A Step Closer To Altruism - An Early Evolution

                Peace is something we all yearn for, knowingly or unknowingly. I was clearing out old stuff today to shift my house and I found this piece of paper with an incident in my life which took me back to my college days with the fond memories. I had written this in April, 2005. I decided to blog that small portion of my life - those few hours that made a big difference in the way I perceived things thereafter.


               This is my final year in Engineering (B.E. ECE). I’ve got my project review tomorrow. I was upset in the evening. My project wasn’t complete. It actually was, but for a few components. I had trouble with a particular digital-to-analog converter IC (DAC0800). I just didn’t know how to make it work. What was really bothering me was that I had designed and developed the whole system, at least most of it. Everybody in my class, except my project mate & me, had either bought their projects or had taken it from some electronic magazine. The failure of my work, I feared, would prove me to be incompetent.

                So, I went for a walk in the evening. I went to a temple – a temple build in the 13^th century. Not many people came there. It was about 12 KM away from the Kanchipuram. I finished my rounds and prayers; and sat quietly near the sanctum of the Goddess. The priest had already left. I spent some time crying - crying because I couldn’t make my project a success. Then, putting aside all of these, I went for food to Anu akka’s house. That’s where I have my food when I’m at Kanchi.

                When I went there, the scene there diverted me from my grief. I was chatting with the couple and playing with their kid. I also spent time chatting with Karthik (Kopu), my friend who had rented a room in their house. After a while, Magesh came in. Actually, that’s when Magesh came in!

                Magesh is doing his final year in MBA in our college. He lives on top of Anu Akka’s house. He is also a good friend of mine. We don’t meet very often. We’re a typical example of ‘Hi-Bye’ friends. I don’t mean to say that we’re acquaintances. We’re friends. At least, that’s what I feel from within.

                He walked straight into the kitchen with a sweet packet in his hands giving all of us great news – he was placed in Standard Chattered. The news was great for him. I, too, felt a joy in that. Probably, for the first time in my life, I felt happy for someone else’s success. As far as I can remember, this is the first time in a while when a peer’s success didn’t give me any pressure or make me feel that I missed out on something. I, however, remained quiet. Magesh distributed the sweets to everyone here and went on top to his room. I sat for a few minutes, not fully focusing on what was going on around me. I was sub-consciously beneath a joy in me - a joy from within. I was not aware that I was experiencing it.

                After sometime, I got up and went to his room. I went in search of Shiva, Magesh’s roommate. No one was there. I went to the area just behind their room – a terrace kind of area. He was sitting on the roof of his room. There was a nice breeze. I climbed up and sat next to him. From his roof, I saw the Kamakshi Amman temple. A beautiful view! Hardly a hundred yards away from us was the temple. I sat next to him. That’s when I began to realize the joy in me. I sat in silence for some time, enjoying this, partly aware of it. Then I spoke to him for a few minutes till I was called for dinner below. While leaving, I said ‘Keep in touch.’ Experiencing such peace, I walked away with a little love and joy; but no attachment.

I walked on subtly realizing that there is a guarantee for everything. There is always hope hanging around for all of us. Every day comes after, and only after, a night. But each day teaches us something new, awakens something in us and brings about realizations in us – realizations we have never realized before.

The Beggar's Touch

It was a late Saturday night. My friend had dropped me at the entrance of the Pallavaram railway station (about two and a half hours of walk from my house) in Chennai. I had to catch a local train to T Nagar (about half-hour walk to my house). We spent a few minutes sitting at the entrance steps of a shop, adjacent to the station, discussing deep topics. After he had left, I proceeded to the station climbing the over-head foot-bridge that connected the station to the roads on either side. As I reached the top, a beggar sitting at the corner waved his hand at me and called out “Sar… Sar…” Curious as to what he wanted, I responded by going and standing in front of him. He took out a ten rupees note and held it out to me; requesting me to get two cigarettes and two water-packets for him from the shop at the bottom of the bridge. I took the money from him. Just as I had turned, I saw a local train going in the direction that I needed to go in. It is hardly a two minute interval for which the train stops. It was 10:45 PM. I was not even sure if there would be a train after this. Unless I run, there would not be a chance for me to catch the train. I turned to the beggar. Seeing my situation, he again asked me in Tamil “please, Sir.” I took a moment to think. It was then that I actually had a good view of him. He was in rags and had his legs cut. Most of his face was covered by his beard and hair. Realising his plight, I subconsciously decided to face any consequence for missing my train; even if it meant to walk to my house late at night. I went down, purchased the items, and returned back hoping that there would be one more train that night. No other thought occupied my mind at that instant. As I gave the items to him, he held my hand, put his face into my hands and burst into tears. Crying for a few moments, he said “There is hardly anyone who understands the poor and their needs. We're not even treated like human beings.”. Saying so, he gave me a picture of MGR (an ex-chief minister of Tamil Nadu who is known to have done a lot of reforms for the poor). I felt sorry for him. He was completely bereft of compassion, companionship and hope. Not sure what to do, I gave the picture back to him and let go off his hands. The people, who had just come in the train that came and went, began shouting at him asking him to move out of the way. He shouted back at them. I turned and walked away – shocked, touched, moved and sorry. There was one more train that night. I reached home and started crying realising as to how lucky I was to have loved ones who would go to any extent for my welfare and happiness.

Population Check

When I was a kid, the back of trucks/vans/autos would have "We two, Ours two"

When I came to College, it became "We two, Ours one"

Now, after Section 377 was struck down, we should see "We two, their's one"