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Scotty...Don't 'Beam' 'Up'

2011-09-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of years of doing extensive city driving, if you ask me two pet peeves without a second thought i will rattle off 'high beam driving' and 'excessive honking'. While the honks are still bearable (especially if you put your windows up)...there is sadly no escaping the high beams.

High beams in city driving are almost redundant since you've got vehicles all around you illuminating the road up. The only time you'd find them useful is when driving on a lonely dark stretch at night. However this realization doesn't seem to light up the minds of our fellow drivers.

Now I've often chided myself for not doing anything about it, other than driving on low beam myself. So this one day after one high beamer coming from the opposite direction passed me by, I decided to 'do' something...Right after him maybe two score metres away came another high beamer. Now this being a colony road i swerved partly into his lane stayed there for a while and then moved back out while slowing down. He also slowed down and I told him that he was on high beam.

His reactions:
"I just came off highway and hence was on high"
"You should have flashed"
"Who do you think you are, You can't just swerve into my lane and run me off"

Now the first was a really dumb point, There is no highway in the nearby radius which has a lonely stretch, nor any which is not lit up by streetlights. So i ignored it.

For the second I told him, I did flash him (cause that's what I do to all high beamers whenever feasible...its unfeasible when a high beamer is precluded or followed by a low beamer, why make the poor low beamer suffer). but he argued and said I didn't...unlikely but possible and since that was not my main point of reasoning I didn't pursue that line further.

For the third I told him, that if my intention was to run him off we wouldn't be talking, but because of his high beam someday somebody might be blinded for a second and run into him or someone else.

With that exchange he drove off cursing me and I drove off too....unfortunately it still doesn't feel like something was 'done'. After all my purpose was to convert one high beamer to low beamer. That didn't happen (unless from the next day while he didn't admit his mistake the guy did realize and did actually start using low beam...highly unlikely)...I did manage to aggravate a guy..so not only was he a high beamer...he was now a pissed off high beamer...and third I took the law into my own hands...which is a bad trend to set.

So the question...and the purpose of this lonnnnnnnngggggg post is....how do we get the high beamers onto low beams...what's the best method...Should we stand with placards and go on a fast to death to make people realize that corruption is not just about paying bribes but having a lack of civic sense....or should we do what I did...or worse start swinging baseball bats into the headlamps of cars being driven on high beams...

I don't think either is a good solution. If you have one in mind do let me know...

Meanwhile I think I shall cut out some lettering and paste it on the inside of my car's rearscreen in golden letters "WHY ON HIGH BEAM" that's genteel enough a hint don't ya think :)

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Cute Little Short Stories #CLSS - Plain

2011-07-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

She was at her desk. You could see from the lines on her face that she was tired and weary.

'Want to go out and chill a bit'

'Where?'

'Oh some place nice'

'But i'm not even dressed up she said, just this plain dress and shoes'

'On you nothing is plain'

She smiled...'so where are we going again?'

'To the roof' he said with a tone of full seriousness

'But you said some place nice'

'Come with me and you can judge for yourself if it is or isn't'

The sun was at its last stages of saying goodbye for the day. He took out his cell and played a touch of soft music and he pulled her into his arms and they slow danced 'Want me to cook tonight?' he asked.

'What will you cook she asked'

Something plain he said

'With you its never plain' she replied with a smile

What we need...is a bit of Intimacy

2011-07-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

While the world harps about privacy, or the lack of it in this era of phone hacks and News of The World etc etc I would like you to draw your attention to a more critical ailment that ails the world. Lack of intimacy.

I am assuming that the readers of this blog have at some point of time or the other found themselves in somebody's arms. Their mothers, lovers or even their pets. What is so warming about being in somebody's arms? Would it work if those arms were substituted with any other person?

My hypothesis is that this warmth has little to do with the physical proximity but more to do with the feeling of being intimate (sexual intimacy is just one aspect of it or just one way it gets expressed) is the feeling of being naked, or open and transparent to the other person. Of feeling secure.

The world as its getting more complex, more networked, some parts of it, large parts of it, maybe under a threat of losing out this intimacy. We have friends, parents, lovers. But do we find ourselves comfortable being naked in front of them?

I have a fear that while the bodies in favor of being hot are getting increasingly scantily dressed, the hearts are getting increasingly clothed. Privacy has taken over intimacy.

Or perhaps am talking all bollocks and you just wasted five minutes reading this and are now cursing me for this pointless stream of words. My bad :D

When things were tough...the world was much better

2011-05-17T09:39:00.001-07:00

As I was driven out of the airport in my cab, along side passed a Meru, with a lady inside speaking away on the phone, don't know to who, don't know what topic. And like the rolling of the reel of a film, the scene panned out with many more such cars ahead and behind us, made me wonder...

Of the days when travelling from one city to another was not just a matter of logging onto cleartrip and booking a flight, getting out of office into a cab, another one picking you up at the other end. Where travel required thought, where companies preferred that people travelled in groups so that they could be picked up together. Where cabs were still a luxury and if you were a singleton you'd take an auto, not because you were considerate of the environment but just cause it was more economical.

Where per force you would spend time talking to neighbours or your auto driver because well there was no cell phone or twitter to hide into. Where if you didn't feel like talking, you would sit in silence and enjoy the moments of forced solitude.

Where distance did make the heart fonder, and since you couldn't reach the other person on sms, any letter or phone or even know how of the other person made you smile

Shit those days were bloody hard, can't imagine how we got through living without tv till age 8!!!

...and now...we're going back...this summer heat the family has discovered that no one wants to watch the tv cause its too hot (no ac in the drawing room)..and we all eat dinner together in the bedroom...talking chit chatting...

God i hate technology....god i love technology...damn our middle classness that we haven't yet thought of putting in the ac in the drawing room...god bless our middle classness...that we haven't :)

Three Signs of Success

2011-05-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

I've seen people on the streets, and I've seen people who are multi-millionaires at a very young age. I've seen beautiful people, well built people, people who are masters of their craft.

Yet neither one seems to be a good measure of success. People who are successful at their career may not be that big a hit on the personal front. A poor laborer may have had no opportunity to build a great career, does that mean a laborer can't be successful?

Over the years a kind of feeling struck me that measures of success need not be these direct aspects and I related back to my experiences when I felt successful and realized it really may be true. So if you are feeling successful tell me do you also feel that you can:

1. Breathe easy
2. Sleep easy
3. Crap well

Yes really these are the three. If you are not breathing in air like you own the world, if you can't sleep well at the end of the day and your crap looks like puke then there's something really wrong in your world even if the world can't see it. And the days all these are working well, no matter whether the world notices or not, you are probably feeling its your best day ever...

A prayer

2011-04-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

Lord, protect our doubts, because Doubt is a way of praying. It is Doubt that makes us grow because it forces us to look fearlessly at the many answers that exist to one question. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our decisions, because making Decisions is a way of praying. Give us the courage, after our doubts, to be able to choose between one road and another. May our YES always be a YES, and NO always be a NO. Once we have chosen our road, may we never look back nor allow our soul to be eaten away by remorse. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our actions, because Action is way of praying. May our daily bread be the result of the very best that we carry within us. May we, through work and Action, share a little of the love we receive. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect our dreams, because to Dream is a way of praying. Make sure that, regardless of our age or our circumstances, we are capable of keeping alight in our heart the sacred flame of hope and perseverance. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, give us enthusiasm, because Enthusiasm is way of praying. It is what binds us to the Heavens and to Earth, to grown-ups, and to children; it is what tells us that our desires are important and deserve our best efforts. It is Enthusiasm that reaffirms to us that everything is possible, as long as we are totally committed to what we are doing. And in order for this to be possible…

Lord, protect us, because Life is the only way we have of making manifest Your miracle. May the earth continue to transform seeds into wheat, may we continue to transmute wheat into bread. And this is only possible if we have Love; therefore, do not leave us in solitude. Always give us Your company, and the company of men and women who have doubts, who act and dream and feel enthusiasm, and who live each day as if it were totally dedicated to Your glory.

Amen.

This one is by Coehlo, can also be found on his blog http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2010/09/05/a-prayer/

It is one of those, that asks for the right things...gave me a sense of peace reading this one

Like Dogs chasing Cars

2011-04-29T23:39:00.000-07:00

Was seeing SourceCode yesterday night, and the movie is slow enough to give your mind time to have wandering thoughts. And I came back to a thought that I had when I had first started this blog. About patterns, about the mind believing something, because to it, that seems rational. But what if we didn't believe what we felt was rational, believable.

Then the world is open to so many more thoughts. Two + two need not be four, cars may run from dogs, being alone may not be bad, there could be a past present and future and they may not be in serial order. There could be afterlife, what I thought was love, may have been love, and then what I didn't think was love could also be love. Success could mean, having a cup of tea relaxed, people don't cry at funerals for its not a reason to be sad.

I don't know, I think I gotta stop being in patterns. It opens up so many more possibilities

mele-mein-choli

2011-02-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

no no this is not going to be a dirty naughty post...though am very tempted to write one ;)

In recent times two of my friends have talked about a deep sadness that refuses to get shaken off. While one is here in India, another is based in US; both are doing pretty ok (read good) on the professional front and both seem to have a very sticky personal front.

We all go through ups and downs in our lives don't we. But this sounded different, this was neither an up nor a down, but like a bottle of beer that had been kept open so long that it had gone flat, the fizz had gone.

The fizz that makes you wake up in the morning and face the world which isn't always good to you, isn't always bad to you; to take the twists and turns that life throws up before you. The fizz is that tingling taste that you feel, that sense of excitement, the sense of wanting to know what's coming.

But sometimes you know you eat boiled vegetables the doctor has told you so and you think i'll have the fizz some another day. And you get enticed, you keep pushing the fizz away, thinking you still have time, but you forget the bottle is open...

Life is about balance, somedays we really do need to skip that bottle of fizz, but it can't be that we just keep ignoring our dreams everyday, because it just might be that when you've made enough money to live your dreams, you find you don't have any dreams any longer.

The trouble is not about people focusing on work more than their own life, you might find the same happening in people with a very good personal life but hardly any success at work. Life needs a meaning, a search, and a desire...

So what does one do when the bottle of beer goes flat, is it the end then, no hope for people to get out of this state of sadness.

I'm not sure but I would bet against it, the whole thing about life, about every new breath you take is that you don't know what can happen next. Sometimes its you who brings in the change, sometimes life thrusts a change on you that pulls you out of it.

I will not be presumptuous and tell you what one should do when one is going through such a phase, ok what the hell I can atleast throw some wild shots who knows you might benefit from it. The first is change...you can't expect different results if you keep doing same thing. Second its a long drawn out battle...having somebody you can trust especially in your down times may just help. And lastly if you're going to live (and for those considering taking an overdose of sleeping pills...imagine if you die and there is actually a god and rebirth is not just make believe and you are reborn in worse of conditions...now that wouldn't be good would it... :P )...so as i was saying...if you're going to live...fight!!! fight your way out of this melancholy...

Inertia

2010-12-31T04:57:00.000-08:00

Life wouldn't it be much more beautiful if we could take care of those things where we fall short on; not the stuff that is dependent on external factors, but the shortcomings within. Don't exercise, you start exercising the next day. Ain't dilligent about work, you start being the star performer the next day. Can't tell when clothes look good on you and when not, next day you become the style statement around town.

What is it that holds us back, even when we know the answer. Think of your own shortcomings, tellme that you don't know the answer to how to correct them. But do you know what stops you from overcoming them?

Fear?

Habit?

Not enough investment into trying to bring the change?

Too caught up in the rut?

Trying to change too many things simultaneously?

Maybe all of those. Maybe...we're just too used to seeing us as we are that we can't believe we could be something or someone else...someone better...someone we dreamt to grow up to be. Maybe we're afraid that while we're changing people will react weirdly to us, wonder what's wrong, maybe we imagine ourselves as the different person, but we don't imagine what it will take to take us there and hence when the challenges come up...we're not ready.

So let me list a whole lot of things I want to change about myself:

Exercise more regularly

Write, more and varied

Read more

Get work done in time (read concentrate)

Cook

So what's been holding me back...a missing drive...to go take on the world and say I am the conqueror. Well tell you what, I don't know what challenges lie ahead, what challenges from the past shall show their faces again, but I hope that 2011 shall see me taking them on with a shinier sword. What more...I hope the new year sees you ready for your battles too :)

...and hope you have a happy time...after all what's a destiny if you haven't enjoyed the journey!

What would you like to hear

2010-11-24T09:26:00.000-08:00

Again this is a no post post...cause while i feel like writing am not sure what i want to say. So wondering if i should try and reverse the question...what would you like to hear...

The vindictive judge

2010-11-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

We are often very wary of people judging us, our thoughts and actions. I've heard this all to often from a lot of people. Recently i've begun to wonder whether it's really the world we are afraid off? or somewhere deep within it is we judging ourselves and pointing fingers at the world.

This isn't a long post, it doesn't even have examples or pictures, not even formatted text...just a thought...have you been judging yourself...

Soulmates

2010-09-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

Courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SoulmateOne story about soulmates, presented by Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium, is that humans originally consisted of four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces, but Zeus feared their power and split them all in half, condemning them to spend their lives searching for the other half to complete them:

[Primeval man] could walk upright as men now do, backwards or forwards as he pleased, and he could also roll over and over at a great pace, turning on his four hands and four feet, eight in all, like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast …Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods ... Doubt reigned in the celestial councils. Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts, as they had done the giants, then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but, on the other hand, the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained. At last, after a good deal of reflection, Zeus discovered a way. He said: 'I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist, but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us. They shall walk upright on two legs, and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet, I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg.'

—Aristophanes, Plato’s Symposium, ^[1]

According to Theosophy, whose claims were modified by Edgar Cayce, God created androgynous souls, equally male and female. Later theories postulate that the souls split into separate genders, perhaps because they incurred karma while playing around on the Earth, or "separation from God". Over a number of reincarnations, each half seeks the other. When all karmic debt is purged, the two will fuse back together and return to the ultimate.^[2]^[3]

Laughter the Best Medicine

2010-09-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Was having this conversation with dad...about families, tensions within them et. al. And we discussed how right from the one yr old baby in the house to the adults each was driven by their fears and aspirations. Fears and aspirations that can lead to conflict.

So what makes for a happy family? Or how would you even know whether your family was happy or not?

It's probably the amount of laughter or light hearted conversations you can hear in your family, that i feel is the only decent measure. And if that's the measure then you'll find that arguments over right and wrong don't work out well. Cause in real life seldom will you find people wrong, arguments happen over two different perspectives of right. And only once we learn to take ourselves lightly, issues lightly, rights and wrongs lightly...will mirth feel welcome in our homes

Feminism - Is it about the Woman ?

2010-09-04T04:22:00.000-07:00

Dumb question innit? But then if it is so why am I asking it...

Feminism as per what I've come to make of it, is understood by people as for and by the women.

Ofcourse if that is true, it reiterates my other hypothesis; people don't think a lot.

Feminism has got nothing to do with women, it has got everything to do with Society. Yes society, the group of people living interdependent on each other for their survival as well as prosperity.

And the last four words of the above sentence hold the key to why it is so. An imbalance in the society will lead to its decay. Unfortunately no system manages to hold perfect balance. In our human context in most of the sub societies the imbalance crept in the form of women being trounced upon. And hence feminism sprouted to restore that balance. So if you hear someone say its about 'bra-burning' or 'proving to them men' or 'being equal', its just that they haven't thought enough. Feminism is not a fight of woman against man, it is a fight women fight hand in hand with men because its a fight for a better society.

Uneasy Love

2010-08-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've been an ardent believer of the "try and understand" people philosophy

It's not a bad philosophy and to a very large extent it should be followed

But beyond that you'll find there's enough about a person you'll just never understand

And so if you are going to base your love on understanding then "curse me to any end for saying this now and not earlier" you are probably gonna be in big trouble

So this line today "Woman are meant to be loved, not to be understood" that i read on FB kinda struck me, while like most sensible statements its corrupted by a bias towards one gender...but if you can get past that...you'll find that only loving is loving...understanding is never gonna be loving

And that's a very uneasy zone...at least for me...because it involves going into a zone where you are vulnerable and exposed, there is no back up of rationality to help you...it sends shivers down your spine and makes your heart rush...

But hey didn't I just describe symptoms of being in love...

I rest my c"ass"e

Of Truth and Tact

2010-07-24T03:10:00.000-07:00

So there was this intensive discussion going on with a young lady...who for all logic thrown at her would still come back to the strongly held notion..."all men are assholes"

Yes yes i can hear you ladies clapping out there, enough with it, this one really has it really ingrained into her (or atleast so she makes one believe :P )

Anyways there is and has always been one winning statement against this theory, and different people use it in different styles

The Charmer: "I bet I can tell you one chap who doesn't fall into this category and you'd agree with me....your father"

The Naughty Guy: "And pray tell me what category would you put your father in then?"

The Tactless Shoots from his mouth kinda guy: "So you're saying your father is an asshole?"

While and please note this all three statements say the same thing, they all (hopefully) have different impact on the listener

And this is where truth and tact come in and why some guys get popular with the girls (or anybody) and some don't...say what you must, but learn to say it in a tactful and pleasing manner :)

p.s. Those of you who are wondering which of these three categories TSI falls in, how slow can you be!!! (this again is the perfect example of the tactless shoots from his mouth kinda guy)...take a hint :P This is a i'm trying to rescue the situation, wasn't trying to offend you, but you know you are right, men 'can' be assholes, so please live with that and don't hate me for it, but still i win the argument kind of apologetic post

p.p.s. and so dear reader...even in the worst of situations...have your sense of humor about :P ...and do image search for 'men are assholes' its hilarious

Africa Male

2010-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Sanely Insane again in conversation with Miss Hot Chocolate Fudge

For the first part click here: Of Sex n Spirituality

HCF: TSI.. a pal in africa (male) is currently got a NY chick staying with him
getting the best sexual ed he could have ever asked for

TSI: good for him; may i ask why am i being made jealous?

HCF: and is for some reason worried that anal sex may lead to disease. To the best of my knowledge that is bull, wanted to ask you to double check if there was a health hazard

TSI: if she has aids...its possible

HCF: aids - vaginal or anal, either way na

TSI: yeps

HCF: anal has no additional health hazard or does it

TSI: nopes...the usual STDs, anything in the blood

HCF: thanks! thought as much bt was not 100% certain. No - was not making u jealous, man is a scrawny boy.. recently initiated so like a boy in a zoo, jealously unwarranted

TSI: and heading directly to anal...well he's got bumper lottery :P, funnily though i didnt feel jealous, I actually cant seem to give a damn :P

HCF: yea same here he gives me details n i hear like a maternal aunt and not missing the feeling either

TSI: u have a guy u silly ass

HCF: so?

TSI: why wud u feel jealous, duh!

HCF: u do know that being in a relationship can dull the sex life also unless u are very vigilant

TSI: really? dunno...never been in one :P that long

HCF: oooh.. big hug, not being patronizing

TSI: :)

HCF: but heard u feeling lost type emotions for a while now, and now ur dng all the "actions in ur control" bt it aint happening for the now

TSI: what r u blabbering abt?

HCF: the feeling that i get that u are gng through a tired of trying phase wrt women
and are fed up and indifferent n dng the right things, like the arranged marriage etc
but heart not in it

TSI: nopes..i was giving the eye to eye look to a girl on the metro today...trousers, formal jacket, heels, kohl eyes...I jst dont want normal game anymore...I want the game...I want the girl who has the tigress in her...I've had enuf of these rabbits, I want one who'll play the game back, stand up and make conversation, those types

HCF: heard a certain jolie came back in the market ;-). And heard tantric tigress tales n occult secrets she is a owner of

TSI: I think she gets off these days by adopting kids...thats her new orgasm :P

HCF: may be u can show her a path back to her womb

TSI: we'll let the hollywood hunks do that :P I'd pefer someone more local

HCF: rakhi sawant? who wld u place as a jolie league, Sen sushmita ?

TSI: dude...i dont want an actress.

HCF: am kidding mr serious, I know u dont

TSI: why dont ppl use the ‘:P’ smilye like i do..makes it easy for everyone to understand :P

HCF: Interesting observation made today though, was in a all girl school and never got along with the uber feminine kinds, well FB had an interesting trend to show 10 years later, 90% of these are married, hve a 2-5 yr old kid, not more than 100-170 friends, and most from school, and status n pics revolving arnd the toddler, vs interestingly, a lot of the DPS/ non girl school girls, are not married, have international degrees and opinions the shocking thing!

TSI: yeah..so now we kno...parents who send girls to girls schools intend to marry them as soon as they can legally :P
HCF: yea the unwritten rule of the 25 yr cut off mark

TSI: :P

p.s. Dear African male, hope u r having the ride of your life time, with warm regards and best wishes TSI and HCF...imagine us giving our winks and thumbs up signs :P

The cupcake

2010-07-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting series of tweets last week.

“In a relationship the one who gives less of a damn, commands more power”

Ofcourse this is the very kind of a tweet that a melodrama like me can’t let go uncommented upon and quipped…

“Since when have relationships been about power”…

Though I was actually wrong there, damn right they are, however, they are not so much about taking control, seizing command as much as leaving control and giving power.

A rocky relationship is more or less driving a vehicle while holding the steering wheel tightly…it makes it wobble. You’ve got ease of your grip a little, trust the vehicle to take your cue and the feedback it is giving, that's what makes for a smooth drive.

I remember once in Pune I was trying my hand at swimming and this guy gave me a good tip, float in the water, keep your head underwater and open your eyes, let go of your fear, let go of your control a little and you’ll find the water helping you.

Relationships are about power, but not about powerplays and yes there’s not guarantee that if you give up power the other person won’t make a power-play of it. There’s never a guarantee ;)

For all the cup cakes you would have had, probably the one that will linger in your mind...and heart is the one, that day, the lone remaining frosted coconut one, sitting in your fridge awaiting you; and your hungry tummy yearning out for it. The one that you split in half to share…that in short is the way 'power' works in a 'relationship'

Who is John Galt

2010-07-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

John Galt is not just a character, he is a concept. He is a concept that we all should be wary off, he is a concept that should keep us from getting complacent.

Because one day we may find that the people, the technology, the skills that we had taken for granted are no longer good enough; that someone has put a spanner in our works.

Companies can lose their employees, their technological edges; people can find that their skills are now redundant cause their entire industry is now redundant!

So not everyday, but every once in a while you should try and look around and wonder... Who is John Galt ;)

A Matter of Trust

2010-07-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

"I'm afraid you'll fail me"

"I believe you won't fail me"

The key differentiating point in the two lines...is this oft used and more oft than not abused term...trust...

What the heck is trust...When one says one trusts someone what meaning is it supposed to convey?

Would you agree with this..."I know you enough to believe in you in matters where there is no evidence and even in matters of contra evidence, and in matters where i may not believe in myself"

Or maybe there is no one level of trust...maybe we our trust varies between a zero and a maximum, but, the point to focus on is this..."belief", "evidence" and "self"

And from here I launch into a unrelated yet connected topic....what is God?

Is it not the belief we have...some people have it in a guru, some in stone, some in the characters of a holy book, some have it in their parents, some in their friends...some in themselves.

It all boils down to...belief.

You haven't begun your journey oh wanderer till you know what you believe in.

I Hate Luv Stories

2010-07-03T09:58:00.001-07:00

Romance has a very special place in my life, somehow the only time my words get together to create a worthwhile vision is when i characters and their relationships conjure up in my mind.

Romance is also special because it has left me so bloodied that as my last Muse once said to me 'I don't have any left to give to you'. I sincerely hope that that's not true but very likely that is.

What life has also done is that by quelling the romantic aspects it has brought to forth the concept of Love as separate from romance. You can see and feel aspects in better light, a different light. And once you get over the troubles of a beating heart you see that you can actually smile. For very little else remains that you would worry for. You can face your troubles in the eye and laugh as they ravage through.

Have written two sets of lines one that talks of the pain of heart breaking and the other that talks about the strength of the life form to take on its troubles with a smile

Unforgiven Love
Unsolicited hurt
I wonder what madness brings us to thee
Forlorn Love
Weeping blood
Roses have brought me only pain

Sad notes don't come to me
My wheels are rolling, a free Willy
Each breath changes the picture
Each stroke adding to the texture
Through my un-surmounted struggles
Smiling knowingly to all the other muggles

p.s. We saw the movie today, for some freak reason i actually ended up liking what was done. But given the kind of stuff I just wrote above, probably i'm not in the best of my senses :P

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God..

2010-06-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

This came up in conversation today, not many of us know that some of the better songs of our times trace back to religious texts...so this is a quick trivia post directly quoting wikipedia..all for your trivial delight :P

"Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season)", often abbreviated to "Turn! Turn! Turn!", is a song adapted entirely from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible (with the exception of the last line) and put to music by Pete Seeger in 1959. Seeger waited until 1962 to record it, releasing the song on his The Bitter and The Sweet album on Columbia Records.45% of the royalties for the song are donated to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, due, in Seeger's own words, to the fact that "[in addition to the music] I did write six words."

The lyrics are taken almost verbatim from the book of Ecclesiastes, as found in the King James Version (1611) of the Bible(Ecclesiastes 3:1), though the sequence of the words was rearranged for the song. Ecclesiastes is traditionally ascribed to King Solomon and for a time, the book was prohibited by the rabbis, who deemed it too cynical and depressing.
“

1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. ”

The Biblical text posits there being a time and place for all things: laughter and sorrow, healing and killing, war and peace, and so on. The lines are open to myriad interpretations, but as a song they are commonly performed as a plea for world peace, with an emphasis on the closing line: "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late." This line and the title phrase "Turn! Turn! Turn!" are the only parts of the lyric written by Seeger himself.

"Rivers of Babylon" is a song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of The Melodians in 1970, and popularized mainly by the 1978 Boney M. cover version. The Melodians' original versions of the song appeared in the sound track to the 1972 movie The Harder They Come.

The song is based on the Biblical hymn Psalm 137, a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The namesake rivers of Babylon are the Euphrates river, its tributaries, and the Chebar river. The song also has words from Psalm 19:14. It is one of a few pop songs whose lyrics come directly from the Bible

Psalm 137

1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.

2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,

3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill .

6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.

7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"

8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-

9 he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.

"40", also known as "40 (How Long)", is the tenth and final track from U2's 1983 album, War. The song is noted for its live performances, often involving the audience singing along for minutes after the band has left the stage. The lyrics are a modification of the Bible's Psalm 40.

The song did not get a commercial release. It was, however released as a promotional single only in Germany, simply to promote U2's appearance at the Loreley Festival in 1983.[1] The single was released on a 7" gramophone record with a B-side of the album version of "Two Hearts Beat as One". Since its live debut on February 26, 1983, in Dundee, "40" has been a staple of U2's live concerts, having been performed over 300 times.

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.

14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.

16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.

17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Comment as Long as Posts

2010-06-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

Since i've written a bloody long comment might as well save some energy and use it as a post (yes lazy bum title goes well here :P)

So here goes...quite a hotly debated article... do read it, coz only then will you have the context to make my text seem comprehensible

Priya Ramani's: I may not be an Indian

Lots of interesting parts to this article, all different and yet tied up into one theme...i gotta learn to do that.

The whole part where you talk about your tastes and mannerisms not being atypical of an Indian made me wonder...what is this Indianess we keep talking about. Is it that we are tied to each other by a national boundary, because within this mannerisms and tastes vary to such large extents that you could never identify one common 'culture'. Will have to give that a thought, one is so used to be called an Indian that we assume we actually understand what the term means, confusing ubiquitous usage with comprehension.

Having said that for that matter all countries have fake Pride. Name one that has achieved anything of great significance and i'll tell you where they are faking it.

Everyone's on steroids...be it for festivals, weddings, SRK / Bips stage shows, football, F1...name it...people like being on steroids they just find their own excuse for it.

"Personally, I’ve always believed Ram was a loser and I have no idea why Sita didn’t leave him many years before he threw a tantrum that resulted in her walking through fire"

Aah the much spoken of why if Ram was supposed to be so just and a god did he do such injustice to Sita. You are not the first to have found the glitch in the lovely story called Ramayan; sadly however you are also not the first who has looked at a stone on the road and announced to the world...lo behold..stone on the road!!! Doesn't take much thought to come to that conclusion does it.

What would have been more interesting is if you could have tried to think why the author put the glitch there. After all he built an almost perfect character throughout his story, why couldn't he end it at..and they lived happily ever after...fat chance that his publisher told him, good mush, fancy action, but ain't gonna sell...add some spice and he went back to add that. Give it a thought maybe then some interesting perspective may strike you :)

Aah the what if question (i'm doing quite a bit of the 'aah' ain't I :P )
Some times it takes people to explore the what if option to realize why they made the original decision in the first place. Sometimes they explore both and don't find meaning in either. Some however know why they value what they do. I'll leave you to your dilemma. You could always try being a writer in the country you did your masters, 40 ain't that old to stop experimenting :)

Ok now here's where i get real cheeky. So you're sitting at this fantabulous restaurant which evidently caters to gentry who are used to being asked still or sparkling (instead of mineral or regular :P). It's a lovely building, someone studied architecture to design it, some contractor got labour to build it, someone dug the iron out of the ground, turned it into steel, others got the cement. A lot of effort went into getting you to sit into that chair at that restaurant to ask for that water and eat the food you did or will, what do you feel has been your contribution to building something, how do you feel, you have added value to someone else's life?

Cute Little Love Stories 11: The close dance

2010-06-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Cute Little Love Stories 10: A dogged life

"You think I'm weird?" she asked, like she always did, a random question out of the blue

"Well" he said giving it some pause "Yes you are, I always see you in the house wearing panties, never even shorts, unless some guest comes"

"Err so"

"So its more like a guy thing"

"Wearing panties?"

"Right, that!!! roaming around in underwear"

"Oh ya, i see what ya mean"

"So that confirms it, I am weird"

"Most definitely"

"What do you find weirdest about me?"

"That you're always the first person on the dance floor, when you don't even dance"

"I can't help it, I don't love dancing, but I love holding in my arms, someone who is..."

{This line is courtesy a colleague, was too good to waste}

Cute Little Love Stories 10: A dogged life

2010-06-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

Cute Little Love Stories 9: The unnerving silence

"You think I have ego issues, don't you" She asked of him in a manner which made it less of a question and more of a condemnation

"What makes you say that" he asked back wondering where did this come from

"Because you simply won't believe I couldn't call because I was busy"

"Yes, I won't buy that but I won't attribute it to ego, it might be ego, it may be a hundred other things. You probably don't care enough, probably you do but are afraid to admit it to yourself"

"But why can't you believe I just couldn't call because I was too busy?"

"Because if that is so that means I haven't had an impact on you enough to take time out from whatever else is on your mind, and that will mean we will both have to again be born"

"Huh?"

"You think, our lives crossed path accidentally? Well you may, I don't. I believe we have been doing this for many lives before this and we'll have to keep doing this till we give in to each other,....completely. I knew you when I met you, I was hoping you'd also, but evidently you don't and so we'll have to repeat this all over again"

"What makes you so sure we are meant to be. Because I know you and I know me."

"I don't know me" she replied with the shallow tone which she spoke in when her steeled heart let her speak her emotions out

"Maybe, not this time, but one day, one life time you will"

"Ass!!!"

"No dog"

"Huh?"

"I was thinking since we wasted this human form and won't get it again for so many thousand births, lets be dogs in the next life, what say"

"Why dogs?"

"You like dogs, I like dogs...it would be fun being a dog"

"You just want to hump like one" She said in her smart assy tone

"Now that you mention it, sounds like a good idea. But i was more thinking like being nice golden Labradors and we'll be in a family with kids and we'll be the best pets those kids could ever have"

"Sounds good, you can make even this nonsensical talk, sound good"

"Yes but try doing one thing though"

"Don't play so hard to get next time"

"Why you wanna end this in the next life only, don't ya have patience to convince me through a few life times more"

"I'll follow you till eternity,...just that"

"Just what?"

"Without you i can't feel myself complete. I want you in me, so deep that our spirits mix, I want you in a way that no one can tell us apart, I want you so that there is no I left"

A burning police station

2010-06-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

What made a small incident make Gandhi call of the quit India movement?

Was it so wrong for a group of villagers to voice their fury over ruthless policemen in their own way

Cut to the present, anybody whose got a point to make be it the Maoists or the well respected 'soldiers' of Maharashtra or their newer counterparts the 'New construction army' takes to the stick, brick or gun

And you get to realize the old man was talking sense. One man's freedom fighter another man's terrorist, whose violence will u justify whose will you condemn?

When taking up a cause, it is essential to take care, that we in our zealousness are not replacing one evil with another

Cute Little Love Stories 9: The unnerving silence

2010-05-16T01:28:00.000-07:00

Cute Little Love Stories 8: The train robbery

"you're not talking much today"

"I am, i'm talking to you"

"No you're speaking with me but you're not talking"

"You know i'm a private person, i don't like to talk much"

"Yeah rite, yesterday night you were"

"I was drunk"

"But you can talk"

"I'm afraid"

"Nothing wrong with that"

"You acted like a jerk"

"I know"

"Bitch"

He smiled

"What are you smiling about"

"Funny thing is you can split an ice cream with me, but you won't share your thoughts"

"No, i won't"

"Why did you call me over half way across the city for then"

"I dunno"

"Exactly"

"You should leave now, call when you're in the city again, we'll catch up for lunch"

"No, we won't, you have enough friends, you call me, when you need me, when you can't hold back any longer and need to talk"

"I'm not that desperate"

"Well then, we'll see"

"Bye"

"You know i won't say having loved and lost is better than not having loved at all, cause i live with that pain every day, but it atleast makes you feel alive..."

Back Up Plan

2010-05-15T11:56:00.001-07:00

Got back from seeing the movie...the first thing i'd like to say...JLo has ugly toes...i can't understand why they...focussed on them in the opening shot of the movie... (In guy equivalent...we wouldn't focus the first shot of a action flick on dog poop would we)

Anyways you know this can't possibly be what this post is about.

There's this scene in the movie where the two have just had sex and the gal tells the guy that she is pregnant...and the guy blows his top...Pause here... watz wrong in the scene...watz wrong is that here one of them didn't understand what the other person was going through...the girl tries to explain her logic, feelings and thoughts but the guy gets spaced out into a totally different zone. Its not like one shouldn't feel what one feels, but it is also important to try and feel what the other one feels...and this is something important we can take from this scene (crap i sound like ure 8th class moral science teacher...crap crap crap :P )

There is something interesting about the scene few shots later, where he turns up at her door...And what this scene teaches us...(no no that one should say sorry and get on, thats trivial)...but that its ok if u blow you're top off once in a while, arguments are gonna happen, no one expects anybody to be always rational...as the quote goes from the movie Gia

"Francesco: This is life, not heaven. You don't have to be perfect... "

ok i should sleep now...and i promise to redraft this post into a more readable post when i wake up
and i promise u i'm lying abt the above promise :P

Mortal Kombat

2010-04-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

I like movies, for one somewhere when you are busy enjoying them there comes a one odd scene or a dialogue u remember for long...like those panchatantra stories

Well this one's from Mortal Kombat...says...face your fears

No matter how much we run from them buggers...they always seem to catch up...worse the later we try facing them...the stronger they seem to get and the older we become...

So then...temme...what are your fears you've been running from

Off Sex n Spirituality

2010-03-21T01:58:00.000-07:00

The Sanely Insane in conversation with Miss Hot Chocolate Fudge

HCF: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0603/features/peru.html
TSI: Wow!!!
HCF: read a book on it and for sure want this to be one of the life experiences i want
TSI: i'd want to reach into the mind unsupported by any chemicals
HCF: i would too but the "shamanistic" sciences have always held me captive, the depth of their wisdom
TSI: while these 'assisted' methods are good, they can also potentially ruin u...the best is to grow into the state of facing ureself
HCF: would ordinarily agree with u, but with the shamanistic healer have an intutive trust with the ancient sciences they belong to
TSI: all of these...kundalini, shaman, gurus...while they have mastered control and thus can be of assistance to others; i'd rather fight it out and master it myself
HCF: but u cant decry the importance of a guru in almost every stage of life
TSI: becoz even masters have varying levels of mastery...so while he may be able to help u...he may also be exposing u to danger
and its very difficult to ascertain whose the right master or the wrong one
HCF: trust the universe to guide u and surrender to that trust
TSI: in that case...u might as well let the universe (the master of masters) guide u into u :)
HCF: wel said; to letting each person find the best suited path
TSI: :) u kno v shud try this together...not the peru thing… but the meditation thing
HCF: hmm, interesting idea, do u meditate?
TSI: used to....havent since quite a while now, it can b very discomforting
HCF: btw. there is this fellow , closely connected to one of my friends, and we have unexplored sexual vibe, or rather used to have these sexual vibes, not seen him since 2008 and he suggested we meet in mumbau, turned him down!, am proud of me ;-)
TSI: :)
HCF: not in the space for it rather go to the darga in the sea
TSI: :), I've been there once...though not when the qawwali was on..damn
HCF: they have sufi music there?
TSI: like mandirs have bhajans dargahs have qawwalis, even nizamudin dargah has
HCF: i know wonder if haji ali has
TSI: well they've filmed enuf of them in movies, am sure they ahve in real too
HCF: guess so
TSI: u kno watz really likeable abt u, i can have the most carnal of talks wid u and the most deeply spiritual topics too
HCF: often find the 2 inter connceted
TSI: they are...for both of them...u have to start going inside
HCF: the ability to be open abt sex is also the open ability to explore other dimensions and uncannily often ppl in trances make utterances that can only be described as orgasmic , sex was meant to be a peep into bliss for those not attempting the fuller journey often denoted as a shorter orgasm compared to meditation, but damm i miss kissing
TSI: well i cant even begin to tell wat all i miss :P
HCF: try
TSI: the feel of skin against skin...there's something so comforting...playing with the hair...the feel of the other person's weight....their heart beat felt thru their breathing
there's jst so much
HCF: miss finger tips trailing
TSI: miss taking in the upper lip and playing with it when kissing
HCF: miss tounge conversations
TSI: tht was gonna be my next :P, its so amazing how such a lil primitive thing can make u feel so close to another
HCF: yea and can be a language of its own
TSI: there's something abt kissing a girl's back...i mean dont kno why u gals like it or why we like to...but everybody likes it
HCF: men dont like their backs being kissed?
TSI: ermm i actually never thought abt it...dun no...dont think so
HCF: really i thought they did, ears are tricky some surrender some hate it
TSI: yeah i'm undecided on that also, i'm more to the hate, i like nibbling i dont like being nibbled..not there atleast
HCF: was more abt tounge in ear, that is the reference
TSI: ah hmm thts ok actually
HCF: aah hmm glad to know, abt ur spots ;-)
TSI: well in that case...u havent even started :P
HCF: some things are not abt words
TSI: yes but we clearly havent even come near my spots..except the initial bit abt tongue n kissing, but yeah i get wat u say :) ;)
HCF: else it is like getting a manual with a date
TSI: yeah and thats ugly, unless ure SRK in MNIK :P
HCF: then it becomes endearing, the joys of being a super star
TSI: :P

Waking Up

2010-03-20T01:53:00.000-07:00

Ok this is a back to back marriage kinda post. (Yes i'm in that age group...sigh :P )

Anyways so to its quite difficult to choose a partner, not just through the arranged route but even when you are in a relationship.

And its pretty difficult to reason out stuff, sometimes the looks may be good but the compatibility isn't there, sometimes the person is nice but hell your tastes don't match; so many contra-indications are there that they can drive you mad.

So there's a simpler way to get to a yes / no and i'd like your feedback on it, and no not a logical one, but one based on your experience...So the hypothesis is...If we ask ourselves "Do i want to wake up next to this person every day for the next 40 years of my life" and we don't get a comfortable yes, then its probably a no.

And like i said, don't rationale it out, ask yourself the question and lemme kno if it works

Partnership

2010-03-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Ok that's just euphemistically to say...marriage...

Was chatting with someone one day and within the discsussion it emerged, that if one were to go just by profession...a dentist would make an ideal choice for a spouse...Here's why:

1. Its not a luxury business, its in the health domain, always demand
2. Its not art that one day you'll go out of fashion or you need to be discovered...all you need to be is competent
3. Very less chance of somebody ever needing you in the night or for an emergency
4. The earnings are pretty handsome
5. You can relocate easily
6. You can go on extended vacations and come back when you feel like

:P :P :P

Trial By Fire?

2010-02-21T03:15:00.000-08:00

Everyone has heard of the "Management Gurus" who in their workshops make you walk over burning coals, to make you into the fearless leader who can take the company through difficult times, or some other rationale

Take your refund dear chaps, take your refund, you'd be more of a leader if you won a golgappa eating contest...that's more tough

Walking on coals has nothing to do with adversity, its simply a question of something that looks dangerous, but it isn't...so if it isn't dangerous, then all you are doing is not letting your mind feel the "apparent" fear...that's all, that's no mean achievement either, but nothing as great as what the management gurus would like you to believe...

Cute Little Love Stories - 8, The train robbery

2010-02-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

Cute Litte Love Stories - 7, The hotness

"Motu, so gaee" he messages her

"Haan" she replies

"Tu kabse inni jaldi sonney lagi"

"kya hai, tang mat karo"

"Yaar, mujhe lagta hai kisi ne metro chura li"

"kya!!! tu paagal hai"

"Haan woh toh hoon, but yaar abhi i was going from the sec 18 underpass and there was a metro going by, raat ko 1:30 bajey, soch!!!"

"Tu sachchi mein paagal hai"

"Haan toh jhoothi moothi ka kaun paagal hota hai, but soch kya masti aayegi agar kal paper mein aaye, metro train stolen"

"hee hee hee" her girly giggle, he could visualize her giggling...she had a beautiful childlike giggle

and he was prepared to be a paagal if thats what it took to make her giggle at 1:30 a.m. , she sitting in some remote bloody town...

as he told a friend earlier in the evening...bewkoofi na ki, toh pyar kya keeya...

Kati Patang

2010-01-19T04:07:00.000-08:00

fingers flying on the micro mini keyboard of phone "how was your day"

beep beep "was ok, rough day"

beep beep "how was yours"

beep beep "pretty good, i downloaded this bloody awesome movie btw..."

beep beep "oh yeah temme abt it"

beep beep

beep beep...and so flow the conversations when two strangers get acquainted and start exploring each other...

Ofcourse these beeps would have started off from a chance meet somewhere...and will probably turn to hour long conversations of same nature...

soon however even this will pass into the phase when the two shall start meeting...and this is where the rubber meets the road...because no matter how much you text, scrap, tweet or talk...its only when you spend time with each other that the heart either grows fonder or fainter...real real fast...

And that is why people find the change difficult to adjust to, it all happens so fast...the person you were talking to suddenly starts giving you hot rushes (in the good way ;) ) or you start wondering what were you thinking of all these weeks.

Whats more discomforting is the reason you've stopped liking that person...dresses badly, has a wierd odour to them, teeth, hair, bad at humor, bad humor :P, too lanky, too fat, all the things that you thought were too superficial to you...

And then the phase of the i've been busy, ignoring the person, something that starts happening naturally...

And i've seen both sides of the gender get caught on both sides of the problem...the ignorer and the ignored (yes ignoree is no word :P). Its hard for someone to explain this to someone who they've lost interest in as to why...mostly they ain't sure themselves...but its not so hard for the ignored to catch onto the signals...

In that case...Be silent, be gone...its probably for the better :) (and don't trust me on this...life is an experiment..go ahead and have yours :P)

Conversations with a Rockstar : Her turn to ask

2010-01-16T03:31:00.000-08:00

The first part of the conversation can be found here

RockStar:hey tell me was thr sum super hot girl in xyz course kya a yr junior to u? or maybe in ur batch wht was her name?
Me: yeah na we've discussed her...junior
RockStar: name
Me: some muslim chick wait
RockStar: haan wht was her name …yes !
Me: it'll come to me...not so shaply toes, fat ass, but wat looks and nice style..daymn
RockStar: haan she wore suits n stuff…but was really hot..haina?
Me: cant remember abhi give me a day..yeah
RockStar: k..kal sum senior was talkin bout her
Me: he he…so wat abt her?
RockStar: kuch nahi turns out even her uniors drooled over her *juniors
Me: yeah she was droolable...wat ppl kno less is she was pretty smart...she used to teach the english in one of the CAT coaching places and had a blog also fucking rich...her pop was a senior VP /owned some financial investment firm
RockStar: sahi…so while everyone else was lustin aftr her cute butt…one guy loved the 'pilgrim soul' in her…lol…sahi
Me: no she was no pilgrim...she was smart, rich, pretty and quite a fool...madly after a guy who as far as i cud guess treated her like shit…or so i felt
RockStar: sigh
Me: :P
RockStar: irony of life…why is life so unfair…seriously…u shud wirte a post on this
Me: life isn't...but life also presents everyone a challenge
RockStar: thw cruelty of life
Me: some ppl life gives very difficult challenges…poverty, ugliness, dumbness, physical/mental handicap…she comparatively got a simpler one :P…think if there were no challenge there wud b no fun either
RockStar: ok tell me…if sum random guy can see her smart brain n see her gettin treated badly…n has a thing for her…why cant he muster the courage to wlk upto her…n make things right
Me: errr hello...whatever gave u the idea i didnt...
RockStar: lol...oh ya u did…:P
Me: i was never the popular chap around...and the more popular chaps (read student council) took to getting me listed in the bad books

RockStar: i just asked coz im surrounded by such stupid guys here at nm who act like lil scared girls..when the time comes for then to show up u knw
Me: and it worked...on her atleast :P
Me: yeah becoz 90% of them will hear a no…imagine random guy...somebody from college...he's walking up to u...everybody in the collg sees it...then he has to come say hi, say something...without it sounding obvious he's hitting on u...but then why will u think he's otherwise…why else is he coming up to say hi…ure attitude defences will shore up...and he'll get snubbed…hence guys back off
RockStar: cmon ur makin this guy sound like a kid frm the homeless shelter…the guy has to have sum courage…so spunk to get the girls attention…no? …*some spunk…n i think girls appreciate tht… as for me
Me: i dun kno the exact circumstances...of the guy u r talking abt…so cant say…yes some spunk is necessary
RockStar: im so done wid people here...if any guy wants to be wid me. he can just cut thru the chase n the crap n just come n tell me. id appreciate tht more than the usual..ooo i think i like u but m so sonfused coz i have a gf already crap !! aaggghh
Me:Waisey :P i like u...but am no mood to hit on u...jst saying...
RockStar: lol…i meant genereally na
Me: i'm saying specifically :P ure a cute, smart, fun girl...like u...but like i said, me no gonna b hitting... :P
RockStar: see thts why i like u…tht makes it uber cool
Me: he he...yeps...i dont go in for a kill unless i feel the bait wants it and i am very on the face abt it :P
RockStar: :P
Me: this has gone into a very boring mode :P too much on the face talk :P
RockStar: lol ok ur tunr gimme sum guyish info
Me: sure ask…is this still for that gj chap?
RockStar: noo…see
Me: thnk god
RockStar: haan this guy na senior we hang out usually a lot like post gym..catch up for dinner n all nice to talk to kinds bt i think hes got a thing for me n shit i dnt knw how to act wid him…oz he is tht gj’s classmate…n he doesnt knw abhi tak about me n gj..
Me: errr ok…u want him to hit on u?
RockStar: nooo…like yest he was bummed coz of placemnts n stuff….so i asked him ok wht wud u do the day u get placed..so hes like..go out to a nice place wid u… :| …n i was like...uhh..ok.. :-s
Me: well...tht sounds like he's hitting on u..subtly
RockStar: yaaa…n im just dreadin wht he will say when he gets to knw bout the gj chap
Me: errmm...u were hanging out with him, u liked him, but he had a gal..so thats the end of that…watz there' to be embarassed?
RockStar: uhh…i dunno…i just feel bad about the whole thing…hey u knw wht…i blasted tht guy no…so hes like..ok u take time to cool down…just gimme one day
to talk to u in person…PM i will make things right…have to give u explanations n stuff
i wasnt fakin it…n other crapo *crap
Me: dudette...let me giv u a simple...non unclish hint...
RockStar: ?
Me: there are parts of a relationship tht are troublesome...those are the ones where u adapt to the others peculiarities…but there are other parts that shud work like clockwork if the shoe doesnt fit right...it will bite…now go figure :P
RockStar: thts deep :P
Me: :P thts wat i learned from my exp with the TLC girl...don't try and make it work...atleast not in the early phases...the effort part shud come in the last mile not in the first mile…btw can i use this for a post...this conversation, i'll ofcourse unname u and change a few details
RockStar: i was about to say tht…this shud totally go into ur blog
Me: see i'm quite fast ;)
RockStar: :P i figured tht while havin the bra size convo wid u :P nyways i'll leave..bandra's callin
Me: u want the bra size thing also?
RockStar: lol
Me: hmm makes sense...will do
RockStar: ur blog…do wtever
Me: in two separate posts
RockStar: see u :)
Me: have fun :)

Conversations with a Rockstar : Mini Diploma

2010-01-16T02:58:00.000-08:00

RockStar: heyi
Me: heyo…ssup
RockStar: nothin 2 day brk…ssup wid u
Me: work, lots of it :P a bad proj mgr, but other than that...lemme see…found another good blog to read…chat with the lady too
RockStar: :P ooh
Me: US lady...mother of a teenager :P
RockStar: crap
Me: no no...everythings not abt hitting on ppl yaar…gud fun to talk to her
RockStar: its not? :| damn i got it all wrong :P
Me: nopes...its not....otherwise the moment u find somebody who accepts ure hitting then tht means no more meeting nu ppl? :P i talk to ppl becoz i like talking to ppl hitting is just incidental to finding someone u really sync up wid
RockStar: ok ok guruji
Me: he he :P stop geting me into uncle mode!!! I shall from now on lay all the blame of my uncle mode on ppl who elicit it :P
RockStar: lol
Me: so anyways she's one helluva battery charged lady...she's found a new bf...and she's all explosm abt it
RockStar: been thr done tht…lol
Me: no no...u haven't....hav u done panty thursdays?
RockStar: i wear panties everyday…whts so special bout thrus? thursdays*
Me: its the day u take them off...multiple times...for a particular kind of activity :P
RockStar: so it shud be cald panty less thrus na
Me: ermm i think she called it down-panty day or something..dont expect me to remember so many details :P
RockStar: I thought u were good wid details when it came to womens lingerie
Me: yes but not the terminology
RockStar: u gotta catch up kid :P
Me: actually am not so good with lingerie...u will have to enlighten me...
RockStar: sure

Me: i kno bra, strapless bra, wonderbra (=pushup i presume), sports bra, nighty...I dont understand cup sizes and all…I kno the letter means something and size means something…like 32D…but i dont kno wat
RockStar: thrs the sporty panties..the kinda thing in which u can jog upto 5kms n make out too..then thr r the thongs…yeah u cant jog in those lol. they might come off any sec...grt for sex..then thrs the lacy kinds...u knw the usual barbie dollish..then thrs the usual ugly girl kinda panty..comes in repulsive colours like brown…then thrs the magic panties…does wonders to fat women by hididn the extra fat…then thrs the outrightly in ur face sexy kinds....see thru panties...mahn i gotta buy on of those…lol…the typical victoria secret kinds…and tht…my frnd…is a mini guide
Me: thongs = g-string = a v shaped thing which is mostly stringy and jst coves the crotch
RockStar: to the world of panties…yes…ur doin well…:P
Me: naah dont do those see thru ones...no fun
RockStar: 32d = a lean girl wid a weird boobs
Me: no no explain to me...wat the nbr means and wat the letter means
RockStar: 36d = pamela Anderson…32a= non existent breasts more like mosquito bites.. these were the class intervals…rest u can do the maths..:P
Me: wat u r telling Me is that u dont kno ureself wat 32 means and wat d means isnt it
RockStar: uff…its so simple wht cant u understand…see 2..means when the measure ur chest in inches..like they do in the gym…so a lean girl wud be 32
Me: ok
RockStar: n a volumptuious one wud be 36…and a b c d means the cup size…now a…lean girl wid a boob job wud be 32 d…n a fat girl wid no boobs wud be 36a…get it?...mahn guys r dumb
Me: hullo...u can jst throw a figure into our face an say go decipher it…this was all the explanation one needed :)…now i 'know' :P
Me: :P ok so in bags we have clutches and those big ones or is there more to it?
RockStar: cluthes go well wid a nice elegant evenin dress usually then big bags...classy never outta style…then uve got crazy tattooed emo stuff…then uv got classy small ones....gucci jimmy chooo prada n the like
Me: small but with shoulder straps
RockStar: sling bags...colg chicks carry tht..u wudnt need this info i think
Me: err i hope /guess not :P
RockStar: yes. not everyone can carry those...u see thrs a thin line between classy n tacy
*tacky when it comes to hang bags
Me: he he
RockStar: every woman possesses atleast 3 subject to no upper limit :P
Me: tht part i kno :P
RockStar: one is a dump all ur crap in bag... the thing which they carry everyday to work/colg. it carries more stuff than the lost city of gold
Me: and yet mostly, no eclairs
RockStar: al cluttered n messed up kinds..sigh ya
Me: :P
RockStar: n it takes forever to find the lip gloss ..its more like a lucky dip
Me: so thats bags
RockStar: second is the date bag....darker shades...girls carry them to dates, ya, wht else u want...shoes u knw, bags i told u, lingerie, man, u alrdy knw too much
Me: clothes :P salwar kameez, tees, shirts, tube tops
RockStar: self descriptive :P
Me: there's something pecil straps or something, *pencil, shrugs, wat else is there
skirts, long, gypsy, mini, micro mini; trousers
RockStar: pencil strap..noodle strap kinda like a sleeve less...wid just two lil strings to hold it frm lettin ur boobs show…the shawl kinda thing guys carry in winters…the gypsy skirts...the kinda long delhi cp kinda skirts u see firang hippies wearing coupled usually wid a noodle strap
Me: yeah tht i kno
anything else left?
RockStar: no u jst acquired urself a mini diploma in womens fashion…not many straight guys can boast of tht…congrats
Me: thanks...not many straight guys like women like i do :P and no i didnt mean that in a dirty sense :P…jst...one of the most amazing pieces crafted by god :)…somebody stop the uncle in me :D ok dirty sense...i meant in the dirty sense :P
RockStar: :P

Cute Little Love Stories - 7 : The hotness

2010-01-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

Cute Little Love Stories - 6

Cute Little Love Stories - 5

Cute Little Love Stories - 4

Cute Little Love Stories - 3

Cute Little Love Stories - 2

Cute Little Love Stories - 1

"ae agar main kabhi tujhse kuch chupaai toh"

(girl: "hey if someday i hide something from you")

"koi na...fatka padega...jor ka...dhuey pe...laalo laal"

(guy: "aah no worries, u gonna get one solid spanking on your bum, red hot one")

"sachchi!!!" (really!!!) she said in her half haughty, half naughty semi questioning tone

He looked at her, and saw a glint creeping into her eyes

"chal tharku!!! aankhein tak chamak rahee hai" (haah horny one, even your eyes are gleaming)

she blushed her way into his arms...and the two of them onto the rug... ;)

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while when we talk of relationships we mostly talk of the compatibility of nature, emotions...sexual compatibility, the ability to read each others signals is another important ingredient to successful relationship

jisne pehle ke post naee padhey hain...jaldi karo yaar...try and keep up :P

Conversations with God

2010-01-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

"Dear God" the woman remarked "I'm smart, i'm fun, i'm savy, i deserve the perfect man, why haven't you sent him to me"

God looks kind of confused "but i did kiddo, but you were so busy being smart, fun and savy that on his request i had to shift him to the perfect woman"

"When" she said half shriekingly "they were all imperfect, the ones i met, where was the perfect guy you sent, and wait, how the hell am i not the perfect woman!!!" she said in enough anger to even scare god

god, in a little subtler tone after all that shrieking "ahem, mind your language please, after all, it is god you are talking too. Kiddo even i'm not perfect, all over history people question God, Why did Ram leave Sita, why did Gandhi call of quit India, Was Jesus really born out of a virgin?; there's no end to finding faults, even with God. The perfect woman...is perfect because she loved the imperfections of the perfect guy

"Damn, so will i never find happiness"

"You're talking to god, shouldn't be that difficult, maybe you just haven't given it enough thought"

She woke up a while later and looked at her lab...had she been talking to her dog? no no just a dream she thought

Later at another place a chap sitting under a tree having beer and peanuts "god man you're awesome, I mean only god could've known that peanuts are the best thing to go with beer, I mean like wow"

God: "you kno its tuff to hardsell you to these women as the perfect man if you keep talking like this, ok now throw some pretzels my side"

Tossing a few peanuts that way "Oh chill man don't have to hardsell me and all, btw thats another awesome piece of work of yours, funny they are in some ways, but they're good, especially the ones that don't nag so much, they are the best, awesome creatures man, here's a toast to them"

Ofcourse the man saw nothing wierd in talking to his dog, he was drunk, thats what you were supposed to do when you were drunk

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok this post wasn't about the girl or the guy or the stupid 5th class debate :P but have you ever wondered the dog is supposed to be the man's best friend, all civilizations across all time periods have had dogs...surprisingly and i may be wrong on this none of the civilizations have portrayed dog as a religious symbol, no god has ever been associated with a dog. I think its not by chance, its like a secret agreement, keep the focus away from the dog...but i think one of the members of the secret committee decided to be little benevolent on mankind...after all why else would they have spelt out the name in english as DOG || GOD...

if you don't believe me...just look into a dog's eyes

Cute Little Love Stories - 6

2010-01-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Cute Little Love Stories - 1

Cute Little Love Stories - 2

Cute Little Love Stories - 3

Cute Little Love Stories - 4

Cute Little Love Stories - 5

"Tu aajkal likhta naee hai"

"Tu aajkal padti jo naee hai"

"Tujhe pata hai naa aajkal busy chal raha hai mera"

"To jab tu free ho jaaegi tab likhoonga"

"Tu kya sirf mere liye likhta hai"

"baaki koi reader god (lap) mein baith kar comment naee deta na" he said with a wink

"haan woh bhi hai" she said, from her comfortable position in his lap. He knew how to make her feel special and that is all that mattered, all that she needed to drive away the tiredness of her job

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ok guys awesome weather these days in delhi...early morning driving through the fog on the DND is like driving through clouds...stuff romantic scenes in real life are made off...so those of you who are a couple...hope you are making the best of the season...take a weekday off on the foggiest day...drive around on the DND...come back home have pakodas...and go back to sleep :P

Cute Little Love Stories are a series i started based on a fledgling romance that plausibly started last year but never took off. These are the conversations that happen perhaps in another timezone another lifetime...but i hope you journey along with these characters, they are very much real, even if their romance is imaginary :)

The test of extremes

2010-01-04T02:59:00.000-08:00

Ok so since i have vowed (and broken the vow like within the first week of new year) to not give gyan any longer...

I shall help you to make your own #gyan ( i know, i can see you going for that tomato that seems to have lost all its shape, so hold it right there bugger :P)

Theories of life, are best tested i believe at the extremes...

i'll try give you one example and like always leave thins unclear :P

Q1 Whom do you think of during the times when you're in most pain....

Q2 Now how much attention have you given this person in the last three days....

Q3 If you feel you haven't given enough attention, what were you so busy doing...

Q4 That one thing that kept you busy, when you are at your death bed would you feel it was worth it, worth all the sacrifices...

I don't have to tell you what to do with the answers or how to form more questions...

Closure

2009-11-30T09:15:00.000-08:00

Long after the conversations have died,
the ooh and aah babys have stopped being whispered
long after the bickering fights have gone
there's just one thing that remains

the WHY

and its that, that keeps biting at the heart and won't let wounds heal
where no matter how much u smile or cracks joke, hitting the bed becomes an ordeal

...

Madame Poirot: Part 1: The Birthday Gift

2009-11-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

“Yaar Nikump”

Nikump looked up from his files, as a lawyer, that too a corporate one, that too those M&A deal types he didn’t expect chit chat to happen before the late lunch that they had usually, infact usually it didn’t happen till around 4 in the evening, which was ok since they usually worked till 11 in the night. After all this was business season for them.

He looked at Kabir, the source of the voice; he had always felt Kabir to be a misfit in their organization. His demeanor was of a spontaneous romantic song compared to the monochromatic tone of the legal arena. What irked Nikump more was that this misfit of a person actually was doing quite well in the organization, not to mention he was one of the few who had a girlfriend, a good one too, an artsy girl, Niharika.

It was on the matter of Niharika only that Kabir had disturbed Nikumps retorie.

“Yaar it’s Niharika’s b’day next month and you know she ain’t someone whom you can gift a perfume bottle or stuff from lush and get away with it. I’m really freaking out over what to get her”

It was stuff like this that really irked off Nikump, he was a serious lawyer and didn’t really feel much inclined to discuss such trivialities of life. He had a wife and a secretary for stuff on the side. Both could be bought perfumes and were happy in their own worlds.

He was going to give a very curt reply, given that it was not yet the customary time for banal chat, but something struck him, something akin to what had made Archimedes run naked on the roads shouting eureka.

“Hmm, yes given that she’s the artsy shartsty type”

“She’s a painter” Kabir said exasperated, he had to correct them everytime!!!

“Yes, yes painter, I think something more intellectual would work better for her. I do remember you mentioning something along the lines of that she reads a lot of detective novels and secretly wishes to be like one. I was thinking, maybe if we set up something for her, something that lasts a month and concludes right on her birthday”

“You mean like a fake mystery to solve”

“Yes yes something like that, after all we are lawyers, if we couldn’t make up something like that, who could”

A light gleamed in Kabir’s eyes, this sounded good, no it sounded perfect….

The Big Game

2009-11-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Whales are mammals...not fish.

And why we talk of this distinction is because thats the only 'big' fish like thing that you can find coming to the sea shore (yes killer whales attack seals on the beach)...for real fish, the big ones, you gotta get into deep sea yourself.

Love and career both even though they exist on different planes validate this rule...you can't fall in love without making yourself vulnerable, you can't make it big in career without taking you own call on decisions.

Mostly we have heard this kind of gyan from people who are successful and we feel oh yeah you would say it cause you have made it big, you were the lucky one...hence i felt like speaking on this topic...because i've had myself hurt both in career terms and love terms...and not just once...and so i say...dreams are not worth giving up on...no matter what

Am i an incorrigible optimist...trying to ruin your lives too?

Not really...if you gotta be a cynic...be cynical about how well a stranger can understand your innermost emotions...and hence make sure you communicate enough with them so that they can understand the being you are...if you gotta be an optimist...be an optimist in believing that people will rise up to your expectations

if you gotta be a cynic, be a cynic in thinking the world will hand over the CEO's role to you for free...if you gotta be an optimist...believe in the power of your will

Dreams are like roses, you gotto find your way through the thorns to reach to the petals...fight for your dreams, what else is there to live for....go for the big game...

...and yes one could talk about how other flowers like orchids have no thorns...but hello...meri analogy ka kela karne ki naee ho rahee hai :P

cheers ppl

Interestingly

2009-11-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

I've got a lot to say, but all of it to myself...

These are the years of life when the dreams of childhood face the harsh realities of life and one must take a stock

Re-visualize those dreams which had along the way gotten distracted by the ways of the world and the eventualities of growing up

It is time to start dreaming again :)

As Aerosmith said...(let's) Dream On

Life

2009-10-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

dna thsi si going to be hrda to exlpain...is a cebrelation

evne if teh wrods don't appear clera...

tahts wot ti is

so tkae a deep btreah now...and enjoy the simles adn teh fukc ups coimgn yoru wya

gulabjamun

2009-10-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

so kahaani aisi hai ki i was i think in second grade, this if when we were posted in faizabad. Mom's younger colleague, some BEd teacher had gotten engaged and me and mom had gone their to wish...i mean i had been made to tag along...

anyways so like at such times there was a whole plethora of sweets on the table, some had landed in my plate, i guess mom's doing...don't remember really. But what i do remember is that somebody came with gulabjamuns as a second round of helpings...and i like gulabjamuns and i wanted them...and yet i said no...

and i never understood why...i mean i wanted it, it was offered to me...then why

so yeh hai aaj ka gyan...ki bhaiyaa na bhole banne ki baat hai, aur na bhagwaan ab tumhein gulabjamun khaane ke liye special aakashvani karega...

gulabjamun khaane ke liye hi hotein hain...especially agar offer kiye ja rahein hon... :P

p.s. though i've repeated this same mistake again few times in my life...but this gyan has helped me reduce the nbr of occurrences :P

The Liutenant - Part 8 - And They Lived...

2009-10-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home

The Lieutenant Part 3: At the Bar

The Lieutenant Part 4: Comics

The Lieutenant Part 5: Shopping

The Lieutenant Part 6: ‘Mom’

The Lieutenant part 7 - The cold

After the last part I was quite flummoxed, I wasn’t sure where to take this story to. In my mind Rahul being a kid his next natural demand is why don’t his parents stay together, why does he have to be always split between two worlds?

Kiran and Arvind are as confused as the readers as to where they should go, neither of them is sure of their emotions. Kiran rejected Arvind five years back, has anything changed since then for her to go beyond ‘I like this guy’ and what about Arvind, will he be able to forget the turmoil that he has gone through. Kiran was his dream which got shattered, can a dream be rebuilt and even if it can will it be ever the same as the original one.

Just as a trivia Arvind’s character was supposed to turn out later as an actual Colonel in the army. One of those covert operation guys, the whole Harvard thing was meant as a cover, a public image.

Anyways back to the story, the other important question was about Rahul, would he live, his was a rare disease, he had gone beyond the doctor’s expectations till now, would he be the first kid to be able to beat the disease? And what if he didn’t would Arvind and Kiran’s relationship be able to hold if Rahul wasn’t there to hold them. Would Kiran be able to take the shock, she had always wanted a son, her’s was a troubled life, no relationship had worked for her, except this one, for once she was really in love…

These are too many questions, too many uncertainties...and that’s how life is, at any time, some things are under our control, most are not. The present sandwiched between a history of rights and wrongs and a future which refuses to be unhazy…

Its not for me to complete this story, its for each one of you, to choose how you respond to it…choose your own endings…

The Lieutenant part 7 - The cold

2009-10-10T01:25:00.000-07:00

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home

The Lieutenant Part 3: At the Bar

The Lieutenant Part 4: Comics

The Lieutenant Part 5: Shopping

The Lieutenant Part 6: ‘Mom’

The Mumbai rains had come, in their entire splendor. While most of Mumbai enjoyed the downpour Arvind sulked big time. He was a Sun guy, the kind of rains he liked were the ones which lasted no longer than 4 hours. Mumbai rains ofcourse never entertained his pleas for mercy.

This was one of those days Rahul was with his newly adopted ‘mom’. He was at his suburban home sipping tea reading a book on his couch with Major by his side. Like any other boy Rahul was spending most days with his mom. Arvind would see him in between the week sometime or he would come over for a few days every other week. Not that Arvind was entirely happy with this situation, but well a child needed a mother and he felt happy for his kid, he really looked livelier these days as if he had found heaven.

Major started barking suddenly, it was a low deep growl. Arvind who was engrossed in his book looked at Major. Major rarely barked in that tone.

Oh Shit he thought and fumbled for the phone. He called on Rahul’s number. He could hear him sneezing, wildly, barely able to talk. He made a dash for the door like any other worried father. In the morbid weather, that had probably taken a lull to let him pass, he tried to cross the sunken streets as fast as he could, which meant a lot of walking, buses, autos, taxis. After two hours he finally managed to reach Kiran’s house.

Arvind entered the house with his key, The two of them mom and son were sneezing away to glory. She was taking his temperature but he could see she wasn’t much better herself.

“Thank God, you both at least changed into dry clothes” Arvind said to make his presence known

“Daddy!!!” Rahul screamed and rushed into his arms. Arvind lifted him up and held him tight.

He kept him back on the couch. “Now you two, sit” He got them a woolen blanket from the bedroom. Gave them the tv remote. The two of them cuddled each other shivering.

He went into the kitchen and made them, chicken soup, the instant variety, right now was not the time for culinary finesse but fast relief action. As an after thought he added noodles for the slurrpy effect and also to add some weight to the food.

He gave one big bowl each to the shivering mother and son, busy cuddling each other, teeth chattering and yet giggling away to glory while watching tom n jerry.

“Daddy I’m feeling cold” he said making his cute little pleading face

“And so am I” she said, imitating his cute little pleading face

“Kids!!” he said “Pehle ek hi thaa, ab do do hain!!!”

He sat down between them on the couch and they both folded into his arms, wrapping themselves to his chest. Whether it was the effect of the chicken soup or just the moment, but the cold fell away and there was warmth in that living room, and soon three beings were fast asleep, cuddled in each others embrace

The Lieutenant Part 6: ‘Mom’

2009-10-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home

The Lieutenant Part 3: At the Bar

The Lieutenant Part 4: Comics

The Lieutenant Part 5: Shopping

“Dad”

“Yes son”

“Dad, could I call Kiran aunty…..Mom”

Half of Arvind’s coffee flew out of his mouth “Ummm sure son, I’m think Kiran aunty would also like that”. Of all the things one expected on a Wednesday morning, this wasn't it

Rahul came and hugged him “Thanks dad, you’re the best”

“No son, you’re the best and you've got the best mom in the world” he hugged him back tightly, happy for Rahul. A thought took him back five years, when he had thought it would be nice to raise children with Kiran, he had always thought of her as a doting mom, who could teach their children about life and the beauties within. But he had never imagined that thought coming true like this.

She called him day after the next, she was almost shrieking in delight “You know what, he, he called me Mom” He just smiled “I couldn’t stop hugging him”

“He’s the son you always wanted, little one”

“Yes” he could hear the sobbing in her voice, a happy kind of sobbing

“Chalo good, he succeeded in wooing you, where I failed” he laughed

“Oh shut up!!!” she giggled

It was the weekend, Rahul was over at Kiran’s, in the few months that they had met since that first encounter at the beach the two had become almost unseparable. Like Colonel even Major had taken a back seat letting the two be on their own.

“Major, I’ve got an uneasy feeling. I don’t know where this is going, but suddenly it feels that life is going to get very complicated very soon”

The Lieutenant Part 5: Shopping

2009-09-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home

The Lieutenant Part 3: At the Bar

The Lieutenant Part 4: Comics

Her phone was ringing, it was Monday, as hectic and maddening and hectic as it could get. It was Arvind, she was partly irritated, partly felt a nice tingling feeling in her tummy.

‘Whats it’

‘When do you get off today missy?’

‘I don’t kno, it’s gonna be late’

‘I’ll be at your place at 8:30’

‘What, why, didn’t you just hear me, I’m gonna be late, then I have to meet people, why do you have to be so difficult’

‘Cause that’s how I am, 8:30!!!’

‘I won’t be there’

‘I know!’

She felt more irritated than she already was.

She reached home at 11, there was a dinner meeting she had to attend. He was there outside her flat sitting in the stairs reading a book.

She half screamed at him ‘didn’t I tell you I wasn’t gonna be here till late, why don’t you just listen’

‘How do you manage to get irritated so easily, its really funny to see you get so worked up, though in a way it can be nice also, it used to really really turn me on…and hey I’m not complaining I got a chance to complete my book, so chill, but If I could come in I really do have something I need to talk to you about’

‘Oh ok, and yes do come in, please, where’s my hospitality!!! What’s the matter?’

‘Shopping’

‘Shopping?’

‘Two weeks ago you got Rahul new clothes, yesterday he again came back with a bag with a new t-shirt and water bottles’

‘Yes and it looked so nice on him, and the bottle really went well with his clothes’

‘Dudette I know you are really very excited about him, but he’s a kid, and kids get spoilt very easily, I’ve tried very hard to not let him go that way and I would really appreciate it if you could keep that in mind’

‘But he had a bad day at school’ she pleaded

Almost raising his voice ‘And retail therapy is not the answer, and while we are at it, he’s not a girl, he doesn’t need so many clothes nor to accessorize. God woman!!! I tell ya you still manage to drive me crazy’

‘Don’t you dare raise your voice to me, I will take him shopping as and when I feel like’ she retorted

‘And you will get a solid whacking from me if you do that’

She slapped him, hard and crisp ‘How dare you!!!’

‘You care to try that once more and check whether you’ll go over my knee or not’

Her eyes growled at him…a long tense pause ‘I’ll go make some coffee, you’ll have?’ She moved to the kitchen with that rhetorical question. ‘I should’ve said yes to you then only shouldn’t I’ She asked with her back to him as she lit the stove

‘Na I think that would have been as dumb as your previous moves’

She turned back surprised ‘But isn’t it what you wanted’

‘Yes, but not you, my loving you isn’t good enough, it’s a necessary but not a sufficient condition, you didn’t want me and that’s what counts’

‘I didn’t know what I wanted’

‘That’s a different problem and had a different answer I guess’

‘So you don’t hate me for pushing you away?’

‘You broke my heart, what do you think!!! But beyond that I never held a grudge against you, I knew you were confused and lost. Plus despite a kind of similarity in so many things we were temperamentally very different. I needed tons of attention and you weren’t the type, who could shower it. I could never read you or know how to treat you the way you needed to, I just know one type of treatment that is to treat a person royally, and you were just too full of contradictions for a simple guy like me.

But you know what hurt most…’

‘What?’

‘That you clandestinely pulled out of the relationship. One day we were deep into each other, then you disappeared and when you came back you weren’t the same again. A relationship requires a lot of communication to build trust. You didn’t add enough cement around the iron bars for the base to form and our relationship went from beautiful to messy

Anyways that was a long time back’

‘Do you still love me?’

‘Can I have my coffee or you wanna superboil it, cause it really seems done’

‘Oh shit’ she giggled

Ruining the Stars

2009-09-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

The mystery of the cosmos and how it affects us is pretty intriguing. Even if it is true, how significant is their effect on us?

I did a little survey about two years ago trying to find out whether sun signs could be taken as an effective indicator for success or failure or relationships. Out of the hundred odd people who filled it, the trend was almost half split. 50% people had partners of compatible sun signs. The trend for 'dislikes' was also the same.

Reading further on the subject gave me possible explanations for the same. Firstly its not jst about your sun sign, you have a moon sign too, then within your sun-sign you have a rising planet. And if you go by the Chinese they believe the year you were born in also shapes your inherent personality. Numerology says that within a sun sign the exact date (summed up) gives an indicator of who you are. Limiting ourselves to just these factors lets see how the equation pans out.

You could be an

'Virgo' Sun Sign
have 'Mercury' as your rising planet
With a 'Taurus' moon sign
Born in the year of the 'Rabbit'
With A numerology of '4'

So you see even if the cosmos does affect us, it doesn't make it any simple for us to find our perfect one

But i hope while reading all this a question struck your mind...so does this mean our actions and behaviours are predefined?

Does that mean a Cancer guy and a Leo girl can never make a happy couple?

Like always I won't give an answer, leave you to find it yourself...but here's my take on it...if you really like a person and that person likes you back...i doubt the sun signs can get in your way...coz there's that thing we have...choice...and as much i believe in the power of the sun and the stars...i believe more in the power of choice

Can I take him home mama

2009-09-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ok I am quite young, only 27, not married, don't even have a dog...but look at the kid below...he's a steal...i wish they'd let me adopt him

The Lieutenant Part 4: Comics

2009-09-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home

The Lieutenant Part 3: At the Bar

“You OWN ‘Comics’!!!!” she almost screamingly asked / accused him as they waited outside Rahul’s school to pick him up.

“Yes”

“That didn’t figure in your I do consulting, I teach at Harvard story”

“Naah, it was just a stupid little idea that turned out to be brilliant. Remember that rice guy the one who used to mail music. Well he really likes comics and one day sitting in a bar I thought all bars are so morose, we need some fantasy in here, we need some heroes, and so ‘Comics’ was born”

“Stupid idea? It’s the most brilliantly run Chain of Pubs, in three years it has gone on to become an international chain of stores with 130 locations across the world. It managed to get onto the cover of Times magazine and won 20 dozen prizes. Dammit half the world is using it as a case study in their MBA classes. Including me when I go to teach.”

“You would make for one hot teacher” he joked

“Shut up” she said her way of saying thanks to a compliment “But your name’s never figured. Everytime the name of that guy….shit!!! He is rice boy isn’t he”

Arvind grinned.“Yeah he’s the CEO, it was really him who built the whole business. I just built the organization. My official title there is ‘Head Janitor’”

“ ‘Head Janitor’!!!! like always you are full of surprises Arvind, like always”

“Think of it, its very simple. In a pub a customer’s experience is made by two things the barman and the janitor. Glasses break, drinks spill, the loos get dirty. Would you want to go to a pub with a dirty loo??? Now I could never fling a bottle in the air, catch it and make a drink also. I found a guy who juggles five bottles in the air and makes a drink. He’s got the flair for it, I made him the head barman, I preferred to be the Head Janitor, I can mop, and mop well. But more importantly in my organization nobody looks down upon the job of a janitor…and that’s how it is done…when the top of the organization can be found washing the dishes on a busy day and nobody finds anything odd about it. That’s how organizations are built.”

“I didn’t know that, most of the case studies that I’ve read have been on how innovative ‘Comics’ has been right from seating design, drinks, and my personal favorite, crispy fresh comics available at your table and for pub members you can put a demand for any comic you like and they’ll have it the next time you visit”

“Yes, we spend a lot on buying comics, like casinos throw away their cards, we gift away all comics that are not crisp and clean. But that’s all cock and bull stuff any other ass would have done just that if he wanted to run the pub successfully like all casinos do. It’s a no brainer. What people don’t know about is that in our organization we have no company policies, no rules, and no performance targets. And we have 100% employee engagement.”

“No what!!! How do you run a company with no rules, no targets? That’s crazy”

“No it isn’t. We hire people for their attitude and run the company on culture. A barman is a barman cause he likes to mix drinks. We don’t ask him how many hours he wants to work. He works till he enjoys mixing the drinks. The accountant working in the back office likes his worksheets. When it gets boring for him, he stops. When people start enjoying their work they just keep doing it better and better. It’s a very different world most people are not used to. In our organization you won’t last if you are a sloucher or you don’t like your work. You only last if you like what you are doing, and we make working here fun. There’s absolutely no pressure, there are no profit earnings to be met, and we are a private limited company.”

“Ok enough of the lecture now!!! Mr. showoff, why couldn’t you just buy yourself a decent car, why couldn’t you live in town why a house in Andheri, with the kind of money you must be making you could buy one in Malabar hills!!!”

“I could, but doesn’t mean I want to. I don’t need a fancy car, or a fancy house. Those were always your wants. I have Major and Lieutenant with me and a whole bunch of friends in Andheri. Plus we are five minutes away from Rahul’s hospital. That’s the whole point of being in Bombay anyways, that’s why I moved from Delhi to Bombay......Rahul...all the money from this pub thing goes into an NGO which funds under priviledged children. I make enough from Harvard and consulting for a good life."

The Lieutenant Part 3: At the Bar

2009-08-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home

“Is this seat taken mister?”

“What are you doing here, aren’t you supposed to be with Rahul”

“He’s gone to bed, I tucked him in, he told me where I’d find you, I hope you don’t bring him here” she said slinking into the bar stool next to him

“Naah, I told him he needs to be promoted to a Major before he starts drinking. How was it with him, you guys had fun?”

“Oooh he’s a delight, we played scrabble and then he played me songs on the guitar, your kid’s very brilliant Arvind, you are very lucky”

“Yeah I know, I know, brilliant he is; his brilliance is his gift and his curse”

“Curse?”

“Yeah he’s got a hyperactive brain, it secrets some chemicals, makes it keep working, when Rahul was little as baby he couldn’t sleep, we took him to the best doctors and they finally figured out what the problem was; he’s living the life on the edge of a blink Kiran, his medicine keeps his brain under check. It’s a very rare mutation so to say, only a hundred and twelve known cases so far, none grew up to be an adult. Every day that he breathes is miracle”

Tears welled up in her eyes “damn you” she said banging her fist into his shoulder “damn you”

“Yeah I know, I know.” He called out to the barman “Aby, get the lady a drink, a stiff one”

She had a sip of her drink “Who were his parents?”

“They were my students at Harvard, a lovely couple”

“Harvard!!! Students!!! did I lose you somewhere?” she asked astound

“Four and a half years ago on a train to Rishikesh this chap was sitting next to me, we got talking on philosophy and he got interested in what I had to say, so interested infact that he invited me to come to Harvard and tell the people there. I do a two month course at Harvard each year on business philosophy. It’s quite popular now.

“Raman and Archana were my students in the first year there. They were also the people who made me feel home in a strange country and became my best friends. Their 3 year old kid, Rahul, became my godson. I don’t think anybody who has ever met Rahul has not fallen in love with him. You should’ve seen him then, he was a pure bundle of joy. They died in a car crash the next year Rahul was four and half, I brought him home. But you know what; I thought I was going to be his dad till I got him home. Major never gave me that chance. Ever since Major saw the kid as he took the first steps he’s been by his side guarding over him, scolding him, pampering him. I was happily relegated to being his friend. Infact he’s so attached to the kid I had to talk to the principal to let Major go to school with him!!!”

“What!!! Really? Awwwww that’s so sweet”

“Yeah”

“And what about you, you never married?”

“I almost did, actually. That’s another funny story. On my plane to Harvard I was seated next to this charming young girl. We got talking; she gave me her number in US. She was doing her masters in movie direction there. I called her up we met, we clicked, everything looked all set.”

“Then?”

“Then her dad invited me home. They are bloody rich people and I mean bloody rich. Her pop told me, son I like you, you’re a nice kid to have as a son-in-law but a marriage is not just a mix of two people its also brings two families together. Stay a few days here and see if you feel you and your family will feel comfortable with us I’ll be happy to give my daughter’s hand to you. The old bugger was right everybody in their family was so rich man, it was like they lived in a different universe altogether. I didn’t want our marriage to alienate her from her family. We discussed this and went our ways. She got married the next year to a movie director she started working with and then the car crash happened and well I’ve had my hands full since then.”

“You never felt the need for another person”

“I’m in my mid thirties now kiddo, there was a time when I needed a partner. I’ve lived through that era, now what do I need a partner for?”

“Don’t you think Rahul would need a mother?”

“Well he had, and life took her away from him and he’s got to live with that. Now if you’ll excuse me I think I think am done for the night. If you could get Rahul ready by 8 I’ll come pick him then and take him to school.” He kept his glass on the counter and walked off “Good night little one”

“Good night” her eyes lingered onto the lanky frame walking out of the bar.

“Aby, you didn’t ask him to pay?” she asked the barman

“Him!!! he owns the place”

to be continued…

The Lieutenant: Part 2: She takes him home

2009-08-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Lieutenant Part 1: Meetup at the beach

“Kiran aunty you smell nice” complemented Rahul as she laughingly pulled him into a tight hug

“Thanks beta, you are a darling, I wish I could steal you away from your colonel for a day”

“Oh you can aunty, if you promise me pizza you can”

“Oh I didn’t know soldiers of the army could be bribed so easily”

“You are right aunty” he said on beat “make that a pizza and a brownie with ice cream and we have a deal”

“He’s playing you missy, be careful” Arvind pitched in ruffling Rahul’s hair

“Is it all right with you, if he spends the rest of the evening with me?” She asked him

“Sure kiddo, just take care of the young one”

“Lieutenant if you gotta go, go get your stuff”

“I’ll go get him daddy”

“You let him wander alone, on the beach, you’re not afraid?”

“Ha ha, afraid, no, and he’s not alone, you’ll see”

“We’re all set to go daddy” Rahul came back followed by a hopping german shepherd.

“Kiran, meet our third army man, Major”

She grinned “I see we have a whole army out here”

Major came near her and sniffed her, went round and went back standing next to Rahul

“So now you know Rahul’s never alone and why I don’t have to worry”

He picked up Rahul in his arms “whose going to be a well disciplined soldier at aunty’s place”

“Sheesh dad, what sadoo dialogues you make, aunty and me are gonna have a wild time, just chill”

“Ok mister, done deal, chill I will, and here’s your magic potion, remember soldier, two teaspoonfuls before sleeping”

“Sir yes sir”

“Magic potion?” Kiran asked increasingly confused by this whole story inside which the father son lived.

“Will tell ya later”

“Don’t you want to check with your wife first, if she’s ok with me taking Rahul for the night”

“Colonel doesn’t have a wife, he found me when he was on mission in the jungles and brought me home”

She looked at him not knowing what to say

“Aah so you finally bought your beamer, your driver is waving at you”

“Ya I did last year, it a beaut”

“Sure is, take care of my little champ and do remember two teaspoonfuls of his magic potion just before sleeping and give me your card or do you still have your old Mumbai number”

“Ya it’s the same, you still have it”

“Yeah, chal cya, have a fun time you three”

“Three?”

“Oh ya where Rahul goes Major goes, have fun” He waved to them as they got into the car

to be continued....

The Lieutenant: Meetup at the beach

2009-08-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Part 1: The Beach

Arvind!!! A female voice shrieked. Arvind looked up, from his plate of pani puri that he was happily gulping down, in the direction of the shriek. He knew who that voice belonged to, just that after five years he wasn’t sure how to react to it.

She came striding up to him. “I can’t believe it, after all these years”.

“Hi little one, how’ve you been?” he greeted her back.

“Life’s good, I’ve settled here in Mumbai, have my own little company.”

“So you finally became a CEO” he smiled.

“What have you been upto?”

“Oh nothing, got into economic research and stuff, make some money here and there as a consultant, you know me, never the serious types”

“Colonel, come in colonel” the walky-talky strapped across Arvind’s belt came alive.

“Colonel?” she asked confused

“Wait you’ll see” he winked “Come in lieutenant”

“We’re all set colonel” a little voice crackled

“Cover your bases and make your way back then lieutenant”

“Come on Arvind, you’re killing me, what’s all this colonel lieutenant business about”

“Patience, my dear”

“Tell me!!!”

“Like always, no patience in you”

“Daddy” a little boy jumped up onto Arvind’s back from behind.

“How was the game today”

“Was nice daddy, Chandar scored two goals and we won”

“And where are your manners little monkey, say hi to Kiran aunty”

“Hi beta”

“Hello aunty”

“What’s your name beta”

“I’m Rahul, aunty, second Lieutenant Rahul”

She couldn't help but laugh and hug the little second lieutenant...to be continued

Judgement Day

2009-08-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

Should we judge? Eitherways...here's me stirring the cauldron of thoughts...

One reason why I believe people dislike judging others is that...well we don't usually know the complete context in which another person acted and hence our judgments could very easily and very often turn out to be wrong...and that's scary!!!

But then isn't life all about judging... isn't it an inescapable act?

As you are approaching an intersection your mind is judging whether to slow down based on the traffic. The first time you meet some person, their body language, the clothes, everything starts forming perceptions in our minds, doesn't it?

And if there is no judgment at all...won't criminals romp the earth free?

And does life judge us...each french fry we eat...we are so squarely judged for it, aren't we ;)

From careers, to what meal we are going to eat next we make as many judgments and choices as there are moments...

The essence therefore may lie in being aware of the limitations under which we make our judgments and to learn from our past mistakes to sharpen our judgment skills and to be very careful while we make our judgments

The whole topic of judgment would also in a way tell us, that look be as transparent as possible, make it easy for people to judge you fairly

And having said that one would also say, don't be afraid of being judged wrongly. I think the lives of Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Ram had the twists in them to tell people that dudes and dudettes of the world, if people can question us, they can definitely question you, so don't let it hassle you, do what you believe in...

Cute Little Love Stories - 5 Aajkal

2009-08-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

"Aajkal badee baatein hone lagee hain duneeya waalon se" he said

She looked at him, said nothing

"Syaapa! chal chai peetein hain"

They walked down to the roadside tapri and ordered two glasses of cutting chai

"Sutta share karna hai?"

She nodded a no

"Tujhe pata hai tu bahut bolta hai" she finally said

"Naee boloon kya?"

A no again

"Tu jab bolta hai, achcha lagta hai"

"Aaj bada pyaar aa raha hai?"

"Tu waapas chal, tujhe pyaar dikhaati hoon"

He grinned

She grinned

The chai waalla couldn't help but grin

A fuck is worth

2009-08-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

10 minutes, prolly 11 as, damn who was that author again, says.

Add to it around 2 hours of foreplay and 1 hr of after cuddle...more or less you are done in 3.5 hrs

to make it sound boring that is, for the entertainment read the chicklits i write :P

the question oh yes there always is a question, wat do you spend your time worrying about all day, what is it that you are really worried about, and ofcourse, why the fuck are you worried!!!

Cute little love stories - 4 On the House

2009-08-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

'Could you send for the cook please.'

'Why sir is something the matter' she asked with an air of concern

'Yes something is, how is that she always manages to blow my mind with her cooking'

She blushed a sheepish smile 'maybe she likes the patronage sir bestows on her'

'You know i did have a request though'

'Something else sir would like?'

'There's this dessert of hers, she calls it lips, its just out of the world, the moment they touch my lips, its like delicious strawberry mixed itself with the eclectic cosmos to deliver an unmatchable stunner....could I have one of those'

She wrapped her arms around his neck 'Oh sir, I just heard from the manager and he said, for such fine patrons like you, its on the house tonight, these lips, all for you, as much as you want......'

Of Childhood Dreams

2009-08-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Remember the time when we were kids, all our dreams. We wanted to grow up to be an astronaut, find a prince or princess, help the world, be a hero, live the luxurious life. So many dreams criss crossing unbound.

But as we grew up we found that our dreams had some scenes missing, like working hard for getting into a medical college and competing against a few lakh others,or that your prince charming who you eloped with leaving your family behind sells you off to a brothel in mumbai. The young kid who saw his pop toil the fields and imagined growing up to be a fine farmer never had thought he would one day as a grown up be drinking insecticide because of the unmanageable debt he was in from failed monsoons and the loan for his daughter's wedding.

We didn't imagine these in our dreams did we?

So was our childhood a cruel joke, setting us up for stuff that was never meant to be?

Life can be cruel, admittedly. The more I see around the more I believe in that. As kids we dreamt of what we wanted, life showed us the challenges to get there. What i've also seen is that the people who are really really what I would say been unjustly treated are the ones who manage to learn to live with life, to be able to dream the dreams which they had as kids, as adults also.

This post comes from me looking back and seeing where life has been nice to me and where it has been nasty and to compare that to others. I mean look at us, we weren't born on a street with our mothers begging for milk, no landmine blew up our arms and burnt our faces, no nurse turned the valve of oxygen on my baby destroying most of his brain.

I have come to realize that all the crying most of us do, if we ever saw what some people have gone through and showed life the finger and still managed to hold onto their dreams, would be ashamed and feel like spoilt brats

Face it, its not that we weren't meant to dream, just that we can either fear what life is gonna throw at us and sulk, or we go get our dreams.

In My Shoes

2009-07-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

One of the important rituals of the night for me, is to polish my shoes for the next morning.

Life is more or less like a shoe after all isn't it. Starts from a factory, treads many roads, walks through carpeted floors and on dusty streets. Mixes around with chappals outside a temple and talks to other hush puppies and the likes across the boardroom.

Every day is a new day, a new gamble, some days it comes home as shining with glory, other days trodden, beaten and dirty.

And thats why every night you must clean your pair, put the polish back on, buff it, so tha the next morning, senor v are ready again

Cute Little Love Stories 3 - The Little World

2009-07-17T02:29:00.000-07:00

a little girl, she is all of 3, impish face, and a t shirt thats grubby because her hands have been using it as a towel...she clambers on to ur tummy at 5 am

ur little curly haired angel.. has clambered on to ur belly n woken u up
there is something sticky n wet tht u can feel u half open ur eyes u see the devil her.. all painted like a red indian; for god knows where she had unearthed ur paint box n managed to paint herself all over.. and having exhausted her little body canvas
was ready to start work on u just wanted u to hitch ur t shirt up
;-)

and ur wife.. slowly wakes up from all the noise to see two tousled hair little ppl.. all jumbled into a ball.. very solemnly trying to see if the red can melt into each other..
she smiles.. flings across her bed clothes and just grins.. a lovely smile seeing her world at work
the camera comes out.. and little moments are captured.. only with mommy being drawn into canvas painting as well...

the little world

Guest post by NehaJ

Just Talking

2009-07-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I posted. So today lets just talk, no rants, no exuberance, just talk...

Life was slightly fucked up at work and it was and has been giving me a troubled time, comforting, sometimes scolding words from friends helped keep me sane...hopefully most of that is not past.

Today when I woke up at 6...and having slept at 1a.m. didnt expect it...the world felt relatively nice...went for a walk with bro...but soon the heart again took a tumbling, but then I went out shopping for a book the boss wanted...that one wasn't in stock...but i came back pretty cheerful (and down some money...and up some books for self :) )

We guys (N, G and Me) are trying to cook up a business plan...we thought we had a good idea, but then maybe not. So help us people. We've seen social networks come up right, orkut -> facebook ->twitter, not to mention online dating/matrimonial sites, professional network sites (LinkedIn)...so what is it that you feel these people miss out on...what is that one website you wish was up...

Played tennis one day only, but it was good...my serves are still with me (and thats how i seem to score points, need to work on my stroke play)

Relationships are still a bloody messy area...though i guess in a way thats good...its a pretty interesting part of my life i'd say

One thing i also observed...everybody has some fuck ups in life...and i mean everybody...and when i see everybody else's i feel greatful for the ones i've got...they don't seem that bad

Off to Oman again tonight, slightly skeptical this time but also looking forward to the challenge.

Somewhere in the past few months I lost me...maybe somewhere down the years I lost me...Or maybe to put it...i'm still finding me...Work, relationships, secrets, accusations, quite a decent masala pic...but overall i learnt more about me, and i learnt more about people....not the negative kind...but probably the same thing that I keep saying repeatedly...that everyone has their fears and aspirations...and one lesson for me...don't butt in to help people, if they want your help they'll come to you for it

But more importantly other than about other people I learnt to ask myself...what do I want to be today...at different points in my life I've tried, writing, squash, tennis, chess, blogging, knitting, cooking, badminton, swimming,photography, sketching, etc...i'm a guy who likes to do something new everyday...irrespective of whether i'm good at it or not...it took my dance teacher two months to get me from jumping monkey, to two left feet to 'people if he can do it, so can you' :P

One last bit for today...I'm not a perfect guy, or even a perfect person. I have my own fears and aspirations that drive me. There are things i'm good at, things I'm not so good at and things i absolutely suck at...but whatever I am...I am very comfortable being me...and it took me years to get to this. I don't stop striving to be a better person everyday...but I have no aspirations of being god (Greek, Roman or otherwise :P) either...

with that unconclusive babble...i close today's post :)

-The SanelyInsane

Cute little stories - 2

2009-06-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

“Want to hear a nice story?” he smsed

So he had landed she thought to herself. She had been awake, she was always awake. “What story” she asked

“Oh I could always cook up something”

“Can you cook up rain then, coz its bloody hot here”

“Yes”

“Kid you are!!!” she replied in exasperation.

He smiled; the radio in the cab was playing ‘rehna tu’.

A week later it rained, and as the first drops fell on the parched earth and her thirsty cheeks,........ “bastard” she thought to herself and smiled.

Kids

2009-06-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Sitting by the play ground
I was munching on salted peanuts
A bunch of kids playing football

Little darlings all
clean tees and shorts
eager be muddied

There was the gifted
the one who could
dribble the ball

The other was a coach
would play less
and teach more

The morale booster
who could after a goal
cheer the team back into action

Not to mention the players
the ones who had to support the dribbler
listen to the coach and get cheered on by the booster

But as i sat and watched
two other kids caught my attention
and my eyes just didnt leave them

The elder one was a jostler
she had a sheepish smile, loads of energy
and kicked people on the shins

The other one was the awkward
he dribbled as badly as anyone could
wasnt really good at anything

These two kids, one despised by everyone
one left alone by everyone
were lost to themselves

Wondering what they had done wrong
what had they done wrong?
nothing...they were also kids

A few days ago a person i knew was talking about another person and all the bad that other person had done. I know both of these people to a different extent but I know both are nice people, both have bad things to say about each other.

An incident today and a very sad one about another person precipitated the thoughts into words

Its easy for us people to label each other as good or bad, as achievers or failures. We are all kids, all wanting to smile, laugh and be happy, we have our own ways, sometimes we hurt each other, sometimes we get lost; but in the end, we are all trying to dribble the ball as best as we can...just because we each play a different way we shouldn't miss the point...we are all kids...we all want to smile, laugh and be happy

Oh little bird

2009-06-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Oh little bird
flapping your wings
against the tyranny
of people and time

this jail cannot be broken
through hurtful angst
in your wake others shall cry
is that what you want?

Your tears are precious
waste them no more
look how the kids come
joyfully to you

Come sit on my perch
Oh little one
I'll pet you
and take good care

And you'll realize that
the jail is easily broken
when u fill your bosom with love again
and sing the song that brings sunshine

Oh little bird
you are the light of the world
come back, come back
to the world of love

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2009-06-11T02:17:00.000-07:00

So after months of having it on my laptop I finally saw this piece of work.

The joyful expression of shopping (a good tutorial for men who don't understand why women like to shop), the jealous desire of winning your man before he gets ensnared by the charms of a conniving bimbo, the addictive plight of today's youth wanting to live a life beyond their means, of a person making her career, of achieving what nobody thought u could.

The movie beautifully weaves all of this into one tale...'the girl with the green scarf'
And that is where the movie really starts, its not about brands or money or the lack of it, or romance...its about having a perspective.

"Rebecca Bloomwood: When I was 7 most of my friends stopped believing in magic. That's when I first started. They were beautiful, they were happy. They didn't even need any money, they had magic cards. "

When I was 7 I realized that we really didn't have a lot of money...dad was in the army, mom was a school teacher. I didn't buy too many novels, never bought a cassette tape till I was in 11th, every thing was a debate between cost and worth. Not like it was a hard life, we had all sorts of fruits and vegetables in the fridge, we wore shiny new uniforms to school, but it wasn't a life of luxury either. I grew up one of those who wonders what the people inside those big cars and hotels must be like. Those suits in fine fabric, custom tailored for the gentlemen, shoes shining like they have a invisible layer of water on them, the expensive glasses with ice swirling the dark portion.

It was a mystery, yes...

I've been to those five star buildings now, have swirled the ice and smoked the cuban cigars (and I mean cuban)...not like I've reached the eptiome of luxury either, I get my suits custom tailored, but they aren't cut in Savile Row...I don't dress, eat or kill like James Bond (goes without saying I don't look like him either). Even though i have been through those very halls it still is pretty much of a mystery to me...for me even now the question of cost vs. worth comes up.

But somewhere between when I was 7 and today I got to know a secret that people inside those buildings quite often find themselves clueless about...where does one find happiness?

Happiness is found at the dinner table...in a warm house, with warm food, where you share the tensions, the fights, the joys and the sorrows together.

Once you have that it is immaterial if you are eating Dal Bukhara or maa di daal (same thing diff names), whether your shorts are from tommy hilfiger or the imitation nike sold on the road side....

Once you have that.

-The Sanely Insane

A cute little love story

2009-06-08T22:55:00.000-07:00

My boss recounted this yesterday about a friend of friend.

So this chap was once sitting in a library and so deeply engrossed that by the time he looked up the library had shuttered down, with him inside it (and this is the pre cell-phone era we are talking about).

So he did what he could do, walk around in the library where he saw another person, 'she' too had been afflicted by the 'too engrossed to notice' syndrome.

So the two of them spent the night inside chatting....

...and a few months down the line they were married

so really...fairy tale romances do happen

The bro code part 2 - Case of the tattering marriage

2009-06-06T23:31:00.000-07:00

For those who haven't read the first part take a peek here

Ok so a chap from our community approached us with this peculiar (peculiar by his standards, its a very common syndrome) problem. A friend of his had been going through a time with her marriage and like any friend should he offered her his shoulder to cry on, his ears to listen to her problems and sane advice (if any man could ever offer one :P ). In doing so he lost his heart to her, she had always been a nice smart witty female this closeness sharing of pain proved to be the tipping point. However as fate would have it the lady managed to get her marriage back on track (thank allah for this :) we don't like seeing marriages breaking up).

So now the question is what does our chap do. While strictly this is not covered under the scope of the brotherhood but we can't leave our brother without guidance now can we, hence applying the principles (did i get the spelling right?) of fairness that the brotherhood is based on we came up with a simple question (the brotherhood believes that even the most complex equations can be solved, if you know exactly what question to ask)

The question being can he come to terms with this new dynamics of relationships, keep being a friend, even though he has strong feelings for her, or does he feel that his feelings will seep out and somewhere cause bitterness either between him, his friend and/or her husband.

And like we expected the answer from our chap pointed to the latter in which case we advised him to step back and out, to sever any and all connections except those which can't be for (social / professional reasons). To bear the pain in the short term for peace and love to prosper....

Our sympathies with the dear chap who has to bear the pain and with the lady who will not be able to understand why her closest friend is going away, but such is life...one must make tough choices sometimes

Beauty - Charles Baudelaire

2009-06-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

I Am as lovely as a dream in stone,
And this my heart where each finds death in turn,
Inspires the poet with a love as lone
As clay eternal and as taciturn.

Swan-white of heart, a sphinx no mortal knows,
My throne is in the heaven's azure deep;
I hate all movements that disturb my pose,
I smile not ever, neither do I weep.

Before my monumental attitudes,
That breathe a soul into the plastic arts,
My poets pray in austere studious moods,

For I, to fold enchantment round their hearts,
Have pools of light where beauty flames and dies,
The placid mirrors of my luminous eyes.

A friend read out a few lines of this to me, I can only say that I'm still reading it and letting the subtleties come to me slowly, letting out the beauty of thought in a very slow trickle

Is it ringing?

2009-06-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday saw in BBC that in Spain unemployment rates have zoomed to 18%. Thats almost a fifth of the working population. Now while one may blame it on the recession but i believe there is something more deeprooted that is to blame and which irks me more because the recession may have an end to it...but the other problem, now thats something

Imagine for a moment the whole of the world is split into five different countries each having a hundred people. Now one country comes up with an invention called cellphone. First in country A 2 people buy it then a few people in country B buy it, country C,D and E are relatively poor so right now they can't afford it.

So the demand for this thing called cellphone rises in country A and B. Then they realize that they can improve profits by getting the manufacturing done in country C.So they outsource to country C. The income levels in country C start rising so people there also start being able to afford cellphones. Meanwhile in country A and B almost everybody has a cellphone so you start introducing more features, some people buy more than one handset, some others change it every now and then and dump the old one so that every year a manager can say he has sold more mobiles than the previous year.

Slowly sales in country A and B start to plateau when you realize that Country C only 6 people have bought cell phones while they have gotten rich making cellphones for A and B. So you start focussing on country C and you see tremendous growth next few years. Then sometime down you realize that sales from C will not be enough and you start looking at D and E, by now the world population is 600 so you have more people to sell to.

But where does this go to? till when can you work on a growing sales model? till when can you tell people to buy more and more, till when can we exploit the earth more and more for our luxuries than our needs, till when can the owner of the cellphone co. live in palaces and eat dishes with gold foil while someone in country E is drinking dirty water.

Something tells me that we humans have gone very wrong somewhere...very very wrong

This blog

2009-06-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

This blog for me is another step in evolution. I know it troubles you guys because you need to keep track of the change every time i jump titles and links, I do apologize for the inconvenience and at the same time hope that you appreciate the freshness the change brings.

With this blog you would've noticed that I've transitioned from my fixation for the black template to the white template which is in line with the theme of this blog 'Beauty of Knowledge'. The title as well the link would leave you confused (I hope it does) because it means nothing, it cannot be pronounced easily or kept in the memory. Our human brain like other things in nature finds it the most convenient to 'patternize' everything. These patterns i believe while having their advantages have a very subtle but powerful disadvantage, that being the 'complexity' in our lives. Every time we feel things are complex it is my theory is that we have been captured / captivated by some pattern and are mentally not able to break out of it. This blog hence tries to break all kinds of stereotypes or patterns that exist and hopes that people will see the light as plain and white as it actually is

It is also a means for me to reach out to people. I'm a conversationalist, this is what I do and my blog continues to be a medium for me to mix my soul with those of others and make a very spicey tangy soul salad. I hope you will all like ones before you extend me the privilege for the same.

It is and here I almost blush :P also a means for me to try and reach out to that single woman who may be looking for me. I have just stepped out of a rather massive heart break and hence may not be very receptive at this point of time. But then between the last time I fell in love and this time the gap was 3 years (with a two minor flickerings in between) and I don't hold high hopes of finding someone really special any time soon. Having said that I do believe (and here you can see how patterns form) that the kind of women who like me are the ones who have a great bias in favour of people with words, wit and intelligence over brut force or money. A single woman is a rare thing today (given the skewed sex ratio :P ) and moreover finding someone you like and they like you back being rarer yet still I believe that if she were to exist and she blogs that maybe she would find me here

But more than my interest to break the patterns of your believes or my romantic hopes of finding lady love, the strongest motivation driver for me is the desire to try and bring a smile to people's faces. I believe that I'm not here on earth to create great products or lead nations to victory but simply to leave the place with more smiles than what I came into. And i really hope that I'm able to achieve this to as much an extent as I can