Wheel of Time

“When you are young, you have no time for younger and the old. But when you are old, you long for their company”……Myself

For a child, life is like starting to read a book. The first few pages of the new book, he tries to understand what world he has entered, how different characters emerge or relate to one another. How different situations emerge and how they are dealt with. And as the child moves on to further pages, he gradually understands the environment, he can judge the character around, though he cannot predict what is in store in the coming pages, he is more relaxed, then life just moves on to the climax.

                                                    

Whereas as a child, we have to evaluate every situation and act upon, but as an adult, we have already accumulated sufficient experience to respond to situations. And when we are old, more and more of our actions become habitual and automated. We tend to be on auto pilot.

Our perception of the passage of time can be influenced mainly by our priorities at each point of time. And as we contemplate later we tend to analyze our lives in linear terms of decades, our teens, twenties, thirties and so on.

Here I give an example of how our lives are influenced by the priorities in life of a friend of mine whom I know since more than 50 years.

(All names have not been changed in an attempt to hide identities.)

“Hi Ravi” someone called me as I alighted a city bus near Andhra University Engineering college.

I turned around to find DS. I was very glad to see him. After the customary hugs and handshakes.

“How are you DS, it’s a long time since we met, I just came for semester holidays from Calicut”

“Everything is fine” he said and turned back and shouted to a group standing nearby.”I am coming”

“I am sorry Ravi, I have to go, our college elections are on and I am going for canvassing for our candidate, and they are all waiting for me. I’ll catch up with you soon”

“Bye”

Some years have rolled by and I returned home at Vizag after my graduation. Those days, communication was only possible personally; even a land line phone was a luxury. I came to know that DS was not in the college hostel anymore and was living in some rented house. Made enquires and one evening I knocked his door.

“Hi Ravi, what a surprise, when did you return, what are you doing now?”

When such multiple questions are thrown at you, you tend to go off-guard.

I just said “Fine, I just wanted to say hallo.”

“Ravi did I tell you earlier, I am going steady with Latha, my classmate, in fact we are living together here in this house.”

Maybe he was the first to start a trend of ‘living-in’ in this part of the world. I remember that he told me of his crush with Latha. Their adventures and quality time spent on the beaches. But I was totally surprised that it came to such a stage where they live together in the same house. Maybe I envied him.

“Today is her birthday, and I am taking her out for a movie and later to dinner” he whispered.

“Latha, we are getting late” he shouted.

A smart looking malayalee girl came out, still adjusting her hair.

“This is Ravi, my school type”

“Hi”

“Hi”

“Come on lets go, lets go” DS said to Latha and climbed onto his Yezdi motorcycle.

“Sorry Ravi, I’ll catch up with you soon.” And he zoomed away nonchalantly.

“Bye”

Not much water has flown down the Gosthani, when I met him at the Vizag Steel plant.

“What the hell are you doing here” he almost shouted.

“I am working for a contractor here, and you?”

“I came to attend an interview for a construction firm”
“And what about Latha?”

“Err.. I am already late” he blurted. “That’s a long story; I’ll tell you when I catch up with you soon”

“Bye”

Those were the days when our career takes precedence and everything else a back seat. I was busy in my own way and came to know that he was working for a construction firm in Bombay and was travelling to Port Blair and Maldives on duty regularly. There was no way to communicate. I envied him; he was doing well in life. Both of us got married, neither of us attended each other’s wedding for some reason or the other.  Then it was the usual tussle between career and family. My priorities were stuck between these two and nothing else. Same must have been his side of the story.

Both of us settled down in Vizag.

“Hi Ravi, what a surprise, Vaidu, look who is here.” He shouted.

A good looking lady walked out with a girl of 3 in her arms.

“This is Ravi, my school type”

“Namaste”

“Namaste, you have a cute daughter”

“She is not well; we are taking her to the doctor now”

“I’ll bring some tea” the lady said and was walking inside.

“No, No, No, please don’t bother, first go to the doctor” I said reflexively.

“Sorry Ravi, I’ll catch up with you soon”

“Bye”

As we put on more years, he had very genuine reasons to be busy. So, the “catch up with you” went on for a very long time. It was an important meeting with a customer, the municipal people, or dropping his son or daughter at the college. His father’s ceremony and so on.

Now I pick up my mobile and call him.

“Hi DS, how are you? It’s a long time since we met so I called”

“Hi Ravi, what a surprise, I can’t say that I am well”

“What’s wrong?”

“You know my spondylitis has gone from bad to worse. Now I have a tingling sensation in my arms, doctors have suggested yoga for me”

“Are you free now?”

“Sorry Ravi, I have an engagement with my Yoga master at 6. 
This time I was persistent.
"So we can meet after your yoga class?"
"No.... but I have to attend the engagement ceremony of the Municipal Commissioner's daughter. I promise I'ii catch up with you soon."

Now, to close the ‘wheel of time’ I can foresee the future after a few more years.

“Hi Ravi, where are you calling from?

“California, I came to visit my daughter”

“Wao that’s great, we are so close by.”

“Can we meet soon”

“Sorry Ravi, you know I am in deep love with a girl, she is so beautiful and adoring, I just can’t keep my eyes off her.”

“No, not again, not again DS, respect your age.”

“I think she is the best girl I met in my whole life, she misses me if I am not with her for a short while, and we are both in love”

“Uh Oh”
"I think we are born for each other, my life seems a bliss when she is in my arms and when I kiss her."
“Uh Oh, DS, remember what happened to Latha. How will you deal with Vaidu?"

“Excatly, I am talking about my Latha, my granddaughter; I have to take her for a walk now. I promise, I’ll catch up with you soon.”