The power of love
THE POWER OF LOVE
The one emotion that rules the world is what many say. I was lucky to witness enough evidence of the same way back in 1999. This is one emotion that lends supernatural power to people almost making a mockery of the law of probability. The purpose of this article is only to share with you what a profound feeling this is in helping you achieve what you want. Permit me to share two instances of what I intend to convey.
In 1999 there was this friend of mine who was preparing for an MCA (master of computer applications) entrance exam course in one of the premier colleges of the country. The chances of getting in were astoundingly remote. Just to give you an estimation, around 34000 students appear for the exam throughout the country. Just 30 are selected. And even in this thirty there are quotas for certain castes and tribes (defence quota, sports quota and stuff like that), the exact details of which I am not very familiar with. All in all there are only about 15 seats for the main category, I mean the open quota.
When my friend told me that he had his eyes set on getting a seat here, I was tongue tied. I never being a person to defeat anyones spirits wished him all the best. Now there is something else you need to know, this guy loved a girl with all his heart and he was just an arts graduate. In 1999 the prospects for an arts graduate were not very exciting. When he expressed his desire to marry the girl, her parents were justifiably worried. They conveyed to him in no uncertain terms that unless he gets a professional degree and shows proof of his earning capability they would not consider his proposal. Now there are many colleges that offer an MCA course but very few that guarantee immediate jaw dropping placements. This college was one of them and it met all his requirements ( prospects wise, location wise, culture wise etc). The downside was the excruciatingly slim chance of getting inside.
It is important to know that even people endowed with phenomenal analytical abilities, many a time have been humbled in this exam. I remember seeing people who learn new computer languages and write complex codes in a jiffy and remember being awed of their abilities. While they would be writing such complex programs, I would struggle with the most rudimentary basics and syntax. Clearly they were superiorly endowed. But such people fail to get through too. The very fact that you have to be one among the 15 out of the 30000 plus people who appear is reason enough to defeat the toughest spirit. Another important thing to know is that my friend was definitely above average but by no means superiorly endowed. You know what I mean? The stuff that geniuses are made of!!
What followed in the coming months was truly amazing. Since I was his close friend I had the opportunity of knowing what he was doing on a day to day basis. Except his sleeping time which was around 7 hours or so (for peak performance and to combat the ill effects of fatigue) his eating time (and other activities) which was around an hour and a half and his brief exercise time which was about half an hour, the guy was always at his books, solving problems and sharpening his analytical and mathematical skills to a razors edge. He was unaware of the world and what was going on. So much so his parents thought that something strange had happened to their son. I used to talk to him briefly before he retired and he would tell me all what he did. The effect was that I started getting amazed at his determination as days went by. Keeping up that superhuman commitment and tenacity for a period of 5 months is enough to give me goose pimples even today.
Needless to say I was the first to wish him on the day of the exam and I was about every bit as nervous as he was. Watching him from such close quarters aroused in me a deep feeling that he deserved to get in. He wrote the exam came out and I immediately phoned him. He was kind of non reactive as to how he did the exam, Ok, was his reply. I immediately felt my heart sink. I felt that if THIS was his reaction, the probability of his getting inside was really non existent. Had he done fantastically he would have been jumping for joy is it not?
It was with a heavy heart that I carried on my daily activities. We did meet after that but strangely enough we hardly talked about the same. The guy had also changed and he had become taciturn and withdrawn. I, totally understanding his feelings never broached this topic too.
Days passed by. The results were now just a week away and frankly I didnt want to go with him as I could not bear to see him break down (me being on the sensitive side). When I called him he told me “Boss! The results are not put up here but they are put up in another college”
(those days the internet was not very popular and the results used to be stuck on boards in certain venues). It was a torrid day and the poor guy had to cycle there which was another 3-4 kms away. Later in the evening, he calls me up and says ” jai! Keep yourself free for the evening. We are going out for dinner. I have GOT IT BUDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! )
There are moments in this life which take our breath away and this surely was one of them. My whole being reverberated with joy, gratitude and supreme happiness. I literally screamed. Man!! THIS is what you call an achievement. For a moment I had to put my feet on the ground to actually convince myself that this was reality.
Later while having dinner, I asked him what gave him the power to endure such superhuman hardship and pain. (Oh yes! I forgot to mention that this guy had some misunderstanding with her family and hence both were not even allowed to talk to each other and every action of hers was closely monitored. My friend never had even the pleasure and comfort of talking to her.) He told me clearly “whenever I felt my spirit giving in and my enthusiasm waning, I used to imagine her lovely face in front of me egging me to carry on. I could not imagine losing her to another guy. I could not ever see sadness in her face when i tell her that I had not got through. That very thought was like the strongest shot of a drug that jolted me from fatigue to hope.
Wow!!!! Was my reaction and I am still wowed to this day. It is my feeling that without the power of love our dreams wouldnt have any real meaning.
The second instance is much shorter and less flamboyant sounding. But it has touched a deep cord in me. Outside the kitchen where I stay in Mumbai there is a pigeon that laid an egg. After that for days and nights together it was on top of that hatching it presumably. In the night at 3 when I used to get up for water it was there. During lunch time it was there, when I used to make tea for myself it was there. There were other pigeons that used to come there too. When I used to open the sliding glass door all others would fly away but this one would still sit there. And yes. There used to be a hint of terror in its eyes that was so adorable.
Wherefrom came that indescribable tenacity to sit for days and days in JUST ONE POSITION? Wherefrom came the courage to stick on even though I frightened it no end? I guess it is only love that can lend such power. (Fear can perhaps do the same thing but its usually for destructive ends.)
These two (of course there must be many more) instances especially are the ones that I have witnessed from close quarters and which have imbued in me a deep respect for the power of love. Miracles ??? No big deal really!
To your happiness,
Jai
