Shutterbug Soul on a chilly night

Last night I picked my gear, put on some warm clothes and rode out in the night to get some photos. I parked the bike over the busy Cadbury flyover and started clicking photos much to the amusement of the other vehicles passing there. One guy slowed his vehicle down and was trying to make sense of me, a guy in the middle of the busy Eastern Express Highway at midnight, wearing a monkey-cap, headphones plugged in, heavily bearded, a big black bag on the shoulder, floaters over crisp white socks and a camera in one hand striking various poses over the flyover. I for sure must have looked like a terrorist doing a recce of the place under lights only to bomb it later. Hah!

The trail of the vehicles rushing by.

Looking towards Upvan - 1

Looking towards Upvan - 2

Took this shot couching over the divider.

The Korum car park in all its glory.

The service road, the trees and streetlights in the midst. 

I disturbed this couple who were busy discussing something serious at this unearthly hour. I felt I was imposing, but my photography was more important.

A burst + panning shot of a tanker. Epic failure due to the bike in front!

The highlight of the night!

Although the photos are not "Skadoosh" types. It was a nice experience and the small much needed push I'd always wanted to get back to night photography. And ate a Maggie at night that was filled with red ants, I think that will help improve my night vision! *muhahahaha* Night photography FTW \m/

Question-IRE

How often are we fortunate enough to have people in our lives to prove us wrong and yet feel delighted? Aah, that is a rarity. I had always thought I was the greatest hypocrite known to me. Well, I was wrong and delighted.

We always search for answers in life, but my personal observations says that we always have the answers in form of events. What we need to search is the question as to why it so happened. The irony of it is that most often our answers are one-sided; our vision cock-eyed. The other half eludes us for reasons known, yet unknown. Mostly the questions are found to hidden in more than one answer. I think I've put my pieces of puzzle together for that comprehensive question.

Now, towards Introspection!

Guest post # 1

This is the 1st time am having someone write a guest post for my blog. Well it happens to be none other than my dear friend Manali Shah. I was bugging her to write me a guest post for a couple of days now and today afternoon she happened to mail me this small write-up she had written earlier this morning. When I insisted her to post it on her blog she reacted by asking me use this as my guest post! Well I did....

The post:-

A page from the diary of a Person Who Fears Being Masochistic

I want to feel pain, I want to feel loss. So far, my life has been one happy ride. Am I complaining? Yes. I want to feel the suffering that Adele sings about. I can sense her agony, her hurt, but not relate to it. I want to feel soul crushed. And then come out smiling, ready to love again. Confident, and with faith. Can you expect a person to feel true bliss without having experienced heartache and longing first?

So then I worry about whether or not I have a wide range of emotions inside of me. Am I a cold person? Was I always one, or did I become one when I decided to toughen up, tired of being vulnerable and having my break broken, multiple times. I do not remember. I do remember being deeply saddened by the plight of unimaginable poor people that actually constitutes the country I am supposed to resonate with pride about, India. I do remember wanting to cry because hardly anyone I could see was leading happy, honest lives. Sure, you could say now to me, “Begin to change the world, one person at a time.” I am sorry, that is too slow for me. Too painful. Yes, I have given up, without even trying. Given up on humanity and humans. Am I, then, indifferent? Unfortunately, I have not been able to not care.

What kind of a person does that make me? Too scared to jump right into deep love, too weary of people, too angry at the world, too unable to stop giving a damn, too impossible to stay apathetic.

I suppose what I am saying is, I’m on the fence. And it never is comfortable there, is it?

Comments:-

1) The starting lines of the post impressed me the most. I loved the strong beginning.

2) The statement "Can you feel..... first?", is thought provoking and so damn true. Made me realise only if you have the dearth of a thing do you actually understand its value.

3) The ending abrupt yet tantalising.

P.S. To check Manali Shah's blog click here.

The good life...

Again today I've realised that it is 3 weeks since I've updated my blog. The time gap hardy seems that far away. My past weeks have been really eventful. I've been doing things I've not done before and thinking of ideas I dare not think before. This change in me baffles and excites me simultaneously!
A glance at my life in the past 3 weeks!

My personal dossier...

** Poetry Tuesday:
I'd actually subscribed to a person, who blogs only about the news in Thane that many big newspapers fail to notice. There I found about a poetry meet called "Poetry Tuesday" that takes place on the 1st Tuesday of every month at the Utd 21 Hotel in Thane. Was initially apprehensive about being there but once I went there it was fun!

** New friend(s):
The best thing that Poetry Tuesday did was introduce me to a circle of new friends who had greater inclination to literature than me. Among that was a person who has become one of my very dearest friends within a short period of time - "Cartoon sali" :P

**Indimeet:
I received a mail on the 12th saying that there was gonna be an Indiblogger meet in Bombay. I was pretty excited to have received the mail and was all raring to go. Manali also joined in and we had lotsa fun in the famed R.K.Studio in Chembur.

** South Bombay Trip:
After having got my camera, suddenly I was starting to ponder, if me buying that 30 grand piece was a waste or an investment! Then one fine day a trip to South Bombay materialised and viola I realised I still had the zeal for photography. It rejuvenated my love for random photography.

**Movie:
Am not a movie buff. Leave alone watching it in the theatre. I am just back after watching the much-hyped paraNORMAL - ACTIVITY 3. I was expecting some very scary stuff as it was going to be my 1st horror movie in a theatre. Dismal!

My professional dossier...

**Infy closing:
Am seemingly having fun at work. To enjoying working under pressure, having fun and at the same time get results is a rare combination. Got my 2nd career closure and my 1st big one and that too in a company like Infosys is a personal achievement.

**Appraisal:
My boss seems to be happy with my performance and said that I would have my performance appraisal from next month onwards; my 1st HIKE!! To be still in my training period and receive a performance appraisal is achievement of sorts I guess.


I've found my *purple* patch I guess. Looking back, it is actually almost 3 months since joined my work. It has kept me happy and busy. Things have just whizzed past me. But I've managed to captured most of those moments on my camera!!


P.S:- I've decided to try and use only my pictures from this post onwards..
P.S.S:- You can check my photography on Facebook or Tumblr

Take a hike, Mike!

I've a very good friend of mine who was "pestered" by a guy. She liked the guy no doubt but she was not able to cope up the so called unofficial relationship. Things she did made me want to write this post. This article gives the basic tips to girls who are pestered by "their" boys. Now since we, the so-called-fairer sex are obstinate and persistent it actually makes getting rid of us difficult. While some of the boys have - "The grapes are sour" kinda attitude towards the girl that ditched them, others go into the - "Revenge is a dish best served cold" kinda mode. While the former is a harmless mode, the latter can prove to be irritating and frustrating if not dangerous for the girl. The best way out for a girl in this paradigm is to actually make the guy walk away, not wanting to come back. This has to be subtle because if the guy gets frustrated and feels cheated it may make him go into the "revenge mode". Some of the best tricks to do it.


Rub salt on his wounds:
The best way to make a person feel worthless is to rub salt on his wounds. The best part about this is that he will retaliate to the world, but if you say that to him all he can do is get dejected and actually feel worthless. If the guy has a past relationship what you can do is do something silly and when he tries to reprimand you turn the tables on him and accuse him that this kinda behaviour of his would have been the reason of the previous girl dumping him!

Make fun:
Make constant fun of his dreams and ambitions in life. When he tries to defend his actions don't give a SHIT to his explanations and turn a deaf ear to what he has to say. Stay Aloof!

Hide and Seek:
Play a virtual hide and seek with the guy. E.g. Leave him a message saying "Hi"; 95% of the times he will reply to you within 5mins of him receiving the message no matter how busy he is. Now don't reply. There is a high chance of getting a "reply!!!!" kinda message from him after your silence. Don't reply. Again after a couple of hours repeat the same. Do it till his tipping point and when he actually tries ask you in a very irritated mode. Tell him he does not understand you and you cant tolerate it. Simply install an application called GUILT v2.3:16 :P

Get that Hippocratic bitch out:
All the above points are gonna make him walk away from you. Now more often than not, most of the guys really take efforts to actually keep track of the girls who dumped them. Now they will make repeated attempt to reach you, ignore them. He will resort to social network to keep track of you. For those who want to torment the guys, go a bit further. Do precisely those things that you were against when you were with him. Esp the things he wanted you to be part of and you were against. Before you perverted minds actually start thinking lemme give few examples. Like he might have asked you to hangout with him for the entire day and you were scared that ppl might spot you guys. Do it now with another guy and make sure it reaches him.

Well all said and done, just be sure that he does not get into the "Aata mazi satakli mode" and screws up your happiness!! All are not decent like me.. :P
*Wink Wink* xD

Gimme a break!

Gimme a break; I pray,

The patterns are disturbing I say,

Haunting me repeatedly,

at me they laugh.

Despite the efforts I take,

Everytime the same pain I endure;

Vowing to make it better ahead I forge.

For once I want to be stable,

This weary feeling is pushing me down,

Wanting to get out of this infinite loop I say,

Gimme a break; I pray!

Frown

Another day; another dawn,

Life just has to move on,

I hate seeing you frown,

this sea of sorrow will make you drown,

Wanting to see you jump up and down,

for your last few days left in this town,

give me a chance to be your clown,

I sure will have your sorrows blown.

A 55 Fiction dedication to my best friend!

Infidel

Am back after a hiatus. I was so regular with my post earlier that a reader actually asked me if I've left blogging after I got my job. That statement pricked me and now am feeling guilty for not paying enough attention to my blog. Well I've been busy with my work no doubt but the real reason of my hiatus was my latest and my most prized possession. My new Nikon D3100 DSLR.

I've always been a great fan of photography and over the years it has grown from an interest to a fad to liking and now more than that. Now what I fear is my interest in photography overshadowing my blog. And hence the guilt, for I just love my blog and I know I have not done justice to it for sometime now. Feels like am cheating with my camera on my blog. Feeling like an infidel!! :P

--oo--

I've had been wanting to buy a camera for almost 2 years. What kept me so long was that I wanted to buy it out of my OWN money and not anyone else's. I had garnered about 15 thousand rupees over these 2 years thanks to the cultural and literary events that I used to attend in my graduation days that supplied about 1500 INR per month during working days as my steady source of my extra income. I spend half of it on my parties and outings and saved the rest under the banner of camera fund. After completing my graduation I realised that if I keep waiting for money my dream will never be realised and so I bought the camera for 30grands under EMI!! People not that much into photography may find it atrocious that I've got such an expensive camera. But what I want to point out is that everyone does that like buying an iPhone just because of the brand name and not actually knowing how to use it. Getting a Nokia E-series mobile just to look cool and not actually using more than 90% of the applications that are built to be used. Second thing what people ask me is "What is the NEED of such an expensive camera?", and when I reply "Nothing"; they call me a fool. But the thing is that they are so confused with the logic in life. I don't NEED a camera but I for sure WANT it. All we NEED is food, clothing, shelter and the adequate money to get it. But we WANT so many thing in life, a mansion, lots of money, an attractive partner and the list is never ending. Then they tell me "That means your an excellent photographer now"!! Getting a DSLR and being an excellent amateur shutterbug are two mutually exclusively things. Done with part one, en route to the other!

For this paradigm am reminded of Saif Ali Khan's dialogue in the movie Race -
Race Gadi nahi chalane wala jeeta hai
Race is won by the driver not the car.



--oo--

Some of the random clicks of mine below. All the pictures were shot at 4608 x 3072 pixels but now compressed for upload.

Taken from the level 4 of Korum Mall in Thane of the Cadbury Flyover.

Raindrops falling on the steps.

Shot through the leaves of the streetlight.

The working of the welder in my office.

Traffic in low shutter speed.

Walk away

Walk away; don't stay,

inevitable since thee had nothing worth a say,

was there always beside work or play.

The anger in me just doesn't die,

now that words fail to ply,

emotions betrayed; feelings crushed,

seems dumb; my body numb,

one day you will come back,

thou surely will get couple of nice whack!

P.S. This is the second of my Unique 55. A 55 fiction using a word only once throughout the whole poem..

P.S = Publicity Stunt xD

Freedom?? BALLS!!

Yesterday I was sitting at home time-passing with my family. Suddenly my aunt asks me to pass the scissor. I give it in her hand but she refused to take it and asked me to keep it on the ground. She said that as it is we always keep fighting , I don't want to aggravate it so I wont take it from your hand. I was pissed at the superstition and said that India and its customs suck. I said that because my sister who is in her 10 grade always keeps saying INDIA ROX and I just wanted to irritate her. Suddenly all the heads in the room turned towards me, started shouting at me and I ended up being getting almost disowned by the family. Am sure had they been in power they would have deported me from India. So I wrote the following status on Facebook and look at the reactions I got...

Ghante ka INDEPENDENCE DAY :/

I cant even say out loud that INDIA SUX w/o ten ppl trying to inpugn my INDIANess :@

MORAL OF THE DAY:- INDIA SUX :@ :@ :@

Yesterday at 17:12 · Privacy: · Unlike · 

You and Ml Ranganathan like this.

Abhijeet Shinde Desh Drohi :P

Yesterday at 17:28 · Like ·  1 person

Ashwin Kukreja so where do you want to migrate ? canada, australia ?

Yesterday at 17:29 · Like

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Ashwin C C.. this is wat i was talking abt... I never said i wanna leave.. I love it here. But the fact is that it sucks. This INDIAN attitude of OURS that i dont like. :(

Yesterday at 17:36 · Like

Ashwin Kukreja indulge in constructive criticism by all means. No one's gonna object. But there are people who dont want to make even small changes in their own lives. These guys will go abroad, follow all rules and when they're back they'll spit on the streets. These kinda guys deserve to be kicked out of this country. So when you say India sux, in the same breath offer a possible solution. That'll make it constructive, creative and positive.

Yesterday at 17:45 · Unlike ·  3 people

Ashwin Kukreja u also must understand that you cannot say "india sux" so loosely, you are touching a raw nerve in people who are grateful to this country for whatever they are. We are living here, earning here, we respect this country for whatever it is. Sure there are numerous things which suck big time but whatever it is, we are here. We must eliminate those things to whatever extent we can. There's a lot of talk going on about changes which shd happen but it wont happen overnight. BUt whatever it is, we cannot deride our country so casually .

Yesterday at 17:53 · Unlike ·  6 people

Pratik Kambli Achutan u will get u Ass Kicked...!!

Yesterday at 18:15 · Like

Viswanathan Bala Fuck off dude.. If any true Indian heard u saying that, u would be updating ur status frm hell right now.

Yesterday at 18:19 · Like ·  1 person

Pratik Kambli Vichi ....Howz u ?? Ill be the one to send him there....:X

Yesterday at 18:20 · Like

Viswanathan Bala bhej saale ko .. and dont forget to record the video of his death. We will post it here. Let us put an end to this bastards misery.

Yesterday at 18:21 · Like ·  1 person

Pritesh Veera Thats sad...

I m proud of my india

Yesterday at 19:10 · Like ·  1 person

Ml Ranganathan ‎2day people are celebrating independence day by putting badge and flags in hands.but tomorow the same badge will be kept aside,flags may b thrown in the distbins or road side.is this wht we call respect to india.i dont believe and agree in this.if u really want to respect ur country try to respect your flag first.

Yesterday at 19:13 · Like

Pritesh Veera Free your self from chain of impossed thoughts n experience d freedom 2 be free...

Achutan see want this nation has given to us....

If u hav a problem with attiude of people 1st we need to change our attitude n then may b expect from others....

Common bro bug up...

Yesterday at 19:17 · Like ·  1 person

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Viswanathan Bala I have the freedom to think and say watever i want..

Pratik saaale bol bacchan, u have still have the OPTION of UNFRIENDING me from ur list.. hehe :P

Yesterday at 19:27 · Like

Pritesh Veera So is that the solution

Yesterday at 19:29 · Like

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Ashwin I aint saying the country is bad.. jus the way ppl have kept it all these 60-odd years... The epitome of it is that I at home just told that Indian superstitions sux and all pounced on me... I totally agree with wat u have to say..

Yesterday at 19:29 · Like

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Pritesh Na.. we all very well know wats the soln and we sure know we aint implementing most of them.. :(

Yesterday at 19:30 · Like ·  1 person

Pritesh Veera So true dude

Yesterday at 19:32 · Unlike ·  2 people

Achuthan Raman Chari MORAL OF THE STORY: WE ALWAYS LOOK AT STATEMENTS AND ACTIONS AND NOT THE EMOTIONS BEHIND IT... :@

Yesterday at 19:32 · Like

Viswanathan Bala ‎Achuthan Raman Chari then wat kind of freedom are u talking abt ?

Yesterday at 19:32 · Like

Viswanathan Bala If u hate the country so much, but still claim to be patriotic. Then what steps have u taken to rectify the system ?

Yesterday at 19:36 · Like ·  1 person

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Viswanathan My statement/status only meant that we all are all talking abt freedom but when it come to GIVING freedom to others WE ALL lag behind and "INDIA SUX" was jus to lay emphesis and not ridiclue.. DUH am I justifying!!

Yesterday at 19:36 · Like

Viswanathan Bala Giving freedom ? i didnt get u .. be more specific

Yesterday at 19:37 · Like

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Viswanathan chup re pakao... u want explanation; call me.. saala boring to type here. :P

Yesterday at 19:39 · Like ·  1 person

Diana Titus den change ur attitude ...u mite love it >:(

Yesterday at 19:40 · Like

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Diana please read it fully before commenting :@ *IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS* :@

23 hours ago · Like

Siddharth Sampath ‎Achuthan Raman Chari : f*** off

22 hours ago · Like

Achuthan Raman Chari ‎Siddharth Sampath u fk off... MY WALL MY POST :@.. unfriend ur FKING SELF IF U DONT WANNA C :@

21 hours ago · Like

Siddharth Sampath ‎:P ur a traitor :P

21 hours ago · Like

Achuthan Raman Chari if by posting this am a traitor. so be it.. PROUD TO BE ONE.. \o/ :P

21 hours ago · Like

Siddharth Sampath ada pavi :( :( no words to tell u anything :P

21 hours ago · Unlike ·  1 person

Inference:

We the Indians have just used and abused the country to such a point that we have absolutely no patriotism left whatsoever and Independence and Republic day have become just a festival. Just as we dont think about Diwali, Christmas or Eid the whole year but only on the particular day we wish others, in the same way we have 1000's of status updates and texts and then we comfortably forget about it for another year. Just as in the case of Diwali we find the crackers strewn across the roads, here we have our Tricolour down. If India was God and my comments deemed blasphemous then yes am an atheist. But one thing is certain that this much criticised atheist thinks about that very God and does more than much of His devout theist followers generally do. People say "Tune kya kiya hai desh ke liye?/What have you done for the country?", because it make them apparently cool in vox populi. But what they fail to understand it that it is no longer cool to just keep blabbering. In the recent on-going test series when India was 0-2 down, I wrote on my wall that Indian cricket was in the dumps and I was looking forward to a whitewash. All true Indian cricket lovers agreed with me and were with me in offering brickbats to the team (but all of us supported INDIA in the 3rd test) while the nouveau-cricket-likers were all up in arms against me. I see a parallel here. They think so much about country and end up doing nothing. We don't need to live 100years to be remembered for ages. Just living one day for others will make us immortal in the annals of history. 

  [] How many of the above commented self-proclaimed-patriots know the starting lines of the Preamble and when it was adopted? (for all u lesser IQ-ed mortals let me enlighten, it was done on 26th November 1949 and not 26th January 1950)

  [] How many of us have ever thought about the surrounding?

  [] How many never throw litter down but only in the bin?

  [] How many of us give blood regularly? 

  [] How of us give our children/ young cousins value based TV viewing content like Jataka tales/ Panchatantra/ Ramayan etc. Instead of Shinchan and Doremon?

  [] How many actually close the taps in public when they see it running waste?

  [] How many give lift to absolute strangers in autos who we come to know are travelling to the same destination as us?

[trivia] I do all of the above except the blood donation due to health reasons [\trivia]

I have been in the receiving as well as the giving end of the auto paradigm and trust me it makes your day in both the cases. We don't need to give our lives to be patriot. Just make your surrounding a better place to live in and the country will be a better place automatically.

Highlight of the article: 65years on I still cant have my say on India and say am a proud Indian all in one single statement. (with only one person talking sensibly and trying to make me understand his point)

:'(  :@

P.S. I wrote a poem on the Republic day this year that will i think sum-up the whole scenario. Click here.

Quik read # 06

A man was walking along the road. He recalled his lost love and his soul grieved.

“Pity on those who know love,” he thought. “They will never be happy, with the fear of losing the one they love.”

At that moment he heard a nightingale sing.

- Why do you act like that? – the man asked the nightingale. – Don’t you see that my beloved, who loved your song so much, is no longer here by my side?

- I sing because I am happy – answered the nightingale.

- Haven’t you ever lost someone? – the man insisted.

- Many times – answered the nightingale. – But my love still remains all the same.

And the man went on his way feeling more hopeful.

Courtesy:- Paulo Coelho's blog

Polarity reversed

Part - I

Last saturday it was raining cats and dogs early in the morning, and when I woke up I learnt that it was raining heavily all night. That meant only one thing:- "Water-logging". I was happy. That would mean we could take to the streets to play football in the rain. The phone calls started doing rounds and in no time we were out playing in the usually-busy-now-empty street. Suddenly there comes a voice, cold, rude, irritating asking us to stop playing. I was the goalie and happened to notice and respond first. I saw the person behind the voice and It was an old man; must have been 65-odd, retired senior citizen. I asked him what was the matter and he said that we would break the windows and dent the cars parked there. I told him we were not playing rashly and would pay for any damages. We also explained to him that this ain't the first time we playing here and if history has any say we were clean with our record. He was obstinate and was shouting on top of his voice. I went to him and asked him to speak properly; which he refused. I pointed out to him to it was his age and our respect for it that has kept us from back-answering and he should be polite as were also adults; hinting at the cliche "give respect take respect". He dint. And when I pointed out that the cars are to be parked in the parking lot and there was no rule as to park the car on he streets, he threatned to call the police. I gave out a chuckle. I asked him under which section of law will they take action against us; he knew he had lost the argument and he went off, rambling narcissisticaly as he walked back!

I turned to my friends and told them that I was sure at home he must be telling and yelling his grandchildren to get off the computer and go out to play, and he should be thankful that we are the few living examples left to show those children what outdoor activities really are!

Part - II

Yesterday evening when we were hanging-out asusual, my friend S happened to tell me an anecdote that had happened earlier in the evening. S was taking her usual evening stroll when another of our friend and her mother happened to meet her. S knowing them walked up to talk to them. After the exchange of pleasantries, that friend of ours told S that her mom also plays Cityville on Facebook and S could send her an neighbour request in the game. Her mom was very excited and S dumbstruck when she revealed that she was level 70-odd and S only some 60-odd! Her mom was very enthusiastic about the game and S told me. I could imagine the glitter she would have had in her eyes when she would have told this to S. Aunties today are cashing-in on the wow factor using social networking sites and Internet. Kudos!

I was like OMFG when S actually narrated the incident to us. I was amused and pleased for the fact that our friend's mom was so Internet savvy.

Inference:

My concern is that the present generations of kids are not much into outdoor activities but more into cyber-gaming and social-networking. I still remember when we were kids we used to leave the house at 5 in the evening only to return by 8. Full three hours of outdoor play. Now I find the streets empty and kids walking hand-in-hand in pairs! They are maturing way to fast and it ain't a good sign. I still remember, I got my email ID only after my 10th grade boards. Today 10year olds have a Facebook account. Well being tech/net savvy is a welcome move but what worries me is their obsession. The above two anecdotes  are stated just to bring to the notice our current trend.

The adults sticking to age-old traditions and senseless practises (barring a very few like my friend's mom) and the children being utmost (read insane) technology aficionados. Its high time we took measures to reverse the polarity!

Yearns

Shaking in the moonlight,

everyone endures walking alone.

Lost in the cacophonous labyrinth,

I found myself from the past,

I wonder if we could ever go back,

to the past when we were really clueless,

I know, of course we can't,

because the sky will fall down.

I definately will find it,

believing in something,

marching straigth ahead.

Everything looks beautiful,

the smiles from now itself....

am sure I and you saw it;

that nostalgic smile,

tonight am watching standing away far,

the last scene I can't remember,

it is different from what I wish to see,

it is a more happy ending,

dreaming of that last time,

we were truly together,

I close my eyes,

you're right beside me,

lets keep that happiness to ourselves!

Quik read # 05

A very rich young man went to see a sage in order to ask his advice about what he should do with his life. The sage led him over to the window:

Sage: What can you see through the glass?

Man: I can see men coming and going and a blind man begging for alms in the street.

Then the sage showed him a large mirror and

Sage: Look in this mirror and tell me what you see.

Man: I can see myself.

Sage: And you can’t see the others. Notice that the window and the mirror are both made of the same basic material, glass.

You should compare yourself to these two kinds of glass. 

Poor – you saw other people and felt compassion for them.

Rich – covered in silver – you see yourself.

You will only be worth anything when you have the courage to tear away the coating of silver covering your eyes in order to be able to see again and love your fellow man.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Pain and suffering are always required for the eventual bliss. Hence, when in pain or you feel your are suffering next time tell yourself....Pain is bliss... because only the select carbon atoms that have been under heavy pressure and heat for millions of years and later subject to cruel polishing regime become the most glittering of diamonds!

P.S. Still wondering why people cut and burn themselves without apparent justifiable reason?

दोस्ती ही साही

गए थे इनती दूर थी वो खुदकी मर्ज़ी,

लगा था तुम्हे है दोस्ती एक वर्दी,

उतारो जब हो गर्मी; पहनो जब सर्दी,

आये हो मेरे चौखट पे आज,

लिए वो पुराणी यादोंका साथ,

अहमियत आई है समझ; वह क्या बात!

रखी है मांग दोहराने की वो संग,

शायद हो गए हो प्रबुद्ध...

की सब होते है अपने मन की दर्जी,

आये हो अचानक मेरे पास आज,

अब तो बताओ अपने जाने का राज़,

उस दिन भी मैंने ऐसे ही माँगा था तुम्हारी दोस्ती का साज़,

मालूम था तुम आओगे एक दिन वापस मेरे पास,

इसलिए है मुझे हमारे ये दोस्ती पर नाज़!

Transliteration

gaye the itni door thi woh khud ki marzi,

laga tha tumhe hai dosti ek vardi,

utaro jab ho garmi; peheno jab sardi,

aaye ho meri choukhat pe aaj,

liye woh purani yaadon ka saath,

ahmeyat aayi hai samaj; wah kya baat!

rakhi hai mang dohraneki woh sang,

shayad ho gaye prabuddha,

ki sab hote hai apne man ki darzi,

aaye ho achanak mere paas aaj,

ab toh batao apne jaane ka raaz,

Us din bhi meine aise hi manga tha thumari dosti ka saaz,

malum tha aaoge tum ek din wapas mere pass,

isliye hai mujhe hamare dosti par naaz!

Translation

You had gone far that was your wish,

You thought friendship is a dress,

remove it when its hot; put when its cold,

you've come to my doorstep today,

bringing along the accompaniment of old memories,

importance you've known; wow its a wonder!

placed a demand of repeating the company,

probably you are enlightned...

that all are the tailors of their own mind,

you've come all of a sudden to me today,

atleast now tell me the reason for the abscond,

that day also I had asked you similarly the harness of your friendship,

I knew you would one day come back to me,

That is why I am proud of our friendship!

Catching a break

Earlier, last week I got my results and cleared my graduation with 70.59%. That was just a single node in the roller-coaster ride of emotions. Then I got a marketing job under my aunt in Thane itself. I was happy but not satiated because somewhere deep in my heart I knew I wanted to do HR. Then bang; on saturday I got a call form the concern I had gone to as my first interview exactly a month ago asking me to join on Monday. I had actually written it off. After I said ok to them I dawned upon me the fact of life. We always get the best of things when we're not expecting them. Also, applying reverse logic it apparently seems getting things that you expect makes them less special per se!

Coming from a Computer science people have always wondered as to why I wanted to pursue a  field that has more to do with the social sciences and completely off-beat from what a normal Comp-Sci grad does. But isn't it home where the heart is? Seems I've finally caught a break from my otherwise irresponsible life as my dear critic mama(uncle) would quote! The fact being; I've always been more irresponsible than he ever perceived and wiser than he has ever deemed me to be.

Today was supposed to be my first day at work and I still remember how I was damn restless; clearly highlighted by the fact that I woke up 7 times during the night yesterday to check the time as I dint want to be late. 0015, 0055, 0135, 0158, 0245, 0320 and 0515 hrs I vividly recall. Duh!
I managed to reach on time.

Reception: Yes, how may I help you?
Me: Hi, This is Achuthan, Am to join today.
Reception: Oh Hi Achuthan, please have a seat.
Me: Ok, Thanks.

After 5 mins.

Reception: Achuthan, were you instructed on what task you're required to perform?
Me: I've absolutely no clue, I was just asked to join. You're the one who communicated with me, right?
Reception: Yeah, Am sorry Achuthan, Abhijeet has gone to meet a client in place of Yogesh Sir who is unwell today. He is supposed to be in charge of assigning you tasks. Please come tomorrow, same time! Extremely sorry.

Inconvenience regretted?? Ouch! I've damn traveled for 2 hours to reach this place I thought. But there was nothing anyone could. People don't fall sick purposely I said to myself. Atleast I got the practice of coming on time. I comforted myself. The very first day in my professional career starts with a holiday, am surely one in a million I thought. It is not a one you took, rather it is a holiday thrust upon you, you moron; the logical self of mine smirked! Fair enough.

Whatever, it is a new beginning from tomorrow. A new role in life, period! I just found this song to be amazingly apt!

D-Day

Yesterday I officially became a graduate. The days running up to it as I recall, were hell. Searching for a job unsure of the results. Failure and the emotional turmoil with heavy mood swings. It was a bad phase; now distant in my memory. I got a call that the results are out online. My heart started pounding. I could feel the vibrations echoing in my whole body, legs went weak! That feeling has come only twice ever in life; ironically both on the 13th of a month this year!

Then the bliss; I was a graduate. ALL CLEAR.

All the years of hurt, pain and agony; both mental and physical seemed justified. In a jiffy all the memories flashed in front of me. Right from 9th July 2008 through 20th May 2011. This has not ended but just begun. Graduation life has died, the after-life awaits me with arms outstretched. Way to go....

After 3yrs am officially relieved from hostel life. Am back home. This song seems perfect!

The last call...

Its been a year; yet I still remember her face vividly; 379 days to be precise. Raji.. yes Raji was her name. She was wearing a white top with crisp blue denim. I was lost into oblivion waiting for the train when she approached me and...

Raji: Hey, you are Akshay's friend Vishal right?
Me: Yes, Why?
Raji: Don't you remember me? We once met outside my college? .....Raji?
Me: Oh! So your Raji? Ya I know you. We have spoken about twice on the phone. He always keeps speaking about you..
Raji: Does he? A bit of misunderstanding between us. He gave me call I just ignored. I'll give him a call after some days. Just don't tell him you met me.
Me: Ya he gave you a call on the 3rd, he dint just call you, it was 5 times.
Raji: How do... (I cut her)
Me: Even if I wish I cant tell him now, He died on that day!

I said coldly with a hint of anger and sadness in my voice. She was dumbstruck!

Raji: What the hell are you telling me?
Me: Yes I was riding on a bike with him, I was pillion. We met with an accident and he died after an hour.
Raji: What? How? Where?
Me: He wanted to do shopping and we were on our way when the truck ahead of us hit the brakes suddenly to avoid hitting a careless pedestrian. We were not able to apply the brake in time and rammed to the back of the truck and he hit his head.
Raji: He always wears a helmet. What happened to the helmet?
Me: We were to buy a new helmet that day, so left the old one at home. We passed the helmet shop on the road but dint buy because he wanted a racing helmet. We'd have got it if we would have saved some extra cash on the way back from the shopping. I guess it was meant to be that way.

Her jaw dropped open. As I continued...

Me: When we hit the truck the bike was travelling at about 45 kmph. He tried to brake but could not due to rain and the tires slipped. He hit head first into the back of the dumper while I hit him from behind, pinning him further. The bystanders helped me get him to hospital. He writing in pain and out of the blue all what he said was "Call Raji from my cell!" It was then you got the call five times; you ignored! Of all he called you.. Damn it!

The anger in my voice was starting to show up now.

Raji: What? Why me? Why not his parents or anyone else?
Me: Because he was always clear with his life. He never faked, always talking out what is there in the heart with zero justification no matter what. When people feel they gonna die they called their loved ones to say that they loved them or to tell them unsaid things. But he didn't need to do that, he was outspoken and frank, he always believed this real buddies would understand him. He was right! He wanted to tell you that because he told you he likes you, you don't have to reciprocate the feeling. He had made a statement not a asked you a question. You didn't understand it, created a misunderstanding and ignored his calls. Hah! he was wrong in choosing you out of the millions.
Raji: Did he tell you all this? But how will I know?

I said, looking directly into her eyes defiantly, with a unwavering voice that held the cold subdued anger.

Me: Now, you never will! This is the exact difference between you and him. He never gave justifications; at least not to close ones. Probably somewhere deep inside he felt that you were not that close so he must have asked me to call you. He doesn't have to explain all this to me! I've known him since I've known things. I was his second conscience; he was mine. I've once heard "No-one is ever betrayed by true Love. Only deceived by infatuation and blinded by lust". After all its true...

She was standing in the crowd. I pushed her back into the same millions that Akshay had brought her out from. Eyes moist and grasping for breath; that was the last time I saw her! As I left her there, I recalled this quote from the classic V for Vendetta to be apt...

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. [laughs] Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me "V".

Improvisation - Need of the day

We all know that necessity is the mother of all inventions. Well here is a hilarious proof to this proverb and the age-old cliché of  Where there is will there is a way (Link to another topic on the same lines). A friend had mailed this to me long back. Just thought of sharing.

No spoon?

Well, I can fix it!

Seat belt broken?
Well, I can fix it!

Old TV cabinet small??

Well, I can fix it!
 



Electrical socket problem?
Well, I can fix it!

Stereo stolen??

Well, I can fix it! 
 



Book shelf damaged??
Well, I can fix it!

GPS faulty??
Well, I can fix it!

No ice box for party??
Well, I can fix it!

Cant see the ATM screen in the sun's glare??
Well, I can fix it!

Car make of another country??
Well, I can fix it!

Satellite dish getting wet??
Well, I can fix it!

Coffee heater malfunction??
Well, I can fix it!

Exhaust dragging??
Well, I can fix it!

Need to feed as well watch TV??
Well, I can fix it!

USB cables falling behind desk??
Well, I can fix it!

Ran out of diapers??

Well, I can fix it!

Challenges are high,

the dreams are new,

the world out there,

is waiting for you.

dare to dream, 

dare to try, 

no goal is too distant, 

no star too high...