Invisible Boat

Yesterday Mom was discharged from the hospital.

Before Mom was admitted to the hospital, before she knew that she was in for a long haul at the hospital, she spoke about a dream - a dream where dad spoke to Mom and took her to a paradise. The scenery which mom described was beautiful.

Dad has been gone for more than thirteen years. I miss dad and often I have seen him my dreams. I have dreamt that we lead absolutely normal lives as if he was alive. Sometimes I dreamt that he watched over me like a guardian. But we never talked.

I have many cherished memories with him. On the other hand, Mom had both kind of memories with him - bitter and sweet. Maybe, it was the reason they talked to each other.

I could have explained to Mom about the science of dream then, but I didn't. I couldn't break her reverie. She needed it.

After Mom got admitted to the hospital, I had series of dreams which were scary, funny, and weird.

These dreams drained me, worried me, and ironically, one of them had me in splits. I drew the line here and applied science to dreams.

It was the only way to defeat and master my fear.

And then, I’d a dream yesterday night.

I walked with my partner on a marshy land, among the darkness of dead green mangroves and sea plants, we heard the waves beat against the shore, happy and madly in love.

We soon were on the shore of a creek, and it was along this creek we found a boat, a boat in which we could escape to a boundless horizon.

In the backdrop of a grey sky, quiet sea, and an absent sun was this boat, anchored.

The boat had a wooden outline, when looked upon closely it resembled a broken dried up branch of a tree, which might have washed up on the shore but I could feel the boat, he could too.

But the boat wasn’t there, it was an invisible boat, yet both of us saw the exact same boat.

And then he said, “You know you should write.Finish what you began.”

I smiled.

I woke up.

I could explain the logic and science of this dream and I am sure you could too, but don't break my reverie yet.

Being Indian

I wonder if there is more complicated subject  than this . Ever since I started writing, I wanted to write about my country and its citizens .  It has been near impossible for me to sum up the country in few words . It was lot easier when I was in school . I wrote essays and participated in elocution  which won prizes . Lines like "Anekta mein ekta hind ki vishehta" ( Unity in diversity) came easy . In one breath I could proudly take names of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh .  As I graduated  (not maturing with age but still did get an official degree), my opinions of this were skewed . I am going to be the architect of building developed nations faded in journey of making money and I may add even name for myself !!!

 The west's  perception  of India bothers me as much our own perception of being Indian. There is something common in both's perception and something isn't common . The west sees India as an overpopulated, poor , unhygienic ,malnourished and corruption driven country . When we see our country from their eyes we agree . We do not have highways as good as built by them. We do have nearly 30% below poverty line population.  Our literacy rates are around 67% , i.e, still leaves 30 % or more illiterate . We belong to this country .  We do boast of being largest democracy and we do have people whose votes are bought for few bucks.We fight for reservation of backward class even after 63 years of independence .The list of flip side is endless.

However , India boasts to have a rich history .Our country boasts of being oldest on the map . We gave world a "zero" without which computing was impossible . It was once an export house for many products before being brought to colony of the Great Britain. We have been ancient in many ways .Our Independence marked , independence of many other countries.

We were a combination of 528 provinces before being converted into a nation of 28 states (& counting)  and 18 major languages.The famous saying is still very much applicable "Ghat ghat mein badle pani aur vani".  We are one of the most diversified country in food,language habits and culture. The nature has blessed us too , from Himalayas to Ganga .the western ghats , The seven sisters of north east,  the sunderban ,Kanyakumari, Andamaan and Nicobar islands and Anamalai. The beauty is vast and immense.

In past 150 years , we have come a very long way and continuously strive to be the best. We strive to educate people with emphasis on education of women . We critique our own cultural narrative which itself is so much multifaceted that seldom a narrative sounds false.  We have a new breed of entrepreneurs who are breaking barriers of society to create new jobs and opportunities . People are leaving jobs to go back to villages and do agriculture . We now have people returning from foreign countries who want to be active voice in creating this very nation. Today we have millions of daughters who are doctors , engineers , badminton player , actresses .

Yet we need to do much more than individual approach . We need education reforms , greater perforation of our history & literature ( as my friend says  "Dalits and woman have no history.")  Economic reforms and a greater social security for each one of the billion population. Yes it sounds chaotic and mundane too .But I'd like to be around and do my bit . Being Indian is way of life .