Kadmanivasi. My Blog. Geeta Ramani

The process of decluttering is painful .  I undertook a marathon decluttering session which lasted over a couple of days. It is heartbreaking to discard personal possessions, many of which are just keep sakes, mementos and reminders of people and places. They are of immense emotional value. Some papers and files find a place to stay,  for you might just need them on a rainy day. Clothes you hope to get into, jars that you might re-use, documents which remind you of things you once possessed and so on and so forth. Over the months I had saved so many things,  not  really out of necessity. I have also realized that clearing out cupboards and shelves, once in a while, helps you remember the things you have and the places in which they have been safely kept. On one of the shelves I found a small slim book of short stories and as soon as I held it in my hand, it started to give way. It was not very old, I have books from a much earlier period, may be this one was...

Over the last few days a lot has been telecast about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the Common Man's Party. Every time the spectre of AAP is aired, I am reminded of Baba Bharti and his majestic horse Sultan; from a story titled, Haar Ki Jeet , I had read in my Hindi text book in primary school. It is the story of a mendicant, named Baba Bharti who used to lead a pious life in the outskirts of a village. His only worldly possession was a grand horse named Sultan. There were many who coveted this horse. One of them was a dacoit named Khadag Singh. When he heard about the horse, he wished to possess it. He was told that Baba Bharti would never sell it or part with it. So if he wanted to own that fine horse, he had to steal it.  One   morning , as Baba Bharti was riding on his majestic horse, he was stopped by a pitiable man, begging for alms. As Baba Bharti slowed down,   the beggar overpowered him, and revealing his identity, the   dacoit said that all he wanted wa...