Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Whom papa loves most?


‘Whom does papa love most?' younger one asked.
‘Of course, me,’ elder one said, smiling.
We were sitting on the cool marble floor, trying to beat the heat during a long power cut.
This rivalry for best place in Papa’s heart had been going on for quite some time now between my two daughters: elder, 11 and younger, 5. The elder had complaint that wherever I went, I took the younger one.  By wherever, she meant local market or to a friend's or neighbour’s house for a brief chat or for some work.
‘I am Papa’s daughter, you are mummy’s,’ said the younger one and jumped onto my lap and putting her arms around my neck, clung to it.
The elder one’s smile vanished. This time she was serious. Earlier, she had brushed aside younger’s claim. But yesterday I had taken the younger one to market and bought her an ice-cream.
I was in a fix.  It was not first time that such a situation had arisen. But for last two three days elder one had been feeling down. I had tried to convince her that she was her small sister and still a baby.  
‘So what?’ she demanded.
‘She is little baby that’s why she gets more attention,’ I tried to placate her. ‘
Í am also still a child,’ she fumed, ‘and don’t force me to feel that I have grown up, that I am a big girl.’
‘Ok, ok...I didn’t say that. You too are my small baby. And I love you equally.’
‘Then, why this partiality?’
‘What partiality?’ I pretended that I was angry.
‘Then you prove that you love us equally,’ elder one demanded.
The younger one was smiling and playing with hairs on my chest.   
I didn’t know what to do. The elder one was staring at me seriously. It seemed that she would start crying any moment. Suddenly an idea struck me.
‘Which one of your eyes you love most?’I asked.
‘Both,’ she said.
‘In case someone asks you for one, which one you will give,’ I asked again.
‘Neither.’
‘So is the case with me. You two are my two eyes, and none is less important to me,’ I said, smiling.
Her expression changed. She smiled and jumped onto my other thigh pushing aside the younger one.
‘You are very clever. By the way, we love you and happy father’s day.’

I wondered if I had three, what would have I done to convince them.

Monday, June 22, 2015


Rejection, Rejection and Rejection!


Does this word sound sweet to you? You will say I have gone mad. How can it sound sweet? It is such a bitter, cruel word. It can break heart, it can bring havoc, it can, sometimes, kill someone.  Well, all these things are true. No one can deny. But it happens when we look at the only one side of the coin. Look at the other side of the coin.

Think about those, who survive the impact of this word...

Also, think about those, who have to face it many times and not in a particular field of life, but from many fronts and despite that, they not only survive but go on to become the winners.  

It is s in this context, I am just wondering what comes after rejection. If I keep trying, trying and trying and keep getting rejection, rejection and rejection, what will be the end of it?  Giving up is a word out of my dictionary.  So, how my story is going to end? Acceptance, acceptance  and acceptance. Of course, after day comes night and after night comes day. So after rejection, acceptance should come. Shouldn’t?

I am not talking about any particular field. It can be about any aspects of our life: study, job, love or any goal in our life.  We dream, then to fulfil that dream we make efforts, work hard and use all our resources. Someone easily succeed, someone has to work harder and longer, someone has to be content with failure. But then that failure opens a new path, which at the end leads him to success in a field, which may not be his primary goal, but about which he had dreamt at one time. It simply means, success doesn’t disappoint anyone, who has tried one’s best.

What I have learnt is that Rejection opens a new avenue. So it has started sounding sweet to me. Now it doesn’t terrify me, doesn’t disappoint me. It only provides me an opportunity to minimize my shortcomings, mistakes and to present myself in better ways. So, depending upon the intensity generated by this word in a particular situation, I call it Sweet Rejection, Syrupy Sweet Rejection, Salty Rejection or Tasteless Rejection or so on. But it is never a bitter one. In simple word, I have fallen in love with rejection. Don’t think I am trying to be ironical or cynical. I am damn serious.


The most important outcome of the Acceptance of Rejection is birth of ‘Never Say Never’ or ‘Never Give Up’ spirit. And if one never gives up, then, naturally the journey will culminate in success or acceptance.  So, let us celebrate Rejection.