Broken Window, Little Sparrow

It was 6 in the morning. I got up of the chirping sound coming very close to my existence in the room. I came to the drawing room and saw two little sparrow playing, flying here and there within the room. Seeing these very cute sparrows, I forgot the fact that this is Sunday morning and I woke up too early. I just sit there on a chair and started enjoying their play. Good that the newspaper too came a little early, or perhaps it comes at this time only. It is me who wakes up late. So it was a perfect morning with the east sky wearing saffron make up for welcoming the Sun, the soothing rays of morning sun coming in to the room from the broken glass of the window of the drawing room, had newspaper in my hand, enjoying early morning tea and these two little sparrows playing in the entire room.

I remember the incidence some 4 week back when in the same such morning, some of the big boys playing cricket in the ground just opposite to my bungalow. I woke up with a cranking sound of one of my window’s glass. It had been smashed and broken by one of the boys’ hit to the ball. It was the same morning, same beautiful saffron sky, same newspaper and hot tea. But only difference was, while like today I was enjoying the hot tea with a nice mood and those sparrows, that morning I was having a bad mood because of that broken window and nasty noise of that window glass.

These sparrows made their way into my house from that part of the broken window. By the evening I saw some of the straws making way to one of the corner of the roof groove in the drawing room. Means, these sparrows are planning to make their nest in my drawing room. So from today onward till this winter season, I would have to wake up a little early with their chirping sound.

I seriously don’t mind getting up in the morning a little early, if the morning be such a beautiful. So, going to bed with a hope of another perfect morning with the crimsoning saffron colored east sky, soothing rays of sun coming in from the broken window, newspaper, hot tea and those beautiful sparrows playing here and there with their chirping sound.

THE ATTITUDE OF QUALITY POPULATION !

When we flied from Raipur, the flight was a little vacant. So irrespective of our seat numbers on the boarding pass, we chose our convenient place for sitting. I sit with one of my colleague, leaving my seat thinking that there would be fewer passengers today which is quite very common in Raipur Indore Flight on week days. This was a hopping flight that makes the entire journey of 1 hr 20 min. to more than 3 hr. So you need to be busy while flying as to avoid any boredom. And this was one reason I had chose to sit with my colleague.

Sometimes, what we pretend goes wrong. We reached Bhopal as first halt of our Raipur – Indore route. And all of a sudden a mob of people came inside flight. They were going to the last destination of the flight, Ahmedabad. A person came to me and informed that I had occupied his seat. I was about to leave his seat for going to my assigned one, this person started abusing me of occupying other person’s seat. I think it would have been his bad day today and had come in here with that mood only. So I refrained myself of replying him and also have stopped my colleague to reply this person who had came in a mode of paying him back what he said.

I reached my seat which was just a row behind my colleague’s seat. There a gentleman was sitting adjacent to my seat. He was reading book of one of my favorite Author. That was enough for me to start a talk with him as I had read that book and the journey of an hour was still remaining.

“This is really a good book, based on the series of incidences occurred with victims of the Indo-Pak partition”.

“Yes, though I am not an avid reader but still this book had glued me with its story. Hi, I am Venkatesh”.

“Amitesh”.

And we both shook our hand.

With some formal talk about our place of residence and job, we came back to the book that we were discussing. It seemed that even that person got bored of this journey.

“But in these 63 years after the Independence, India had moved far ahead. Barring some of the scams and problems, I think we managed to list our name in group of progressive countries” I said.

“Yes, but I still feel that we have more potential than what we have achieved today”.

“This is there, that is why we are seeing development year after year. It was time when development was the word for Metros and some Tier A towns. But now this has spread to even a small village. Even a state like Bihar can grow and register its positive presence on the map then I think we as a country are in right direction”.

He was listening my long speech keeping a pleasant smile on his face. And I know he was having some different point of view on this. When someone listens to you with a smile on the face, but eyes on vacuum that means he either is not agreeing you or something else is going on in his mind and is not with you at that point of time.

“I think, we developed a lot but we still miss an attitude”.

“Attitude! Means”.

Here it is. My guess was right. He was not at all agreeing with me on the development of India. Now it was my time to be a perfect listener. I know, he must be having a lot to tell on this. And this time again what I pretend was right. Oh, why my pretending about the lesser passenger in today’s flight went wrong? I would not have heard the first person’s those sarcastic comments on seat otherwise.

“I think, we should understand one thing that if we could keep our house clean, we must have to keep our colony, city, state and country clean. We need to develop an attitude of keeping our country clean. You go to Australia and you will find a difference in the attitude of people. I have been to that country and I have seen how people love their country”.

“Yes you are right”. What to tell this guy, that he is giving an example of a Country that still honors The Crown supremacy over their own control. But when he was expressing himself, he mean to find a listener who should listen only and don’t even try changing his thought. I was also not in mood of any debate rather wanted someone to pass my time in flight.

He continued, “You go to Japan and will understand that how they have reformed the country after the worst hit of nuclear weapon in two of their major city. Do we really have any attitude of doing so”?

“But still we are one of the technologically advanced countries”. Finally I provoked.

“Yes but not like Japan. I have been into that country and have seen the technological advancement of that country”.

OK. So it’s not the attitude or technology or love for country. It’s he want to tell me more about him.

Not the stopping for him, he still was having more complains about people of India. “People not follow traffic rules here. This is a country of thief and murderer and scammers. I don’t mind Mr. Ambani having 15 kids since he can afford upbringing of all the 15 kids in a better way. But what disturbs me the most is the population that leads to a criminal society. It’s not the matter of excessive population in India, it’s about not so quality population. Go to Thailand and you would understand what prosperity means. A country of really a quality population and cultured people”.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. THIS IS YOUR PILOT DEV PATEL. WE ARE ABOUT TO LAND IN INDORE’S DEVI AHILIYA BAI HOLKAR AIRPORT. I AM SURE OUR CREW MEMBER HAS DONE EVERYTHING TO MAKE YOUR JOURNEY A VERY PLEASANT ONE”.
A very soothing voice floated in the cabin, as soothing as the fly itself, a very jerk – free fly.

This has given me a great relief from the lecture of Mr. Venktesh about his country that has lot of problems and we are nowhere as compared to other countries of world.
While talking to him, when I asked what are the ways to be perfect, his reply was "We have reached a level when nothing can be done to cure this cronic disease of attitude. I think we should have to raise our voice against any wrong going around us".
"But did you have raised your voice for any such ill happenings according to you in your surroundings".
For this he rather started looking outside the window where the Indore City has started visible with those sparklings of the bulbs and street light.

I beg your pardon Mr. Venkatesh. We do have lot of problem but we still are the best in world. We are almost most perfect economy in the world. We are considered as the fastest growing economy and super power of world. We are the best breed of the world as far as knowledge is concern. Our educated population is not only working to build India a best place but also working hard in every part of the world to make this earth a better place to live. Yes I do agree that there are lots of problem in this country but which country don’t have problem.

I think if there is any problem in our country, this is because of people like them who don’t have attitude of seeing positives of their own motherland. Yes you are right, it’s the attitude and I need not have to explain further who’s attitude.

ठंढे दिनों के गर्म अहसास

वो ठंडी हवाओं का जिस्म में सिहरन पैदा करना
वो गुनगुनी धुप की हलकी हलकी थपकियाँ देना
वो देर सुबह आँगन में बैठ किताबों के बीच खो जाना
वो लहकते फूल अमलतास के सिहरते से टूट कर गिर जाना.
जाड़े के उन ठंढे दिनों की गर्मी आज भी साथ है मेरे,
बस वो दिन दूर हो गए है मुझसे
शायद मै दूर हो गया हूँ उन ठंढे दिनों के गर्म अहसास से.

- अमितेश