“You know, it happened about two days back”, she begins with a tone full of suspense. I nod and widen my eyes, I shove another spoon full into my mouth and chew faster as I keep on nodding vigorously, making her aware that I was all ears. She adds, “There is this girl”, she pauses and looks at me skeptically, then puzzles me more, “I don’t think you know her.” I put another spoon into my mouth, chewing, I question, who? Using facial gesture. She adds, “ I remember you said that you didn’t know her.” With a sour face of complete incompleteness I look at my empty plate then I watch her go to the next room. Darn, it works every time. The day I realized she had been tricking me into eating, we laughed out the embarrassment. This however could be where I learnt to be a story teller, in some kind. The persona that we build up is the result of the accumulation of those millions of moments we encounter in life.

When I grew up, I never faced gender bias which is why I don’t understand discrimination. I never knew females were limited to household chores. I had to cook and clean because that is what family members are supposed to do; they share the chores so that nobody is burdened. My brothers were made to do as much as I did; it was the same learning experience for us the siblings. We learnt to accept our flaws and changes were always welcomed, never judged. And as we step out of our comfort zone, we learn to struggle with the influencing characters. Circumstances, environment and experiences shape our character. What is right for a person may not be the same for the other, but if people come out of their perspectives boundaries and try to see the other person’s perspectives then we are all headed towards the end of the social war.

What we learnt as a child will make us  what we become, similarly what we give to our next generation is what they will become. This as an end result shaping the nation and our existence. If the current generation guides and influences the younger generation into fighting social evils, dogmatic ethics or the orthodox tradition then it will be a great step towards shaping the future of the country. The power of sharing, the truth in mutual understanding, the essence of nationality or the pride in combating flaws are some qualities that need continuous practice.

Under proper guidance, the younger generation, the smarter generation, can kindle this precious human aspect.