Curiousity is the first step to knowledge

We often see that young children are good at grasping things as compared to their older people. Have you wondered why?
Besides being curious they also have one quality we don’t.The knowledge of their ignorance.
Weird as it may sound, what I really mean by the knowledge of one’s ignorance is being aware of what one doesnt know or rather knows but doesnt know right and admitting it.
When a six year old asks his/her parent “Why do we stop at red light?” referring to traffic signals,he doesn’t have an ounce of EGO.And that is what makes him open to learning.
When his parent explains to him that Red stands for Stop in Sign language,he understands why.
When he is a little older say 12,he may think WHY RED?
Who chose that colour?
This is the age where kids are rebellious and ask why things are the way they are.
When he is told about the VIBGYOR concept and why RED being the last in order of and having the largest wavelength hence longest visibility.
And this satisfies him.
But take a 20 year old.Even if he has this question in mind he won’t ask it for fear of being laughed at.For fear “ Even a 12 year-old might know.And I don’t.”

One of the the reason why some people become smarter than others in the same circumstances and under the same conditions is that they readily admit their ignorance and strive towards gaining knowledge rather than pretending to know.

One of the first lessons I got form my Principal (CA students have a Principal under whom they work as interns before getting thir degree) was : Never be afraid in admitting You don’t know.The Moment you say you know you are expected to genuinely know.And if you mess up after that,no forgiveness!
Ask 10 times if you don’t understood,but the moment u say u have understood,I’ll assign you a related job and don’t ask me questions after that!

You’ll often see Doctors referring to Med-journals and lawyers re-reading Bare Acts to make sure about what they tell their patient/client.Now if professionals can admit to not be sure and check their sources for confirmation,why cant everyone?

Be a kid when it comes to curiousity.Strive towards Excellence
Success to tumhare paas jhak maar ke aaegi yaar..

A Love Story

Love life of a Xaverian

As the stars shone in the eastern sky, Aisha sat at the table sipping her coffee. Beside it lay a black forest pastry which she hadn’t even touched. She was sitting at CCD, 2 minutes, from the back gate of her Alma mater St. Xavier’s College. Her colleagues with whom she had come, were talking about the rumours- doing- the- rounds on a raise at work. However interesting the talk might have sounded to anyone , the sounds outside seemed more interesting to Aisha.

It was three years but it only seemed yesterday ……….

. . . .

“Don’t you have to go home? “ screamed Karishma to her two classmates Megha and Raj and Aisha stood there waiting for Raj to tie up the laces of his shoes. It was 8’o clock. Classes had given over at the Evening Department. The Back gate was crowded as usual.

“Yeah…I Know you are keen on following Bunty…go ahead Darling.. we wont mind a bit” teased Megha in a sugary voice.

After which Karishma ran after her till almost the college building till Megha gave up, panting and bent with both her plams on her knees. “ At least learn to run a little fast” Karishma would then say who herself wasnt far behind Megha on-the healthier side.

Aisha her best friend since 6^th Standard on the other hand was slim and athletic and as most boys saw it-Quite pretty too.

Raj and Karishma and Megha were bench-mates by default. Since they hit off instantly they became best of buddies and almost inseparable.

Aisha was in another room (as in section in School) and had made new friends too but she always made it a point to spend the break with her Best Friend. As a result they had become a great- foursome.

But happy days weren’t to last forever. Soon something happened that changed their lives for the remaining days of college.

………….

6.35 p.m. The much awaited and loved Break-time for the evening department.The room was quiet except for the occasional sobs coming from the second last bench of the middle row of Room 19.

The 2^nd Sem Results of B.Com were out and Megha had got arrears in 3 papers. Though it was quite expected to not have her usually consistently good academic performance, given she had had her appendicitis operation just 5days before the exam, she expected to at least pass.

“This is Xavier’s buddy…even the toppers learn a lesson or two about getting an arrear here….just chill….” Said Raj maybe the umpteenth time but to little avail. Megha’s eyes were red and swollen “I have never scored below 80…” she went….

“ Megha!Guess What! I topped! Whole B.Com.!Morning Evening! Can you believe it! ….”……Aisha came storming into the room only to find her best fried in a terrible shape.

“ 3 arrears” signalled karishma form the other side of the desk.

She sat dwn composed herself,put an arm around her and said softly “hey its ok buddy…we know you were such a champ to have at least appeared for them.I would have given up.Why me? Anybody would have..Why don’t you look at the brighter side “ you cleared 5 papers! U only have to sit for 3 now!” her voice getting brighter but the listener didn’t bother one bit!

She went for almost 10 minutes with material inputs from karishma too.

Raj, tired of the girly –drama finally screamed “Now That’s enough baby Elephant! Come lets have Coffee and you’ll forget it”

“Ya…call me names.” That was left. Whimpered Megha. “listen don’t be such a cry-baby and for God’s sake get up and wash your face. you look like hell and sound worse. Water will do you good.”

Karishma was tired of comforting the chubby girl who simply refused to be comfortable.

3-4 students who were in class saw Aisha and congratulated her. She was in a upbeat mood. Somehow even Megha’s mood didn’t do any harm to her sunshine spirit. After all it was a big day for her. Though a good student, she had never held a 1^st rank ever before and that too in Xavier’s who could said to be the best 1200 students form the country.

“Guys….some Chaat would do us all good. why don’t we walk up to Vardaan and…” she said enthusiastically as she walked back to the 2^nd last bench.

And what about “4^th period” ? interrupted Karishma.

“Bunk!” smiled Aisha, the exclamation sign almost visible on her glowing face.

Raj found it disgusting that Aisha could be so happy. Her best friend was having a hard time cope with pressure and here she was all smiles, giving her ideas on how to screw up their already depreciating attendance which accounted for 10% of their subject marks.

“that’s cause you topped. you have every right to celebrate. go.With the fellow geniuses of the b.com department, eat drink and make merry” Finally Raj let his emotions out .

”don’t be Absurd Raj. Am Megha’s best friend for 7 years. I know what does her good,a lot better than you do” Said Aisha coolly.

“then why the hell don’t you just get lost! Cause that would make her feel better.Not you standing here. An epitome of Achievements. Congratulations Miss topper. But we don’t want any of what you have to offer!

And before he could gather what was happening, he was on the floor! Aisha had pushed him hard and he had fallen down without a second’s preparation to block the sudden but strong force.

Laughs went up in the class. A couple of guys entering the class from the class found the scene quite funny. And nothing could humiliate Raj Singh Rathore more.He would rather be killed than be pushed away and that too by a Girl!

…..

“Please let me in for the time being. Sirf 5 minute Baaki hai. I have told my father .It will take him 1 hour to finish his meeting in the Officer’s mess, go home get my Admit Card then go the police station to report the loss” pleaded Raj to the burly Watchman.

“Go lodge a police Complaint yourself.” “Who knows You are the same person?”

“You young people are so careless.You toss thes thing into your pockets then give it to Laundrty and forget all about it” said another old face having tolerated at least 3 generations of such species as he called them.

“ I told you I don’t know now and I’ll get it. I had fever and……” he broke off weakly to see the face he hated the most for 3 semesters. Aisha Hussain.

“ He left it in my bag by mistake” she held the familiar looking Blue stringed Card in front of him, saving him grace ,for she had found it lying on the ground floor canteen on the previous exam day and had called after his friends but they hadn’t heard. She had put in her bag carefully tucked inside the front pocket.

Before he could utter a word she pulled his arm and dragged him inside. Your Dad can get the Admit Card in an hour or so as you said. Invigilators wouldn’t trouble you. They would check that in after the 40-45 minutes as it is.

“ Hey…Than”….he was too weak too speak Moreover his common sense dictated him not to waste his energy on that. He had Another 4 hours to survive. But that was it. The last exam of the last semester at college. His gut feeling encouraged him that he could do it despite the week-long Dengue Fever which had left him with no time to revise properly. He had only managed to look across them while his body had shivered at various temperatures ranging from 99-103 degrees Centigrade.

But he did it.

After the Exam which he wrote quite well, quite above his expectations, he felt grateful to her by the minute. Though it wasn’t a great feat, Aisha Khan whom he hated the most had helped him in the most honest yet best way possible. When none of his close buddies hadn’t even known. He hoped to see her, but he didn’t. He was left with a sadness he never knew before. Hopelessness. Despair. He Would Never See Her Again.

……………………….

“You are what we need.The HR says that.Though we at the management would still appreciate your CV.”smiled elderly Mr.Rao occupying the CEO’s post at Durling International.

Aisha Hussain had just got her first job. Having completed her Chartered Accountancy course successfully, this was a boost to her self-worth, but just another feather on her cap as her friends and family put it, but which she, herself was too modest to accept.

Though her professional journey had been quite great and envious in many respects she had messed up a bit in the very first meeting.

She had forgotten to take a hard copy of the CV she had mailed the Company. Though not very grave, it was a bad first impression that could question sincerity and presence of mind of a candidate however juicy his/her CV looked at first glance.

“Take her Sir. Believe me there is none like her who would fit in the post. Right from Academic Brilliance to Professional Sharpness, This girl has everything we need.” Said a very confidfent young voice at the other end of the phone which Mr.Rao had received in the course of his interview which was being watched over by the Back-End Operations Research team on the 9^th floor of the office.

To be hones,t Aisha’s sharp ears had heard them and her smile couldn’t hide it, as the Youngish Lady at the other end had noticed.

“Yes Mr.Rao. If RSR says yes. we should take her” she had even encouraged her much older boss.”

But what made her smile wasn’t what the voice said but just the sound of it. A bit husky but something familiar she thought, but she couldn’t recall whose it was.

…………

“Do You See What I See?’ echoed voices even from the glass indoors of CCD. It was the last day of B.Sc 3Years.

But the sound of it was music to any Xaverian’s ears. Be it B.A, B.Com or B.Sc this was one slogan all warmed upto and went hoarse shouting be it Xavotasv or the last day.

“I See SXC!!!”

Said a voice at the other end of the café.

Yes. It was the same voice.

She turned to find him.

Sitting with a burly Green Shirt Man, she found, Clad in a White polo Tee and Sky Blue Denims, Raj Singh Rathore.

As she turned to look at him, he saw her, almost jumped up, waved,said “Hey!” and stood up!

“An old batchmate?’ asked her colleague.

“Yeah…but…..”

“Go Join him. He’s signalling for you to go there.”another interrupted before she could finish.

She looked back and found him at another table adjacent to his.All smiles and waving to her.

Half shocked half embarrassed, she clutched her Gucci Hand bag and walked upto his table there. She could feel goose bumps rising up her arms. Thank God she was in full sleeves, but she wondered why she even thought about them.

They sat opposite each other, both quite but happy, nonetheless in a strange way.

“So…how’s life….Durling’s stocks are up. And I am sure you have something to do with them” he broke the ice.

At 24, he still had a boyish charm about him.

“Ehh…if I Am not Wrong.You are the RSR of Durling,right?”

She was quite comfortable now.

“Was. You must know if u still work there.”

“But what happebed .Why this sudden escape.Almost like You got me in and yourelf got out.”

“Thrown Out would be the correct term” he corrected joikingly.But his eyes were sad

“Ehhh…….what happened Raj?”

“My Fiancé had a fatal accident in the U.S.I got the news at 1.a.m on the night you came for the interview. I took the first flight there.”

“ohh…Am so sorry….Dint know..”

“its ok.You didnt Do it. Mr.J Jr. did it”

Huh?

“Mr.J our very beloved CFO’s son ran his car into the truck my Fiancé, her parents her brother were travelling in.Strange as the coincidence as well as the incident may sound, the flat FIAT knocked down the little truck My bro-in –law was driving right off the cliff and

It landed straight in the sea. All Lives Lost Immediately.Neighbours told me who had gone camping with them.They were following in another truck, behind.They were a family of 8 so had taken a bigger one. He was such a Nut. My brother-in-law. I always said though I got beat up after that.” He tried to smile.” I wish she would come back….” Aisha could see his eyes moist though no tears came out.

“What was J’s son doing there?”

“He lived there. Sent to study at Harvard. Got dropped out and did all kinds of nonsense. He was her murderer.” Anger made his mellow eyes almost red. And he is in Prison.” His eyes lit up”For another 35 years”

“ohh…I get the drift.J Sr.came to know you landed there, got help from witnesses and had his son thrown in Jail..So he….” Interuupeted Aisha.

“Not just kicked me out of Durling giving very peculiar reasons but also landed me in trouble tipping off the ever-alert cops, there.I was a suspected terrorist and my green card was in their custody for 8 more months.”

“Then..you came back….”

“When my parents came there to bring me back.I came here and became a drunkard. Lived in a Rehab for 6 months. Came back. Met old friends.Studied a bit.Gave interviews.Got an HR job in Bangalore. Double Pay”

He smiled. The same way when he was 18 . She had had a thing for him for the whole first week of college but had never told anyone.

“I agree you had Hard Luck dude. But believe me God wont do it another time with you. We don’t want someone pushing you down again” she smiled mischievously.

“Megha is getting married on 15^th of next month” he announced suddenly.

She went silent.

“Come on. Dont pretend to yourself you don’t miss her .You’ all are best buddies.Go To her place and just get it over with.We aren’t 19 now” he said matter-of-fact-ly as he squeezed her hand.

………………………….

Megha, her husband, Karishma Raj and Aisha were sitting on the grass of the farmhouse plot Megha and her husband had just bought for her first anniversary.It was just like old times.They still spoke at various pitches and volumes ranging from a barely audible whisper to the top of their voices, like teenagers and on hearing on of their typical yet classic one-liners, laughed their head off till they were rolling on the grass.

The lights glowed on Megha’s shining array of bangles and on especially on the Solitary diamond Aisha wore on her Ring finger. It was her engagement ring.

Raj And Aisha were to get married the next Month.