What's in a name

It was during college days that I came across a blog. It was from the bylanes of someone's life. It was intriguing, powerful and novel. And the way feelings were expressed aroused my interest in writing. I told myself that I need to try this out and I did. And after writing the first one, it felt wonderful. It clicked from the first instant. And with time I realized that it was not about letting others know, having a large fan following of readers eagerly waiting form your next blog post. It was about something else. It was about the feeling of freedom to express. It was about the magic of words. The interplay and the streamline flow. They created beauty to me, sheer magic!

There are some things you instantly fall in love with. You get a feeling that they belong to you and were waiting all the way to be discovered by you. And then they stay with you forever. And ergo I am grateful to that blog.

It is strange that even from the words someone writes, you can make out what that person would be like in person. So after all these years, I finally met her. It was like that blog coming live in front of me. And I am surprised that it didn't feel like meeting someone for the first time. I guess the thoughts which flow with your words actually define you, not your appearance.

After catching up onto things and appreciating the delicious prawn toasts, we were talking about minority rights and the pseudo secularism in India that she narrated her own experience. When she moved to Delhi and rented a place, all seemed fine at the first place. But when the time came to do the paper works and she wrote her full name, it occurred to the landowners that her religion is problematic for them and they cannot allow her to stay anymore. So on some other pretext, they asked her to leave. Then she tells me that often some people advice her that her name is "difficult" and she should change it. Available rooms suddenly become full when she tells her full name.

I was so disgusted to hear this. I was so disgusted that I somehow belong to the same breed of people who are so damn prejudiced about people from the Muslim community. They have all these notions and apprehensions that make no sense to me. Why can't we see people as they are and not by what religion they follow or come from? Such people and such cruel behavior is the only reason for the existing distance between these communities. If Hindutva is about being prejudiced towards the Muslim community, then I do not want to be associated with it. I feel that there should be only one religion in this world. That of humanity and nothing else.

"What's in a name"(that's her blog nick), those who judge you on your name are utter fools and should be exiled to hell. May they rot in hell. I am sorry that you had to face that. I know this won't make any difference to the pain you have suffered but just felt like saying. You are wonderful, stay blessed!