Saturday, September 26, 2009

on being "Blessed" today...

I have known this Grand Ole' Man of XL - the Merlin, Gendalf, Dumbledore, or whatever archetype one would prefer to assign to him - since 1990-91 when I had freshly joined XL - many others have known him since the '50s... and I was always awed by the way he could reach out to people, could remember his students by names and personal details... even after 40 years!!



Over the years, I have psychologically "adopted" him as a person you look upto, admire/ try-to-be-like-OK!hopefully!! (like, I am sure, many others), and "take care of" as much as you can... difficult to explain - but that is how it is/ has been!!

I knew that he has not been keeping well - was in Jamshedpur (from Bhubneshwar) for treatment/recuperation...

Today, I met him in the Admn Block - he had hobbled over (he has an an artharitic knee) from the Tome's Residence....

"Ah, I was looking for you!" he said.

"How are you, Fr - I heard you are not keeping well?"

"old age! kya karoon!... I have problem in breathing now... but just came to tell you, I have seen your mails - have seen what the students are doing to make life better for others - it is worth their efforts - they must go ahead... Just keep up the good work going!"


... and before I could thank him for his blessings, he turned and hobbled out from the corridor...

This will be a moment which will remain in my memory... when you just get 'blessed'

(and yes!... we will, as much as we can "keep the good work going")

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

बिजली के भीगे तारों पर...

This is what an 18-20hrs train journey does to one...
बिजली के भीगे तारों पर
बारिश की बूंदों के जैसे
फिसले, फिसले जीवन के पल
चलते, चलते गिर जाते हैं,
ओझल हो कर खो जाते हैं..
i.e., it brings out the poet - of some sort - in you out of boredom
:)...