Ganesha makes a U turn:

Ganesha makes a U turn:

The footfall of devotees has been falling steadily. Frustrated beyond limits, his Lord Ganesha had turned his back on his devotees. Not in a mood to relent, he sits facing the wall, in his sanctum sanctorum. Mooshik felt awkward, being forced to sit with his back to his lord , leaving him to face the visitors.  On his part, Ganesha seemed to be content to enjoy the silence from the sound of breaking coconuts and  not being startled by them.. Mooshik, reminisced, ‘If at all this decision had been taken much sooner, my fright and plight of having aching and bleeding ear drums would have stopped earlier’.

Getting wind of this U turn, a crowd started trickling in and happily spread the news to discharge their civic responsibilities. Now, the trickle has become a flood, to speculated and disperse. The reluctant devotees, gathered and from the sidelines wondered whether this could be a weak miracle. Mooshik liked the speculation part but angered by the reluctant devotees’ miserly attitude in terming it as a weak miracle. Mooshik felt insulted, when the people who never brought any offerings to please him, have now have ganged up to wrongly accuse him. He felt doubly disappointed, when Ganesha remained silent and chose not to react.

His oral hints and back-channel efforts did not alter Ganesha’s mindset. Forced to fend for himself, his back to Ganesha’s back, he mulled over his options - plead with Ganesha to relent or get in touch with his family or call Chitragupta.  Like Chitragupta, he too had mortal apprehensions about calling Ganesha’s family.

What Chitragupta would do? Spin and twist his views and leave Ganesha confused. Before the U turn phase, he was the one to offer this rash suggestion, “Perform a miracle. Simply make Mooshik to change colour from grey to black to brown and white and then back to grey, in a cyclic manner.”

This miracle was to bring back all those and some more devotees. Now, what other plots he would hatch - maybe to deport me to the land of ratholes? Mooshik was getting scared to let his imagination move in to another frame.

 Earlier, anticipating threat to his lie, Chitragupta had cleverly declined to mediate between Ganesha, his father and brother. But he might not be averse to sacrifice others in an effort to pacify Ganesha. Mooshik fervently hoped that Ganesha would not force him, even if Chitragupta proposes his candidacy on some pretext or other.

 Mooshik seriously thought about on ways to safely approach Ganesha’s family, and request for an intervention. A worst-case scenario, which might result in a disastrous end to his career as Ganesha’s vehicle. What would be his value, if his head and tail are not in working order? If annoyed, Ganesha’s family, would not hesitate to let loose a snake and a peacock and he had no intention of becoming a meal to either of them.  A unhealthy and mortal danger as far as his well-being is concerned!

 Picking up courage, Mooshik spoke, “Ganesha you are unduly worried about the dwindling crowd of parents and examinees. The days of queuing up in front of you, at the start and end of an academic year, has given way to on-line darshans. Nowadays, people think that it is better to stand in front of coaching centres for immediate gains. Everyone has to better his/her odds a bit.  Let this not worry you as full moon always brings in a new moon or vice versa. Have we not seen these endless cycles and survived together?

 " Mooshik, why did you not alert me to this state of affairs?"

" My Lord, I had no iron in this fire, because devotees never considered me worthy enough even to break a coconut, prior to or after the exams. With no teeth in this game, and no broken coconuts to gnaw at, I just ignored the early warning signs?"

 " Mooshik, what happened to your loyalty to me?"

" This loyalty question confused me, like the student facing a multiple-choice question."

Ganesha getting annoyed asked, " What was the need to get confused by this simple question?"

"My Lord, it was a very tough question for my small brain. Instead of getting overloaded, it went into neutral stance."

The atmosphere inside the sanctum sanctorum becoming hot, Ganesha started to fan himself, vigorously by flapping the elephantine ears. He spoke, “Mooshik, stampede or stragglers, you sat by my side, with unflinching loyalty. How could I even doubt your loyalty? How could I blame your mind for speaking out or not, keeping my best interest in focus?  I like your quiet diplomacy of not shifting the blame On to someone else, for this impasse.”

 Respecting their long-standing relationship, Ganesha decided to wait for a face-saving measure, which he secretly hoped Mooshik’s tiny brain would be clever enough to deliver.

Sensing an opening, Mooshik said," The minds of the pious and innocent people work on a simple principle - 'a deal without a guarantee clause is not worth the paper it is written on'!"

  "Mooshik, how does this work?"

 "In simple terms, if you give upfront guarantee with a back-end assurance, they will relent and you can assume your former posture.

 Ganesha understood how Mooshik with his tiny brain had come up with a suitable explanation though it amounted to knocking and seeking a backdoor entry. Vigorously shaking his head Ganesha said, " Mooshik, don’t force me to give up so easily. O.K?”

 “No, My lord. I give up. My very small brain is not willing to cook up anymore dishes, it makes me hungry!”

Ganesha shouted, “Then stop cooking and start eating your own arguments for all I care. Now leave me in peace.”  He had half a mind to thrash Mooshik, but realised the futility of such an act. Turning his back on his devotees was fine, like a one-time offer. But the effort of turning his neck around, to see who has come knocking at the door, is becoming painful.

 At this instant, he replayed the one-way conversation in his mind, which Mooshik was dutifully carried on, to convince him.  He smirked at the irony of the situation of – both of them sitting back-to-back to each other and he straining to listen to Mooshik!

 “Oh, Ganesha, am I not your most iconic vahana.? Was I not instrumental in demonstrating your ability to control and overcome ego and desires? How can I forget your encounter to subdue me, when I was Gajamukhasura?  You forced me to shed my ego and desires: transformed me as Mooshik, and your vahana. You blessed me with the ability to navigate through narrowest openings and to overcome hidden obstacles.  Am I not now, a sitting symbol of your role as the remover of barriers? I plead to you my lord, graciously forgive these ego and desires loaded mankind, who appear when in need and the disappear.”

 After a deep thought, Ganesha came to a conclusion. Instead of straight away explaining his decision, he wanted to tease a response out of Mooshik, who always whined about his limited brain power. In a matter-of-fact voice, he questioned, “Mooshik, do all the flowers smell? Do all the flowers become a garland and reach temples? Do all of them bloom, all through the year?

 Mooshik replied, “My lord, why load my brain with these questions when you know the answers to them?”

Ganesha continued, “Don’t you think that the solution might be lying in the petals, in plain sight!”

Mooshik could barely think beyond the nectar in the solution form, that too not on the petals. With little stretching, he could see insects having a feast. He remained silent.

Ganesha was not in the mood to let go and Mooshik wanted to be let off.

Ganesha in a calm and reassuring voice explained, "The news of me turning my back to them has not generated the hoped for impact. Even the trickling in attendance has started to slow down. Some have erroneously concluded that I am very angry as a pretext to avoid me. Some others are waiting for it to cool down, and not in a hurry to come.  I am ready, if they come en masse with or without offerings and vows, to resume regular visits. Are they not like flowers – perennial or seasonal, fragrant and colourful or just plain. Irrespective of these facts, flowers do bloom, is it not?

Ganesha’s ‘turning his back on people’ episode may not be once done and dumped act. The talk of flowers and people left Mooshik’s mind in a maze. He started to worry that Ganesha should not spend his frustration and try out Chitragupta’s solution on him. He liked his natural dark-grey skin colour. How could Chitragupta suggest that he might be given a colour change like a chameleon? Moreover, he could not picture himself, in a chameleon’s attire, even if it displeases Ganesha and Chitragupta.

Frantically searching for a way out, he decided to quietly open clandestine diplomatic channels, to Karthikeya and Shiva. It would be a great diplomatic coup, if he could pull it off through the peacock and snake. No threat to dear life and an assured position besides Ganesha.

At this point, Ganesha dropped a bombshell. Mooshik, I have decided to revert back to my original posture. If my manoeuvre is successful, it will be relieved of your scare and fear. Actually, your cryptic reminder that what is not presented doesn’t exist, made me to come to a decision. I will go on TV, during a panel discussion, and settle the issue once and for all.

Mooshik regretted hinting about on-line darshans and cashing on it now, Ganesh wants to speak through proxies, on T V. If mention of flowers and people confused him, his lord's proposed proxy appearance raised nothing but consternation. He wondered, is this the ripe time to bring Ganesha's family ion board?

Continuing Ganesha said, “as my constant companion, through breaking of coconuts and abject neglect, I grant you this privilege, to watch the preview of what is going to happen.”

 Anchor: Is the offering and breaking of coconuts a sanctioned ritual?

Scientist: Not at all. How can perishable things be an offering to a deity?

Aeronautical Engineer: Breaking of coconuts, certainly disturbs the fabric of sound, if not anything else.

Scientist: Sound is unhealthy and scientific community is of the opinion that it needs further research.

Neuro-zoologist: I would like to enlarge upon my learned friend's point on sound. Trauma to the microtubules and consciousness, in the brain , particularly of a mouse will be disastrous. 

 Not allowed to butt in so far, the anchor jumps in and fires a question. “What is the remedy then?”

Panelists (in one voice): deities did not ask for it and will not become angry, if this practice is discontinued and...

Waiting for a chance to have the last word, the anchor announced: Viewers, please leave your comments @ anchor.atsea.channel.com

The next day, Mooshik, found Ganesha with a broad smile.  He announced, “From this instant, let me face the entrance, even if it is to enjoy the pedestrian traffic.

Mooshik managed to blurt out," What has happened to you?”

“That panel discussion happened live on T V, gathering overwhelming response. Breaking of coconuts, which scare you is not going to happen. Mooshik, are you happy now?”

Mooshik blurted out, “I am left speechless and happy to retain the colour of my dark-grey skin and tail.  Ganesha, do I owe you any upfront guarantee with a back-end assurance for this?"

Ganesha started to scratch his head. Mooshik quietly left him to it!