A Good Life

 Rajveer, The Best Commander "May I come in sir?" asked commander Rajveer.  "Yes, please come in, take a seat," said General Bakshi. He offered the commander a cup of tea and without beating around the bush came straight to the point. "Commander, we have planned an attack on the enemy," he said and unveiled a map. "These are the four proposed routes," he said pointing to them on the map, with a stick, "A, B, C and D". He went on to explain the challenges that would be faced on each route. "What is your opinion Rajveer?" asked the General once he had finished. "While routes A, C and D offer some advantages to our attacking battalion, route B is the biggest challenge. It is long, treacherous, and dangerous, with the enemy watching over parts of it. It will need the best men, lead by the best as well," said Rajveer. "Exactly! Hence we have decided, Rajveer, that you will lead the battalion on route B. You are undou...

  When a friend asked me to write something about Eid al-Adha, my first reaction was: I have no time! Then I realised, I should take some time out to write about this. After all, isn’t this the essence of Eid al-Adha, to sacrifice? He also made a peculiar request: to not call the festival Bakra Eid. Though I found it amusing to start with, the more I thought about it the more I realised the depth of the request. Eid al- Adha translates to ‘Festival of Sacrifice’. Though goats are a part of the sacrifice, calling the festival Bakra Eid draws one’s attention away from sacrifice and focuses it on the goat and on feasting, when the true essence of the festival is sacrifice. The essence of sacrifice is to let go of bad habits, emotions, feelings, material possessions, etc. for the betterment of an individual and of society as a whole. Make a sacrifice of bad habits like drinking and smoking. Habits which are detrimental to individual health and to family ties. Sacrifice sleep to go for ...

  The train was speeding along and even the warm summer breeze seemed refreshing. The rattling of a speeding train is, in a way, music to the ears of daily commuters. The train started slowing down as it approached the next station. Looking outside the window, I observed the crisscrossing tracks.    Then something caught my attention. Some tracks were shiny and sparkling on top, while others were dull and partially rusted. It is evident that the one’s which are used regularly, the ones which are fulfilling their purpose of existence, are the ones that keep shining.   Thinking about it, isn’t it the same with people and their personalities? There are people who have found a purpose and are living to fulfil that purpose. These people are happy, radiant and inspirational, they are the shiny tracks! Then there are those who have not found a purpose (Sad is when some of us don’t even bother to look for one). They are either idle or spending their lives in the same directi...

The pretty little boat, Sat comfortably on shore, Overwhelmed by the sea, Not knowing what’s in store.         The waves were huge, On shore it felt secure, But that wasn’t its destiny, Even the boat knew for sure.   It sat there, procrastinating, As others braved the sea, Some fell, some made it through, But that’s how life is meant to be.   Slowly it started to rot, As it continued to wait, ‘It’s now or never,’ it thought, ‘Must move before it’s too late.’   It took a leap of faith, And bravely entered the sea, When battered by big waves, For once it thought it should flee.   But now that it had committed, It decided to be courageous, Braving the crests and troughs, Its situation was precarious.   Beyond the comfort zone, Is where destinies are fulfilled, Rough waters faced in transition, Only make you strong and skilled.   The boat survived the turbulence, There was no looking back thereafter, Beyond the shore, towards the horizon, It...