It was 13th March, I got a call from one of my friends, Subroto, if I can manage to visit Andhrapradesh for an audit assignment accompanying him, where we were supposed to stay for 12 days and work. He knew that I always had a fascination towards visiting south Indian states, and he behaved like a friend indeed. I grabbed that opportunity and agree to take up the job.
We enjoyed everything there in Andhrapradesh; the journey, the job, their work culture, the South Indian food, places, the Godavari river, the south Indian temples and many other things. I did not even dream of all these to happen in this way as they happened to happen and I was so happy for everything. Though the offer came to me on 13th (the unlucky 13th).
In Andhrapradesh it was the Tamil new year that day and we were invited to join that ritual in the morning at the home of the manager of the organization at Bhimavaram, a posh city in Andhrapradesh. They are very rich in their own culture and rituals and We enjoyed observing their telegu ritual called “Ucchidi” (Telegu new year) and enjoyed the taste of a variety of homemade lovely foods including the “Ucchidi Pacchidi” ( traditional chatni, especially made during Ucchidi) there. Everything, starting from their large homes, flower decorations of the home and temple, hand made designs on the home-floors (in hotels also), fragrance in atmosphere, traditional chants and songs, dress up and above all their behavior had been so aesthetic and fantastic. I was feeling so fortunate to be there amidst all these and was feeling so blessed and fortunate.
Returning back at our hotel room from such an auspicious and beautiful environment in morning, I was feeling a little idle and bored as we had no office work that day due to the leave of ’Ucchidi’ there. My dear friend Subroto realized this situation of his beloved friend and I must appreciate his endeavor to let me not feel alone, when he came to my room to accompany me but ended up sleeping and snoring beside me. So I was lying idle on my bed in my room (as I am not blessed with the instant sleep boon, like Subroto!) and was surfing the south Indian cable channels like Gemini, Etv Telegu etc. From channel 1 to 103 and then was just reversing from ‘103 to 1’ mode with a pause of a few second for some acquainted Hindi and English channels (It shows one’s lack of concentration? Hmm?). Suddenly I noticed some glimpses, those had passed in channel 82 or 83 being played in star movies, or HBO which I felt, I am acquainted with. Yes. It’s that movie, I had been so keen to watch, at a stretch. It had just begun and I decided to watch it today, “Serendipity”.
“Serendipity” the name of the movie was. I generally like watching interviews and movies during my leisure. Movies in any language, understandable or not, with subtitles or not, I just perceive things in my own way and keep enjoying it. Sometimes, even utopian sort of!
No readers, just don’t perceive that I am going to narrate you the story or the experience of watching that movie to you in this writing. You people better watch it and feel it in your own way (as Chartered Accountants are nowhere debarred from enjoying lovely movies!) But I must thank you that you have ended up reading almost half of my writing.
But the meaning of that very word, which I was so keen to discover after watching the movie that day, gave me a very good lesson (or may say paradigm shift) in life! I just want to share this with you.
Oxford Dictionary says ‘serendipity’ is “the occurrence of events by chance in a fortunate way”.
That means fortunate things are not necessarily predefined or specifically wanted things of life! This may happen even by chance, to our utter surprise also.
Fortunate by chance! That means there might have been reasons to be happy, by chance?
Really?
That’s what I realized that day, I realized that serendipity keeps happening in our life, like some of the other incidences and accidents in life. But very often we keep accusing our time and fate for the happening of some unfortunate accidents BUT hardly do we acknowledge and appreciate the SERENDIPITIES, occurring in our life, in a fortunate way. Either we just can’t even realize it or we don’t bother to give due importance to it, as because it was not something that we ‘wanted’ or ‘defined’ or ‘planned for’.
We ‘wanted’ to become a Chartered Accountant and when we have became or when we will become a Chartered Accountant we will definitely be very happy as we are getting what we ‘wanted’. But the other way of being happy is recognizing and appreciating the value of the small and beautiful things those keep happening in our daily life ‘by chance’ in a ‘fortunate way’ . We can try our level best and wait for the exact thing that we ‘wanted to happen’ in our life and still enjoy the sparks of serendipities besides our Endeavour to attain the expected goal, and may remain happy in our journey of life.
How could I really plan or deliberately ‘wanted’ long back during my P E II days, to be suddenly advised by CA Aditya Maheswari in ICAI Bhawan, Siliguri, when we were stuck due to a heavy rainfall after a program. Among many others I also was standing there and he happened to ask me also about my studies (I used to be his student during PE-II) and spontaneously advised me and Anil Mittal to start studying together at ICAI Bhawan and solve the previous accounts papers ourselves and not mere “auditing” the solved sums from the compilers. I used to do exactly that thing, as if I was assigned the great job of auditing the sums, already solved by the Institute. I realized my (another) great drawback. That time, we studied together, enjoyed our studies and I passed out, with my friend CA Anil Mittal, of course.
Just see, I could not plan it nor could I want it to happen in this way in the best of my expectation. But it happened in that way and I was so happy to pass out. Thank you Sir!
“The occurrence of events by chance in a fortunate way”? Indeed.
If so, then these happen in our life frequently and I regret, if we can’t recognize and realize and adore these events and moments.
Very recently, in Siliguri while returning home from office, I heard a call, ‘Jyoti ?’ I turned back and she was Tanu, a very vivacious girl from Department of English, during our NBU days, now teaching in a school in Raiganj, her home town. ‘How comes, you are here in Siliguri!’ she cried out with a pleasing surprise and her unique mischief smile on her face and shopping bags, in both her hands. She was returning from Hong- Kong market with lots of important junks (!). We stopped for a few minutes on the footpath started asking so many things to each other. We never knew that ever that we had so many things to ask and say to each other, until that evening.
Very soon we discovered that both of us would be going towards Deshbandhupara and we decided to walk the talk. I had to relax her from some of the Honk Kong market junks, indeed! Two friends after long time, together. We were walking slow, and she talked and (moved her hands) a lot and I enjoyed hearing her a lot, after a long time.
That day, the distance from hill cart road to Deshbandhupara seemed very short, the weather seemed very airy and soothing (in May !) and I must confess that the walking from Hill Cart road to Deshbandhupara had never been so beautiful, as it was in that evening.
I thank God that day also, for the reason that He keeps bestowing us with such Serendipities (the Andhrapradesh visit or the advise for group study in ICAI Bhawan or walk the talk with Tanu) to keep ourselves happy and they keep happening in our life and all we need is to just train ourselves to realize these SERENDIPITIES and live our life instead of mere staying on earth.
CA Jyotipraksh Basu Dhar
CAclubindia
