We are civilised

We are urban

MY DATE – for which I never set out

It was a pleasant Saturday. I was persuading her for going out. She has quite a conservative family. S o, you can imagine that she could not agree. But after long persuasion, she agreed to go for a date together, but not actually go for it. I must tell before I forget, we were talking on the phone all this while.

I immediately set out for her house on my old Enfield. Sometimes I feel I love my Enfield more than her. As usual, I need not have to wait for her. She was all ready. I had asked her to cook some light food for our date.  And she already knew that we were going for a picnic much more than a date.

We set out together. She set with both legs on one side. That’s not how girlfriends sit, but I pacified my heart by realizing that better halves do sit like that. It was a joyful ride. Being a weekend, the traffic was on the lesser side. We reached. The ride seemed to be so short, but for sure, was enjoyable. As soon as we reached, to my delight, she looked very happy. We had come to a large park. It was surrounded by trees on three sides and was bound by a water body on the fourth. The landscape was lovely. Human high undulations and no inch left uncovered by grass.  It was green, cool and nicely cut grass.  She was still jumping out of happiness. Even I was happy. And even happier, to see her so happy.

It was around 5 O’clock in the evening. I asked her to take out the food from the basket. We spread a cloth under a large peepal tree and begun devouring the tasty food. I never knew that she cooked so well. She was much pleased to know it.

Now, children had started to pour in. The swings were no longer empty. A place which was so secluded and peaceful turned into a cheerful play ground. Noises, shouts, cheers, laughs and cries.  Apparently disturbing, were in fact tranquilising. Children playfully rolling down the hillocks. Parents running after their children, playing catch.

Now we were tending to get bored. But she got the sight of something which was going to be tiring- Boats. Now she wants to go boating. Even I do. So, let’s go. Get a boat. Set assail. The water body was pleasant. It was not connected to the river flowing in the West. Hence, much still and calm as compared to the turbulent river. There was a small island in the water body. I felt like having a house on that. She was much more lost in the lotuses around. The lotuses were big and white. There were a few swans in the water body.

She asked me to stop for a while to click some photographs of the flowers and swans. Though we both were aware that our fatigue has made us to stop. We went around the island and came back. Now, it was late into the evening. The boatman also seemed a bit annoyed as we were taking much time to return.

The sun was setting. She had started to worry. Remember her conservative family. But she hid her worries in her smiles. We lay on one of the hillocks and watched the sun setting. The sun turned slowly from yellow to orange to red. Its reflection on the river water was wonderful. At a point the line between the real and the unreal was lost.

Time to part was nearing. What a fool I am. I did not bring any gift for her. But she did. It was a pair of key rings which together formed a heart. She kept me one and she kept the other. It was beautiful. I was more than happy to receive it. I realised that she knew I would forget to bring anything. She herself brought something for us.

Now she was much worried. Her dad had already called her twice. She wanted to reach home real quick. We set out. But tragedy struck. Tyre punctured. Now she was all the more worried. This was when I reminded her, “Come on! It’s just an imaginary date. We are still on the phone.”

It never crossed us that we were only talking. She said good bye and went to resume the household with her mom. And I resumed imagining My Date- For which I never set out.

Ignited Minds - Unleashing the power within India

Ignited Minds is a book written by scientist-patriot Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, formerly the President of India. The book was first published in 2002, and the full title of the book is Ignited Minds - Unleashing the Power within India. Ignited Minds is a logical step forward from Dr. Kalam's earlier book, India 2020 - A Vision for the New Millennium. The book is not only for self read but makes for a beautiful present also. 
In this book the president answers to the questions by student about life and dreams and the various questions by the young minds.   
Where there is so much of controversy in today’s world making the educational system more political than learning and educational, this book will entrust learning in today’s youth and children in the right direction, than creating a controversy between reading a particular political leader or historian.
A must read for all people with IGNITED MINDS and SPIRITs.

Dr. Kalam has dedicated Ignited Minds to a high school child, named Snehal Thakkar, whom he met at a school, and while talking to the students, a question had come up: "Who is our enemy?” Kalam recalled that many answers came up, but the answer on which all agreed came from her: "Our enemy is poverty".

It is a highly motivating book for young Indians, as also to anyone interested in understanding the reasons for remaining behind in the march of human civilization. The small book of 205 pages contains dynamic and original ideas, examines attitudes afflicting the Indians, and present prescriptions for rapid growth of India to enable the country to emerge as a developed country. The scientist and the seer inside Kalam has addressed the book to young citizens of India.

The book begins with a sad note and he recalls having seen a very vivid dream. He writes in the book that he saw himself in a desert “with miles of sand all around,’ and there stood five men, namely, Emperor Asoka, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln and Caliph Omar. Kalam felt dwarfed by their presence, and recounts the words of these great personalities.

The next chapter emphasizes the importance of mother, father and elementary school teachers as role models.

The third chapter tells that "Vision ignites the minds", and talks about the modern Indian visionaries like J. R. D. Tata, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and Dr. Verghese Kurien.

The next section of the book deals with the spiritual heritage of the Indian nation and talks about developing a model of development based on India's inherent strengths.

The fifth chapter of the book exhorts the Indians, constituting a nation of one billion people "with multitude faiths and ideologies" to develop a "national vision" and amalgamate into one "national forum.

"The next chapter begins with: "Wisdom is a weapon to ward off destruction.
It is an inner fortress which enemies cannot destroy". This chapter reminds the readers that Ancient India was a "knowledge society that contributed a great deal to civilization."

The caption line of the seventh chapter is followed by the following inspiring words of Abraham Lincoln: "Determine that things can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way."

The eighth chapter exhorts for a change in the mindset and to take pragmatic risks, which shall result into success.

The ninth and the last chapter, with the caption line of "To My Countrymen" begins with few words of the Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore - "let my country awake."

The book ends with a "Song of Youth", with these opening words:
"As a young citizen of India,
Armed with technology and love for my nation,
I realize, a small aim is a crime."