Therefore, wander!

Since past several months, I have this sudden urge to travel, travel as much as I can, as much as I can manage. And surprisingly I have been coming across a lot of blogposts, articles, stories about travel. Recently I read an amazing article written by Dileep Padgaonkar, in a weekly news-magazine, and it just filled me up with more enthusiasm.

Lord Indra- well-known God in Rig-Veda, is known as the protector of travelers. In Aitareya Brahmana, he says to a young man named Rohita, "There is no happiness for him who does not travel, Rohita! Thus we have learnt. Living in the society of men, the best man becomes is a sinner. Therefore, Wander! The feet of the wanderer are like the flower, his soul is growing and reaping fruit, and all his sins are destroyed by his fatigue in wandering. Therefore, wander! He who is sitting, his fortune too sits, it rises when he rises, it sleeps when he sleeps, it moves when he moves. Therefore, wander!"

I couldn't agree more. Whats the point in staying at one place forever? It's like a frog in a well, you never really come out, and till you don't dare to come out, you don't know the possibilities of the world. I believe that you rot, when you stay at one place forever. Your brain starts rusting, and you become someone that people make you, not someone you can be. There are less risks, less adventure, and less discoveries. There is nothing that you don't know about your area, you almost know everything there, know most of the people, there isn't much challenge in making new friends, meeting new people. You have a life, but the constant updating of yourself is missing.

Wander, because your life is a gift, and you need to constantly upgrade the gift. You would want to learn to live their way, learn to eat their way, learn to talk their way, and even learn to live their way. Wander, because, your brain needs new food, your heart needs new friends, your body needs new air.Wander, because risks are adventurous, because your brain needs some exercise, because there is joy, because the happiness of 'discovering places yourself' is more than 'I know it all'. Wander, because you don't want to rust and rot, because moving means growing, because it is the best part of learning, because knowledge and experience are directly proportional, because you sin when you stay at one place forever, because traveling is satisfying, the feeling is orgasmic.

If you still don't agree, or do not relate with the feeling, I will quote Lord Indra once again here, because he puts the idea perfectly:  "There is no happiness for him who does not travel, Rohita! Thus we have learnt. Living in the society of men, the best man becomes is a sinner. Therefore, Wander! The feet of the wanderer are like the flower, his soul is growing and reaping fruit, and all his sins are destroyed by his fatigue in wandering. Therefore, wander! He who is sitting, his fortune too sits, it rises when he rises, it sleeps when he sleeps, it moves when he moves. Therefore, wander!"

She has conquered herself. Finally.

As she sat and gaze outside the window, in the midnight, she saw the city lit up with lights, she was hearing the beats of the music playing in the background, her mind was dancing on those beats, and she realized something has affected her so strongly, after a really long time. Something, she didn't know what, but it had completely changed her perspective about everything. Something had slowly stepped on all the negativity and crushed it in a way that she saw no trace of it to come to life again. Something, that she did not know if exists, had arrived, late, but so early that it felt this is the right time to live and dream, hope and walk on the perfectly right path.

She saw the world in front of her, lit up with lights, she could see life in each of those windows, and she wanted to go out there, after she was done enjoying in here, to explore in those lights. As the music changes its pace, as it changes its notes, as it changes its beats, the world she saw went upside down, and she felt the power inside her, to control her world. There was energy, she didn't know. It was creepy, but as soon as it touched her skin, she felt empowered.

The practical her had vanished, and here she stood, unable to believe herself, unable to come to terms with the happiness that exists inside her. She smiled and looked around, and every person she looked at made her feel happier, she saw the world lit up in front of her. She did not bother to understand what had affected her, because whatever it was, it was powerful, and she was confident that it will only bring positivity. She was standing at a point, where she could feel the stability that had arrived. She had left her past far behind, and she was walking ahead, with no trace of regret, just smiling to herself, relating her life to all the things around, making it into a surreal movie.

Her mind was her slave now, she had the remote-control of her emotions in her hand, and she exactly knew where her life was heading. She had conquered herself!

Facts, not beliefs should be the basis of any investigation

Since last several days I have been keeping the track of all the videos, articles, reports, trolls about Tarun Tejpal molesting a female colleague. I have also been keeping track about the most sensationalized Aarushi Talwar murder case, and in both of the cases, the ideas exchanged, the discussions of the possible situations, outcomes, the statements made, and the real or the made-up stories surrounding them has amazed me.

Look at, how judgemental we human beings are. We do not care about any proofs and evidences; all we concentrate on is our beliefs. There is an immense difference between facts and beliefs, and we fail to understand that difference again and again.

In his statement, I read on Firstpost, Tarun Tejpal alleged that the incident was 'only light-hearted bantering which led to a moment of privacy’ and the victim, post the incident, was out late into the night attending parties and social gatherings.' No matter what the real story is, who is right and who is wrong, the statement is so contradictory. The man, accepts the fact that it was a ‘light-hearted bantering’, which as the tone suggests is very normal for the educated and open people should be and yet what follows is ‘she was late out into the night attending parties and social gatherings’, so what? Someone is disturbed, is out in a professional event, does not have the time to sit and think what someone she respects has done to her, what is the harm in going and partying?

Why we are so entangles in our beliefs, in the rules we have made for ourselves. Why is being disturbed and sad attached to sitting alone, or getting angry or creating a scene? Why can’t someone who is molested, have no expression of insult, scare or anger on her face?

Every girl gets molested at least once in her life, in the hands of someone she knows, how many cases like that have been reported? I was 14 when I was molested by a family member, he caressed by breasts, which had just started to grow. I got up from there and kept and sat besides my mom, and wouldn't leave her hand till we are out of that place. I was still smiling, playing and talking normally to my mom and everyone around; include that person who tried molesting me. I expressed my discomfort only after years, when my family planned to go to their place again, and the plan was cancelled after hearing what the man of the family had done to me.

Before you make statements, or thrust the rules you have made in your own mind on others, come to terms with the reality, with the fact that a women is not always weak, that a women can show no emotions and yet fight for her rights. Every person is different and has his/her own way of dealing with things, and in the eyes of law, facts and only facts are valid, not any belief of self-made conclusions.