Today 5th July of 2014 will be one of my memorable day. At 7:30 PM I met someone who does not need any introduction. He is amongst the few to receive “Odisha Sahitya Academy Award”. I am talking about Mr. Prakash Mohapatra the writer who needs no formal introduction.
I along with Prince Simson met Prakash Mohapatra the eminent Odia writer awarded with “Odisha Sahitya Academy Award” for his novels. I already had an appointment with him and he has given us his full address. But unfortunately we are not able to get the location, so we called him and it was the first talk with Mr. Prakash Mohapatra who guided us to his house. When we reach the location we found a man standing on the road and suddenly I identified him. Finally we met Prakash sir at his residence.
In the beginning I was a bit nervous to start interacting with him, but as soon as he welcomed us all my nervousness disappeared and we have started sharing our thoughts. We had a discussion of around 1 hr duration regarding various issues.
We had discussed about the Publishing Industry in Odisha, Publishing Techniques, and he took us for a wonderland journey while sharing his thoughts. Being new to this field I have also learned a bit of story writing too. I have learned how to find positivity even in the most negative situations when he share one of his experience with a pickpocketer. The experience is as follows,
Once he saved on pickpocketer from the angry crowd and he never met him again. After few days he got a glance of that person while returning from his office while the pickpocketer was hiding his face from him. But Prakash Sir wanted to had a talk with him. Once he waited for the person in a road side tea stall and offered the pickpocketer a cup of tea. But the inner core of Prakash Sir wanted to have a friendship with the thief. It took him a long 15 days to had a friendly talk and he also learned something new. When Prakash sir asked the pickpocketer about how he escaped from a busy bus after pickpocketing. The answer from the other side was a simple on that says, “Sir, while getting up to the busy bus peoples lose their consent and are completely unaware that I have taken their belongings. ” You may be thinking to beat the pickpocketer for his mischiefs. But what Prakash Sir thought was completely different. He said “I thought he was doing a good work for society by pickpocketing and making people aware not to lose their so called consent and he is driving our society towards a change.”
After listening to his thoughts, I felt from my inner core that yes it can be and we can take everything in life positively. It will be in memory for ever. From now onwards I will try my best to think positively even in the most critical situations and I am sure that if someone practice this in his/ her daily life he can be the happiest person in the world.
The one hour that I spend will be one of my memorable events and I am thankful to Prakash sir for his motivating and guiding words. Finally we have shared some gifts, had a photo session and with a lot of blessings returned home. Despite of so much fame he is down to earth and mix with us like a friend. I am sure we will have a long lasting friendship and more interactions soon.
With lots of thanks to Mr. Prakakash Mohapatra from his new friend,
Abhisek Panda