The "Other Number"

 

We all have to depend on others for many things; big or small. Issues may be important and urgent. They may be trivial but irritating. The mind does not rest until the issue is sorted out. The one who can help us solve them must be willing and free to attend to it. The helper may be willing but not free. He or she may be free but unwilling. Things have to fall in place to sort the issue and remove the irritants.

All families have general handymen who are problem solvers and skilled in removing obstacles. Such persons are usually extremely busy, but find time for others as well. Queries are answered smilingly. They make time to attend to others despite their own busy schedules. They are in great demand but seldom disappoint those who trust them. May their tribe increase!

We have one such "Go to" man with us as well. A young entrepreneur with own business that provides employment to many others as well. Working round the clock with a smiling face. Today's world runs on mobile phones. The fuel for this mobile world comes from Passwords and OTPs. There was a joke going around about the Holi festival last year. A young man went out and played Holi with his friends. When he came home he was not recognisable due to the colours on his face and body. Less said about the dress is better. When he wants the assistance of his wife for coming out of the jumble of colours, she asks for his Aadhar card. "Show me your Aadhar card. Last time I gave a bath to a person and later realised it was not you. I don't want it to happen this time", she says. Now we can replace the Aadhar card with OTP. Supreme Court of India has given a judgement that banks, mobile companies and private parties cannot ask for Aadhar authentication. Even today all these parties ask for Aadhar and people also give. OTP is the most essential thing these days. 

Air, Water and Food, followed by clothes and house (Roti, Kapda and Makaan) were the basic requirements. Now OTP precedes even air. Without a proper OTP you are choked. Finance Minister is in a good situation due to GST. The inflow of funds due to GST is enabling the FM to manage the financial affairs somewhat smoothly. If there is shortage of funds during the next budget, a one rupee GST on each OTP will make the budget a surplus one. In the near coming days, children may ask for payment and OTP for calling their parents dad or mom. 

This our general handyman has two mobile phones. No, to be accurate, it is only one mobile with two sims. We have heard innumerable stories wherein two souls live in a single body and act in turns giving beautiful situation opportunities for films. Dual sim mobiles are just like this. If you send a message to one of his mobile numbers, it automatically says that messages are to be sent to the other number. Many big shops have two doors. One for delivering the sold items and another back door for receiving supplies. If the supply person goes to the delivery door he will be politely told to go to the other door.

*****

Taking various roles in life and accepting responsibilities has been the norm in life. But not accepting responsibilities and desiring to be a free man or woman is also a fact of life. The number of such persons was believed to be small in the past years. Old timers claim that the number has increased over the years. One of the important social institutions that create and nurture responsibilities is "Married Life". Marriage brings with it many responsibilities, whether one likes it or not. Present generation often does not want to get bogged down by the responsibilities of married life. Responsibilities on the one side and beig tied down to one pole on the other side have led to "Live-in" relationships. Such relationships give the luxury of a mobile phone with multiple Sims. 

Our Supreme Court has become very busy nowadays with laying down guidelines and regulating such aspects of life. When does a Live-in relationship crosses the line (?), whether same sex marriages are to be allowed or not, what can be a reason for divorce etc. are consuming most of the time of the courts. One often wonders whether this is the real duty of courts. On the other side we read and see in videos the gory details of persons in relationship or refusing a relationship being attacked and even killed in busy streets. Things have gone even farther nowadays. When the first case of chopping the body of the partner into several pieces was received it was indeed shocking. It was a butcher at work putting an end to a relationship the bloody way. Such cases are now reported on daily basis from different parts of the world and they are only a passing news item now.

*****

In our childhood days we have seen some examples of dual SIM life among the village elders. There were some who married twice or even thrice due to various reasons. These wives lived in the same house with their husband. There were families with perfect harmony and the society also accepted it as a fact of life. Of course, thre were many families with their eternal feuds and fights, many times in the open. 

Then there were innumerable instances of prominent men having a regular wedded wife along with a parallel family life with a unwedded wife. The dual Sim life was known to everyone in the town or village. There were many instances where the other woman had been given her own house and properties as well. Such relationships were grumblingly accepted or tolerated by the wedded wife. Either due to the status enjoyed by the concerned men in society or their financial strength, such happenings were accepted as a way of life. These people were living a very religious and pious life in the big house during the daytime. Other activities were directed to the small house in the after hours. Dual Sim life is not a new phenomenon after all. 

*****

In Mahabharata, one can find reference to the word "Soota" many times. "Daasya" or being someone's slave was an accepted way of life in those days. A Daasa or Daasi led a life as pe the dictates of the master. It was very common for Kings and Aristocrats to have children from such Daasis. Boys born to such Daasis were known as Soota. A Soota was generally not accepted as equal in status as the children of duly wedded wife, and were carrying on life by activities and professions supporting the main activity of being rulers. Being a charioteer was one of the common professions of the Sootas. 

Even in such a society, a person's qualities were recognised and respected. Many charioteers were held in high esteem by the ruling class due to their own exalted wisdom and way of life. They were entrusted with delicate and responsible tasks and treated with utmost respect.

*****

S L Byrappa's novel "Parva" is an effort to present Mahabharata without any supernatural events or personalities. A close look at Parva shows that whenever Dhritarashtra mentions about his hundred sons, Gandhari retorting that the hundred are his sons but not hers. The full number of hundred was made up of a combination of her own sons and those Dhritarashtra had through various Daasis, she asserts repeatedly!