Wake Up, Prads!

A living story is born when living wisdom incarnates in the subtle matter of a human consciousness - Robert Svoboda
One such living story is of Hanuman and Jambavan. When one expedition of Vanar Sena who were searching for Sita came across the wide sea, they got filled with despair and lost hope as to how to cross this sea. Only one man... err... monkey was capable of this task. That was Hanuman. But the great Hanuman though having the capacity lacked the confidence of doing this task. And that confidence was filled by the senior member of the expedition team, a bear... Mr Jambavan..

This was the story that was being narrated by a Grandpa to his Grandson in a Public Transportation System moving from the coastal town to the nearby temple city. The story was also heard by the teen Swasthee or Swats who was seated in the adjacent seat. But her dear friend Pradyumn or Prads who was keeping his promise of showing a new place each week in and around his coastal town to Swats, was lost in some song that was being played on his Ipod. Swats just took the Ipod and listened to the song played of The Smiths, "There's a place for anyone who has the will to chase one...I think I found mine... Yes I do think I have found mine..."

Swats remembered of how her old friend's heart beats for some girl living in a far off big bad city, "Thinking is not enough. You should take the leap to that big bad city where the girl resides and show your heart, like Hanumantha took the leap to Lanka and showed the ring to Sita. Then she will get confidence in you..."
The kid who was listening to his grandpa's story had his head swayed towards Swats. The old man got his attention back, "Jambavan, the wise bear encouraged Hanuman, 'When young, you had swallowed the sun from a distance of 16000 miles considering it to be a sweet fruit'"

Swats took the cue from the old man's words and started her own sermon, "Remember Prads! You may be reaching middle age, but remember the confidence you had as a teenager when it came to opening your heart to a girl. Bring those years back!" A smile landed on Prads face as he recollected his High School days, "In the exam hall that day, I saw this junior of me terrified by the Mathematics question paper. Don't remember what took over me. RAW, the Indian Intelligence Agency would have recruited me had they seen me at work then. Forgetting my Kannada paper, I helped the cute girl pass her maths paper. Though I got just pass marks in my Kannada Paper, its the only exam day I remember till now... "

The young kid whose concentration was on Swats laughed a little and the old man felt that the young man was laughing at his story, "You shouldn't laugh like that. A man should laugh in such a way that he himself shouldn't be able to hear his voice. Learn some nice manners." Boy got confused and advised his grandpa, "I am not a man. I am a small kid. Stick to the story, Grandpa. "
The old man continued with further encouraging words of Jambavanth, "'O Valiant One! You were unhurt even after being hit with the thunderbolt by Lord Indra. All it was capable was damaging your left cheek bone earning you a great name HANUMAN."
Swats got some more material for motivating Prads, "See even in the path of love, there would be some inevitable blows. But it shouldn't break him down from expressing his love. I don't know what's pulling you back from expressing yourself"

Prads put forth his apprehensions, "But I don't know whether she feels in the same way as I feel for her.... How can I..."
Swats had a great line for him, "If that's the case, then with a guitar in your hand, croon to her like elvis presley did 'If You love me, let me know. If not, please gently let me go'"
Seeing that it didn't made much impact, Swats continued with some quote she remembered, "Time goes by so fast, people go in and out of your life.You must never miss the opportunity to tell these people how much they mean to you. What are you waiting for. Wake Up and Arise and Tell her how you feel." That really filled with enthusiasm and he immediately got up from his seat. Swats warned him, "Wow! Now don't try to get down from the moving bus. Wait for the bus to Stop." But nothing can stop him as he took his Cell phone and got a ticket to the big bad city booked.
Swats was really filled with happiness, "Hmm... If that girl sees you now, she would say 'You have the confidence like that of Hanuman' and that would be a victory."

At the same time, the old man had finished his story and looked at his grandson for his feedback. But his grandson concentration was elsewhere and he was hissing into Swats ears, "I hope she doesn't add, 'and also you look like Hanuman' that would be a tragedy...."

The Ladki-Dekho Program

Manya was so lucky. When most of her colleagues spend bucks on conveyance, she was able to save on the same, thanks to her boss Preetham. He picked her up from her home and dropped her back in the evening. And she had nothing to fear as he was a married man. But that day her boss's car was not going in the direction of the office. Manya didn't dare to ask, but she was a bit nervous. A few distance later,a nicely dressed young man in his late twenties joined them. Manya started getting doubts about this young man. Preetham immediately removed the suspense of the journey as he introduced the young man to Manya, "He is Manish, a creative director in an advertising company. He is my Wife's Chacha's Sister Grandson! Let's cut it short! He is my close relative! We are going to see a girl for him! A village girl!"
"A Ladki dekho program!", Manya cried with excitement. She loved to be a part of such adventure.

Preetham expected a short drive. But when Manish started giving the directions, he found how lengthy and difficult the drive was. When all the turns and potholes and curves and climbs and signals were done with, Preetham saw the meter reading and felt as if his dear car was reprimanding him for making it climb a steep hill and that too thirty kilometers.
As they got down, Manya teased the boy, "Usually shrines of goddesses are found on hill tops! And I am sure, we are going to see one such goddess today!" and she turned to her boss and seeing a very tired look on her boss's face comforted him, "We are finally there! We have reached the destination!"

But Manish was quick to correct her, "No! Not Yet! We need to walk further two kilometers. There is no further road connection to her house."
So they began their walk. And what a walk it was. It was very steep and down the hill and looked like they were walking directly into the Earth's crust. Manya tried to lighten up the environment, "Looks like this is the place where Mother Sita entered planet Earth!" But It failed to invoke any smile on her boss's face

Then much to the relief of Preetham and Manya, the house appeared. Manish introduced them to the man of the house, "This is Madhav, a retired bank employee. It is he who had set the match. He will take us to the girl's house." The question spontaneously sprouted out of Preetham's mouth, "What! This is not the girl's house!." Madhav smiled, "Its just another five minutes walk through the garden..." As Madhav guided them, Manya slowly hissed into her boss's ear, "These villagers! They call the forest - a garden!"

The tall trees didn't allow any sunlight to scatter through them and the path to the girl's house was a rough one filled with strange bugs and reptiles. Pretham struggled a bit, "Shit! I should have got the trekking guide" , Manya who was enjoying the scene tic beauty replied " And I should have bought my camera!"
Suddenly a small house appeared from nowhere. Manya who was so lost in the scene tic beauty looked at the house and asked Madhav, "Which Saint's Ashram is this!" Madhav corrected her, "No! This is not any Sanyas's(saint) Ashram. It is Kanya's (girl) house"

The girl's parents were at the door step for their welcome. When Preetham and Manya entered the house, they felt as if they were entering a dark cave. The girl's father said, a bit hesitantly, "No powers today!" Manya thought, 'Bechara Manish.. Now how will he see the girl? " But then the girl came, not with the tray in her hands, but with a candle! And in that candlelight, the boy saw the girl's radiant smile. And that one look did the magic. The girl demanded that she wanted to have a private conversation with the boy. Manya thought, 'Such a small house, and with so many people in here, where will the girl get privacy to talk with the boy!'. Next minute all of them were made to walk out of the house except the boy and girl.

The chit chat continued for half an hour and when the boy and the girl finally came out, Preetham was able to read acceptance written all over their faces. It was time to take leave. Preetham was about to depart in the same route by which they had arrived, when the owner of the house remarked , "There is a nearer route. You take this route and within a minute you will reach the main road." Preetham thanked the girl's father and bidded goodbye to them.

After they dropped the boy at his place, Manya asked her boss, "Sir! He made you drive for thirty kilometers and then he took youall the way down into that pataal (nether world) and made us sit in that dark room.... When there was a simpler route! Aren't you angry, boss!..."
Preetham smiled, "Yups! I was angry when my dear car was made to climb that steep hills. I was angry when we stepped down the hills to reach the house. But my anger vanished when I saw the acceptance on both their faces. Tiredness and all negative emotions disappeared when I saw two hearts coming together."
Manya was all praise for her boss, "Hmm! That's Great!..." Before she could bestow the praise upon him, his cell phone rang. Her boss had quite a mixed reaction on his face
Preetham explained the reason with a straight face, "Its my wife! She says the proposal has been finalized and she wants me to take the boys parents to the girls place this weekend!"