Be what you are

I entered the classroom and asked each of the seventy students present, to draw something in their notebooks. Questioning, suspicious glances fell over me. Their eyes enquiring, ‘Are you sane?’ Unperturbed by the weird looks on the faces around, I once again said, ‘Sketch anything you feel like.’ A sweet girl in the front row spoke, ‘But Mam what?’ I smiled and she stared at the blank page in front of her.
After five minutes, I looked around to find everyone engrossed in drawing something or other. Another ten minutes down the line, I asked everyone to stop and show me what they had drawn. There were roses, pansies, clock, people, sceneries, houses and yes, the typical inverted V shaped hills with sun rising and a river in the forefront. I posed a question, ‘Why haven’t any two students drawn similar things?’
‘Because you asked us to draw what we felt like...’,came a quick response. As asked them to follow their instinct, I came across such beautiful array of drawings. Had I asked everyone to draw a square or a triangle, all the pictures would have looked similar if not identical. This is just illustrating the point of our becoming stereotypes in our lives. It is hard to find examples of times when we did something simply because we felt like. Uniqueness is one of the most rare traits to find these days. Each one of us is trying to be a rat in the rat race. Being a conformist to the laid down rules and patterns seems the easiest option available. Being different definitely takes more energy, vigour and courage however the outcome is more rewarding and fulfilling, hence the means surely justify the end in this case. Look around and see why students are preparing for an MBA or why do want to cram the answer to ‘introduce yourself’ or ‘your strength’ or ‘your aim in life’ before entering an interview room. Actually we are all so uncomfortable to the thought of being ourselves. The process of doing things or saying words which are politically correct or generally accepted makes us alienate ourselves from the truth within.
When an interviewer sits examining a hundred candidates a day, with more or less similar qualification, he is searching for someone who is different from the rest. One after the other he is faced with prototypes and really has to keep his patience in listening to those oft repeated answers. The candidates sound like pre programmed robots with instructions fed in. Here, a candidate who just lets down that facade and reveals himself/herself succeeds to make a mark.
Imagine sitting with your group of friends and feeling that they all look the same, dress the same and speak the same things. Doesn’t that sound an uncanny experience? Similarly the poor interviewer faces one candidate after the other. Anyone who breaks the monotony, comes as fresh breathe, registers himself in the interviewer’s mind. At the end of the day, it is simple and easy to remember the person who discussed his love for Wordsworth or the one who wore a pink tie instead of the standard grey and blue tie or the girl who explained her motivation in life or the person who defined himself as God’s own son etc.
Let us just pause our busy hectic lives and stare at ourselves in the mirror. For a day, don’t do what others tell you or don’t try to be like your father or your elder brother or a senior from college...just be what you are. I don’t promise an easy ride but I do promise that the journey to self discovery would be worth it. Being unique is the surest way to get noticed in an interview, a group discussion or any walk of life and most importantly, it brings unfathomable, indefinable, unparalleled joy, within.

I looked around and searched for this thing called joy...after few futile attempts i gave up...reclined in the chair....sat in Sector 20...preetika's bedroom...while she beautifully exhibited her new collection of clothes...told her tit bits of my life's story and heard all the gossip about Mcm girls but somewhere my enthu was low....though it rain ( rain is my stress buster)...
I was waiting for something...wht??? didnt know...
just exiting from her gate...i found my omen....white...crystal white flowers from the overhead lemon tree strwen over the windscreen and bonnet of my black car.....
nothing else required ....nothing else to say....i beamed...it was my fairy tale world and those glistening flowers was wht i was waiting for :)

In the silence of the night...my heart wishpers its music....
for it sways to a far off land...it question sthe basis of my existence
my breathe is heavy with words...unsaid but felt hard
words I didn't utter to the world, words I hid deep within, words I confess to turbulent spirit
its me...myself...and only me....
not thy world...not thy rules....neither its judgement....
nothing to lamnet simply the conversation of the soul....
I cry, I laugh, I love...but I dont hate...
its me....my world and I speak to the whispers of the silent night...

Brand ‘ YOU’
The most distinctive skills of today’s marketer’s is the ability to create brands. It is the unfathomable art as well as the cornerstone in the history of marketing. The American Marketing Association defines brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors. Now, it shall be highly incorrect to curtail this definition to branding of products or services. Widening the scope of the word, I shall discuss simple ways of branding yourself. The benefit of the whole exercise, as evident from the definition, shall be a distinct image of YOU. Branding yourself shall ascertain that you are not one among the millions there; however you are one apart from the rest. Sounds a bit overboard or too ambitious?
Ophra Winfrey’s talk show garners high TRP’s or T-shirt’s signed by our very own Master Blaster Tendulkar get sold at exorbitant amounts, ever wondered why? Why did the ‘Rajasthan Royals’ moustache or turban became very saleable items during the recently concluded IPL? A simple answer is Branding. As you begin to compete with more people sharing the same IQ level or similar set of skills, you require projecting your distinctive identity whether in a college, an interview or a workplace. Personal branding is a way of communicating the value proposition you can offer. Branding yourself shouldn’t be misread as bragging about yourself. It is all about understanding your intrinsic value in relation to the situation or opportunity at hand and projecting it in the right manner. A brand is a complex symbol that conveys up to six levels of meaning:
1. Attributes: If Rolls Royce stands for classic elegance or Enfield motorbike suggests ruggedness as there essential attributes, similarly you have figure out the your basic qualities. Take help of friends, parents and people you have known long to suggest what attributes come to their mind when they think of you. Answer questions like what traits define your personality or which characteristics are intrinsic to your being?
2. Benefits: Qualities bring functional and emotional benefits. The Rolls Royce gives you an aristocratic feel or the trustworthy Bajaj provide economical running and maintenance. What benefits do you bring to lives of people around? Are you the intellect house in your group friends or maybe you add the extra spark of joy in banal lives of your classmates? Being an avid learner and enthusiastic to put your learning into practice shall be beneficial to the organisation you join...provided you have those attributes.
3. Values: Brand speaks about a producer’s values or his promise. TATA group stands for heritage, trust and goodwill. In all the twenty or twenty five years of your existence you might have never tried to figure out your values though you live with them and practice them daily. Your principles or dearly held morals add value to the brand proposition you shall offer.
4. Culture: The set of things around us impact our persona and culture has a deep rooted impact on what we are. Being an Indian will connote the positives of being hard working and the negative of being unpunctual or being a Punjabi represents loud, cheerful and enthusiastic attitude. Hence, don’t need to fret and fume to find your cultural roots and its evident impact on you.
5. Personality: Brand YOU speaks about the individual you are. It stands to represent your elements. Personality is the condensed form of you attributes, values and cultural upbringing. Many of us make the gross mistake of undermining our personality and shirking away from projecting ourselves. Firmly believe in your persona and look for means of enhancing it ( GD classes, Reading, voice modulation series can help overcome speech issues). Take some time to analyse your personality and only when you have comprehended it, look for ways of improving it.
6. User: Successful Brands are built with the users in mind. While you carry out the whole exercise of branding yourself, it is vital to remember the people to targeting. Your friends look for different benefits from you than your boss. When TATA branded Nano, it was targeting the lower middle class of India and hence, the product design to its marketing was aimed at the probable customers. When you trying hard to make an impression someone, it’s crucial to understand what the other person is looking for. Only then can you successfully brand your self.
This is just a simple methodology of building a brand and breaking the biggest misconception that Branding is limited to products or services. I sincerely believe that each one of us is unique and can be developed into a brand. As you shall read the steps and try to apply them gradually, you ll realise why branding is the big thing in this modernistic world of ours.

MOVE ON

A STEP FROM TODAY TO TOMORROW
MINGLED WITH JOY AS WELL AS SORROW
FOR THE PRESENT SHALL TURN TO MEMORIES
MOMENTS SHALL FLY AWAY IN THE BREEZE.

A STEP FROM NOW TO THEN
AMID THE JOURNEY, MY HEART ASKS WHY?
THE SILVER GRAINS OF SAND SEEP THROUGH MY FINGERS
AND A NOSTALGIC FRAGRANCE IN MY MEMORY, LINGERS.

A STEP FROM HERE TO THERE
IS MY PATH LEADING NOWHERE?
WITH EVERY STEP ON THE ROAD OF LIFE I TAKE
THE DAY GONE BY, CHIPS AWAY LIKE A FLAKE.

A STEP FROM PRESENT TO FUTURE
SHALL MY DREAMS LOSE LUSTURE?
FOR WILL THE TIMID SOUL IN ME
TRAMPLE THE STORMS THAT SHALL BE.

A STEP FROM CERTAIN TO UNCERTAIN
TIMES AHEAD HIDDEN BEHIND A CURTAIN
END INEVITABLE FOR ONE WHO IS BORN
BE A WANDERER OR BE A WARRIER
YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON, MOVE ON…

THE ANSWER

‘I love you’, she said perkily. Kissing her creamy cheeks he repeated the three magical words. In a somewhat serious tone, he added ‘Can I trust you?’ A puzzled expression coupled with webs of doubt swept over her face. ‘Ask yourself’, she answered in a rather disappointed tone.
This is not a unique situation as hundreds of ‘ I love you’ notes get exchanged among millions of couples. The flutter in the heart, the sparkle in the eyes, the joy on hearing his/ her voice and the sheer dreams weaved about the other person make us repeat these words on and off.
However, this is not love. I might sound abominably incorrect or grossly stone hearted for the comment I just made. We try to love people and wish to spend our lives with them. During this short or in some cases long dating period we shower our ‘ I love you’ as well as hundreds of questions ‘ will you keep me happy?’, ‘ can I trust you?’, ‘ Are you the girl of my dreams?’, ‘ will my family accept you?’ etc. etc. etc.
The list of questions is never-ending. The replies to the questions sometimes seem comforting and sometimes appear incomplete. The point I wish to draw home is that the answers to these genuinely crucial questions are utterly useless at this point of time. Whether she is the girl of your dreams won’t be proved by her hour long chatters over the phone or long sunset dates, whether he is romantic to the core or not will not be proved by the rose he gifted on the first valentines day, whether your family would accept her cannot be judged by mentally mapping their lives in one house... love, trust, acceptance and many other things we expect from the other person in our lives cannot be answered in words but shown through action. When she smiles after a hectic day at work and chirpily says the three words (after 5 years of married life), when he blows soft suds over her sleepy face on their tenth wedding anniversary, when she remembers your fathers birthday and reminds you about it, when she tells you everything knowing that you might pour your anger over her, when you call her mom to tell her how lucky you feel to have her in your life....you will find the answer to ‘Do you love me?’ and ‘ Can I trust you?’

If hearts could whisper

Beating up and down
Plumbing the red liquid, in and out
It sings its melody day and night
The cosmic rhythm of life shall flow
Until that bag of red liquid shall row
Layer by layer
Deep and down
The tunnels form a maze
And deep down that maze
A feeling lays
Of love, of hatred
Of eternal bliss
Of hellish enmity
Of songs of brotherhood
Of touch of motherhood
The hell and the heaven in unison lay
The human race its ready to slay
The tales buried in the closet
The anger hidden like a malicious snake
The effervescence of a child trampled
The spirit of joy drowned in a salty lake
The world shall go deaf
If hearts could whisper...Nothing shall be left

Wherever u go

Where ever you go
No matter how far you go
There ll be a feeling
That someone’s close by
Not a myth but something real, someone there
Wherever you go
A thought shall make you turn
To see a loved face and those sparkling eyes
But in that foreign land and strange world
You ll find none
Then tired you will lay down
To shut your eyes to the madness around
Your face burdened with freckles & frown
And longing making your heart ache
A deep breath shall kiss your face
Trembling fingers shall fill the gap
and you shall lovingly clasp
A familiar fragrance shall fill the room
Your eyes shall open wide
Just to realize
You had just felt me beside
Wherever you go
I ll be by your side…

BEST vs BEST

A debate has been brewing in my mind like the finest quality liquor ferments, changing colour and gathering its smoothness with age. Being a firm follower and hardcore romantic, I lived by the phrase ‘somewhere someone is made for you’ (very filmy, indeed). The God shall show various omens when this person appears in your life. In precise terms, there is one best person made for us and we should go around in search of it. Indirectly, this is propagating the concept of ‘love marriage’ only. Search on till you find him/her.Thus, we are an incomplete puzzle and hunt for the best fit to complete it.
On the contrary, finding the best in a person we have met along the course of our lives is the other option. Look at the simple way of doing this- we meet new people, we might like a few of them and would like to know more about them. The knowing process shall bring out dozens of similarities and plethora of dissimilarities...now this might not look like the ideal permutation and combination for the person we imagined to be our life partner. Generally, in this scenario we have two options. First, is getting disillusioned and continuing our search for the best person. The second refers to acceptance of the person as he/she is and making the best of what we have. The latter is an approach followed in most of the arranged marriages and quite surely for a lot of love marriages as well. I guess our parents might be right examples of making cordial compromises and making good the differences. Instead of rummaging over unfulfilled expectations, they look forward at the future with hope.
I came across the simplest rule to follow in order to stay happy- stop comparing people and stop expecting. Sounds too Godly...yes it does!!!! We are but mere mortals who will end up comparing the person in our lives to the on screen filmstar or a too perfect-to-believe friend. We would expect loads of things and more often than not, expect the other person to know about our wishes without us mentioning it. Oh goodness...are they supersonic human beings. Give them peace...speak out your expectations...ask what they expect and then let life be a simple happy journey.
No matter how perfectly suitable couples appear to be, somewhere a cord of contention or difference of opinion might emerge. And then we again find ourselves at the crossroads – disheartened, heartbroken, disillusioned lets search for the perfect one or accept the follies and make the best of the person in our lives. Moral of the story- you get the BEST either ways...but choose your course. Have a happy journey...

What is a relationship?
Oxford dictionary defines it as an association or connection or in more precise terms as an emotional association. The word emotional adds a lot of ambiguity to the term and provides space to writers like me, to present our own interpretation. Emotions is an expression of feelings, a smile on seeing the star studded sky… a laugh on seeing your buddy trip on the staircase…a frown on the driver honking in the traffic jam ..and many more things that form a part of our day. Thus it is basic human nature to express, lest we shall be logs of wood.
This expression can be categorized as positive or negative and also depends on how the person perceives it. When I laugh on my friend who has just fallen on a banana peel I am portraying a positive expressions which may be categorized as negative by my remorseful friend. Thus in light of the situation …. Any expression can fall in any categories… and only god can always express positive expressions…
So what we call man as a social being is just an insight into the bigger sphere of life. Some see the grape wine of relationships as chains that clutch them and prevent the flight of life However the contrary also holds good for many--- who view it as a foundation and elevated ground from where they can take-off to fulfill there aspirations and return when faced with desolation and failure. It serves as a support system of life. Whatever may be the perception , the fact remains that relationships either viewed in form of hindrances or support pillars, are indispensable part of every human beings life. The role they play in a persons life is a matter of his personal caprice. Social scenario also influences the extent of there role, an example is our well knit Indian society where relations are treated as crux of life.. however western influence has brought a radical change in ideologies and the way gen x treats relationships.
None of us can be advocates on weather this change is positive or negative because god forgot to write the rule book when he made Adam and Eve.!!!!!!!! Hence a little clue emerges after we have treaded the little distance towards our goal---“Relationships are what we perceive them as”.
Born on this and the gift that falls to your share are bundles of relations—few immediate few distant but they are your relations(relatives)live with them or leave them but they are yours. as we tread further and gain a sense of the world around us we start our own search and build relations of choice or what we call as friends….
The gloom blanketed life… and nothing can be more depressing than being alone and no one to share. It is well established that the other person may not be in the slightest of position to help us but the comfort of his/her being there for us shows paths to free ourselves from clutches of the upheaval plaguing our life. The mystery behind this insurgency of solutions to our problems is deep. The depth needs introspection. I wont be fettering in this process of self analysis , but will just hint at the path. Just peep around and adjudge people around with the level of comfort you enjoy in their company. Put comfort on a scale and people at its various levels. The introspection shall follow.

Hatred The antonym for love, the grief of souls, the lost meaning of relations, the unspoken word of the devil... it takes more effort to hate someone rather than shower him/her with love. It saps the vitality of a buoyant soul, it reminds one of the dark alleys of life and it gives nightmares on long black nights. Hatred like love is strong, memorable, happens once or maybe twice in a lifetime and remains with you for a long time. Initially, it gives sleepless nights and takes away peace similar to falling in love. However, the similarity ends here and the wide inseparable crack emerges between the two. Love brings incessant joy, pure ecstasy and lifelong peace whereas its counterpart just leaves you with burdensome grief and restlessness for a lifetime. Metaphors like dark alley, deadly venom, creepy nights and razor sharp knife have been used to denote this feeling. The basic question arises: Why do we hate someone? Surely, we never go on hating absolute strangers. We hate the ones close to us or maybe we hate the system of things impacting our lives. We might hate a relative or the bureaucracy or prevalent corruption. We hate them for the negative impact they have on our lives and sometimes this hatred becomes our way of life. We complain, grieve and continue to hate. The end result is that we live grudgingly and continue to make our lives sour. The sweetness of love is replaced Live the joys, forget the pain, forgive....

WHEN OPINION MATTERS

*The Whistling Brooke

American special envoy Hol Brooke expressed his concern over the growing power of Taliban and its terrorist activities. However, the point he wanted to bring home was the dire need for cooperation between India, Pakistan and US. Unlike most envoys, he didn’t try to promote bilateral talks or soft border theories. His message was loud and clear: the growing demon of terrorism doesn’t affect one nation or one region but spreads like wild fire if left unattended to. Pakistan may have felt the lump in the throat when it was called the breeding ground and the aid provider to Taliban. However, the recent bombings and the miserable state of affairs in the Swat Valley must have shaken it from within and hopefully made it realise that it’s high time to mend its ways lest it shall perish in its self created hell.

*Shoe Sinning India

Are we a nation of suppressed anger, tired eyes, silent frustrations and cheated souls? And we rise once in a while when things are beyond our well stretched bearing point. Jarnail’s Singh’s shoe throwing episode was met with applause by the Sikh community. ‘The message was correct though the manner wasn’t’ was the oft repeated statement on news channels and editorial pages. The anger boiling in the Sikh community has become a threat to the Congress. Tytler’s clean chit has raised a storm in Punjab and many political parties will bank on the popular emotion sweeping the community. However, the biggest concern is the credibility of CBI. The organisation loses its significance and the motive of its existence if the report submitted in Supreme court was influenced by political parties and manipulated in due time. More than Tytler, the CBI is the source of resentment and the officer’s incharge should be dealt with severely if any laxity is detected on their part

*GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS

The Liberhan panel shall soon be listed in the book of records for the number of extensions(48) in the release of the inquiry reports. After 16 years of the grave incident of demolition of the Babri Masjod, we still await the report which shall name the culprits followed by the unending trials to bring these wrongdoers to justice . Considering that the miscrent was in his 30's at the time of the incident, we can well add up 16 years(provided the report is published this year) and to this figure if we sum up the time for court proccedings, we shall end up with people who have lived lavish lives and are on their way to the grave. The irony of the whole situation lies in the fact that this commssion was set up to provide prompt result within three months, during the PM Narasimha governemnet. It is not Rs. 8 crore or 16 years but the sheer system of justice which becomes a mockery by the unending delay. Great going Justice Liberhan and congratulations for being eligible for the Guiness book or its lesser known cousin Limca book of records.

*EPICENTRE OF TERROR

The sternness exuded in the tone of our silent PM Dr. Manmohan Singh at the G-20 summit was a pleasant surprise. Branding Pakistan as the breeding ground of terror in the world and demanding accountability for its actions was something the nation looked forward to.Making indirect references or saying banal words shall yield nothing to the nation that has borne innumerable misgivings in the name of peace.Our neighbour has to realise that we are beyond our patience limits and any action to disturb our equilibrium shall be countered with a stern approach.It is really disheartening to see the luke warm response to the 26/11 Mumabi blasts. From denial in playing a role in the terror attack to half hearted acceptance in playing a minor part in the whole plot, all we have witnessed is total apathy to the issue. I hope that our PM makes his stance clearly and volubly at the G 20 and doesn't mince words in describing the miscreants.

*(S)WORDS

Varun Gandhi evokes a sense of anger for this communist remarks coupled with pity for his current situation. BJP members were all festive over the idea of roping in a Gandhi into their party. This surname proved to be a double edged sword whereby, though he made news it was for all the wrong reasons. Many political leaders have been making communist remarks in their speeches and these bitter words have instigated violence. The all confused, totally haywire, absolutely clueless Election Commission has never debarred the candidature of any leader on grounds of communal remarks. Now as the BJP is mincing words while commenting on his speech and the poor soul is trying to portray an innocent face, it’s up to us to decide- can we afford another Babri Masjid violence or can we witness another Godhra Carnage? Communalism is born through words however, like a parasite it survives on life and blood of people like us.

I thought about you
You….
You are like the rock that gleams
when the mountain stream rushes past it
You are the calm ocean holding silent dreams
You are like the air that surrounds me and whispers it’s magic
Through you the simplicity like sun’s rays beams
You are like the mountain
which stands to rule yet bewilders the eye with its charm
You are the cloud that seems far
yet holds the rain that drenches the soul
You are the moon on a winter night
which seems so near as to be touched with an extended arm
Through you parts of life seem like a whole
You are the words of prayer whispered from a mother’s lips
You are a memory preserved in the heart
which shall go down the generations
You are the wave that laps high to kiss the sky
Through you arise the reason for celebrations

Its you and your way
Its you and things you do
Its you and simply the magic you weave
And here with just a smile
but feelings that cannot be worded, I simply say
May in all happiness, success and love you lay
Your life beams with sun’s every ray
Wishing you
A very happy birthday………………….

Untitled

The fatigued sunrays are broken to millions of fragments as it enters the rooms through the mesh covering the window. The war domain is being equally shared by the bruised clouds and the deflated sun. Droplets of pure silver hang on to the black thick cables as last reminders of the rain that just passed by. The heavy droplets hanging to dear life for the sun shall pardon no soul. Greener the leaves appear after being washed off the soot and dust from every man made creation. With the whiff of zephyr every branch enchantingly sways to the melody. No soul untouched by the heavenly rain. Ask the little pink bud and cheeringly she displays her blush on getting drenched. Ask the smacking mud and with childish lisp it will show its stickiness on being wet. Ask the leaf and with great pomp it will flaunt its shiny green surface. Ask a child and with renewed zest it will claim how much he wishes to get drenches. Ask a man and with a smirk on his face he will complain about how pending things he has.The battles is on, the greys against the yellows fight for the expanse.

I WANT

‘What do you want from life?’ he asked her in a raised voce. His professional upheavals and the current business scenario had made him sound irritated. He was unsure about the future and had doubts about her. The thought of taking care of her needs plagued his mind. She was dreamy beyond words and raised with showers of love by her family. She seemed too careless and impulsive in her decisions. He was in deep thought and in a state utter confusion. Moreover, her childish laughter was playing on his nerves.
‘ I want to stare at the night sky and count the stars, I want to feel the fresh breeze on my face, I want a single rose lying by my bedside, I want to blow soft bubbles from the soap suds, I want to collect a fallen golden leaf every autumn, I want to recite poetry under the shadow of the silvery moon, I want to laugh freely with my friends and love you with all my heart, I want to enjoy the ice cream dripping over my arm and the chocolate shake leaving a moustache over my lip, I want to wake up in the middle of the night and go on a long drive, I want to walk upto you in a crowded room and whisper three words into your ears, I want to dream on n on...I want to live life’
Quite baffled he looked into the scintillating eyes and said to himself ‘ Do I really deserve her?’
Come to infer every word she said, we will realise that nothing involves hoards of money or dazzling diamonds or great villas. All she asked were things strewn around us, things that we pay no attention to. When was the last time we got drenched in rain without complaining? When was the last we laughed our guts out? In our super sonic lives, the changing seasons fade into insignificance. The stars symbolise the oncoming period of rest and the moon is an object glorified in the movies we watch in our Ultra tech Multiplexes. Equating joy to wealth is the greatest misconception of this age. We are just programmed to live with detailed instruction manual and be what others want us to be. Deviating from the path is blasphemy and we spend our entire period on this earth abiding by the guidelines.
For a day, just be the child you were, get dirty, break the rules (be safe though) and wave the clouds pass by, welcome the spring with open arms, laugh out and simply tell yourself...I want to LIVE

LoVe

Care is the first interpretation of love. Thinking about someone more that you think about self is the essence of all pervasive love. When you come to think about it- there might be hundreds of people in your life and few out of those hundreds might claim that they love you. Can we really turn to be selfless human beings? Can we really feel pain when our loved on is hurt? Can we claim to live meaningless meandering lives in absence of our loved one?
These questions do rise like evening tides in my mind only to hit the hard boulders and return to the embrace of the sea, defeated. Parents have been the only explicit example of selfless love. We are a part of their body walking on the face of this earth and no matter how much we change...we are integrally bound to them. On a lonely night, when the road seems to be endless and feet have no strength to go on...the only lap you remember is that a mother. When the storm shakes the ship of life, we wish that there is someone whose finger we clasp...just remembering the stern face and benevolent heart of our father.
We might have millions of grudges...they stopped me from being friends with so n so...they did not get me a bike in college...they laid down rules and restriction on my free spirit..they did not approve of my gf/bf...they intervened in my career decision...
and hundreds more to list however at the end of the day, we simply know that no matter how poor, how ugly, how big a loser we might be...we remain their favourite.
The world might ditch us, friends might abandon us, the wealth might seep away, the spouse might cheat us but they shall always love us. They care about us more than they care for themselves.

Take a moment...pick up the phone or just sms...I love you

IF

If questions had wings, I will have them fluttering like sparrows over my head
They shall chirp loudly….the noises in my head shall be the song of the day
If the thoughts in my mind had feet, I will have them dancing on hoops around me
They shall circle and celebrate…the intertwined thoughts shall be the performance of the day
If feelings had a tongue, I will have them singing the loudest song to me
They shall form their own melody…and sing till the stars come out
If words had life, I will have them running besides me
They shall embrace each other...and be my companions all day
If..the question, the answer,
the impossible, the posssible,
the existing and the non extistent
Just let the wings of imgiantion take you...
just let the heart feel freely...
just let the mind question freely..
just let the words flow uninterrupted....
Life would simpler..my friend

the knights in the white coat

Pain is the silent language of the soul...suffering brings the hidden shades...and agony candidly expresses the unspoken words... standing in the white washed corridors of the hospital room, all these thoughts plagued my somewhat numb brain. The altruistic doctors running around to comfort the souls reeking in pain seemed like a noble sight. How careful was I in not touching the beds, the doors...the face I made on seeing the soiled bed sheets or towels... One the other hand, the doctors clad in their white jackets were freely touching everything, shaking hands, comforting the patients without an iota of disgust or a crease on their glowing faces. They chatted among themselves like any other office colleagues would and as they busied themselves in dressing some unsightly wounds, they didn’t flinch a bit. Doesn’t it require tremendous effort to wake up every morning and tell yourself- I have to go and work at a place where no one comes out of will (maternity ward is an exception). Seeing the pain, wounds, sorrows and smiling through seems like an unachievable task however, they accomplish it everyday!!! Like any other normal being, I come back and wash my hands thrice, change into a fresh pair of clothing and thank God for the ordeal is over. However, these heavenly souls called doctors spend their whole day and might go out partying after that, without changing their attire. Little details are sometimes quite intriguing- isn’t it? To top it all is the insurmountable patience with which they handle all three interesting varieties of patients.
1. Art Movie Variety- Submerged in the swamp of utter agony, they make little hullabaloo.
2. K serial Variety- Little discomfort and hoards of noise. They play on a doctor’s nerves.
3. BBC News Variety- To the point and crisp in their medical history, they are the easiest to cure.

In the conclusion, they cure or atleast try to cure all their clients and even though they get regard...no one says ‘wonderful meeting you, hope to see you again.’ Sad yet ironical.

The fragrance of Soil...
The whizzing traffic on GT road and the blaring horn of the heavily loaded trucks make it one hectic ride. However, the green waving fields try to pacify the frantic mind. On one such rides, as I complained about the pot holes and the slow moving traffic...I decided to make the journey worth it. So what if it was not the super highway in Europe, it was apne Punjab di sadak. Just flow with the rhythm. Every field was green and criss crossing the blue sky above were electric cables. And why on earth do the birds build their nest on the electric poles when there are hundreds of other options available? The male wants the eggs to stay warm even when he has taken the female out on a date....was one explanation that I figured out. My distant vision was blocked by an overloaded trolley. Actually, it was an additional trolley attached to the tractor. The women huddled together in the centre in vibrant clothes and gold coloured parandaas, were flanked by men standing or some hanging on the sides. The rustic youth were loud in their chatter and strong in their built. The cacophony of sounds...the heavy diesel engine noise, the clattering chains of the trolley,the blaring horns, the loud speakers announcing undecipherable words....everything mingled to form a melody. The traffic slowed to snail pace as the youth standing on the roads were inviting every passerby to have langar. Standing barefoot on the tarred road under the sweltering sun amidst the rising dust and requesting strangers, with folded hands to come and have a bite...this can happen only in India. The women folk were squatting next to the huge tawa and making hundreds of rotis. In another corner, people were cleaning utensils. How strangely we cringe to preapre a couple of rotis or clean one utensil at our homes and here... The orangy yellow patkaa tied on their foreheads, their faces were shinning with beads of sweat and the devotion oozing out of their every gesture can even make a non believer pause and think. Why do they put money, time and effort in pleasing every passerby? Some questions can never be answered. My deep thoughts were immediately interrupted by a song...apna punajab hove, hathain ch sharab hove....and I smiled at the infinite experiences that lie hidden under the dust...

Customer is your wife...

"The consumer is not a moron, she is your wife,” said by David Ogilvy couldn’t have gained greater relevance than in the present time. Its the time when production and sales oriented organizations are making a shift to join the league of customer centric organizations. From “selling what we make” to “making what we can sell”, every business has a long way to cover.The consumer is the king with plethora of options thrown open to him. Today’s customer has both, enhanced buying power as well as enhanced bargaining power. So, if you don’t arrive in time or fail to reach upto his expectations, there is a competitor ready to snatch your share. The days of pushing conveniently produced, old fashioned, exorbitantly priced goods down the customer’s throat are over. It’s the age of empowered customer.Recognizing this tremendous influence, Business Week labeled the 90s the “Decade of the Customer”.Gandhi had rightly said: “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work - he is the purpose of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to serve him.”Another movement that brought a sea change in businesses was globalization.Globalisation is the new buzzword that has come to dominate the world since the nineties of the last century with the end of the cold war and the break-up of the former Soviet Union and the global trend towards the rolling ball.Globalization has brought more choices to the platter for the Indian consumer. Gone are the days of watching Doordarshan because with the advent of cable TV we are watching HBO, MTV, BBC , ESPN and the like. . So large is our dominance that these global channels have launched shows Hindi and regional languages. So now the famous Donald duck expresses his love to Daffy duck in Telgu and Malayalam.How customers became the most crucial component in even designing of a product is evident from Mahindra and Mahindra’s designing of Scorpio. The national Award was just one of the major awards that came Scorpio’s way since it was launched in 2002. Within a year of its launch, the vehicle also won the “Car of the Year” award from Business Standard Motoring, the “Best SUV of the year” by BBC Wheels and the “Best Car of the year” also from BBC Wheels. Why? Because the car was not designed and produced in isolation from consumers expectations. It was a car that had Fukui( Japan) for press shop, Fuji( Japan) for the dies, Wooshin( Korea) for body shop, Lear(USA) for seats and interiors, Visteon( USA) for exteriors, Samlip(Korea) for suspension, BEHR (Germany) for air conditioning, Kenwood for audio systems, Meriton(UK) for locking system and Bridgestone(USA) for tyres. Now, all this for a completely Indian Automobile that was made for an Indian customer and yes, the company cannot set exorbitant prices because it has to remember that the customer is not a moron, she is your wife.Every company has to be quick in reading the minds of its customers and acting upon the signals or else it will lose the race. This was well exemplified in case of Emami’s fair and lovely that read the customers minds and growing preference for ayurvedic products. It launched its variant in sync with consumer preference and regained a considerable share. Similarly when the wave of metro sexuality started sweeping the country, fair and handsome came into the market. Hence, the moral of the story is if the company does not understand the consumer, it is a moron.Sourcing, production, new product development have been the few areas that the Indian companies have overhauled themselves in. The next big thing that bears the dictum is Marketing and advertising. Selling fake products or low quality products to today’s customers is a big NO -NO. The companies are trying to forge a relationship with the customer, hence the concept of after sales service and loyalty programs has picked up in a big way. Maruti still remains the most preferred automobile brand because of the largest network of service stations that provide convenience to its customers. The companies efforts to please its consumers makes them sell double the cars than their closest competitors.The biggest benefit comes from an understanding of customer service quality.Service Quality = Service ExperienceConsumers are disappointed if experience does not match expectation. They speak to many people if the experience is way below expectation. If the experience just fulfils expectation, they are satisfied. However, that is no big deal. If the experience exceeds expectation, that is when the real benefit occurs. The customer then enjoys the experience and relives the experience many times over by talking about it to several people.As a result, you reinforce two things: behaviour and closeness to the brand. That is true loyalty.“The consumer is not a moron, she is your wife,” said David Ogilvy. Deals or no deals, customers finally settle for choices where they get maximum value. In addition, they define value in their own terms - and their view of value often differs from what the marketer defines as value.

Dear GOD

I saw her and my heart skipped a beat. Why did God made them so pretty, so tantalizing, so wonderful? I cannot stop wondering and admiring them. She taught me how to love and be loved. Her innocent eyes holds the beauty of the world. Her tender touch beholds the blessings of Almighty. My mother, my sister, my girlfriend, my wife and my daughter...they mystify me with their gentle soul and iron will , their fragility and their sternness.

Their subtleness coupled with their immense strength makes me understand who God’s superior creation is. She taught me lessons of life with the warm smile and loving eyes and the hues of softness turned crimson in anger at my misdeeds. When I fell she stood by me supporting yet keeping the distance lest she might hurt my inflated male ego. She stayed awake because I was studying all night, she waited for hours because I was partying all night, she prayed for days because my result was expected and she smiled with tears in her eyes because I was embarking on the journey of finding my own world.

My adolescent encounters brought her into my life. I wanted her to look stunning and be my prized possession. She blinked her eyes and my heart trotted at super pace. She smiled and I felt like the King of the world. For her love, I gave her tears. I could not bear to see her with anyone else. A glance from another guy burned my heart into ashes. I wanted her world to revolve around me and her family, her studies, her work, her friends should forget her as long as she is with me. I may not be totally hers but she should be mine.

As soul mate she encouraged me in my endeavours, gave me wings to fly and when the tide of trouble swept over my life, she simply rowed me through. She irritated me with her incessant talks, her attitude and her concern however, when the dawn of life came I uttered a prayer to thank God for her. Through the ups and downs, she ignored my brashness and kept caring for me. After a tiring day at office, she was singing a lullaby to our child without an iota of frustration for sleepless nights. She patiently bore with my insouciant attitude and with my obsession for my profession.

I remember the day as the happiest day in my whole life. She came to my life with bundles of joy and as my hands trembled on holding the delicate infant, her tiny eyes opened for a while and stared at my creased face...from then on I knew my world had changed forever. She rode on my back for couple of years; she clutched my fat fingers with her soft little ones and learned to walk. Her feet gathered speed and time moved on. The burnt slice she served me for breakfast was the best meal I ever tasted. And one day she opened wings and went off to make her own world.

God, now I know why you made us first...because before creating the perfect one you required a practice attempt.

truly yours and totally zapped

MAN

Let your Dreamzz live

The world of fantasy, the wonderland that needs no passport or an entry ticket, a child’s playground where the wildest things come to life, yes it’s the cherished world of DREAMS. Dreams are an integral part of every being, a canvas to paint with shades of our own thoughts. And isn’t dreams one of the best ways to escape the monotonous, dull rigors of life. It’s the simplest and of course cheapest way to transform a drab lecture hall into a happening dance floor, the studious classmate into Bipasha Basu and the snoring roommate into a creature from Mars. With its unlimited potential to add vibrancy to life, dreams have aroused immense inquisitiveness among philosophers and psychologists. For ages, they have tried to infer meaning from them and study the cause of their origin.

However, doesn’t one find something more when one looks beyond scientific reason. Isn’t there a source of inspiration? Aren’t these flashes a signal of great inventions of the future?
“Dream, as if you are going to live forever.
Live, as if you are going to die today.”
The world of imagination that we weave around ourselves begins to lose its sheen as we grow up. For all those years that we dreamt without restraint, without barriers, are forgotten as we fall into the everyday regime. As adults, we consider dreams as fallacies, a world of myths and very easily we disown them. Thus the blossoms of imagination are trampled under the heavy foot of adulthood.
Didn’t every invention by mankind originate from ‘just a dream’? Then how can most of us bargain this essential part of our lives. We become victims of a self created situation. A condition that we hate to live in but continue to live with. We end up in jobs that we never dreamt of, we have a life partner whom we never dreamt of and with a wry smile we call it “destiny”.
As the autumn of life sets in, our heart feels heavy under the burden of unfulfilled dreams. In the silent hours, we ponder. We became what the world wanted us to, we did what the world wanted us to do, we acted the way world wanted us to and we stopped dreaming because the world wanted us to. A silent tear wets the freckled face.
A simple question reverberates in the mind: Who sold my dreams? Didn’t I appreciate when Paulo Coelho wrote that if you really want something, the whole universe conspires for you to achieve it. Then why doesn’t every human being achieve what he/she wants to? Are we afraid to take the first step? Are we guilty of dreaming? Or are we slaves of conformity?
Little questions that are often left unanswered.
Hence, let you be not the one to shed that silent tear, let not your dream remain a dream, pull it out from the dark corridors and make it the reality of your life.
Let your dreamzz live…

When you reach Mcloedgunj which is around ten kilometres from Dharamshala, take an auto rickshaw which will take you to Dharamkot. As the Deodars flank the road and you enjoy the bumpy uphill ride, do look onto your right side....you will find the snow clad mighty Dhauladhar Ranges. If you strain your eyes a bit more, you can distinguish the thin stream of crystal clear waterfall at a distance. After the fast paced (similar to a James bond in a rickshaw) ride which lasted ten to fifteen minutes, the gaddi (nomadic tribe of Himachal) will ask you to pay Rs. 50/-. As you are smitten by the whole arrangement of things around, you care not bargain for a few rupees. Make peace at Rs. 40/-.
Standing amidst the hills on all sides, you remember phrases from your Class III text book....in the lap of Mother Nature. The clamour of birds might break your reverie however, its already time to move on. Take the muddy downhill path on the right of the huge round water tank(built by the Britishers). You won’t get confused about the path as there are footsteps of hundreds of travellers who came before you, unless you are visiting the place in peak monsoon. When you arrive at the foot of the sloping path, you might want to curse the person who gave you directions as there are only houses around with no road or muddy path further ahead. Make your way forward from the verandah of these slate roofed, pale green houses. Be careful lest you might step on tiny polka doted shit strewn around. Walk around the golden hay stacks and brown coloured cows tied to the crooked wooden poles in every house. The mountain air, chill, will be filled with smell of cow dung; the fragrance fresh mustard crops and the gentle aroma of wet soil. As you go past the slated verdah and step down the thatch and mud stairs, properly smeared with fresh cow dung, you will be welcomed by a patch of open field. Short green blades of pahari spinach on either sides of a twirling dusty pathway provide you with the exotic hilly terrain experience. On a lucky day, you might encounter the long tailed languor basking in the sun, on a branch on Tirmar tree. After crossing the concrete bridge which is about two meters long and totally incongruous to the scheme of things around, you have to climb narrow trail hidden by monolithic grey boulder. Get down towards the right of the constricted path and as soon as you see the two concrete single storey houses , thank God. Enter the second house(on your left side) by pushing the frail iron gate with creaky hinges. Walk towards the compound area and relax on the off white plastic chairs. Order your favourite pizza with the topping of your choice. As the pizza might take sometime, enjoy the view with a hot lemon and honey drink. You bet it that this homemade pizza with the freshly prepared dough and baked in the ancient clay oven, served after an hour, dripping with best of cheese available can beat the dominos, the pizza huts,the Tropicos, the Da Giovanni, the Basilico, the Moche's,the jazz by the bay...etc. etc. etc
Lip smacking, yummy, scrumptious, delicious, mouth watering...and all the synonyms fail to define the experience.......
Bon Appetite !!!

Should infidelity be criminalized?
My friends would say ‘have you gone nuts ?(polite version of F*** OFF), if I confront them with this question especially in front of their other halves. Infidelity is betraying the trust one owes to his or her partner. Now, this partner can be a spouse, fiancée or girlfriend/boyfriend. Having a partner does not bar you from maintaining contact or going out on a dinner with any other person neither does it imply giving up close friends/associates who belong to the opposite gender. Relationship that stifles a person’s existence fails to nurture love and understanding among the partners. Hence, when you love someone...you are not falling but flying in love. Now during these flights of the all pervasive love, infidelity causes a few fatal accidents (the flight crashes).
One of the prime reasons people quote in support of their philandering escapades is ‘ drive for adventure’. As you spend more and more time with a single person, monotony is bound set in. The walls of mystery and the excitement to unearthing new facets of the relationship come to an end. You know what the other feels like, what he or she will eat at a party, how he/she behaves under certain circumstances. Holding hands, public displays of affection, ‘Good Morning, I love you’, anniversaries, greeting cards and simple courtesies of saying thank you and sorry.....everything goes out of the window. That’s where a kind of tacit understanding gives birth to boredom. In pursuit of adventure, many of us falter. A new person brings new set of hopes and the drive to explore sets us in motion. Everything about the new him/her seems attractive, the mind rates him/her ten on ten and the faults of our existing partner become irksome. The fresh breeze of air is also welcome though it can leave you with a bad cold. After sometime, we might regret and would love to come back to the known, comfortable and the monotonous lifestyle.
Another well tailored explanation given by infidels in a weakness of the human heart or the onetime deviation from the heavenly path of trust. They love their partners and are happy with the arrangements of things around however; once upon a time they had a little misendeavour where they cheated (sounds nasty) on their partner. Now out their ubiquitous love, they do not own up their mistake and with no intention of hurting either the existing or the newly found partner, they live a dual life. And when caught they are not guilty and present t you with their honest feelings of not hurting their loved one. They were not prepared to lose either one of you and hence chose the path of infidelity.

Is barring freedom an answer to curbing infidelity? I definitely disagree with this one. As mentioned in the first few lines, love requires lack of restrictions and freedom of space. The foundation trust cannot be laid over the debris of curtailed living. So now for the trust to sprout, the partners need to know each other better. This may lead to the mentioned monotony in the relationship. So, can we not rediscover love every now and then. With little effort, we can keep the spark glowering. The guy who woke up all night to compose the birthday song when his girlfriend turned twenty ,can put in half the effort by singing it on her fortieth birthday and make his (now)wife smile twice as much. In my humble opinion anyone who says romance is bull shit, should be hanged. The eighty year old man you chuckles and gifts a diamond ring to his wife (SBI pension plans advertisement) on valentine’s day, refreshes his vows to love. ‘ hire koh kya maluumm tumhari umar’ he adds, winking at the wrinkled beauty. Whether it the chivalrous and gentlemanly dinner invitation extended by the man to his wife who used Ponds Age Miracle or the live in girlfriend who fills the room with scented candles on his arrival from a long business trip, its the little efforts of doing something special for your loved one that can never let the monotony set in. Cherish love and with these gestures you will fuel up the intimacy that will take you to a higher plane.
Now, in my opinion infidelity can surely be prevented and if still seeps into the relationship, there must be some cracks in it. Forgiving your love or forgetting your love is a personal choice. It is based on individuals’ perception about the whole issue. Plagiarising from Gautama Buddha’s line of thoughts, I suggest forgiving the person and forgetting that anything ever existed between the two of you. Move on but without the baggage of anger and hurt. Keep flying...

He asked me ‘ How can I commit to one person while there lie hundreds of beautiful things to admire?’
I smiled and said that its not about loving one person and closing your eyes to all the beauties around, but its about opening your eyes to the world and letting them sparkle on seeing that one face...the face that shall be your world. In the tango of life, the question became his melody and as he trotted from one place to the other, his pursuit continued. Every time a beauty broke his myth and he felt lonely again,my heart reached out to him. It was loving concern mingled with volumes of empathy that I felt for him. I wished him luck as he set out for another search. His finds brought joy similar to an infants happiness on discovering his ability to touch or speak. I smiled and wished him luck’ thinking to myself that this traveller has finaly found his Mecca of peace, his oasis in the desert of life. My belief is shortlived as the oasis was just a mirage and my friend is gloomy again.The question still plagues his mind!!!

Suspended Animation
Finally, I sit to write the piece which has been cooking in my head for a fortnight. I am writing on a title borrowed from a very close friend however, it was so apt to my current situation that I am not actually plagiarising his articles. Now with the clik clak of the keyboard, I take stock of life. Actually, the incidents of past one month and the transformation from living a jet age lifestyle to a bullock cart (not even horse driven cart) life.
One fine day, I decided to listen to my calling( the higher plane of life). Playing by the typical characteristics of my religion(being a sadar to the core), I took a thaaa thaa decision. Resigned from a great job, gave away a comfortable lifestyle and the returned to my desh (no longer being the NRI- Non Reliable Indian). Ofcourse, the most important thing was the wonderful circle of friends and few very special ones. Not hundred but thousands of half baked ideas and fluid plans came along with me. The enthusiasm brought a sprint in my feet and anticipation about future gave me dreamy nights.
Dreams are the prelude to achievements of winners as well as forgotten excuses of failures. Treading the thin line, I tried laying some foundation stones before landing from swadesh. What followed was a beautiful play of destiny when I met with an accident on my way from the airport. Rupturing a few soft tissues and just a few muscle ruptures seemed like a blessing in disguise when I evaluated the extent of damage that accident could have caused. Surviving the fatal escapade with a partially injured back and neck was a lucky escape. Hence, the darling of the family is supposed to rest all day long, take a few medicines, attend physiotherapy sessions and (cherry on the cake) avoid reading or watching Television. All love and care is being showered and as she sits acquiring calories, the mind sways in different directions. The last weekend in January was spent exercising, running, packing (lifting heavy bags), attending parties until 3am, bowling and having loads of fun. The last weekend of February id being spent lying straight on my bed, eating, attending physiotherapy sessions and reading (when no ones watching). It is going to take its time, may be weeks or maybe months. It’s a beautiful yet ironical turn of events. I spend hours thinking about it.....is this an omen.....I do crib at times...I get annoyed and angry...but the best part is at the end I smile and whisper thank you God.

Fluidity

The term fluidity is ‘the ability of a substance to flow’; that’s how the oxford dictionary defines it. However, it’s not a substance but the human life I am referring to. I could have used the term liquidity as well, to describe the flow to the reader. However, I am sure most of you would have misinterpreted it and wandered off to its interpretation in the financial terminology. Liquidity reminds us of our ability to have cash available as and when a liability arises. In order to prevent you from delving into the finance aspect, I would stick to the term fluidity.

How fluid we let our lives be, is entirely at our disposal. The freedom to be with people we want to be, the freedom to change our profession or place of residence, the freedom to be ourselves. Fluidity is simply the freedom to flow with our heart, to travel in the journey of life without baggage. It’s not about being irresponsible about our duties, it’s not about being indifferent to friends however, its about being able to take the unexpected flight.

‘Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains’ Jean-Jacques Rousseau meant a lot by this single statement. As a child we enjoy the freedom of crying loudly, running freely and being ourselves. As years pass by, the social norms, rules and regulations curb this freedom. I am not speaking against regulations necessary for survival of human race on the face of this earth. Rules are inevitable for peaceful existence and meaningful living. However, the point I want to put across is that rules don’t rule life. They are the sidelines on the road of life but not the crown of thorns on our forehead. In adhering to the laid down norms, we compromise on the fluidity of our lives. It’s just like building dams on a free flowing river.

In the logical progression of questioning, I wonder how can a stagnant life get back to the state of fluidity. How does a human being; who has grown into a pre programmed machine; break the code? How can we be ourselves and still follow the societal norms?

As it requires the sacrifice of freedom to be one in the herd, similarly it requires a few sacrifices to bring back the lost fluidity in life. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out what those sacrifices are! Giving up a comfortable life and just being what you want to be without falling into the trappings of societal judgments. Listening to all that the world has to say, however making your own decisions. The world might frown at you or raise fingers at you but someone rightly said, ‘the world criticizes and points at those who rise above them.’


Being oneself is the most pleasurable yet the toughest thing to do. When are you getting started?

GOD's dearest Daughter

It is one of those last weekends, before I leave Antwerp. The bags are half packed and stand obediently in the corner of the room. The room is silent only to be woken by the music of the church bells. It's super discount sale season and it is not hard for me to picture all my friends and acquaintances pulling out clothes from heaps, trying on new shirts and standing in the row to pay their bill.

Amidst the ocean of human bodies, there might be one thinking about the girl who touched a few lives here and unruffled things around. The girl who broke the rythm of lives around. Or maybe this is just one of my distant dreams. Dreams are nothing alien to my life, infact I eat, sleep, work and literally live in a dream. They nourish my being, they are sustenance for my soul and they are the shinning lamps on the road of my life. Being poetic about the rain or just marvelling at the shinning stars doesn’t take effort. When I narrate a paragraph about the way a person makes me feel, I haven’t prewritten or rehearsed it.

Thus, I feel my decision to leave my current job wouldn’t shock those who know me well. When everything seemed enviously perfect, I gave it all to follow a cloud of dreams. A fantastic salary, pleasant colleagues, good profile, prestigious company, close friends and an adorable house, just faded into insignificance for that precise moment. It is utterly incorrect for anyone to believe that I don’t care for friends; I am reckless with my career and I am irresponsible human being with no sense of commitment. There is nothing great in following a dream but believe me, it saps the core strength out of you. Its not an applaudable act but surely a unique one in these times. For all the months I woke up and told myself, if I love my work, I don’t have to work a single day of my life. Really, I didn’t work a single day at B&S. The day my job started seeming like work, my heart asked me a simple question ‘do you want to compromise’ and the soul gave the loudest possible answer ‘NO’.

When my friends asked me what’s next, I had hundreds of answers yet no answer. I said things which seemed haphazard and weird to them. Communications, teaching, marketing, writing books and poetry are so distantly related things but to my eyes they seem like branches of one tree. What I vision in this entirely absurd combination of streams, is one wholesome dream.

The church bells are ringing and their music is seeping into my soul for long after I am gone, I will carry this along. My phone lies next to me, it’s restless and purple tea cup stands composed over the side table. In a few minutes I will be beaming on a webcam narrating tales of joys and fears, past and future to my parents. This has been the thing I did for past few months and they shall be done no more. I am just in the transition phase where my mind wanders off to unknown terrains at every moment of solitude and heart is dishing out the recipe for a brand new dream. Someone said ‘ it takes b***s to do what you did’, one said ‘f**k’!!! Many wished me luck for ftutre endeavors and a few asked'when do we see you next???'.I saw teary eyes and indifferent smiles. I experienced the high of being myself and the low of losing my friends. Among plethora of emotions I am just clinging on to FAITH. After all I am God’s Dearest Daughter.

Hihihhihi

Smile is a small curve that can straighten your life. When I woke up and looked around at faces of people, I noticed a kind of drudgery. My heart questioned ‘Why are people walking around with a disappointing look on their faces?’ Ofcourse I realized that people can be sad due to a disease or death in a family, due to financial problems or because of a family feud. However, my heart didn’t digest this explanation to the fullest. He bounced back with another question ‘But not all of us have big problems and even if we have, doesn’t every problem have a solution?’

Hence, the puzzled expression on the faces around puzzles my mind. Is every life gloom ridden? Are problems the only thing we think about? Does it take tons of effort to smile? Is finding solutions left to the lawyers, doctors and psychologists? Why are we sinking into a world of all pervading gloom? Where has the simple laughters and joys vanished? Are morass ridden human beings the future walking the earth surface?

N number of shopping bags, lavish parties, loads of goodies and insurmountable comforts adoring lives fail to accomplish the objective of fulfilling human lives. The direct correlation of wealth and happiness simply falls flat on the face. In reality, the wealthier the person, the more gross the expression on his face. However, I do not mean to say that the poor are invariably glad with their lives.

It’s just that there are million of things around that can make a gloomy soul feel delightful. The best part is we do not have to go to shopping mall or museum to find them. A grin comes free of cost, anywhere and everywhere. Doesn’t cost a penny!!!

Wow, isn’t it amazing. The irony is that though it costs nothing, its freely available anytime, anywhere, most of us don’t even look at it. It’s as if we are totally indifferent to the little beauties which pass our eyes. I just saw the rain drops pouring outside my window and smiled wide, I passed by a toddler and grinned, I heard a lovely melody and grew ecstatic, I just received a sms from a friend and my joy knew no bounds. Jump into a puddle of water, give a compliment to your fellow colleague, smile at a passerby or just thank God for the bounties of life- you will experience the magic.


Smile a while and while you smile others will smile, and the smile will go miles by miles because life is worthwhile only when you smile.:)

WHY

I read men are from Mars and women from Venus, now I am living it. Question that bogs me down is ‘do I speak Chinese or an unknown dialect’ or why do things so evident to me seem far fetched to men?

Why our simple life suddenly appears to be a complicated puzzle, which none of us can solve?

Why do your jokes hurt me and my comments seem taunts to you?

Why is that for every second of joy we bring to each other, we inflict many sorrows on each other?

Why are we trading our beautiful time for scorn and mistrust?

Why are we not appreciating the differences and celebrating the wonderful union of diversity?


The uniqueness of genders baffles us. Why men stare at women and why women blush at a man’s comment?

How God created such wonderfully different beings to survive and co exist. They sometimes admire their differences and at others they want to scream their heads out. The battle of the sexes, as the high rated Television shows call them, is actually a strife for recognition one seeks in the life of the other. How ironical?

They go through all human emotions from rock bottom sorrows to heights of joy, from inhuman hatred to devotional love. The tug of war to prove the supremacy of one gender over the other continues along with seeking comforts in each other’s arms.
It seems that they speak different languages, as if they have descended from distinct planets. Why women ask of romance and men think about sex? While men consider football, women want to shop. Why destruction is a manly sport and delicateness a female adornment? While women think you of draping in the house, men plan the Saturday night hangout at the bar. Are just gender differences or our we referring to specimens from absolutely far off planets

Dil lagaana padtaa hai

You have great job, comfortable lifestyle, wonderful routine and to top it all an amazing life partner(or probable partner).

Everything seems fine…..And then life asks you WHY? (a silent, subtle and rare question)

It’s not the feeling associated with being greedy in life…not even the one called being ‘unsatisfied’ with all that God has blessed you with…but its something…

Something that asks you to change the course of life, something pushing you away from your comfort zone, something asking you to test waters, something taking you to an unknown terrain. This is asking you to do something the world would consider strange and stares at you with queer eyes. You would look too idealistic yet too stupid to them if you listen to this ‘something’

And the strangest thing is that this ‘something’ is not a force or doesn’t compel you…its just as silent as a prayer or as subtle and soft as a mother's touch. It is not one of those loud horns tearing you apart. Its like a random tide which rises from vast ocean of voices and you run away from it towards the direction of your comfort shore.

Some call this ‘something’- a calling. I am yet to figure out the right word however, my search is on. Hence, I believe all of us have a calling however most of us either suppress this calling or throw it out of the mental window.

Pursuing the girl of your dreams, leaving a high paying job to become a chef, changing the place of work to be with your parents, taking longer holidays to take your children to a summer camp….all these can be your something.

Its one life guys…..its short…its now….listen to your silence….your calling and that will give you real joy. It’s so easy to compromise and be lured into comforts, it’s fantastic to follow the routine and do what others think right. For once, stop saying ‘Dil lagana padta hai’ whether its your profession or your personal life. You will understand what is the meaning of joy the day you say ‘maine dil ki sunni’(I listened to my heart).