The power within....

“Its 50 rupees”

I was shocked hearing that but silently, I took out one and handed it over.

As I could not control anymore, ‘is that for ever?’

He didn’t say a word but his expression showed that he did not understand.

‘I mean, will that allow me to park my car till the time I leave from here or is that 50 for an hour or two?’

‘It’s for 8 hours’; he finally said what I was looking for.

Are you kidding, its 7pm now and are we gonna be here until 3am in morning.

I looked at Akhil, he couldn’t hold on to the seat anymore minute, with a smile he said, ‘Dad, can we go in soon, please’

‘Yeah, buddy, we are going on, let’s park this safe’ I said ageing with him.

All 3 of us stepped out from car, into the muddy waters, as its raining all over in Bangalore for last few days. Thank GOD, rains are still part of Bangalore.

We stepped in and occupied our seats, right at the place where it allows us to get clear and wide view of stage. Those seats are not any cushion or like the push back in PVR yet they are spacious enough; I looked around to see the crowd for the show. Not many young couples though. Yeah, who would spend their Saturday evening in a circus tent, as every one would love to be in malls. But we wanted to see the circus; it’s different than being there at Zoo. And I promised Akhil that this would be real fun, much better than watching the crazy creatures in AVATAR.

Soon, the curtains were up and a charming young lady started the welcome speech.

I hardly heard anything but could catch all her smiles. Its not so magical as Ameya’s smiles though, I looked at my wife and there she is, killing me with her smile, one more time.

I touched her hand and slowly pressed it, showing that I am always with you darling.

Suddenly there were colours all around, flashing lights and balloons everywhere. That’s clown. Not one, but a bunch of them, running all over and shaking hands with kids on the front seats. Yeah, how else can the circus be complete, without a clown?

For few minutes, they entertained everyone with their foolish acts.

Jumping, clapping and chasing each other, they did the act best. Without a doubt, they deserved a huge round of applause.

And then the most special of circus has come.

A huge dusky elephant entered the centre stage, with a man dressed in all white.

All the while, kids were excited to see how elephant could manage to stand on a wooden stool, with all four legs put together. No doubt, it’s a wild animal and the strongest of the jungle with loads of weight, so everyone was surprised at that balancing act.

It didn’t last for more than twenty minutes or so and the decent behavioural act of elephant ended, with claps and whistles in the hall.

Now it was clear in everyone’s mind then as they know what’s going to be next.

And as they were waiting, there she came.

A lion, with golden hair, big sharp teeth popping out on edges of mouth, silently walked in, with her master holding the chain tied on her neck.

Reaching the centre, it looked around for a fraction of minute and roared wildly, shaking her head in pleasure. That’s just enough for everyone to wide open the eyes and capture that event. Cameras were not allowed as that might distract the animals but we were safe as captured everything with a handy-cam.

The last act for the day, it was magician.

Yes, this was the one; I was waiting for long time.

Since my childhood days, I am so fascinated for the magicians and their acts.

Not for the reason that they are good in making things disappear but for the way they prepare their acts so meticulously that, it looks like its all really happening. My interest for magicians forced me to watch ‘The Prestige’ movie for numerous times.

Anytime, I would prefer watching a magician show than sitting at home, to watch Cricket match.

He won everyone in the audience, even with the most expected act, the pigeon getting vanished in thin air and turn out to be a big air balloon. It finally ended and everyone put their foot forward towards the exit.

I dnt know why it clicked on my mind but suddenly I was tempted to meet the magician.

Without any delay, I took Akhil and my lovely Ameya with me and reached the back stage.

As expected, we noticed that all the performers were busy washing away the make up from their faces. I dnt know it personally but I guess it would be a different feeling when someone stand in-front of mirror, put make up on face and slowly turn into different person altogether. It’s just like living a different person’s life, till the time make up is on face.

The last thing I would ever want to happen is intruding into someone’s privacy.

So I knocked on the door promptly even it was wide open, asked for excuse and when magician looked back, I said ‘sir, could you please spare few minutes time; I want to express my personal gratitude to you’.

He looked straight into my eyes for almost a minute and replied ‘if you are happy to wait for 10 minutes then please wait there on the corridor’.

I didn’t think twice and said ‘yeah, sure. We will meet rest all others by then, thanks’

We moved slowly towards the corridor and on the way, we met few other artists.

Ameya expressed how much she enjoyed their every act and we took few snaps with them all too. They were all delighted being part of us, in snaps. We thanked them enough for being so nice and allowing us to take snaps. Akhil was all smiles, as he didn’t expect that we would meet them after the show.

‘Yes, what can I do for you all?’

Hearing that, I turned back and I knew it’s the magician.

I shook hands with him and said ‘Sir, it was really a great show. We enjoyed every bit of it. All the while we knew it’s just magic but every end was so surprising as if it was happening in real’.

I could not realise if I was making any sense but I was in so much rush and excited that there was no second thought to judge my words, if I was being polite or not.

I can’t recollect what else came out of my mouth but I knew, words were rushing out from my mouth for few minutes. Then suddenly, it was silence for a while, that definitely because I stopped.

‘Ok, thanks a lot for all your kind words and gesture. Can I have few minutes of your time, if you all are not in any hurry to be at home?’

I gave a please-answer-if-you-do-not-agree look at my wife and said ‘yeah, not any problem sir’. She didn’t said anything, which I took as a yes, from her too.

With a smile, he started saying……

“I want to share a real story with you all, happened some 10 years ago, which I will explain in short so I dnt eat away all of your time. Before I became a magician, I tried enough in all other professions but failed to get satisfaction at the end of each day of work.

Then suddenly, magic struck me and I landed up in this. I had no regrets any day, even today with this profession. I knew very well in my mind and heart that, every act I do on stage is just a twist of things and its not real in any way.

May be, soon I need to start my shows saying as ‘plz do not try these at home, its not safe’.

But what’s most important anytime for me is……

He took out his wallet and pulled out a 100 rupee note from one corner in there. Then he asked me to open up my palm and placed that currency note.

‘You see this, it’s just a hundred rupee note, and there is nothing so special about that. But this is so dear and close to my heart, as this was my first pay, at the end of my first show’.

Ameya looked at me, trying to understand if I would utter a word then. It took me more than a minute to realise that what’s in my hand is most precious to him.

He continued without any delay…..

‘When I finished my first show, I could not take a step to get down from stage and was standing there patiently hearing all the applause from the crowd. To be honest, I was there until the end of last clap from the audience. That was the best moment ever happened in my life. Then I reached to the make up room and was recollecting every piece of smile I saw on audience face, during my show. And suddenly, I noticed a hand falling on my shoulder and said ‘well done, that was nice show, everyone liked it’….that was my organiser, saying that, he gave me a 100 rupee note. This is that same 100.

I could see that Magician had suddenly become emotional about that note, he paused for a while and continued again.

“I was so excited seeing that, it was like achieving a gold medal in magic competition to me. Without wasting anytime, I rushed to meet my friends and family. They were so happy for me, with my first show’s success.

A few days later, I promised to myself that on the night, I finish my 10th show, I would spend this 100 rupee note and give party to my friends.

But when I actually finished my 10th show, I realised that this 100 rupee note does not hold enough value, so I can’t use this to pay for dinner party for three of my friends.

It may be 100 rupees by the number on it and may not be powerful enough but this note is always very special to me, like this is worth a million smiles to me”.

He finished with that and was waiting to take back that note from me.

But I was standing there dumb, gazing into his eyes, as I was completely lost hearing all that. Soon, I was back in my senses and gave that 100 back.

Later, I could not say any word even as simple as a thank you.

Ameya realised my state and said ‘that’s so nice of you, Sir. It’s really a pleasure to meet you and spend al this time, you take good care’…..

All I could manage to say, in the last was ‘all the best’.

When we reached the parking, I could see just my car, standing there all alone, waiting for us. We jumped in and were back in battle, to win the place for our car on the over crowded roads.

For next few days, I troubled myself asking so many questions about why magician shared about that incident. After so many days and sleepless nights, I realised the real piece behind that 100 rupee note.

In my life, what I have now in my hand is worth a million, in future.

If I start to spend most of my time with my family, that would give me most memorable moments which when I look back, in my old age, all of them will look so beautiful.

I can choose to spend this time, working more lengthy hours at office or on office parties or on thinking how I can improve my career. That’s same like, spending the 100 rupee note on the end of first show itself.

No, I will not end my time in such way. I work enough to keep myself close to my family and save all the smiles from those happy occasions. Just like, keep the 100 safe and special.

With that, I started to focus more on Akhil, being there all the time, so he can talk anything with me, discuss all the topics which would widen the thought process.

I re-invented myself again and to be more creative on expressing my love and pamper my sweet wife, Ameya, even on silly occasions.

A few months later, on one Sunday, I was with Akhil watching the show about wild animals, on National Geographic channel. It was a show about all those wild animals in jungle, could have been shot in Africa. Both of us were glued to tv screen watching those lions, cheetahs and elephants. Ameya, sitting on the other corner was busy with her book reading.

‘Dad, isn’t these animals same like what we saw that day, at circus?’

I heard his question but didn’t understand what the intention in that question is.

‘Yeah, they are the same, but what’s your question is all about, please re-phrase it again’

Akhil gave a pause and said “Dad, this elephant shouting loudly and moving so bravely all around the places, in jungle. The elephant in that circus was so huge like this one but it was so calm and didn’t behave like it was wild animal. It even stood on a wooden stool with all her four legs on that, making a balance”.

Then I realised the depth in his question.

But before, I say out my answer, he continued again.

“That day, lion too, behaved so well and didn’t even nod her head, without her masters’ permission. But, as they show it here now, lion is so ferocious and dangerous to everyone out there in jungle. So what’s the difference, Dad?”

‘Akhil, you might have heard from your teachers, may be in some moral science that man is a social animal. The best part of humans is they are so kind with any animal and with that, even the wildest of the wild, can become a pet. That’s how you can see lion, elephant and all these animals being so soft and well behaved in circus. But that’s not the real fact, they can turn dangerous too, anytime. There were incidents happened where tigers, crocodiles attacked their masters and killed them. Its always a state of risk yet people keep trying and these things keep going’.

With that, I looked back at tv screen assuming that, my answer is well enough for him.

But Ameya got up from her place, kept the book aside and sat beside Akhil.

I was sure, she wants to add more soup there, more details so Akhil is really convinced.

To help her on that, I had put the show on mute.

I always like her sweet voice and her expressions; I die on that any day.

So without any delay, I turned myself towards her, waiting to catch her magic eyes.

‘Akhil, when you play cricket, you always want to hit the ball very hard, aiming it to go out of fence and make a sixer, right?

“Yes, I love that shot” Akhil was quick to answer.

“Yeah, I knew. Lets say, what would Sachin be thinking when he is out there on ground, facing each ball that comes at him?

“Uooh, that’s easy Mom, he aim to play it well so he can score best runs for team, no doubt”

“Yes, Akhil…that’s also called as determination. That’s the power which will keep the person going, to achieve the best results anytime. But to do that, one needs to realise the power within and never give up on that. So when you had seen the elephant standing with all four legs on one stool, it so happened because that elephant gave up on her power, gave control on her to that man. That’s same for lion too. Even if its so furious in jungle, it gave up the control on her to that man, so she acts and behaves as like her master says.

And this state is most dangerous to anyone. You can hit a ball so hard that it goes off in air like a rocket, only when you believe in yourself and does not give up so easily.

Its not just cricket, even the chess game too. Anand, the chess wizard won the recent world title again that’s because of his attitude, not to give up anytime, on any game.

It’s just not sports. In anything, when someone gives up control and surrenders to others, that’s the end of self confidence. Even when you realise the super talent within, you would not able to reach the greater heights just because you get addicted to following directions from someone else. That’s very dangerous in life. So, when you believe in yourself, go for it and run behind it, until you reach the end of it”.

I gave a pale look at both of them, as Ameya finished saying her words.

Akhil heard it all and was silent.

For a moment, I dnt realise if Akhil was happy hearing all that from his mom, but it was so clear that she wants him to know the fact that, ‘believe in yourself and be your own master’.