Freedom

Hopping on to the scooty –
for a ride in the moonlit sky;
Hair unkempt,  dressed in pajamas –
Hogging to heart’s content in that upscale hotel

Listening to those songs just to cry
Dancing in the rain, no care for those party clothes
Feeling glory in being a one-man fan club
Hugging in a crowd without any hiccup

Meaning praises even for the egotist blokes
Embracing feelings as they unfold
Expressing love without remorse
Confessing weaknesses – no fear of loss

Charades of abuses – no regret, no fear
Crying to your heart’s content –
Accepting mistakes of the past
Then moving on in full gear

Being what you please,
Only yourself to appease
Following your soul, discovering our skills
Living to experiment all you will

Looking straight into eyes’ that pry –
Not having to live in the sly
Voice mirroring what lies inside
All of it is freedom sans any guise.

Badtameez Dil !

A short auto ride from home to office … less than 2 km … You pay the auto driver – rush into the office building – screaming high-spirited Good Mornings and Hellos across the room, all buckled up to take the day by storm and woo the toughest of the clients with your skills  …

Switch on the computer – type in the password – reach out for your bag –  “Damn! Shit! How can it be?” – you squeal.

You cannot locate your mobile phone – An instant – and each of those positive emotions change into PANIC! … You frantically search your bag, pockets, dial the number again and again – switched off – mentally rehearse your journey from leaving home to reaching office the millionth time to ensure that you were carrying the phone in the auto. You gather a crowd of people with your drama – 

And by now panic compounds into DISTRESS !!

I am sure you can relate to that feeling – as if the clock has stopped ticking, you feel handicapped and lost and think how are you ever going to make it through the next few days and more !!

To my utter dismay, I am great at losing things and have gone through the above scene quite a few times!!

And the most humorous episode (in hindsight, of course) was when I actually could not hold back my tears while in office – that was the sort of attachment I held to the little gizmo! 

My ‘oh! so emotional’ excuse was : “It held my memories – precious photographs, messages from loved ones, blah, bah, blah.”
And I am sure, this is the case with a lot of people today.

And still more humorous part is that ironically, I do not even remember those photographs or messages today 🙂

On the other hand, I have vivid memories of the best moments of my life – to the extent that as and when I want, I can relive them as if they are happening right in front of me, with me – I can sometimes, in my fantasies, travel back in time even to when I was five or six !! 

Rolling in the rain, Papa patting away to sleep, the crazy photo-shoot with friends, the compliments, that special message, the romance with nature (with the chirping birds intact), seeing your sister as a bride, mummy’s special smile reserved for you, look and feel of love in those eyes, the first book, the best jalebis .. well, the list has no end.

Ah! And how I felt I lost a chunk of my heart when I lost that phone

This tiny realization reaffirms my belief that it is not in the overt where life and love lies – Real people, Real experiences,Real stories, Real talks and Real emotions – those make home in our hearts forever – doors of memories ready to be knocked, whether we are with others or when solitary so that we can relive the times and those words again in our minds, through our imagination – our inner lenses! The moments that take us into haven of day-dreams!

And those are real memories that transcend time – captured forever in our sub-conscious, not the ones captured in a gadget.

Jee, Dil toh badtameez hai – Bina samjhe boojhe – kaheen bhi kuchh pal ke liye cheezon se dil laga leta hai !

🙂

So, at the end of the each day, go pull yourself away from the demons of daily ordeal you may have faced and make sure you gather moments to be treasured your whole life. Of course, do not forget to gift others some memories too … !

 

P.S: It is just a co-incidence that it’s the day for celebrating love (pun absolutely intended)

Right Choice – aha!

The thought I am penning down is not as peppy as the title suggests, but fills me with excitement and amazement every time I consciously encounter it.
I love my life and one of the biggest reasons I love it is because I have the power to make a choice.

The choice of feeling joyful, remembering good moments irrespective of all odds.
The choice of doing good and sticking to my principles and hence bringing content to myself and brightness all around.
The choice of being patient and nice even when others are being nasty.
The choice of differentiating between what is right and what is wrong.
The choice of being positive.
The choice of trusting and hoping every single second.
The choice of sticking to who and what I believe in.
Above all, the choice of being happy from within, come what may.

Every moment is all about the choice we make – to be happy and spread love and smiles or to complain and fight.
Make the right choice, baby – it is always your time!

“D_______”

This seven letter word that starts from ‘D’

Ask anyone the meaning of the word, and you get different answers:

The physics geek says it implies “moving energy”.
The economist would say it describes the  ever-changing macro/micro environment.
The employer seeks this attribute while recruiting and the interviewee makes sure that he displays this particular trait while stating his positives.
It is applicable to electric, magnetic as well as computer technology
The spiritualist uses the word to describe the energy within us and surrounding us
The publicists make sure the new actor displays it on-screen or in papers.

You can use it anytime, anywhere to any advantage 😛

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The all pervasive – Dynamic!

Here’s hoping people not only use it when they are at a loss of words/knowledge on any aspect but be truly dynamic in their thoughts and actions, get ahead of “What is” and create stepping-stones for the “new”.

Amen!

God of budding Flower, anyone?

“Rs 25k reward for information on sex selection in state” – the latest scheme by Rajasthan Government to fight sex determination/ female foeticide and punish organisations and people involved.

I am not against the “yojna” but I am absolutely not convinced that it is the “Solution”

Sure, the government would be able to catch hold of people who engage in and in fact, aid and escalate such practices. The Government would be able to curb it to an extent ( two assumptions: corruption in this case would be negligible, government/ police authorities are not among the racketeers; one fact: there is always some goodness around)

But I am concerned about its effectiveness because this scheme is the treatment of an overt symptom and not the cause of the illness.

The root of the problem is “Gender Discrimination” – the deep-routed mindset in India that considers women folk to be of lower worth/ importance than men, which is shockingly present even among the most educated and respected people and sometimes in women themselves.

Now, till we fix this rotten seed, would such schemes be of any help?
Even if abortions are eradicated, the girl child would grow up in a family that does not respect the softer (and stronger) gender. The result can be as worse as Child/Forced marriage, Dowry, Less Education, etc. which leaves its effect on her whole life and persona.

I believe if each one of us can play ‘God’ to a girl we know (or to oneself, if you are a female), make small changes in ourselves and learn to speak up, such schemes would just not be needed.

Here is the quick top-of-my-head list:

1. Tell her a girl she can study as much as she wants. Help a girl seeking studied/ career guidance; Talk to her parents if they feel part-time job/ internship is not for her or if they are “allowing” her to study. Education is now a birth right, dear parents-who-say-that!
Don’t let her believe being a girl, she can take only so and so course – Motivate her by sharing stories of those who have made it in spite of odds one can think of. She can go and be the bread-earner or be the perfect home-maker or be an eclectic mix of both, if she so desires.

2. It does not always start and end at marriage. Yes, marriage is an important aspect of life but everything does not start and end at marriage. Do not take her to parties and social occasions just so that people can see her, take her if she enjoys them. Do not ask her to dress so that she looks thin and petite – she has every right to feel good. Teach her to cook and do household chores to become self-dependent and not because it is a sale-able quality in the marriage market.  And yes, she does not need to stop studying to get a suitable boy

And yes do tell her this – she does not have to be married to start working on her dream. The time to do anything is “right now”.

3. Let her believe. And sometimes when the surroundings are tough, make her believe in herself, not to accept things just because she is a woman. She can get ahead and fulfill all she desires with a little support from the family. A female is a juggler who knows she can balance everything she wants and can effectively include more tools in her juggling act as time passes.

4. Respect and trust her. It will build her self belief and would make others respect her too. She does not need to shy away from speaking up just because she is a female. Listen and make others listen.

And it will all come back to you full circle. Respect begets respect.

So, look around you and pick up your favourite bud and help her turn into a beautiful flower who is known for herself and not her father or brother or husband or son 🙂

P.S : I am not a feminist but an “equalist”. I realize I become too preachy at times 🙂

Give a ride!

Nope, it is not about car or bike rides or some God-forbid case when I got swindled or the countless rides we make to Government departments for the simplest of tasks.

This post is a result of the latest mental dilemma I faced which again led me to question  – What is the problem with simple logic? and/or Humble demeanour?

There is an uncanny symptom floating in the residential complex I live in – one of the symptoms of an ailment called “status maintenance by stupid actions” among few residents. There are hundreds of times when I stumble upon this ailment in the conduct of people. But “Recency effect” is forcing me to write about this particular symptom.

“The Anti-carpool syndrome”

Let me explain: There have been many occasions when I have seen several people going to the same place/ area/ marriage/ event. You would say what is new in that? It goes like this – The source and destination of these people are the same. Every family would take their cars but they won’t travel together. So there would be 4 cars leaving from a single complex for the same venue with 2,2,2,3 members respectively. So, simple mathematics – Total no. of people = 9; No. of cars =4; Fact – 5 people can easily accommodate in a self-driven car; So, taking 2 cars on that occasion would be sufficient.

But no one asks each other to travel together – “Bhai, hum to tashan aur shaan se jayenge”; “Jab hamari gaadi khadi hai toh kisi aur ko kyun poochhhe”, etc. is the logic I have heard on giving my innocent suggestion.

Sounds wierd? To me, it feels wierd. Stupid Logic. Period.

Why stupid? – Simple benefits of Carpooling. I am listing them out under three heads

1. Personal benefits – Dude, you are going to a party to socialize and enjoy, right? Why not extend it to your dear neighbours? Don’t they say – “Raat savere koi ho ya nahi ho, padosi hamesha hote hain.” Neighbours come before relatives.
I always remember my college days for this: when going to the institute, parties, birthday treats, movies, picnics, anyplace together – we would take our cars turn by turn, chart out the optimum route to pick up everyone and travel together, what fun it used to be! Songs, jokes, gossips, bullying the target of the day, stopping by those momo-shacks.Pure Bliss.
And believe me, experience tells me you can have as much fun with your neighbours minus the bullying. 🙂
Not to forget, you build upon  your social network, develop your communication and adaptability skills and your kids too learn the trick if they are accompanying (Warning: Make sure your kids are not the “paste-chewing-gum-on-seat” breed)

2. Financial Benefits – I need not mention, everyone saves on the petrol/ diesel and car maintenance expenses. You take your car this time, your neighbour will take the next time. Again, simple benefit. That reminds me of a mock-image I saw today: “2020- SBI giving Petrol loans”. And yes, you save on the parking charges too.

3. Environmental Benefits – And not at all the least, you contribute in doing your bit for combating pollution. 2 cars instead of 4 : pollution comes down by half. And an indirect benefit is less honking. So you end up fighting not only air but also noise pollution.

And in case, your car breaks down – you are not left alone 😛

Friendship, Camaraderie, Savings, Less socially harmful and Fun while travelling – what else do you want? So be selfish, “Go Carpooling”. As I said, simple logic. But many fail to understand.

And yes, if you are sensible enough and have neighbours/ colleagues with the aforementioned ailment – Be humble. Go, initiate. Give a ride yourself – Ask them if they would like to accompany you and set the trend.

Happy you. And Cleaner, Greener, Better India.

Believing that extra mile …

Ignore the appearances, genes and personalities: all humans are same in a way – basic matter, feelings, emotions and reactions.

All of us dream; all of us love the lazy holidays; all of us enjoy that caring look – those penetrating eyes that have the uncanny ability to look within us; all of us yearn for precious love; all of us have that one hidden wish; all of us are fueled with some passion; all of us visit those distant memories once in a while; and all of us want to do “something” in our personal/ professional life 🙂

Then what makes the difference between all of us who want and all of us who have?

That extra mile.

Put in a little more effort in your work, try to know a little more about your love, care a little more for family, trust and share a little more in your relationships, fathom those small phases of failure and keep hoping, believe endlessly in yourself and your dreams: Strengthen yourself: Jog, trudge, fall and get up, skip, plod, walk or run but go that extra mile  and then we all will certainly HAVE !

On this happy note, cheers to the year ahead.

Kudos! The Ugly Indian

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.“

-Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

I believe this quote is so relevant to India and We, Indians today! We can follow different paths:

1.  Stay mum and smile through : “Why should I be bothered as long as I am happy?” – I do appreciate their honesty but pity their inability  (“Bura na dekho, Bura na suno, Bura na kaho” ke principle ko aap logon ne mast manipulate karke apna liya hai – Badhai ho!)

2. Curse the government, society, everyone else and do nothing about it !

3. Find solution (Yeah, those who shut the mouths of other two clans)

I came across one such example of simple solution based approach:http://www.theuglyindian.com/

The Evergreen “TereBIN”

I applaud the people behind the Ugly Indian for their simple approach to a cleaner, greener and healthier India – Salaam!
With the help of municipal workers, shopkeepers and helpful passersby, powered by simple ideas and the WILL to do rather than watch and :-), they have managed to clear heaps of garbage/ paan stains, install easy-to-maintain garbage bins (which they call “TereBIN”), put plants and turned road-corners/ footpaths to what they are originally meant for (walking!)  – And in doing so they have not only paved the path to cleaner and greener Bangalore but have set a model for the rest of the country.

 They have impressed me so much that I have become a self-appointed promoter of sorts 😛 and I request all my readers to (although few :P) to do whatever they can to promote this movement of sorts: Agar aap nahi kar sakte toh jo kar sakta hai unhe batayein !

It can be as simple as promoting their website and Facebook page, approaching your office/ colleagues/ friends/ relatives/ society kids to form a  team and adopt their methods for a cleaner environment in and around your school/workplace/home or just talking about these on whatever platform (online/offline)  you can!

We all can solve simple problems by just being a little more responsible towards the society and our country and in doing so, we are only helping ourselves: We ensure positive environment and healthy life for us and the future of India.

Cheers to a Cleaner India 🙂

Free!

This one was written way back in 2008: I feel these simple words represent the feelings of the Indian youth today who fear nothing and yet are so grounded !

Be it the youth getting together for a cause ( Jan Lokpal Bill, child education, HIV/ AIDs), following their dreams (The likes of Chetan Bhagat, Rashmi Bansal, Dhruv Lakra, Kumar Vishwas and many many many more silent yet roaring young believers/entrepreneurs – more on this later), innovating and inventing for a better future and the sheer guts to speak up for what they believe in: they are breaking through the fetters of old age system and are in the true sense – trying to attain liberation !

Free …

No shackles, out of cage;
Like a bird soaring high –
I am free !!

Out of depths, a drop of tear-ecstasy;
I am free !!
No boundaries, no apprehensions-a dance to the soul’s rhythm,
I am free !!

Rediscover; Dig, Learn:
Carve a niche
Coz I’m free !!

🙂