The Keychain

 

'Every lock has a key'

....and some of the keys have the privilege to have a 'keychain'!

On my recent visit to Ruby Hall Clinic, I experienced its multi-level parking facility. We just have to leave our car near this Parking building and the attendants do the rest. Our vehicle is parked inside and the key is properly hanged inside a cupboard designed specifically for this purpose.

After completing my work, as I returned back to take my car, I had to wait for my chance before the attendant finally pressed the buttons of the machine to bring down my car from wherever it was parked. As I waited near the door I happened to gaze at the key holder. I found it quite amusing!

There were keys of every shape and size.  But most of them were black and silver in colour. What was more interesting was the keychains accompanying them. 

One keychain had the shape of a flower with a beautiful colour combination while another was of a sharp edged knife. One had the owner's name engraved in it while other had an image of a small cute baby. One had a God's image in it while other had a Superman. 

'A man is known by the company he keeps', but here I found that a man is also known by the 'keychain' he keeps. 

Different people have different personalities. Some are simple, maybe their keys have no 'keychain' at all. Some have style while others have ego. Some are creative while others are rough. Some are God fearing while others are fun loving. 

I saw one 'keychain' which was so decorative that the key was hidden inside it and one had to actually search for it inside the clutter. 

As my mind started to roam about I remembered that typically when we go to a tourist place, we find in whichever part of the world we are, a shop selling 'keychains' is invariably found. These 'keychains' tell the story of the place in which they are present. Even temples have these 'keychain' selling vendors present in their campus. 

I recollected a mystery movie which revolved around the 'keychain', found near the place of murder. 

You go to Restaurants and if the management wants you to know that they really care for you, the first thing they will do is gift you with a 'keychain'.

Suddenly we realise that this innocent looking thing called a keychain has a past, a present and a future attached to it. It can become the symbol of your place of visit. It maybe the passion of its owner. It maybe his toolkit or it could be his bottle opener. 

Rather than calling it a 'keychain', let's call it a 'key story'! ......... a story attached to each 'keychain'! 

The parking attendant nudged me to inform that my car has arrived. I took my key from the cupboard. Realising that it didn't have any 'keychain' almost embarrassingly hurried myself inside the car and drove away. After all if you want to feel complete in life, your key should have a 'keychain'!

My cleaned Plate!

 

On our cycle expedition, we were 6 of us along with Mr Naik, who had come for his passion for photography. We were to be joined in Manali by another group of 9 from Mumbai which was led by a tour operator, Mithali. 

We were surprised to find that this group had hardly practiced cycling for this tough 10 day rigorous tour. Our fears did come true when only two of them, Pushkar and Prachi, could complete the whole route successfully. 

Next day our adventure started early in the morning at 6:30, from Manali. By the time we reached Marhi which was 4500 ft above Manali, we were totally exhausted.

Mithali, could not do much cycling. She along with many of her companions in the group could join only as a tourist, thereafter.

We were to live in a tent at Marhi. Our Kitchen staff was with us and we were told to clean our plates after having food. We ourselves were already frizzed  under the cold on the cliff. The water on the hill was ice cold and after dinner, at 7:00pm, to clean our plates was a horrible task. 

As I completed my dinner, shivering as I was, somehow went to clean my plate. Mithali, was at the place, cleaning her plate diligently. As I waited and waited for my turn she just wouldn't leave the tap. Finally as she completed her task and went up to the Kitchen assistant, Jeevan, she instructed him, " this is my plate which I have cleaned very specifically. You will take care to give this plate only to me and no one else from tomorrow". I thought, so much love for a plate which anyway will not belong to us after 10 days! 

The next day we reached Sissu, about 49km from Marhi. As the dinner time arrived, Mithali was after Jeevan to give that particular cleaned plate of hers.  I had almost forgotten about this previous day incidence.

At our next destination, Jispa, Mithali seemed to be in discomfort and at Zing Zing Bar she had fallen sick. At Sarchu, the Military hospital doctor checked her Oxygen saturation and found it at an alarming low of 38 and advised us to move her to Leh. She was than rushed to Leh in a separate vehicle.

The following day was a tiring day and we reached Pang quite late in the day. The only thing we could do after reaching the Dhaba was park our cycle and remove our shoes. We just threw ourselves into the bed. At that time nothing in the world mattered!

In the evening, Jeevan came and informed that the dinner was ready. We somehow pulled ourselves out of the razai and went for the food. As we neared the place where the food was arranged, I saw something which made me contemplate.

The steel plates were kept ready for us to have dinner. Mithali, who was so much attached to her 'cleaned plate' was no more with us but in Leh. She will probably not see her 'cleaned plate' again in her life. All the efforts to scrub it to perfection and than instruct Jeevan to keep it aside for her, no longer, had any meaning! 

Don't we sometime give too much importance to these worldly things?

We know that we won't be able to take them along with us in our last journey. But still we want the attachment towards My Plate, My Car, My Mobile, My House, ..........

There is this classic story which explains how God gives a pin to a man who throughout his life keeps on praying for a better house, better car, more wealth, and asks him to bring that pin along with him after his death and all his prayers will be answered. This man could not to carry this pin to God after loosing his life however he wished!

I took a plate, had the food served on it, ate it to my satisfaction, again mustered up enough courage to clean it with the ice cold water, kept the plate in its place and went inside the Dhaba to doze off.

WHY?

One fine day, in February '16, a friend Abhay Desai happened to meet along with another of our friend, Prashant Jagade. While conversing they informed about a cycling expedition in which Prashant was taking part in July '16 from Manali to Leh, Khardungla. They asked me casually whether I am interested in coming. Instantly, I confirmed. 

Five months hence, I was on board with 5 strangers, 3 of them Doctors, for the most exciting, tough, character testing tour of my life. 

We started cycling on July 18th, from Manali, 7000ft above sea level. Over a period of next 10 days covered 600km, scaling 6 peaks with a aggregate height of 35000ft!

In these 10 days, we had to stay in Dhabas, tents, tamboos. Sometimes with scarcity of water, no toilets, nights absolutely cold, days scorchingly hot, cycling up with, in some parts, rains pouring down, food on wheels literally, no mobile connectivity, no contacts with our loved ones, suitcase life. After a hard day of cycling for 50-60 km up the slope, when you finally land up in the cozy bed and razai, you find that your neighbour is snoring hard! But, with no option, completely tired, you ignore that and go to sleep, to once again get ready early in the morning for another day of hard work on a bicycle. 

Among the 6 of us, Dr Sameer Datar, fed up with these extreme conditions, asked the question, "Why are we doing this?"

Really, why all this? 

Leaving the comforts of our home, away from loved ones, no regular food or staying conditions, guerreling routes, legs aching, mind giving up, less than 50% Oxygen to breath, 7-8 hours of physical strain day in and day out....... after all WHY?

We finally reached our destination and after some sight-seeing at Leh, flied down to our home. 

Today, as I contemplate, in peace, analysing the mental and physical conditions, got the answer to that question WHY?

Firstly,I realise that my working capacity has increased manifolds! Earlier, I was under the impression that I can't work for more than 8-10 hrs. But now I can carry on effortlessly for 15-16 hrs and more.

Secondly, after the unimaginable stressful conditions, I can withstand any amount of pressure in life. Come what may, I am not going to give up.... Period!

Thirdly, I witnessed the vastness of nature! Ah...ha....ha! He is great! The eyes could not fit in one sight all that was laid down before you! High Mountains, some of them laid with ice, some rocky, some with tall and short trees. Some besides you, some far off further than the horizon. Valleys so deep that you get shivers looking down! Rivers of all kinds, forms and colours, flowing along. Huge plains, like deserts and you, like a spec of dust, riding amongst them. 

Thank you God for giving me an opportunity to experience your work of art!

So, Dr Sameer, I finally got the answer to your WHY!

All is His

                              

Naina, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a soul mate. You give any name to the relation we shared  it still won't be able to touch the depth of our feeling for each other.

My adventure into the world of blogging was started because of her. 

A fantastic blogger herself, here is her last blog.

"The felt good and the felt bad,

Both is an illusion.

The felt profit and the felt loss, 
Both is an illusion.

The felt approval and the felt denial, 
Both is an illusion.

The sense of right and the wrong, 
Both is an illusion.

The felt winning in the experience and the losing, 
Both is an illusion.

The felt love and the felt hatred,  
Both, is an illusion.

The felt solace and the felt hurt, 
Both, is an illusion.

I say it, as "felt" and not as is. 
As that's 'my' feeling in that moment. 
It stays true, just for 'me' and moreover, only for that moment.

What is, is to accept, both being an illusion. 
What is, is to, just be. 
What is, is just to -
Be Aware, Watch, Acknowledge, Accept, Embrace and carry the "knowing" within, that -

"It's just in the divine order."

Naina is no more. But her memory lingers.  

A fantastic writer, a poet, an excellent sportsman, a marathoner, a designer, an editor, a micro biologist, a trainer, an able Public Speaker, a loving sister, a caring daughter, an ideal friend, and much much more.

Dear Naina, were you for real or ...... just an illusion?

Hats off to the Rat!

Scene 1 :

4:30am, The Alarm goes on from the mobile. I get up, with sleepy eyes, off the Alarm and as is my usual practice, half asleep, tread off to the Kitchen, after brushing my teeth. The Dining Table has the Basket of fruits. Search through it, chose an Apple and a Guava, and walk to the sink, clean the chosen fruits, along with a dish, move towards the Hall.

Still a little sleepy, as  I pierce my teeth into the Apple, a faint sound, from behind the Table, where our good old TV used to be, before the technology made it hang on the wall. Suddenly I became Alert and the sleepiness vanished!

Since last some days, an intruder had made us irritated, frustrated, scared, alert, hygienic, all at the same time! We would attempt to search for it, with all the resolve and weapons in hand, but as soon as it made its appearance, everyone would be running for life, forgetting their intensions!

It was a BIG Black Rat!

We had seen it coming out of the Bathroom drain hole, moving in and out of the Gallery door, balancing superbly on the TV Cable outside the window and using that opening as well, and god knows how many more outlets it had as options to use, along with its amazing talents.

Scene 2: 

Now, with the Apple in hand, I again started going through those rounds of emotions, having an hunch that maybe the sound I heard was made by this same guest of ours. Over the period of last some days, we had accepted the fact that this creation of God, has come to our home as a permanent resident and it was impossible for us to convince it to vacate our home!

As 5 min. passed by, I heard the sound again, and as I kept my eyes focussed on the place, from which the sound came, in a moment, what do I see!!!! Our reverred guest itself, in its full form, behind the Table, staring at me!!!

That scene made me excited, scarred, ready to kill, thinking, analysing, shivering, at the same time! I kept my eyes steady at the Rodent and quickly finished eating the fruit, analysing as to how can I accomplish this huge, impossible task of trapping this animal.

Since, earlier too, I had gone through this experience, using every bit of that knowledge, I went to the Kitchen, softly, to bring a Jadu. Then I went to the bathroom to close the drain hole and keeping the lights on, I kept open the door of the bath, hoping that in my race after the rat, it will invariably enter the Bath and then, with a lot of courage, I too will go inside the bath, close the door from inside and trapping the mouse, will kill it with the Jadu in hand. Thinking of it, made me shiver, but I went ahead with the idea anyway.

I then closed and latched the doors of the Bedroom.

Now, I cleared the Hall of whatever small things, laid in it. With red eyes, heart thumping, legs shivering, totally alert, jadu in hand, I started my attempt of doing the impossible... of hunting the cleverest animal on earth!

Scene 3:

As I moved slowly towards the Table, the rat raised its big ears, became aware of my intensions and suddenly ran down the Table! I rushed towards it, it ran behind the sofa at super speed, I followed, it ran from one sofa to another, jadu in hand I followed, it escaped from that room towards the Passage, I thought now is my chance, as I ran behind it, it galloped towards the bedroom doors, finding it closed came back, now was my chance, as it came near me, I HIT, BANG! The jadu banged the floor, but the rat had escaped! Instead of going towards the Bath, it entered the Kitchen, I followed at super speed, it climbed the Kitchen platform, from there it went outside the Kitchen window! I had lost the race!

As I moved the sliding door of the window, BINGO! The rat again entered the room from the other side of the window, it jumped on the Kitchen platform,  from there to the floor, from there behind the Fridge, me in hot pursuit, from there again to the Hall, me behind it, again from behind the Table, to the 1st Sofa, to the 2nd, from there again to Kitchen, I continuously banging the jadu over it, continuously missing, now I am totally charged! No fear! Aiming hard! For the first time, I realised, the intelligent animal is short of ideas, is making some obvious mistakes, I was almost on the verge of hitting it! As it ran again towards the kitchen platform, BANG! The Jadu came down! I felt the softness instead of the hard floor! Confident, I hit again BANG!

I had done it! DONE IT! There it lay before me! Legs up! Lower part of the body facing sky! Eyes open but no movement! The Rat was killed!

I looked at the clock on the wall, it was showing 5:10! In about 10 min, I had successfully killed an enemy, who had entered our home without our permission, made our life miserable, made us scarred in our own house, shared our food without our acceptance and had the potential to spread the most lethal diseases in our place!

With the satisfaction of the soldier, who had won a war, I picked that rat and moved it to the Gallery, waiting for my wife, Sarita, to wake up. I wanted to show her the proof of my bravery!

As is the case, since joining Lifeschool, I started pondering, after this experience. The thought was, What did I learn from this experience?

As I contemplated, I came to the following inferences,

1. However intelligent the enemy may be, you can out-think him.

2. Even when scarred, if your focus is right, your mind is composed, you have the necessary skills, you have a higher chance of succeeding!

3. Nothing is impossible in this world. Especially KILLING a RAT!

It was 5:30 already, I then put on the music, having the feeling of conquering the world, sat for the meditation, as is my daily habit.

Seldom did I experience such a sense of Peace and Satisfaction.

Having deep gratitude in my heart, I thanked the animal for giving me a chance to prove my bravery!

Hats off to the Rat!

A friend !

I was at my morning walk. The morning walks have been more of a contemplation time for me, than an exercise. I walk for about an hour.

As I completed almost 45min of this walk, suddenly came across a friend. A girl! 

I know this girl since last 3 years. Always smiling, always happy. A 70 year old. She lost her husband 3 years back. No children. Lives in a Bunglow, near my home. 

I admire her because of the qualities she possesses. She is very practical. Doesn't depend on anybody, neither relatives nor friends. Lives all alone, cooks her own food, goes to hospitals in case of any health issues without anybody to accompany her, visits temples and also visits the 'laughter club' in our Society ground. The best thing about her is, she never complains.

That day, as I met her, she got so happy and joined me for the further part of the journey. In the next 20 min, as it happens with most of the girls I meet, it was she talking and me listening..Ha..ha..! 

She shared about her recent visit to 'Hemal kaza', Anandwan and Somnath. In the remaining part of our journey, I got to know about the management of Hemal Kaza, the people living there, the source of their work, the history of the development work by Prakash Amte, et all.

She then told me about her daily morning schedule. She wakes up by 4:00am, does 'Namasmaran' for one hour and then by 6:00am is ready to move out of the house. 

I realised, how perfect she is with her calculations of the timings, her time table of the day and lives within her means satisfactorily. Inspite of staying alone, she follows all the customs and festivals.

We talk about great people, their thinking, their work, their achievements. Here is a 70 year old, living in the most simple way possible, with all the courage, not only happy externally but happy in spirit, glow all over her face, setting example of independency, detached attachment and practicality.

As we neared her house, she stopped, put her hands into the bag she was carrying, took out a leaf, 'सोनं' (सोनं are leaves of Apta, or Apati.) as it was Dusshera and presented to me.  (Dusshera, is an Indian Festival. On this day, people present Apta tree leaves to friends, relatives and neighbours and wish, Happy Dusshera. There is an interesting story on why Apati tree leaves are presented on Dussehra. You can read more over HERE.)

I instinctively touched her feet. All this was happening in the middle of the road but both of us oblivious of the surroundings. 

On this day of Dusshera, I realised that I had just got the most invaluable gift of my life. I waved her off and with moist eyes, resumed my journey to my home. 

I had just lived the most beautiful moment of my life! 

A run up the hill

Satara Marathon created history, for getting the largest number of runners registered for half-Marathon, making a, Guinness book of World Record. 

This year, 18 of us have registered for this Marathon which will be conducted on September 18th, 2016.

As a part of the preparation for this Marathon, we decided a uphill run at Sinhagad.

Saturday, at dawn 5:00, 9 of us started by car to the base of the hill, Sinhagad. We reached the place at 5:35am. After parking our car at the start of the ghat to Sinhagad we did some warm-up exercises and started to jog uphill.

The daylight had just broken and the climate around, was superb. It was little cloudy and humid with a gentle breeze flowing around. The chirping of the birds was filling the ears with an occasional cry of a Peacock being heard. The Sahyadri on one side and the valley on the other, a properly marked tar road to run on, I almost fell in love with those moments.

Four of us Amit, Akash, Kaustubh and me decided to run for 35min uphill, and then to complete the run back.

Accordingly, we started to run. 

Initially I started to jog, after sometime, got tired and started to walk. This game of jog and walk went on for 20min. I had got too tired, but I resolved to keep on walking if not jog. After another 10min my legs started getting heavy, I started having breathlessness, I still kept on moving. 

In this condition, I experienced a feeling of oneness with everything around. There were no thoughts at all. It was a state of meditation. It was bliss!

Though tired, legs heavy, breathlessness, but everything around and everything inside wanted that feeling to continue ; and continue till eternity.

Finally, it was 35min and Amit, who was much ahead of us, returned back and we started going downhill. 

I was completely soaked with sweat. There was a smile on the face which just wouldn't stop. I experienced completeness. I experienced the oneness; with "Him".

We visit religious places; Temples, Mosques, Churches and Gurdwaras, in search of the divine. We do all sorts of rituals, donate different things, to please him. We starve ourselves sometimes to death just to experience,"Him", in and through our suffering. And here I was, following a simple exercise routine. Doing nothing, but just putting my body, heart and mind into a condition of limits and crossing it. In the process feeling one with Him. Experiencing, "Him", to be a part of me!

Physical activity leading to Spirituality!

First through our body and then going beyond to experience that onneness.

No religion, no rituals, no sacrifice required.

Just crossing the limits to experience Him! 

You too might have experienced this, while performing your favourite activity and then crossing your limits, like playing a musical instrument, sometimes while cooking to serve others, driving long distance, or ...... Looking forward to listening to your expression of onneness.