My House Warming Ceremony

  It's been thirty-one years since stepping into my new territory. All memories of the past flash before my eyes as I stand rooted to the spot, staring at my new house. Nothing came easily. Nothing was available for free. We had to grill hard and shed blood, sweat, and tears to build this new house. The new house wasn't built on easy-flowing cash. It was indeed built on hard-earned money. Tears form at the corners of my eyes as I try my best not to let them out. It hasn't been a smooth thirty-one years on this journey. Had to endure humiliation after humiliation. Had to endure expletives fired from the house owners. There were days when I slept with tears drenching my bed. There were days when I slept with anxious thoughts that threatened to rip my soul apart. Being sensitive in this loud world is difficult. It is catastrophic. Being different in this world is difficult. It is chaotic. Being construed as an ego-driven person is painful. I can't forget those days when I felt it was better to die than to live. Growing up, I was never like other children; I only used to observe rather than being part of plays. I had understood that material desires only lead to pain eventually, nevertheless, people chase them ruthlessly. When I recount those painful days, I smile not for being weak but for having had the strength to endure those tough days, which were exactly the reason as to why we managed to build a new house. I see my parents being jubilant, having seen their long awaiting dream come true. My father had to sweat hard in hotels. Even at an old age, he refuses to sit idle. He competes with youngsters and even outshines them. I had seen him being silent when life slapped him so hard. I had seen him cry silently when he was humiliated at his workplace. He finds life among people. He doesn't mind even if they disrespect or disregard his presence. I had seen him crib about lost relationships. I had seen him making friends every single day, thereby showcasing his extroverted personality. He is happy to have finally owned a house. Life is crazy after all. Sometimes it slaps us hard, and sometimes it cuddles us like a baby. We need to move on regardless of the circumstances. Sometimes it leans towards us, and some other times it leans against us. Every brick of this house was built on our sweat, blood and tears. As I see my house towering over me, a faint smile curves my lips. We had not built this house to show off to the world. We had built this house to create a peaceful sanctuary, not dictated by external noise. I had invested money so that I could finally see my parents live in their peaceful abode. Ten years of my hard work to save every single penny did not turn waste. Brick by brick makes a house. Penny by penny builds wealth. I am not a typical Indian guy interested in dating, showing off or external validation. I had built my internal empire that refuses to be dictated by external noise. I still stand alive despite being different and sensitive in a world that rewards noise and chaos.

 The festival of Maya begins. The much-anticipated housewarming ceremony has kicked off. I wear a traditional dhoti fit enough to cover my body. I take part in Vastu rituals done to purify the space. I shed some tears that depicted the pain I had endured all these days. I do not intend to make it a rich house so that it could grab some eyeballs. My intention is only to find a purified space that could help me live peacefully until I complete the final chapter of my life. I see the flames reaching every nook and corner of the house as if to bless the entire house. I bow down to the fire god who, through rituals, is purifying the space. The vibration of mantras resonates throughout the house, invoking divine energy into our abode. I fold my hands into namaste, begging the divine power to permanently reside in my house. I see guests chatting in the corridor of my new house. Some are trying to find attractive features while others are trying to find loopholes. Some are happy to see us finally build a house, while others are comparing their homes with ours. Being an observer, I continue to brush my eyes over the surrounding atmosphere. Being a sensitive soul, I absorb the moods of people. I am neither boasting about my new abode nor am I interested in pleasing anybody. I just smile and respond rather than going on a talking spree. Silence has taught me a life lesson that I could never forget until I breathe my last. Solitude has taught me the value of life, which I will preserve till my last breath. The next day I could see a cow stepping its foot into our new abode. I feel blessed. I touch the holy cow, beseeching its divine blessings. The priests arrive on time to begin Satya Narayana Puja, a powerful ritual performed to convey gratitude to the almighty for helping us realise our dreams. I sat along with my parents and ensured I listened to the Satyanarayana stories. Internally, I conveyed my gratitude to the Lord for being our protector throughout this life. Spirituality is not everyone's cup of tea. Because the veil of Maya is so powerful, it doesn't let people taste the nectar of spirituality. The almighty had played an instrumental role in my life to build this new abode. Without his divine blessings this wouldn't have materialised. So, I prostrate before the Lord, surrendering my ego at his feet, thereby liberating my soul of any negativity. I see guests driving themselves to the food zone. They joyfully consume food and praise its quality. Thankfully, they aren't unhappy with even a single recipe. Everything went hunky-dory. I touch my heart, thanking the guests for making the ceremony a grand success. The ceremony ends, and the guests depart. I just stand at the centre of the house and look around, being proud of the space we finally owned after years of gruelling hard work. I see my parents ascend the throne of my new house. I could make out joy flushing across their faces as they were excited to start a new journey in their lives, bereft of external humiliation. We can't afford to be complacent just because we've built a new house. Sustaining this new abode is indeed a challenging task, posing many risks. We need to be on top of our toes to ensure our loving abode doesn't collapse. My father never expected to see a new house in his lifetime. I surpassed his expectations and managed to build a new haven. I am proud of this achievement not personally but for the sake of parents. Building a house is indeed a Herculean task. It took us thirty-one years to complete this task. The nauseating experiences of my life have bid farewell, and beautiful days are awaiting to be celebrated.

 I would like to render my heartfelt gratitude to the almighty for making me financially poor throughout my childhood. If I were materially rich, perhaps I would have built my personality on ego and arrogance. Even though people see my weakness, I see my strength. For me, silence and solitude are forts that allow me to thrive and excel. But unfortunately, in this material world, silence and solitude is perceived as useless and weakness. Silence and solitude allowed me to turn inwards and excavate the hidden treasures available in the internal realm. They kept me grounded and created circumstances that killed my ego. I realised I am just a speck in the universe, built for a specific purpose. I just need to fulfil my purpose and jump to the next life. When I go outside, I don't indulge in material desires; I just observe people desperately trying to find peace in the external world. Many live not for themselves but to please others. Many are dead scared of being treated as outcasts, and they put on a fake mask, pretending to be someone that they are not, just to attain social validation. They fight over trivial issues. I had already resigned myself to being a pretender. Pretension is a recipe for misery. It doesn't let you breathe peacefully; rather; it decimates your solitude, and you forget about your inner strength. You just love for the heck of it, not tasting the very essence of life.