My Trysts With Life

 Mumbai, 27th December 2020: I was out for my morning routine (this one started in December, so looks like it will not go the New Year resolution way and will continue). While I trudged alone, lost in my thoughts, I saw an elderly gentleman slowly walking as well. The common area where I go in the morning is usually covered with a few people from society, who exchange morning pleasantries and go about their respective routines. The elderly gentleman was a regular, usually walking for about half an hour and then talking to anyone he could catch hold of, explaining the benefits of walking, food, or whatnot.  A lot of the walkers/joggers usually avoided him (I’ll be honest, including me), concerned about the time and their routines. One of the guys used to speed up when he saw the gentleman approaching, while others used to pretend to be lost in their Bluetooth audios, or busy checking their smartwatches. Left alone, the elderly gentlemen used to sit and gaze at the others. Today, a n

This is the concluding part of the Rishyashringa trilogy. Kindly scroll down for the first two parts.  The next morning, Rishyashringa completed his duties- cleaned his father’s place of worship, watered the plants, and fed the cattle. He prepared his father’s favorite dishes and made the special “kheer”, which his father loved. Chores completed, Rishyashringa then left for Anga- his mind clear about what to do. He was enamored with “Shanta”, the female “deity” who had come into his life and Rishyashringa was ready to fight the world to be with her. He reached Anga in the evening to a grand welcome. King Romapada welcomed him with both arms, declaring him as the “savior” of the kingdom. He was showered with gold ornaments, exotic jewelry, and best of clothing from across the world, but his eyes were searching for that one prize- his Shanta. After looking around for some time, his eyes fell on her- the same juxtaposition of beauty and serenity as before, but this time, looking at him wi