The Great Escape

Netaji had escaped from the house arrest by British for an unknown political destination in 1941. Very few of us know exactly what had happened that night. This is certainly beyond the conventional thrillers. Mr Sujoy Dhar (Correspondent- Reuters Writer, Inter Press Service; Editor- India Blooms News Service / Trans World Features) gives a interesting account of that chilling escape story.

17 JANUARY, 1941. 1-30 a.m.: A loud clearing of the throat was heard from the top floor of a house on Elgin Road in Calcutta. It was a signal that stirred three anxiously waiting men into action. Like apparitions, they tiptoed down the rear staircase of the house, to a waiting car, a rare German-model Wanderer. The people of Calcutta were in deep slumber that wintry night, but the moon was staring bright on the city. So, the men were cautious that there were no shadows on the walls. One of the three was a distinguished-looking Pathan, in his closed-collar brown long-coat, broad pyjamas and black fez. The one carrying a hold-all opened the rear door for the Pathan, after putting the baggage by the driver's seat. Then he walked quickly to open the front gate of the house. The Pathan took his seat but held the door without closing it, so that anybody awake might not hear two doors closing instead of one. The third person now took the driver's seat and slammed the door, the sound of which only roused a pack of crows from their sleep. When the front gate was opened, he started the car and drove out, making a lot of noise and whizzing past the unsuspecting CID men, comfortably settled under blankets on a makeshift wooden bed, at the strategic junction of Elgin Roadand Woodburn Road. They slept, as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose left Calcuttaforever, for an uncertain future and an unknown political destiny .

But lets move back a month or so, to a day in early December, 1940: Mian Akbar Shah was sitting at his home in Badrashi village, in the Nowshera district of the then North West Frontier Province, when peon brought him a telegram that read: "REACH CALCUTTA-BOSE". The 42-year-old handsome Pathan, then a leader of Netaji's Forward Bloc in the North West Frontier Province, took the earliest Frontier Mail, a night train from Peshawar. He reached Calcutta after three days and put up in a hotel on Mirzapur Street. The next morning he went to see Netaji at his Elgin Road residence where he was convalescing after his release from the Presidency Jail on 5 December that year, following a hunger-strike he had launched in jail. Two court cases were pending against Bose, and he was sure the British would not let him out before the War was over. Hence, he resorted to hunger-strike. Akbar Shah found his leader lying on the bed - weak and bearded.

Mian listened attentively as Netaji said, "Now I intend to go abroad, through the tribal territories of Kabul. So I need your help. You have the experience."

"Yes. It is not a difficult task. But you have to travel up to Peshawar by train, and through the tribal border in disguise," Shah replied.

Bose continued, "Mohammed Sharif, a member of the All India Forward Bloc Working Committee, is helping me. On his advice, I have stopped shaving and have grown a beard. I have a black Sherwani, and am learning from Sharif whatever else is necessary for the disguise." Shah told Netaji to assume the name "Ziauddin', and dress like a Muslim.

"It is time to rise and do something for the freedom of our motherland. The war is on, and I think I must get out of India and personally approach the leaders of countries which are enemies of British imperialism, including those of the Soviet government", Bose stated. The two then discussed the plan threadbare. Shah was introduced to Sisir Bose, Netaji's nephew. Shah and Sisir later went out to shop for the necessary items of disguise from Wachel Molla's, the famous Mohammedan departmental store on Dharamtala Street. Before leaving Calcutta, Shah spent some more time with Netaji, instructing him about his behaviour while passing through the tribal areas, and told him to let the beard grow freely. The language barrier, Shah said, could be solved by covering Bose's mouth and ears with a turban and passing him off as deaf and dumb.

The Boses had two houses. Netaji was staying at the Elgin Road house, while the one at Woodburn Park belonged to his elder brother, Sarat Bose. Sisir Bose, son of brother and freedom fighter Sarat Bose, got a summon from Netaji during the week following Netaji's release. It was about 57 years ago, but Dr Sisir Bose can still vividly recall the day which was to change his life so drastically. Reminisces Dr Bose: "My uncle called me and asked, "Can you do a job for me?' I answered with an ambiguous nod. "How well can you drive?" he enquired. I replied, "Tolerably well on the whole." He continued, "Have you ever done long distance driving?' I said 'no'. 'Look here, you'll have to reach me by car, one night, quite far, say Burdwan or some such place. But nobody must know.' Netaji slowy unravelled his mission. Dr Bose, a person not given to excitement outwardly, walked back to his Woodburn Park home, dazed with subdued excitement. His uncle had, in fact, told him to come back with a plan the following day. The secret confabulation began, and the two sat together on the bed and talked like equals. "What struck me most was that uncle was prepared to accept proposals from me ", Dr Bose recalls.

Initially, Netaji wanted his nephew to execute the whole thing without telling his parents, to which Dr Bose had agreed uncomfortably. The escape plan first went thus: Netaji would openly announce that he was retiring for convalescence to Sarat's garden house at Rishra, and from there Sisir would drive him secretly to Burdwan or Asansol. But this plan was cancelled. So was another plot or depart from Woodburn Park. The ground for the cancellations was the same-such moves would unnecessarily alert the police. Finally, they decided that the escape had to take place from the Elgin Road house itself. Netaji's niece, Ila, became a collaborator along with Sisir.

Relations, visitors, servants, the plainclothes policemen around the house, and even the Alsatian of one of Netaji's brothers, were closely watched. The run-up to the escape had its share of comic elements too. Says Dr Bose, "An unemployed but over-inquisitive relative of ours grew suspicious and started asking questions. So Netaji gave him a letter of introduction to some high-up person in the Tata's at Jamshedpur, along with a lecture on the shame of being in a continued state of unemployment, provided him with the requisite money and told him not to return to Calcutta till he was assured of a job. The gentleman predictably returned toCalcutta after Netaji had escaped, and of course without a job.

On 25th December 1940, Sisir gave his first endurance test, driving at a stretch to Burdwan in the morning and then returning to Calcutta to report to his uncle on the degree of fatigue he felt. He was also assigned to get Netaji's visiting cards printed in the name of Mohd Ziauddin, an insurance company travelling inspector.

Meanwhile, Sisir made a reconnaissance sortie to Bararee, near Dhanbad, where his elder brother was working, in a coalfield.

Ostensibly, Sisir was to bring back his mother from there to Calcutta. The details of the plan had been worked out by then. Netaji declared he was going into seclusion for a few days, when he would not see or talk to anyone. Food, strictly vegetarian, would be passed to him across a screen, to be put up in his room. Sarat Bose and his wife were also taken into confidence, and Dwijendranath, son of Sisir's eldest uncle, was to carry on the drama after escape. The Alsatian of Netaji's doctor brother could have posed problems, if left free in the night. So, when it luckily attacked a visitor one night, the collaborators got enough reason to convince the dog's master to keep it chained at night.

The D-Day arrived and night approached. But two cousins in that large joint family chose to hang around. Dwijen had to lead them upstairs and confine them to bed somehow. He later signalled Netaji, Sisir and Aurobindo, another cousin involved in the plan and entrusted with the job of opening the gate, when the road was clear of CID men.

"We drove out and took a detour deliberately. Moreover, in order to get to the G T Road crossing, we avoided the more convenient Willingdon Bridge at Dakhineshwar, taking the Howrah Bridge instead, because there was a toll system on the former. We heaved a sigh of relief only when we reached French post Chandernagore unscathed, without any encounter with the French police. At one point, while passing through Durgapur, then a forested area infamous for its dacoits, we had a near collision with a pack of buffaloes. Fortunately, the brakes worked and we were saved", narrated late Dr Bose, going down the memory lane.

On reaching his brother's house at Bararee, another round of acting followed. The next day, Sisir, his brother and his wife, drove Netaji to Gomoh, from where he was to catch the Delhi-Kalka Mail. "The train was scheduled hours after midnight. We watched him mount the over-bridge and disappear into the darkness. The rumbling of the approaching mail was audible. Eventually we heard the train steam off and then we saw a garland of lights moving away and away …", writes Dr Bose in his account of The Great Escape.

For a whole week, the drama was carried on, till it became public in a pre-meditated manner. Rumours abounded. Even the AIR, in a bulletin, announced that Netaji was arrested near Dhanbad. This was, however, contradicted later by the Associated Press of India.

According to an article by Mian Akbar Shah, titled "Netaji's Escape - An Untold Chapter", Subhas Bose reached Peshawar Cantonment station on 19 January in the same disguise. He was received there by Akbar himself, and Mohammed Shah and Bhagat Ram, also members of the Forward Bloc. Netaji was first taken to a good Muslim hotel, recommended by their tongawallah, but was later shifted to the house of Abad Khan, a trusted friend of Shah's. From Khan's house, Netaji left in the company of Bhagat Ram, Mohammed Shah and a guide, on 26 January, to find his way to Europe through the tribal territory.

In April 1941, all the upcountry collaborators of Netaji were arrested under the Defence of India Rules and put in jail for several years. In Peshawar, Netaji was helped by these men immensely, and made to look like a perfect tribesman.

According to Dr Bose, for two years, the British administration had no clear idea about the episode in Calcutta. The Central Intelligence even took the Bengal CID to task, and replaced them by the Punjab CID, to deal with what they called the Bose File. The Bengal CID's credibility had nose-dived. According to Dr Bose, though some British diehards, till today, try to project that Netaji could escape because the Bengal CID's surveillance on him had laxed, and that he was a free man when he escaped, the fact remains that there was never a moment when the vigil was relaxed on Netaji. The British had agents inside the Bose house, and even used some of his relations for information. "The truth is, Netaji was tracked down even in foreign countries in the '30s. There were at least 12 agents watching him constantly and reporting to the Special Branch on his every activity- from what he ate to who visited him, when. But nobody could dream that Subhas Bose would escape. After all, his plan was to catch the opponent unaware", says Dr Bose." But there was betrayal at some point later, and the British came to know of our involvement," he adds. Dr Sisir Bose was finally arrested in October 1944, and sent to the notorious Lahore Fort before his release in September 1945. 

Netaji had, in fact, maintained his contact with Calcutta after his escape, and sent messages to his brother, Sarat Bose, through the Japanese consulate. But his meticulous escape plan and its execution became the greatest adventure in the Indian freedom movement, and perhaps the most serious bungle of the British Intelligence in India.

Contended Living!

"Nine requisites for contented living: 

Health enough to make work a pleasure. 

Wealth enough to support your needs. 

Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. 

Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. 

Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. 

Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor. 

Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. 

Faith enough to make real the things of God. 

Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future." 

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A Monk Who Didn’t Care for Ferrari

Prologue: I read this at alumniconnect.wordpress.com. I posted it here lest I forget it. This is a blog I would to read again and again. Truly inspiring!

With CPI of almost 10 in B.Tech. at IITK, he could have had any job or admission to any university. He declined all offers of job, admission, or scholarship to pursue one goal – Service to Society.

With 2nd All India Rank in JEE and his almost 10 CPI in BTech (he got only one “B”

grade), he could have had anything that he wanted. He was all set to make a materialistically enriching life, which millions aspire. With three sisters, he is the only son of his parents, and the entire family along with many of his batch mates, begged him to study abroad. A batch mate on a blog wrote, “I occasionallymocked his convictions and told his parents that he would eventually succumbto the lure of dollars, just like several of his batch mates.” But, he couldn’t be deterred from his single-minded pursuit of serving humanity. He would explain, “Just like Silicon Valley, social sectors too desperately need intelligent people.” He declined all offers of admissions and scholarships from prestigious universities and continued his Ph.D. at IITK. His goal: Service to Society

After his B.Tech and Ph.D. from IITK some 25 years ago, Dr. Ramesh Misra, now Swami Ramananda or popularly known as Ramesh Maharaj, teaches at the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University at Belur Math [Name of the alumnus has been changed at his request]. Unmarried, he has dedicated his entire life towards a social cause – education for the masses. He continues to positively impact the lives of the poorest of the poor. Recently, he helped save the life of 12-year-old Sarita, who developed a hole in her heart. Ramesh helped raise funds for her operation. Though many were doubtful of meeting the goal of raising Rs. 3Lakhs, Sarita was back home after a successful surgery, making his IITK classmate and next door neighbor in the hostel, put his faith in Ramesh’s words that , “there are a lot of good people in the world, we just need to reach out to them.”

IITK Days

As a student at IITK, through Vivekananda Samiti, he taught several of the mess workers’ children, besides other poor employees. He also stood for the cause of mess workers for their rights which irked the administration that wanted to take disciplinary action against him. However, the support for Ramesh from Computer Science department was too much to take any action. It is believed that as a revenge for his actions he received the only B-grade of his student life in Sociology course, thus denying him a chance to win President’s Gold Medal. Once again in 1993 at IITK, a construction workers’ cooperative was fighting for the right of full minimum wages to workers and against the contractor system. Workers had decided to organize a fast since the administration was reluctant to take any action. A professor of Computer Science Department and Ramesh joined the fast in solidarity.

24 Karat Pure Gold

Ramesh is 24 Karat pure brilliant gold! This is how one of his batch mate and now an IPS Officer recollects, “In IIT Kanpur and later on in the police service as an IPS officer, I had the privilege of meeting many sharp and intelligent people. But no one ever came anywhere near the pure brilliance this unassuming and simple boy (this is the way I last saw him in 1989 when we graduated from Kanpur) had. To give an example, those of us from Engineering stream know what kind of problems in Physics by I.E. Iredov has. Very few of those who make it to the IIT and other Engineering colleges are able to solve more than 30-40% of these problems on their own without the guidebook. Ramesh could do them all at the time he entered IIT.”

Another batch mate wrote, “I consider myself lucky to have been Ramesh’s batch mate at IIT-Kanpur. Personally I have never met a more gifted person, intellectually and spiritually, in my life. He was able to produce outputs with minimum input and was able to solve problems from all the engineering disciplines (not just computer science). His approach to problem solving is very refreshing and he makes even difficult problems look absurdly simple. If he explains, everyone understands faster and better than what our professors could do.”

This is what one GSV, who was an MTech student when Ramesh was doing his PhD wrote, “Ramesh lived above my room at IITK. I was amazed by the flock of PhD students from all departments standing in line outside his room waiting to see him and solve their thesis problems. He would get up after a long sleep and when asked, he would answer that he was busy teaching and playing with children in the neighboring village previous night. What an outstanding selfless humble personality! Then some students would take him to the Hall 5 mess buy him food and meantime he would crack the students thesis problem (including Mech. Engg.). We all looked at him like a superhuman above every other living student at that time. I knew that time that he could get any job in any country that any other student would desire (including me) but he would not have got the satisfaction that he had right now. We will never understand the bliss and satisfaction that he has right now, because to understand we need to elevate ourselves to that level which is rare to happen. I am proud that a highly intelligent fellow Indian is using his skills to improve the quality of education and future of India’s children.”

Doing your Best is what Matters Most

 Ramesh never cared for any award or recognition. He did not get upset when he was denied President’s Gold Medal at IITK due to one B-grade in a course which everyone thought was due to no fault of his. He did not get up in arms when hisB.Tech project work became a paper in ACM journal (ACM is the highest research society for computer science the EE equivalent is IEEE) but the reviewer of the paper, a renowned professor in computational geometry in Canada, without any contribution to the paper added his name as the first author and his student’s as the third author, putting Ramesh’s name in the middle. Nor he complained when his project partner was showered with accolades for best project in which  Ramesh did all the work. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the society at large, Ramesh was conferred with the Distinguished Alumnus Award by IITK and is among the top 50 most influential alumni.

Childlike Simplicity

 Ramesh’s father was GM at  Bhilai Steel Plant and mother a professor of Electrical Engineering. Ramesh grew up with three sisters – all engineers. Ramesh was not only clear of what he wanted to do in life; he wanted to do it in the most inexpensive way. This is how a classmate of Ramesh from NIT Raipur where Ramesh did his 1st year BE after 10+1 before joining IITK remembers him, “He had only two pairs ofpayjamas and kurta. With a cotton hand bag on the shoulder, he used to go to the slum behind our college to teach students. Her mother used to request us to persuade Ramesh to buy some pants and shirts or at least few more payjamas andkurtas. But he wouldn’t listen.” He remained austere at IITK as well. A batch mate from IITK wrote that he managed to pass four years with just a pair of white kurta-pyjama. His child like simplicity still continues. On one occasion, a fellow monk’s computer was having some problems and he knew that Ramesh Maharaj could fix it. He called Ramesh Maharaj.  Ramesh Maharaj replied that he was quite busy. The fellow monk then told that he will give him a bottle of Thumbs-Up if he comes. Ramesh Maharaj was excited like a child to hear that and quickly turned up. The computer got fixed but, he forgot to drink the Thumbs-Up. “Ramesh is like a kid” – he told.

Courage of Conviction

 Many of us wonder but one of his batch mates from IITK point blanked asked Ramesh, “Did you know what you have done? How on the earth could you abandon all that and take up a monastic life?” He laughed. Throughout our discussion he maintained that it was not a sudden decision. It just grew over him. At the end of my direct question, he told me, “You know, I did not make much of renunciation. It is actually you, who did it. I left lesser stuff for something better and you left the better things to dwell over the mundane matters. Now tell me, who actually renounced?”

“Ramesh’s story is beyond inspiration, recalls his IITK class-mate and next door neighbor in the hostel. When I look around at my batch-mates, many of whom head companies, I consider Ramesh the biggest success story of IIT. His story should be a catalyst for all those who want to bridge the social abyss created by market forces and government inaction.”

Another visitor after meeting Ramesh, reflecting during his journey back home wrote, “Looking outside the bus window I could not help but reflect that Ramesh Maharaj is a wonderful example of an indomitable spirit, undaunted courage of conviction and above all, loftiness of character.  In a world where much of our activity these days is nothing more than a cheap anesthetic to deaden the pain of an empty life, Ramesh Maharaj stands tall with his head held high. Ramesh’s example is a testimony that while there might not be anything wrong inherently, in pursuing our goals, whether materialistic or not, at least some of our life needs to be spent for the upliftment of others who might not be that well-endowed or fortunate. Perhaps it need not always be with money but maybe some of our time, or maybe partially if not in full measure, no matter how small or insignificant the effort might be. I am reminded of Rabindranath Tagore’s quote – Life is given to us, we earn it by giving a part of it to others. It leads me to conclude that the opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s apathy.

Let there be calamities!

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat

tatra tatra jagad-guro

bhavato darśanaḿ yat syād

apunar bhava-darśanam

I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths: Queen Kunti to Lord Krishna (Srimad Bhagavatam: 1.8.25)

Materially conditioned our mind and body resists pain and sufferings. Be it mental or physical, we hate to suffer and sufferings are always prayed to be kept at bay. Yet like it or not, like waves on the shore, sufferings keep on coming back to us on and on.

Surprising here in the verse quoted, a lady, queen to be precise, is asking for more sufferings. But why?

Hard to perceive yet true, sufferings have certain magical values.

We all seek glories and yearn to bask in our laurels. We all seek to become bigger than the biggest and richer than the richest. But for sure no one wishes for sufferings, worst still pay the bill for our dreams.

I'm no exception. But ain't "happiness and success" quite like the damsels of yore, whom everybody desired but none could keep for long, while sorrows like honest friend who are rarely honored yet never leaves you alone.
Lets reflect...

Often when our wardrobes get cluttered, we let it get more so; believing one day soon we are gonna clean them up.

Similarly often our greed and desires starts piling up and we let ourselves gorge into the momentary trap; believing one day we will start our austerity measures and clear it up.
And so for the one last time, let the indulgence begin!

But do we always do what we promise? Particularly the ones we make to ourselves.

Thus when our desires override what we deserve and ego overcasts the mind, comes the inevitable fall.

Imagine opening a wardrobe and piles of clothes falling back to your face. At that time whether you want it or not you have to put things in order.

Sufferings too, are just those times when our cluttered inner-self gets time to clear the cobweb of illusion, which we had failed to do ourselves in the first place, and get back to the track of life firmly grounded to the earth.

Believe it or not, everything happens for a reason. Worry not if the night is long, dark and cold - When winter is here, can spring be far behind?

The Elixir of Life

Ocimum Sanctum

Ocimum Sanctum, the scientific name itself reveals the sanctum sanctorum status this herb or TULSI, as it is known popularly in Indian subcontinent, holds. Though short in stature, this tiny herb is literally a box full of benedictions, considering the numerous medicinal benefits it bestows upon mankind.

Unlike other magical herbs which are found mostly in the womb of Himalayas, “Tulsi” can be seen in most of the houses and temples in the Indian subcontinent and is easy accessible. This however contradicts one of the popular beliefs that most of the valuable things in life are either inaccessible or difficult to achieve.

Known for its extraordinary healing and prophylactic power, you can either chew its leaves directly or drink its decoction or apply its paste or simply smell its aroma, it will heal you in certain ways for sure.

Both the leaves and seeds of Tulsi are mucilaginous which prevent and cure several respiratory disorders. Apart from clearing bronchial tubes it also cures sore throat. In case of acute trouble take it with honey and ginger and you will start feeling better instantly, given its astringent taste.

If you are suffering from any heart ailment, chew 12 leaves of tulsi, twice a day; it will not only strengthen your heart, but will also purify blood and reduce blood cholesterol. Tulsi also strengthens the functioning of kidney and if regularly taken, it can even expel renal stones.

It also maintains dental health, fights bad breath and is very effective for ulcer and oral infections. If massaged on the gums, it can cure pyorrhoea and other teeth disorders. Its paste can cure insect stings or bites along with several skin diseases. 2 drops of tulsi juice into the eyes daily at bedtime can effectively cure sore eyes and other related troubles.

In short, Tulsi balances different processes in the body, and in addition is also considered to be an adaptogen, a nerve tonic, a stress reliever and a memory booster. Given its life saving effects and its potency against even chronic food poisoning it is regarded as an "elixir of life" in Ayurveda and thus goes the title!

Although scriptures don’t sanction commercial usage of this free gift from nature, it strongly recommends nurturing it in the house. In Vedic culture, Tulsi is revered as God’s spouse and symbolizes purity. It is worshiped by circum-ambulation and watering it which in Upanishad, is known to alleviate poverty and promote prosperity, longevity and happiness. Well ain't that obvious! The healthier you are, the more you prosper! 

Krishna Tulsi

Rama Tulsi

Two varieties of Tulsi are found over the world. One with light green leaves and larger size while another with dark green leaves. Given the tonal resemblance of Tulsi’s variety with two of Lord’s incarnations, the darker version is called “Krishna” Tulsi while the lighter one is known as “Rama” Tulsi. Although often mentioned as holy basil, it shouldn’t be confused with basil which has smoother and glossier leaves and is widely used for culinary purpose, in pasta for instance.

Tulsi are easy to grow in tropical and temperate belts however it becomes extremely difficult in the polar region. Green houses or internal lighting is recommended in such regions. Apart from sunlight, it also needs daily watering. As it grows, it spreads very fast and forms manjaries (flower-seeds). Each manjary contains almost 250+ seeds and each of them compete for its own nutrients affecting the plant’s general health. It is thus recommended to clip them off between the two small leaves at the bottom of the manjary, every time the manjary dries and turns brown. Another manjary will grow therein and the leaves will continue to grow. This will keep the Tulsi healthy and ensure thick and bushy growth.

The Taste of a Mango

Once upon a time, there were three scholars who always loved to explore the complexities of this world. Everyday they used to sit under a mango tree and discuss issues far and wide.

One sunny day while discussing, they saw a big, ripe, juicy mango hanging from one of the branches. Seeing it, all three of them expressed their desire of savoring it. Soon they all started discussing about the mango, its taste and different ways of eating it.


Incidentally as they were discussing about the mango, one bird came and sat on the branch bearing that mango. It was quite windy and after a while the as the bird flew, the branch shook and the mango fell straight to the ground.

Mango hanging from a branch

Delighted with their luck, they all rose to pick it up contemplating how to eat it.

Just at that moment, one scholar said "What do you think caused the mango to fall?"

"Oh, it was the wind." one of them said.

"No, it was the bird that shook the branch" argued the other.

The third one reasoned "Well, no it was the weight of the mango and the gravity of the earth"

At this all three of them began arguing. Each one explained with their own mastery, their own theory of how the mango fell. Soon they became so engrossed in their argument that they entirely forgot about the mango.

A little boy was passing by. He saw the three big men arguing and the huge, ripe, juicy mango lying on the ground. He felt what a royal waste and said in a whisper "Never-mind, I will have it". He went straight to it, picked it up and gave one big bite. It was one of the most delicious mango he had ever had. Soon he delightfully devoured his feast. Once done, he threw the seed there and left.

Quite some time later as the three scholars realized what had happened, all they had was- "the stony reminiscence of a luscious mango", they all had missed to relish!

Aren't we all at certain point of time like the three scholars entangled in our own world of complexities? If you really want to do something, just do it!

Stay Simple, Stay foolish!!!

Keep Pushing

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Push!
One day he decided to work and prayed hard to Lord to ask what he should do?
Happy with his prayer, Lord appeared in form of a voice from his heart and asked him to go and push the large boulder on the way up the hill.
Happy to the core, he went to the hill and saw the huge boulder. Inspired and motivated, he started pushing it.
He pushed it with all his strength but the boulder didn't flinch even an inch.
He tried for hours nothing happened. He tried for days and months yet the boulder was still at the same place where he started, it simply refused to move!

Frustrated as he could be, he thought may be it wasn't the good Lord, may be it was Satan, who had tricked him. He stopped and started praying again.

Lord again appeared and spoke from his heart "Keep pushing!"
With regenerated faith, he again tried for months. But with each passing day of his "Sisyphean" labor, his faith kept dwindling.

Now he was determined to pray hard till Lord actually appeared before him and answered him. And so he started!
Happy with his faith and effort, Lord finally appeared before him.

On seeing him, Push asked "Holy Lord, was that really you who spoke through my heart?"
Lord smiled and said "Yes!"
"And so You wanted me to push the boulder?"
Lord again smiled and said "Yes"

"But O Good Lord, I had been pushing it with all my might for days and months together, but look it didn't even move a bit."
What a terrible waste of effort and How useless I have been!, Push thought

This time Lord had to move beyond his monosyllabic replies.
And He said "Push, I had only asked you to push. I didn't want you to move the boulder.
If I really had to move it I could have done it long time ago.
But look at yourself, See how much you have changed.
Look at the muscle that you have developed in the process."

Push looked at himself. True indeed, he was no longer weak but  a strong muscular youth. Overwhelmed with delight, he raised his eyes, but the Lord disappeared just then.

Aren't we all somewhere somewhat similar to what Push had been through, until we realize we have "grown wings" that we never knew existed in the process of a seemingly futile task!

Keep Pushing...