What do immortal Gods Chat about? They talk about mortals like us just as we do about them. That's what Lord Vishnu and his beloved, Goddess Lakshmi were doing. They were chatting about a mortal. Lord Vishnu described him as "Dejected but not defeated. That's Pradyumn"
And below on the planet earth, the mortal Pradyumn, a young man in his early thirties was looking for something in the local park when everyone were enjoying the rare cool breeze. Lord Vishnu explained, "Even in his life, he is searching hard for a heart to love him... He is thirty two and still without luck..." Laxmi found the statement a bit weird, "Oh Great One! You yourself make hearts meet and don't you know about where that heart is?" and she remembered some romantic hindi lines, "Jab tumne dil kiya, dil ki do tukde kiya. Ek par Radha, Ek par shaam likha. Don't you know where the Radha of this Shyam is?"
Vishnu remembered her, his rules, "Yups... I know. But Waqt se pehle kismat se jyada na kisiko mila hain naa kisiko milega.
Goddess Lakshmi was not to be silenced that easily, "But you must have something planned for him in the immediate future.. Don't you? " Lord Vishnu loved to explain his plans, " I am going to make him taste some platonic relationship." Goddess Lakshmi didn't had the word platonic in her vocabulary and Lord Vishnu continued explaining to her, "Its a a true and pure friendship where one of the mates happens to be from the other sex. No Romance.. No Passion... No Intimacy..." Goddess Lakshmi found it hard to swallow, "A guy and a girl can be just friends... but at one point or another, they'll fall for each other may be temporarily, may be at the wrong time, may be too late or maybe forever" Lord Vishnu couldn't help her to believe it, "All you have to do is wait and watch the platonic relationship this 32 year old boy would have with that 18 year old woman".
Goddess Lakshmi looked at the direction at which her beau's finger was pointed and saw a gorgeous young lady with short hair and long legs making her move towards Pradhyumna. She was interrupted by her husband's sweet voice, "Before the story starts, let me tell you about Pradyumn. I like to call him as Prads. Prads didn't have much success both in his career or in his life though he has reached the pinnacle of young age. But now he is strictly following Ek-Naari-Vrath. The Mortals call it as one-sided love. He is a 32 year old small boy and all innocent."
Devi Lakshmi waited for the girls description, but Lord Vishnu came up with something different, "Do you know what is common between Rahul Dravid, the cricketer, sohee park, a south Asian actor and sinchan, a cartoon character. " Lakshmi Devi was a bit irritated by this sudden diversion, "This is not quiz time!!"
Vishnu gave the answer, "All of these have been the crushes of this young woman. She is studious though she most of the time bunks the classes. She is filled with wisdom though for most of the time she would be cracking silly one liners. She is Swasthee and you can call her Swats..."
At that moment, the sweet voice of Swats filled the heaven as she slowly sneaked from behind and asked in a polite manner, "Can I help you in any manner?" Prads gave a 'mind-your-business' look, but somehow he found himself explaining his loss , "I have lost my most valuable possession." Swats giggled and took a red diary from her behind, "Is this what you are looking for?" Prads just grabbed it from her. Swats continued her questions, "What is it? Bhagavad geetha?" Prads thanked her and said," No! Its my personal dairy...my companion"
Prads wished her goodbye and took her leave. He had hardly kept four steps when Swats called his name and brought him to a standstill. She ran to him and extended her hand "My name is Swasthee. You can call me Swats. I want to your friend..." Prads gave a surprising look and his hand looked like it it was glued to the pocket. With a mischievous smile, Swats said one more time, "I would like to make a friendship with a boy of 32 year old who is strictly following a ek-naari vrath and that too for a girl whom he has not yet meet and who leaves in a far off place..."
Prads was taken aback and said angrily, "You read my diary? and you expect me to be friend with you?"
Swats doesn't know to take a No and the naughty lady continued, "You know I am a journalist student and rite now working with a publication company for my project. I believe your ek-naari-vrath wala story would sell like hotcakes." Prads was being blackmailed and without further raising his voice, he extended his hand of friendship. Prads found her hand grip very hard. The playful Swats didn't release the hand before expressing her another desire, "I am new to this coastal city. I come from a mountainous terrain. I would like to see a new place in your city every week. I hope as a friend, you will fulfill this wish of mine.." She very well knew that there was NO WAY OUT for Prads.
Goddess Laxmi was enjoying every moment and expressed her hearts desire to her hubby, "How I wish to be like that girl Swats."
Thus began a unique relationship between a 32 year old boy and a 18 year old woman
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Forever Love 5: Hum rahen na rahe
For Seema, where she kept her foot, there should be a pavement. But Preetham found it hard to say yes to her latest wish. That was visiting the haunted house on the top of the hillock. but he didn't know how to say NO to his dear wife.He found it strange when she said that it had to do with her research in the subject forever love, "It's the house where a girl died of a terminal illness.Her boy remained there till his end not marrying anyone and always was lonely... It is said that even now the ghost of the boy enjoys the moments he had with her in that house"
Seema brought her young baby Prerana along with her. When Preetham looked at her questioning her decision to take their child along, she answered, "Don't you see those horror movies on HBO? Its with the children that the ghosts make the first contact"
They reached the place sometime around the evening. There didn't seem to be visibility of human life anywhere nearby. Environmentalists would be happy to find the rich growth of the greenery over there. Preetham checked his mobile to find if there was signal and to his surprise, he found it was showing good netwrok connectivity.Clever baby Prerana pointed to the top of the ghost house to find a mobile tower there.
As they entered the house, Seema slowly put her child Prerana down.It reminded preetham of movie scenes where the Cops unleash their sniffer dog to catch the thugs. He hated his wife using his kid like that.But the happy girl Prerana moved towards a dark room and after some seconds, Preetham and Seema heard their baby's laughter echo the entire house. When they went inside, they found her with a cute cat with a right mixture of colors on its body. And Seema was full smiles, but it was shortlived when Preetham spoke in a strange tone as if to give a signal that he was possessed. "My dear girl found it full wet one afternoon and asked me whether she can give sharan(Asylum) to it and I never knew how to say NO to her... That's when she named me a SHARANagatvatsal(One of lords names)..." That gave a creepy feeling to the Seema and at that moment itself, she decided to end her research
As she moved out and lifted her baby Prerana, Prerana saw the swing in the garden and pointed towards it and when Seema rejected,Prerana started crying at the top of her lungs forcing her mother's feet move towards the swing. Seema felt as it was outside the house, she had nothing to fear and sat along with her child and asked her dear husband to give them the push.As they were enjoying the swing, Preetham remarked which was very unlike of him and in a very strange and rough tone, "There on the horizon, a rainbow came on the August evening and she asked me to give the swing such a push that she could land on it...For her rainbow is a staircase to the heaven." Though the thought was romantic, Seema felt creepy once again and immediately got down in the fear of the push her 'possessed' husband was talking about.
She wanted to reach the car at the earliest and had put her research in the back of her brain. But as they were climbing down the hillock, Prerana's eyes fell on the small pound and the in minutes she was crying wanting to play in the water. Seema had to oblige and when they reached the pond, she asked her husband to hold her baby's one hand while she holds the another as the baby puts her legs in the water.As Prerana touched the cool water and giggled,Preetham started again, "This pond attracted some migrating birds and she always wished to fly along with those migrating birds to know where they came from... And one day she did fly away from my life to the place where she came from... the Heavens above..."
Seema had enough and lifted her baby and just pushed her husband into the pond. The coldness of the water seemed to have done the trick and the husband asked his wife to give him a hand. She rejected asking him for his identification. The husband or someone else trespassing into his soul uttered, "You wanted to know about forever love and I wanted to tell you. Look around you... The cat... the pond... the swing... all tell tales of our forever love... We never thought we were making memories... we thought we were having fun. But as time passed together, the bond became stronger and so you have your forever love...." The possessed husband looked at the kid and slowly started moving towards Prerana singing "Hum hain iss pal yahan, Jaane ho kal kahan...Hum miley na miley, Hum rahey na rahey...Rahegi sadaa yahan, Pyar ki ye dastan..Sunenge sadaa jise,Yeh Zameen asmaan.**" Seema forwarded her hand and the contact of the hand seemed to have did the trick and hubby immediately came to his normal self
But while returning to home, the atmosphere in the car was very silent. Slowly, Preetham who was at the wheels whistled that Rehmaan tune slowly, "Hum hain iss pal yahan, Jaane ho kal kahan, Hum miley na miley, Hum rahey na rahey..." and then looking at the surprised face of Seema, laughed out loudly and his daughter joined him in the laughter. A moment of forever love was made.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authors Note
------------
Yes, love is forever, but not other things in life,like this blog which has to end. I would like to end the Preetham-Seema Series here itself and by the way this was the 50th episode in the series. I hope my readers have liked it.
(** Translation of the song for non hindi readers
We are here at this moment, who knows where we will be tomorrow...
Whether we meet or not, Whether we live or not...
This love story will live on forever....
and will be heard forever on earth and in heaven)
Seema brought her young baby Prerana along with her. When Preetham looked at her questioning her decision to take their child along, she answered, "Don't you see those horror movies on HBO? Its with the children that the ghosts make the first contact"
They reached the place sometime around the evening. There didn't seem to be visibility of human life anywhere nearby. Environmentalists would be happy to find the rich growth of the greenery over there. Preetham checked his mobile to find if there was signal and to his surprise, he found it was showing good netwrok connectivity.Clever baby Prerana pointed to the top of the ghost house to find a mobile tower there.
As they entered the house, Seema slowly put her child Prerana down.It reminded preetham of movie scenes where the Cops unleash their sniffer dog to catch the thugs. He hated his wife using his kid like that.But the happy girl Prerana moved towards a dark room and after some seconds, Preetham and Seema heard their baby's laughter echo the entire house. When they went inside, they found her with a cute cat with a right mixture of colors on its body. And Seema was full smiles, but it was shortlived when Preetham spoke in a strange tone as if to give a signal that he was possessed. "My dear girl found it full wet one afternoon and asked me whether she can give sharan(Asylum) to it and I never knew how to say NO to her... That's when she named me a SHARANagatvatsal(One of lords names)..." That gave a creepy feeling to the Seema and at that moment itself, she decided to end her research
As she moved out and lifted her baby Prerana, Prerana saw the swing in the garden and pointed towards it and when Seema rejected,Prerana started crying at the top of her lungs forcing her mother's feet move towards the swing. Seema felt as it was outside the house, she had nothing to fear and sat along with her child and asked her dear husband to give them the push.As they were enjoying the swing, Preetham remarked which was very unlike of him and in a very strange and rough tone, "There on the horizon, a rainbow came on the August evening and she asked me to give the swing such a push that she could land on it...For her rainbow is a staircase to the heaven." Though the thought was romantic, Seema felt creepy once again and immediately got down in the fear of the push her 'possessed' husband was talking about.
She wanted to reach the car at the earliest and had put her research in the back of her brain. But as they were climbing down the hillock, Prerana's eyes fell on the small pound and the in minutes she was crying wanting to play in the water. Seema had to oblige and when they reached the pond, she asked her husband to hold her baby's one hand while she holds the another as the baby puts her legs in the water.As Prerana touched the cool water and giggled,Preetham started again, "This pond attracted some migrating birds and she always wished to fly along with those migrating birds to know where they came from... And one day she did fly away from my life to the place where she came from... the Heavens above..."
Seema had enough and lifted her baby and just pushed her husband into the pond. The coldness of the water seemed to have done the trick and the husband asked his wife to give him a hand. She rejected asking him for his identification. The husband or someone else trespassing into his soul uttered, "You wanted to know about forever love and I wanted to tell you. Look around you... The cat... the pond... the swing... all tell tales of our forever love... We never thought we were making memories... we thought we were having fun. But as time passed together, the bond became stronger and so you have your forever love...." The possessed husband looked at the kid and slowly started moving towards Prerana singing "Hum hain iss pal yahan, Jaane ho kal kahan...Hum miley na miley, Hum rahey na rahey...Rahegi sadaa yahan, Pyar ki ye dastan..Sunenge sadaa jise,Yeh Zameen asmaan.**" Seema forwarded her hand and the contact of the hand seemed to have did the trick and hubby immediately came to his normal self
But while returning to home, the atmosphere in the car was very silent. Slowly, Preetham who was at the wheels whistled that Rehmaan tune slowly, "Hum hain iss pal yahan, Jaane ho kal kahan, Hum miley na miley, Hum rahey na rahey..." and then looking at the surprised face of Seema, laughed out loudly and his daughter joined him in the laughter. A moment of forever love was made.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authors Note
------------
Yes, love is forever, but not other things in life,like this blog which has to end. I would like to end the Preetham-Seema Series here itself and by the way this was the 50th episode in the series. I hope my readers have liked it.
(** Translation of the song for non hindi readers
We are here at this moment, who knows where we will be tomorrow...
Whether we meet or not, Whether we live or not...
This love story will live on forever....
and will be heard forever on earth and in heaven)
Friday, July 9, 2010
Forever Love 4: With or Without You
"Dear Son, Do as I say. Get some young nubile girls aged between 4 and 10 and offer them your honors... Goddess Durga will be pleased and you will get a Kanya soon!", said Surendar's Mother. For Surendar, these words resembled lines from some B-Grade thriller where the villain is advised to do sacrifice of young girls to obtain long life. But his mother removed his ignorance, "This is Kannika Pooja. You don't kill young girls and drink their blood. Rather you see Goddess in them and respect them and fall on their feet. This will help you to get a good girl" Surendar didn't want to speak about ill-well about the customs his mother believed and just said okay.
And on the given day that is Friday, the three girls were waiting in the temple to be respected and for him to be fallen at their feet. But the temple priest told Surendar that he had to do it one by one and so the roll call started. Also present in the temple to witness this special occasion was Manya, his colleague, Seema his boss's wife and Riya, twelve year old neighbor of Seema.
First on the stage came a four year old girl with chubby cheeks and radiant smile. Surendar followed the priests instructions without questioning and applied kumkum to the baby girl's forehead, presented her new dress and fell at her feet. The Baby Girl smiled and slowly kept her left hand over his head. Seeing this, the priest asked this young goddess to bless the young man with a lovely wife who wouldn't spin him around like a top. The girl got shy and came running down the dias.
Thats when Young Riya got the idea and she folded her small umbrella and made it her play microphone and asked Manya to start the camera in her mobile. And like a reporter, she stopped the baby girl and questioned, "Dear Goddess Number 1, why did you get shy when you heard the word Wife? What is that you understand about marriage?" The girl said in her own silly half baked language, "Marriage means a chance to wear brand new sari with lots of bangles and necklaces and a man standing right to you as a bodyguard"
While Riya was interviewing, the second girl had already taken her seat and without pandit's guidance, Surendar had completed the formalities. The girl looked more like a young kali to Surendar with a straight face and he didn't want to joke with her and ask for her blessings. He prostrated and heard the Pandit say, "Girl! Bless him so that he gets a nice girl and a lot of babies in the coming years" Suddenly a curve appeared on the straight face and even this girl got shy and came down the dias.
Riya was ready and put a hard hitting question to the young girl which even Barkha Dutt wouldn't have asked, "What went into your mind when the pandit said babies. Do you know how to make the babies?"
The girl's face glowed with more smiles as she answered, "Sure! Its easy! Our English Sir had taught us this trick. Take the Y from BABy and add IES to make BABies."
Surendar was not giving attention to what was happening in the intervew. In front of him sat the third girl, aged around 10 and who looked quite intellectual. Even Pandit studied it from her face and when it came to take blessings, he asked her to repeat after him, "Sheegrameya Kalyana Prapthi Rasthu..." The girl got furious and refused and got down immediately.
Riya holding her prop mike questioned the girl, "Why are you angry? Did you get what the priest was saying..."
The girl said with a straight face, "Aham Samskritam Jaanami.. I know sanskrit. The priest asked me to tell him, 'he will get kalyani at the earliest'. Kalyani is my elder sister. I don't want her to be snatched away from me by a man. If he wants a sister, let him ask his mother!"
The whole episode had left Surendar a very tired man. But still he stopped to be questioned by the young reporter, "Do you believe the pooja will give you the desired results?"
Surendar explained his postion, "Desired results? I have not begged the God to throw some girl in my arms. Nor even for some girl making me coffee filled with sweetness and love for every day in the rest of my life. I just want that girl whom I can love forever whether she is by my side or invisible. All I want is to have some nice memories that will never make me forget her till the last of my breath...."
Manya found this behaviour of Surendar strange where he wanted to give his love irrespective of whether it is reciprocated or not and so interrupted the interview program with a quote she remembered, "Although memories with someone will bring you smile, remember Mr Surendar, it hurts too much from inside"
Riya like a true professional didn't like Manya interfering in her interview program and looking at the camera, closed her interview program, "So You have met a person who wants love all his life with or without her presence. Camera-woman Manya ke saath, this is ace reporter Riya from Mangaladevi Temple..."
And on the given day that is Friday, the three girls were waiting in the temple to be respected and for him to be fallen at their feet. But the temple priest told Surendar that he had to do it one by one and so the roll call started. Also present in the temple to witness this special occasion was Manya, his colleague, Seema his boss's wife and Riya, twelve year old neighbor of Seema.
First on the stage came a four year old girl with chubby cheeks and radiant smile. Surendar followed the priests instructions without questioning and applied kumkum to the baby girl's forehead, presented her new dress and fell at her feet. The Baby Girl smiled and slowly kept her left hand over his head. Seeing this, the priest asked this young goddess to bless the young man with a lovely wife who wouldn't spin him around like a top. The girl got shy and came running down the dias.
Thats when Young Riya got the idea and she folded her small umbrella and made it her play microphone and asked Manya to start the camera in her mobile. And like a reporter, she stopped the baby girl and questioned, "Dear Goddess Number 1, why did you get shy when you heard the word Wife? What is that you understand about marriage?" The girl said in her own silly half baked language, "Marriage means a chance to wear brand new sari with lots of bangles and necklaces and a man standing right to you as a bodyguard"
While Riya was interviewing, the second girl had already taken her seat and without pandit's guidance, Surendar had completed the formalities. The girl looked more like a young kali to Surendar with a straight face and he didn't want to joke with her and ask for her blessings. He prostrated and heard the Pandit say, "Girl! Bless him so that he gets a nice girl and a lot of babies in the coming years" Suddenly a curve appeared on the straight face and even this girl got shy and came down the dias.
Riya was ready and put a hard hitting question to the young girl which even Barkha Dutt wouldn't have asked, "What went into your mind when the pandit said babies. Do you know how to make the babies?"
The girl's face glowed with more smiles as she answered, "Sure! Its easy! Our English Sir had taught us this trick. Take the Y from BABy and add IES to make BABies."
Surendar was not giving attention to what was happening in the intervew. In front of him sat the third girl, aged around 10 and who looked quite intellectual. Even Pandit studied it from her face and when it came to take blessings, he asked her to repeat after him, "Sheegrameya Kalyana Prapthi Rasthu..." The girl got furious and refused and got down immediately.
Riya holding her prop mike questioned the girl, "Why are you angry? Did you get what the priest was saying..."
The girl said with a straight face, "Aham Samskritam Jaanami.. I know sanskrit. The priest asked me to tell him, 'he will get kalyani at the earliest'. Kalyani is my elder sister. I don't want her to be snatched away from me by a man. If he wants a sister, let him ask his mother!"
The whole episode had left Surendar a very tired man. But still he stopped to be questioned by the young reporter, "Do you believe the pooja will give you the desired results?"
Surendar explained his postion, "Desired results? I have not begged the God to throw some girl in my arms. Nor even for some girl making me coffee filled with sweetness and love for every day in the rest of my life. I just want that girl whom I can love forever whether she is by my side or invisible. All I want is to have some nice memories that will never make me forget her till the last of my breath...."
Manya found this behaviour of Surendar strange where he wanted to give his love irrespective of whether it is reciprocated or not and so interrupted the interview program with a quote she remembered, "Although memories with someone will bring you smile, remember Mr Surendar, it hurts too much from inside"
Riya like a true professional didn't like Manya interfering in her interview program and looking at the camera, closed her interview program, "So You have met a person who wants love all his life with or without her presence. Camera-woman Manya ke saath, this is ace reporter Riya from Mangaladevi Temple..."
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Forever Love 3: Selfless Love
When does a human gives his brain some work in the modern days.. ? When the telephone lines are down and the power is blacked out. Thats what seema was doing in the balcony that day. She was giving the concept of forever love a thought. She thought,'Would it be possible for a spouse to love his wife even if the other partner is not ready to or not in a position to reciprocate.' Then suddenly she heard a ashiraravani, "Why not! There r lots of examples'" Seema looked puzzled and like basanthi from sholay remarked , 'Yun ki! yeh kaun bola'
Then a pushpak viman appeared on the sky with the heavenly sage Narad in it...Seema rubbed her eyes in disbelief and asked Narad, "Wow! Earlier You used to travel through the clouds on foot, rite?. Now a aerial car!!... You got promoted?"
Narad directly came to the point, "I am here to show you a living example. Take my hand and come into the chariot' Seema hesitated and Narad commented, "Don't worry, I am a pucca bachelor.Not like the sages on the ground... And I am definitely not ravan in disguise"
Seema stepped into the aerial car and within minutes she was in the US of A and in front of a research scientist Acharya's house. Seema observed the activities from the comforts of the plane. At the ground level, the sun had dawned and the husband was on his toes.He picked up the newspapers and also switched on the geysers. Within minutes the porch and the lawn was cleanly swept and also coffee was prepared. And the wife was enjoying her sleep or so it looked to Seema. Seema immediately cried out, "This is not selfless love!!! He is just another joru ka ghulam!!"
Lord Narad calmed her down, "Shanthi! ... Shanthi!" Seema looked confused, "You should cry Narayan! Narayan! rite... so now who is this shanthi?" But suddenly her focus turned to the earth where the wife slowly pointed her finger at something... It was a bowl... The next deeds by Mr Acharya brought tears to Seema's eyes... She realised that Acharya's wife was completely paralysed and she couldn't do any work of hers by herself
Narad then explained her, "Theirs was a love marriage. They were not just life partners but also research partners trying to come with some kind of artificial blood. But fate had other plans and one fine morning the wife never got up to wish him good morning and from that day she remained in the bed, completely paralyzed.
So it is all up to the husband now to take care of her...." Seema saw the husband taking assent of his wife for the donation he wanted to make for a cancer fund.
Narad read the expression on Seema's face and explained why it was happening "There are reasons.. As a human being, he believes in doing his karma without expecting fruits... And As a husband, she is his source and inspiration even now.... that's why he consults her on every matter" Seema remembers a kannada Song, 'NINNA NOVVU NANAGIRALLI... NEMMADI SAVI NINAGIRALLI... SADA KAYUVE" (Let all your pain be mine... let peace and happiness be your... I wil always be there for you...forever and ever"
Before Seema gets too emotional, Narad announces "Lets go to a place near your hometown and zoom they are in the coastal town where a lady Sowjanya, 40 plus something is looking after a business while her husband is idle sitting at home reading sum philosophical books and getting mad at some caller. When she comes home, he starts cursing her and finds faults with all her actions. She silently digests the same and cooks food and serves food and goes to sleep without even raising a voice."
Seema is irritated,"This is not selfless love... this is exploitation" Narad didn't made the mistake of saying shanthi again, "Narayan! If you knew the past, you wouldn't say this. When she got married, she was only gaun ki unpadh ladki. But the good husband gave her the education and the nuances of the trade. One day some misfortune fell upon the business and the husband broke down completely and never recovered. The dutiful wife picked up the broken parts and built the empire back with whatever her husband had taught her. But the husband never came back to his earlier stage. He was filled with venom against everyone and most of the time took it out against his wife. Now the wife knew what her duty was and she stuck to it and gave her family all she can"
When seema saw sowjanya looking innocently at her husband, she thought as if sowjanya was saying, "Tujhse naaraz nahin hairaan hoon' but she heard sowjanya say softly to her husband, "You told me you didn't want me to change... but you have changed so much..." and tears flowed from her eyes
Before Seema could get emotionally involved, Narad turned his small plane towards the home when Seema asked, "Why does your Lord does this to such lovely couples? If he has love and affection for his creation, then is he inflicting pain upon them."
Narad got a bid angry, "You are pointing fingers at my Lord Narayan!!!Concentrate and understand this truth: There is no purpose or meaning in God's play. Keep mum and endure your life as it comes and give selfless love; This is the way to peace.**"
(**The last four lines are from a kannada poem collection by DVG)
Then a pushpak viman appeared on the sky with the heavenly sage Narad in it...Seema rubbed her eyes in disbelief and asked Narad, "Wow! Earlier You used to travel through the clouds on foot, rite?. Now a aerial car!!... You got promoted?"
Narad directly came to the point, "I am here to show you a living example. Take my hand and come into the chariot' Seema hesitated and Narad commented, "Don't worry, I am a pucca bachelor.Not like the sages on the ground... And I am definitely not ravan in disguise"
Seema stepped into the aerial car and within minutes she was in the US of A and in front of a research scientist Acharya's house. Seema observed the activities from the comforts of the plane. At the ground level, the sun had dawned and the husband was on his toes.He picked up the newspapers and also switched on the geysers. Within minutes the porch and the lawn was cleanly swept and also coffee was prepared. And the wife was enjoying her sleep or so it looked to Seema. Seema immediately cried out, "This is not selfless love!!! He is just another joru ka ghulam!!"
Lord Narad calmed her down, "Shanthi! ... Shanthi!" Seema looked confused, "You should cry Narayan! Narayan! rite... so now who is this shanthi?" But suddenly her focus turned to the earth where the wife slowly pointed her finger at something... It was a bowl... The next deeds by Mr Acharya brought tears to Seema's eyes... She realised that Acharya's wife was completely paralysed and she couldn't do any work of hers by herself
Narad then explained her, "Theirs was a love marriage. They were not just life partners but also research partners trying to come with some kind of artificial blood. But fate had other plans and one fine morning the wife never got up to wish him good morning and from that day she remained in the bed, completely paralyzed.
So it is all up to the husband now to take care of her...." Seema saw the husband taking assent of his wife for the donation he wanted to make for a cancer fund.
Narad read the expression on Seema's face and explained why it was happening "There are reasons.. As a human being, he believes in doing his karma without expecting fruits... And As a husband, she is his source and inspiration even now.... that's why he consults her on every matter" Seema remembers a kannada Song, 'NINNA NOVVU NANAGIRALLI... NEMMADI SAVI NINAGIRALLI... SADA KAYUVE" (Let all your pain be mine... let peace and happiness be your... I wil always be there for you...forever and ever"
Before Seema gets too emotional, Narad announces "Lets go to a place near your hometown and zoom they are in the coastal town where a lady Sowjanya, 40 plus something is looking after a business while her husband is idle sitting at home reading sum philosophical books and getting mad at some caller. When she comes home, he starts cursing her and finds faults with all her actions. She silently digests the same and cooks food and serves food and goes to sleep without even raising a voice."
Seema is irritated,"This is not selfless love... this is exploitation" Narad didn't made the mistake of saying shanthi again, "Narayan! If you knew the past, you wouldn't say this. When she got married, she was only gaun ki unpadh ladki. But the good husband gave her the education and the nuances of the trade. One day some misfortune fell upon the business and the husband broke down completely and never recovered. The dutiful wife picked up the broken parts and built the empire back with whatever her husband had taught her. But the husband never came back to his earlier stage. He was filled with venom against everyone and most of the time took it out against his wife. Now the wife knew what her duty was and she stuck to it and gave her family all she can"
When seema saw sowjanya looking innocently at her husband, she thought as if sowjanya was saying, "Tujhse naaraz nahin hairaan hoon' but she heard sowjanya say softly to her husband, "You told me you didn't want me to change... but you have changed so much..." and tears flowed from her eyes
Before Seema could get emotionally involved, Narad turned his small plane towards the home when Seema asked, "Why does your Lord does this to such lovely couples? If he has love and affection for his creation, then is he inflicting pain upon them."
Narad got a bid angry, "You are pointing fingers at my Lord Narayan!!!Concentrate and understand this truth: There is no purpose or meaning in God's play. Keep mum and endure your life as it comes and give selfless love; This is the way to peace.**"
(**The last four lines are from a kannada poem collection by DVG)
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