COMIC RELIEF – MINDING ONE’S OWN BUSINESS!!-EPISODE 4

COMIC RELIEF – MINDING ONE’S OWN BUSINESS!!-EPISODE 4

CHANGE OF BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS – EVEN IN THE MYTHOLOGY!!

By Donald D’ Silva, Mira Road, Karkala

Donald D’ Silva is an Advertising Professional & Brand Strategist managing his own Digital Marketing Company in Mumbai. He writes about Current Affairs, Political Analysis, Bollywood Happenings and a variety of Social subjects.

Background:

(There are four friends who were thick and thin in their childhood. They were inseparable. Now, today they are in their 50 s and late 50s. they regularly get together and make merry as, they have made their money and are well settled in their lives. It is the case of jumping early into business and tasting success. Two of them have taken VRS and settled down.)

1. Jeevan Shetty: He is the owner of three Bars & Restaurants. One in Mangalore and two in Mumbai. A billionaire in his own right. From Karkala.
2. Sathish Shenoy: He has a cloth store in Moodbidri. He has two veg
Restaurants in Mumbai.
3. Richard Almeida: He has one Bar & Restaurant in Mumbai.
4. Melvyn D’Mello: He has two night clubs in Mumbai.

(The four friends again gathered at Jeevan Shetty’s house. Booze flows as the conversation gathers momentum)

Jeevan: Hello, Friends, How are you coping with the present lockdown scenario? The situation is getting bad to worse!!

Sathish: Yes!! Boss!! Totally uncalled for. We are suffering economically, but some of them really sad! People are becoming psychologically affected. They are behaving abnormally. Near my place, in Kankanady, I observe many of them be it elderly men or women, or youth are in some kind of problem. They are behaving
abnormally.

M: There is a lot of pressure mentally!

R: The first one is no income. No salaries. No business. Totally bankrupt situation. Liquor is available…but…. for first three days….it was ok. Now, even, people do not have money to buy booze as well!!

J: Yes!! Indeed! I feel bad…. but if we also do not eat properly or drink a bit, we will also become psychological wrecks slowly!! (While talking he uncorked JW Black Label and started pouring in four glasses.)

S: Cheers!!

All: Cheers!

S: The behavioural pattern is changing rapidly. Some are talking to themselves, and some are just keeping mum! Totally non-communicado.

J: In Mumbai, one of our staff members is also suffering the same. He is staying with his relatives. He used to drink daily. He is my senior Barman. Now, the guy has gone into some kind of communication coma!! He eats well, but always staring at the ceiling and silently crying!!

S: Booze selling stopped in Maharashtra. The reason being the uncontrollable crowd! The govt. may start online, but not very soon, though!!

J: Pakistan has removed lockdown. In many other countries, also, the same will be followed!! Psychological behaviour is due to the unseen future. There is uncertainty. Up to December, there is no signs of Bars opening, Events and weddings etc. Probably,
the low-income group was worried about the EMIs and the regular income they are deprived off etc.

S: Yes, how they will survive in the future? But, this psychological problem we had with Bollywood stars and also with Hollywood stars as well!!

M: No, I beg to differ! That was a different one!! Some become mad due to their career not taking off and some because of tasting high success due to their career advancement!!

J: Rajesh Khanna, one of the bad example!! He thought he was next only to God!! He had given an interview once in a Magazine! Kangana Ranaut is also one example of the change of behavioural pattern. She is in a bitter fight using twitter reportedly with Hrithik Roshan!

S: Nope! She is instigated by her mad sister…“Rangoli”! This madwoman is hell-bent into getting Kangna negative publicity. It is said that, if one can’t become famous, one can be Notorious!!

M: There was Late Simple Kapadia once. She was sister of Dimple Kapadia. She used to be her dress designer and also close confidante. Teaching all the wrong things to Dimple. Also, Barkha Roy…the crazy sister producer of Reena Roy!! Barkha used and ruined the career of Mahesh Anand. Bechara was a handsome hunk…now poor fellow ..no more!!

R: He is not a Punjabi Anand. He was the son of Anand Master…A garage owner…Anadndanna is a Mangalorean. Mahesh christened himself as Mahesh Anand. Barkha used him as her boyfriend. He was a good dancer and played villainous roles. Met a sad end, though!

S: Barkha had done a great deal of help to Reena Roy in her career. Reena was a bar dancer in Kolkata. She was from a poor family. Because of her acting talent, she made it big in Bollywood. However, she has become a bulldozer today. Sad, mother earth cannot tolerate her weight!! Last time, we were talking about the Pumpwell bridge, right? If Reena Roy, even walks on the bridge once, there will be huge potholes and craters!! Thus is her weight!! The rainy season is fast approaching!

J: Last time, who broached the subject of ‘Mahabharata”? Myself?

M: I was about to say. Psychological problems are like Duryodhan’s. Shakuni mama, the evil character used his wicked ambitions to his own advantage and brainwashed him. He knew that there would be a tragic end!

R: Why on earth that a maternal uncle will do that to his trusted nephew? Duryodhan could have given five gramas to Pandavas, and there would not have been any war altogether!!

J: I would have given 10 gramas! Who cares? At least rest of the kingdom would have been mine!

S: No, yaar!! The story is different. Shakuni was the crown prince of Gandhar. His sister was forced to marry the blind Drithirashtra!! Shakuni was angry to hell…could not do a thing about it. So, he came and settled in Hastinapura and plotted revenge!!

J: Revenge against whom?

S: Beeshma, of course!! Who else? He was running the biggest caretaker government at that time. He being a great warrior was instrumental in winning battles for Hastinapur. Gandhari married the blind man and tied a cloth on her eyes and went onto be blindfolded for the rest of her life!! Great pativrata woman!!

M: But, I have read that, the biggest psychological fools were the Asuras. The demons. They disliked Vishnu, who is called Hari! And used to worship Hara…. The Bholenath aka Lord Shiva and Brahma, of course.

J: Melvin Bhai, You have a penchant for reading the scriptures? You know the Dashavataras as well?

S: Yes, he is right. The Danavas or Asuras, as they are called…. were mad…. jealous of the devalok, Indhra the king and all other gods at Amravati…also called as Indra nagari. They wanted to dethrone Indra and rule the devalok. Their main strategist was their guru….Vokkanna Shukracharya!! Their spiritual guru. He used
to coax the rakshasas! He had one eye!!

J: Yes, I remember now. Lord Vishnu used to grumble at times…that Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma used to give boons to these rakshasas, and he had to don new avatars each time to save the world!! There have been a total of 9 avatars so far!! The tenth one is about to come…. last one…i.e. The Kalki avatar. That means THE END!!

S: Yes, the Virus scenario reminds me of this…. the end of the world!!

R: No, yaar!! This could be a warning! People whole over the world…. probably even including us have forgotten God the almighty!! That’s why, this could be the warning to help each other…lead a noble life…and be grateful to God…. see the developed nations of the world…! US…Uncle Sam…the world policeman…..they have the highest number of infections…and more than 80 k deaths!!

M: Arre, Friends!! Pls, enlighten me on the Asuras…. the boon they got! How on earth can they get such boons and then destroy the people on earth?

S: Kalki avatar has not begun as yet!! Lord Vishnu had taken nine avatars. Lord Krishna and Lord Rama’s was very memorable ones. Most of them remember! Then there is Vaman avatar to get rid of Bali Chakravarthy, Mohini avatar and Koorma Avatar (Lord becomes a Tortoise) during samudra manthan. Varaha avatar in the guise of Wild boar to kill Hiranyaksha and dangerous is Narsimha Avatar….to finish Hiranaya Kashipu, His brother!!

M: Like the jealous and treacherous Bollywood sisters, there was a woman in Ramayan. I believe…because of her that Lord Rama had to go for Vanvas!! 14 years it seems…!

S: Yes, She was Manthara, the maid who was crooked with a lump on her back and very ugly. She poisoned the mind of Dashrath king’s…and got him to ask Lord Rama to go for 14 years vanavas (14 years to be spent in the jungle) It is all pre-destined…. thus the reigning emperor of Lanka, the evil and dangerous Ravana would be finished. So as his brother Kumbhakarna. These two demons were born again after they were killed earlier. They were Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu earlier!!

R: Achha, the story is like this! That’s how there are no children named as Ravana in India…same like none of the parents have named their children …Hitler!”.

S: In India, the terrible gangsters are called Ravana. Amar Naik the terrible gangster from N.M. Joshi Marg from Mumbai was named thus!

M: More about Ravana please…..

J: Ravana ruled Lanka. Present-day Sri Lanka. He was a devotee of Lord Brahma. He haad got many boons for his great Tapasya!! He used to stand in one leg and do tapasya for years. One fine day, Lord Brahma was pleased and appeared before him. Ravana asked for a boon that he will not be killed by any creatures of the world, on earth, heaven and pataal…. that is a place below the Earth!! Ravana got the boon from Brahma that no creature of Lord Brahma will be able to kill him except a manava…that is a human. He thought a man is not powerful at all. He got immunity from Devas, Gandharvas, Nagas, Yakshas, and Danavas, But, Ravana’s overconfidence was bad!! Lord Vishnu donned the avatar of Lord Rama and Ravana was killed.

S: Yes, Correct, he threw away Kubera his half-brother and snatched his Puhpak Viman (A self-propelled plane in those times which took verbal orders and navigated wherever its master Ravana wanted.

M: But, I heard he had imprisoned Shani deva as well!!

R: Yes, you are right!! Ravana wanted to rule the world, so he was worried Shani would create problems for him. The best way his ministers told him was to capture Shani and imprison him in his jails at Lanka. When there is no Shani, Ravana will be safe and rule the world!!

S: But, like every one of Hindus do, even myself…. on Tuesday we make Puja of Lord Hanuman…There is a reason behind it!!

M: Please Shenoy ma’am, tell us more about this Shani and Puja to Lord Hanuman on Tuesday? My regular customers and friends used to tell me that they do not drink on Tuesday ad conduct upavas…!

S: You all know that Lord Ram sent Hanuman to Lanka and visit Sita Maate and convey her the concerns of Himself and Laxman. Also, he will visit and conquer Lanka soon!!

So, Hanuman leapt across the ocean and landed at Lanka. He could change into any disguise and enlarge his body…there were many boons given to him….It’s a very long story…

So, In Lanka, he met Sita and gave her Lord Rama’s ring. He had skirmishes there with guards and Ravan’s lesser-known sons. His top ranking warrior …Indrajit…also called as Meghnad…imprisoned him using ‘Bhrahmastra’. The mighty weapon granted by Lord Brahma!.

R: Yes, true…. There is no way any weapon can imprison Lord Hanuman…but out of sheer respect to Brahmadev and to see Ravana face to face, Hanuman surrendered and was bound by invincible ropes and was taken to Lanka. To cut the long story short…He was mocked…was called a monkey…and laughed upon by the people in Ravana’s court. Before that, as Ravan was sitting on a huge throne…. To make a mockery of him. Lord Hanuman became tiny, and all the ropes fell down. Then he grew big in size and increased his tail to such an extent and wound it up from the surface to a bigger height than Ravana and sat on it making fun of Ravana.

S: Ravana, got angry and ordered that the monkey’s tail to set on fire!! Upon hearing this…Hanuman got angry, kept quiet though. The soldiers tied a cloth and gave fire to Hanuman’s tail. Hanuman grew large in size…..very huge….And in a split second…jumped out of the palace….the next thing he did was jump from one place to another…one building to another and gave fire to whole Lanka!!

The whole Nation was set on Fire!! People, the Rakshasa populace screamed in fear… The fire spread rapidly…!! It melted the jail!! Shani deva, at last, escaped from the jail!!

J: So, till today…the pundits ask devotees to worship Lord Hanuman…as Shani Deva gave assurance to Hanuman…that. Any humans who worship you on earth…..I will go soft on them…..Will not torment them!! So…Today…you can see next to Hanuman Temple…. there is always a Shani Temple. And devotees worship both…!! Shani will show restraint on such devotees…

S: This Tuesday, let’s visit Hanuman temple…!!

M: But, this time Shani has struck the whole world it seems!!

R: In a way, yes!! I heard that Kejriwal, the CM of Delhi is also a Hanuman Bhakth…. He chanted Hanuman Chalisa regularly…and was bestowed the Delhi chair for the third time.

R: Yes…Nice to know the great story… Myself and Melvin will also pray to St. Anthony of Padua…His novena is on Tuesday. We will pray that this virus attack comes to an end…peace and harmony is restored in the world. We will attend the Novena of St. Anthony at Milagres church!!

Jeevan and Sathish, Melvin nodded their heads in the affirmative.

Jeevan: Richard and Melvin, please enlighten us on St. Anthony and his miracles next time!

Richard & Melvin: Sure! Definitely. We shall!!

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