THE EYES WITH STAR-SHINE

From the pen APN

 

It is a cold winter night and the mother is patting the child to sleep with all her motherly warmth. The sleepy eyes of the child are slowly closing down with utmost contentment because he feels safe and secure in the love of his mother.  The child looks like a little angel who is sleeping in pure peace, joy and innocence.  A world of many new dreams and hopes sleep in the child and the father prays the sunshine of God’s grace to make the child’s dreams blossom with the beauty of a smiling flower. Every night, the father and mother look at the little one together and renew their resolution to give the child the best parental care and love whatever odds they may face in life.

Both the father and mother feel great joy when the child utters a new word, learns a new expression, holds the pencil for first time, demands a toy or does something which they discover for first time.

But one day a so called quack came (who thinks that he knows a lot many things of everything). And he looked at the child’s eyes and declared superfluously, “From the eyes, I learn that the child has a weak brain. He should be given Chavanprash (of a particular brand) to correct the things.”  The words flew like an arrow and hurt both the father and mother at the most sensitive part of their hearts. The quack left the house and for a moment everything was silent. 

Now the child came running, held his father’s legs tightly demanding his father to lift him to the air so that he will giggle in joy while landing into his father’s lap. The father flung the child into the air and the room was filled with the joyful giggles of a little angel. Both the father and mother looked into the eyes of the child and could see that the eyes were the most beautiful things they have ever see and those eyes had the star-shine that shone brilliantly for them.   

A PAGE FROM THE DIARY OF A STRIKER

From the pen APN

 

A fight/strike of five days came to an end. Our group started to crumble. Cracks widened into chasms and the central force could not hold us united. Financial pressure, physical strain, uncertainty of future and the thoughts of the family made us quit. We decided to give in. And by the evening of the 5th day we called off the strike

We were fighting for our self respect, for equal treatment and for safeguarding ourselves from social humiliation. So we had gathered on one platform and had raised our voice. But our wails practically had no effect on the slumbering government, insensitive passers-by and the egoistic bureaucrats. They deliberately ignored our voices till we broke under our own weight. 

A friend had to marry in a couple of weeks. A striker had an old father whose life depended on Medicine. Another friend dedicatedly served  to a callous master who sucked the cream of his life and left him at a cross-road with his two daughers and family. Simillarly, most members stood at the end days of their youth and at the beginning days of their oldage. 

However, they all fought valiantly. And in the dark ocean of fear and tear also they rowed their boats and pursued the faintest rays of hope. 

There may be danger and the dark clouds of apprehensions hung over head. But this is just a beginning and definitely it has an end which will soon come with the golden rays and a calm morning.

Hudhud...... A self analysis

Hudhud...... A self analysis

From the pen APN

SITUATION 2 (6 DAYS AFTER HUDHUD CYCLONE)

Many trees that stood tall for ages are now lying flat with their roots out of the earth cave. Power saws are put into action to cut the fallen trees into transportable sizes. Logs are still lying by the road side and I drive past by them. Some men are working on restoring the electricity. A transmission cable is lowly hanging down. My car now stops at the cable. Two men come forward and hold the cable up with their raised hands and I move through the arch of their hands. I put the window glasses down to say the words of thanks to the men who are diligently fighting with the wrath of Hudhud. I see the sweat covered faces of those men and behind them I see houses whose roofs are blown by the gale.  

(This is how I experienced the after effect of Hudhud on my return journey to Malkangiri)

SITUATION 1 (ON THE DAY OF HUDHUD CYCLONE)

During Hudhud cyclone I am at Bhubaneswar. The state capital has nothing to worry about. The malls are open and people are seen marketing. On this day I change the covers of my car seat because the cobbler is relatively unoccupied on account of Hudhud. It is raining hard but life is normal.

On my return, my wife gets inside the car and insists on taking her to a mall. I choose to get her wish fulfilled. It is raining. The music is on the play and the roads are with lesser traffic. The ambience is wonderfully romantic. And the only mother of my only child is smiling charmingly.  In the mall she gets all her chosen products in return of her smiles and ungrudgingly I have to empty my wallet.

It is too late to cook food in home so we dined in a restaurant where dimmed lights and instrumental music accompanied our dinner.

SITUATION 3 (8 DAYS LATER HUDHUD CYCLONE, IN THE COMFORT ZONE OF HOME)

Sitting before the laptop I write and repent. I analyse my shortcomings and insensitivities. When I am in SITUATION 1, I never think of SITUATION 2. I DO NOT GO VOLUNTARILY TO DROP A CHEQUE OF DONATION IN PM’S/CM’S RELIEF FUND. SHALL I CONTINUE LIKE THIS????????????