All About Hussain: Reincarnation

REINCARNATION

Kids always find out a way to play being there a “New Rule” or not. It was an interval and as soon as the bell rang, we three friends ran out of the class to the open ground at the back of our school. We had to take a back door as that was the only way to get out. Once we were there we saw an ice cream seller with his hand driven small cubical box full of colorful and cool ice sticks. “Star” ice cream was my favourite. We thought of having it after lunch in ‘lunch period’.

“What shall we play?” asked Kiran.

“Out-out,” I said.

We then held each others hands and formed a circle. After swaying it twice in and out we suddenly put our right palm on the left one, either palm facing the sky or the ground. Since Kiran was left handed he put his left palm on the right one. Kiran and me had put the palm side up and Arun palm side down. So now we had to decide between me and Kiran as who will be the on who had to ‘touch’ first. We played again the same thing, Arun playing just as a deciding factor. And I won this time. And we ran, away from Kiran, for if he touches us we will be ‘out’. The term ‘out’ was borrowed from cricket I think, but actually we were not ‘out’ but now we had to touch someone to be safe. The last one before the bell rings who is in ‘out’ position is the one who loses.

Kiran plunged towards us and at a point where we (Arun and I) moved in different directions, he moved towards Arun. Seeing this I stopped and rested for a while. I saw Kiran chase Arun for a good distance; they climbed the ‘hill’ and came down, they went around the ‘grasslands’ and came back, they went on the ‘little desert’ and came back when both were exhausted. I was bored, they were playing the game and I was a spectator. Just then I saw an insect, a green big insect moving on the ground. I looked for a stone and grabbed one to hit the insect. I didn’t know when Kiran had touched Arun and Arun came after me to ‘touch’ me.

He saw me hit the insect and it was my first hit, to the target. He shouted, “Hey. What have you done!!”

“What? I said, "what happened?”

“You killed an innocent being.”

“Ah. Nothing will happen.”

“No, It is not good.”

Just then Kiran came running and put his arm around Arun and said, “What happened?”

“Hussain killed an insect,” said Arun.

“Haaa,” sighed Kiran, “Bad, very bad, now you will be born as that insect in your next birth and some boy will kill you like this.”

“Ha, No..,” I reacted.

The bell rang just then but Arun continued while we moved back to the class, “Yes Kiran is right, you will not know now, but you will know one day.”

I smiled and moved back to the class and technically Kiran had lost the game that day.

That day I kept on thinking of the insect and the reason that urged me to kill it. I think there was no reason. I thought about it at night also and went to sleep. Next day we all forgot about it.

A donkey tale

Once a washerman along with his 15 year old son were walking the dusty path of their village towards the shore. They had a donkey moving along with them.

On the way he over heard people speaking, 'See what an idiot man, he has a donkey and still not utilising it to its use and walking along with it, ha ha ha.'
Hearing this the washerman asked his son to sit on the donkey.

They walked a distance when his son overheard another set of men, 'What a shameless son, he is sitting on a donkey while his old, weak father is walking in the sun, chi,chi.'
Hearing this the son got down from the donkey and asked his dad to sit on it.

They moved till the corner when they heard some people commenting, 'Look what a heartless father, his only son, delicate like a flower is walking in the sun and he is enjoying the ride, hmmm'.
Hearing this the washerman asked his son to sit on the donkey as well. He had enough of people commenting on them.

He walked a considerable distance when he heard another group of people saying, 'What a cruel, ruthless people are these. They have a skinny, tired donkey and both are sitting on it for a ride.'
Hearing this they got down from the donkey and the washerman lifted the donkey on his shoulder while his son helped him from behind. They started walking with a little difficulty but they now felt that the people should atleast stop commenting now.

The people indeed stopped commenting. All they did was laugh and laugh.

P.S. "Kuch toh log kahenge, logo ka kaam hai kehna"
"People will comment something, its their job to comment"

All About Hussain: New-Rule

NEW-RULE

It was just another day at school. I reached my school in the morning 15 minutes earlier by a bicycle. My elder sister who studied in same school actually rode the cycle; I sat on the carrier behind. After the assembly prayers we moved to our respective classes. It was a busy class for the fifth graders. The school management had recently come up with a new rule: “No moving out of the class even during breaks.” And the class Five was really disappointed.

The first period was mathematics, a really tough subject to start with. But it was not tough for me. The only thing that bothered was three boys sitting together on a bench each with a bag half their size for forty-five minutes without moving. And if anybody made a movement the teacher yelled, “Hussain, listen to the class.” That was strenuous. Next came another forty-five minutes of unease in “English”. There was a fifteen minute break after it but thanks to the new rule “No going out.” And to make sure this rule is followed a student from a higher grade was asked to monitor a lower grade class. Our class was monitored by a girl from my brother’s class. “Every body quiet, Arun sit in your place, Don’t make noise, blah blah blah ,” she shouted all the time.

The next two-periods were boring as a cow, boredom and uneasiness leads to frustration. Thank-God we had a lunch break next meaning we would be able to move from our place finally after three hours and fifteen minutes. I went out, had my lunch with my friends and came inside the class. The girl was waiting in the class. We both knew each other. I went out to sit on my place and place my box inside my bag. She continued her shouting; I think she too didn’t like monitoring a class when she could have gone out for playing. Probably that’s the reason she kept shouting. And then came the moment, I just turned around to take out a book from my bag and eventually stood from my place.

“Hussain, sit in your place!”

“I am just taking out a book from my bag, you donkey!”

‘Donkey!!’ now why did I say that word? I guess the fact that I couldn’t say that to teachers or the head mistress made me use it for her or that I knew her and thought that she would not mind. But she definitely did not take it for granted. Next moment I could see her go out of the class and come back along with P.T. Madam. She gave me two lashes on my palms and made me kneel down at the door with my hands up in the air for the rest of the lunch period. Every one who entered whispered, “Why is Hussain punished?” I saw the faces of my friends, some thought that it was my mistake, some thought of me as an arrogant boy and some thought, “Poor Boy!”

A few days later I realized that only thing that changed was some of the girls in my class have stopped talking to me. The new rule of the school remained.

How are you?

->I was down in confidence and my head ache was reaching high.I had to complete analysing 12 more programs by 8 P.M. and complete preparing an asset analysis document by 9 P.M. Apart from that I had to update a few specifications and prepare and deploy sixteen modules into production. Still five more hours were left to my deadline and it seemed like fifteen thousand light years ahead. My manager kept pinging me every 20 mins for the status and my tech lead kept a high expectation on me. My team mates kept asking me doubts and my project mates kept giving me work. Above all my computer kept testing my patience. While chatting simultaneously with eight people and talking to one, and waiting to join a call conference in 15 minutes, my Cell Phone Rang!!!!

->She was down with fever, a sudden high temperature of 104. She slept only for four hours last night and kept coughing the rest of time. She had a piece of bread and glass of milk. Also she took two big pills. Her home was beginning to become untidy for the first time in the year and the laundry kept piling up. The dust on floor irritated her and the body pain added to her suffering. Above all she missed her son who didn't call her for last four days. At late in the afternoon, as her temperature stabled she asked her husband to call their son. He took the phone and dialed the number.

<->
Me: Hello
Dad: Yes son, its me.
Me: Yes dad...
Dad: You didnt call your mother since four days...
Me: Yes, will call her sometime...where is she?
Dad: Here talk to her...
Mom: Hello...
Me: Hello, what are you doing mom?
Mom: Just was sleeping, and you...
Me: I am in office...
Mom: Ok, hey son, did you forget your mother, call frequently son...
Me: I called last sunday right...
Mom: hmm, that was LAST sunday...
Me: Ok,ok will call frequently, now can i work?
Mom: hmm, what did you have for lunch?
Me: aanh, sandwich, mom..I have lots of work to do, can i call back again?
Mom: Yes, but call soon..
Me: Ok, Mom Bye..
Beep....
Mom: Bye son.

I called her again only the next day and realized that she was ill for three days. In fact my brother too was ill. I cannot imagine whether she felt good after hearing my voice on the phone or she felt bad on my rude behaviour. I think now that I should have asked her how she is and everybody in the house and spent more time talking to her. This might not have alleviated her pain but atleast she would have slept with a happy heart that night. Work and target dates will remain always but if affection is lost once it is very difficult to get it back. I wonder these are the small things that keep relationships pleasant and everlasting. The small things like asking 'How are you?' before starting a conversation. My poor mother, I will call you everyday.