The Lazy God

It’s been 60 days.60 days since I have come to Orissa on my first onsite trip. Whenever a guy from my team goes to US, seniors give directions to the strip clubs and casinos; in my case they told me about some temples and lakes with a dirty smirk. At departure time my Naani-Ma stuffed a 1000 rupee note and a list into my wallet. The list had the distribution of offerings per temple. Some Gods just managed to get 10 rupees.

For all the last 60 days my Naani has been calling me at 5 a.m., yes five; my Naani, ruthless beautiful beast, bulldozing me to do ‘the’ Surya Namaskar.

4 a.m. Today:

Naani: Surya Namaskar time. Check out the God’s beautiful Sun.

Me: Na.

Naani: You are a lazy lizard, you won’t become more than a peon this way.

Me: Chalo Na.

Naani: Neither you are going to get that Krishna’s idol.

Me: Going.

Krishna’s Idol is my Naani’s last resort, for the last 25 years every discussion ends at this Gold Krishna idol which she says is lying inside the old ‘iron’ almirah. The moment she says ‘gold’ Krishna idol, I see my self driving a black accord and doing what the old lady wishes.

That idol is the reason I have soaked gallons and gallons of milk, studied at night and done everything, everything termed disgusting by a boy’s standards.

After a struggle of 15 minutes, I managed to grab a bite of God’s beautiful Sun. So true she was. The Moon was melting into the arms of the Sun. Every bit. Every bit of nature was witnessing and celebrating the play. After a while when the Sun sniffed off the stars and the moon, it stood clear, as an axle of this universe. Mesmerizing and hypnotizing each drop of blood on this planet. So beautiful it was. The God’s Sun.

The hypnotic eyes were cleared with Naani’s SMS.

“Now go to temple lazy lizard or loose the idol.”

The lizard was looking for his slippers with in a second. And the slippers hit the roads with in minutes. I swear to that idol, it was not the reason I moved my feet, I just wanted to see the Sun’s play.

Within minutes I had started to walk, I sensed, rather heard a herd, a herd of dogs following me with a joy. It seemed they had been waiting for their leader for ages. I was fine with it, as soon as they did not get the bite of my red pyjamas.

Dogs, humans, trees and fat people all seemed to be tied with the same string. Everyone seemed happy, may be the Sun gave them a reason to be. A lie told everyday to them that everything will be alright today. Just because they ‘think’ night has gone.The scene was nothing less than the “The Morning walk” essay I wrote in 3rd standard. I did not know that it was worth more than just 10 marks.

As if it was not enough for me, I saw some girls strolling on the grass, bare feet.

’Ah’, I just got a reason to ignore everything, everything and the God’s Sun was too giggling and touching the girls’ feet through the dew drops. I just wished that I were that dew drop. All the dogs following me changed the course and headed towards that scene. Dogs.

I had lost the leadership and ‘my’ girls to those dogs, so, the temple seemed the only asylum.As soon as I reached the temple I was dazed to witness a queue that could gulp the Indian Ocean with just one burp. Hunderds, they looked like lakhs, devotees were waiting for the glimpse of their God. I too, dived into that Ocean.

That queue was not less than the internet, auntie behind me was discussing about “Wake Up Sid” ‘s reviews. And a huge monster ahead of me was discussing IPL. And within 30 minutes I had covered China’s foreign policy to MTN deal to Kahani Ghar Ghar ki. Then.

Then something happened that I was dreaded of.

The noodles I ate in the dinner had decided an emergency exit. All the negotiations failed. All peace treaties failed. All cold wars failed. I had to come to my knees. I asked aunite to reserve the place in my queue and went in search of a toilet or a bush.God had some adventure in store for me, toilet was nowhere to my rescue and I had to buy a newspaper and I covered my body with the ‘healthiest’ bush at the back side of the temple.

I surrendered to those noodles and started reading the newspaper.

The Sun’s rays made little beautiful palettes on the paper while I looked for the most disgusting and stupid news, just to show its real place. A page said “A Political party wants job quota for mumbaikars”. I didn’t have a toilet paper.

I was completely mesmerized by the God’s Sun, and all the experiences I just had.

I started the back journey to the queue. As I was walking down the street, my eyes fell on a slum behind the temple. A lady with half torn sari was begging in front of her shabby accommodation. A little kid, may be around 3 was lying in front of her. And not surprisingly the kid was not in good state with some open wounds on his stomach. The mother seemed to use those to gain people’s attention to raise something for their stomach. They seemed indifferent to everything they faced and everything they were doing. While all this was happening the God’s Sun was shining through the child’s wounds and with each Sun’s touch the wound become more red and deeper. But the child was silent, not bothered by anything , So was his mother. And I could not see a single glimpse of tear in the eyes of the mother. Even with some coins falling in her bowl now and then, they seemed indifferent, just fulfilling their obligation.

Silently, I joined the queue. Now the discussions about U.N.’s Kashmir policy was on full bloom. I decided to remain silent. That was the only thing I could have done at that moment I guess. I had just witnessed the darkness of the Sun. Meanwhile the queue moved faster than the thoughts in my mind, and here I was inside the temple, witnessing the God. The God, as my Naani says is the creator of the beautiful Sun, the beautiful earth and the beautiful Ma. And I was standing with the 100 rupee note that Naani-Ma has allocated to this God.

May be I could have given that note to that mother sitting behind the God’s back. That note would not have made much difference to that mother’s soul, but by giving this to God, my Naani’s fear for God could have subsided atleast. So, I pushed that note into the donation box, ate the prasaada and got flown with the queue.

On the way back to my hotel, neither did I enjoy the grass hoper girls, dogs or the Sun.

I was completely devastated with what I had just witnessed.

Naani Ma, I know God has created this beautiful world but I just saw that didn’t complement with what you have always said. I am not troubled by the ragged piece of cloth holding the dignity of that mother, neither I am perturbed by the open wounds of that child nor with their sheer poverty.

As all holy books say, I know it is because of their ‘Karmas’. I know they deserve this, with all the deeds they ‘may’ have done in their last life. But atleast they deserve a lie to be told, a lie like you tell me every time about that Gold Krishna’s idol which ignites my soul. A lie in the form of a story you tell me before I go to sleep, that I will become robin hood one day. A lie , A dream , a will you imbibe in me every time I come to you that life will be more beautiful and happier.

Naani, I don't ask your God to give that mother food, I don't ask him to heal that child's wounds. Just tell him to give a tear in the mother's eyes at the sight of his childs wounds, just tell him to make the child cry when he's hurt. Tell your God to not induce that much pain in human's life that he forgets to cry.

Your God has created this beautiful world but has forgot to sell his humans a lie, a dream and a desire.
Just tell your highness to turn around and sell humans a lie that everything will be fine one day. Naani-Ma , I know I am lazy, so is your God.