Jogger's Park

Introduction
It is the month of March, exam time in almost all houses which have children. Be it schools, colleges or any competitive exam, exams have always been the most important thing in the lives of not only the people who appear for it, but for the entire household. The house bears a dignified silence. There is less sound of people talking or televisions blaring. It is believed that getting up early in the morning improves concentration and memorization. So, one can see almost all households getting up early to prepare for the exams as though they are preparing for some war. For some it is war against numbers, time, history, grammar and for some it is a medium to prove themselves and achieve something. For me it was always against numbers, formulas, diagrams of ear, nose, amoeba and do not remember what all.

I finished that phase of my life some 8 years ago with a post graduate degree. But even today, I dream of appearing for an exam and then suddenly I seem to have forgotten the subject for which I am supposed to write the exam. Or sometimes, I forget the place where the examination is going to be conducted or then I am still at home at 10:30 am with just half an hour for the exam to start. I have no clue why I get this recurrent dream. It is not that I dreaded exams or flunked in any written exam in my life, but still seeing exams in my dreams has always left me breathless and I get up sweating as if it was so very real.

After I completed my education, I got a good job that put me in good spirits. I thoroughly enjoyed the inflow of money and independence which came my way. I used the independence to such a great extent that I completely forgot that I have to take care of my body in order to run swiftly in this rat race. I grew lazy, stopped exercising and ate everything possible to glory. Suddenly one day when my body reminded me that in order to survive and fulfil my wishes and dreams, I need to remain fit and lean, it dawned on me that I should at least do which is within my scope, go for a walk in the nearby park, which is just 2 minutes away from my house.

That park is a very nice and green park, where people of all ages gather. There are regular laughter clubs in the evenings, where all the grandfathers of the colony get together and have a nice laugh and then share their experiences and have a nice time outside the mundane daily routine. There is also a children’s park adjacent to the jogger’s park, where children come with their parents. It is sight to watch. Small children sit on different rides, look lost, cry their hearts out, search for their parents, fall while running, get bruised all over, have a nice dust bath from head to toe. But they enjoy every minute they live as they are still innocent and nearer to god.

With the resolve to shed some kilograms, I bought myself a new pair of Reebok shoes and a pair of trousers and a tee and was all set for going for a walk in the morning. I put the alarm of 5:30 am and gave instructions to myself that I have to get up early in the morning and get going from tomorrow on. I wished myself luck and I went to sleep without knowing that I was going to experience something which was never in my wildest dreams.

Walk in the woods
I am not sure if I slept really well or I was getting up every 2 hours to check the time. I didn’t want to miss starting this daily ritual in the morning. It is said when you do a particular thing for 21 days, it becomes a habit. So, I want to go for a walk for at least 21 days continuously. I was thinking to myself when the alarm suddenly went off and I got up hurriedly in the bed, wanted to get ready and move out of the house as soon as possible. I wanted to resist the temptation of going to sleep for another 5 minutes. Ohh those 5 minutes look like eternal bliss and one wishes that they do not get over ever. So, to refrain from taking a quick 5 minute bliss, I dressed up and started walking towards the park. I took my watch, my keys, so that I do not disturb Akash when I come back from the walk. He was sleeping soundly and snoring loudly even then. I envy him so much. He hogs on so much on all types of food, veg food, non-veg, anything edible and still he never puts on weight. And look at me; even if I breathe air, I put on weight. Some people are just so lucky.

With these thoughts, I entered the park. It is a rectangle shaped park with a jogging cum walking track with lot of trees and grass around. There is also a children’s play park adjacent to it as I mentioned earlier, but there was no kid at that time to play in the park. People were already walking, some were in groups and some came alone. Everybody had a pace; they must be having some intention for sacrificing sleep like me and coming to the park in wee hours. But most of them were old people or middle-aged like my parents. I was wondering what was bringing them here in the morning. Can’t they just relax back at home, get up by 7-8 am in the morning, and have a late start of their day. They do not have to go to work or school. But then I did not realize the importance of their coming to the park daily until I heard someone talking.

1st voice: Aha there comes another female in the park. I bet she has resolved to reduce her weight. She is the 30th in this month. Look how enthusiastic she looks with all her new clothes and new shoes and how she is flaunting it. How old she might be? Is she married? Does she have kids?

2nd voice: oh relax dear! Why are you pouncing on this young lady like this? Why can’t you encourage her that she has come to the park to start something. I am sure she must have resolved something

1st voice: yes, everybody has some or the other intention in coming here. E.g. That guy in red t-shirt comes to the park so that he can catch a glimpse of his sweetheart, whom he loves secretly. And that old lady in white sari comes to spend some time remembering her dead husband, who was very regular in coming to this park.

I looked around in surprise. I couldn’t see any person around me who was talking. There were some groups of old men and middle-aged women who were talking amongst themselves, but in their own mother-tongue. No was talking in the language which I could understand. I thought, I might be too sleepy and that is the reason, I am hearing voices. So, I ignored it and completed the first round. When I returned to the point from where I started, I heard the same voices again

1st voice: Did you get to know about the son of that Uncle Mr. Nair, in the blue shirt there?

2nd voice: Why? What happened? Mr. Nair was not coming for many days, which I kind of observed, but then didn’t know the reason for his absence.

1st voice: His son was a bright boy, very intelligent. He was a gold medallist in engineering college and had a nice and well paying job in a MNC. Everything was fine and one fine day, he started howling and shouting and tearing his clothes at home in the morning. No one could understand what was wrong. They had to give him injections and calm him down. But after the medicine’s power waned off, he started it again. They had to put him in a mental hospital finally.

2nd voice: It is so sad to see one’s child sick and helpless in this way. In this age, it is Mr. Nair who should be looked after and now he has to look after his son. Did they find the reason for his state of mind?

1st voice: Oh yes. They did. He loved a girl from another community and never got to tell her. She got married to someone else and he couldn’t handle the pressure. He lost interest in everything. He thought that it was the end of his world and so he lost control over his head and became a lunatic. This is a very sad end of such a brilliant life. So many dreams and hopes were pinned on him and then everything came crashing down. Mr. Nair’s wife passed long back and he was staying with his son in their own house. People suggested that some bad spirit has caught the house and so he vacated that house and gave it for rent. Now he stays alone in a nearby house and his son is in the mental hospital. His nephew and his family stay with him, but then they cannot replace his son, isn’t it?

2nd voice: Yes, that is very true. But then he at least has a steady income in the form of rent, isn’t it?

1st voice: No dear. No one stays in that house for more than 6 months. There is always some or the other problem. There is no water in the bore well, the maid doesn’t stay in the house longer, and the people quarrel amongst each other almost everyday. He has again put a “to-let” board for the ground floor and the first floor. I do not know what the exact problem is, but no one stays in that house for a longer time.

I tried to search for Mr. Nair in blue shirt and I found him amongst a group of older men, who were conversing with him in Malayalam. (After coming to Bangalore, I can differentiate between the 4 principal south-Indian languages very well or earlier they all sounded the same to me.) He looked way old than his age and I understood that the reason for his droopy and sad face is the tragedy of his son. I felt sorry for him that he had to suffer like this in an age when one should live in contentment and happiness. When I had a closer look at Mr. Nair, he was the same person who was the landlord of the house just opposite to mine. I and Akash were talking about him the other day, when we saw the people on 1st floor vacate the house and yesterday even the ground floor people vacated. Akash was not very fond of Mr. Nair as he had cut down a huge tree in order to make parking space for the vehicle of the tenants and sadly enough, no car is parked there for more than a period of 4 to 6 months. Akash also told me that he got negative vibes from that place and that he would never recommend any of his friends for staying there even if the place is empty for month together. I couldn’t understand his anger for Mr. Nair as it had nothing to do with us personally, but when I realized that he was the same person who cut the big, old, shady tree, my sympathies for him and his son vanished in a minute. Even if I got to know what all he went through, I could not identify with his pain and sadness anymore. Strange is the mind, no one knows what it feels for a moment and what it decides in the next moment. It gets prejudiced by getting to know certain facts and figures about a person.

I completely lost the track of time with all these thoughts ringing in my head and when I looked at the watch it was 6:30 am. I should have been at home this time, in the bathroom, taking a bath. So, I rushed home, still wondering about those two voices, who gave me so much of unwanted information about Mr. Nair and his son and the haunted house etc. I came home and told about Mr. Nair and his son to Akash. Akash was very indifferent about the same and he said, that now he knows why he gets negative vibes from that house and that he can never forgive Mr. Nair for cutting a tree. Akash was behaving as if the tree was his kin and someone had killed his kin. But then people attaching emotions to a tree which gives life to many birds and gives oxygen to people, is not new to us. It was quite a paradox when I thought of it again. Mr. Nair left the house because he thought it was inauspicious for him and his son and to make an income out of it, he cut the beautiful tree which was giving him shade all the time he stayed in that house and now that the tree is gone, money doesn’t flow and there are constant tensions and bickering happening amongst the residents of that block. Were all these things related? Or it was just a co-incidence or chain of events, which have nothing to do with each other? I didn’t have further time to think about it and rushed for my office shuttle, which I almost missed.

More Revelations
After a tiring day at office and watching the boring IPL match, I went to bed looking forward to tomorrow’s morning walk as I was determined to find out the two voices that were conversing, but were not appearing anywhere. I didn’t know what was in store for me in the coming days and what all would I come to know about the people whom I had never seen in my life earlier.

Next morning was a cooler one, it was still dark at 5:30, when I left for the park. Leaves and flowers were strewn on the ground and I was feeling very bad to trample them and walk past them. I had no choice, but to walk on them as there was no other road, I could take.

I saw a few new faces, which were not present yesterday and a few familiar faces from yesterday. I instantly recognized Mr. Nair and walked past him without thinking about the incident that made me aware of his situation yesterday. I was neutral and did not harbour any good or bad feelings about whatever had happened to Mr. Nair and his son. I was not related to him in any way and we would never cross each other’s lives or paths again. As I started with my walk, I heard those two familiar voices again. I was still trying to give those sounds some face which would help me in identifying them in future. But no, that was not to be. I tried to listen closely this time, wondering how these 2 voices know so much of the personal things of Mr .Nair. Were they his good friends? Were they his neighbours? Or his well wishers? Or were his enemies? Who were they? As I was doing the rounds with these thoughts, I could clearly hear those two voices again.

1st voice: Today there are lot many new faces, isn’t it?

2nd voice: Yes, many people get inspired every day by some or the other things and they start one fine day and then after 2-3 days or a week, all the enthusiasm and resolve goes for a toss. They become slaves of sleep and laziness and do not care what their bodies really want. They eat all junk food, stuff themselves with all sorts of toxic and harmful stuff all the years they have been eating and think that all the fats stored in the body will vanish in a week or two. This generation lacks patience and want all things quickly, but are not ready to invest time into good things. They are just running behind something, if someone asks them, what are they behind? Do they want money, fame, status, car, foreign trips? They have no answer. They always want something else and in that mood, they are just running a race, blind race behind money and more money and more money. In the meanwhile, they are forgetting what they are eating, what they are drinking, what exactly runs a perfect body.

1st voice: You are very correct. Do you remember who amongst these people is the most regular in coming to the park?

2nd voice: Yes, I do. They are Mr. and Mrs. Shastri. They have been coming to this park since 7 years now. I know them quite well and they have made it most to the parks, except during monsoons or when one of them was unwell. I feel good looking at them. They look like so much in love even today, isn’t it?

1st voice: Yes, they look so happy and cheerful and they have so many friends in this park now. People should take some inspiration from them and live like them

2nd voice: Have you met anyone till today who claims that he is very happy and content in his life? I do not think, you have seen anyone like this. There is no one who claims to have fulfilled his wishes and desires in this world and who is ready to embrace death whenever it knocks the doors. We all are constantly in search of something which will bring us peace and happiness. Mr. and Mrs. Shastri are from Mumbai. Mr. Shastri retired from bank and Mrs. Shastri was a full time homemaker. She brought up her two kids well, gave them best education and instilled all the values in them. Their daughter studied medicine and settled in US. She found a compatible partner in a fellow researcher and she got married to him. Mr. and Mrs. Shastri were very happy. They did not have any problems with their son-in-law who was from a different background and caste. They were happy that their daughter had found a good human being as her husband and that they were drawn to each other on intellectual and emotional levels. They blessed the couple and let them live in US. Their son did engineering from a reputed college and then went to IIM Ahmedabad to do his MBA in Human resources. He got a well paying job in a MNC in Bangalore and also managed to buy a big house there. He got married to a girl, who was studying with him in Ahmedabad. Again, Mr. and Mrs. Shastri were happy that their son found someone who would fit him socially and emotionally. They thought their responsibilities were now over that their kids were settled and married.

1st voice: Their life looks like a fulfilling one. Then what do you want to hint at?

2nd voice: yes. I am coming to it. Their son had bought a huge 3 BHK and so asked his parents to shift with him in Bangalore. So, they sold off all the ancestral land and house which they had in their native place and gave off everything to their son and daughter.

1st voice: You mean to say they distributed all they had before hand itself? That is indeed so good on their part. They trusted their children so much.

2nd voice: No but, here was where they went wrong. People change very fast and money makes them forget all the relationships and values. They become blind and just run after amassing more and more wealth. As if they are going to carry this wealth with them after they die. Mr. Shastri’s son took his share of money and the property and literally made his parents dance to his tunes. They were just reduced to maid servants taking care of his children and managing the house. Mrs. Shastri does all the cooking and cleaning and looks after her grand children and Mr. Shastri does the sundry work and manages day to day affairs. His son is always travelling, so he hardly speaks or meets them and as he is out of town, their daughter-in-law also hardly treats them well. They have been reduced to mere servants in their own son’s house. They have nowhere to go as they have already distributed everything amongst their kids.

1st voice: Oh that is a lesson for one and all. Old people should not be dependent on their kids so much. They should never give away everything out of love and blind faith. No one knows what can happen nowadays. It is indeed sad, in old age; one can’t even rest in peace and enjoy the remaining days enjoying whatever one is left with. It takes a lifetime for them to provide everything to their children and when it is children’s turn to return it in some form, not in entirety, they can never replay their parents entirely, children behave as if the parents are just some burden on their heads or expect that even in their old age, they should be of some use to them. This is so very selfish. It is really sad to see such things happening in our society, which considered parents next to god.

2nd voice: Yes, what you are saying is very true. Mr. and Mrs. Shastri come to the park daily without fail for 2 hrs, so that they get a break from the daily chores and get some quality time to spend with each other. In this age, one requires the companionship of his/her partner and if that is also difficult to expect from their own kids, imagine what the condition of this couple might be. They have made some friends here and they are surprised to find that more or less every old couple has either come to help their daughter’s new born baby or has come to take care of their son’s kids as they can’t manage to keep the children in crèche. Moving out from the family is easy for them, giving birth to kids is also easy, but when it comes to bring up the children, they need their parents. Why? Why can’t they manage it on their own now? Why do they need the help of parents now? Didn’t they think once when they left the parents for better prospects? Now what right do they have to ask the same parents to come and stay with them to care of their small kids? How selfish can one be? And parents are also no less. Without thinking twice about their own independence and comfort, they rush to see their grandchildren. As it is said, grandchildren are dearer than one’s own kids.

1st voice: Yes, you are right. As long as parents like Mr. and Mrs. Shastri are there in this world, there will be people like their son to exploit them in every possible way. They can’t even go to their daughter in US as there the life is too different and it will be very difficult for them to adjust there. So, at least being in India would be better for them, isn’t it?

2nd voice: Yes, correct. Let’s hope that things get better for them and they are able to find happiness and comfort with each other at least in their last days.

I was left speechless after hearing this. Many of my friends have their parents here, who are staying with them just for the sake of looking after their kids. I never gave a thought to their side of story. I was always happy to know that my friends have their own parents at home to take care of the kids. It never occurred to me that the uncles and aunties would also like to have some privacy and lead a life according to their wish after settling their children. I made a resolve then and there. No matter what I would not disturb the routines of my parents and parents-in-law when I have kids. If I have decided to give birth to ca child, I should be able to bring it up on my own. This does not mean that I am not going to let them interfere at all. I will definitely ask for their help and guidance in bringing up my kid, but I would never ask them to leave their personal life and space for me and my kid and come and stay with us forever. If they wish to stay with me, I will always let them know the pros and cons and will never force them to do anything out of the way for me.

Not knowing whom to thank, I left the park with a thought in my head and was determined to share it with my friends who have called their parents to stay with them so that they can go to office without any tension and their child is automatically taken care of and brought up well.

Days passed and my morning walks grew more and more interesting. I was still searching for those two voices that had introduced me to this world of people in the jogger’s park and had given me a sneak peek into their lives. I did not mean to eavesdrop in any way, but then it had come naturally to me, on its own, without inviting it. It gave me an insight into some things which I would have never thought on my own. It also told me that whatever looks good on face is not always good at the bottom. Mr. Nair and Mr. Shastri looked very cheerful, but then they have their stories too. Still, without sitting and brooding on it, they have decided to go out and face the world which I think has come to them from their age and maturity and their attitude towards life. Mr. Nair is still looking out for tenants and Mr. and Mrs. Shastri are coming regularly to the park to talk to the like minded and same aged people. I also happened to befriend a group of 3 aunties, who had grown up kids and had grandchildren too. I wish them regularly and they ask me about my well being. They asked me once if I had kids and how long I was married. I told them that I do not have kids and I have been married for 4 years now. They took it very coolly and said; o it is still time for you to do whatever you want. Once the kids come everything revolves around it. Ask us, what it means. I found it very soothing as I was worried how they would take this. The attitude towards not having a kid after being married for a long time has been changed drastically. There are many couples I know who do not want kids at all and some of my friends, like me, are married for years, but are not thinking of starting a family. They want to take their own time in settling and knowing each other and preparing a good living condition for their child to come. Parents and parents-in-law are also very open nowadays and they do not press their children to hurry in starting a family. In this regard, I again overheard those voices discussing yet another life.

1st voice: hey, do you see that couple there?

2nd voice: Yes, the boy is so handsome and the girl is so dark. Are they married or they are just going around?

1st voice: No, they are serious and are thinking of getting married. They know each other since their childhood and have grown up with each other. Their families were very close and they are kids haven’t played with anyone else. And slowly they realized that they can’t live without each other and decided to get married in couple of years after testing each other.

2nd voice: what do you mean? What testing in love?

1st voice: It was just to test whether they really liked each other or it was just an infatuation. They chose to stay in different cities for 2 years for jobs and see if they can manage without each other. If their love was strong enough, they would survive the distance and manage to get together after 2 years. They were in touch through mails, but they planned it well and carried it well for 2 years and they realized that they were made for each other and they told their parents that they would like to get married to each other. Their parents were very happy and they didn’t have anything against their match. A wedding date was fixed and preparations began.

2nd voice: This is straight from the movies. Face, looks, exterior things didn’t deter these young people in coming together. They handled it quite maturely.

1st voice: Yes, they have indeed. Even after realizing that the girl has a rare brain tumour, the boy is going to get married to her on the decided date.

2nd voice: what are you saying?

1st voice: Yes, this girl had gone to the UK for doing a course in perfumery and it was a rare chance for her to learn something different and new. But she inhaled some chemicals there and fainted once during her one month stay in London. Everybody thought it was out of exhaustion, she also thought it was just another tiring day. Only when she had repeated attacks, they did a test here and realised that there is small tumour throbbing in her brain and she had only a few months left. This did not crumble her at all. She decided to spend the remaining three months like an entire life and her friend; this young man did not disappoint her at all.

2nd voice: Really? What are you saying? The boy agreed to get married to this girl knowing very well that she won’t survive for more than 6 months?

1st voice: Yes, they have decided to go for it on 25th of this month. It would be a very small affair with only family and a few close friends.

2nd voice: Isn’t this foolishness? Why does the guy want to ruin his life? Can’t he just be friends with her and then find some better partner?

1st voice: Who knows, she might be the best for him. He hasn’t thought about anyone beyond her and no one else can replace her in his life. Her absence would definitely create a void in his life, but then he won’t be sad to have left her alone in her last days. If she hadn’t been sick, they would have definitely gotten married, then why not now? Knowing that the body is going to perish in some days, doesn’t stop him from loving her true spirit and soul.

2nd voice: I had read about this or heard about such love only in fairy tale books and movies. This can’t be, in this selfish world, who has the time to sit and sacrifice time and life on something magical called “love”? I so wish that we could do something in uniting this girl with the boy forever. Can we stop her impeding death? Can we reverse the cycle of life and death? Is there a way oh great Delonix regia to save these lovely human beings from getting separated? Can’t they live together forever like in a fairy tale?

1st voice: No dear F. benghalensis. We are mute spectators in this lovely fabric woven by that ultimate power, residing in the skies. We can only share the grief and pain of these human beings on this earth.

(Deep sighs)

I came to my senses. Delonix regia and F. benghalensis is the name for Gulmohar and Banyan tree in Latin respectively. All this while, I have been listening to these trees conversing with each other about the people who visited the park regularly? How could I understand what trees were talking, in the first place, and how could trees talk in a way which a human being can decode? Wasn’t the language in which we communicated different than the language of the trees? Do trees communicate with each other? Do they have feelings, emotions like us? It has been proven scientifically that trees do have emotions and life etc. But still, I hadn’t heard anyone conversing with the trees. Isn’t this a bit strange that rather than talking and communicating with the people around me in a better way, I was able to understand trees in a far better way and these trees were able to understand and decipher all human emotions, the upheavals, turbulence in all the 3 incidents brought up in their conversation?

We are fast destroying the nature around us and isn’t our true nature also lost with urbanization? Where are those qualities, by which one would swear? How does Mr. Nair feel when he lost his own son to a mental disease? What were his feelings when he cut down a very huge, green tree which had nests of so many birds and was a shelter to hundreds of insects and birds? Do Mr and Mrs Shastri feel sorry for having given birth to a son who has forgotten what his duties towards his parents are? How can these two young people be in so much of love and yet that super power decides to separate them in a few days?

How far have we gone ahead in our lives today, we do not have time to address the problems of people whom we call our own? Are we rich and prosperous with the latest gadgets at our disposal in true sense when we can’t even touch the heart of a living being? All the people who lives were discussed by the trees had different problems, but yet they were able to smile through their pains. That is one good thing, which I appreciated. It is still not bad as I had thought. But isn’t this spirit fast disappearing from our lives? We tend to believe that our problem is the largest, but when I look at Mr. Nair, Mr. and Mrs. Shastri and those two young and matured people, I realize that life is much more than just sitting and crying over the spilt milk. Life is to carry on with zeal and zest and live everyday as if it was the last day of one’s life. Isn’t it?

Where are you standing today? Thinking about what happened yesterday or looking forward to learn and experience something new and magical? And yes, I managed to shed my extra kilograms and have managed to continue with the walks regularly. The trees do not talk amongst each other anymore now as I think they have managed to strike a chord in every person coming there and are happy to see people bonding and sharing and moving ahead.