And he Said

I was sitting idly, bit sad and as a natural humane reaction, started complaining to self about all problems which have engulfed my life. Someone stopped by to listen

"I have so many problems all around, I don't have big bungalow , I don't have a car................... and the list went on"

He listened to all my complaints very patiently

And He said "I fully agree with you, can I take 10 minutes from your busy life to tell you something"

I didn't want to talk to this stranger but somehow agreed

And he said "While we discuss this can u keep a pen, a notebook, a calculator and if possible a PC with internet"

Amused by the things he asked me to keep for conversation specially the last one, I said "ok done..all things ready"

And he said " U have so caring parents, so affectionate sisters, so supportive cousins and other relatives with you, who share all your pain and discomfort, more often even by sacrificing their own happiness because they want to see you happy"

I said "Yes, This is true, So what, everyone in the world has this"

And he said "Can you google it, how many children in the world are born who never see either their mother or father or both? I don;t need the statistics, you can write down the same in your notebook."

I quickly browsed through some pages on internet and the number's I must admit made me "shocked"

Looking at me he said "So what value u can assign to this wealth which you have"

I immediately asked "Which currency your want Rupee, Dollar, Euro, Pound, Yen...."

And he said "Hold on, If i tell you to choose one currency it will limit our discussion in the boundary of one or other man-made nationality. Let value be just value, just give some value which comes to your mind"

After thinking for a while I said ok let me put 10 million.

And he said "Ok then, we move ahead. You have got all body parts intact, you need not depend upon other's for performing your basic chores. You have an average brain to help you read, write and think. You went to school, did graduation from some good college at surat, did master's from another good institute in anand. So now you are a postgraduate"

I said "Yes, This is true, So what everyone in the world gets this"

And he said "Can you google it, how many children in the world are born able bodied. How many among them who are able bodies get even primary education leave graduation post graduation from some good college?  I don;t need the statistics, you can write down the same in your notebook."

I quickly browsed through some pages on internet and the number's which i saw I must admit again made me "shocked"

Looking at me he said "So what value u can assign to this wealth which you have"

I brainstormed did all cost-benefit analysis and said let me put 7 million

And he said "You have got a roof overhead, even if its a rented one room, you have got some money in your bank account which helps you meet all your basic needs and you are born in a free country with relatively responsible government which has arranged some form of  public transport which helps you move around"

I said "Yes, This is true, So what everyone in the world gets that"

And he said "Can you google it, how many people in the world have shelter in a minimal form which can save them from heat, cold and rain. How many of them have this "little money" in their bank account which helps them meet their basic needs? How many of them are born in the "civil or cross country war torn country" How many of them get this public transport to reach in time to a hospital in case of medical emergency.?  I don;t need the statistics, you can write down the same in your notebook."

I quickly browsed through some pages and the number's I must admit again  made me "shocked"

Looking at me he said "So what value u can assign to this wealth which you have"

I thought for a while and just wrote some random number 999
..
........
...................................

The discussion went on and by the time 10 minutes were about to end

He looked at his watchsaid " Ok,here we stop... this discussion can go on for many years to come, but since I took only 10 min permission from you, let me stop now. Can u just add upon the numbers which you have assigned"

I took out the calculator and quickly added up (as if I was sitting in my mathematics quiz)..

I said " This sums upto 99 million" and added "See I am not a billionare.."

He said "You know why you are left 1 million short of billion. Its just to ensure that your know that how every million counts in your life. Once you get this realization the remaining 1 million comes as "satisfaction" and that makes you billionaire. Ensure you value all this wealth you have, because everyone in the world is not blessed with such richness"

I had no words.

Sensing my state of mind he said "You know all the while i was trying to listen to your complaint and let you understand your wealth, I missed to bless few people with this Million richness. One such kid is born in a "civil war torn country" in Sub-Saharan Africa, in a minority community , in a low caste family which lives what you people call as "below poverty line", kid is a girl child and unfortunately with limbs crippled from birth. Oh see another kid in naxal affected village of Jharkhand....another in"

Seeing the clearly evident worry which I had on my face about the future  life of the kids..

He said " Don't  worry. Your worrying will not help me. You know why I gave you so many millions of wealth. It's just to ensure that you will share some of this wealth through your care, concern and a genuine support to those whom inpiste of my best efforts I could not bless  with one or other form of this million wealth. Will you do me this favor? Can you atleast reach out that Kid in Sub-Saharan Africa or in the village of Jharkhand who  are left unblessed from this wealth, while I was busy listening you"

Though hesitant but still I said "Yes, I will try my best. But who are you, which place you belong............"

 He smiled and said "Let me not tell my name or else you people will again label me as Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jew, Christian etc.... or make me an Indian, Japanese, Izraeli, Iraqi etc,,or thinking that I gave you some enlightenment, some people might start a new religion on my name and again start fighting against each other."

Before I could thank him.

He left a note on my notebook which read "God Bless".and he left

When odds are one in million, you could still be that one

There would be time when situation's will shake you up

But don't allow them to break you up

At times chances of winning would be bleak

Still don't allow hopelessness to speak

Because When odds are one in million, you could still be that one

There would be time when hurdles will encroach your path

But don't allow them to poach you  to sabbath

At times you will be all alone

Still don't allow loneliness make you drone

Because When odds are one in million, you could still be that one

In all those times if you remain that one in million

Its for sure that every hard moment will take the pillion

Glory and Success will follow your path

The path which has name of just one in million

तो याद रखना

गर गिरे तो याद रखना  तू शीशा नहीं जो गिरने से बिखर जाएगा
गर हारे तो याद रखना तू मोम नहीं जो जरा सी हार से पिघल जाएगा
इतिहास गवाह है बुरा वक़्त भी वक़्त के साथ गुजर जाएगा
आँखों में ललक हो सीने में धड़क हो
रुकें न कदम चाहे अनजानी सड़क हो

गर साथ न मिले कोई तो याद रखना  तू भेड़ नहीं जो भीड़ के बिना चल न पाएगा
गर हाथ न मिले कोई तो याद रखना तू तिनका नहीं जो लहरों में बह जाएगा
इतिहास गवाह है कोई हो न हो अपनेआपको को सदा अपने साथ पाएगा
आँखों में ललक हो सीने में धड़क हो
रुकें न कदम चाहे अनजानी सड़क हो


गर तू ये भूल गया अपने सपनो से डोल गया
तो याद रखना तेरा सपनो का महल सपनो में बुनकर रह जाएगा
फिर इतिहास तेरे सपनो का गवाह बनकर कैसे ये कह पाएगा
आँखों में ललक हो सीने में धड़क हो
रुकें न कदम चाहे अनजानी सड़क हो

Lost Relations !!

In the morning as a part of my daily habit, I open up my orkut account to convey best wishes to people who have their Birthday.

But today, while I was about to type down "Many happy returns of the day" as we do subconsciously, a shrill went within, my bad memory recalled back that this batch-mate of mine from Surat whom I was about to convey my wishes had passed away 5 months back.

I didn't know what to do, so left his scrapbook as such without writing anything.

We normally tend to take our close friends and relatives for-granted and miss them when they are not near to us or when Almighty takes them away from us.

Earlier people used to keep in touch through those Inland letters and postcards which used to take their own usual "Indian standard time". Don;t know but few known-one's from my grandfather's generation tell that they used to care more, kept in touch with everyone inspite of absence of these mobiles and internet. Now with advent in IT, we hv instant messengers, email and other social networking mediums- the chances of communication have improved- but somehow this "extra" busyness of "something" stops us? Is that true with u also ?

I didn't want this post to sound philosophical, but some questions definitely are worth giving a thought

* There must some 5-6 people in everyone;s life who would be very close to heart. Have we spoken to them in near past? If not, should v not have a word with them may be for a minute today?or R v under an impression that life will surely give another chance tomorrow?

*There might be some 2-3 people who would have inspired us in someway or the other. Did we express our gratitude to them or we r under the pretext that they will understand our unspoken words? May be they are waiting to hear !!!

*Inspite of claims of we being adult, all of us have a child hidden within us, which in moments of distress wants to cry by putting head on someone's shoulder. R v still in touch with those close buddies who shared our moments of sorrow? Over the period, hv our relations becomes formal with them also or do we still share same fondness and can buzz over them to cry out our emotions?

* Have we answered back to all unreplied mails, telephone calls or messages received over cellphone/instant messangers? Or r v presuming that the people who wanted to communicate us when we were busy will never mind our non-reply? Would be a dangerous assumption!!

Let's value them if not more than our work atleast equal to that or else very soon they will become our "Lost Relations"!!!