"We all live on the same planet, and yet live in our own separate worlds" - SB
Our thoughts and perceptions are shaped with experience, and each one of us has seen life differently. Even two siblings raised by the same set of parents experience different lives while living under the same roof.
Sitting around a cafeteria table, three colleagues on the verge of starting their career as freshers in the new firm they collectively got hired at. Bonding over nonsensical debates and terrible snacks, not knowing of the blooming friendship that would last surprisingly longer than either of them imagined.
There is a re-run going on the TV set, of a Hindi news channel known for poor content and paid content, showing the recent cases of legally sanctioned revaluation of archaeological sites for determination of their former status as a temple.
"Arey yaar ye log phir shuru ho gye" Mehr sighed loudly watching the reruns of news anchors barking frantically on TV screens to exaggerate an issue she deemed unworthy of her attention. There is climate change, poverty, hunger and associated health impact in the world and yet an issue of personal choice is getting all the limelight,
"Why are you so unenthusiastic about this? These historic sites are part of our culture. What if they really were ransacked and converted to mosques by rulers? Would you not wanna know any of it" Keshav raised an eyebrow. His interest was definitely peaking watching the anchors drum roll every announcement from the excerpts of the Supreme Court hearing. The barrage on TV was loud enough to drown all other sounds around them.
Mehr had by now understood her co-worker enough to know that she did not want to take up this particular discussion with them, she just rolled her eyes.
"No tell me, I am very accommodating of the other person's POV, I do keep room for discussion." Keshav was adamant,and also at leisure since they were on their evening tea break.
"well, there are a lot more important things to be taken care of, and creating rifts within religious groups to fuel a political agenda is not on my priority list." Mehr shirked, while twisting her maggi onto her fork.
"Ek to isse baat kuchh karo, jawaab kuchh aur hi aata hai" . . .. . Keshav face palmed himself. "Tujhe pata nahi hota na kuchh, bas bol dena hai. Tujhe pata hai Yogi aur Modi desh k liye kya kar rahey hain? Hindu dharm wapas la re hain" Keshav was now fuelled with confidence, and nothing could stop him. Mehr admired this trait of his, he spoke his mind and made sure he gives the other party an earful, irrespective of reception.
"Main in sab chizon mei zyaada padta nahi hun, par tu na kabhi detail mein padhio phir behas kario. Ye jo Ram Mandir wala scene hua hai na, I am in support of it, janti hai kyun?" Keshav eased his stance and composed his words delicately as he looked at Mehr who slurped on her noodles and gave him a judgmental look.
"Tu karle judge, par pehle na thoda research karke aaio. Maine na bhot videos dekhe hain ispe. Jaise Mecca aur Madinah hain na!. . . . . . Ram Mandir bhi waisi hi importance rakhta tha hindus ke liye ek time mein."
Mehr could not help her brain from racing back to the time when she had delved into religion studies and learnt about the Sanatana Dharma and came face to face with the reality of spiritualism being at the core of every religion. She had also delved into and the origin of the word- Hindu.
"Okay". . . . . . "Please tell me more" . . . Mehr Looked Keshav in the eyes with a deep intent. An art she learnt during her sophomore days as a theatre student. She did not feel like correcting the enthusiastic gentleman in front of her and simply chose to feign interest in his soliloquay.
"Tujhe pata hai I've visited many countries, and guess what? The azaan does not have to be on a loud speaker. It is something we see in India only. You know why? . . .. . . . . . .It's cuz they are taught to propogate the agenda and spread their religion like a virus." There was a hint of distaste in Keshav's words. Mehr sensed there might be some experiential or culturally conditioned aspect to this abhorrence which Keshav was not delving into. Alas, the hatred was palpable.
Mehr simply nodded to everything Keshav said, for she herself had zoned out to the time she had suffered. Coming from a culture of religious diversity and brotherhood, Mehr had never seen any difference in people based on religion, caste or creed. When the time came to opt for institutions of higher education, she was elated to have been selected in one of the top ranking universities in the country. Completing her masters in a Muslim University, Mehr had made friends with a diverse groups and learnt about different aspects of tradition and culture with classmates coming from remote villages of Kashmir, and also from Arab nations. Her experience in life so far was of liberal, educated individuals coming from culturally diverse secular backgrounds.
It was here in this university that she came across her first radical minded individual who unfortunately came from a very narrowminded background. They were the ones who advised her to maintain a close knit group with people of community and keep the so called others at a distance. This was an alien concept to her and as stubborn as she was, she went with her beliefs and chose not to be friends with the person in question. That obviously was not taken by them in good sport and what followed was a series of unfortunate events cascading into a nightmare. It was this unfortunate encounter with a self proclaimed pious and devoted Hindu that had left her scarred. And it was during this phase of her life that her Muslim friends had stood by her in brotherhood and made her feel safe and home in a foreign city away from home. She had been welcomed with open arms to a family and she had faced harassment at the hands of those who had made high claims of Hindu ideology to her.
"Tum kahaan kho gyi iski baatein sunke" Niharika snapped her fingers as she stealthily sneaked a spoonful of noodles from Mehr's plate and giggled with glee. With child like innocent dancing in her eyes, Niharika shifted the mood and conversation to what she loved best, food and it's aftermath.
The trio laughed, but Mehr could not help her thoughts from straying towards the conversation she had had with Keshav. Her thoughts kept bringing back stories of her experience of the time a stranger stood by her for 4 hours in pouring rain just to keep her company while she waited for wildlife SOS to respond to her call of distress for rescuing an injured eagle. He too was a Muslim, and had been helpful just out of chivalry.
From childhood to adult phase of her life, Mehr had encountered kind and well mannered humans raised by liberal Muslim families and unfortunately faced harrowing experiences at the mercy of uncultured humans raised in the self proclaimed, proper Hindu stance of ritualistic monotony. These were ritualistic individuals with barely any understanding of Dharma or Hinduism who blotched the very sanctity of the religion they so proudly preached to be propagators of. She was aware of her alumni institution being ransacked by hooligans shamelessly using the slogan of "Jai Shree Ram" raiding the campus during a fest and molesting young girls.
Mehr's life experiences had shaped her purview of life around her and she could not change it. Neither could she change that of Keshav's, for he too had his own side of the story for sure. With this understanding in mind, she stood up and went back to work, knowing she could only be accepting of how people are and not really do much to change what they perceived.
Needless to say, we are all crazy in someone else's opinion, and all sane in our own heads.
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