Hour Of Destiny

Tariq Ahmad Tariq

Hour Of Destiny

By :Tariq Ahmad Tariq

Rafiabad Kashmir

As soon as she entered the auditorium, she could see a young dynamic speaker motivating the curious audience from the podium-

“This is the hour of destiny for you.This hour belong's to you”, he said. “You are special.Yes,You are different, so you have to make a difference. Yes, you can inspire the change. Ask yourself what is the best in you, and then work on that”.

 He kept motivating the audience , but it all fell flat on Insha .She started counting her failures and  looking down on herself with all the more contempt.

She came out and rushed to the canteen adjacent to the auditorium. She ordered  tea and sat on the bench. Frisking deep in her bag she got her cell phone out to make a call.

Insha :  “uf! Again switched off”, wearing a frowsy look she whispered to herself. “Nothing is going my way”, she added.

In the meanwhile, Aatif came out of auditorium and sat on the table opposite to Insha  .He  also ordered a cup of tea. The waiter placed both the cups simultaneously on the table. While taking the first sip, Aatif found a pretence to talk and he started, “If I am not wrong, you would lead a campaign for women empowerment  last year.

Insha responded in affirmation and added, “Now  your next question must be why I left the auditorium mid-way”.

Aatif:  You are correct ,but I don’t qualify to ask, as I have also left the hall midway.

Insha:  Actually I am fed up now with these so-called motivational sessions. Talking big hardly makes a point, but acting big does make.

Aatif:  You are right.  Even the ordinary things done with extra-ordinary zeal and zest have the power to make a big difference.

 Insha :  I have tried that as well, but nothing went my way. I was an utter failure.

( In the meanwhile both finished their tea.)

Aatif :  May be, you had planned with a wrong option. You might have followed public opinion and suppressed your inner voice.

Insha :  No, Mr ….

Aatif:  Mr, Aatif. Mr Aatif is my name, and what is your good name ,please?

Insha :  I am Insha.

Aatif:  If you are not offended I must say that you don’t want to come out of the world of your failures. You are still upset with yourself.

Insha :  Are you a psychologist to say so?

Aatif:  No, I am not. I feel it to be true. I suppose you are desperate enough to tell your tale of woes .I can say with authority that your story has missed the entry of the prince riding the white horse, and presenting a red rose to the princess.

Insha :  No, gentleman. This brutal world has left no room for such whimsies.

Aatif:  That means, in your case the world has used all her brutality to deprive a beautiful girl of her soulful moments.

Insha :  Yes, but the good point is that I didn’t yield easily. I fought with all my might ,but I lost. Thus I have no complains with myself, at least.

Aatif:  Ah! How much it pains me to see a pretty girl in such a deep trouble!

Insha :  You seem to flatter me all the more now. I suppose I should keep my lips sealed now.

Aatif:  You can't do that.You desperately need to clear your chest before a potential listener.

Insha :  No, I haven’t any stories to tell, and I need not your advice either.

 Aatif:  You need not feel scared of me. Every other person has the same story.

Insha :  What do you mean?

Aatif:  Listen, I am a writer, and a motivational speaker. I have portrayed many characters giving them your attributes .The way you behave is known to me for ages now.

Insha :  What do you want from me ,then?

Aatif:  I want you live up your long cherished dreams. I can, if you wish, change the plot.

Insha :  No, You will not do that. I don’t have courage to revisit my roles. I am an utter failure.

Aatif:  If that is the case, why don’t you write a documentary of your failures?

Insha :  lets assume I will initiate ,but what good it will do to me?

Aatif:  Well, it will make you bold. You will discover the multiple reasons of your failures. You will get an opportunity to rectify them .In this process the world may be gifted with a talented writer.

Insha :  (smiles). I had sat here for tea, and it took one full hour to have my tea finished .I have been listening to an uninvited stranger for so long. What does this mean?

Aatif:  It means you are very close to finding a genuine listener for  your woes. A listener who does also understand various things which often remain unsaid.

Insha :  Don’t flatter anymore .I have left nothing unsaid.

Aatif:  But, I managed to listen a lot from you. Your newly found eloquence at speech, and your bright eyes speak quite loudly that you have found a sweet friend.

Insha :  ( smiles). This can be partially true. After all why should a renowned writer and a great motivational speaker waste his precious time for an ordinary girl except that she is her close friend.

Aatif:  You are wise enough at drawing quick conclusions. Now tell me honestly,  will you take to writing.

Insha :  I suppose yes. In fact, I have thought of writing a story that took its shape before my eyes. The story is full of matter.

Aatif:  I suppose you will not allow your story become preaching.

Insha :  I will try to keep my judgment reserved ,and will bring forth how emotions are victimized in routine arguments.

Aatif:  That is nice. Try to make your story appealing for the readers. Don’t allow your characters turn rude at the very outset. Create the exposition for allowing crises zoom out fully.

Insha :   I know that much ,sir, after all I am a literature student. I am well versed at presenting things. I have my own lovely style. But…,tell me honestly now,  why do you take so interest in me?

Aatif:  I really don’t know why. But.., I can’t afford to see you in trouble.

Insha :  And you have planned to arouse the dream of the prince in the heart and mind of this pretty girl, and have worked hard to paint yourself into that prince. Isn’t it so?

Aatif:  No, Ms Insha. I don’t harbour such intensions. But one thing I know for sure. Your prince will not come from any royal palace.He will not be accompanied by a band of musicians .He will come all alone .He will dive in your existence, and settle in your heart .He will add scent to your life and breath. When he comes you will see the time flying holding your wrist. He will spend an hour with you without any apparent reason. That will be the hour of destiny for you.This I have read in epics.

Insha :   (Becoming emotional). I quite understand it .When he comes ,he will have to listen to all my woes. He has to take me in his lap. He has to caress me, and fondle me to the core. When he comes he will discover by himself how much incomplete I was without him.( wipes off tears).

  Aatif:  But.., remember. This all shall happen in the resolution phase. Only after the crises have reached to a frightening climax .This will give your story a telling effect.

Insha :  But, sir, In my personal life I do badly need resolution ,for, I have come across countless crises but without a single resolution.

Aatif:  Then start cherishing your prince .let him come and spend the hour of destiny with you.

Insha :  He has to come. I have been waiting him for ages now. Any way thank you very much for your sweet company.

(loud cheers are heard  reaching  skies in the auditorium, and repeated announcement are made that the next motivational speaker Aatif would be present on the podium in just one minute)

Aatif : (getting up). It is my turn to speak .They have announced my name. I need to go.

Insha :  Ok, Sir . You may go.

Aatif:  But, inform me when your prince comes to spend the hour of destiny. ( Aatif hurries to the auditorium).

  Insha :  (Smiles with herself) .Surely Sir.(again smiles and gets absorbed in self talks). Very interesting person. He spent more than an hour with me just to console me. How selfless he is. He had none of his interests to field .He is a nice guy .

Insha kept thinking of Aatif being very nice to her. She went to the manager to pay the bill. The manager returned her money saying her friend had already paid the bill. She left the counter and started walking home .the phone rang. Insha looked the contact and switched off her phone.With a gentle smile on her face she dropped the phone in the bag,and went off with rapid steps murmuring the recurring phrase of her prince’s arrival and the hour of destiny.

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Email:taraiq@gmail.com

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Lets Start Afresh

Lets Start Afresh

By :Tariq Ahmad Tariq

Tariq Ahmad Tariq Rafiabad

We do sometimes complain that many of us don’t deliver to the best of their capabilities. This way we affirm that our potential is always more than what we actually work out usually.

If we cherish dreaming ,we need to sleep most of the times, but in order to follow our dreams we need to keep awake for longer hours. This is the time tested axiom. Great people are believed to be doing even the simplest things  very differently. They do ordinary things with extra ordinary zeal and zest, and manage to discover the excitement of the work .They equip themselves with knowledge and skill, and go with refined attitude towards the work. These are the people who deliver the best ,and people  call them real champions.

Every human being is endowed with a set of qualities. The only thing one has to do on his own is to  execute  his plans at the place where his endeavors  are valued to the utmost. If he keeps with the people who have no wisdom to recognize his worth, he will have to be contended with a miserable life. He can’t carve out a special place for himself. A wise man once  explained the same truth to his ten year old son. He placed a shining rock in his hand, and asked him to go to the market and find out its real worth. He advised his son if somebody asked him of its price he should simply raise two fingers and keep his lips sealed. The boy reached the market place  ,and showed the rock to different people. One person showed keen interest and asked its price. The boy raised two fingers which made the buyer cry –“Oh! Two dollars”. The boy didn’t say anything and returned his home. Next,  his father sent him to the jewel market of the city. Seeing the shining rock in his hand a jeweler asked if he wanted to sell it .The boy nodded his head in affirmation. The jeweler asked the price, and the boy raised two fingers in the air. The jeweler smiled and yelled, “Two hundred dollars!” the boy kept silent and returned to his father.

By the next morning the father sent his son to the most famous and expert jeweler of the city.The boy showed the shining rock to him .His eyes gleamed. He asked the price. The boy raised two fingers. The expert jeweler exclaimed- “ Two hundred thousand dollars! It is worth it”. The boy silently returned home and asked his father the reason of such a huge variation in evaluation .The father smiled and explained. He said,” No matter where from things come ,they must reach the place where they are valued the most. People have their own price tags for different things. One has to look out for genuine people who would look beyond the faces and make clear assessment of the intrinsic value of the things.”

The father added  “This rock is not just an ordinary rock.It is a precious stone. The average man, roving in the markets ,fail to recognize its worth, but the expert jeweler always knows what is its exact worth.”

This story is not just a story of amusement, but a story of inspiration. It is the reflection of the worldly truth. Every human being is endowed with some unique talent .It is the possessor who needs to explore it  .It is he who needs to explore for himself the right place where his talent finds desired recognition. The ultimate value of a pearl is known only to two people-  the king in whose crown the pearl is decorated, and the jeweler who sculpts the pearl. Name and fame becomes destiny of those who toil hard. Opal is chiseled hundred times before it is actually turned into the jewel, and decorated in the queen’s ring.

In order to make our life worthwhile we have to attain the best possible knowledge, and go with the required set of skills. The refined attitude and the strong will power does ultimately help us realize our coveted dream. Thousands of people around us have proven this axiom. Why can’t we?

Lets ask ourselves a simple question- “What should we be remembered for when we are gone? The answer will have to come from within”. Let’s imbibe the great qualities of the people who have attained the greatness due to their valuable contribution towards the humanity. Let’s take the pledge that we will do our best .If there are bottlenecks, lets believe that they are there to make us strong. Smooth seas have never produced skillful sailors. We are not exceptions .Lets have a new beginning .Lets start afresh.

Is Happiness A Choice?

Is Happiness A Choice?

By:   Tariq Ahmad Malik

       Behrampora Raffiabad

Tariq Ahmad Malik

Every human being is destined to taste happy as well as unpleasant moments during his entire life span. There are certain situations which make us feel happy (e.g.), Marriage  ceremonies ,birthday parties, festivals etc. There are also certain occasions which have grief attached (e.g.), funerals, accidents, and failures etc. There is , however, a third set of situations in which we opt to be either happy or upset. This situation may arise at our homes, in our offices, and at our work places. In these cases we opt whether to appreciate somebody’s efforts or disregard him. Whether to give somebody respect or ignore him out rightly. Here ,in this situation ,we do deliberately choose between regard and disregard, approval and disapproval, envy and jealousy, ego and selflessness etc. .This phenomenon engulfs the major part of our life’s practices.

Looking at the life style of different people ,the keen observer is made to understand that happiness is ,to a large extent,  a choice , an option and a matter of preference. The person who is happy is not necessarily the person who has no worries at all. He may be the person who has deliberately decided to live up his happy moments lavishly. For him the worries could be a stimulus in the way of making him strong.

The wise man knows that worries are common to all, so are the suffering. He keeps busy exploring the way-outs from his troubles.

I saw one of my acquaintances worrying ,and feeling very upset about the attitude of her colleagues. She complained that her colleagues were not respectful to her despite of her showing utmost courtesy to them. This phenomenon had made her very unhappy .She could not help saying,” I talk softly to them every time .I give them due regard. I meet them with smiles but they are hell-bent on disregarding me .I am left with no option .I suppose I should leave my job.”

We face such odd occasions every now and then. We do usually find ourselves option less in these situations .But as a last resort, we need to have yet another look on our personality traits .We may ,sometimes, discover that we need to reshape our personality traits. We may need to examine our attitude afresh. Every word and every phrase has either a wedding bell or a sting attached. Words may have flavor of ego or humility.

After coming with multiple self-corrections, we can expect of the souls around us getting moulded for the good. The time tested traits of truth, beauty, and goodness are always rewarding .If we embrace decent attitude ,we will be showcasing all the three .After making it into our habit, we can expect the people around us flocking around us. Supposing people persist with their mean mentality and defy our decency, we are still at no loss .The decency in our attitude can win us thousands of decent people .We can rule over hearts of scores around us. Our obstinate colleagues are also expected with the passage of time, to having reassessment of our credibility.

There is always the second side of every coin. The people who are decisive to letting us down have their own shortcomings. Endorsing the rare talent in this context makes them feel inferior.

Familiarity breeds contempt. When some hardworking and dedicated official is appreciated by the boss, the mediocre ones slide into the background. Instead of improving their efforts they start fomenting grudges with the one who  is committed to his job. They start isolating him and looking for his flaws. They start accusing him of being egoistic, glib tongued, and double faced. In case the dedicated official is a girl, the erring officials can even descend on leveling her with the accusation of being in a living relationship with the boss.

The dsire for a good name and face is common to all. It is, however, only the determined and the dedicated people who do actually work for it. Such people know how much effort it takes to become number one. They face the challenges headlong. They even fail at times but they don’t give in. They correct themselves ,and ultimately come up with bright colours.

The voice within is our best endowment. We need to allow it rumble. While we deliver according to our inner voice, the world creates uproar of noises. We have to reassure ourselves to let the genuine voice survive amid the whirlpool of noises .When others try to suppress our voice we have to use our full strength to keep it afloat .we need to get muse from the self-talk .We will ,as a result, discover that our conscience is invariably applauding us for our coveted efforts. Someday the unwanted noises have to die out. They will die when they will see the genuine voice gaining momentum and soaring in the sky. The best answer to the mediocre people is our ultimate success. Once we see success eye to eye, we find thousands of mothers caressing and fondling us .Long ago H.W.Longfellow has voiced _

Let’s then be up and doing

 With a heart for any fate

Still achieving, still pursuing

Learn to labour and to wait

Let the winds from opposite direction run their course. They will have to sway the cradle of our dreams. They will have to allow the kite of our ambition soar in the vast expanse of the sky. Lets believe that when others will be dreading to dream big, there is always an opportunity for us to prove our mettle. In this case , if we face opposition, it will be worth it.

Great Teachers Are Born Great!

Great Teachers Are Born Great!

Tariq Ahmad Malik

By: Tariq Ahmd Malik

Behrampora Raffiabad

It is beyond all doubts the dedication of the teaching faculty which transforms an otherwise low performing school into an ideal learning platform. Teachers become dedicated when they assume their duty in right perspective. When they take teaching as a mission. Such teachers ensure that the students should find a reason to remember their class as an important part of their school life experience.-they believe that their students are their teammates. They don’t fear to have a little fun with them. They love to be creative and innovative .Before taking their classes, they review key concepts afresh. They believe in delivering to the maximum of their potential. They make students feel excited about school.

The great teachers are always on time. They welcome their children every morning. During morning assembly sessions they make sure that the students  have  maximum participation in them. They set the platform for the students so that their special capabilities are honed, and they are provided ample opportunities to bring out their best.

The great teachers maintain record  of their lessons. They have always a proper lesson plan. Besides their lesson plans their  diaries keep record of students’ bio data, Their case history, the contact numbers of their parents, marks awarded in different tests, etc. These teachers keep  up to  the date the record of the students as per their performances in different test  eg, high achievers, the averages, the below averages etc. The great teachers then organize special sharing sessions for  the poorly  performing students and guide them through remedial teaching sessions.

The great teachers don’t allow any moment  go waste in the school. When they have vacant period,  they prefer to cross- examine the written work of the students. They do also spend some time in school library to update the content of their lesson plans.

The great teachers volunteer in organizing special lessons on “ Friday post-recess sessions” , and discuss at length the basics of their specialized subjects. In these sessions all the students are assembled in the school auditorium for having live interaction with the expert teachers.

The great teachers keep themselves   in constant touch with the  parents and keep  intimating  them about the performance of their wards. They receive their feedback and try to explore novel learning techniques. These teachers help the administration in forming parent-teacher associations, and organize parental meets at school.

The great teachers never fear to go for innovations if they think they can help the learning process acquire momentum. They create  “  Whats- Up  Group” , and add the parents as members. On this page they post circulars, Notices, Datesheets, Schedules of important events, and the report of various activities the school organizes at day to day basis. They do also post the award rolls of the mock tests which the school organizes. Thus the page is intended to bring the performance of the school in public domain.

The great teachers organize the events on special days related to the life of great scholars, scientists, leaders, saints etc. They do also create awareness about different career options,health hazards, and social issues. Doing this on regular basis they inspire a change in the budding bloom of the nation.

The great teachers invite the living legends to the school and ,make them interact with the students. They organize lectures of eminent scholars. These eminent people share their experiences with students and motivate them to work out their career in a best possible way and plan their studies prudently.

The great teachers make the school into a language library. They organize student  discussions, interactive sessions, and debates. They prepare PowerPoint presentations and expose the students with smart learning. They Show them documentaries, short films etc. and widen their mental horizons every possible way.

The great teachers form cultural clubs in their schools. They motivate and guide the students for performing art. They prepare skits, mimicry, declamations etc. They teach them folk lore. They show them the beauty of the culture and motivate them to preserve it with all its vitalities.

To sum up , we may say that it is only the dedicated and inspiring teachers which transform an ordinary looking school into an ideal one. Such teachers are necessarily intelligent and know their subject matter well. Their work and behaviour is invariably commendable. These teachers are reflective. They keep correcting themselves .They are confident about what they deliver. They are engaging. They make learning interesting. They never dread trying a new idea. If it doesn’t work ,they refine it. If it still doesn’t work, they ditch it. They make every student feel important. Thus they do necessarily give their students a reason to remember them as an important part of their school life experience.

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