Cold

Cold is not the season, it is the condition of heart
Cold is not the temperature, it is life's path
When desires rule the heart and wants the mind
When ego is at its acme and love has gone away
Cold is not the air, it is the look in the eyes
Cold is not the metal, it is the touch of the hand
When those who matter turn away
When those who should care are far away
You feel cold inside, its not just outside
Nothing can give warmth when love has died

Lessons not learnt

One after the other, innocents are falling victim to those who care not about the basic human values. Those who forget that they are human when lust and desire consumes them are openly harassing and violating the basic human rights. Be it honor killing or rape or murder, be it battered baby or dowry death, be it cruelty or public shooting, be it arson or just economic shutdown. Peope are using their physical power to overpower those whom they feel are weak and alone. It is time that the lesson is learnt that all are equal as human beings otherwise just punishing a few and leaving others, cases of selective justice are not going to cure the rising cases of crime.
The lesson of love and equality needs to be learnt otherwise this world will not remain a place to live in. Unless and until, every single individual learns to treat the other as his equal irrespective of sex, caste, class, religion, place of birth or race, it is not possible to curb the crimes that are rampant in the society. It is useless to shout slogans unless one strives to change his own heart. It is a lesson to be learnt or else nothing will remain.

Lost patience

It is an irony that in a country that boasts of being a democracy and freedom of speech and movement are the basic rights of its citizens, where right to life and privacy is guaranteed to every individual, the society is interering in every aspect of another's life. What to wear, what not to wear, what to speak, what to write has become the concern of every self appointed guardian of society and culture. Girls are banned from wearing what they like, molested by their own family, fathers and other neighbours killed for trying to save a girl from molestation, people jailed for expressing their views, the world has really lost its patience. Instead of moving ahead and giving each person his due, everybody is interested in what the other is doing. Honour killings on rise are just another expression of the society's inability to accept change. In reality, they are creating a world of tyranny, of oppression. Allowing every person to live as per his or her choice is what the society should be based on. The false notions of honour and wealth and status should be given up. A free society is where the weak and the strong can co-exist happily. Millions are dying hungry worldwide, we need a little more love, a little less hate, and a lot more of patience. It is time to stop and ponder is this the world that we want to leave to our children. Certainly it is not. It is time to change ourselves. Let's love prevail and let us have some patience with our fellow brothers and sisters. Give others the freedom to do what they want, as long as they are not harming anyone else, it is their birth-right. Let's be more patient.

Why a veil?

A veil is a curtain that hides something from others. It can be a physical veil or a spiritual veil. A physical veil is what is manifest in the eye of the beholder; a spiritual veil is one which is not manifest but exists nevertheless. Veil hides or protects, it separates, and it brings about a discipline. Sometimes a veil is there because some things are so grand that they cannot be seen. Sometimes the veil is there to protect that which is delicate. Sometimes the veil is there to safeguard the onlooker, sometimes it protects that which it covers. It protects from evil. It stops not just the action but the very intention of doing wrong. While a physical veil may be used to shield from the gaze of the onlookers, a spiritual veil has a far greater importance. A spiritual veil protects a man from getting tempted towards wrong thoughts. And veil is better than the remembrance of God? This veil stops the whisperings of the satan. It purifies and heals. It cleans that what has been polluted. It preserves that which is delicate and needs protection. A veil is not to save others from getting tempted; it is to protect one’s own soul from getting tempted. It is the sword as well as the shield.

Religion and spirituality

What is religion? Religion is the way of life. It is a means of perfecting the life on earth as well as creating a perfection in the hereafter. Religion aims at purifying the soul, taking away the defects that occur in it and creating a being worth liking. Religion is not just a worship of God but it is something more. It is a spiritual awakening. A mere performance of rituals doesn’t make a man religious if his spirit is not awakened. The very foundation of religion lies in spirituality. Spirituality means looking beyond the physical body. It goes deep down in the very foundation of existence. It is the acceptance of God as the Supreme Power, the Creator and the Suatainer. It is the acknowledgement of the fact that the souls are bound to perform certain duties. The most important duty is to bow down before its Creator. But that alone is not spirituality. An equally important aspect of spirituality is love and humility. The prostration should come out of humility and love. The person prostrating should acknowledge that his position is a very humble one and is one amongst the many other souls. There cannot be pride in a true prostration. The prostration should come out of the love for his Lord. It should be a declaration of love. And love is the acme of all emotions that a human heart is capable of feeling. Love is the complete negation of the feeling of self. It is a complete surrender to the beloved. And who can be a better beloved than the One who is all knowing and all powerful. Love for the Lord alone can empower a man to follow religion and lead his life in a pious manner. And love for the Lord also means that he should love each and every creation of his Lord. For if he cannot love that is manifest, how can he love that which is beyond his imagination? How can he love his Lord, if he cannot love that which the Lord has created? Without love he cannot obey any command. Fear is not a sufficient incentive for the soul to surrender. Love alone can control it. Without love there cannot be spirituality and without spirituality there cannot be religion. Without spirituality there can only be misguided youth and chaos. To bring about peace, it is necessary that every instance of hate or pride be removed.

Lessons from Karbala

The name “Karbala” in itself is sufficient to elicit a wide range of emotions and a multitude of questions. It not just evokes grief but also a sense of responsibility in life. It raises the level of human thought beyond the bounds of self. Yet, above all these, it also teaches a number of lessons. First of all, it tells that religion in itself is not sufficient to ensure that human values are cherished, it requires a great effort, great both in magnitude as well as perseverence to ensure that the fundamentals of freedom and equality are preserved. It tells that society will always have oppressors and oppressed and it is the duty of each and every individual to choose the right side. Those who keep quiet when people are oppressed are no less oppressors themselves.

Secondly, it tells that it does not matter what color, race, age or social or economic status you belong to, but that every individual has the capacity to make a contribution that will effect the world for ages to come. It tells that in every battle between right and wrong, it matters what side you fight for. You cannot justify your wrongs while your right action needs no explanation.

Thirdly, it tells that men of God are not those who offer prayer in a articular form. Prayer no doubt cleanses the heart, but for that the prayer should come from a heart that wishes to cleanse itself. No amount of following a tradition without meaning it can help anyone. It will be just a means to deceive one’s own self because one cannot deceive God. Men of God are those who fight against injustice and fight till their last breath.

Karbala says stand for the weak and the oppressed. It calls for action. It is not dependent on tears, what it wants is that people become better human beings.

I wish

Mumma, I wish you were here
So that I could show you the emptiness I feel without you
Mumma, I wish you were here
So that I could share my pain
Mumma, I wish you were here
So that I wasn't so alone
Mumma, I wish you were here
So that you could make everything right again
Mumma, I wish you were here
So that you could hold me in your arms and have said its alright
Mumma, I wish you were here
So that I wasn't so afraid
Oh I wish, I wish mumma you were here with me always

Missing you, as always

I do not have words to even say what I feel. Sometimes somethings are better left unsaid. It is not even grief or a sense of loss. It is something that is beyond expression. Something that can only be felt. And yet, I want to say, but still I feel that maybe I shouldn’t. Some things can never be explained. Some don’t need explanation. Some things are made to be broken. Some to be cherished forever. Sometimes even regret brings satisfaction. Sometimes the pain is inspiring. Sometimes smiles leave you empty. Sometimes tears complete you. I do not have words to say what I feel. But wish what I feel is understood. Because sometimes you never know. Because sometimes even a life is not enough.

Another disgrace

Sale of women during diwali

The custom in Rajasthan to buy young girls during diwali in order to marry them off to older men who pay the highest price is pure shameful. How can they claim they worship the goddess when they actually dishonour her likeness. Every single girl is the goddess incarnate, she is the light and the wealth, how can she be sold in the name of religion? Is humanity worth nothing? Is all that is left is greed for wealth and lust for women? Shouldn’t strict action be taken against such shameful acts of human trafficking? The Constitution protects all individuals from traffic in human, then where are the guardians of Constitution, why don’t they protect these innocent lives? It is time that we understand the worth of our fellow human beings and stand against such shameful practices.

Why I love scooty’s ads

Commercial advertisements have taken over a new role of criticising the social evils and also of awakening the citizens into taking some positive action. One of the brands advocating this belief is scooty. I really like the way they have captured the two very common issues of eve teasing and moral policing in their advertisements. While one shows boys that even you will get harassed if a group of girls surround you and make wolf calls, the other simply hits the nail when it shows that vulgarity lies in the minds of those who see it. Those who claim that only a particular dress code is respectful, should realise that no dress is wrong. It is all in the perception. Well i like it. Keep it up.

For shame

A country that cannot protect its citizen’s basic right to speech is indeed a weak nation. Where individual’s cannot even question government actions without being sent behind bars, where they dread to express is their opinion is not the nation that Tagore visualised. A nation that cannot guarantee its people’s speech needs to rethink about its own existence. How long can fear sustain life, it needs to be overcome.

Right to live

A young woman dies in a hospital because the doctors refuse to terminate her pregnancy. The doctors say that abortion is unlawful as it takes one life. Little do they care about the life that is lost in order to preserve what cannot be saved. It is the moral duty of a doctor to terminate a pregnancy that can kill the mother, specially when the unborn child cannot be saved in any circumstance. Just waiting for the fetal heart to stop and risking the mother's life is a crime and a sin. An innocent life was lost just because the false notions of religion make a man's heart stone. Religion should not be brutal, it should be humanitarian. A religion that cannot accept the basic rights of an individual is not a religion. It is means of deceiving the masses. Right to live is basic of all rights and it cannot be taken away for that which is not even there.

Will love- jab tak hai jaan!!

When the masters of romance come together one can expect nothing short of true love. Anyone who has ever touched or seen or felt love can easily identify with the intensity of emotions showcased. Moving like a poetry, the story of love and loss, of pain and hope flowed. Love that can be pure and selfless, yet full of darkness and heartache. Love that is faith yet despair. Love that is beautiful yet scarring. Love that gives life yet prefers death. A true romance. A well made movie indeed.

Ability to love

It seems strange when something I believed in came up in front of me from the most unexpected source. An innocent discussion on the definition of love raised the issue about self love. Loving oneself does not mean being selfish or self centered. It just means that the vessel is so full that it is brimming over. The only person deserving our love is we ourself. If we cannot love ourselves then whom can we love. The only love that can be complete and pure and without any selfish reason is the love for our own selves. To love others we need to love to love ourselves first. Otherwise, everything else is incomplete, just a mirage.

Main koi begana nahi, anjana nahi

Par mere apno ne mujhe pehchana nahi

Main musafir hoon teri galiyon ka

Haqeeqat hoon koi afsana nahi

Tu noor hai, haya hai, adaa hai

Main aise hi tera deewaana nahi

Sajde kiye hain tere darr ke

Par tune mujhe kabhi sambhaala nahi

Kal shab hum phir tere intezaar mein bathe

Kal shab bhi phir chiraag sang chand pighal gaya

Kal shab phir sajaye humne do jaam mai ke

Kal shab phir bin chuye paymana chalak gaya

Unko na aana tha woh na aaye lekin

Kal shab phir kiske rukh se ghoonghat dhalak gaya

Kal shab phir dil ki dhadkano ne dastak di

Kal shab phir koi saaya aake guzar gaya

Na jaane aur kya hua maloom nahi

Kal shab hosh na aaya, bas dum nikal gaya

Tere jaane se mere dil mein kuch ajab si uljhan hai

Na aarzoo baqi hai, na hi koi gila hai

Tu hai mera ya nahi, yeh dil jaanta nahi

Par kuch toh hai jo tujhe dil bhulta nahi

Na janmo mein bandha, na palko pe saja

Bas dard se bana aur dard mein raha

Aansoo aur aanhein aur tadap to hai

Mayoosi hai koi ghuli fiza mein

Ab khwabon ke bhi parvaz nahi

Na jaane yeh koi rishta hai bhi ya nahi

It is you

It is you

You do not know

How much I am hurt

How much in pain

It is you

But you do not know

Why I cry all night

And suffer all day

It is you

But you do not know

What you mean to me

Why I care so much

It is you

But you do not know

That it is you

And only you

Yunhi teri yaad aati hai

Ab bhi dil mein ek tees si lagati hai

Tootte huye sapno ki awaaz

Ab bhi dil ko bechain kar jaati hai

Dard mein dooba hua who rishta

Yaad jiski har pal tadpati hai

Tujhse duur reh kar yahan

Zindagi se badh maut bha jaati hai

Kaise tumhe bataye tum bin

Kitni kali ghata cha jaati hai

Oss ki maddhim boondein bhi

Kis tarah se aag lagati hain

Na tu samjha, na samjhega

Yeh raat kaise darati hai

Kabhi aansoo ban kar behti hai

Kabhi aahein ban kar ke aati hai

Death - end or new beginning?

Death is the last hurdle of life. And death of a legend or some artistic maestro brings an end to an era. It comes as a shock and takes time to seep in. It shakes the feelings but whether it is the end or the beginning is something to ponder upon. Whether it ends a lifetime or paves the path for the future generations to rise up and prosper? Death may be the end of an individual but his vision, his dreams for ever. The changes, the contribution of a person to the society plays an important role in making what the future will be like. So, it is difficult to say that death is the end. The person dying moves over to a new journey to an unknown destination. Life begins and ends but the journey continues, in some other form, in other direction.

Old pearls

So China brands its unmarried women who are over 27 years of age as leftover women. It is enough to make any self respecting woman fume. Women who are unmarried are not leftovers nor are they yellow pearls. Yes, they are pearls that have been through the harshness of time. Their shine does not fade. They are adornments. Their qualities reflect upon those who are around them. Marriage does not determine the worth of a woman. Similarly, a large beautiful pearl does not require the company of others to show its value. It is beautiful now and will remain beautiful forever.

Early winter mornings-and the dreams they unfold

When I woke up today, I had just one dominant thought that it is time to plant winter seasonal flowers. The slight nip in the breeze offered me new avenues to think of. The chill made me realize that it is the time to think, the time to dream, the time to enter the fairyland.

Winters offer a myriad of stories, families and friends coming together and creating new memories. Winters tease the senses; urge the fantasies to do a little more. A time of bonfires and get-togethers, this is when mysteries are created and unfolded.

This is the time when love blossoms, friendships strengthened and families bonded. This is the time to play and relax; work and leisure; a general feeling of wellbeing.

Like the saplings planted at this time, life also grows and moves forward, spreading love and cheer, it unfolds many new dreams and stories.

 

 

Anti-slavery day

Slavery is the ancient form of labour in which the slave is bonded to the house of the master and has no free will of his own. Under the slavery system, the slave is treated like a chattel and can be transferred from one master to another for a price or as a gift. A slave and his children are the property of his master.

Slavery has existed through ages. It includes chattel slavery, bonded labour and forced labour. Slavery demeans the human worth and equates human life with that of animals or as lifeless objects. It is considered to be one of the biggest violations of human freedom and dignity.

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights has declared freedom from slavery as one of the fundamental human rights. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also declares freedom from slavery as a fundamental freedom. It prohibits slavery and enforced servitude.

In India, the Constitution prohibits bonded labour and beggar. The Bonded Labour (Prohibition) Act, 1976 also lays down provisions relating to the abolition of slavery.

However, after all these legal provisions also, the menace of slavery still exist the world over. It needs to be addressed at public platforms. Social consciousness alone can curb it.

Teri zulfon ke ghane saaye mein, jo main aa jaao toh chain aa jaaye

Teri aankhon ke aaine mein, jo sama jaao toh chain aa jaaye

Sham ne dhalte huye bola, chand ne rukh ko jo zara khola

Tere chehre ki shabahat ki main, ik jhalak paao toh chain aa jaaye

Bolti hai teri aankhon ki jhalak, koi phirta hai pyaasa yahan

Ik khatra jo mile is mai ka, doob jaao toh chain aa jaaye

Subah ke rang bhi khoye hain kahin, khushbu phir phool se khafa huyi

Jhilmilaata tera saaya jo pade, ghash mein aa jaao toh chain aa jaaye

Teri baahon ki mehek hai baaqi, dil mein thodi si kasak hai baaqi

Dum bhi nikle jo tere dar pe mera, tujhko dekhu toh chain aa jaaye

 

Taliban not the face of Islam

Why is that a couple of self appointed guardians of religion are able to tarnish the image of a religion that is in reality a peace loving religion? Why are they able to force their opinion of morality and propriety and the world watches numb?

Islam is not all about jihad. And if there is jihad, it is jihad against one’s inner evils. It is a war against one’s greed, envy, anger and hatred. It does not force women to stay covered from head to toe nor does it propagate bigamy. Instead, it stands for women’s education, it is the first religion to give property rights to women, it orders the husband to fulfill his duties towards his wife. It is these self appointed guardians or ambassadors of religion who have distorted the face of religion.

Islam in its essence speaks of love, of tolerance, of patience. It does not force a person to do anything against his will. It prohibits only such acts that are harmful for a man’s body or soul.

But above all, it speaks of love and goodness. It is all about sharing one’s bounties with others, specially the less fortunate.

It is against religious symbolism. It just requires a loving heart. A heart that is ready to submit in front of its creator’s will and a heart ready to help anyone and everyone in need.

This is a religion of love and not of war. And Taliban does not represent the true meaning of Islam.

Yet again

Yet again a girl is raped

Yet again she is blamed

Yet again her liberty curbed

Yet again her dreams crushed

She is violated

She is cursed

She is called names

The victim is culprit

The criminal innocent

She takes the blame to her grave

Yet again we fail our duty

To cherish the flower we had

Yet again it is crushed

Broken and trampled

Waiting for justice yet again

Questions

What ails you my brother-

That you cannot be friends?

Why you can’t be loving?

Why do you have to shatter dreams,

Break hearts, kill hopes?

You cannot bear another’s joy

It pains you if people smile

Their success pricks your eye

My brother open your heart

Let love and peace enter it

Be a friend

Be a mother

Have a little faith

 

 

 

 

Disappointed!

What has this world come to when a young, teenage girl is shot at for writing for girl’s education? It’s a shame that the world has become so inhuman. The innocents are butchered in the name of religion if they talk of equality. Is it a crime to stand against injustice? A crime to fight for the poor and the needy? Why is the world not ready to accept a girl with a liberal mind? Why are the so called caretakers of religion enemy of humanity?

It’s true that if the dead are given voice they will say that this world is not a place worth living. It’s really disappointing to see that human life has no value, justice and equality have no worth, love has no place. There is no place for free thinking people, for people who speak their mind, who fight for others.

Has Indian advertisement lost it?

Television today is full of advertisements that are bordering on vulgarity and disrespect. Mobile companies don’t shy away in calling a person with a simple handset uncle. They do not wince in showing disrespect to their seniors. While a soft drink company has clearly forgotten what is humorous and what is vulgar in the cricket season. Deodorants have always shown women running after guys who have used the spray.

Is it really advertisement aimed at increasing sales by showcasing the product’s qualities or is it a way of showing that it does not matter if you are disrespectful, rude or vulgar, if you use/own certain products.

Isn’t it the moral duty of the advertisers to see that what they show does not have an adverse effect upon impressionable minds? Advertisements like films affect the mind in more than one way being perceived by various senses. They have a lasting impact and hence, should be regulated.

Love?

It cannot be love

It has to be some madness

This all consuming passion

That is killing me from inside

My dreams, my hopes, my desires

Are leaving me in despair

Why cannot the past be past?

Dead and buried away

Why does it have to burn me?

To torture me endless agony

It cannot be love

It has to be some madness

Is there some demon in my head?

That is taking away my sanity

Why are my days trysts

And my nights are sufferings

Why I cannot be at peace

Why do I toil alone?

Can someone hear my cries?

Why, oh why this pain

It cannot be love

It has to be some madness

The price of privacy

One of the basic rights of an individual is that the world respects his privacy and does not interfere with his day to day life. He has the right to carry on his life activities without being scanned under the curious eyes of his neighbor.

However, with the advent of science and technology, man has abused his inventions to enter into the private world of others. Nothing is hidden anymore. And more famous the person, greater is the interference in his life. Private has changed into public and publicity involves both positive and negative aspects.

Many a times, negative publicity overshadows the positivity for the simple reason that people want to dig out the dirt, to tarnish the image of those who are famous. The price may be the complete failure of his personal relationships.

It is the moral duty of a man to respect his fellow beings privacy. One should be mature enough to know one’s limits. Otherwise it may result in complete disintegration of all relationships.

A differently flavored barfi!

Watching barfi! was a pleasure, simply on account  of the intensity of emotions ad expressions of the lead actors. Who says love needs words to be expressed when the deaf and dumb Murphy can do that with such an ease. The movie had the hilarity that make even the saddest moments light. Heartbreaks were never emphasized but hope was. Innocence lay even in the attempts to rob a bank or kidnap a friend. And an equal role was given to the landscape, the animals and buildings. The secret lies in the details and the details were beautiful.

But above all, the movie reminded me of my childhood when I used to watch Charlie Chaplin and laurel and hardy. It had the same kind of dark humor, the same intensity, the same effect of making you think beyond. It showed what is the purity of heart and that of love without being overbearing. It showed that love can never be selfish.

A different kind of plot, superb acting and amazing direction, gives barfi a pure, unadulterated and unique flavor.

Acid attack for wearing jeans!!!

Posters in Ranchi say that jeans are banned for girls and that any girl wearing jeans or going out without a dupatta will be attacked with acid. Self appointed guardians of society are willing to hurt a woman in any form just to show their supremacy. And this is after the Supreme Court has asked government to take serious note of the issue of acid attacks. Police says that it could be a case of mischief. But this is an issue that should be taken seriously.
Imagine living in a world where you cannot move out wearing what you desire. A world where personal liberty is curtailed in the name of moral policing. Is this the world that we created for our children, a world where being a woman means that you have no respect, no choice?
Maybe women should also start carrying acid wwith them and throw it on any man who misbehaves with them. Maybe women should join together and beat the husband who comes home drunk.
Why can't these people grow up and understand that clothes are not the culprit. It is the intention of the man who looks at a woman that matters.

The victim is at fault

So the minister says that the girl was dressed up provocatively, that’s why she was molested. And so the girls burn jeans and shirts because western clothes attract molester. And so the blame is always on the victim. You are raped because your dress was short, you are robbed because you carried purse.

I really want to know are women in saree and salwar suits not raped? Or was that 80 year old woman wearing revealing clothes when a 22 year old boy raped her? And what about the grandmother who was raped by her own grandson?

Maybe I should go down to the ancient India and ask how was Sita dressed when she was abducted and how was Draupadi dressed when she was humiliated in public? It is not the dress, it is the mindset. It is the male dominant society. It is the mentality that I am the man, I am powerful, I can do anything. It is not the fault of the victim, it is the attacker. And it is high time that it is imprinted on the minds of all men that you are at fault. You are scared of a free thinking woman. And you should accept her as your equal. And if western clothes are at fault, then why is it that every woman in west is not molested? Stop blaming the clothes, check your own character. That is your permanent attire.

When love’s gone, no need to maintain

I read an interesting article on men quitting their high paying jobs or having their families disown them on papers to avoid paying maintenance to their ex wives and children. It seems an irony that the woman who spent her entire married life making their houses homes is left without anything to support her once the husband’s interest has dwindled. But then, there is another side to the story. Do women who had made their husband’s lives miserable have a right to his hard earned money? And especially when their claim is so high that it will continue to make the husband’s life miserable if he pays it. Well divorce can get ugly and fight for alimony uglier. It is bad enough to wash your linen in public. But still, children do have a right on their father’s earnings. There is no reason why children should suffer if their parents have stopped loving each other. What is required is that the courts should see through the claims of maintenance and as well as the antics played by the husband to avoid them. Maintenance should be to maintain those who are unable themselves and not as a punishment to those who work hard and earn. Genuine cases should not be ignored because some have taken unfair advantages. Marriages are founded on love and understanding, and when that is gone no amount of maintenance can suffice.

Stumped

I faced a really bad interview, maybe as bad as my viva the day my mother fell mortally sick. It is a depressing feeling when you are unable to express what you knew so well, things that you could have easily described but were unable to do. And it happened because of things I never thought can be asked, things too mundane in the present society, things I didn’t feel were worth going over again after a gap of 4 years.

It’s a time when I am stumbling and falling. I hope to rise up and walk again, to run and to fly but right now I am going through a reverse mode. I have a desire to do something but presently I am standing empty handed.

Maybe it is time to wipe my slate clean and make a fresh start. It is time to get up and go. It is time to strive for the best. And time to use every failure as a stepping stone.

Bad mocktail!

Well, I watched cocktail and yes, it is a bad one for that. I have no idea when will Indian filmmaker learn that clothes don’t define character and the so called bad girls are also marriage material. Girls who don’t dress up in salwar suits are also good at heart. Poor, little, rich Veronicas loose the guy that simple looking Meeras bag. And so, while a fashionable girl gets to be the live in partner, it is her best friend who gets introduced to mamma. After all, the lecherous, mamma’s boy will marry the straight, simple girl. And above all, it comes down to two educated, independent girls fighting for a gigolo! And all the love and friendship and sacrifice funda. Oh come on, babes, we don’t need this second hand kahaani……..

No woman’s land

India, the land of goddesses, has become a place where women are treated worse than animals. In Assam, one teenager is publicly molested by mob, another by army men, while their MLA is beaten up by mob. In Maharashtra, a school girl is made to drink her urine for bedwetting and a model is beaten up by mob. In Karnataka, a dentist husband makes his wife drink his urine while torturing her for dowry. In Uttar Pradesh, while the village panchayat orders that women below cannot go outdoors, cannot have mobile phones, policemen rape women. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, just some of the reported cases. Instances of harassment of women are increasing day by day. With rising cases of female feticide and infanticide and abandoned and battered babies, acid attacks, molestations, dowry deaths, honor killings, it is difficult to say if girls of any age are safe here. Girls are molested by strangers and their own kin alike. From before her birth till after her death, a girl is never safe.

Human rights violation in Syria

The Human Rights Watch has reported that there are about 27 tortures centres in Syria run by the country’s intelligence agency. The group has reported that torture of detainees in the form of burning with acid, pulling out nails, sexual assault, beating with cables and batons is carried on by the various state agencies. The acts of torture are a gross violation of the basic human rights and are opposed to human values. Such acts of state sponsored violence should not be tolerated in civilised society and actions should be taken by the international community to curb them.

On divinity

Who is God and who is man? Man may attempt to seek God, to know God, but God Himself is the complete knowledge. Where man wanders in search of truth, God is the Truth. Man seeks infinity in what is obvious, while God encompasses of all that is obvious and all that is hidden. While man is the seeker, God is the prize. While man is the traveler, God, the destination. The journey towards discovering God will go through the journey towards discovering all the truth, all the knowledge of this universe. It will take man into the skies and under the seas and deep inside his own heart. It will require the heart to be tested by fire, of love and of compassion. It will burn the desires and end the trauma and a deeper meaning to life. But wanderers may wander and weepers may weep. A heart devoid of love fails to succeed in any way. No gift is precious than a gift of love. And love alone can purge the soul, clear the mind and guide the heart. To reach God, love can empower, love be the guiding light in the journey so hard.

Learn and live

Life is a continuous learning process. You live only as long as you are able to learn something new. The process of learning, discovering and evolving is one that determines the path of life. When you learn something, you evolve bit by bit. The wiser you get, the longer you live. You become a better human person. You live not as a physical being but something greater, something immortal. However, this process stops the moment you stop learning. You stop growing, you stop developing. You die when your mind stops evolving itself. Don’t die before death. Continue to learn and live.

Eighteen summers

And this one is for my friend Vaidehi. I first met Vaidehi in July of 1995 when we were mere shrimps of 12 years. I remember as a shy silent girl who had accepted the fact that people will make fun of her and of her name. She had joined our school because her uncle had started teaching there. I used to have a large group of friends at that time and we took Vaidehi as one of our own.

In the next few years, Vaidehi was a shy girl, who didn’t express herself, who never lost her number and who, more often than not had people trample her feelings. Most of the times, she took herself for granted. One of her hobbies during school was watching commercial advertisements and imitating them, a hobby she shared with Saumya.

As school ended and college began, Vaidehi started asserting herself more. She even started getting angry. But her anger was never because of her own ego, it was because she had witnessed some injustice or other. But with time, she took some major steps; she accepted those who were alone.

But this is not about Vaidehi. This is for the relation that I share with her. She advised me, that I never followed. She scolded me (sometime) but I always laughed my way out. She stood by my side when I was sad, when I was angry, when I was mad, when I was unreasonable, when I was lonely; and she stood by my side through my work and marriage and after. She tried to understand me, though I have serious doubts if she understood me. But all in all, she has always been a good friend. Maybe she has been a little strict friend; but nevertheless a good one.

So this is for the eighteen summers that we spent together. Laughing and sharing and studying and playing and arguing. With all our differences we gelled together. Maybe this is friendship.

Friends once,

Friends forever.

Come back

By the stars, the moon and the skies

I think of you and I cry

I call out your name aloud and softly

Waiting for you to come back gently

Hoping to see your bright face

Anticipating my heart would race

I have spent many sleepless nights

Tossing and turning and sitting upright

I wonder when I will see you again

And free will I be from this pain

Come back to me, I need you so much

Come back to me, I miss you so much

Tracing the roots

It is a difficult task finding out about one’s roots, tracing one’s family history, especially if generations had moved to different lands, inhabited most distant places. It becomes even more difficult if subsequent generations had changed the family name. Many a times, people try to find out their family history to lay claim to some past glory. Often this is just a general desire to know about one’s origin. And sometimes it has to do with one’s pride. But one question invariably comes to mind, what if the family past is not something that would make us proud? What if our ancestors did acts that will make us try to cover up our history from the world? There have been many instances where a curiosity to find out family history has turned into a costly affair, with huge money spent in cover-up.

Maybe what is required from us is that we accept who we are. Instead of trying to find pride in our ancestors’ past, we should work so that people are proud of us. What we are is not determined by who our forefathers were but what we do. It is not the past, nor the future; it is the present that matters. It is this moment that determines our worth. We are the choices we make. We are the tree nourished by our deeds. Our roots are our self worth.

Blessings

Every tear is a blessing and so is every smile;

Every night is a blessing and so is sunshine:

Every adversity is a test and a test is a blessing;

So all thanks to God for His countless blessings.

You

Another day has gone

And what has not left me

Is my loneliness

No matter how much I try

I always end up crying

And you, who has gone far

Never turned around

Never once you saw

How much I cry for you

Never did you hear

The night broken by my sighs

Tamarind patties

As a teenager I used to be very fond of tamarind, with my grandmother (amma) finding it very difficult to save some for the kitchen, wherever she hid it, I used to find it and eat it. Well, one fine June day, amma, mummy and amma’s sister, kakka, decided to have some tamarind fun. I was told that it is no fun eating raw tamarind; it tastes the best when properly prepared! And so, the cook was summoned and instructed to prepare tamarind patties with lots of spices. So all the tamarind was taken away, mixed with sugar and salt and chilies and cooked and made into round patties. And finally, the wait was over and these three ladies enjoyed tamarind. What about me and my love for tamarind? Well I found the patties too spicy for my taste. I went back to stealing tamarind from the kitchen. But that day, I saw these three wonderful, talented ladies having fun with tamarind, reliving their youth. Time has separated me from all three of them, but on this fine June day, I hope that all of them must be enjoying tamarind patties in heaven.

Void

Even though I try to cope with my life, I find it difficult to forget you. How much I long to see you again but you have gone to the land of no return and as long as I live, I cannot see you. But your memories haunt me. When I sleep, you ask me things that I know nothing of. You are a part of me, a part that cannot be separated yet you have left behind a void that can never be filled. It hurts me, it questions me. I feel so lonely without you. I wish you were still here.

Flying off

Something that I had always imagined to happen happened today. I always thought that the strong breeze at my apartment is capable of taking away my washed clothes with it. And well, today as I was taking down my dried clothes from the clothes line, a very strong gush of air came and carried away my washed shirt with it. It was a weird feeling, trying to grab a piece of clothing in air, which was enjoying its freedom. And as I watched helplessly, I saw my shirt being deposited safely on top of the covered parking lot having no means of access. Well, that meant locking home, rushing down to the security guards and begging them to retrieve my piece of clothing. Well thankfully, they had a ladder to climb on top of the parking area and retrieved my shirt. And thankful at heart, I finally carried my runaway shirt back to my home!!!

Alone

Why are you afraid of walking alone?

Life is just a journey that has to be traversed alone

Relations are just part time companions

But you, you are the force that drives your universe

Then why are you afraid of walking alone?

You have the knowledge, the power, the wisdom

You are the maker of your destiny

You are the sun, you are the moon

Then why are you afraid of walking alone?

You shoulders can lift the heaviest of loads

Your heart is full of the ocean of love

Your mind is free from shackles of life

Then why are you afraid of walking alone?

Its time you let go of past bonds

Don’t let the clouds block your vision

The world is yours, to see and explore

Just don’t be afraid of walking alone

In strange lands

It seems so strange that the loss of one person dear to the heart turns the world upside down and the world though same as it always was seems like an entirely different place. One forgets how the sun shines and the moon comes out. One forgets how the land is, how the skies are. Even though everything else remains the same, it feels like one is walking in strange lands..

Some different paths

Some different planes

Unknown seems the road ahead

It seems like walking in strange lands

Different seem the night and day

Unknown are the winds of land

With strangers standing all around

It seems like walking in strange lands

With no more hopes

With no more dreams

As if lost in some kind of maze

It seems like walking in strange lands

The heart has stopped singing

The eyes have stopped dreaming

More of tears and less of smiles

It seems like walking in strange lands

The vision is blurred

And the mist is all around

And the sounds are also strange

It seems like walking in strange lands

The Cuckoo Song

In the silence of the time

Feeling the gentle morning breeze

When skies are still dark

And the world still sleeps

The roads lie so lonely

And rustling of leaves can be heard

Amongst the chirping of birds

Dawn marks its arrival

And sounds here the song so sweet

It fills the heart with joy

But some tears of past memories remain

While future beacons ahead

Illusions

The truth and happiness are just illusions. The world is exactly how we want it to be. I am the world and the world is in me. The atoms that make the parts of my body today were parts of someone else's body earlier and will be part of someone else later. I was neither born, nor will I die, for matter can neither be created nor destroyed. My body was made out of one single cell from my mother's body, it grew from the nutrients derived from my mother's blood and today I am a distinct human being. But am I really distinct? The air I inhale is inhaled by people around me. I oxygen that enters my system has come out from some plant's body. I am constantly exchanging these atoms with other living beings, plants, animals, humans and also with the soil. I am a part of this universe and the universe is a part of me. The sky I see today, is all history, so many stars twinkling out there have died away millions of years ago. Truth changes with the frame of reference. I might be seated at my desk, but the land I am sitting on is moving. Plate tectonics states that all the plates(comprising of oceans and continents) are moving at different speeds over the surface of the earth. Even plates are getting formed and consumed for the earth is not stable. And the eart is both rotating on its axis and revolving around the sun, while the sun is revolving around the core of the galaxy, the milky way and the milky way is moving away from all the other galaxies in the universe and there might be many other universes. So am I really sitting at one place? Physics is based on the fundamental truth that the speed of light is constant, but that is also an illusion, because special relativity says that time dilates and length contracts, then how can speed of light be constant? And what exactly is happiness? Is it a biochemical reaction to some random stimuli or a psychological imbalance? I call it imbalance because mostly insane people seem to be happy in their own make belief world and their world does not exist in our world. Do they really see and hear that we are unable to perceive or are they in a state of illusion? What is the truth? Is it the world that we see and perceive or it is what we cannot understand? The truth is just an illusion because different people have different version of truth. Is it your truth or my truth or somebody else's truth?

Monkey woes

It is the month of May and the heat as usual is great in the Indian subcontinent. For the rich as well as the poor, for human, animal and plant life, rains are always a welcome respite. And so man prayed. Man prayed and Gods answered. There was rain and dust storm last evening and so a relief from the scorching heat for sometime. Children went out to play in the pleasant evening. Even my heart sang with joy at the wonderful change. But a change in weather brings about a change in the surroundings. It is not just the human beings who enjoyed this pleasant change but also our other companions from the animal world. And I realised it this morning when I went out for my morning walk and found some new companions. Yes, my walk was joined by monkeys. and whatever I may claim myself to be, I do not claim myself to be brave enough to enjoy their companionship. And so when I noticed one monkey observing me attentively, I felt that the only sane thing would be to change my walk into something fast and ran back home to save my life...Afterall I have heard so many stories of people being attacked by monkeys. And I could hear all the birds shrieking in fright. Because they sense danger before man. And I had nothing so as to bribe the monkeys to save myself. Thinking about all the pros and cons now I feel that maybe I should walk only when it is hot and not when it is pleasant, I should better leave that time for my other animal friends. Afterall it is the time to live and let live.

Pauses

You hurt me and then you expect me to love you
You don't listen yet you want me to be there always
When I am hurt, it is laughing matter for you
And you want me to wipe your tears always
I don't hold grudge against you
But I just want you to think me as a human
But even if you treat me like this always
I will forgive you and move away
Where you will never be able to find me

Too dirty

So 'The Dirty Picture' is too dirty for the Indian audience. It is such an irony that while on one hand any amount of skin show is not restricted on the television, a film that traces the journey of a woman who broke the stereotype is. It is too dirty to watch the story of a woman who wanted to be loved by her audience and by one man but died unloved. It is too dirty to watch the story of a woman who wanted to be loved and accepted by her mother but was scorned by the society. It is too dirty to watch the story of a woman who faltered at her peak, who succumbed to pressure of competition because she was friendless. It is too dirty to watch the story of a woman who was alone, unloved and friendless. It is too dirty to feel her pain and sufferings. It is too dirty to feel sympathetic. It is too dirty to watch even after 54 cuts...

Memories...

2nd May, I went with Saumya to an old age home in cantonment area of Lucknow to visit my old school teacher Ms. Protima Sen. I was surprised to see that the home was very well maintained and all the inmates were in good health and satisfied.
Though all of the inmates have been abandoned by their families, they all have formed a happy bond together. The only thing that they desire of is someone else to come and talk with them. We shared lots of our school memories and spent the evening chatting and sharing our ideas and experiences.
After crossing over 70 years of age, we realised that the only thing that our teacher wants from us is to spare some time for her. She and all other inmates are above all material desires and all that matters in their lives is the feeling that somebody is there to think about them. They want to talk. They want young companionship. Promising to return soon, we left unwillingly only because the clock said that it is time to leave.
I feel that it is time to stop and think about those people whom we used to look up to when we were children and spare some time for them before it is too late. They are a part of our memories, they are a part of our lives. They are the reason why we are standing where we are. It is time that we give something back to them. And all they want is our time. They gave us their youth, we need to spare our time when they are old and weak. It is time that we pause and try to give happiness to those who need us more than anyone else.

Unknown

Ah, it is so difficult to forget
To be there where you are
For all I want is to see you once more
To share with things that I feel
But I know that how much I try
I will not be able to do so
All that I can do is to grieve for you
And hide my tears from the world's gaze
For while I struggle in this world
You are far away at some better place

A meaningful evening

I happened to spend the evening of 30th April with two of my closest friends Saumya and Vaidehi and my sister Sarah at an orphanage. We spent our time playing with the children, watching them sing and dance, talking with them and enjoying ourselves as well trying our best to make them happy.
The most of the girls at the orphanage were abandoned by their blood relatives and left at the doors of the orphanage. Interacting with them made me wonder how can anyone with a heart leave their children or children belonging to their relatives amongst strangers. Some of these girls were also physically and/or mentally challenged. It grieved my heart that somebody left his/her child just because the child was deformed.
However, on the other hand, I also noticed that every cloud has a silver lining. There are people completely unrelated to them who are always ready to help them by all possible means. It makes me wonder about what is love. Love is there in the smile of an innocent child, in the eyes of an elderly person. But why is love missing from our lives? Why is that we adults, who are physically and mentally capable of doing all work do not find time to love someone, to spend sometime with others? Why we cannot be more loving, more caring, a better human being?

Vision

I saw you in the crowds
And I saw you in the open
And when I saw you move
Afraid that I will lose you
I ran after you
And I ran and stumbled
And forgot my own path
As I rushed after you
I tried to call you back
But you kept moving
And you went farther and farther away
Till you faded away in the sunset
And the night blinded me
And now here I stand
Alone and crying in the dark
Wishing to be with you
But knowing that is not possible
And I wish you were here
For all I have are tears
While you have gone away

Stranger

Everytime I look at you, I wonder who you are
Why you matter so much to me when I barely know you?
Why do you seem so familiar and yet so distant?
And yet, you matter so much
Oh you stranger,unknown and untouched
How much I wish to talk to you
But I know that as long as I live
You will always be a mirage

Dreams

What are dreams? Whose visions are they? How different are they from reality? How powerful? Dreams may or may not be more powerful than reality, but they definitely are, amusing. Dreams are amusing, in the sense, that they are not bound by the rules of the society and of human controls. No laws of science or logic govern them. Amusing, because, they don’t care about the past, the present or the future. Yes, dreams have the potential of being more powerful than reality but that is if and only if the dreamer has the will, the desire and the ability of making them come true. How much power a man wants to impart to his dreams depends upon his desire of framing his own destiny. But men must follow their dreams with caution, because sometimes one man’s dream can turn into the nightmare for millions. When a man like Mandela or a Gandhi dreamt, they changed the world into a better place but when someone like Hitler or napoleon dreamt, it ended in disaster. Many men have died and nations being ruined in pursuit of some ego-satisfying dream of a weakling. Yes, a man who follows his dreams for his own selfish ends is a weakling who is incapable of seeing his true self in the mirror.

Justice denied

Seven months after police open fired on unarmed peaceful protestors in Maval region of Maharashtra and kills 3 and injures 9, it arrests 47 others for attempt to murder. While the protestors were farmers agitating for a water pipeline in their village, the attackers were armed policemen who opened fire at the time the protestors were returning. And not only did the policemen kill villagers, they called up others to the police station to record their statement and instead arrested them on charges of assault on police team.
Is this the criminal justice system? Is this how the government machinery works? If this is the rule, then it will be very difficult for the poor, the downtrodden to survive.
Who is there to listen to the voice of the weak? Who is there to give them justice?
This should be a wake up call for the guardians of the society to come out and stand for the weak. This is the time when one has to think beyond and come out and call for justice. Or else, one by one, the voiceless will be eliminated...

Unknown voices

Often, while walking alone the streets, I hear some whispers, some unknown voices calling out my name, telling me some secrets that I know not of. Sometimes, I hear some familiar voice but when I look around, I see no familiar face. Sometimes, the questions that I was pondering upon get answered by some unknown voice.
Who are they who whisper to me? Who are they who tell me secrets? They give me company when I am all alone and yet, they make me realize how lonely I am. And yet, though when I am lonely I know someone is there with me, looking at me, standing by my side, telling me what to do.
My companions of solitude, I know not thy name. Will you ever come up to me and tell me why you care so much for me? Will I be ever able to know, who walks with me, who talks to me? And yet I know that you will always be with me, you will always hold my hand when I need to be comforted, talk to me when I need to be answered.
Yes, my companions of solitude, I know that with you I am never alone. You are a blessing, a prayer answered. Whoever you are, you are my unknown friend with an unknown voice.

Trust, not judge others

I finished reading a story that carried the moral never to judge others because we don’t know what their life is all about and was left wondering about how easy it is to judge others and how difficult to trust them. How easily we rush to judge others, criticize them, and mock them but never to understand them or trust them. How easy it is go around saying that such and such person did this and that wrong to me but never pausing to think how we treated them. Is it that our ego and our self have made us so shortsighted that we are unable to perceive the pain, the hurt of others? Or is it that we do not care enough to sit and think? Think of our own behavior, our own failings, our own faults? Why it is that it is always difficult to be more loving and caring, while so much easier to be critical of others? Why is it easier to laugh at others than to share their grief? Why don’t we trust those who do us good? Maybe it is time to peek inside our hearts and search for that loving part that has got lost in our selfish actions. Maybe it is time to introspect and search for our inner being that was born as a loving and caring person. Maybe it is time to forget ourselves and learn to trust others.

A day for love and laughs

February 14th marks the death anniversary of two great men, St. Valentine, the man who gave his life to bring lovers together and P. G. Wodehouse, the man who gave us endless laughs. While St. Valentine’s anniversary is commemorated by lovers across the globe celebrating it as a day of love, I would like to think of P. G. Wodehouse, who gave us an idyllic world to get lost into, to dream in and laugh till our sides start hurting.
P. G. Wodehouse created characters and events that tickled our funny bones. He created a world where anything impossible can happen and turn everything topsy turvy. He taught us how to laugh, and laugh out loud and roll while laughing. He gave a purpose to the lives of millions of book lovers. He carried us away at a place where we can forget all our worries, all our daily bric-bracs and just relax. Yes, he was a master of words and he made us enjoy ourselves. So surely, let this day be dedicated to all booklovers, all those who love a really good laugh.

Just a thought.........

What are we missing? In our rush to lead our lives, we have forgotten to live, we look but don't see, hear but don't listen, we don't feel, don't realise, don't understand.........yes, we are missing a lot, we are missing life......
Have our senses gone dead, or we have failed to grasp the meaning of life? Life is not in simply existing, it is about living, about cherishing the moments, people and things around us. Life is meant to be full of sharing and caring. It is about loving each other, spending time together and creating beautiful memories. We have left behind all the beautiful, meaningful things and have started living a life devoid of emotions. In our rush to compete at work, we don’t even realise that we have lost the very thing we had started to work for. We don’t have time for our families and friends. We don’t have time to share our experiences. We don’t have time for the small things that matter more than the large amount accumulated in our bank accounts. Yes, we are missing a lot.............

Mummy

Impossible it is to say how much I miss you
And the acceptance of my loss is still not possible
They say time heals, but it is a poor healer
For my pain is as great, my wounds still deep
Deeper and deeper I am lost in my sorrow
And yet there is no one to understand one bit
Impossible it is to say how much I miss you
When all I can say is that I miss you