ON KEEPING SECRETS!

            ON KEEPING SECRETS!

‘THIS IS BETWEEN YOU AND ME’ is how it normally starts. And continues in this manner --- You are the only one I have told about this secret. Do not share it with anyone, not even with your wife or your sisters----blah, blah, blah--- This is how ‘secrets’ are normally shared. The whole secret is whispered into your ears. But you simply can’t bear its burden. You want to pass it on to the first person you meet or speak to and get it off your chest. And this is exactly how it started. I got a phone call. After exchanging the pleasantries she said, “This is between only you and me. No one else knows about it. I haven’t told anyone but you – not even my-------Vinay, do you know----. The other day Mrs. XXX told me about this. No, she hasn’t disclosed this even to her son or her daughter-in-law. Don’t tell this to anyone, not even your wife or your children--- ” She was telling me in a hushed tone. I asked her, “Is there anyone around?” “No” “Then please talk a bit louder. You are barely audible.” So she repeated the whole secrete once again and continued telling me that I should not share it with anyone. She must have told me at least ten times, ‘Vinay, do not share it with anyone’ and stopped only after she made me promise at least ten times that I wouldn’t share it with anyone. Obviously, she likes borrowing an ear and I happen to be a good listener, I suppose.







‘On keeping secrets’ reminds of the story of King Midas, I had read in my childhood, perhaps you too have read about it.

We all know how once Dionysus was pleased with Midas after he had successfully brought back Sillenus, his old school master and foster father, who had gone missing. Dionysus offered Midas his choice of whatever reward he wished for. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Midas rejoiced in his new power, which he hastened to put to the test. He touched an oak twig and a stone; both turned to gold. Overjoyed, as soon as he got home, he ordered the servants to set a feast on the table. Midas swelled at first with pride when he found he could transform everything he touched to gold; but when he beheld his food grew rigid and his drink hardened into golden ice. Midas realised that this gift was a bane and in his loathing for gold, cursed his prayer when he found that his daughter had turned to gold as well, when he had touched her accidentally. Cutting this part of the story short, we all know how he now hated the very gift he had coveted, how he prayed once again to Dionysus, how he got everything and everybody reversed back to normal. But this was not the end of the story for Midas. He got entangled in the dispute between Pan, the god of the fields and whom Midas worshiped and Apollo, the god of the lyre. Pan had challenged Apollo to a contest. Tmolus, the mountain-god, had awarded the victory to Apollo, and all but one agreed with the judgment. Midas dissented, and questioned the justice of the award. On hearing the protest from Midas, Apollo remarked, “If you do not understand who the clear winner in this musical contest is then indeed you must have ears of an ass!" And so this caused Midas to have ears of a donkey.
Again cutting it short, Midas was mortified at this mishap. He attempted to hide his misfortune under an ample turban or headdress, but his barber of course knew the secret, so was told not to mention it. However, the barber could not keep the secret; He simply couldn’t stomach it; he had to get it off his chest; he went out into the meadow, dug a hole in the ground, whispered the story into it, then covered the hole up. A thick bed of reeds later sprang up in the meadow, and began whispering the story, saying "King Midas has an ass' ears". [thus we have the Whispering Meadows] Wood- cutter cut the trees and had musical instruments like the drums and even our own ‘tabla’ and even today we can hear the same "King Midas has an ass' ears". There is legend that this curse has been passed down, generations after generations of the kings (those in authority), who all had donkey’s ears and barbers who couldn’t keep secrets. Each of these kings would hide their donkey-ears, and ordered each of his barbers to be murdered in order to hide his secret. The last barber among his people was counselled to whisper the heavy secret into a well after sundown, but he didn't cover the well afterwards. The well water rose and flooded the kingdom, creating the waters of Lake Issyk-Kul. This barber effect thus continues.
These days it is different. Why blame the poor barber. It is, I think, a human tendency ---or a folly? Salon is not the only place where you can unburden your secrets. There are those kitty parties where you could gossip away your secrets off your chest. Now we have lot many avenues as well. You don’t have to whisper into someone’s ears. We do have phones. We can pass the secret via email, only to be shared with the recipient of the mail. Or better still, you can share it on Face Book. This then is the ‘Barber Effect’ on me. I’m sure there will be call asking me, “Who phoned you? What’s the secret?”

                                                                                                       Vinay Trilokekar

THE OUT REACH TEAM

THE OUT REACH TEAM

As we proceed from the Mafatlal Swimming Bath towards Marine Drive we hear faint sounds of music. As we approach the Princess Street Bridge it comes louder and louder to you. As we go past 'दुजोदवाला मातोश्री प्याऊ' we come across a group of some teenagers sitting in front of the  water fountain right below the Princess Street bridge. facing the the parapet. Every Saturday and Sunday mornings you find them. Nixon, Joyson, Evans, Doreti and Peter [names changed] are the regular ones. Others (six or seven more) come on some occasions. They melodiously sing in the praise of GOD. They are lyricists of their songs and hymns and compose their own music. Morning joggers and walkers pause to listen to their songs and melodious notes from their guitars and bongos. They call themselves 'THE OUT REACH TEAM'.

Peter initiates a song, to be soon joined in by Doreti and then the accompaniment of guitars from Nixon, Joyson and Evans asserts itself as equal partner to the singers. Then it’s Nixon’s turn to start a song, followed by the others in turn.

The orchestral crescendo of each song lasts for five minutes or so. If you listen to it closely, you will notice that it is nothing more than ten to fifteen repetitions of the same notes  moving with increased volume and slightly increased tempo. Yet each song is rhythmic, melodious and harmonious. Even if you are not good critic of music (just the way I am not) all of it will certainly be pleasant to your ears.

They interrupt suddenly in the middle of one their songs and one of them poses this question to a passerby, “What is Life? You are BORN, you LIVE and then you DIE. Is this what you call LIFE? BORN, LIVE, DIE – PHIR KYA? फिर क्या? हाँ, फिर क्या?” Then all of them call out in unison, “PHIR YE! फिर ये! अगर आप चाहते हो तोही! ETERNAL LIFE! जी हाँ, एक अनन्त जीवन! Do you want ETERNAL LIFE?”  If you show some interest they give you a pamphlet or two and then they are back on their songs and musical instruments. 

In one such leaflet it is written thus:

DO YOU WANT ETERNAL LIFE? If your answer is and you understand and believe that you are a sinner and in need of salvation, then say this simple prayer meaningfully, from the bosom of your heart, to God, ‘O God, I’m a sinner and I know it. I ask for YOUR forgiveness, YOU are my Savior.’

There are some quotes from the Gospel, like:

‘For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have Eternal Life.’

And

‘For by grace you have been saved through Faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,’

How could all this be ‘causing trouble’ or ‘disturbing the peace’ or ‘causing traffic jam’ (from the photograph is quite evident that they can never ever cause any hindrance, can they?)?  Silly, stupid or funny, you may think. But that’s exactly what they were told by a motor bike riding cop, who wanted to drive them off their base.  They all were stunned and initially thought the constable was joking. Then they realized that he was quite serious. When they reasoned with him, he argued that people stop their vehicles to have a look listen to them them, causing traffic jams. When they defended saying police should take action against offending motorists the cop had another reason to evict them telling them the  told them that leaflets they distributed, were often thrown on the footpath, thus littering the area. (Does this come under his jurisdiction or BMC?) Then came his final ‘ बहस ‘ or argument: “आप जो लिफाफे बाटते हो ना उससे कानून और सुव्यवस्था  बिगड़ सकती है. आप यहाँसे निकल पडो. सबको अंदर करूँगा।” It was only after all the joggers who had gathered there vehemently argued with him (some even threatened to call police control room) that he rode off. 


It reminds me of this guy. Everyone would see him  practising his SLACKLINING stunts opposite Garware Chowk at Marine Drive between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.  Perhaps, if you a morning walker or jogger you too must have seen this guy.

He would routinely practise on the slackline tied between two anchor points which were trunks of two trees on the Marine Drive promenade. People, including BMC and Police personnel, would often ask him what he was up to and even encouraged him he told them he was a professional slackliner.  It seems he used to practise in the evening hours too.  All was going well for him. Then one Sunday evening, while he was practicing, he saw two bikers collide. He rushed to help them. The bikers had not suffered any injuries and rode away within minutes. But a cop approached him, told him that his ‘stunt’ had distracted the bikers, resulting in the accident, the cop then summoned a police van and had him bundled off to the Marine Drive Police Station, where was slapped with charges of ‘ obstructing pedestrian movement’ and  ‘ damaging the trees’ and fined Rs. 1200.  He never practiced in the middle of the footpath, that every walker will vouch for. I still wonder his act was causing ‘crowding on the footpath’ or how he was responsible for that accident.

Our walks are often punctuated by these bicycle riders. Yet no action is being taken on those who ride bicycles on the promenade, making it quite dangerous for the senior citizens who come for their daily walks:

And then despite this BMC Notice hung on the tree:

When the message is loud and clear and yet we find this (violation right below BMC nose) :

But this man was punished and do you know who this man was? Here is his photograph while he was once performing his 'stunts' at Marine Drive:

He is Samar Farooqui, who holds a degree in adventure tourism from the University of Queenstown, New Zealand, and conducts slacklining events to promote the sport. He aims to emerge as pioneer of professional in this sport in our country. We do not know if has got the mandatory permissions from the Police and BMC or for that matter whether he has sought such permissions. But one thing we are certain of and that is he is no longer to be seen just like the Out Reach Team. The last four or five Saturdays the group is not to be seen or heard performing.

                                                                             Vinay Trilokekar