Get Lost!

One day as you sit there alone, people weeping in front of that defunct body of yours, and you silently watching it all. That one day you may turn around and regret as you look at the past, better called your LIFE- as empty as a tunnel.

Even if only for once, get lost for a day!

Perhaps the thought of getting lost scares you, the fear of the unknown, the scare of leaving your comfort zone, or even more?

Imagine a time when you have reached a place where every face is unknown, you have no gadgets, no GPS, no phone calls to make, no knowledge of the local language. Your mind is all blank about what's next? This is called getting lost - physically as well as mentally.

But why get lost at all! ? Getting lost would imply treading a path that you have never wondered about, getting to discover something new for yourself, with no one to drive your paths but only you. This may pull you back initially, but gradually it shall give your conscience extreme contentedness.

Columbus discovered America only after getting lost while searching for India. See what magic getting lost has done.

Mentally and spiritually, it is a rare opportunity of discovering your inner self, your strengths and weaknesses, you aspirations and desires, to break all the shackles and boundaries, cross the limits and experience liberty.

Even if you get stuck in the maze, you still have ample of opportunities to learn on every turn you make. Nevertheless, you are lost and there's no one to nag at you taking the wrong or right turn.

If you have lost everything then only you are free to do anything. 

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Make Space for Negativity

Since the advent of my website, or since I read Rhonda Bryne's The Secret, I had been writing much about positiveness.

Well, its the time for me to say a partial NO to this thought. This does not imply I myself am turning negative. But I discovered lately that injecting too many positive thoughts onto yourself, at times, can be suffocating. They may not match with the reality and can be illusionary.

Although, thinking about only the negative aspects can lead to discontentment. Nevertheless, these aspects may inspire us to attain the unattainable, or at least accepting the situations as they are. In such case, we may need to break the emotional barrier and think the other way round, or look for the probable solutions instead of believing that merely a positive mindset can act as the ultimate magician.

The key is, not to loose hope (remember, as they say, hope can move mountains) but to maintain a balance between possibilities and positivities!

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PK is OMG- Aamir Khan Style

Time for some movie review - Mansi ishtyle! 

PK is an interesting, provocative satire and funny film. It revolves around an alien who challenges some of the oldest rituals of religions and paradoxes of the society that are ruling lives of people on the earth.

It was Akshay Kumar and Paresh Raval starrer OMG (Oh My God) that was released first on similar theme. Well, we expect Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan not to copy concepts, but to bring something afresh, something that is known to all but showcased with a different perspective. 

A few highlights from the movie-

1) First of all, PK is an interesting movie, spiced by the carrot-eater, innocent, comic, human-like, Bhojpuri speaking alien- PK's (Aamir Khan) and sugary sweet, clever journalist Jagat Janani / Jaggu's (Anushka Sharma) acting. Sanjay Dutt and Sushant Singh Rajput can seen only sporadically throughout. The Alien Khan is an astronaut from some gola (planet) in the galaxy that is visible only at night. 

Sometimes I wonder, is the alien society also male-dominated like ours? Does a female alien exist? None of the movies has showcased one ! 

2) He lands whole naked at a bare land in Rajasthan, where his remote control  that connects him to his planet, is stolen by a man. 

Why do they forget the Atithi Devo Bhava slogan even after repetitive requests from the same Aamir Khan!

2) In the treasure hunt for his remote, Aamir gets to know that it is none other than Bhagwan who can let him get his property back. In this search he gets utterly confused with what different religions preach, and comes across the concept of India being a multi-religion country, and that no one is born with a stamp that assigns religion to them, and also that we blindly follow what our religious gurus preach us. PK calls this as wrong number. 

This is followed by multiple speeches by the alien himself, some in public and some in a private discussion with God's idols. 

Point to be noted my Lord, as per Bollywood movies, why only GOOD aliens come to India and BAD ones go to the Hollywood? May be, the Indian movies cannot bear the cost of destruction that the bad aliens cause to their country.

3) He raises several witty questions like - "Yaha do tarah ke bhagwan hai -ek wo jisne tum sabko banaya hai aur dusre wo jise tum sab banate ho". Amusingly, he even donates money and then takes refund of the donations he made to god at temples after he discovers that god doesn't listen at all with the suggested ways. Moreover, he uses the same bhagwan to protect him every time, by pasting stickers of Hanuman and Krishna on both sides of his face! 

Pardon me, but this again is centered over Hinduism, so unfair it is.

4) Last but not the least, the alien falls in love with the chick of the movie - Jaggu, and then lets her go. 

Ummm.. Bollywood movies can bring this Pyaar and Kurbaani thing even to the aliens. And guess what, aliens also shed tears.

5) This sounds rational that the alien learns to speak Bhojpuri dialect by getting knowledge transfer in a magical way from a prostitute Fuljadiya, and then communicates in the same way throughout the plot. 

But did I miss any scene where he got a knowledge transfer to WRITE in ENGLISH. He did that for expressing his love to Jaggu. 

Overall, this is a fun film with a li'l dose of "gyaan", filled with surprises every minute. It lets you thinking long after you leave your seat. The nanga punga dost (PK) keeps entertaining you with his curious questions and light comedy which makes it a family movie.

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What !? You Don't Know Hindi !

Bingo! you guessed correctly, this post is pro-Hindi. 
Your Question- Why is this inscribed in English? 
My Answer - Simple, this one's for those who DO NOT KNOW HINDI.

September 14th is celebrated as Hindi Day. On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devnagari script as the official Language of the Union. 

What could have been a better event for me to advocate the relevance of Hindi!

From nonage till date, I have observed people who are pleased to admit that they aren't well-versed at Hindi or their mother tongue. On the contrary, they try hard to transform self into a whiz kid of English plus any other foreign language. This race, unfortunately, lands them in the middle of nowhere.

If I am not barking up the wrong tree, Hindi is our official language and mother tongue to the most of us. But there is this breed of people which feels humiliated and ashamed, if, for any reasons they are capable of puking only their tuti-futi English. Pity on them ... It is always good to be multi-lingual in this era of globalization. 

Regardless of this, I wonder, what makes them appeased on not being the honcho in their own mother tongue. Do they have the myth that NOT KNOWING to speak Hindi or their mother tongue double implies that they are adroit English speakers, and are licensed to flutter their angrezi wings anywhere anytime.Yo! Sounds absurd. 

Do they know, unlike their demigod angrezi bhasha, Hindi is a scientific language, i.e., the pronunciation for syllables remains same no matter what word you use them with? How would they understand this? Their verbal diarrhea keeps them busy polluting this twenty-four carat lingo into Hin-glish.

Dear Reader, kindly don't feel offended. This was possibly not for you.


Disclaimer : This post isn't intended against any culture, person, language or country, neither does it prophesize any religion,language or culture. It is just a satirical remark on the current scenario where the importance of our official language is losing out.

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People and us - Live and Let Live

*Frustration - No offenses intended*

A special thanks to all those who kept inspiring me to write such post.



They are more worried of our lives then we and our parents are! So nice of them.. Ain't they?....

It all started when we were born.

When we were toddlers, they used to ask our parents- "Which school are you getting your child admitted to?" Suggestions and concerns varying from private to public school, Hindi to English medium, co-ed or non co-ed, far or near, high budget to low budget etc.

We got into a good English medium, co-ed, CBSE school. It all went smooth until we turned 10.

Now these worrisome people now say- "co-education! are you sure you want your kids to stay in there? You know what these girls and boys studying together means? Your child would slip out of your hand? Don't delay, change the school....." Later, someone with a softer heart comes to your rescue and you are fortunate enough to stay in the same school.

Class 10th, they again enter our lives saying- "Which subject are you opting for? Make sure you opt for xyz subject. Don't choose the harder stream. After all, we are born to enjoy our lives, not to dive into books and have spectacles for the rest of our lives! Make sure to do what everyone else does, and not dare to walk the road not taken"

Anyway, we chose what we found right, and moved ahead.

They are restless and enter again in an year or two saying - "Which college..? Same city....? That college isn't good and blah blah."

We somehow succeed in shutting their mouths with cello tapes for some while and get into a suitable college.

But I tell you, they are too anxious, indeed. They dived again and said - "Didn't you get placement as yet? Poor you, your college may not be able to get you a reputed job. Do this XYZ course and you shall be selected... blah blah.... " A hell lot of advice for free.

Eventually, we bagged decent placements. Now they have a bunch of more advice about whether we should stay in our home town or go out for job.

In the meantime, they worry about how we commute, do we come home late or early, hanging out with friends of opposite gender, have an affair with that close friend, expert in household chores or not, salary package, next appraisal date, promotion! These so-called concerns would chase us till the end of the planet.

Somehow, we were spared alive out of all this and learning to breathe air of freedom. Alas! It was our misconception. Now they were worried of us getting married ASAP, along with bombardment of suggestions about the kind of spouse, city, family, love/arranged marriage, working after marriage, examples of cousins and friends of our age who are married by now. In all, they say its time to settle now and quit chasing your dreams.

To our astonishment, they would never stop peeping into our lives even now. An year after marriage, they would keep asking about the so-called "khush-khabri" (good news), followed by the scope of another "khush-khabri" later.

And the vicious cycle begins from the top again.

I wonder, they should take rest at some point of time, and let us take a sigh of relief too.

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From Sunset to Moon-rise

Yesterday I went out to watch the Kangana Ranaut starer movie- Queen.

No, this post isn't a movie review at all!

For those who missed watching it till date; the zero melodrama plot is about a serene and innocent girl who, after being stood up by her fiancee finds some me-time in Paris and Amsterdam, and amidst which, gets to discover her confident self. While walking out of the hall, one feels refreshed even after shedding a silent tear clubbed with smile through all those 146 minutes!

What came along me out of the theater was-

• Take some time to live for yourself and not those around you. People come and go.


• Stay true, never transform yourself. You ought not to turn back and scream every time, they shall realize your worth by themselves.


• No one has as much right on you, as you yourself do. Break those handcuffs.


• You may not survive till hell freezes over, do what you have been longing for. Aspire, and relish your aspirations.


• Smile a while, and while you smile, the whole world smiles with you! :)
  

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One Fine Day - En Route Office

The other day, during my usual transit of nearly 10 km to the office I scrutinized all that happened on the way, which I experience regularly but tend to overlook. I recorded some of it in this post.

On leaving from home, I see a few school girls with their heavy school bags and hair tied into tight braids, waiting for their school bus.

On the main road, I see hundreds of others like me, rushing towards their office, probably.

Moving ahead, I notice the very-bindaas hush-hush cycle-wala, least bothered about any other vehicle on the road, rushing to his workplace. While he is driving, a small steel lunch box can be seen peeping out of his old torn bag hanging on the handle of his cycle.

A few kilometers from here, can be seen the blissful sight of a durgah and a temple on the opposite sides of the narrow road. There you see a shopkeeper selling garlands made of rose and chameli flowers. Whether or not you buy them, the deep fragrance stays with you for minutes for free! These few minutes are enough for me to revive the fact that these flowers do not discriminate between a durgah and a temple (rest is self-explanatory).

And those owning shops by the roadside, are busy dusting their shops, and some others flattering god with the pleasing aroma of incense sticks (agarbattis).

Alas! Did I forget our very own city van-wala, eager to mint 7 bucks per customer by yelling - "Rajwada, Nagar Nigam, Mhow Naka.....". Funny enough, but this guy is the most carefree, rather, careless guy, least affected and bothered of the traffic rules. It is advisable to drive atleast 4 feet away from his van, since he decides to stop anywhere and everywhere he finds to be suitable!

And then comes a traffic signal; the most painful moment of the day is when you reach the traffic signal exactly the moment when it turned RED. In the meantime, until the signal turns GREEN, you have a rendezvous with supposedly well-planted and well-uniformed beggars asking for a few bucks. Make sure not to offer something to eat, they accept only cash. In a corner, one often sees a policemen imposing challan of the fastest driver on the road- none other than the bike-wala. The signal turns green.

And then, on the posh roads of the city, I see some luring hoardings that read - "20% off on ladies footwear", "SALE SALE SALE at XYZ store", and some educating ones like - "Beti bachao, desh bachao" (save the girl child) or "Green City, Clean City".

Amidst the dust and the pollution, at a distance of every few meters can be seen Indore's (our city's) food joints serving poha and hot jalebi (breakfast snacks) - indeed, the most successful business in Indore !

And after an encounter with a few more van-walas, a few more cycle-walas, a few more hoardings and temples and durgahs and signals, comes the time to enter my den, my office. And I repeat to myself amusingly, whatsoever changes in our lives, all this would stay the same, everyday!

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The Great Indian Politico-Circus

Disclaimer: This post is written for fun, and does not endorse, criticize or spoil image of any person or political party.
Look at the analogy between a circus and the current scenario of Indian politics.
The broom, the lotus petal, the hand and several others (political parties), have entered the ring of fire (elections). Not only this, they are taking turns to kick each other towards the hungry lion's mouth! Some are performing traditional circus by juggling, dancing and tumbling, while some others (AAP) are experimenting with their contemporary circus skills by a new act - the magic show.

Some did so worse that audience (common man) decided not to view them perform next time. Whereas, audience has a lot of expectations from the magicians. The only one who is joyous all through this is the joker (media).

Amidst promises and dialogues, havoc and crisis, always remains puzzled is the audience, for, it is they who are paying for the ticket to this circus, willingly or unwillingly!

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Fair is Lovely, Thin is Beautiful

Planning to buy the latest beauty cream...? Or may be, having a sip of green tea after a tiresome gym routine!

Which complexion do you own - Fair, medium fair / wheatish, dusky, dark?

They say, "Beauty lies not in eyes of beholder". If so, is it the societal pressure to be fair?

In a country where majority of people are dark skin, there is this preconceived notion that has been conditioned in the society to look fair and slim. In the current pretext, this is not only applicable for women but for men too. When it comes to songs, they sing-"Gori Gori", the pretty girl.

Why is it that it that whitening products in India have a 2000 crore industry? to add more, men are now joining women in the fairness bandwagon for the pro-fairness obsession that has now existed for decades.

Is the fairness industry itself fair or ugly?

Why is it that it that fair and lovely is the largest selling product in India than any other country and its sale is growing manifold every year? The TV ads selling fairness products link success and confidence to being fair. Forget about working hard, it's all about skin color.

While some Americans have made bitterly racist remarks about Miss America Nina Davuluri based on the color of her skin, it seems that people in India have problems with her dark skin as well.

When it comes to being thin, I seldom stick my eyeballs to posts over the internet and newspapers to find ways to loose weight.

We may ask ourselves a question - Why Do You Want To Be Slim?

Is it because you think you should? Because others have been pressuring you to? Because your doctor said so? Because you are getting married? Because you have a holiday? Because you think it will make you happy? Because you saw a holiday photo and was horrified? Because you want to wear clothes of your choice?Do you feel inferior or lose confidence in front of your slim friends? etc etc

With people starving for days and facing hectic exercise routines, things have clearly gone frighteningly awry. Locked in a battle with their own bodies, and trying to mould themselves into a shape they were never meant to be, many women lose touch with themselves, and what is truly right for them.

So the real question shouldn't be, 'can you be fat and happy?' but 'are you?'

We are quite simply not all meant to be the same, and it's time to celebrate and embrace diversity.

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Right wrong, wrong right. Puzzled!

Disclaimer : This article doesn't intend to hurt any person's religious feelings, any community, country or people.

He sacrificed his brothers, sons, his entire kingdom and even his own life for the sake of his sister's pride! He abducted someone's wife and imprisoned her for several years. You are correct, I am talking about Ravan.

The other day, during a conversation, someone gave me the example of Ravan to define evil.

Ravan is regarded as "wrong". Beyond any doubt, he should be, cause this is how he is being portrayed in the epic and subsequently in all the TV shows. For a moment, if you keep aside ethics and rectify the fact that he must have been "right" on his part!? After all, every girl in the contemporary world needs a brother like him. And every wife needs a husband who doesn't touch a woman without her consent.

In no way do I intend to contrast the epic but to highlight the unvarnished truth that what is the precise definition of  right and wrong! Possibly, it is about the mindset that varies from person to person, community to community, society to society, religion to religion...

Aren't right and wrong convertible terms, depending upon popular opinion?

I believe that right vs. wrong is a psyche that is primarily gained one's emotions and social experiences.

Read the following and analyse from the perspective of both the parties - 

• Many feel it is RIGHT to smoke and consume alcohol, whereas several others find it to be WRONG.
• Marrying someone of choice sounds RIGHT to some, but may be WRONG decision from the perspective of many.
• Committing suicide may seem RIGHT and easy option by a handful of people. On the contrary, it is perceived to be a WRONG decision by most.
• Some believe war and/or revenge is the RIGHT way, others believe peace and communion may solve an issue.

And then you may find a bunch of situations around you illustrating such instances.......

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Ultimate option - none of the above

An excerpt from one of the news channel's website - In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Friday gave the citizens of India the right to reject all candidates in elections. "Negative voting would foster purity and vibrancy in elections," the court said. 

Opinions of frustrated citizens would be known publicly as practically the entire electorate would vote and if the rejections exceeded the votes cast in favor of candidates, all the candidates would be rejected and fresh elections with new candidates would be scheduled. Those in favor of negative voting have been demanding that re-election should be ordered in a constituency where more than 50 per cent of the voters reject all candidates. At present, the law doesn't allow that. 

Supposedly, this is on the verge of reality shows, wherein its the common people who drive the show. In the event of this option being included in the electronic voting machines, I foresee certain benefits:

Voters shall now be free to express their views, rather than being compelled to opt out of any of the given candidates. They might be granted the ability to mandate the possible candidature too. In most of the countries, including India, the political party chooses its candidate. But in US, it is the people who choose the candidates.

Every political party would regard the electorate as a formidable force to reckon with and would ensure that only honest representatives of integrity were admitted to their party. Hence the representatives would be careful and prudent in their conduct. Parties will have to be cautious and pressurized to put up better candidates. This shall also ensure that people cast their mandate for the *candidate* and not for a *political party*.  Scams and scandals would decrease immensely.

A new era of integrity would begin. The citizens will be able to raise their voice/ concern which wouldn't otherwise have been possible easily, esp. in those constituencies where aristocracy prevails in the name of democracy. 

Moreover, the democracy which was till now, of the people and for the people, will now be by the people too.

Accolades and a grand welcome to this decision . I vote for it!

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Open up a whole new world now..

Turn failure into a greater success. Every situation will throw up winners as well as losers. Defeat can, however, be turned into victory by a slight shift in attitude.

The first step is to accept gracefully the fact that you lost. And that you lost because there was something that you did not have and the winner did; do not blame others for your defeat. Focus on that something, understand it and, in doing so, identify your weak areas. Now try and figure out ways of working on those areas. Look at your present defeat as an opportunity to improve yourself and also something that may possibly help you shift focus onto something bigger and better. 

Sometimes it may so happen that you are trying to succeed at something that you are not meant for, and greener pastures await you elsewhere. If that is so, understand that. Focus your energies towards areas more suitable to you. Shifting your goal may open up a whole new world for you, one you may not have dreamt of earlier. 

And remember - 

"Koshish karne se mushkil aasan hoti hai ,

Milne se kya bol tamanna kum hoti hai"

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The Last Telegram or The Lost Telegram

I never wrote a telegram, literally I never did. 

Oops, I wrote one for English exam while it was a part of my school curriculum! 

I should blame technology for not letting me learn to write a telegram. Indeed, written letters are another living artifact. This is not a “skill” (if you could even call it that) that matters in a world where programming is the new literacy. As an adult, I have not mailed a single letter.

But change in society (and people freaking out at it) is basically how the world works. Many of you reading this will be upset that a child did not know how to mail a letter. I’ll say it does not matter and is about as relevant as me understanding how to use a telegraph or rotary telephone. It might be interesting to some as quaint nostalgia for the past, but it’s not practical, useful or even required in today’s society. Especially if you are going to live a digital-first lifestyle.

I never wrote a telegram, literally I never did. 

Oops, I wrote one for English exam while it was a part of my school curriculum! 

I should blame technology for not letting me learn to write a telegram. Indeed, written letters are another living artifact. This is not a “skill” (if you could even call it that) that matters in a world where programming is the new literacy. As an adult, I have not mailed a single letter.

But change in society (and people freaking out at it) is basically how the world works. Many of you reading this will be upset that a child did not know how to mail a letter. I’ll say it does not matter and is about as relevant as me understanding how to use a telegraph or rotary telephone. It might be interesting to some as quaint nostalgia for the past, but it’s not practical, useful or even required in today’s society. Especially if you are going to live a digital-first lifestyle.

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Flashback...

Two years later, all my college mates are living an entirely different life. Sharing a reminiscence of those unforgettable 4 years.

College- a carefree world, life was full of dreams and plans for future; a place where
even punishments were fun; friendship was so innocent and selfless; canteen didn't serve delicious cuisines, but a baked samosa with friends was no less;"hidden" skills like calligraphy and drawing could be seen on last page of every notebook; laughter during lectures was infectious; we copied assignments, even the mistakes! 

Bunking lectures was fascinating; borrowing a pen was such a pleasure; fighting for seat in the bus was a routine.

Nothing could satisfy our hunger as eating from our lunch box under the desk during lectures did; sitting on the floor and studying for hours before our viva didn't shy us; an evergreen dialogue was- "I do not have balance in my mobile"; proxy attendance for "dost" had to be a duty of a "sacha dost"!

I am missing those days....missing my college days.

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Why do you criticize the country you live in?

Warning: This post may appear offensive to most readers.

"Is desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta"- I often hear people saying this.
On scrolling down my Facebook news feed everytime, 7/10 posts are anti-Indian! I wonder why do people not want to lose chances of criticizing or sharing JOKES on their own country. It might seem harmless, but it is infectious.
Would mocking at your own country; the administration, the government, the people, their culture and the financial conditions serve the cause?
"You are the problem and only you can be the solution."
If you don't do your bit to bring the change, then I think you do not possess any rights to exhibit your sarcasm over it. It is, and it will be the same unless you take a step for betterment.
Any yes, this was not a desh bhakti speech, neither do I say that our country is a paradise to live in!

At the end note, re-quoting a famous dialogue from the movie Rang De Basanti -

Koi bhi desh perfect nahin hota, usse perfect banana padta hai

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Who are we?

Are we really humans?? What’s the difference between a human and an animal…An animal wakes up in the morning , searches for food, eats, roams and then sleeps….and same does a human….wakes up, works , eats, then works, eats and sleeps.. What are we here for?? Is there any special reason why god has created a different species called human….yes of course, god wants us to do something better with our lives….something different…we have got only one life so make use of it..........!!!!

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Happy Republic day! - If this is about one-day celebration, I am not in!

We suddenly come up with a flood of "Desh Bhakti" feeling on this particular day of the year and not to forget, the 15th day of every August too. Social networking sites get flooded with pictures and wallpapers and quotes full of the so-called "desh bhakti". Schools, colleges, government organizations and almost every part of the country suddenly becomes gets immersed into the ocean of devotion for nation and the respect for martyrs!!
I feel like laughing at this funny shit.

Isn't it limited to being merely a national holiday? I ponder upon how people change their moods everyday.. The very next day they shall go back to their same old lives.

I believe that real "desh bhakti" seeks only fulfilling our part and doing our duties as individual citizens.

The very next day after these celebrations we get back to bribery, encouraging corruption, and to mention- every page of newspaper screaming about heinous crimes such as rapes, murder and a lot more.
Everyone of us is trying to fulfill our selfish motto by running to drain our brains to foreign countries to earn money, and eventually strengthening their economies? Wow, are these the same "desh bhakts".

Educational institutions invite (rather compel) children to join the celebration including flag hoisting, singing national anthem, desh bhakti songs and etc. Is that enough!!?
If this is so, then why do we see a lot of juveniles committing heinous crimes every alternate day... where did the actual morals go?
Their participation would be worth if they do their part well, that is, by studying well and turning up into responsible individuals. The nation is demanding its youth power to build a great future.

If this is all about one-day celebration, then I am not in!

If you have this flame of "desh bhakti" in you today, then I urge you to keep this ablaze throughout the year.

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