Ankit Becomes Invisible

Ankit worked as a sales manager at a small company in Chennai.  He originally belonged to Coimbatore and had moved to Chennai for work.  He lived in an apartment with two other guys.  A normal day in Ankit's life started with a morning walk at the nearby park. He got back after 30 minutes and got ready for work.  He was at office by 9:30AM sharp.  His long day would get over by 7:00PM, after which he would head back home exhausted.

Ankit worked for a small firm. He wasn't very happy with his job. He wanted a higher position and more salary.  Most of Ankit's friends were settled; some in India, some abroad.

One day Ankit went to a shop with his friend to buy a tee shirt. It was Pongal time, and he felt like gifting himself a tee shirt.  Ankit picked up a gray tee shirt and left. He didn't bother to try it out as he knew it would fit him. He had to go home the next morning as it was Pongal season.  While he was packing his bag, he tried his new tee shirt on.  He didn't feel that anything was different until he looked in the mirror and couldn't see himself!! He got very scared and removed the tee shirt immediately.  He was able to see himself now! For a moment, he froze out of fear and shock! He couldn't understand what had just happened. He tried wearing it again, and the same thing happened. Again and again and again. It took him an hour to get to terms with the fact that the tee shirt made him invisible. How and why, he didn't know.

He wore the tee shirt again and this time he went to his housemate's room. His housemate was listening to music and doing some work.  He entered the room, and the housemate had no clue he was there. Ankit confirmed that the tee shirt indeed had the power to make him invisible.

Ankit had always envied his housemate Alok because he had a much better job. He earned a fortune and owned a big house in Pune.  Ankit had thought that his life was great - a big house, a huge salary, lots of savings.  But that day, Ankit heard Alok speaking to his aunty. Alok wasn't in talking terms with his parents and siblings. The only person who spoke to him was his aunty.  He spoke of how much he missed his parents and sisters and longed for their presence in his life.  All of this came as a big shock to Ankit , as he hadn't anticipated all this.  Ankit didn't wait in the room much; he left.  He got back to his room and wondered why Alok's family broke their relationship with him. He didn't know.

Ankit took his tee shirt with him the next morning to Coimbatore. He was very amazed with it's super powers and didn't want to keep it away. Pongal is celebrated in a grand way in Tamil Nadu. Ankit family and relatives had come home and grand celebrations were on.  Ankit 's relatives ask him the usual question when they met him - when was he planning on settling down.  Ankit had to answer to everyone patiently.  Some of his cousins made fun of him.  He felt quite bad and sometimes wished he had also got married earlier.

One of his cousins Suraj had come from America. His wife and daughter couldn't join him as the daughter had her classes.  Suraj's marriage was spoken to have been one of the most perfect weddings of the family.  His wife was beautiful, and both of them had great jobs. Suraj was the ideal guy of the family - a very big salary and a good marriage.  Ankit's relatives always compared him with Suraj.  Ankit had felt quite envious of Suraj many times before.

That evening Ankit tried out his invisibility tee shirt and was walking around outside his house. He didn't want to speak to anyone for a while, and so he wore the tee shirt.  As we walked, he spotted Suraj speaking on the phone. He spoke of how he hardly ever saw his wife, let apart speaking with her. Both of them were highly successful in their careers, had made a lot of money, but their marriage was empty.  To the world they were a super successful family, but in reality their life was empty.

Many such small incidents happened after Ankit got the tee shirt.  It made him realize a very important thing. He had always thought he wasn't fortunate enough, rich enough, and successful enough. But he now saw that the person who had a huge salary was lonely. Money and success were there, but life as such had no meaning. They say money can't buy happiness, and Ankit had seen it for himself.  The person whose marriage appeared great to society was actually miserable. That day Ankit realized that he should stop complaining about his life and just be grateful for it. He had a job,a family, and so many other blessings.  His life was good.

We sometimes feel that others have it easy or that they are better off than us. But in reality, everyone has their own story. Most of the time, we don't know what someone is going through. So the best we can do is to not judge another person, and to trust that our life is the way it is meant to be. What works for someone might not work for us.

We set ourselves free the moment we trust in the timing of our life and when we stop comparing our life with others. 

Chance? Destiny? Or Just Life?

Richa had just moved to London to pursue her Masters in Art History.  She hailed from Ooty, a small and beautiful hill station in India.  Richa was 28, very independent, smart, and a coffee addict.  She was an introvert and had a small circle of friends whom she cherished.  She loved reading books and she always had one with her, no matter where she went. Books took her to another world, far away from the real world.

Richa had recently got engaged to a family friend's son Ashwin.  He was a doctor, looked very good and was a decent guy.  Ashwin worked in Hyderabad.  He lived with his family and owned a pet labrador.

The first month that Richa spent at London went in her getting adjusted to the new place.  She didn't know anyone there, and felt quite home sick.  She kept herself busy reading more books and studying.  She had always wanted to move outside India for higher studies and in spite her parents telling her to not apply, she did.  She was a good student and got admission in one of the best colleges in London.  Her parents were sad and anxious to send their only daughter to a new country but as for Richa it was a dream come true.

Ashwin spoke to Richa once every few days.  The difference in time zones, his job and her studies made it difficult for them to catch up daily; and they were just getting to know each other.  Richa's mother was a close friend of Ashwin's mother and that is how they came to know each other.

Richa was very ambitious.  She worked as an art director at a studio in Ooty for a few years before deciding to pursue higher studies. She had a boyfriend in college, but once college was over they parted ways.  Richa was busy with work after that and she never really met anyone worth dating ever since.  When her mother asked her about Ashwin, she said yes as he was known to her family.

Richa's classmates comprised of people from many countries.  There were a few Indians as well but they didn't speak much to her. After a couple of months of her first semester, she was grouped with Jake for a project submission.  Jake was from Singapore and had come to London to study Art.  Jake had always wanted to visit India, but never got the chance to.  Richa and Jake became friends instantly.  They were comfortable in each other's company.  Richa taught Jake to speak some sentences of Tamil and Hindi.  There were two other people in their group doing the same project and they hailed from Australia.

Jake had had many girlfriends during the course of his life. But after meeting Richa, something changed in him.  He had never felt anything like what he felt for Richa.  There was something about her that lit up his heart.  Jake had fallen in love with Richa.  But he knew that Richa was engaged to Ashwin and so never spoke about his feelings to her.

Their course got over, and everyone parted ways.  They had completed their Masters in Art History and  their happiness knew no bounds.  Richa moved back to India after her course and Jake to Singapore.  They remained in touch even after their course. They would talk over skype and discuss everything from Art to movies to food to their lives.  Richa started working in a museum at Goa and Jake took up research in the field of art.

Time moved on and slowly Richa and Jake got busy in their own lives and lost touch.  Richa was planning on getting into entrepreneurship eventually.  Jake wanted to become an art researcher.

A couple of years had passed by.  The prestigious Noman Art Fest and Award Ceremony was happening at London and Richa was attending it.  She was part of the alumni volunteer group of her college.  Jake happened to have been selected for the Youngest Contributor in Art Research Award.  It so happened that life brought Richa and Jake back in touch with each other.

Richa wore a Kerala sari and a big bindi for the event and was looking absolutely stunning.  Jake saw her and felt himself feeling the same way for her as he had when they were classmates.  He was still in love with Richa.  After speaking to her, he got to know that she and Ashwin had decided to part ways a year after she returned to India.  Both of them didn't feel any connection.  They weren't in love.  As for Jake, he wasn't dating anyone and kept himself busy with his research work.

That evening Richa and Jake spoke for a very long time. They spoke about everything they had missed out in each other's lives, and what was going on in their lives. To Jake's surprise Richa told him that she too had liked him while they were studying but hadn't said anything to him since she thought he didn't feel the same way for her and that he had someone else. And she was engaged to Ashwin.

Destiny, fate or chance? Or just life? No one knows. But that day Jake proposed to Richa without a ring and Richa said a Yes! There was no Ashwin or any girlfriend to come in between them. They were meant to find each other and they did.  Life has strange ways of working.  Two people from two different countries were destined to meet each other in another country and fall in love. And they did.

They got married in Ooty, and moved to Singapore a week later. And Jake's wish to visit India came true, in fact he now became part of an Indian family.

Finding Inspiration

We all have those times when we feel like we need a little extra inspiration. It could so happen that while we are working hard, we feel a little confused or our focus is blurred.  It's a race out there and at times we can end up questioning where is everyone (including us) headed to.

Inspiration can come to us from unexpected places and at a time when we don't expect.  It can come from nature, a pet, a stray, a movie, a known person or a complete stranger. We always need to be on the lookout for inspiration.

I have personally found nature to be very healing and relaxing. It teaches us to be patient and take one step at a time.  After all, if we observe flower, it blooms only when the time is right.  Not one day before, not one day later. Fruits grow during the season when they are meant to. They don't hurry to grow or ripen.

I saw a video by a completely unknown person today. It was a very short video, and what he had to say wasn't much. But it had deep meaning, and made a big difference in my life. I hadn't meant to watch his video but it just so happened.  What he said was that it is important to get away from it all every once in a while. And ask ourselves why do we do what we do. So if we take up learning a new language and feel demotivated after a while, we need to ask ourselves why did we start in the first place. This helps us get things into perspective. It gives us some fresh thoughts and ideas.  He also spoke about how he goes running every morning and how it helps him clear his mind. He returns feeling motivated, and good. The video is really short but I highly recommend it to anyone needing some focus and inspiration. I will share the video details at the end of this post.

Inspiration can also come from family or friends, or at times strangers.  My sister has always brought me back on track every time I felt I was lost or confused. They also say that it is not the quantity of friends you have in life, but the quality of the relationship you share with them.  Some of my friends have seen me at the best and not-so-best times. They inspire me as well.

So every time you feel your clarity is blurred or you need motivation, turn to someone or something that inspires you. A pet, a plant, a walk, the stars, your friends, or yourself.

And keep shining.

The video details: Why I Made This Design Channel By Cody Brown.

La Luna

Nikhil and Priya hailed from Karnataka.  Nikhil was a software developer in a company in Bangalore.  Priya was in the midst of switching careers.  She worked in a PR firm for a few years, but eventually realized that her passion was somewhere else. She then took up some courses and was studying to get into a new field.  She too lived in Bangalore.

Priya was a simple and fun loving girl.  She found happiness in the little things of life, like a hot cup of masala chai.  She was very talented and was still finding her place in the world.  She had hit her 30 a year back and her family and relatives were concerned about her wedding. A Mr. Right had to be found for her soon, or else all the Mr. Rights in the world would be taken, according to her relatives.  While all this was happening in Priya's life, a similar pattern of events was going on in Nikhil's life as well. He was a couple of years older than her, and his family wanted him to find his Ms. Right soon. Nikhil was the serious kind. He read a lot of books, participated in theater, and enjoyed instrumental music. He was a tabla player himself, and still played the tabla at local functions when he got the time. 

Nikhil's proposal came for Priya through an aunty and both the families were very excited even before anyone had really met.  After a few days, Nikhil came to Priya's home with his family and they spoke for a while. The families liked each other and so did Nikhil and Priya. In the days to come, they decided to meet up a few times and after about a couple of months, they realized they had found 'The One'.  The families were very happy that the marriage was fixed.

In India, marriages are a huge affair. People spend months planning and organizing the function. For many people, it's all about candid photography, clothes, food and all of this. Many people prefer having destination weddings. Priya and Nikhil's parents wanted to make the wedding a very big event. They wanted a lavish wedding. They thought of places for the wedding, but couldn't find any idea that hadn't been thought of  before. Beach weddings were common, hill stations were also increasingly common these days. They also thought of places like Rajasthan, but then that again was common. 

"So what now?", asked Aunty N (Nikhil's mom). To which Aunty P (Priya's mom) replied "I just thought of a wonderful idea. Why not have the wedding on the Moon?"  Aunty N was a little startled but seemed to love the idea just as much as Aunty P. "But can we really do that?", asked Aunty N. "Öh yes, absolutely! Lets start our planning", replied Aunty P.

A spacesuit designer was specially called  from Mysore. He had many years of experience in the field of designing ethnic and rich looking spacesuits, with lots of intricate work.  The color of Priya's spacesuit was peach with gold and lots of stone work and Nikhil would be in a blue spacesuit.  The theme of the wedding would obviously be "The Moon".  Invitation cards were printed and everyone was busy getting ready for the wedding. 

Priya couldn't believe that the families were actually planning a Moon wedding. "Are they serious?", she asked Nikhil. Nikhil gave a blank look. He was yet to believe it too. Priya and Nikhil got along really well. In-spite of all the differences in both of them, they never got bored with each other. And there was a mutual affection between them.  They connected really well. Both of them didn't like loud functions. Simplicity was their cup of tea. But as far as their wedding was concerned, no one paid heed to what they were looking for - A simple and warm function with a few important people. 

Aunty P and Aunty N had a tuff time finding a caterer. All the caterers said they only took assignments on earth. After a lot of search, Nikhil's dad found a Rajasthani caterer, who agreed to prepare a few Karnataka dishes as well. He asked for a space suit to be designed specially for him. He wanted his spacesuit to have the logo of a camel on it. Aunty N frowned but eventually agreed to the demand as he was the only caterer available for a moon assignment. 

Most of the arrangements were made, except that there was no pandit available who would travel to the moon. An uncle offered to disguise as a pandit, but this idea was ruled out by the others. What they needed was an actual pandit. 

In the midst of all this, Priya and Nikhil felt very stressed out. He had a job that took most of his time, and she was busy figuring out her new career field and courses. The moon wedding to top it all up freaked both of them out. 

A wedding is nothing but a function that celebrates the union of two people. Why complicate it so much? Why think of wedding themes that take up so much energy when all that matters is that the two people to be married are happy with each other?  All these thoughts went through the minds of Priya and Nikhil. They discussed this every day with each other. They didn't find any meaning in such complicated functions. They felt that the personal touch of the function seemed to have got lost.  

A lot of planning continued, and there was no end to the number of event managers the families had met. A lot of it seemed so superficial and unnecessary to Priya and Nikhil. 

"I really want to get away from all this. So much stress for a wedding, that too our wedding, that too on the moon!!!?? ", said Priya. Nikhil was equally tired of all the unnecessary drama and preparation. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?", asked Nikhil. "How will I know what are you thinking, Nikhil?" , asked Priya, astonished. "Let's just have a register marriage. It is simple, and easy. We will speak to our families and if they don't agree, we'll elope ", said Nikhil after taking a sip of chai. " Eloping in an arranged marriage does sound funny, but that would actually mean we can get married on earth, and not involve the moon wedding", said Priya. 

Though they had made all plans to elope, they didn't really have to.   The moon wedding had to be cancelled as no pandit agreed to travel to the moon.  Nikhil and Priya had a register marriage some time later! The families were very disappointed, but most of the important people attended the function. And that is what mattered.  The Rajasthani caterer was asked to handle the reception and he wore his camel spacesuit to it. 

What matters is how well Nikhil and Priya got along, and not how big their wedding function was. We can find happiness in the simplest of things.

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