The universe will give you back your flowers

Hi little one,

Yes, I know it's been a long long time since I wrote to you. A lot has been going on in my life and I have learnt a few things in the process. I just wanted to share one very important lesson I learnt.

Unless, you have inferred from the previous letters, your old man is a hopeless romantic and I hope you grow up to be one too. I hope you receive and also give the brightest flowers of your heart to the altar of the ones you love. I gave it to someone too, along with some beautiful lines from my most favourite voice - Md Rafi. But sadly, the universe had other plans, and someone got angry and I had to throw the flowers in the dustbin and the lines were smudged by my tears. I felt that this world has no place for people like you or me. 

But, you see life delights and surprises us if our actions have been from a pure heart. After a few months, someone gave me flowers and I got my flowers back from the dustbin and straight into my heart. So you see, if you do anything will pure intentions, I feel the universe will give you back what you lost. You just have to give it some time to figure it out how. 

Many of us do not see the beautiful rangoolis the universe creates with all of us as flowers. We should be more open and observant of how the universe plucks and then plants so many people of varied colour, size and shape into our lives.

Yours forever,

Dad

P.S - Never turn down flowers from someone, disagree with them because you want to. But, please never turn get angry at someone who brings you flowers. 

Knowledge Windows

Hi Princess,

    It's me again. I am doing good. Hope everything is perfect with you as well. For the past few days, I have been wondering what to write to you about. I think today, I will tell you about the importance of Knowledge. Yes I know, seems like a pretty broad topic, but allow me to explain. 

    For the past few months, I have been learning the Sitar and Violin. I recently bought a camera (Fuji XT-4) to pursue photography. I want to experiment with light, sound and also hopefully letters. My guru will give me extra classes in Sitar and I am very happy. For some reason, the violin remains in the shadows of the sitar. But, that's just gross injustice to such a beautiful instrument. I hope one day I devote equal energy to it as well. I have been thinking for the past few days, that what sets me apart is the ability to be a student of something and not just pursue it as a hobby. I have been reading books, watching videos, attending talks and workshops for the sitar. Be a student, and get to know everything about it. EVERY SINGLE THING. That's the true pursuit of knowledge. Let me give you one example in photography, everybody takes photos, but nobody wants to read Henri Cartier Bresson.  I am also a student of cinema, though of late, I have been missing quite a few classes. I want to know everything about cinema, technical details, artistic details, directors, actors, scripts and everything. It is very important to study a subject from top to bottom and not be a charlatan. They say "Knowledge is power", this is what it means. Treat a topic like a fruit and take all the knowledge into your head, heart and soul. 

    I hope you find something which you LOVE TO STUDY and pursue it with a dogged determination. If not, come to me and I will help you find something. 

Yours lovingly,
Dad

P.S - I am adding my own photos from now on. :p

Middle Class Stability and its effects

 Hey darling,

It has been quite sometime since I wrote to you. I have been mostly busy with work and other things. I was wondering about this present stage in my life for the past couple of days. It's quite interesting to reflect on your life from time to time, especially looking at it from a neutral 3rd person point of view. I hope you pick up this habit.

I, like most middle class kids have grown up grinding and studying away for the past couple of years. It has been quite a rough ride, but it has been a  journey of self-discovery. Maybe, I will tell you all about it sometime in the future. Right now, my life has attained stability, with a nice job and a cozy place to stay. I think I have been fighting for this for the past 8 years. I haven't figured everything out still. I still need to take better care of my health and finances. But, I think I will learn as I go along. 

Attaining this stability has had effects of all kinds on me. 

1. Picking up one/or maybe two (:P) musical instruments
2. Playing Tennis which I really enjoy ( I wish I could play more though)
3. Watching all the movies that I love on a gazillion platforms
4. Not thinking about money when going to the restaurant or supermarket (Love this one)

Apart from all of this, I can plan on trying something exorbitant ( Playing golf, going scuba diving, taking a private jet or a cruise). CRAZZYYY MEEE !!!!!!

Doing all of these activities has come from a creative burst of energy, which earlier would be devoted to studying for exams/interviews or doing projects. I think I am mentally in a much better place with lots of things to look forward to in the future. . I think I have found my passion as well (;D), but more on that later.

P.S - I will make you hear my atrocious musical instrument for sure.

Yours lovingly,
Dad

Here's to my father

Hey Princess, 

First up, I am really sorry, it has been a while (2.5 half years since I wrote to you). I got busy in my Masters, assignments and projects and then searching for a job. I think I need a few more posts to tell that story. 

But for now, I am good, I work at Apple ( If by the time you read this, Apple ceases to exists due to the uncertainties of the Tech Industry, it is the largest company on the planet right now). I am staying in a room which overlooks the sea. I feel I have had dreams about this room when I was growing up. I love the sea. <3 

But, in life there's is some dhoop (sunlight) and some chhao (shadow) as a very popular song says. I am sorry baby, you would not get to meet your Grandpa. It was quite sudden but all of us took it quite well. I can tell you wonderful stories about him when you grow up. I wrote something in his memory, I hope you like it. 

Here's to my father

Hope you grow up along the same ideals that he lived by. 

Best,

Dad

Hello From Singapore

Hi Princess,

I have moved to Singapore for my masters. But, after coming here, I wonder every day, whether all this is worth it. Your grandparents have bought me up in a very simple way, where the two most important qualities imbibed in me were being genuine and honest and being simple. I feel confused looking at all the things around and the world is utterly materialistic. I do not want such things, or maybe I do, just in a different sense. Maybe, I do not want anything for myself personally, but somewhere I am also looking for a high paying job. The thing that I have wanted most from my heart, is love. I think being with another person makes everything alright. But, this world works in mysterious ways. I do not know what to do or do. I think someone is the one, but well what can I do. I am so scared. What if it doesn't happen? What if I am in love with the idea of her? What if I am in love with her good parts?  What should I do?  I think I am so confused, I am writing to you. What is the purpose of life? I am facing an existential dread.  I just hope everything clears out. Hope you are doing well.

Yours lovingly,
Dad

Is it all worth it ?

Hi princess,

So, I am back to my parent's house in Kolkata. I would be leaving to Singapore for my masters soon.
It is a Friday night and I just sit here and wonder, is it all worth it ?

All these degrees and loans and jobs. Negotiating for higher salary, switching workplaces, attending B-Schools, we are all so caught up in earning more and MORE and MORE. I think we forget that happiness is right here, along with friends and family. I think, sitting here right now, I just think of all that I have to do over the next one year to get a degree. I feel overwhelmed. And I have to just ask myself, that happiness is in leading a simple life. What more do you want, other than to laugh with friends, the entire day ?

I feel this way, maybe later , I will feel that I have done something with my career and life. Maybe, it  is an investment for the future. But, I think, I just need peace and happiness with someone. I think THAT'S ALL I WANT. :'(

Yours lovingly,
Dad

P.S - I just wish you were here and so was your mom. :)

Friendship is love too. You attract people like you.

Hi princess,

I was just talking to a very dear friend, in fact, two very dear friends. I just realized something very important. Something, I was missing out on for all these days. Friendship is love too. If you have friends like that, it feels no different than being in love.

I missed this aspect of love and feeling in love. I am that kind of a person, who is at his best with another person. My life, my soul and my heart are at their best with another person. I am not a lone-wolf kind of a person All that I want is for a person to be there, no matter how tough it gets. I thought only a romantic lover could fulfil this, but I have never been so wrong. I think friends with whom you can share EVERYTHING serve the same role. You feel very secure and at home with them. Just as a romantic lover is supposed to make you feel. I think we should all have friends like these. People who lift us up when we are down, are very happy when something good happens in our lives and most importantly, CORRECT US WHEN WE ARE WRONG.

Also, secondly, the universe provides you with the people you want. You attract the people you really want in your life if you are true to yourself.  Eventually, the universe provides you with the best people. The people who really matter in your life. Your little packages of happiness.

Yours lovingly,
Dad

P.S - I hope you get to meet the people I am talking about here. And always, remember, be true to yourself. The universe rewards genuine people. 

To the quiet people in this world

Hi princess,

This has been on my mind for quite some time now. Kolkata's youth circuit has been rocked by another sexual harassment scandal. It is very true, that there is a pattern here. A pattern of powerful men drunk on their power, to do whatever they feel like. Be it Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood or this particular case. It is shameful, that these men are allowed to continue unabated with their horrible acts. I would like you to call out such people always. ALWAYS. If you can't, you know I am there always beside you. But, today I wanted to talk to you about the quieter ones in this world.

I am sure you have noticed, the quiet guy or girl. Maybe, no one really cares about what this person does, or probably even know his or her name.  These are not the suave debaters or people who play amazing guitar solos or set the stage on fire with their dance moves. These are not the ones who get thunderous applause after their acting performances. I hope you get an idea of which people I am talking about. I have seen, that these are the best people. Unfailingly. These people are little pools of kindness in your life. Cherish them and enjoy their company, even if others don't. Even if others run behind all the glamour in the world. True happiness is with them.

The saddest part of our generation is that these people are sidelined. The people with the good hearts. AND NOTHING MORE. Because that's all that you need.

Yours lovingly,
Dad

P.S - If you are one yourself, always know that these people are the BEST. Quietly making the world a better place.

P.P.S - But, I don't think you would be. :p

Real Superheroes

Hi princess,

This week, it has been all the rage about Avenger's Infinity War. I hope it is a good movie, but I am not too excited about it. Because I think we have superheroes all around us and we do not need shields or rings to be one.

There is a dialogue in the film Bruce Almighty, which captures the spirit of what I am about to say here. The greatest superheroes are not on the screen, but in reality, right alongside us. I am sure, sometimes, you have done something quite heroic even without realizing it. Recently, I got up one day, went to the office and shifted homes despite suffering from a huge heartbreak. I do not need to proclaim that I did something heroic, but I know I did. It is in these quiet moments, that we become heroes.

Forgiving a person, letting go, being kind, being there for people are are superhero qualities, because in essence what superheroes do is save the planet and their people. Ask yourself, aren't you doing the same as well ? 

We all have immense power to make someone happy or sad. We all have little invisible capes around us. We just have to let them furl high in the wind. We all have our own bat signs, we need to let people call them when they need us the most.

Yours lovingly,
Dad

P.S - I am just a signal away. Just like they show in the movies. 

I am so, so sorry.

Hi princess,

I know, I know, it has been months since I have written to you and any punishment you deem fit is acceptable to me. A LOT has happened in the past two months and I want to tell you all about it. Everything just happened in a blitz, I didn't even write to you.( And I am VERY VERY sorry for that).

I was working at ISI as a Research Assitant. Life was going okay. I had applied to masters programmes at a few places, yet to get an admit. It took me so much time to get over someone and fall in love again, and then even that didn't happen. But, I was okay after that. Life was fine. But, then you meet a new person and fall in love all over again. Everything just seems so wonderful. It was, for a while. But, then you never know people. They promise you everything, but within days it just vanishes into thin air. After ISI, I got a job in a startup in Gurgaon. I moved to Gurgaon and within a week everything just fell apart. I cried a lot that night. It is good to cry sometimes. Well, what else can you do? Cry, put up a brave face and move on. I am enjoying my new job. Adjusting to living in Gurgaon. It is too hot here. I am growing as an individual, I feel. Trying to live alone.

Well, that was the gist of what happened in my life in the past two months.I will tell you all about it in the following letters. Again, I am so sorry for not writing to you. Won't let anything or anybody get in the way of me writing to you.

Yours lovingly,
Dad

P.S - I missed writing to you. But, it's going to be fine from now on. Promise.