The bright sunshine, the first of 2013, after several days of fog, clouds and chilly winds has an elevating effect. Sitting in bright sun shine, turns every person to recluse. The body, after battering with cold for several days wants to relax and heal itself. Strangers sitting in lawn, hardly make any attempt to converse amongst each other. Each immersed in his own universe of thoughts, as if talking within. Many of them have seen more of the winters than others.
This reminds me of last weekend. An old friend and admittedly, more experienced, was narrating me several of his life experiences. Not that I wanted it, but talking made it possible for him to ignore his internal turmoil, the disappointments, the hurt and above all the loneliness. Delirious effect of drinks helped his cause further. To sum up he dropped these Chanakya like, pearls of wisdom:
“1. Be good from the out-side, if not from inside and keep the reality in mind;
2. Do not forget but know how to forgive;
3. Let there be enmity with someone but do not let him know;
4. Do justice or not, but make sure that it should appear that you are just.”

As is apparent, the old man had tried the above principles, all his life. It made him accumulate some wealth but it earned no solace or peace. Why? Because looking closely at each principle of the above Charter of Manipulation is sheer clever wording to be dishonest, brutal and cunning without any feeling of guilt. It is a blueprint for deception. After a life time of acting this deception, it becomes a reality. Mask becomes face. Several masks make one wonder about the real face. This oscillation, when causes depression take us to church, temple or some Guru to tell us that this world is an illusion and so are our problems. When it makes us elated, we go to pub and brag how wonderfully, we conquered, the world ruthlessly. Battering with these two ends, the mind becomes shallow and devolved.
Surprising fact is that every person knows the above principles and is following this Charter, believing that it is a secret knowledge, personal only to that person.
I wanted to convey this, but it was useless. Talking is rarely conversing. We only talk. We don’t listen. Even when we do pretend to listen, a little google inside our minds, merely scans the words and make us speak with a few words in response, without understanding the context; mental or environmental.
Most of the time, communication remains illusive and at best, just one-sided.

© Sandeep Bhalla