The Inn of Eight Happinesses

The Inn of First Happiness
Feel the umbilical cord being clamped.
Look at all the weird faces staring at you. Some, with wet eyes.
Everything’s alien. The only familiar matter you knew until now, was nothing.
Look at the weird faces again.
Cry.
Smile.


The Inn of Second Happiness
Get ready to be enlightened. Get ready to play.
Get ready to eat letters.
Get ready to mould clay.
Get ready to stay happy for just about everything. Even for bad scores.
Get ready to cry for an ice cream, and cry louder for another one.
Get ready to smile.


The Inn of Third Happiness
Make your parents happy. Study more.
Make your parents think. Make excuses.
Make your parents to buy you a phone. Score well.
Make your parents pay. Talk until late night.
Make your parents see the good side of you. Get nagged for the shady one.
Make your parents see the good side of you, again. Smile with them.


The Inn of Fourth Happiness
Look at her. Look at her again.
She’s the one.
No, she’s not.
Look at her friend. Look at her friend again.
She’s the one.
Smile at her. Make her cry. It feels good.
She cries. She cries for your friend.
He’s the one.
Smile at her. She feels good. Stay with her.
Make her happy.
Try.


The Inn of Fifth Happiness
Spread out. Start applying.
Start worrying.
Start earning bread, if not butter. Start earning.
Start wearing masks. Start sucking up.
Start flattering.
Start talking money.
Start earning. Spread out.


The Inn of Sixth Happiness
Decide on a face.
Decide on a caste.
Decide on a career.
Decide on a complexion.
Decide on a girl.
Do not decide. Fall in love.
Have a monsoon wedding.


The Inn of Seventh Happiness
See the umbilical cord being clamped.
Make weird faces in anticipation. With eyes wet, look at it smile.
Everything’s alien now. The only matter familiar to you now, is that smile.
Make a weird face again.
Cry.
Smile.


The Inn of Eighth Happiness
Thank God for making it to the eighth inn.
Thank God for making clay.
Thank God for making parents.
Thank God for making her.
Thank God for the earnings.
Thank God for making monsoons.
Thank God for making it smile.
Thank God for making Sachin Tendulkar.