TERI MERI KAHANI







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Just yesterday, 11-year-old Yash was reading out this passage from one of our old publications – ‘Late Bloomer’:

“Sun shines on every one,

Moon smiles at every one’

Stars twinkle for every one,

Rainbow appears for every one,

Rain drops fall on every one one…

Then, yes, then, why should Luck smile
at only some?”



“Yes, why?” I asked Yash, “Why does Luck favour only some?”


What can a 11-year-old say about Lady Luck and her strange ways of smiling?


A few days earlier, I had told Yash this popular story…
GOOD LUCK OR BAD LUCK,

WHO KNOWS?

There lived, in a Chinese village, a wise old-man. He had a great horse and everyone in the village thought that the old man was the most fortunate one. 



Then, one day, the horse fled into the nearby mountains. The news spread through the village and the villagers came rushing to the old-man’s house to sympathize with him on his ‘bad luck’.



But, the wise old-man only said: “Bad luck or good luck, who knows?”



Many days passed by… The horse returned to the old-man’s house – delightfully accompanied by a beautiful mare!



The news spread through the village and the villagers, once again, came rushing to the old-man’s house… this time, to congratulate him on this ‘good luck’.



But, the wise old-man, only said: “Good luck or bad luck, who knows?”



Many days passed by… While riding on the beautiful mare, the old-man’s young son was thrown off and he broke his legs! 



The news spread through the village and the villagers made a bee-line to the old-man’s house, all over again… Yes, this time around, to sympathize with him on his latest ‘bad luck’.



But, the wise old-man had only this to say: “Bad luck or good luck, who knows?”



Many more days passed by… A war broke out with the neighboring state. The soldiers marched into the village and picked every able-bodied young-man. When they came to the old-man’s house, they saw his young son with the broken legs… And, they left him alone!



Now, is it ‘Good Luck’ or is it ‘Bad Luck’…  Yes, who knows?




Personally, I haven’t given much importance to Luck in my life. My attitude has been this: “If Luck comes my way, fine… If it doesn’t, that, too, is perfectly fine.” My hard work and other good-old qualities (for ‘Success’) have not let me down. I have got my fair share. And, if ‘phenomenal’ fame, money and glitter have not come my way, it’s because, I never sought them in the first place. In fact, I still wonder as to how I would have handled such a situation in my life… I am not at all comfortable with all the spotlight…


So, as they say, whatever you deeply like, you attract and whatever you deeply fear, you attract, too!


So be it, in my case.


This Blog is not about me… It’s about Ranu Mondal, the lady, who, by now, needs no introduction from me. Still for the benefit of the Late Latifs (I am, often, one of them!), she made her living singing filmy songs on Ranaghat railway station in West Bengal.  One rainy day or sunny day, a stranger like you and me took a video on his mobile-phone camera of she singing Lata Mangeshkar’s beautiful song, ‘Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai’ and shared it on social media…






The rest became Ranu Mondal’s ‘success story’!

Means: after that ‘casual’ video became insanely viral, some good souls took her to a beauty parlour, gave her a good make-over, draped her in a lovely saree… and, some good Samaritan like Himesh Reshamiyya (I have no idea how many more ‘Good Samaritans’ are there and will be there) took her to a posh studio and recorded songs  with her…

Here is the Song Himesh has recorded with Mondal madam… It’s called ‘Teri Meri Kahani’…






Is Ranu Mondal’s new fate in the glitter world her Good Luck? And, was her old fate on the railway platform Bad Luck?


“Who knows?” That’s all I can say. But, I am really happy for her. May God guard her!



GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Amar Ujala

Videos:1. Debashish Bain 2. Dhubri TV (YouTube)



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