The normal "Me" and some exams!

The past so many days had been SO hectic and dominated by 'serious' issues in life, that I didn't get time to type down my usual typical teenager experiences and ended up posting on two sentimental and 'seriously important issues'. NOW I feel slightly stress-free, happy and in a really funny mood! Don't be surprised if I end up with the usual mordant posts every day! ;)

Like all other kiddos who, like me, are passing through the terrible career-choice-making-where-your-own-choices-don't-matter phase (okay, just kiddin'!) I gave the CAT* exam today; the exam dreaded by to-be-managers and business persons. Don't ask how it went. I'm just sharing the experience!

First of all, I don't even recall what made me choose this day for the exam. There are still 10 more days and I could easily have chosen any of those; but I guess I used too much of my marvelous intelligence and chose a day too soon. (Not that it matters anyway, but still. I could have avoided those amazed looks other kids gave me when I told them the date.). Add to it the time. I chose 10am knowing fully well that we are supposed to report an hour and a half before! For someone as lazy as me, it isn't an easy feat! 

So, the morning saw me entering the venue along with a hundred other kids (or maybe 200, who cares?), some showing a shameful amount of impetuosity (why be so excited about an exam???), some walking zombie-like straightforward and doing exactly as the authorities asked, some, the 'my-kind' of crowd, trying to suppress their yawns. There we were, the 100 (or 200) standing in a looong line, getting our IDs examined by a burly man who looked completely disinterested (I don't blame him. It must be such a boring task). After about half an hour, including getting our admit cards and IDs checked again (the guy asked me my name and DOB! As if I wouldn't know! To add to it, I caught Mom's eye, who was standing outside, and tried to hide my grin) we entered the dilapidated building. It was so filled with cobwebs on the outside and looked a million years old; I was hoping no one from a super healthy family would be allowed inside. What if the building collapsed? (Maybe that's too much, but still.)

Thankfully, it wasn't so bad from the inside! Our IDs were checked once again at the entrance (tell me, why in the whole million miles radii Earth, would anyone in their right minds want to gain secret entry to give an EXAM? Hudd ho gayi!). I was directed to the first floor, where another security guy asked for the admit card and ID. This time I couldn't help a smirk. Anyone would have found it funny. The security person looking at your ID proof, then looking up at you to see if it's the same person. I mean, it's all important and happens everywhere, but I found it silly AND funny. Coming round to another turn,  there was a security lady to check if we're carrying any personal belongings that we shouldn't; Boy, was I scared then! She was really daunting. No offense, but while she was checking, she kept murmuring something inaudible in a hoarse voice. I wondered if she was asking for a bribe or something, making a mental note to report her, when she finally said in a clear(still scary) voice "You don't have a phone with you, do you?". Relieved (and smacking myself mentally for my dramatic thinking) I shook my head and went ahead. (But yeah, I had to deposit my pen and the 'hanky' as they weren't allowed! LOL! :P)

Another guy, looked up the codes and stuff on the Admit card, directed me to another room. I was asked to sit in front of a camera in a computer operated by a sweet-looking lady. She took a picture, asked for finger prints from the first finger of both hands (which took a total of 30 attempts to match both the sides :P . I'm such a weirdo, even my fingerprints don't match easily!) and FINALLY, I was being escorted to my test room (the escorting service all the while was nice though, full points for that!). I was feeling I had given my exam already! It took so much time.

After another half hour of reading instructions, staring at the blank computer screen, getting our admit cards and IDs checked AGAIN and trying to assess other candidates from the corner of the eye, 10am arrived! The tutorial started and then the test. The next 140 minutes were spent with furious scribbling on the rough sheets, clicking and de-clicking on answers, reviewing and finally submitting the test. They still didn't let us go! We waited for another restless ten minutes, during the course of which a frightening man came into the room and simply stood there, sweeping his eyes over the kids, as if we're interested in anything more than getting out! Then they started calling candidates name wise, checking their Admit cards again (I decided then and there to tear it up later and gobble it down, in case someone comes knocking at my door later to see the card!) and we left in an orderly manner (SO unlike us kids, *sigh*).

I stepped outside and the first face I saw was my Mom's, which had everything to do with the BIG smile  that instantly spread across my face. Other kids' parents stood there too, with smiling and anxious faces, to receive them (Parents are the bestest thing God could gift children, I tell you.)

That moment was a happy one. As I trailed off the story (that had more info on the weird guys inside than on the exam!) I felt SO peaceful. Everything was good (my exam was too!).

So till the time my other "important" exams say hello, I'll be here posting stuff straight from my heart (just the way I like it ;) ); because, you guessed it, I have hardly 10 days to remain a teenager (*wailing loudly*). But hey, so what? It's the heart and spirit that counts. And THAT, I'm sure will always remain the same! :)

*CAT exam- Common Aptitude Test. An evaluation for some of the top-notch colleges and institutions for MBA.

And alright, all you smart, intelligent people! I know the reason for tight security is cheating and impersonation that might occur, but STILL! I found it humorous! :P

Love- it’s always worth it...

Digging into ancient folders that flooded my PC, I found this note I don't remember when I had written. I haven't edited it a single bit. Sometimes it gives an unmatched pleasure to read your own stuff, that was written a long time back. (I must have been in a really serious mood at that time. You'll know what I mean when you read it :) )

It seemed as if a cold trickle of water was sliding up my heart, boosting the energy. I couldn't help smiling. It felt so peaceful, serene and an exquisite unbounded joy without any material reason. That was one of the moments I had been pondering about. A feeling of pure happiness simply because of a person you like and admire for who they are.

Wherever we see, whatever we hear, we notice that people always seem to have a name for their relationship with someone. Someone is always somebody's friend, kid, husband/wife, boss, lover, a distant relation, senior, junior, etc. If ever we tried to take a while out of our lives, find out a secluded spot, sat in a cool breeze under the twinkling stars and thought about the relations we have, we would know that all feelings, emotions cannot be tagged under a name. There must be at least five hundred faces we can recognize- from our neighborhood, school, college, relations, while on the road, during trips, and such. Do we have a name for each of them? Certainly not. 

While these are people you have just been in contact for a short while, in some cases not even so, there are some who will leave a lasting impression on you, whether you know them personally or not. You will like them no matter what. It hardly makes any difference to you if people around you tell a different story about them or their character. You just know they are nice and you like them.

You have found a special person. That special person may be your best friend or even a distinct somebody you hardly ever talk to. In the latter case, there is no name for your relation. You are simply connected by a bond, a thread of emotions that bind you together. You have no particular reason to like them. You like them for who they are, for what they do, for how they behave. 

I would say, all feelings such as these can be summed up under the powerful force - LOVE. You love these people, your best friends, your family and those special people with whom you share an unbreakable bond, a bond strongly woven without any reason. For every thing in this world is NOT for a reason. Materialism exists just as far. 

The bottom line is - love people. There is no need to look for a reason to love. Let the inner force of feelings, love, happiness, emotions overpower you once in a while. It will leave you with nothing but happiness. 

Think about it. What is the reason that you love your sibling? Can’t answer? Then why look for reasons to love unknown people? If you do, you are limiting the amount of love you carry. An act of love for another can make someone’s day and may connect you for a lifetime.

Don’t we all know a person we hardly ever talk to, but like every thing about them? We simply love them- without a name, without a cause. Just straight from the heart.

 

PS- Take inspiration from the lyrics of the song - Need a Little Love by Miley Cyrus (yeah, I still remain a devoted Miley Cyrus fan).

Love- It's always worth it

Love- everyone deserves it

It's the friend that holds your hand

When nobody understands.

Love- it wants to heal you

Love- and see the real you

But you have to open up

When you need a little love....

PPS- The picture is one of my own clicks. :)

The “Greater” creatures – Homo sapiens

Life is beautiful, or at least, it is supposed to be. We’re incredibly lucky that God chose to bless our souls with a human form. We’re living a comfortable life, being educated, building plans for a great future, investing our time an vigour into ‘creation’ – creating things, inventions, innovations promising to make our life even better. We have the power of controlling our minds that make us ‘intelligent’. We can talk, create, build homes, and build lives. We have the power to do almost ANYTHING!

As a human being, you have ‘greater’ powers than other creatures; why don’t you try to make life better for them too, other than just your own? God didn’t put us here on this planet to meddle with his creations. We’re supposed to live, to use those resources carefully and make living an enjoyable experience, for us and all other living beings. (Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to abandon cities and start living in the middle of a forest on wild fruits and leaves!)

Think about it, aren’t you only concerned about YOUR family, YOUR business, YOUR job, YOUR habits and also, YOUR choices? Do you even care how it is affecting others? However rigorously you may shake your head from side to side, showing those big bulging eyes, I know you don’t. Even if you do, there is some motive; you will be getting something out of it, wont you? Only a few great souls like the beloved Mother Teresa can provide selfless love.

And it isn’t only about humans.  A situation that arose recently in our colony made me think about what people’s priorities actually are. Everyone wants to stay in their comfortable cocoons, troubling to get out only to shoo away something that’s troubling them.

It had been THREE days since the street dog (a bitch) had been stuck underground. Weird, you say? Well, there was this small hole recently dug at the side of the ramp* of a neighbor’s house. This dog was about to give birth and had gone inside this seemingly ‘safe’ shelter. That’s because another dog, from another lane, had killed all her babies previously; kyunki ye patli si hai and wo moti and strong, as the littlest kids tell me. Clearly, tragedies aren’t only prevalent in our lives. These creatures suffer tragically and endure all the pain in their strong strides. It doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings. Have you ever noticed a tear in a dog’s eye? You should, you’ll start loving life more.

Anyway, the poor dog had gone deep inside and while coming out with the pups, one of its legs got stuck in the mesh of underground pipes! It wasn’t able to come out at all, and it was SO deep, no one could even see (except with a flashlight). A day passed, people gave pitying looks to the rock solid ramp, some staring, as if they had x-rays fixed in their retinas, to see or wonder what the dog’s condition would be. I saw the kids being the most affected. They stood in shock, listening to the wails, trying to figure out a way to help. The second day, someone called the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) and as it is expected in a funny city like Delhi, we got a huge, magnanimous Fire Ambulance instead. The fire truck came, saw the situation and said, “Ye hamara kaam nahin hai, MCD ko bulao” (this is not our job, call the MCD) or wait for two days, it might come out on its own; and went away! With nothing to do, the people went and slid back into their comfortable homes, while the dog with the pups was stuck inside with a painful leg, in a stifling, watery hole, without food or water, wailing loudly. Night came and the wailing stopped. One could hear people murmuring, “now they’ll have to break open the ramp anyway to get the smell and the dead dogs out, poor people, kharcha aa jaega inka toh” (they’ll have to pay for the expense). Heck, doesn’t anyone care at all? You felt bad because the owners of the home would have to pay, not because a life (and probably four more) had to end in such an inhuman manner? But wait, why would you, those creatures aren’t human, right? For heavens’ sake, didn’t you see its companion, sniffing all around frantically, wailing, and probably trying to call her? Why was it running around looking under cars or in the staircases? It isn’t just you, who has a life. Respect other lives; anything can happen with you too. I felt terrible. Even though I was always against my brother and dad feeding them with milk and bread occasionally, since they were always running around our gate, I felt a deep sadness seeing the poor companion. I wished I could have helped.

The next day I returned home from college, and to my delight and satisfaction, I heard the dog’s wailing! It was alive! Not wanting to miss this chance, I immediately set out, trying to talk with the home owners who wanted the dog out. They were compassionate people, thankfully and ensured their full support. The chowkidars were called in and asked to break open a part of the ramp, a little away from where it was stuck. An opening created, the people peeked in and saw the stuck dog in defensive mode, trying to struggle to keep her babies close. A dog in distress doesn’t know you’re trying to help; and angry and dissatisfied as it was, it was dangerous at that moment. We decided to call an animal shelter, which could free the dogs and take them for treatment. They came, made another opening, in the course of which one of the two guys got bitten by the dog. Angry and agitated with the situation, they went away after tying close the dog’s mouth, so it wouldn’t bite.

In the meanwhile, people started complaining about the racket that was being created by the dogs and the thump-thump of the hammers against cement. They wanted the dog out so that they could sleep in peace.  At last, a middle-aged woman, who had been helping with the process the whole time, called her husband from work to help. He came within half an hour and with a few tricks, made a comfortable way to slice the pipe, without the danger of the dog biting. There was this man in Reebok and Dockers, sawing away at the pipe in the heat, to save an animal’s life. Wasn’t it amazing? 

Finally, after whole six hours since the process started, the dog was free. Some people fed it with milk and went away satisfied. Some others didn’t bother; they continued living in their cocoons, trying to make more money probably. It was both a happy and sad moment for me. I felt extremely self-satisfied and happy. Hey, we prevented a small universe from being broken. The dog was alive, and so were its babies. But what hurt was the attitude of the residents, who didn’t really care. After all, it’s only a street dog, they say. I wanted to ask them, what if it was (God forbid) a little kid? People would have gone gaga over the issue and the kid would have been back with his doting mommy within half an hour!

The world isn’t just about you. Learn to love, show sympathy and extend a helping hand. The intense satisfaction and pleasure you experience would be much more than what you get sitting home watching the stupid TV. You are a ‘greater’ creature, show and prove it too. Help others. Love life. Live life.  

*ramp- a slope usually made of cement in front of a house.