When the nation prayed for a Prince!!!

Scenes that one occasionally see in Hollywood movies came alive, as a good part of the nation, glued to news channels, prayed for the ‘re-arrival’ of a five-year-old Prince. Well, he was five when he fell in the 60-ft-deep pit, six when he came out! No one would ever want to spend their birthday inside a dark cavity. But, almost every one would love it when an entire nation wishes him/her. The irony however, was such that the birthday boy himself did not even know that he had become the talk of the town, rather, of the country.

A walk down the roads from my ‘new town’ to my ‘old village’ was enough to convince me that the Indians were desperately in need of some positive news. The TV mechanic shops had a flood of people around it watching the army try hard to get the little six-year-old out of darkness, literally. The motorists, for once, were not complaining of the jams that the crowd caused. Last time, someone saw this many out on the roads catching a glimpse of television screen was perhaps when Sachin Tendulkar was going berserk against the Pakistani bowlers at the 2003 world cup. For once, the nation was rejoicing, and the reason was not cricket!

As the jawan brought Prince out wrapped in a white blanket, shouts of joy and celebrations en masse was just a matter of time. A little tap on the jawan’s back with a stick by his senior officer. The Prince was alive and ready to celebrate, finally, with the nation. Noise of the fire-crackers could not quite match the one that followed Indian victory against Pakistan, but sure sounded sweeter. Proxy cake-cuttings ensued and ‘vote of thanks’ rose to the heavens, even as Prince’s mother did the latter to the nation.

'Prince'- the name itself had no caste or religion! He could have been a Hindu, a Sikh, a Muslim or a Christian! Many are yet to know about it. I don't even want to! All that mattered was that he was an Indian and a six-year-old at that. The nation wept together, the nation bit its nails together, the nation prayed together, the nation finally celebrated together!!!

Happy Birthday, Prince. Long Live the Prince!

...

I can sum up the recent happenings of Mumbai in just these few lines!!!

Rain, Riots and Blasts...
Flood, Fury and Fanatics...
What IS happenning IN Mumbai???
Yet, nothing WILL happen TO Mumbai!!!


Blogger's Note: The headline is left with just three dots on purpose, indicating I have nothing much to say!!!

A Shoulder To Lean On!

There are times when one desires to be close to someone. Someone who would listen to you—your ramblings and cribbing. Someone on whose shoulder you can lean on and cry your heart out. Someone, who can pick you up when you are down. A close friend, with whom you can pour your heart out. I had gone through similar cravings. But those remained just that, cravings until I came to a beautiful realisation of that Someone who I know will always be there!

Many a time, this thin shoulder of mine has been a place where a head leaned on and some tears found a resting place. My ears have been a recipient of a lot of stories that flowed along with the liquid of the eye.

There were times when at the point of breaking down, I always somehow manage to keep it within myself. I know the friends that I can rely on will all be there for me, but they are at most times, a little too far for comfort.

This is when I stumble upon the beautiful hymn:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and grieves to bear,
Oh what privilege to carry?
Everything to Lord in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit?
Oh what needless pain we bear?
All because we do not carry,
Everything to Lord in prayer!

Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

The hymn has been my ultimate encourager! And when I started sharing all my sorrows to God, I felt someone not just lending me a shoulder, but carrying me on it. When I was down, He lifted me up and when I was empty, He filled my cup. I felt lighter and from that point on, a smile always lingered on some corner of my face. One of my closest friends once asked me, “Blessen, how do you manage to have a smile even when you don’t go through the best of times?” It was the comfort of God at play!