One day a young boy went to the store with his mother. The shopkeeper looked at the small boy, showed him a jar full of candy and said, “Dear boy, you can take some of this candy.” But the young boy didn’t take any. He just stood there and kept looking at the jar full of candy. The shopkeeper was surprised that the boy did not take any candy from(..)
In 2005, the US National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets were looking for a talented player to add to their roster. The usual scouting reports and analyses delivered a list of names. Some of them were unavailable or too expensive, and others did not seem like the right fit for the team. Then, using advanced analytics capabilities, the(..)
A woman is practicing driving in the countryside. The instructor, her husband, is in a terrible mood because of work-related stress. He keeps yelling at her inapt navigation, the erratic speeds, and the jerky brakes. The woman becomes increasingly nervous and shaky with his constant badgering. Eventually, her car swerves off the road, lands into a deep(..)
A newly wed couple is sorting through the gift envelopes. They are elated because the total sum of “congratulations money” has surpassed their wildest expectations. But one strange envelope bothers them. It does not have the sender’s name written on it. Inside, there is no money, only 2 VIP tickets to the concert of a top Bollywood musician scheduled(..)
Once, in a small village, lived an athletic teenager who takes part in a running competition. A large crowd gathers, including the young adult’s grandfather. It’s a competitive race that includes two past champions. The talented teenager pushes himself hard and wins the race. The crowd goes wild, cheering for him. The(..)
Last week, I saw a colorful Dandiya. I attended it as one of the guests, standing in a corner, and watching. The participation was moderate; however, the view was intoxicating. At least from where I was watching. How often does one get to witness so many true colors shining through? I was so mesmerized by the sight that I decided to talk about it(..)
Lost in the civilization… I shuffled my feet slightly, made a half-hearted attempt to get up. Then sunk back into the comfortable lounge chair and listlessly surveyed the surroundings, yet again. On my front was the deserted “Flight Check-in” counter. On the far right, I could glimpse(..)
Once there was a group of men—a young, hot-blooded guy and a bunch of old folks. Their job was to chop down trees in the jungle. The young chap was very hard working. He always continued to work through his break time and often complained that the older folk were wasting time, taking breaks throughout the day to drink and chat. As time went by, this(..)
A young priest was in charge of the garden within a famous Zen temple. Next to this temple there was a smaller temple where lived an old Zen master. Once the priest was expecting special guests in the evening. So he woke up early that day and spent a long time carefully raking up and arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master(..)
Back in 1940s, there was a black pianist who played at a club in Southern California. He was an amazing pianist, and many regulars frequented the club just to hear him play. One day, a drunken patron put up a strange request “Sing for me.” The pianist was reluctant—the only time he had sung in public was during his choir days at his father’s(..)
A master calls his ardent disciple home one day. The student finds the guru waiting for him in his fenced yard with four identical puppies. The guru lets them loose and asks the disciple to catch them all. The energetic puppies run haphazardly. The chase is chaotic. The disciple tries to catch one, then the other, and finally sits down exhausted after(..)
A prominent businessman went shoe shopping at a local store. After selecting a pair of shoes of size 8, he asked the new saleswoman to pack it. However, he soon realized that he had left his wallet back home. So, he told the saleswoman that he would take the shoes and make the payment the next day. Although the saleswoman could gauge the(..)
A young man shopping in a supermarket noticed an old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore, she kept staring at him. She finally overtook him at the checkout and turned to him to say, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease. It's just that you look so much like my late son." To which the man replied, "That's okay."(..)
Being health conscious has an optional flavor in our country. In western countries, staying healthy is an integral part of daily living. My first stint in becoming health conscious started during my MS days in USA. Motivation? Everyone around me looked fit, so I decided to get in shape, look and feel good about myself, and merge with the crowd. But I(..)
Once a 10-year-old boy walked up to the counter of an ice-cream parlor and climbed onto a stool. He caught the eye of the waitress and asked, “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “One Dollar,” the waitress replied. The boy reached into his pockets, pulled out a handful of change, and began counting. The waitress frowned impatiently. After all, she had(..)
