As opposed to a “not thinking chitalia”
“How will i know if it is love?” the teenage girl asked her mother.
The mother smiled lovingly, “Real love is the death of the ego.” she responded.
That was perhaps bit much for the young girl.
“What does that mean mom?!” she inquired puzzled.
The mother laughed and said, “There will be a time when another person will be more important to you than you are to yourself. When you find that person, don’t let him go.”
The young lady smiled for this was something she could remember.
– Arsee.
She had no one to talk to so she dialed her school teacher, “I am miserable. Everything i touch fails. I am just a failure.” she cried.
The teacher admonished her, “You can’t be a failure, you can only fail, that is the right way of saying it!”
The student sighed, “Can you please not correct my English today Sir!”
The teacher laughed, “You idiot, what i am saying is , failure is not a person, it’s an event. How can you be an event? And let me tell you a secret, the only way to success is to fail your way to success!”
The student began to cry with gratitude.
– Arsee.
On the occasion of Guru Purnima i thank everyone who spared the time to teach me.
“You killed her! You killed my daughter!” the father screamed at the dead girl’s husband.
A relative led the grieving father away before it could get worse.
The friend of the husband turned to him, “That’s not fair to you. She died of cancer. Why is he blaming you?”
The husband smiled through his tears, “That’s all right Fred, such is the nature of grief. It needs someone to hate, to blame. God and destiny don’t care if you hate them, so grief needs to hate someone who can feel its hate.”
The husband wiped his tears and headed to pay the hospital bills.
– Arsee.
“Hey, i am going to Earth. Any advice?” the young soul asked the guide.
“Stay away from wine, spicy food, drugs and smoking….” before the guide could finish the young soul cut in,
“What? That’s ridiculous! Why go to Earth and miss out on these things?”
The guide straightened his long white beard and said, “Let me tell you a secret, on Earth all bad times will come in the disguise of good times. Why else would you allow them to enter your life?”
The young soul fell silent in thought but the guide knew he would forget this secret on Earth.”
– Arsee.
“How can you bear these trolls on social media?” the young actress asked the senior one.
“They are so hurtful, rude and hateful.” she cried.
The older one smiled, “It does not bother me.” she said.
“How can it not bother you.” the younger one pressed on.
The older actress answered with a certain calm, “I understand the trollers for what they are…. but i am forgive them for what i am.”
The older actress knew the younger one would take a while to understand.
– Arsee.
“If you are so miserable call her!” his mother scolded him.
The son shook his head, “She is my girlfriend. She should know when i need her!”
His mother laughed, “You remember when you were little and you would run up to me and shout you were hungry?”
The young man nodded.
“I am your mother. I should have known when you were hungry? But even a mother sometimes needs to be told that her child is hungry. Don’t step back from asking for love. Want it? Ask her to give it!”
He was thanks to his mother that he married his girlfriend in the fall.
– Arsee.
“And how are you going to achieve power?” the mentor asked the budding politician.
“Love. I will spread the message of love.” said the young leader.
The mentor laughed heartily.
“Why do you laugh?” the young man asked his mentor feeling slighted.
The mentor patted him on the back, “Love does nothing. If you want to lead, bind the people with hate. Nothing brings people together more than hatred that they can feel for something or someone in common.”
The young leader wondered if that was too high a price to pay for power.
– Arsee.
“That was the 50th call cancelling a newspaper subscription.” the vendor complained to his father.
“The lockdown has got people used to living without newspapers. So much loss.”
The father nodded, “If i were you, i would incur more losses.” he said.
“What kind of business is that?” the son asked really upset.
The father took his glasses off and said, “Through time a good businessman has used man’s habit of habit. The lockdown has given him the habit of no newspaper. You give them newspapers free till they form the habit again.”
It took a minute for the son to start smiling.
– Arsee.
“Why do you think strong leadership is important in any field?” the interviewer asked the young MBA graduate.
Who thought a moment and said, “for anxiety…..”
The interviewer was boggled, “For anxiety? How do you mean?”
The graduate looked the interviewer in the eye, ” The biggest problem we face today is anxiety. Fears of an uncertain future. It keeps us up at nights and does not allow us to be us. A strong leader steps in and tells us it’s going to be okay. Everyone needs to hear it’s going to be okay.”
The interviewer looked at the girl and knew she was going to be a great leader someday.
– Arsee.
“He took one bite and burnt his tongue so bad, i doubt he will ever touch my food again mom!” the little boy said with glee.
“Good, that takes care of that food stealing bully.” the mother grinned.
“How did you know how to set him right?” the boy asked his mother as they eased their car to a stop at a traffic light.
The mother took her hands of the wheel and said, “Remember son, you will meet bullies of different kinds all your life. A bully uses intimidation because he is clever enough to know that you are cleverer than him. Just don’t allow him to make you forget that!”
– Arsee.
“You have had a very controversial life. So many relationships with different women. Do you not regret it?” the journalist asked him.
“No.” he responded with a smile.
“No?” this was not the answer the journo expected.
He took a moment, wondering whether he should explain, then he said, “Through everything i have been through, i have only learnt about love. Every relationship taught me something about love. Some taught me the pain of love, some the joy. Why should i regret knowing love?”
– Arsee.
“If i turn on my office mates i won’t have a friend in my office and if i don’t it won’t be fair on that girl who was victimized. What do i do?” he asked her.
“What is the truth” she countered.
“The truth is that the girl was good and they sidelined her.” he admitted.
She handed him a plateful of pasta and said, “Remember my love, honesty is always a lonely road.”
He chewed on his food and thanked God for her.
Honesty is always a lonely road, he said to himself and nodded.
– Arsee.
