Over the past weeks we’ve been more than touched by Nature at its untamed, fully-dressed best: from Hurricane Florence to Super-Typhoon Mangkhut; and we thought that with the Tsunamis, our learning was over. Hold on, there’s a ‘Storm’y Daniels ‘coming’ blowing hot and cold over ‘One US Resident’ in the White House. A tell-tale book is spilling more than we can imagine! I reckon this storm can do what the other ‘super blowers’ – the Nature Winds – could not!

While Storms, hurricanes and Typhoons raged and blew many people off the face of the Earth, the World is still wondering what happened to Chinese movie superstar, Fan BingBing, arguably China’s most famous Actress. Fans tried ‘Bing’ and ‘Google’, with zero results in nano seconds, on her whereabouts. Yes, she acted in Iron Man and X-Men; and perhaps she needs to become an Iron Woman to get out from wherever she’s hiding or is being held, before she becomes a X, Y, Z Woman; will she? While stories of messing with China’s Tax System is doing the rounds, my guess is that she’s probably having a baby of a time – why not? It’s over three months now and the results may show up any moment – unless she’s talking to the King of Good Times, Vijay Mallya, on Tax Heavens and a Kingfisher Model shoot, in a London hideout!

We cannot finish talking about storms and earth sliding floods without thinking about what the rains did to Kerala in India and how scores of its fisherman became ‘flash’ heroes, fishing-out men, women and children from the deadly flood waters, to see them live another day – for sure, none know the waters better than them! Even while the waters were receding and the Fishermen returned to real fishing, the Devil had another ace up his sleeve: the Bishop Franco Mulakkal rape story broke the skies and added to the growing accusations of the Church turning a blind eye to the storms of sexual molestation, World over. The unbelievable stories blew out from US, UK, Germany and many other Countries at cyclonic speeds; and the Pope is praying harder than ever to see how much has been swept under the carpet before the winds blow it (the carpet) away. I hope God hears his thundering prayers – and the confessions, if any! I wish those accused have the courage to open-up with the truth; I always believe than more than sermonising and preaching, religion should be practiced and high-level people should set an example – that’s the easiest to ‘like and follow’.

By now the rains have dried up and its smoking hot again in many parts of the World – the Sun is the new Storm, doing the rounds. Tennis star Roger Federer blamed the heat of Flushing Meadows getting to him to leave the US Open. The heat probably hit Serena Williams too, and she suddenly discovered she was a woman – that’s real cool; accusing the Strict Umpire of being sexist and losing to the same-sex opponent, a first from Japan-Naomi Osaka becoming the first person from Japan to win a Grand Slam Title and she played so well that she deserved to win. Never mind a return-to-play-after-giving-birth ageing superstar stole her nappies. I wish Serena had ‘held her court’ and set an example by exemplary behaviour rather than throw a Woman Tantrum, #YouToo.

Nearer Home, caste storms are gathering everywhere, and it’s in murdering form. In Hyderabad, the shocking killing of a man in front of his higher caste wife, who he married – jumping caste rungs, turned the girl’s father into a monster who placed prestige and caste considerations above love for his daughter’s love, and allegedly had the man murdered. Then there’s the story of another father in the neighbourhood of Hyderabad, again, hacking off his daughter’s hand in a drunken stupor, over the same issue. I would delve into the Bhagavad Gita, where Lord Krishna clearly explains that the so called caste divisions are not permanent structures but based on one’s inner chemical nature: somewhere down the line someone built physical walls and made them permanent, which has to be resisted and broken down. The father’s behaviour shows he is worser that the lowest caste ever, with such horrific thinking. I often wonder why the Gita is not read and understood by the younger generation rather, then when one grows old, so that it can be applied over a longer period. It’s time we grow-up shedding our caste clothes and wearing our thoughts high. There’s so much to do and we are no longer the unthinking animals we once descended from. We are Homo Sapiens – the wise ones.

That brings me to Dr. Yuval Noah Harari’s beautifully crafted sublime book, ‘Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind’, which I just finished reading…and am re-reading. It’s a thrilling account of our extraordinary journey from from insignificant Apes to Rulers and Masters of the World. Read it to understand our biology and chemistry and you may not hesitate to marry our closest relatives, siblings – ‘the very low caste’, chimpanzees; beware the ‘Fathers (the Mothers too may join) of Hyderabad’ may pounce for the kill – for marrying ‘Out of Species’.

While the women of India are having quite a tough time there are stories of inspirational, exceptional, courageous acts by many of them. The story of a Bhopal man’s thirty-three gruesome murders caught my eye – one of the highest in Indian History, of this kind of crime. This man was a Tailor by day and a murderer by night. He started his kill Act in 2010 in Amravati, then tested it in Nasik. He was arrested after a ferocious across-States search, by a daring woman cop, in the jungles of Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. She was a Taekwondo black belt and a Asian Games Bronze Medalist in Judo and took down the murderer at gun point, in the dead of the night. That made my day. We are safe at Home, notwithstanding the many storms swirling around us!

Have a great week ahead and stay watchful.