Don't Give Up, Better Times Are Awaiting You

Following the footsteps on my last post, here's another inspirational write up. Again - Not my creation.

When the clouds are overhead,

sometimes it isn't easy

to look to the horizon

and see the brighter days ahead.........

Sometimes it takes

a lot of rain before you get

your rainbow,

but if you keep believing

that better times are on the way,

you'll get a little stronger

and more confident each day.

Although it may be cloudy,

don't give up and don't give in--

Just look to the horizon where

a new day will BEGIN!!!!

FoOtPrInTs........

Alright people.....this post is a little different. I am deviating a little from my blog THEME. I would not say it has got nothing to do with me. But then it's not entirely mine either. This is a short story, more like a poem, which most of you must be aware of. At times, when I am in my BLUES, I refer to a certain set of stories and write ups which get me back into my mood. This is surely one of them.

One night a man dreamed, that he was walking along the beach with the LORD, across the sky flashed scenes from his life, for each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints, one belonging to him and other to the Lord......

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints, he noticed, that many times along the path of life, there was only one set of footprints, he also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times, of his life.......

This bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it: “Lord, You said, that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way, but I’ve noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints, I don’t understand why when I needed you most, you would leave me.”

The Lord replied: “My son, I love you and I would never leave you, during your times of trial, when you have seen only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

The Pen Tree

I have always believed that I was more smart, alert, and straight forward when I was a kid. Not many could handle me then. My mum would definitely agree with that statement. In fact she’s the one who keeps nagging me about how I used to use my brain, which she thinks is now a bit rusted!!! I used my imagination more when I was not introduced to the rules of the world. My blog will definitely be containing more of such stories when I was fondly known as Little Aishu. Here is the first one on its way:

My grandfather (Mum’s dad) has always loved telling stories to children (Be it us cousins or any group of children). These stories were never practical. They always had that magic element to it. Something that the real world would never agree to yet the children believed it blindly. But then this unrealistic quotient would stay with him always, in his everyday life too.

As kids, my elder cousin and I would go to our grandparents place in Aurangabad for holidays. It used to be our holiday destination every year, our paradise of fun. That time my granddad was the MD of a sugarcane factory and the owner of a Parker Pen too(which was quite costly in those days and was recognised as a status symbol)!!!

One day, he began telling a story about plants and trees. I guess he should have stopped at the scientific and natural element of it but knowing his habit, he went on. He fantasised so much that finally at a point he made us believe that even if we plant chocolates, we will soon get a chocolate tree!!!

My granddad had returned home tired that day, after a busy day at office. I went upto him and pleasantly asked him for his pen. He removed the Parker pen from this left pocket and handed it over to me without asking the reason (which he usually never did, where I was considered!!!).  After a few hours, a few employees of his came down home to get his signatures on some important documents. They searched and searched for his pen until he remembered he had handed it over to me.

“Aishu, come here”, he called out for me loudly. “Where is the pen I gave you?”, he asked me curiously.

“Oh! That pen, Granddad? I planted it near the pipe in those marshy areas. You had said that whatever you plant, will grow in to a tree? Then don’t worry soon we will get a Pen tree which will bear a thousand Parker pens that you can use!!!!”

The 90 year old Chinese Lady

Sometimes in life you never know, how, when and why you might just impress a stranger!

This incident took place; let me think, I suppose three years back. I was on my way to Brunei to meet my parents; after all, I was on a holiday after a long time! I had never thought that life was going to throw my way an encounter at my usual stopover on Singapore airport (my second home.....is what I call it!)!

While waiting for my connecting flight, I decided to grab a snack at the 24 hour food court (my usual eat out adda at the airport). I don’t know why, but I always end up munching a bite at the Indian counter there known as ‘Kaveri’. It’s not that other cuisines don’t attract me or anything, but it just feels like home away from home. Anyways let’s get back to the table where I was sitting, waiting for my order.

Some faces just seem to stick in your mind forever. One such face that I always looked out for at the Kaveri counter, was that of an old Chinese woman who worked there as a cleaner. And there as I sat waiting, she came to clean my table and picked up the plates (left by the previous customer). As she bent, she looked and smiled at me. There was something different in her smile. It was an extra friendly and a very warm smile. Like as if she knew me from years.

“Hello. I am seeing you after so many months!” she said, in her broken Chinese English! I was startled!!! Was she really speaking to me??? She must’ve mistaken me for someone else, I thought.  With a confused look and a smile on my face, I barely replied a YES. Somehow she must’ve recognised my expression.  

“Don’t worry. I see you here quite frequently. Sometimes you are accompanied with your mother. Is she not here with you, this time? I also remember last time you wore a black coloured dress!!!”

It took me a while to recollect what I was wearing the last time when I was travelling. But YES she was right!!! OH MY GOD!!! This lady actually remembered me and my mother! I just didn’t believe it!

After the pleasant shock, I was not in that state of asking her much, but I did ask her one thing. “How come you remember me so well?” She replied, “Your smile! The warm smile that you gave me everytime you looked at me, made me remember you!!!”

My next trip, I carried a gift for her. As I didn’t know her name, I had to describe her at the counter. But that day, she had not come to work. I was told she was 90 years old and had taken ill.

I still have her gift with me and my eyes are still searching for her on the airport. Who knows when I might encounter her, again!!! So, believe it or not, a smile is enough to start a conversation and make a place in anyone’s heart!!! Keep SMILING always and get ready for surprises being thrown your way!!!!!

Flashback with Musical Notes

Date: 8^th Sept 2010 – 1^st lecture

Location: In SIMC class........SO4

The entire class was busy in writing the current affairs assignment, which was thrown to us by Mr.Deepu Joy! It was interesting assignment, no doubt about it! Although there were reactions throughout the class, I knew for sure, that I was going to like this one!!! Anyways, this blog is not about the assignment so please don’t run away and read ahead!!!

While I was wondering about what to write I suddenly realised I was hearing ‘THINGS’ in midst of the class. [Wait a minute, “What do you mean by THINGS???” – My brain says to me. “They are known as musical notes”.]

Very well.....Yes....truly....they were music notes after all.

The soothing piano music instantly took me away from the disturbing world of Kashmir (the subject of the assignment), the letter and my cousin (again part of the assignment), the class I was in (the reality) and placed me when I was in my 6^th class (my past)!

There I was, sitting in my home, in front of piano learning how to play it. It was a huge brown second hand piece, but for me it had become my world. It was gifted to me by my dad. Months passed and I started getting the hang of it. I developed an entirely new relation with my piano. The magical notes always took me away from the world of reality. It had become a gateway pass to my dreams and my world.

But suddenly one day, my world came crashing down with the news of my piano being sold. My, my, what a fight I had with my dad over the phone that day! He had not given me a chance to say ‘GOODBYE’ to my piano!

“Aishu, Aishu”, I realised Poonam was nudging me. “Stop day dreaming!” and in an instant I was back in the class.

It’s surprising how a simple instrumental piece can trigger off a flashback and make you realise what you are missing in life!!!

This is the instrumental piece played by Mr. Deepu Joy in class that took me back to my memory lane! Listen and ENJOY!!!

Although I don't have any photographs of my piano......this picture somewhere gives an idea of what my piano looked like!!!!