PARIJAT-3

THE BUS IS HAVING A SMOOTH GLIDE IN THE NEWLY LED BITUMEN ROAD. JOHN DOES NOT THE FEEL THE JERK THOUGH HE HAS OCCUPIED ONE OF THE REAR SEAT. THE PATH IS IN A STRAIGHT TRAJECTORY WITHOUT MUCH OF A BEND. IT NARROWS DOWN IN HORIZON LIKE THE ACHIEVABLE AMBITION OF THE PRESENT. LOOK UP YOU SEE THE SKY, LIMITLESS SKY, REACHABLE IF IT IS NARROWED TO HORIZON. THE JOURNEY IS ENJOYABLE IN THE COOL EVENING. IT IS LOOK OF COUNTRY SIDE. LINES OF SMALL HEIGHT PALM TREES ON THE BOTH THE SIDE OF ROAD, STAND ERECT IN THE WELCOME OF PASSER-BY. FROM THE DISTANCE, JOHN COULD GET THE SIGHT OF TALL PALM TREES WITH THE SWINGING NESTS OF WEAVER BIRDS. WATER BODIES ON THE BOTH SIDE OF ROAD CARRIES THE REFLECTION OF PRESENT .NO PLACE FOR PAST THERE IT PUSHES THOSE BACK TO ACCOMMODATE THE PRESENT. IT HAS NEVER SEEN THE FUTURE AND NEVER CAPTURED IT. FUTURE, IT IS SHAPELESS, IT IS ENDLESS, IT IS AN UNTIED KNOT, IT IS A MYSTERY, THERE IS NO FUN CAPTURING IT. THOSE WATER BODY CARRIES BOTH LILY AND LOTUS IN PLENTY. BOTH ARE HALF BLOOMED IN THE EVENING SKY. ONE IS CRYING IN SOMEBODY DEPARTURE AND OTHER IS SMILING IN SOMEBODY ARRIVAL. THE SAME TIME TELLS TWO DISSIMILAR STORIES, STORIES FULL OF OPPOSITES. DICHOTOMY AT ITS BEST. IT IS THE TIME WHICH CREATES ALL DIFFERENCES. OVER A SPECTRUM OF TIME THE STORY OF LILY AND LOTUS APPEARS SIMILAR. IT BECOMES STORY OF ANTICIPATION, EXPECTATION, UNION, SEPARATION AND REUNION. BUT THEY ARE UNIQUE. IT IS STORY OF DEVOTION, ATTACHMENT AND PERMANENCY. WAITING HAS ITS OWN PLEASURE. DEVOTION LEADS TO PERMANENCY. DETACHMENT LEADS TO ATTACHMENT. FRUITS GET DETACHED FROM THE TREE TO CREATE TREES. WATER EVAPORATES TO COME BACK AS RAIN. IT IS A CONTINUUM. EVERYTHING IS IN A CONTINUUM. DO NOT LOOK FOR THE SHAPE, LOOK FOR THE CHARACTER. NOTHING IS LOST THERE. NOTHING IS MISSED THERE; THE CHARACTER IS INTACT, ONLY THE SHAPE HAS CHANGED. THE TIME HAS CHANGED.

THERE IS A RUSH OF THOUGHT IN JOHN’S MIND AS THE BUS MOVES UP. IT IS COLD WINTER IN HILLY TERRAIN. IT IS SERENE AND SILENT OUTSIDE. COLD WINTER NIGHT LOOKS SLEEPY. IT IS DARK. PITCH DARK. JOHN PULLED THE BLANKET UP AS HE STRETCHED BACK. STILL HE FEELS THE COLD. HE RECALLED HIS CHILDHOOD, THOSE COLD NIGHT WHEN HE AND HIS ELDER BROTHER USED TO FIGHT FOR THE SINGLE BLANKET THEY HAVE TO SHARE. JOHN WILL ROLL HIMSELF IN THE BLANKET LEAVING NOTHING FOR HIS BROTHER. HIS BROTHER WILL SHOUT AND ULTIMATELY THEY WILL END WITH A COMPROMISE THAT ELDER BROTHER WILL BUY A KASHMIR BLANKET FOR JOHN AS SOON AS HE GETS A JOB. THE CHILD INSIDE THE JOHN IS GROWING; HE WANTS TO ROLL HIMSELF IN THE BLANKET. THE PASSENGER NEAR BY IS COMFORTABLY SLEPT. JOHN LOOKED AROUND; ALMOST EVERYBODY INSIDE THE BUS HAS SLEPT. SOME OF THEM ARE SNORING LOUDLY. THE BUS CONDUCTOR IS CHATTING WITH THE DRIVER. THEY NEED TO TALK EACH OTHER LEST THEY MIGHT FEEL SLEEPY. IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF TRAVELING PASSENGERS. JOHN STARTED THINKING ABOUT THIS STRANGE CHARACTER OF HUMAN BEING. HE DOES NOT WANT TO KEEP HIMSELF ALERT FOR HIS OWN SAFETY. HE THINKS IT IS NOT HIS DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY. SOMEBODY HAS BEEN PAID TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SAFETY. JOHN REMEMBERED THOSE BRAVE SOLDIERS OF THE BORDER WHO KEEP THEMSELVES AWAKE SO THAT WE CAN SLEEP PEACEFULLY. HE LEAVES AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY SO THAT WE CAN LIVE PEACEFULLY WITH OUR FAMILY. CAN MERE MONEY BUY THOSE SACRIFICES AND DEVOTIONS? IT WAS NOT FAR FROM HIS MEMORY WHEN HE SAW THOSE SOLDIERS GOING TO THE BATTLE FIELD. JOHN WAS TRAVELING FROM WESTERN PART TO EASTERN PART OF INDIA. THE TRAIN HAS HALTED NEAR A STATION CALLED VIJAYWARDA JUNCTION. THE WAR AT THE BORDER WAS AT ITS HEIGHT. JOHN SAW A TRAIN FULL OF SOLDIERS GOING TOWARDS NORTH. THEY ARE IN OPEN TRAIN BUGGIES WITH THEIR AMMUNITIONS. THEY ALL ARE LAUGHING AND SMILING WHEN THEY ARE WAIVING TO PASSENGERS OF THE STATIONS AS THEIR TRAIN MOVES ON. NO TRACE OF FEARS, NO TRACE OF REMORSE IN THOSE FACES, RATHER THOSE ARE FULL WITH DETERMINATIONS AND JUBILATIONS. IT IS SHEAR DEVOTIONS. JOHN HAD JOINED THE CROWD IN CHEERING OFF THOSE BRAVE SOULS. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM RETURNED TO THEIR FAMILY. WE DO NOT KNOW IF ANYBODY AMONGST US HAS KEPT A COUNT OF THAT. MAY BE IT HAS BECOME ANOTHER MILITARY STATICS. NOBODY HAS KEPT A COUNT HOW MANY BRAVE FATHERS HAVE SHED THEIR TEARS; HOW MANY BRAVE LADIES HAVE SACRIFICED EVERYTHING IN THE GREAT ALTAR OF SUPREME SACRIFICE. THEY HAVE SACRIFICED FOR US TO GROW AND SMILE, FOR US TO LIVE AND ENJOY. BUT DO WE RECOGNIZE THEM?

THOSE BRAVE SOULS ARE JUST LIKE THOSE PARIJATS. THEY GIVE US PLEASURE. THEY GIVE US HAPPINESS. CAST OFF ON THEIR OWN TO TELL THEIR STORIES. WE MAKE GARLAND OUT OF THOSE , SOME OF THOSE FIND THEIR WAYS TO HAIRS OF HONEYMOON LADIES , SOME FIND THEIR WAYS TO GODS’ PLACES , SOME GOES TO WRISTS OF BEAUX DROWN IN HOUSE OF INFAMOUS. STORY DOES NOT END THERE. GARLANDS ARE COLLECTED ONCE AGAIN FOR SEPARATING THOSE RED TUBES AND TO MAKE DYE SO THAT THE WORLD BECOMES COLORFUL. THIS IS STORY OF DEVOTION, STORY OF SACRIFICE AND STORY OF PERMANENCY. LOOK OVER A CONTINUUM OF TIME YOU FIND THE PERMANENCY; RECOGNIZE THAT PERMANENCY. THE PERMANENCY OF PARIJATS.

JOHN MOVED UP FROM HIS SEAT AND WENT TO THE DRIVER AND CONDUCTOR OF BUS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES. THEY HAVE MILES TO GO!