extra thinking....
This time I was at school, My 10th std. board exams were just over. I had already enrolled myself for a camp during the vacation. I used to catch these camps (scouts and guides) occasionally during my schooldays. I loved those tented life for some reasons, felt like serving in the army. I enrolled for this particular camp without even reading properly the kind of camping and the camping location. After finding the details I was terror struck, this camp is not the regular ones I used to go, this is about Yogasana and Hindutuva.what...........!!!.And the location is a small agrakaram(a small Brahmin location) in deep interior tamilnadu!!!!!!!!!!!.
Being brought up as a Christian, less likely my parents would accept if I utter the reasons for camping .so I dressed up in the usual scout uniform(a camouflage) and left my home with authentic non vegetarian foods, my mom usually packs these for me while camping. All of our class mates assembled at our school, after some act of bullying from my friends I changed my dresses to casuals .we a group of 30 people were accompanied by our civics master, who is one of the most feared creatures at my school. Now going to camp felt like eating raw onions with green chilies ..........
I never imagined the location to be that far, It took us a whole day after we hit the road to reach the spot. Sun has just set in that mountain bound village, hymns and temple bells graced our arrival with a pure fresh air shaving our faces. The streets scented with agarbathis(fragrant sticks) and camphor added purity and holiness to the there, It felt like the village remain untouched by the rest of the world.
We took refuge at a huge open hall .There were students from different schools already scattered around the hall. After a short rest we were asked to complete the dinner, everyone opened their food stuffs and started eating, considering the location and people around I was little skeptical in opening my stuff as I have brought spicy non -vegetarian items(chilly chicken, prawn gravy,briyani) and I didn't expect such a huge vegetarian(Brahmin) people gathered all around. I believed as soon as I open my stuff the aroma would make people around mock at me like a dirty creature. To avoid embarrassment I decided to take the food out and indulge. So I whispered in my friends ear as an invite to join me out. He looked at me as if I asked his help to murder some one. Finally he agreed and we decided to walk out ,eat quickly and return as soon as possible as there may be a gathering shortly.
Now finding a place took us time finally we spotted a corner ,for the first time I found difficulty in swallowing my favorite food. We were unable to complete it. Already we started hearing bhajans from the camp , we decided to stop and return to the base immediately. Unable to trash these(again for the holy place factor) I decided to trash it in the toilet adjoining the open hall.
As soon as we entered the hall I found all the people assembled neatly in one corner of that huge hall. As soon as we entered the teacher stopped the proceeding and starred at us with his hands folded (may be they were searching us for attendance) the entire assembly joined the teacher in unison to stare at us. He waved at us to come there, I started walking towards the toilet to trash the foods where as my friend became an immediate approver and started walking briskly towards the teacher. He shouted at me ' you there! come here' my heart pounded heavily and felt like it would jump its way out through my mouth. I walked towards him in a snail pace hiding the plastic bag behind. In the mean time my friend has already reached the spot and confessed everything in front of the assembly. I heard a heavy roar of laughter.
Now the teacher started walking towards me I knew straight away I am in a spot of bother. He asked me what is that I am hiding, I told 'nothing‘, he forced me to show, when I was so reluctant he turned me around and checked the bag, may be he doubted I am carrying cigarettes. After seeing the food stuff he gave me a wild stare. Now I expected a blow from him any time, But he told nothing he gave back the bag to me with a nasty sarcastic smile and left back to the assembly.
In this state of total embarrassment I managed to trash the food stuff and returned to the hall where I found everyone ready to go to bed. I managed to whirl around in a corner like an orphaned puppy .
That night was long and sleepless. next morning we left for sight seeing and when I was far behind the line walking reluctantly there was this hand on my shoulders, this was the teacher I encountered the other night but now with a smile. He asked me "so how was the prawn yesterday", I told with hesitation "ya....it was good!".he told "that was so unfair you left me and eat it all yourself....".
I laughed at myself.................
Then I realized that I was thinking so much extra unnecessarily and taking so much extra precautions to be so much perfect. And the truth is it will not be always possible to make everyone around you comfortable. Some times you have to occupy your own space. Just live your life to the fullest and do things which you really enjoy ....never compromise....after all we have just one life to live to the fullest....let’s celebrate life!
Being brought up as a Christian, less likely my parents would accept if I utter the reasons for camping .so I dressed up in the usual scout uniform(a camouflage) and left my home with authentic non vegetarian foods, my mom usually packs these for me while camping. All of our class mates assembled at our school, after some act of bullying from my friends I changed my dresses to casuals .we a group of 30 people were accompanied by our civics master, who is one of the most feared creatures at my school. Now going to camp felt like eating raw onions with green chilies ..........
I never imagined the location to be that far, It took us a whole day after we hit the road to reach the spot. Sun has just set in that mountain bound village, hymns and temple bells graced our arrival with a pure fresh air shaving our faces. The streets scented with agarbathis(fragrant sticks) and camphor added purity and holiness to the there, It felt like the village remain untouched by the rest of the world.
We took refuge at a huge open hall .There were students from different schools already scattered around the hall. After a short rest we were asked to complete the dinner, everyone opened their food stuffs and started eating, considering the location and people around I was little skeptical in opening my stuff as I have brought spicy non -vegetarian items(chilly chicken, prawn gravy,briyani) and I didn't expect such a huge vegetarian(Brahmin) people gathered all around. I believed as soon as I open my stuff the aroma would make people around mock at me like a dirty creature. To avoid embarrassment I decided to take the food out and indulge. So I whispered in my friends ear as an invite to join me out. He looked at me as if I asked his help to murder some one. Finally he agreed and we decided to walk out ,eat quickly and return as soon as possible as there may be a gathering shortly.
Now finding a place took us time finally we spotted a corner ,for the first time I found difficulty in swallowing my favorite food. We were unable to complete it. Already we started hearing bhajans from the camp , we decided to stop and return to the base immediately. Unable to trash these(again for the holy place factor) I decided to trash it in the toilet adjoining the open hall.
As soon as we entered the hall I found all the people assembled neatly in one corner of that huge hall. As soon as we entered the teacher stopped the proceeding and starred at us with his hands folded (may be they were searching us for attendance) the entire assembly joined the teacher in unison to stare at us. He waved at us to come there, I started walking towards the toilet to trash the foods where as my friend became an immediate approver and started walking briskly towards the teacher. He shouted at me ' you there! come here' my heart pounded heavily and felt like it would jump its way out through my mouth. I walked towards him in a snail pace hiding the plastic bag behind. In the mean time my friend has already reached the spot and confessed everything in front of the assembly. I heard a heavy roar of laughter.
Now the teacher started walking towards me I knew straight away I am in a spot of bother. He asked me what is that I am hiding, I told 'nothing‘, he forced me to show, when I was so reluctant he turned me around and checked the bag, may be he doubted I am carrying cigarettes. After seeing the food stuff he gave me a wild stare. Now I expected a blow from him any time, But he told nothing he gave back the bag to me with a nasty sarcastic smile and left back to the assembly.
In this state of total embarrassment I managed to trash the food stuff and returned to the hall where I found everyone ready to go to bed. I managed to whirl around in a corner like an orphaned puppy .
That night was long and sleepless. next morning we left for sight seeing and when I was far behind the line walking reluctantly there was this hand on my shoulders, this was the teacher I encountered the other night but now with a smile. He asked me "so how was the prawn yesterday", I told with hesitation "ya....it was good!".he told "that was so unfair you left me and eat it all yourself....".
I laughed at myself.................
Then I realized that I was thinking so much extra unnecessarily and taking so much extra precautions to be so much perfect. And the truth is it will not be always possible to make everyone around you comfortable. Some times you have to occupy your own space. Just live your life to the fullest and do things which you really enjoy ....never compromise....after all we have just one life to live to the fullest....let’s celebrate life!
PRWAN(VADA) Pochey ( in Vadivel style) :)
ReplyDelete