Musings on the last day of 2025

As the sun sets on the year 2025 and we enter 2026, I reflect on a thought. No, it is not about the charade of making new year resolutions which I have never followed. It is about a different thing.

This afternoon, while sitting at my neighborhood cafe (most of you now know that this is my favourite haunt, my work station if I am not in the office), I called up an old friend, a rich man with many years of successful business behind him. During our brief chit-chat, the friend said something which disturbed me. I feel disturbed even as I write this.

When I asked him about his business, he said he has retired and does nothing. “I have given all my work to my younger brothers and sons. I spend time doing nothing, just in ghoomna phirna,” he said nonchalantly.

Having put in over 40 years of hard work and accumulated wealth substantial enough to see him through his autumn years, my friend now spends time on ghoomna phirna (roaming aimlessly). Since he is a friend and he will not mind giving unsolicited advice, I told him that he is among the few whom God has been kind enough to keep him healthy so that he could spend several years in a business. And he created huge material wealth. Not everyone can afford to retire and just spend his/her time doing nothing. He should spend time on some social work. Maybe he can help educate some of the the underprivileged.

I am surprised at how some people get this idea that they have nothing on hand. That they have run out of ideas. That whatever they had to do they already did in 40 or 50 years.

Why does this happen? This happens because of a condition called selfishness. You slogged and toiled like an ass for years and built up a good bank balance. Now you have run out of ideas. The time which was once precious to you carries little value. You want to while it away. In ghoomna phirna. Practically doing nothing which can help society become a better place.

Many argue that why should anyone bother if someone wants to do nothing. This argument is fallacious. And dangerous too. An individual is not a society. He is part of a society, a community, a group of people. He has certain responsibilities towards the society which has sustained him, enriching him many ways.

Can someone prosper in isolation? If there is no one  to collaborate, co-operate and coordinate with him? He cannot.

If all the rich people in the world were to think like my friend, imagine what will happen to this planet.

Do we remember the last man in the queue? Do we remember the person who did hand holding when we needed it the most?

Let me cite a personal example. A colleague and friend of many years retired a couple of years ago. There was a small send off in the office. After a senior editor colleague spoke about the retiring colleague’s contributions, his patience and dedication which enriched the final product–the newspaper we worked and I continue to work with–I spoke briefly. I recalled how this colleague had helped me in a desperate situation years ago.

Over two decades ago, I was with another publication which wrote its obituary and  announced the last date on which there would be curtains for it. I was desperate since I was much younger than I am told and did not want to suffer joblessness in a big city. I had previously approached the resident editor of a newspaper in the city. The editor had told me he would get back to me which he had not. This is a standard practice in the job market. Very often if you are not hired, the employers tell you:”We will get back to you.”

But after it was announced that the newspaper would fold up on a certain date, my desperation grew. Many negative thoughts haunted me. I spent a few sleepless nights. Then I told this senior colleague with whom I worked to speak to the same editor I had previously approached but had failed to impress him. He picked up the phone (yes, there was no mobile phone then, just the landline) and put a word with the editor. He told him just to give me an opportunity to prove myself.

The next day, I reached the editor’s office with my spruced up CV containing several stories and interviews with some interesting people, including the late legendary actor Suraiya. The editor who earlier did not have much time to go through my CV patiently saw the pages in the thick curriculum vitae, making a remark I still remember: “Oh you have interviewed Suraiya and this and that ( I am withholding the names because they are fortunately alive). Come with five fresh feature ideas, work on one of the story ideas, and meet our feature editor next week. We will put you before our Executive Editor who is coming from Delhi,” he said. I did exactly that. Desperate situations demand desperate measures. Using the infrastructure of the same office (telephone and computer) which would shut in a fortnight, I thought of five ideas, wrote a story and met the Executive Editor. He gave a cursory look at my CV, read the story that I had written, asked a few questions and told me to leave. A few hours later, the feature editor called to congratulate  me. She invited me to join  next day. I worked with this newspaper for four years, writing prolifically and enriching myself in all the ways a journalist can think of.

Moral of the story? Do not despair when one door shuts. Because another will open soon. Years ago, in a moment of despair, when I was new to the city and virtually anchorless, my good friend film-writer and director Miraq Mirza had encouraged me with the words which ring in my ears: Jab andhera bahut zyada ho toh samjh lo suraj bahut jald niklega.

Friends,  never say die and do not think that you have worked enough, earned enough and it is time to pass into twilight. End is bound to come. But why waste precious time in just doing nothing. Or on just sitting on your laurels. Set your priorities. Think beyond your own brood. Look for the needy around you. There is always someone who needs help. Help him. A truly busy man has no time to do nothing.