Examzzz suck!

Its been a while since i penned down something... didn't really get time coz of the examz that never seem to end here at NMIMS!! Have been cursing myself since the day i joined here because of the stupid trimester system... almost reminds me of the hectic schedule in medical school!!

The only difference is that the stress level is not that high here and this i realized when i spent the last night reading Brisinger(the third part of Eragon series) and still did reasonably well in the exam... guess the rigorous medical training makes all this feel a lil easier than what we were used to... plus my room mate kept telling me that i shouldn't complain as i had topped in the previous trimester ;) Ha ha ab in engineering walon ko kaun bataye MBBS ki dard bhari kahaniyan... Anyways m glad they'll b getting over soon and then we'll b left with just one more trim to go thru!!

Sign-up Campaign for F.A.T.E.

Yesterday was the Sign-up campaign for F.A.T.E. in the University for the official launch of our society, and boy did we receive an overwhelming response!!

What started as a project for IMC class, turned out into a much bigger thing.. After a lot of deliberations over what project we should do, the unanimous decision was to start a campaign against terrorism.. the recent attack on Mumbai had shaken us all and we thought it was a great opportunity to launch something which could make a difference to the society and which we could take forward even after the project was over..

After the initial hiccups we faced in getting our leaflets and posters published, we finally set up the desk in quadrangle at the time of afternoon break. Not a moment had passed when we had our first signatory ready.. the chap was highly motivated and I have to thank him personally for further motivating his friends and classmates to come and sign up for the society!

Thanx to the teaser mails I had been sending for the past two days plus the posters we had been posting in the college campus, there were quite a lot of people who were aware of F.A.T.E. which, by the way, was a pleasant surprise for us :) we had decided to use the colors of the Indian flag for taking thumb impressions of the people and it turned out to be a huge hit!

The sheets for signing up were full of saffron and green and so were the hands of people in the University ;) At the last count we have received at least 400 sign ups and the number of people joining the online community is also steadily growing..

Finally today we had a human chain which was planned by the SVKM management (after a lot of cajoling by the F.A.T.E. team).. all colleges under the Mandal came together to form a human chain defying the bomb scare in the city.. With this, we have taken our first baby step and we hope to take more steps in the right direction..

The purpose of F.A.T.E. is to make the youth think about what they can do for improving the state of affairs in the country.. After all our FATE is in our hands..

Gateway Peace March

As I came back from the gathering at Taj last night, I was wondering whether Mumbai will ever be the same again.. what was on display there was the anger of the people against the establishment which failed to take the necessary steps to safeguard the lives of its subjects as also a deep hatred and anger towards the arch enemy Pakistan... it was the gathering of all Mumbaikars and Indians irrespective of caste, color, religion, region, bank balance and fame..

As I walked amongst the millions gathered there, rubbing shoulders with the celebrities and the bourgeois alike, i realized that this attack has changed the way people think in the city.. we are no more eager to show our resilience and famed 'Mumbai spirit' and bounce back each time the city is hijacked by terrorists with twisted agendas.. this time Mumbai means business!

There were millionaires walking besides paupers and filmstars walking besides school children.. never before have I seen Mumbai so resilient and willing to be on the offensive for once!

There were slogans against politicians and Pakistan alike and people were burning effigies of Vilasrao Deshmukh, Raj 'rat' Thackeray and Shivraj Patil.. there were candles lit in the memory of the brave soldiers who saved our city from a terrible fate.. there were street plays motivating people to wake up and raise their voice against the injustices meted out to them..

As I got a glimpse of Mumbai's beloved Taj Mahal Hotel, it was heart-breaking.. there are so many memories attached with this edifice that it is difficult to even try to put them into words.. I realized how lucky we were that the terrorists did not attack more than one city at one time!

And when I joined the line walking towards the exit, I shook hands with the security personnel thanking them for their bravery and support to the nation.. indeed the best moment in the day came when the crowd gathered there, celebrities and all, clapped when a security van carrying police personnel came inside.. these are our real heroes and the nation salutes their bravery and courage.. This event was a salute to the spirit of Mumbai..

Jai Hind!

Mumbai Under Fire

It has happened again... the hand of terror has hit Mumbai with such power and force that the city is still reeling from its effects.. more than 125 are dead and 300 injured, there have been blasts at Ville Parle, Hilton towers, Taj hotel and even Cama & GT Hospitals(!!).. two taxis have been blown to smithereens, there is firing still going on at CST and Taj and terrorists are throwing grenades out of a five star hotel while holding 40 hostages inside!!

I am numbed into silence and cant seem to get myself out of this trance like state... dont feel like talking to anyone, just wanna sit and cry... and vent out my anger for these dastardly acts of terror... so many dead, so many injured... what action or motive justifies this killing of innocent people??? which god gives these people the sanction to take the lives of innocent men and women?? does the agony and trauma of the common man not mean anything??

How does anyone do this with a true conscience?? how does one wrong correct another wrong??? there are so many questions but no one to answer them.. in fact there are no answers... and while commandos risk their lives trying to flush out the terrorists out of Oberoi hotel and police and politicians start the damage control measures, people die and Mumbai burns..

Phoenix of My return

Just come back from a fantabulous trip at home!! Had almost forgotten what it feels to be taken care of and pampered by your loved ones... meeting old friends and family brings out so many old memories stashed away in some remote corners of the mind!! 

And when you talk about all the things you used to do in those 'Golden Days' it feels as if you have crossed a sea of eternity to go back to where you used to be.. but still somethings change.. and change for ever.. and even if all that you remember may have remained as it is, the fact is that change has already taken place inside you..

I feel I can catch this feeling,
But can not grasp it firm,
It’s something I might lose easily,
And toil forever to earn,

A nameless something, a silence;
I hear but can not learn,
A smoldering desire to look back,
To reach a moment, to burn..

When this sun goes scarlet,
It’s the blood of my days it burns,
When awake I am dreaming;
in dreams, realities churn,

The passing of time is hesitant,
Each moment crawling to yearn,
My naked soul I cover,
With threads of my own urn..

The pieces of sky I hold now,
I wish to imbibe and learn,

This waiting forever is eternal,
That’s all I ever earn,

The story does not end here,

This moment is yet to burn,

But each breath that I take,

Is a phoenix for my return!
...
..
.

Straight into the Shining Sun

Was listening to Pink Floyd last night and some lyrics really touched my heart.. 

Where were you when I was burned and broken 

While the days slipped by from my window watching 

Where were you when I was hurt and helpless 

Because the things you say and the things you do surround me 

While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words 

Dying to believe in what you heard I was staring straight into the shining sun.. 

Lost in thought and lost in time 

While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted 

Outside the rain fell dark and slow 

While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime 

I knew the moment had arrived 

For killing the past and coming back to life.. 

I took a heavenly ride through our silence 

I knew the waiting had begun 

And headed straight.. into the shining sun..

No need to say anything else right? There are some days u feel so lonely.. Even words wont come to keep u company...

Last Lear and Mustard Sauce..

O, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem

By that sweet ornament which truth doth give!

The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem

For that sweet odour which doth in it live.

But, for their virtue only is their show,

They live unwoo'd and unrespected fade,

Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so;

Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odours made:

And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,

When that shall fade, my verse distills your truth..

- Shakespeare, Sonnet 54

People say beauty is ephemeral.. but it need not be so.. u can catch a glimpse of it and keep it forever stored in your memory to relive it day after day.. every day for ur whole life.. u can add to the memories and increase your treasure every moment of your life..

One may find beauty in unexpected places, as I found out today.. the breathtaking view of the monsoon sky and the joy of dancing in the first rain.. I saw it in the dark visage of a fisher-woman with a careless flower tossed in her hair.. it was there in the words of Ashok C. Banker's Ramayana that I read later in the day.. i encountered it again in the innocent eyes of my best friend's baby.. and it was there in the happiness on the face of another friend whom I met after ages..

I found beauty in the fragrance of mustard sauce that lingered on my fingers hours after I had had lunch.. it was there in the impossibly brilliant portrayal by Amitabh Bachhan in 'The Last Lear' and it was there in the kohl-lined lotus eyes of Shefali Shah and in the the anklets adorning her feet..

There are so many such moments which have stayed with me over the years.. the broad smile of a lover when u make a surprise visit.. the first stolen kiss with all its anxiety and excitement.. the silent tears shed while separating from a loved one..

The cold winter day spent with a good book tucked under a quilt.. the chana jor garam and bhutta enjoyed while seeing the sun go down in the Arabian Sea.. and many many more.. I intend to hold on to all these for ever.. and remember them forever.. for they are a source of beauty in my world.. and like the bard said, I'll be 'Painting my age with the beauty of thy days'..

Mumbaicha Assal Raja!

'Mumbai conquers fear and rain for Ganpati' said the TOI Headline.. 'Fear Factor fails to dampen Mumbai's spirits' another said.. It seemed like Mumbai was running on the power of faith!

Indeed it was a day of expressing faith..

Faith in God, faith in the system, and faith in the ultimate victory of good over evil.. after all it was just yesterday that Delhi was rocked by 6 powerful blasts killing 24 and injuring 97 innocents!

Mumbai had been warned - it was a sunday and the day of Ganpati Visarjan where lakhs of people gather on the beaches - the opportunities were just right for terrorists to strike! But Mumbai kept its faith in Ganpati and soldiered on. Bracing against the heavy rains and hoping against hope that nothing would happen in the city today, people ventured out of their homes to bid adieu to their beloved Ganpati.

 

Anant Chaturdashi is the last day of the Hindu festival of Ganeshotsav. The festival actually started on the 3rd of this month which was the Ganesh Chaturthi. According to beliefs, Ganpati was born on this day and on Chaturthi, people welcome the Lord into their homes and hearts while the immersion of idols takes place on 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th or 11th day.

The immersion is a way of saying goodbye to the Lord who descends down on earth from Ganesh Lok to partake in the festivities. We invoke Him and He willingly comes and stays with us but when the time for his return comes, He returns to His abode. Earlier, the idols used to be carried in palanquins but now Ganesha is taken in beautifully decorated trucks and floats. The smaller ones are taken in hand carts or are placed on the backseats of cars.

Large processions of devotees accompanied with live bands and drum beats sing and dance, sprinkling Gulal and amidst fireworks proceed with Him to the water front. I particularly remember the Mahalakshmi temple float from my earlier days in Mumbai and the way me and my friends from Nair hostel used to rush to join the parade and immerse ourselves in that awesome trance music!! Traffic is thick with large 'floats' packed with dancing men and women and the huge Plaster of Paris idols depicting Ganesh in a hundred poses..

This is marked by the ritual of immersion which is not without its share of tears! As I was walking on the beach watching different people bidding their farewells to their beloved god, I saw a lady from a nearby jhopdi crying when she let go of the Ganpati idol her famliy had brought for visarjan.. it was almost as if she was saying her goodbyes to a cherished family member..

“Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Laukarya” (O Lord Ganesh, return quickly the following year) chanting this, the followers bid Him farewell. Lord Ganesh returns to His abode taking away all the unhappiness, obstacles and troubles of His devotees, promising to return again the next year and He sure did relieve us of a tense day. This ten day festival can be best understood only by experiencing it first hand.. the sights, sounds, and sheer madness of the final day of Ganesh Chathurthi is too difficult to capture through pictures or describe through words..

 

 

 

One can see the spirit of Mumbai come alive in this grandest of all festivals! 

There are people volunteering with the police working to prevent any disasters from happening, there were boy scouts lining the roads at Versova maintaining the traffic.. people had put stalls outside their societies to serve water and 'vada-pav' to devotees thronging the beach.. at Byculla, the procession of Lalbagcha Raja was greeted with a huge floral garland presented by the Muslim community there who distribute sweets every year to the Hindus in the procession..

I saw a Bihari family bring their small Ganesha sitting in the lap of his father Shiva as a child in the lap of his own father looked on.. there was a Punjabi society and a Sikh family with Ganeshas of their own.. it felt good to see so much harmony, love and devotion all around.. it truly was a beautiful experience and an example of Mumbai's resilience and determination to fight against all efforts to polarise it in the name of religion, region, caste and language! 

Move-over ye politicians with vested interests, Mumbai is tougher than u think and more united than you want to accept.. and for all Mumbaikars, Ganpati Bappa is and will always remain the Assal Raja of Mumbai :)

Ganpati Bappa Morya Pudhcya Varshi Lavkarya!

Yoohoo monsoons!

Hey people whatcha doing..

I have been totally utilising whatever free time i get!! Went to Karnala yesterday :)

Its a beautiful place for trekking especially in the monsoons.. As you make your way through lush green jungle, you will hear the peacocks crying to the clouds or encounter the numerous crabs inhabiting the trail..

From scenic walks with spectacular views of the valleys below to the challenges of the long trail and reaching the fort at the top, Karnala is one of the coolest hiking destinations. Plus the awesome rains added to the experience, making the whole track more slippery!!

Trekking is one of the best ways to stay fit plus you get a chance to spend some quality time together with Mother Nature which provides an antidote to mental stress :) So hope you all are sufficiently inspired to go out and take advantage of the roaring monsoons before its too late!!

Not lookin for Someone

I'm not looking for someone to talk to,
I've got my friends, I'm more than O.K.
I live my dreams but it's not all they say,
Still I believe I'm missing something real..

I need someone who really sees me,
Don't wanna wake up alone anymore,
Still believing you'll walk through my door,
All I need is to know it's for sure,

Then I'll give all the love in my world...

An Indian Summer

Woah! what a month this has been! Didnt get the time to even log in once.. but i m kinda enjoying the whole corporate work culture thingy and having fun too! Today we had a party at Firangipani, it was sort of a fairwell for the other interns who will be finishing with their summers soon.. and i kinda hope mine gets over soon too!

There has been a lot of learning in this one month and a lot that i need to do in the coming one!! The experience was great and so are the people in my team.. and there's the constant anxiety of not being able to perform as per my boss' expectations.. hope i am able to do justice to my project!!

Just wish to get out of the tie and formals though and go back to wearing capris and jeans again ;o) 

One year down, One more to go..

Whew!! I am finally thru wid d first year :) Still feels like a dream though.. kaise gaya ye time i have no idea.. but it sure was a great year wid lots of memories - bitter as well as sweet.. all the realities of life i had forgotten have resurfaced in one form or other.. so it was a kind of revision of my life upto now..

I met many new people good as well as bad.. made a lot of new friends, had a couple of crushes, been in relationships, bunked a few classes (and attended a few), had parties, had studies, had hours-long chats, had cryptic replies, had break-ups, had reunions..

Have burnt the mid-nite oil seriously as well as had night outs just for fun.. as i said it has all been a recap of my life.. 

Hope life continues in the same vein and m looking forward to the summers in Glenmark now :)

Holi Hai :)

HOLI HAI!!!!

Got up in the morning to the noise of this slogan around me!! getting up i covered myself in oil and went out to face the forces ;) this year's Holi was rocking yaaron...

Let me first share wid u some gyan about Holi..

Holi actually starts the night before with a bonfire made up of all the dried leaves and branches left through the winter. It is a way of clearing these and making way for spring. Metaphorically though, the fire is meant to signify the destruction of evil - the burning of the ‘Holika’ - a mythological character.. The heat from the fire is also a reminder that winter is behind and that the hot summer days are ahead..

The following morning begins with worshipping Krishna by lovingly smearing his idol with ‘gulal’ - the colours used to play Holi. This is a festival that is as much a gateway to celebrate the arrival of spring as much as it is a way to celebrate the season of love..

This is where the celebration with colours comes in. The riot of colours follows a revelry of colour play and takes place amidst the sprinkling or the shower of coloured powder. And when this is combined with water it is anything but a damp squib. Everybody is welcome and everybody is pardoned for his or her revelry.. me and a bunch of friends went over to a pal's place in ville parle.. we started wid gulal, graduated to drowning each other in color with the help of a bucket and finally finished with water baloons!!

So may we be pardoned too for having an overdose of Bhaang, Bhangra, Colors and Masti today :)

Bura Na Mano Holi Hai!!

Another year older..

Another year older, 
I grow even bolder, 
Its nature taking its way, 
I grow and learn and feel great, 

 Another year older, 
Hurting fires now just smolder,
 Letting go of past pain, 
Living life and feeling sane.. 

Another year older, 
A tear on my shoulder,  
Another day, Another moment, 
Another chance for improvement,

Another birthday is inching closer but when i look at myself in d mirror, i still see d same old me... I don't feel a day older than the time when i was in junior college.. it still feels like yesterday when i remember the college days, the shift to Mumbai, the times spent with friends, the fights wid lovers, the studies, the exams, the masti, the magic...  

Another year older, 
Pages added to my folder, 
 Life has not been so bad, 
I'm happy more and less sad..  

Another year older, 
 I think things follow His order, 
He's got more for me yet, 
And It'll be even better I bet..  

Another year older, 
I'm glad of who I am and wonder, 
So I don't mind writing this birthday rhyme, 
I've lived my life well till this time..

Aaj fir..

Aaj fir udasiyon ne, dil pe dala dera,

Utha zamin se koshish ki, udne ki ambar ki oar,

Bahut kacchi hai lekin, mere hauslon ki dor.

Kadam mud gaye udhar fir, mila thoda sukun wahan,

Ja baitha us sahil pe, dubi kayi kashtiyan jahan,

Thodi dur hai aur raasta, jata jo kshitij ki oar,

Kuchh lamhon ka hai faasla, dhundhun kya wo antim chhor?

Prayatna kiya mann ne bahut, badhne ka aage do kadam,

Shayad aaj mita hi jaoon, bandhnon ka ye bharam,

Darta hu lekin, kya ye saahas kar paunga,

Kyunki ye janta hu main,
Do kadam badha to dub jaunga…

New Year.. New Beginning..

Beginnings they say are arbitrary..

Sometimes we are too close to things to see them.. Sometimes we are too far away.. We choose starting points when in fact every single moment that is, exists in the context of every single moment throughout time that precedes and follows it! Its a tapestry with no beginning or end and even if we like to believe that our stories start at a certain point, the truth is, it is a long eternal tale..