drumbeats of eden

Let There Be Light :)

2011-10-22T09:40:00.002+05:30

There's something in the air :)

The festival of lights is almost here and the excitement is almost palpable! Everyone's busy with the Autumn cleaning of homes and the smell of whitewash and varnish mingles with the mild chill in the air..

Hectic last mintue shopping is on with gifts being purchased for family and friends. Fire-crackers line the bazaar streets and Sweet-shops are taking advance orders for Tons of Mithai.. Woollens have arrived in the market and the Utility shops have extended their wares way into the corridors to cater to the increased demand.. even the wind seems to carry a promise of happiness and good times to come :)

This my favorite part of the Year! Diwali is here my friends and let me take this opportunity to share with all of you the good cheer and feeling of belonging it feels me with..

It isn't just a festival celebrating the arrival of a prince.. It is the time for soft Autumn Sun brightening the dark corners for the last time before winters take over.. time for people to bid farewell to pleasant day-nights and prepare for the onslaught of harsh Himalayan winds.. the time to strengthen the bonds of Family and Friendship celebrating the Home-coming of the Blue-Lord :)

This year, the home-coming is literal for me as I was lucky enough to be gifted the statue of Lord Rama by a Buddhist monk in Malaysia!!! I was spell-bound when the monk presented me with the gift and I thanked him from my heart for inadvertently, he had helped me bring the Lord to my own home at Diwali :)

Like every year I'm in Chandigarh again for Diwali and like every year, the feeling of joy has overtaken my entire being. It's the time to revive old memories - cleaning up my cupboards I come across so many past rememberances that it fills me with nostalgia.. Its the time to renovate and refurbish - even in the absence of us kids, Mom-Dad have handled the mammoth task of getting the house re-painted quite well and now I have to arrange the furniture in the entire house..

But I love the experience coz it helps me get in touch with my own home again.. plus I'm eager to display the curios and souvenirs collected from my visits to Africa and South-East Asia and to line them up on my shelves!! Will soon get busy buying and distributing gifts to loved ones and recieving people at home right upto Diwali day.. However, the child-like glee I derive from opening up presents and gifts more than makes up for the exhaustion and fatigue :o)

The idiot-box is belting out Diwali commercials by Paint/Sweet/Gift/Cards/Auto companies and it helps add flavor to the atmosphere. Bollywood is all set to release the latest extravaganza starring SRK and Kareena and the songs at least seem to reflect the festive mood right now :) I wish good-sense prevails with all and this year at least we are spared attacks by rabid fanatics!!

May our lives be colored with bright hues of the Rangoli; May the warm glow of Diyas and the fragrance of Pooja flowers mingling with the delectable aroma of Sweets help sustain the exuberance throughout the coming winter :)

May Goddess Lakshmi favor us with fame and good fortune; May the gleam of the Kandils show us the path to contentment and spirituality; May the bursting fire-crackers light up all the dark nights of our lives ridding them of all melancholy moments.

Wishing all my loved ones a very Happy Deepawali :)

Hazaron Hazare - Main Bhi Anna!

2011-08-18T12:10:00.016+05:30

Wow!!! Democracy Rocks!!! That was the only feeling in my mind 10 pm last night after I finished with the Anna rally on Juhu Beach!! The Anna Tsunami has literally submerged the nation and I for one am glad to have been swept away in its growing tides!

Anna Hazare, 74, a veteran Gandhian, an ex-army man, a social activist and the Face of the Entire Nation since almost a month now! I did not know who he was till the whole issue of Lokpal Bill came under media scrutiny. To give credit where it is deserved, for once I'm proud of the role our media is playing in spreading the movement and bringing more and more people closer to Anna's protest against Corruption..

As I became more aware of the issue, I felt good there was someone who was taking the initiative to stop the autocratic behavior of the current Government which is steeped in corruption and controversies since a couple of years now. And it felt doubly good to see someone taking the route of Gandhigiri and making it work in the present time!!

I did my bit of armchair evangelism through facebook status messages, shared links, videos; twitter updates; forwarding texts and e-mails to all my friends.. and I'm sure quite a lot of them must be still pissed with me for this continuous bombardment :o) Those who still do not know abt the issue... get out of your respective comfort zones and get a taste of REAL LIFE guys! You can go through this link if you wanna know about the Jan Lokpal Bill:

http://fateinurhands.blogspot.com/

However, even after providing my bit of online support for Anna's movement, I was not really satisfied. Luckily, I got to know from one of my friends that he was working part-time with India Against Corruption after office and even on holidays!! This galvanized me into action and I decided to plunge into the movement physically as well with the rally yesterday!

With Mashals (Fire-Torches) and the Tiranga (Indian Tricolor) in our hands we marched from Andheri Station to Juhu Beach; twisting and turning through main-roads and by-lanes, spreading the magic of Anna amongst the population and urging more and more people to join us. Needless to say, the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying!

I felt as if I was a part of the Freedom Struggle once again!! Cries of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bhaarat Mata ki Jai' gave the air a particularly patriotic flavor! We wore Gandhi Topis and sang 'Sare Jahan se Achha' and 'Hum Honge Kamyaab' with gathering gusto.

As the dusk settled on the marchers, the flames of our Mashals, the glow of the Candles and the sound of our chants created a surreal atmosphere all around and we saw more and more people joining the rally!We literally urged others to accompany us shouting in Marathi - 'Baghtos Kaye, Shaamil Ho!!' (What are you looking at? Join Us!).

I saw housewives managing the entire show along with volunteers of IAC; men getting out of their air-conditioned cars, leave their jackets behind and join us in slogan shouting; college kids with banners and bundles of energy and loads of people from all walks of life transform this simple rally into a mass movement by more than 50,000 citizens of Mumbai!

The chants kept getting more innovative and I'm sharing some of the gems with you! You can use them or devise your own to spearhead the rallies in your own city -

Ek Jalebi Tel Mein, Saare Neta Jail Mein!

Paisa Paisa Karti Hai, Janlokpal Se Darti Hai!
Pehli ladai Goron Se, Dusri Desh Ke Choron Se!

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Anna is a Superstar!
Baki sab chewing-gum hain, Anna hi Singham hain!

Anna Hazare Aage Badho, Hum Tumhare Saath Hain!

Main bhi Anna, Tu Bhi Anna; Ab To Sara Desh Hai Anna!

Anna Nahin Hai, Aandhi Hai; Desh Ka Dusra Gandhi Hai!

Even the police were roped in albeit unwillingly when we chanted -

Ye Andar Ki Baat Hai, Police Hamare Saath Hai!

It was a very mature and sensible strategy to keep them on our side unlike what we have seen earlier in protests in different parts of the country. The same strategy was followed in Delhi earlier and I believe that is the reason our protests have been successful till now. Police is content with just a show of presence in these rallies without interfering much in its conduction.

In contrast, the protests in Kashmir specially come to my mind where the Tricolor was burnt, stones thrown on forces and the situation rapidly escalated from bad to worse. Hats off to the organizers to have the presence of mind NOT to repeat the same mistake here.

If anything, protests all over the country are more about Saving In ratherdia from the rot of Corruption than being Anti-establishment! More and more people have come forward to show the Govt. that even if they locked Anna away, they will not be able to control the situation as each and every one of the protesters yesterday was ready to become another Anna! It is indeed the time of Hazaron Hazare...

And as I came home last night, physically exhausted with the three hour march; voice hoarse; throat parched; hands burnt with the oil dripping from the Mashal; mind spinning with excitement; I confess, I have never felt MORE ALIVE in my Life! Looking forward to more meaningful contribution to this fight against Corruption in the days to come..

May the Force be with All of Us!

Vande Mataram!

A Boy and his Dog..

2011-05-18T11:22:00.037+05:30

We give Dogs the Time, Love and Space we can spare..

In return, a Dog gives us Everything.

It is undoubtedly the Best deal God has given Man!!

Have been ruminating about dogs since a couple of days maybe coz I was witness to an intense emotional upheaval in the life of one of my good friends.. The dog my friend had for 15 years, succumbed to cancer two days back.. The emotional trauma that a pet's death brings can only be understood by those who have had pets themselves.. People say its like losing a relative/friend. I disagree.. The pain you feel in your heart is much worse, its like losing a child you have raised and one who has provided you with lots of happy moments to cherish..

My first memories of having a dog are very hazy.. It was a huge black Doberman we used to call Bobby.. I remember brushing his teeth wid my toothbrush n putting it in my mouth again!! Gross right?? I know but then we were both just one year old :) (Mom says thats why I have teeth like him now lol!) I have some sketchy memories of Dad giving him to a farmhouse coz Mom was scared having such a large dog in the house wid two small kids around..

I remember Bobby coming back to our house and me finding him at our gate waiting for someone to let him in.. thrice.. :( Ultimately I was convinced by Dad that he would be more happy on the farm and Dad said he had even visited him there to see if everything was fine.. I remember praying to God everyday to keep my Bobby happy..

The most concrete memories for me however are of the second dog we brought home who was for all practical purposes the First one for us kids.. my sister named him Candy and we all thought it was totally apt as he was cuddly, round, adorable and had baby pink feet and nose!! We were in school, both of us, and were as scared of him as he was of us! My mom refused to have anything to do with the dog and told dad it was totally his responsibility coz he was the one who wanted the dog anyways..

The initial days were of course tough for all of us, getting used to this teeny-tiny thing we didn't know what to do with.. Candy would follow us wherever we went, wud try and catch our ankles when we ran, had chewed off half of Dad's shoes, left muddy paw-prints all over the carpet and wud just not know how to mind his own damn business!! But gradually, things started settling down..

We started enjoying his company, the attention he gave all of us, the attitude he would sometimes throw, the tiny little footprints acting as the tell-tale signs of his mischief..

I absolutely loved the process of introducing him to the wonders of this world and took delight in every lil accomplishment he would make.. The first time he played with his ball, the first time Dad gave him a wash, the first time he tasted Rasgullas, the first time we taught him to stay out of Grandpa's way unless he stepped inadvertently on the lil thing and got bit in retaliation!

I still remember vividly the first time I taught him to climb stairs.. I was ecstatic and urged Mom to come and see Candy climbing the steps.. The hilarious bit came when I realized he did not know how to get down!!! lol It was one of the funniest incidents to happen to me in those days and I realize now how much it had meant then..

It was a difficult time for us.. We had some financial problems; grandma was paralyzed and completely bed-ridden for 12 years; grandpa had lost his eyesight so needed help with simplest of activities; Me n Choti were going thru the confusing phases of adolescence; Dad n Mom were not around coz every weekend they wud rush off to Delhi to take care of Bua n Taiji both of whom were seriously ill..

Amongst all this tumult, Candy was like the proverbial breath of fresh air.. Gradually, we started forming his habits and reforming our own.. Dad would take him out for his morning walks for which he himself started getting up early, I took charge of evening strolls and giving him bath, sis wud pamper him and absolutely refuse to let anyone tie him wid a leash (she is the Menaka Gandhi of our house) and mom would make Rotis for him at all odd hours of the day coz d brat wud never eat his meal when WE were having ours!! It always had to be before or after our meal time :P

We were glad he did not show any interest in non-veg coz that wud have been really difficult for us to manage!! Yet we ensured he got a lot of proteins in his diet.. Of course he had his own weird food fads too- Sometimes he would have Chapati only if its loaded wid Ghee, at others only if they are dry.. then he wud suddenly develop a taste for curd or tea or milk and wud as hurriedly get over it too.. surprisingly, Tomato(Tam-Tam in his lingo) wud mk him eat his food most of the times!

He wud happily lick the Kulfi from the stick if u held it for him, have peanuts off d table if u crack the shells, eat Cashew but NOT almonds, nibble on lettuce/cabbage when he was on crash diets, hungrily gulp down Maggie, gorge on home-made cake and dance on two feet for Ice cubes in summer!!

Candy was officially a part of our family now wid Dad calling him son n Mum referring to us as Didi n Bhaiya whenever she wud talk to him (which happened a lot BTW)!! His Bday (5th Nov) was shifted to 5th Dec to coincide wid Choti's B'day.. He was a part of all Puja ceremonies performed in the house patiently waiting for his share of Prasad at the end of it! He was shit scared of crackers n wud object to loud noises including arguments.. He wud invariably be the first person to greet you when u come home but wud greet Dad most ecstatically!!

He also developed his own equations with everyone- kept his distance from grandpa, was respectful towards Dad, demanding wid Mom, friendly wid Sis and adoringly followed me everywhere :) Undoubtedly, your Dog is the only person in the world who loves you more than himself!

We called him Candy, Candoo, Candice, Candle, Kindle, Kindli, Motu, Kaddu, Gappu, MoiBaby, OyeGadhe, Khote n Doggie (depending on who was adressing him n in what context :D) We actually distorted his name so much that he finally stopped responding to his original name! He wud pick up our emotions from the tone of our voice and wud know when he had done something naughty just by the way someone was talkin to him and wud immediately lower his head n suddenly turn all docile.. Those bloody Bambi eyes cud melt anybody's heart!!

In winters I would dress up in my best woollens, put on his winter-coat(mom had knit one for him wid her own hands) and tk him out for a stroll where he wud invariably chase some other dog n I would end up meeting some nice females from around my area which was always appreciated ;) Not surprisingly, 'Ghoomi' was his favorite word coz he cud strut his stuff when out.. and 'Nhai' invariably the most scary one as he absolutely HATED taking a bath!!

Wid so much attention being showered on him, problem came when we had to leave him alone in the house even for a couple of hours.. Candy wud totally refuse to eat anything we had left behind for him, wud make a mess of all his assorted toys n clothes, wud not start barking till we came back n wud sulk for hours when we did!!! He totally felt entitled to our complete attention and resented the times when he did not get it (as if he was the Head of the family)..

One thing that he and I shared was the love of rain... He was the only other person in my house who wud enjoy getting drenched to the bones in each n every shower during monsoon!! We wud block the outer drains, let water fill in the verandah, and keep playing in it for hours.. Candy wud urge me to splash more n more water on him n I wondered if he was the same bloody dog who did not like getting into the bath tub!! Absolute Brat he was :P

Certain things of his amused me so much that I would deliberately provoke him to have fun :D For some reason, he was absolutely scared of the gardening hose!! Maybe it was an atavistic instinct which made mammals instinctively afraid of their older cousins, the reptiles which the water pipe may have reminded him of.. then when he was having a gala time in the grass rolling around, I would sneak up from behind and sprinkle water on him!! His reaction wud be instantaneous n he wud promptly run away wid the tail tucked between his legs.. lol

There were times when he was sick and we had to take special care for him.. Mom, who had absolutely refused to hv anything to do wid him initially, ended up doing the most at these times! Once when he was chased n attacked by stray dogs, me n sis cried our hearts out while cleaning all the blood from his body (which thankfully was all from a single wound)..

The most painful time for us however came when Candy stopped eating food.. He was already 12 years old by then and we were hoping that he would live to atl east 14 yrs of age. But I guess he had a different plan for himself and one fine day, just like that, he completely stopped eating.. We wud urge him, cajole him, scold him but nothing seemed to work.. It was as if he had just lost the will to live more..

We took him to the regular vet and then some more who tried their level best to find out what the problem was but Candy just refused to eat after that.. the saline and glucose infusions vets gave helped for a bit but then he started getting thrombo-phlebitic complications.. Much as my friend had to take the difficult step to Euthanize his dog suffering from cancer pain, we too very painfully decided not to prolong Candy's misery and let him lead his normal course of life without any intervention from our side..

Finally one dark winter night, Candy just cudn't get up from his bed.. Dad had still not returned from clinic by then and mom wid her maternal instinct knew that it was the end of time for Candy.. Mom rung Dad up told him to hurry back home, sis put Hare Krishna chants in the CD player and I put drops of Gangajal on his lips while he breathed his last breath in my arms..

At that precise moment I realized how much Candy had meant to me all this while.. As I dug his grave in my backyard in that cold chilly night, as Dad covered him in white muslin and lay him in the ground, as Mom n sis cried their eyes out calling his name, that's when I realized how important he had been in the lives of all of us..

A dog is not just your pet.. a toy for ur amusement or a security guard for the safety of ur home.. He is your partner, healer, defender, friend.. You are his master, his love, his leader, his life! He will be true to you till his last breath and you owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!!

To all the people who mistreat animals I would urge them to start being more human.. Its not enough to earn well, carry the latest BB, wear trendiest denims, watch latest movies, attend craziest of parties.. its equally important for us to learn to be helpful to the needy, respectful to traditions, take responsibility for our actions and to be gentle to those who are weaker than us.. Teach your kids to be kind to animals so that they may become better human beings when they grow up!

Our pets may not be our whole lives, but they sure make our lives whole!! Those who have not yet had the absolute delight a pet brings to ur heart, I wud say please give it a shot.. but only if u are ready to take the responsibility.. If u can't keep one at home, help the strays outside in ur locality.. keep the numbers of Animal helplines handy in case u see an injured one.. stop being cruel to others and stop cruelty if u see it happening in front of ur eyes..

There is so much satisfaction in raising a pet that u wud start feeling incomplete once u have had one in ur own home.. To put across my final sentiment, I would paraphrase what Will Rogers had to say-

If there are no Dogs in Heaven, I don't wanna go there :)

Asante Sana Africa!

2011-04-29T12:30:00.030+05:30

At d turn of this century, George Kimble a European explorer had said this about Africa-

'The darkest thing about Africa has always been our ignorance of it.'

Even after a century, how true the fact remains!!! As a part of my new work profile in Unique Pharmaceuticals, my first international visit was to the African continent. I was required to visit the three East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and promote our brands in these markets with the help of the respective teams we had in each country..

I did not know what to expect from Africa, so decided to go with an open mind.. On one hand we have the dismal picture created by everyday news about one or the other countries dealing with revolts, retributions, military coups, poverty, HIV or some such issue.. And on the other hand is the enchantment of seeing wild animals in African Safaris, living as free as the day they were created by the Lord!

I decided to do my own bit of research before I headed off to the three East African countries.. I studied their geographical locations, their political history, their culture and religion, their wild life safaris, the economic situation.. I thot I had covered it all but I sure was in for a big surprise!

My flight from Mumbai to Nairobi was as usual a late night/early morning flight and I spent most of my journey sleeping fitfully.. after passing thru the Immigration hurdles, I stepped under the African Sun for the first time in my life and immediately fell in love with the Nairobi sky! The sky had all shades and colors of clouds that I could imagine. It was a photographer's delight and I set about clicking even before I was out of my jet-lag!!

Nairobi city was beautiful.. well planned, architecturally exciting, profusely green with a fair sprinkling of flowering trees and had perfect weather. That is where my love affair with Africa started!

If the city was beautiful, the people were all well mannered and highly cultured and the pleasantly chilly weather meant everyone was dressed in their Sunday best almost every day of work. I checked into my hotel and passed out with exhaustion and sleep deprivation. The biggest surprise however was still awaiting me.. On my country manager's recommendation, I went to the mall adjacent to my hotel and immediately thought I had landed in the wrong country!!!

The mall was full of Asians and Indians even though it had a fair sprinkling of Africans, Firangs n d Chinks.. It seemed to me as if I was in one of the malls in Gurgaon instead of Nairobi!! I got to eat Indian food which was as yummy as I had had anywhere in India.. spoke to some of the local Indians (mostly 3rd n 4th generation Kenyan citizens now) whose parents had come here as laborers to build d railway network for Britishers.. I was immediately reminded of the movie 'Ghost and the Darkness' about two lions who had made the life of these immigrants hell in Tsavo!

Be that as it may, these African Indians are now an integral part of the society and are present in almost all African countries.. they speak the local language, cheer for the local teams and drink the local beer :) Some of them had never visited India in their life but wanted to go there at least once to get a taste and feel of the motherland.. They even have their own temples here and celebrate the festivals with more gusto than they would have probably done in India :)

Anyways the next day I got working and after a grueling week with Ruth and her fine team, it was time for some fun and that's when we headed towards Nairobi National Park! The safari in d park was a treat for the senses!! Seeing d wild animals in their own land is such an out-of-d-world experience that one can never completely describe it in words.. You need to be there to feel it and trust me it will change whatever view of d world you had till that moment and you'll never be the same again!!

The week ended and I had to leave for Tanzania, the next stop in my journey.. flying above the Mount Kilimanjaro, I felt like a God in His chariot driven by white steeds blazing thru d sky above the tiny Earth mounds humans called Mountains :P

Tanzania was an assault to my senses which were still attuned to d soft tones of Nairobi!! It was more like a small town in India with lot of noise, traffic, congestion, buildings and the unbearable heat!.Dar Es Salaam has an awesome bay and some beaches to chill but these I found out later.. the first and the lasting impression left on me was of heat and dust.. there was a stark contrast here amongst the rich and the poor, richest living in palatial bungalows spanning acres, middle class (basically Indian merchants/Tanzanian businessmen) in their own buildings (most often named after Surat and Ahmedabad wid titles in Gujju!!) and the rest comprising largely of some literates and mostly unskilled labor..

But again I was pleasantly surprised with the services here.. My Airtel Kenya number refused to work here and Ashok, our distributor here took me directly to the Airtel BPO to sort the problem out.. and just as the guy there told us, it was done within 12 hours!! That kind of efficiency is yet to be seen wid Indian customer services :P

Did not get much opportunity to explore the city mainly because of lack of company but got a chance to unwind all by myself over the Easter weekend.. eating Indian food, watching MTV, going to the nearby Balaji temple and sleeping for 8-10 hours non stop :D Even got hooked to a new fusion song wid Enrique n Sunidhi n hv been watchin it repeatedly on youtube :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp9xQzj0Ui8

So I was ready to move on to my next destination which was Uganda.. The plane was a small one which took us first to Kilimanjaro and from there to Entebbe.. Now I have to admit this, I have never got completely accustomed to flyin in a small plane!! I always get so woozy in these planes that I wonder how people who fly these planes do it! And to top it if you get a stop over I feel like just taking a bus or a train instead!!!

Phew!! Enuff of ranting about these oversized birds.. They did manage to drop me in perfectly gud shape at Entebbe and once again it was a pleasant feeling stepping out in the Sun here.. Its a beautiful small town banked on three sides by Lake Victoria which happens to b the largest lake in Africa.. its so damn huge that even from the plane you cant spot the other end of it!!! It just goes on and on and on...

A short drive brought me to Kampala, the capital city.. The city is nice, spread out almost like a hill station.. there's a lot of greenery but less than that in Nairobi.. still it has some pleasant sights to offer such as the vast Lake front and numerous beaches..

Birds are prolific here and I spotted so many rare species that I had only ever seen on Discovery or Nat Geo!! Every morning a pair of Grey parakeets creates a ruckus outside my balcony and every evening they are replaced by three Stork babies :P

Had a pretty fulfilling week here with lot of work being accomplished.. people here are nice again but dont speak Swahili which put all my efforts to learn it in vain :( Even though it is much less prosperous than Kenya or Tanzania, the safety here is much more with most shopping malls and Dance clubs open all through the night!! The Matatoos (Mini-vans functioning as Taxis) and Boda-bodas (Motorcycle Taxis) are as ubiquitous here as in the other two countries..

The political situation though is slightly volatile and even as I moved out today I was informed by my country manager that there have been some protests and tear gas shelling with three people dying due to the bullets fired to disperse the crowd!!! So we ended up covering some doctors around my hotel and came back at lunch time.. Another realization I have to mention is that Chapati and Pulao are as much a part of the East African cuisine now as it they are for us!! I even got a dish of Green grams more or less like our daal :)

Will hop onto a plane this Sunday and suffer a grueling Eight hours flight back to Mumbai!! Hope they dont expect me to join work as soon as I reach!!! These past three weeks have been immensely enlightening for me and have opened up my mind to many more new experiences and made me recognize that people of all different races/countries/continents are essentially the same..

I sum up my experience by quoting the most noted African American female poet, Maya Angelou-

'For Africa to me... is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place..'

Asante Sana Africa for this enriching experience!

The Year that Was :)

2011-01-01T22:00:00.041+05:30

Hola amigos!

Haven't shared my thoughts with the world since a while now and what better day to do so than the beginning of the new year :) First of all lemme wish everyone a very Happy New Year 2011! Hope you all have sobered down from the effects of all intoxicating agents consumed the previous nite and have settled comfortably in the lap of d first evening of d first year of d second decade of d 21st century!! ;) :P

As I sat pondering about the year that was, I realized I've come a long way from the person I was just a year before.. I remember my last year's New year celebration which was spent with someone I thought was special at that time.. The cozy dinner and drinks at a Goan cafe in South Mumbai all helped to enhance the feeling further.. how naive I was to believe it meant something more than a casual fling :P

I have grown so much in the past year (grown mentally NOT physically u morons!!). So much so that I cant even recognize the person I was one year back.. Travel of course was a big part of the year with me covering the remote parts of Rajasthan for work, exploring new exotic destinations in Maharashtra for fun and visiting tranquil Himalayan getaways with the family :)

I have earned and spent my money on the people I loved; finally sported a new hairstyle; indulged in fulfilling all my fantasies; tried out different personality types to find my correct size; flirted with the idea of settling down with someone for good; grown professionally and earned appreciation for it; and of course met loads of new people and exchanged a host of new ideas with them!

And for me that was the highlight of the year coz my friends are my life :) All the wonderful people I met helped me discover so many new things about myself and uncover new facets of my personality.. Some of you have already moved on from my life and I may never see you again.. but the effect you have had on my life and the part you have played in shaping it will ALWAYS remain with me :)

I'm deeply indebted to Aniket, Alok, Amit, Anoop, Farshad, Freddy, Kaiwan, Kaushik, Sajad, Sahil, Tarun and Winston for being the divine intervention you guys were!!

Through all of you I came to recognize the direction my life is supposed to take.. And the one who entered my life towards the fag end of the year, u are the one I owe my gratefulness to the most.. it's bcoz of u teachin me what I needed to learn that I'm a completely changed person now and m at peace wid the world..

Hoping to make many more memories with my loved ones this coming year..

HAPPY NEW YEAR world :)

Who is an Indian?

2009-09-14T15:18:00.064+05:30

I have always heard different answers from different people with different opinions.. Britishers claimed that Indo-Aryans were invaders who came and pushed indigenous darker people deep south.. other scholars believe that even Dravidians are not original inhabitants of this great country and they too had migrated into the sub-continent albeit earlier than the Indo-Aryans.. And then, there are others who claim that the only true inhabitants of this massive sub-continent are the tribal people who survive today only in small pockets..

But which of these is the right answer? Which of these groups can be called as the true representative Indians?

Boggles your mind doesn't it? So many 'possible' answers to a simple query.. sometimes we might think is it even worth the effort? But it is important to find an answer to this question as the answer defines our identity..

That we Indians are of mixed origins is quite obvious from the way we look. Our features vary from Caucasoid in the north to Mongoloid in the east and Negroid in the south.. Not to mention the aboriginal tribes whose features are quite different from everyone else in the country..

All this is bound to raise questions about us being of a common background and the attempt to find an answer to this question becomes all the more significant in the light of current regionalist and separatist political agendas.. Since 2003 an extraordinary government-funded collaboration has taken place between seven leading scientific institutions in India. The Indian Genome Variation Consortium as it is called has conducted the largest-ever study on genetic variations in India on the basis of population. They have been banded together by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to discover who or what exactly is an Indian!

The study is still on but early findings are dramatic and will have an impact on many fields of human knowledge, not merely genetics.. Indian geneticists argue emphatically that there may not have ever been an 'Aryan Invasion' that was previously believed to have changed the course of early Indian history! This theory has already been rejected by many archaeologists on the basis of latest evidences such as the discovery of the dry bed of ancient river Saraswati (4500 BCE), use of Astronomy to date the scriptures, and relics found in excavations at places like Dwarka in India (8500 BCE) and Mehrgarh in Pakistan (7500 BCE)..

According to two major studies in collaboration with American and Asian Universities, all conventional theories about the so called invasion from the north are set to be beaten for good. The results indicate that early African migrations saw India become a melting pot of genetic diversity. Our present genetic diversity evolved as waves of initial settlers in the central regions moved towards both north as well as south of the country, all the time intermixing and migrating to other countries..

It is astonishing to learn that inside Indian DNA there are traces of every human race! Before polarizing ourselves around linguistic, ethnic and caste groups, we belonged to an old family of wanderers.. According to the study all known genetic branches are found in India and at high diversity which means that it was from India that genetic seeds were spread to the rest of the world!! Andaman islanders, amongst the oldest Indians, are direct descendants of those ancient African migrants 50,000 years ago. These tribes scientists say, hold the clue to not just who were the earliest Indians but also the origin of man itself!

These findings are bound to lead to much debate, because it will shake up many preconceived notions, most certainly about the caste hierarchies. As fascinating as its evolutionary findings are, the database of Indian genetic types built by the study would primarily serve science, medicine and public health. The outcome of this project has great potential and hopefully, it would help to improve the quality of life for all Indians in the times to come :)

The Inheritance of Loss

2009-08-31T12:30:00.025+05:30

'Sorrows can not be wished away in life; Grief and loss accumulate like possessions in a life fully lived..'

Have been thinking a lot about loss lately, perhaps coz have been witnessing a lot of it around.. Even when my personal grief threatens to engulf me, somehow m feeling more affected by the pain m seeing around me.. perhaps when u are in an emotionally sensitive condition urself, its easier to percieve others' pain and recognize their bravery in dealing with it..

What does the loss of a loved one mean; one who left you on the high road after swearing to be with you for eternity.. Is that loss greater than the loss of a firstborn child? Is it greater than the loss of your means of livelihood? Is it greater than the suffocating feeling of being trapped in a place from where you can never escape to fulfill ur destiny? I ask myself a lot of questions these days and my recent travels to the interiors of Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have helped clear my head remarkably!

The impossibly pink mango orchards and lush green paddy fields in Tamil Nadu and the hardy Jowar fields in Rajasthan cudn't have presented a more severe contrast to my eyes! But to my heart, they gave the same message, the message of hope and healing and I was amazed by the bravery of the people surviving in these lands.. From tribals with African features in the remotest parts of the south to exquisitely Aryan, green-eyed hardy farmers tanned in the Thar sun, one message that got delivered loud and clear was of man's resilience to whatever life throws at him..

Even with the lack of infrastructure, lack of basic amenities and lack of education they face, their spirits are still unfettered and free to go where life takes them.. the way these village women reacted when we taught them the use of mobile phones, the way children learnt it in two minutes and told their mothers they could learn from them, the way their husbands looked on with tears in their eyes; I felt as if i was a part of something much bigger than me.. From the Aapams and Paniyarams in Thirupathur to the Bajre ki roti and Nimbu Achaar in Bissau, I found only love in the hands and hearts that fed me..

There is hope in everything that we do.. whether it is the small act of giving alms to a beggar, or the experience of raising a child; whether its the satisfaction of saving for your future or initiating dialogue with the enemy country; whether its the beginning of someone's married life, or the rebuilding of the devastated Taj hotel..

All our acts, small or large are an effort to make things better, to improve someone's future, to improve Our own future..

The feeling of hope further intensified when my friend and his wife (who had lost their firstborn child the previous year), named their newborn baby 'Pratham'-The first one.. for them the past tragedy had ceased to exist and the months of grieving the loss of ur first child seemed to be from some other lifetime..

What a way to focus on what's present in life today and not brood over what could have been.. What a way to forget the nightmares of a previous night and look forward to greet a new morning..

Finally began Working :)

2009-07-11T13:29:00.012+05:30

So I was finally able to take a decision on which company to join and have taken the plunge :) Yeah m a working guy now.. fresh to the perks and incentive system as well as the rat race that's present in today's corporate culture!! I always saw around me people going to work, coming from work, and running all around generally.. and now I am a part of them!!

And as strange as it may seem to my friends who know me as a lazy bum, I am actually enjoying the responsibility and hard work! It feels good to be able to do things the way you want and in the process, also contribute to the general upliftment of marginalized sections of the society!!

The project aims at providing Healthcare facilities to rural populations in remote parts of Rajasthan and it feels good to be a part of such a project where I can contribute to the society while earning for myself.

The team is supportive and the work is interesting. Hope this status quo continues ahead.
Here's to a New Beginning :)

The Golden Days of Bachpan!!

2009-06-16T09:46:00.011+05:30

Recently, recieved this forward mail from a friend which got me reminiscing about the golden old days we had in our childhood. How did one really survive growing up in the 80's and 90's?

We had no seat-belts, no airbags and sitting in the back of a truck was a treat… Our baby prams had the most gorgeous lead based colors(!) and we had no such thing as tamper proof bottle tops… Opening kitchen cupboards was a breeze as safety locks were unheard of! We loved being let loose in the big bad world without bodyguards…

Cycling was like a breath of fresh air… No safety helmets, knee pads or elbow pads, with plenty of cardboards between spokes to make it sound like a motorbike ;) We were fearless on our bicycles even when the brakes failed going downhill… We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down..

When thirsty we only drank tap water, bottled water was unheard of and the idea of paying for water was alien to us! We kept busy collecting stamps, coins and other bits & pieces so we could build all sort of things… We could stay out to play for hours, as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner…

We had no mobile phones, but we always managed to find each other…. How? No one knows… We ate everything in sight, cakes, bread, chocolate, ice-cream, sweet sugary drinks, yet, we stayed skinny by fooling around. And if one of us was lucky to find a 1 litre coca cola bottle we all had a swag from it & guess what? Nobody picked up any germs!!

If we failed our exams we were given a second chance by simply repeating the same grade…without visiting psychiatrists, psychologists or counselors…We did not have Play Stations, MP3, Nintendo's, I-Pods, Video games, 99 Cable TV channels, DVD's, Home Cinema, Mobile phones, Home Computers, Laptops, Chat-rooms, Internet, etc. BUT, we had REAL FRIENDS!!!!

When we called on them to come out to play, noone ever rang the doorbell, we just went around the back… We played with sticks and stones, played doctor and patient, hide and seek, snakes and ladders, monopoly over and over again…

Sundays were spent watching Mahabharat, Ramayan, and He-man and there were a host of other TV shows we were crazy for like Vikram-Betal, Spiderman, Surbhi, Duck tales, Jungle Book and many more..

These were the golden days of our childhood and they seem like a dream today.. time changes so fast that we dont even realize we have passed one stage of our life and moved into the other.. And when I see the kids today who miss on all these aspects, I wish they could see our wonder days and wonder at the way we used to lead our innocent lives :)

The 'Quarter Life' crisis!

2009-03-26T18:05:00.006+05:30

Welcome to the Quarter-life Crisis :)

There comes a time in life when we start thinking about life and its meaning..

You stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like!! You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now!!!

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones.. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you!

You look at your job and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are changing you job and realize that you would have to start at the bottom and that scares you!

Your opinions have gotten stronger.. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't.. One minute,you are insecure and then the next, pretty confident..

Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward..

You get heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better!! Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too(!) and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you are not a bad person.

You want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes top priority. You begin to think a companion for life is better than a hundred in the shack. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision.

You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Sharing this with all my twenty-something friends.. Maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...

Goodbye NM

2009-03-23T12:19:00.016+05:30

Hey all i m finally an MBA!! The feeling is still to sink in though and I am trying to get adjusted to NOT getting up thinking which class I missed going to today ;)

As an anodyne for the trauma of our symbolic rebirth into this world, NMIMS had arranged a host of events at the end of our college life. We had 'Euphoria' which had plays screened for us, rock show by Indigo nation, 'Antakshri' and Marketing events, and of course the inevitable Farewell party :)

The party was at Enigma, the disc inside J. W. Mariott and we had the time of our life (having got drunk earlier!).. clicked a lot of pics with all the old buddies and one thing that I realized was that 'The class is really not a class!' (as Eric Segal said quite prophetically in his epic novel).

I mean we are not a brotherhood, or anything cohesive for that matter. In fact for most of my class mates, the time we spent here was a kind of truce, a cease-fire in the war for fame and power and in a few more days, the guns come out again.

We would probably never meet as a class again. This was the beginning of the end. And at the farewell, we met just once more to say our goodbyes. May all the wonderful people I met here have a great future ahead.. and for the 'less' wonderful ones, may you get the maturity and wisdom to understand whats right and whats not in ur lives ahead. Amen!

Perhaps like in the novel we might go thru the same emotions as those guys had,

'We shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time.'

However, I got the opportunity to meet some really nice people and forge deep bonds with them and I'm grateful to God for having given all these people and experiences to me :) Keep rocking guyzz!

A Punjabi Wedding!

2009-02-20T00:10:00.026+05:30

Punjabis are known all over India as large-hearted cheerful people who live their life joyously and vigorously. We people believe in enjoying every single moment of our lives. No doubt then that our marriage ceremonies are one big carnival of gaiety and jubilation :)

It was my sister's wedding recently and the whole week of festivities made me ponder about the significance of these rituals.. Some I knew and others I had to find out.. Marriages are elaborate affairs for us and we follow the usual Hindu marriage rites like those of Pheras and Kanyadan. Other merry-making rituals like Ladies Sangeet and Juta Chupai (which by the way, got immense popularity after Hum Aapke Hain Kaun) also abound :)

Once the match has been decided between a boy and a girl, the galore of ceremonies begins. A date is fixed for the 'Roka' ceremony which is sort of a formal announcement that the match has been finalized. An auspicious time is fixed by a pundit ji and the families of both sides, assemble at the girl's house or at some neutral venue. Roka signifies that the boy and the girl are affianced to each other and an auspicious day for the marriage is generally fixed after the ceremony is over.

After Roka, the next important ceremony is called 'Shagan' which is the confirmation of the Engagement. The idea is to have all the relatives of both the sides who could not attend the Roka ceremony present at the same place so that they can interact with each other. Shagan generally takes place at the boy's house or as nowadays at some venue outside.

On this occasion, the girl's family applies tikka or tilak on the boy's forehead and shower him with gifts and blessings. The groom's family similarly returns the favor by gifting the bride-to-be's family members especially the brothers.

Shagan has the 'Sangeet' following close on its heel. This is one enviable feature of Punjabi wedding that has all the relatives and friends of the family rejoicing and joining to add color to the occasion.

All are invited in these evenings of jubilation, irrespective of age and gender. But the songs and dances typically center around the to be bride. The lyrics describe the ordeals of the newly married girl at her 'Sasural'. Also hot on the sangeet programme are the ballads of love by Waris Shah.

Next significant ceremony is the 'Chooda' or the bangles' ceremony. The girl's maternal uncle (Mama) gifs the wedding dress to the bride and adorn her wrists with red and white bangles. On these bangles are tied the 'Kalira' - light ornaments of beaten silver and gold, which makes it impossible for the bride to perform any household task, as the kaliras get in the way. After the Chooda ceremony, Mehndi (Henna) is applied on the girl's hands and feet and it is customary that the boy's family sends the Mehndi.

And now, the stage is (literally) set for the D Day :)

On the wedding day, the bride-to-be is applied Vatna (mixture of turmeric powder and mustard oil). Friends and relatives also put vatna to each other's bodies in fun and frivolity. The Uptan (application) is believed to purify the girl. The boy at his place is also applied a mixture of turmeric and oil by his sisters and bhabhis.

The groom comes riding a mare with his friends and relatives accompanying him in a procession called the Baraat. The Ladkewale or boy's family reach the bride's house or the wedding venue amidst a lot of gaiety and excitement performing Bhangra dances all the way :) Once the procession arrives at the venue, the sisters of the bride-to-be demand gifts from the groom in order to let him and his family pass! There's a lot of fun and frolic associated with this ceremony as well where the groom-to-be has to cough up some nice amount in order to bribe his sisters-in-law to let him enter the Pandal.

When the groom is seated, the bride arrives on the dias and they exchange garlands to mark the first step in the marriage ceremony. This is the 'Jaimala' ceremony. The time for the 'Phere' or the actual wedding comes late in the evening.

On this occasion, the boy and the girl are made to sit in front of the Sacred Fire. The groom's sister ties the bride's sari to the boy's pagdi (turban).

The bride's Chunni has at one of its end a small knot containing meva, chuara, mishri, badam and silver coin. The couple takes seven vows towards each other and circum-ambulates the Holy fire with each vow. At the time of phere, groom's sister-in-laws hide away his shoes in a ritual called 'Joota Chhupai'. They ask the boy for money in exchange for the shoes ;) and the groom's side has to pay up to take the bride home!

'Doli' is the last of all the cere monies. It marks the farewell to the bride. So, the lights stand glimmering as the crying relatives of the daughter of the house goes on to her new home. Custom has it that just at the time of departure of the doli, the bride is supposed to hit with her kaliras one of the brother or sister who stand bidding tearful farewell to her. The one to be so hit is supposed to get wedded next. The brothers of the bride generally accompany their sister to her new home to make sure she is welcomed well and does not feel lonely in the new place.

For the final ceremony called 'Pag-phera', the bride returns to her paternal home with her husband next day. This is a chance for the bride's family to get to know their groom well and make their daughter more comfortable. The couple is then given sweets and gifts. All in all it is a happy and joyous affair and a chance for all the family members to get together and I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding despite all the work that goes into organizing one!! And a special thanx to alllll my super friends without whose help it wouldn't have been possible to run such a smooth show! U all guys rock :)

Nostalgia for Nair - Medical College Blues

2009-01-29T18:56:00.025+05:30

I wish that I could turn back time
to those days of yore and glee,
and wander down those hallowed halls,

together, you and me.

How sweet 'twould be to once again
see all your faces there,
and skip along the corridors
where youth was free of care.

I'd love to feel the ambiance
of days that are no more,
where tender hopes were plentiful
and dreams were meant to soar.

I'd like to see your cheerful smiles
that brightened like the sun,
and feel the rush of eagerness
for journeys just begun.

But oh, alas, those days are gone;I can't go back to see
those teen-aged classmates of mine,
except in memory.

How long the road has wound since then,
how far I've had to roam,
but the glorious days I shared with you
will always whisper home.

Perhaps the roads you've taken too,
have led both far and near,
but I suspect that in your hearts
those nostalgic days are dear.

So take my hand and we will ride
the winds of memory
back to the time when we were young
and full of joy and glee.

-Ruth Gilis

Was in my alma mater T.N. Medical College today after five years to attend the convocation of the last junior batch in college I know.. after this batch i am officially a 'stranger' in the college ;) Seeing the ecstatic faces of all the people present there made me nostalgic and brought me back to our own times at Nair..

We joined Nair not knowing what lay in store for us.. we entered its hallowed halls with fear in our heart, anxiety in our minds and expectation in our eyes.. some had come here after traveling a thousand miles and some just a few kilometers.. yet, as Erich Segal says in 'The Class', we all knew that we were merely at the beginning of the greatest journey of our life..

As we discovered the joys of staying away from home (read night-outs, bunking classes, trips to lonavala, painting the town red etc.) over the years we also realized the true value of home (read good home-cooked food, not having to wash own clothes, getting up by mom's cajoling and not a shrill alarm clock etc.!!) In more ways than one, our stay at Nair converted us into men and women of caliber and strength.. it made doctors out of us laymen and gave us the direction in life we were to follow..

While roaming around the campus, I remembered all the places where we used to spend time together.. the old canteen where we used to invariably be the rowdiest table, the place near the CT scan building which used to be so quiet before they shifted the canteen there(!), the OPD steps where they have now developed a small garden, the library and the L-shaped corridor in front of it where we just used to sprawl and pretend to study the whole day, fifth floor platform near the steps, the formalin-reeking anatomy dissection hall, the practical labs, the place near nurses quarters where we used to sit and chat for hours together and later during internship, the wards and labs which had become our eternal haunts..

When we held our oaths on the convocation day, it was as if we held the world in our hands!! It was the day of accomplishment, a day of feeling proud, a day for making our parents proud.. Our entire life stretched in front of us and we could do with it as we pleased.. God! how naive we were..

As I saw the same gamut of emotions reflected in the eyes of our juniors, my heart was filled with some fond remembrances and some bittersweet memories.. like us, they were eager to leave the cozy, amniotic safety of Nair and dive into the shark-infested waters of the real world..

And as they take the plunge, I wish life is generous to them and gives them many more fond memories to cherish in the coming years, as it has so graciously given to all of us.. we may have not been brought up in the labyrinths of Nair but it is this place which made us who we are today and shaped our futures for us..

And even though i could never fathom the meaning or translation of this cryptic phrase, I have to end this post by saying out loud.. Yalakapad narakapad haiyo haiyo :)

Examzzz suck!

2008-12-20T23:00:00.006+05:30

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.

2008-12-05T20:30:00.015+05:30

Yesterday was the Sign-up campaign for F.A.T.E. in the University for the official launch of our society, and am delighted to say that the movement received 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

2008-12-04T21:07:00.009+05:30

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

2008-11-27T00:16:00.015+05:30

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

2008-11-11T14:03:00.013+05:30

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

2008-10-01T01:43:00.010+05:30

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..

2008-09-24T22:28:00.014+05:30

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

One may find beauty in unexpected places, as I found out today.. I saw it today 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.. it was there 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 again in the fragrance of mustard sauce that lingered on my fingers even 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, a protagonist in the movie and also in the the anklets adorning her feet..

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.. 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 breathtaking view from a mountain and the joy of dancing in the first rain.. 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!

2008-09-14T21:03:00.032+05:30

'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 just 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.. the opportunities were just right for terrorists to strike here! 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.. 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.. :) How times change!!

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! 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.. these people 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 u want to accept.. and hey Mr. Thackeray, for all us Mumbaikars, Ganpati Bappa is the real Mumbaicha Raja :)

Words are all I have..

2008-09-08T01:04:00.005+05:30

Was just going thru a friend’s blog and started wondering why does one write d blog? Is it the desire to pen down ur feelings.. the ones u r too scared to share wid anyone else? there is a strange comfort in writing down all you feel here…u don’t mind if some random person stumbles upon ur most intimate secrets.. coz there are words u cannot say, feelings u cannot express and guards u cant let down when u r talking to people in person.. u strive to maintain that image of invincibility and try to protect urself from the reactions of those around u..

Sometimes u just want to be kind… not wishing to drown ur dear ones in ur sorrows.. u might not even want to accept that u r feeling low.. not willing to accept that whenver u feel u hv got over a particular phase of life, a single thought can bring it all back crashing on ur head.. numbing u into silence.. pushing u into d oblivion..

A random thought, a random fragrance, a random look from a stranger may bring out that which u had hidden in the deepest recesses of ur soul for an eternity.. the walls that u had built around u come crumbling down with just one glimpse of a picture, one hello from that voice and one memory of that touch.. ur eyes sting as the tears try to force their way out.. u may not be able to share it with anyone.. but u may write.. and write again to let it all out.. to relive it again and again.. to never let it go..

For all that u are today and all that u will be tomorrow.. is a result of all that u have been in the past.. it is a mixture of all ur feelings, all ur hurts, all ur happiness.. all d good and d bad times.. all that loneliness and d occasional smiles.. all the devotion and an occasional deceit.. all d words said in anger and d ones said in passion.. its who u are.. its who u have been.. and its who u will become tmrw..

Friends Make Life Worth Living!

2008-09-03T11:07:00.006+05:30

There are days when
bubbling from us comes
the innocent child within,
who giggles at the little things
and wears a silly grin.

There are days when
melancholy comes to
visit for a while;
the mind feels tired, the body weak;
we have no strength to smile.

There are days when
joy abundant
grabs a hold of you and me;
wraps us up in all it's splendor,
lifts us up and sets us free.

There are days when
sorrow wraps us
in its cloak of grief and fear,
'till our hearts ache to the breaking,
'till our eyes can't shed a tear.

There are days when
love bestows us
with its wonderment and light;
with its beauty and its mystery,
its power and its might.

And there are days when
life rewards us
and seems to make amends
by granting us a marvelous gift,
the precious gift of Friends..

Its all these days, of laughter and sorrow that make up our lives and I thank God for sending these my way.. and to all my friends, present and past-

Thanx guys for being there :)

Yoohoo monsoons!

2008-07-28T18:59:00.008+05:30

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

2008-06-14T20:11:00.003+05:30

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 the world...

An Indian Summer

2008-06-01T00:29:00.020+05:30

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 i learned 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.. just wish to get out of the tie and formals though and go back to wearing capris and jeans again ;) 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!!

One year down, One more to go..

2008-04-28T18:25:00.008+05:30

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.. anyways, hope life continues in the same vein and m looking forward to the summers in Glenmark now :)

2008-03-22T19:20:00.018+05:30

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..

2008-02-29T18:59:00.009+05:30

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..

2008-01-22T09:39:00.007+05:30

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 jahan,

Ja baitha us sahil pe, dubi kayi kashtiyan wahan,

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…

Aaj fir tanhaiyon ne shaam se aa ghera,

New Year.. New Beginning..

2008-01-08T01:12:00.004+05:30

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..

The Story of Man

2007-11-24T21:02:00.003+05:30

Life is the story of man-

of His life that remains unsatisfactory

of His love that remains unsatisfied

of His dreams that remain unfulfilled

and of His death that is mercifully unconditional...

Heron Ryan beautifully writes.. "I should probably not say these things, but if i dont, i'll just become a spectator watching the events in my life unfold rather than being the person experiencing them!"

In some ways, aren't we all like that? we see things hapening we have no control on.. we see people slipping out of our lives and can't so much as raise a finger to stop them from leaving..

And sometimes, when i get something back, i kinda feel as if all this is just an elaborate illusion.. but then, life has so many harsh realities that i dont mind being in the grip of Maya for a change!!

Sometimes the Snow comes down in June

2007-11-06T13:18:00.003+05:30

This winter Sun that warms my soul,

Stirs up memories of pure gold
Cherished love, emotions bold,
And some feelings never told..

These misty nights, pouring rain,
Paint reflections on window panes,
Chilling the body, melting the heart,
Missing someone away, afar..

This fresh cut grass reminds again,
Those walks in woods holding back pain,
Gentle breezes rustle and sway,
Bringing back memories stashed away..

This togetherness, those times spent alone,
Someone who knew me, and still was my own,
All times of joy and pain that cloud the eye,
I'll miss them forever throughout my life..

Legend of Prince Rama

2007-10-21T17:26:00.003+05:30

Praise be to the Lord Almighty whose name let even rocks float on the ocean! Vijaydashmi marks the victory of Lord Shri Raam over Ravan.. The imagery of this final part of the Ramayan is beautifully reflected in these words by Romesh C. Dutta...

Still the dubious battle lasted, until Rama in his ire,
Wielded Brahma's wrathful weapon flaming with fire,
The weapon that Agastya had unto the hero given,
Winged as lightening dart of Indra, the fatal bolt of heaven,
Wrapped in smoke and flaming flashes, speeding from the bow,
Pierced the nectarian navel of Ravan, laid the demon low,
Voice of blessings from the sky fell on Raghu's valiant son,
'Champion of the True and Righteous, thy noble task is done!'

Beautiful words that capture the essence of the battle.. the vivid teachings from our epics all guide us to walk on the right path.. only by serving the path of righteousness we can achieve the Lord..
'Mann se Ravan jo nikale Raam uske mann mein hain!!'

2007-10-12T23:01:00.003+05:30

Sometimes it feels reality is just an illusion and 'free-will' a charade created by the Gods to mislead us into a sense of having control over our life.. We are victims of Causalty, the slaves of Karma, all along trudging the path charted for us by destiny...

We may try to escape by surrounding ourselves with others, by drowning ourselves in a sea of humanity.. but all the time the emptiness inside our heart just keeps on growing...

Perhaps every life is just an arduous journey to a solitary destination... Each path in life is lonely, but then... you need not walk it alone!!

Chak De India!

2007-09-26T17:20:00.007+05:30

Young Team-India has done the unbelievable! They have snatched victory out of the hands of the gods of fate and done so with their effort and perseverence...hats off to the captain and full marks to the team for their incredible victory over the arch rivals...

Chak Diya India :o)

Michhami Dukkadam :)

2007-09-17T20:03:00.003+05:30

For those who r wondering what it is, its the beautiful Jain tradition of asking for forgiveness from all and granting forgiveness to all at the end of the Samvatsar each year..

It is so difficult and painful to hold someone out of your heart.. how can u hold on to that pain, that resentment even a moment longer? Let go of ur fears, ur doubts and for this moment, this point in time, touch them with ur forgiveness and allow urself to be forgiven..

I forgive all living beings i have interacted with; May all of them forgive me...

Mikshamami Dushkritam :o)

First Night-out in MBA

2007-09-06T01:55:00.002+05:30

Did my first night out yesterday!!! never thought there wud be a day when i wud spend the whole night at the lib and that too for studying!!! He he things do change sometimes i guess :)

Jai Hind!

2007-08-15T11:22:00.006+05:30

One moment has the power to create history..
One idea has the power to inspire millions..
One person has the power to change a nation..

YOU are that person.. I am that person..
On the 60th yr of our independence, its time to celebrate this indomitable force, the power of ONE! Let us all join our powers to create a better future for our NATION

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY :)

Bought the first book in NMIMS :P

2007-08-01T19:55:00.002+05:30

Hey I bought my first book for the Management course today and also issued my first book from the library!!! U might be wondering what is special about that, but the truth is I m the last person from my batch to do it!!!!

Hmmm... guess some people never change :)

Love is a strange emotion..

2007-07-03T17:59:00.003+05:30

Love is such a strange emotion... i said it before and m saying it again...

As someone has so beautifully said... u watch as if u r a spectator of ur own life, suddenly, for a fraction of a second, u feel ur whole existence is justified.. but at the same time, we feel afraid.. Surrendering completely to love means giving up everything, including our own well-being and the ability to make decisions..

And when that love is lost, it shatters ur soul... ur body may stay intact, but ur soul is broken beyond repair... if there is any possible consolation in the tragedy of losing someone we love very much, it's the necessary hope that perhaps it is for the best..

If I could be where you are..

2007-07-03T12:33:00.000+05:30

Where are you this moment?
Only in my dreams,
You're away but you're always
Just a heartbeat from me..

I'm lost now without you,
I don't know where you are,
I keep watching, I keep hoping,
but time keeps us apart..

Is there a way I can find you,
Is there a sign I should know,
Is there a road I could follow,
To bring you back home thru snow?

Winter lies in wait now,
And you're so far away,
In the darkness of my nights,
The light of you will stay..

If I could be close beside you,
If I could be where you are,
If I could reach out and touch you,
And bring you back home this far..

Is there a way I can find you,
Is there a sign I should know,
Is there a road I could follow,
To bring you back home thru snow..

To bring you back home to me..

Someone Said Goodbye

2007-06-29T14:41:00.000+05:30

When the day is over,
there's a heart a little colder,
Someone said Goodbye,
but you don't know why..

Always looking for meaning,
everytime you're believing,
But you dont know why,
someone says Goodbye..

Is there a reason why,
a broken dream can't fly,
Someone said Goodbye,
but you don't know why..

Someone has been keeping,
the tears that you've been weeping,
There's no reason why,
I'll ever say Goodbye..

A thing called Life..

2007-06-27T16:08:00.002+05:30

Well this is my first post on my blog and thought of starting with a philosophical one.. have been wondering a lot lately about life and its meaning..

Sometimes, life gives you no options about how you want to live..
it throws the dice in such a way that you always manage to end up at the wrong side of things..
be that as it may, it teaches you a lot and believe you me it is a real stone-hearted teacher!

it teaches about love, it teaches about loss;
it teaches about hope, it teaches about hurt;
it teaches about pain and it teaches about prayer...

there's a lot to learn and the process is a tedious one..