Demand Notice? Nah! A Refund Order!

Which side of the bed did I get off this morning? I pat myself on the back and ask myself, as I score a window seat in the 8.28, that much coveted throne for every regular commuter. I put on my reading glasses, and pull out a Jeffrey Archer that is keeping me company currently. As I draw in a long, contented breath and am about to dive right into the plot, I hear the unmistakable chimes of cymbals, and my peripheral vision confirms what I have already began to dread. Jeffery Archer is about to have some competition. Some Gujarati folks are pulling out the cymbals, with as much relish as I have pulled out my paperback. After a few perfunctory “Jai Srikrisna”s, throats are cleared for a serious jam session of bhajans. I guess now its time for me to ask myself “Which side of WHOSE bed did I get off this morning”, and quietly return Mr. Archer to his sanctuary in my backpack. Well, not for nothing books are called the best friends one could ever have. They are always there for you when you need them and don’t sulk, or pout, for attention. I would gladly dive into my own backpack if it was possible and distance myself from what is about to be unleashed at me. Well, obviously, no prizes for guessing that I have always hated these bhajan groups in trains. I like my privacy, or at least whatever of it can be had in a local train in any case. And I love my reading time more than I love my wife ( Pssssttt )  I have always steered clear of these groups and have given them a wide berth, as it were, but today, I have been ambushed. I have to cope with this for only 30 minutes, I pep-talk to myself. And with my teeth set on edge, I cringe in anticipation of the inevitable. I am tempted to use the expression “ when rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it” here, but would refrain from using it for obvious reasons. Suffices it to say that I brace myself to enjoy the bhajans as if they were to be sung in my honor. Here come the opening bars......

 Now, wait a sec. Have I gone tone-deaf or are these guys really ripping it fairly well? They are, I admit, albeit reluctantly. The cymbals, too are holding the beat together admirably well. A couple of cymbal-players are actually quite spectacular in their performance. A couple of grizzled old “Kaka”s are leading with the stanzas and the rest of them are following it up with a rather well-co-ordinated chorus. But rather than their performance, I am more intrigued with the looks on their faces. Some eyes are closed and some half-open in a nirvana-esque state, blissful smiles on, heads bobbing in sync with the rhythm...and I feel, what? envy? Good God !!! What the heck is wrong with me? Maybe, just maybe, one of the old Kakas remind me of my dad, but still, that can’t possibly be the only reason why I find myself so utterly and inexplicably smitten by this mood around me. These people are so “in the moment”, that it makes me feel like an outsider amidst them. My stop is nearing and I get off my seat, wondering where did the half-hour vanish

. I shake a couple of hands and my gesture is reciprocated with some nods that tell me I am well understood. I bow in respect to the Kakas and am blessed with radiant smiles. I get off the train with a huge smile of my own. A smile I can readily compare to that of a man who opens an envelope from the Incometax Department, fully expecting a hefty demand notice, only to find an equally huge refund order instead. How many times have we been indoctrinated with the idea of living in the ‘now’ without any pre-conceived notions, and with all the windows open but couldn’t quite put it in practice? How many times have we listened to a particular song we thought we hated for years, only to suddenly notice a particular thread in it that was always beautiful? Hasn’t it happened often enough that a particular vegetable we wouldn’t even touch as children, suddenly hits the right spot on our taste-buds and becomes a favorite against all odds? A mere shift in the focus, although forced, led me to some meaningful moments that kick-started my day in an inspired mood today. Gotta sit down one of these days and list all of those things/beliefs/people that I thought were annoying, taxing.... Talk about converting your liabilities into your assets