I’m not religious per se. I know and practice very few rituals. At one stage I was an atheist. Before marriage I was very sure what was right what was wrong. However after marriage I started questioning what is right what is wrong.
Case in point – Dowry. I belonged to the no dowry brigade and got married without one. 1990. It was a big deal. I was sure giving dowry was absolutely wrong. When I stepped into the in laws house I realised heck the groom’s side is no better off than the bride’s side. If comparisons be made they have the issue of feeding, clothing, housing the bride for a lifetime :0
Is it right to not give dowry/ help ?
How to solve the problem purely from an economic point of view? To me dowry became an economic problem rather than a social issue.
Then motherhood ! The world became all shades of grey. There was just no black and white. It was all personal perspective.
2 daughters.
9 pm. 13 year old daughter. Boys are still playing. Can I play outside?
Should I say Yes. She’ll believe she’s on par with the boys. I’ll not limit her mind with fear and discrimination.
Should I say no? Will she be able to handle being different. The only one with permission to be outside with boys at 9. Not another girl in sight. By default different !
What’s right? What is wrong?
No idea.
I create a God 🙂
He becomes my go to man. Notice the conditioning 🙂 it’s a he 🙂
I talk to myself incessantly. Questioning. Answering. Debating. Pleading, show me the way. I don’t know what is right. And…. I’m influencing the thought process of my two kids 🙁
I’m coding their minds ! And I’ve no idea what is right? I’m holding their destiny in my hands !
It’s very difficult to detach yourself from yourself and see your own thought processes, the limitations of your personality, your fears, your conditioning and how they don’t allow you to do so many things.
Case in point – what’s wrong with having 2 wives/ husbands ? It’s only our conditioning. Suppose it were a norm. It’s not unimaginable. People were doing it. Some still are.Yet not one amongst us will do it. We just can’t get past our conditioning :0
What ..is..right? I’ve no idea.
I don’t know if a way was shown or not but I start saying
God, with my current wisdom, This is what you have shown me, this is what I am doing. Tomorrow if I’m wiser I’ll take another decision. But today this is what I think should be done. You’re responsible for all right and all wrong decisions and for all results.
I become spiritual 🙂
Then Wrapd happens.
Then Wrapd Lajpat Nagar happens. We do very well. Brilliantly. I’m not saving any money but cash is flowing freely.
I make a deal with God / my inner conversation partner 🙂 The day you’ll call me to Tirupati is the day flood gates will open 🙂
He doesn’t call for 3 years! And ….
We’re down by 30% sale. He’s not calling :0
Forget the invitation.
I decide to go to Tirupati 🙂
Note to god
Ok God here I come.
I’m keeping my side of the bargain you please keep yours. Ok !
I reach Hyderabad where my sister, Ritu, stays. She runs the Wrapd Hyderabad branch. Nandini, my niece, starts talking about her childhood dream of opening a library. She shows me her catalogue. The business cards we had gifted her of her library. Hardbound. It was her library’s name. She had thought of it. All this at age… 10?
The library on cart idea crystallizes. I open the idea to my sister. Her entire family is roped in. Initial investment isn’t much. They don’t realize Social approval investment is BIG. They say yes. They have such blind faith in me 😮 🙂
Ritu and Anubhav don’t realize the social implications of sitting at a thela :0. Do I want to harm them ? No. But going beyond the need of society approval is the price to be paid for success. If you want to be successful, pay the price. There’s no other way. Success demands it’s price.
A commitment of not giving up for 2 years is taken from Ritu, Anubhav. I know we’re going to make it before that 🙂 Capital commitment 1 lakh each. No more. This is all we’ll afford for 2 years. Rest business has to generate. If not, our ideas and resourcefulness has to do it.
They say yes.
Wrapd decides to open library on cart. Both Delhi and Hyderabad branches.
Will I be able to deliver the responsibility of their trust?