Picture Perfect

It was a perfect day to start writing on something which was so near and close to my heart. I was very excited to bring life into my new characters, Rasika and Mihir. I was longing to breathe air into these two long forgotten characters, which I knew existed in some corner of the world or maybe even in your life. I decided to pen down everything that came to my mind after I thought of Mihir.

Mihir came from a middle-class family, parents were retired and he had an elder brother who was married and had settled in some other city with his wife. Mihir had a very small friend circle and he led a very ordinary and simple life. He was well-educated, had a good position in the office, was respected, but the family values had much more grip on him than his status and position, which was a very good thing. He never had an inclination to go ahead and build new contacts and friends. He was happy with his life and then one day, suddenly he gets an off liner on his yahoo messenger from a girl called Rasika. He has never known a girl by this name. Who can she be to leave a message like this on his yahoo id? From where did she get his yahoo id? Was there something, which he had long forgotten and was surfacing again? No, there was no such history which had a chapter called Rasika. But he was not yet aware that Rasika was soon going to be a big chapter in his life soon.

Strange are the ways people meet nowadays, does it hold good in a cyber age like today? I think, more important is the next meeting after the initial introduction. The first meet can either be your last meeting with that person or it can trigger a series of meetings and learning sessions with that person. Isn’t it? Mihir tried to trace Rasika for many days, but she was not to be seen online anytime. He had so many questions to ask her, but she was evading him, at least Mihir thought so. He had to clarify so many things with her and finally that day arrived, when Mihir met Rasika online.

Rasika: Hi, Mihir! How are you?

Mihir: I am not very good; do I know you by any chance? I got your off liner.
Rasika: Oh yes, actually, I am also a member of the e-group to which you have subscribed. I joined recently, was just surfing through the member’s list, when I came across your name. Thought of saying hi to you! Hope you didn’t mind.

Mihir sighed; what a relief and then suddenly his tension vanished. But why was he so tensed on seeing an off liner from an unknown girl. That was because he never had any female friend and he was not very comfortable talking to women. And one keeps on reading about so much of cyber crime, that he got afraid and took Rasika to be some hooker. Thankfully, Rasika turned out to be very different than he could have imagined.

Mihir: Oh, ok, Not a problem! I did not have any reference of yours and was wondering about the off liner you sent me the other day. Now that it is clear, why you pinged me, I have no qualms in returning a hello to you.

Rasika was very happy to read this and she thought she has met a decent guy in Mihir.
Rasika: Thank you so much. Let me introduce myself to you. I am Rasika Ranade, I stay in Parle. I am currently working with Mentorix and am a Chartered Accountant. I love music, singing, and poetry. I enjoy anything and everything that is related to nature and I believe everything created by nature is beautiful. I am 25 years old, love talking, making friends. I can go on and on. Your chance now!

Mihir was already lost in this super fast narration of things. Smiling to himself, he replied:

Mihir: That’s ok. I am Mihir Oak and I am an engineer, stay in Dadar. I like listening to music, watching plays and movies, reading etc.

Rasika: That’s nice. Glad to meet you officially, Mihir!

Mihir: Pleasure is mine.

Rasika: Ok, Thanks gotta leave now. My company bus leaves in exactly 10 minutes. Will talk to you tomorrow, you take care and have a nice evening. Glad meeting you once again, byeeee.

Mihir: Yes, sure, c ya.

After this official and formal introduction, they both chatted almost daily. Rasika was a chatterbox and she would go on with narrating whatever happened in the office, at home, with friends. It seemed as if their talks had no end and they felt as if they know each other since so many years now. Mihir was a very good listener and he was bowled by Rasika’s chirpy and bubbly attitude. She would go on talking and he would go on listening. Mihir was actually a very shy and quiet and an introvert kind of a person and he had never met anyone like Rasika before, so full of life and sunshine! Mihir was actually surprised at himself when he started looking forward to the talking sessions with Rasika.

It was a healing process for both of them. It was a process of knowing each other so well that they often reacted in the same way on different things and shared same emotions and thoughts on things, people, and issues. It was getting more and more interesting between them, when suddenly Rasika got an opportunity to go abroad for a new job. She was thrilled and happy and she jumped at the thought of the new offer. Mihir was very happy for her. They could keep in touch through mails and chats. Today, the distance of 10000 kilometers doesn’t matter much as the technology has thrown open so many means of keeping in touch with each other, though virtually.

Finally the day arrived and Rasika moved to California. She got a nice place to stay, work was interesting. It was a good learning experience for her. It was a new country for her, the people were new and different and so was the culture. Being a people person, she befriended many even in a distant country. She visited places, learnt cooking, managing house on her own. She became an expert in her work and was even awarded the best employee title. She shared all this with Mihir, who was still in India. She told him everything, everything except…
That she had a soft corner for Mihir and that given a chance, she would have loved to become his wife!!

There are often such instances in life when we do not express our true and innermost feelings towards a person in the fear of losing that person forever. Do you call this foolishness or just genuine concern and need for the other person’s friendship? Rasika never mentioned this to Mihir and Mihir would have never got to know about it until one day when they talked for a long time after many days!

Mihir: What are you saying? Why didn’t you tell this to me before Rasika?

Rasika: I wanted to tell you, but then thought it would be of no use.

Mihir: What do you think you are? God? To decide things by yourself, whether they are good or bad? You should have told me once, Rasika, I would have never let you gone. It is true that I didn’t share the same feeling like you did for me, but I would have definitely not said no to you. We would have worked it out!

Now talking all this was of no use because both got married in the meanwhile. Rasika was adjusting with her new life as a wife and daughter-in-law and she was finding it a bit difficult. Which marriage doesn’t require adjustments and compromise? Her husband was not too bad; it was just that he wasn’t like 100 other princes who swept their princesses off the feet. He was less expressive; more focused towards work, less social, very ambitious, but had no bad habits. Rasika and her husband were poles apart. But then which relationship doesn’t need time? Rasika was doing exactly that!

Mihir had found a girl of his dreams. He had become more engaged in the e-group and had met this girl there who was very timid, loving and talkative and good hearted. They fell in love, while arranging an event for the group. It is best to first know the person, understand him well, start liking him and then fall for him. Their’s was an ideal journey which culminated into a marriage.

Rasika was happy for Mihir and they continued to be their self even after their marriages. Rasika shared her concerns with Mihir and they discussed any personal issue in their lives with each other. They shared a tremendous rapport and had a great understanding between them. Mihir consoled Rasika when she was down and Rasika made Mihir understand when he was unreasonable. It was as if they were Uncle Sam and Aunt Dorothy for each other.

It is often observed that once friends get married, their contact with each other lessens and stops completely after a few years. It is very natural to happen as now their priorities change and the focus shifts to the life-partners, family responsibilities and different roles now. Weekends are devoted to talk and relax. Shopping for groceries and vegetables becomes an integral part of the week-end. Keeping track of various things is also necessary to run house successfully. Lot of things comes up with marriage. Fights, tensions, misunderstanding, clashes on one hand and there is also security, feeling of belonging to someone, sharing and caring for that person with whom we are going to spend our entire life, walking side by side in every walk of life and being there for each other, come what may!

Rasika and Mihir were going through all these patches in their respective lives and sometimes when it became difficult to take something from their life partners, they would often imagine each other in those situations. Once it happened that Rasika got upset over something and began to cry and her husband didn’t even bother to console her. At that point, Rasika thought about Mihir and said to herself, Mihir would have never seen a tear in my eyes. Mihir was also having a row over the naming ceremony of his son with his wife and he thought, Rasika would have definitely understood. But the best part was that Rasika and Mihir’s friendship blossomed even more after marriage.

They both didn’t have friends so close to whom they could talk anything and everything. They could talk endlessly on any topic and there was no end to their discussions and sometimes even fights.

Rasika: I hate cooking; I would do that as the last thing on earth.

Mihir: Why? It is such a good skill and the joy one gets by serving food made by our own hands to the loved ones is just out of this world. Don’t you like cooking different dishes for your husband and then seeing so much gratitude and love in his eyes for you?

Rasika: No, I do not feel like it. There are other things which I like doing and which bring joy to my life, but definitely not this.

Mihir: Oh, so you just want to be different, unlike other women, who spend time in cooking, you are not an average woman; a house-maker isn’t it? You think, by being a rebel, you can prove your point?

Rasika: That has nothing to do with being a rebel. It is just that my priorities are different.

Mihir was often left with no choice than giving in because he never wanted to hurt her. He never wanted to make her feel sad.

Mihir: Ok, madam. When I visit you, will you cook for me?

Rasika: Of course, anything for you, Mihir!

Mihir: Thanks!

Mihir could sense the earnestness with which Rasika told him everything happening in her life. She was just like a child, laughing, giggling all over the sessions, they talked. Mihir was slowly getting the real sense of their relationship. He got all the more engrossed in the sessions with her. He started waiting for her to come online, if there was anything important to tell, Rasika was the first person to know about it, of course after his wife. All the important events in is life were shared with Rasika. His promotion, increase in the pay package and even the good news of becoming a prospective father were first told to Rasika. Mihir was unable to understand, why he was being so close to Rasika now even after being happily married. He once mentioned this to her and she tried to explain their relationship to him. It was so very close and intimate, but never involved anything physical. They never touched each other, even in dreams or wildest of dreams. They had a very pure and pious relationship. What if they couldn’t be with each other as husband and wife, they were together as friends and guides.

They knew their limits and also their duties towards their respective families. Their families came first and they both were fine with it. Though they did not always express it, Rasika knew in her heart that they were soul-mates.

Mihir: Soul mates? WOW! What a flashy name! Do you believe in these things?

Rasika: Yes, I do. Tell me on thing. Why do you like some people and why do you hate sight of some people? Why do you want to go on talking with someone and why do you want to cut a conversation short with someone for no obvious reason?

Mihir: Can you be a bit clearer on what you are trying to explain? I am not able to exactly get to the bottom of it.

Rasika: Yes, I will explain it to you. Do you remember I had told you about a book called “Many minds, many masters” in which a doctor conducted a regression therapy on his patient who was suffering from depression, chronic fear, anxiety?

Mihir: Yes, I remember something of that, so are you trying to relate that story to us?

Rasika: Yes, Mihir, every thing is this world is related to something or the other, that is if you believe so or else there is no relation between a mother and a child also..

Mihir: Ok, ok, do not get so hyper, go on with your theory, I am listening!

Rasika: Yes, coming back to the story. Dr. Brian Weiss did an experiment on his patient, Ms. Catherine and recorded everything she said in the regression therapies. And you know what; she gave a minute detail of each of her past birth when she was taken to that particular birth.

Mihir: What??

Rasika: Let me complete. She was able to go to all her previous 84 births which she is believed to have lived. She hardly remembers them when she is brought back to the present. And as she progressed from one birth to another, there were masters accompanying her in the transit who gave sermons on what is life, why do we take birth, what is the purpose of our life etc. She seemed to get better and better with every birth that she visited, she lost all her fears and inhibitions and pains and seemed to be much more confident, radiant and happy when she got back to this life. And the height of it is that she met her soul-mate in this birth, got married to him and is very happy with her life now. And that soul-mate of hers seemed to be related to her in every birth, he was her mother, her lover, her brother, her father in every birth and finally in this birth their union took place for good and culminated into marriage. And one more point mentioned in the book, which I really like to believe is that all the souls who are related to each other travel in groups in every life. That may be one of the reason why you think you know a person since so many years, when you have just seen them for the first time. There is some past life connection with the people you are related now with. Your wife may be your mother in the last birth and she traveled with you to be your life-partner and give you all the love and happiness which might have not been possible in the last births that you were together!

Mihir: Phew! This is something very difficult to comprehend for people who are rationalists, isn’t it?

Rasika: Yes, it is! But do you think this might be possible?

Mihir: What might be possible?

Rasika: That you and me might be related somehow and that is why we met again now out of nowhere??

Mihir: I will not refute that! Or else, why do I want to talk to you all the time I am in office? Why do I want to share all my happiness and sadness with you? Why do I wait to say hello to you in the morning without which my day doesn’t begin at all?? And why do I not feel that I am cheating on my wife!

Rasika: of course, you are not cheating on your wife, Mihir! It is just that we met late or rather I failed to recognize you as my soul-mate or else your wife and my husband wouldn’t have been in the picture at all, isn’t it?

Mihir: Yes, that’s right! I am true to my wife and give her 100 % of my life and it is also true that I like you more than a friend. We both know that it might not be possible to meet personally anytime in life once you and I start a family. You are in a different geography and I am in some different location. We just meet online, everyday. Do you remember the last time we talked on phone with each other?

Rasika: (smiling to Her): No, Mihir, I do not remember at all. But still it doesn’t seem that you are so far from me. I believe in power of thoughts and you are always in my thoughts, so far, but yet so near!

Mihir: You speak so nicely and you weave your thoughts in such a nice fashion, that I just adore it. I like to listen to you and want you to be happy always!

Rasika: Yes, I love to talk on such things but it is also important that the other person at the other end has an interest in it and shares the same thought and sentiment. It is very fortunate to have someone like you, who thinks just like me. It is a very good feeling, when you can relate to some other people also who share the same wave-length.

Mihir: Oh yes, tell me about it. I have so many friends, but I am not open to all, rather not so much open with even my male friends. But you! You are completely different subject all together.

Rasika: Yes, Mihir, I am aware of it. When there are similar thoughts and those thoughts flow in the same direction, the boundaries of sex, age, caste, and creed do not matter at all. It is just identification with a soul, with a person. And then it hardly matters if he is a male or a female, a child or a grown-up, isn’t it?

Mihir: How true! You are just outstanding in putting things so clearly and explaining things to me. I have never put any relation, a close relation as this into the logic of maths.

Rasika: Logic of maths?

Mihir: Yes, logic of 2+2=4 as in Rasika + Mihir = soul-mates!!
Rasika: (laughs loudly): You are a genius!

Mihir: Yes, I am to have you as my dearest and closest friend.

Rasika: Thanks and I also share the same sentiment! Tell me, what will happen if we lose touch with each other in the coming years? You will have your family, I will have mine. Once kids come in, your life doesn’t remain your own.

Mihir: I am already experiencing it. Who can know it better? But why do you want to think about the future, when we both are in touch now?

Rasika: I am just exploring the possibility, Mihir. Life is uncertain and you never know what it might bring you.

Mihir: I do not want to think about it now, all I know is such a thing won’t happen at all.

Rasika: Ok, I was expecting that!

Were they being true to each other when they said that they would not lose contact with each other all their lives? Who can give guarantee of tomorrow, leave apart, some years from now? But one always lives in hope, isn’t it? One always wishes a good future for oneself, togetherness of the loved ones. Who can stay away from the most important people in their lives? Rasika and Mihir had found soul-mates in each other, but they were not destined to be together in the journey of life. They were leading their own separate lives with their life partners, rather a very happy and fulfilling life with their life partners, but they knew deep inside, that the case could have been completely different, had it been a different destiny in this life. But they had no regrets. They had a person to confide in, share with, and yet who had no demands or expectations. Yes, there were no expectations as they both had accepted each other just as they were and no one expected from the other person to put in some extra bit of zing thing. They were happy with whatever was going on and they never tried to change each other in any way. They were always there for each other in all walks of life, though virtually. It is also important, isn’t it? To have someone like a rock in your life who would always stand by you in bad weather and on whom you can always lean on when you get tired or want to rest.

But a thought always crosses my mind, if their love had brought them so far from the past births to this birth, why didn’t they get united in this birth? What was that thing which still remains to be achieved for them to always be together? We wouldn’t know the real end of their story as there might be so many births after this, or perhaps this could be their last birth.

My question remains unanswered, but I realized one thing, people can fill wonderful colors in other people’s lives and make the picture of others life, perfect, not by their physical presence, but by just being there in thoughts and blessings!