I went for a jog this morning to this astoundingly serene and sylvan park in our neighborhood Powai. In my view and that of most other regulars our Park is undoubtedly an island of complete calm and quiet and is an antithesis of the persistent chaos , confusion and cacophony that now characterizes Aamchi Mumbai. The very instant that you step into the enchanting environs of this heaven on earth you are greeted by the freshness of the breeze , the cool shadows of the majestic trees and all your etherial worries come to an immediate cease. This tranquil territory has now become the early morning and late evening abode of most Powaikars who dutifully take to this Park either for reasons of calorie or merely to seek solace from all the drudgery. Denizens across the demographic spectrum can be seen performing an act befitting their size , stature , age and structure. The time tempered elderly people are walking around slowly in groups and the composition of the gathering determines the directions of the deliberations. The men can normally be heard exchanging views on the most recent political puzzles and sensational sports satires while their better halves are pondering over more pragmatic problems concerning the prices of milk and onions. The middle aged folks are trotting the turf at a relatively faster pace and their talks are all about shares and the accompanying market blaze. Enthralling arguments abound on Raghuraman Rajans recipe for revival and views pour forth on the budget standoff in the US. The monotony of the mundane is sometimes attempted to be broken by some mischievous member who whips up a wholesome laughter by his witticism and jape. The younger ones are more glued onto their gizmos and gadgets and are in a relative state of separation from the rest of the race. Their heads are moving to the melody of their music and their steps are strutting to the sound of their symbals. Some members of the youth brigade can be seen in hectic parleys with their partners over their ultra fancy phones and one cannot help but marvel at the monstrous magnitude of their mobile monologues. I have always wondered how someone can find somebody to launch into a soliloquy at the most surprising stage of night or day. Then you have the more rigorous runners like self for whom the mornings are meant for readying themselves for the ultimate race. Traditionally we traverse the track in a direction opposite to the rest of the pack and the reasons for this are more to do with style than any technique or guile. The running gait is an integral part of your fate. Each one of us is uniquely gifted with a right to run and do so in a certain manner. Any attempt to make a change to this natural endowment is as difficult as trying to rein in a rowdy Rottweiler. A friend once recommended the Chi style to me which combined the basics of deep breathing with disciplined and finely nuanced running. The genesis of this interesting art form was moving gently with gravity rather than against it. This involved moving at an angle instead of a perpendicular posture. This is a well researched science and urges the runner to be meditative and mindful about the four essentials of - Focus , Body sense , Breathe and Relax while in motion. I persisted very patiently and diligently pursued the dictates of this insightful initiative. I realized however that no matter how much I tried , after a few kilometers , my body would bounce back to the same position and Id continue to run more comfortably and calmly in exactly the same manner as Id been doing ever since I fell in love with the joy of jogging. After having experimented with several tools and techniques , my efforts have now culminated into a clear conclusion that we should all run in a style in which we were born to run. When you strap on your shoes in the morning , wear your favorite cap , turn on the music to some racey tunes , buckle up your Garmin to set the GPS to a start position and GET , SET and PO into the waiting arms of mother nature , your entire being will automatically position itself into a posture which is naturally and perfectly suited to your persona and personality. My humble suggestion is to continue in this style. Any effort to change will be futile and foolish. The other passionate patrons of our Park are these group of nature lovers being guided around by some adroit botanists. This is a very interesting clique of curious learners who are peacefully ambling around and being tutored about all the majestic trees. You can see them studiously making notes and carefully clicking away photographs of all the wondrous creations and caricatures of nature. In my view there cannot be a better and more benign method of expressing your reverence for all the frames and features of nature. All these folks are exceptionally talented and highly educated people and their morning musings are meant to be a means of reflection and reverie. I once had the fortuitous fortune of having a conversation with one of the members of such a gentle , subtle and humble gathering. The person I spoke with was a distinguished professor at IIT and was internationally renowned for her path breaking research in the field of Nano-physics and Nanotechnology. I was floored by her humility and in a very gentle voice she explained to me that since there is nothing much she can do for nature she had decided to do her small bit by at least learning more about nature. The most important members of our pretty Park are our two elderly guards who perform the multifunctional role of maintaining the security , serenity and sanctity of the place. I have still to meet someone more punctual and passionate than these two men. Not once since the past many years has there been the slightest delay in opening the park gates even a few minutes later than the scheduled opening time of 5.30 AM. Their whistles will go off exactly 10 minutes before the closure time and precisely at the stroke of 10 PM the gates will close. I have known both these gentlemen for several years now and they hail from a remote village in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. They live in humble shanties in faraway suburbs of Mumbai and have to use the torturous trains to travel from home and back. Whether it is the shimmering sun , the horrid humidity , the ravishing and rapturous rains or the willful winters our two Chachas have never , to the best of my memory and knowledge , missed a single day at work. Yesterday after finishing my morning jog I wished Chacha and offered a small Diwali Bakshis. Chachas face is now creased and tanned with constant and continual hours in the midst of nature. He looked at me and very politely requested me to place the Bakshis amount in a collection box that had been made very meticulously out of a used sunflower oil can. All of us regulars at the park had been asked to place our contributions into the box. And then Chacha said - Sirji Apne bageeche ke jhadon ko aaj kal waqt pe khat ( fertilizer ) nahi mil rahan hain. Municipalty walon ko pucha to bolte hain ki aajkal paison ka kafi problem chal rahan hain. Apne ye jhad aur paudhe bahut murjha se Gaye hain. Maine or mere saathi ne faisla kiya hain ke is saal Jo rakkam jama hogi usse Apne in baccho ke liye khat aur nayi matti kharidenge I freeze to attention and my hand involuntarily moves to salute this grand old keeper of our Park who with his tattered shirt , soiled trousers and weather beaten visage has taught me today that the great institutions of our majestic motherland continue to exist in all their glory and grandeur and offer respite to troubled souls like us only because of the selflessness and sacrifice of exemplary individuals like Chacha who have given back much more than they ever got from society. The words Chacha salaam find their way out my trembling lips and I continue my jog back home.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 03:44:39 +0000
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