Kalam- What a human ought to be..

27th July 2015

This is a spontaneous post, I just typed and posted whatever came to my mind. So please, read it for the content alone.
I came across the news of the demise of the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
True that anyone who is born has to depart one day, but rare is it that you feel so saddened by the demise of a person whom you have never known or met in person.

He represented what every bit of a human one ought to be. Coming from a very humble background from a small island in the southern India to have achieved knowledge and success with sheer grit and hard work. Success or failure never got to his head or clouded his vision... He only took what good he could extract from every situation he came across. He was known for his simple lifestyle, a vegetarian and a bachelor, who perhaps never wanted to have children of his own because he considered every child as his own.
The fact that on his demise every Indian be it from the ordinary citizens , a student , a businessman, a politician irrespective of political affiliation or region, people of different religions , movie stars, media persons...... even Baba Ramdev ! had only words of praise for him, such is his legacy.
The list would never end. Each and every person felt something common upon hearing the news. It is a rare sight that in a very diverse independent India where one would always find people divided about their opinion on an issue or on their opinion on a person, everybody had something to say to praise him. After our freedom fighters, I think he is one of the greatest souls to have lived in this country. Of course every patriot laying down his life for the country or contributing to it in some way is no less, but he was special.
He was a great learner, a pioneer scientist, man responsible for the ISRO's initial space launches, the missile man of India, a great leader motivating younger scientists as the chief of DRDO and went on to become the President of India. As the President too he stood out as the "People's President." He had that undying flare to interact  with school and college students sharing his experiences and wisdom. Even in his last moments he was delivering a lecture, before he collapsed and was said to be declared dead when he was brought to the hospital.  Seems like those inspirational stories, from ’Nothing to Everything' that most blockbuster movies are based on.

           

His life although was a perfect example of what a person ought to be...
Ever inquisitive about learning new things, imparting his own knowledge, experiences to others, being a spiritual person open and respectful to all faiths, beliefs and religions. A person who loved his country's cultural diversity and wanted to maintain it but at the same time wanted  the country to progress with a scientific temper. Although, his work contributed to India becoming a Nuclear Power, he was an advocate for a nuclear weapons free world.

He was immensely successful in life though, he wasn't your conventional IIT educated student or someone who studied at an internationally renowned university. He was truly India's pride. Given a choice most well educated, pioneering Indians today would leave the country for a better life, money and fame to some developed nation to offer his services and relinquish his citizenship but Mr. Kalam was one of those rare patriots who chose to stay back. He had a vision for India, as a Superpower and worked very hard to contribute to it too, but sadly it couldn't be fulfilled in his life time. Very few know that he was a Tamil poet and played the Veena as well, among other things when he was not designing missiles.

One should listen to his speeches to get the essence of the person he really was. One inspiring speech in particular was about World Peace and that of Global Citizenship, in front of the European Parliament on the occasion of 50th anniversary of the EU.

Link :Mr. Kalam- Address at the European Union

He was and will always be remembered as one of those few righteous humans in our era, a great soul, a true patriot, an Indian who truly represented what India stands for...... An Indian representing what any ideal human should be like!

This post, is dedicated to Dr.Kalam one of my role models in life....
Thanks for inspiring me and many others. We will try to fulfill your dream as it is now our dream too. I just hope we get the same strength and resilience as you to keep working on it.
I salute you Sir, Jai hind !

Love-o-nomics: The Grexit!

Anyone following the World News in recent times might be able to derive some sense out of this.

                  

Euro-zone is-  She, Me and everything common between us, including our friendship, my love and our common friends.

She is synonymous with Greece and I, Germany.
She kept taking the liberty of accepting all the credit (my love)  I was giving to her. Showed some signs of possibly returning the debt that she has accumulated on the credit taken. She kept postponing it indefinitely, but had drawn too much out of my reserves I had to put an Austerity Package in front of her, to give her a bailout. I had invested so much in her. She wouldn't agree with these measures, despite many negotiations.

The negotiations were not forceful or imposing but those with intermittent periods of staying aloof from her, to not make her feel uncomfortable. Yet, she did not have the heart to return anything, time passed, our (innocent) friendship got caught in the crossfire. She termed these packages as a form of blackmail. I kept requesting her to re-consider the bailout package, for if she continues, she would have to be expelled from the Euro-zone. I respected her sovereignty though it is a different case that perhaps due to historical factors she saw it as an imposition and not as a humble request. There was no place for willful defaulters in the Euro-zone. It is taking a toll on my economy. What if this continues and one day I, myself might have to file for bankruptcy?

Grexit if, it takes place would be a bad example for the world (all people, who truly believe in love)  as a whole. Even Germany personally doesn't want it. So, in between the austerity, Germany tried to engage Greece into dialogues proposing different bailout plans. They were meant to convince her to stay, remain a part of Euro-zone  because, without her Euro-zone was incomplete. Who knows after Grexit others might also follow suit. It is an unacceptable and painful prospect. NOT INEVITABLE !

Hoping Greece and Germany would come to an understanding, set apart their differences and give it ( the relationship ) a go, by searching a common path.

This reminds me of the lyrics of a Hindi song that, I was (and still am!) very fond of....

Baithe baithe aise kaise koi rasta naya sa miley

While just sitting, how will we find a new path

Tu bhi chale main bhi chaloon

If You and I walk along

Honge kam yeh tabhi faasale

Only then, shall these distances shall shorten


Post Scriptum: Hope one day you would be reading this, Greece. And realize Germany's love for you, he just wants you to be there with him. He doesn't expect any return of credit, you can keep it.

A Dream within a dream, Inception?

The story continues from @ Red: A DREAM ride on the Metro (Click)

Tring tring.... Tring tring...

(Oh yeah, that used to be my classic ringtone!)

I was jolted out of my sleep by the ringing phone, right next to my pillow. Normally, it takes me a few minutes to get back to my senses, but this call was special! As soon as I heard the voice on the other side, my brain went into high alert mode. Something like a Suzuki 800 which normally takes a few minutes to reach 0 to 100 kmph somehow, on that day it turned out I had a Bugatti Veyron Supersport version somewhere in there, 0 to 100 kmph in 2.42 seconds ;)

All I can recall from the brief conversation was her beautiful voice and that she called up to inform me that, she would be visiting the city in a few days though, she didn't mention the exact date.I knew she was not coming to meet me. Probably to meet that mini villain in my love story.(reminds me of Mini-Me from Austin powers.) Don't go by his cute looks, he is a @#*&$∆%  !              


I was just glad about the "would get to see her, in person" part. After all, I came to this city chasing her, but before I could wind up from home and make it there, she had moved out.

After a few days, early in the morning the door bell rang. It was her! I was taken aback not that I didn't expect her, but because she was all bruised and bleeding. She curled her messy hair and her eyes widened, staring intensely into mine. I took a deep breath. Life, I tell you, is beautiful.
                 

In my mind I said, to her "Girl, you are beautiful. Each broken part that you carry within yourself, that is beautiful. Yes, my life is indeed beautiful because you make it beautiful."  Even in that condition she looked so elegant, her long black hair disheveled, a small cut on that stubbornly beautiful nose and a bluish impression of a hand on her face I knew it was the work of that villain. I felt a certain rage boiling within me, that is mostly like a dormant volcano which can erupt suddenly, but such a rage boils out very very rarely.This time it had erupted ! I really wanted to bash that guy for even the slightest pain she had to suffer because of him. Even if he attempts to take my life, I wouldn't be that enraged, but anything to do with her, boy I wouldn't leave him.

But those thoughts were for later. She was physically weak and her body seemed to cry out.  Anyone who would have seen her in this state would have been horrified. Though for me she was beyond that physicality, be it then in that state or when she looked her best, because I loved her... I still hadn't revealed my feelings to her.The worst part was she was going to her hometown to attend her parent's 25th anniversary. So, I had to get her better by then. She seemed emotionally battered by whatever happened.... yet, she never told me what exactly happened nor did I ask, for, I didn't want her to re-live the pain by recalling it. She smiled and laughed as if, nothing ever was wrong, but in that moment her eyes spoke of something entirely different. There seemed to reside a contradicting story, altogether. A voice dying to be heard. She had always been different. I could see in her eyes, what others would barely notice. She had something magical in her, beyond any measure. Her brokenness remained hidden from the world; she struggled each day with herself, trying to hide those shattered pieces from me. But she failed every time.

So, after arguing with my boss for a grant of leave stating my flatmate's non existent girl had passed away (sorry buddy your girl died, even before you knew you had one!). After much tussle he granted me 4 days.
Then one night at 2 am she started throwing tantrums about "the chicken soup" craving. And anything she even wished for, was like a command to me. Unable to find a restaurant at such an ungodly hour. I borrowed (okay stole !) my flatmates chicken from the freezer and made her a soup thanks to some online video recipes.( horrible experience considering I am a pure vegetarian who doesn't even eat omelettes!)

Love, what all it makes us do!

But, you are ready to do anything for her because none of it seems like a burden. You enjoy the pleasure of doing everything in her name.

One week flew by, she had recovered. She gave me a hug before entering the airport. "Thanks for everything", she said. And left. I kept watching her till she was lost in the crowd, everything I wanted in my life, everything that made my life worth was again leaving me till, I don't know how long. I wished, that I find the right time soon, to tell her that I loved her. But I feared losing this little friendship, these uninhibited chats and encounters with her. What if, things didn't work out.... (Perhaps, I was pessimistic back then) The dilemma literally killing me for years, each time I met her or spoke to her.
I wasn't the flamboyant Shahrukh or the carefree Salman or the discrete Amitabh of yesteryear, to fashionably tell her I loved her and convince her as well. Maybe something simple would have done yet, I wanted it to be special.... simple just wouldn't do! What I felt for her was the real thing while, these guys just acted to look perfect. Yet, I was trying to improve upon this shortcoming. (Dear Lord, why can you not build humans with in-built polygraph machines or love barometers? Life would be a lot simpler. People won't be fooled by the feigned flamboyance and charisma. It's a necessary evil now!)

Suddenly the alarm rang, I woke up. Glad to have realized it was all a dream. Breathing out a sigh of relief, "Nothing had happened to her."
I checked my phone and saw a text from her. Merely a notification of a text from her made my day. She asked me about my plans for the week after, she was planning to visit the city. I told her about the dream. (Of course, omitting parts to do with Mr. Mini-Me.) She found it to be hilarious. Thanked me for nursing her back albeit, in a dream.
Told me about her own dream where Muslims were fighting a war with Pigs and the weapons were wet mud balls being hurled from each side (yeah I know, my dream was way better! And that, she sounds crazy.) Well that's about it....

And yeah I eventually tried to learn to cook that 'thing', probably almost fainted in the process... :P
Okay not really!
But, what do you expect from a person who thinks a dozen times before swatting even a small mosquito?
( True Gandhian = non violence!)  :P

Like come on! He won one of the greatest battle in the history of mankind and made the mightiest empire of the time, bow down to his demands without as much as lifting a stick.
Ermm... Well, actually he did lift his stick but that's about it, my bad!
The story continues @ Dream, Secrets revealed – I (Click)
______________________________________________________________

Today, marks one year of the sowing of the seeds of the journey I set upon. Something that changed a lot of things in my life. I do not know where it might lead me to... But, I would need all the prayers and luck in the world, apart from my own sincere effort.
Do pray for me & wish me luck, people. Thanks!

______________________________________________________________

Women causing earthquakes ! Should they cover up?

"Many women who do not dress modestly... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes" an Iranian cleric was quoted, while giving an explanation for frequent earthquakes hitting Iran, a few years ago and more recently, a few foreign tourists in Malaysia were blamed for a massive earthquake because they stripped naked to click photographs on top of a sacred mountain.
At first glance, all of us (self-proclaimed) sane people would laugh at such an incident. But, if we think about it, it's something we all come across in some form in our normal, day to day life, be it Asia, Africa, Europe or the Americas. This isn't something limited to the developing countries. It also exists in other (non-superstitious) forms elsewhere around the world. It is the manifestation of a deep seated gender bias which most people won't even realize they are a part of.
I came across this disturbing incident while travelling in the metro, the day before yesterday. A girl seated on one of those 'two seat spaces' of the metro, wearing a rather short dress, which I guess she was very comfortable wearing till, a gang of 8 to 9 guys, all in their early 20s walked in. If it could be considered as a concession they were not vocal, abusive or passing comments but, when all of them just stare at your thighs...... To catch a glimpse of as much as they can or should I put it, raping you with their eyes,
I guess it is a rather uncomfortable situation to be in (like I'm a guy yet, even I wouldn't be comfortable if, I'm being stared at like that). Having observed such incidents previously in the metro and in the news I know, even if she complained to the police, the maximum these guys would go through, is being forced to de-board and given a warning and let of. Because, merely staring can't be justified as a crime to our policemen, especially when the girl is wearing something inappropriate according to them. They would in fact, say, "pehen ne se pehle sochna tha na? Agar shaukk hai toh khud ki gaadi main aa jaana" ( did she not think about this possibility before wearing anything like that? If she has a penchant for donning such clothes she should travel in her own vehicle.)
So, it just occurred to me and I walked up to her stood in front of her, blocking those stares and requested her, if she could hold onto my backpack as it was too heavy. At first, she looked offended and reluctantly took my bag and kept it on her lap covering her legs. She seemed to have realized then, what I was doing, which might explain the smile that followed along with a soft, thank you. I merely smiled back.
Sometimes I, as a person who takes immense pride in India and Indian cultural heritage, am ashamed when I come across incidents like these. Like come on our ancestors were the ones who created the erotic marvel of Khajuraho, the Kamasutra and that voluptuous beauty the Didargunj Yakshi { check her out ! ;) She is a few 1000 years old } among many other things.
            
There was a time when in ancient India (no, not stone age!) Women just covered up, in a single piece of un-stitched clothing ( mentioned in the Rig veda) much similar to a saree without blouses. I think it was still in practice till a few decades back in Kerala. So, wearing something revealing or literally nothing is not un-Indian, according to our culture and it never invited such unasked for or unwarranted attention earlier. Then WHY  NOW ?!
A woman’s life choices are nobody’s business except her own!
Women are not some trophy. They are not a property that, a man possesses and boasts of as his. They are not those colour coded ranking based Karate belts, that with each higher/better colour you show off your supremacy. The idea that any woman owes anything to any man will always do more harm than good to our society. We need to teach our kids who will someday grow into adults that, "what a woman wears or does or doesn’t do with a man or another woman, is her choice and nobody has a right to force anything on her. Ever !"
If one has a differing opinion, one can but try making a point in an attempt of convincing her and even that, in a very benign non-intrusive way!
A healthy discussion is always welcome and a person convinced by it will easily comply and be glad about it too.
Perhaps one of the most blasphemous stereotypes perpetuating rape culture or eve teasing or molesting or any forms of physical/sexual abuse is the justification that, a woman was dressed so and that she was “asking for it."
Boss, if you are a man and wearing just undies on a beach it doesn't mean some gay guy just comes and pins you down there on the beach(assuming he is too powerful to overpower!) and you can imagine the rest!
Okay, nothing against gay people, just that most straight men won't get it without this example!
A woman’s clothing choice is not an invitation for you to disrespect her. If you want to approach her, go about it the same way you would if she was wearing a pair of casual jeans paired with tees, a salwar kamiz, a burqa or any dress for the matter of fact. Gauge her interest by having a good conversation and seeing her for what she actually is and not through baseless assumptions.
Women were forced to cover up because it would give men impure thoughts. Not only is this a stupid notion that suppresses their womanhood, but it is also insulting to other men. I for one, am deeply insulted by such a notion, "Am I such a primitive caveman that, I will not be able to hold myself from assaulting a female if she is wearing too little to cover herself?"
Coming back, even I find some girls randomly on the streets to very 'attractive'. Doesn't mean I open my mouth, start salivating and gape at her, as if, I have never seen a girl in my life. Like come on every man (though most won't admit) does find some girl to be hot, it is a natural thing, but you can appreciate it by looking at her through the corner of the eyes, keep it subtle (even women know they are being looked at, 6th sense!). Don't just keep staring, that would make her uncomfortable!
(It's a different thing I have stopped checking out random women because I don't feel like, blame it on some Four lettered crappy phenomena - L#VE)
This was one of those impulsive posts, I felt disturbed by that incident and I had to pen this..... Err... Type** this and post it!

Would be glad to hear from you, about your experiences, if any.

God, Religion and my perspectives on them..

“History badee bewafa, raat ko padhi subah safaa…”

(translates to something like ‘History is an unfaithful mistress you read it in the night only to discover in the morning her whereabouts are unknown’, alright, I know, my translations certainly aren’t improving!)

WARNING: If you are a religious fanatic, it is advisable that you do not proceed beyond this line.            

If ever you find some time and plan to go through history since pre-historic times, from a few credible, secular sources with a purely scientific orientation and without any prejudice you might actually get an unbiased glimpse of how religions evolved, how certain customs and practices came about. Initially even I thought, I was turning into an atheist, but with an enhanced understanding I had my spiritual and to a certain extent my intellectual renaissance, as well. We today have sufficient evidence that the initial concept of religion was to hold the society together, to govern it and to enable people to live peacefully avoiding conflicts as much as one could. It was like the spiritual and legal guide for a person, much like the modern day constitution in a democratic state. Religion’s power lay in enforcing a moral-ethical obligation upon one, driven by fear of God or the judgment day or re-birth or an after-life doomed to be spent in hell, as opposed to the present system where not much of morals, ethics and values have any role to play. It might also be the reason behind increasing crimes and social disorder as, that fear has eroded. Modernization without social values, loss of trust in each other, a materialistic world instead of an utilitarian one, adds to an insatiable greed.
            A religion's age old customs deteriorated with time due to non suitability of those in the present context and also due to the imposed perversions of the orthodox who wanted to continue with their hegemony. Some enlightened soul then came to challenge it, modified it and either intentionally or by happenstance established a new sect or a whole new religion itself. He was later elevated to the status of God or labeled as the messenger of god i.e. a Prophet or a sage or a saint, who with time and ignorance got elevated to a level where he or his sayings could never be wrong, for his followers. The flaw, however is that the sayings are often misinterpreted by the priestly class to suit themselves. It's a vicious cycle that, keeps repeating itself over and over in different forms. All religions came to happen like that. Hinduism is unique, because it perhaps assimilated many such religions, tribal beliefs and prophets and constantly evolved and imbibed some of their aspects or even absorbing a few of them into itself. Hence, we can’t even roughly point out when it began or who founded it, but it has lasted quite long!  At a certain point of time, Buddhism emerged as a major challenger and was probably very progressive and popular, perhaps more than the Brahmanical religion (which later evolved into the Hinduism of today) and hence even spread out to most of eastern Asia like Japan, China, Indo-China countries, Mongolia, etc....
But some wise Brahmans(priestly class) came out with a contingency plan to save the day for their Brahmanical following n#ggahs. By imbibing some concepts from Buddhism like emphasis on vegetarianism, prohibition of animal sacrifice, etc…  The transfer of ideas happened in both directions. Buddhism eventually got absorbed into Hinduism in India by the cunning ploy of including Buddha as one of the avatars of Vishnu. Though, it still maintains its distinct identity outside India.

Some practices and traditions followed by certain religions were probably because of totally logical reasons which a sound mind can deduce, if it ever happens to stray upon it. Like the practice of cremating (burning) the dead in Hinduism because India had abundant resources of wood from forests, while in Islam which originated in the deserts of Arabia had little or no water, let alone any wood or forests, the best option was burying. While alcohol is a necessity to survive in the extreme harsh winters of Europe and hence became important part of Christianity and the Church, where it is served as Sacramental wine whereas, in a desert in the extremely arid and hot conditions it is more of a poison and hence banned in Islam. Or the system of burqa and even the long white robes worn  by Arab men evolved because of the need to protect oneself from the extremely arid sand laden desert winds and the high temperatures. There are numerous such concepts one can deduce with a scientific temperament. I might be wrong, but I am just speaking my mind!

Coming back, since then Hinduism has been picking up something from every other religion or culture it came across.... But later it became rigid with the stagnation of caste system on the basis of birth instead of the earlier criteria of merit... Now, I guess that rigidity is eroding with time in our modern world and even in India of today albeit at a very restrained pace, yet change nonetheless. The pace of this change will depend on us and our acceptability and open mindedness. In this change the most important factor is we shouldn't lose our basic rational secular culture and ethics in the name of modernity. Modernity doesn’t mean embracing everything that the West does blindly. Things which are really good about it are the ones to be imbibed. Sadly, anything Indian/Desi is not “Awesome” for most (mind you, not all) people from our Gen-Z . Most things that are Indian/Desi are part of Social Media memes or Jokes. Oh yeah, everyone wants branded Western Products even if the 'country made' aka Swadeshi stuff is equally good or better.

Due to my limited understanding and knowledge I can't comment much about other religions as of now although, I am trying to enrich myself by understanding their philosophies. Also, it is not just limited to Hinduism even a few Catholics tried to break the shackles of rigidity to embrace liberalism in the form of a new sect called Protestants, Islam saw the Sufis, they were the liberal wise minds and philosophical guides behind the rise of the Caliphate which reigned over the Ottoman Empire, yet the empire soon succumbed to a slow death after the persecution of Sufis by the Orthodox, while the Jews have turned out to be one of the most progressive and prosperous religious communities for their reliance on scientific temper and self introspection. The Parsis and the Sikhs are not far behind for their liberalism, separation of their professional life from religion and their respect for other people’s religious beliefs.

  So, presently I am more like a spiritual person. I believe religion is a personal choice which you choose for yourself and practice on your own, what someone else does or says about your religion shouldn’t affect you until the hurt is translated to physical or economical problems for you. If he abuses your God, he will be dealt by your God, why do you need to punish that person?                     
                            

God for me is hope. Someone who explains what science can't explain yet, someone you bestow your hopes on, to keep yourself going. We all need hope for important things in life, be it career, love, personal goals or wading through some crisis. Of course, for others God is something else depending on their own wisdom and belief.
Each religion has something unique about it, with at least some aspect appealing to even non-believers (even if they might never admit it openly.). Just that, like the constitution of a nation which keeps changing with time, religion also needs to adapt to time and needs of the present day. It needs to be amended and ratified with open discussions and deliberations by the participation of all who follow it. Yet it should not compromise on certain basic principles of humanism, scientific temper, logic and preservation of cultural and ideological diversity which keeps the whole system dynamic and open to new ideas and modifications which are vital to survive in changing times.

God is anyone who gives you a sense of euphoria, the sense of Nirvana/ Heaven/ Jannat/ Swarg/ Elysium and Religion is the way to approach it, it could be war as in the case of religious extremists, charity like we rarely see in the case of many genuine philanthropists who work in anonymity, the unique benign love - like that of the Sufis, it could even be the non-interference of anyone or anything in how one leads life as in the case of an atheist.It’s basically anything we want it to be, it's OUR choice. It's all in our mind. With this as the basis of our will, mental strength or moral backing we are capable of, achieving anything provided we know how to tap our full potential!  Nothing would seem or be impossible.

This is what I perceive we can term as ‘Miracles’.

I tried to read the Gita during a certain ‘Low’ phase in my life. Must admit, you really need a lot of patience and deep understanding to really comprehend the philosophy hidden in that book. Of course for best results the interpretation should be by you, yourself not that of someone no matter how learned. But, who reads such rich Sanskrit literature nowadays? The very few Pandits who know it are mostly interested in memorizing it to fool us into shelling out our money for getting some Puja done. Where the Pandit shows of his memorization skills by monotonously chanting something which is pretty Hypnotic & makes you so drowsy that you might literally fall down and sleep there itself. Although, I think I am well versed with a certain version of Mahabharata, credits to the super complex intriguing storyline.

The only moral I could get out of it is:
If you are simple and straightforward the world will screw you big time! So you have a choice to be part of that, by joining it and screwing someone else’s life too or take a stand and go against it to uphold your own core values of goodness and benevolence if you really believe in it, by saving someone else from the screw up(which you might have been through in the past or if you are witnessing someone else going through it)  it can be done by using the situations and conditions to your advantage like “Monsieur Le Krishna” did, by finding loopholes out of inescapable situations to uphold the Good. (You would understand what I mean if, you have at least read/seen some part of it. If not just read the parts to do with the death of Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Duryodhana, etc. those are the perfect examples amongst many such incidents in that story)

Bucket List of readings to complete before I perish.
Srimad Bhagavad-Gita
Quran
Tripitaka
Bible
Torah
Avesta
Guru Granth Sahib
(More might get added over time)
             
                                     
                                                 
On second thoughts, that is too ambitious of me. Let me keep it to one, to start with right? Else, I’ll carry on with my ‘sasta, sundar, tikau’ (Cheap, beautiful and workable) above stated “Moral”.

Okay, this might disgust most, but a large part of this post was drafted and conceptualized on the Pot which I refer to as “The Thinking Pot.” I am sorry if I hurt your sentiments religious or otherwise. :P
(I mean jokes apart, people kill in the name of religion! I might become the target of some serious Holy War!)
I just wanted to be honest. There is nothing unholy about it! That place is where your mind is completely calm and relieved to give birth to some great thoughts and ideas. Where nothing else is there to distract you!

God- please forgive me for this Sin !

Post Scriptum: Anyone who is offended. I am really sorry. I am just a young, little brat with a lot of things still left to accomplish and experience in life and also in my multiple bucket lists! So, forgive and forget !

If you disagree with something, your invaluable comments are most welcome. :)

Red: A DREAM ride on the Metro

The story continues from @ The girl with the Yellow Bag (click)

It was one of those typically hot and humid monsoon evenings. Decked in formals, I felt suffocated and tired after a long day at work. Wondering when will I ever get that chauffeur driven Sarkari (Government) Ambassador (Indian car, symbolic of power in post-independence India) with a Red beacon.
For most, Audis, BMWs, Jaguars, Range Rovers were the benchmark and the list doesn’t end there. As for me, it was not all about money or material desires. It was about the power, the prestige and to some extent the self derived pride of using these to help those in need. For, it gives you a sense of satisfaction which can never be substituted by anything else. After all, there is no limit to keeping yourself happy by chasing money. The more you get, the more you desire. Although, I agree, money is important yet, it is not everything in life.


But in reality, here I was stuck in the so called  ‘software job’, swanky office, many young people of around my age, everyone getting paid decently for the enormous work we do yet, everyone frustrated with the work while the company rakes in millions if not billions at our expense.We are all software drones, much like the drones of a bee hive. Work our arse off all week long and at the end of the week enjoy a bit of honey (booze for most of us) and again back to life on Monday.
I am sorry, got carried away!
Anyway, back to the story. So this day, too tired to drive back on my scooty (yeah, you got it right not a bike, gears are painful in the city traffic) I hit the metro.
Yet again, more crowd, more people, more drones…. All of them getting back to their hives (one thing about India, there is no dearth of people at any place. You can literally find a small crowd overflowing, everywhere.)
Somehow, I made it inside the crowded metro with a herculean effort. One good thing about metros is, well, unlike the buses you have some pretty, beautiful and young section of the population, travelling along in the first compartment with their fragrance drifting on to the second one, where you can just relax, close your eyes and take a deep breath without worrying about sweaty smelly uncles. It at least lifts your spirits.

 After a few stations the crowd started to wane.I found the ever elusive seat! Any young, physically able guy getting a seat on the metro at the peak hours, is a rare divine blessing of sorts! I lost no time in conquering it. Now, I was rejoicing on my throne, like a newly crowned monarch. Now seated, I looked around.
Bang opposite me, was seated a girl with her long, beautiful, black tresses covering her face, they had copper streaks in between the dense black. Her head bent forward to peer into her phone, as she typed something frantically on the screen. For a moment, I thought it was her, that beautiful manifestation of my most memorable dreams. But, I knew my eyes were playing with me. This must be like those mirages I read about in school. As “she” was thousands of miles from here, I concluded my mind was playing tricks on me again. I noticed her red dress, ah my favourite colour. And since no other girl actually interested me, I didn't see a point in further checking this one out. So, I looked around for a while, observing everyone else as I normally do.


The problem was everyone was in their own world frantically if not fanatically, texting or listening or watching something on their mobile phones. Whatever happened to the real world? I really miss the 1990s, the pre-mobile invasion years.
Most people thought I had a relic of a phone because I was a baniya (Indian term for an Ebenezer Scrooge  kind of guy, no disrespect intended for the community !)  Well the reason was, I didn't want a phone to be my wife. Smart people have dumb phones. Dumb people have smart phones. (That is my perspective!)
I moved my gaze back to the girl in front of me, I could see her face now. A shiver went down my spine, I was stunned for a moment, it was her!
Those long black tresses, those expressive dark eyes and that exquisitely sculpted nose (perhaps a masterpiece by the great Pygmalion of yore, himself)
My heart skipped a beat. But, how??
She noticed my gaze upon her (somehow all girls have this sixth sense when someone is looking at them from any corner of their Line of Sight) she smiled faintly and got back to her mobile. For a moment I thought it was someone else judging by her reaction and what had come to pass, but I couldn’t be wrong in recognizing her. I kept looking at her trying to make eye contact. She again lifted her gaze, but didn't show any signs of recognizing me. 
I wondered why. I tried to be sure again, this girl had the same physique looked to be around the same height, although she had heels on. The short red dress with some frilly design made her stand out from the rest of the crowd(remember Schindler’s list? The girl in the red coat?) Not that I noticed anyone or anything else since my eyes met her. I had the same feeling of my senses getting numbed, as it always happens in her presence.

For what seemed like hours (but turned out actually a few minutes, going by my watch) we kept looking into each other’s eyes. Then a big smile emerged on her face and she got up and walked towards me. Almost as a reflex, I followed protocol and got up. She came close and hugged me. I didn't expect it ( boy this felt better than having a free blue label with unlimited snacks and some Cuban handmade cigars on a beach at the white sand beaches of a coral atoll)
“Stupid, didn't you recognize me? She said in a mocking tone.
To which I could just say, “Can I never, not recognize you? Why didn't you speak earlier?”
In her usual playful tone she responded "aise he mera mann kara" (Just like that, felt so.)
Suddenly she turned around to check the window "Oh ho, my station is here I need to go! Will see you later"
I happened to receive a brief hug (okay, this felt great, could we not just keep doing this all day long?) Disoriented by all these sudden turn of events I barely managed to blurt out, "When will that be? I mean, when are we meeting then?"                                             
                                         
She stepped out of the door, smiled " soon, very soon" the doors, then started sliding close to obstruct my view of her, yet, I could still see her through the glass panel on the door. And as the train made a move, she faded away from my vision till all around me was just darkness. The dream had come to an end.

Hey! It was not an ordinary dream. It came true, a few weeks later. She happened to visit me. She was in red and I didn’t want it to end the way the dream did, so, managed to get a bouquet of red roses and a car (which was slightly expensive. Yeah, I am a born baniya, not by caste!). I had the best weekend of my working career till date. Although, it was just a couple of hours and a brief dinner.
Oh, and got that good bye “Hug”. ;)

The story continues @ A Dream within a dream, Inception? (Click)

Why not to get sentimental about Politics?

So, this is a snippet of a conversation between me and a friend over  a text messenger. He happens to have graduated from one of the well known, prominent institutes of India. Presently he is pursuing his higher studies in the United States.(Yeah, one more BrainDrain- Victim) He is a bit of a Congress & RaGa fan boy (Seriously, of all people?) and on that particular day, I happened to be the (sentimental, secular) Nationalist.

A couple of guys from the US asked me to translate the Hindi phrases to something comprehensible, well, I did so. LITERALLY ;) I am sorry but, to maintain the originality I pasted the conversation as it is without editing, except the translations!

Mr. NRI: And.. Enjoying the beef banning, cigarette promoting, homophobic, racist government you support?

White Tiger: First of all I am a vegetarian so, I don't give a damn about beef, not that I am against anyone who chooses to eat it. But, I am more of an environmentalist. Eating non-vegetarian contributes to global warming + precious food is wasted in rearing that one animal, so that, it can feed one person while, the same amount of food could be used by many people who don't get food.  And I also believe in animal rights, unlike some people who just give thought towards LGBT people, and street dogs.
Are  other animals not part of the planet too? Do we care only about human life and human rights? In fact humans are the worst thing to happen to this planet. Leading to exploitation and extinction of many a species. As for LGBT rights, well the government is doing something wrong there, I don't support it on that. If you are talking about religion then your favourite political party, was the one that propagated many such problems. Be it the Punjab crisis, Operation Bluestar, Sikh riots(1984), initially doing a good thing by supporting the Shah Bano case and then overturning it by passing the 'Muslim women (Protection of rights on divorce) Act,1986' to appease the Orthodox section of one community while neglecting the basic rights of about half the people of that very community, the women. They gave spark to the Babri Masjid issue in 1986 by giving orders to open the lock on the mosque’s gate to appease the other community, to bring in balance for their vote bank. This incident was used by the other major party (and I don't support them!) as a platform to rise to power on the basis of communal politics.

As for scams, they might have the distinction of being part of the biggest scams and the most number of those in the least time, under their belt. The initial ones were well suppressed like the Bofors, Harshad Mehta scams, etc. nothing conclusive came out of the investigations. Later on, by perhaps God's grace- the country was fortunate to have a very vigilant and brave CAG leading to the revelations of the 2G, CWG, Coal-gate scams.

Coming to their welfare related measures, like the loan waiver just before their previous term got over in 2009, almost made the country go down on its knees economically. Not to mention it only helped the rich farmers, the needy subsistence farmers never got much benefit. The Kashmir issue was almost solved when we won the 1971 war. Senor Bhutto was cornered. We could have got Pakistan occupied Kashmir(PoK) back, but no sir, your favorite party had for some reason let Pakistan dictate terms in the "Shimla Agreement" despite the fact that, India had won the war and had the power to lay down its own terms and conditions, especially with the "Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship" signed, nullifying American support to Pakistan.

(Again I am not saying India is right or Pakistan is right or anything. Kashmir is a political issue but people living there just want peace. They really don't care which country they belong to!)
 

Your party further alienated Kashmiri people to the present status that, if we conduct plebiscite in Kashmir Valley, they might not even vote to be a part of India now. You know why? They arrested their democratically elected leaders twice without much valid reason Sheikh Abdullah in 1950s they did try to set it right by releasing him 20years later.. But, again did the same to his son in 1980s. That was the period when the Abdullah's were at the peak of their popularity and could have exercised their influence on the issue. And after that began the worst part of Kashmiri history from the 1990s. The AFSPA was the final nail in the
coffin.
                 

No Polotical party is dood ka dhula(washed with Milk -- Indian thing!). The basic rule of politics(& perhaps life) is 'You cannot please everyone..' If you try to, you will perish however noble your cause is. There is nothing absolutely white or black in the world, everything is a different shade of grey.(my favourite self composed quote!) I have always maintained I don't support any party. I support change as one party left with power for too long is detrimental for any country. We were sitting on a time bomb in 2014 thanks to the silent bespectacled gentleman who led the country into a policy paralysis. If he is that clean and dignified a man (which I have no doubt, he is), why was he holding on to his post, despite having the knowledge of so many corruption cases going around under his nose? and he, himself was unable to stop his fellow colleagues? (I mean technically he was the Boss right?) If he had some self respect he should have resigned. People would have remembered him & respected him for that sacrifice in upholding truth with such a symbolic protest.

 Further your party started 'Participatory Notes', (legalized way of money laundering in India). All the black money that was generated through scams, etc. can now be conveniently, pumped back into the economy as white.. Coming to the present government, well yes it has been accused of being Communal, riots, demolition of religious places and Anti-poor, it has its fair share of scams which again I don't support.

And concern coming from people who study in the country's premier institutes, funded by tax payer's money who run away, when their country needs them just because they get better opportunities elsewhere. I think they have no right to say anything unless they plan on coming back. If they think there is something wrong with the country, bhai saab tum wapas aao(translates to: Dear brother like sir, you come back) and make the country better. Anyone can talk and criticize. Practical implementation of idealistic governance is a challenge. However that doesn't mean we completely give up on it. We need to keep trying. Change is the ultimate truth.
 

Oh & as for cigarettes, any moron who smokes, knows it is not good for his/her health. Nobody is forcing them to smoke. If they want to die, let them, their life. The size of photographic warnings on the boxes won't make any difference.

Maturity in Indian democracy is dawning. People have to use their brains and use their voting power to bring change, give voice to their demands. If we leave it to any party they will sell the country the same way as it had happened after the Mughals. Things are not as bad as they were. Every country goes though this phase. I am optimistic about India. Does that satisfy your questions?

Mr. NRI:  "Haath Jodd liye" (hands folded in respect)
 

White Tiger: No government is good in absolute terms but, such is politics that they have to do things like these to survive. Everyone has flaws. But, as a citizen you need to choose the best according to the circumstances. Only if you demand cleaner politics will you get it. Ideally every five years there should be a new government. So that checks and balances to the previous government's not so justifiable actions keeps the country moving ahead.
Also the NOTA option should be accounted for, if NOTA garners majority of the votes, fresh elections should be held. So, the political parties would be compelled to field clean, credible candidates!

                                     

Haven't heard from him ever since!

(I wonder WHY? *'*Pondering*'*)

Disclaimer: (Although Section 66A has been revoked, I can't take chances!)
All the views expressed are my own personal opinion, based on well known facts available on the internet and newspapers. I shall not be liable to any inferences drawn by any reader. If you feel incited/instigated you have your own 'brain' use it wisely and don't get me into trouble! :S

I already am in a big soup.

The girl with the Yellow Bag

The girl with the Yellow Bag

A warm breeze gently blowing on my face, nudged me out of my dreams. I must have dozed off on the bench; I had no recollection of where I was and how I ended up there. Judging by the Sun’s position, it was almost noon time.  I looked ahead, trying to find someone but couldn’t see anyone in the vicinity. I turned around to check behind me, yet again nobody in sight. Disappointed, yet with some blind hope I scanned the area around me. A hundred yards to my right- almost hidden from my view by a coconut tree, much to my relief was a girl. She adorned a short, mauve dress with some floral print that I couldn’t discern from the distance, though it fit her tall and voluptuous frame perfectly!

I was up on my feet and jogged towards her as discretely as possible so that I didn’t intimidate her in any way. I paused briefly when I was just a few yards away from her, we were standing at some beach about a mile away from a harbour. The water was pristine, turquoise-blue. There were a few fishing boats and trawlers around, yet, not even a soul in sight. My attention shifted back to the girl, I noticed her long black hair with copper streaks that trailed down to her hips like a silken scarf, left unbound for the wind to caress it, at its own will. She was facing the sea with her back towards me, gazing at something distant as if waiting for someone. I could finally see the flowers on her dress now, they were lotuses and she had a yellow bag clung to her shoulder. I felt this deep urge to run across the rest of the distance and see what she looked like, who was she? Although, I thought, I knew who it might be, I had to be sure before assuming. I kept closing in towards her at a gentle pace, my heart was now racing at an unusual pace. By the time I came to a halt merely inches behind her, I felt breathless despite the fact that, I had been walking at a very restrained pace. My curiosity had been urging me to run to her. My heart pounding ever harder as though, it might burst out of my chest any moment. I now sensed a benign fragrant perfume in the air. All of a sudden, its familiarity dawned on me. I could faintly recall the person who used to use such a perfume.

Memories from the past started flooding back to my mind. Finally, the moment was here, this time I shall find out who she is!

In my mind the voice kept reverberating that it was her, it had to be her.

I raised my arm, gave her a gentle tap on her shoulder and when I did, she seemed to be a bit surprised. I could sense it, by the startled reaction that her body gave upon my touch. She must have been lost in her own thoughts. She now moved to turn around to face me. But, before she did, alas! My trance like sleep had been broken by the ringing of bells from a Hindu Temple, the one which my balcony overlooked. It was morning again and the priest had started with his routine rituals.

The dream was left incomplete, yet again....

Yes, I know you must be disappointed with the end, I feel no different!

If the suspense is killing you, can you not imagine, what I am going through?

This is one of the many dreams I had and happened to recollect. The Yellow Bag is special because, surprisingly, I have had it quite a few times now. Unusual!

The story continues @ Red: A DREAM ride on the Metro (Click)

Post Scriptum: Do dreams come true? Well, we would have to wait and watch...
                          Also all the posts after this, with the word 'Dream' are a continuation of this 
                          story, if you may call it a story.