A Ceremonious Lie...

Prelude: This rant was born due to the sheer boredom inflicted upon me in my MBA class during a Business Communication lecture.


Disclaimer - This rant doesn't aim to demean any academic practitioner or practice. It is composed with the underlying assumption, that people could just read it for fun without reading further into it!


So here it goes....


Sermonic education is akin to a ceremonious lie,


The one imparting it is shackled, the reciever eager to fly.



The exchange is mutual, but the mutuality is in doubt,


One is certainly suppressed, the other flexes his clout.



The wisdom of both is unquestionalble for sure,


But the futility of the exercise sadly has no cure.

The husky, rugged voice sounds like music to me,


Almost like a deaf Mozart enjoying a symphony.

I’m here at the expense of my extended sleep,


The rewards of this sacrifice in future I’d reap.



Atleast I was told so, this is the gullible me,


The session’s on communication, what an Irony!!!

Minatory of the mind…

My mind meanders, almost like a docile pet.
Giving in to the argumentative master, submission its best bet.
The smug look on my face, exudes a conceited control,
At the core of this cocky mind, thrives a confused soul.

And then it questions, the existential dilemma,
Of this inconspicuous combo,
The heady mix of a mind in command living together,
With the one embroiled in many a mambo-jambo.

A part of it, craves freedom, almost vagabondish in style,
The other more astute and discerning, albeit with a smile.
This crazy concoction is sure to brew up a storm,
Meddling with this medley is truly an art form.

Intense battle for supremacy incandescently rages on,
Clamor caused by the barrage of thoughts leaves me completely torn.
Nevertheless, the turmoil, taught me a thing or two,
If you’re doomed to choose between them, let your words be few.

The Choice Is Ours...

The chronological history of India dates back to about 34,000 years ago, when the first traces of human existence on the Indian subcontinent were found. Since then, it has hosted some of the greatest civilizations that have significantly shaped up human history.

Right from the Mughal conquests to the Indian freedom struggle, from Vasco de Gama’s voyage to the partition of India post independence, the declaration of emergency or be it the demolition of Babri Masjid, these were all choices made by individuals which had far reaching after effects on the future of this nation.

Life always gives us choices. We can always chose to be, (or not to be) in a particular state of mind or have a certain opinion. Our nation and its history has been built based on these choices that various individuals have made at various points in time under diverse circumstances, the effects of which have been faced by generations to come.

On 26th November, 2008 we witnessed events which changed the way we lived forever. The trauma of these series of events can never be encapsulated appropriately in words. Language always looses out in the battle of superior relevance to emotions. The stark difference being, language is always expressed, but emotions, experienced.

The large hoi polloi of Indian masses revel in the values enshrined in our democratic character. We hope for emancipation through justice. We hope despite being duped of it several times before. But after all we’re Indians. We’re hardly trained to learn lessons from the past. We’re the superior breed. We celebrate Idiosyncrasies like “forgiveness”, “mercy”, “suffering”, “salvation through pain” etc.

Today, the verdict on the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 attacks was announced. He was pronounced ‘guilty’. There were so many of us who were expecting that ‘justice’ would be delivered. The culprits will be ‘brought to book’. The wrong doers will be punished and the victims vindicated. Well ya right. The irony of this great nation is that we still have the ability to think so naively that we can make a lolly sucking toddler feel like Einstein.

Do you really think ‘justice’ has been done? Do you really think ‘justice’ can be done? Can Ombale, Salaskar, Kamte, Unnikrishnan and others come back? Will Karambir Kang ever be able to enjoy another meal with his family in the hotel which he manages himself. Will baby Moshe ever get his parents back? More importantly will the public prosecutor bring back my sleep which I lost in utter frightful disgust while catching up on all the live broadcast of 10 men raping the dignity of my city for 60 long hours?

The answer to all the above questions is a big NO. But some of us, will be calling this trial a victory of our “Democratic Process”. Well yea, friends, leave this bullshit for the politicians to mutter in press conferences. If this is a victory, I’d rather not win. I’m tired of such victories in Jessika Lall Case, In Malegaon Blast Case, In Babri Demolition Case, In Godhra Riots Case, In Bofors, In Fodder Scam Case, and millions of other idiotic legal proceedings which have overburdened our judiciary to the extent that it has even lost its relevance.

I’d be the first one to jump in to celebrate victory if the families of the victims of 26/11 would have been compensated adequately. If the public transportation and public places would have been protected enough post the incident. I’d have rejoiced had we pulled up our socks on internal security, had we been able to corner Pakistan to arrest Hafiz Sayeed and hand him over to India. I’d have danced in joy if we were able to extradite David Headly. The problem in India is that we’re just too accustomed to the judiciary stepping in and giving us illusionary solace of emancipation.

It just gives us this illusionary satisfaction that something has been done and takes our minds off the original reasons which caused the mess or the logical steps which should have been taken to prevent another mess from occurring. Which is why, I feel that Judiciary in India is the greatest constitutional cover up mechanism. It’s almost like a lifeline or an escape route available to every wrong doer in India.

This rant is just the emotional outburst of an anguished Indian. For the rest of you’ll who think this spoils your “celebration of justice”, save me the trouble of apologizing to you. Go to the nearest legal library and look up the law books (Which I think, if all sold as scrap, would wipe out the Fiscal Deficit of this country) on provisions of Appeals to the Supreme Court. You’ll find Kasab’s lawyers there chatting up over chai, about the next course of action. There’s this dude called Mohd. Afzal a.k.a Afzal Guru as well, who attacked our parliament in 2001. He’s been cheating imminent death as per his sentence. It’s possible because he’s a believer. Nahh… not in God, in the eternal hopelessness of the Indian system and the inherent idiosyncrasy of this concept called ‘Mercy Petition’. No wonder he’s called “Guru” – The dude’s got great insight on how things work in this part of the world.

As I said, the choice is ours. We can view this verdict the way we want. Call it our success or our collective failure. Life always gives us choices. We can always chose to be, (or not to be) in a particular state of mind or have a certain opinion. Our nation and its history has been built based on these choices that various individuals have made at various points in time under diverse circumstances, the effects of which have been faced by generations to come….

My 25 Most Desirable Women!!!!

Disclaimer: This list does not aim to do the impossible, which is to judge a woman's beauty. It is a mere fun manifestation of my childish fantasies!! These might NOT be the world's sexiest / most intelligent / hottest / googled women. These are just the women I find desirable. There is a heavy personal preference here. All agreements & disagreements are welcome with a smile! :-)

So, here's presenting you to the list of my 25 Most Desirable Women!!!!


Rank Name
1 Drew Barrymore
2 Nandita Das
3 Catherine Zeta Jones
4 Eva Mendes
5 Nigella Lawson
6 Ana Ivanovic
7 Chitrangada Singh
8 Penelope Cruz
9 Sona Mohapatra
10 Demi Moore
11 Cheryl Cole
12 Kate Beckinsale
13 Jessica Alba
14 Sameera Reddy
15 Gul Panag
16 Elizabeth Gilbert
17 Kate Winslet
18 Lisa Ray
19 Gabriella Sabatini
20 Martina Hingis
21 Madhuri Dixit
22 Megan Fox
23 Norah Jones
24 Tulip Joshi
25 Katrina Kaif



PS: These are rankings allotted on random basis as of the state of my mood on this 9th Day of the Christian Year of 2010. On any other day, the rankings may vary drastically.

PSS: For all my women friends, Don't contemplate mental taunts. I will be coming up with a Men's List soon!! ;-)

Why??

Why were you born, you wretched little swine?
How long can we keep paying, for other people’s crime?

This was the welcome I got at Asha Dham,
I felt like a chicken, entering a poultry farm.

Geeta didi was kind to get me here,
Children to her were indeed very dear.

She picked me up from the train, when she heard me cry,
Someone had just left me there, to wait until I die.

I don’t know If I should call it a lucky escape,
Or should I just term it, interference with my fate?

She was a social worker, I hate those kinds.
They make you see hope, when reality blinds.

I live here now with my fellow inmates,
We share our bathrooms and our distorted fates.

We survive daily on a biscuit and two slices of bread,
Our matrons are the demons, all of us dread.

Questioning their generosity, I once sinned, I asked for more biscuits,
They showered their love, fed me till I was full, with punches and kicks.

We’re living our childhood, It’s such a fairy tale,
Just the fairy’s missing, demons prevail!

We read no books, sing no songs, and we play with no toy,
At times we smile, to remind ourselves, of the existence of joy.

Rani was taken away two days back, I lost a friend,
Girls missing from our ‘home’ is a routine trend.

Gone is my friend, her hopes of a secure life, now lie smashed,
Rani was the bearer cheque, they had happily encashed.

I had heard stories of my other friends Raju & Latif,
One’s now a disabled beggar and the other one a thief.

Munna was taken to the hospital the other day,
For an hour on the hospital bed, unconscious he lay,

He wasn’t sick, we didn’t know why he was taken there,
We later realised, he had a kidney to spare!

I moan in despair not knowing whom to blame,
Is there a way, I can quit this game?

The recurring thought floods my mind,
Why was I born as a wretched little swine?
How long can I keep paying for other people’s crime?

Google Life

A few contemplative conversations and random observations, off late, have stirred up these thoughts in my mind. Ever since we’re born, we’re always on this perpetual quest. The quest of love, laughter and that of a fulfilling life.

As a child we want to be thrown up in the air, just so that someone lovingly holds us before we crash land into the ground. We want to be fed, and be fed well, or else we cry, *(Yea we all learn the art of emotional blackmail fairly early on in our lives). We also constantly want the attention. We want people to play with us, notice how amazing our dimples look when we smile. We want them to buy us the best presents when they come for our crazy birthday parties. We want them to sing and clap really loud for us just before they’ve deserved a small piece of their cake.

When we grow older, we crave for recognition. We crave for someone to like our new haircut, love our new bag, and go crazy over the new pair of denims we picked up. We also want someone to love our choice of restaurants, movies, music, women / men. We want them to go gaga over the latest gizmo we flaunt. We give in to the temptation of asking out the hottest girl / guy in our group, just so that if she / he happened to say yes to us, it would be an achievement which could potentially undermine the impact of man landing on the moon!!! And even if we are actually the lucky ones whom God has bestowed upon the gift of a boyfriend / girlfriend, why do we ensure that we try and exhibit our love for each other multiplied by at least a hundred, when we are amongst our other, not so lucky “single” friends?

As, professionals we take it upon ourselves, to plan the most exotic sounding holidays, not because we really want to go to those places, but just because they make us feel like Rocky Balboa amidst all the lesser mortals around us who we call ‘colleagues’. We want to get our hands onto the latest PDA phone so that awesomeness is exhibited in full throttle at work, even if it means that half our salary is guzzled up by this blackberry which is indeed going to make your life go sour.

Let’s admit it. We all have done one or all of the above things, at least once in our lifetimes. But have we asked ourselves as to why exactly did we feel the need to do it?

Impersonal contemplation is the secret of true perspective. Upon truthful introspection, I have come to realise that we humans are the most insecure creations of the Supreme. We have an innate insecurity of acceptance, the fear of rejection. We fear failure at all levels. We therefore want to do everything conceivable to never fail, and when we realise that this might not be possible, we immediately start focusing on developing ways which would help us hide our failures, or at least camouflage them amongst our successes.

We love our cocoons. It takes a while before we let someone in. Especially when our cocoon is so full of things, good and bad that we often run out of place to let someone in. We unknowingly tread the path of irreversible damage, when we fail to make that little space for our real selves in our own cocoons.

In these times of simplistic relationships, instant gratification and immediate responses to all conceivable queries, how we wish we could just Google some answers to life. How we wish it could throw up just perfectly logical solutions to problems of life which prima facie look so insurmountable. Ah, some people call “Religion / Faith” the Google of life, it is expected to throw up results every time you punch in your query, rooted through the medium of the most overworked professional I know of, “GOD”

Some others turn to weirder things like “Vagabondism” – conveniently adopting the “Que Sera Sera” approach, as if to imply that what happens to them is in reality not really of their own doing, it’s happening to them, because God wants it that way, and they, are least bothered.

And then there are some, who are the worst form of control freaks. They want to control everything, including their own destinies. And if that doesn’t quite happen as per their plan, they’re willing to pick up a fight, at the drop of a hat. God and Fate are usually their preferred opponents.

I however, chose to look within. I think I’m my own Google. My own Wikipedia. Whatever there is to know, I know it, just that I’m yet to have full cognizance of it. And I really have no problems in waiting till He thinks the time is right for me to know of it. Instead of looking outwards for answers, I’d rather listen to my own self. This way, I negate the chance of blaming someone else for things that don’t really go right for me, nor do I share credit for all the successes! The next time, you have a life issue that you think you need answers for, I suggest, instead of taking advice from all the ‘gyaanis’ willing to offer help, look within. Just Google life, I’m sure, you’re the best search engine for yourself.

The Awakening - Sonny Carroll

A life changing article I read....A little long... but it's only when you read it completely do you understand the life changing qualities of it!! Thought it best to share!

There comes a time in your life when you finally get it ... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out "ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on." And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective.

..........This is your awakening

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something or someone to change, or for happiness safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that there aren't always fairytale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you. Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

So you begin making your way through the "reality of today" rather than holding out for the "promise of tomorrow." You realize that much of who you are and the way you navigate through life is, in great part, a result of all the social conditioning you've received over the course of a lifetime. And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about :

- how you should look and how much you should weigh,
- what you should wear and where you should shop,
- where you should live or what type of car you should drive,
- who you should sleep with and how you should behave,
- who you should marry and why you should stay,
- the importance of bearing children or what you owe your family,

Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin re-assessing and re-defining who you are and what you really believe in. And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown, or should never have practiced to begin with.

You accept the fact that you are not perfect ,and that not everyone will love appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that's OK... they are entitled to their own views and opinions. And, you come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a "perfect 10".... Or a perfect human being for that matter... and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head or agonizing over how you compare. And, you take a long look at yourself in the mirror and you make a promise to give yourself the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others. Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.

And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" hungry for your next fix, a new dress, another pair of shoes or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends or even strangers who pass by. Then you discover that it is truly in "giving" that we receive, and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving. And you recognize the importance of "creating" and "contributing" rather than "obtaining" and "accumulating."

And you give thanks for the simple things you've been blessed with, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about - a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, the freedom of choice and the opportunity to pursue your own dreams.

And you begin to love and to care for yourself. You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors, including participating in dysfunctional relationships. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising. And because you've learned that fatigue drains the spirit and creates doubt and fear, you give yourself permission to rest. And just as food is fuel for the body, laughter is fuel for the spirit and so you make it a point to create time for play.

Then you learn about love and relationships - how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. And you allow only the hands of a lover who truly loves and respects you to glorify you with his touch. You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say, intentionally or unintentionally, and that not everyone will always come through... and interestingly enough, it's not always about you. So, you stop lashing out and pointing fingers or looking to place blame for the things that were done to you or weren't done for you. And you learn to keep your Ego in check and to acknowledge and redirect the destructive emotions it spawns - anger, jealousy and resentment.

You learn how to say "I was wrong" and to forgive people for their own human frailties. You learn to build bridges instead of walls and about the healing power of love as it is expressed through a kind word, a warm smile or a friendly gesture. And, at the same time, you eliminate any relationships that are hurtful or fail to uplift and edify you. You stop working so hard at smoothing things over and setting your needs aside. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want or expect certain things. And you learn the importance of communicating your needs with confidence and grace. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that eventually martyrs are burned at the stake. Then you learn to distinguish between guilt, and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to Say NO. You learn that you don't know all the answers, it's not your job to save the world and that sometimes you just need to Let Go.

Moreover, you learn to look at people as they really are and not as you would want them to be, and you are careful not to project your neediness or insecurities onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and relationships, and that that not everyone can always love you the way you would want them to. So you stop appraising your worth by the measure of love you are given. And suddenly you realize that it's wrong to demand that someone live their life or sacrifice their dreams just to serve your needs, ease your insecurities, or meet "your" standards and expectations. You learn that the only love worth giving and receiving is the love that is given freely without conditions or limitations. And you learn what it means to love. So you stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that "alone" does not mean "lonely" and you begin to discover the joy of spending time "with yourself" and "on yourself." Then you discover the greatest and most fulfilling love you will ever know - Self Love. And so it comes to pass that, through understanding, your heart heals; and now all new things are possible.

Moving along, you begin to avoid Toxic people and conversations. And you stop wasting time and energy rehashing your situation with family and friends. You learn that talk doesn't change things and that unrequited wishes can only serve to keep you trapped in the past. So you stop lamenting over what could or should have been and you make a decision to leave the past behind. Then you begin to invest your time and energy to affect positive change. You take a personal inventory of all your strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to improve in order to move ahead, you set your goals and map out a plan of action to see things through.

You learn that life isn't always fair and you don't always get what you think you deserve, and you stop personalizing every loss or disappointment. You learn to accept that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that these things are not an act of God... but merely a random act of fate.

And you stop looking for guarantees, because you've learned that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected and that whatever happens, you'll learn to deal with it. And you learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time - FEAR itself. So you learn to step right into and through your fears, because to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophesy and you learn to go after what you want and not to squander your life living under a cloud of indecision or feelings of impending doom.

Then, YOU LEARN ABOUT MONEY... the personal power and independence it brings and the options it creates. And you recognize the necessity to create your own personal wealth. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart's desire. And a sense of power is born of self-reliance. And you live with honor and integrity because you know that these principles are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build your life. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful opportunity and exciting possibility. Then you hang a wind chime outside your window to remind yourself what beauty there is in Simplicity.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you FAKE a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

A word about the Power of Prayer: In some of my darkest, most painful and frightening hours, I have prayed, not for the answers to my prayers or for material things, but for my "God" to help me find the strength, confidence and courage to persevere; to face each day and to do what I must do.

Remember this:- You are an expression of the almighty. The spirit of God resides within you and moves through you. Open your heart, speak to that spirit and it will heal and empower you.
My "God" has never failed me.

The Seeker's Song....

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed, I’ve lived and cried,
Every trick in the book I’ve certainly tried.

Success and fame are my loyal pets,
I made a killing on every one of my bets.

I’ve traveled the world over and oceans wide,
I’ve also brought my people honour and pride.

So many of my friends I’ve always bailed,
Seldom before in a venture I’ve ever failed.

Yet somehow at the dusk of my life,
I feel the emptiness and an internal strife.

There’s an urge to hold onto all things fine,
I guess it’s the insecurity of being past my prime.

I’m a seeker and till death I shall seek,
A little bit of love and a caring person to speak,

Death is inevitable and soon it will arrive,
But at that moment I wonder, will there be someone who wished I was alive?

Take my message, to you my heart I pour,
What good is success? does it matter how high you soar?

If at the end, you lament and say…..
"There isn't a single person on this planet,
who gets to know my everything anymore."

Yeh Safar - यह सफ़र...

One of my favourite songs.. with the best lyrics to pep you up when you're feeling low..

Song - Yeh Safar...
Movie - 1942 A Love Story
Music - R.D. Burman
*(This album was his last before he passed away... According to me arguably his best work)
Lyrics - Javed Akhtar
Singer - Shivaji Chatterjee


दिल ना उम्मीद तो नहीं, नाकाम ही तो है,
लम्बी है ग़म की शाम, मगर शाम ही तो है,

यह सफ़र बहुत है कठिन मगर,
न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

यह सितम की रात है ढलने को,
है अँधेरा ग़म का पिघलने को,
(ज़रा देर इसमें लगे अगर) - २

न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

नहीं रहनेवाली यह मुश्किलें,
है यह अगले मोड पे मंज़िले,
(मेरी बात का तू यकीन कर) - २

न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

कभी ढून्ढ लेगा ये कारवां,
वोह नयी जमीन नया आसमान,
(जिससे ढूँढती है तेरी नज़र) - २

न उदास हो मेरे हमसफ़र,

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर - Need ka Nirman fir fir

This is one of my favorite poems.

I make it a point to read it when I'm down and almost out.... :-)



नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर, नेह का आह्वान फिर फिर

यह उठी आंधी की नभ में छा गया सहसा अँधेरा

धुलिधुसर बादलों ने धरती को इस भाँती घेरा

रात सा दिन हो गया फिर रात आई और काली

लग रहा था अब न होगा इस निशा का फिर सवेरा

रात के उत्पात-भय से भीत जन जन भीत कण कण

किन्तु प्राची से उषा की मोहिनी मुस्कान फिर फिर

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर .....

क्रुद्ध नभ के वज्रदंतो में उषा है मुस्कुराती

घोर-गर्जनमय गगन ने कंठ में खग-पंक्ति गाती

एक चिडिया चोंच में तिनका लिए जो जा रही हैं

वह सहज में ही पवन उनचास को नीचा दिखाती

नाश के भय से कभी दबता नहीं निर्माण का सुख

प्रलय की निस्तब्धता में सृष्टि का नवगान फिर फिर

नीड़ का निर्माण फिर फिर....

कवी - हरिवंशराय बच्चन

The Muted Roar....

The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

The Old creature, way past his prime,
Still living in his archaic time,
Just refuses to let the jungle be,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

He seems to have a problem with the animals here,
He says he likes the donkeys but he hates the deer.
His fear of loosing power is for all to see.
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

Violence is his virtue, threatening others, his plot,
Two of his cubs, keep fighting each other a lot,
Who succeeds him doesn’t affect me,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

He’s always been a bully, telling us to shut up,
Either talk his language or rename our shop,
Most annoying of his vices, is his misplaced priority,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

All these years, we let him roar,
Honestly, now, he’s just a big bore.
Let’s just mute the roar, and set the poor ‘ol chap free,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.

It is the end, my prophecy states,
We no longer subscribe to the policy that hates,
Waiting to read the obituary of the T – Company,
The concrete jungle I live in, is a great place to be,
But I’m no great fan of the tiger you see.