Karmic Relations
The Walk, the Game, and a Guilty Fresh Lime Water
My friend and I went for our usual walk, but sometimes, we eat first and walk later. We’re only human after all. That day, he was craving pasta from the German Bakery in Lonavala, but we weren’t in the mood for the weekend traffic. So, we went to a cozy cafe in Karjat, just a three-minute walk away.
After flipping through the menu and chatting with the waiter about healthy options, I ordered a salted fresh lime water out of guilt. Why guilt? Because I had eaten the leftover butterscotch ice cream earlier, which technically belonged to my sister.
Then, we moved on to our little cafe tradition – a game of Ludo, best of three, loser pays. I’ve lost a small fortune in this ritual because, despite being a ruthless Ludo player, I had never once won in this cafe. But today was different. The streak finally broke, and I whitewashed him. Maybe it was because, for once, I shifted my focus from food to the game.
A Reflection on Karmic Relations
As we sipped our drinks and laughed, we started talking about a mutual friend who didn’t invite anyone to his engagement. We all found out through an Instagram post. After we shared a few thoughts, my friend said something that stuck with me.
He said, “I’ve always believed in karmic relations. You’re with people for as long as you share a karmic bond, and once it’s complete, no matter how hard you try, you’ll drift apart. There’s nothing we can do but accept it.”
It made sense. Whether you call it karmic relations, drifting apart, or just life happening, it all boils down to the same thing: change is inevitable. The world is always evolving, and so are we. As long as we’re breathing, we’re adapting.
Why Change Feels So Hard
Sometimes, though, it’s hard to accept that things are changing. Humans hate it when things around them change, even though they themselves are always changing. What ironic creatures we are. It makes me chuckle. We fight so hard to stop things from changing, to stop people from leaving, and we hurt ourselves in the process.
It’s all because we fear the unknown. I’ve always loved that saying, “A person almost always chooses a familiar hell over an unknown heaven.” Such a deep reflection on human behavior.
Letting Go
At the same time, I admire how humans are great at adapting. Our survival and defense mechanisms are fascinating. I’ve often thought that God is the ultimate survival mechanism we’ve created, giving our lives meaning and solving the eternal problem of purpose. The idea of karmic relations is such a brilliant adaptation to painful situations. Instead of feeling abandoned or guilty, we can simply tell ourselves, “It’s not you or me, it’s just that the karmic relation is complete.”
Suddenly, moving on becomes easier. Acceptance feels possible. I love how, through generations, we humans have transcended, evolved, and stood the test of time – one situation, one adaptation at a time.
