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One Sip At A Time...

After multiple unsuccessful attempts, I gave up. Woke up from my bed and went straight to the kitchen. Made a "Kadak" cup of tea and while enjoying it One Sip At a Time, I thought of writing this blog.

In the winters of 2007, I was in Kolkata. As fresh IT graduates - completely unaware of the global meltdown which was heading our way - a friend of mine and I were trying our luck with IT firms. Being from the middle class, we didn't have much to spend. So we decided to share a small hotel/lodge in Bada Bazar area of the city. The city is usually warmer than the rest of India. The temperature rarely drops below 18-15 degrees. Hence we used to get up quite early so we can get ready and go for "Job Hunting" in the Salt Lake City - the IT park of Kolkata. Right beside our lodge there was the huge wholesale market - probably the biggest in India (Or Eastern India to be more precise). Right at the corner there was a Chai Walah (Tea Seller) who had employed over 20 people so he can meet the demand on a daily basis. One cup of tea would cost you ₹2 but the taste will remain with you, forever.

Ten years later when I look back, I find him happier because even when he was selling tea - he was owning "The Business". A white-collar job can give you foreign trips, good hikes in the salary, a laptop and a phone but what it demands in return is your internal peace. You may defend the job stating how satisfied You are (rather your Ego is) but deep inside you know, If You are given the choice, you won't think twice.

In the "Rat Race" of being successful most have forgotten what they really wanted. Decent amount of money, time to spend with family and do everything that makes them happy. I don't think anyone feels overwhelmed by seeing her/himself stuck in traffic for two hours every Monday Morning. At least I don't.

Let me take you back to early nineties (for anyone who's more than 30 years old). We used to wait for our relatives to come home for the evening tea. The uncle (who's also the colleague of our parents) would come with his wife and children. Our parents would also be there at home - as they never had to work for 9 hours a day, then commute for two hours and reach home by 9PM. They probably made less money than us but had more time to enjoy life. They didn't have to wait for a "Weekend" to go shopping. They could watch the 5:30 PM news in Doordarshan as there wasn't a need of 9PM Prime Time back then.

Many things you can compare when you go down the memory lane. But can you really change the reality? I believe, You Can.

Because I, myself, am doing it "One sip at a time".


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