Who am I in this vast, open earth of different species
A species of the human race created from a clot of blood in the womb of a woman
One of a billion or more humans all created in the same way
But why was I created, what is my purpose on this vast earth
For surely nothing was created without purpose, otherwise why create at all?

So I was born in a hospital somewhere and there was happiness all around upon my arrival.
A new addition to the family someone to carry on the family name
I came into this world crying and all around me people were laughing with joy
If my arrival brought happiness why was I crying so much?
And so begs the question who am I and why was I created?

Like all humans, I was given a name to identify and make me unique.
Different cultures have different ways and different ceremonies to name their newborns.
But how come of all the species on this earth only human beings have names
Why don't animals, birds, insects who also produce offspring don't give names

So why was I created and what is my purpose on this earth?
I am still trying to find that out, just like a billion other human beings
After all, it cannot be that we were just put here on this earth
Everything that is here was put here for a purpose, a reason

I am sitting at a roadside café relishing the taste of freshly brewed coffee.
The waiter who brings me my coffee and croissants knows why he is there
To ensure the food and drinks I have ordered get to me on time
The right things are delivered to the right people at the right time

I also know why I am at the roadside café sipping hot coffee and enjoying hot delicious croissants.
I am searching for the answer to my lifelong question
Who am I?
I gaze deeply into my coffee, hoping to find the answer there
But all I see is a hot brown liquid with a fresh sensory smell

My name is Umrao Jaan. I am a Tawaif, an Indian Classical Dancer, Singer
My other names are Saheb e jaan, Nargis, and Anarkali, many names I have
I am trained in fine arts like classical dancing and music by ustaads or teachers

My work was to entertain kings, noblemen and wealthy patrons who visited my court.
My court is known as a kotha in the Hindi Language, my residence and workplace
Here I reside with my family, my sisters in trade and our fellow musicians.
We are financially well off, but what we yearn for, love and respect, we do not get

Trained as artists who entertain kings and nobility, we are sadly now disrespected
Our services now are desired not for their true value but to satisfy desires.
The desires of wealthy men who treat us as concubines but will never respect us
Sadly, the nobility and value of our profession have been eroded completely now.

This erosion started with the British Raj when they colonised India
They never valued our services and degraded us to the level of vaishyas(prostitutes)
The evil that men do lives on after them, and the good they do is buried in their bones
Even after India gained independence, the cultural values of the Tawaifs were never restored
It died with the end of the reign of Akbar, Shah Jahan and other Mughal kings

For Man is a social animal, not a lone wolf destined to live alone
Born to interact and live with others sharing and caring and telling tales
Tales of this, tales of that, and tales of everything and anything in between
Some true, some only half true, some entire blatant lies, some tales out of this world
But who cares really whether the tales are true, half true or completely out of this world
Tales entertain us especially when good wine and mead is flowing freely and laughter and good cheer fill the air

That man is destined to live with others, not alone can be traced back to the time of creation
It is said in the bible “that we created man from a clot of blood”
“Then from one of his ribs we created a companion for him”
“Together they will join as one and multiply and fill the world”
And that’s what people have been doing ever since

Earliest man were probably hunter gatherers trying to survive in a hostile environment
They realized they couldn't do everything alone, hence team work was needed
Teaming up together for mutual benefit especially in hunting large animals
After all, for one man to bring down a giant mammoth was nigh impossible
In unity there lay strength man realized that and sharing the work eased the burden on everyone

Over time settlements began to form, first temporary while nomadic lifestyle was practiced
People would find a suitable area, build temporary settlements, then move on
Later on as people became crop growers and started to learn to farm, grow their food
Settlements became more permanent, villages began to form, small and large both

With settlements came the need to organize people and the work they did
Also a leader or leaders had to be appointed to ensure things moved smoothly
Men, women and children all had their part to play in the structure of the settlement

The farmers ploughed the land and provided food for the people of the settlement
The blacksmiths made tools and weapons for the farmers and the warriors
The tailors made clothes for the different classes of people, from kings to peasants
The carpenters made the furniture for the different houses and palaces
The warriors defended the people and went on conquests to gain new lands

Every person knew his/her place in the settlement whatever its size
The Elders were given a very high stature, for their wisdom and knowledge
Consulted on a variety of matters and their advice followed
Some things in this world will never change with the passage of time
As it was then, so it is now and so it will be in the years to come
This the wise elders knew and sought to pass on the knowledge

Today with the advancement in technology with new ideas springing up, people want independence
Wanting to live alone, away from other people, believing they can do everything themselves
Thinking their new found AI toys will help them in their tasks and provide the answers to their problems
Elders are considered outdated dinosaurs, whose thoughts and advice are irrelevant in today's times
They believe CHAT GPT and other AI tools will give them all the answers they need

The world just looks and laughs at them, fool’s fools fools it says, have you not learned anything
Some things in this world will never change, no matter how many years will come to pass
Ancient unwritten laws of the universe the world is compelled to bow down to
The ancients were not stupid to consult with the sages and other wise men in the settlement
For the sages possessed knowledge handed down over generations to a select few only

Ancient knowledge possessed by the sages is not so simple to understand by all
The correct interpretation of that knowledge in the particular situation is very important
Those kind of answers aren't available on CHAT GPT and other such AI tools
AI and its related tools are useful yes in many ways, especially in forecasts
But they do not know everything for after all they were created by man
But the world and its processes were created by a Supreme Being
That same Supreme Being created mankind and all that is on earth

So my friends pay close attention to what the wise elders have to say
For that knowledge is ancient knowledge passed down over generations
Knowledge passed down in the form of tales, entertaining and humorous
But holding a deep meaning to those who understand