The Wind of Fate

We simply understand wind as a gush of air, flowing in a certain direction bringing sensation of touch on our body though invisible. The trembling of leaves, shuddering of branches, fluttering of prayer flags, quivering of hair, and so on.., these are the effects of wind, which meteorologically is an element of climate caused by the variation of pressure. Heating and cooling of the air in contact with the earth cause rising of the heated air mass to be replaced by the cooler mass creating a movement of air which is known as wind, and are known by different names such as seasonal winds, constant winds, and occasional winds.

While winds have lots of favourable effects, the harmful effects are even devastating. Cyclones and anticyclones cause damage to life and properties; hurricanes causes wreckage of ships in ocean, typhoons destroys the crops and uproots the natural vegetations. These are what actually happen in the physical world in which we live.

In our life too, the winds do blow, The Wind of Fate. In our life we have summers of hope and winters of aspire, we will have ups, we will have downs, we dream, we aspect but ultimately our desire is to be happy and free ourselves from the miseries. Here the wind of fate plays an important role. Like the meteorological wind, the wind of fate brings joy and ecstasy. It too brings misery and cause devastation in our life. It is invisible. We don’t see from where it is blowing but we experience the consequences. There are lovers who enjoy romancing in their favourite places, but there are others who get betrayed by their loved ones. There are poor who become millionaire overnight and millionaires becoming bankrupt within a short span of time. These are the consequences due to swing of fate and quirk of luck though our laborious deeds have also a role to play.

In the novel Q & A (2005) of Vikas Swarup which turned a bestselling novel and latter a blockbuster on screens under the directorship of Danny Boyle, Slum Dog Millionaire, a poor orphan boy from the slums of Mumbai won one billion rupees as he contested a quiz, titled ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’. Having passed through the darkest of corners, deepest of dungeons, toughest of hardship in leading a life of simple human, the poor Ram Mohamad Thomas, whose name by virtue is a combination of three religions, when appeared in the quiz contest, was able to answer all the questions and take a billion rupee. Not because he is a great educationist, not because he was a mastermind in general knowledge, not because of sympathy for he being an orphan and a slum dweller, but only because of the wind of fate. In some cases, he was sure of the right answer, in other cases he was confident of the wrong options, and of course the lifelines, but ultimately all his answers were correct. Novel is after all a product of renowned writer and proper editing. The movie is the product of a script, which is well edited and then directed. It just shows the chances of such happenings in the real life.

Kaun Banega Crorepati, a biggest blockbuster reality show on Sony Entertainment has been hosted the acclaimed Big B, Amitabh Bachchan. It has been almost one month after its first broadcasting on 11th October 2010. Every evening we use to sit closely to the TV and watch the show. We see contestants from different walks of life, the bureaucrats, the peasants, the young students, the teachers, the highly educated personnel’s, the housewives, the riches, the poors, and in every episode we see the drama under the direction of what we call Fate. The cash they won were never below 3,20,000 but the ways they win were amazing. Some simply give up when they are not really sure of the answer, while some try their luck and win big sums. Some on the other hand, checks whether their fate favours or not and unfortunately fall to a mere 3,20,000 after winning one crore.

The first crorepati woman of season 4 with Mr. Bachchan

The most recent contestant who came to the hot sit with Big B was a humble housewife from a small village, Mrs Rahat Taslim. Though she had a BA degree she didn’t have a job to support her family. She sew cloths and earn a monthly sum of rupees 2,000. Her husband who works in a corporate earns only 6,000 rupees per month, has to feed his wife and two children. But after playing the game KBC, their life has changed over night. She had played a wonderful game. She was confident of all the answers. When she won a sum of 3,20,000 rupees, she exclaimed “I have never in my life handled such a huge sum, oh God! I couldn’t believe this. But incidentally she has won 50 lakhs. Answering the 12th question means she would be a millionaire or simply crorepati. The twelveth question splashes on the computer screen.

“Which was the first African nation to elect woman as president” and the options are

a. Ethiopia

b. Liberia

c. Kenya

d. Nigeria

Mrs Rahat was confused. She was not sure of the correct answer. Luckily she had still two life lines with her, phone or friend and double dip.

“Give the correct answer, you win 10 million. Wrong answer and you will drop to 3, 20,000 rupees”. Mr Bachchan alerts her to play cautiously.

Though not sure with the answer, who would give up so easily when we have got two life lines for a single question. So she chooses phone or friend option. She made a call to one of her friend, who was a chartered accountant but so sad, he couldn’t help her win one crore. Now she rely upon her fate, “if fate favours then I will win.” That was her response so she gambles her 50 lakh rupees to win a crore. “Double dip!!! First option is C,” so sad, wrong answer. “Ok now I will go with B, Liberia.”

There is a crescendo of drums. The correct answer flashes.

“Absolutely correct. You have now won one billion rupees!” declares Mr Bachchan, “you have played a good game, and you have the ability to win this sum so you are the first person on this show to have won crore rupees. Congratulations!!!” The shower of flowers filled the hall. The audience stands up and cheers. The lady who have never handled a sum of 3 lakhs will have to handle one crore rupees, which she will deposit in her account which was opened just a few days prior to her turning up for the show. The humble housewife has now become a greatest celebrity. This is how the wind of fate influences our life.

The winds of destiny that blows when we least expect them in the world that we seldom understand. Sometimes they squall with furry of hurricanes, sometimes they barely caress our cheek and whisper to our ears. But the wind cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore. The wind that which we did not anticipate gust more strongly than we imagined. In times it leads our path towards the destiny. When we silently listen to such whisper of the wind, caressing our ears, thus leaving the spirit of happiness behind.

Let the wind of fate bring no misery. Let the wind of fate direct us towards our destiny.
Photo courtesy: googles