Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Monday, 9 March 2015
THE CHILBIL TREE!!!!
The potency of growth is not determined by the size of the seed. A small winged seed that was torn away from its parent in its sleep and thrown down on to the ground in the middle of nowhere , beaten by rain and glaring sun, it clung to the ground and did not give up. Decades later it stands tall in the middle of august company, raising its head tall, reaching for the sky majestically, much above the rest. Yet there was a time when it was competing for survival with blades of grass ! When it woke up and it's sapling pandiculated it found itself in an endless jungle of blades of grass that wanted to bury it again -forever! They felt threatened that some day it’s shadow will engulf and destroy them forever. But others dismissed these fears as groundless for “ when did something that came out of seed as small as Chilbil's was a threat!” So it survived. It looked around and found itself in an enclosed lush green compound with some eager , energetic girls and a few focused women engaged and in learning and teaching! The august company of Mahua or Indian Butter Tree- , Goolar-. Jamun-, Aam-, Sahjan-, Kachnar-, Ber-, Ashok, Bel- looked down upon chilbil and refused to embrace it in their fold! Now Chilbil wanted to bury itself into the ground out of the feeling of worthlessness! One day, a young girl was rehearsing a speech out side the faculty staff room, recited these lines- “ All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.” On the wings of the wind the words reached the Chilbil -it found its Mentor- the Wind had always been there, caressing it, nurturing it , often playing with it’s leaves to cheer it up, and even tickled it to bring Chilbil out of its despondency. But Chilbil failed to see this love in it’s moroseness and failed to acknowledge its love! Yet wind continued to bestow its love on Chilbil unmindful of its blindness! But , now, hearing these words of the girl, Chilbil reciprocated with love . Soon it bloomed and bore fruits . But Alas! While people flocked to the Mahua--- because it’s Bark, flowers, seeds and heartwood are used in the treatment of inflammation, sprains, epilepsy and digestive disorders.Its Fruits are considered as aphrodisiac and seed oil laxative and good for rheumatism. Jamun’s fruition was eagerly awaited and Mango’s fruit was so much in demand that people didn't even wait for it to ripen. Chilbil Fruit brought only frown and curse from the gardener ,who grumbled-"The entire place was to swept to get rid of worthless Chilbil Fruit." The young tree was ashamed of its fruits but was helpless-had to give in to Nature’s way. But it bore only very few fruits and that too on the highest extremities to escape ridicule.One day the wind gaily came whispering “ Your seeds are Blessed- who so ever shall have patience to collect them and peel them –and consume them , not less than 21, will be blessed with wisdom and success- if she kept the information to herself”. - The Chilbil was all ears! It was elated, but immediately immersed in sadness thinking that now even the wind , its only friend had taken to mockery and ridicule! The wind reassured Chilbil that every word of her proclamation was true. All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports-obviously, the omnipresent wind too had heard the girl’s speech. Riding on the wings of wind…the campus reverberated with the whispers and gradually one saw stray students sitting on the benches , under the tree, aimlessly reaching out for the seeds. Soon the numbers swelled. Then one saw groups of Girls seeking out Chilbil seeds and counting them before applying themselves to the tedious task of peeling them for consumption. And thus it became a ritual with more and more girls flocking around the tree every day! Chilbil was happy! It basked in in the attention that was being showered on it. But it's happiness was short lived. Riding on the wings of wind the following words broke his spell of joy-"This year the students are sure to fail! Instead of studying they waste their time under that worthless Chilbil tree collecting its seeds and eating them with such dedication as if it was a panache for Success! Silly Girls! " Chilbil was broken and distraught. It wanted to be loved and cherished but not at cost of the interest of the students. It summoned the Wind and blamed it for the mess. The wind denied having trifled with the future of the students and firmly stood its ground. The things came to such an impasse that tree refused to have anything to do with the wind. Wind too screeched and howled at chilbil and they parted ways.
So months passed! They continued their separate solitary existence, until rains came and took away some of the heat of hatred and bitterness too! For the students had returned to the campus, all happy and cheerful, having done exceptionally well in academics! Everyone was awed by the results! This was balm for his wounds! Chilbil felt elated and in its excitement called out for the wind that had since started keeping company with the clouds.Thinking that the tree was in need of some help it rushed down only to see a beaming chilbil! Excited chilbil tightly embraced the wind immediately and thanked it profusely. But it was still intrigued "were its seeds really blessed?” The wind replied “The Real potential lies buried in each one of us just as you were in that little seed! A genius lies latent in each one of us! We just have to provide conducive conditions to bring it to the fore! We all know that practice makes a man perfect, so when those students foraged for your tiny seeds they learned to identify a goal and to focus on it . When they successfully collected 21 seeds in that graveyard of dry leaves, without giving up, they learned perseverance .And when they peeled them they learned to work assiduously, without getting distracted over a long period of time .And finally when they ate them they learnt to carry out things to their conclusion and not to give up midway that is to complete the task without giving up! These are steps one needs to practice for attainment of success. And they practiced it every day! So by the time they sat down to study long hours for good exams, they had already undergone the necessary training!!!! If it seems like Magic so be it! But your seeds are certainly blessed!In the words of Lucy Stone ‘Hence forth the fruits of the tree were for women of knowledge, and for the healing of the nations.’
All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.(Chief Seattle) Riding on the wings of wind, some whispers reached the Chilbil Tree again. A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees. (William Blake). So one day a group of people came and declared-"The Tree was too tall for comfort and had to be felled. The measure of a tree is neither its wood, nor its girth of its worth. Some trees are considered to be mystically connected with the fortunes of people and places. Just as the Chilbil tree at Gonda, which sprouted from the tooth-twig of a saint, was supposed to be mysteriously connected with the fate of the last of the Gonda Râjas , our Chilbil tree had come to be linked with the fortunes of these girls on the campus. But alas when it had just discovered it’s worth it was to be felled. Today nothing but a stump remains where once stood a majestic Chilbil tree whose seeds were blessed. The Chilbil tree continues to empower girls. They mount on the stump that is now used as a platform to practice declamation, debate and speeches: To articulate Dream, Desires and Destinations! It is now sometimes a window -to let in the New rays of light of knowledge into their minds and sometimes a Door- to cross the threshold of stereotypes , to break the barriers of superstition and ignorance and to cross over to knowledge and wisdom. Thus the Chilbil tree continues to GROW even today and its fruits are still blessed!
Monday, 23 February 2015
Booked!!!!
I must confess, i am not a book worm and unable to finish a book at one go!!A good book is not a glass of water to be gulped down a thirsty throat!Rather,it is like a glass of wine in the hands of a wine taster !! Right from the cover page to the jacket,the book up to the last page is to be savoured in all its aesthetic resplendence. To me a tactile experience is first step towards this aesthetic journey. To hold the book in my hand, to flip its pages, to smell the fresh print which is no less in joy than to smell Petrichor after the first monsoon showers!! There results a sort of partnership between us. It becomes my companion to my place of work and various other places that my work may take me to...to fill up all unproductive moments. And when we do part company, the dog corners, the well thumbed pages, a broken spine, a scribble here or an asterict there, some highlighted phrases or uncommon words, a greasy page or an oily fingerprint---they all tell the tale of our journey together.
And many years later when I leaf through it's pages again, like the chronicles by a stealthy secret stalker, it lets tumble out the facets of my life that i never thought could be encapsulated in such a manner and Here!!!! I drown in the moments again!!!!!
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Heart Of The Matter!!!!
Oh my Heart! How will you hold
All my secrets new and old?
In vain did they struggle any way!
For you hardly gave anything away!
The masked aprons, some blue some green
not to be heard but only seen,
In hushed voices, discussed for a while
"We will reach the Heart of the Matter"
They declared with a smile.
The hustle and the bustle
The rustle and the tussle
The injections and the vials
All united in a trial,
I did not resist in all wisdom
As they invaded my Temporal Kingdom.
Liliput like I lay all dazed
Yet unfazed, My Heart raced!
Oh My heart! How will you hold
All my secrets new and old?
Some patches here and some wire there
Connected to a monitor, all set to share,
A long paper scroll, a coded message
some peaks and vales, some scribbles here
I tried to decode through the doctors visage
He looked at it for a while ,
declared with a smile
"We shall reach the Heart of the matter"
Oh my Heart will you dare?
How could you lay all my secrets Bare?
The masked aprons, some blue some green
like the Voyager,sent a camera down the blood tide
The monitor crackles with pictures of my heart, it could not hide
The men and the machine succeed
But Oh my Heart! Do not yet concede!
Or all the secrets will be hauled
How many times you were Touched, Broken or mauled!
Do not seek revenge to tell all!
You are mine after all!
Oh my Heart! how will you fare!
Do you hate me so much that you don't care!
My memories rush in a rewind
soon the pictures of the first crush rush to mind
Anesthetized by Cupid's arrow
but soon crushed to tears in sorrow
Though hurt, you did not mourn for long
Soon another love came riding again
like the sun seeking the Earth after the Rain
But the Trail of Love blazed in vain
the flames of love were doused again!
Oh my Heart! You know life is not fair!
Don,t hate me, keep me in your prayer!
At the next chance you danced into your beloved's arms
to bask in the love lorn gaze warm
Yet again Dear Heart you refuse to heed
not to seek out love that is not meant to be!
But i must confess,I let you suffer
when I lacked courage to utter in timidity,
sacrificed love at duty's altar
like a boat without water!
Touched again you are,
but with prying glass and metal fervid
to pry from my bosom livid
the buried secrets of love, still vivid
But you have been so bold
Together , we will weather the NEW WORLD!!!!
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