Senior year summations!

The end is almost there. From the first step in this haunted house (oh it felt like one, initially) to the last few moments in this amazing place, we’ve been everywhere. We’ve tried to capture every moment and the more pictures we take, the lesser they seem. Like every collegian, we’re trying to sum up everything we can to take away whatever we can with us. Few days and we’ll be departing to lead our own lives somewhere, some place far. Oh wait, too sentimental did I get?

College life becomes the most important part of our journey or that’s what I’ve observed. There’s school and then college. And then Post Graduation, Masters, PhD or directly jumping on to marriage! But these three years, I’ve learnt so much more than those 14 years of schooling. And my very weird observation has compelled me to jot it down. So here I go, putting down the observations of a Bkmiba Collegian!

1. Attendance was a strong weapon.
On the day of orientation itself, we were given a stern warning to attend lectures. Not just that, 80% attendance compulsion to give exams. And then, when some of us (oh I was among them) couldn’t make it, parents were informed and the repercussions and melodrama forced us to attend lectures. But whatever we learnt was indeed outside lectures! I mean interacting with professors and seniors, events and stuff.

2. Breaking the rules also made us follow them.
So this might sound a little ironic to you but this is what happened. As freshmen, we sure had fun in breaking the rules and I was one rule-breaking kid. I bunked college and in the first month my attendance was a low 45%. Till the mid of first year, I did all the wrongs and suddenly realized, it’s tougher to follow the rules than to break them. And then, some spark of light pulled me to join EMC (It’s a pretty cool thing in my college to be an EMC member. You get to be a volunteer in events, decorate the venue, work hard and have all the fun. The biggest perk we’ve is that we enjoy all the events, from scratch till the end!) Therefore, the fact that I broke them helped me understand its importance. (Of course, there’s an implied conditions apply on this one.)

3. We stayed back in college for more number of hours than home or PG.
Forget bunking and finishing college before 3pm, we stayed here for more hours than at home. Coming here early morning and staying up till late before submissions, events and exams. We’ve done it all. Food was the only source to keep us up and there you could see us next morning, all energized zombie-looking people, and still attending lectures.

4. We were somehow more attached to our juniors and seniors.
Our super seniors and seniors stayed with us for a year or two and the same applied with the junior batches. We spent the entire three years with our own batch but this was an observation. Somehow, we had more affinity towards seniors or juniors. When it was about seeking guidance, we would resort to our seniors and while guiding someone, our juniors would seek us. And even with little things, our seniors taught us a lot more. We sure owe them for we are their reflections. And exchanging roles with the juniors also taught us many things.

5. Professors are the best guides.
I might seem a teacher’s pet to you but here, you gotta love the professors! You could go to them if you wish to share something; you could attend their lectures and might as well be whiling over a cup of tea/coffee with them after lectures. A moment they might scream at you to teach you something and the next, they’ll be all cool like nothing happened. Even if you have been someone who is scared to approach professors, this place is going to help you let go all those fears. Lectures and studies were still a compulsion but even when we saw the alumni members meet our professors with so much love in their eyes, *aww* even I went speechless.

6. College hook-ups might result in marriage.
Lol. Now that might be a shock for some of you. But that’s one uncanny observation I had right here. And that’s a trend I was told follows here. Most of the people coupled here, ended up getting married. Aww and isn’t that cute? To support this, some of our professors got married to their classmates and they even told us giggling away that this trend has been following. Let’s see which couples we get to see getting married in the coming years.

7. Winning isn’t everything.
The best thing, the most important lesson I learnt in the past three years is that winning isn’t everything. In the quest of life, you come across failures more often than success. You might give your best shot but still lose. And sometimes, in the want of success, you might end up losing everything else. Like the movie Student of the year, we’ve our own version called Capstone right here. For that one trophy, I saw people lose bigger things; I saw them break years of friendship and ruining relationships. I’ve heard it from the greatest people and they said it right, “What’s success if you have no one to share it with?” Quoting KB, “It is okay even if you lose, what’s important is that you stay together!” So let’s hope we end this journey together, with the ones we started with.

8. You’ll discover something new about you, you never knew before.
Sportspersons, musicians, artists, nerds, dancers, models! We’ve all had them in our college. But some of us discovered those talents, right here in this building. And luckily, I was one of them. My love for writing was discovered right here and I’ve been writing ever since. We sure turn out to be very different people than what we were, just three years back.

9. You make the best of friends, only in School and College.
I cannot deny that statement. I mean it’s not that you never make friends after college but you get to pick the best ones right here. Till the third year, I always felt it was just school friends who stayed. But then, could I be more wrong? College friends, become your second family. You eat together, fight with them and cry to them. And even when everything goes wrong, you know in the end you’ll go back to them. I know I befriended the most amazing people here and the ones I didn’t be friends with, were the lessons I learnt.

I hope I helped you recollect a few moments and if you are a senior reading this right now, remember there are just four months to go. So if you were lost in the crowd, make sure you make the most of your college life in the coming days. There are some things that are lost with wind and like sand slipping from our hands, we can’t catch it however hard we try. These are your days, make sure you make the most of these moments before they become a lost memory. Feel free to share your favourite memory! :)

God bless the Music!

We’ve been humming it, we’ve been dancing to it every day and everywhere though it makes no logical sense and even when people seem to love it; some of us, are still going to take a stance and crib about it. I’m talking about nothing else but the Bollywood Music today. Indians have had immense love towards Item numbers, we know they top the charts but item numbers weren’t suppose to be about how a woman is selling her body through her ‘Jawani’ and ‘Badnami’; they aren’t suppose to portray a woman as ‘Bai’ or belonging only to ‘Paise wale’.

So you think I missed out the worst ones? Like what’s the latest one, “Chingum chabake’? Ishqiyaun Dishkiyau? Or wait, Tu tu tu tu tu? How can they even come up with these songs? This was a stupid fad and everybody seems to follow it for long. It all started with Why this Kolaveri Di and now they have set another milestone with songs from Krrish 3 and Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.

I have taken a stand to go ahead and criticize this kind of music. I wouldn’t really put all the songs under the same head but yes, majority of the songs coming are only focusing on catchy trashy lyrics. I wish I could scream to the crowd and be like ‘Where is Prasoon Joshi and Amit Trivedi? Can we not listen to Javed Akhtarji and Gulzarji?’ Those were the songs we could sing, the lyrics we could fall in love with and the words we could actually remember instead of just yapping something everybody else is. Honey Singh’s songs- not good music. Hailing ‘Roka toh kiss my…’ is not something you can boast. Listening to old songs is indeed music to your ears compared to someone rapping or screaming with screeching music which can give you a thumping headache.

When I enter a crowd and people are zealously singing these songs, a part of me loses a little hope every moment. The little hope that someday the good old era of music shall revive and we’ll get to hear songs that literally gave me Goosebumps or triggered my emotions to making me cry! And indeed, when our elders complained about the music nowadays; I could not disagree with them. The music indeed is deflating like the value of Rupee against Dollar and we need to be careful about the steep fall we’re on. Music was suppose to soothe our minds, to make us more peaceful but the music today seems to sell violence and slangs, which has a deep influence on the younger generations!

We’ve been blessed to have mesmerising musicians in our country. Even if we weren’t born during that era, we’re lucky enough to listen to them even today, with the same sentiment we did when our seniors would listen to them. To name few legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Manna De, Jagjit Singh and many more I’m missing out, we loved them with our heart and soul. The lyrics were beautiful, the music soothing and we still remember those songs. They stayed in our hearts and shall forever attain the same place. And even when we cant have them back, we still have their micro versions. We’ve A.R. Rahman, we have Javed Akhtar, Amit Trivedi, Mohit Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal and many more artists who are somewhere lost between the artists who choose to go with the trend instead of a breakthrough.

Our land has been renowned for one of the best classical artists in the Music Industry, then why such turbulence to the Western music? Every once in a while, a beautiful Sufi song or a song with a Sufi name does come up; but can it pay the damage done by the other lot of songs? The legends are right there, the listeners are waiting in dire need of good music. Even when people seem to be hypnotized by some artists today, music lovers are tired of the mainstream, beyond tolerance, nonsensical music. So if we can please come together and raise one voice to all those musicians and lyricists, let it be for something we can hear in long run without hating the lyrics. Music is a boon; don’t make it a bane for us. If you can’t bring us back our legends, at least give us the choice to listen to something that cures, not creates pain!

Wishing for Immortality

Immortality is a virtue, only attained by fictional characters. We keep blaming Eve for having the Forbidden fruit, in a hope that we wouldn't have lost our dear ones; we wouldn't have to wake up to obituary columns or terrible accidental deaths. Those nightmares wouldn't come true and the people we lost would still be right beside you. How we wish all this could be more than just words, how I wish immortality could actually be a virtue!

We've dealt with deaths and after-death phase, letting go the attachment and acquainting ourselves to their absence. We smiled in their smiles, cried in their tears, we saw them in our eyes and loved them like they were going to stay around forever and yet one day; they chose to leave. We all knew they might abode their stairway to heaven someday but the day came as a shock.

We know that man is a social animal. We fairly concentrate on the word ‘social’ but we forget that man is an animal and he behaves in a similar manner. We are filled with gushing emotions and we express them deeply. Deaths lead us to pain, shock, agony and the absence of our loved ones drives us crazy. Some face reality and try accepting it, the pain makes them cry but some; they try to be stoical every time, they refuse to show the world they are weak and crying isn't their trait.

But you’re a human animal. You can’t hide your emotions for too long and eventually, you might have a breakdown. You shall express your agony by crying or anger, you shall love people and nevertheless get attached even if you didn't wish to and you will miss them when they’re gone. Attachment to humans or animals is undeniable but what comes aftermath is tough. Feelings rushing down our minds to hearts venting out through our eyes, oh how complex we humans are!

So the people we are so attached to, We can’t have them around forever and years down when they’re breathing their last; every memory with them comes rushing down our mind. From the moment when we met them to the good and bad, to happy and sad and to the fact that whenever you needed them, they were there, right there beside you! The person could be a family member or your adorable pet but the attachment doesn't die. 

Today, they are there in the stars, happily watching us from heavens above while we’re living, without them. We do miss them once in a while and some of us still haven’t got used to their absence. The social quotient makes us love having people around us and their absence makes us cranky, gloomy. And when the absence is permanent, you can’t imagine the shock one can go through. This is when I wish immortality could be a superpower only good souls could have and the ones I love could stay around even today. Sometimes, I feel their presence right beside me. I still have dreams about them, they are on their way home- they do miss me and they are bored of heaven, they are coming back to me. *Alarm rings* For we all know, that’s just a dream.

But then, there’s a reason we are combating mortality. Imagine the population exploding if everyone who took birth would have been alive till now; we could even be in need of another galaxy to suffice ourselves. And capital punishment? We got no right to take away life when we can’t restore it but how would we punish the devils of this society? Also, when people go through a lot of suffering, physically or mentally during any phase of their life, they seek death, or as Hindus call it ‘Moksha’(Salvation).

If Immortality could be bestowed upon us, would we relish each day like our last? Would we appreciate the sole soul of a person or take everyone for granted? Wishing for Immortality, we all do that; but appreciating the short-lived mortals; we ought to learn that!

Why not Single?

“Are you still Single? WHY?” Oh Dear Lord, not again. I’ve come across this question a million times and my answer has been evasive and it keeps changing as per the person I’m answering. People might seem so concerned about your relationship status but are they really concerned or is it the social mockery, so they can happily brag about their relationship? Is it the fact that the society has acceptance only towards couples and if you’re single, they think that something is certainly WRONG with you? Forget the couples but what do we singles have to say about this?

I’ve seen people fall in love and act all gooey, awing over their mushy pictures and the needless need of being together everywhere they go; so much that if you come across one out of the two, the first question is where is your partner; and before you say anything, they’ll skip to the next question, desperately to know if you broke up? I mean really, haven’t you heard something called space? It’s not like we are glued together even before we’re married! I also find it funny how people expect you to get married after you start dating for a few months. No really, they would happily be your astrologer and start coupling you to the extent that they’ll ask you if you have named your kids yet.

I’ve another complain with these couples. Why do you want Us, the singles, to find someone for ourselves? Do you think we aren’t capable enough to find a suitable partner by ourselves or alike you, we should settle down with someone before and I’m quoting this, “the best goods run out of stock?” If you are very well happier with your partner, why is there a sudden urge for the rest to find someone too? I could very well pick a friend to accompany you for a double date! And wait, do you think we carry an emotional baggage or something to think, that we can’t find someone, forget indulging in a relationship?

We’ve all met such cynical souls who fail to see the rest happier, coupled or single and the fact that they want to know everything going on with us and have no control in their own lives. Even those old women who constantly want to know if someone’s son or daughter got married at the right age? Since when do you care about the neighbourhood when you couldn’t take care of your own house? The social need of being coupled and the fact that it’s the foremost responsibility to get married at the right age, drives the social pressure on people and resultantly some even end up in the dark clouds of depression and low self worth!

So even when all the youngsters follow the trend of finding someone, there are some who are happier, all by ourselves, to the extent of not complaining about our complicated relationship or letting the world know that we live in a bubble of happiness. We aren’t emotionally dependent on someone because we are the reason for our own little happiness. We might be named as emotionally damaged, unavailable, lacking in colour, physique, height or any other physical attributes; but the thing is, we still haven’t found the need to find someone.

If the world asks you again, whether why single, pounce back on them, asking WHY NOT SINGLE? Not because you don’t have a partner now or you find love an illusion or your past has hurt you so much that you choose to be adamant about being single throughout your life; that’s stupid. Eventually, it all comes down to you, your happiness and when you’re ready to put aside your life, career, friends and family for a new start. To the fact, that you’re happier with your life and someday wouldn’t mind sharing it with someone or do you really wish to tie your partner with a leash, acting a control freak and still boast about what you name this as a ‘relationship’.

Beyond the Comfort Zone!

Every day is a new challenge we come across, a trouble we overcome and a million smiles we share after the dark times are over. We choose hiding over sharing sorrows because sometimes, we aren't ready for the rest to know that we are weak. We can’t accept the fact that it’s easier to be weaker and accept our flaws. And somehow, we let these blemishes grow upon us. We start assuming that our imperfections are bigger than us and let ourselves accept whatever we get. We slowly end up being okay with everything average we receive instead of working hard or changing ourselves for what we deserve. That is the perfect time to come out of the zone, the Comfort Zone.

As kids, most of us have been fortunate to be brought up in the lap of luxury. Even if it wasn't really a need, our parents took care of everything we wanted or demanded. Life was easier back then, we all say that. But have you questioned yourself whether when did it start to change? Was it the morose moment back in kindergarten when you were left in a new world with new people to adjust with or was it high school and college when you altered at a greater speed than the environment? We felt alienated from our own people, the ones we could be comfortable with and suddenly we were lost on an island with no instructions given!

That’s when the struggle began. Change was a struggle, the foremost element that made things seem differently and alien to us. And then came people and the environment. Somehow, we kept ourselves in a cocoon and nobody let us get out of it. But it was us! We feared the outside, the unknown and we were too adamant to even peep outside our little protective shield. Slowly, we adapted to the things we loved and chose to stay in our cocoon. We widened the girth of our comfort zone; we widened the parameters where everything was easy and only did things we loved.

Little did we know, there was a completely different world awaiting us! For long, we were sheltered in our nests and suddenly, we were asked to fly and that moment was SCARY. You cannot just take up an adventure without taking a dip into the water. We feared the pressure yet somehow tried to experiment with the new. Or wait, did we? I’m talking about the time, this moment, right now!

Some of us aren't used to being challenged by our lives. For long, we have survived and somehow, we have started accepting survival instead of rising above; so much that we don’t even realize our potential. Nobody came up trained for life, we all learnt with experiences, good and bad. We grew with these experiments we did with ourselves and now, we are fighting the biggest battle. We are trying to defeat nobody but ourselves, the lazy, fearful, cautious part of us that the world sees. But beyond that, lies a different person.

Just because we haven’t been put on stake, we nowhere lack behind our competitors. We are experimenting, trying to discover ourselves and the new horizons life has ahead for us. It’s time to rise above the okay level and the acceptance of everything being just okay. Stretch yourself a bit to reach where many can only dream to be, for it isn't killing you but only making you stronger! Beyond the Comfort Zone, lies a new world you are yet to discover and a new You, you are yet to meet! So even when you are free-falling, try giving it a try; you never know there might be a trampoline down there!

Living in a Sitcom!

Since childhood, the television has been my best friend. Even when everybody criticized the idiot box, I couldn’t be more fascinated to get in touch with the outside world through so many channels yet one, our loved ‘TV’. Cartoons were my favourite but I also loved wildlife documentaries and watching anything associated with ‘cute’ and it felt like I was exploring a completely different world altogether. When I go back, that was the best time I had; staying at my fixed spot with popcorn and a good movie or my favourite cartoon series, with nothing to worry except for what mom was going to cook for the next meal! Bliss, indeed.

The trend changed, our liking changed and all our favourite channels came up with serials sharing confessions of high school kids, we could totally empathize with. Then, there an era of the typical Saas-Bahu serials, which went on for decades and is still going on; people roaming wandering at the streets of our unexplored India like gypsies; laughter shows; solving mysteries and how could we forget ‘Aahat’, the only scary show I remember. Our own beloved Indian television and the endless list of series we can never forget.

What we didn’t realize, was that serials influenced us as much as advertisements or movies affect our lives. Somehow, we started dreaming the dreams with happy endings, dreaming about luxury, success, friendship, love and everything all so sugary and perfect. We accepted the things we saw and made it a part of our life. We got more acquainted to the western culture as we were exposed to the channels broadcasted internationally and as teenagers; we started craving the best of friends spending hours together and even crushing on those super cute guys who could be the only one to make our life more beautiful. What we didn’t realize, was that we started living in these sitcoms!

Well, there’s more to the ones afflicted with this obsession with sitcoms. We have started living in a world of our own. We have another way to look at our own discrepancies. We chose to save all those pictures before time flies and it’s time to say goodbye. We share more time sharing on the internet than to share with our closest ones for the world seems too busy to listen to our story. We choose to raise our voice and write on the wrongs and rights in the society for we wish to bring a change, individually if not wholly. We’ve woven fantasies of our own and we wish to relive them. An avid reader could explain this at a greater depth but the ones so deeply indulged in sitcoms and the life of those characters might share a mutual feeling.

I have had this syndrome for long and I’m not afraid to admit it. Sometimes, I’ve loved fictional characters more than people and they take me to my own virtual world. As I see these characters perform, I go through the same emotional phase they do. I cry, smile, laugh and fall in love with them and somehow, I end up craving for those happy ever after endings. These fallacies make me feel like I want to live them. Isn’t it beautiful how as kids we felt all those cartoon characters and superheroes had superpowers we could have someday and today, we wish for things we aspire, all this while inspired virtually by mere reflection of everything that we’ve yearned? Sugar, spice and everything nice! But the moment I go off from this virtual world, it’s all doomed.

I’ve laughed harder on Barney Stinson’s jokes and Sheldon Cooper’s idiosyncrasies; I’ve seen a part of me in Monica Geller and Robin Scherbatksy. I believe in love when it’s Ross and Rachel or Monica and Chandler. I’ve been fascinated the way Benedict Cumberbatch takes me to the world of Sherlock Holmes and somehow I’ll be afraid that Dr. Cal Lightman will catch me if I ever lie. I’ve lived in serials and books and cried more with these characters than in melodramatic movies and sometimes, I tend to get more emotional towards fictional characters than the real world. But there’s nothing to get embarrassed about, we all share that feeling somewhere. So let’s try to accept our wonderful weirdness and know that all of us share a virtual world that connects each one of us!

Thank you for taken the effort to read the entire blog. I'm sure there is at least one character you can relate to! Then go ahead, participate in the poll going on! Also, Feedback and comments are most welcomed. :)

The Virtual World Syndrome!

Life’s got busier and technology has taken over us, the social networking and the instant messaging seems the easiest way to connect. Everything works on a click and the clique is constantly adapting to the new fads every now and then. We can do every
thing on the internet and we are so overly dependent on it that even a day without it seems like a minor catastrophe. With everything so quick and easy and looking only at the pros of the technological advances with multiple usages to list down, aren’t we forgetting the real world around?

With constantly chatting with people on Facebook and Whatsapp, haven’t we lost the essence lately? The essence of how it was back then to keep in touch and not actually update just everything and anything happening at the moment. Even if we refrain to complain about the communication, we are somehow losing out on the people around, the people present amongst us at the very moment. We are so engrossed in clicking pictures instead of capturing memories. We try quenching the thirst of limelight by constantly updating our statuses and satisfy the hunger with all the likes and comments we get on our posts but what about the person sitting right beside us who is present in that picture, the person whose waiting while we are busy checking feeds from the rest?

Our entire world has taken a trip from the times when we made stories and memories to how we get more emotional over virtual memories. Previously, A father would come back home and his child would be happily awaiting him to hear him praise for a math test or maybe to share an incident that took place in school. But with the new scenario, the child updates it on Facebook, the father likes it and the mother comments. Is that it? What happened to sharing our funny stories over dinner or comforting one another coming out of the blues? We are relishing a good dinner, still busy updating; we are enjoying a long walk with an old friend still engrossed in our phones. For all we know, we’ve started nocializing even on a social gathering.

All those traditions are becoming old-fashioned and fading away, from how we celebrated birthdays or anniversaries to an extent when we are doing things to let the virtual world know than really do something. Wishing birthdays is merely on apps and long lost phone calls have changed to micro second voice notes. Even when we say we are voicing our opinions, are we really helping anyone by sharing what we feel right now on these socializing websites? Are we even helping ourselves by that? Somehow, we are responsible for the increasing depression through these portals and for the increasing blues and frustration within us. The West is coming to India seeking peace while we are running towards their technology that has resulted in our impatience and anxiety.

No matter how much we get addicted to the new, some things are meant to remain old. Our ancestors were right about many things and we later regretted and went back to the old traditions. I guess, I can happily be the guide and warn you about the virtual world syndrome. So even when you come in touch with your long lost high school best friend, no use if you don’t actually meet up and hangout with him. Weddings and Birthdays don’t happen over phone calls, we need people to be a part of those events, to make them occasions. And if your heart really wants to share something, say it out loud, to a person instead of updating it as a status. Take time to switch off everything that connects you virtually and appreciate the real world around you. Live for the moment, in the moment.

Subtle Reflections

Recently I came across a graffiti I made, some three years back in high school on my study table. Funny thing, I found the picture on Facebook and honestly, I was shocked to see it still existed there and how kiddish I was back then. Of course, being a high school kid gave me all the rights to carry out the crazy stuff considering it as fun but today I took it as sheer lunacy. These concave pieces never change and take us back in time. I had a similar experience to travel back where I was left with subtle reflections on my life; now and then and much more to realize.

High school to College was a predictable change and we had been prepared for this. Maybe, even excited with the way we dreamed of our perfect college life with a perfect ‘group’, no attendance issues, assignments and stuff, like we were up for a vacation here. But things changed, the study burden increased and with it increased the lag of conversations we failed to have with the people we promised to keep around forever. Time became a huge constraint and it became all the more difficult to keep in touch with our so called ‘best friends’.

We adapted ourselves to these changes we made in the environment and slowly let new people walk in. The place we found hell became the sole reason and excuse to stay away from home and before we knew, we fell in love with this place all because of the people. Oh wait, you still need to return some calls and emails to your school buddies but you would still ignore it, building upon the awkward wall you’ve built. What we don’t realize is that those strangers have suddenly become more important to us, we find more comfort in their company and the people we thought would stay forever have become secondary.

Time changed and so did people. Not just priorities but after a certain time, it’s not even the same feeling talking to the same person who was your closest bud someday. But we figure things out. Somehow, we find new people and see the friend we needed in these strangers or seclude ourselves in our little world of happiness, discovering ourselves and the things we love. Solitude becomes an indulgence and people secondary but we still manage to live with it and relish the happiness within. We learn so much in time that these little reflections narrate our own untold story.

So coming back to the graffiti, I saw certain names written in it, some odd 10-15 names. Surprisingly, except three, all of them stood by. It hasn't been too long but we managed to stick to each other even through those rough patches when I could only see the end. So when people change drastically and you might lose out on finding the right ones, some would stay. And with unusual and introspective days like these, you might wish to go back to those old pictures and go all nostalgic, with smiling tears. I've known that people who want to stay in your life always find a way. So you can happily picture yourself walking down the aisle, with your best man or bridesmaids hailing with tears in their eyes on your happiest day, for all you know, you've already found your bridesmaids! :) 

Foodulture!

I’m a typical ‘Amdavadi’ and alike most of them, I whole heartedly follow this one chant we believe in “Khavanu, Peevanu.. Majja ni life!” You can call me a hedonist who believes in savouring and hogging over food; anytime, any day and in every mood. We might be surprised to know that there are some people who love food to such an extent that their survival, their heart and soul ends and begins in the name of food. It is about how crucial food has become in our life or at least some of us, who don’t live to eat but eat to live.

 I feel so sorry for all the skinny people who choose to starve over relishing such amazing delicacies. I mean do you see the variety people are coming in terms of taste, flavour, colour (yes, that too!); and with the widening of our rich Indian culture and acceptance of different food culture around the globe, we’ve opened arms towards becoming a cosmopolitan. Look at the weirdest and the craziest inventions in terms of food, how taste has become the most important factor and somewhere like Gujarat, a dry state with no night life, Sundays are meant for gourmands.

Keeping business in mind, any venture with even a pretty average ambiance and service quality but better in terms of taste and exquisite snacks to choose from, works! The same lane might have vendors selling similar Maggi but the choices you can pick from plus the extra Butter and Cheese, oh don’t you love hogging over it? You might love to stay in a five-star hotel but given a choice, won’t you prefer the street food with the Desi Tadka despite the large Buffet but with a bland taste? In fact, not just vendors; I see websites, cookery magazines, competitions and shows with really eccentric people ready to eat just any animal, insects or herb doing extremely well!

Some might disagree on the point that women can’t eat much and they tend to diet or waste more than eat but those days are gone when women would eat less to save a pound. Well, at least I can proudly say that I would rather gain a few pounds rather than denying myself the chance to devour something cheesy, chocolaty or fattening. Diet might seem an easy way to punish the ones who appreciate a really good sense of taste but Mayo and Thousand Island sauces can change your perception (Subway salads!). Chicken, Barbeque, Sausages, Sea Food, there seems to be no end to food. You could go off for a vacation to relish amazing delicacies miles away or you could take a break from work and experiment having new street food.

Food has become a part of our culture, we connect food with the people we meet and in fact come closer with the variety and spices in it. I’ve seen people coming together when they share their favourite dish, people trying to relate themselves and their moms with their homemade food and friends and families embracing occasions and memories over prolonged get-togethers. You could very well spend hours with your cousins and enjoy midnight munching or you would be someone who would sneak into the kitchen to relieve yourself from stomach pangs. Couldn’t we all relate ourselves to all the times when coffee became an excuse to meet someone and catch-up? Through generations, we’ve carried with ourselves our food legacy and today, it has become the most integral part our lives!

With so many things to choose from, we appreciate, admire and have accepted all sorts in trofology but we have failed to accept the love for food. Even though we all share the same love, the amount varies from skinny to obese and somehow; we fail to accept the obese. I being an ardent food fan have never let people kill my love for food and we connoisseurs should carry immense pride in doing things we love. For me, food is the cure to everything, to rejoice or distress and its deprivation can make me turn into a monster! So today, I would like to raise a toast to food; for all the times the little munching that came to my rescue when people couldn’t, the chocolates I had to better my mood and the fun I have while cooking in experimenting with food because to you, there’s no substitute! Cheers to food J

Beneath the Blue Umbrella

Have you ever had butterflies looking at someone, when you look at that person every day with the same zeal and the happiness he brings to you just by being around? The way you silently stare at him for just one moment when you could look at each other right in the eyes at the very moment and then giggle shying away. The first day of college and when you looked in the crowd, you never noticed him. It wasn't a fairy tale where you could only see him, you hated his guts or found him a complete nerd and now; you’re so mad about him that you want him around all the time. You wish you could get a cute picture with him and treasure it in your diary. You want him to text you first and that’s why you let him miss you. The moment he says he missed you in class, oh dint you wish he would say that more often?

When he asks you about your crush, you avoid the answer because you know you’re secretly crushing on him. Every time you have good news, you wish you could just call him up first. And when you’re hiding in your blanket crying, you wish you could go hug him and cry on his shoulder instead. He finds those cute ways to make you smile, he has his own bunch of friends but he still saves a seat to sit with you. He comes to you and talks about things he hardly shares with anybody else. You wish he plays the guitar and sings to you on your birthday and when it’s raining, you wish you could share your blue umbrella with him! But you promise never to tell anyone ‘cause you know you could never have a chance with him.

Two years have passed and he hasn’t a clue about what you feel about him. You just wanna know him better and he thinks you already have fallen for someone else. If he could only know what you feel inside from the moment he started talking to you! But things seem so different now. Suddenly, he has his own share of people to be with and even when you are right there, he fails to notice how much you want him to come to you. You still wish to share the seat and scribble behind your notebook and call each other with those cute nicknames. The last year you are together and tomorrow, you might end up in a different continent. How you wish he sees the love in your eyes and this crushing turns into love; like the love story you dreamt of! 

For a moment when you see him coming and wave hello, you realize that’s his lady love he is going to. Your heart is a little hurt but you somehow smile through the tears. He still sees you as a friend he had before, he still remembers that nick name but to call that to his girlfriend. You indulge yourself in reading a book when he passes by, you hide in library when he fiddles to find you but you manage to make an excuse every time. All you wish that it could be the same but you know at the bottom of your heart that everything has changed.  

Its farewell and you hug him goodbye; a goodbye to your first crush and the last chance you could have to tell him how you feel but that chance is long gone with him. Never did you turn back and never did you get a chance to stay in touch for long. But life had a different story written for both of you. Years later, the same city, same country; you’re in a coffee shop relishing your solitude. The new customer with the old voice you recognize, still the same butterflies and you’re beaming to see him again! A cold cup of coffee with nostalgia and divulged secrets with something you never would have thought. The same guy saw you in the crowd and thought you would never be his. Alike you, he managed to hide his feelings all this while. All you know its pouring rain, you are sharing your umbrella with him; miles away with the same person you wish you could someday. And all you know is everything is about to change! 

Little things that carved you!

Today, I’m swirling with nostalgia and intense retrospection. Once in a while, you might go back in the flashback, analyzing your entire life and you could either relish or guiltily regret those moments or maybe carry yourself up with pride calling all those regrets a new lesson you learnt! Teenage is the toughest time with everything changing and all the weird things happening around. We keep trying to understand the complexity we face, the way we are changing- our body and mind, our parents overreacting and suddenly becoming over possessed and dealing with these absurd changes, it’s insane!

But the teenage is well gone; it’s like a battle that ended with nobody winning or losing, just crucial lessons that altered you or left you permanent impressions. All this might seem boring philosophical stuff but it’s indeed what all of us feel inside and lose out on words when we really wish to speak out. Speak is a subtle version to explain the screams. We met new people and everybody we met has made us who we are today, shaping the amorphous us! The state we are in today is never what we would have thought; I never imagined life to get this crazy unlike the smooth track it seemed before ‘people’.

Yes. I think major credit goes to your childhood best friends, crushes, lovers, teachers, siblings, cousins or even strangers who gave you a totally different perspective, who warned you beforehand and who guided you in this journey. (I didn’t mention parents because it would be stating the obvious.) So today, things are pretty outside, ugly inside or whatever but we’re completely different than what we had been or for that matter, what we always wanted to be. We chose different streams, we dint really live our childhood dreams and the things we loved are lost in time. Like sand slipping from hands, we couldn't keep anything to ourselves; not even who we used to be.

In the past two decades of your life, you might have made several mistakes; regretted some, learnt something and you are never going to forget the wrongs. For moments which made it tougher to even drag yourselves down this long, you might have felt of giving up and some weak hearts might have succumbed to these little bumps. You might have thought that you’re watching the sunset of your life but you opened your eyes for a new day and here you are today! Honestly, these little lurches make us who we are, the people who left us made us who we are, the people who guided us and who trusted in us when we lost everything we had are the ones who led us to our destiny.

They might have left you long back and let you fall for once or twice till you could walk without tripping. They are the ones who gave you the happiest moments and the harshest lessons; they were indeed the coconuts of your life. So live it up, for those little moments and the people who are around. Failure might put you in deep distress but it isn’t the end. Maybe it’s the new beginning! An old saying says ‘Everything happens for a reason’ but it has been qualified to ‘Everything that doesn't happen is for a better reason!’ Moreover, love yourself with these little evolutionary changes that have given you a beautiful avatar inside! After all, it’s the beauty within that matters the most.

Marching towards the dream!

There are certain things that we love and are dearer than most of the things, we never share those things or even let the ones closest to our heart know about those. We own it and if it ever goes out of our sight, we are scared as shit. It might be a small trinket, a good luck charm, a really old coin, watch or maybe our diary. Our little possessions that we wish we could take along to heaven but all we take with us are memories. Funny isn’t it, How we spend our entire lives finding that one purpose, saving every penny now so we could live the rest of our life extravagantly and abandon friends, food, sleep, vacations and to put all other obsessions to rest for that one dream- That one dream.

How that one talent might take us to our destiny and how we make every drop of sweat count to make it to the summit, swinging by all the hardships. Even when everybody else lost hope in us, we craved for the crest and failure only made us hungrier. We have tried wishbones, dandelions, shooting stars and birthday candles with our sincere perseverance and with every stride; our patience is being tested. For a moment, some of us might just give up undermining oneself and end up cursing our fate for the rest of our lives. And if you are among them; Well, that’s where you went wrong- You gave up before even trying while others were still fighting.

Our lives have gone through several transitions with the changing time and increasing importance of education. The fact that standing on your feet is the first step to make your name in this world where another billion are striving pours in more pressure. And then there are pondering responsibilities, changing environment, compromises and all the things you can blame on but is that it? Is that how passionate you were when you said you would happily make incessant efforts while you were busy building your castle in the air? Laugh at yourself if you thought it was going to be that easy!

While some pursue their dreams, there are few who keep searching for that one dream. They are born but they are so busy cribbing about this life that they fail to see the beauty. More than them, it’s the castigating people around them that end up making them morose. The world takes time to adapt to human discrepancies and find that behaviour eccentric. So when you finally try to bring a change, someone might try bursting that bubble. So what? Just because you might lack a little substance, doesn’t mean you are doing a gruesome job; you’re still trying! Routine is lethal but you, you’re experimenting with yourself.

I’ve been among the critics, in fact a self-critic because I never felt complacent. I always had an urge to be so good at something that I would end up becoming the epitome! Well, if you’re going to dream anyway, why not dream big? Like the rest of visionaries, I’ve my share too. I haven’t found the purpose of my life but I’ve started taking the baby steps towards my aim. I don’t know how far I shall go and how fair I shall turn out to be in the test but that won’t make me give up. No way. I’m going to lift myself up every time I fall and you too should try. Try tumbling upon a few things and who knows, you might discover what you had been looking for forever.

Quoting P!nk, “Where there is desire, there is gonna be flame and where there is a flame, someone’s bound to get burnt. But just because it burns doesn’t mean you’ll die, you gotta get up and try, try, try!” Keep marching.  

IPL: Another Scam Story!

With the one sport which brings our massive population come together, I haven’t been different not to be an ardent cricket fan. I’ve screamed louder for the fours and sixes and been heartbroken for the matches India lost. It wasn’t just the effort of eleven players on the battlefield but the faith of other 1.24 billion praying for just one win! Sportspersons have always whined about the fact that India has favouritism towards cricket and with BCCI being the richest cricket board in the world, cricketers are favoured financially devouring the highest fame compared to any other sport. 

With the format being modified to make it shorter and more entertaining, the world of cricket was in a state of upheaval when Lalit Modi came up with one of the shortest leagues with different players being auctioned for various teams participating in the Indian Premier League. So with all the cricketers globally coming together and playing for one team or maybe a different team another year; some fans were disheartened for they were used to showcase their patriotism towards the country instead of a unit constituting disparate players every year.

For the past six years, I’ve followed the IPL with all my heart and have been equally zealous even with immense criticism and vilifying comments as to naming this league as the bought up battle where not just a match, every ball is fixed. It wasn’t my innocence but the faith I had in cricket that never let me believe the plausibility of match-fixing to this extent. So even when I heard several rumours and controversies regarding tax exemption, financial irregularities and criminal activities as well as the hype about the game being only a mode of entertainment and money, because of the exorbitant ticket rates; spot fixing- the lead this season compelled me to believe all of it.

And this year, Ho Ho Ipl! You’ve heartily opened the chamber of your fixing tactics and revealed all the cricketers involved as well as the CEO of the team that participated in the finals for five years and managed to win for two years. Its sad how the game just ended and how every team played in a peculiar way to deceive us. With Chennai always making to the finals, Mumbai always making to the quarterfinals, RCB always failing to perform in quarterfinals and teams like KKR, Deccan and Rajasthan surprisingly winning was the fun indeed. Even with disappointment, this game became the sole source of our cricket entertainment during vacations.

We all have been aware and yet avoided the fact of the spot-fixed matches and still indulged ourselves in the wasteful event taking place every year. We came together to enjoy even the most hilarious final for every over seemed fixed. I mean they made the win of Mumbai a little obvious with the owner of opposing team willing to resign on the day of finals, with Shilpa Shetty trying to hide her smile when Rajasthan lost the playoffs to Mumbai after the team’s three batsmen were caught in the spot-fixing scandal, taking down their entire career!

I wish they tried a better strategy in an attempt to fool us. Its sheer sadness to see how everything can be bought in India! As they say, “Yeh India hai, yaha sab bikta hai.” Therefore, at least for now, there’s going to be no more tweets, shares and statuses and maybe the last criticized posts you’ll be reading for the most sold out and money making league has finally come to an end till all the agitations and allegations come to rest. Cheers to another scam of the fraudulent sport India unfolded!

The death of humanity

A week back, few men crossed the heights of brutality when a girl was raped in a moving bus on the posh streets of Delhi and was left on the outskirts of the city in a ruthless condition. She was raped by six men and when she protested, they inserted an iron rod in her and damaged her intestines. She was suffering, crying for help and nobody stepped ahead. The world dint end but humanity surely died that day.

How cruel can a human be and how filthy could those men be to do such a horrible deed? They are vicious creatures and dreadful demons, a disgrace to humanity. Why would anybody do something so irrevocably cruel to an innocent girl? What if she was their sister, daughter or mother and somebody did something to her? A woman gave birth to you and that’s how you pay her back? Silence and shame is all those rapists can have because they killed the life in a woman; now she’s nothing but a lifeless soul. 

We’ve been marching with candles, screaming out slogans and spreading the word around just to make sure that the Delhi girl gets justice, but what about those women who chose to remain silent? Who, in the fear of their society and losing their dignity; couldn’t come up to confess that they too underwent the same torture! There are incidents taking place every day, in the city and villages and those girls could never say something ‘cause deep down they knew that they would only be embarrassed and never be able to live a normal life.

Salute to those who step forward and stand up for the ugly truth; who without any fear, seek justice in a hope that tomorrow- nobody else suffers like they did. Even after taking this step, what do they gain? The rapists are bailed out and move freely in our country because not the government, but money and contacts change the laws for an individual. The casualty survive in spite of the humiliation and degraded life they are left with and cry for justice but the cases take so long for a judgment; that either the victim or the culprit is already dead till then.

Even after all this chaos and rebellious marches in our country, the number of rapes is still continuing. For them, age is no bar; because they even abused toddlers aging 2-3 years. That little girl must have been terrorized, she has already lost herself! Rapists should better off resort to prostitutes instead of spoiling a life that has just begun. Soon there shall come a time where no parent would even think of having a girl child because they shall only live in the fear of protecting her everywhere! Earlier, there was a decrease in male-female ratio, but now; women would end up killing themselves for their life shall become a nightmare.

The problem lies in our system and yes, we have to change it. It’s time we get a fast moving court that makes sure actions are taken immediately for petty issues and such matters that create a havoc in the society. But till then, we can’t let these men be unchained. These psychotic devils deserve harsher punishments so that, no man dares to look at another woman with an evil eye. Capital punishment is not the solution; these deathly monsters should be whipped in public so that they fear the mere thought of hurting a woman! Chemical castration is still being easy on the Delhi culprits; they should be surgically castrated so that they lose their one sign of manliness and get the slight hint of the pain, shame and humility the victim shall carry all her life!

Today, the helpless woman has died. We may pray for her soul but her death shouldn’t go in vain. We have stood up against those who harmed her, against the system who failed to give her justice but we are one. We were one against corruption, politics and every issue just to make our country a better place to live in. Now, that we have woken up; its time not to sit down till women are safer and the government realizes how hard it can get for the survival of women if no strict action is taken. Even when the nation moans for her death, we see the inclusive growth in humanity for we have come together not for some selfish motive; but to make sure that no woman is scared to step outside her house even at midnight!