the Window

I remember when I use to sit in the window of my grandparents’ room. On a rainy day, the sideways of the broken road to our home use to become a muddy pool. The smell of soil made me feel alive, and I would look at the all so sprawling nature in much astonishment. Of course, in the evening the insects related to rain use to create havoc, we can’t keep doors open and the humidity just sets in and in those times, power cut was as natural as breathing.

That window was my telescope to all the thoughts which I keep to myself, my stories, and my fantasies. There were no boundaries, not even logic. It was like, as they say, “the dumb didn’t know that it can’t be done, hence he did it”.

Although the window and the place to sit near it was not big, but it remains the same. The more the years passed, the more the logic and smaller the world outside of the Window. That room is still there, the window is also there, the people are gone. The vision to that unknown land of my fantasy is gone, gone are the feelings to the rain and… I think, gone is my childhood.

This was not the only window any of us look through (although we all miss that one)… the Window to our world, someone else’s world, the Window to that special one heart, the Window to desired future life… all of them gets narrowed down and the one which is left does not even strike as a window.

Earlier, the Window was to look out and to look in. Now we all look out only, to the life we didn’t chose, the dreams that we let go off, the other ME who hate me for letting him down over the years. We hide ourselves in an artificial comfort zone which we ourselves judge as life.

‘the Race’ has tired us down, ‘the Cost’ of ‘the Hope’ has put us in debt in all sorts of way. Only ‘the Hold’ of that ONE still kicks us to give a flickering jerk to us. ‘the Window’ will always be there, it will never shrink. All that matters is us, to take a chance, to……

the HOLD

"the RACE" began, we all were or rather are still part of it. Whether one stopped to ponder over or continued, the next phase is inevitable. It's the investment we made that now requires nurture. A question or agreement to "the RACE" looks a needle point now or rather a MOO-point.

The instinct of survival is in gear, and for those who don't agree - thank your stars. Our hands are clutched tightly, holding it and trying to find more ropes av much as we can. New faces join the little love cloud of ours, new lives cooing and looking at us, making us hold that rope of the RACE.

We spend more time away from those for whom we want to be together always. "the HOLD" is a funny feeling. We think we are holding the rope of the next move, next phase, next decision, so on and so forth.... but interestingly enough "the HOLD" is other way round. We are mere doorkeeper, we think the things we are guarding is because we are the master of it, but really think... I mean the moments, time lost for something big to come.... come on guys, lets wake up.

The time that is spent away from your new born kid so that you can buy that car seat or first insurance premium.... is it important than to hold those tiny little fingers, or the look of astonishment on both of your faces.

Is it more important to spend those late nights in office preparing MIS than to have a quiet and lovely dinner with your love ones.

I believe this next phase of "the RACE" is costing more (as expected). We think (since we are the ones who complain to the next fellow man), hence we are a little confused... Let's see the mentioned state of confusion --- Study means mugging up, life means working, spending means materialistic stuff.

the COST in this phase is the only rare commodity that you and I have on this planet and i.e. time. We are spending more time with strangers than family, more time in preparing PPT than preparing that science model for our kids, more time on train to commute than on the road trip with friends, more time at doctors than in fresh valley, more time in eating junk food than preparing your on silly invention.

the HOLD we have is something that we can't let go off, at least I think I cannot... But I'm going to try to look around too, loose the HOLD a little.... a little by little..

You Game?

'the COST'

Another day at the office and after a fire-fighting start of the day, we had a couple of minutes in the soothing heat wave that is claiming the most talked about thing in the city. The office boy came and asks for the petty cash account status and my friend jokingly mentioned, "Not to worry, he will pay on his own for the office expenses." And I was like.... what? Are you serious coz I don't like jokes. He said, "अबे समुद्र को क्या फ़र्क पड़ता है अगर एक लोटा पानी निकाल लो तो” And I thought to myself that is some 'thing' we all have said to somebody one time or another, without realizing that it matters, it matters to the sea.

I guess, rather I believe that every such idiom, metaphor or whatever you kids call it these days, came from an experience and stuck as an expression. Ever wonder to ask the sea itself if it matters, बस लगे अक्ल का घोडा दौड़ाने, बिना जाने की सामने वाले का सच का भी एक आयाम है. 

It matters from anybody to give something of his / her / its own. the COST of one bottle of water out of the sea, paying of one's own pocket, sending away own kid to boarding house or giving away a daughter.... this all matters. Sometimes we don't say coz we know that we'll be there at that place sometime in future and sometime we act like complete jerk, without empathizing the scene.

In the life of 'the RACE' the time is the new currency which we just don't have. Actually it's our inability to share the same amount of time that each one of us have in a day. That's why we chose to be on the Social media and awkward in Society. That's why we eat food in front of idiot box than talking with the tiny part of family that we have. That's why we dodge a call from an old acquaintance because why change the pattern of the day.

'the COST' is something we all are paying. The amount may be different but the rate is the same. The moment we chose 'the RACE' over life, the tag of 'the COST' came along.

So go back home, hold the one you love close to you and whisper in their ears that you love them no matter what. Take chances in picking up the phone when it rang, who knows what awaits us. We may not get time to go on adventures every day, but the pattern of the day can be allowed to change.

Life is short and if you are already in 'the RACE', 'the COST' with EMI has already begun and it is only going to get bigger till we become the sea at the end of our lives and understand that it does matter to the sea for that one bottle of water out of it.

Just... I mean... just.... seize it... everything.. just.....

'the PURE'

When the whole world is in 'the RACE' (yes the whole world, thats why Muslim leaders have to comment negatively on Women's Bill or the 'akhadas' of Hindu religious gurus have to show off during the famous or infamous Kumbh Snanas), the question arises, "Where is peace left?" Everyone is running and there so many multi-fold races going on that while doing nothing, we are still a part of some race.

And why not, the dreams which got attached to us since the time we were in the womb! But why am I worried. Even with all the bad phases, wrong decisions, natural calamity or the EVIL, world is still a beautiful place with full of optimism and an eye to prevent the bad. But whom am I kidding... I also look at the negative part first.

Then there are things which remove this dirt inside us for a moment, for eg - the smile of a baby which leaps over all the boundaries made by men in any form. That chuckle of some kid which let us smile, may be only for a second or two is possibly the purest we can be - a moment near to almighty.... (My wife don't agree to that)

Hence the question arises, are we good, as in clean... or were we ever had that time of pureness in our live, after we started talking? Seems a common situation to every soul on the planet. A question which hit us at least once in our lifetime...

The greatest work of art by the almighty where solution lies in the question and yet human can't figure it out as the ego (another master stroke of genius Lord) won't let the mind go hunting in the right direction.

A question un-answered... a mystery unresolved... 

'the ATTENTION'

This is perhaps something we all hate when others asks from us and at the same time, something we want it from all, or someone.... We can run, hide but this expression will take a toll out of our lives and the one's we are surrounded by. 

Especially, in every relation (which doesn't exclusively mean girlfriend - boyfriend) attention is something that is 'wanted' by all. From a kid  to old age Grand pa! A learning which comes naturally to us, first as a need to call our loved ones and later as an urge within, to the society... a sense for the need of recognition.

But every coin comes with two faces, if it's nice to seek attention, at the same time it's bad too. Most of the time, it is this 'attention' which made us to make the choices that decides the path of our lives, rather then what we actually want to do.

We do it for so long that the whole sense of doing what we can or are good at is lost somewhere. These are those people who don't want this gets it. The one guy who never thought about being compared with Sir Don Bradman, was the one who actually got compared to him by Sir Bradman himself. And the one thing he always aspired to (a world cup) is what he has been unable to achieve till now. This is no theory but certainly this suggest that those who dream, spent their life dreaming as famous (or infamous) "Shaikhchilli"... and why, because we think about all the attention and gifts that we'll get once we reach there.... and hence skip the detailing to reach there.

Somebody once said that it makes you eternally happy when make others happy.... but do not misread, making others happy not because they are in your presence, but the real happiness. A hungry man is not feeling happy because he is in blessed company of Lord Buddha but he is happy because Lord Buddha gave him something to eat.

But is it a problem to ask for attention? When we were of an age when we can't speak, even then we want that warmth of our parents almost 24X7, so we learn to cry, which is a kind of conditioning we gather of, well, our first experience which tells us that we can achieve that if we cry. Hence, when we are conditioned in that way, the outcome is very obvious. 

Seeking attention turns to be irritating when we don't deserve and ask for it, or even though we may deserve it, we ASK for it. It's that whole concept of RIGHT or WRONG that creates a 'chemical lochha'... if I may put it that way.

May be 'the ATTENTION' is something that comes to us by others and the moment we crave for it, it just bounce back to our own face. It's like our name, which is ours yet used by others. So, its cute when new born kids do that, not so cute when we grow up, even if one may want to argue that the one who won will act like winner, not the one who come second...

So what you think?

'the FICTION - LOVE - its never conditional'

Duleep Singh was finally coming home after Kargil war. He called his parents from Kashmir - "माँ बाबा, मैं घर आ रहा हूँ. एक चीज़ पूछनी थी – मेरा एक दोस्त भी है साथ में जिसे मैं अपने साथ घर लाना चाहता हूँ.” "हाँ हाँ बेटा, क्यों नहीं" they replied, "तुम्हारे दोस्त से मिल कर हमें भी ख़ुशी होगी."

"उस के बारे में  एक ख़ास बात बतानी थी,” the son continued, "लड़ाई में उसका काफी नुक्सान हुआ है. Land mines की वजह से वो अपना एक हाथ और एक टांग खो चुका है. अब वो कहीं नहीं जा सकता और मैं सोच रहा था की अगर वो  हमारे साथ रह ले."

"सुन कर बड़ा दुःख हुआ बेटे. हम उसके रहने की  अच्छी सी व्यवस्था कर देंगे."

"नहीं माँ, मैं चाहता हूँ वो  हमारे साथ रहे."

"सुनो बेटा," said Duleep’s dad, "तुम नहीं जानते तुम क्या मांग रहे हो. इस तरह का विकलांग व्यक्ति हम पर बेकार का बोझ ही रहेगा. हमारी खुद की भी तो ज़िन्दगी है, इस तरह किसी की दखलंदाज़ी नहीं सह पाएंगे. मेरे हिसाब से तो तुम तुम्हारे इस दोस्त के बारे में भूल ही जाओ तो अच्छा रहेगा. तुम घर आ जाओ, वो खुद के लिए कुछ न कुछ खोज ही लेगा." 

At that point, Duleep hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the Kashmir police. Their son had died after falling from a building - which, police believed was suicide. The grief-stricken parents reached Kashmir and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know.

Duleep had only one arm and one leg.

Shocking!! Not exactly, as the character of the parents in this story are like many of us (be truthful to yourself). We find it easy to Love those who are good-looking or fun to be around, but we don't like people who are an inconvenience to us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are (or so do we think).

Very few of us are considerate about the feelings of others. 'the RACE' has turn us all into ill-sensitive people who are more of conditional feelings and fake laughs, even to those whom we call our near and dear ones or use to call 'em.

Thankfully, in our lives, we meet someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love, that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are. And then we make a bigger mistake, take them for granted - watch out, if this treasure is lost then with all the money, time, fame and luck - we will be the most unlucky person. 

We have to have more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

‘the FICTION - introduction’

As a kid, I always liked to read stories. Stories that were published in all kid’s magazines, then I saw comics which have this picture perfect quality. We all did, and I like it today also. I believe that kid’s stories are the easiest form to communicate (as the best teacher is the one in the primary school who can teach a person who can only make sounds the starting alphabets). I grew up with all this literature around me and then I saw something which astonished me. This fiction was teaching me how to react or understand the factual world around me.

A common man (like me) grew up in a world of NO and CAN’T. He only knows the restrictions which he is unable to do, so much so that he gets restrictions on his dreams too. But fiction has no dreams, and thats why a common man look forward to it... "There is some unknown power which is going to help me" and for that we look for something to assist us. One of our friend is moving ahead of us with power pace, instead of looking the reasons why he / she is achieving this success, we question our fate and raise our hopes for some illusion to happen.

Human is a social animal and works as per the society rules and regulations yet he / she lives in his / her own small world of opportunities and optimism where everything is possible. A place where there are beautiful gardens, running river water and Stories - where his fiction gives him his so much wanted support which he can't imagine in the real world.

Why do one fantasize? The answer is simple - we all want to achieve everything. Want to roam around the whole world, earn million and millions everyday, want to work our dream job and settle down with the most beautiful life partner, and many more. And the belief is that there are people who have achieved this; if they can, then why can't I?

May its not wrong either. The solution for the so called problems may not come out, but it gives an immense opportunity to learn and face the adverse situations which are a regular part of our lives. So, if Sachin Tendulkar turn out to be master blaster, never think that you can't - because that fiction-world of yours will never let you down.

Whether women bill will help in women empowerment or not, or Mumbai will turn to Shanghai by 2020, but one thing is for sure - the dreams are shaping up. Fiction is taking a shape of reality, so keep dreaming and aspire...

In quick successions, I am going to post some stories - like 'em or hate 'em, but do read 'em... cause our lives are small to learn everything from our own experiences...

I'll be back....

‘the OTHER ONE’

“I was never a bad person - these were his lines and he was so right”, remembered Dr. Shastri while giving away honorary award to his bright student Sahil who was there because of that ‘OTHER ONE’

Anamika was happy to see his friend up on the stage, a friend who would not have been here if it was not for him – ‘the OTHER ONE’. Both friends met on a social networking group made for a rare blood type people. It was fun to see something new after name and birthdates!!

There were other people too, but well they were more or less silent ones. A message or two here and there in a while, that’s all. The group never clicked with merely 5 members but these two become good friends, may be because they were from the same city and there were chances of them to meet each other one day. Long talks on net made the friendship grew strong.

Anamika remembered that after a year, on Christmas, Sahil had called her to talk something very important, something which he can’t say online and needed to meet face to face. Anamika didn’t know that Sahil had some thoughts for them, after all they were just friends and with her condition the idea itself was wrong. But Sahil was there to tell her something shocking!!

Raju remembered the days when he uses to visit that Bungalow behind the big mall, around the corner with his mother who used to work there. While his mother cleans the dishes and washes the clothes, he tries to amuse himself talking loud opening the books in front of him upside down. “What were those days of my ignorance” a smile came on Raju’s face. His mother use to tell him stories of that flower bud that grew in dump and shallow water and other flowers on trees use to laugh at him, but the flower was not worried about them; it was worried about one of its leaf which had stuck. Raju too had a stuck leaf in his life.

Raju’s mother never had enough money, but she knew about her son well. But what can she do. She never cursed anyone, even god, for her bad life and taught the same to Raju. But that day, it all changed.

It was Christmas and also Raju’s birthday. She had been saving some money so to take Raju to mall’s ice-cream parlour and treat him with the ice cream. He has been a good boy, never troubled her mother had grown up way before his age but was still a kid. Raju was looking very nice in that bright yellow shirt.

The mall was all lighten up and since it was a Christmas Eve, a Santa Claus was sitting there for kids. On the 2^nd floor coffee shop, Anamika was eagerly waiting for Sahil. She was all nervous; she never saw him and had no idea what is this important thing that he couldn’t tell her online. She looked down, where Santa was sitting and kids were standing in line awaiting their turn. She noticed that a small kid was sitting in Santa’s lap in a yellow shirt, when someone called her name.

“Hi Anamika, my name is Sahil. Recognised me?” It was Sahil, her friend. “He is so cute, but…” thought Anamika. “You must be wondering why I am wearing goggles in the night hours” inquired Sahil. “Oh No! I know it’s kind of new weird fashion”. Her heart was beating fast but what Sahil told her next, almost made her skip a beat. “The important thing that I wanted to tell you my dear is that I am blind”. “How is that possible, we used to chat” Anamika asked the 1^st question after recovering from the shock to which Sahil replied that I’d this other friend of mine in cyber café who helped me.

“What do you want my boy on this Christmas” Santa was asking Raju. “I want happiness for my mother. Make me big and strong so I can learn and work hard to help my mother. Her hands have got blisters” Raju told Santa. Santa smiled and asked to call his mother. Santa asked her mother that he can help child to go to school because “his heart is pure which wants something for you – happiness. And the bigger thing is that he is not asking happiness, but the strength so he can work and bring that happiness to you. You are very lucky Ma’am”. “I’m lucky to have him as a child but he is not. He was born with only one kidney and that too will die out soon. This ice-cream might be his last one” Raju’s mother almost cried.

“I came today, because you are a nice girl and I thought that I must tell you this thing about me in person. I can’t afford to lose a good friend like you. I know that my condition will make u look at me in pity but I need a friend. The decision is yours” Sahil told her. Anamika said, “I am your friend Sahil irrespective your condition. It’s that heart that matters and there is something that you must know too.”

Sahil asked, “What is it?” “I’m dying. My heart is very weak and doctors have told me that I might not live more than 5 months. I thought that over the period of time, you might have developed feelings for me. And like you, I was also afraid to lose a friend but I think now you know that it’s going to happen anyways” Anamika told him sobbing.

Sahil told him, that there is this hospital where he is an understudy and this other friend of his who also helps him in chatting told him that there is a new facility coming up and that Anamika should come to take another opinion. The facility is new and hospital is checking the patients for free.

“You visit me tomorrow at this hospital and look for Sahil. We might be able to do something for you” Santa told the address to Raju’s mother.

26^th December – Anamika walked in the cabin of the understudy Sahil. The senior doctor was talking to a lady in the attached room and she can see Sahil making notes with the help of one other person. A young kid was sitting on the chair looking at her. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

“Keep this machine with you. If we get a donor, we’ll beep you and you can come to hospital with Raju. Don’t worry about the money; he is taking care of it”. Raju’s mother couldn’t believe her ears. She left.

“Hi Sahil, I didn’t knew that you are that rich. It’s so nice that you will take care of that lady’s son’s operation” said Anamika. Sahil replied, “Oh no, no. it’s that other one who is doing it. Come let’s talk to my senior doctor”

Anamika left with a pager too, and Sahil got one too after much of persistence by Anamika and that ‘OTHER ONE’. All they can do was to wait.

“Happy new year Anamika” greeted Sahil. “A very happy new year to you too Sahil. I hope this New Year brings in good news to us or else you would enter in the next year without me”. Sahil felt the pain in her voice.

12 noon, the sound of ‘beep beep’ alerted Raju’s mother. She couldn’t believe her. She rushed to the hospital with Raju. Anamika and Sahil were excited too. They were also paged with a possible donor. All three were sent to different operation theatres. In the evening, all the three were lying on adjacent beds in the hospital.

“It’s remarkable and sad too. I am so happy that all the three operations were successful. You are the first success cases of this new facility. The organs are responding too” said the senior doctor. “What is so sad about it doctor” inquired all. Doctor replied, “It’s sad because I lost someone today”

In the party after the award ceremony, Dr. Sahil came up to Dr. Shastri with his wife along with Anamika and her husband. “Thank you sir. If it has not been for you and you have not took me as an understudy, I might not have been here where I am today”, said Sahil. “And you remember my friend Anamika here. Remember that she also got her donor for the heart the same day as I did”, remarked Sahil.

“Dr. Shastri, I was wondering if you can tell us who our donors were?” inquired Anamika to which Dr. Shastri replied, “Didn’t you know!! He was that other understudy of mine. You must remember Sahil!”

“Are you saying that there was one common donor?” asked shocked Sahil

“Not only you two, this kid here – Raju, our caterer for tonight was also donated his kidneys.” Dr. Shastri replied

Sahil is a recognized name in medical industry today and Anamika lived longer and healthier. Raju went to school because the Santa heard his request. Dr. Satish recalled remembered that Santa dress – “Doctor, I have not been a good but I was never a bad person”

‘the OTHER ONE’ is no longer one… and yes, he was surely not a bad person. The smile on three lives is evidence.

A tear roll out of somewhere in his tribute, or was it only ONE tear!!

'the HOPE'

The stadium was getting filled in pretty fast. People from all walks of life were coming to witness this event. 

"All I asked was a leave, but no! Boss just needs an excuse to create trouble in my life. Now I'm here with this pass on which he was suppose to come. What a waste of my time" Rajesh was thinking sitting in the 2nd row from the front in the west wing of the stadium.

"High command has promised to look in my profile for next election. I may actually get a ticket and will of course win the election too. Ah, the bad days are about to go, will buy her the best home" Mr. Desai was thinking sitting in the VIP seats, sipping his soft drink.

"Good for nothing. Whole life I gave away for these children and now they don't have time to talk to their aging parents. I wish I had no children. These friends are much better with whom I can come to events like these" Mr. Contractor was cursing his 3 kids and sharing a good laugh with all the retired people who were his friends now.

"I have no reason to live, I must commit suicide. With these results I cant show my face to my parents. They work so hard and I disappointed them. After this event, next destination is the railway track" Sujoy was thinking after having collapsed his marks in two subjects in class 5.

"All these Bengalis, Biharis, North Indians are corrupting our state. I am sitting unemployed here and they have all the jobs. Our Neta is right, we must bash them out or else my community won't be able to survive" Deepak was thinking, sitting there after another disappointing interview in morning.

"So what if I die with this bomb, they will at least take care of my family. Ma, baba - I love you a lot. Now I've to wait till the event is about to finish and people are concentrated on the field. I'll be a martyr" Sukhalal was thinking after being selected to destroy this public place as a human bomb.

Everybody in those 25,000 people have their own thoughts. No one really wanted to be there, attending an event as low profile as this. Some came since their political party gave them their passes and its necessary to be known in social circle. Some came to pass their time, others have nothing else to do and some with specific reasons.

The event was about to begin. It was a race and the participants were on their tracks. Their faces were all brightened to see all those people who have come to see them running, to support them. They can't make out what the crowd was saying but it surely was making noise, Noise to cheer them up. They look ahead towards their goal till which they have to run. Then they look each other and smiled.

"Ladies and Gentleman. A very warm good afternoon to all. It's such a pleasure to see all you people to come and cheer them up. Now not taking much of your time, let's begin the race" was announced. The participants were ready, they took their position. Here goes the air gun, they all start running - like wind. 

Suddenly participant no.4  fall down. "Ooooh" goes the crowd. But what happened next, the crowd couldn't believe themselves. All the other 9 participants stopped. They started walking back to their friend which was on the ground. Participant 4 was not bleeding was still on the ground. All others went up to their friend and hold each other hands. Crowd was silent. All 10 started walking towards the finish line.

Yes you judged it correctly, this is the same story that we all might have read in some of the forwarded mails. These were young girls representing a school for mentally challenged. 

"How dumb am I. How well does my boss knows me, he is doing his job only and I'm doing mine. It was so nice of him that instead of giving just a day off, he make sure that it is useful. I am so selfish and stupid to think that it's somebody else's fault for the misery I have in my life, while I'm doing nothing for it myself" Rajesh was thinking after the event was over.

"Who are these kids, why they did what they did. They dunno much, yet how smart they are. And here I'm thinking how I can benefit myself when I've a responsibility to take care of " Mr Desai was deciding what is most important and what their responsibilities are.

"I am a failure, a true failure. I am cursing my own kids who have grown so big and successful. Who doesn't call us everyday but are taking care of us in every way possible. How can i forgot that even I was once married and young. Look at those parents of these kids, such a small decision and how proud there parents are." Mr. Contractor was thinking in silent as were all his other friends.

"They can't understand, they might not be able to read and write like me and they may not be able to enjoy so many things like me in the whole life. And in spite of all their flaws, which is not their fault, look at their parents. God has made me normal and with all working things, why can't I make my parents proud. I will, I will not give up, I will not be a loser" Sujoy got up with a spark in his eyes.

"Who knows to which caste, color, race or societies these kids belongs too. Helping each other out and forgetting the win. They are much better human being then me. I am cursing others for my failure, and that Neta, whose kids and cousins are well off working in collaboration with all others and asking us to bash my countrymen out of their own country. Instead of a solution, asking us to create more trouble. Had he been a real well-wisher, would have been working to get us employed and not police records" Deepak got up with confidence.

"What was I thinking. I cant kill innocent people and think myself as martyr. I have to stop these people who want to kill so many people just in order to prove a point of their which might not even be right. If these kids can win all together, so can I and so can I. I will not let the evil win today" Sukhalal thinks as walking towards the nearest police booth.

We all have witnessed these kind of  thoughts. Remember the first time you saw 'Rang de Basanti', our blood was pumping and we thought, that yes its the responsibility of me towards my nation. But these feelings are normally momentarily, we walk away from the movie hall and it vanishes.

Those kids know basic stuff and their mind cant do complicate thinking like us. But a message is there, you can see it, feel it and yes, these kids live it. Live the greater dream...

Who knows, we might be able to bring the change which we always wanted to see!!

'the RACE' , 'the BOUNDARY', 'the FEAR' and confusion between 'the RIGHT and the WRONG' makes it difficult for us, but the HOPE is still there. 'the HOPE' is in the spark of a new born baby, in our tears for someone we love, in the promise we always keep... We are not bad people, we just don't know it yet   

'the RIGHT and the WRONG'

Frankly speaking, I am not in a real good mood of writing anything. But, got to make a habit, its a good habit, its Right. Huh, a funny feel - what is right and what is wrong actually. For eg. saying truth is right, that means lying is wrong; yet sometime lying is right too. Its all so confusing. One is thing is for sure, what is wrong for one person, may be right for another one (like being a vegan or non-vegetarian). Its probably what one believes in.

The feel that I am an Indian - thats is right, yet hurting the people of the same country - somehow that is right too, or else it wouldn't have been happening. Thinking about your people good - thats right, and to do good to your people by hurting others - how come that is right then! 

I don't want to put forth the events that has been happening over the point of language or distribution of states, we are all well aware of them. I am just confused that when a kid is growing (mind you, in this very society) and he is told what is right and what is wrong and that everybody of us were told that we must avoid bad things, how come bad stuff is still there!

Is it that with time, circumstances, situations and emotions play with our heads to suggest that what somebody is saying or what we'll do is right... And since we think, that its right, we go ahead and do it - some times with an idea that though it is wrong, its still right.

Jehad or communal riots took place and it is known that the force who carried out these things are right in their own way. Are they really. Well thats more confusing stuff, and I restrain myself speaking anything about it since I know pretty less about it.

But even at a normal, day to day level - things are happening. Talking to someone is right and talking to a person who is (kind of) enemy to my friend - is wrong (how?) 

Respecting elders is always right, and keeping quiet when molested by this elder - is right (how?)

Teaching young ones "don't lie" is right and then asking them to answer a phone suggesting that you are not home in order to avoid that person - is right (why?)

I know we all have read and felt the same stuff over the years and nobody has an answer to it, but one thing is for sure that all this stuff makes a value system of a person. Since everybody is unique, the learning from these teachings plus experiences will vary. Hence, we get a society of all sorts of people - believing and trusting their value system. And this becomes the reasoning to our belief for what is right and what is wrong.

May be these unanswered questions and the learning (ironically, out of an unanswered stuff) makes things complex. This allows us to argue and its good (is it right?) till its healthy. But then we try to prove that we are right and you are wrong (even though both sides are right in their own way) and that becomes deadly.

This conflict between my right and your right emerges as the boundaries around us.Love for mine and hate for yours develops.Competition develops and most of the time it might not be healthy - the RACE is on.

But, things are changing - the boundaries are getting narrower and shorter. Respect to your right is emerging since you respect my right, though you may not agree. "I may not agreed with what you say, but I will protect your right to say it"

The sun is dying, but the light is not!

'the BOUNDARY'

IPL season 3 is going to start from today and I'm looking forward for the rain of boundaries all over the ground. But thats not the boundary I am referring too. Well, thats also a boundary... Go Rajasthan Royals go... he he he 

Have you ever thought, its funny that there is no clarification (at least a concrete one) which suggests why a human being is different then other one. of course there are Genes patterns and physique differences or even color. But we are still humans, right. But thats not all, there are more n more n more differentiations among us. As far as these things (which are not in our control like COLOR or the way we LOOK) are concerned, I agree with Auro (Paa fame) that yes, we do need algebra of life where we need to differentiate by names or by groups. I am a proud Indian and somebody is a proud Pakistani and so on. It helps you relate and makes things easy. The security which allows all to live in that with 'the FEAR' in our own 'perfect world'.

But then we see, people of all sort of life moving together, yet there is a distance, there is this 'boundary'. A person can work for you, but then you cant touch even his hands, why? Just because he belongs to some caste. What is that, who decides who is better and who is not! 

Remember the day when we use to watch those people working around our homes, for eg. somebody is digging new sewage. As a kid we watch out as curiosity the work done, and then if they ask for drinking water, you give them but suddenly you hear your Mom, "Don't let him touch the vessel or you". And the reason to it is, "Just listen to your Mom alright". No more questions and no more answers. We grow up believing in things that have no answers, no clarifications. 

I remember an old poem which revolves round the same fact. Where a father of dying daughter run towards the temple to fetch a flower in the temple garden. But people catch him and beat him since he belongs to a lower caste (again, who decides that). The girl dies and the father is in pain, the pain of losing his child and being unable to fulfill her last desire. He questions us, "If your goddess is so powerful, how come she gets dirty by touch of the sand from my feet. Who is bigger, your goddess or me?"

Why there is no equality? Why we cant touch the ones who belong to our race of human beings. If at all, they are the one in lower position, then touching us should make them better not the other way round (a lame argument, but well it has sense). Aren't we taught that we must do good deeds, and then a fellow cant even touch the vessel he is drinking water from!!

And this is not the only boundary, it all multiplies to big things when base point becomes invisible and people started fighting on the outcomes of it which looks like reality. People are happy, media call it as the win to half of the population - Yes, I am referring to the current Women's Bill. Why we even require that, reservations to women when we all talk of equality, and that too in the largest democracy. Well, it is required and its necessary, because its an answer to an aftermath of the unseen 'boundary'.

We are bound by all sorts of boundaries around us. It is indeed require to keep a watch over the unchecked freedom (अति हर चीज़ की बुरी होती है). How will we progress, when all we do is to defend us from these social evils. When even the vessel of drinking water can hurt our religion, our god but somehow can help these downtrodden people when we need votes!!

I cant demand a change, I cant bring the change, I can just write a blog. Ask for appreciation towards my words, but change will come. I will do my bit, because even a tiny stone can bring in the desired ripples in silent ocean. Are you upto it!!!!

Let me know then....  

'the FEAR'

Ghosts, failure, experiment and so many other things that we are afraid of; we all have our own shares of fear, but the common thing is that we have fear of the unknown. The question is not the result of the failure in exams or NO to your work proposal or love proposal, fear is the anxiety of the possible OUTCOME, which we don’t know and this “unknown” factor haunts us the most.

There is no definition to spirits, ghosts or even God. They are all names to some unknown power they have and how it can ‘possibly’ affect us or our lives (in either good or bad way). Everybody is afraid of it, or in other words ‘loves’ it (when they offer themselves to this unknown power source). We have no idea what ghosts or spirits are but we know (question is how we know, who tells us that we believe them) that they are not good and opposite to Good.

As far as God is concerned, well since HE represents the GOOD, humans tend to love it. Yet, who hasn’t talked that “If you forget god, he will forget you” or “when we remember HIM in our lows, why not remember in our ups too”. I am not trying to be judgmental, but well you’ll all agree that it’s the fear to lose HIS support, that makes most of the work done.

Fear is not always bad, it’s simply the unknown. Over the whole humanity race and since ages, people have been trying to look things from different perspectives. When you try to look differently, you challenge the normal belief set, normal set of rules of society – and it results in - they all call you sinner or crazy. (Remember Galileo’s belief that earth revolves round Sun). Yet people succeeded to change the belief pattern of all.

The core is that one fear keeps us going and another one stops us. It all comes down to the choices we have. ‘the FEAR’ lets us all running in ‘the RACE’. Only few take the risk to challenge and overcome their fear and it change the course of history. The icons of the societies emerges in form of lt. Dhitubhai Ambani or Sir Richard Branson, the ones who challenge their own fears. Who believed, not what they were told but what the UNKNOWN possibility which is unfold.

Unfortunately not many have the courage. We all are happy to be afraid of ‘the FEAR’ and live life the way it comes to us. A set pattern is what we look for, and the security. It’s better not to know the hideous fact if it disturbs “the perfect world” of ours then to face it and finish it

Alas….

'the RACE'

MBA is over, and I am back at my home town. I remember I use to write (well that was way back)... Ahh, I am so bored, that don't feel like writing here too. May be my friends were right when they call me a lazy bum (I don't even know if that's a word).

Like any other child, I had my own share of goals and dreams. One day, I was a cricketer (to be a footballer or hockey player is not a dream of a normal Indian child..... does that sound upsetting), and the other day I am an actor (who didn't wanted that... he he he). I got firm to be a pilot, but then got these glasses over my eyes and had to drop that idea.

All in all, things started getting clear, or rather I say the whole idea of 'the RACE' started getting in my head. Today I think, all of us went through the same phase - in one way or the other. Mounting pressure for 10th Board exams (Did our parents never appeared in them, if yes then how come they are unable to lift the fear or pressure), selection of the subject in 11th (normally not by the choice of the student, but what his parents, neighbors and family suggests) and again the 12th Board.

The power to choose what a child can do best is never given or it's given is conditional way (eg. "Sure you can play cricket, we will support you. But you can't be Sachin Tendulkar, so why waste time. You think, we will support you") and the child goes on to study Science so that he may become an Engineer or a Doctor one day (suppose to be handsomely paying jobs with a lot of respect).

And then the unseen, unknown and never achieved RACE begins. Parents saw potential in their kid, and kid can't let his / her parents down. Tear in mom's eye or tense face of Dad is enough to let the kid for a kill - even to kill his own dream and fulfill what makes his parents happy. So what if I am a bad student of Science, but I'll be an engineer, I will sit for IIT-JEE and if not that, settle for any 'good' institute for a engineering course. Then of course, I have to have an MBA degree or PGDM so that I'll have a job with fat salary cheque.

Everybody is running, and the participants are in such a huge number that the race is an ocean. No one can stop, the will to win or come first is lost. We all are running without looking which way are we heading to. Is it the way we thought we'll be one day? Is it what we wanted to be when we are kids and the whole world was open for us, where we can just have been anything.

'the Race' has resulted in a large, immensely large pool of people who have all the materialistic things and who think all the time about getting these materialistic things only. And I find myself in the center of it. May be we all do...

Take a pause, look around - is it the path we chose to walk on. 85% in 10th, Engineer, doctor or CFA after 12th, an MBA degree after that and then what!! A job, then marriage, kids in two years, a nice apartment or may be a house, a car, latest XBox for kids. Is this the great plan for life!

The life is the gift of god to us, and what we do with this life is our gift back to HIM.

Ah well, whom am I kidding. I took a pause, waited to look around... and you know what. People are still running, and I may fall behind.

Alright guys.... I'm off to run again, cant wait... see ya later

tell me how you liked it...

Dumb People

A true story out of San Francisco:

It seems a man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the branch and wrote "This iz a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller window. So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that he was not the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stick up note because it was written on a Bank of America deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Wells Fargo deposit slip or go back to Bank of America. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said "Ok" and left. The Wells Fargo teller then called the police who arrested the man a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at Bank of America.


Also from San Francisco:

A motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $40. Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture...of handcuffs.


Seattle.....

When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find an ill man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage.A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying it was the best laugh he'd ever had.


A woman was reporting her car as stolen, and mentioned that there was a car phone in it. The policeman taking the report called the phone and told the guy that answered that he had read the ad in the newspaper and wanted to buy the car. They arranged to meet, and the thief was arrested.


45 year old Amy Brasher was arrested in San Antonio, Texas after a mechanic reported to police that 18 packages of marijuana were packed in the engine compartment of the car which she had brought to the mechanic for an oil change.According to police, Brasher later said that she didn't realize that the mechanic would have to raise the hood to change the oil.


David Posman, 33, was arrested recently in Providence, R.I., after allegedly knocking out an armored car driver and stealing the closest four bags of money. It turned out they contained $800 in PENNIES, weighed 30 pounds each, and slowed him to a stagger during his getaway so that police officers easily jumped him from behind.



Drug possession defendant Christopher Jansen, on trial in March in Pontiac, Michigan, said he had been searched without a warrant. The prosecutor said the officer didn't need a warrant because a "bulge" in Christopher's jacket could have been a gun. Nonsense, said Christopher, who happened to be wearing the same jacket that day in court. He handed it over so the judge could see it. The judge discovered a packet of cocaine in the pocket and laughed so hard he required a five-minute recess to compose himself.


Clever drug traffickers used a propane tanker truck entering El Paso from Mexico. They rigged it so propane gas would be released from all of its valves while the truck concealed 6,240 pounds of marijuana. They were clever, but not bright. They misspelled the name of the gas company on the side of the truck.



Oklahoma City...

Dennis Newton was on trial for the armed robbery of a convenience store in a district court this week when he fired his lawyer. Assistant district attorney Larry Jones said Newton, was doing a fair job of defending himself, until the store manager testified that Newton was the robber. Newton jumped up, accused the woman of lying and then said, "I should have blown your [expletive] head off." The defendant paused, then quickly added, "-if I'd been the one that was there." The jury took 20 minutes to convict Newton and recommended a 30 year sentence.


R.C. Gaitlin, 21, walked up to two patrol officers who were showing their squad car computer equipment to children in a Detroit neighborhood. When he asked how the system worked, the officer's asked him for a piece of identification. Gaitlin give them his driver's license, they entered it intothe computer, and moments later they arrested Gaitlin because information on the screen showed Gaitlin was wanted for a two year old armed robbery in St. Louis, Missouri.

Sitting on your Talent ?

There was a man played piano in a bar. He was a good piano player. People came out just to hear him play. But one night, a patron told him he didn't want to hear him just play anymore. He wanted him to sing a song.

The man said, I don't sing.

But the customer was persistent. He told the bartender, I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want that guy to sing!

The bartender shouted across the room, Hey buddy! If you want to get paid, sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!

So he did. He sang a song. A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And nobody had ever heard the song Mona, Mona Lisa sung the way it was sung that night by Nat King Cole!

He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he went on to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel as if your talent is particularly great, but it may be better than you think! And with persistence, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you possess!

The better question is not - What ability do I have that is useful? It is rather How will I use whatever ability I have?