Will Power Is The Key

It is your will power that helps in attaining the materialistic and the abstract. No matter how tough it is, it can come true just by you willing to have it, or vice-versa. To state without amplification, will power can turn the unfavorable the other way round. The strength of will power works from letting the mountains move, to stopping the rains that have been going on since hours; changing the fate that has been designed long back for you by the mortals or the immortal; bring in the success to your toes that was never meant for you; repair the irreparable relationships or untie those handcuffs.

Embrace it, and you shall touch the zenith!

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Book Review: The Palace of Illusions

Finally, I finished reading Palace of Illusions- such a wonderfully narrated piece of work by Chitra Banerjee.

This novel gave a voice to Draupadi, well known as Panchaali- an epitome of womanhood. It talks about her life, her opinions, cravings, longings, grief, agony, sadness, happiness(which haunted seldom), vengeance that she was furious for all along, her immense strength, her secret desires, and above everything, it shows how the great story of its time OCCURED to her and how she came across every aspect of it. This novel traces Panchaali's life from a fiery birth and lonely childhood to a great deal of injustice followed by a dreary revenge . I ain't prophesying womanhood here! But truly stating, she was the only woman who was born to change the history of the mankind. This narrative has compelled me to wander how her life would have been, married to 5 brothers, living in exile for most of her life, and the rest was no less than an exile; my heart speaks out for her.

Mahabharat, an epic that I have read, heard of and watched on TV a dozen of times, but never could look at it from the perspective of any particular character but merely a series of events. The other day, someone told me - Ramayan teaches us how to live and what to do, whereas, Mahabharat teaches us what NOT to do.

The feat of the great war of its time, was it justified? The whole clan gets ruined by the end of it, except for a handful of people who very lucky to survive. While I scan through the list of characters, I ponder one action from which of them could have undone all the possibilities of such great destruction? Who lead to it? Whose fault it was ?



Panchaali- If she was not married to five brothers (Pandavas), if she had not rejected Karna in Swayamvar, if she had not insulted Duryodhan in her palace, if she was not so desperate for her revenge and had, instead, went on quietly with her insult as her ill fate .

But wait, what if Yudhishtir had decided not to play the gamble, rather he could have been partially righteous and not abided all the rules of the game and to stake his brothers and his wife during the game.

Alas! what if Duryodhan, his cousin had not been cruel and unrighteous to this extent, and if he hadn't felt so dejected throughout his life?

Instead, what if his maternal uncle Shakuni had been fair and had not guided his nephews to the unrighteous path since their childhood.

Wait a moment, was only Shakuni at fault? What if his dear sister Gandhari was not forced to marry a blind person Dhritrashtra, he would have not decided to use his wit in the ill manner to end the whole dynasty.

Nevertheless, Shakuni could not have done anything if Karna (the eldest son of Kunti, who was gifted to her from Sun god at a tender age) would have not been abandoned by her, and being the eldest, would have been given recognition and crowned as the next heir.

Or was it because Kunti imposed or ordered all her sons to marry the same woman so as to keep them united, or she hadn't revealed to anyone that Karna was her son?

Was it Kunti's husband, Pandu who went for exile just before his coronation as the King, which later gave rise to the question as to who should succeed Dhritarashtra?

Was it Dhritarashtra, who should have not lured to take place of his brother, or thought as a King rather than a father, and had crowned Pandu's son as his successor?

Was it Gandhari- Dhritarashtra's wife, who had the boon to bear a hundred sons, who could have barred her sons from getting on to the wrong track? She tied the veil on her eyes, not literally, but righteously too!

Or was it all due to events at some distant place; King Drupad who ditched his childhood friend Drona and lighted the fire of vengeance in him that led to the creation of such great warriors. Or was it because Drupad desired to avenge Bheeshma and that he performed prayers to gain two of his children - Dhrishtadhyumna and Draupadi ? What if Draupadi was not born at all?

Was it Dronacharya's desire to get his son to be a King, irrespective of the fact that he was a Brahmin and a great teacher? He intented to achieve what was not at all meant for his creed, and planted the seeds of the same in his son Ashwathama's  mind.

Was it determined long back when Bheeshma made a stiff promise of not getting married ever, and taking unjustified decisions thereafter at every step? If he would have married, and sons were born to him, there would have been no scope for him giving all his life to protect the clan of his younger brother Vichitravirya and being care taker of Hastinapur's throne. Was it because, later he abducted the 3 sisters - Amba, Ambika and Ambalika to marry his brother, and one of them turned furious and reincarnated to avenge him? Was it because he insulted Drupad for the sake of Vichitravirya?

Was it Ganga, Bheeshma's mother who abandoned her seven children for no justification, and disappeared for years, which led King Shantanu to marry Satyavati, who later became ambitious to make her would-be children, the heirs of the kingdom?

Was it Krishna, who supposedly knew everything but puzzled almost every character with his riddles rather than warning them!



Or was it all just because the heaven had designed it long back, and that every character was bound to the other in such manner?

Was it because it had to lead to the advent of TODAY's time - the Kalyug or the fourth age of Man!?

Or may be to set a perfect example for all of us existing right now, to maintain a balance between the righteous and the unrighteous, and be decisive according to the situations by not blindly imbibing age-old ideals.

One more thought that often strikes me upon learning about this epic is, almost each one of us has built a wall of our ideologies, thoughts, ideas, opinions, prejudices and of limited knowledge around us. We see life, every phenomenon and person through our lens.

Shouldn't we try to expand the sphere of our thoughts and come out of those shackles to think beyond the taboos ? This would spare us from the agony and displeasure that we eventuate so often.

Shouldn't we watch our actions taking into consideration all those who shall be affected by them, and not only ourselves?

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.

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Thanks to Whatsapp Images

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ख्वाबों का शहर

नम आँखों से जब अपने ख्वाबों को पूरा करने मैं अपने घर से दूर चलने लगा, वो सड़क बड़ी छोटी लगने लगी, ऐसा लगा काश वो सड़क खत्म ही ना हो. अपने साथ यादों का कारवाँ ले के चला था मैं. यूँ लगा उन सब यादों कि जुदाई सही ना जायेगी और घर के सामने कि वो सड़क लंबी हो जायेगी.

मेरे घर के हर कोने से मेरी अनेकों यादें जुड़ी थीं. चलते वक्त मन को बहलाने के लिए माँ कि बात याद आ गयी. उनने चिढ़ाते हुए कहा था की जहां मै जा रहा हूँ वहा इससे भी बड़ा घर होगा. अगले ही पल मन ने कहा - घर दीवारों से नहीं उसमें रह रहे लोगो से बनता है.

मन में भारीपन लिए पहुँच गया अपने ख्वाबों के शहर, उस सुंदर आलीशान घर के आगे मेरा अपना घर छोटा दीख पड़ता था,  फिर सोचा माँ जान कर बड़ी खुश होंगी!

उस अनजान नगरी में हर किसी के साथ कोई ना कोई था, आपस में हँसते-बोलते रहते और मै अकेला उन्हें तांकता रहता.



उस भीड़ में मेरी नजर दो दोस्तों पर पड़ी. उनका वो मासूम-सा तकरार और अगले ही लम्हें में ढेर सारा दुलार, मानो एक दुसरे के साथ है तो दुनिया से कोई सरोकार ही नहीं. एक तरफ़ उन्हें देख कर खुशी हुई और फिर मेरे सबसे ख़ास दोस्त का ख्याल कर के दुःख.

कभी लगता था यहाँ से भाग निकलूँ, किंतु मेरे ख्वाब मुझे पीछे खींच लेते थे. उस तन्हाई के आलम में ख़ुद ही को समझा लिया करता था. दिन गुजरते गए. एक दिन माँ का ख़त आया, उनके जन्मदिन पर एक दिन के लिए घर बुलाया था. फिर क्या था, एक पंछी कि तरह उड़ चला अपने आशियने में. मेरे शहर कि गलियों कि वो महक, घर में घुसते ही माँ कि प्यारी-सी मुस्कान, पिताजी का दुलार और बहन का शरारत भरा झगड़ा - 'भैया, तुम खाली हाथ तो नहीं आ गए ना'! ऐसा लगा ख़ुद को फिर से पा लिया. जन्मदिन मनाने के बाद अपने ख़ास दोस्त से मिलने गया. खूब बातेंं कर अपना मन हलका किया.

हर्षित मन के साथ लौट आया अपने ख्वाबों के शहर, इस बार दुगने उत्साह के साथ!

मोह पाश से इंसान कभी नहीं छूट सकता, मगर चलते रहने का नाम ही ज़िंदगी है ना!

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जुनून

साहिल पर बैठ क्यूं तेरी नाकामी पर अश्क बहता है,
टूटी है कश्ती तो मार ले गोता उस समंदर में,
तोड़ उसका गुरुर,भीगो दे उसे तेरे आँसुओं से,

ग़र कामयाबी का है जुनून, मुकम्मल कर तैराकी पर फ़तेह,
ग़र डूब गया तो ज़िंदगी भर का गुमान ना रहेगा,
उस पर्वर दीगर से सीना तान दलील तो कर सकेगा

 

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मेहनत का फल मीठा तभी होता है जबकि मेहनत फल देने वाले पेड़ पर हो ।

(The fruit of hard work is sweet only when hard work is done on a tree that bears fruits.)
Source-Internet

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If you act like a victim, you are likely to be treated as one.

-Paulo Coelho

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Offline - A Day Without Internet

6:00 AM

The alarm rang and while I still was half asleep one morning, as a ritual the first thing I did was to connect my cell phone to WiFi. To my surprise, I spotted that I had received no "updates" since last night!

That summer morning, a few minutes later whilst the environment was serene and filled with chirping of cuckoo bird, I stepped out to check if the hawker has dropped newspapers in our veranda (baramda). While grabbing the newspaper, I saw the headline which read - "No Internet today". My eyes went wide open and all sleep flew away. Unlike everyday, I sat reading the news article. It reported that during the midnight, the world's internet crashed! For a moment I was dumbstruck pondering whether it is really practicable. But it surely was not supposed to be fictitious, since I had no updates on my phone that morning.

---

8:30 AM

Every news channel had confirmed the unbelievable by now. The channels reported that the internet should be stable in the next 12-15 hours.

With my face drooped, I sat imagining how would I spend the rest of my day being disconnected with rest of the world... The first learning of my day was to understand the value of time. This because it was the due date for paying my phone bill online, which would otherwise have to paid with surcharge later.

---

9:00 AM

Though, as a habit, I kept checking my phone, for emails, Whatsapp and other social updates. Sooner, I engaged myself in some other activities like helping my Mom in household chores, visited the nearby temple, assisted my father in gardening, which otherwise was my time for all sorts of unproductive or partially-productive activities on my cell phone and laptop over the internet. It was a contrasting experience to me that left me with inner satisfaction.

---

6:30 PM.

I was back home early from office.

As a part of my routine, during and after the dinner I had to be stuck to my cell phone. After all, I am supposed to be updated about all that is happening around, from social networking to the news app on my phone to my favorite whatsapp to gmail and my office emails to the melodious songs on saavn. I would barely raise my head to talk to my family everyday.

But this fateful day was entirely different. I had to, rather, I got to spend time with my parents. We talked about all sort of stuff that day while having dinner. After dinner we went for a long walk. I shared my experiences of the day with them. Also, I turned into a keen listener to my mother and father about what they did the whole day, varying from my mother's complaints against the maid and my father's comments on the country's changing political scenario.

I shared with them my experiences of the day at office.

---

11:00 AM

In the absence of connectivity to the web, amusingly, office' work came to a standstill. Software Engineers can do zero work in the such a situation. We went on a team lunch, and played some team building games out in the open. This rejuvenated the child in all of us. We also got to see the sunset after a long time. We enjoyed and laughed and almost forgot that the virtual world of internet and social networking. No email popped up and no chats with fake smileys came in that day.  This should originally have been termed as "staying connected".

---

10:00 PM

Sitting idle, I pondered over how long the day was a fun filled day. And then I realized that it has been months since I spoke to some of my distant close friends. Thanks to Internet that kept us updated to such an extent that we didn't get a chance to hear each other's voices. It was the day when I made phone calls to all of them. All our college time memories were refreshed by then.

---

11:00 PM

Ideally this is the time for me to stick on the bed with mobile and typing on Whatsapp. But this time, carrying no regrets of the absence of it, I went towards my bookshelf, smelling the fragrance of what we call as unused books- my novels and journals. I chose one of my long pending novels, read it for sometime and went to bed with a smile on the face cherishing the lovely thoughts of the day.

---

6:00 AM

I was in the lap of a stress-free, quiescent sleep and a few minutes after that the alarm on my cell phone rang and I learnt that all this was a dream. Yes, this was a dream and the world's Internet is intact! :)

Thinking about life without Internet may seem like a nightmare for almost all, but this dream woke me up with a feeling that there's a lot in life than technology and that Internet is a black, frivolous hole that sucks away time in huge, horrible chunks.

Night walk with your close ones on the streets is more pacifying than travelling across the planet on Google Earth.

The euphoria of watching the radiant sunset with a loved one on an evening is better than blindly liking pictures of those who are merely "online friends".

Every untweeted observation of daily life is more sacred than retweeting the tweets that in no way correspond to your reality.

Find sometime to recharge yourself, not just your gadgets.

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मेरी माँ

कितनी भोली कितनी प्यारी है मेरी माँ,
मुझको हर पल मीठी डांट लगाती है मेरी माँ,
मुझको जीने का ढंग सिखाती है मेरी माँ,
मुझको चोट लगे तो ख़ुद दुःख पाती है मेरी माँ,

ऊपर जिसका अंत नहीं, उसे कहते हैं आसमां,
जहान में जिसका अंत नहीं, उसे कहते हैं माँ,
उनकी ममता कि छाओं में,
जाने कब खड़ी हुई मैं अपने पांव पे,

नींद अपनी भूला कर सुलाया जिसने,
आँसू अपने गिरा कर हंसाया जिसने,
इतना दुलार कहाँ से लाती हैं मेरी माँ,
कितनी भोली कितनी प्यारी है मेरी माँ

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MUMMY

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There is only one difference between dream and aim.  Dream requires effortless sleep and aim requires sleepless efforts.
Sleep for dream and Wake Up for aim.

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You never know how strong you are until being strong is the ONLY option.
Source- Internet

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Pie in the sky

Its a state of mind,

It certainly may pass by,

If the destiny is kind,

It definitely may last without a shy,

In the gleaming moonlight,

Seldom does the thought haunt by,

In me lies the limit,

Claims the sky high

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They say, "If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it must be a duck.”
Source-Internet

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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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बड़ी हठीली ये रात

बड़ी हठीली ये रात,
मधुर गजलों का है साथ,

गिराते हुए पलकों के पर्दे,
बुला रही है निंदिया रानी,
मंद मुस्कान लिए ये होँठ,
कह रहे थम जा तू ऐ रात,
बड़ी हठीली ये रात,

अंधियरे में फैला सन्नाटा,
टिक टिक करता घड़ी का काँटा,

दबे पाँव ही सही सवेरा तो आना है,
तेरी विदाई का क्षण तो आना है,
कुछ पल ठहर जा ऐ रात,
बड़ी हठीली ये रात,

एक नई रौशनी का होगा साथ,
जब बीत जायेगी तू ऐ रात,
खूबसूरत होगी वो सहर,
अनेक आशाओं को समेटे गोद में,
आ जायेगी वो सहर,
बड़ी हठीली ये रात,
मधुर गजलों का है साथ

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Today will be the best day of my life

The moment you wake up, recite the following loudly:

Today will be the best day of my life. I will be more alive, alert and grateful. I am thankful for everything that has happened to me – the good, the bad, the indifferent. All of these experiences have collectively made me richer. I know that I am not perfect today nor will I ever be. Perfection is not what I strive for. I’d rather be kind and hardworking. I came to this world with nothing and I will go back with nothing except my actions and good deeds. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to start afresh. 

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Silver spoons need to be nurtured so that they remain silver.

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Why is the sky blue, but not black,
Why is there a KEY to success, but no lock,
Why do birds chirp, but cannot express ,
Why do people work equally, but earn unequally,
Why do people laugh, but are not contented,
Why is the world round, but not flat.
Why is there a limit to the limitless.

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चाँद कितना ही खूबसूरत हो, धरती के ही चक्कर काटता है.

(No matter how beautiful the moon, it eventually rotates around the Earth).

 

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THE END

(Short story - a  work of fiction)

You opened your eyes and discovered something - A peaceful place, white clouds all around; a glorious white light ubiquitously spread; all hazy; someone clad in white appeared from nowhere.



"You were on your way home and you died. And that's when you met me."

"What! Where am I? I don't understand....."

"You met a fatal accident, on your way home, a truck skid and then the car accident happened. They tried to save you, all in vain."

You exclaimed, "I....I died! Where is my wife? My children, are they fine? Who will take care of them? I want to see them."

"They all shall be fine soon. Your kids will remember you always. Your wife will cry, but secretly relieved. Nevertheless, your marriage wasn't working well."

"Oh. So what happens now, I will go to hell, heaven or something?"

"Neither. You will reincarnate."

"Reincarnate.! So, the Hindus were right."

"All religions are right my son."

"What's the point, then? I will start again as a baby, a blank slate. So all my experiences of this life shall vanish."

"Yes, you are nothing but a magnificent soul. You will be born as a Chinese girl to a farmer in 592 A.D."

"592 A.D., but that has already passed. You will send me to the past! What if I meet my future self then."

"Its only you who is born and dies again. You have reincarnated numerous times. In this universe there are just you and me. You are my child, and I, your father."

"Wait.. You  mean I everyone, and everyone else is me. I am Abraham Lincoln... I am Hitler... I am Akbar.. I am Mother Teresa.. the street side beggar, and I am.... I am Jesus.. Ram......and....."

"Now you get it, my child."

"Every time you victimized someone, you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you've done, you've done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you."

"You mean I am god."

"No, not now. You are a fetus, still growing, getting mature."

"I am sending you on your way now."

 

 

 

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Somewhere in the Mist

She lived in Oakland; Anna, the chubby girl in her mid 20’s was gifted with dimpled cheeks, curly hair and cat eyes. She was known for carrying a lovely smile and a pretty face. Deep inside, she hid profound grief; she was an orphan who lost her parents at the age of 11 and was brought up by her grandfather who also passed away about a year ago.

After a tiring day at work, now at her plush apartment, Anna had her dinner alone, and went to bed. It was half past 10. Lying on her bed, she was feeling short of sleep due to numerous thoughts that crept her mind. She was hugging her favorite doll and her long term companion, whom she called Dolly. Turning on and off the table lamp beside her bed she was looking at the photo frame hanged on the front wall. The photograph was taken on her 11^th birthday when she and her parents were out for a holiday, where her mother – a thin lady with her brown unkempt locks of hair, dressed in a pretty white gown was standing beside her father. Her father, a tall and fair man, had dimpled cheeks; she inherited hers from him!  In the photograph, she was standing in the middle of her loving parents with Dolly in her hand. She recalled that her grandpa often told her the story of the true love of her parents.

This comely thought was soon overridden by the flashes of the life changing incident that occurred to the family that night while returning home. She always wondered whether it was her fortune or ill fate that she was the only one spared alive out of that fierce accident.

With a tear rolling down her eye, her cheeks turned pink and soon she fell asleep.

The next morning she got ready for her office in a lovely pink dress with polka dots. She took the 9:20 AM bus to her workplace.

As always, she reached the office by 9:45. Her closest friend for the last 3 years, Isabella called her to say she was waiting for her at the café`.

Bella, as Anna called her, was a thin and tall young girl, not as pretty as Anna, had a dusky complexion and thin hair extending up to her waist. She and Anna shared a lot of similarities on one hand and evident differences on the other. Unlike Anna, Isabella had limited friends. Isabella lived in the town with her parents, grandparents and a younger brother. She belonged to a middle class family who had limited resources for their living.

She said, with an alternate appearance of irritation and smile on her face, "Bella, I bet, you'll never change. You have such a weak memory!"
And Isabella replied, hiding her laughter, “Did I make some mistake again? “

Anna’s face drooped and she said, “No you didn’t. Let’s go back, I have a lot of work to finish today.” Regaining her senses, she continued with cheer, “What are you doing this evening? How about going to go for the new movie at the mall?”

“Sorry Anna, I have to take my grandmother to the Doctor today. She isn’t recovering well. We can plan for the movie some other day. Let us get back to work. Anyway, there is nothing so special about today!”

In a low tone, Anna replied, “You are right. We can go out some other day.”

It was 5 in the evening. Anna had already left for home, at her usual time. She took the 5:10 bus, reached home at 5:35, and changed her clothes. She played some soft music and sat in front of her parents’ photograph. She was unhappy today.

It was the day when she lost her parents years ago, and also her birthday.

Soon after, her phone ringed. It was an SMS from Bella. It read – “Need your help, come home soon.” Anna was worried on reading this. She tried calling back but couldn’t reach her. Without giving a second thought, she left for Isabella’s house in the town. It was 6:30 in the evening. She reached there by around 7 PM. She tried making calls to Bella throughout her transit, but couldn’t speak to her. This increased her anxiety.

As Anna reached in front of Isabella’s house, a ramshackle cottage, the darkness of the dusk caused her difficulty in seeing the entrance. While she was rushing in, she accidentally bumped into Isabella’s pet dog. She recalled that Isabella told her the name of her pet was Rusty. Rusty began barking at her. This added to the procrastination. Within moments, she saw Isabella’s grandfather, a stooping old man with barely countable hair on his head, stepping out of the house, called Rusty towards him and directed Anna to the entrance. The door was already open, she peeped in. The lights of the hall of that small dwelling were off. A startled Anna turned back to see Grandpa and Rusty, but couldn’t find them there.

She panicked and worried about her dear friend. Soon after she heard several people singing the birthday rhyme, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Anna…” and the lights turned on. It was Isabella’s family in the room – her mother, father, brother, grandma, grandpa and Rusty in a corner! She couldn’t find Bella anywhere. She was gratified by this surprise but resentful that she was made to wait for the whole day. A scrumptious birthday cake was kept on a simple wooden table. She was glad to see the whole family offering a candid welcome. She had been missing this for years. The absence of her parents and her loneliness was filled by affection she received from the lovely family of her friend.

A thought abruptly struck her, Bella could be seen nowhere. She asked Isabella’s mother about her. Her mother took Anna to the nearby room where Bella was lying, enervated. Anna was shocked to see her Bella in this condition, her eyes filled with tears. Isabella’s mother narrated to Anna, that her daughter had an asthmatic attack in the evening in spite of which she was desperate to celebrate the special day for her close friend, and willing to bear this ailment for her sake.

Anna hugged her and broke into tears. She had no family, but Bella had. She was rich, Bella was poor. She was beautiful, Bella wasn’t. She made everyone smile, but was unhappy deep inside. Bella was in poor health but had the urge to bring back smile to her friend. Anna hugged her and realized that it was their differences which made their bond special and that there is nothing called misfortune, but the way you interpret what occurs to you.

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A Dusk in the Garden

Just after the sunset and while the moon is about to appear, a few happy-go-lucky children with their after-Holi pink faces are playing on the garden grass. Some are rejoicing on the swings and others just talking. Alas! two little girls have started dancing. Funny though!
The mixed voices of those young girls is reaching my ears from a distance.
Some middle aged women are walking alone along the periphery of the garden, on the interlock-tiled floor in the calm breeze of this March evening. A few infants are accompanied by their parents or grandparents, supposedly for safety on the rides and swings. A secluded old couple is sitting silently on a bench. The temple door is open now. A toddler hopping with a tickle on her face just walked into the gates of the garden with her grandma. She waved goodbye to me after her grandma requested her thrice. Another lady, possibly in her sixties is standing in front of the temple, bowing to the god's idol. She must be tired through the day to walk up the staircases of the temple.

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It shall no more be a secret, once told.

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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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THE Radha-Krishna

This time I have an interesting spiritual post - a conversation between Radha-Krishna!

(This one's not my composition but an excerpt from the web. )

 



एक बार राधा जी ने कृष्ण से पूछा : "गुस्सा क्या है? "

Once Radha asked Krishna - "What is anger?"

बहुत खूबसूरत जवाब मिला : "किसी कि गलती कि सज़ा ख़ुद को देना!"

She received a beautiful answer : "To punish self for someone else's mistake."

............................................................................

राधा ने कृष्ण से पूछा - "दोस्त और प्यार में क्या फर्क है?"

Radha asked Krishna: "What is the difference between friend and beloved?"

कृष्ण हँस कर बोले - "प्यार सोना है और दोस्त हीरा. सोना टूट कर दोबारा बन सकता है मगर हीरा नहीं"

Krishna laughed and said - "Love is gold and friend is diamond. Gold, if broken, can be recreated, but diamond can't."

............................................................................

राधा जी ने कृष्ण से पूछा -"मैं कहाँ कहाँ हूँ?"

Radha ji asked Krishna  : "Where all do I exist?"
कृष्ण ने कहा - "तुम मेरे दिल में, साँस में, जिगर में, धड़कन में, तन में, मन में, हर जगह हो."

Krishna replied: " You are in my heart, breath, heartbeat, body, soul, everywhere."

............................................................................

फिर राधा जी ने पूछा -" मैं कहाँ नहीं हूँ?"

Then Radha asked Krishna - "Where do I not exist?"
कृष्णा ने कहा - "मेरी किस्मत में!"

Krishna said - "In my fate!"

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राधा ने श्री कृष्णा से पूछा - "प्यार का असली मतलब क्या होता है?"

Radha asked Krishna -"What is the true meaning of love?
श्री कृष्णा ने हँस कर कहा - "जहाँ मतलब होता है, वहाँ प्यार ही कहाँ होता है"

Krishna said amusingly - "Where there is a meaning (reason), there is no love."

............................................................................

राधा ने कृष्णा से कहा - "आपने मुझसे प्रेम किया, मगर शादी रुक्मणि से की, ऐसा क्यूँ?"

Radha said Krishna - "You loved me. but married Rukmani, why so?

............................................................................
कृष्णा ने हँस कर कहा - "शादी में दो लोग चाहिए, शादी में दो शरीर और दो दिल चाहिए, और हम तो एक शरीर और एक जान है. तुम ही बताओ राधा और कृष्ण में दूसरा कौन है, हम तो पहले से ही एक है फिर हमे विवाह करने की क्या आवश्यकता."

Krishna laughed and said - "Marriage needs two people, two bodies and two hearts, but you and I are one body and one soul. Tell me, who is the second amongst us, we are already one then what is the need of a marriage?"

............................................................................

निस्वार्थ प्रेम विवाह के बंधन से अधिक महान और पवित्र होता है इसलिए राधा और कृष्णा निस्वार्थ प्रेम की प्रतिमूर्ति है और सदैव ही पुजनिय है.

Selfless love is greater and pious than an alliance, this is why Radha and Krishna are idol of love and are worshiped eternally.

........................................................................................................................................................



This mesmerizing conversation derives some life lessons below-

• Stay away from anger. It hurts only you!


• If you are right then there is no need to get angry, and if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.


• Patience with family is love, patience with others is respect. Patience with self is confidence and patience with GOD is faith.


• Never think hard about the PAST, it brings tears. Don't think more about the FUTURE, it brings fear.


• Live this Moment with a smile, it brings cheer.


• Every test in our life makes us bitter or better, every problem comes to make us or break us, the choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.


• Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.


• Happiness keeps you sweet. But being sweet brings happiness.

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Reflection

This time I have a few interesting lessons that I had undergone while reading The Immortals of Meluha. Though I drafted this long time back, but never posted it!
An excerpt from the conversation between a Pandit (priest) and Shiva in Shiva's dream.

"This is a dream and I can tell you what you already know", said the Pandit, smiling mysteriously. "Or something that already exists in your consciousness that you haven't chosen to listen to as yet."
"So you are here to help me discover something I already know!"
"Yes", said the Pandit, his smile grew more enigmatic.
"What is the color of that leaf?", asked the Pandit.
Frowning strongly, Shiva sighed, "Why, in the name of the Holy Lake, is the color of that leaf important?"
"Many times a good conversational journey to find knowledge makes attaining it that much more satisfying:, said the Pandit. "And more importantly, it helps you understand the context of the knowledge much more easily."
"Context of the knowledge?"
"Yes. All knowledge has its context. Unless you know the context, you may not understand the point."
"And I will that by talking about the color of that leaf!?"
"Yes"
"The color? Its green."
"Is it?"
"Isn't it?"
"Why do you think it appears green to you?"
"Because,", said Shiva, amused, "it is green."
"No. It wasn't what I was trying to ask. You had a conversation with Bhraspati's scientist about how the eyes see. Didn't you?"
Shiva - Of course, its green.
"Oh that, right.", said Shiva slapping his forehead. "Light falls on an object. And when it reflects back from that object to your eyes, you see that object."
"Exactly! And you had another conversation with another scientist about what normal sunlight is made of."
"Yes I did. White light is nothing but the confluence of seven different colors."
"Now put these theories together and tell me, why does a leaf appear green?"
"White sunlight falls on that leaf. The leaf's physical properties are such that it absorbs the colors violet, , indigo, blue, yellow, orange and red. It doesn't absorb the color green, which is then reflected back to my eyes. Hence I see the leaf as green."
"So think about the color of the leaf from leaf's perspective. What colour it absorbs and what it rejects. Is its colour green? Or is it every single color in the world, except green?". The pandit continued, "Whatever appears as unshakeable truth, its exact opposite may also be true in another context. After all, one's reality is but perception, viewed through various prisms of context."
"Are your eyes capable of seeing the reality?" asked the Pandit.
"This means you have to absorb all the negativity and reflect positive energies, so that it is only the positivity that is given away by you to the world."

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If you earn you...

If you earn your bread well.. There will always be people around you to apply butter..!!

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Alone I can 'Say' but together we can 'Talk'.
Alone I can 'Enjoy' but together we can 'Celebrate'.
Alone I can 'Smile' but together we can 'Laugh'.
That's the BEAUTY of human relations.
We are nothing without each other.

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मन कहे मुझे उड़ने को

मन कहे मुझे उड़ने को,
जो हो रहा है उसमें ग़ुम होने को,

जो चाहे वो हासिल हो जाए,
जो पाए वो भी ख़्वाहिश बन जाए,

हाथ उठे दुआ माँगने को,
अगले ही पल वो इबादत कुबूल हो जाए,

मन कहे मुझे उड़ने को,
जो हो रहा है उसमें ग़ुम होने को,

जो लफ्जों में बायाँ हो वो अल्फाज ही क्या,
खामोशी कि ज़ुबान में कुछ बायाँ आज किया जाए,

दूर् से ही तारों को आज ताके कुछ यूँ,
उन्हें तोड़ने कि तमन्ना पुरी हो जाए,

दुनियाँ से लड़ने के बहाने हजारों हैं,
पहले ख़ुद से ही जीत लिया जाए,

उस अक्स कि झलक कुछ यूँ मिलें,
के ख़ुद के अश्क़ धूल जाए,

मन कहे मुझे उड़ने को,
जो हो रहा है उसमें ग़ुम होने को

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How old would y...

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?

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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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तसवीरें

तसवीरें, यादों का आइना होती है,
वक्त को ख़ुद में किये ये क़ैद,
कभी गुद्गुदाती हैं,
और कभी आँसू दे जाती हैं,
कभी छोड़ जाती हैं एक मीठी मुस्कान,
और कभी दे जाती हैं बीते लम्हों को फिर जीने कि चाह,
ये गुजरते पलों को थाम लेती हैं,
ये ही तो हैं जो हमेशा साथ निभाती हैं

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जहाँ हर सिर झुक...

जहाँ हर सिर झुक जाएँ वही मन्दिर है,
जहाँ हर नदी मिल जाएँ वही समंदर है,
जीवन में युद्ध तो बहुत है,
मगर जो हर युद्ध जीत जाएँ वो ही सिकंदर है!

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People often sa...

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.

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When hungry, ea...

When hungry, eat your rice; when tired, close your eyes. Fools may laugh at me, but wise men will know what I mean.

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Unless you have...

Unless you have been called crazy, you're not thinking big enough.

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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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My article in Impetus' quarterly magazine- Zing

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Its terrible th...

Its terrible thing to see and have no vision.

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Every year is a...

Every year is a new year, and every day is a new day.
Happy new year and a happy day!

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Do whatever you...

Do whatever you can, to feel good, because when you feel good, life will be good.

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