time, just to catch Srini on a wrong foot.

"My Sense of Competition Increased" - Srini

"Run Srini Run"                                    -  Other Students

This battle of wits brought out the best in Srini. It was a cat and mouse game which Srini won hands down. The children would exhort Srini with cries of "Run Srini Run..." goading him to improved performances. One day the Physical Education conceded defeat. Maybe it was a death in the family or maybe his daughter eloped - we will never know the reasons. But on that day his attitude changed he no longer gave a damn about Srini. Or so it seemed till that fateful day when the cross country team list was put up on the  bulletin board. Srini's name was included in the list of boys selected to participate in the cross country competition. Srini who would never run unless his life depended on it, was now officially a part of the school cross country team and hated it as only a young child could - with all his heart.. Into his twisted thinking came the uncharitable thought that perhaps the physical education teacher was exacting his revenge on him for all those times that he made an ass of him .  For the rest of his  time in school Srini was running for (as per him) for all the wrong reasons. The unfairness of it all was quite disheartening. Srini decided that he would never run all his life after leaving school....

" Priorities Change.." - Author

Srini went to college. Things were different at college. There were no penalties or punishments for going late to college. Srini went to college, got educated and came back home. He did not run on any day except when probably he had to visit the wash room in a hurry. While his views on life did not change in any other aspect, they did change in one sphere - and that was his interest in girls. The whole problem was girls liked boys who stood out in various fields.As far as they were concerned Srini was invisible. A whole night of deep thought as to his capabilities which would impress the girls made  Srini realise that the only field that he excelled in was running. Reluctantly he took up running - again. His prowess in track and field events got him noticed by the other sex. There was no dearth of girlfriends thereafter. As a consequence the years at college passed pleasantly  with many fond memories- what with all the adulation and admiration he received from the other sex for his exploits on the track. When college finished and he graduated , once again he hung up his running boots and promised himself that he  would never run again in his life....

Life goes on...

Along the way srini met the girl of his dreams and got married. In all respects it was a happy and satisfying union. With no major encumbrances and a steady job, Srini settled into his new life. His job took him to new places and with this came the pleasure of meeting new people and establishing new relationships. Once in a while when they got tired of the local climes he and his wife travelled all over the country and abroad. Srini liked the direction his life was going. To top it all - not a single day of running or even hurrying . No worries about missing deadlines or being late for anything. The years passed... It was time for Srini's annual medical check up. Little did Srini realise that there was a bombshell about to be explode. The day after his blood check up Srini was informed by his doctor that he was a borderline case for a lifestyle disease. And that he had to pull up his socks and change his sedentary lifestyle if he were to improve his health. Srini's world came crumbling about his ears. His mortality shocked him. Deep thought and introspection put him back on the roads. The first few days on the road were sheer torture. He could barely do two kilometres at a stretch. With grit and determination and the desire to outlive most of his friends Srini persisted in keeping at it. Soon he started enjoying the fresh air and quietness of the early morning runs.

In His Own Words...

" Somehow that which I hated doing all my life ultimately proved to be a lifesaver. I never did imagine that I would be a vulnerable to these diseases. I always thought it was only for other people - people who had served their time on earth and were ready to meet their maker for settling scores for their sins on earth. When things happen closer to home then one sits back and thinks . I wanted to have a full an complete life". There was that far off look on Srini's face. Then as if aroused from his dream he continued; " Results of my attempts at working out were almost immediately evident in my medical test results. I vowed that I would never ever have a medical problem in my life. Since I was already running I decided to participate in long distance races. Soon I was leading the pack. I won numerous awards and cash prices. I started participating in races all over the country. The races and the awards thereafter kept the whole thing very interesting. Over a period of time I came to know all the regulars, and a side bet or two on how many of them I would beat fetched me a tidy sum".

"The high I was on after winning a race was worth the effort that went into preparing for the race. I will never forget my physical education teacher nor will I forget my school mates who exhorted by shouting "Run Srini Run..... "










Srini was now about 55 years of age. New friends were made on the early morning route. One day one of his friends told him about a competition for his age group. Srini decided to participate for the heck of it. The first race for his age group did not go all that well. he came in at the fortieth position. But the achievement of completing a gruelling race gave him a sense of accomplishment. For the first time in his life Srini enjoyed running. Soon he was participating in most of the races all over the country. And in no time he was leading the pack. When asked about his emergence as a serious contender for various race competitions, at a school competition Srini said '" the adrenaline high from having run a race and the adulation thereafter - not to talk about the huge amount of bounty for having stood first is priceless.....