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AN ILLUSION
There is a stark difference between illusion and reality. Though the Ancient Vedas describe all reality as Maya(Illusion), a fine line separates reality from illusion. When an orphaned kid roams about the streets of an unknown city, it all seems like an illusion to him. But suddenly his head starts spinning his legs grow weak; the hunger for reality makes him stumble over a little pebble which he could earlier have jumped over.
Even this hunger may seem like an illusion on a wider perspective, as to why the body needs food when the world is getting filled up with wastes. When we have very little to survive with, the wastage is minimised-- almost nil, because even the wastes become productive things. So this maybe an illusion that the world is getting enriched-- with the manifold increase in unwanted matter!
When the lonely traveler (a Baul) goes on walking through the dusty streets singing for his maker, singing for himself, he does not feel the pangs of hunger anymore-- does not feel the pangs of reality. This world all seems like an illusion to him. His melancholy song does not fill the ears of his listeners, because he has none! He does not share a stage with millions thronging before him to hear his notes. He does never crave for fame, never thinks of carving his own fiefdom in the epoch he lived in. He lives in his own illusion of the world!
**
Suddenly Nantu found himself standing in front of the staircase. He was craving to have a taste of the natural air, being confined in the air-conditioned room for so long. Though Nantu was a bit claustrophobic as a child, he had to get hold of his mind as he could not leave his work within the closed walls of his chamber and manage to get some fresh air more often. When Nantu could get over such a grave illness with the solitary strength of his mind, the number of people visiting the doctors may come down, at least some day.
While climbing the stairs, Nantu tried to think of the last time he made his way to the top-- that was quite a long time. Though he had left sports a long time back, his heart was still strong enough to be suited to pumping enough blood even beating in a low note.
Nantu did not remember if the number of stairs had been so much, still he was not a person to pull himself back from an idea he had conceived. Finally he reached the end of the stairs and remembered that the construction had not changed a bit. There were two doors opposite to each other on either side of the staircase. Nantu pulled open the door to the left when suddenly his mind was clouded like the sky above. Working in the artificial environment of his chamber he had forgotten to look out through the window before coming up.
Nantu did not want to get drenched, though as a child he liked the rainy season above all, when he could jump on the puddles and smear his shorts with the mud, when he could play football on his bare feet trying hard to get a foothold in the mud.
With all those memories crossing his mind, Nantu suddenly saw someone sitting in the farthest corner of the roof with his back towards the door where Nantu was standing. He was astonished as well as flabbergasted trying to think as to who could be sitting there in the rain with just a white cloth to cover his trunk. The unkempt hair went down the back with the raindrops gliding over the bunch of hair.
Nantu could not keep himself stranded in that corner seeing another person getting drenched in the non-seasonal rain. With initial hesitancy he ultimately walked into the rain towards the half naked figure. The locks of hair were evidence to the uncountable number of days it hadn't been washed properly. Still Nantu was in a dilemma if all this was another dream he was having.
He went further ahead so that he was facing the man. Looking into the face with the closed eyes of the old man, Nantu was taken aback.
**
The flowing white beard had become a tuft of wool drenched in the rain. The face was somewhat sublime and its expressions told Nantu that the person had no feeling of the chill of the rain or the presence of an unknown man before him. Seeing the eyes of the old man fully closed and engrossed in some heavenly concentration, Nantu tried making some abrupt noises to draw his attention. Was this yet another dream he was having-- Nantu pinched himself, but it hurt!
In the midst of the non-seasonal rain the old man's face no signs of remorse, let alone discomfort. His mind was probably in some other world, with the body drenched in the earthly rain. Looking at the halcyon face of the old man Nantu remembered something-- once, while in Banaras he saw several sadhus, after a peaceful smoke in their chillum stared into the Ganges and had a peculiar expression on their faces. As if no mortal wow or dissatisfaction could hinder their peace of mind. He could draw unfaltering similarity between the two.
The colour of the old man's face seemed somewhat pale to Nantu and he could not answer himself if it was for the chill of the rain or the other worldly feel that he was having probably. But slowly the face was getting ruddy and was filling up with a colour he had never seen before. Nantu was wondering if he could no longer stand the chill of the rain or even the growing power of the meditating face with those closed eyes.
Nantu could not help himself running away from the rain, the gloom and the unknown power of the old man.
**
He ran towards the other door to the terrace, the one on the right side of the staircase. On opening the door Nantu saw a very bright and breezy evening before him and the kids were flying their colourful kites, fighting over the stray ones which had landed out of nowhere. The kids, being from well-to-do families, had enough pocket money to buy dozens of such kites. Still they were fighting for the single stray kite that fell on the terrace.
Nantu knew whatever money one had in his pocket, there's nothing like fighting over a stray kite-- even he did as a kid! Even though you have enough money to buy a hundred kites, there's nothing like fighting for that single stray kite.
Nantu was staring at those children as if in an illusion as to what men really wanted to become!!
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