BAU ;-)

He called me around 10. I wasnt expecting him to phone me at that hour especially when he would have been at college and I at work. Before anything else I asked him - Are you okay?

It was a bit unusual to receive his call, so I wanted to confirm if things were okay with him. He said smilingly - Ya Ya bhaiya, I just read your thought on Divine Souls group so felt like talking to you.

It was BAU...we both talking and expressing our mixed emotions. I guess phone call went for half an hour or so before we ended the call.

It always has been a pleasure to hear his voice and inspirational thoughts. I went back to the days when he too was in Bangalore and we shared a joyous time together. Then he went to Delhi for his studies and I received his call that day. That day I had contributed for 'Thought of the day' series on Divine Souls group, possibly he would have read my name and called me up. It was a pleasure again to hear him.

Day went as it does normally. While on way back I was again remembering the thoughts that he shared on the phone call that day. Also was appreciating how he connected to my name on the thought...why wont he? The thought itself was so good that anyone would have picked up his phone and called some one important in his life. The thought went something like - If you had only half an hour left in your life and one phone call to make, whom would you call? And why are you waiting? This thought is one of my favorites, and perhaps that's why I shared it with all those on the group. Reminds me not to take time for granted, each moment is precious...and should be used very judicially. Good that he called. And all of a sudden my thoughts went around - Oh ! he called me after reading that thought...but I myself did not phone anyone. Before wasting another second, I called some one whom I felt I should be hearing once again.

When I look at myself, such incidents keep happening now and then. I keep talking loud when I see you around..but at times I do fall short of what ever I myself have spoken. Maalik, bless that I follow your guidelines. Rightly did I hear that devotion is a path of selfishness. It has taken a while to understand the meaning, that before anyone else my soul needs to be cleansed. If talks give reminders to others very well but talks would be worthwhile only if I am able to follow. I remember George Ji sharing other day - Irony is that we talk about God, we don't talk to God ! May the connection between You and me keeps getting strengthened, rest is BAU ;-)

Pack of 10 eggs

As soon as I entered house, I thought of returning the recently bought pack of 10 eggs. While buying only, I was skeptical about this pack. I wasn't sure if I'll be able to consume 10 eggs before the expiry date. But then somehow bought this pack, as there weren't many options to choose from.

As I entered the house, I started reading the details mentioned on the pack. "Expiry date is a bit far away, If I eat 2 daily I should be able to meet the target." - my mind was making calculations. And all of a sudden I read something that I took a U-turn in order to return to the shop. "I can't" - my mind saying to me.

I always have been choosy of what I can eat and what not. "Although I can eat eggs but not of ducks, or lions, ......wait a minute...lions dont lay eggs. Chief, do lions lay eggs?"

I have seen Chief smiling when we talk about stuff but not laughing like he did when I asked this question. "Yes, they do in Britain" was his reply with a smile.

And I understood he was pulling my leg :-)

Though I tried my best to link it to spirituality but nothing much I could do. Although the very first thought that came after this incident was - How easy it is to forget what one has been learning all throughout his life !! Maalik baksho !!

Smile Smile mein...

Days ago

‘Prediction was for Sunshine, but its raining heavily. Weather department isn’t working It seems’ – He smiled.
I smiled – ‘What could they do? I prayed for rain today’
‘Ha Ha….I prayed for Sunshine, how come your prayers got heard?’-He smiled.
I smiled – ‘Connection. If you know whom you are addressing prayers to, prayers get answered. If there is no addressee for a letter, who would reply back then?’

Today

‘These days you aren’t praying properly!!’-He smiled.
He smiled. I asked –‘why? what happened?’
‘It didn’t rain heavily today’- He smiled.
I smiled.

Often when Graham and I sit together, we end up discussing weather. The weather outside is so refreshing these days that even eyes appreciate. Graham knows how rains bring smile on my face, and I know how much he looks forward for a sunny day. Today too we were sitting and talking about weather when he reminded me of the remarks that I had given days ago.

Graham – Sun-hill how different are we culturally!! You folks like rains and we admire sunny weather. It’s nice to meet people with different psychologies.

Sunil – Grey-um, I would say how similar we are!! Both of us don’t like what we have seen in abundance.
Both of us smiled.

Oh God !

Caz, as she likes to be addressed as, is a friend from work. Often Caz and I together have walked on way back to home from work. Our talks revolved around TV shows, Indian and English cultures, colleagues etc and not forgetting the most important topic – God. Out of all these topics, God is the one where she has patiently listened without any comments. On one such walk, Caz mentioned – ‘Sunil, I don’t believe in God.’
Respecting her sentiments, I decided that I won’t discuss this anymore. Probably that was the reason why she kept quiet while I talked of quotations, parables etc from scriptures or other sources. That was April 2009.

Not many days passed before we both had to work late nights. The project had gone really bad, and the only way to deliver it on time was to put some extra efforts. We both sat late hours, spent weekends, holidays in office trying to make code work. Every time she made some change, and I tested – result was a failure again. ‘Oh God! Let me try something else’, ‘Oh God! Why doesn’t this work now?’, ‘Oh God! ..’, nothing seemed to work – Caz’s face would go pale as mine. Her sadness and helplessness was obvious from her remarks – and to be honest my state wasn’t different either. Just that I tried to show my balance with my silence. Both of us were exhausted and finally thought of taking a short break.

As I grabbed a piece of Pizza, I couldn’t resist adding – ‘Caz you know?’
Caz – ‘What?’
I – ‘The other day you mentioned you don’t believe in God, and now you were taking His refuge is every single line. Were you making fool out of me? You…..’

I still recall smile on her face which accompanied one on my face.

From the same experience, I admit that being a believer (at least I call myself one) I never thought of seeking blessings when I felt exhausted. But one who called herself as a non-believer made efforts to include and pick strength from God. Her talks may not have sounded like prayers, but at least she called our Savior. And Savior too fulfilled His promise – Include Him in all your ways and He will make all your paths straight! Soon her prayers were answered and we found a fix for our problem. Miracles like this happen now and then, can’t say that I sat down to write a Miracle, instead an experience where I learnt that even if child rejects the existence of father, father still clings to the child.

I meet people who call themselves atheists, I meet people who call themselves believers, I meet people who call themselves religious, I meet people who call themselves spiritual - trying to distinguish themselves from the others. And I wonder where lies the difference? Does vision from Moon distinguish India or England?