The curious case of the horse

As I rubbed my tired eyes, Dipika came near and asked, ‘Tired in cash; imagine me. The whole day I am assessing documents for loan approval’.

We work in a bank, while I am presently a cashier, Dipika is in Loan Section. ‘No Dipu, I am not able to sleep properly so…’.

‘Why very busy at nights, haan??’, she smiled mischievously.

I frowned at her.

‘Then?’ she asked.

‘You don’t have any pending approvals?’, I asked.

‘I have but I am curious now, tell me I will not be able to concentrate on work otherwise, tell na’, she pestered.

I sighed. It was raining heavily and there wasn’t much crowd. So I got up  from my cube and took her near the water cooler. ‘I am getting a weird dream every night because of which I wake up in the middle of the night and then I wake up and cannot sleep again’, I said.

‘What dream, tell me fast’, she asked.

‘I dream of a horse’, I said.

‘Just a horse’, she crinkled her nose.

‘And a rider too’, I said.

‘ ‘Male or female?’, she asked

‘Can’t make out. But the horse gallops fast and makes me get up’, I sighed.

‘Ahaa’, she said. ‘Maybe a knight…..Experts say that your unfulfilled desires manifest in your dream. Do you have any unfulfilled desires’.

‘I have many…… I wanted to do Phd. But couldn’t, I wanted to go to Europe, haven’t been yet…..’, I said.

‘Not those types silly, romantic ones’,she was again grinning.

I thought hard but then a customer came and I rushed.

But Dipika’s words stayed with me. We haven’t been a very romantic couple but then when did we ever have time for romance. We have so many responsibilities. But is it true that unfulfilled desires manifest in our dreams?

Late night I was sitting in the balcony still thinking when Aju (my husband) came and asked, ‘What happened,why are you not sleeping?’

‘I will in a short while’, I said and then asked, ‘Is it true that unfulfilled desires manifest in our dreams?’

‘Who said so?’, he asked.

‘I am asking generally’.

‘WHO SAID SO?’, he asked.

‘Dipika’. I mumbled.

‘And why did she say so’, he asked. It was of no use. I told him everything.He was thoughtful for some time.

‘Hah. About a month back you were watching some movie with Kartik remember. It was a movie about horses and fights etc. Remember?’

I nodded in assertive.

‘You must be having your dream from then on. Romance…hah. ‘, he said and started to go away and then said, ‘ I always say have nice thoughts before you sleep, say your prayers,  chant a little and definitely you will have a nice sleep. If you watch nonsense movies, this is what will happen’, he said and went away and then added as an after thought, ‘ Keep  your mind calm and then you will see that it is your best friend, if not it is your worst enemy.

bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah
anatmanas tu satrutve vartetatmaiva satru-vat

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.’ (BG 6.6)

 

I scratched my head.

But then it was true from then on I never had any dream disturbing my sleep. Of course I have stopped watching silly programs and movies…well almost.

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Today is Day 6 of Write Tribe Festival of Words