Messaging

We receive hundreds of messages daily.And equal number of messages we delete too. Yet I reflect back and think how it all started for me.I had been teaching Senior Secondary Classes .There was a shy and quite child , who one day asked me if I had a cell phone.Yes,I replied without a thought and gave my number on being asked.O boy!The next thing I knew was, the entire class wanted my number and I could not be partial.I asked them why do they need my number?( I was sure they did not want to discuss course on phone.)They replied,Mam to message. Oh! But I never message was my reply.They were surprised and asked , "but why???" I told them the simple truth I don't know to message.A great giggle passed between them.They could not believe their Mam did not know how to message.All were ready to play teacher.And in the lunch break I was armed with the skill of messaging.(though only orally as I did not carry my phone)

In the evening I received a few messages and was glad to go through it.Then came messages with questions to be answered.I did that to.But all the while as I was reading and replying their Questions,what stuck me was plenty of spelling errors and gramatical errors.I wondered how good students were making such blunders.Next day during lunch break they all came up to me and congratulated me on learning so fast.But they also had a complain.I told them I too had a complain but would like to hear theirs first.They almost shouted in unision,Mam you are spending a lot of money writing the full spelling.You must learn the sms language."What is that?" I asked.To which , they started ratling of some of the short forms and I knew the reason for their last evening blunders.My complain was answered even witout asking.

Days went by.My students have moved ahead in life.We still keep in touch through message, mail and social network.But of late I find that messaging has become a mere formality and do not enjoy it as much.Often people message each other without a thought or care.One valentine day as I was shopping in a mall,I over heard a youth asking his friend to forward some good messages so that he can send it to his girl friend.And that day I was forced to think,what a mockery we make of are relationships!!!To share a thought with the person we love, do we need the crutches of a forwarded message??????

Today I hardly ever go through the messages except the name of the sender.For one message happens to be similar to the next.And this piece of thought I pen down today remembering a request for sms buddy.Sorry dear,I don't mean to hurt you.But I hate forwarded messages and don't sign in to request for sms buddy.If you need to message, be original.And if you need to talk,you can always call on my number.

4.The Friend Beside Me

In the darkness of the night
With stars shone upon me
I delight to reveal
That there is no brighter star
Than the friend beside me.
A friend who never thinks about
What are the gains
And pains of befriending me.
A friend who is just there
When and where I want thee.
I pray to God for the well being of my friend,
                                                                    Without whom my life would be a dismal mystery.

                                                                    By Binita Jha

3.Friend

O!What a delightful friend
I found in thee!
A friend who helps me
Maintain my sanctity.
I had always desired for
One of your kind,
But never been lucky
Till faith had me
Stumbling upon thee.
As large hearted as the sky,
As encompassing as the worlds delight.
What else do I need
But a friend as true as thee, my Lord.
@ Binita Jha

Good Samaritan

Flight to Bhubaneshwar was cancelled and I decided to stay in the hotel provided by the airlines.We were rescheduled to fly at 6.45 the next day.Travelling all the way back home in Delhi is no less job therefore I thought it was a sane decision.There were around fifty more co passengers like me who decided the same but the difference was they were all with their families.Only four passengers were single and I being the only female.We were given room in a hotel.It was ok .But the nightmare was as afterI closed my room door.All of a sudden I felt very lonely for never in my life had I ever stayed in a hotel room alone.As a kid my sibblings were around.And after marriage Husband and kids.I missed all of them.I came out of the room and one of my co passengers saw me worried.He inquired, " what was the matter?"I asked him if I could have his cell No. in case I needed help and without a second thought he gave me his card and told me not to worry.Just then we left as there was a call for dinner.Back in my room I slept in fits.Yet it was a solace to find a good samaritan in this bad bad world.

Often people don,t bother to help .Yet in this world ,are common people who help without a thought.And that is the sole reason why mankind survives.

Cheers For Some Tears For Some

Thunder lightning and beautiful shower today, brought great relief and cheers amongst us all.The past few months had been too hot.The trees were covered with dust.The small plants had a very droopy appearance.In search of green the cattles roamed about.Muncipality taps and wells had almost trickled dry.Each one of us had longed for rain.And today our prayers were heard. It was pouring cats and dogs .Standing by the window I was enjoying myself.When suddenly the water started lashing at the window pane, forcing me to close the windows.



Just as I sat down after closing the window, the words of a young girl rang in my ears.I hate the rains. Why dear, I had asked.She had replied,"Simply because when it rains my entire family has to sit up through out the night.The roof leaks.The rain water runs through our house like a stream as the walls are not strong.We can,t even cook because the chullah is filled with water.Nothing is dry, including us.We all appear like wet rats". I had never thought of the rain from that point of view.Suddenly the poem "A River " by "A.k.R amanujan" crossed my mind.He had written,

" The new poet still quoted

the old poets , but no one spoke

in verse

of the pregnant woman

drowned, with perhaps twins in her,

kicking at blank walls even before birth."

The harsh reality struck me once again.I realised once again, there are millions of homeless, who perhaps share the view of that young girl. It is easy for us to wish for rain sitting in the confines of our well furnished house.The condition of the poor hardly matters to us .I would not ask anyone to give up his/her pleasures.But let us atleast be compassionate enough to realise life is full of instances, where there is Cheers for some and tears for some.

2.Lost Days

All by ourselves we have to live
With none besides us when we need
Try as we like to find our way
We know, we never can get back our lost days.

By Binita Jha

Veil...............!!!!!!!!!

Veil or no veil is decided by the male followed by the female reinstigated by the custom to always prevail. Do the women really have a choice? No marks for guessing.The veil is bestowed only upon the women. Have you ever wondered why!!!!!!The answer is simple.The men want the women in their families to be protected from the eyes of the world. Which world are they talking of? The one created by them, with their rules and law or is it the world of womens voice which gets muffled in this male chauvanistic world.

The male must have all his fun while the women who indulge in such activities must be shunned.All girls who say they love their veil have well tutored brains helped by religion, customs, men and women( Oh! I can't spare the women for mother and mother -in -law grooms a girl.).They can hardly think for themselves. Women hardly raises her voice against it for she can easily fathom the consequences of such a folly.

Veil may try to provide us some kind of identity yet in this century it is education alone which can strive in the long run.Veils only causes inconvenience and must be abandoned.It is easy for the males to make rules of the society which they do not have to follow.I request all males to exchange place and wear the veil at least for a day.Let them practice what they preach and get back to me with their story.