Liberation

There was an August gathering awaiting the talk on Liberation organised by Chitha. In every session Chitha presents wonderful resource person who can recharge the people with their mind-blowing talks. They give only brief introduction about the resource person leaving the rest of it to audience so they hear without any preoccupied thoughts.

The anchor introduced the resource person as Mr.Gandasi. He was too plain. Most of the audience felt that the session may not be great this day!

Mr.Gandasi adjusted the mic to his height. Started the prayer "Yaa Devi sarva bhuteshu SHAKTHI rupena samsthitha". His voice was the best suit for the prayer. Audience were stunned hearing his voice. He then greeted them by addressing beautiful souls. The happiness they felt just reflected on their face. They now strongly felt the session would be the greatest of all!

Mr.Gandasi asked “How many of you hate Monday morning?” There was a loud noise with hundreds and hundreds of hands raised high. He then asked “How many of you love Saturday evening?” again there was a loud noise with hundreds and hundreds of hands simply dancing in the air. He then continued “Monday morning the moment you get into the bus as early as possible to get a seat you feel that from this moment you will be tied up with all the hustle and bustle of the city, whereas Friday evening you get into the bus without caring if it is very rush or not and the moment you get down at your stop, it is complete liberation!” There  were smiles and also their eyes eagerly waiting to hear more. He then said, “Let me tell you a story”.

Saaba, a little girl from remote place called bajrapur lived with her grandmother in this majestic city. She did not go to school but worked with her grandmother at a book store. She assisted her grandmother in many chores. They both lived in a very small room beside the bookstore. All they knew was the bookstore other than their small room in that majestic city. When Saaba turned 16 she lost her grandmother. Now she had become an orphan. Saaba felt too lonely, she knew nothing can replace this vacancy. However her grandmother had made her a strong girl by then.

Saaba always reached the bookstore by 7:30 in the morning. She did all her work at the bookstore right from cleaning the glass walls to washrooms. By 9:00 am when the owner comes to the bookstore everything will be kept clean and neat. She never gave a single chance for the owner to point out her work. Many a times when the cashiers ask her to keep an eye on the cash when they need to take a break she promptly did it. As years passed the owner felt that he cannot find another person like Saaba. He was impressed by her punctuality, dedication, sincerity at the same time he felt that she had no any formal education to make her sit at the cash counter. One day when the head cashier was on leave the owner had to remain at the Bookstore. At the end of the day he asked Saaba to help him to check the day’s transaction. She did it in no time. The owner was surprised at her work! From the next day to a week he observed her activities, she never wasted a single minute, and once her work is done she read books, prepared notes and kept calm. He was mesmerised by her virtue. She had no degree but she had vast knowledge which she never exhibited but quietly used when needed.

Today Saaba is the manager of that bookstore, founder of Sthri a women empowerment-rural development trust, visiting professor at various colleges.  Even today she is the same. When the interviewer asked her what makes her liberated the answer Saaba gave enthralled the people as she said the unlocking sound of the Bookstore entrance liberates me.

Mr.Gandasi then called upon Dr.Saaba on stage, she was in a simple cotton saree, a pleasant smile. She said” Do every single task you get with extreme dedication, celebrate the little joy of completing it perfectly, if failed do it again till you succeed. Good luck”.