From Chacha Choudhary to Alchemist...

Just done reading with Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.. The utter disaster! After reading the last page I was trying to recollect if even a single thing I could carry forward and there was nothing... Disappointing indeed ! All I could remember were 2 sayings.... "Death doesn't change anything" and "If you want anything, entire universe conspires to help you get that".... which obviously is the English version of a dialogue from some crap Hindi movie..... Nevertheless, I feel I at least gave Paulo the second chance after the Brida to impress me with his writing.But he failed- Alchemist was equally letting down  with its' out of the world talks.

Remembering my childhood days when reading books never involved a risk since we always picked our favourite ones and which no doubt had to be entertaining.Be it chacha chaudharys' conversations with sabu and bhagyawaan or pinki's cute acts.... nagraj's deadly blows or  champak's morals...  Biloo's cricket fever or nandan's short stories, the characters never failed to charm us. The uninterrupted reading, finishing a book in 2 hours, what a pleasure it used to be.Engrossed in the world of comic characters and a sudden background interruption by mum to finish the school lessons.... Ohhhh!!!! what pain in the ass it used to be, to get back to the syllabus books.Lost,still, in the Pinky's cunning acts and chacha's computer dimaag, the mind continued to race  to find a way to get next comic while holding the school lessons in hand..... We read and enjoyed these books, never realizing that these were inadvertently instilling in us lot many things that will be part of our  being always.They happily and in simplest of terms taught us so many things.


Today, we have grown older, our reading has become mature.We research over books on Amazon, read reviews and after a full fledged satisfaction order one.We have money to spend, we pay big to read someone's autobiography or to learn best of the managerial skills.But the happiness that these non-existent characters gave us is incomparable.


We have grown older for these characters but these characters will never grow up.They are ready to make us laugh any time.Then, why not try out the next one as chacha choudhary or Pinki and recall the old times rather then picking up some complex stuff which worsens our already baffled state!


P.S. Just saw one at Flipkart  "Pinki and Kalandar" just Rs 20/. I am good to order it online! :)



 

Let's fight it The Anna Way.....

The uprising .... is not sudden... The frustration was deep down in every citizen...It's only now, when Anna raised his voice and became a public figure, even we realise that it's the high time, we should let the volcano inside us erupt. Let our "chalta hai"  attitude take a backseat for sometime and support this man to bring about the change for us,for our nation and for the generations to come, so that we have an opprtunity to breath in a corrupt free nation....... so that we don't have to bribe some babu to get our marriage certificate done,so that we don't have to bribe hospital staff to get the birth certificate for our kids, so that nobody in the future dares to corrode our society with something as dirty as corruption......


Our cynicism is no longer going to help us. Anna is an exemplar of how, irrespective of having people 'like us' around him, has not lost hope and is keeping his spirits high.He is out there to make a difference. Even though we have lost our ability or rather motivation to change our lives, there is a man out there who is not ready to give up... who makes us realise by his every action that it's our right to fight against corruption.


We have different visions of  'our dream India'... The basic step towards it has already been taken.Let's support him by all our means... It might not be a win but at least it would show those corrupt people out there that we stand together with this man in his fight-or rather our fight!! Let's take a pledge to not pay bribe to start with, no matter what.... It might take our little extra time/money/effort but would definitely save our kids from paying hundred such bribes in times to come.

And as Larry Gelbart rightly says,

     " I think one of the byproducts of the communications explosion is a sort of 'corruption fatigue.' We've lost our ability to be shocked or enraged by the machinations of politicians. We've been battered with such frequency that we've become indifferent. We're punch drunk with scandal."


Let us not be indifferent any more and stand beside Anna and prove that when it comes to protecting India we are all together.It's high time- we can't be puppets at the hands of these wicked politicians who rule us and make fool of us. The Indianism seen on a World cup finale or  India-Pak match is required at this juncture.

Because, in the end...it's neither about Anna nor about Jan Lokpal Bill... it is about us and our nation....

Jai Hind!!!!!
 

Life and its rides......

The best thing about this life is -it continues to give you reasons to smile- at times on your wittiness and most of the times on your foolishness.... :)  sometimes for your audacity and other times for your impuissance. The poor we- don't even know when it takes us for a ride, makes us bang into strange situations and leaves us perplexed...... And indicates that the ride though started by it (life) has to be terminated by you. So here you are-cribbing,totally muffled and trying to figure out the purpose of this topsy-turvy ride. The journey of exploring the purpose is tedious.... and that's where all our patience,strength,intelligence,experience come into picture.....

Everything that I write has a context, hopefully the next post will mention about the experiences of this new ride that life is taking me on...... :)

By then.... enjoy the rides and keep smiling..... :)

-Richa

To my friend.....

The journey here is long..... every leap that we take involves fear,happiness and sorrow,success and failure,.... Everything leaves its mark.... extensive happiness or the extensive sorrow... You meet some on the way and you lose some- this is how the journey of life is....

Here this one goes to my best buddy ...who no longer is talking to me! I just wanted to tell him that I miss his company and his idiotic talks.Everyday I have the regret of loosing my chuddy buddy  for some stupid reasons which are not at all worth breaking the 18 years of friendship. I don't call him but I miss our stupid talks, the roadside omlette eating sessions , the bike rides, the songs, the long phone calls, the laughter sessions, the leg-pulling ! Every time I have a good news, I miss sharing with him.The non-stop bak-bak, the unnecessary lecture, the brainless fights I don't have them anymore... :(

I just want to tell him that whatever happens happens for the good and what I did wasn't intentional... It was just meant to be that way and it is good for both of us.No matter how hard we try, at times connecting the dots doesn't work and that is what happened in our case.... May be looking backwards 10 years from now we realize that my decision was right (or wrong we never know) .

But for now , I just don't want to let you go for some dumb reasons which aren't worth it. You have been a sweetheart and I want you to stay that way.I know I can't even imagine what you would have gone through in the last month and a half but I am sorry for whatever happened. I always feel relationships are meant to make you comfortable.You should keep a relation to a limit where it gives you the comfort zone... And I feel I can be at my best with you as a friend...... Let's not force something on us which we find difficult to handle.

It's your birthday coming and I have always been the first one to wish you on the special day:)
Wishing for you all the happiness of the world and hoping that you achieve everything in life.

I hope that you get out of the state soon and start talking to me.... Give up the anger ladke and get back to the irritating chap again ..... You know right, we have always been there for each other in highs and lows...  There are very few people in your life who matter to you and who define your existence in this world.... You are one of them and will always be...


Happy Birthday....  Hope you have a good one.....

The D!scovey wiThiN....

The white idol laden with garlands grinning at me, His gaze following, everywhere, I turn in that foyer.The idol seems to mock at me and say, "This constant thinking and confusion is utter waste,girl... I already have plans for you and they aren't going to change no matter how much pressure you take... I will sit here,smile and watch you perplexed,loosing patience,growing wild and crying your heart out.... just wishing that you calm down soon because things will happen as and when planned..." I know the secret behind that smile  but still the whirlpool of thoughts can't be controlled... This is where the difference comes between Him and me! 


I sit and enjoy the silence, watching people pray before the smiling deity and figuring out the conversations happening between the two... Are they equally confused,have they come here to fight with the deity for something that has gone wrong with them or plead for something or just drop by to say 'hi' like me ..... don't know that's difficult to figure out...


I close my eyes just to avoid the distraction from people watching, which I love to do.Suddenly a voice echoes chanting something. I think of opening my eyes and looking at the person but then gradually I get engrossed in the melody of her voice and the eyes only open after she has finished... I look at her, thanking her within for the few minutes of silence she brought within me....


I come out again, in the world of blaring horns..In the hustle and bustle of life- the getting up early which we just don't like, the job which sucks,the coming late fully frustrated, attending calls half-heartedly and sleeping with the sick feeling of going back to work again the next day, we might as well forget to breath had it not been an automatic process :).... Constantly fighting  the devil inside for which no bournvita or horlicks will help, is an added work. Our run for money to help us live life makes us forget to enjoy life... we no longer are the same.The inner silence of being and awareness takes a back seat.


The silence that I gathered today from that half an hour visit to this temple was rejuvenating.The whirlpools will keep coming, the perplexed sessions will continue, screwing up will no doubt never stop.... but these small little things of you, discovering yourselves are boosters in your life.... and,yes, I end it with the chants which helped me... 


Om sai raam....
shri sai raam....
jai jai sai raam....
satguru sai raam.....




P.S. The white deity with the smiling face, I still wonder what your plans are for me and when are you going to disclose your clandestine intelligence operations .....

The death of Osama Bin Laden

Bangggg.... n I am finally here.... An auspicious day to start blogging--my first blog on the demise of Osama n here is a lil tribute to all his achievements and a standing ovation to this dauntless 'man of honor'  ;) ..The man behind 9/11, the leader of Al-qaeda finally rests in peace... A time for celebration all through and a big cheer for US which has again shown that it is not going to compromise when it comes to the safety and a terror free environment for its people.. I am happy that India was never responsible for trailing  such a job.Else we would have gone through a series of trials and appeals and rejections for decades , spending millions on victims safety.The mastermind behind the foolproof plan,Obama, finally nails Osama and thus, once again proving to the world that no matter what, America has and will always be  ready to demolish anything/anyone that threatens it in anyway.


Came across a statement in one of the sites saying  "Indian scholars disapprove Osama's sea burial"... huhhh..... enough guys! You people seem better at nothing.There is lot better to be done than just giving statements... You would have had the right to comment and crib if it was India behind Osama's  execution .How does it matter if his body would have been cremated or entombed... The ultimate thing important was his life, which was a threat to all and America took it.. .It's much better for such idiots to keep their mouth shut and atleast give Obama credit for his unparalleled leadership and perfect strategies!


For Osama, his life comes to an end but what about the hundreds of Osamas that he has already produced in his lifetime.They, though completely shaken and grief stricken by their masters death, will not settle down or give up here itself.They will emerge soon - their venomous actions ready to divide the world and spread hatred ! We need an Obama for every nation who doesn't believe in 'capture' but in slaughter of any being who is a threat to the their nation, their religion, their people and their peace......


I might sound Americanish , going gaga about Obama, but this is truly a victory of the world as a whole and a moment of happiness bestowed on us by America.... 

The tragedy of falling in L.O.V.E

The 3 love scenarios:

Tell your family that you are in love with a person and he/she is from a different religion..... Dad's response,"This wasn't expected from you at all, Were you brought up in such a culture to do this?Did we teach you this?At least you should have found someone in the same religion, we would have agreed.This is  never possible!!!! You have to choose between  him/her or us"..... [Topic dismissed]......

Tell your family that you are in love with a person and he/she is from a different caste....Dad's response,"This wasn't expected from you at all.Were you brought up in such culture to do his?Did we teach you this? At least you should have found someone in the same caste, we would have agreed.This is never possible!!!"..... [Topic dismissed]......

Take a guy/girl home of the same caste...Dad's response,"This wasn't expected from you at all.Were you brought up in such a culture to do this?Did we teach you this? This is not possible!!!"..... [Topic dismissed]......

Alas....!!!!.... every situation has a problem only the intensity differs..... The first reaction has to be NO, without them even knowing the person you have choosen to be with.Then, the regular fights, discussions,sessions of being ignored by parents and the drama continues! After this hurdle, comes into picture the 'Kundali'. Kundali- for which every pandit has to say something different......  Some lucky ones get through this and the rest have to stop their journey here itself....

The main cause after all this drama is the society ... What will the society think???? And this society includes - the relatives who come into picture only in weddings and funerals,who wouldn't even remember when they last visited your place or vice-versa,who wouldn't even know that you have met twice with an accident since you last met them and you were going through a tough time.... Yes, but they would make sure to pop-up at the right time in case you are going for an inter-cast marriage to honour your already screwed up life with their opinions. My scrutiny says that most of the parents will never have a problem if this society never existed.They have a problem because their is a society around which bothers them and they, being a part of it, have to mark their actions to let not give them a chance to raise their fingers on them.....

I wish I could live to see a day when our society becomes sensible enough to accept inter religion and inter caste marriages. They start considering the person totally on the basis of what he/she is rather than of what caste the person belongs to... We are, no doubt, labeled with a religion and a caste the moment we are born but God doesn't differentiate us on the basis of the same... Each one of us is His child and just wonderfully made !!.... The religion,the caste can never determine our being..... The stars can be for or against ....the fate can be supportive or destructive....the times can be good or bad.....  but His shield is always there to protect us no matter which religion we belong to....

I just hope that someday, India breaks these shackles of religion and caste.... We are free to follow any religion we want to but lets not implant these thoughts in the generations to come.Let them give them freedom to choose what they love. Let them actually be the child of God and not the child of Allah,Jesus or Ram..... 

Touchscreen-- A complex baby !!

I sit in the passenger seat of the car with plans to explore a new restaurant downtown. Lost the way,the touchscreen owner hands over his "sophisticated kid" immediately, to check the so-called 'google-maps' while he is driving.... Oops,that's a tough task !!!.... Silently, I take the iphone, unlocking took 5 minutes - courtesy touchscreen. Now, selecting google maps from the menu, spread over 3 pages, is a tough task....Thinking, why the hell  Steve Jobs couldn't keep this icon on the first page, I silently try out......grrrrrr :-/

Owner ,by this time , is a little pissed off,thinking, what a dunderhead he is carrying along.... ;) I still continue to try.. slightly brushing my finger against the screen to reach to the page 3 which has google maps icon...  I struggle with the phone, trying 3 of my fingers in turns, to reach the 3rd page and  thinking why the hell people buy such iPhones! This takes a minute or so......  And here I am on the 3rd page trying to open the google maps by slightly touching the icon... The slight touch doesn't hit the right icon in the first try, opening some other application everytime.... 2-3 tries and I am able to get the right click,sorry sorry 'touch', on the maps icon.... Finally going through a maze of 'touches' I am on the google maps page and here I need to type in source and the destination....  keying in the characters again takes some time but I promise, I am trying my best :(  By this time, the owner is totally pissed off, because he has already undergone a devious route in the Bangalore's one-ways and pathetic traffic.Thus, he stops the car, stonkered and chafed with the clumsy co-traveller. He takes his iPhone and khat-khat, within seconds with a few touches and blabbering some "left right lefts", he takes off again....

I sheepishly sit back, thinking about my inability to use iPhone.But this lasts only for a minute or two because I have full confidence in my iPhone owner's cognitive skills.So, I start thinking about the cuisines that the new place has to offer and silently enjoy the drive...... We reach this restaurant in another 5 minutes.... The iPhone owner tries to make me little comfortable thinking that I would be feeling bad at my inability to use iPhone [ ;) ] ,and that's what I was waiting for... :) We happily go, have food and enjoy the drive back home !


Unable to operate the iPhone doesn't make me sad.However, the capability of people to use it promptly is what bothers me.... What does this complex baby demands--- the patience, the intelligence, the concentration or just the perfect touches.... that's little difficult for me to figure out...

What I know is, I am happy with my samsung s3500,which this co-traveler made me buy :)  And whenever I am given to operate his iPhone to search something in the google maps, I always feel that we have so many autowalas,cars and bikes on every signal getting bored waiting for the signal to turn green, then why not give them a chance to help......Open the window shades,peep out of the car and ask for the way.... A little thanks and a smile in turn is much better than struggling with the iPhone google maps...

I relive all my "touchscreen traumas" whenever I see a touchscreen/iPhone and my co-traveller's unending patience to bear with me in the hope that some day I would learn to use iPhone and specially google maps. :)

P.S. Treat Mr. iPhone with  more care than you treat your wife, because if he gets angry you got to pay a big big price.....With pockets getting picky,sunshine unfriendly,extra cost of a screen protector,no one-hand sms texting, trauma for people with stubby fingers- its a complex baby, indeed !!!