Last evening we got out of the house clueless, hoping to have dinner and catch a movie. A friend called and movie got scrapped and we had a nice dinner instead. Got home by11, put Cubby to sleep and went off to sleep too to be woken up at 5am to a cat entering our house through the bathroom window. After we had shooed it away, I looked at my phone to see the time and my phone read 1 new message.
I read "heard about terrible attacks in Mumbai, trust everyone at home is ok." I showed it to M and he checked his phone to see similar sms from Papa. Since we don't have cable TV at home, we logged on to the internet and came across the goriest images and worst news we have read in a very long time.
Yet another terror attack on Mumbai. Not some bomb-blasts orchestrated by some militant group but actual people blazing guns in some of the biggest establishments and most popular areas and haunts in Mumbai.
After a long time, I cried reading the news and seeing the images. I have lived in Mumbai and seen the first blasts that rocked the city and over a period of time just got numbed in acceptance of the situation. The way shit happens, bomb-blasts and floods happen. WE laughed and sang our way home through waist deep water till even the water decided to kill.
And yet we kept saluting the spirit of Mumbaikar. What choice does he/she have but to go on living. Even my mother matter of factly said trains are running and she may go to work and we told her nothing doing. Stay put at home. But thats how we are now.
Yet this time, it's sending chills down my spine. Holding people hostages, indiscriminate shooting and killing of people by some who look 16years old and should be in school...
It's been over 12hrs and the situation is yet to come under control. Brave police officers and innocent civilans are still dying and I don't think I want to watch it live on TV. Relaity TV was NOT meant to be this, was it?!
This is not the time to come up with blanket generalizations and simplistic solutions like wiping out a race as a solution to these constant attacks.
Let us keep the faith in humanity. Like M said in his comment in my previous post "But overall, I guess it is better to trust and love in these belligerent times than to suspect everyone. Aage, sabki apni kismat..."
I cannot help but agree with him. I don't mean be careless and don't be vigilant, but please dont let your prejudices stop you from reaching the best in you.
This is my 100th post and I had requested M to do a guest post, but this isn't the time for it.
Instead I am linking his Brilliant post here. Maybe he can write the 101st for me.
Please pray for safety of the hostages and pray for the city that once never slept because there was so much camarderie and friendship around...
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
co-incidence or miracle?! :)
There are times in life that just leave you believing in the power up above and your ability to reach it, just a l'il bit more than usual.
This happened a coupla years ago when we were coming back from Chennai, by train, after attending buddy S ki shaadi. M told me to give him the ticket because I might drop it from the purse while removing or putting the stuff back in. I said OK, more than happy to get rid of responsibility of any kind.
We reached our compartment and M generally checked to see if we remembered our seat numbers right and the ticket had disappeared! It could have fallen anywhere, starting from the hotel where the reception happened to anywhere on the station. We had the envelope in which the e-ticket was couriered to us with the PNR number. But knowing how rules most often defy logic, we were wondering what else we can do. M though he will go to a cyber cafe and try and get s print of the confirmation email. easier said than done. Cyber cafe was on the other end of the station and when M reached he realised the speed was so slow that there was no hope of getting the print till after the train left.
Me, I was waiting on the platform, after keeping our samaan under the seats. My cell phone was not on roaming and I didn't know what to do. Suddenly I thought, I might as well go inside and sit down and wait for M to get back. Can you believe our luck? As I reached my seat, I saw two men standing outside by the window, with a ticket in their hand, asking who was sitting on so and so seat?! I just snatched the ticket and realized it was indeed our ticket. I thanked those people profusely and requested the guy sitting next to us to lend me his phone, so that I could call M and inform him that he should get back imm.
I mean what are the chances that someone actually picks up a dropped and ticket and then takes EFFORT to come and return it to the rightful owners?!
I of course shared this experience with my folks and friends because I was so zapped by the whole thing.
Then, my mom called me last night as we were getting ready to go and watch last show of Fashion. She was coming back from Pune yesterday evening after enjoying the Diwali festivities. She kept the ticket in her trouser pocket so that its easily accessible. Somehow and somewhere, either her pocket got picked or she dropped the ticket. She reached the platform and was trying to confirm if it was the same train number, when she realised she had lost the ticket. Now my mom panics really easy and quick. My dad had forgotten his phone, so she couldn't call and check what she should do next?!
She remembered her compartment and seat and thought she could by a general ticket at least and then reason it out with the TC or worse pay the fine. So she started walking towards the counter and was crossing over a bridge, when she realised it will take too long. She remembered OUR Chennai incident and thought it could happen to her also that some good Samaritan will come with hers and she decided to turn back and take her seat.
As she was walking back she saw a sweeper cleaning the bridge and noticed an old looking ticket. She wondered what if and suddenly noticed her hanky in the dirt pile getting collected. She rushed and told the guy to just hold on. Miracle of miracles, it was indeed HER ticket! :D
She thanked the sweeper profusely and went to her train without a worry!
So, my mom called to tell me, that sort of, thanks to me, she found her ticket!
Would you call it just a co-incidence or some angel looking over us making the right things happen?!
So in these times, where religious strife seems to be taking away our ability to look at another human being with trust and without being judgemental, let's think back to good things that have happened to us and others. How many times did you wonder what was the religion of that Good Samaritan? Or did you stop extending your helping handing to someone who needed it because you had to first check the religion and caste?!
Let's try and notice these little miracles in our life to start with and then make them happen often... Let's respect fellow human beings and be giving and kind... Let's try NOT to be judgemental and try and condone acts of violence under the name of faith...
Like my favourite Tantra tee says "God is too big to fit into any one religion"
Cheers to that!
This happened a coupla years ago when we were coming back from Chennai, by train, after attending buddy S ki shaadi. M told me to give him the ticket because I might drop it from the purse while removing or putting the stuff back in. I said OK, more than happy to get rid of responsibility of any kind.
We reached our compartment and M generally checked to see if we remembered our seat numbers right and the ticket had disappeared! It could have fallen anywhere, starting from the hotel where the reception happened to anywhere on the station. We had the envelope in which the e-ticket was couriered to us with the PNR number. But knowing how rules most often defy logic, we were wondering what else we can do. M though he will go to a cyber cafe and try and get s print of the confirmation email. easier said than done. Cyber cafe was on the other end of the station and when M reached he realised the speed was so slow that there was no hope of getting the print till after the train left.
Me, I was waiting on the platform, after keeping our samaan under the seats. My cell phone was not on roaming and I didn't know what to do. Suddenly I thought, I might as well go inside and sit down and wait for M to get back. Can you believe our luck? As I reached my seat, I saw two men standing outside by the window, with a ticket in their hand, asking who was sitting on so and so seat?! I just snatched the ticket and realized it was indeed our ticket. I thanked those people profusely and requested the guy sitting next to us to lend me his phone, so that I could call M and inform him that he should get back imm.
I mean what are the chances that someone actually picks up a dropped and ticket and then takes EFFORT to come and return it to the rightful owners?!
I of course shared this experience with my folks and friends because I was so zapped by the whole thing.
Then, my mom called me last night as we were getting ready to go and watch last show of Fashion. She was coming back from Pune yesterday evening after enjoying the Diwali festivities. She kept the ticket in her trouser pocket so that its easily accessible. Somehow and somewhere, either her pocket got picked or she dropped the ticket. She reached the platform and was trying to confirm if it was the same train number, when she realised she had lost the ticket. Now my mom panics really easy and quick. My dad had forgotten his phone, so she couldn't call and check what she should do next?!
She remembered her compartment and seat and thought she could by a general ticket at least and then reason it out with the TC or worse pay the fine. So she started walking towards the counter and was crossing over a bridge, when she realised it will take too long. She remembered OUR Chennai incident and thought it could happen to her also that some good Samaritan will come with hers and she decided to turn back and take her seat.
As she was walking back she saw a sweeper cleaning the bridge and noticed an old looking ticket. She wondered what if and suddenly noticed her hanky in the dirt pile getting collected. She rushed and told the guy to just hold on. Miracle of miracles, it was indeed HER ticket! :D
She thanked the sweeper profusely and went to her train without a worry!
So, my mom called to tell me, that sort of, thanks to me, she found her ticket!
Would you call it just a co-incidence or some angel looking over us making the right things happen?!
So in these times, where religious strife seems to be taking away our ability to look at another human being with trust and without being judgemental, let's think back to good things that have happened to us and others. How many times did you wonder what was the religion of that Good Samaritan? Or did you stop extending your helping handing to someone who needed it because you had to first check the religion and caste?!
Let's try and notice these little miracles in our life to start with and then make them happen often... Let's respect fellow human beings and be giving and kind... Let's try NOT to be judgemental and try and condone acts of violence under the name of faith...
Like my favourite Tantra tee says "God is too big to fit into any one religion"
Cheers to that!
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