#09. Kit Kat 109

Have a break, have a Kit Kat. This time a 109! Break to banta hai! 

We've all seen that advertisement. The red wrapper. The snap. The promise of a moment to yourself. In the recent version, it even has my favourite song—'I Want to Break Free' by Queen. But where are the real breaks? That deep breath we're all looking for… that feeling of being present instead of always zoned out!

Breaks, you see, are of two kinds—escape and the 109th bead. One is short-lived, the other keeps you going. The first kind helps you escape. Chocolate, Netflix, scrolling—they help you check out for a bit. Get through the day. Survive the madness. And there's nothing wrong with that. We all need it sometimes. But then there's the second kind. The break that doesn't help you escape your life—it brings you back to it. This is where the 109th bead comes in.

The Story of the 109th Bead - Straight from my personal experiences. My regular mala Jaap practice is quite the challenge. My mind is a monkey—a cute, playful little creature who wants to jump from branch to branch. And like the restless Dre Parker in The Karate Kid (2010) under Mr. Han's patient teaching… it refuses, it argues, it rejects every instruction. Remember that restlessness, that need to jump ahead to "the real training"?

Mr. Han simply ignored that impatience.

We do the same. We ignore that restlessness long enough to complete the 108-bead count and finally reach that 109th bead… only to begin the whole journey again. That final bead? That's our Guru Bead.

This isn't about religion or spirituality—it's about that little Kit Kat break we all need, whether we're doing the simplest of things or the most difficult tasks.

You don't count it. You pause there. You stop. You breathe. The 109th bead. Today I smiled as I reached it. It's not part of the cycle—it's where the cycle ends. That pause? That's the break we've forgotten exists in our busy lives. I just remind myself these days. 

Then, when we begin again, many options open up before us—we can begin with clarity, we can repeat what we've practiced, we can learn from our mistakes, fix them, and move forward. Move forward after that Kit Kat 109.

To notice that I am breathing. To feel the warmth of a jaadu ki jhappi. To smell that beautiful smell after monsoon rain touches the earth. To see that perfect drop of water on a newborn leaf. To feel alive after the 109th bead. And smile.

Let's have that Kit Kat break, yaar! Chota hi sahi, banta to hai na? have that 109.