Monday, February 16, 2009

My Niece and the” Monkey Factor”






“Mausaji! Mujhe monkey se dar lagta hai! Mausi kahti hai monkey aa jayega!” I heard this with a trembling voice from my Niece as soon as I enter my house exhausted from my office.




My niece is a four year lovely, cute girl, as all Children are lovely and cute, is my blue starred eye. The fact that I do not have a baby of my own, she is very dear to me. It is another matter of fact that at times I wonder where all this loving, cute nature does evaporate as the same child grows up. Anyway, this is how I think about life and that should not bother you readers.


Now, as soon as I hear a trembling voice I fear from the one who I love so very much, I forget all exhaustion that I had in the entire day, and just felt like cuddling her and giving her solace. I did that and probably anybody would have done the same as we all are humans and we at times behave strangely in similar manner in some situations.


“Kahan hain monkey beta! Dekho mausa ji aa gaye na! Abhi monkey nahin aayega! Mausa ji se monkey darta hai na! abhi beta ko monkey nahin darayega!” I said all this while taking her in my arms and she felt so cosy there and safe too.


“Haan! Bhaag gaya! Masui ab bulao monkey ko! Mausa ji aa gaye na! Aaj main mausa ji ke saath hi soonga”.


“Haan beta! Aaj ham dono saath soyenge! Dekhain kahan se aata hai monkey tumhain daranain! Mere bacche ko darata hai! Bahut maroonga usko! ”


I said this and did forget by the time when we were about to bed. I really envy the memory of my cute little niece who at that point of time promptly reminded me:

“Mausa ji aap bhool gaye! Mujhe aapke saath sona hai! Nahin to monkey aa jayega na! Mujhe monkey se dar lagta hai!”


Spontaneously, I took her in my arms as if I was saving her from the monkey and said “I am sorry beta, chalo ham donon saath sote hain!”


Happy she was like a worker who has got bonus in these days of Recession. This was a paradise wealth as if any worker in any of the MNC would have got in this recessionary cycle. Forget about losing the job and salary cut, one is getting Bonus. How would be a grin on his face, similar was the grin on her face.


I have seen every time in life and now I am quite sure that every one of us, irrespective of caste, class, gender et - al; have “Monkey Factor” with us. This “Monkey Factor” comes out of us in different size and shape at different times in life. These days we are living under the “Monkey Factor” of recession counting every day the grains that we have saved for hay days. My “Factor” is even worse as I could not find anything in my storage tank. This Recession has shown the monkey of the same size and shape to everybody globally irrespective of ones being Occidental or Oriental. How closely this monkey has joined the Human Race Globally once again, as if we all are living in pre Gondwana Land era.


I was surprised to the degree of shock when I was reading some article on the Chinese astrology and I found the mention of Monkey sign there too. I jumped out of my bed and thanks God I landed there only safely. The common characteristic I noticed there in all types and creeds of “Monkeys” is that “Monkeys are showy PEOPLE, who love nothing more than impressing others by showing all they know”. I now became sure, that Monkeys are predecessors of Human.


Back to my niece. When I again met her she was six and a half years. Still the same lovely, cute girl. She saw me on the rickshaw which has stopped in a pretty decent area of Samastipur in Bihar which was having a kuccha road and since it was not rainy season so thanks God it was not marshy. She saw me and cried a loud “Mausaji” and with her cry she became a sprinter participating in Olympics in 100 meters event. Before anybody could have guessed she has crossed the verandah of bricks, the corridors of mud and banged herself in my arms.


“Mausaji, tum itni der baad kyon aaye, mujhe chocolate khani hai, toys khareednain hain, aur mujhe har shop main ghoomna hai, har shop se kuch khareedna hai!”


Thank God she has asked for all this before the Recession did hit the Economy and per say my Wallet.


“Haan beta! Ham sab shop ghoomenge, sab kuch khareedenge!” and I felt so happy at that time with this cute little angel.


And as I said about the thinking of my life, she was of eight years when my wife was no more with me, and she took no time forgetting her Muasaji. I still envy the memory of this sweet, little, cute niece of mine.


Since it is all humane it did not took me much on my stride, but yes I am thinking about the “Monkey Factor”.


Have a Nice Day ahead, and I seek your permission to be back in a short while with another article in the journey continued.


Good Luck …

Utpal Kant Mishra
Delhi; Feb. 16, 2009.







Acknowledgement

I would restart writing and developing this blog, but if I do this without thanking a few persons that will be very mean to me.

I would take this opportunity to thank my colleague Mr. Subash Sapru for motivating me to restart writing on this blog and to advice me to sway beyond hard core philosophy to write on.

Secondly, I would like to thank my classmate, who now has shelled herself to remain only a virtual friend of mine. Her philosophical suggestions have given me a good insight on the vivid topics that I could write on apart from philosophy and poetry.

Thirdly, I would mention my life to be motivating enough and giving me full space of time to pen down the experiences that it has given to me till date and that it will keep giving till my last breath.

Finally, I would like to thank two virtual friends of mine who I feel are no more virtual to me and who I would not like to name here, to be with me every time in my down an upswing of mood.

Thank you all and with your motivation I am restarting this Blog once again wishing I get motivating responses from one and all.

Have a Nice Day ahead !