Episode 7 : Silent Speaker

              ''Change'' is a slow phenomenon  and life is too small to realize it."

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Her presence will grasp you and she promises to induce many changes in you. She speaks occasionally. But when she starts, no body speaks, not because people are scared of anything but just because people find her talks, amusing.

Routine practical classes, everybody was busy in their group talks. Six to seven groups in a class. Professor had already given instructions and had left out. Loud jokes were being cracked . Some groups were at  serious talks, academic types and rest were busy,  in performing silly things like wandering in and out, of the class.

Majority in this class believed, if their attendance was taken, so there was no point in performing the experiment. So it was normal if you find, more students at tea stalls than in the class.

As a keen observer, I was busy in looking at students, in the class.

Extreme corner desk, a girl looked pretty calm, carrying a test tube and a piece of paper, with some calculation stuff, written on it and busy in organizing all equipments which she might need to perform her task. But she was alone in the sense, no body in her group,  had an intention to work out on the experiment.

I asked , " Why are you so bothered about the experiment as no body cares and even look at the stuff you do? ''

She smiled and just smiled and continued working, with no answer in return.

It was shocking to me because I actually realized what she wanted to say without actually speaking it.
Her ''Work'' seemed more important than answering and debating me.

Day was over but the actual awakening had just begun.


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Next morning, first lecture, room number thirty seven. Cell biology Professor asked few questions. I approached to answer, the very first. Very proud feeling as if I had conquered the ''Nobel''. No body knew, the answer came from my old notes, kept underneath the table which only few people, could see, from the back.
But anyway, I was successful, in impressing the professor and in pretending, I was the genius.

Time had started cooking the story. It had been only three days, professors started calling me, by my name.
I was approached upon, by many of my classmates, for my friendship. My inner man said , '' I am the genius just because I had topped my bachelor college.''

But being in masters, was different. Well, who cared as  my vanity used to shake me off, all day and night.

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Seventh day of this drama and dance of extreme fake pride, I was heading to arts faculty lawn, in the neighbor zone, to have my lunch, with many of my new friends including the girl who was silent and composed most of the  time.

Everybody sat on grass. Finished the lunch and decided to play a game called 'Truth and Dare' where a bottle was rotated and a question was asked from the person where pointed,  the stopped bottle's neck mark.

But when I was  caught in the game, by chance, instead of being asked, everybody said me, to pose a question which I would like to ask, from everybody sitting on grass.

I asked everybody to tell me five positives and five negatives about me. Everybody amused me with their answers. The butter melted more smoothly than I had imagined it would, with no salt.

Last turn, the silent girl said, '' I don't speak lies so I would not amuse you but will prefer being direct at talk."

'' You are a person who show off, a lot'', added the lady. I don't know why I did not cross question her,  may  be my heart accepted she was not wrong.

Assembly ended with a partial clarification of what she had just said. The talk had a severe impact rendering me, unable to stop thinking about it, the whole night.

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I wanted to clarify and get more noticed by this  girl as she was least interested in my company. It pinched my brain off. So, I joined her group.

A girl with extreme intelligency, at calculating work as if approaching accuracy was in her top priority lists, no matter if experiment finishes very late in the evening. Patience and determination WITHOUT any attitude.
I could not believe how deep thinker was she.

Experiment failed even after pouring the whole stamina into it , that day but still  she would not write anything fake in record file even if she worked hard and experiment failed. Her silence was more powerful than anything,  which might not need any vocal words to complement.

I started calling her, '' The Silent Speaker''.

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I remember, that examination morning, everybody carried thick, well presented, highly organised record files enlisting all experiments, performed, during the whole semester. I was very stressed out as my index page was missing. I went to see her for  helping  me in   noting down,  index dates.

Again I was shocked to see, what her register file contained. Only six or seven pages encompassing only five index entries. On being questioned she answered, ''Since she has not done experiments actually so she has not pen down those in file''. Simultaneously she laughed at her file too but I was amazed on what she  had just said as I could not see a single  mark of stress on her forehead.

I thought she would loose marks but examiners were impressed with her viva. May be her hard work had paved the way to examiners brains.

She again, conveyed what she wanted, but through her own style. And everybody had to believe that she was right.

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By now I had changed drastically. I felt more calm, less annoyed as  I realized what a true essence of being ''an educated person'' was.

I started focusing on being more realistic towards life and less towards being fake. Though I went far away from the competition stuff in the class but started conceiving real education that had nothing to do with marks but with true wisdom of knowledge.



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 Now I prefer being called as back bencher or an average scorer. But I feel the change that has seeded into me, is marvelous.

I feel graced for the fact ''The Life'' presented me such an incredible silent speaker into my life, as a friend.



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 She used to say, "  Have patience to induce positive changes in somebody's character, by producing the best of your polite efforts,  though, this may take time but believe me it happens''.

Special Episode 6: American Connection

They call it as ''A Journey of Faith and Healing' but I consider it, as 'a continuous state of war between 'Fear and Hope'. Kathleen Steele, an american woman whose marvelous determination and optimism towards life, makes her, an amazing woman. A lady from Santa Rosa, California who had to quit the post of an executive director of a nonprofit agency in San Mateo County and had to  sell the house to get her children's treated for the 'Lyme Disease', had no option left other than believing in herself and the 'God Almighty'. 




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Darkness. A small room where rests only fear, but still  a feeling of deep hope prevails in one corner of the same room. A pure soul in a body that feels pain, everywhere in and on the body. Skin allergic to light, ears fail to identify own mother's voice. Every joint pains and combing hairs irritates. Dannie, this is what, she prefer being called as, has 'Lyme Disease'. 




Away from the home country San Carlos, California, she resides and spends whole of a day and night, in a building which she has not got a chance to see it, atleast from the outside. Doctors and staff at 'NuTech Media World' a stem cell clinic at Green Park Extension, Delhi, hope to deliver and rejuvenate the eternal smile which  this girl's face is missing.


A creeping loneliness, desperately trying to grasp her upto a point where she finds herself loosing  every single hope. But hope has to win over in any case as her mother, won't let it happen.


Meet this amazing mother Kathleen Steele who had to quit her prestigious post as an executive director of a nonprofit agency in San Mateo County, and had to sell her house to get the treatment of her children done, suffering from Lyme Disease. 




May 2005, changed everything that related  her children's life. A pipe burst and seepage in the house that spread-ed the mold infection and a tick bite victimized Ari and Dannie making them  inhabit lyme disease.


 Ari and Dannie lost their social lives. Their long  indoor staying schedules caused their social friends to disappear. For many  years they received treatment for other falsely identified diseases as many of the symptoms mimicked the other diseases.


The journey took them from California to India.


Hats off to the mother who used to spend, almost whole of her day schedule,  in organizing and arranging for the medicines, crossing thousands of dollars a month. 


Ari is a very decent, well behaved american who is just twenty four. He is still very passionate about cars.  As a normal human being, he too wants to raise children and live a happy life. 


Even after the fact he is identified with the Lyme disease, he holds a firm faith that one day his life would become better and will be back on the track. A multitalented young boy who could be seen actively participating in extracurricular stuffs during his childhood school tenures, is very isolated now and away from his social friends.


When I met this family I realized, what a 'heart to heart' connection means . On  a coffee, Ari told me  his mother too have 'Lyme Disease' but she is more concerned about her children's cures, no matter what its consequences can be, if she does not recieve the treatment.


The chief lady doctor,  at the clinic,  is very straight forward,  in telling about medical consequences of any treatment or procedure, Dannie is going through, so she prefer being direct at talk.


But a mother is a mother. So if tears started wetting Kathleen eyes, it was natural.
I remember when Ari held his mother's hand and pretended to be very strong hearted  than her,  when doctor said, ''the higher dose of a  recently administered dose to Dannie, may keep her at somewhat higher risk of heart problems.''


On this note there was a pin drop silence and it appeared, things were going out of control but again, I must say the God is great, in the sense he chose me,this time to produce my presence before this family.


Suddenly it clicked my mind. I had recently visited 'The Sai Baba' temple, the same morning before I met this family, on the same day. I took out, two  spiritual roses from my bag and offered it to mother Kathleen telling her that these roses  symbolized my faith in  God. Thank God as this could breakup the negative silence and could rejuvenate the hope once again as I could see it, in her eyes. She rushed with roses to keep those, at Dannie's bed corner side.
She didn't want to delay a second.


Ari's body is doing well but on Dannie's counterpart this stem cell therapy seems complicated.
Even after the numerous side effects, doctors at clinic are enthusiastically optimistic as they say she will definitely  improve. 


It cannot be, only a mere fact of coincidence if I say God has chosen India, to be included as a very important chapter in their lives. Again it seems as if the God has signaled  that he is looking after this family, by coinciding Kathleen's birthday with his 'Easter  Sunday' a day that symbolized the return or resurrection of God Jesus.


  
Spirituality is the best gift which our country can offer to this family so I am trying my best to connect and in case it is perfectly blended with prayers, then I feel each warrior of this family shall win over  fear of anything to everything.


Ari's second phase of treatment has started and Dannie's treatment has just begun. Dannie is showing little signs of improvements but at a very slow rate.


I have a firm faith , we all including me,  Ari, Dannie and Kathleen will be able to meet over a coffee soon,  in next incoming months and this struggling phase in their life will be over soon .


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"God plans everything, decide events, allow people to meet at random  and believe me he sets all these coincidences to prove that he exists and hence,' hope and faith' has to win over any kind of  fear,  no matter , if it takes longer to heal but it has to heal."

Episode 5: Attention Seeking Syndrome

"A patient meets another patient, former being a victim of "Attention Seeking Syndrome" and other well perfected in spreading a rumor. If you just pass nearby him he will definitely catch you. He has evolved a lot and attacked on many just through the words. If you think you can escape I can  bet you on that. And in case your brains start ringing up even then you have to have your smiley faked. He will tell you everything though you can add your sentences, but only at few times in case if he breathes. His brain pets a worm I call it an attention seeking syndrome."

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 Hey! How dare you to sneeze? Don't you know the person at next window at neighborhood  is counting it. Don't give him a chance to capture you.

Oops! You are captured just in the morning. Morning at seven with an intention to victimize, he starts following you from the  back with his full stored potential accumulated over night. Oh man ! fasten your footsteps otherwise you will miss your breakfast. Don't even try to pretend you have seen him coming.Who  asked you to visit the dairy shop knowing he will be enjoying  reading  newspaper that's too the borrowed one at  corner down steps encompassing the dairy shop.


"Give me a liter of milk, a packet of baked breads and a quarter of cheese", said the man to the shopkeeper. This small sentence was more than enough for that bulky man sitting at the corner down steps to attack on me. His protocol to satisfy his thirst had just started.

Using his pet sentences he began, " How less you buy for your breakfast stuff?" I murmured and pretended as if I was in still bed, smashed my eyes and yawned.

Thank God this time I was saved from his boring vocal chord attacks.

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While going on my way to routine lab, I forgot to carry my wallet. Returning half way back towards my home accidently we faced each other once again, this time I was not prepared.


"He is very brilliant, talented and hardworking, going to become a future scientist" he said these words to a lady loudly to amuse me. I knew his technique, well, it was not new at all. He continued talking and I continued standing till  he withdrew all of my glucose. Drastically horrible.

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Somebody in the street had bought a new car and this man had a problem with the color.A new issue , that was on peak  of discussions. He has stories from his house. You can not deny him to telling and repeating. You have to suffer if he starts.


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Thank God, a complementary version who could beat this guy verbally too existed in the same locality. God is smart in sense he always makes pieces in complement. He had already perfected in spreading rumors with such a great and speedy delivery no one can bet to defeat him.

Something interesting clicked my brain I used my strategy to synthesize a story against him before this rumor man.

Hey it worked amazingly when this other guy who was fond of rumoring things  met the former piece.

 I was there too, enjoying the scenes that cured their diseases. Rumor man started telling his rumors to other guy without knowing that the rumors he delivered belonged to the same person he was talking too.

They debated,shouted got annoyed from each other. Scene lasted for an hour or so. Everybody enjoyed it across the street.

I knew what I had done but I had no guilt as if the whole locality was desperately waiting for this to happen. Meanwhile I rushed to my house avoiding as if I had no role. 

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                        "Its good to be naughty at some points in case it cures somebody" :_)