Roti, Kapda, ‘Gaadi’ aur Makaan!

It is every common man’s dream to have the proverbial essentials in life - Roti (bread), Kapda (clothing) aur Makaan (humble abode).  Some driven-souls, with a stroke of luck, actually go on to realise the dream but, for most of them, it largely stays what it sounds like - a dream. While the first two components of this dream are relatively easier to come by, it is the third (makaan) one that takes a toll on our lives and saps us financially, psychologically and then physically. In a way, our entire lives revolve around attaining them. Though times haven’t changed much, the same common man - a little ambitious and enterprising now - has widened the scope of their millennium dream. The dream has one more addition to its equation now – a Gaadi (a Car).

Since all my blogs emanate from personal experiences, I will not go past myself here too to drive the point home. When I started out in this big bad world, I used to dream like any other common man. However, over the last few years, I realised that instead of wasting a lifetime in chasing the ‘dream’, it would be a good idea to achieve the ‘target’ (worldly things) at the earliest and be done with it. And then, while you still have time and will, set out for a new dream which is more meaningful and has depth to it. I have also wisened to the fact that our mind works better and evolves faster when we are not concerned about our next meal.  Now back to the little story from where I trailed off.

Communications Practitioner by profession, I have been working for almost nine years now. By dint of my hard work and the non-existent God’s grace, I have managed to do reasonably well in life. In the course of my professional career so far, I got married; bought a humble flat followed by a nice car and earned myself a not-so-healthy bank balance in the process. Back in 2007, when I began working as an Assistant Consultant in a fledgling PR agency with a meagre salary in hand, I used to have moments of serious doubts about my ability, career choice and growth prospects. A cloud of gloom would often pall over my confident stance of realising my dream. From there to reaching here - where I have all four - has been quite an eventful journey for me.

                                                       

Today, when I look back, I consider this as an achievement because it was not a cake walk for me. I feel contentment and proud beyond words.

When I was 21, I had set myself a target that I would own a house and a car by the time I was 30. There were times when I would be occupied with these thoughts for weeks. And then, gradually, I got busy with the daily grind and forgot about it completely. Never did I consciously take stock of things and checked if I was still on the right course. Fortunately, things started to fall into place for me. Incidentally, I bought a small flat about two years back which turned out to be my biggest investment in life. It was a WOW moment for me. I felt like I had arrived! There was a sudden change in my gait and I would walk with my chest puffed out. For me, it was something I could boast about with friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Even to this day, it ranks amongst one of my proudest moments. I mean little else can beat the feeling of owning a house - dimensions notwithstanding - in a metropolitan city.

One of the two items ticked off from the wish list.

During early stages of my career, I never thought that a car should be in my scheme of things. For the better part of my professional life, I had used a bike to commute from home to the work place; and I was happy with it. Like most youngsters, I used to love the freedom that came with it. The feeling of wind running against my face; easy maneuverability at traffic snarls and fooling around with friends occasionally on bike would give me a different high.

And then, like most people, I grew professionally AND became more practical.

I am a man who likes to be completely in control of his life. So, it used to irk me when Weather Gods would call the shots when I had to go for some urgent client meetings. It would sting me when my clothes got soiled because some goddamn spoilt brat chose not to slow down his car before a string of potholes on a rainy day. The Sun wasn’t kind to me either. It seemed all of them conspired against the common man who loved his bike. The process of keeping an extra pair of clothing daily while straddling my bike to office started to become tiresome. The very thought and possibility of being defied by weather despite best preparations would rankle me all the time.

Moreover, it would burn a hole in my pocket every time I had to book cabs at exorbitant prices for family members wanting to attend social functions. Soon I realised that the solution to all these multi-layered problems and the one missing piece from the puzzle called my dream is the same – a gaadi.

Once it occurred to me that things wouldn’t work out without a four-wheeler, I got down to business in no time. A bit of market research on car models falling under the budget and suggestions from friends helped me zero in on a premium hatchback that was and has been creating ripples in its segment, Hyundai’s Grandi10. It turned out to be my first car and I can’t even express in words how great and satisfying it felt that day!

Both the items struck off from the wish list now.

Also, it dawned on me how everything has fallen in place over the years and my dream of owning a house and a car came to fruition just when I was in the 30^th year of my life. Today, it’s been about eight months now that I have been driving to office in my car; and I must say, life has changed for better. There is more of comfort, style & ease and less of inconvenience and helplessness now.

Human mind is complex in nature. It is dynamic and thus, never stays the same. So is the case with dreams. It keeps on changing. Sitting in the comfort of my home, one day it suddenly dawned on me that creature comforts were fine but life was not all about just attaining roti, kapda, gaadi aur makaan. Working like a machine and living a mundane life till we die paying our bills - life doesn't need to be like that. It can be like a good book instead. With chapters full of topsy-turvy episodes - events, adventures, fun, problems, tussles, adversities, overcoming the same with grit and gumption, learnings, benevolence, opportunities, spiritual acts and everything else that turns it into an absorbing affair. Our narratives should have a logical ending. It should be a tale worth telling. Someone has fittingly said, “Woh jawaani jawaani nahi jiski koi kahaani naa ho!”

With the millennium dream achieved, I believe I am perfectly poised now to turn a new chapter in my life. It feels like new vistas have opened up before me. A new sense of freedom and confidence has quietly slipped into my system.  I think I can do whatever I feel like. I can achieve whatever I choose to set myself out for. I can become whoever I want to be like. I have never felt this confident before in life. A life with great promise and endless possibilities seems to be beckoning me...only waiting for me to take notice and respond favourably. Guess what...I don’t intend to disappoint it!

P.S. – Upgrading from bike to a car has got me my fair share of problems and challenges. Perennial episodes of monster-sized SUVs (driven mostly by Yadavs and Chaudharys) with blaring music overtaking me from the wrong sides and stupid drivers (bikers/rikshawallahs/truck/ buses etc) - with absolutely no traffic sense - brushing their vehicles against mine every now and then with great impunity have become a daily ritual. Witnessing road rage and parking woes intermittently has now become an inseparable part of my life.  And I am living with it with borrowed patience not knowing how long it will last me. J