Panorama.....Then and Now

The place was famous for heavy rainfall....it rained like it gonna drown the place...fortunately it did not, power cuts were common...it’s just that ppl did not complain back then (Nobody bothered about daily soaps, did not store food for ages, did not use geyser, women washed cloths near river banks.....life was simple. People could survive without power) During such times....on a rainy day few people stood awaiting outside the hospital crossing their fingers hoping it to be 'baby boy'.....Much to people's dismay I was born!! in a beautiful place and a remote village near 'Sakleshpur'.

As soon as I was born...I was introduced to load shedding, and soothing drops of rain (people enjoyed it then, girls always fell in love with Varuna(Rain God) now I don’t know why people curse the flirtatious works of Varuna)…

My memory of sakleshpur is synonymous with few people, heavy rains, coffee estates, healthy food cooked fresh, unpolluted air to breathe, bright stars in the sky, home medicine. Above all people genuinely loved and laughed together. After much coaxing and manipulative ways of mine.....all those who wished I was a boy were happy I was a girl.....pretty(my mom's version), talkative hyper little' imp(other's version) when I believed trees and birds could speak(I always spoke to them thinking one day they would reply back).....

Now, after so many years when I am trapped in the monotonous routine life in cosmopolitan city

I ponder why is life so complicated!.....

Nobody speaks to anybody, Television rule the roost. Only during ad breaks family exchange most necessary conversation. Mother is bothered about Tulsi's Life in saas bhi kabhi bahu thi!! Dad is bothered about Cricket scores and some stupid news in America! The Teenage son is excited about sach ka samna(mind huh...the questions asked gives him major adrenaline rush) The daughter cries hue and cry about SRK being treated badly!! God! Let’s take a break. Look around you...it’s your family and friends who needs love and attention. Tulsi will be handled by ekta kapoor, America will handle their self made problem, sach ka samna has got its trp, SRK will eventually learn America is not India to throw around his bhav.

Lets cook fresh food together...check junk food and pizzas and burgers out. Swear guys....the amount of happiness 'anna sambhar and pickles' or 'home made spicy biryani and chilly chicken' gives can not be replaced by any continental, mediterranean, blah blah food.

I even wondered if girls or guys now a days ever cleaned their house themselves. I have seen people living in their own house as guests waiting for maid to clean the house. Man! Get real! For heaven's sake it’s your own home.....I don’t think manicured hands will get spoilt if you get down and clean your own house. No wonder women of previous era had such fab body( carrying tumbler kept their waist size below- 28, sweeping and moping kept their abs super flat).....But, come on.....Gyms got to run their biz also, rite?? Maybe the image of babes or hunks doesn’t go along with self help and clean house stuff….Huh!!

And coming to think about human relationships......it’s been 6 years in Bangalore; I could not break ice with my not so friendly neighbors. After my continuous effort, all I get is a fake smile and closed door (hearts). When I was young I grew up in neighbors house(as my mom was working...and was workaholic too)....Everyone in the street knew me....after school my snacks was ready in one of the neighbor aunt’s house. I still remember, I going with my Hindu friends to have darsham of '101 Ganapathi' or accompanying them to distribute 'yellu bella' for sankrathi and even distributing 'ghosh' for bakrid with my Muslim friends!...All my friends awaited for Christmas cake.... I miss those days. Here all religious functions are just display of wealth and status....spirituality and genuine concern about people is oblivious.

Here, once I saw a woman badly beaten by her 'educated husband', all macho men and rest were mute spectators. Back then, entire village or all your neighbors never let a man hit a woman!!Hmmmm....I don’t why the more insensitive you get...people call it developed and civilized. What a misnomer!

If I had a magic wand I would take back India to the golden period of Guptas or Vijayanagar era where poverty unemployment was seldom used. I shudder from my nostalgia and back to reality.....

Life goes on...does it not?! Still why don’t we all make an effort to live a real happy life and not superficial one!! I thinking back about the place I was born....I still remember an old man living all alone who told me stories about Saints, Kings of forgotten times and folk stories. I got my first moral science classes from him, way ahead before I learnt it in convents. One of these days I would go and meet him....to sharpen my moral science lessons!!

Once I read somewhere…..So many gods, so many creeds, so many paths that wind and wind. When just the ‘art of being kind’ is all that the sad world needs.

Jael