भुर्र

भुर्र

लहानपणी आम्ही एक खेळ खेळायचो. ज्याच्यावर डाव असे तो पक्ष्यांची नवे घेई ...... कावळा, चिमणी, पोपट.......त्याने कावळा म्हटले कि आम्ही सगळे भुर्र म्हणायचं. मग मध्येच तो ससा किंवा सिंह असे म्हणायचा. जर कोणी भुर्र म्हटले तर त्याच्यावर डाव जायचा. काल सहजच या खेळाची आठवण झाली व मनात खुदकन हसले. त्यावेळी आम्ही कधीही 'दिवस' हा शब्द उच्चारला नाही. दिवस म्हटल्यावर भुर्र म्हणायचे कि नाही हा मोठा प्रश्न पडला असता.

तोच डाव जर आज खेळलो तर निर्विवादपणे 'भुर्र' च म्हणावे लागेल. कधी शाळा  कॉलेजचे दिवस सरले, नोकरी लागली, लग्न झले, मुले झाली  .बघता बघता ती मोठी झाली  आणि  काल परवा म्हणता म्हणता प्रकर्षाने जाणवले की त्या ओघात आपणही 'दिवस' भुर्र म्हणायचे सुद्धा विसरून गेलो. ज्या मुलाचा पहिला वाढदिवस आपण बघितला तोच आज डॉक्टर किंवा प्रोफेसर  म्हणून समोर येतो व जीव हबकून जातो. अर्रेच्या , मैथिलीचा मुलगा एवढा मोठ्ठा झाला? विश्वासच बसत नाही. सतत नमस्कार करून आशीर्वाद घेणाऱ्या  आपल्या डोक्यात अचानक प्रकाश पडतो की आता आशीर्वाद देणारी मंडळी खूपच कमी झाली आहेत आणि आपणच आता आशीर्वाद द्यायच्या वळणावर येऊन थबकलो  आहोत.

देणाऱ्याने देत जावे, घेणाऱ्याने घेत जावे,
घेता  घेता एक दिवस घेणाऱ्याने
 देणाऱ्याचे हात घ्यावे

 - या विंदा करंदीकरांच्या ओळी कितीदातरी ऐकल्या बोलल्या असतील पण आता जेव्हा मुले दहावीच्या निकालाचे पेढे घेऊन येतात तेव्हा सहजच आपले दिवस आठवतात व आपण खिशात हाथ घालून त्याला पैसे देऊन भरपूर कौतुक व आशीर्वाद देतो. मन मात्र आपल्या दहावीत रमून गेलेले असते. शाळेतली ती मज्जा मस्ती अनुभवत असते. अवधान येते पण मन रुंजी घालताच असते.

अशा गोजीर्वाण्या दिवसांना कधी कधी वर्तमानाचा चटका सुद्धा लागतो बरं का . शेवटी हा साप शिडीचा किंवा झोक्याचा  खेळच की. कधी वर तर कधी खाली. खाली असलो तर वर जायची धडपड आणि वर असलो तर गालावर खेळणाऱ्या  मंद झुळूकेचा आनंद. असाच एक एक  दिवस आपण जगत असतो , दिवसांची  वर्षे होतात, वर्षांची दशके आणि मग आपण म्हणतो - याला जीवन ऐसे नाव.

पण एका गोष्टीची जाणीव असेल तर सरती वर्षे सुद्धा सुंदर होतात. मन जर सत्तरीत षोडशवर्षा  राहिले तर वर वर वाटते की आपण मनाने तरुण आहोत  व हेच महत्वाचे. परंतु त्या स्थितीत सुद्धा वर्तमानाचे  भान नसेल तर हसेच होते नाहीतर निराशा पदरी पडते. मी मध्ये  एकदा एका ऐशी वर्ष्यांच्या आजी बाईना भेटले होते.त्या शास्त्रीय  संगीताच्या  विशारद  होत्या. त्या वयातही नवीन राग, सूर , ताल व चालींच्या सतत शोधात असायच्या. मला त्यांच्या या उत्साहाचे खूपच आश्चर्य वाटायचे. शेवटी न राहवून मी त्यांना त्याबद्दल विचारले. त्या जे म्हणाल्या त्याने मी अवाकच झाले. त्या म्हणाल्या - अगं हि पैशाची पुंजी वर थोडी घेऊन जाणार? शेवटी संस्कारच आपल्या बरोबर येणार - हि पुढच्या जन्माची तयारी आहे. वेळ अगदी थोडा आहे त्यात जेवढे जमवता येईल तेवढे जमवायचे.

एकीकडे त्या आजीबाई तर  दुसरीकडे बालगंधर्वांचे उदाहरण. आपल्या शिदोरीत किती व कसे जमा करायचे हे ज्याच्या त्याच्या मनावर अवलंबून. आणि म्हणूनच काही म्हणतात :कालाय तस्मै नमः , तर काही त्या काळावरही विजय मिळवतात. 

 

अनघा हुन्नुरकर

 

My Deepa: an illumined soul

My Deepa: an illumined soul

When I first met Deepa , I met her as Milind’s wife or may be Somankaka’s daughter- in- law. They had just shifted from Jamaica and Ria then was tiny tot suckling her thumb in the car seat cradle. With her affable nature Deepa can make any one her own and we caught on so well as if we knew each other for ages. This was I think almost 15-16 years back and today when I see Deepa’s Empire I am aghast.

A live example of what focused hard work can deliver. She is Managing Director of Lumiére business solutions with 45 people on roll, mother of two, a loving wife, a doting daughter, a loving daughter in law, home maker, yoga enthusiast, Ganesh bhakt (visiting Mahad once every month), student of Spanish, dog aficionado, pianist, superb event organizer, green fingered plant  lover, a great cook , japa chanter, a enormously large-hearted friend, superb host, avid reader, great at socializing and partying, globetrotter…….the list does not end. From dawn to dusk the karma yogi is working endlessly without getting exhausted year after year after year.

The only time I found Deepa lying in bed was when she was advised strict bed rest as she had a broken back. Even while lying on her bed, she was fervently working on her laptop as she had time lines to meet which she would not fail to meet. Usually many a vendors whether a tailor or an IT solution provider, are late in their deliverables. With Deepa it is other way round. Her business solutions are available to the client yesterday, instead of tomorrow. Does that mean she has been just a one track committed hard working woman?

Oh no, she has learnt the balance of wheel of life, long before it was touted around by management gurus. She can give quality time to her children as freely as she can give quality to her client. I often wonder, as I gaze at her in awe, what material is she made of? I had learnt in books about Men of Steel, grit & determination. But very often they had been so engrossed in their missions that the family was ignored or was managed by the spouse. Here is Deepa: the perfect example of the Goddess Durga with her eight hands, who managed all fronts with sheer perfection.

She does not just manage time, she plans her life. Not just a new year resolution but she exactly knows what she wants and when. Once she told me that she knew precisely what she was looking in a husband and when she met Milind she knew that they would be a perfect match. Today when you see both of them, one realizes that Deepa did know unerringly and not that she was boasting. If a girl can be so mature in her teens imagine the level of maturity in the forties. Today Deepa does not plan a day or a year, she plans a decade and she is never ever late. Accurately on time or a wee bit early but never ever late.

What distinguishes winners from also ran, wheat from chaff is not just great brains, will power, discipline but a focussed approach with timelines and milestones, chalking out a clear cut program of when to do what - at 20s, 30s, 40s eg Deepa wanted to know the piano at 50 and it takes 10 years to know it well.So she started taking piano lessons at 40. She wanted to know Spanish , which takes 5 years, by 48.So at 43 she joined Spanish classes with her two kids.They enjoy Sunday mornings together with a private tutor and learn Spanish.A group activity, quality time to children and a new skill being mastered.All packaged in one.

You would wonder, does that mean that she never had her low points? Honestly she did have - just as all of us do. She did have to go through the ebbs and tides of the ocean of life but mystical as it may sound, every ebb was taken as a learning lesson, every tide an opportunity. She matured into a beautiful warm person, humble and loving.

Working for Deepa is a huge learning experience. One is on a constant learning curve and if you are passionate about learning, it’s your perfect place cause Lumiére is a University in its own right. Flexi time, work from home, onsite, offsite you name your choice and Deepa knows to fit you there. Running an organization that is majorly women centric has challenges of its own. And mind you, its women from all age groups, all walks of life and different strata of society. She manages all with élan and undaunting spirit. Quality has always been the hallmark and be it home or office you just can’t fail to notice the aesthetics. 

What started off as a one desk space office has over the years grown into a huge company. They shifted offices, people joined & parted ,some moments were sad, some were joyful, capital was injected frequently as client base was expanding, timelines were becoming tighter, cost cutting challenges, she had to face all. With dogged determination she continued to deliver and the rest is history. As they say: hum chalte rahe, kafila badhta gaya.

That’s Deepa for me. I consider myself blessed that the Lord associated me with her. She considers me almost as her elder sister but frankly when I see her growth trajectory I feel so miniscule like a grain of rye. Deepaji, tusi great hoji!

With all my love

Anagha Hunnurkar

June 04, 2011