10 Mistakes Of My Life.

"Just Because You Make A Mistake, Doesn't Mean You Are A Mistake"

            - Georgette Mosbacher

We often find ourselves in a whirlpool of thoughts and deed's that make us feel small and unaccomplished, manier times even a zero amongst the million achieved number's out there, but the fact is we are so much deep into those thoughts, so much affected by these small puff's of emotion's that overwhelm us in matter of seconds after they pop into our minds. Where do these come from? No one knows, but a fathomable standard is finding what our previous experiences in life were and it goes back well good to our childhood and travelling up to adulthood and all related events. For the per say - we all are same from within, same number of bones and muscles working inside but the brain - that's where the churning of emotion's into spices of life happens, which can be sometimes so blend that we don't enjoy it and sometimes its so flavorful that other's admire it. But, but, the catch is - both of these state's are not constant and changes across one single lifetime which leaves behind lesson's we all should learn from early on - but no one tells us.

1) MIND IS THE ENEMY.

The early on you decide - understand and accept it - all other problems will become miniscule, so irrelevant and easy to understand. The food for mind is pure emotion's, it cant think of its own, it needs a response to generate an answer, a question that arises within and rapidly get's related to previous life experiences or even generational one's and then the mind decides almost in a fraction of second - taking references from all of it and giving you an immediate thought - almost an knee jerk reaction attached with emotions 'again' that makes you feel its the correct answer and you put it into action as your decision.

Remember anything that is fast is probably from a manufacturing line with defects, slow and steady things are of quality - instant one's are more damaging. Look around you. It influences you such a way that only later after the decision you repent making the decision, as now you have fresh new responses and experiences the brain can relate to and now takes references from those new events, what an irony. What a whirlpool we instantly create for ourselves.?

You need to trigger a reflex that the same responses can be taken after a pause, let the emotion subside, settle down, as buddha once said to his disciple who was sent to fetch water from a pond which was muddy due to recent cattle's passing by from it, he came and returned empty handed, buddha asked the disciple to return to the same pond again and he was sure he will return with pot full of water, disciple with a doubt returned to the pond to the amazement of it being crystal clear, that day disciple learned that sometimes emotion's and decision need time to settle down before it is ever taken as in the hype of the moment it could seem the correct answer but behind the curtains and in this case the muddy water needed to settle down for the fresh water - fresh answer to arise. 

Don't believe everything your mind say's to you.

2) YOU ARE NOT IMMORTAL.

Sometimes in the prime years, when we are young we all feel invisible, almost immortal with ample of time on our hands to stand and stare like the cows in the field, moving their jaw's with empty thoughts not knowing what can be done or what should be done, but the sad part is we all are ticking away. Listen to your own heart in a quite room, put a hand on the chest, its your own living clock ticking, beat after beat.

Don't postpone fun, dreams, joy, that travel you wanted to do, that girl you liked but could never say, that something you always wanted to do. Just go do it, nothing is stopping you rather than you yourself. Don't dwell in the past as it is gone, nothing can be done about it, don't plan for the future - you don't own it, realize that you don't know what the very next second holds for you, but as its widely said "Today is a gift hence its called the present", so be it. Make most of what you have, who you have, that's all is. Don't go chasing a future while you have never lived in the present. This is the hardest lesson we all will learn when time is about to run out and again you wont be able to do anything about it.

3) YOU WILL BECOME WHAT YOU THINK.

This is not manifestation. But a continuous habit of you thinking. How you think. This is in conflict with the first point, because if you cant train or tame your own brain then its the enemy, train yourself to think positive, don't belittle yourself no matter what hardships you face as then you will come out as a winner just because you had a constant motivation within you to run against all the odds and come out as the winner. 

Just think how many things you left unfinished just because you thought or someone made you think you can't do it - remember what other's say is because they cant do it, its their experience and not yours, at least give it a try, who knows it just might work. So keep a positive thought, positive mind for all aspects of your life as eventually we are all temporary and its the very joy of life that it keeps flowing, nothing stays, nor will your negative thoughts nor even positive one's but heal yourselves by being positive.

4) SACRIFCE.

Life and its event's come's at a cost of sacrifice. There is barter system in the flow of life that you can't outrun or run parallel to, you give something to get something, it can't be one way. You give love, you get love back, you throw a stone, you get a stone back, you help someone, someway life finds a way to pay you back. There is no carry on or tab's that life keeps of your deeds that your soul would carry to next one, it happens right here. This life time. You have to give something, manier time's it takes a toll on your emotions, your mental peace, your hope, your will but that's the barter - it is creating a credit for you to receive back when the time is right - it definitely pays off. It can be delayed but not denied. 

Once you have sacrificed enough you will get enough back, probably even worth more (with interest) that makes you thank the omnipresent for what had ever happened has happened for the better of all. So sacrifice is what you are doing as of now, you are doing it right, it just doesn't seem right in the current moment.

5) LET GO OF FIRE.

There are 5 forms from which our human body is made, believed by Indian Philosophy, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Aether, also known as Panch Bhuta - The Five Elements, for this point we are going to talk about fire which is related to greed, anger, tension, rage, jealously, lust. You need to let go off them before it overwhelms you so much that it engulfs you - fire only leaves behind ashes and its very difficult to bring something back from the ashes.

Don't loose yourselves in the element of fire. Its a package you are born with, so deal with it. Enable yourselves early on or this moment on that you cannot and will not let these aspects of the fire element control you, as what it only creates more destruction in it's wake, so much that you will find yourselves alone and destroyed even with all worldly gain's, if your fire element has won than you will probably even loose your character by the time its too late. Don't let it.

6) MISTAKE AND FAILURE IS SUCCESS.

If you find yourselves in a heap of mistake or back to back failure's remember this, you have taken a step towards success from the rest 99% people out there. You are moving forwards until and unless you don't repeat them again, that's wisdom gained every time. Put them into action each new dice you roll on the table of life and see the magic unfold. Don't be overwhelmed with what has happened now, believe in the newer you that has emerged with every mistake, every failure that has been by gone has made you wiser. Celebrate it. 

The most relatable example you can learn from in today's time is from Space X. Go search if you don't know already. The data you receive from each of these mistaken or failed events and attempts is priceless. It will become your source code of what you become in the future. It will define you but the way it defines you is all up to you and nobody else, you can back out or stick in and become a better version. You have to become a better version. Just don't let these small obstacles or hindrances stop you.

7) LITTLE IS MORE.

You must have noticed manier time's that the affluent could be sad while a simple man is happier and vice versa. But when you initially start anywhere, any point of your life, right now, remember, you don't need a lot to create a lot or enjoy a lot, even the smallest, simplest things can bring joy to your life, stay content, stay grounded, no matter where you are or what you have or might achieve in life.

Why? as it will defeat your ego. Be mindful that along the journey in this life don't let your ego develop, stay humble and kind, even when you have a penny in pocket or a dollar, stay humble and kind. Ego is one another element from fire that in its wake on leaves behind destruction and a cloud that makes you think undefeatable, right? I too have been there, but believe me, that its a weather that passes on real fast to show you a picture you wont like later. Stay grounded, the most content is the winner in this life. 

If you are blessed with grandparent's do ask them this question and see how a beautiful answer unfolds, they have seen year's of life that yet remains' to be unfolded for you and most of these silver hair's beautifully explain how less is more. How being content is the real joy of life. 

Where you are, with what you have, is best you have which many dream of having at the very same time and it keeps being relatable as you progress in life.

8) RESPECT OTHERS.

It's not only you every morning that wake's up and goes out in the world, there are a billion other along the same second that walk along side you, fighting their own bread and butter, fighting their own demons, there are all kings and queens wearing their crowns along with you out there, fighting to be on their own throne and not back down.

Don't belittle anyone when such time comes, be appreciative, you never know someone might be hanging by their last thread, they just drew the short straw, and came to you by chance for a response that was filled with the fire element and could decide to be their end game, it could be you on the receiving end at the same time some other place. Not immediately but remember what you give is what you get so be mindful and not fearful. Self talk your words before it is spoken. Even for yourself. Talk to yourself respectfully.

9) QUALITY NOT QUANTITY.

Slow is quality and fast is quantity, majority of the time faster has flaws, but in life there is no rush, its a marathon, don't win, try to finish it with quality, ask yourself where your quality is, in life, in goals, in dreams, in achievements. You might have a 100 shields of accomplishment hanging on the walls of your home but from those 100 you definitely have only few or even only 1 that you like the most. That's because you delivered a quality beyond you for that particular shield. That mattered apart from the others.

Focus on slow and steady, no success that is fast develops character. The slow and steady who has seen different facet's of life is the one who is humble, pure, soft and silent in the room. A diamond too need's to be faceted for it to shine like itself, under pressure a few can last but brings out the quality in them that's shine brighter than the rest. No Rush.

10) SURRENDER TO THE STORM.

This particular one need's to be understood from the day you start thinking for yourself. Learn from the tall trees, the ones that bend down in the face of the storm are the one's that keep standing after it. Whenever there is a storm brewing or you find yourself in the eye of it, bend down, know that and accept that certain times loosing is winning. You can always come back to try again but for that moment loose.

Consider a storm as your child, there is no fun winning in front of the child, it will only create sadness, disappointment, tantrums when you win. Certain storms demand's for you too loose, so loose, don't be fearful of it, you can't always win.

Remember these lines, I say write it down somewhere like I have it always on me:

"You can win everything from everyone in this life, Eventually to loose it all in the end"

In the end we all are going to loose to the ultimate truth that was born with us the second we opened our eyes, nothing that we fumble, stumble, trouble ourselves to be accomplished in this life is ever going to be carried on with us, the pharos's left their gold behind, the huge armies of alexander whose dust could be seen from the horizon also settled down from where it all rose and so shall yours too.

If you understand this, you will be more at peace, more content and yet more motivated with a smile, that the point of joy you always have to be in.

For rest everything, Que Sera, Sera!

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A Man and His Buffalo

 

"Often the journey is filled with experience that we reflect on a right time"

- Nirmal Shah

I have lived most of my adulthood in the city of Ahmedabad and majority of my experience's has been a mixture of travelling and harsh reality of the world that I tend to observe involuntarily - it's almost like a divine intervention that always leads me to understand it positively, take some learning from it and that keeps running in back of my head constantly, almost like the end credits of a movie which on a right time or on a right moment that come's in my life, certain text's from those credit's rise and emboss in front of my thoughts. I have learned over the years of my life to imply them almost immediately.

It was a very arid month of august, 2024, and rain's had not yet step in, we were experiencing an heatwave, it was hot and everyone was wishing it should rain any day, I was too wishing it since long the summer had started (laughingly), as monsoon is hand's down my favorite season from all the other season we are blessed with. I fondly remember this particular month because of two reason, I had just upgraded my bike to a cruiser from a Classic Royal Enfield and the second reason, I was waiting eagerly for the rain's to start so that I can have my first ride on the new bike and it was getting delayed, until I lost my patience.

I love to explore the back road's and non touristy places whereever I go, I personally believe that these region's on the map are majority of the time not marked or highlighted but where most of the cultural, historical and vivid experience's are tucked away in. I enjoy most of the time taking a walk or going my bike to these place's and vlog about it and take memory photograph's that I cherish on the way back to my home or the hotel.

Once such experience I still fondly remember, I braved into the arid region near by to my hometown but a bit of cruising distance one can enjoy, I had meticulously planned the whole route few days before my departure and fed it to my navigation so I can properly time my visit, transit and take care to that I don't miss out on anything so that I don't have do that route again. That's how I plan my ride's, I select one sector and juice the whole place out of its all the interesting points and never look back at the sector again until and unless its worth visiting the second time with family. 

On this particular ride I made sure the Aravalli ranges were always in my sight even though I am a beach person but monsoon and mountain's go hand in hand. While on this ride I visited beautiful dam's, local forest, lakes, reservoirs, a beautiful Jain temple and a man and his buffalo.

Apart from all calculation's, I faulted on my water intake. The weather and wind's were so dry and hot that I drank my whole 7 liter camel pouch, just to realize I was in a remote village in middle of nowhere with no shops around, the road's where intact though, majority of Gujarat village's now have concrete or tarmac road's, rarely have I come across a broken road, but this village lacked a shop, none had I passed by which was a walking distance to where I had stopped to take water break under a small shade of a dusty tree. I was so thirsty that my lips had dried up but I knew I was not dehydrated, there was still moisture in me but I was craving for water.

I saw a small home near by to where I was standing, my bike was extremely hot, I remember it because my thigh's were burning from the fresh engine oil being burnt inside, Well, I said it's better to stop for few minutes and let the body and bike cool down, till I can find water too drink - I opened my predownloaded map and saw that there was no water body near by nor any shop, while my phone was having no signal I couldn't access the internet and do it's thing, this is where the beauty of exploration start's - off the grid (technically).

I unbuckled my camel pouch from the rear seat and walked my way to the home that I saw near by, it was a mud, dry grass roof home of a near by farming family of 4, parents, a young boy and his wife. I was aware of the village families being very protective of their ladies in the house so I kept my distance from the front gate's of the house and I could see the father sitting on the ground - legs folded - smoking his bidi and I softly asked " Kaka, May I get some water? I have sadly ran out of it." to an immediate response the father replied "Come inside, have a sit!", looking over to his shoulder he asked his wife to bring a chair from inside which she promptly brought out, it was a plastic chair, blue in color and an arm broken. I replied to him "No trouble kaka, I just want bit water and I will leave!" and the father insisted with a firm voice "Come inside and sit for a while, till then fill the water too."

I resisted as I didn't see his son around and there were two female's assuming one was the son's wife as she had a red sindoor on her forehead but with reluctancy I entered his front yard where a dog was sleeping and few squirrels where running around small plants on the perimeter of the house. I said "thank you kaka, Just water, I am very thirsty" kaka immediately laughed and said "you won't get cold water here!" he must have assumed with the riding jacket and high ankle shoes I was wearing and the bike just up head - I would definitely need something exotic like the cold water in middle of nowhere.

I said to him assuringly "haha! No worries kaka, I would love to have earthen pot water or even well water is fine." in the moment I too assumed he must have a well somewhere in back of the home and he said "We don't have well here, but give your bottle, she will fill it up for you" he was amazed with the camel pouch I had and asked a few question seeing this interesting thing that carries water and asked "How does water stay inside this bag?" and I explained that there is a plastic bag inside and you have to open the knob top on the bag and simply fill the water or whatever you want inside it, he was happy to have learnt that day I could see it on his face while the two ladies a bit far, just below the front shed of the house were listening and smiling to our talks and probably seeing me dressed like we all bikers do for a bike ride.

Kaka suddenly stood up and went Infront of the gate's where I just walked in from and shouted to his son in the near by farm "Vaniyaaa, Oh Vaniyaaa come here", "Vaniyaaaaaa" he shouted again before coming back to exact place where he was sitting earlier and explained to me "called my son, he will come" at that time I did not understand why had he called his son while the lady was filling up my camel pouch with a steel jug she had conjured from thin air, as I had not noticed where did she bring the water filled steel jug from but was happy that my pouch was getting fatter by the weight of water.

As soon she gave me the pouch back through kaka, I asked his permission if I can drink the water first as it was theirs and we were in middle of some conversation and he lovingly said "yes! yes! beta go ahead, do let me know if you need more." the pouch was filled to the brim, I even dripped it on my t-shirt while drinking it directly from the top knob as sucking from the pouch's pipe would not satisfy my thirst. Having drank the water, it was the rare moment I found the water sweet - probably because I was so thirsty and it must have been from some river that must be flowing near by that they usually fill up from. Kaka said "Give your bag, they will fill it again" and they even gladly did returned back to me directly and I said "thank you" to no response but all three of them smiling.

In the mean time the son had come with a dusty buffalo following him like a child and kaka said "this is my only son Vaniya" as he made his way inside through the gate and both of them smiled while I didn't get the meaning of the name first, its natural habit of mine when someone tells me their name I immediately search for a meaning and attach to their name so I can remember it, before I could ask for their leave the son threw a question at me "Where are you coming from?"

I said "From Ahmedabad, currently exploring this region for my sake, for travel and adventure."

He replied "That's amazing, we rarely find someone here from the city on their motorcycles here, we are a small village"

I said "Yes! I came across this place on the way and ran out of water till I found your home and asked If I could get some water." clearing my intention and presences in his home.

He immediately turned to a pot tied on his buffalo and his wife suddenly went in and brought a steel bowl and gave it to him, he tumbled the pot with a fat white liquid which I first thought was buffalo milk for his family and he said "Bhai, Drink this butter milk", I was immediately taken back - buttermilk? being shared with a stranger like me who just came for water, I said to him "Buttermilk? No, No, that's too much, I just want water." he insisted giving the bowl in my hand "its hot right now, buttermilk will do more good then water." and I drank it peacefully with a heart filled with unknown satisfaction and love and respect. Till I bid them goodbye with a very cool body of mine and new energy I went ahead on my journey, and an unexplained happiness with in me.

Manier time's I have experienced such warm and fulfilling event's in my life and adventure's on my motorcycle and most of them are from village's and none are from the city. This makes me believe and simultaneously put me in a wonder why the difference is there in city and village, I am not saying people aren't welcoming in city - there are many families and people such but majorly you don't get entertained let alone these experience's and help easily and randomly in city. No one has got that time in city.

I think its because our heart have become closed such as our home's for such experiences, due to life events, rat race, probably day to day tension's, there's is too much to think in small brain of ours that no new thought's or warmth can find a small corner about it and even have very less space left in our heart's and minds and infact in our home's in the city that we cant help it but has become our passive nature which act's actively. The difference in a village life and city life is I guess 'Content' not the one's we all keep scrolling on the mobile phone's but that which one feel's within, a satisfaction similar to what I felt when I drank the water and buttermilk.

There is a constant tug of water between village life and city life, where either of them wants to settle out their life in each other's eco system and astonishingly they find 'content' in that, yet having not lived it completely and still find it difficult to settle out in the either. City dweller's imagine a house and farm land to live off in a far off village while a 'Vaniya' from a village somewhere wants to settle down in city for a better life. Both of them have found a bore, a level of monotonous experience in each of their ecosystems, their dwellings and a human's crave a new experience, oblivious of the consequences.

What I feel is both of them are yet far from getting accustomed to what each of the ecosystem brings to the table and the culture that needs to be followed to be accustomed to, not just to be the crowd but to settle down with sigh of relief at the end of the day both these ecosystem need's work to be done and each requires a different skill set developed over the year's, that has to come naturally, which I believe come's from truly living in it over many years, while in the initial short time both will have an immediate crash course which could develop a mindset and if it goes haywire then it could send the thoughts in a spiral.

What's important is to maintain warmth, openness to experience it. Forgetting what is already known but be empty again to be filled a fresh.

I once read a quote in a bookshop: 

                        "A Traveler travel's the world in search of it, only to return home to find it"

To my reader's I suggest keep your heart and mind open to all form's of experiences in life and I guess it should help make your city feel like a calm of village, A hep of a city in the village.

Diving into the abyss for more such experience, until then Que Sera! Sera!

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(The image is AI generated by my prompt using Gemini)

Gujri Bazaar Ahmedabad – The 600-Year-Old Heritage Market of Sultan Ahmed Shah

"Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards - the things we live by and teach our children - are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings."

- Walt Disney

Heritage! An asset given in goodwill to the new generation, new age, to take the helm of something so magnificent, that it is a legacy of its own, more like a bow fired into a void which will be ever flying if its provided the right amount of selflessness.

Travelling back to 1414, I found myself in the rule of Sultan Ahmed Shah of Ahmedabad, A Mughal crown basking beside the river banks of Sabarmati, The story of Sultan Ahmed Shah and his city of Ahmedabad shining bright under the Mughal moon after suppressing a rebel by his own uncle and other minister's of his court.

Sultan Ahmed Shah is an important ruler in the history of Ahmedabad and successor to Ahmad Khan and grandson of Sultan Muzaffar Shah - who founded the Muzzafarid Dynasty. His reign lasted from 1411 to 1442 which built the very foundation of today's modern Ahmedabad - A UNESCO World Heritage City. 

The city is a treasure trove in itself, with jewel studded relic's, monuments, stories, folk lore's of its time, it never fails to amuse me, even till this day. There is always to see something and even more to miss out every time you are out exploring the city. To get you interested - there is a memorial for a sparrow- which apparently died in a cross fire of police during Roti Riots - Navnirman Andolan of March 2, 1974, known as Chakli Smarak and even Chakli Kimbli in Dhalni Pol of the city. Interesting right?

600 Year Bazar

Soon after taking over the helm of Ahmedabad, Sultan Ahmed Shah started with building the gates and walls of the city, along the same lines in 1414, Sultan started the 'Khaas Bazar', Now known as the Ravivar Bazar - A Sunday Market in modern times. Initially it was setup in tents on Friday's and adopted the name Shukravari Bazar for the same reason.

The Bazar in itself had a triumph with communal riots of 1914 and 2002 - it found itself stopping and starting in the dates of history and shifted it's location's accordingly from Siddi Saiyed Mosque to Old Session Court of Ahmedabad and since then now at the city's iconic Riverfront, after then Chief Minister of the State of Gujarat - Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated it to public on Feb 3, 2014.

The market dawn's on people when they make their way to it from the city's other Iconic Ellis Bridge, a landmark itself, the market's hustle and bustle thaw's over one's visual sensation on the approach afar. A majestic yawn of 32,000 square feet, the market spread's it arms from 1414 to today's modern times, as a hug to all the residents, traders, buyers and tourist's.

Market is maintained by Ahmed Shah Gujri Association and gives membership to more than 1600 traders, from which 400 are female's. Another interesting fact behind this market is, members of the association pay a rent of Rs 3/- and Non Member's pay a rent of Rs 6/- to the association and in return the association pay's rent to the municipal body of  Rs 302/- against the land they use on every Sunday. This has since not changed to promote the flee market and maintain it's heritage value.

Much interestingly with such low rent's and almost a foot fall of 5000 people on a single day (I doubt its even more), the area is spanking clean, much cleaner then the modernized area's of the city I have visited. Traders and vistor's here must consider this place as their temple of work or even a home to achieve this fleet with such a large foot fall.

Considering this amount of business and footfall, there are said to be approximate of 7000 to 10,000 trader's who get business directly and indirectly from this weekly market, and to control the footfall and it's related vehicular traffic - there is a giant 16,500 vehicle capacity parking area which can accommodate both 2 wheelers and 4 wheeler's at a mere cost of  Rs 20/- for whole day. Initially the whole plot, where the current market bustle's was a shanty town for years before, home to nearly 20,000 people, it was decided to redevelop the whole river bed which cuts through the city and beautify it to the likes of other river side cities of the world such as Paris on Seine, Prague on Vltava, Venice on it Canals and similarly Ahmedabad on Sabarmati. 

In earlier times, before the city had its complete makeover there was a local saying that I personally grew up listening, people use to swear on the river water's flow, for example once I remember my friends back in school we all were talking, one of them was so scared of passing the math exam that day he said that "If I pass the math exam it would be the day our city would have water passing through Sabarmati river. "meaning the water was never going to pass through the city nor my friend was ever going to pass the exam, eventually the exam got cleared but latter was remaining until now. The river now flows clean, lush, rustling through the city 24*7 with joy and greenery all around. Do make it point to visit the whole belt of the newly developed city's riverfront, specially in the morning and once sun starts to set. It's one of the other must do while in Ahmedabad.

Goddess Of Wealth At The Gates

Soon after Sultan Ahmed Shah took over the family coup and foiled it, he ordered to built the gates that marked the entry and exit point into his city. As usual, seen across all mughal king's and their kingdom's, these gate's were high walled, majestic, hand carved - history etched into the very stones and foundation such that not an inch of these gate's are boring. You will stare in amazement. The design's in each window is different from other.

There are 21 historically documented gates of the city. All a master piece but due to the expansion of the population and accommodating ever growing traffic, few walls and perimeters of the gate's had to be collapsed to let the modern horses and carriages with diesel and petrol engines flow into and out from the already congested, noisy old city.

There is an unconfirmed yet widely used folk lore that run's parallel to the collapsing of the old city walls, it is widely believed by the old and original residents of the city that when it was announced that some part of the perimeter walls will be collapsed to accommodate the new bridges that would link the two parts of the city beautifully divided by the river, it would bring bad omen to whole city, there was a long discussion that followed to its decision (I too faintly remember of the same), but once the walls were gently brought down. later the city had suffered an severe earthquake. The epicenter was in Bhuj ironically on 26th of January 2001 but massive destruction was there across the effected cities and even in Ahmedabad. The original story was that the Manek Burj should not be destroyed that connects both part of city by the iconic Ellis Bridge that doesn't rust and till date both the Burj and Bridge remains intact and a world UNESCO Heritage site.

Moving forward, The gates where Goddess of Wealth - Laxmi, still stands waiting for the sultan to give her a visit. Interesting?, The folk lore goes, one fine day Goddess Laxmi came to meet the Sultan, she was paused in her path by the guards at the gate and asked the purpose to which a willingness to meet the sultan was expressed by the goddess, overwhelmed the guard ran to Sultan expressing that the Goddess of Wealth is at the gates, Sultan upon hearing this and probably known to the religious presence of the goddess and her blessing, immediately drew out his sword and beheaded the guard - in the attempt to not let goddess know that sultan will ever come or not and till date sultan has never gone to greet the goddess at the gates, in fear that she will leave and he and his city will not get a chance to prosper in a divine intervention, this story still lives in hearts of all citizen's of Ahmedabad, specially in the trader's and businessman who operate near those gates. The gates are called Teen Darwaza - The Three gates.

The Goddess Laxmi still stand's waiting for the sultan and showering blessing on the city for immense prosperity and wealth and I believe somewhat it is true because once you get a chance to visit this place there are 2 prominent point's here the enigmatic temple of Bhadra Kali Devi - Goddess of the city and near the Burj - India's 2nd Largest 9 foot tall idol of Goddess Laxmi in the Mahalaxmi Temple, blessing the city since.

The most beautiful part of this story is a light, that has been running since it's inception by devotion towards Goddess Laxmi and has been burning bright and upkept through rains, winds, storm, holidays and history by the Muslim's in the area. Such a beautiful place to view, a joy you would only feel when personally here.

The Diya - light, still burn's bright in a lower corner of the central gate of the three gates, towards the inside of the city.

This whole area from Bhadra Kali Temple Up to Gandhi Road is laden with history amalgamated with modern chaos and hustle. On one hand the relic's of Mughal time quietly stand and stare while on the other hand hawker's, trader, visitor's, worshippers pass by each other in a perfect chaotic sync. The Three gate's is very interesting as the shoulder gates are smaller and narrower in size and length compared to the center gate which is tall, broad and deeper within - which is made purposefully that way to accommodate elephants and the behemoth convoy's that followed during meetings and Sultan's celebration or battle cry departure's.

The place where currently small businesses and hawker's thrive was initially a ground level terrace, a huge empty plot - parking spaces of those era's to act as stables for the horses and camp's for the gold and brass studded elephants and throne's on it. That's the reason, if you stand in center of this terrace you will see its a gigantic empty plot, temporary camp ground for even the soldier's that must have travelled with these majestic animal's along with their supplies.

Another interesting thing to surely see without fail is the Farmaan, Open letter written and inscribed on stone in a 8th century ancient language of Dev Nagri, Which was issued by the Maratha Empire's Governor Chimanji Raghunath in the year of 1812, post death of Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1442, 370 years later, stating rights for women's in their families ancestral properties, the Farmaan was issued to both Hindu's and Muslims, the Farmaan translates as:

"Let the daughter get her due share of fathers property without any hitch. So is Lord Vishwanath's command. If you defy, the Hindu will have to answer Mahadev and the Mussalman will have to explain to Allah or Rasool"

The whole time here, in the city is always joyous, fun, lot of heat, chaotic while simultaneously a prefect blend of history, religion, love and an aroma in the air of by gone times that still echoes' silently.

The only thing I personally felt was such historical significant monuments need better protection then it already is, it needs to be well preserved and away from regular human touch and vehicular passing through out the city and its monument's as these are non renewable, one cannot regain it original form once it is damaged - if so it would need more like Japanese Kintsugi process but that level of dedication, ikigai and patience come's at a cost far more in modern times to this priceless relic's of time and history.

With this, I hope you come visit the Unesco World Heritage City of Ahmedabad. If you are a foreigner it would definitely be a cultural shock but worth it if you choose to spend time correctly here with the right eye.

Sharing few picture's that I clicked during my visit back in time below.

Until next one, Que Sera,Sera!

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Click here for the complete detail Vlog on Youtube: 600 Year Market

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(Afar - The Teen Darwaza & Market)

(The Window's of Teen Darwaza)

(Abrupt Chance Meeting with a local guest from Rajasthan)

(The Farmaan By Maratha Governor)

(A Local Female Trader Selling Custom made Hand Carts - 'Lahri's')

(Happy Meetings - A Trader Enjoying Breakfast - Idli & Sambhar in Bazar)

(The Divine Calling - Lady giving service of flowers at Laxmi Temple, Ellis bridge)

(All images are of my own and resharing or reusage is strictly prohibited without prior permission)

Mind Is The Enemy

 "I think and think and think, I've thought myself out

of happiness one million times, but never once into it"

- Jonathan Safran Foer

"Aham! Brahmasami!"  - I am Brahma, this is very fondly used in the Indian mythological stories and even folk stories. The very being is me, yet not me, the audacity to think that you are the one, the one above all is the root cause of all the problem rich fruit's that our tree of life bears but on the parallel, this very same belief is what brings peace, nurture and harmony to the way of life.

I sympathize with people who are either over practical, analyzer's and planner's, look at the finance guy's around you - you will surely find their eyebrow's kissing each other on the forehead, I am not saying everyone in that field is the same, many I know, elder's too, have found an equilibrium amongst the chaos, their work is to worry of the future, the worry is the collateral they pay for the amount's they are invested with, but either way you are holding the same ear, doesn't matter if its with your right hand or left, you are too practical and analytical of everything around you and life itself.

Over the period of time, considering the day you took your first steps as your first day of having your own mind up to now while you are reading this. Think how you were and what you have become? Remember how care free and liberated you were compared to being now encased into a box filled with worries, turmoil's, vivid thoughts, goals and targets, loss, remorse and so many other feeling's suffocating you while you are continuously getting depleted of your oxygen - 'Happyness'.

What if I Told You It's Illusion?

The horrendous image that just got created in your mind, must have made you feel suffocating and congested suddenly, right?  You felt claustrophobic and fatigue at the same time, but how that can be? You are openly sitting somewhere, probably the favorite cafe, your favorite corner of your home, how can it make you feel that way? well, you related to it, you are or were at that place in your life that made you experience it and that is what you are relating to, it's a knee jerk reaction your brain always triggers, always, it's the brain, your mind that just now created and illusion of you inside a box even though you are free externally, a moment before you were free from it all, suddenly you are now slave of yourself and you didn't even realize it, matter of fact - this happens almost every day, every time you are overwhelmed.

What does it mean? Your mind is the enemy, not your situation, not your status, not your current state of being but the mind, the gray matter that sit's high on the thrown above all sensation's that the body feels below it, consider it as the apex ruling over you. 

You need to realize immediately and put it into action, you shouldn't believe everything your mind think's, mind is a network of thoughts and previously gathered experiences and emotion's, not just of this life of you but believe it or not it is coded with generation's of data accumulated into the DNA, it is the source code that keeps on reading and referencing from, no matter how good or bad, its the central command center, the invisible shield generator around you - aura - and majority of the time it will only take consideration from the bad, uncomfortable, hurtful experience's of all the nodes the DNA has gathered. But there is a savior, will let you know shortly.

You have to know that the brain is designed to protect you and the body, why do you feel nauseated before an exam or interview, why do your legs feel weak and stomach feels like the 'Laurentian Abys - deepest part of our earth, when you walk on a glass floor or stand on a ledge, its all the defense mechanism to keep life itself alive, the race alive from doing something stupid, something so injurious that is threat to its existence. Consider it as a big parasite, breeding inside you, sucking the very joy of life from you just so that it can stay alive, you can stay alive, no matter what condition the outer body feel, your inner 'Jiva' feels, how the whole experience feels, it just wants to survive at all cost - how egoistic and self centered it is. So it's not you. 

Mind is designed to protect you from going through something so painful, that it will try and predict any feeling or decision in so many forms and parallel time lines that it is almost interstellar, you cannot stop it, but it has one goal only, keep the senses and body chemical's at par level and let it hype, its like a pressure valve that triggers before the breach point is reached

Each new painful event or memory get's encoded within, such that you can make a decision that get's super computed in a fraction of second in the apex and is resulted in your action by either words or behavior - this almost happens every time instantly and again taking no consideration of what the outer body or within feel's, what the soul feel's, its an irony sometimes that it generates it own negative feedback loop due to this very same reason and keeps on getting encoded again and again with no command to stop it, its involuntary, you wont be able to do anything about it, 

It is such a complex algorithm within each one of us that feed's on emotion that is generated from these very feedback loop's - its a huge maze without a map and many get lost in it with no way home.

Consider The Jiva:

For every evil there is good created, for every Chimera, Bellerophon is there on a winged horse to end it, for every brain there is a heart created.

Remember how I earlier said that I sympathize with people who are too practical and analytical, they always take calculated decision's, life for them is solving a Rubik's cube, set of decision = set of results, where is the fun in that, the very thought of this is boring, frustrating in its own way, their emotion's are calculated - biased and bifurcated for those they value and for those they don't, how judgmental that is. They are contradicting their very own creation. An irony.

The real freedom is living from within - living with Jiva. Considering and accepting that life is an constant flow of space, time, energy and multitude of emotion that result in experiences and not vice versa. What's there to calculate in living? breathing? enjoying every moment for as is?

The difficulties start to arise when you start going against the flow of life. When you stop considering the Jiva, the soul within you. You might be of certain age right now with experiences and emotion's you gathered from this walk of life, you have now a set forms of reaction's and thought process for said events and happening around you, probably you don't care for either or you are maintaining a stature to not be in aghast but do not forget that the soul within you is very ancient, far more experienced than you are, it has seen and felt time's and emotion's, its so well trained and 'lived' that its been cursed to not speak loudly. But the brain is inexperienced, it only knows this walk of life, it considers this life as a absolute data point which puts you in a frenzy, it has been blessed to be the loudest part of yourself that only you can hear in secrecy yet you act publicly, vividly. 

Remember this to the relation of what you just read "Empty vessel's make more noise!"

If you keep considering and listening to your mind as your friend then believe this "You will technically be an intern forever in this corporation of life".

Why do you sometimes feel strongly about something positive or ill? we call it the 'gut feeling', and most of the time it is correct, that's your soul - your Jiva talking with you, did you ever hear yourself or anyone saying "I had a mind feeling" , that is so stupid, never, but "I had a gut feeling" is experienced by us all. When it come's true it almost feels like a divine blessing, a supernatural guidance that your brain must had never computed from all the data point's it takes reference from. It simply cannot.

Understand this, start considering your Jiva, whenever and however you can, go with the gut feeling or what your heart feels best in the moment, the mind will always put you in a comfort zone which deprives you of new positive experiences, it will eventually lead you into the negative feedback loop.

The word Jiva - means life, a soul within you. Answer this do you love someone with brain's or heart? The most beautiful thing in this life that can happen is love - the love for your partner, friends, family, nation, motorcycles, cars, even for people with OCD - you love keeping things clean, perfectionist love to have their task completed with 100% accuracy, but why? the whole thing is love. Loving what you love. Your brain will never comprehend that, it will deprive you of that same thing for the sake of existence. It doesn't like to be in an uncomfortable state - its technically a coach potato!

Whenever in life you are on the fork in the road, try considering what your heart say's, what your gut feeling says, I am pretty sure a beautiful experience is waiting for you ahead because the soul has been through time and have a zillion times stopped at these so called fork's in the road and it knows what is best, not for you specifically but in overall experience. Life.

Stop surviving (brain) - Start living (soul).

For all the time's you feel restless, underachieved or just find your self in a well of ill emotion's yet cannot talk yourself out of it, consider this, stop going against the flow of life, there is something you are trying to do beyond your reach but the mind is creating an illusion that you can do it anyhow, well, don't force things that are not happening, that are not going your way, believe it - it is going where it has to go, you can't divert the flow of life or destiny, as they say what will be - will eventually be no matter how hard you try to avoid, delay or make it go your way, that's how life and the energies work - they are always in a constant flow.

Remember, life is like a flowing river, it has beautiful and rocky patches along its journey but eventually all rivers are going to meet their ocean's and sea's. Don't swim against the current - start flowing in it and you will find yourself at so much ease and feel weightless that you would eventually realize that you were restless without any reason, in an illusion of control, there is no such thing. Enjoy as is. It's all temporary anyways, the worst would be something didn't happen, the best would be you gained experience. 

When you feel like a kite in a storm do these simple steps, doesn't take much time and you will see the change:

1) Start deep breathing for 2min - focus on your breaths going in and out.

2) Take a knee - sit - close your eyes and let your emotion's and thoughts just flow, don't befriend them, just let them come and go, like train's on their stations.

3) Say a small prayer to yourself - "I have done this manier times, I will get through this, I can do it!"\

4) Drink a glass of water, calmly.

5) Don't take it personally, its all temporary.

I hope this help's you and find's you some peace, for rest all - ' Que Sera, Sera!"

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(Image is AI-generated digital art depicting the flow between human mind and soul, chakra's – on Jiva and life balance.)

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Man Made Marvel: Exploring Wanakbori Dam & World’s Largest Aqueduct in Gujarat | RoadsterRides Travel Blog

 WORLD'S LARGEST AQUEDUCT

The sheer will, ego and pride of man, can manier times default the time and the test's of nature that follow behind in it's wake. God created us in his image, but there are far more times we have seen wonder's, jaw dropping architecture's that send's ripple's across the fabric of the creation itself, man sometimes create master piece's from muds and stone's that for generation's is cherished, preserved, protected and even awarded as being the evidence that man once or does exist beyond the trials of time and nature.

One such hidden gem, a silver ore of architectural marvel, subtly endures such a test - constantly, amidst the dry, arid region of Balasinor near Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The only time it is enveloped in a more habitable, lush green canopy of tree's and shrub's is the romantic and paint brush mood of the almighty - Monsoon!

  

It was a few day's ago, I was scrapping through the map of my state and trying to find something unique, something historical, a place where you don't leave behind something for once but you take back something to cherish for years to come and share the experience with your viewer's, friends and family, I was almost about to give up, but India will never disappoint you in whole, you need to believe that because at this particular fork in the road where I had to decide either to give up the search or wait for an epiphany, I struck a eureka moment.

It was right there, sitting, for years, 2 places stacked up one upon each other -12km's apart, The Wanakbori Dam and Mahi Sagar Aqueduct. Both standing fast with valor against the frost of the nature, continuously bashing it with massive hydraulic force coming from a catchment area of more than 20.82 km². That is in itself huge, sheer nature's majestic raw form, hiding amongst the calm flowing river.

Recently there has been lot of rains in the region, turning the melodious river chimes on the bed rock into a thunderous roar that one could hear from the entry point of the dam, I was drawn to it like the opposite poles of the magnet, my steps hurried towards the roar and it dawned slowly in a near distance. By the time I could digest the view I was quickly stopped by a crew cut hairstyle officer, the first glance at him, I knew I was in trouble, the officer strictly said to me "Hey You! How did you manage to come inside, the dam is closed for visitor's, vacate the premises immediately!" and the only word I could say in the moment was in complete surrender "Ok Sir I am leaving!" I demanded no explanation, the officer's tone and pitch level was self explanatory, he was concerned and displeasured by me - a civilian, on the premises he is responsible to safe guard.

With the same hurried step that I came in, I was going back out the same path, with a walk of shame and a guided escort by the officer himself. He made sure I was outside the gate and made me delete the recorded footage, well whatever few second's I was able to record before I was thrown out, but he saw me for a second and felt my eagerness to see the dam and with a soft tone said "Boy!",  while I was walking towards my motorcycle, "There is a small gate up ahead, go there you can safely see the dam from there" and he vanished back into his duty.

Safe? yes! because of the heavy rain's there have been incidences beyond human control, floodings and cloud burst's that make the river's unpredictable, untamed, all of sudden, out of nowhere. So he was right to guide me out while indeed the river was bit flowing high that time. But it's the thrill that we chase and manier times valor filled men, responsible one's, get thrill seeker's like me out of such uncanny situation's, so did this time.

Brief About Wanakbori Dam

This man made marvel bathe's in the river named Mahi which mouth's into the Gulf of Khambhat, Coast of Gujarat into the Arabian Sea while its source origin's from a village named Minda in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh, neighbor to State of Gujarat. The river itself is alive, as it tread's upwards, to northern state of Rajasthan and dive's down inside Gujarat and into its final destination of Arabian Sea.

The dam has a design of 'Overflowing', where the water is slowed down but not completely stopped but rationed into further village's, feeding their farms via help of canals and a Hydro electric plant that lighten up's the near by home's.

It is spanned across 796 meters across the river and has an estimated submerge value of 24 village's out of 74 villages it cater's. The water is used to irrigation purpose and power generation through the Wanakbori Power Plant (1MW) which is just up ahead the river from the dam.

Inaugurated in 1958, the dam has 33 Hydroplus Barrage Fuse gates, at a height of 25meters leading to storage capacity of approximate 42 million Cubic meters.

The gates itself is a marvel as it collapses automatically in times of flooding not to stop but to let go of excess water in times of natural forces in play. I found this very interesting.
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After basking in the mild setting of the sun that day, I stayed there for a while, hearing the water made me somehow stop and pause, amidst the sound of water crackling on the bed rock I found a tad bit of void, some kind of solace I must say. I snapped back into reality as the sun pinched my skin and I rustled my backpack with my camera and water bottle, saddled it onto my motorcycle and made headway towards the next destination, I was on the clock as it was the weekend ride and needed to come back home before the sun sparkled into its full glory in the noon.

The back road's is very scenic, from my experience of riding in my state - I have come to believe that the back road's are much fun then the traditional highway's that make the journey quick, these road's have the hustle and bustle of a typical village life, a kind of chaos you would love to be in just because it's peaceful at the same time with the camels, chicken's, manier times cow's and buffalo's running across the road's or just vailing away time standing right in the middle with no care of the moving world around them. 

Probably something they already know, they are in on a secret but are blessed to not be able to talk about it, yet they want to share it by their behavior is what I feel. Stop - Pause for a while and see around for what life and nature has to offer you while giving away few minutes to this exercise that they want to share will not be in vain but something definitely to gain, something to take back. 

I manier times see these animal's on my ride's and try to mimic them, taking a few minute's off my ride and it automatically changes into meditation - for say, the thoughts tend to be calmer, wider, imaginative while I pause beside or behind them while the chew their favorite grass just like a man enjoying his evening whiskey with a cigar. That's the secret I guess they want to share, pause.

Well, cornering through the village roads and its pollen filled air, I quickly made way to a canal, not far, that hugs to a side road with a canopy of lush green trees, just like best friends holding hand to a corner food joint on a cool summer noon. The only hinderance to the world's largest aqueduct was a rail track right on the bridge before, but luckily my cruiser crossed over a make shift stone path that was probably made by the local villager's for their cattle's to cross, well it worked.

On the first glance you can miss it very easily, its so well camouflaged to look like a normal cross over bridge for vehicles, but when you stop 25 meters over the Mahi River and take a peak over its walls, you would see the crossover of 2 rivers, one flowing below naturally and one man made marvel carrying the Narmada river with speed bypassing the rustling nature and right into the city, its a massive network that intercepts at this particular point, spanning across 700m over the river, feeding the water for irrigation purposes. Its a part of a long chain of Narmada River flowing effortlessly for more than 140km's.

Small idea to how majestic this place is, there is a competitor in the world for this place in Great Britain, it is home to the worlds longest aqueduct, namely Pontycysyllte Aqueduct, which is even the highest aqueduct in the world and a protected UNESCO Site built from 25th July 1795 to 26th November 1805. Would love to visit this place one day.

To understand much better with visual reference, you would love this vlog of mine when I visited this places over the weekend: Wanakbori Dam & World's Largest Aqueduct

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Few Pictures More:

Mahi River Bed, 25m Above, Thermal Plant In View.

                           Over World's Largest Aqueduct, Ferrying Narmada River Water

A World Without Men: A Reflection on Balance, Void, and Existence

The wish was granted. The higher power heard and had enough of it, they are bored and utter irritated with the same prayer's every day, "We don't need men, We are fine without them, Need a world without men, Why should men have all the fun?" they said its enough, and snapped the fingers! Click!

The morning followed with it's general calmness yet a storm brewing along side the Ghana coffee in the machine, men are gone from the world, the complete gender doesn't exist anymore! Poof! vanished without a trace from the yesterday and even yester years! Whole history of the existence of race on earth, men has been erased like the writing on the beach, a clean slate. But yet the one thing was left behind, memories of them being around but only within those were living, rest everything was a wiped clean, books, scriptures, paintings, statues, everything that was dedicated to or made for men was gone.

Strange thought, isn't it? Well, first the world barely noticed it, the female gender had already taken over the partial remains' from the yesterday so everything was working smooth, it was just another day at office, no one noticed a regular joe hasn't checked in. Who cares? if they don't check in for the next couple of month's, female's are good enough to head ahead without the regular joe's of the office.

Trains are running on time, children are laughing in the park, playing tea parties. offices are running smoothly, women are getting paid fairly and climbing the ladder's faster as all women understand each other telepathically and empathetically, they are completing each other's sentences even before it has been thought inside the brain, the surface of the earth has not suffered a single crack, well immediately at least. But the world has all together has gone silent, and that's noticeable, every few hours, leading to minutes and then to seconds of the day, everyday...

Then come's a day, the kids are playing in the park, no guidance, no one to look after them, while the only remaining gender is busy making the world go round, cluttering, blabbering across the keyboards in their work, making the ends meet, but the kid in the park is now bored, sad, feeling lost, feeling alone and starts crying as there is no one around she can look up to, she can cling onto just of the sake of it, just for that little nap after a hard tea party she had and the friend forgot to give her the cookie at the table, and now there is no one to console her that it is alright let's her hold a pinky finger and takes her to buy a ice-cream from the nearest ice-cream truck.

The fight in the school broke out, the girls had their own version of fight's and fight club's, pulled each other hair's till they looked they had just been jolted with 1100V's of electricity with a bruised lip and knee to no one to come aid to except the school nurse she did her best, but she needs that band aid kiss that she will no later get it once her mom returns back in the evening.

There are female pedophile's now roaming in the neighborhood, knowing there are no beardy giant's wanting to stop them in the path just by the look of it, she is now brave, arrogant and twitchy for the next pray, before she has one and disappears into the dark alleyways, it has been reported but not enough unit's to be dispatched immediately at the location as the gender is stretched thin and no one to cover for in the void's that has been freshly left behind while there are the other's societal outreaches being piled up.

The train's are running good until the coupling came loose over the period of time, no one is available immediately due to void, but the engines are useless without the bogeys attached, you get the vibe of it, the heavy work is yet to be filled in, train's are getting late, people have started reaching no where without the transport's network working smoothly, the work is now piling up on the world from high rise multi billion dollar, electricity guzzling enterprises, its trickling down from errors, maintenance bloopers, the heavy things need more newly trained worker's to take the risk, or looking down from the 50th floor and still get that bolt riveted into the girdle.

The ageing mother has forgotten her last medicine and insurance policy that has been yet not filed, with no records of her being able to remember, the hospitals has given the final notice to clear the bill and discharge or take legal actions, the border's around the world are suddenly not 100% guarded, there are void's there too, the brotherhood has gone into ghost mode, but not even omnipresent, the grenade's are no more being hugged by the fellow to save the team, no more blood stained last letter's handed over too. Female's are running it all, with whatever best they know of all, the one's that are hardened and are ruthless are gaining slowly over the ones that remain, the encore of breaching the pinned down location's are replaced by thin yet roaring battle hardened lady officer's but yet lack the immediate impulse to jump into the fire fight that the men carried before, the hesitation...

From everything the world had to offer and has to offer, now has no men in it, it has to be managed by the female's, the only living gender amongst all things living the god had blessed the land and ocean with. The catch here is, without men the population is limited and cant grow. The cross species trials from single mammals have miserably failed costing the very precious lives that remain, scientist cannot re-create a pattern into the DNA to compensate and reproduce without the male, like the many mammals could do. Is there a breakthrough here? But time is not a friend.

The option's have run out, the cards are all played, the time is unlimited, resources are massively abundant now, the population though is the only non renewable resource left which is getting depleted faster than any other resource's, with every passing day the age factor is playing its role, the silver hair's are fading across the world, possible a next 100 years are left for the population to either find a way to repopulate, find a way to extend their existence or they would eventually all wither away like dust on a windy day, leaving behind world left for the green's, that's what's left of it.

There are so many aspects that each gender specifically cover, which is unimaginable, yet it puts a 'my god' feel when we sit down and just think about it, even more when you put it into word's, it becomes a unfathomable abyss, which only get's darker as you seek more deeper, quieter. A white noise is what we would find, I guess at the end, screaming in silence.

The silence of the world was now deafening. Women had pushed boundaries, conquered roles, managed industries, governments, homes, and even wars, not just the one's with gun powder but with the emotional turmoil they were feeling without a counsil to their error's, miseries, loneliness yet they were proving to be surviving - at a cost which was depleting faster with every wrong decision. They were proving they could survive, lead, and thrive but many aspects and segment's they gasped with a nostalgia, with an feeling of void that somethings were better when men were around, could have been they felt the grunt? or just lazy like the good old day's and that men took care in their free time but none could question their strength anymore while they are gone, strength is no more an option - its the only choice. Yet, something lingered in every heart, an emptiness that no innovation, no committee, no laboratory could fill anymore. A void.

The granted wish was never about survival but the blessing was about balance. The perfect harmony of Ying and Yang, the echo of good and evil, the joy of action and passion.

The laughter of a father swinging his daughter high into the air.
The protective presence of a brother walking his sister home at night.
The quiet endurance of a husband who works silently so his family never feels the weight he carries.
The unspoken bond between a son and an ageing mother, where no words are needed — just his presence, now everything came to women unfiltered, untethered, nothing holding back, nothing soothing it down, a neat whiskey without water.

The other gender got a jibe at the creation, the care they thought was possessiveness, they felt it was the duty so to be done but in reality they were connections. And with the men gone, the world was no longer a home, just an efficient, well greased but a ticking time machine which was fading. I read once where it was so beautifully creative that the garden needs to be filled with multiple flower's, flowers of colors, smell, sizes, but a garden with one theme of same flower becomes boring, becomes unsmoothing, not natural, its garden because it has a variety, some are good, some are beautiful, some are just ordinary but their presence is important, the plugs in the walls.

It was never about women could do it all. There had been never any doubt that any other gender was lesser than the other, all were given the limbs and eyes that other had, the same gray matter that thought few thought's milder or stronger than the other, like the different flowers in the garden, But, the question was yet to be answered and still remain's unanswered, should they have to? Should either of the gender be survivable if the alternate was obliterated? Was that ever the point of humanity — to see who could replace whom?

The higher power, the 'param atma' as the Indian mythology denotes the almighty, had only granted the wish to show one thing, not that one gender is stronger than the other, but that life itself was designed to be shared. The creation was already thought for, the misfit is designed to be fit, Men and women — different, flawed, misunderstood at times — but together, they carried humanity forward, the interlocked into each other like a key to its only lock. It was the heart for the love. It was the creation of the creator to be in continuation in his image, his strength.

While the time flew past, the grass grew and got cut, the rains and droughts came and went by but all these while the truth that burned hardest was: Men had been here all along, in the shadow's manier times fighting battles no one saw, no one heard about, the ones that they left at the doorstep before entering their home, the mood that immediately snapped to something more reliable to save the sanctity of the place he was going to be for the next few hours before he began the wrestle again, breaking inside but smiling outside, carrying those transparent burdens on his shoulder's that only shrugged quietly so others wouldn’t have to. Their struggles were invisible, and in their silence, many assumed they were unnecessary, deal able. But very few knew even within the circle of the males that everyday they were seating at table where the dealer was always new, when the cards were dealt with no certainty of his win each time but promised it bruised his ego to make him humble and smile.

Silence is never absence. Mind that well, absence often comes and screams louder than anything else once it start's getting noticed, its like seating in the world's quietest room and slowly and gradually your ear's start picking up sound's that was never heard before, scaring with the new unknown even though those sounds were always there - omnipresent. And same were the men!

So, the question is not whether the world could survive without men. Clearly, it could not. The question is: Why did we ever believe they didn’t matter enough while they were still here? while they still are?

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Do let me know in the comments, your views, I would love to gain a new insight, this was my fictional tete-e-tete with you all.

(Image is AI generated with help of Gemini)

The 'True' North

You are lucky if you come back to warm home, a lady waiting for you with a hot meal on the table while the kid's creating a ruckus who get's to hug you first and amidst all this blessing you stumble with loved filled feet, dropping the day's heaviness of your shoulder and give into their arm's at the doorstep as if you have surrendered but yet victorious.

You got a chance to be Maximus Meridius for another day but to return to a breathing family, nothing to be filled by vengeance but be felt loved and wanted, while they see you with a hope, relaxation a husband, a father has returned and if you are the luckiest one then you even get to return back home as a son to your  ageing parents.

Such a beautiful picture a brain imagines while we read onto certain word's, filled in the gaps, the void's we feel within ourselves. For all the joy's we share and all the time we spared for the loved one's is the only currency we will ever earn I guess & probably the only asset we will leave behind, for the materialistic will be gained and perished before time but these memories, these feeling of just being there, the void in absence, the beautiful foliage we fill the gaps amongst us is what will outlive us. 

You are probably reading this on the first or last train to or from your home to wherever you want to be, probably you are having that quick meal before its time to jump back to the desk, probably you are standing on the ledge and given up, probably you are just basking it all in - one blog at a time, no matter, I say put everything on hold for few minutes, take a pause, look above, look beside, take a 360 of your surrounding, zoom out from the chaos thats probably around and within you and you will notice that no one care's but you & that matter's, being there in the moment matter's. Probably you will remember why you started at all? - Let me answer to it, to get back to the beautiful picture that your brain imagined in the beginning.

What an irony life has always been, we venture into the abyss only to return home to find it, its the same story where ever you go, traveler's come home to feel the ultimate peace, job goer's come back home to feel the calm before the storm next day, go-getter's come back home to have a break and be themselves, the soldier comes home to find what he has been protecting all this time, we all come back home to become us, shedding the armor at the gates and be the child we grew up knowing, ourselves. We return home to be us.

Sometimes it becomes chaos, what doesn't. the streets are empty at night to be pounded the next busy hour, the jungle calms down from the day's roar and hunts, the sky goes dark from the day's shine bright, everything cool's down, as if everyone, everything needs a break, a pause. So do you! So do we all...

It's such an irony yet beautiful that we start from home to fight the cunning, win and lose each day, just so we have something return back too everyday, feel secure and achieved. Well, that's the only thing ever there is. We often chase big milestones — promotions, possessions, titles, and trophies to let it hang on the wall and gather dust while our heads bow down to the never ending thoughts, works and worry of the world, to just leave behind something better when the time comes — only to realize that the real prize was waiting for us at the doorway all along. That warm glance, that familiar smell from the kitchen, the laughter that echoes louder than any applause you will ever recieve amongst the unknown faces you will for sure not be able to remember few years down the line, yes! that's true if its not now, give it time and it will seep into your reality.

But what happens when home isn’t perfect? When silence replaces noise, when absence replaces presence? Even then, the idea of home never leaves us. It becomes a compass, the true north of our adventures — guiding us through the world, through the fog of war, the war that erupts amongst and within us, only reminding us of where we belong, even if we’re still searching, still lost.

Home doesn’t always have four walls. Sometimes it’s a person, sometimes a memory, sometimes a state of mind. For some, it’s the call of their mother just while the start or end their day. For others, it’s the wag of a dog’s tail. For a traveler like me, it’s seeing the gates of my house from far while I enter my street, while the smell of chai brewing within me after a long ride. And for someone else, it might just be a quiet corner where they can finally breathe. finally be weightless.

The truth is — we don’t fight our battles for money, medals, or monumental achievement's I think We fight them just to earn the right to come back, to return, to belong, to lift our own weight and atleast once at the end be able to see eye to eye with your wife, kids, parents, most importantly the next morning in the mirror. That is the cycle of our lives: venture into the chaos, and then retreat into love.

So, if you’re reading this while standing on a crowded street while the city bustles past you, or lost in your own thoughts at midnight, pause for a moment. Ask yourself: What does home mean to me? Where do I return when the world strips me bare? where would I be if not home? Where's that if not already?

If you find the answer, hold onto it. Protect it. Nurture it. Because in the end, everything else is noise.

I remember having a small talk with my neighbour, his hair was now made of silver and the weight he carried all this time has already made him humble and bow down naturally and he randomly said to me "What a fine weather today", I rustled through my bag while searching for the wallet I always tend to forget and said "Yes indeed, less hot comparatively". He said "haha! Yeah, I would had wished to go for a long drive with my wife, if only i was able to drive again and she been beside me." he smirked yet content. And I was taken aback, few second's just went by putting me in a deep thought through out the day while, I for the very rare of moments, felt that man's loneliness, his wish to drive again and the void his wife has left naturally where he cannot do anything about it yet he has made content with it, he had too I guess, and he still find's the energy to go for a walk alone, gather up words to speak with a young man like me, probably make him feel the way he felt few years ago, I wanted to go back to him and ask him for what he misses but I assumed he has given all he could have, worked all his able days into what he has today from a coming home to look into the eye to now probably look at the beautiful picture's his life had given chance to freeze time in and a wish he could do it all again much better this time.

Home — however you define it — is the only truth worth coming back to. 

Return to your true north.

- Nirmal.

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(Image is AI Generated)

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Comment your view's on what do you feel about your true north? what get's you going yet long you to come back home.