Rising from ashes

Hi readers,

This post might be the most heartfelt one amongst the ones I wrote. Even while writing this post I feel two tornadoes of emotions clashing inside of me -  one with restlessness,  disgust, shame and rage while other with pride, pure admiration and vigor to live. All this emanated from an article about a survivor of an acid attack, Laxmi, who was recently blessed with a baby girl. How can a person be so cruel and stone-hearted to disfigure someone just because they didn't reciprocate your feelings? What is so special about you that you decided to torture the person who just rejected your proposal? Do you have supreme mind like Ravana or do you have celestial beauty which if rejected will be like committing a sin? Just because you couldn't tolerate being rejected or accepting the fact that they don't mark you at par with your inflated ego doesn't give you a right to play God in someone else's life.

In my life I hope I would be as courageous as her or others like her. Even 10% of such courage could last me for a lifetime. I don't pity her, rather I won't call her victim at all. Because she pulled herself up and has emerged as this beautiful and splendid person who outshines any kinks that the attack had left on her personality. True, she has her insecurities from time to time like when she was afraid that her new born would cry at the sight of her but it turns out Pihu, her daughter, smiles brightly at her mother every time. With support of her partner, Alok and her family, she has risen above such setback and now is a Director of Chhanv Foundation, a NGO dedicated to help the survivors of acid attacks in India.

There are many others who went through the same painful event but we lost few to this disheartening deed. May their souls rest in peace. But the ones who fought their way through are leading a respectful and independent life. There's a café near Taj Mahal, Agra where all the employees are acid attack victims. They basically work towards awareness of such attacks and make sure that the victims find the lost hope and confidence in them. Rising from ashes - They truly are living examples of Phoenix!!

I am not being feminist here. There are men who suffered such attacks. In fact a report generated by acidsurvivors.org shows that in 2014, men forms 50% of such attacks. The attackers are men and women who acted on their spite.

Think before you do or say something, readers. Donating clothes or money to poor or visiting holy places is easy but doesn't necessarily make you a good person. Being good person in daily life around the people you meet and interact everyday is tough. Understanding their hardships or respecting their opinions is when a person's true self is reflected. It's a shame on us when such incidents emanate from an educated society.If you ever have such thoughts to harm, just spill a drop of boiling hot oil on your arm. Did it hurt? Now imagine that pain increasing almost 10 times more - that's the kind of pain you wished to inflict on somebody. Just Pause. Think. And Reflect.

Until next time...

Have a quirky wicked day, readers !

Like a boomerang !

Hey readers,

Many people I know, who don't necessarily believe in a particular religion or God,  have their faith in Karma. The Karma law basically states that no deed is wasted - what goes around comes back - just like a boomerang.  Similarities of the same can be found in the Newton's Third Law of motion with a base that "every action must have a reaction" and while contrasting with Newton as he also considered opposite impact of an action.

Well I am being so philosophical because recently I re-read a saved article which according to me is an amusing and very interesting way to understand workings of Karma. It's the story of Ronald Opus - a man who's suicide seemed like a murder but finally ruled out as a suicide.

This case was first told at the annual awards dinner given for Forensic Science, AAFS by then the President of AAFS - Dr Don Harper Mills in 1987 which was told as an illustrative anecdote to show how different legal consequences can follow each twist in a murder case inquiry. Later on it first appeared on the Internet in August, 1994. So the case goes something like this - 

On March 23, 1994 a medical officer examined the body of Ronald Opus concluding that Mr Opus had died of a shotgun wound to the head.

Mr Ronald opus had jumped from the tenth floor with intent to commit suicide but was shot at head while falling through ninth floor which killed him instantly. 

What neither the shooter nor Mr. Ronald Opus knew was that there was a safety net spread below the eighth floor level as a precautionary measure to protect the building workers. So even if Ronald Opus has jumped, he would have been saved due to the safety net. But before that could happen he was shot at head that was emanated from the ninth floor which turned this case from suicide to murder.

Now the occupants of one of the ninth floor apartment were an elderly couple who, at the time of incident,  happened to be arguing so vigorously that at a point the husband aimed the gun at his wife and pulled the trigger. But the bullet missed his wife completely and went through the window, striking Mr. Opus. 

Ordinarily a person who sets out to commit suicide and ultimately succeeds, even though the mechanism might not be what he intended, is still defined as committing suicide. But here the act of suicide would not have succeeded due to the safety net, which makes the bullet shot from the ninth floor the reason of Mr. Opus's death and indicating that the old husband is guilty of murder. 

When confronted with the charge of murder the old man and his wife were adamant that they thought the gun was unloaded. The old man explained that it was a long-standing habit to threaten his wife with an unloaded shotgun during the course of their arguments. He had no intention to murder her. Therefore the killing of Mr Opus appeared to be an unfortunate accident.

But then it raised other suspicions - whether the gun was really unloaded ?  And if it wasn't, then who loaded it ? 

Upon continuing the investigation, it turned up that a witness saw the old couple's son loading the shotgun about six weeks prior to the argument and fatal shooting.

It transpired that the old lady had cut off her son's financial support and the son, knowing the habit of his father to use the shotgun threateningly, loaded the gun with the expectation that his Father would shoot his Mother.

Since the loader of the gun, was aware of this, he was guilty of murder even though he didn't actually pull the trigger. Now the son was charged with murder. 

On further investigations an exquisite twist was revealed that the son was in fact, Ronald Opus. Did it blow your mind ?

It turns out Ronald opus had become increasingly despondent over the failure of his schemes for his Mother's murder and decided to give up his life due to increasing financial tension. On March 23rd 1994 he went to the the top of the ten story building and jumped off, only to be killed by a shotgun blast through the ninth story window.

How about that ! Now I know some may call it sheer coincidence, but one cannot deny the timing and almost as cruel as Ronald had planned kind of scheme that played out leading himself to death. 

With this eerie and justice-filled incident, I take a leave and hope you had a safe and happy Diwali. 

Until next time... 

Have a quirky wicked day, readers !