Foolishness first, Wisdom later... in 2014

Yes, it’s been a long time. Since I wrote. Almost a year. Never knew when time flew. Till it was pointed out…

2013 was eventful. 2014 will be even more eventful. I hope so. No, I am sure.

The last day of 2013 was particularly thrilling. I went to watch ‘Chander Pahar’ (Mountain of Moon), a Bengali movie based on Bibhutibhushan’s novel. The novel used to be one of my favorites at school. I read it many times. It never grew old. I remember some school friends calling themselves Shankar and Alvarez, just like a budding cricketer likes to call himself Sachin… I don’t know whether Shankar and Alvarez live in their souls beyond school today, but they had a place in the teens.

So, Shankar went to Africa in the early 1900s. To work for Uganda Railways as a station master in some place in Nakuru. At a time when no Indian dreamt beyond the Indian waters. Shankar wanted to see the world. He had an explorer inside him. A passion for adventure. Just like I used to think as a child. The colourful dreams of a child. I wanted to be Shankar, not Alvarez. I wanted to be free. I wanted to live it my way.

Shankar’s first African friend was Moviru. An old African veteran. Knew the law of the land. He was affectionate to Shankar, though cautiously never overboard. Affection can be dangerous, you see. Controlled affection is more effective probably. Moviru was more like a ‘mentor’, the one who guides you through darkness to light, despite your irreverent ways…

Moviru’s role is small in the movie, but significant.

So, Shankar was alone in the forests of Nakuru in the third day of his job, when a man-eating lion attacked him. His horse had deserted him… There was not a soul in sight… He didn’t even have a gun… How adventurous! It’s a pity that no lion attacked me ever! The best I remember is a stupid dog chasing me in my pishi’s place at Malkera in Dhanbad when I was a kid… and I had ran away scared, hit a big rock and injured my leg. The Shankar inside didn’t really come out that day, I think. But never mind, for some other day then.

Anyhow, in Africa, Shankar got himself saved from the lion that day. But he was angry with Moviru. Why didn’t he tell Shankar that this bloody African place has man-eating lions? This is a dangerous place! It’s right that Shankar wants adventure, but then he must be warned! How bitter is this! What else is hidden? Snakes? Tigers? Leopards? He decided to confront Moviru the next day the train arrived at the station.

‘Foolishness first, wisdom later, Shankar’, replied Moviru, in the shades of Shankar’s station-master cabin next day afternoon.

Moviru had just summarized 2013 for me.

The year had been a mixed bag. I think I tried to become who I was not. And finally ended up being who I was. And realized my foolishness. There was no Moviru to guide me in the beginning, but at least I had the realization. Better late than never.

So, the first half of the year was terrible. Work sucked. Asking fair questions was equated to arrogance and poor understanding. Making a point strongly was equated to wrong attitude. Yeah, I agree that I wasn’t diplomatic and buttery. But then I was doing my job right and deserved better treatment. I was, foolishly, trying to go beyond the call of duty. I was, foolishly, not looking at it as a random white-collared job.

Realization was late. But just as Moviru had suggested, it is better that wisdom dawns from foolishness. Now I know that, in work, keep to diplomacy and engage on your personal goals. Don’t try to be the good, hard-working guy.

So, 2013 wasn’t really going very good. I had become desperate for a shift at work. And it was taking a toll in my personal life. Blogs died down (now you know why), music disappeared, friends were being forgotten and I was losing patience.

And then she came.

And everything changed.

I always wondered how I would get to know that she is The Special One? But I guess you can’t write it down in bullet points in a presentation. It just happens. And it happened to me that day in July…

I talked to her from home in Pune in July. I knew it was different. I talked again next day… and again from Congo… and I knew I was falling… There was love in the air. I could hear music all around… I could feel it…

Hotel Fortune in Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo stood witness to love in the making. Life was beautiful again. Thanks to her.

I said YES. She said YES too. And we got engaged on 29th September.

Back in office, they offered me a change in role. I grabbed it with both hands, in just 2 minutes into the discussion. I was desperate to come out of the crap anyways. I guess her good omen had spillover effects in work too.

Marriage got fixed. Work is better than where it started.

I started learning horse-riding. Had the best Macchiato in Addis Ababa, the best rabri-jalebi in Pune, the best Kunefe in Iskenderun and some amazing banana-baked anonymous dish in Kinshasa. No reason to complain.

I went to my village after a long long time. I felt nostalgic. I felt the need to come back to myself.

Went back to a little bit of reading. Probably read the Anandamela Pujabarshiki after some 3-4 years. Also finished Amish and was in Shiva mode for quite some days. Parvati will agree. :)

This year, in 2014, I just want to be myself. Stay foolish, stay good, stay simple. Just like Shankar. For the quest of achievement is meaningless without the journey.

My song track has changed to Kabira. This has lovely lyrics...

Peace!