"...kaaki, ek kilo bateka, ek atta Maggie ane paa kilo chana no lot..."

"...kaaki, ek kilo bateka, ek atta Maggie ane paa kilo chana no lot..."

...I announced, as kaaki (aunty) looked up. The quoted text (Gujarati) translates to "...aunty, one kg potato, one pack of noodles and 250 grams of gram flour. ."

There is this old school grocery shop near my home. It is run by an elderly couple (probably in their 70s). It is a small shop with some basic stuff. Ask for something like Rajma (kidney beans) or Redbull or a shaving foam and you'd see a smile and a nod indicating they do not stock such items. The shop was mainly closed during the pandemic owing to the risk the elderly couple faced.

After things came back to normalcy, on one such visit, I realised I had forgotten my wallet. I asked, "Aunty, do you accept Paytm?" Paytm is to digital payments what Xerox is to photo copying. "No son, we do not understand these modern things. But it's okay, you pay me later" she said, sweetly. I left that day with the goods and paid for them later.

Some time last month, I visited the shop again for some groceries. Before I could place my order, I heard an extremely familiar voice say "Paytm par chau-sath rupaye praapt hue" ["Rs. 64 received on Paytm"]. I was pleasantly surprised to see the much needed transformation to digital payments. I looked at uncle and aunty both and before my smile could break into words, Uncle gave a wide grin that conveyed more than mere words could. Since that day, I stopped carrying my wallet for the grocery runs.

If a 70+ year old couple can adopt change [and this change for their age must be a huge leap of faith] then who are we to give excuses?

"...Diabetes hai mereko, lekin kabhi kabhi thoda chalta hai..."

"...Diabetes hai mereko, lekin kabhi kabhi thoda chalta hai..."

...said the uncle, with a cute smile, like that of an 18-month old kid. ["I have Diabetes, but it's okay to indulge sometimes"]

I attended a fantastic Catholic wedding reception recently. After witnessing all the fun and dance, I could no longer ignore my growling tummy, so I queued up at the buffet counter.

Just ahead of me, there was this gentleman, probably in his late 60s. He carefully examined each food station before deciding on picking up the food item. We then reached the sweets station labelled "Gulab Jamun". He looked at the container full of Gulab Jamuns and froze, as if he had spotted something blasphemous. After a couple of seconds, he carefully picked up one ball, kept it on his plate and looked up at the guy behind the counter. Now this catering guy obviously wasn't going to question him for picking it up, yet, he apologetically justified his action by saying what I quoted above. The lady [looked like his wife] standing just ahead of him looked at him, rolled her eyes and gave a short nod, but did not say anything. Uncle might have anticipated the reaction, so he did not even look at her. A smart move, I thought.

A few mins later, I visited the ice cream counter. Coincidentally, Uncle was already there. He was holding a bowl which had brown colored remnants of the ice cream he seemed to have just devoured. "Aapka ice cream bahut badhiya hai. Thoda zukaam hai mereko, lekin aur aadha scoop chalega." he said, sheepishly, like a school boy requesting his class teacher for another day's extension to submit his homework. ["Your ice cream is very good. I have a bit of a cold, but I can have half a scoop more"]. The ice-cream guy merrily obliged.

Basically, Uncle did not want to completely disregard his temptations, yet he was self-aware of his health conditions. Saying it out loud to a stranger probably helped him indulge in moderation. Top that up with the humility, grace and positivity, I instantly wished I could age as well he had. My compliments to the wife who only rolled her eyes at the Gulab Jamun counter but did not stop her husband from experiencing the little joys of life.

All we probably need in life is a pinch of giving in to the little temptations, a teaspoon of self-awareness, a tablespoon of humility, a bowl of positivity and a supportive sous-chef that keeps us in check, yet gives us just enough leeway to cook up and consume enticing, scrumptious and satiating dishes day in day out.

The ice-cream flavor was chocolate walnut. Uncle was right, bahut badhiya tha. Maine bhi do scoop khaaye. 

"...aye hero...kya hua?..."

"...aye hero...kya hua?..."

...the watchman can be heard saying, at least once a day, twice at times. ["Hey hero, what's the matter?"]

There is this cute little fellow who lives in one of the ground floor apartments. About 2.5 - 3 years old. The age-old saying "it takes a village to raise a child" seems pretty apt for this champ. He is usually seen playing in the building compound for most part of the day. More often than not, he is seen sitting in the watchman's seat. At other times, he is seen playing inside another ground floor apartment where a nice old lady always welcomes him and occasionally treats him with food too.

However, nearly daily, we hear a shriek followed by the sounds of crying. Shortly thereafter, the two little bare feet come running out of the house and pause at the place where both the watchman and the old lady could spot him. Nearly each time, one or both of them call him out lovingly, asking why he is crying. Sometimes he tells them about his plight and at other times he just goes to them and starts playing. Over a period of time, this has become a routine. Whenever he is upset, he comes out running, there is a "aye hero...kya hua?" moment and after a while, he calms down.

One Sunday morning, we heard the same shriek followed by the watchman's usual line. However, before the little one could reach the watchman, his mom came out shouting "No one needs to talk to him. He is refusing to take his bath!" The mom was aware of the kid's antics. She knew he would go and find solace in the watchman/old lady's affection and wanted to clearly make that option unavailable to get the kid to comply.

The watchman just looked at the kid with a sad face, knowing he could not disregard what the mom had just said. The little one kept wailing, looking at the watchman and the old lady's house door. All that the watchman said once in a feeble voice was "Go and take your bath, then we will play", but that was met with a louder cry. Eventually, in a couple of mins, the kid slowly walked back home, knowing he had no takers today. He was back out for play in about 30mins, washed up and fresh.

- Irrespective of age, we all have people/things to go to when we get upset. Yet, at times the option becomes unavailable. 

- Sometimes, they rightly push us back to reevaluate the cause of hurt. However, we end up getting more upset ( at them for questioning our state, even though we know that they could be right ).

- Finally, more often than not, we end up regretting (and if possible, correcting) our behaviour after experiencing such rejections/realizations. 

In the end, all is well till we come out clean and fresh after such episodes. Aakhir hum sab bhi hero hai.

"...Yokozuna Went To Poona On His Luna Eating Chuna..."

"...Yokozuna Went To Poona On His Luna Eating Chuna..."

...the clamour kept getting louder.

Our school had just ended and we were all waiting in a queue to board the school bus. We were all relieved that our favorite bus [no. 1292] was allocated to our route today and not a khataara (as we called it) bus [no. 117]. 1292 had tinted windows, nice foam seats and a music system. 117 had none of these. It was an old ragged bus.

While we were waiting, we witnessed something unpleasant. Our bus driver was yelling at someone. Apparently, the guy he was yelling at was an auto driver who had just brushed the side of the bus while recklessly overtaking another vehicle. The argument concluded and he opened the bus door for us to get in.

A few mins into the ride, some of us kids sitting in the first few rows started talking about WWF (later rechristened to WWE). Hulk Hogan was my favorite, while my friend loved Bret Hart Hitman. Out of the blue, one of the kids blabbered what I quoted above. Yokozuna was another famous wrestler from WWF. A sumo wrestler and a fabulous performer. Soon, we all started yelling "...Yokozuna Went To Poona On His Luna Eating Chuna..." [Poona is a city near Mumbai, Luna was a moped brand in the 80s, Chuna is a white paste used in a pan].

The driver was already in a bad mood after the altercation. So the cleaner sitting in the cabin next to the driver Sshhhed us a few times, but in vain. To everyone's surprise, the driver suddenly joined the chant, smiling, probably not even aware who or what Yokozuna was. 

It's amazing how, in any situation or place, a burst of positivity/joy transforms the mood of that one individual who is in the exact opposite frame of mind. I am sure we all know of such co-workers and friends who can lift our spirits with their banter/pranks no matter what situation we are in. These guys are life savers.

The Yokozuna chant abruptly ended just a minutes later at the next traffic signal. Our bus came next to 117. The chant immediately switched to "117 khataara bus". This time, the driver knew better not to participate in the vilification of the poor old bus.

On that note, wish you all a fun filled and joyous 2023.

P.S.: Agatupu Rodney Anoaʻi (1966 – 2000) wrestled in the WWF under the name Yokozuna, a reference to the highest rank in professional sumo wrestling in Japan. [Wikipedia]

"...Aap pilaoge toh pakka piyungi..."

"...Aap pilaoge toh pakka piyungi..."

...said the old lady, with a weak smile. ["If you buy it, I'll surely drink"]

After the jog at the beach this morning, I went to the soup/salad guy for my usual bowl of corn chana salad. When it comes to the morning beach, one always spots the same set of population -  people running/jogging, exercising, playing or walking dogs. Senior citizens are a major part of the crowd though. Most have a gang who engage in some exercises/laughter therapy followed by light banter.

So when I sat and ordered a bowl, the other 3 chairs were occupied by 3 senior citizens. One lady (who I had earlier spotted at the entrance while I entered. She was getting out of her chauffer driven BMW) and a couple of gentlemen. They were all  enjoying a cup of soup. The lady was quiet and seemed lost in her thoughts, just nodding when the two gents looked at her while talking.

When all three of them were done drinking their soups, each paid for their respective soups. After taking the money, the vendor asked the lady to try out the new soup that the gents had just tried. "No way, I am already full with the first one!" she declared, waiving her left hand. "But the soup is really superb, you must try it!'' said one of the gents, adjusting his spects. The lady just nodded her head, indicating she wasn't keen. The gentleman had not given up yet. "Please try, I will pay for it. You must not miss it!" he insisted. At this point, the lady reluctantly gave in and agreed [saying what I quoted above].

After the moment, the lady seemed all perked up, chatting away to glory. She started sharing how she used to make various soups for her husband when he wasn't keeping well. The discussion then veered into their newly wed days. She narrated how she disliked all kinds of soups back then, but her mother-in-law egged her on to make them for their family. After a bit of banter, she bid her goodbyes and left, all smiles by now.

A few moments later, the gentleman reached out for his wallet and handed out a Rs. 50 note to the vendor. "She lost her husband earlier this year. He was bedridden for a long time. Her kids are abroad. She hasn't been herself since her husband passed." he said, looking at his friend as they got up to leave.

The Rs. 50 note that was passing hands at that moment would certainly have been proud of itself on hearing that. The gentleman handing it over had experienced the joy of giving, the gentleman accepting it had made a sale and the lady who consumed the sold product seemed to have left the morning beach with happy vibes. I am sure the Rs. 50 note travelling from wallet to wallet would have many such interesting stories to share - only if it could. 

There is so much joy in little things that cost nearly nothing.

"...don't ever speak to me if you can't even do this much for me...!"

"...don't ever speak to me if you can't even do this much for me...!"

...he said, nearly in tears. Lets call him Luigi. 

Luigi was a nice chap in my school, coming from a very well-mannered lower middle class family. He stayed near the school in a small one-room house.

Somewhere in the 7th grade, Luigi made a good friend. Let's call him Mario. They became best friends. Inseparable. Mario came from a good family - in terms of values and wealth.

Mario, being Mario, always spent generously on his friends. It goes without saying, Luigi was the most pampered and spoilt. He often took him to fancy restaurants, bought him a lot of stuff - a nice bi-cycle, a disc man, music cassettes/discs etc.

They always played after school in Luigi's compound. Cricket was their favorite sport. One week in the monsoon, it rained a lot. Mario & Luigi were sitting at Luigi's house. Mysterious girl, by Peter Andre played in the background (on speakers bought by Mario for Luigi). "I hate the rains! We can't go out! Let's buy a TV video game. Nintendo is nice!" suggested Luigi. Mario obliged and bought a Nintendo. The 64 in 1 game cartridge had 64 awesome games. I don't think anyone from my generation has not played on it - Super Mario Bros being everyone's favorite. Weeks passed and Luigi demanded Mario buy more cartridges. "The 299 in 1 has awesome games, including some great variants of Contra (another game)". Mario kept fulfilling all of his dear friend's wishes. However, he was starting to realise that his good friend was beginning to act entitled. 

"This new video game console from Sony has come. Much better than Nintendo. You gotta buy me that. We will both  have so much fun playing it!" Luigi declared. Mario had endured enough of his demands by now. He refused. Luigi kept pleading but Mario did not budge. That's when Luigi said what I quoted above. 

Over the following months, the friendship fell apart. Mario felt Luigi was more interested in his money and not in his friendship. Luigi felt Mario was being arrogant by not spending on things he wanted. He had so much pocket money that he had no use of, he thought. One may think poorly of Luigi here, but he was a victim of his own circumstances. Coming from a modest family, he was not exposed to all the luxury that had started to come his way, making him addicted to it all. 

Yesterday evening, I passed by Luigi's house and the school while I was driving down somewhere with the family. Remembering Mario and Luigi's friendship I Whatsapped Mario - "Are you still in touch with Luigi? Any idea where he is?" The reply came quickly - "👎"

All of us have friends, family, colleagues & mentors who are resourceful. Not necessarily in terms of money, but also in terms of time, wisdom and compassion. However, knowingly or unknowingly, if we start leeching on the resources they have to offer, they are sure to withdraw themselves & their resources from us at some point in time.

Let's not be a leech. Let's not get leeched either.

"...aaj toh gaya..."

"...aaj toh gaya..."

...was my first thought. ["I am in for some trouble today"].

It was a Saturday morning and, as is the case on most Saturdays, I was on my way to the local market to run some errands. I was in the middle of a crowded lane when I saw something that froze my mind! It was a traffic cop, standing just a few feet away. Now the market is just a few hundred meters away from my home. It is usually just a 60 second bike ride. So there have been times when I skipped wearing the helmet (when I was in a rush). That particular day, I wasn't wearing my helmet either. 

My mind quickly calculated the probability of getting fined by the cop and it was pretty high. "Sir, I stay close by and was in a rush, so I am not wearing my helmet today" I rehearsed, in my mind. But I knew no justification was valid and there was no escape. So, to save myself from the fine and agony, I quickly turned around and started moving in the other direction, glad that I had averted a tragedy by spotting the cop just in time! However, about four steps... yes, "steps" later, it dawned on me that I wasn't on my bike that day! The bike was given to the mechanic the prior evening for some repair work. I had walked down to the market area that day, and obviously, wasn't wearing a helmet. I turned back again, laughing at myself for what I had just put myself through. I passed the cop, confidently looking into his eyes and smiling as I passed by him. 

Once we do something non-compliant/wrong, it creates a fear in a corner of the mind. In the future then, even if we are compliant/right, the mention/sight of a policing/governing authority triggers the fear of getting caught, sending us into disarray, looking for proof of compliance (helmet) - which wasn't probably required in the first place to begin with.

Be compliant. Save your head. Save your mind from your own mind.