The Art of Co-existing- Story I

There is one world for all of us to live in. And us includes not only humans but also other living beings. But as we, humans, are intelligent than other living beings, we have been building houses for ourselves, to protect and provide shelter for us and ours. This protection is from other beings too, as we don't like anyone entering our houses without our permission. 

But the question is: are we able to stop every being from entering our homes?

No, we aren't. That's the simple answer. And this turns some of us, including me very uncomfortable living at our own house. For instance, one of my friends is scared of cockroaches and if there is one in the vicinity, she wouldn't dare enter that area until and unless she is sure that the cockroach has gone for good or has been killed.

Same is with mosquitos and houseflies. They love indoors more than an 8-year-old video game player. Anywhere in the world you go, you can find mosquitos and houseflies (of course not in some very specific regions of the earth, whose specificity I am not getting into right now). They love being inside the houses so much, that any repellant turns useless against their powers. According to what I think, even these other beings are getting intelligent and advancing with the generation.

Likewise, there is one being, I am scared to death by. It sticks to the walls, looks directly into your eyes and starts moving swiftly if you look at it and you are unaware of its movement and that makes me paralyze and scream on top of my lungs. Yes, you guessed right, I am scared of the mighty lizard. I feel so lucky I wasn't born in early ages when lizards were the size of a dinosaur, as it would have killed me thousands of times. There was this one time, I entered into my room, and closed the door behind me. Suddenly, I noticed a lizard above the door staring at me. Now I couldn't walk out of the room as the door was shut and neither could I stay in the room. It felt like the blood in my heart had stopped pumping. It was like witnessing death. The lizard looked at me and I looked at it. Both making strategies where to move and how to move. I screamed. I screamed as loud as I can, "AAAAAAAAAA, save me". and the lizard ran away. Where did it go, I had no idea but it was no longer seen and I immediately opened the door and ran out. My sister came running to me asking what happened and I told her. She was relieved and found it stupid screaming so loud at a lizard. But what does she know? She hasn't had the panic that I had suffered a few minutes back.

Then I thought if I make a house or shift to another house, I would make sure there are no lizards withing a kilometer of the place. Whenever I would go to see a place for renting, I would ask the agent if there are any lizards. They would be puzzled but as they have to make a sell they would say no. so I rented my present flat when my sister and I fell in love with it on the first site. It's airy,  nicely-ventilated and well-lit and good for two people to live in. I was so happy that there we no lizards found and I thought I could sleep peacefully. Then one day when my mother was here she informed me there is one lizard who has made a house for herself in my kitchen. I went white due to fear. I was shocked and had no clue what to do now as a kitchen is a place where one has to go for even getting water.  So after that whenever I would go into the kitchen I would look all around to see if there is a lizard or not and if not I would do things quickly and run out. 

One day, when I went into the kitchen, where she was staring at me. A fat, big-googly eyed lizard. Oh my God, I just wanted to leave the flat. But then the lizard didn't move at all. I went as I was hungry and I had to cook and there was no one else in the house to help me with it. So, I quenched and went into the kitchen without looking at the lizard and started cooking. Seeing that I am not looking at her the lizard swiftly went into its hiding place and when I looked up there was no lizard and I could breathe again. I felt the oxygen swelling my chest. It was a wonderful moment. For the first time in my life, I hadn't left a room being scared of a lizard and then I realized that the lizard is as scared of me as I am of her. And as she has decided to live the corner of my kitchen I can't do anything about it as I have seen her friends resting on my window pane. And I know one will go then another will come. 

I realized we all have to live together in this world and we just can't make other beings not enter our houses ever. And that's the funny and quirky way I learned the wonderful art of co-existing.

Rakshabandhan – A bond, a reaffirmation, a celebration, a connection

The day of the much-awaited Rakshabandhan is here. So to start let me wish you all, a very happy Rakshabandhan. Traditionally, it’s a day which celebrates the sacred bond between a brother and sister. Growing up, even in my school, there was this big celebration a day before Raksha Bandhan (since Rakshabandhan is a holiday), where all the girl students were asked to bring rakhis (a band or thread to tie on wrists) for all the boy students and boy students were asked to bring toffees to give to any girl who ties them rakhi, as a gesture of celebrating the bond. Although this built a brotherhood in the community, since I didn’t have a brother, most of the Raksha Bandhan holidays went moping and cursing God, why I don’t have a brother. I felt as if there was something missing in my life. There were these brothers and sisters celebrating, playing, posting pictures and being happy, on Raksha Bandhan. Even my parents have brothers and sisters and they would call each other and exchange pleasantries. 

Six years after I was born, my soul- sister was born and then four years after that my parents again gifted me a doll-like sister. I couldn’t imagine my life without them and somehow my childhood felt complete. Then we started our own tradition of tying rakhis to each other and exchanging gifts and enjoying rakshabandhan our own way. It is one of the best days of the year for me. 

Also, later on, I realized rakshabandhan is a celebration of people who take care of us and protect us. Yes, traditionally it’s about brothers and sisters, but why not instill this sentiment in our present generation, to celebrate this day with people they love, who protect them, who they care for. Do the traditional stuff but there is no harm in making your own new traditions that give meaning to this festival. I tie rakhi to my papa, my mum, and my sisters because they have protected me and cared for me when even I couldn’t.

Let’s reaffirm each other, the support we have and are ready to provide so that no one feels lonely on this rakshabandhan or any day of the year. Let’s bring changes and be traditional as well because that’s what makes us Indians different from rest of the world. Also, a very happy independence day to you all. As youth, let’s take the society forward with love and respect for each other. 

I would like to present this idea to all of you out there. Let’s spread the sentiment of harmony and brotherhood in our community on this rakshabandhan. Maybe a brother could tie a rakhi to his brother, or a sister to her sister or a brother to his sister, or to the gatekeeper who wards off and takes care of people coming in your building or the rickshawala who drops you to your metro station safely or the autowala who sees if you get in to your house safely or not. Why not raise the bar and spread joy everywhere. Why be limited just to family, why not spread this love into the community?