Bird’s Eye View

[I hate getting established in behavior, in personality, in thoughts and generally in life. It kills you. One day in 2002 I unexpectedly realized that I have already become an established person. To overcome the guilt and anger I felt about self, I wrote this article. This article got published and after reading it, one fellow, with a devotee’s expression, asked me, “Prabhune, have you had such experience in your actual real life?” I remembered one incident about how tears accumulated in one of our greatest Marathi Drama writer Mr. Mukund Taksale’s  eyes when he saw women crying in one of his play ‘Melo Melo Melo Drama’. I hope that at least you will not ask that question]

Suddenly I woke up. It was only 4.00 a.m. This was absurd. Usually my sleep is so deep that nothing can wake me up.

I was flying in the air. That much I remembered. Then I realized that I had a dream. A full lengthy and absurd sequence of events, which I do not remember now, was happening and I was observing these from the air. Now I was fully awake. Everything was very calm and quiet. My wife was sleeping. I woke her up and tried to tell her about my dream. It was of no use. She urged me to sleep again. Somewhere a dog was barking. What should I do? I again thought of flying in the air.

I slipped from the window and jumped. And hoooo !!! I really shot up in the air, maneuvering my every move so that I can go to any direction I wished. I know, you may be, by now, laughing at me. But I am serious. I flew over the whole city till sunrise. The experience was ecstatic and very thrilling. I would like to share that beautiful experience with you. But that is not the point at the moment. The important thing is that suddenly I came to know that I could fly at any moment as per my will.

At first I was afraid. The uniqueness of my experience prevented me to share it with anybody. I also thought that this must be the first step towards madness. I decided to keep my newfound ability as a secret.

Too many flying hours have been booked on my flight record so far. To my profound astonishment I found that the scenario around me looks totally different from top. I myself also am a different person on ground behaving absurdly. View from top had different visions. At the same time ground realities were trying to fix my legs on earth.

One day, in a meeting I was attending, this urge of flying came in to my mind. My colleague was telling me about non-completion of an activity since it doesn’t fall in line with his work. I was arguing with him that it was not my baby either. And suddenly ……whoooph !!! I flew in the air. The whole heated discussion between us seemed trivial. I saw from the top all those parentless babies, the responsibility of whom can’t be taken or won’t be taken by anyone, waiting for my care.

This sensation was wonderful. Here I was not punishing anyone – neither my colleague, nor my client, nor even myself. Rather, by attending such babies, the ultimate customer’s delight was my own delight. I was my own customer! The stupidity of the situation in the meeting hit me. It was not only stupid but also funny.

The other day, the Project Leader wanted to know the status of his project. I was, as always, in a hurry, this time to complete the targeted goals written in my appraisal within two-three days. I told him the fact earnestly that I am conceiving great value addition ideas and that I shall give him the required data within a couple of days. Exactly at that instant I was airborne. What was I doing? And what I was supposed to do? My internal customer was requesting me about something, which I must give. Perhaps I may be successful in decorating my appraisal form as well as impressing my bosses about my importance. Does that mean that I am doing my job? Immediately I apologized to him and gave him the required information. He must be wondering about the sudden change in me.

I was unaware about one thing initially. It came as a shock one day. Flying in air was only one aspect of my ability. But one day, while talking with my friend, I dived in to his mind and read the text written on the white and very big board of his mind –

“You are nuts, Milind. You consider yourself too smart. But actually you are a dumb and foolish fellow.”

“You are absolutely right.” – I replied.

My friend, visibly shaken, asked me about what I meant and I told him that what I meant was what he was thinking. It was fun seeing his contorted face.

At this stage I made a mistake to narrate my experience to one of my closest friends. He told me,

“This has some link with highest level of meditation. This is an extraordinary feat of separating your mind from your body. Very few people can achieve this state.” This was new to me. I never believed in such things. What troubled me further was admiration in his eyes about myself. He asked me,

“How do you do this?”

“Very simple”, I said, “just jump from the terrace of your house.”

The next moment I regretted of what I said, and corrected my statement.

“It means that just think that you are flying.”

I didn’t want any burden of guilt on my shoulders for the rest of my life.

This flying and reading one’s mind’s board has made me awkward many times. It is better not to describe it here. But it has also given me an insight of what I do and what is required to be done by me. Whether I fulfill the requirement or not is another matter. 

Scooter and Computer

My uncle got his Bajaj Vespa scooter in 1968. He immediately booked another scooter in the name of my father against the freed deposit for his scooter. Since 1975 onwards we began to follow-up for our number. It came in 1978. You may not realize the craze for Bajaj Scooter. Some one will say that it is foolishness to wait so long. Yes, it really is. In those days that Scooter didn’t have a real competition and hence business and behavior of that Company’s staff was very typical and which can be found in such monopolistic businesses.

My father took loan from a bank for Rs. 5000/- for the scooter.  We made plans for savings of Rs. 165/- per month to pay as monthly installment.

The scooter was a treasure for us who were habitual with the cycles. Everyday we used to clean it with water and soap solution. My father said that now at this stage he can’t learn the scooter, hence my brother or I used to take him wherever he wanted to go.

From my childhood days, I remember that I have a very restless curiosity when something is happening in some enclosures, like table watches, toy motors working either on spring or batteries, kitchen mixer, etc. All of these I have opened and sometimes successfully closed with the same results as expected from them.

This Scooter was calling me. At the same time I was also aware that I cannot touch it when my father is around. So I decided to open it on one Saturday morning when I had holiday and I came to know that he will be in Mumbai for a two day conference and will return back by Sunday evening. What a golden opportunity! I was waiting for it for the last 6 months. I also made lots of secret preparations, like various sizes of spanners, screw drivers, hammers, oil, and kerosene, two trays for keeping the dismantled parts and one dress for this occasion. I had also contacted one garage, in case of emergency, whose owner was father of my friends’ friend.

I was studying in a college in those days in a branch of engineering which they call as “mechanical”. This was the field which I liked most. There was one subject “Thermal Engineering” where I came across some words like Otto cycle, CI engine, Compression ratio, etc. I remember that there were questions like write a note on 2-stroke engine. I used to draw figures of the engine in sharp pencil and some arrows indicating vapor or exhaust flow with broad tipped sketch pens. Advantage was that the figure looked very decent but it also hid my knowledge level. This is only because whenever I used to see these diagrams in the books, I used to be in a very high level of meditation. Descriptions in my exam papers contained information like piston moves upwards, exhausts are driven out, second valve opens and fresh charge comes in, etc. Seeing my good marks, I always felt that I am good in everything.

The day arrived. I woke up relatively early. Two hours had already passed since my father had left for Mumbai through early morning train. I started my work near the side of our house wall. Somebody may misunderstand me when I say that I opened the scooter. The opening up was not like zipping down the pant chain. Normally such bonnet removals are done for minor operations like sparkplug cleaning or for clutch / gear cable changing.

Everything was on those two trays and a big wooden crate required unexpectedly and was available as leftover mango packing box. I took my lunch at 5.00 pm in the evening when I was fully satisfied by seeing and handling (i.e. understanding through fingers) each and every part. I was exhausted and still there was full one day tomorrow to assemble the scooter. Hence I stopped the work.

The next day I started for the assembly. There were various thousands of parts, but I didn’t face any much problem while assembling the major bulk components. But during assembly of small parts, like gear alignment through the cable movement, small nozzles and float in the carburetor, etc. At that time I didn’t know that it is called float. Nor I knew the function of any of those miscellaneous parts. The only thing I knew that being a mechanical engineer (which I became 3 years later), I had that tremendous confidence. It was 4.00 pm. Now that confidence also began to evaporate. Thinking that my father will come by 8.00 pm, I was desperate to finish off the task.  Unexpectedly my father came at 6.00 pm.

How should I face my father? He had always encouraged me to think innovatively. But that too has got some limit. Today I had crossed that limit.

He asked me as soon as he entered the gate, “What are you doing?”

“Repairing the scooter” – I tried to keep my face as normal as possible.

“Then why didn’t you call the garage?” – And then he came nearer and suddenly realized that this was a step above than the normal repair………. At that time I never understood what he must have felt. The worry of loan or the grief that he let his son grow in the wrong direction! I will never come to know.

I completed the assembly by midnight. He was also there with me. Then I kicked the scooter kick to start it. It got started in the first kick!!!

Hidden from my father were some parts, one gasket and some screws which I didn’t know where to fit. Those were also not required for next 15 years of the scooter life till we sold it. I should have handed over these to Bajaj for their value additions.

A few days passed. My father’s colleague’s scooter failed to start. He told him, “My son repairs scooters very well. I shall send him to you.”

Now I didn’t have the fear of opening the scooter. I don’t remember what I did to that scooter. Some spark plug cleaning, some air blowing through the super fine nozzle of the carburetor, some tightening of screws, some wiring loose connection checking, and it got started. Gradually there were calls from everywhere, thanks to my father and some of my friends who came to know about this adventure. Till today, I really do not know much about the scooter except the positions of its parts. To tell this truth also, it took me 30 long years. But every time I “repaired” the scooter, it got started.

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The work at factory was increasing and some times I needed to stay late in the Company. I thought one day, if I buy a Computer, I can work by staying at home.

I took loan of Rs. 60,000/- from the employees’ Society and purchased a latest Desktop with a Table-Chair and Glass Cupboard set. This was around 12 years back.

It had everything available in those days which a box can maximum accommodates. Now the work got easy. On holidays we used to see a movie too on this computer since the monitor screen was also big.

One day when I returned home from office, I saw that my son had opened the box of the computer with various circuit boards and wires on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“I have opened the Computer” – my son, with so innocent face.

“I am seeing that. But why did you do this?”

“To see what is in this box”.

“Do you know anything about this?”

“Baba, I am studying in 1^st year and in few years I shall become Electronics Engineer. See, this is called as mother board. This is RAM strip of 512 MB. This is SMPS. This one is 1 GB Graphic Card. Don’t worry and don’t get angry with me. I shall assemble it perfectly.”

I was not in the listening mode. My loan of Rs. 60,000 flashed in my mind. I always tell all the people to think with their own heads. Same applies to my son and daughter. Then why he couldn’t think of this loan?

“Do not argue with me. If you are so confident, then assemble it and show me the working computer.”

After a few hours and some efforts, he showed me that the Computer was working perfectly.

“What is their in your hand?”

“One cable. I don’t know where it fits.

“See? That is why you shouldn’t have opened it.”

“But it is working.”

“Don’t tell me”

I just said this and then that incident happened 30 years back suddenly flashed in my mind. My son didn’t know why his father, who was angry just 30 seconds back, is hugging him and appreciating his work by saying -

“Very well assembled. Will you teach me some day how to assemble the computer?”

My friend Sanjeev’s computer was giving him trouble for some days. He shared this with me one day while going home from the Company bus. I told him that my son is studying Electronics Engineering and he is expert in hardware of computer and that I shall send him within a day. The next day Sanjeev told me how my son was able to find the fault accurately and repair his computer in only Rs. 50/- by replacing the faulty part. He was told by a computer repair shop that the repairs will cost Rs. 500/-

Today I proudly say that my son is master in repairing any electronic gadget.