THANDAI FOR OUR HEARTBURNS

 



“There are, obviously, two educations:

One should teach us how to make a living,

and the other, how to live.”

James T. Adama

 

I see, both, respect for time and respect for food, are correlated. To go even further – many other things are correlated, too…

There are these two young boys in my class. Their academic year is almost over. But, I have never been able to make them come ‘on time’, leave alone ‘before time’. I have used all possible motivational tricks in my arsenal… gentle words, harsh words, love and anger… No. Nothing has worked. Their favorite excuse for reaching late is - ‘stuck in the traffic’.

First time, one can understand… But, every time ‘stuck in the traffic’?

“Will they accept this reason at the airport? Will the airplane wait for Your Majesty?”

“Will they accept this reason on the day of your Board exam? Will they wait for you, or give extra time to complete your paper?”

“Will the surgeon and his team wait for you on the operation table?”

“If you can learn to handle the traffic problem there, why can’t you handle it here?” I ask…

“Sir, there is no point in sending reminder messages asking him to turn up before time. If he comes late, simply send him back… It’s okay even if he misses the class. He will learn to respect time. ‘Lathon ke bhoot, baton se nahi mante’,”  the father of one of these boys told me bluntly, last evening. The same was the suggestion by the mother of the other Late Latif… “Send him back, Sir… Let him miss a couple of classes like this.”

The parents, who deal with their young ones’ disrespect for time, won’t give up on their young kids. They may be frustrated, at present… just as their teacher here is. Yes, we may be frustrated at the moment, seeing our tricks not working on these kids. But, then, neither the parent nor the teacher would give up on them…

“Love is incomplete without some heartburns,” I wrote, today, in my message to one of the frustrated parents, “Heartburns come in the package deal of Love… We won’t give up on them (our children).”

Respect for food, as I said at the outset, is correlated to respect for time. A while ago, I came across this popular poster displayed in several restaurants and, even, banquets…

 


 

Last evening, I saw these two school-girls in uniform – probably from class 6 or 7 – returning from their school. It was around 3.45 pm… Both were holding paper plates with pulao and raita served at a local temple… It was a delight watching these two girls relishing the simple food along with their animated conversation…

“Tasty?” I tickled them…

“Bahut tasty,” both chuckled, shying a bit…

And, a couple of days earlier, on Mahashivratri, Leelabai, my office maid for over thirty years, got for me in two paper-classes traditional thandai, which was served at a nearby temple. It was extremely hot that afternoon. On seeing me happily relishing the drink, she, quietly, took from my office two empty Bisleri bottles and brought them back filled with refreshing thandai.

“Kya karun iss se?”

“Ghar leke jao.”

“Diabetics a ghar pe.”

“Bhagwan ka hai… Kuch nahin hoga.”

But, on my way home, I handed half a bottle to the security people at my work place, and handed another full bottle to the security people at my residential building… And, half a bottle reached my home.

As I said, it was an extremely hot day… Everyone was thrilled to have the chilled drink of Mahashivratri… Nobody at my home worried about the diabetes…

“Bhagwan ka hai,” Leelabai had assured, “Kuch nahi hoga.”



I do not know, if you are able to see the correlation between my two students, who, always, get ‘stuck in the traffic’, and my old office maid, who, always, brings me thandai from the nearby temple…

But, I am able to see, somehow…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s: 1. Pixabay  2. TCS

Video: YRF

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