Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Relation that needs no filtrations

 And this is about the incident in the fuel station. The driver lowered the car window and ordered a full tank. The old man in coveralls licked his finger, pulled out a slip of paper, reached the fuel tank, and also fixed his meter while stealing glances at the driver and the car. 

Jogging back to the car's open window, he murmured "glass clean ?" with appropriate gestures. The driver nodded with a smile that was not evident behind the mask. Now the driver switched quick glances between the smartphone and the short stout old man cleaning the windshield with a bright yellow sponge.  "Why was the old man stealing looks at me?". So thought the driver.

Now! The old man walked up to the window again and saluted.

"How are you?" he asked in full confidence. After a few seconds, rescuing the driver off the bolt from the blue, he said " you often came to this place a few years ago!" Another surprise. It was eight long years ago. The driver has changed their looks. The car had changed. How did the old man conclude this revelation? Fluke? No.  It was from the song the driver was playing in the car. It had never ever changed in those years, nor now! And also the act of pulling out some currency from that brown wallet as he cleaned the windshield.

The duo laughed and talked. About each other's well-being, the cityscape that changed, and the weather. Finally, the driver pulled off after tipping the old man as usual. And with the old man showing both his palm and nodding in complete soulful wishes to the driver.

While we most often meet different people, only a few stay in our lives. Some stay in our memories, some in our feelings, and some on social media. For the same reason as being the intelligent species, humans showcase expertise in rushing relations into complexity. We can't live simple. We can't think simple. because we are over-ambitious and begin to expect from relations, people or from our life! Most relations never get simpler. They only complicate and turn into the beautiful maze called life that we live in. And at one time, we turn to declutter our lives and minds off the negativity, from the hazards of our complex relation in life. Positivity becomes a quest.

Here, the duo has not known anything about each other. Yet displayed so much affection upon meeting. Wished each other and laughed together that left them contented and smiling profusely for the rest of the day. A relation that needed no filtration.

Most often such unlabelled relations bring about so much unknown joy in life. Of attaining some deep innate happiness. They are free of all commitments, expectations, or even any obligations. Most of us will connect to this. And will know why we humans can say "we are like this only".




#MyMuseToday  #WeAreLikeThisOnly

Sunday, March 21, 2021

What is right and what is wrong?

It is about a grubby bearded man. He entered the supermarket with dark shades hanging loosely on his already loosely hung curly hair which half-covered his ears. The grey Tee fitted him badly and the jogger pants screamed out declaring a bad fit. But appearances can deceive.

He then picked only a small packet of bananas and rushed to the billing counter. He had to fall in a queue there. He yelled at the security in-charge. His argument on why he should fall behind someone in the queue while he had only one vegetable bag and someone had a basket full. Well, the security man calmly explained some rules to this man in vain. While most around scoffed and squinted and beat foreheads he smiled profusely and continued with his neatly designed argument.

 And soon enough walked a lady with another packet of fruits. The man now turned his attention to her and argued with the security, she was pregnant, and she must not stand in the queue. So, be it. He got his way for the pregnant woman but waited for his turn in the queue. Few people around were petrified with his decibels and gestures.

He was loud, not rude. He was challenging, not quarreling. He had a point. Very much valid. Diplomatic relations in a supermarket.  Was he wrong? Was he right? Either he was both or he was right.

We are like this only!!  Rules stay as long as we are benefitted, else we debate. Should someone not have made way for him, breaking the stereotypes? What if he was not a “woman” crying out empathy? Why did not the pregnant woman help him in turn? Life is made up of such circumstances. Every day we encounter some situation where we seem right and wrong both! It is difficult to please everyone. It is also impossible to sometimes not break rules but also nice to break rules. This is life.

The grey shirt man challenged a rule. He was not selfish. And most times, we are not wrong yet not right or vice-versa and we remain inconclusive.  While rules are made for life, life is not a rule. We rule our lives. But what can we do about this diplomacy! We are like this only!



#MyMuseToday #WeAreLikeThisOnly