Most 3 yr olds in India are tucked in with this bedtime tale, a mythical short story, from the Mahabarat, a pre-dated Desi version of GOT,
Where a Bad Boy ;) called Dushasana (Duchadanan) tries to pull at the yards of fabric draped by Draupadi to humiliate her, but just can’t, as the Fabric keeps growing, as he tugs, and pulls,
At one point, exhausted by the effort, Dushasana collapses.
When the reader or listener is led carefully, through a story,
And then suddenly is asked,
So, Where did We Stop?
What Happens?
Had we visited the homemakers’ India, be it Haryana or Tamil Nadu, this is a common trap in long conversations held by Aunties from 4 to 6, after the afternoon nap,
Enga Vitten?
Kahaan Hai Hum?
Here,
Either another Aunty catches the thread, for her to continue, or some other Aunty pitches in with a brand new story exploiting the void, with Adha Vidu, / Chod Dho.....
What does,
Where Did We Stop?,
actually do?
Where Did We Stop? feels like lugging a heavy Suitcase, only to let go, try again, let go, and try again....................
Where Did We Stop? feels like pulling a rope, with cuts and bruises, only to let go, try again,.......
Where Did We Stop? is Dushasana trying Vastraharan again, as he finds himself suffocated and out of breath, buried under the fabric, but he keeps pulling with a single pointed focus, only to pull, pull, and pull,
Every effort yielding incrementally lesser result than the previous try,
As he pulls, there’s more to pull,.... pulls,.... more to pull,.... but the objective not met.
The net result from this futile effort, is loss of time, exhaustion, lowered self esteem, self-doubts, and a sinking feeling of failure and vulnerability.
If my fullest effort is still not Enough,
is something, many of us had said at some point in our academic and professional pursuit,
Then, there was a silver lining,
A Resource that 🌈 rainbow-ed in our way,
Or, there was No silver lining,
And, we chose another path,
Not necessarily in peace with the result, deep inside, but abandoning the effort to pick another achievable path.
Some, keep returning to the same pursuit, for years, at times, decades.
Others, persist on the same pursuit, for years, at times, decades.
And, then, there are those with misplaced priorities, and deeply affected by the pursuit, that ensure that their ward definitely pursues, or avoids the pursuit, after X years, not taking into account, the times are different, their ward is not them, and where their ward is not where they were. Love is Bonkers.
So, Where did We Stop? ;)
Where did We Stop?, a Mockery of this tough, bruising effort,
Where did We Stop where the reader is unaware that if he goes back, he may again have to stop at a Where did We Stop?
The reader, he or a she or a they, has already been hurt enough at every turn that life offers, whosoever he, or, she, or they maybe to muster the energy to trust again, to give a second chance.
To Emotion Driven Writing, 🥂
Manager - Call and Dispatch Center
4dShe is from My Home Town.. Bharti Airtel Foundation does a great job in rural area.