Why not say it than regret it all your life

By Sandeep Datta

   

Sometimes it is best to just say it rather keep regretting it for the rest of the life. I realised it while returning from my last day of this week's night shifts the Monday (Sep 22, 2013). 

It so happened that for a very long time I waited, waited, and waited to click a  particular old baba near my house. He lives in a small hut built on Hindu Rao hospital's land. 

One can see through his tiny makeshift house only while returning from the hospital, as it gets covered or hidden due to a long banyan and other trees on the side of the main road, which leads people into the hospital premises. 

But the baba has a distinct appeal for any portrait photographer or painter. His face always remain covered with a thick silver-coloured 'jungle' of hair. 

And, most importantly, he also maintains long hair stretching till his waist. He keeps them tied in a hairdo form but keeps it placed in the middle of his head, offering him a look of any highly accomplished ascetic. He leaves his hair open for some time everyday to let them get dried after taking a bath.

I always felt drawn to his looks but couldn't gather enough courage to approach him for taking his photo. As I always felt my capturing him through a camera might prove rubbing an old man utterly wrong way. Who knows he may even start throwing choicest of expletives before all passersby and blame me for trespassing. 

Well...well..well...though I had tried once or twice to click him from a distance without letting him notice me, every time I failed miserably to click him properly.

Today...don't know from where I gathered some courage and stopped my bike a little away from him. I notice in the side mirror that he was sitting just perfectly. 

With none of his admirers or so call patients around after a long time, I get down from my bike and suddenly went straight to him and asked if I could take his photo.

But immediately I felt I had framed my request improperly. And, it could mean rubbing him the wrong way. I thought I should have rather said: "Babaji would you mind if I took just one photo." Any how, the 'mistake' had been committed. And, I had no choice but to keep my fingers crossed and wait for his most likely "Noooooo".

But..to my amazement, he said: "Yes, yes. You can." O my God! I just couldn't believe my luck today. For, here was a man I hesitated to approach all these years for one click. And, it proved to be such a foolish hesitation all this time. 

I clicked about three close up pictures of him as per my long nurtured desired and two others as per his desire; along with his pamphlet stating that he could treat so many medical problems free of cost in just five days! 

But on my way to home, I realised how uselessly sometimes we keep hesitating all our lives in speaking our mind to others and expressing the innocent wish. 

    

Surely, sometimes it is best to follow you heart and just blurt it out !!!! Isn't it? 

By Sandeep Datta