Lighthouse - A Pure Fiction

Lighthouse As I would walk the line of fascination and discovery with an acute sense of sighting people and places around, I would enjoy the histrionics played by me as maneuvering across the pavement, the lanes; braving the muddy onslaught of the roads, there would arise a strange feeling of joy as I would trigger it with my playing around. A feeling of a prince would pervade in me as I would hop on the strong shoulders of my grandfather. I could feel the gravity; immense strength in the clavicle as I spread both my arms in elation across my grandfather’s neck, a sudden deviation and he would slap me on my back. I could be spotted most of the times in this position or holding his little finger and trying to match my pace with his own everyday as we would pay our homage to the devi, the great deity because of whom we ate and drank and lived our lives till this day.

I silently imagined myself to be as strong as my grandfather whom I would fondly call Baba and as tall as the Lighthouse. “Bharat you have to emerge as a lighthouse”, Baba would always tell me and I knew it deep within that I would make it up one day. I had to be like the Lighthouse radiating light and guiding people to the right path. I loved grandfather’s idea of trying to relate me with the lighthouse which I would occasionally see from a distance en-route while paying a visit to my aunt .The huge majestic tower always enticed me with its towering grace. I had these unusual visions of going to the top of the tower and snarling out at the top of my voice “I am here to be a part of your splendor, my majesty.”

Dharam and I were good friends who shared similar tastes, we were not lured by the unimaginable brickbat of the outside world, we laughed and played and for us sheer joy existed in being together and sharing the treasured marbles. Dharam’s father was a bookseller. He had a small shop where he sold hundreds of books and that should have made Dharam a bookworm which he very much was. My grandfather who worked as a clerk often gave me examples of Dharam whose father, a revolutionary in his own right, had escalated from being a potty cleaner to opting for the present occupation and Dharam, the studious and intelligent boy he was, would definitely take the name of the family ahead. Dharam envisioned a clear and well defined dream of being an IAS officer and his father told him the way to being one was only books which would make him an enlightened soul. If somebody asked me what my dream was, well all I knew was that I had to be a lighthouse and the way to being one was something which I didn’t know?
One summer afternoon Dharam and I made a secret plan to visit the lighthouse area. Dharam was shaky about it but on further persuasion he resorted to my will of taking the plunge. We had it all settled. We would leave our homes for school as usual, take a bus from thereon till Kalkabaadi and walk on for 3 kms to reach the destination. Coming Tuesday was the day we selected to carry out the escapade. I got up in the morning and as usual visited the temple, asked Ma to shower extra blessings on me, changed into my school uniform, met Dharam near the peepal tree and walked till the bus stop. We took a small dingy bus, all afloat with fisherwoman and some more men and women driving the chores of their lives. I, very confidently, handed over the money to the conductor of the bus “two tickets Kalkabaadi”. Dharam stood hiding behind me. The conductor looked at us from the corner of his eyes and something in Dharam’s demeanor probably left indications of our mission and he spoke out “Which school in kalkabaadi”? I took the two tickets without answering him, took hold of Dharam and we sat on the luggage kept at one of the corners of the bus. We alighted from the bus at Kalkabaadi and I stretched myself beaming under the sun with my exceptional performance.

“Bharat, what if they catch us?” asked Dharam. “Why on earth should they do that”? I took out some channa from the right pocket of my knickers and gave some to him to eat. ”Just eat channa and don’t bother. Everything is going to be fine”.

We kept on walking and all the time Dharam suffered from bouts of anxiety and continuously blabbered “Bharat what we are doing is not right. Devi maa will get angry for speaking a lie and bunking school and this act will have dire consequences which we will have to pay for and repent later.” I gave a deaf ear to whatever he spoke and all I could see was my lighthouse which I finally reached. It was a huge and magnificent tower. A wooden staircase; lead up to the beacon. The staircase had become a nesting place for the birds and the old French marvel had turned into shambles. It was now used as a dumping place for office equipment and other non biodegradable waste. The lighthouse looked beautiful embracing the filth in its garb. I felt phenomenal. ”Let’s go upstairs”

“No we shouldn’t. There is a demon that lives here. My mother told me that” said Dharam.
“Don’t be stupid. There is no demon here. They live only in story books”. I held Dharam’s hand and started moving upstairs. As we progressed further we heard a loud thud and Dharam pushing me and taking a lead this time took the steps back to take me by my hand outside. He took me alongside and kept on walking as if there did exist a demon which had entered his body. We scurried our way breathless and he had eyes flooded with tears. We stopped at a side of a road and as he shoved my hand away he spoke out as a valiant soldier.

”I told you there lives a demon but you did not listen to me. How can you intend to be like a lighthouse when you do not take the right path towards getting to it? How can you guide people when you do not follow the right directions”? The words resonated in my ears. Although I did not understand the meaning behind those words but they had so much of weight that for the first time in my life I thought to myself that I did not deserve to be the lighthouse. Only people like Dharam can achieve being one for the society.

We returned to our places taking the same route but this time we were both quiet and for few more days after that day we decided not to talk about this escapade at all. Our lives were all back to the normal. Years passed on and so did the fascination lessen but somewhere in my heart the thought did not diminish that I had to grow up like a lighthouse guiding people and showing them the right path. The only deciding factor was how?

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I moved to Delhi University to pursue a bachelor’s program in Physics at St. Stephens College and Dharam joined English Literature at Hindu College. I could sense a rebirth of emotions and turmoil within, to come across in terms with the whole myriad of people with different backgrounds and the cosmic huddle which enveloped me now. University offered me a life and mind to think beyond the norm, to spread my wings in the limitless sky and the multifarious opportunities which existed just to be entrapped. Within few months came the election season. The air got filled with contempt and allegations, promises and hope, fliers, papers pasted on the walls , university buses , hoardings laid out , holding the torch of freedom and good administration in the campus. I was an active participant of the left wing, holding out rallies till JNU. The communist within me found a vent and we would stage out rallies questioning the divide between the rich and the poor. I began to find the vision, the light which I always knew was latent and now I had a direction to follow. Dharam all this while would be busy reading the books and preparing for the IAS. His vision and scope was firmly directed towards his goal and I had found mine as well.

Dharam had those seeds of progress within him and he was working hard for it. I on the other hand also worked part time with an NGO for the uprising of the labor force in India. In three years I had risen from being a worker to the student’s leader of the left wing and more than that was the satisfaction within me of achieving something for the betterment of others. It was one of those days when I had returned from my native place and I had to hand over a packet of sweets to Dharam which required of me to visit his hostel at his college. Outside his college hung a board where it was written

DOGS AND STEPHENIANS NOT ALLOWED

I ignored the contents of the board and started moving forward. Three men first stopped me from coming inside and on further protest, encircled me. Whereas one held me from behind the two others punched me right through one after another. Blood started oozing out of my mouth and I stood there shouting for help but to my dismay I could not spot anybody out there. The packet which I was carrying fell down on the floor and the sweets it had fell all over the floor. Flashes of hope emerged as I could see Dharam coming out from his room from a distance. As I saw him I called out for him and shouted out his name. But, to my surprise Dharam saw me being punched by three ruffians but instead of coming out there and helping me, took an overturn and went straight away back to his hostel building. I collapsed there and later when I gained consciousness, I realized that I was taken to the hospital by a friend of mine who spotted me lying on my back, in front of the college gate. I was not only physically hurt but emotionally drenched out and the hurt was so much imminent and indelible that I wondered if it would ever go away from my life. I rehearsed and re-rehearsed the whole scene in front of my eyes, maybe Dharam would have felt afraid, after all he had his exams to take, or by the might of the students, he could not muster enough courage to fight for me. But, I could not find any excuse which could appease my heart and make it understand the situation or give Dharam the benefit of the doubt.

After few days I was released from the hospital and on my return I found a board hanging right at the front gate of the college

DOGS ALLOWED
STEPHENIANS ALLOWED
BUT HINDUITES NOT ALLOWED

The wordings on the board reemerged the feeling of disgust and shame within me. I asked my friends to quickly get rid of the board. Dharam did not pay a visit to me either in the hospital or otherwise. The final exams were round the corner. I wanted to be sure if he was doing alright and he was in fact doing more than alright because a common friend told me that he had cleared his prelims and was all set and prepared to take the Mains. Some how Dharam had changed, I thought to myself. I also did not show any inclination towards meeting up with Dharam. He had moved far ahead in his life and the inkling in me to lead a life as a lighthouse resurfaced but what diminished was the beacon that kept it burning in the form of Dharam.

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I worked for an NGO after graduating from college. Initially Baba was unhappy because of the choice of occupation but later, on his visit to Delhi when he saw the kind of work our organization was doing, he was more than happy for me. Our organization was in a need for land and I was given the responsibility to attend to it. After months of looking out, Shyam jee our manager, did end up finding a piece of land but there were complications created in its possession by a corrupt bureaucrat who would only pass out the land if we would pay him money. I, without fluttering my eyes gave my consent to paying the corrupt officer and Shyam jee was puzzled to understand how I could give my consent to something I did not believe in.
I picked up my phone and dialed the number of my friend who worked as a journalist with a leading daily. He gave his assent that he too would join me to visit the officer. Shyam jee set up a meeting with the corrupt officer the next working day. I took out money from the bank and the bag with the small camera fitted in was all set and ready. I placed the money in the bag and me, my journalist friend and Shyam jee went up to the office of the bureaucrat. As soon as we were about to enter the office, my phone began to ring and it was Baba speaking at the other end. I asked Shyam jee and my friend to complete the task as decided and I would wait for them outside in the car. As soon as I finished speaking I saw both Shyam jee and my friend Harish approaching the car with another person who was probably the assistant to the officer. Harish very reassuringly showed me a thumb up and I was convinced that the task has been accomplished.

Harish wanted to quickly reach his office since he had the most sensational news for the day in his hand but I had missed out on meeting the corrupt officer and moreover it is better to test the tapes first at home. We all reached my apartment and quickly setup the equipment to watch the corrupt officer taking the bribe. The visuals were crisp and clear and so was the face of Dharam. I was amazed by the discovery and so were the other two sitting with me and watching it all.

“Do you want it to be stopped? If you insist I can do so.” Harish said.
“No this news should be the part of the front page” I reaffirmed.

I could not sleep for the whole night. I could not believe that ambition and want of fame, money and power could exhaust all the scruples from a person who was once wiser than his age. I could have stopped the news from publishing and maybe protect my friend from being defamed. I did not do it not out of sense of vengeance for he did not protect me while I was beaten up in a broad daylight but it was the jolt which was required to be given to him, the one which he gave me years back.

Did the next morning’s newspaper reveal the truth about the corrupt officer? No, it did not; neither did any television news channel broadcast the story. Harish left the tapes with me and I decided to hand it over to Dharam personally because it was time for him to awaken, the roles had reversed and I had to show him the right way. Have I managed to realize my dream? Well, it is just a beginning….

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Outliers book review by us

Malcom Gladwell who has already established himself as some one who is out there to shatter some well established myths after writting ''The Tipping Point" and ''Blink"' comes up with another great work called "Outliers". In this books he challenges the fact that all the great achievers like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, John Lennon etc achieved great success because they were born with extra-ordinary capablities and they did it all by themselves.

In fact he goes on to prove that these great achievers were no more ordinary than us. What really made the difference was that they were presented opportunities at right time and were prepared to take full advantage of the same. Success also depends on a lot of factors like the culture, society and time that we are born in. As a matter of fact, most of the great innovations in IT happened from Silicon Valley and if you look at the Birth Dates of people like Gates, Ellison, Scott Mcnealy, Vinod Dham etc you will be shocked to see that their birthdays have a striking pattern. There is an interesting established rule of 10,000 hours behind all these gentleman, which the books explains in great depth.

The message of the book is very brief and clear. Let us examine all the stories and myth that surround an achiever. Success and Achievment is more than an individual's result of hard work or ability. There are several external factors which also help an achiever directly or indirectly. Malcom Gladwell however does not say if this is what he means "Destiny" or ''Fate". He also does not offer a solace to those who do not want to work hard and get success. All he is saying is not to get overwhelmed by the aura and mystery around an achiever. Always take such stories with a pinch of salt .

To sum up Malcolm says that Success is too simple to explain as a result of Hard Work and individual's brilliance. It is more than that and always be cautious of sources that help to spread these myths and stories arround them.

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