When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family, children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.
The sand is everything else –The small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ He continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So…
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
‘Take care of the golf balls first – The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled.
‘I’m glad you asked’.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’
Please share this with other “Golf Balls”
I just did……
Monday, October 4, 2010
When I Asked God for Strength
When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Favors
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed
- Swami Vivekananda
"Everyday starts with some Expectation, But ends with some Experience"
HAVE A GREAT DAY
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face
When I Asked God for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve
When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People
When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Favors
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed
- Swami Vivekananda
"Everyday starts with some Expectation, But ends with some Experience"
HAVE A GREAT DAY
Don't miss last 2 Questions...
Some, rather most organizations reject his CV today because he has changed jobs frequently (10 in 14 years). My friend, the ˜job hopper™ (referred here as Mr. JH), does not mind it. well he does not need to mind it at all. Having worked full-time with 10 employer companies in just 14 years gives Mr. JH the relaxing edge that most of the ˜company loyal™ employees are struggling for today. Today, Mr. JH too is laid off like some other 14-15 year experienced guys “ the difference being the latter have just worked in 2-3 organizations in the same number of years. Here are the excerpts of an interview with Mr. JH:
Q: Why have you changed 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: To get financially sound and stable before getting laid off the second time.
Q: So you knew you would be laid off in the year 2009?
A: Well I was laid off first in the year 2002 due to the first global economic slowdown. I had not got a full-time job before January 2003 when the economy started looking up; so I had struggled for almost a year without job and with compromises.
Q: Which number of job was that?
A: That was my third job.
Q: So from Jan 2003 to Jan 2009, in 6 years, you have changed 8 jobs to make the count as 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: I had no other option. In my first 8 years of professional life, I had worked only for 2 organizations thinking that jobs are deserved after lot of hard work and one should stay with an employer company to justify the saying ˜employer loyalty™. But I was an idiot.
Q: Why do you say so?
A: My salary in the first 8 years went up only marginally. I could not save enough and also, I had thought that I had a ˜permanent™ job, so I need not worry about ˜what will I do if I lose my job™. I could never imagine losing a job because of economic slowdown and not because of my performance. That was January 2002.
Q: Can you brief on what happened between January 2003 and 2009.
A: Well, I had learnt my lessons of being ˜company loyal™ and not ˜money earning and saving loyal™. But then you can save enough only when you earn enough. So I shifted my loyalty towards money making and saving “ I changed 8 jobs in 6 years assuring all my interviewers about my stability.
Q: So you lied to your interviewers; you had already planned to change the job for which you were being interviewed on a particular day?
A: Yes, you can change jobs only when the market is up and companies are hiring. You tell me “ can I get a job now because of the slowdown? No. So one should change jobs for higher salaries only when the market is up because that is the only time when companies hire and can afford the expected salaries.
Q: What have you gained by doing such things?
A: That's the question I was waiting for. In Jan 2003, I had a fixed salary (without variables) of say Rs. X p.a. In January 2009, my salary was 8X. So assuming my salary was Rs.3 lakh p.a. in Jan 2003, my last drawn salary in Jan 2009 was Rs.24 lakh p.a. (without variable). I never bothered about variable as I had no intention to stay for 1 year and go through the appraisal process to wait for the company to give me a hike.
Q: So you decided on your own hike?
A: Yes, in 2003, I could see the slowdown coming again in future like it had happened in 2001-02. Though I was not sure by when the next slowdown would come, I was pretty sure I wanted a ˜debt-free™ life before being laid off again. So I planned my hike targets on a yearly basis without waiting for the year to complete.
Q: So are you debt-free now?
A: Yes, I earned so much by virtue of job changes for money and spent so little that today I have a loan free 2 BR flat (1200 sq.. feet) plus a loan free big car without bothering about any EMIs. I am laid off too but I do not complain at all. If I have laid off companies for money, it is OK if a company lays me off because of lack of money.
Q: Who is complaining?
A: All those guys who are not getting a job to pay their EMIs off are complaining. They had made fun of me saying I am a job hopper and do not have any company loyalty. Now I ask them what they gained by their company loyalty; they too are laid off like me and pass comments to me “ why will you bother about us, you are already debt-free. They were still in the bracket of 12-14 lakh p.a. when they were laid off.
Q: What is your advice to professionals?
A: Like Narayan Murthy had said “ love your job and not your company because you never know when your company will stop loving you. In the same lines, love yourself and your family needs more than the company's needs. Companies can keep coming and going; family will always remain the same. Make money for yourself first and simultaneously make money for the company, not the other way around.
Q: What is your biggest pain point with companies?
A: When a company does well, its CEO will address the entire company saying, ˜well done guys, it is YOUR company, keep up the hard work, I am with you. But when the slowdown happens and the company does not do so well, the same CEO will say, It is MY company and to save the company, I have to take tough decisions including asking people to go. So think about your financial stability first; when you get laid off, your kids will complain to you and not your boss.
Some, rather most organizations reject his CV today because he has changed jobs frequently (10 in 14 years). My friend, the ˜job hopper™ (referred here as Mr. JH), does not mind it. well he does not need to mind it at all. Having worked full-time with 10 employer companies in just 14 years gives Mr. JH the relaxing edge that most of the ˜company loyal™ employees are struggling for today. Today, Mr. JH too is laid off like some other 14-15 year experienced guys “ the difference being the latter have just worked in 2-3 organizations in the same number of years. Here are the excerpts of an interview with Mr. JH:
Q: Why have you changed 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: To get financially sound and stable before getting laid off the second time.
Q: So you knew you would be laid off in the year 2009?
A: Well I was laid off first in the year 2002 due to the first global economic slowdown. I had not got a full-time job before January 2003 when the economy started looking up; so I had struggled for almost a year without job and with compromises.
Q: Which number of job was that?
A: That was my third job.
Q: So from Jan 2003 to Jan 2009, in 6 years, you have changed 8 jobs to make the count as 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: I had no other option. In my first 8 years of professional life, I had worked only for 2 organizations thinking that jobs are deserved after lot of hard work and one should stay with an employer company to justify the saying ˜employer loyalty™. But I was an idiot.
Q: Why do you say so?
A: My salary in the first 8 years went up only marginally. I could not save enough and also, I had thought that I had a ˜permanent™ job, so I need not worry about ˜what will I do if I lose my job™. I could never imagine losing a job because of economic slowdown and not because of my performance. That was January 2002.
Q: Can you brief on what happened between January 2003 and 2009.
A: Well, I had learnt my lessons of being ˜company loyal™ and not ˜money earning and saving loyal™. But then you can save enough only when you earn enough. So I shifted my loyalty towards money making and saving “ I changed 8 jobs in 6 years assuring all my interviewers about my stability.
Q: So you lied to your interviewers; you had already planned to change the job for which you were being interviewed on a particular day?
A: Yes, you can change jobs only when the market is up and companies are hiring. You tell me “ can I get a job now because of the slowdown? No. So one should change jobs for higher salaries only when the market is up because that is the only time when companies hire and can afford the expected salaries.
Q: What have you gained by doing such things?
A: That's the question I was waiting for. In Jan 2003, I had a fixed salary (without variables) of say Rs. X p.a. In January 2009, my salary was 8X. So assuming my salary was Rs.3 lakh p.a. in Jan 2003, my last drawn salary in Jan 2009 was Rs.24 lakh p.a. (without variable). I never bothered about variable as I had no intention to stay for 1 year and go through the appraisal process to wait for the company to give me a hike.
Q: So you decided on your own hike?
A: Yes, in 2003, I could see the slowdown coming again in future like it had happened in 2001-02. Though I was not sure by when the next slowdown would come, I was pretty sure I wanted a ˜debt-free™ life before being laid off again. So I planned my hike targets on a yearly basis without waiting for the year to complete.
Q: So are you debt-free now?
A: Yes, I earned so much by virtue of job changes for money and spent so little that today I have a loan free 2 BR flat (1200 sq.. feet) plus a loan free big car without bothering about any EMIs. I am laid off too but I do not complain at all. If I have laid off companies for money, it is OK if a company lays me off because of lack of money.
Q: Who is complaining?
A: All those guys who are not getting a job to pay their EMIs off are complaining. They had made fun of me saying I am a job hopper and do not have any company loyalty. Now I ask them what they gained by their company loyalty; they too are laid off like me and pass comments to me “ why will you bother about us, you are already debt-free. They were still in the bracket of 12-14 lakh p.a. when they were laid off.
Q: What is your advice to professionals?
A: Like Narayan Murthy had said “ love your job and not your company because you never know when your company will stop loving you. In the same lines, love yourself and your family needs more than the company's needs. Companies can keep coming and going; family will always remain the same. Make money for yourself first and simultaneously make money for the company, not the other way around.
Q: What is your biggest pain point with companies?
A: When a company does well, its CEO will address the entire company saying, ˜well done guys, it is YOUR company, keep up the hard work, I am with you. But when the slowdown happens and the company does not do so well, the same CEO will say, It is MY company and to save the company, I have to take tough decisions including asking people to go. So think about your financial stability first; when you get laid off, your kids will complain to you and not your boss.
Hi,
Here is an interesting and inspiring story which shows us
how things can be done in a better way.
See it here - http://www.funonthenet.in/content/ view/292/ 31/
Good Day!
Here is an interesting and inspiring story which shows us
how things can be done in a better way.
See it here - http://www.funonthenet.in/content/ view/292/ 31/
Good Day!
दिनेश गुणे
मुंबई -
छत्रपती शिवाजी टर्मिनसवरून "जीपीओ'कडील रस्त्याने बाहेर पडणारी
गर्दी आज नेहमीसारखी "वाहत' नव्हती. या दिशेने बाहेर पडणाऱ्या आणि
रेल्वेस्थानकाकडे जाणाऱ्या प्रत्येक प्रवाशाची पावले आज थबकत होती... आणि
मूक होऊन पुढे सरकत होती. गेल्या वर्षी 26 नोव्हेंबरला याच
रेल्वेस्थानकावर अतिरेक्यांनी अंदाधुंद गोळीबार करीत पहिला उच्छाद
मांडला आणि नंतर अवघ्या मुंबईला वेठीस धरले. आज या स्थानकावर पाय
ठेवणाऱ्या जवळपास प्रत्येकालाच "त्या' दिवसाच्या आठवणींचा वेढा पडलेला
असतानाच, स्थानकाबाहेरच्या रस्त्यावरचे छायाचित्रांचे प्रदर्शन अंतर्मुख
करीत होते. गर्दीच्या मनावरची ती जखम पुन्हा भळभळत होती आणि त्या वेदनाही
जाग्या होत होत्या... त्या छायाचित्रांनी रेल्वेस्थानकाच्या त्या
परिसराला पुन्हा एकदा त्या कडवट स्मृतींच्या खाईत लोटले होते...
...दुपारी मी या स्थानकावर उतरलो आणि हाच रस्ता पकडला. रस्त्याला
लागण्याआधी बस डेपोच्या शेजारच्या फेरीवाल्यांचे आवाज नेहमीसारखेच घुमत
होते; पण स्टेशनच्याच आवारात, मेन लाइन आणि लोकल लाइनच्या रस्त्याच्या
दुभाजकावरील जाळीसमोरचे चित्र मात्र नेहमीपेक्षा काहीसे वेगळेच होते.
तिथल्या प्रत्येक खांबावरच्या छायाचित्रांतून गेल्या वर्षीच्या हल्ल्याची
जखम पुन्हा भळभळती झाली होती आणि अस्वस्थ, बेचैन गर्दी ती छायाचित्रे
न्याहाळत स्तब्ध झाली होती... बाहेरच्या फेरीवाल्यांच्या कोलाहलाचा,
गाड्यांच्या कर्णकर्कश भोंग्यांचा आणि अवघ्या मुंबईच्या गतीचा परिणाम
तिथे जणू गोठून गेला होता... मीही त्या गर्दीत मिसळलो... त्याच
अस्वस्थतेचा अनुभव घेत एकेक छायाचित्र न्याहाळत पुढे सरकू लागलो.
मुंबईतील विविध वृत्तपत्रांच्या छायाचित्रकारांनी 26 नोव्हेंबरच्या
"त्या' भयानक दिवशी जीव धोक्यात घालून केलेल्या छायाचित्रांचे प्रदर्शन
तेथे मांडले होते... त्यामध्ये ओबेरॉयमधील थरार होता, ताजमधील आगीचे लोळ
होते, भयाने गोठलेल्या वेदनांचा कल्लोळ होता, अतिरेक्यांशी सामना
करण्याच्या तयारीतले हेमंत करकरेंचे छायाचित्र होते, जीव धोक्यात घालून
छायाचित्रण करणाऱ्या छायाचित्रकारांच्या धाडसाचे पुरावे होते आणि अपुऱ्या
शस्त्रांनिशी अतिरेक्यांशी लढण्यास सज्ज झालेल्या पोलिस कर्मचाऱ्यांचे
"पोझिशन'मधले फोटोही होते. एखाद्या छायाचित्रातील रक्ताची थारोळी
न्याहाळत थरकापल्या मनाने प्रवासी पुढे-पुढे सरकत होते; कुणी त्यातलीच
काही छायाचित्रे मूकपणे आपल्या मोबाईलच्या कॅमेऱ्यात साठवून घेत होते आणि
शेवटच्या छायाचित्राजवळ पोचताच सुन्नपणे बाहेर पडत होते...
अतिरेक्यांनी केलेल्या या "तबाही'मध्ये शहीद झालेल्यांना "अखेरचा
सॅल्यूट' करताना दुःखावेग अनावर झालेल्या त्या मुंबईकराच्या छायाचित्रात
जणू प्रत्येकाच्याच भावना ओतल्या गेल्या होत्या... गर्दी सुन्न होत होती.
याच गर्दीसोबत मी पुढे सरकत होतो. नजर छायाचित्रांवर खिळली होती. अखेरचे
ते छायाचित्र पाहून मीही पुढे आलो आणि थबकलो... ते प्रदर्शन पाहिले होते,
तरीही मी पुन्हा मागे वळलो... ते प्रदर्शन पाहाणाऱ्या गर्दीच्या
प्रतिक्रिया मला न्याहाळायच्या होत्या... मी मागे पहिल्या छायाचित्राजवळ
आलो आणि सरकत्या गर्दीसोबत पुढे सरकू लागलो... अचानक माझी नजर बाजूनेच
चालणाऱ्या एका तरुणीकडे गेली. भिजल्या आणि थिजल्या डोळ्यांनी ती एकेक
छायाचित्र डोळ्यांत अक्षरशः साठवून घेत होती... तिच्या डोळ्यांतले
थिजलेले भाव पाहताच मी गोठलो आणि तिला कळणार नाही, अशा बेताने तिच्याच
गतीने पुढे सरकत राहिलो... प्रत्येक छायाचित्रासमोर तिचा व्याकूळपणा
आणखीनच वाढत होता... एका हातानं तिनं तोंडावर रुमाल घट्ट धरला होता; पण
तिच्या डोळ्यांतील वेदना मात्र लपली नव्हती. "ताज'मधून बाहेर पडणारे
आगीचे लोळ एका छायाचित्रात दिसताच, ते डोळे आणखी व्याकूळ झाले...
पुढच्याच छायाचित्रात, दोरखंडाच्या साह्याने अतिरेक्यांवर चढाईच्या
तयारीतले जवान पाहताच तिचे डोळे चमकले... हेमंत करकरेंचे ते छायाचित्र
पाहताच ती बहुधा पुन्हा कळवळली... तिनं तोंडावरचा रुमाल आणखी घट्ट
धरला... एका टॅक्सीच्या आडोशाने अतिरेक्यांच्या कारवाया पाहणाऱ्या
पोलिस शिपायांच्या छायाचित्रातील असहाय्यता पाहून ती बहुधा अस्वस्थ
झाली... आपल्या कुणा नातेवाइकाच्या विरहाने आणि कदाचित अघटिताच्या
बातमीने हंबरडा फोडणाऱ्या एका पाहुणीच्या छायाचित्राने तिला आणखी व्याकूळ
केले... आता तिच्या गळ्यातून उमटणारे हुंदकेही मला जाणवत होते. त्यांना
आवाज नव्हता; पण ती अक्षरशः हलली होती... ते स्पष्टपणे जाणवत होते... एका
छायाचित्रासमोर येताच तिनं डोळेही गच्च मिटून घेतले... गेल्या वर्षीची ही
छायाचित्रे पाहतानादेखील तिच्या मनावर असह्य ताण येतोय, हे जाणवून
मलादेखील अस्वस्थ वाटू लागले होते... अखेर ती त्या शेवटच्या
छायाचित्रासमोर येऊन उभी राहिली... पुढे सरकणाऱ्या अवघ्या गर्दीची पावले
तिथे थबकलेलीच होती... सगळी गर्दी मूक झाली होती... एक विचित्र मानसिक
दडपण तिथे दाटले होते...
...तीदेखील या गर्दीसोबत तिथे थबकली. तोंडावर पकडलेल्या रुमालाची पकड
आणखी घट्ट झाली होती... डोळ्यांमधल्या वेदना आणखी ठळक झाल्या होत्या...
आणि आतल्या आत उमटणारे ते हुंदके आता स्पष्ट झाले होते... अनावर दुःखाने
शहीदांना अखेरचा, निरोपाचा "सॅल्यूट' करणाऱ्या "त्या मुंबईकरा'च्या
छायाचित्रांसमोर येताच ती आणखीनच कोलमडली... आतापर्यंत दाबून ठेवलेला
हुंदका तिला आवरत नव्हता... डोळ्यांच्या ओल्या कडांमधून अश्रूंची धार
सुरू झाली होती... तिने ते अश्रू तिथेच वाहू दिले... बाहेर पडणारा
हुंदकादेखील न रोखता ती क्षणभर तिथे उभी राहिली आणि झटक्यात तिनं मान
फिरवली... मागे न पाहता ती वेगाने रस्त्यावर आली आणि टॅक्सीला हात
दाखविला...
वाहत्या मुंबईत तीही नंतर सामील झाली होती,
शहीदांसाठी अश्रूंच्या दोन थेंबांची मूक आदरांजली अर्पण करून !!
मुंबई -
गर्दी आज नेहमीसारखी "वाहत' नव्हती. या दिशेने बाहेर पडणाऱ्या आणि
रेल्वेस्थानकाकडे जाणाऱ्या प्रत्येक प्रवाशाची पावले आज थबकत होती... आणि
मूक होऊन पुढे सरकत होती. गेल्या वर्षी 26 नोव्हेंबरला याच
रेल्वेस्थानकावर अतिरेक्यांनी अंदाधुंद गोळीबार करीत पहिला उच्छाद
मांडला आणि नंतर अवघ्या मुंबईला वेठीस धरले. आज या स्थानकावर पाय
ठेवणाऱ्या जवळपास प्रत्येकालाच "त्या' दिवसाच्या आठवणींचा वेढा पडलेला
असतानाच, स्थानकाबाहेरच्या रस्त्यावरचे छायाचित्रांचे प्रदर्शन अंतर्मुख
करीत होते. गर्दीच्या मनावरची ती जखम पुन्हा भळभळत होती आणि त्या वेदनाही
जाग्या होत होत्या... त्या छायाचित्रांनी रेल्वेस्थानकाच्या त्या
परिसराला पुन्हा एकदा त्या कडवट स्मृतींच्या खाईत लोटले होते...
...दुपारी मी या स्थानकावर उतरलो आणि हाच रस्ता पकडला. रस्त्यालालागण्याआधी बस डेपोच्या शेजारच्या फेरीवाल्यांचे आवाज नेहमीसारखेच घुमत
होते; पण स्टेशनच्याच आवारात, मेन लाइन आणि लोकल लाइनच्या रस्त्याच्या
दुभाजकावरील जाळीसमोरचे चित्र मात्र नेहमीपेक्षा काहीसे वेगळेच होते.
तिथल्या प्रत्येक खांबावरच्या छायाचित्रांतून गेल्या वर्षीच्या हल्ल्याची
जखम पुन्हा भळभळती झाली होती आणि अस्वस्थ, बेचैन गर्दी ती छायाचित्रे
न्याहाळत स्तब्ध झाली होती... बाहेरच्या फेरीवाल्यांच्या कोलाहलाचा,
गाड्यांच्या कर्णकर्कश भोंग्यांचा आणि अवघ्या मुंबईच्या गतीचा परिणाम
तिथे जणू गोठून गेला होता... मीही त्या गर्दीत मिसळलो... त्याच
अस्वस्थतेचा अनुभव घेत एकेक छायाचित्र न्याहाळत पुढे सरकू लागलो.
मुंबईतील विविध वृत्तपत्रांच्या छायाचित्रकारांनी 26 नोव्हेंबरच्या
"त्या' भयानक दिवशी जीव धोक्यात घालून केलेल्या छायाचित्रांचे प्रदर्शन
तेथे मांडले होते... त्यामध्ये ओबेरॉयमधील थरार होता, ताजमधील आगीचे लोळ
होते, भयाने गोठलेल्या वेदनांचा कल्लोळ होता, अतिरेक्यांशी सामना
करण्याच्या तयारीतले हेमंत करकरेंचे छायाचित्र होते, जीव धोक्यात घालून
छायाचित्रण करणाऱ्या छायाचित्रकारांच्या धाडसाचे पुरावे होते आणि अपुऱ्या
शस्त्रांनिशी अतिरेक्यांशी लढण्यास सज्ज झालेल्या पोलिस कर्मचाऱ्यांचे
"पोझिशन'मधले फोटोही होते. एखाद्या छायाचित्रातील रक्ताची थारोळी
न्याहाळत थरकापल्या मनाने प्रवासी पुढे-पुढे सरकत होते; कुणी त्यातलीच
काही छायाचित्रे मूकपणे आपल्या मोबाईलच्या कॅमेऱ्यात साठवून घेत होते आणि
शेवटच्या छायाचित्राजवळ पोचताच सुन्नपणे बाहेर पडत होते...
अतिरेक्यांनी केलेल्या या "तबाही'मध्ये शहीद झालेल्यांना "अखेरचा
सॅल्यूट' करताना दुःखावेग अनावर झालेल्या त्या मुंबईकराच्या छायाचित्रात
जणू प्रत्येकाच्याच भावना ओतल्या गेल्या होत्या... गर्दी सुन्न होत होती.
याच गर्दीसोबत मी पुढे सरकत होतो. नजर छायाचित्रांवर खिळली होती. अखेरचे
ते छायाचित्र पाहून मीही पुढे आलो आणि थबकलो... ते प्रदर्शन पाहिले होते,
तरीही मी पुन्हा मागे वळलो... ते प्रदर्शन पाहाणाऱ्या गर्दीच्या
प्रतिक्रिया मला न्याहाळायच्या होत्या... मी मागे पहिल्या छायाचित्राजवळ
आलो आणि सरकत्या गर्दीसोबत पुढे सरकू लागलो... अचानक माझी नजर बाजूनेच
चालणाऱ्या एका तरुणीकडे गेली. भिजल्या आणि थिजल्या डोळ्यांनी ती एकेक
छायाचित्र डोळ्यांत अक्षरशः साठवून घेत होती... तिच्या डोळ्यांतले
थिजलेले भाव पाहताच मी गोठलो आणि तिला कळणार नाही, अशा बेताने तिच्याच
गतीने पुढे सरकत राहिलो... प्रत्येक छायाचित्रासमोर तिचा व्याकूळपणा
आणखीनच वाढत होता... एका हातानं तिनं तोंडावर रुमाल घट्ट धरला होता; पण
तिच्या डोळ्यांतील वेदना मात्र लपली नव्हती. "ताज'मधून बाहेर पडणारे
आगीचे लोळ एका छायाचित्रात दिसताच, ते डोळे आणखी व्याकूळ झाले...
पुढच्याच छायाचित्रात, दोरखंडाच्या साह्याने अतिरेक्यांवर चढाईच्या
तयारीतले जवान पाहताच तिचे डोळे चमकले... हेमंत करकरेंचे ते छायाचित्र
पाहताच ती बहुधा पुन्हा कळवळली... तिनं तोंडावरचा रुमाल आणखी घट्ट
धरला... एका टॅक्सीच्या आडोशाने अतिरेक्यांच्या कारवाया पाहणाऱ्या
पोलिस शिपायांच्या छायाचित्रातील असहाय्यता पाहून ती बहुधा अस्वस्थ
झाली... आपल्या कुणा नातेवाइकाच्या विरहाने आणि कदाचित अघटिताच्या
बातमीने हंबरडा फोडणाऱ्या एका पाहुणीच्या छायाचित्राने तिला आणखी व्याकूळ
केले... आता तिच्या गळ्यातून उमटणारे हुंदकेही मला जाणवत होते. त्यांना
आवाज नव्हता; पण ती अक्षरशः हलली होती... ते स्पष्टपणे जाणवत होते... एका
छायाचित्रासमोर येताच तिनं डोळेही गच्च मिटून घेतले... गेल्या वर्षीची ही
छायाचित्रे पाहतानादेखील तिच्या मनावर असह्य ताण येतोय, हे जाणवून
मलादेखील अस्वस्थ वाटू लागले होते... अखेर ती त्या शेवटच्या
छायाचित्रासमोर येऊन उभी राहिली... पुढे सरकणाऱ्या अवघ्या गर्दीची पावले
तिथे थबकलेलीच होती... सगळी गर्दी मूक झाली होती... एक विचित्र मानसिक
दडपण तिथे दाटले होते...
...तीदेखील या गर्दीसोबत तिथे थबकली. तोंडावर पकडलेल्या रुमालाची पकड
आणखी घट्ट झाली होती... डोळ्यांमधल्या वेदना आणखी ठळक झाल्या होत्या...
आणि आतल्या आत उमटणारे ते हुंदके आता स्पष्ट झाले होते... अनावर दुःखाने
शहीदांना अखेरचा, निरोपाचा "सॅल्यूट' करणाऱ्या "त्या मुंबईकरा'च्या
छायाचित्रांसमोर येताच ती आणखीनच कोलमडली... आतापर्यंत दाबून ठेवलेला
हुंदका तिला आवरत नव्हता... डोळ्यांच्या ओल्या कडांमधून अश्रूंची धार
सुरू झाली होती... तिने ते अश्रू तिथेच वाहू दिले... बाहेर पडणारा
हुंदकादेखील न रोखता ती क्षणभर तिथे उभी राहिली आणि झटक्यात तिनं मान
फिरवली... मागे न पाहता ती वेगाने रस्त्यावर आली आणि टॅक्सीला हात
दाखविला...
वाहत्या मुंबईत तीही नंतर सामील झाली होती,
शहीदांसाठी अश्रूंच्या दोन थेंबांची मूक आदरांजली अर्पण करून !!
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