Human Depravity - A post to wash my soul

Oflate I had bid goodnight to goodsleep. Thanks to June we (sudeshna's determined to do everything in a pair) had to wake atleast twice every night. June is now all of 3 and a half months and seems to be getting accustomed to the ways of the world and slowly getting humanised. I would rather say dehumanised. God sends us as humans and by the time we can think, analyse, judge and deliver we are left with none of the humane qualities that we all think we have.

Frankly, for June (she doesnt know it though) her parents are the change agents. We are to her the window to the world. And as most windows these day (including our dear Mr. Gates') we rarely leave them open. We either keep them closed or put tainted - oops I mean tinted - or smoked glass infront of them. June will see the world thru these very glasses that her parents have gathered over the years.

Talking of a dehumanised world. On the most recent birth anniversary of our dear old Mahatma we were returning from Sudeshna's erstwhile home speeding down Salt Lake bypass. I suddenly caught the sight of a small car stationary in the middle of the road. Curiously I peered out of my window only to find out the occupants of the car looking down at a man lying on the road with his mangled cycle beside him. It was nearly 10 in the night, the road was secluded to say the least.

We didnt even stop. I suddenly became silent unable to respond to the calls of humanity. With June in the car my father felt we couldnt afford to take all the trouble. My mother did the customary "ish bechara","poor fellow" thing. Sudeshna seemed the most affected and was pressing for the need to take the man to the nearest hospital. But I guess she also knew that we wouldnt do it. All this while we were speeding further and further away from the man and from ourselves. Happily June still does not have the sensibility to realise how her known ones responded to the call of humanity. There is no way to find out what happened to the man. I trust there are still some humanised souls around. Mostly people who still have not got too comfortable in life for them to fear losing it.

I returned home. I played with June and I slept a good night's sleep. Sorry June! your papa is no different from the rest.

Move over June, Ishaan is here. This is Ishaan - the latest addition to the Goswami clan from where my wify emanates. He carries the same gravitas, look & feel and the legendary spunkiness (otherwise why would a 2 day old pose for photo like that). He was born on the 31st August to a gorgeous set of parents - Dadamoni and Lalidi. Ishaan is already a celebrity - the first in his family. Ishaan though is no ordinary baby like our dear little June. Ishaan has had a extraordinary journey to this world. He is a miracle baby and already featured in two websites - GBMC News Release and www.thewbalchannel.com. Do read them through to get a detail of his journey.

But a word about everybody around him now. The proud parents and both sets of grandparents. While Lalidi clearly edges everyone out by her sheer mental strength and her determination, Dadamoni's tireless effort is equally herculean. Simultaneously while they were slugging it out Laldi's parents was there by their side egging them on and providing able support at each point. But do spare a thought for the paternal grandparents who were thousands of miles away praying each moment for the health of the would-be-mother and the born-to-be-grandchild. And amidst all this our dear Ishaan was slowly and steadily making his progress. The whole episode has a struck a chord. I feel lucky that June's birth was so simplistic an event.

Lets all welcome Ishaan to this world.