The Angels In Our Life


Musings, Reading / Monday, May 15th, 2023

Where would I be without literature?

In 2000, I applied for a Master’s in Mass Communication from Bangalore University. I had graduated in Psychology and Journalism and thought that journalism was my ‘career’ path.

We didn’t have career counselors then. My family didn’t really care what I did. ๐—œ didn’t care what I did. I thought “Mass Comm” would be cool.

But there was one person who did care. A friend, Vimla, who dragged me from that first class in Central College.

“You can’t be studying this,” she sputtered.

I looked at her, bewildered.

“What should I be studying?”
“LITERATURE! You are a reader. And you are going to be a writer.”

I gestured to the red-brick buildings of Central College.
“But this is writing,” I protested.

My friend gave me that look that friends often give me when I am being extremely dumb.

“No. Your heart is in books. In writing books.”

I didn’t know I had a heart even.

But I allowed myself to be pulled, dragged, and pushed into the staff room of Jyoti Nivas College, where I met an amused Professor.

“And why do you want to study English Literature?” Dr. Rebecca asked me.

I didn’t have an answer. So, my friend answered for me. “Please take her,” she pleaded, as we were well past the deadline for applications.

I don’t know what Dr. Rebecca saw in me. Nothing, really, since I hadn’t opened my mouth.

But I did get in. I studied Literature for the next two years. I fell in love with American literature, waltzing with Whitman and Dickinson. I bristled with indignation when I read about colonialism in Post-Colonial Literature. I learned to speak, to express an opinion, and oh, I learned to write. Just a little.

Learning that I am still imbibing even today.

Sometimes, I wonder what my life would have been if my friend hadn’t intervened.

๐—”๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—œ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฑ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ, ๐—ฎ ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐˜๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—œ ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€, ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€: ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜‚๐˜๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—น๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ. ๐—ช๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐˜€.

As I stand this Monday, wondering where I am going with life, I think of that time 23 years ago, and I feel that our angels appear when we least expect them to.

So, I stand here, hoping for hope to emerge again.

Do you have any such angels in your life?

And no matter what, I hope this Monday eases some light your way.

One Reply to “The Angels In Our Life”

  1. Love your post. And I’m grateful to Vimala for dragging you into Jnc. It’s because of that, that we met.
    I loved those 2 years too. It taught me that literature is life!

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