In dialogue with Mr.Sim

Narasimha generally called as Mr. Sim is moving to Finland in a few months. It was great fun to work with him and travel along. Sim is the cool chap who doesn't get shaken up by anything in life. 'Why to worry? What's the point?' he shrugs off his shoulder and laughs away like a kid. 

Energetic yet poised. Calm but very naughty. Erratic but disciplined. The energetic Narasimha can spend hours playing. He's always active to play and get into action but, he's poised in conversations and very polite. 

He looks calm but he's very naughty. He finds fun in silliest things. A good sense of humor but, not everyone gets a chance to witness it. He picks on a few things and he's very addictive about it. Currently, he's quite a  Chaiholic. Any day, he can come out and say he has quit Chai and he'd never touch it again. 'Everything is in mind.' I don't let anything get into my head, he says. 

Interacting with Narasimha, I had great time understanding his perspective on life and the way he receives it. 

"There's no control on future, you never had control in the past, why dwelling in both. Be there. Be present. Live," states Mr.Sim 

Sim worked in Border Security Force and he got a lot of tales to share. I'm always intrigued with War & Spy craft. I do not understand the point of wars and also the people in it and the way people are dragged into it. Also the spy craft where there are no clear rules to play the game. It's always an unending dirty game. Sim worked for Border Security Force for a long time. On being asked on how his life in BSF has shaped him. 

It worked in both good and bad ways, he explained. 

Sim lost his father at the age of 11. At the age of 11, he had to support his family. His family included mother, his brother.  Three of them struggled a lot. In the hope of finding some support system, they left their quarters and moved to Rajendra Nagar where their relatives lived. After sensing the way the relatives distanced from the family, they realised, they're good on their own. Sim, his brother were working from the age of 11. 'I used to wake up early, rent a cycle, get the milk and newspaper, drop them at home, attend school and then come home again. I didn't had time for anything. I didn't even had a cycle to do the work.  Back then, a first hand cycle costed 1500rs. After saving some money,  I bought a cycle in second hand worth 180rs to put paper and milk in the neighborhood."

He finished his 10th and never gave enough time to pursue his studies seriously, as he had a lot of responsibility to support his family. After 10th, when his friend was applying for BSF, he prodded Mr.Sim to apply. What to lose, he thought and applied. 

We didn't had money to even go to the selections as it was near HAL, the other corner from which they live. Sim's mother went along with the Sim and his friend for the selection. Both Sim and his friend participated in all the running and other exercises. During the medical test, his friend couldn't get selected for his height. Sim was underweight and police official said, 'It's okay, he'll gain weight as he grow.' and got him selected. And put him in further rounds. 

Sim's friend got rejected and returned home along with Mr.Sim's mother as they do not know how long the selection process would go. Even the officials instructed others to leave. The mother and his friend went away for their home. Sim was left alone  in the selection process.  "I was selected and asked me to get the documents. I was happy but, I didn't had money to go home." Narasimha narrated. 

He got selected but, had no money to go to his home. As he was figuring out, he met another person who came for the selection and got selected. He came in his auto for the exam.  "Come with me, i'll drop you," the auto person suggested. Tomorrow, I also have to come again to submit the documents. You can also join me." He mentioned.  That's how Narasimha's journey into Border Security Force got started. 

Narasimha worked in Barmer, Haryana, Kashmir & Bengal. He worked on all fronts. 'How is to be taught to be violent? How it affected your life?' I asked. 

'Being taught to be aggressive, you become another person. All who are trained to be violent can't handle it. It's very hard to get back into civilian environment.' He explained. 

Narasimha lost a couple of  jobs because of his aggressiveness. Despite watching Sim fail in a lot of jobs, his favourite cousin- uncle's third son always found jobs for him. Finally after a lot of futile attempts, cousin's friend introduced Sim to rock climbing, the sport he really enjoyed. Getting into outdoors and playing brought a change in Sim's life. 

As time passed by, he began to work with outdoor companies, got trained at National Mountaineering Academy and continued in Physical Education. 

"How did you meet your love?" I asked.  

"I met her during climbing. The friend who introduced me to her is in Germany." he recalled. My wife got selected to National Geographic Mt.Everest Climb. She's one of the five people who got selected, he started sharing about his love. 

As she was into it, I motivated her to join fitness with me and we went along for a lot of runs together, that's how we began to know each other well. 

Later, when both decided to marry, they faced the gir's family who were against the marriage. Together, they were sure of their relation and managed to convince everyone and got married. 

Narasimha and his partner enjoy sports very much. Like father, like mother, their daughter also into sports. "We did a lot of marathons in Canada as well." Narasimha shared how they enjoy sports. 

As the family is moving to Finland, I wish Sim and his family to have the best time and do what they love to do-Play