Life always has the last laugh!

Most of us might have come across the above phrase, but you would only get the essence when you feel it. We take too much for granted that when we are let down by someone we give up on them, then we give up on ourselves and eventually we give up on life.

All through our lives, we have ups and downs, some have more ups than downs and vice-versa but, moving on taking whatever life throws at you in your stride, is what makes one’s living worthwhile!

I was at the local hospital yesterday, with my Mom for her regular check-up. Walking the corridors of a hospital has always given me creeps and hence I always preferred to stay in the lobby, while my Mom went upstairs to get herself checked up. I was busy reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s book “Interpretators of Maladies”, yes I had to have someone for company, and books can be the best companions. 

I looked up and saw a woman in a burkah with a kid probably 10 years old walk past the door of the lobby. The woman came back, gaped at me uttered something to the kid and left, he started walking towards me and I in a way felt intimidated by the way he walked and his head bobbled around.

 

“What’s your name?” he said, clapping hands together, making sure they don’t make sound.

“I looked around for a second and said, my name is Aditya” and I could see the disappointment in his face.

“Oh, sorry” I thought you were my cousin Ayub, you look similar to him. His mouth twisted in a weird way as he spoke.

That is when I understood why people assume a person with no moustache, only beard as a Muslim. “No problem” I said.

He extended his shaky hand and I extended mine. “Nice talking to you” he said.

“Same here” He then sat in the chair opposite to mine, got up and sat again, “whi..which school?” he asked. (I often encounter this question even at the age of 22)

“I am working for a gaming company called Electronic Arts” I said, and I could see the glow in his face and the smile that etched from ear to ear.

“Nice Nice, I like games” but mai khel nahi sakta because...

I could see his mom from over his shoulder calling him; he then got up and turned to leave then came back.

“I have brain fever and a tumour so is the reason I cannot talk and walk properly and often mistake people to one another” he said.

I stared at him for a second, flinched and said “I am so sorry to hear that”. 

“It is okay, bye!” he said and I could see him walk to his mom in the same manner he walked towards me, only this time his head did not bobble the way it did before, or maybe he did not let it bobble thinking of the possibility that I might find it funny.

I sat still for quite some time, thinking of cruel life could be, we take many a things for granted, we wish for luxuries right from our childhood, we want a hassle free and peaceful life always, we want and always wish for our parents and grandparents to live for 100 years. Then there are people who in a way are just an added weight on the planet with no use whatsoever. Mere vegetables if you will.

But then there is this kid, who fighting for his life right from the age of 10 with faith and hope being the only 2 players in his arsenal, the age where most of us spend in front of televisions, playing our favorite video games munching cookies and then demand for a new game.

 I could see my mom walk past this kid from a distance and I saw she turned twice to look at him before she could reach me. “Mom, remember the times you wish Dad could have lived for a few more years?” See that kid? He has a brain fever and a tumour and he is bloody 10 years old. “What possible crime he would have committed, that he is being put through this hell at the age when he supposed to be in the play ground amidst friends.

We humans are never contended with what we have, we always desire for more, regardless of the need, we just want it. Be it money, happiness, luxuries, materialistic pleasures but not sorrow because we wish others have it. And despite our sincere efforts of eluding sorrow if at all we encounter it, we blame it on life saying "life has been harsh on us" even after savoring numerous happy moments. Balls to that!

No matter how hard one tries to carve his life into being good or bad, you will have to dance to its tunes at all times, at one instance your face might wreathe in smile and agony ain another, you have good times, and bad times. Memories that leave behind the scars be it good or bad, no matter how hard one tries, life always has the last laugh. Period.

Adios!

Nostalgia Level: Childhood!

Yes, that is phase of nostalgia I am going through right now, and it only gets worse every passing day. Needless to say everyone wants to go back to peeing on bed, watching cartoons, sleeping all day long, eating, and well pooping this time!

Hackneyed as it sounds, childhood has always been everyone’s best phase of life. No worries, no tensions, no petrol hikes, no economy downfall, nothing. Though the above parameters hamper our parents’ lives and etch lines on their forehead, we would still be getting the remote-control car for our birthday that we have been demanding for, now that is what still article talks about.

Now, having learnt how to not pee on bed for about 18-19 years ago, as I write this article I feel how times have changed, how the hell did we grow up this fast? From being the boss of everyone, getting the needs fulfilled by crying the lungs out for about an hour, we are now down to getting everyone’s needs fulfilled but our own, and though you manage to fulfill your needs, it would be of minimum satisfaction after maximum contemplation.

Waking up in the morning itself seems a hard task for me these days, let alone the tasks for the rest of the day. Remember the time the only thing we complained was about the new toy your friend has just acquired and you want one for yourself and your parents put this is the RED ALERT priority. Now, we have a million things to complain about, starting from waking up to going to bed again- office, colleagues, lunch, boss, work, e-mails, the lame boyfriend of the hot chick in the cafeteria, another shot idiot with his hot chick and, well, the boss again so that he doesn’t feel left out!

Now adding the agony above, we have our very own daily demons; for starters we have the petrol hikes, lay-offs, taxes, monthly bills and the newbie rupee downfall (yay). Well, it is the same rigmarole over and over again, and sooner or later one realizes that the agonies only pile up and you will have to deal with it.

Now, remember the meaningless albeit exciting games we used to indulge ourselves in during childhood and manage to have great fun. We do play games now too, like the very famous “Blame game”, “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”, “To hell with this life” and this one’s a kicker “Pour your agony out, and I will be pretend I am sorry for you”.

As it seems, we have only grown in to larger chunks of fat with the ever-lasting longing of going back to being the smaller ones. As we speak, I reckon the rupee is taking a dip again in the holy-agony of people and our beloved government is trying harder to do nothing about it. 

Had this been the case in childhood, we looking over the shoulder would have said, “I need a bi-cycle for my birthday” and walked of the hall without being hit in the back, while our parents gape at us, eventually getting that bi-cycle anyway!

I wish I could go back to being a kid again, play incessantly, laugh, cry, poop (that is the highlight of being a kid) demand for the toys my friends own and I don’t. Now we have stooped to such level, that we don’t even complain goddamn it, we get a better toy than our friends so that our ego doesn’t feel left out. There was no ego back then during childhood, only revenge to acquire the same thing so that we could brag about! 

Get your pictures clicked in random poses with a broad grin that speaks volumes and feel elated about it, but, now you get pictures clicked alright, but with a grin the aches more with every other picture.  

Well, it is about time, I go back to sleep and wake up without wetting my boxers, and many things to crib about, have many games lined up tomorrow, and the only way I can emerge winner for the day is by winning the tournament!

Adios!