Sometimes I really get very irritated with my wife. I mean this is too much. How can she do this to me? Just because I always let things go and never argue with her, she torments me like anything. I can’t even tell you what she has done today.

Do you know why I am at home right now when I was supposed to be in office? It is all because of my wife. She has hidden my office shoes somewhere and I can’t find them at all. I have no idea where they must be now. I have only one pair of formal shoes. How will I go to office now?

I am really angry today. This is the most kiddish behaviour. Now she is not even picking up her phone. I have sent her messages also but to no avail. I don’t know where she has gone so early in the morning. I have an important meeting today with my senior in second half today.  I must reach office in another hour. Oh God- what do I do now?

All this is because of the petty argument we had last night about going to our neighbours for the Diwali party they have organized at their place. Do you remember I told you about them? Now my wife is insisting that I go there but honestly, I am not interested. It is going to be very boring there. What am I supposed to do there? But no- my wife is adamant.

I have never forced my wife to go anywhere with me. If she don’t like someone, then I let her be. Even if we were arguing- what’s the point in hiding my shoes? Do you know- this is the same thing she did when we got married? In those days, she used to request me to take extra holiday so that we could spend more time together. She used to hide my shoes and I would take a holiday.

She has done the same thing now. I have checked everywhere. Atleast she could have remained at home. We would have talked and sorted the issue. But no- nobody feels that I am important. Everybody takes me for granted.

I must search for the shoes. I have to reach office. Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ was searching for his shoes when the doorbell rang and his wife returned back with grocery bags. The common man left no stone upturned to give a piece of his mind to his wife. The wife listened patiently. She reminded him how he went to terrace last evening for a walk and had probably left his shoes on the terrace.

The memory silenced the common man. The common got his shoes from the terrace, got ready for the office and left the house leaving his wife sulking in the room. He knew there was only one way he could make things right- he would have to go for the diwali party.

I want to live a hundred years. Yes- I want to. I know I am sounding weird but I am being very honest.

When I was small, I lived under many complexes. I used to be scared of many things in life (I am still scared). During those years, my mom used to be always with me and tell me that I am never lonely. I had a nagging feeling that mom would also one day leave me and go away just like my dad. This feeling mad me feel very weak. This fear haunted me day and night. I used to wet my bed at night. Then one day, me and my mom had a serious discussion.

It was then that my mom told me that she is never going to leave me alone. She said she would live a hundred years and scold me every single day. She said that parents never leave their children. They can never do that because kids belong to them, they are their own part. My mom has kept her promise and she is with me. She is my pillar of support. I am because of my mom. She has always held my hand in moments of crisis. She gave me the mental support and always helped me overcome my weaknesses.

I know this doesn’t sound at all mature. But I don’t feel ashamed about it. I need my mom everyday. Her presence is my peace. I have realized over the years that no matter how much kids grow up, they always need their parents. It may not be in a direct day to day manner. But they need them for probably a kind, mature and experienced talk always. Yes- they do need them.

I also always want to be with my kids. I want to be with them in every moment. I want to live and see their happiness. I want to see them grow everyday. Yes- I want to live a hundred years. I know my body will become old but I will keep my heart young. I know there will be all the problems that life offers but still I want to live and see everything.

I have decided. I am a cool dad but I will bother my kids everyday by calling them early morning and asking them how are they. Hahahahahaha. It will give me loads of pleasure. They can’t get rid of me and my wife. We are their parents.

But let me take your leave now. There are so many house chores that I have left undone. I need to complete them. Please take care, bye.

The ‘common man’ completed all the work and made his house clean and tidy. He sat and looked around his house. This was his home and world. He was feeling tired. He rested for a few hours and again got back to work and life. He knew he would always have his world. He thanked God for his kindness.

I have always loved ice cream cones a lot. I love eating ice cream in them. There is great pleasure in it. My wife abhors them. She finds them rather messy. She is all for ice cream cups. But I love ice cream cones. They are my all time favourite. Infact, I feel that ice cream not eaten in a cone is but an unfulfilled experience.

I still remember when me and my wife first went on a date. We both decided to have ice cream after lunch. In my enthusiasm, I got ice cream in two cones. My wife ate the ice cream with much care. After we had eaten it, she told me very seriously that we needed to talk. I was really out of my wits wondering what could be the matter. As far as I knew, everything was going nice.

It was then that my wife told me in very clear terms that if I wanted her to be my life partner, I should never expect her to eat ice cream in a cone. It was really hilarious but I didn’t laugh. My wife’s face was turning a deep shade of red from erstwhile crimson and I have enough sense not to enter the danger zone.

It was my very first experience of observing the shades of my wife’s face changing as per her mood. This observation power of mine has come handy in all the years we have been married together. I have never dared the red shade. It is really not worth it.

Coming back to ice cream cones, I am happy my wife made it clear to me. Frankly speaking, I didn’t mind it at all. Every person has full right to decide how they want to eat their ice cream and being somebody’s wife should not make any exception. The point I appreciate is that my wife never stopped or objected me eating the ice cream in a cone. It may sound funny but this is a really admirable quality. It is so very easy to think about changing your life partner. Most of the people make this mistake. i am happy that me and my wife are similar in this regard.

This I would say is the secret of a happy marriage.

But let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ and his wife stopped at the ice cream parlour and savoured the taste of delicious ice cream. They both liked the same flavour- only the container was different. But it didn’t matter to them. Life for them was a happy mixture of delicious differences.

I love checklists. Infact I feel strange without making a checklist for possibly everything that I do. It all started when I was in college. I used to make a checklist for one week in advance. I loved completing all the tasks and then ticking off the numbers in the list. This gives me extreme satisfaction.

My wife says this is also a kind of obsession but then she always has defined all my good habits as obsession or addiction. We can’t really depend on her viewpoint completely.

Every month I make a checklist of all the household items I have to buy, all the pending work at home that I have to complete. This gives me an idea as to how and when I should complete it. I pride myself on being methodical and too the point. It is another matter that nobody at my home appreciates it.

This is one of the reasons why I have always been able to manage the budget at home. With two growing up children, that is most important. Me and wife discuss and finalize things together. We save and invest twenty percent of our earnings every month. This is a rule that we have been following ever since we got married.

Yes- with day, the demands and needs are increasing but somehow we manage. We have also inculcated this in our children. They must value money and learn how to use and save it well. I don’t like over splurging or over saving- both are a waste of energy. I am a strong believer in balancing out things.

Till now- we have sailed very well. But I know with increasing years, we will have to manage in a better way. Let’s see what will happen.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye

The ‘common man’ checked and cross checked the calculation of all bills. Yes- everything was in order. Everything was under control. The common man said a heartfelt thanks to God for his kindness and went to sleep.

I still remember the time when was new at my job. I remember I had a senior named Mr Thomas Stevens.  Now Thomas was my immediate senior and I had to work along with him. We were together for about eighteen months after which he changed the job. But those eighteen months were the toughest and also the most enlightening months of my life.

Thomas was a tough taskmaster. From the very first day, he made it clear to me that he would not settle for anything less than what was required. We worked very closely during those months and I must say whatever I know about the job today, I owe it to that man.

Thomas made me understand the keener points of my work. His basics were very thorough. Infact I would say that he is the best teacher for the basics in my field. I have never come across someone who has such a grasp over the preliminary things. Most importantly, he had the patience to let other person learn and develop.

He never looked down upon me although I made extreme blunders in many reports. He always kept that trust in me. Whenever I talked to him, even for fifteen minutes- I learnt so much about work and work ethics. It was a pleasure listening to him.

To be very honest, I was a good student in my school and college but I lacked that knack for perfection, that ability to look upon a thing from an objective point of view and create a bigger picture. Thomas taught me all that. He told me how should one ask questions to oneself and then seek their answers. In those answers was the recipe of perfect report.

I miss Thomas a great deal. He is my teacher and will always be. More than work, he taught me honesty. He is one of those rare people who value people and who are so secure in their identity that they don’t have to crush or override someone to make their presence felt.

I am glad I met someone like Thomas. But let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ opened the newspaper in the morning to find Thomas Steven’s face staring at him. Thomas new book was a roaring success. As the common man read his interview, he felt he was talking to Thomas. The common man was happy. Yes- hard work done in right direction always yields result. He was proud to be Thomas Steven’s student.

I am afraid of poverty. Yes I am very afraid of being poor. I know I am sounding a very strange person but this is my reality. I do need my own home, a secure job and a happy and healthy family to remain generally happy. I don’t think I can ever chuck all this away on a whim to try something adventurous.

I like the steady, monotonous rhythm of my job. It has given me both stability and satisfaction. It has given me the tag of a ‘respectable’ man. I am respected by my neighbours. Yes- I dreamt of a life doing the gutsy jobs but I ultimately settled in this clerical job because it fulfilled a need inside me that was bigger than my desire to be daring.

I wanted a job that made sure I was not spending sleepless nights over next month’s rent. I have spent all my teenage years doing that. My mom, me and my sister used to worry and pinch every rupee to keep the roof over our head. I hated it and made a resolution that I will have a place of my own- no matter how small it might be.

Today I have my own home and that gives me sound sleep. It is my security. I was tired of selling vacuum cleaners at doorsteps with my mom. I wanted a job where I had my own table, chair, computer and work. Yes- I really wanted that. I was tired of always walking and walking. I wanted a place to go everyday. I wanted a place where people knew my name and I could move from one ladder to another.

I wanted a family that was not broken. I wanted me and my wife to always remain together and give our kids a happy family. I know what it means to not have one parent with you while you are growing up. Yes- I listen to my wife’s remarks silently because I know this is a very small price for a happy home.

I know I have settled for secure things. But this is the way I am. I don’t know if you will hate me for this. I really don’t know.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care, bye.

The ‘common man’ dusted the shelves and cupboards. He made breakfast for his wife and kids and went to his office for a new day at work. He mixed with the crowd walking on pavements. He was one of them.

I love fairy tales. I have always loved them even though my friends used to make fun of me about this. Fairy tales always make me immensely happy- they tell me that yes good things do happen to good people even though late at times. They tell me about honesty, sincerity and goodness that is not always advertised.

Cinderella, Snow white and the seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, The frog and the Princess, Hansel and Gratel- they are all extremely amazing stories. I loved reading them. They all have deep messages inside them. I wonder why they are often dismissed as children stories. They must be surely read by adults.

I felt happy when the shoe fitted only Cinderella and she got her prince charming, I felt happy when the dwarfs took care of snow white, I felt extremely sad when little Hansel and Gratel were lost and were in the clutches of the witch. It makes me shudder to think of two little kids far away from their home and parents.

I always made it a point to introduce my kids to this amazing world of stories. When they were small, my wife would read out the stories to all of us. Even today, my kids ask me about the stories and I feel very happy.

Me and my wife try and encourage our kids to read more. They have now started getting books from the library. Every night, we have one hour of reading time when we all sit down and read. It can be anything- books, comics, newspaper. But we all read something. I like the quiet silence when we are all busy reading. I feel very peaceful.

If my kids come across a word about which they don’t know- they ask us. Very often we know the meaning of words but sometimes me and my wife find it difficult to explain the correct meaning. Therefore, we have made a rule to keep a dictionary always with us. We look for meanings in it and the problem gets solved then and there.

We all look forward to our reading time. Let me take your leave now. It is getting late. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ was pleased to know that his son got an ‘A’ grade for writing an article on his favourite comic characters. It made him really happy. He hopes that his kids would grow up to visit the innumerable worlds penned by authors all over the world.

I often see small kids enjoying themselves with their parents when I go to the park. It is surely a very happy sight. I always remember the time when my kids were small. It is one of the very precious times that me and my wife shared with each other. There are so many things that make that time so very nice.

I remember purchasing clothes for our little daughter. I would touch her small, chubby hands and feel very happy. In those days, me and my wife tried to spend the maximum time with our daughter. We used to feel very guilty whenever we were away from her. Her very first attempt at speaking, walking- they are all priceless memories.

I remember how much she cried on her first day to school. I also cried and cried that day. It was like- I was sharing a part of me with the outside world. It was my wife who handled everything so well and took care that our daughter got into the habit of going school. It was really a tough thing.

I remember teaching our daughter the counting and the alphabets. I remember holding her hand as she practiced making ‘A’ and ‘B’. I remember purchasing a bunny school bag for her and watching her looking at it with delight when I gifted her the bag. Oh God- how time runs away. Really!!! It seems all these things happened only yesterday.

I feel very happy when I see my little daughter growing up everyday and learning things that I myself don’t know. Only yesterday, she was telling me about Mother Teresa. It was immensely satisfying to listen to her.

Kids give a second life and a meaning to the parents. I am happy that my kids are with me. I watch them grow, learn and feel. This is a divine experience. I pray that every parent lives this feeling and enjoys it. It is truly good.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ watched his son and daughter as they were discussing the foreign policy of the country in their own kiddish ways. He didn’t understand anything but he was happy. He thanked God in that moment and knew that he didn’t want anything more satisfying in his life.

I like crossword puzzles a lot. I love to fill the vacant spaces. This is my routine. I spend fifteen minutes every morning to fill the crossword puzzle. I have been doing this from last twenty years now.

Crossword puzzles are a difficult set of game and require quick thinking. To be very honest, I have never been able to fill the entire box. With years, I have improved quite a lot but I always fall short. Earlier I used to spend hours thinking about it but now I have limited myself to fifteen minutes. I can’t spend whole day on it. So time is also important. The first thing I do when I open the newspaper is to attempt the crossword puzzle.

It all started when I was in college. I used to study for long hours and would take breaks in between to feel good. During those breaks, I would inadvertently open the newspaper to know what’s happening. It was then that I became hooked to crossword puzzle. I fascinated me so much. It became like an obsession.

I have learnt of lot of new things and words in this process. I feel it is a great way of mental stimulation. It is like mind exercise. I love it very much. My wife has absolutely no interest in crossword puzzle. She finds them very boring.

I read that the term ‘crossword’ first appeared in dictionary in 1930. This is amazing. I also read that the creating of crosswords is called cruciverbalism among its practitioners, who are referred to as cruciverbalists, from the Latin for cross and word. Although the terms have existed since the mid 1970s, non-cruciverbalists rarely use them, calling crossword creators constructors or  setters or compilers. Wow!!! This is most interesting.
I wonder if I can be a cruciverbalist ever. It would be so interesting to make one’s own crossword puzzle and other people raking their minds to solve it. It is an absolute high. All these things are so interesting. It is a completely different world. I had to practice speaking the word ‘cruciverbalist’ many times before I could speak it with conviction. I guess the likes of me can’t be that ever. I am too common. I should entertain myself by filling the crossword puzzle and living with the satisfaction that atleast half the boxes got filled.
I must leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ opened the newspaper next day and began doing the crossword puzzle. He went on filling the entries and his heart skipped a beat when he realized that only one word was left. The common man read the clue and knew instantly that he had succeeded in solving the entire crossword puzzle, in one go for the first time. He wrote ‘cruciverbalist’ in the last entry with a smile on his face.

My daughter has been asking me to teach her some dishes. She wants to learn cooking. This is very sweet. I surely want to teach her all the dishes that I know. It will be a vastly satisfying experience. I learnt cooking from my mom and I want to pass this art to my daughter. My son is a little small to feel interested in what goes beyond the tasty dish that is served on the plate. He is happier eating it.

But I am glad my daughter wants to learn. Cooking is a very cathartic process and gives you a lot more in return. I tried to postpone the training process for some years. I feel that my daughter should grow up a little more and enjoy herself first. But she is adamant that she wants to learn now only.

This is the reason why I allow her to accompany me in the kitchen and watch while I prepare things. She looks at everything very carefully and asks me a thousand questions. All of them are very cute and I love answering them. It gives me sheer happiness.

She even helps me in kitchen chores. She peels and cuts the fruits and vegetables, arranges the table and even washes the dishes at time. I am happy that she is becoming more responsible. You can understand the excitement and sincerity on her part by the fact that she has even cut her nails. She says she finds it difficult to grasp things with long nails.

I asked her what she wanted to learn the very first time. She told me and we have been having mock practices for some time. The initial experiments were a little off the mark but she has now become absolutely perfect.

Today we are having a special dinner at home. It is only four of us. Me, my wife and our kids. My daughter has prepared the dish for all of us. We will have her very first handmade dinner. She didn’t even allow me to enter the kitchen. She has managed everything herself.

Let me take your leave now. I am getting late for dinner. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ and his family had the most tasty dinner that day. The hot and tasty pasta was the very first dish that his daughter had cooked for the family. As they ate the pasta and savoured it’s taste, the common man couldn’t help feeling his eyes moist. It was a mixed feeling. He knew his kids were growing up.

I walk everyday to office. My way from home to office is a path that I have been following from last ten years now. Everyday I get ready, collect my brief case and get set for another day at office. Life is running at a very fast pace and I hardly get time to spend with myself. There are so many things to think about.

It is the fifteen minutes walk going from home to office and from office to home that gives me time to introspect and think. Basically it is my ‘me’ time. It is the time when I am free to think and ponder about it. I look at all the things that come in the way. The small bakery shop, heavy vehicles passing on road, children with their school bags- it all makes me happy and brings back memories and plans.

The one thing that I have been observing all these years is a tree that stands near my office. It is a big tree with many leaves but no flowers. But this was not always the case. I remember distinctly that uptil four years ago, the tree used to be full of flowers. Purple and yellow flowers used to grow on that tree. I still remember their distinct fragrance.

But somehow from last four years there are no flowers on that tree. Every year I wait for the flowers to come but to no avail. Sometimes I feel that the tree is sad. I don’t know what is the reason. I have even told this to my wife and kids. They didn’t say anything but they all didn’t take me seriously. I am sure they were thinking that it was one of my crazy thoughts.

But it is not crazy at all. I wish that tree has flowers this year. It will make me happy. I want to see those flowers again. I want to smell the fragrance again. Then everything would be very happy. I have promised myself that I will celebrate the day, the tree will have flowers. Yes- I will celebrate. I will bake a tasty cake at home that day.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ was baking the cake with a song on his lips. The smell of baking cake filled the house and made everything so good. The common man was happy because now he could see the flowers waving at him as he reached office everyday. Their fragrance made him feel alive. He was happy. Yes- he was very happy.

Today I stopped at my neighbour’s place. Do you remember I told you about my South Indian neighbours. They very earnestly follow their festivals and traditions. I was a little surprised to see them cleaning their house on a big scale and also getting it painted. Now you know, how much cleaning always attracts me. So I was pretty curious about what was happening.

My neighbour told me that they were cleaning the entire house for a very big festival that will come next month. The festival’s name is Diwali. The guy told me that cleaning house is a major ritual during Diwali time.

This is indeed very good. Festivals should make us live better. I asked him more about Diwali and he told me how people light earthen lamps and decorate their house with lights and flowers. I was too happy to hear this. Everything was sounding like Christmas. It made me feel very good.

I reached home to find my wife eagerly waiting for me. She loves all South Indian things. She had been waiting for me to accompany her for shopping new clothes. She told me that we have been invited by our neighbours to celebrate the Diwali festival with them. She was in no mood to let this opportunity pass. She was adamant that we buy South Indian clothes for the occasion.

Now I don’t mind if she wears something South Indian, but why force me to do the same. I am not very comfortable with those clothes and I really want to enjoy myself there. Well, to say that my wife is stubborn is an understatement. I reluctantly went with her to the market.

South Indian clothes are so bright in colour. I saw some very nice shades and beautiful work on garments. It was all new to me and I enjoyed the experience. My wife purchased a sari for herself. It is orange in colour with some kind of golden work all over it. I liked it a lot. I am eagerly waiting to see her wear that sari.

Before my wife could corner me and force me to try clothes at men’s section- I ran away. Luckily I met an old colleague of mine at the mall and he was too happy to accompany me. My wife couldn’t say anything in front of him and this is how I escaped from a real torture.

Frankly speaking, I feel that I am quite smart. It is only that I underestimate myself most of the times. I will never forget the look on my wife’s face as she saw me escaping with my friend.

Ha ha ha ha ha

But let me take your leave now. The door bell is ringing. I think my sweet wife has returned. I need to pacify her. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ didn’t get a chance to pacify his wife because he was himself feeling in high spirits. The wife had returned with an Indian dress for him in bright yellow colour. She had declared that he had to wear that at Diwali party. The common man looked at the dress and sighed. He wondered if he could escape on that party day also.

Yesterday I was reading the newspaper and came across a very interesting article in newspaper. In the article, they were talking about the different kind of face shapes and the shape of glasses best suited for each kind of face shape.

Frankly speaking, I smiled so much. Oh God- now one has to think about the shape of face and then also think about the shape of glasses one should wear. Apparently wearing round shaped glasses on a round face is a big blunder. Now I never thought like this. I have been wearing round glasses ever since I remember. In my days, glasses used to round only. But now there are so many shapes.

To top it, there are these funky coloured frames of spectacles. They are available in possibly every colour and you can match them with your dress also. Only God knows what world is coming to. What has happened to the plain, good, old glasses and frames?

I am still not able to decide what’s my face shape. On some days I feels that it is round while on others I feel that it is square. I think God was also confused about my face shape. My daughter wears rectangle shaped glasses and says that they look cool. They have a green frame.

I still remember my mom used to wear brown broad rimmed round glasses. She still wears them. She is my ideal. For my mom- glasses were very important. She used to wear them around her neck in a nice chain. When I think about my mom, I can’t leave out the glasses.

Specs and glasses have come a long way now and are a major accessory and industry. Well, it is kind of okay. If someone wants to see the world through his or her own desired shape of glasses, then it is good only. Shape of glasses don’t matter as long as the shape of world remains okay. It should not be distorted.

But one thing is for sure, I am not replacing my old specs for anything new nomatter how much my kids pester me to do so. I love my specs.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ was shocked beyond limits to see his mom wearing funky specs. They were blue in colour with rectangle glasses. She flaunted them with pride and described in great detail how they were a gift from her grandkids (common man’s children) to her. She still wore them around her neck on the nice chain. Now the common man looked at coloured frames and new glasses with renewed interest.

My wife loves reading novels. She reads them, highlights the lines she likes while reading with a pink marker and often reads out aloud to them after dinner. I have enjoyed many such novel reading sessions with my wife. She is very romantic and ends up highlighting the most sentimental and romantic lines in the novel.

I wish I was like her. But somehow I fail to be like that. I feel good when she talks about all the nice things but I am afraid I don’t show as much enthusiasm as she expects me to show.

One of her most cherished imagination is waiting for her prince charming on a lonely, windy dark night while he comes gallantly riding on a horse. You should see the spark of happiness in her eyes when talks about all this. She speaks about listening to the sounds of horse hooves. She imagines her knight to be wearing a nice black cloak whose face would be visible slightly in the moon light.

Well, well, well- to speak the truth, I am mortally scared of horses. I have absolutely no intentions of riding a horse ever. I am afraid of the animal and it’s moods. It is a very agile and strong animal- definitely out of my bounds. I have decided that I should rather stay away from it.

My wife looks at me hopefully sometimes. I think she still hasn’t lost all hopes of me riding a horse and coming to woo her. I have a vague feeling that she romanticizes this waiting part also. Only God knows what’s going to happen.

I must say all these heroes of novels have made life difficult for common men like me. I mean why couldn’t they just go for a walk. It would have been so much easier. Me and my wife would have walked in a park holding hands. I would have done the walking bit with great gusto. But no- there has to be a horse. Everything is so wretched.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ watched his wife as she lay silent on the bed definitely dreaming about her prince charming riding on a horse. He could faintly see tiny drops of tears falling from her eyes. He wiped the tears and for once didn’t listen to her arguments. Common man and his wife got ready and went for a long walk in the park. The moon in the sky enveloped them with their silver light.

Yesterday someone at home switched off my room lights in the night. I woke up in the middle of night to have water and was horrified. I ran to find the light switch, toppled off many things in the process and finally found myself breathing normally. Ever since I remember, I have a morbid fear of the dark. I just can’t remain in darkness.

When I was a kid and used to scream about it, my mom would sit with me and all my fears used to just vanish. My mom tried very hard to release me from this fear of dark. But no attempts could do that. I always found the darkness very deep and enveloping. I would start thinking about all the ghosts I had seen in movies. I know it is sounding very childish but this is the case even now. I have not yet made my peace with the dark.

My wife somehow understood this from the very beginning. Even casually, in a jovial mood- she never makes fun about this. She never told me if she was uncomfortable with the lights on even at night when we are sleeping. She always says that she is fine with it. Sometimes I think that life becomes so pleasant and fulfilling with the right partner. I am extremely lucky in this case.

My kids have never taken this fear of mine in a wrong way. In their own kiddish ways- they are very understanding. Torch is the first thing we keep in our picnic bag whenever we have to go somewhere. I wonder if my kids feel ashamed of their dad. A dad who can’t face darkness must be very frightful to have. Dads are supposed to fight darkness.

I know I am not the ideal strong dad. I miss my dad too much. He left us when I was two years old. Sometimes I wonder if I had been afraid of dark, if my dad was with us. I wonder about it a lot. I have missed my dad at every stage of growing up. But I never wanted him back because he gave so much pain to my mother. I don’t know why I remember him so much.

I feel sad today. Let me take your leave now. It’s getting too late. I must go and sleep now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ stopped at his kids rooms before going to bed. They were both sleeping peacefully. The lights were off in their rooms and they were not scared about it. This is what gave common man the peace that had always troubled him so much. He was happy that atleast his kids are not afraid of the dark. They fight with it and also win. He was happy, very happy.

Everything is dirty in the house. I am tired of asking everyone to keep the house clean but there is no respite. If there is one thing that my family refuses to give an ear to is my earnest desire to keep the house clean. They feel that I am a cleanliness freak and keep on reminding me that at every possible opportunity.

I completely refute the claim. I am no freak. I am only a normal human being who like living in clean surroundings. It is a very simple thing and I wonder why they don’t understand it. Now tell me- is changing a week long used bedsheet with a new one wrong? Is wiping the coffee stains from dinner table wrong? Is dusting the windows and doors with a clean cloth wrong? But no- my family looks at me with a disdain.

They say I always overreact. They are too happy to accept the coffee stains on the dining table as a part of the table design. My wife even went along to say that those stains lend a touch of reality to table and life. Fiddlesticks!!!!!!!!!!

Everything is a mess at home. There are layers of dust gathering on things and nobody is least bothered about it. What worries me is that my kids don’t feel the need the make their surroundings clean.

They all have this irritating habit of never returning a thing to it’s right place. So there is never anything in the house at a place which it should be. I hate so much chaos. It makes me feel so terrible. It makes me very dirty. I don’t know when things will change.

I feel very helpless at times. I always keep all things in order. My files, folders, notepads are always at place in office. My colleagues admire me for my sense of order. They cite my example to others in office. And in my own home, there is no sense of order.

I am tired of all this. I need fresh air. I am going to the park. I feel very strange in this place. It is dirty. I am going.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ went for a long walk in the park. The ‘fresh air’ made him feel good and soothed his mind. He felt energetic again. The common man walked back to his home with a new determination and mission. The mission was – let’s clean the home.

I am very happy today. I got a surprise gift today from my kids and I am smiling so much. I never knew that my kids would gift me something like this. It is very precious and touched my heart a lot.

My kids have made a pen stand for me. It is so cute. It is cylindrical in shape and covered with newspaper from all sides. They have pasted little paper stars on the paper. They gave the pen stand to me in the morning when I was having breakfast. I didn’t know what to say. As such, I am very bad at saying the right things at the right time. Thankfully, my wife was also there and she said just the right things and put my feelings into words.

The kids were both happy and delighted. We all went to my study table and transferred my pens and pencils from the old cup on the table that I used to use as a pen stand till now to the new cheery pen stand. It is looking very nice. The little stars are absolutely amazing.

I know it is all my wife’s doing. She must have encouraged the kids to make something for me. This is her special way to make me feel special. She keeps on telling kids that their father is a superman. The kids smile with delight. I know they like spiderman better.

To think that they made something for me makes me very happy. It was so easy for them to go and buy something from the market but they chose to make it themselves. I appreciate this very much.

I wonder what will they think about me when they will grow up. When a child is small, his or her father is the superhero- he can do absolutely anything (my daddy strongest). When the child grows more- the image of the father becomes more human. The child knows that the father is not the most powerful and strongest but he still looks upon him for strength and comfort. I wish my kids find me a decent enough human being.

There are a lot of things that I want to do for my kids. I know many things remained incomplete. I know many desires remained unfinished but I hope and pray that they will find the finished desires more integral.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ touched the star studded pen stand and tears welled up in his eyes. He prayed to God that his kids always remained happy and healthy. The colourful stars promised him that they will.

I am feeling very nostalgic today. I was visiting a client for some work and came across this mechanic garage on the way. Old bikes, scooters and cars were crowding the garage and I couldn’t help but remember my college days.

My college was far from my place and this was the case with my friend also who was my neighbour. So we both decided to purchase a bike. Purchasing a new bike was out of the question since we had very less money. After many negotiations with many garage mechanics around us, we came across a third-hand used bike that seemed in good working condition. The owner gave us a three hour pep talk and finally after much thought we purchased it.

Me and my friend had decided before hand that both of us will get to drive the bike three days in a week while the other one will ride pillion and on Sunday- we will give rest to the bike. These were our modest dreams. We cleaned the bike with great excitement and even took it for a test drive to neighbouring block. The experience was exhilarating. The feeling that we were driving our very owned vehicle was very satisfying.

On the very first day of college, we drove to college in very high spirits. Weather was good, we were both smiling and dressed in our best clothes and the bike decided to stop without giving a warning. We spent the first fifteen minutes in blaming each other and finally decided to push the bike to a nearby garage. The journey was a long one and when we finally found the garage- the orientation lecture at college was over.

The bike gave us a tough time. We had it for precisely fifty one days. I can’t say we drove it because most of the time in those fifty one days, we spent in pushing it and sitting at the garage while the mechanic tried to understand it’s mystery.

We attended very few classes in college in those days. Finally, it dawned upon us that catching the bus was far more profitable and less tiring than riding the bike. So with a light heart, we put it up for sale. We realized that nobody in the world was a greater fool than us as nobody was willing to buy it.

Finally we donated the bike to the same garage from where we bought it, in lieu of a hearty dinner hosted by the owner.

This was my very first experience with my very own bike and I can’t stop smiling about it. Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ was in for an extremely pleasant surprise when he met his old college friend in the market next day. Both of them lived their experiences once again and couldn’t stop thinking about the good, old college days. The memory of the bike brought a cheer and they laughed heartily.

My daughter is growing her nails nowadays. This is no casual event. In our house, this is an integral process and demands cooperation from all family members.

When we were in school, we were taught to cut our nails on time and that was the definition of being a good boy. I have been following this lesson to the hilt ever since. My nails are always cut and clean. But I guess- the rules have changed now. This is what my daughter makes me believe. She says long nails are an absolute must for girls and all her friends in school have amazing nails.

She was talking about nail art also but I didn’t pay much attention to it. The crux of the matter is that my daughter has decided to grow her nails atleast half an inch long in a span of one month. Our house is on red alert. We are all intimated in very clear terms that anyone who would refuse to cooperate will be labeled a traitor.

My daughter’s nails rest in her lap mostly whole day long. They are washed and massaged with oil twice a day. She refuses to grasp and hold any scratchy or heavy objects lest they bring damage to the precious nails. All nail cutters have been removed from the vicinity of my daughter’s room.

My daughter has made plans to visit a saloon and get her nails painted in red to celebrate the occasion of their growing the desired length. Frankly speaking, I am tired of this nail business. But my daughter is not and that is important.

Her face glows with delight and she waits everyday for her nails to grow. I guess these are all a part of our growing up years. We have our own fetishes. No matter how funny they may sound but they have their own logical reasons.

I also refused to let go my torn jeans much after I had outgrown it. I remember my mom scolding me to throw it away. But I never did that. It is still with me reminding me that nails and jeans are all coming of age necessities.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ woke up one morning to the shrieks of his daughter. He ran hurriedly to her room to find out what was the matter. Thankfully they were happy shrieks. The nails had finally reached their desired length. It was the happy day. Life was good.

Yesterday I met a very old school teacher of mine. I remember him distinctly. He used to teach us in tenth standard. He was my Physics teacher. Whether I gave him a bad time or he gave me a bad time is something very debatable.

The thing was that I was very bad at Physics. I never understood the sickly subject and my teacher’s lectures didn’t really help me in any way. I never had any answer to any question that the teacher asked in the classroom. This infuriated him a great deal.

In nutshell, we both tolerated each other with great difficulty in that one year. As I grew up, I looked at the whole matter with a smile and just forgot all the bad things. But I realized that this was not the case with my teacher when I met him yesterday.

He was pretty shocked to see me and really couldn’t hide his expressions when he came to know where I was working. He had, I guess, expected me to turn out much badly. He was seriously upset.

He always used to scold me in class and say that kids like me never do anything in good in their lives. I always got scorn and punishment for him. When I think about it, I don’t really understand this. I mean how could he say such a thing. Did he ever bother to find out how I was scoring in other subjects? Did he ever pay attention to the fact that I tried really hard to follow what he was teaching? He was the teacher- he should have known this.

And even if he missed out on that- why was he so shocked by my getting on in life nicely. I was always good. I was always hard working and sincere. I was only bad at physics. You know it is so funny. It is so weird to see shock in the eyes of people you have grown up with when they see you succeeding. I wonder what image they built up in their minds about me and why?

Well- it pains me. It really hurts me to think that they were all waiting to see me fall and say- oh!!! I knew that.

It is a strange world with stranger people and strangest ways of measuring a person’s capability.

Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ opened his old suitcase with assignments tests from school days. He had preserved them till date. He looked at them and saw all the grades that he earned over the years. No- the teacher was wrong. He was always a very good student. The ‘A’ on every paper was proudly telling him so. 

I feel immensely happy today. I am happy, happy, happy. Today is the happiest moment of my life. I feel very proud and happy. My daughter has won the first award for her science project and she is going to be awarded. The ceremony will take place at the Science museum on the ABC road.

What should I say? I want to say that yes, there is God. He watches everything. He always takes care of everything. He has his own ways.

I was fifteen year old then. Me and my sister were very intrigued by the science museum and wanted to go there. We were highly excited and in our happy minds it never occurred that visiting the museum might need more money than we had in our pockets. I remember both of us were talking all the way to the museum. When we reached the museum, we were very rudely told by the guards that we didn’t have enough money.

We were abruptly turned away. I still remember me and my sister went and sat in the park and passed the decent time in returning back to home because we didn’t want to tell mom about the incident. She would have been extremely hurt. We both sat in the park and just talked vaguely. We were extremely hurt that day. That incident reminded us of our limitations and stature in society.

The memory still hurts. The memory still haunts. I have been to the science museum after that many times. I was happy that I could purchase the ticket and go inside but somehow I never again experienced the innocent excitement that me and my sister shared on that very first trip. Something was always missing.

And now my daughter has won the first award and will be awarded in the same museum. We have been cordially invited and it makes me feel very proud. I feel very good from inside. Life has it’s own ways. If God makes us wait for something, then he also doubles up the outcome. Indeed- God has his own plans.

But let me take your leave now. I have to call my sister. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ called his sister and they both rejoiced over the news. It was a nostalgic moment for them when they both accompanied the daughter to the award ceremony. In that moment, the memory that haunted them for years dissolved and there was no hurt left.

My kids got a very interesting school project. They were supposed to do something good for the community this weekend. It could be absolutely anything. The only rule was that it must make someone happy in some way. They had to click photographs of that process and grades in school would be awarded accordingly.

I know it is a very crazy kind of idea and not the perfectly right way to instill values in kids- but I don’t refute it completely. It is definitely a start. If out of hundred kids, even a handful find the process inspiring and continue doing it on daily basis- then it is definitely a step ahead. Kids learn things very swiftly and unlike the general perception when they really believe in something, they stick to it.

So my kids sat down to think of the best ways they can help the community. We all offered suggestions and finally we reached a conclusion. We have a little orphanage near our house. We decided to go there and spend an afternoon with the kids.

My kids were very, very excited about everything. We packed lots of fruits, sandwiches, coffee and also candies. We reached the place and the one hour we were supposed to spend there, stretched to five hours. We didn’t realize that so much time had passed. It was so good.

We all talked with each other. The kids shared their stories. We all had lunch together and felt very peaceful. I was too happy to see my kids really enjoying themselves and playing with other kids.

The afternoon went very nicely and we returned home. The kids submitted their reports and got very good grades. They told me stories of what other kids in their class had done to complete the community service project. Someone had planted saplings, someone had visited the old age home, someone had donated their pocket money to relief funds.

It is all quite good. I see a general aspiration to do something good in kids even if it is for grades. I see them diverting from the constant stress to look good and buy new things. It is surely a constructive step.

But let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ was extremely happy when his kids suggested that they visit the orphanage every month and make their friends happy. They were really excited about it and looked forward to their visit. The common man was happy. It was their very small community service. And yes- It was not for good grades.

My son wants a new watch again. Now I don’t understand it at all. Only last year I purchased a new watch for him. It is a good enough watch. He himself chose it after much deliberation and now he is saying that he is bored with it. What am I going to do now?

The watch is working perfectly but my son has completely refused to wear it anymore. He is adamant to have the new watch he has seen in some advertisement on television. He says that every guy in his class has already got it. He is sitting in the room with a sulky mood.

I don’t know- I feel very sad when I know that he is sad. But this is not the right way. He must understand that we can not get a new watch every year and moreover we must respect things and simply don’t throw them at the very first sight of something new. There are things that are for keeps. He must value what he has got and work hard to get things he wants.

There will always be something more tempting and more attractive. But there should be a limit to the desire to fulfill all our desires. He is only a student now. I don’t see any reason why he should have a new watch so soon. It’s not about the watch- it’s about the irrational demands that kids sometimes make. They must realize that everything should be done according to one’s situation.

When me and my sister were kids, I don’t remember a single time we pestered our mother for buying us something. Yes- there were things we wanted but we understood that we can have them by working for them. We were happy and content in our little world. Life was not about running from one object to another in a mall.

I find kids today have much less tolerance levels. They feel it is their right to have everything and feel betrayed when they can’t get them. I wish I can teach my kids to value the things they have and work for the things they don’t have.

I feel a little sad today. Let me take your leave now. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ was pleasantly surprised when his son came and apologized to him. The son told him that he didn’t want a new watch. The common man discovered that his wife had been talking to the kids while he was writing. She told them that dad works hard and they must respect him. She told them about their father’s efforts to give them a happy and secure life. The kids felt very proud of their father. They learnt to value what they had got in life.