R-67 stayed with his fellow red ants in a small hole on balcony of an apartment. Like his friends R-50, R-55, R- 60, he would go out every morning in search of food for the colony. In fact, every member of his colony would venture out each day, at a fixed time in different directions. They would be divided into groups of about four and each group would go food hunting in numerous directions. Only the ailing would be spared.
They worked selflessly for the colony the entire day. No matter what amount of food each member brought in, at the end of the day, the total quantity would be equally distributed among all the colony inhabitants. There would be absolutely peace and harmony in the colony.
One day, R-67 discovered a strange thing. He realized that he could actually understand what the human beings would be speaking. He was surprised and curious. He called his friends R-55, R-60 to him and asked them to listen to the conversation taking place between two human beings. Unfortunately, they were unable to hear or understand the human language. But they were curious too. So they asked R-67 to listen to the conversation and relay it to them.
R-67 gladly agreed to do so. He explained that the humans were discussing things like how they should only think of themselves. It makes life so much simpler and comfortable for them. R-67 and his friends gave a deep thought to it. They realized that they spend so much of their energy and collect a huge quantity of food for the colony. On the other hand, senior members like R-20, R-24 and others of the same age are unable to carry much food to their colony. Yet, at the end of the day, the amount of food that they get is not a morsel less than what R-67 and his friends get.
Honestly, that is not fair. They decided to break away from this rule. They decided to eat first and then collect the rest for their colony.
They continued doing so for the next few months. Life was so much better for them. Now, they ate more and toiled less. They were happy. No one questioned them directly, but every other member definitely wondered the reason for their sudden good health. Months passed and one fine day, R-67 woke up. He realized that he could now stand on two legs. And strangely, he had developed a well functioning set of hands. He called his father, R-42 to show him. He animatedly showed him his legs and hands. Poor R-42 could not understand a single word that R-67 spoke. He stared at his son helplessly. What was he talking about?
R-67 was too excited to bother. He rushed to his friends R-50, R-55, R-60 and started talking to them. His friends too were like him, excited with the new modifications. They kept on talking excitedly. The other red ants around them were surprised. They could not understand a single word that these red ants spoke. Human language wasn't known to them. R-67 and his friends had turned into humans.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Friday, October 19, 2012
Pujor Golpo (পুজোর গল্প)
ষষ্ঠীর ভোরবেলা। টাক্সি ছুটে চলেছে এয়ারপোর্ট
থেকে আনন্দীর যোধপুর পার্ক এর বাড়ীর দিকে। আজ ৫বছর পর সে তার প্রিয় কলকাতায়। চারিদিক
কি দারুন সেজে আছে। প্রতিটি বাড়ী নতুন রঙ করা। পার্ক এর রেলিঙ, দোলনা সব কি রঙিন।
রাস্তায় লোকজন মর্নিং ওয়াক এ বেরিয়েছে। সকলের মুখে কি সুন্দর হাসি লেগে আছে।
সিগনালএ ট্যাক্সিটা দাঁড়াতে ও শুনতে পেল এক বৃদ্ধা আরেক বৃদ্ধা কে বলছে, “জানো
আমার এই পুজোতে ভারী আনন্দ, আমার নাতনী আসছে আমার সাথে সপ্তমীর দিন ঠাকুর দেখতে
যাবে বলে।’’ ওর মনটা খুশীতে ভরে গেল।
এরপর ট্যাক্সি চলতে লাগলো। ওদের বাড়ির মুখটায়
ট্যাক্সি থেকে নেমে গেল। দেখল পাড়ার চায়ের দোকানের ছেলেটা, কি জানি নাম, পল্টু বোধ
হয়, একটা নতুন শার্ট প্যান্ট পরে হাসি মুখে দাঁড়িয়ে।ওকে দেখে এগিয়ে এসে বলল “ দিদি
ভাল আছ? দেখ আমি নতুন জামা পরেছি। ক্লাব এর কাকুরা আর দাদারা আমায় আর বস্তির সব
বাচ্চাদের পুজোয় দুটো করে জামা প্যান্ট দিয়েছে”।
মনটা আর ভরে গেল। সত্যি, এইতো আমাদের সবার
খুশীর সময়।
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Buju
Monday, April 2, 2012
trip to south sikkim (published in The Telegraph on 28th November 2008)
South Sikkim’s solitude
SUCHETANA GUPTA
My favourite holiday
Recently, I visited south Sikkim with my parents. Our first stop from New Jalpaiguri station was the picture-perfect town of Rabangla.The journey was wonderful, with the Teesta giving us company for some time. We reached Rabangla by 3pm, greeted by the beautiful view of the Kanchenjungha, Narsimh, Pandim and Kabru peaks.
Taking in the chill, we climbed up some 450 steps to the local monastery. As evening turned to night, I looked up at the sky to see a huge cluster of glittering stars against the darkness. We soaked in the silence as evening prayers were being offered at the hilltop shrine.
The next day, we travelled to Legship, some 13km from Rabangla. Legship is known for its temple, situated by the river Rangit. Its hanging bridge is another attraction.
We headed for Borong next. On our way, we stopped at the ancient Ralong monastery. Built in the 12th century, it now has a newer building, recently opened as a branch of the Rumtek monastery.
Borong is a hamlet situated amidst greenery. There’s just one hotel there — the lone Wildflower Retreat — which has a few cottages located amidst lush vegetation and wild flowers. The first thing that strikes city slickers at Borong is the absolute silence — broken only by occasional birdcries and the murmur of the breeze blowing through the trees. The aroma of wild flowers fills the air. Our stay in this resort proved to be memorable. The cottages, set against the dramatic peaks, surrounded by greenery, made for a really pretty sight.
We moved to Namchi next — the district headquarter of south Sikkim. The view of the Kanchenjungha from Namchi is splendid — be it at sunrise or sunset. From Namchi, we visited the shrine of Samdruptse, where a 135ft statue of Guru Padmasambhava stands tall against the skyline. The statue is quite a sight in the pristine surroundings. Namchi is fast gearing up to become a tourist hotspot, given the panoramic views of the Kanchenjungha and Samdruptse it offers.
If you’re looking for that perfect week to spend with family in the solitude of the hills, I would strongly suggest south Sikkim.
SUCHETANA GUPTA
My favourite holiday
Recently, I visited south Sikkim with my parents. Our first stop from New Jalpaiguri station was the picture-perfect town of Rabangla.The journey was wonderful, with the Teesta giving us company for some time. We reached Rabangla by 3pm, greeted by the beautiful view of the Kanchenjungha, Narsimh, Pandim and Kabru peaks.
Taking in the chill, we climbed up some 450 steps to the local monastery. As evening turned to night, I looked up at the sky to see a huge cluster of glittering stars against the darkness. We soaked in the silence as evening prayers were being offered at the hilltop shrine.
The next day, we travelled to Legship, some 13km from Rabangla. Legship is known for its temple, situated by the river Rangit. Its hanging bridge is another attraction.
We headed for Borong next. On our way, we stopped at the ancient Ralong monastery. Built in the 12th century, it now has a newer building, recently opened as a branch of the Rumtek monastery.
Borong is a hamlet situated amidst greenery. There’s just one hotel there — the lone Wildflower Retreat — which has a few cottages located amidst lush vegetation and wild flowers. The first thing that strikes city slickers at Borong is the absolute silence — broken only by occasional birdcries and the murmur of the breeze blowing through the trees. The aroma of wild flowers fills the air. Our stay in this resort proved to be memorable. The cottages, set against the dramatic peaks, surrounded by greenery, made for a really pretty sight.
We moved to Namchi next — the district headquarter of south Sikkim. The view of the Kanchenjungha from Namchi is splendid — be it at sunrise or sunset. From Namchi, we visited the shrine of Samdruptse, where a 135ft statue of Guru Padmasambhava stands tall against the skyline. The statue is quite a sight in the pristine surroundings. Namchi is fast gearing up to become a tourist hotspot, given the panoramic views of the Kanchenjungha and Samdruptse it offers.
If you’re looking for that perfect week to spend with family in the solitude of the hills, I would strongly suggest south Sikkim.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
My Calcutta,my Pujo
It is that time of the year again when the sky is a lovely shade of blue,white fluffy light clouds struggling to stay afloat.Yes,it is autumn,the season of festivities.
The entire city of joy is done up beautifully with brilliant decorations.The mood is such a joyous one.Everywhere there is an air of happiness.People are intentionally lenient on the offenders,there is no temper running high.The city is all decked up for THE pujo.
Durga Puja offers a magnificent grandeur to the city.People dress up in their finest and celebrate.Even the poorest of the poor rag picker girl looks so cute wearing the new dress given to her by the 'parar pujo',her toothless smile is worth a million dollars.
When my driver goes out pandal hopping with his highly shimmering 'silk' saree clad wife and an equally sparkling shirt clad lad,engrossed in his toy gun,they don't look garish.In fact,they look so happy,so good.Even when her sandal strap comes off and she ties them with a safety pin,she doesn't look out of place.
She easily gels with the teenager who's busy ordering ice cream for her grandmother in the car while texting friends with her Galaxy.
This is my city,my Calcutta who's so homely,who embraces one and all,who gives a damn to social status.This is the Pujo in my city where everyone belonging to different strata of the society come together to queue up to appreciate marvellous artwork in the pandals,push and shove in the overcrowded metros,enjoy fuchka and candyfloss.This is my city,my Pujo where friends catch up over endless adda at Maddox Square,where lots of unspoken sweet nothings are exchanged between two pairs of eyes.This is my Pujo where all the jethimas and kakimas and Ma welcome the Goddess with their beautiful 'borondala',where all the dadus and thammas attend the 'pushpanjali' with their grandchildren in tow,where all the tweens participate in antakshari and sit-n-draw competetions,where all the dadas and kakus dance with dhunuchis..
This is MY pujo at MY Calcutta
The entire city of joy is done up beautifully with brilliant decorations.The mood is such a joyous one.Everywhere there is an air of happiness.People are intentionally lenient on the offenders,there is no temper running high.The city is all decked up for THE pujo.
Durga Puja offers a magnificent grandeur to the city.People dress up in their finest and celebrate.Even the poorest of the poor rag picker girl looks so cute wearing the new dress given to her by the 'parar pujo',her toothless smile is worth a million dollars.
When my driver goes out pandal hopping with his highly shimmering 'silk' saree clad wife and an equally sparkling shirt clad lad,engrossed in his toy gun,they don't look garish.In fact,they look so happy,so good.Even when her sandal strap comes off and she ties them with a safety pin,she doesn't look out of place.
She easily gels with the teenager who's busy ordering ice cream for her grandmother in the car while texting friends with her Galaxy.
This is my city,my Calcutta who's so homely,who embraces one and all,who gives a damn to social status.This is the Pujo in my city where everyone belonging to different strata of the society come together to queue up to appreciate marvellous artwork in the pandals,push and shove in the overcrowded metros,enjoy fuchka and candyfloss.This is my city,my Pujo where friends catch up over endless adda at Maddox Square,where lots of unspoken sweet nothings are exchanged between two pairs of eyes.This is my Pujo where all the jethimas and kakimas and Ma welcome the Goddess with their beautiful 'borondala',where all the dadus and thammas attend the 'pushpanjali' with their grandchildren in tow,where all the tweens participate in antakshari and sit-n-draw competetions,where all the dadas and kakus dance with dhunuchis..
This is MY pujo at MY Calcutta
Monday, September 5, 2011
Teachers' day
Today is 5th September.teachers' day..
The morning started with texting a couple of teachers from college.one of them replied immediately.the other person called up in the evening.i'd called up my favourite teacher,my Biology Sir.every year i give him a call on this day to thank him.he has been a wonderful teacher.he has instilled the love for bio in me.i'm forever grateful to him..
In the evening i spoke to another teacher of mine.and in between,wished the teachers from my school and university on facebook.mailed one from college.
Interacting with teachers brought back so many fond memories..
I'm really fortunate in having had such a fabulous set of teachers.
Thank you to everyone..hope i can live up to your expectations..
The morning started with texting a couple of teachers from college.one of them replied immediately.the other person called up in the evening.i'd called up my favourite teacher,my Biology Sir.every year i give him a call on this day to thank him.he has been a wonderful teacher.he has instilled the love for bio in me.i'm forever grateful to him..
In the evening i spoke to another teacher of mine.and in between,wished the teachers from my school and university on facebook.mailed one from college.
Interacting with teachers brought back so many fond memories..
I'm really fortunate in having had such a fabulous set of teachers.
Thank you to everyone..hope i can live up to your expectations..
Monday, November 8, 2010
A speech by Chetan Bhagat.
I found this speech really inspiring and motivating. Have a look.
Spark
speech given at the orientation program for the new batch of MBA students
Symbiosis, Pune, July 24, 2008
© Chetan Bhagat
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates – there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing – to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure – a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house. Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes – Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said – don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.
I’ve told you three things – reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember – if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.
Disappointment’ s cousin is Frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life – friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness – this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is Isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms – disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying – I come from the land of a billion sparks.
Thank You.
Symbiosis, Pune, July 24, 2008
© Chetan Bhagat
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates – there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?
Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing – to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure – a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house. Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes – Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
One last thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said – don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.
I’ve told you three things – reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember – if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.
Disappointment’ s cousin is Frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life – friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness – this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is Isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.
There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms – disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying – I come from the land of a billion sparks.
Thank You.
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