Reflection!! in just 55 words

She was there; she saw herself in the mirror and touched her image to see if she feels any different in herself. She was experiencing the miracle in her life. She looked different than how she looked a few months back. She saw wool on the ground and the two needles. She smiled with happiness!

Tera, Mera and Uska

Scene 1: Mera: Tera, I am fed of hearing about you, please stop talking about yourself. I have never heard anything more than the ‘I’ word from you. Why do you always talk about yourself? Do you think that people would like it always? Why don’t you analyse the situation and speak, what everybody would like to hear instead of some random things about yourself?...........****Sighs!!!***

Scene 2: (Mera is reading the webpage of Uska, a common friend of Tera and Mera and praising his new article. Tera trying to read what Mera was reading) Tera: Mera, you were accusing me speaking about myself all the time, but now you are appreciating Uska’s article titled ‘Me’. I am sure you can understand that it is all about him and his nature and lifestyle. It is just him talking as a third person, but the crux is still the same, as you say, the ‘I’ word. ……………..*****desperation*****

Scene 3 Mera in his bedroom, on his own, contemplating on the events and the words used in the row, was amazed by the use of words. He thought ‘words are so powerful and the same words mean different when told in different ways. What do you call that, an oxymoron? No…I guess no term for such a thing, but it very frustrating and has put me in awkward situation now, what do I do’ Has Mera committed any mistake? Is it his fault if the words are used in different ways? Is it tough to overcome confusion by explanation, because both of them use the same words or is Mera thinking a bit too much?

Development/Confidence or a bit of boast?

It was sometime in early October 2004, during the first few classes of my MSc in University of Surrey,UK, I was very apprehensive and cynical to open my mouth, thinking that people in my class who were all from various parts of the world (I should say, I was the only Indian) would laugh at my accent and my English. I was very nervous and framed my sentence many many times, over and over again before they could hear anything from me. There was a discussion about argument, how to argue and what points should be covered in an argument and how professional an argument can be at workplace. I have read, believed and it has always worked for me that the best way to win an argument is to be quiet. I had put forward my argument (so to say) to the entire class and to the old aged professor! After much of deliberation I did say what I wanted to and the entire class did go quiet to hear the unknown voice which was too much different from the familiar voices of the Caucasian race. It was an achievement for me!! And from then on there was no debate or argument without me being involved in it in the class.


Three years on, I can see how much I have changed and how I am now, at work, generally and how different I think. I have developed the flair to identify the trueness of a person, irrespective from where he/she comes from and keeping away all the stereotypes that rules most of our decisions. One incident at work last week made me feel really proud of myself. James and Peter (names changed) also work with me and James is the supervisor of Peter (both British). I know both James and Peter pretty well. During my break, Peter comes to me and goes on about how much he dislikes working with James and how unhappy he is in his team. “Guru, there are a few people here in this place I guess who are really worth their jobs and you are one of those mate. Honestly, I have more respect to you that towards James, he is an a***h**e”. ‘James, don’t loose your heart, it is not him as a person, it is the system mate, I am sure you can understand and probably you would have done the same if you were to be in his position’, I said. ‘Go get some food’ I added. The conversation went on to several things and we were about to finish our breaks. Peter, opening the door (British diplomacy) turns back to me and says ‘Can I work for you, Guru?’ I smiled at him and said, ‘I will see what I can do for you’


It is not the fact that I can get him a job in my team, it is the experience/ conversation that makes me feel proud….. A self pat………can I say ‘Well done! Guru’