When did an Omega become a necessity?

 

“Not understanding life, we think objects will fill us, but its a cycle. A never ending wants for materials, that fill us for a second and leave us empty, wanting more”

 

Yesterday, I bought an expensive sofa-cum-double bed for myself. This was an addition to an expensive double door wardrobe which I bought last month. I’m also contemplating buying an LCD TV this weekend. I have also ‘almost’ bought a car few times before changing my mind at the last moment.

 

Infact, last week I was discussing the idea of buying a car (finally) with my friend and she asked me why wasn’t I buying a “Big car”. I guess she’s almost convinced me to buy a big car now (and I have a feeling its gonna be very very soon).

 

What it also means is that soon I’ll have all the ‘basic necessities” that a man needs to live. I already have the basics like an AC, refrigerator, washing machine, etc. In fact, I have two washing machines as i recently replaced my semi automatic washing machine with a fully automatic one (its easier to handle then the semi automatic one).

 

And yesterday, while lying on my new comfortable double bed, I was thinking that now I almost have all the basic necessities required to set up a house. And the next step would be my own house (my big dream).

 

And suddenly, for some reason, my Pune life flashed before my eyes. The best years of my life and I did well without the so called ‘basic necessities’ of life. For so many years, I slept on a matress, washed my own cloths, never even thought about an AC or a refrigerator, and roamed around the city on my bike. And those were the best years of my life. Its not that I couldn’t afford all these, but I never needed them to make my life better (or to feel that my life is better). I was anyways just too happy and at peace with my mind.

 

And then it struck me – when did an AC, refrigerator, expensive wardrobe and bed, washing machine and big car became the ‘basic necessities”? And lets be honest – almost all of treat these things as basic necessities these days.

 

And its not only about a car or a washing machine. I cannot speak for everyone but I can see my approach changing. Just to give you an example, the other day I was at a mall and I liked a Guess watch. But I didn’t buy it because I know my next watch is going to be an Omega. And don’t even ask me why – I myself don’t know. There was a time when I use to flaunt my Timex watch (though its still one of my favorites). But now when I go out for dinners and parties, I don’t even feel like wearing the Swatch or the Tommy watch. For some weird reason it has to be an Armani or a Rado or an Omega (and I don’t even know when did I start thinking like that).

 

I remember my friends in college always used to say that I smell good all the time. Thanks to the Park Avenue perfumes I used to buy from NDA canteen at a subsidized rate. And now my wardrobe consist of Armani, Varsace, Ferrari and Hugo perfumes but nobody has complimented me on it.

 

The other day, my cousin was in town. He wanted a shirt and I asked him to check the wardrobe and take whatever he likes. After few minutes, he came back and said-

“I’m confused. How do you decide what do you want to wear? Bro, when I have to go out, I wear one of 3 denims that I have, wear my only belt with the black shoes and one of the few t-shirts that I have. And I’m all set for the party. You have dozens of shirts, trousers, t-shirts, more then 50 ties, almost a dozen belts and even more footwear. How the hell do you decide? My life is so much better then yours.”

 

And I realised what he was saying made sense. I’m slowly getting into a trap and there is no end to it. I’ve started believing that these luxuries are necessities. I’m not saying that I should not buy an Omega watch or a big car. But the moment these become necessities, the joy of having arrived gives way to satisfaction (I’m not even sure if it gives me any satisfaction) of getting something which anyways was the basic necessity.

 

What it also means is that I’m not appreciating whatever I have and I’m yearning for more. There is no harm in dreaming big and aspiring for the luxuries of life. But then you should learn to appreciate whatever you have and enjoy it rather then march ahead for something better in life. Specially when you don’t even know what are you looking for finally.

 

There is no end to this. I’ll keep running after all these materialistic things in life and keep raising the bar for myself. Few years ago, if i was told that I’ll have a house with all the luxuries (or basic necessities – its how you look at it), wear designer cloths and accessories, drive my own car to party at the most expensive places in the town and swap my Platinum credit card for thousands of rupees without even thinking twice – I would have taken it gladly. It sounds like a perfect world – all that i ever dreamt of.

 

But today, I’m a slave of my own desire to get more of the materialistic world. And to be very honest, I don’t know why or for whom. Am I trying to prove a point to myself or to the world?

 

The best days of my life were spent without the expensive furnitures, AC, washing machines or a car. I was so comfortable in those lose fit old jeans and black shirts with the floaters. And I was no less a Tom Cruise myself in those inexpensive aviators sunglasses. And I took a few very pretty ladies out for coffee and dinner dates on my old bike.

 

And at the end, after the hectic but exciting day, I used to come back to my house and sleep on the mattress – happy, content and peaceful. I’m not sure if my new expensive sofa-cum-double bed will give me the same comfort and peace when I get back home after working hard the whole day so that i can pay for these basic necessities.

 

In the end, I’ll like to leave you all with the harsh reality of our lives – something that I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs (The rat race) also –

 

“Leaving the house in the morning, dressed in clothes that you bought on credit card for work, driving through the traffic in a car that you are still paying for, putting in petrol that you cannot afford, in order to get to the job that you hate but need it so badly so that you can pay for the clothes, car, petrol and the house that you leave empty the whole day, in order to live in it”

 

God’s favorite Child

 

Late last night, I got a call from one of my very old friends. He stayed with me for almost 6 years in Pune. He’s gone back now and looks after his father’s construction business.

 

There was a common joke in Pune back then – If Babu (thats me) asks Rishi (the guy), he will jump from our 4^th floor flat. And Rishi made no secret of his liking for me. He would do anything for me. And even though I had many good friends around me, I always knew that I’ve a friend who would do anything for me. He just couldn’t see me sad.

 

I still don’t know why he likes me so much. I mean I did treat him like a brother but at times I was mean too. But his affection was unconditional.

 

Even now, after 3 years, he’s the one who calls me almost regularly. At times he calls me when he is drunk and tells me how much he miss me and how important I am to him. Thanks to my busy Mumbai life, I hardly call him but he never complains. My cousin who stayed with us in Pune, says that Rishi thinks you are Ram and he is your Laxman (characters of Ramayana). I don’t know about this whole Ram – Laxman story, but I know I have a friend who would do absolutely anything for me.

 

And thats where I think I’m God’s favorite child. It is said that apart from your immediate family, if you manage to get unconditional love, affection and admiration from even one man/woman, you must consider yourself lucky. And by God’s grace, i’ve been very lucky to say the least.

 

Around a month ago, I got a call from an unknown number from Bangalore at around midnight. The caller identified himself as some Sahil who was working with one of India’s leading Software Company. He told me that he once played under me at some junior level National Cricket tournament and will never forget the support and help he got from me.

 

And to be very honest, I couldn’t even recognize the guy. But he was not perturbed by this and said he’d been thinking about calling me for a very long time but was not sure how will I react. But today he was going through some old newspaper clippings and saw my name as the captain of the team when he was chosen for the first time. So he somehow managed to get my contact number in Mumbai and called to thank me for everything (I didn’t even know what i did for him). He went on to say that he, along with few other guys from his town, has always admired me as a sportsman and as an individual. He thanked me again and said he’ll always wish the best for me in my life. I was almost speechless when he kept the phone.

 

And this was not just a one-off incident. Something very similar to this happened a year ago, when I got a call from this guy who was a part of some summer camp with me in Calcutta years ago. Though that time, I had some memories of the guy. He also thanked me told me how he’s always regarded me as a very good human being and wish the best for me.

 

And these are just few examples. I know so many people who love me and would do anything for me. I’ve not been a very good human being myself but I feel blessed to have such great people and friends around me.

 

I have always met great people and made great friends. Whenever I feel let down by anything, I have someone around me to pep me up. I have friends who know me for 15-20 years and we haven’t met for 10 years. But they still call me from all parts of the world. And no matter wherever I go, I end up making great friends everywhere.

 

Forget my school and college days. People say you hardly make good friends at your workplace. I can proudly say that I made great friends at both the companies I’ve worked in till now. Even after leaving Tata, I know I can call and speak with anyone there – right from the receptionist to the VP.

 

And thats why when I look at people around me, lonely and sad, in pursuit of happiness, I feel I’m blessed. God has always made sure that I have great people around me. And that why I feel I am God’s favorite child.