The ATM story

I had to draw some money from ATM. let me tell you, Sahibganj, my ex-hometown, is famous for ATM machines. Near my house, were 3 ATMs, and the next closest ATM was a kilometre away.
I went to the 1st ATM, the closest one. Its closed shutter made me sad. Although I was not much sad as I knew this ATM remains closed most often.
I walked till the second ATM, which is at a distance of around 250 metres from the previous one. The ATM room was open, and I could se the ATM machine clearly. But there was something that was more clear. It was nothing but a signboard where the following was written:

"ATM is out of order. Sorry for the inconvenience"

I had to walk till the 3rd ATM. It too was open, and contained no signboard outside. A customer was inside. I went on the gate, and waited for my turn. Soon the customer finished his work and came out. He seemed quite satisfied at his transaction. I asked him in hindi whether the ATM worked. He replied in affirmation.

I finally entered the ATM room. The AC was turned on. The ATM screen was waiting for its next customer. I inserted the card and entered the password. It accepted my card. Ifollowed the procedure and entered the amount. the screen had the following written:

"Your transaction is being processed. Please wait"

I felt bit relieved. What to do, I didn't know that after some time the same ATM screen would show, "Sorry, the ATM is unable to transact!!!"

I angrily came out of the ATM room, and caught the same old gentleman who had told me that the ATM works. The fellow replied me that the ATM has no money, and he had actually gone there to check the account balance.

I had heard a saying, "Do not count the chickens before the eggs are hatched". That day I had learnt a new thing, "Do not trust the ATM unless you receive the money".

I finally came back home. I could have walked/cycled till the 4th ATM. But I remained at home itself, as I had recalled a previous matter regarding that ATM. The ATM room was open, and a good number of persons was in it. I went in, and saw that the ATM machine was switched off, and those persons were actually enjoying the presence in the AC, which was turned on. They could get this free treat in the hot summer.

Just in Barber!! (part 1)

I had to reach my maths tuition by an hour. I placed the immersion rod in the bucket of water, and was waiting for it to be heated up, when suddenly my mummy called out, "You need to go for a haircut today. Do you remember?" Shit! Today was my birthday, and I didn't wanna shorten the length of my hair. But I had to obey my mother. Moreover, I didn't wanna sadden anybody on this special day.

I didn't want to go to the barber to whom I went for my last haircut, for he didn't cut it properly and so, I had to come for haircut again, in the same month.

I went to the barber a little away from my house. But the roadside wall where he keeps his mirror and sets his 'shop', was deserted. One could not guess the wall is occupied by a barber.

Then I went to another shop, which is no less than a log-made military camp. But that too was found closed. My tension was increasing as I knew, my maths tuition time was coming closer and closer. Just an hour in my hand, or even less, which included the time I would use to hunt a barber, get the haircut, take a bath, and cycle till tuition.

So finally I walked till another barber's shop. Relief! It was open. There were two arrangements for haircut, one of which was empty. A person was sitting clumsily on that hair-cutting chair, while the other chair was coveted by a customer, his cheeks painted with white shaving cream, and a barber caressing them with his 'astura'. I mistook the fellow sitting on the other chair, to be a second barber, and requested him if he could cut my hair. Thanks to God that he was a polite fellow. I was on the verge of getting thrashed in the public.

The other fellow, who was still 'dating' with the customer's white polished cheeks, told me that he had to do the same with two other customers. He could cut my hair only after this. I found no use waiting there.

If I would walk till another barber, I'd get late, as his shop is very far. So there was just one way out..... to continue with the fellow with whom I didn't want to get my haircut. I had learnt one new thing. There is a saying in hindi which means that 'in every grain of food, its eater's name is written'. Today I have learnt:
"In every follicle of hair, the barber's name is written".

Finally I went to that barber. He too was busy with another customer's beard. But his work was on the verge of completion. I went and sat on the nearby bench. Another fellow was sitting beside me. A newspaper (Dainik Jagran) was kept there. I didn't care who owned it. I turned the pages, and read two news pieces. One was about Salman Khan's murdering a deer. The deer must have taken rebirth and enjoying life by now. But poor Salman Khan still has to wrack his head over it. Another news was of a man having more than 100 family members which includes his wives, children, and grandchildren.

After reading the news, I looked at the barber how far he had proceeded. A gentleman suddenly appeared in front of me that time. He asked for the newspaper as it was his. I handed it over to him. The man who was waiting for his turn, was still beside me, gossiping with the barber.

When the barber finally finished shaving his customer, and his chair became empty, I soon went and sat there. I was lucky the person beside me was looking the other way, and i took advantage of it.

I sat on the wooden chair, seeing my handsome face on the mirror. Don't think I'm boasting. Actually I dislike having a haircut. Before every haircut, I see my 'long' hair and feel myself handsome, which I'd not be after some time.

The other person on the bench, the one who had to wait again, saw me, and tried to hide his foolishness. He tried to show that he had done a favour to me.

I didn't pay any attention to him. I had to finish up this 'hair cutting ceremony', and reach my tuition.

The gentleman, who was a barberian barber of Baber's era, began his work like the local train. I requested him to make my hair shorter this time. He said, "alright".

So the barber began his toys on my head. Simultaneously he was chatting with the person on the bench. I wanted to tell the barber to pay more attention on my haircut. But I couldn't do so as the barbers here, are very cunning. I feared if I'd tell him to hurry, he'd cut my ear, and then, would boldly say, "What could I do? You yourself said me to hurry".

Just in Barber!! (part 2)

And then the worst thing happened. I do not know if the person on the bench wanted to take revenge of me. He ordered two cups of tea.... One for himself, and the other one for the Barber. What worse could happen?? The barber stopped his work for tea. When I watch a programme on TV, the ad breaks irritate me a lot. For the first time I saw somebody taking 'tea-break', that too having tied me up. I couldn't go away as my hair was in a 'half-cut' position. They already call me a clown. I didn't want them to call me a super-clown. The only way out was, to sit there quietly, and pray to God.
I just dared to request the barber once, if he could 'kindly' hurry. The barber didn't reply. He finished his tea, and began his work again. 'Zip-Zap' went the scissors over my head. I made him recall once again that I needed shorter hair.
After scissors played their part, 'astura' began its work. It had to adjust my columns.
Finally, after 6 minutes (from then), it was done. The 'war' was over.
I was to pay Rs. 13/- to the barber. But he demanded 15/-. I had no time to bargain, that too just for Rs. 2/-. So I paid him what he had asked.
When I came home, and looked at the time-piece, I saw I had just 5 minutes in hand. I knew I had no possibility to be in the tuition on time. It takes ten mimikks to reach there itself. I calculated and saw, I'd be at least half an hour late. I came to a decision of not going there. Then what about the matter I needed to understand?? I never have a thought to it, as I knew I will have leaves before maths exam. I'd get ample time to clear my small problem I had in maths. I didn't wanna spoil my birthday taking more tensions.
The day is gone. I had got lot of wishings from my friends and relatives. But frankly speaking, no 'barber' had come to wish me a happy birthday!!

Roadside talent

Hi friends, Happy New Year.

Many great thinkers say that we must utilise our talents. Each one of us has got some or the other talent within us. We may be able to utilise our talents. But is this applicable to all? Let me tell you a small incident. One day, I went for marketing. I was to buy a kilo of gram shrubs (chhole ka saag). The shopkeeper had his little daughter with him, who would be hardly four-year old. When I asked the shopkeeper for the saag, the little girl immedieately took some saag from the basket, and handed it to me. Not being sure of its weight, I asked the shopkeeper to weigh it. Moreover, why should I trust that little girl? Even the shopkeeper thought she had given me less saag, and tried to add some more. But the girl didn't allow her father to do so. She was dead sure that the saag she had given was of one kilo.

To keep the wish of his daughter, the shopkeeper weighed the saag without adding extra. But he held some in his hand to add it after proving her daughter that she was wrong.

But to our surprise, the saag in the bag weighed exactly one kilo. I was surprised at the determination of the little girl. First of all, without weighing, she had picked up a kilo of the vegetable, and then, she had full faith on her measurement. And her measurement was really accurate.

After that when I was going to pay the price to the shopkeeper, the girl said that I had to pay more, as the price of saag had risen. I was stunned to see her way of bargaining. Only if I could show you!! Later when her father chided her for doing this, she started crying. To stop her cry, I was forced to pay some more money.

We have seen the talent inside that little girl. We have also seen her way of protest. She would surely grow up to a good seller of raw veggies. A time would come when she would be married, and would accompany her husband in the corner of the street selling potatoes and onions, and would indeed make a good sale of it.

My question is, does she deserve it? Doesn't she deserve more? Would her talent be limited only to that extent? Had she not been the daughter of a mere shopkeeper, she would have been somewhere else. Her talent would have been known to the world one day. Today she has protested for her right return for the vegetable. Tomorrow she would have protested for her rights and others' rights. She would have become the next Indira Gandhi or Kiran Bedi. You may be laughing at my statement, but just feel, could this not happen? It could have happened..... But sorry, this won't happen..... This won't happen because she is the daughter of a poor vegetable seller. Her poverty won't let her expose her talent. Even if she wants, she cannot do anything because of no money, followed by no proper education. I'm sorry to say, but this is a bitter truth.

Can anyone of you take the initiative to come forward and help children like her, get proper education and be able to show their talent to the world?? Today when I myself show my works to you, you say, "you'd become a great writer one day" and so on. But will you be able to assure this to children like that small girl? No. Then why not try to make such children like us? When a small boy begs on the road, he doesn't beg money. He begs education, he begs a better living, he begs to be one like us. But we send them away most of the time thinking that they beg without doing any work. But do we ever think what work he can do?? Have we given them an opportunity?? We have taken our new year resolutions. How many of us did include in our resolutions that we must help children like them?? Of course, it may not be possible for many of us to incur huge expenses towards educating them. But if we contribute a little towards them, it would help them a lot. Don't do thinking this a burden. May not do thinking this a duty. Just try doing it thinking yourself a human being..... Trying to help a person like you..... Exposing the talent of a roadside genius like that vegetable seller's small girl!!

Just think for a short time.......

Do we really love our motherland?? Just think this deeply for a short time. Have you never spitted in the corners of the street? Have you never thrown a single garbage on the road? You proudly call India to be your home. But have you ever made an attempt to pick up the garbage from the footpath and throw it into the dustbin? No, it would take away the 'prestige'. Don't you get broomed your own house? Then did you ever make an attempt to hire servants to clean the roads around your house? If you don't have time for it, how come you have time to clean your own house? You tell the Government to be bad and worthless. The Government, according to you, doesn't think much of our welfare. But how many of you do your part? How many of you pay your due tax on time?? You try to evade taxes in your best possible ways, and you expect the Government to make AC hospitals, flyovers, schools & colleges. If Government can't do it, it is worthless!! You say India is bound with poverty and illiteracy. Yes, India is still not free. But its due to us..... We have tied up our motherland this time, we!! We call Indians as our brothers and sisters. But how many of us care for our brothers and sisters who are still dipped in the curse of poverty and illiteracy??
Time is still there. Just take out five minutes daily from your schedule, and think over these matters. If you feel it boring, just remember the last time when you said, "I am an Indian", or "Jai Hind".

Save tigers

Tiger is the national animal of our motherland. Hunting and poaching has reduced its number to a great extent. Just imagine, what if it gets extinct....
Save tigers, save the humanity of India.