Knowing self

Having not felt or experienced poverty or hunger in life,its been a smooth sail for me since birth.Of course none wants to be born poor or feel it.I had had no much feeling on how pathetic that particular situation is other than the statistical information that I get from news media or internet until I saw something which still remains fresh and haunting.

I was on my way to New Delhi to attend a quiz competition.It was a marathon train journey and just the thought of spending three days in train was really disheartening.But an opportunity never knocks twice,so I thought this is my chance and had decided to attend the competition along with my classmate and my teacher.We had carried with us ,a lot of food stuffs,especially a lot of snacks.It was really a nice journey and we were in the last day of our journey.It was almost around 11 am in the morning when I remembered that I was carrying 3-4 bananas with me and I had forgotten to take them out.It was stuffed deep in the bag and two days of its stay in the bag had almost melted it.It had become something like a paste.We ate those parts which we found comfortable with and the remaining we threw at the track.I think at that time,the train was halted at Mathura.I could see three-four children with torn off clothes and dusty faces jumping out from the platform to the track.I was wondering what they were looking for.I was to witness the most heartening scene I had ever seen in my life.I could see those children fighting for those pasty and uncomfortable part of the food stuff that we had thrown on the track.Leave the uncomfort and things,the whole hygiene factor was thrown out in air coz they only needed something to answer their bellies.They cleared the food stuff and had a satisfied and elated faces.

I was just thinking about the limits or parameters that different people set in their lives.I was uncomfortable with the food and had thrown it off,but that was more than satisfactory for three to four bellies.May be they wouldnt have been getting a better food or just food for days.Our nation does teach us a lot of lessons.Its not about the cultural diversity and artistic fascination,its more about the extremities of life that we see here.We have executives who would deny to travel in any other vehicle other than the S-class Mercedes Benz,where as at the other side we have people who scratch out food from tracks and roads.Their needs being different.For one life is about excelling and putting in towers of pride and power,for the other it being a story all about existence and survival.


After having seen such a thing,I just recall the scene in Swades where Sharukh buys a glass of water from a boy in spite of having mineral water with him.May be I feel I am realizing more the realities around me.Its not all about just living out in luxuries,but having a feeling,at least understanding the ground realities , understanding people around us,understanding life around us.That particular incident made me know how lucky I was.At least I am assured of the basic security of existence.So now I learn the importance of being satisfied with what I have and dont remain complaining about what I lack.I dont always believe desires are always the reason for unhapiness,maybe expectations are;but I strongly feel desires shouldnt be a reason for dissatisfaction.