Sometimes a good soul comes in your life without knocking

She used to call me every alternate day to buy a new credit card of a reputed bank where the entrance charges and annual fee were on a higher-side. I was having couple of credit cards of other banks already and I was in no mood to buy yet another credit card just for the sake of it and that too by paying a hefty joining fee, to be honest, I was not prepared for it, in anyway.

Our telephonic conversation continued for almost a month; she was very consistent, regular and strong in her follow up; in spite of my unwillingness, I had to accept her suggestion and said yes to her offer to buy yet another credit card by paying a very handsome joining fee, at last. Within next 21 days, I got the said credit card with lots of free gift vouchers. Finally, I was relieved that everything was over and I would get no-more phone calls from another telemarketing executive any more, but I was so wrong in my calculation.

Almost 50 days later, I got a phone call from a stranger, who straight away started talking about my family as if she was the part and parcel of my family and I didn't know that member? How ridiculous it sounded but it was true. Then I realized she must be my wife’s relative, but again I was proved wrong by her statement: “You could not recognize me, I am Ismita Patel, remember?" But I heard her saying “Smita Patil, she was my favourite Hindi film actress but she died long time back. Then, how come she was calling me now, why and from where? I was much exited and asked her in a very harsh-tone, “Are you joking with me?”, in reply she said “Sir, it’s me Ismita, you remember me, I used to call you for a credit card…” I was deeply embarrassed and felt very bad after realizing my mistake; how could I forget her so soon, and I immediately tendered my sincere apology for not recognizing her at the first instance.

Thereafter, she started calling me occasionally, in the beginning it was once a week, which became twice a week later on every alternate day she used to call except the week ends and holidays and her first sentance used to be "Can we talk, if yoy are busy, I will call you later". And after my consent only, she continued her conversation, otherwise, she used to hang-up. She always talked about her family, job, relatives and friends.  Slowly, she started enquiring about my job profile, my family members and this continued for few more months. Gradually, she became my well wisher and I used to feel uneasy if she did not call me by the weekend.

And all of a sudden, I stopped getting her calls. I waited for a full one week but I did not get her phone call. I had never met her personally; moreover, it never occurred to me to meet her once. I only knew this much that she was working in an outsourcing company, married with children, that’s all. I was having only her mobile number and she never gave me her alternate mobile or landline phone numbers, office or residential address. And to my utmost surprise, after waiting for her call for ten days to be precise, when I tried to contact for the first time, her mobile phone was not answering my calls and later on, when I tried again, her mobile phone was under switched-off mode. There was no way through which I could contact her; I was feeling so helpless, idiot and stupid that in spite of my best, honest and sincere efforts, I could not trace her.

I don't understand one thing, why she was calling me repeatedly at the first place. She had never ever asked for any assistance, favour and/or help. She neither invited me to meet with her family members nor she expressed her inclination or desire to meet with my family members even once, but she always used to ask about their well beings.

More than seven years have passed since her last call; I never heard from her again till date. I don’t know how she is, where she is, what she is doing. I sometimes get negative feelings also but then I immediately start praying to God Almighty to keep her and her family in good esteem and right spirit, wherever they are; they should all be happy, healthy and safe.

At the end, I only ask my Lord, why it happens with me that from nowhere a good soul comes in your life without knocking, stay with you for sometime, try to make your life comfortable, give you many valuable advices, makes you feel important, pampered, special, wanted and then, all of a sudden, without any notice, leaves you all alone again in this cruel world only to wait for her indefinitely with her beautiful, sweet, warm and unforgettable memories.

With Prayer

Gurcharan

I always feel him around me with his bright, shining and smiling face

I was very close to my father. Almost eight years have passed since he left me alone but I could not forget him; he is still alive for me in my world, may be because I loved him so much. I don’t understand why people, whom we love the most, leave us early in our lives.

My father was the proud parent of three sons whereas I am having three beautiful daughters but he never felt sad about it. Instead, he used to encourage me by saying –“With three daughters, you will also get three sons in the form of their husbands, so don’t worry”.

I fully understand what my father used to think of me when he was around. I am sure, he wanted me to live my life happily, trouble free without any hassles and worry in a very peaceful manner, which should be full of happiness, joy, love, peace and I should never ever face even an iota of problem throughout my life.

Today I am living my life alone, without his presence, cover, protection or shelter makes me very sad, unhappy and sick. I have stopped enjoying my life the way I used to enjoy when he was with us. I was living my life without any fear, tension or worries because, I knew, he was there to take care of every-thing and that he will never let me down. For me, he was my second God who had actually introduced me to my first lord the God Almighty.

I am trying to do many things for my family, in his style, but I am not coming even 10% closer to what he actually used to do for us. All my best and sincere efforts to make my family happy have failed miserably and have gone to the drain due to lack of my devotion, dedication, intensity and love.

He always thought about us first; his personal choices, likings and interest always came later. Throughout his life, he lived for the family first; his love was so deep and intense, which could not be defined in words. I have seen him awake the whole night during summer times, when at mid-night, electricity used to go-off and he gave us air by handmade fan so that our sleep was not disturbed.

We were his first and the last priority and we four were his entire world. He had no friends and we were his only asset which included my mother and us, three brothers. I have never seen him buying anything for himself. I never saw him making any request for any particular dish or item to our mother. Whatever my mother cooked, he used to eat, even if the food was more or less spicy, did not matter to him and he never objected or shouted at my mother. Later, when my mother used to realize her fault, after eating, she used to cry and say sorry, but my father, who never lost his temper, always kept his cool and used to give his soft smile.

Since my childhood, whenever I used to get up in the morning, he was already awake doing his ‘Puja’ and at night when I used to go to bed, he was still busy with his prayers. He always used to recite ‘Gurbani’ and advised us to do ‘Simran’ on a regular basis.

Today, he is not with us, but his memories are still alive and very fresh in my mind. Whenever I feel sad, low or disheartened, I close my eyes and remember him in my prayers and suddenly, I feel him around me with his bright, shining and smiling face looking straight at me with the same intense, deep and soft look, full of his affection, blessing and love, which he always bestowed on us unconditionally. I pray to God Almighty to bless my father with a permanent place in HIS heavenly abode, Amen!

With Prayers

Gurcharan

I have made mistakes and must ask for forgiveness

I always used to think that one should have a friend who is perfect in all respects and it should be without any pre-conditions and promises. Both should be dedicated to each other and should feel very safe and secure in each other’s company. They should be firm; that what ever comes their way, nothing can break their friendship; and they are and they will remains true friends till the last breath of their lives.

It sound very interesting, but should be applicable to both the parties, who thinks in this fashion and expects the whole world's favour first and thereafter they will put the right foot forward towards their dear friends.

There were many examples in our history where “Friendship” has been given a new definition. I am referring to Lord Krishna’s friendship with Sudama and Duryodhana’s with the Karna.

In the above relationship, the first friend is very rich, powerful and highly influential with high standing in the society whereas the second one is poor, weak and having no status or standing in the society. Here, the first friend can survive without the latter but the same is not true with the former.

I have learnt very hard way in my life that friendship become successful only if it’s based on “give and take” formula which works out to be the best and sustainable relationship; otherwise the one-sided liking, favours and support dies very soon and it becomes a liability for the friend who sacrifices the most.

My God has always been very kind to me and I have been blessed with not one or two but many friends, who love me so much and I always cherish their affection, concern, care, love, warmth and also felt wanted by them.

Although I am not a perfect human being, neither very rich and brave nor very resourceful and without any power or social status, but at the same time, all my friends are very powerful, rich, strong with a powerful personality and they have always taken care of me and stood by me as and when the need arose the most in my life.

Today, when I sit back and think about it, I feel so delighted, grateful, happy, honoured and obliged that they have done much more than what I have done to them. They have always been the center of attraction, although I could not do any-thing for my friends but yes, they always tried to remain honest, loyal, true and dedicated to me whole heartedly.

They always bestowed their love and affection without any expectations or return, never lied to me and always wanted to be honest, simple, straight-forward and transparent without hiding anything from me. They communicated very frankly with me without any hitch or hesitation and I always felt at ease and comfortable with them in any given situation.

But, many a time, knowingly or unknowingly, I have hurt many friends with my words, deeds and actions in. I knew for sure, they have not liked it but still they kept quite due their deep love for me. I appreciate their silence but it’s not done. I have made mistakes and must ask for their forgiveness.

I pray to God Almighty to give all my friends: fame, good health, wealth, joy, happiness, love and peace. May the Lord fulfill all their wishes and desires and shower them with everything they need, simply because they happen to be my true friends and they truly deserve it.

With Prayers

Gurcharan

We don’t have to make false promises to anyone any more.

It has never happened with me in the past, but lately, I don’t know why, I am getting more and more worried about my family. I want to finish all my responsibilities as a son, husband, father, friend and a good human being. It's more so because all the pending work should have been completed by now; all the commitments, obligations, promises and pledges, which were made to my Lord when I was in my mother’s womb; to my daughters at the time of their birth; to my friends when they accepted me as their true friend and last but not the least to my dear wife with whom I tied the knot in front of our parents, relatives, friends and the priest who performed our marriage in presence of the God Almighty.

But when I go deep down into my worries, it becomes more intense, which further makes me impatient, scared, tensed and uneasy. I need many more lives to complete, fulfill and honour all those commitments, obligations, promises and pledges, which I have made in this very life.

Now it’s very clear to me, because it’s always easy to commit but very difficult to fulfill. Today, when I have decided to actually fulfill those obligations, I am finding it very difficult, hard and almost impossible sometimes to serve them.

I am totally in a fix, I have realized after years of running around in my life that many promises are made for fun sake, they were just hollow words, which meant nothing and it was to please someone for  formality sake. But at the bottom of our hearts, we all knew for sure that we will never fulfill those promises in rest of our lives.

But in spite of all odds, we keep on repeating the same mistake, again and again, some times we do it as an old habit of promising and then breaking it - as the adage goes 'promises are made to be broken', without any guilt, regret and shame; realizing very little that what ever we have spoken in this life has been noted down with minutes details by the Mother Nature.

I have sincerely tried to fulfill those promises which are essential, important and a must. But In spite of my sincere efforts I could not do so. Now the time is running out of my hands and the D-day is fast coming closers and closers and I don’t know when the curtain of this life will come down.

Today, I have left with no option but to either act upon now or accept my defeat of in-competency, incapability and poor performance of an untrustworthy and unreliable man who couldn’t keep his words as a perfect gentleman.

Moreover, there is no choice left to me also, either you fulfill those promises or face the consequences, that’s it. Therefore, first I have tried to lookout for all the shortcuts but was not successful. Then I thought of making contingent plan but that also failed. Later, I tried to use crisis-management lessons to solve the puzzle yet failed again.

I have no confidence, guts or strength left to face the chief justice of this universe with the dignity any more. I can't deny or contradict about my mistakes, because I have done it and I must accept my responsibility whole heartedly.

Finally I have decided to stop making promises, leaving everything in HIS hands and started renewing my life on day-to-day basis. I wake up in the morning, I thank my Lord for giving me yet another day's life, I plan my day accordingly and try to finish all the day’s work before dawn. At night, before going to bed, I again request my Lord to grant me good night sleep without any disturbance and interruptions.

After a good night sleep I wake up again in the morning, I repeat the same prayer again to my Lord for the new day/night in my life. For the past three months, I am doing these things on a regular basis, and to my utmost surprise, I have nothing to loose because now I don’t have to make any more false promises to anyone any more.

With Prayers

Gurcharan