Lifestyles

I was hurriedly tying my watch and getting into my car. It was getting late for the wedding reception of my friend. I instructed my driver to take the nearest route to the wedding hall and asked him to avoid main roads. This was just an attempt to avoid getting stuck in traffic jams. It was already 7pm. The road I was planning to take was usually a calm road and was parallel to this crowded main road. But today it was also extensively used, thanks to the traffic jam in the main road.

If anything in the world can put me off, these vehicle horns top the list. It looked like it was going to take quite some time to clear this messed up road. That was when this old man caught my eyes. He badly needed a hair cut and a neat shave. His face was almost buried under his beard. His shirt was badly torn. It looked like he has desperately tried to mend it but in vain.

He was holding a plate in his hands and asking for food in almost every house. Some of them shooed him off, while a few offered to drop some food on his plate. When I started to observe him, his plate was almost empty. He managed to get some rice and sambar in the first house. His plate was half full. In the second house, a small kid came out to offer him some more rice along with some side dish. By the time the car started to move, his plate was brimming with a variety of cuisines and he settled down in a neat place to have his supper. The car started to move and I lost sight of this old man.

The sight of the old man’s plate was still disturbing me. How messy would it be to have everything in the same plate and have it together? I pitied him. Poor old man! He did not have an option of having a proper dinner. Then my chains of thoughts carried me over to the plight of the poor in this country and other related issues, until my driver broke the silence to declare that we had reached. I got down and entered the marriage hall.

It was already late. After all the formal wishes and excuses for coming late, I caught up with a few of my friends and we decided to dine. It was a grand buffet. The dining hall was filled up with lots of counters ranging from starters to desserts and lots of varieties in everything. After having a bowl of tomato soup, we decided to get the main course. I started picking up some Gobi, papad, vegetable rice, raitha and on an on until my plate was full. Actually I had a few other items to pick up too but my plate was full and so they would have the privilege to don my plate only in the next round.

I took out a spoon and joined my friends who had already settled in a cozy corner. I picked up the first helping but that’s when the plate of that old beggar swept my mind. I started wondering if my plate also resembled his! Well, might be my food is hotter than his. I opted for this lifestyle but he was forced into his. Looks like all lifestyles culminate at the same place as my plate; just as all roads lead to Rome. And now, do you think I would have had my dinner that evening??!!!

Decisions

“D-e-c-i-s-i-o-n”, the 8-year-old Vishal spelt out. He looked at his mom confusedly, who was teaching him the spelling of various words. He asked, “Mom, what’s a decision”. She said, ‘Decision is something a group of people take together and agree to follow it.”. Sahana could see that her son was all the more confused. She went on to explain to her kid, “We decided last week that you will not ride bicycle until you are 15. Correct? That’s called a decision!”. Vishal was not relenting. He said, “But mom, brother is only 14. Why do you allow him to ride it?”. Sahana was stumped. But she managed, “Because he is tall.”. She left the place soon fearing another round of rapid fire.

Arjun, Vishal’s 14-year-old brother, entered the room just then. After hearing his complaint, he just gave Vishal a cold stare. Vishal knew what to do next, after that cold stare. He knew he would be beaten to death, if he asked any further questions. Quite satisfied by his stare, Arjun entered into his room, slamming the door behind him with a bang. He could hear his mom shouting back for that bang. But Arjun was too engrossed in his own thoughts. He was sympathizing for Vishal not able to ride a bicycle. Vishal fell off the cycle while learning to ride and he was told not to ride it until he is 15. But Arjun was wondering are all the decisions that are taken followed.

Arjun knew smoking was not good for health. It is decided every now and then that none in the family should smoke and drink. But why does his father smoke? Does being the head of the family mean he can overrule a decision? He was as confused as Vishal now.

Meanwhile, Gurumoorthy, the father of the kids, was watching a news channel in the living room. The breaking news was that the Congress, Left and DMK were opposing the UPA government’s decision on price hike. They were demanding that the government should immediately take measures. Gurumoorthy was wondering if the Congress, Left and DMK are opposing the price hike, then who would have made the decision. Don’t they form UPA? If they are appealing to the UPA, are they appealing to themselves publicly? Now Gurumoorthy too was as confused as his kids. Suddenly Vishal asked, “Daddy, while making a decision, do they also decide on who should follow it and who is excused from it?”. This made dad think. But he could not conclude. Neither could Arjun, nor Sahana.

Vishal carried on with his word hunt. “C-o-n-f-u-s-i-o-n Now mommy, what is this?”, Vishal cried out!!!