by Vishal Anand
Shakespeare, the Czar of the Queen’s language, writes in “As You Like It”: “All the world is a stage…And all the men and the women merely players”. He further says, “and one man in his time plays many parts.”
Well, Shakespeare’s was perhaps the most-skilled hand ever to have wielded the pen, but on this occasion, he was only half right. The roles which a man essays need not span his whole life. I, for one, play several parts in the course of a single day itself.
In the morning, when I reach my work place, I am a postman who wishes everyone he meets as if I am the harbinger of joy and good news in their lives. The grin I wear is – to use a corporate terminology – customized; its width is very much proportional to the power wielded by the hand I am shaking. It has taken diligent practice for me to master; but I doubt anyone notices or, worse, cares.
During my meetings with my superiors, I am the doting audience, who listens in rapt attention, neck stretched and ears open, my attention only punctuated by the prompted and timed applause as the powerful men explain their ideas that will change the world. Or so they think.
And when I address my own juniors, my sphere of influence suddenly expands. Now, it is me who is the man in the arena, the conjuror who is pulling the rabbit out of his hat. For all its outwardly show of sophistication and under the ruse of civilization, this world still runs on the primitive system of barter, and I expect to receive the same unflinching loyalty from my subordinates which I dish out to my superiors.
In the evening, when I board the office bus to my home, I am the hopeless romantic, who wishes that some day, the pretty girl sitting on the front seat will switch off her ipod and talk to me, and for once, the conversation will go beyond forced pleasantries, beyond bad appraisals and inflexible working hours. But then my stop comes and I get down, and through the corner of my eye I see her tap the screen of her iPod gently and switch to another track in her portable musical player. I marvel at the convenience of the modern age!
At home when I call my family living across the country, I slip into yet another role. Now, I am the obedient son, the responsible brother, the dutiful cousin. I listen with intent, or at least try, as the mechanical voice on the other side tells me that mother’s back ache is getting worse, that Rahul did not score good marks in the last exams, that father is planning to buy a new car but is falling a few thousand bucks short.
But at night, when I am all alone, when I have washed my face and the grease paint has come off, when the last of the lights have been switched off, when the blaring noise coming from the street has subsided, I retire to bed. And as sleep engulfs me and as my eyelids wilt and close under its weight, I begin to dream. In my dreams I am transported to another world where I am my own man. I am the guy who calls the shots in his work place, whose witty one liners sweep girls off their feet, who takes all the big decisions in the family and whom his siblings look up to as a source of inspiration and courage.
As is its wont, science has pushed a theory to describe this dichotomy: the so called left and right brain theory. The theory claims that the left part of the brain is responsible for analysis and reasoning. It helps you to lead a life on the basis of reason and logic. And the right part of the brain is bit of an idler. It is this part which adds colours to your life, makes you see the big picture and inflates your fantasy.
There are two different worlds we live in. One is the real world, harsh and challenging. It is a world fraught with disappointments and grief, frustrations and sorrows. It is the world where morality is ambiguous and ambition is muffled. And then, there is the other world – the world which has been woven into our consciousness through fairy tales and other such creative mediums. This is the world of fantasy and dreams, where gratification is instant and no desire is outlandish.
I want my life to reside in the slender region where these two worlds overlap, where dreams court reality. I do believe a man’s actions are closely linked to his desires and dreams lend life a beautiful purpose in a world where ambition is unclear. The different roles I play, therefore, have a purpose. They are the steps that I take on the path to the vision that I dream of. Man was perhaps created to live the journey called life this way. And who are we to defy that will of the Creator?
Vishal Anand is a Thermal Engineer working in the aero-engine industry at Hyderabad. He holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur and an M. Tech in Thermal Sciences from the same institute. During the day, as part of his job, he designs aero engines so that they can fly with longer life, less noise and less pollution. But during night, he likes to explore his creative side by reading and writing.
nice article …
Vishal, this is really so well written. I really liked this line, “I do believe a man’s actions are closely linked to his desires and dreams lend life a beautiful purpose in a world where ambition is unclear.” I have almost stopped writing for Spark – it’s been more than a year now… but at least finally, I got somebody in to write for Spark!