My Costly Overrated Witty Plan

After a long, warm meet-up with my no-time-wasting, Insta-scrolling friends, it was time for me to go back home. Bidding a half-hearted bye-bye to my mates, I got onto my half-rusted, semi-braked, fully battle-tested bicycle. Just a few steps from the gate, I started to feel as if I was pulling a rickshaw loaded with a polygamic nuclear family. Puzzled, I looked down at my back tyre. Yes, you guessed it right, a typical, ever-re-laid road problem of our smart cities – a flat tire.

But, when you're standing near a parking lot where your friend's scooty is parked, this is not really a real problem. But calling a friend for help is an old, usual, and an obvious option. I’m a clever-witted youth with firing neurons running across my exceptional brain. How can a nerd like me choose a commoner’s obvious route when my wit is dying to devise for me an extraordinarily genius plan?

So, I obeyed my brain, cast out the casual outdated idea to call for help, and prepared a perfect plan. The plan was to go find the nearest repair shop to fix my punctured wheel at that time, 10 o'clock on Sunday night. Clever, isn't it? So I started walking my bicycle towards the repair shop in the end of the street. Surprisingly, the shop was closed. How in the world can they close a shop in this ever-awake, sleepless city? They must know they are losing sincere customers like me.

Alright, plan B in action. My nudging brain advised me to find the nearest petrol bunk to refill the punctured tyre. Again, I abided by it. Continuing my intelligently-adventurous journey, I walked my bicycle a few more steps. Suddenly, my neurons tingled me. It suggested, ‘why not ride the cycle? Just one flat tyre. Still have an intact steel rim, right?’ Abiding to its words without a second thought, I sat on my cycle and started pedaling. Despite the friction between the road and the rim signaling me with its sparks, my unwavering commitment to my witty brain kept me focused. But just a few meters from there, unexpectedly, my front tyre burst off.

What an unfortunate misfortune! What exploded more aggressively than the tyre was my witty brain. What went wrong? I hoped that the repair shop would be open. I hoped that the petrol pump had an air pump. I hoped they would accept to air up my bicycle tyre with that, which I know, was very risky. I also hoped it would inflate my punctured tyre without leaks. It was deeply depressing to see how such a hopeful, smart and sophisticated plan splattered apart in no time.

While all these thoughts and emotions were battering my mind, my genius brain pricked me, yet again. This time, it asked me to jog my cycle in search of the next nearest tyre shop. If closed, it asked me to jog home. But, I am not falling for its sugary stupidity, yet again. I abruptly shut it off and revived the traditional, casual and common option – to call my friend for help. So, I parked my bicycle back in the parking lot. Then, my friend drove me home in scooty and promised to get my bicycle repaired.

The next day, I got a call from my friend that the cycle was ready and continued, ‘the puncture costs Rs. 50. But the replacement of the burst off tyre costs Rs. 450 more. Total Rs. 500.’ I thanked my mate and cut off the call. Staring at the slow-rotating ceiling fan, I grinned at how my brilliant brain had just cost me 10 times more than a simple phone call!

If you have similar experiences in life, do share them in the comments section below!

The Honest Crumbles when Expects Good

Whether in reel-life or real life, at schools or at the workplace, in the neighbourhood or in a distant place, it is always the honest person who is painfully yelling. Wonder why? It is not because of sacrificing the luxuries of material desire. Not due to the loneliness from walking alone. Not even because of being victimized for their integrity. Then what crumbles them? Unfortunately, it is their own self that melts them down. But how?

Often, honest people are very altruistic. But such altruism also gives rise to a hidden expectation. But what do such selfless people expect? Nothing less than a black and white world!

An honest person always expects a life where they want to fight for the good and resist the bad. But unfortunately, the world is indifferentiable. The subjectivity of ethics makes the good and the bad always blend. Even their composition is not fixed. It is extremely contextual. So, if the people for whom an honest person is going to sacrifice is also corrupt in some or the other way, then what motivates one to be honest? This is the very question that breaks even the unbreakable. This also becomes the justification for corruption in society that cuts aspiring honesty at its very roots.

But what an honest one fails to understand is that integrity is neither a sacrifice nor a badge of valour. It is just the right way to live. If everyone becomes dishonest, it degrades trust in society. Society will go insane. So, honesty is not an exceptional state, but a basic survival trait for humans to live.

Another thing that a truthful person must realize is that Life is not a movie where an honest and selfless protagonist defends good people from a selfish villain. It is an ever-running video game where we must continuously save our good selves from our evil selves. And being truthful is the only way to do that. So, honesty is not purely altruistic. It is a vaccine that prevents guilt from attacking our conscience.

Then what about the protagonist saving others? We can, at the most, guide others to protect themselves. We can't do it for them. All the Gods people worship today, only preach goodness, aspiring to change. They never force it on others. Because one’s way of life is a choice. Forcing an option may contain evil but never transform into righteousness. And only a transformed self can sustain virtue, not the one who has momentarily constrained oneself in fear or fame.

Thus, expecting honesty as reciprocity from others just because one is truthful is like a child expecting a tree to grow the same day as soon as the seed was planted. Such expectations are neither realistic nor justifiable! And these kinds of greedy expectations will not only halt further service if they go unfulfilled, which in most cases they do. But also turn the moral person into a bystander, and in the worst case, into a corrupt being!

Therefore, instead of expecting honesty back, one must aspire to earn it. While the former is about dreaming, the latter tries to bring it to reality. In this way, there won’t be any disappointments, but only duty.

Nevertheless, in such a journey to win trust, one must face failures, betrayals, and backlash. It will be defeating, overwhelming, often leading to questioning one’s own path. It is natural to feel so. In fact, such self-inquiry eventually brings clarity to re-strategize efforts. So, in such times, the thought of giving up must be given up and the necessity of resilience must be realized.

Hence, cultivating morality in others through trust extracts consistent efforts. But, just like how a well-grown tree, even after years of watering, needs more water regularly to sustain its life. Similarly, nurturing ethics in others is not a milestone but a never-ending journey which must be continued by our successors too. To inspire our future generations, we must become a symbol of probity by consistently sailing through the storm of stigmatization, victimization, and self-doubt.

After all, honesty is fidelity to our own soul, not a favour to others. Thus, we must drop the weight of crushing transactional expectations, and aspire to persistently sail into a world where honesty is no longer a stranger but an all-friendly commoner!

What are your honest opinions about my take? Comment your honest thoughts below!

Little Dragon Tales: A Mother’s Tears

Hi guys! Today we begin our journey to learn emotions–sorry, to feel emotions! But I am puzzled, guys. I don’t know where to start. (SUDDENLY, A SHRILLING SOUND HITS.) Did you guys hear that? That sharp noise was piercing through the sky! Let’s see where it is from.

(FLIES DOWN TRACING THE SOURCE. SNEAKS THROUGH A WINDOW GAP INTO A HOSPITAL. A YOUNG NURSE IS SEEN HANDING OVER A NEWBORN TO HER MOTHER, WHO IS LYING ON A BED.) So, the chilling sound is nothing but the baby’s cry.

Wait a second! Why is her mother weeping? Is she sad? But she is smiling at the same time. Confusingly contradictory! Let’s unpack this paradox. (LITTLE DRAGON ENTERS THE MOTHER’S MIND. BEGINS TO NARRATE ITS FEELINGS.)

My wild gaze is glued towards my little girl and refuses to turn away. As the nurse brings her closer to me, my body is turning cold, my chest is becoming tighter, and my nervous heart is beating out of its cage.

As I extend my trembling hands to receive her, my elbows are already stiffened in diligence. The moment she was placed in my hands, I quickly cradled her as close to my chest as possible, as if someone was going to cart her away from me.

Her dazzling little stare is even brighter than the moon. It gives me an eternal sense of delight. Her squeaky little scream sings a melody in my ears, giving me a pleasant shade after an incessant pain.

The moment her tiny fingers touched my cheek, the warmth rippled through my body, illuminating my soul. Ecstasy began to reveal itself through my gleeful smile. The serenity she gave me flowed through my eyes in the form of teardrops.

I gently raised my elbow’s crook to lift her tender head as I was bending my neck, and my protective lips were ready to convey my love for my little princess through a soothing kiss.

(LITTLE DRAGON EXITS.)

Wow, that tingled me! So, the tears are not always sorrow. Sometimes, it is happiness overflowing. That too, a grinning mother’s tears flow with love.

I love you, Maa!

A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities

 

A warrior is not the one who is defined by his victories. Definitely not the one who surrenders upon defeat. A true warrior is the one who, in the face of adversity, despite being outnumbered and out-weaponed, refuses to yield and, daringly, challenges his death with a proud smile! While a warrior challenging a certain death is often an epitome of greatness, what can we call the one who grins in the face of ambiguity? Is legend an appropriate word for that?

In this modern day and age, such legends are not in dearth. In fact, we can see them in our lives every day, especially in our reflection in the mirror. Their smiles not only have charm in them, but also hold a firm promise that silently whispers – We can do it!

Smile in Ambiguities

Ambiguity not only poses itself as vague, but it also invites different interpretations that further heat up its subjective nature. This causes confusion and conflicts, further magnifying the adversity. This ambiguity often crumbles most who carry it in a boat of fear, but some, whom I call legends, choose to carry this obscurity in a vehicle of a smile. They not only withstand the storm, but also secure their shore!

A smile is not just a facial expression, but an armor of confidence. When one faces a situation that demands bravery, a smile is often the source of breeding grit. Often starting from our lips, a smile sends ripples across the nerves, flanking the brain with a spark – not of fire, but of hope!

This hope is like sunlight that escapes the gloomy clouds of doubts, fear, and confusion, gradually bringing a moral clarity in the sky. Thus, the mind becomes calm, composed, and ready to sail through the ambiguity at the command of its captain – the smile!

 A smile is often witty in the face of a storm. It buys you the time needed to make a decision. A smile keeps even the ambiguous confused, evokes in subjectivity, a cusp of doubt, and makes even the disputed to self-contest. It often leaves your opponent without any clue about your thoughts. It stalls your foe, slows down time, gives you the space to think, which further brightens the clarity. The Great Muhammad Ali, amidst the chaotic trade of shots with the ever-scary George Foreman, with his smile, froze the mind of George for a moment, making him hesitate. This hesitation gave Ali the time needed to break the soul of poor George, thus winning the historic “The Rumble in the Jungle” boxing battle. That victory for Ali was a testament to his grinning heart!

While happiness comes at the end of a victory, a smile can sneak in throughout the process. This not only signifies courage, but also symbolize perseverance. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s life, from getting rejected by the Indian Air Force to become the Missile Man of India, and further becoming the Indian president, is a relentless trek through the hills and valleys of life, made possible only with his grinning attitude.

 Moreover, a smile attracts support. A grinning commander instills in the heart, a piece of faith that turns even cowards into warriors, forming a massive army. Buddha started his journey to spread peace in this chaotic world alone under a peepal tree. But his kindness, expressed through his smile, attracted thousands of followers to aid him in reducing the turbidity around the world.

A smile, which is a mark of joy, is also a scent of love that the wearer sprays around him, spreading its fragrance everywhere. Mother Teresa, with her grin, captured the hearts of the poor, giving them hope of love to battle their ailments and sufferings.

So, a smile is a proven vehicle to surf along the gloomy waves of ambiguity. However, modern society does not let everyone enjoy a ride on it!

Not all Smile in Ambiguity

The dearth of smiles should not be attributed to its dislike, but to how this modern world has redefined ambiguities. Society has tailored the narrative such that ambiguity is projected as a villain that must be defeated by the hero who can fit into their molds.

Society keeps coming up with predictable paths to eliminate ambiguity. But ambiguity is a sneaky river that can navigate through any terrain and still keep flowing. Thus, when it inevitably confronts the hero, the hero's predictable plan fails, bringing in frustration, fear, and hopelessness.

This hopelessness not only robs the hero of her smile but also lets the uncertainty consume her, thus making the molded hero into a staggering victim, about to fall into a deep trench of vagueness.

So, it is important to reorient this societal narrative progressively to cultivate more legends who grin in adversity rather than crave for predictability.

In this regard, a simple but powerful mantra can be effective: “Control only the controllable.” At first glance, it may look as if we should ignore uncertainty, but that is not true. On the contrary, it asks us to embrace the unpredictable and be prepared to face it by doing what we can do, with a smile on our face.

Great leaders and warriors like Rani Lakshmi bai, Nana Sahib, Kunwar Singh, and many others never expected such aggressive and bloody battles in the revolt of 1857, which is still one of the darkest rebellions in Indian history. But despite being out-resourced, they cleverly strategized and bravely battled, smirking in valor on the battlefield despite the uncertainty of survival, let alone victory.

Thus, a smile is not only a ship to sail through ambiguity, but also a puzzle that confuses illusions, a tool that challenges disputes, a seed of hope in the windy deserts, and a mask that not only shields from chaos, but also reflects the rays of love all around. To cultivate such a smile in people, we must re-narrate ambiguity as a part of life rather than to treat it as an anomaly. This will help us become legends who can face any adversity in our unpredictable lives with a grinning face by gently whispering to ourselves – we can face it all!

Legends! Don't be shy. Smile and comment your thoughts below.

Are We Disrespecting Social Science?

In a world order dominated by the narratives of technocrats and capitalists, who have reduced the definition of success to mere individual professional achievements, we are witnessing the impact of the emptiness of these accolades through the silent screams of those deemed “successful.” Further, such an aggressive pursuit towards individualism has begun to manifest into hatred and intolerance, trying to tear apart the hard-knit social fabric of our country.

The education system, which is supposed to ingrain social values such as empathy, equality, harmony, and dignity, is seemingly failing. Our excessive obsession with subjects like science and mathematics has sidelined the foundational subject in social science. While numbers and logic are necessary for development, without socialness, it will lack the soul.

A Glorious Subject – Social Science

Traditionally, students consider social exams as mug-up and reproduction exercises. They often fail to realize the substance behind this living subject.

Lines in history were etched in the blood and sweat of the leaders, warriors, and martyrs, without whom India would have never smelled the fragrance of freedom. Geography is not an album of scenery, but an attempt to capture the clever plan of nature to foster in us a sense of interdependence by unevenly distributing the resources. Economics is not merely a bill of accounts. It is the art of managing limited resources to satisfy our unlimited needs. Art and culture are more than a visual spectacle. It brings out the brilliance of our cultural heritage, which defines our way of life. Polity is not a relic of rules, but a breathing moral soul that guides our life in the present and sets a vision for our future.

So, social science is not only a comprehensive subject, but also an ethical mother who nurtures her human children. Therefore, the failed relationship between such children and their mother in present times needs urgent attention.

Revive the Glory of Social Science

Any reforms centered around this regard must begin with school education. Often, social periods are borrowed by other subject teachers. In the minuscule time left, social teachers recite the lessons as facts rather than narrating them like a story. Self-study at home also lacks support. Thanks to the coaching centers for squeezing the remaining time in the name of competitive exams preparation, and that too, mostly for a career in science and mathematics.

A student choosing the field of social science as a career path is instantly stigmatized and branded as a “low scorer.” But the vibrancy of this discipline as a career choice is widely ignored. This is because people often know only a handful of career paths, like engineering, medicine, business, teaching, law enforcement, which are among the popular ones. Career options, including social scientists, psychiatrists, social activists, political scientists, economic advisors, human resource experts, and so on, are often hidden from public eyes.

Even if not opted as a career path, at least, social science must be meaningfully taught and learnt at the school level. Parents, students, and all the teachers, including those who handle different subjects, must be sensitized about the importance of such a foundational subject. Moreover, students must also be allowed to embrace socialness. This can be achieved through field trips to museums, remote villages, different religious sites, and old-age homes, where they can build their social sense.

Thus, in an age of individualism, social science fosters a sense of collectivism. Such a collective identity is imperative to hold our India together, because, without unity, India can pose itself as a country, but will never become a nation in the true sense.

We can be united and still debate. So, let the democracy thrive by expressing your thoughts in the comment section below.