During our life span, we experience several unexpected events, which sometimes significantly change the course of our life. For example, every day you go to your office by 7.30 am bus, but one day you decide to go by car and later you learn that the 7.30 am bus met with an accident. Or, as they show in Indian movies that a boy and girl bang into each other, fall into love and eventually get married. However, the one incident that changed their life – was it coincidence or their destiny? Whatever happens in our life — is it coincidence or destiny?
In 1981, I used to work in Televista Electronics, New Delhi, and one of my colleagues, C T Subramanian was from Chennai. In 1982, I left Televista to join Department of Electronics, Government of India and C T Subramanian too left the company and went back to Chennai to join some company there. In 1990 or 1991, I went to Bangalore for some training, and in the evening I went to a shopping centre. And to my surprise, I find C T Subramanian in the same shopping centre. He was also sent by his company to Bangalore for some official work and he also decided to visit the shopping centre in the evening. Was it a coincidence or destiny? What are the chances of two persons from two metro cities having population of over 100 million each going to a third large city on official duty and deciding to go to the same shopping centre on the same day at the same time! I remember another incidence — I was going with my wife to Chandigarh from Delhi in our Maruti car for a short vacation and we stopped at Karnal at a restaurant for breakfast. There we spotted one of my old friends, who was also going to Chandigarh with his wife for vacation, and they had also stopped at that restaurant for breakfast! Was it a coincidence or my destiny that wanted me to meet my old friend?
Many people, particularly those who don’t understand or accept the supreme power, usually do not believe in destiny. They either believe that whatever happens in life is coincidence or they control their destiny. However, when I look back at my life and unexpected turns it has taken, I have no doubt that whatever is happening in my life is my destiny. Just a few examples: After passing Grade 8, when it was time to choose subjects for high school, I was asked by my parents to choose commerce instead of science, though I got third position in Grade 8 in my school and I was very good in science. One day, one of my classmates of Grade 8, Ashok Sexana comes to my house and convinces my parents that science stream will be better for me as it will offer more avenues later; and, thus I shifted to science. Was it coincidence or destiny? Did the God send someone to convince my parents? Or, did the God himself come in the form my friend to help me?
Another example: I started publishing articles in Electronics For You magazine in mid-1980s. In 1987, I started developing a five-part series of articles about dBASE III, and while working on the project I decided that the series would look better in a book form. (Electronics For You also used to occasionally publish electronics books.) When I was about to hand over my typescript to Electronics For You for consideration, my colleague and friend, R Ravi Chandran asked me to try Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, the largest publisher of technical books in India, to publish my book. I told him that I being am unknown young boy in twenties with no credentials, how can I even approach them to publish my book. Ravi Chandran asked me to just send a copy of the typescript to Tata McGraw-Hill besides sending it to Electronics For You. I followed his suggestion, and my first book, dBASE III and III PLUS - A Hands-on Approach was published by Tata McGraw-Hill, and then they published several more. (Electronics For You did not take any decision about publishing my book!)
Now one last example — I saw an advertisement from Canadian High Commission, New Delhi in a magazine that I usually don’t read about a seminar about immigration opportunities in Canada in 1996. At that time, I was holding a respectable position of Joint Director in Department of Electronics, Government of India and was a popular computer books author. My books also used to provide me enough royalty income. In other words, I was happily settled with my wife, two children and parents, living in a nice south Delhi neighbourhood. However, I don’t know why I attended the Immigration Seminar, applied for immigration, resigned from a respected permanent Government of India job of 15 year and moved to Canada. After two years, my brother, who also had a very good job with JP Industries, immigrated to Canada. And, then in 2001 my father died and my mother also immigrated to Canada. Thus the entire family, who did not even have faintest idea about moving to Canada some time ago, is now in Canada.
The more closely I look at my past life, the more convinced I become that our destiny is a kind of pre-determined. We may feel that we can influence our destiny a little bit by our actions, but can we change it? I don’t think so...
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