ONE BEDROOM FLAT... AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER'S LIFE...

Article By an Indian SE who was in US. -

A Bitter Reality As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software Engineer and joined a company based in USA, the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the USA, it was as if a dream had come true.

Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India.

My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.

I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.

Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate.

In-laws told me,to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA, after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA.

My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling Indiaincreased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing. After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to Indiaso that they can see their grand-children.

Every year I decide to go to India. But part work part monetary conditions prevented it. Years went by and visiting Indiawas a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India. The next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one to do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand children.

After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my wife's joy we returned to Indiato settle down. I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the USA.

My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India. My 2 children and I returned to USAafter promising my wife I would be back for good after two years.

Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my son was happy living in USA. I decided that had enough and wound-up every thing and returned to India. I had just enough money to buy a decent 02 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.

Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and gone to the holy abode.

Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying in India, had a house to his name and I too have the same nothing more. I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM .

Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright. Well at least they remember me.

Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be performing my last rights, God Bless them. But the question still remains 'was all this worth it?'

I am still searching for an answer................!!!!

By an Indian SE who was in US.

Happy New Year 2006!

Wishing You all a very Happy New Year 2006!

Woh subah kabhi to aayegi.....aa gayee!

Couldn’t resist posting this ......
Read the personal experience of Dean of IIT Chennai !!!!

Here is a personal experience, as well as a moment of national pride,which I want to share with you. Hope you find it worth the time you putin reading it :

"In the middle of 1965 India-Pakistan war, US govt - then a close friendof Pakistan - threatened India with stopping food-aid (remember"PL-480"?).
For a food deficient India this threat was serious and humiliating. Somuch so that in the middle of war, Prime Minister (Late) Lal BahadurShastri went to Ram Leela Grounds in Delhi and appealed to each Indianto observe one-meal-fast every week to answer the American threat. As aschool boy, I joined those millions who responded to Shastri ji's call.I continued the fast even when the war was over and India became selfsufficient in food.
Hurt deep by the national humiliation suffered at the hands of the USgovt, I had vowed to stop my weekly fast only when India starts givingaid to USA.

It took just 40 years. Last week THE day arrived. When Indian ambassadorin Washington DC handed over a cheque of US$ 50 million to the US govt,two plane loads of food, medical aid and other relief materials werewaiting to fly to the USA.
Time to break the fast? With no bad feelingabout the USA, and good wishes for the Katrina victims, this humbleIndian feels proud of the distance India has covered in 40 years. Let'scelebrate a New India!"

- Vijay Kranti.
Dean - IIT Madras

Old Man

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beardssitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "Idon't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in andhave something to eat."

"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.

"No", she replied. "He's out."

"Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!

"The woman went out and invited the men in"

"We do not go into a House together," they replied.

"Why is that?" she asked.

One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointingto one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He isSuccess, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss withyour husband which one of us you want in your home.

"The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband wasoverjoyed. "How n ice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth.

Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?

"Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of thehouse. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be betterto invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"

"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife.

"Go out and invite Love to be our guest.

"The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love?Please come in and be our guest."Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also gotup and followed him. Surprised, t he lady asked Wealth and Success: "Ionly invited Love, Why are you coming in?

"The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success,the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love,wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

The Apple Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow...he loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by...the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me" the tree asked the boy. "I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees anymore" the boy replied. "I want toys. I need money to buy them." "Sorry, but I do not have money... but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, ! the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited "Come and play with me" the tree said. "I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?" "Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house." So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me!" the tree said. "I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself.Can you give me a boat?" said the man. "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy."So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the man returned after many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you ...! " the tree said. "No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite" the man replied. "No more trunk for you to climb on" "I am too old for that now" the man said. "I really cannot give youanything... the only thing left is my dying roots" the tree said with tears. "I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years" the man replied. "Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, Come, come sit down with me and rest." The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...

This is a story of everyone.The tree is like our parents When we were young, we loved to play with our Mum and Dad... When we grow up, we leave them...only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could just to make us happy. We may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how we treat our parents.We take them for granted we don't appreciate all they do for us, UNTIL it's too late.

Let us make our parents - apple of our eyes.

DON'T WE ALL

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times." "I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm. I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me. "Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don't we all? I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see. Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help." Don't we all ???

Author Unknown

A new kid on the blog!

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Thank You.