Joker in the Pack

Dedicated to all residents of 166p,sec-23 Gurgaon….Guys we are amazing man, we are the joker in the pack.(Any resemblance to any character living is purely intentional, resemblance to dead…will be a coincidence in the near future.)

Q. How many cards make a complete deck?

A. 52 (Mostly, rather all give this answer).

Right rather not exactly…depends on the way you look at it. I say “52 cards and a joker”. This Joker, most people forget, or ignore. It is not considered to be a part of the deck, just an extra card. The joker has been taken to be an extra all these years and will continue to be so.

Kids have games where the joker’s presence is a must. Could be because, kids don’t learn being judgemental so early, or they might be able to relate to it probably because of it’s appearance, it’s versatility. Moreover kids love winning but more important to them is the very spirit of the game. This thought is in sync with the creation of ..the Joker.

But in a realistic world, when the so called adults/players sit across, for a one on one. It is the ace they love, the 2’s they don’t want, the kings, queens, jacks they prefer. Joker is not taken to be a part of the deck, usually. Very rarely, do they have games where joker is taken to be a part of the deck, the joker likes it but does not take this moment to last for eternity. For it, it is better to enjoy this short lived state of acceptance than to have an illusionary expectation for this to last forever.

When things are perfect it is immaterial who you are, ikka ya duggi, badshah ya ghulam, sab isi rangmanch ki kathputliyaan hai. It is the ability to survive, adapt to the unexpected that reflects what you really can be. An Ace always beats a 2, but in crisis it can not replace even that same lowly, detested, always beaten “ 2”, neither the other way round, can the “2” how much so it may have always wanted to be the ace for a moment only, but even it has to let go off the opportunity and go ahead and continue as the “duggi”. But, but a joker can fit in anywhere……HAPPILY. With a smile, it assumes any role as asked to, it has no qualms. It makes no complaints about being a 2 neither is it elated to be an ace, it’s only motto is “the game should go on.”

Most people don’t even know that the joker exists somewhere, some might faintly remember it’s whereabouts, but the joker does not mind it. For it, it is more important to be able to be of use, than to make its presence felt, be visible, to be in the limelight. The Joker is happy to be the entertainer, the crisis solver, the reliable extra, the fit in all, the replacement to any card, the invisible assurance of being around, the visible trust, the friend to call on……….anytime. The joker’s song:

“ Apne liye jiye toh kya jiye, tu jee e dil zamaane ke liye”

Coud be an Illusion....not exactly.

A spate of incidents has slightly shaken the faith I had in myself, my inherent abilities. It now appears to be an illusion I was living with all this while….and now it has come to an end.

I always thought I was good at understanding people, because of my ability to listen to them, empathize, console and give them the assurance that no matter how bad it might appear to be now, but it still isn’t the worst. There ought to be a way, and moreover they aren’t alone. I will trudge the path with them, I will stand with them, always. I might not be a superhero to set all things to just perfect, but definitely I would try to do what so ever is best possible. But this confidence I had on myself recently faded, I am not that good as I thought. My analysis, my observation of situations and people is still no better than a kid to be precise; a kid makes no judgment on what is in the heart but it is only the appearance at a particular moment that matters, and that moment itself is eternity for him.

Meri chaahi karan ki, jo tumhari chah,

Apni chaahi kariyo, yeh hi meri chah.

This might have been advocated by some great man, but I heard it from a very simple man, my father. When it comes to caring for somebody, I have not seen a better example than him. The way he cares for his kids, the family, the relatives his friends, his kid’s friends and even unknowns rather any person who walks up to him. This is what I have learnt from that man during my entire growing up. He taught me: Caring for people has more to do with understanding each other, compromising in the others favour, sacrificing our expectations for their happiness, and giving them an assurance ek dilaasa ki main tumhaare saath hoon har pal, go ahead and do what makes you happy. It is this belief of his presence with me, always even when I am in distant remote corners, that has made me take up the most difficult challenges, make the toughest of decisions, go ahead with what makes me happy…to live the way I want to. He never expresses that, but then the most beautiful and important things can never be put in words, they can just be felt….it has more to do with experiencing and enduring than to do with expressing and expecting. I followed this, and that might make me appear insensitive, strange and not one of those who care.

But then my faith in my foundation is stronger than any setback that might try to teach me otherwise …sounding arrogant ha!!!! . Rarely people get an opportunity to stand up for themselves…and they shouldn’t loose that, that’s exactly what I am doing and should be doing.