Too Good is Not Good

     Human beings are fortunate to have more abilities than any other living beings on the earth. It is our extraordinary power of intelligence and innovation that provides the required edge, to be the most powerful, over other creatures.

     There is no power that can be used only for righteous purpose. When something can be used for right tasks, the scope exists, right there, for it to be used in wrong ways too and human intelligence is not any exception for this, which is why we see bad people around us. Our ancestors could have thought of this possibility and probably that is why they imposed a control in the form of 'Value System'. 

     As time remains invincible, the control is loosing its control and humans are deviating from the so called value system. Such deviation has picked up pace alarmingly in the recent past. Moral values, integrity, ethics are becoming the characteristics of fools. 

     Nevertheless, the basic point is... We need to live with the fact and can't run away from our lives at any cost. Then comes the question of how to deal with the bad guys?

     Recently I happened to come across a quote... "Fighting with a bad person is like fighting with a pig in the mud. After sometime, you will realize that you are getting dirty and the pig, in fact, is enjoying the game". Just because you don't like mud, shall you keep away from fighting bad? shall all good people take the beating and keep quiet?

     The answer is...'No'. In fact a big 'Nooooo'.

     Gone are the days of Gandhian ways. The rules are made to be generic and they should not be taken literally as we have got the wisdom to interpret them in the right way with its basic meaning and spirit unaltered. Even the epic books, the Sastras, say 'It is not a sin to punish a sinner and It is not right to leave a culprit unpunished'. 

     As in the case of fight with pig, try to change the battlefield if possible. If not, don't hesitate to fight in the mud. Show that bad can't win against good as being good is not a weakness but a choice. Having said that, the ultimate goal should be aligned to the basics. For example, it is okay to get dirty but you should not start enjoying the mud.

     Like a lotus leaf which doesn't get wet despite living in water, we can maintain our very nature and still fight the bad.

Dollar Dreams

"Tringgggggggg" .....   The morning alarm buzzed weirdly on a sober morning..

         Of course I never used alarm to wake up on time rather it is always for mere time updates. But today it has already snoozed twice or thrice before buzzing again.

"Ammaa... What are you doing? Kill the alarm. It's not letting me sleep."
"Ammaa...  Maaa..."

'Why is she not replying? Has she gone out to buy milk? Whom shall I ask now? Paapa? No, she would have gone to college by now. Then Dad? No, I don't give such orders to Dad. It seems I have to do it myself.' .....Quick but crisp analysis ran in my mind.

      I got up and stopped the alarm but observed an important thing with my eyes half shut. That is a one line answer to all my questions that bombarded my mind till a while back...I couldn't find the usual things around me. That means... "I am not at my home".

     The last sentence came out of my thoughts and also out of my lips. It was audible to myself... "I am not at my home". Mind started gaining consciousness.

     The apparent inference of the above statement is... I am in Bangalore room.

'But why the hell I came to Bangalore? I don;t recollect any substantial event that made me come to Bangalore. Is there any training that I need to attend or I need to give? Is there any client visit? What is that so important reason for me being in Bangalore? After all, when did I travel from Nellore to here? I don't think I spent a night in any APSRTC bus very recently.'

     Flood of questions in a sequence attacked my mind. But immediately, like a ray of hope in disguise, a thought flashed in mind which could help me get answers to all of these questions...

'Let me ask Raghav...' I turned aside to locate him with my eyes still not wide open.

'What...? I can't see Raghav, nor his belongings?'

     I got my answer to this question that too very quickly. May be mind has started working...I got reminded of him leaving the room few days ago. It also reminded me that Raghav is staying now with his parents.

"Ufff...That's fine." A sigh of relief came out thinking that I got answer to at least a question. But the relief didn't last for long as it sparked many other with no delay.

'No its not fine. If I am not at my home also not in the room... that means... that means, I am at Kalyan's home. That means, with the repeated alarm buzzes Aunty, Anna would have got disturbed by now.'  Mind became alert instantly.

"Damn My bloody laziness and sleepiness... But where is this guy, Kalyan?"

'He doesn't get up before me. Was he needed to go early to office today? But I don't see the surroundings suit even Kalyan's home... It's strange. If not at Nellore, Bangalore room nor 
Kalyan's home...Where am I?'

"Tringgggggggg......."

    The sphere of questions that surrounded my mind so far, disappeared for a moment as My attention was diverted all of a sudden with the alarm buzzing again. Mind does multitasking but at each moment of time the priority is given to only one task. May be human mind is the inspiration for a multitasking computer.

'Oops... I thought I stopped it. Seems it went to snooze mode before I could press the stop button.'
I stopped the alarm and happened to spot the time.

"My Godddddd....."
'How could this happen? I might miss the bus...I might reach office late, no matter how fast I get ready. Ah! the alarm seems to have buzzed many more times. Shoot man....'

    The idea of office and the delay that happened already due to extended sleep gained precedence of all and made me stereotypic. In a time less than the usual, all mandatory things are finished and I reached the bus stop. Certainly one doesn't need to apply mind for such routine tasks and of course my mind was still drowsy.

    While waiting for the bus, the sphere of questions appeared out of nowhere again. 'Where am I? What's happenning?'

    Again a break was applied to all the questions as the driver applied his breaks to stop the bus in front of me and I got into the bus.

"Ticket Please..." a polite order from the driver.

    I took my wallet out of my pocket. The sight of wallet made someone to occupy my mind space and the edges of mouth were stretched into the cheeks to form a curve, the so called 'smile'.
It's my elder sister.

    Within a flash of time, another series of questions pinned my mind. 'Whats actually happening  How come I boarded the bus to office alone? Where is Muks? Why didn't I think of waiting for her? It's long time now since I got used to wait for her for hours daily. Why didn't I call her to know where she is now? She would kill me surely. After all, how can she travel alone all the way to Manyata without me?'

"Excuse me Sir... Ticket please..." The stronger voice of the driver made the sphere of questions to disappear again.

"How much?" I asked in return.

"2 Dollars." the driver replied with a confident but a bit of irritated voice.

"Dollars....?"

This question has brought the complete consciousness to mind as fast as it is erupted... I got to know where I am.