“Are you Parsi?”

When we had gone to Darjeeling on vacation, we came across an old man. He noticed my mother and me and heard us speak Gujarati! And then he asked, "Excuse me ma’am, are you Parsi?” "Yes we are!” my mother exclaimed, "but who are you?” "I am a fan of the Wadias, the Godrejs I adore! The Tatas I worship for they made India progress more! I am grateful to you Parsis, you have given us so much, built our nation and spread your magical touch!”

Hearing this I felt so happy. Before I could thank him he added, "Today I praise you, but tomorrow, I’m afraid my children won’t! The Wadias and all were legends of the past, but now you Parsis are not letting that magic last! Your children are no longer that brave, they sit with a Rs 10,000 job and just laze! The great Zoroastrians of yesterday have all gone away, leaving behind only legends.” Saying these few words, the old man wandered away...

Even today, that gentleman’s words are in my heart, asking me to take a new start and achieve something that will bring name and a beautiful fate for us Parsis.

I urge all Zarathushtis to stop living in the glorious past and dwell instead in the present. Maybe then, someday, I shall come across that same gentle old man again, and hear him say, "You Parsis still lead the way!”

FARZAN B. MAZDA

Dahanu