Well, to start with, this will be my first post on YU.

Recession and terrorism have been the buzz words in the past three months.Apart from these, here are a few interesting tidbits of news that caught my attention, and hopefully yours too, during my 3 months of break from the blogging world.

Well, if you are reading this, you are lost! The actual post is present at YU site (please click the hyperlink above).

It has been a while since Sakhi and Mahak tagged me and here it goes! Apologies for doing this so late!

If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?

Frankly, quite depressing!! And as a solution, I will betray her too!

If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?

Just one dream!? If it’s just one, I would want more peace to prevail on Earth. If given an other chance too, I would, yet again say, want to become a singer.

But, on a lighter note, I would want to catch the train! Well, I do not know why I always dream of missing the train!
 
What is your idea of a perfect date? (Whose butt would you like to kick?)
An imperfect date is just perfect to cherish for years to come! Well, whose butt would I kick? Definitely not my date’s!

What would you do with a billion dollars?
I would marry a billonaire woman
 
Will you fall in love with your best friend?
Head over heals!!
 
Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
A loves B but B loves C. If being loved is more blessed, then B should love A and C too should love B. Thus if C loves B, B should love C too. So B ends up loving both A and C which is infidelity.

Now, if loving someone is blessed, then A should keep loving B but B would keep loving C and not A.

Thus, love has no logic. Just go by what your heart says! And remember that we are responsible for our actions!

How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?
Well, I would want to remove the word “really” in the question, for, love is always real! Hope this answers the question too!
 
If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?

Grrr! Sounds like “A loves B but B loves C” situation again! Anyways, I would try to arrest all the love within myselves, and when it starts overflowing, I will channelize it to a much bigger audience - The Society!

If you like to act with someone, who will it be? Your gf/bf or an actress/actor?
Kajol will win over my girlfriend, this one time!! Anyhow, guys always keep acting before girls in real life! (to be taken on a lighter note!)
 
What’s your favorite love quote? What takes you down the fastest?
Love is the medicine for both heart-make and heart break!! Apparently, my own quote! Ha ha!

How would you see yourself in ten years’ time?
Living happily with my parents, wifey, kids and all my friends!! It’s just fine even if I don’t become a singer! My kid would become one!

What’s your fear?
Losing anyone I love is my worst fear!

What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?

Sakhi - A sensible girl with the right perception, apparently from the kind of stories she writes!
Mahak - Shopaholic, and loves gifts! Forgive me, if I am wrong, and if you ever read this post.

Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor?
I would rather be married but poor. Love itself is rich anyways!

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
“Oh Gosh! I am late today!”
 
Would you give all in a relationship?
Without an iota of doubt!

If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?
Fall in love with two people results in ’infidelity’ but not love. I still wonder how people fall in love with two people “simultaneously”! Ha ha!

Would you forgive and forget, no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?
I can’t answer this question! You might call it over confidence, but I am sure the person, if I tag as ’special someone’, wouldn’t ever do anything unforgivably horrible!
  
If you get to go back in time and fall in love all over again, would it still be with the same person?
And finally, this tidbit - I am yet to fall in love!

List 6 people to tag:
Arvind, Anar, Sekhar, Reema, Xylene, Suda

Many questions to be answered, many situations to be assessed, many revelations to be made, many introspections to be done - the ‘remorseless’ terror attacks have left behind all this, along with the ruined Heritage building that stands tall as a testimony to the conspicuous and flagrant violation of Humanity,  owing to the pot-holes in the security protocol. All this, not withstanding to the warnings from the Intelligence days before. The attacks were quickly followed by shameless castiagtions by the political parties among themselves.

Many questions pondered my mind during these heinous attacks. Who would be responsoble for this blatant failure in securing the Nation? While it is very easy to point out the politicians and a failed system, we conveniently forget how irresponsible, we, the common people are, by ourselves. How compassionate and vigilant are we, of our surroundings? How responsible are we, for our own Nation? It is a time for introspection for every individual who thinks, he holds his Nation in pride.

Did you exercise your right to vote? If not, you do not have the right to raise your voice on the security situation of the Nation today. Over 60 percent of 10.5 million eligible voters in Delhi exercised their votes Saturday. That says 40 percent of them have not cared to vote for reasons whatsoever. 40 percent of 10.5 million is not a small number, and that in Delhi alone. Going by the basic premise that expectations come with responsibilities, millions of people who still do not exercise their right to vote do not have a right to raise their voice either.

And then, how many of us have really been compassionate to the happenings around? How many of us have been vigilant in public places like bus stops and malls? It is not practically feasible to frisk each and every individual in a country with huge population. Installing CCTV cameras at every nook and corner might still not work as a solution if a common man lacks the basic awareness.

Politicians have been so quick in pointing fingers at a neighbouring country. While they might be right or wrong, the issue here is that we need an introspection of ourselves. While the situation might demand toughness in attitude towards a neighbouring country, it is also important that we face our short-comings.

It is not the political system that needs an immediate change, but the thought process of a common man. If we are not going to change, the political system too is not going to change. Until then we all have to put up with the vainglorious political promises.

Finally, do we need to go through all thes terror attacks to understand that our security system is a fiasco? Do we, really, have to lose all those efficient officers to understand the pathetic condition of the bullet-proof jackets the world’s largest democracy has? Aren’t the sacrifices of the great freedom fighters, by themselves, not enough?

Enough is enough! Is the comman man doing something besides lighting candles at the site and  expressing displeasure?

My first post was about Walt Disney World and what better can it get than to do a come-back post with something related to Disney?

After an inevitable break, something intrigued me finally again! Coincidentally, Disney!

Well, I give a thunderous applause to the makers of “Bolt”. One of the truely finest animation movies I have seen in, atleast, the past 3 years. It strikes a chord, like a thunder bolt, with the audiences of all age groups. The CG animation was just perfect!

Bolt ( John Trovolta) is the story of, well, Bolt, a superhero Dog in a TV series who thinks he really has those powers in him. Eventually, he takes his task to save “his person” and co-star, Penny (Miley Cyrus) from the “green-eyed” enemy a little too seriously. All is well until one day when Bolt acidentally gets shipped to New York. The production team loses its superhero dog, Penny loses her best friend and Bolt loses his world. Confused, but confident, Bolt begins its journey across the states to reunite with Penny.On his course he meets and makes friends with an abandoned cat Mittens (Susie Essman) and a die-hard telivision follower Rhino, a hamster (Mark Walton) which, itself, thinks Bolt really has the super powers.

Susie Essman’s voice-over for Mittens-the cat stands apart! Mittens steals the heart of the audiences eventually. It plays an important role in making Bolt realise that he does not, really, have any of those super powers.

The rest of the story is about the wonderful journey of love and revelation, of adventure and hope on how this simple white dog ‘Bolt’ really becomes a superdog! A big thumbs up for this heart-warming journey collaborated with spectacular CG effects. Way to go, Disney!!

PS: Mind you, this is not a Movie review! Just an opinion.

Image Courtesy: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/bolt/

Up next: Sakhi’s and Mahak’s age old tag of the love theme!

I have two tags pending since age old. I complete them today!

Vishesh tagged me sometime back and here are my 6 quirky quirks!!

Most of these might not sound odd but then I am not quirky!!

1) I love biting nails but dont like it when I see someone else biting their nails:D

2) I tend to create first impression on the people by looking at their teeth and feet. Sounds wierd, but I feel teeth and feet tell a lot about how a person conducts himself/herself.

3) Now, this was a habit I had as a kid but NOT anymore - Whenever I get into a train I used to sit facing towards the direction of motion. (For ignorant souls, trains have ‘aamne-saamne’ seats)

4) I like the sound of a fan. I would turn my small portable fan ON even while the AC runs.

5) I can NEVER watch a movie in a theatre without Popcorn and cola. Sincerely tried to stop this but could never succeed.

6) Well, I do not know if this is considered odd, but I like it when people talk nonsense sensibly.

While you bang your heads trying to understand what the 6th one meant, let me tag this to Anar, Reema, Suda and Sakhi.

====================================================================

Anar tagged me with this interesting one that brings about a slice of ones life.

Yesterday (Kal) - is an experience that teaches you about tomorrow.

Your Oldest Memory:
Crying and shouting for my mom from behind the closed gates of my kindergarten school.I still remember that pain!!

What were you doing 10 years ago?

Was trying hard to get a good score in my 12th grade and also an admission (for B.Tech) into a good college. Apart from this, COMPLETELY crazy over 3 things: Titanic, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Shenaz in MTV Most Wanted.

Today (Aaj) - Enjoying the pleasures of small things in life amidst haphazard and hazy goals.

Your first thought today morning: “Did I really wake up, or is this a dream?”

If you built a time capsule today what would it contain?

I will dump and lock all my friends inside the capsule, so that I will never lose them in life.

Tomorrow (Kal) - will be good “yesterday”.

This year ….has been rewarding and satisfying.Seen lots of new places and people and hope to see more.

What do you see yourself doing 14 years from now?

Ideally, to become a good singer and spend time with all my loved ones happily! But I know I would end up being a techie (probably and hopefully a senior level manager) stuck up in traffic jams and cursing the City Corporation.

I tag this to the two A’s: Amit and Arvind.

Well, yet again, I blame it on my work schedules for being so “regularly” inconsistent here. But I am happy that I am finally here after two long weeks. And I will be here for good!

My post follows….

A loud burst of laughter! Was that what my answer should have evoked? I still have no answer. Did Ameya and Ashwin actually laugh at me? I do not know it, for, my comprehension was already usurped by my pensive mind. Should I have given a more practical answer? Afterall, what they asked me was whom I missed, the most, all these years being away from my home.

I have never stared at anything so long in my life till now, or so I felt.

“It was a terrible sight”, Ashwin patted me on my shoulder, “but we couldn’t stop it, afterall they cut the tree for a good cause”.

“But we couldn’t stop!” These were the words that alarmed me. Can we really not stop? Don’t we really have any power? And the “good cause” was to lay a damn road full of pot holes. And what did I lose? My best friend from years! I played under that tree and I have my memories associated to it. And now I see it withered and broken infront of me. It is a history now!

                                                                          ****

It was a wonderful evening for me after years! It was just me, Mom and Dad strolling in a park.
Mom was telling how she preferred white paint on the kitchen walls. Dad wanted them to be painted with light blue.
Something caught my attention and I turned back and looked the grass beneath. A half-eaten potato chips bag was lying there. A few yards away I saw two polythene bags fluttering from inside the sand.An empty trash bin with its open mouth was sarcastically staring at me.

“Dad, why do people lack civic sense?”, I was irritated, “Why the heck do we have trash bins then”?
I picked the bags and threw them in the trash bin.
“If you start cleaning the park like this, you would end up toiling the whole day”, Dad thought he cracked a joke.
“Dad, you sound as if you support all those fools who shrugg off from the basic responsibilities towards our surroundings”, I made a point.
“You picked those three bags and threw them into the trash”, he brushed my hair, “but honey! the whole town is full of irresponsible people”, he continued, “What can we do with all of them?”

He made a point. A very good one infact. Another “What can we do”!!

                                                                                 ****

It was raining heavily when I came out of my office. I looked at my watch. Three more minutes for the bust to come and the bus stop was three blocks away. I cursed myself for not carrying a jacket. I ran as fast as I could. Two blocks away from the bus stop! I waited there gasping for the pedestrain signal to turn on so that I would rush towards my bus stop. I saw an old blind lady trying to cross the road. I held her palm and told her that the signal was not yet on.

As the signals came on I took the old lady along with me. The old lady stumbled on the middle of the road. My bad, I thought! I was walking so hastily as I would miss the bus.I slowed down, caught her by her shoulder and left her at the sidewalk on the other side of the road. I was running towards the bus stop unaware of the fact that I would end up remembering that day for my life time.

“Beta”, the old woman called me, “Would you please take me back to the other side from where we crossed?”, she asked.

“But you wanted to cross to this side, right?”, I was impatient as I could see my bus at a distance.

“Yes Beta”, she sounded compassionate, “but I stumbled upon a big stone on the middle of the road”, she continued, “if you could help me, I would want to take the stone off the road”.

I took her to the traffic island on the middle of the road and she did what she said. I stared,yet gain for a long time, at her, until I lost sight of her.

I saw my bus leaving. But it didn’t matter, for I got a point that day. I got an answer to THE question. I marched towards the bus stop with triumph. I could then tell Dad, Ashwin and Ameya on “what we, actually, can do”!

I fiddled with my newly possessed iPhone today and downloaded a few cool applications. All these are free download at App Store. Here they go…

1) Pandora - This online personalized radio station that allows you to listen to just your kind of music (live streaming, that is) does support few mobile phones in AT&T and Sprint networks. Well, iphone is one among them. You can create your own radio station per your taste or Genre. If you select “Backstreet Boys” and save that radio station, you get to hear songs of Genre a la Backstreet Boys. This one has become quite popular. This was the first application I downloaded in my Iphone.

2) Shazam - You hear a good song at Starbucks but do not know the name of it? Well then, Shazam helps you figure it out. Not just this, you can even download the song from iTunes. The application shows it all for you. Cool one, isn’t it? The next time I need not have to desperately search in the You Tube from the only few broken words of the song I remember.

3) Remote - This is one of the coolest applications that allow you to control your Mac or iTunes library on your PC  using your iPhone. You heard it right! Your iPhone acts as a remote. You need to connect to a Wi-Fi network though. You can play any song in your iTunes library, pause it or stop it from  anywhere in your home. All this through your iPhone.

4) Fuzzyshot - This is a mobile photo blog. Want to share that oh-so-wonderful photo that you just captured in Los Angeles to your family in India right on the spot? This application helps you. The images you click on your iPhone get automatically updated into your Fuzzyshot blog in seconds.

5) YouNote - This application allows you to make a picture note or an audio note or the one that is drawn or just that normal text notes. All in one, it is! What more, you can even tag the note to a location in Google map.

6) VoiceNotes - Why ‘write’ a note when you can ‘record’ it! This application helps you record a note. The next time I want to remember an address, I would say it aloud and record it rather than type it.

7) Tap Tap Revenge - This a game based on music and rythm.You find three coloured beams that rattle ocassionally with power. So what/ Patience, I say! A song keeps playing and bubbles start dropping down through the three beams. Now, these bubbles trickle down with speeds based on the beat and the rythm of the song being played. You got to tap on these bubbles at the bottom of the screen. The more acoustic beats the song has, the more is the fun. You actually end up tapping your fingers in rythm. You have to play and experience it! There are also points for tilting your iPhone left/right/up/down as per the arrow marks that ocassionally pass through the beams. Such a fun!

8 ) iMazeLite - This is a full “paisa vasool” timepass game. Got stuck up in the airport with delayed flight? Feeling lazy at the same time? This one helps you pass the time. This is a maze game and you got to show a small pin ball the way to its groove. Well, the fun part here is that the ball moves only by tilting your iPhone in the direction you want it to move. You have a choice to select an easy or a hard maze.

There are many other good applications that I am yet to explore. I will keep updating as and when I find something so interesting.

Before I sign off, here is a list of glitches that your iPhone can create during a normal use. I faced these problems as I used it during this three weeks of time:

Glitch 1: My ‘Safari’ browser showed its dead pan expression (I mean, got stuck) when I tried to navigate a link from an application. I had to “restart” (true blue software term - Switch Off and then On, I mean) the Iphone to bring the browser back to use.

Glitch 2: Application crash! Now this seems to be something major. I guess many people faced this problem. You download an application and when you click on its icon, it displays a black screen. Your eyes balls pop out with excitement, but alas! It exits and comes back to the previous screen. Well, for now, if you face this problem, delete the application, restart your Iphone and then install the application again. This should solve the problem in many cases. However, if your dame luck smiles (dont take the literal meaning), you might have to ‘restore’ your iPhone settings to the deafult, or worse, you might even have to check your iPhone’s firmware. I am lucky here! We only hope that Apple comes up with a fix for this soon!

And finally, though not sure, an interesting tidbit of sorts, that I heard from a friend is that 3G is not supported everywhere in the US. There seem to be some areas even like in few parts of New York where ‘EDGE’ replaces 3G. This is not a first hand information and so I might even be wrong.

EDGE is something like 2.75G (That is 0.25 less to 3G). Well, if you ask me more about EDGE, then your guess is as good as mine. What are you doing here? Go check out in Wiki. My iPhone’s calling me!

Tap Tap Revenge’s Image Courtesy: Apple’s App Store.

It has been a very hectic schedule at work and I felt so bad being away from the blogging world for 10 days!! I am back for good, however and will try to be more regular And here I come with some of my thoughts that have been pondering my mind since many days!!

28 states, 7 union territories, 29 major languages, third largest Military force, Most populous democracy, Seventh largest by geography, Second fastest growing large economy, fourth largest in purchasing power, Asia’s oldest stock exchange…this list only goes on!

If someone outside India asks me about my country, do I remember all this? Not at all! I remember the much used phrase that I read in my Social studies text book years ago - “Unity in Diversity”!!

It does not need a genius of sorts to say how diverse India is. But how united are we? River water sharing, Religious riots, Cultural intolerance,land rows, civic and social indifference and supernumerary jingoism. What should I relate myself to?

A particular group of people is so protective about its state and culture. So far so good! But what is its agenda? Create insecurities among the people belonging to a different state, demolish the properties, that they think, represent an “alien” culture, ban all the social advances that do not promote its own language or culture.

So what does all this mean? Should a group resort to vituperative advances to preserve the provenance of its culture? Just check out any widely read online news website! Read about the Nuke deal, read about a politician-turned-actor, read about a gory bomb blast, read about a freaking train accident, read about a trivial entertainment news, read about a culinary cuisine, read about an opening of a shopping mall, read about the launch of an electronic gadget. I bet, you will find something common in all this! Wondering what it could be? The comments’ section in all these news articles will have the most lambasting and scathing remarks against each one’s culture and statehood. No matter what the point of subject is, the arguement always goes wayward and ends up standing as a “virtual” wall of division we are creating for ourselves. The North and the South divide, The Hindi and the non-Hindi divide, The Hindu and the Muslim divide and worst, The North eastern India and the rest of India divide! Considering that Internet is mainly used by educated Indians, are all these people educated illiterates?

Are we not missing something? Don’t we need a common representation? Does the language I speak or the kind of dress I wear matter at all? Am I not supposed to be an Indian at the end? We have to slam our faces against our noses for want of a true National Spirit! For want of a common thread that binds us together! For want of an identity that represents us!

Finally, I respect the phrase “Unity in Diversity”, if only we give some sense to it!

PS: Some piece of the general information about India in the second paragraph has been taken from Wiki.

Wishing you all a very happy, and most importantly, a RESPONSIBLE Independence Day.

Well, few days back Vishesh has conducted a poetry/story contest in which both Sameera and myself have won.

The poetry/story had to be developed from the 3 photos below. Here is my entry:

Images’ courtesy: Vishesh’s Blog.

A tribute to all the people who lost their lives in the recent bomb blasts:

Let the budding spirit bloom like “a flower”,
in this time of gory and violent hour,
to see the humanity atleast from far.

Let the spirit envisage the “blossom of power”,
that helps us put two and two together,
and find out the ones that made our nation wither.

Let the eternal”hope” spread its colour,
on our “spirit” and our “power”,
as we pray for the peace to shower!

PS: The first flower is our Spirit, the other flower in the second photo is our Power, and the three colourful flowers in the third photo are Hope, Spirit and Power.

Alright! Here’s a bit of General Knowledge for you folks  Kajol celebrated her birthday on 5th of August as I have been spending a hectic week at work! I managed to come up with yet an other creation of mine while slogging my sweat out in the office! Here it follows…

The cold breeze swept over me again and I peeped into the lucid waters. Its frothy arms tried to reach me, but the breeze heaved me along with my blitheful petals. My petals jeered at the water for its nugatory attempt.The water swirled in ebullience and splashed on my petals. I winked at the river as it continued its journey.

The breeze switched on to its intractable jubiliance hastily. My plant jerked and I fell into the water creating concentric circles all over its surface. A bee suddenly made its way into my petals tickling me with its fluttering wings. The breeze slowed down and kissed the water causing small waves that drifted me across. Two guppies swirled around me playfully. I swaggered across the water wagging my stem. I rolled on the laps of water and danced in joy.

The sky opened up on the serene waters and I felt like floating in the sky. Swans followed me, birds picked up a song, Butterflies flapped their wings in rythm as I pranced on the tranquil waters. The bee rolled on my petals and buzzed intermittently. It was probably singing too.

The water carried me all along the tortuous way, per its flamboyant whims. It swelled at places causing small cascades. I jumped over the falls, shook my petals, winked at the bee inside and wagged my stem.The bee fluttered its wings again and tickled me.

The water increased its pace dramatically and roared with the wind. I wagged my stem fast, mustered my petals trying to save the bee inside. There was no sight of the swans and the butterflies. I peeped into the water and the sky was no longer visible. There was no sight of the guppies either. The water lost its flounce and changed its colour. A gushing cross stream jolted me and ripped through my petals. I tried wagging fast but my stem broke. My petals wilted at the smell of water. I tried mustering my petals up but in vain. Half of my petals were washed away. I could see the bee being carried away by the bubbles of oil in the water.The oily water choked me and the rest of my petals withered losing their colour. I stumbled and hopped helplessly as my stem got washed away.

I remembered the lucid waters that once embraced me in its frothy arms, I remembered the two guppies that swirled around me, I remembered how I pranced in the water strutting my stem. I turned back for the last time as the giant saline waters swallowed me forever.

Please stop polluting the river and the sea waters!!

Arvind has tagged me (Thanks ) and here’s something about me:

1. What have you realized recently?

That the guarantee of life is fast fading, what with the increasing number of bomb blasts, train accidents, stampedes causing insecurities. This list only goes on. I must share a humorous experience that one my friends had. He was buying a pair of really expensive shoes and asked the shopkeeper for its (shoe’s) guarantee. Pat came the reply from the shop keeper - “Sir, Life itself has no guarantee, after all, what do you expect from a shoe?” lol.. Itz an other thing that my friend did not buy the shoes from him

2. Have you given your first kiss away?

Yes, to my Mom!

3. If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, who are the 11 blog buddies you would take?

Too big a question for a fledgling (in terms of blogging).BTW, I would not leave this opportunity to say how amazing Nita’s blog is! The kind of research she does before posting something is simply awesome!

4. Where is the place that you want to go the most?

I would like to see as many places possible on this Earth But, for now, I really want to be at the Times Square in New York on a New Year’s eve

5. If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?

I would want to become a playback singer who has an ability to walk over clouds and see the whole world along with his loved ones and spread joy and peace wherever he goes…Sigh!..Hope this “one” dream comes true!

6. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain?

Why not? Did someone say that refraction of light is a fake phenomenon?

7. What are you afraid to lose the most now?

My age! I celebrated my Birthday just a few days back! :( lol

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?

I would take time (may be for the rest of my life) to believe that it really happened to me!

9. If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?

Definitely! I keep doing it until the other person gets fed up I believe in Love and Mushy romance!

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.

   Arvind has a cool pair of goggles
   As far as I can make out from his posts, he must be a very down-to-earth person
   And last, but not the least, he reads all the posts in my blog ..(lol..just Kidding)

11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
To complement the another half of mine

12. Which type of person do you hate the most?
Braggarts- the people suffering from a syndrome called “delusions of grandeur”, people lacking civic sense, people who can’t truely appreciate others…and finally, all those who don’t like Kajol (kidding again).

13. What is the one thing you cannot live without?

My near and dear ones

14. If you have faults, would you rather the people around you point out to you or would you rather they keep quiet?

It doesn’t matter as long as my loved ones have no problem with me. No human being is perfect Ultimately you should be accountable to your conscience.

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?

People whom I love the most. And ofcourse, a good career to earn and enjoy life with them.

16. Are you a shopaholic or not?

I am an impulsive shopper. I have no idea if this is equivalent to being shopaholic. 

17. Find a word to describe the person who tagged you.

“Cool” - Just like his blog  

18. If you have a chance. Which part of your character you would like to change?

To try not to expect anything from anyone

19. Whats the last shocking thing you’ve seen or heard?

That we, Earthlings, have been visited.Check out this link:
http://unexplained-mysteries.com/viewnews.php?id=131570  

20. Would you rather have love but no money or money but no love?

Just a true and “unconditional” love, and nothing else, from a rich and happening young girl OK..I was kidding again here…I would love to love through out my life.

Now, I will tag this to:

Xylene, cinnmint, Lively, Sakhi, Mahak

BTW, Happy Friendship week to everyone of you!

“I don’t know Vimal, I can’t talk right now. It is not like any other day”, I cut the call and threw my mobile away. Yes, it was not like any other day and I didn’t seem to be in the best of my moods.The monotony of life, for some unknown reason, seemed to down my spirits that day. I felt bad for Vimal, but, by now, he is used to my terms.

I looked at the clock that kept on ticking so fast. I banged its glass frame, got hold of the two needles, and tried wrenching them.But, alas! The eternal arms of the time weren’t so submissive. Their loud alarm jeered me and wrang my conscience out of me, “Stop dilly dallying, it’s 9AM and get ready for the work”.

I gave a perfunctory look at my blazer and took out the company’s identity card from its pocket.The two buttons on the blazer stared at me as I left them in the lurch.

I tied my shoe lace tighter than I did anyother day. I opened the door,saw the sun lurking from behind the clouds, and started walking towards the bus stop. I felt that the head iwas so heavy for my neck to carry that it almost tilted. My lazy gait complemented my mood.

As I walked few blocks away I saw a snow flake dangling in the air. I took it onto my palm and wondered at its amazing complex shape. I looked up at the sky and it showered its glory on my face. The flurries danced down to the earth as I opened my mouth.

I jumped and danced and tried catching the snow flakes. I saw the trees giggling as the snow trickled into their branches. The snow slowly settled onto the ground and spread its bright carpet all across. I saw two squirrels rolling in the snow. Oh boy! If I were a squirrel too!

I felt a thump at my back. I turned back and saw a kid with snow balls in his hands. He threw it onto my face this time. I wiped off, digged my fingers and took a lump of snow.

The little boy giggled and started running way. I followed him with the snow ball in my hand. I saw my bus leaving but didn’t seem to care, for, I really thought that it was not like any other day!

“Did you hear about this showroom, Ben?” John asked me in a whispering voice. I looked at the giant scintillating glass walls of the showroom and quickly turned towards John.

“A lot is being talked about this showroom off late”, John said as he widened his eyes.

“No one has really seen it so far buddy”, Jeff slammed, “the less you think of it, the better”.

John gave a silly look at Jeff. Even I wondered how Jeff never heeded to this discussion anytime.

“No escape from it Jeff”, John retorted, “It’s happening tonight and they say it’s so big it can track you down wherever you are”.

I smelled an eerie scent in the air as we stood against the blinding lights of the showroom.

                            ******************

It is 10 in the night and I still could not sleep. I could hear my heart thumping. A wave of anxiety gripped me. I helped myself with a glass of water. I realised that water couldn’t quench my thirst. I sat there on my bed and looked outside the window.

It is pitch dark outside with no sight of moon in the sky.

I opened the window pane and peeped outside. The streets seemed unusually silent. I rested my chin on the base of the window and started thinking about what John told me this evening. My heart started pounding fast.

I suddenly felt an eerie bright thing creeping towards me. A giant curtain of mist started drifting towards my window. I have seen the street lights slowly being engulfed by its spooky wings. As I tried to draw my head back I felt an uneasy brush on my neck. All I could see is just the shadow of a giant arm with long nails hanging all over. My heart almost jumped out. I quickly closed the window pane, jumped onto my bed and hid inside the comforter.

I started gasping but did not have the guts to get the glass of water which is right beside the window.
                                   
                        ********************

An hour passed by. I slowly removed the comforter over me and looked at the window dubiously. There seem to be no trace of the mist now. I walked towards the table beside the window and took the glass of water into my hands. I looked outside maintaining a distance from the window. As I took a sip of water I put forth my heavy steps towards the window. “Bravo, my boy!”, I patted myself. I looked at the street lights outside and for once everything looked calm again. I took a deep breath and sipped the water again when I realized that something knocked the window pane.

The knock sent shivers through my spine. My thumping heart hit the glass from my hand. The water splashed on my feet as the glass lay broken on the floor. Fangs of shock tied my limbs as I stood there startled. An other knock on the window pane seemed to work like a miracle and set loose the fangs of shock around me. I felt I almost breathed out a gale when I realized the long arm to be nothing but an overgrown branch of the coconut tree.

I wiped my sweaty forehead and closed my eyes for a while. I heard murmurings from the hall downstairs. I opened the door of my room and stood beside the railings of the steps that lead down to the hall. It was mum and dad. They did not sleep too!

“Just few more hours for the D-day, Sarah” dad sighed and continued, “and the whole town is going to become a prey for this luscious thing”.

“I waited so long, David”, mum replied, “and I have no more patience to see the damn thing”. I noticed my anxious and worried mum as she pressed her palms against her cheeks.

Dad put his arms around Mum and cajoled her, “Don’t worry Sarah! It’s going to be alright. Let’s hope for happiness at the end”.

                        ********************

A sudden bang at my door woke me up.

“Ben, we gotta hurry”, Dad almost barged in, “we have no time left!”
A flurry of events happened and I realized myself sitting in our car. The car dashed through the mysterious darkness of the night as it pushed all the houses and street lights behind us.
“We are going to face it, Ben”, Mum sounded anxious.
We travelled for about two miles and the car stopped at the Showroom that John talked about. Mom and Dad got out of the car and banged the doors in haste. I ran behind them, worried.

My inner voices told me that something strange is going to happen. For once I wanted to stop Mum and Dad from rushing towards the mysterious Showroom. I shouted but the sound did not come out. I followed them helplessly.

It is still dark and no one seemed to be in the Showroom. The door was closed and we felt like dwarfs in front of the huge glass doors. I stared at the Showroom with fear.

An hour passed by and soon the whole town gathered there. Strangely no one seemed to talk to each other. Mum and Dad looked far more tensed.

                           ******************

It is almost 5:30 in the morning. There seem to be no trace of Sun yet. Probably the Sun too is terrified to spread its light. There was an impatient buzzle in the crowd that was silent till then. I saw two blinding lights roaring and gushing against the darkness. The crowd came to an alert and the buzzling sound increased. The two lights of a truck approached us and came to a screaching halt. The crowd grew impatient as they saw the cartons being carried inside the Showroom. I turned to Mum and Dad. Mum brushed my hair and tried containing her anxiety. The cartons went in until the truck was emptied. The truck driver took the last carton inside the showroom.

It is 6AM now and we haven’t heard anything from inside the showroom. The truck driver came out and giggled at me.

We stood just near the Showroom’s door. The driver looked at my dad, nodded his head, smiled and left in a haste.

                    ******************

I almost dozed off . As I stood there , the lights inside the showroom suddenly glowed just like the anxiousness of the frenzy crowd. Mum and Dad rushed in. I tried to catch them up but the crowd was so heavy that I said Mum that I would stay outside. Mum gave a glance at me but didn’t seem to feel the pertinence of taking me inside the Showroom.

I stood there at the door so very confused. The crowd formed a long line. It is 6:30 in the morning and the Sun seemed to extend its glory on the crowd. I wondered what the D-day meant! What is the “big thing” that the whole town is going to fall prey to? As questions started fighting inside my mind, I remembered what John told Jeff last evening.

“No escape from it Jeff. It’s happening tonight and they say it’s so big it can track you down wherever you are”.

Someone caught me by my shoulder. I was startled for a moment and then turned back. It was Dad. Mum stood beside him holding a box tightly in her hands, as if she is protecting it from a prowling tiger.

“Did you see this thing, Ben?” Dad looked excited, “Did you see what Mum has in her hands? You wont realize we are the first ones to make it in the town”.

“Oh Honey, I can’t believe this”, tears trickled down Mum’s eyes as she put “The thing” in my hands. Dad looked far more emotional. I looked at the sleek thing in my hands with awe!

Someone screamed and I turned back.

“Oh my God! The little big thing, in my hands, at last”, a guy shouted, just coming outside the Showroom, “My sweet little iPhone 3G with GPS, that tracks me down wherever I go”!!

The frenzy went on as each time the huge glass walls of the showroom stood witnessing the anxiety of the people for the “newly born”!!

                           ****** The End ******

When the lilting flowers envied our dance                      
when the chirping birds sang to our words
when the passing cloud looked at us and bowed
when the spouting water sounded like our laughter

Little did I know that seeds of distance it would sow
Never did I think my heart in pain would sink
Forever will my hopeful gaze wade through the time’s maze

Saying goodbye, in general, is quite dis-heartening. Not just for loved ones, but I have always found it difficult to bid farewell to anyone.

The waving hands of a father, the teary eyes of a mother, the uneasy silence of a friend…these are the subtle feelings that touch any heart.

His suicide news did not come to me as quite shocking as it had to be. Afterall, it was a blink-and-I-go image of him in the hospital yesterday.

Megha and I decided to go to the hospital that evening.

“Did you give the coins to Suhaan? Where is he?” Simi asked as soon as she saw me.
“Jojo would beat him if Suhaan does not make hundred rupees a day”, she continued, not expecting answer from me.

“I will give them to Suhaan”, was all I could reply.

                                          ********

Days passed by. Simi was put up in an orphanage. Her little heart was somehow so strong that I felt she took the rest of her life for granted. She learnt doing things herselves. I wondered how fate turns people’s lives.

“She never talks much to the other children”, the aaya at the orphanage tells us.
But then, that doesn’t matter. She was having a changed life. Most of all, she was having an education.

Simi has changed the way Megha and I percieve little things around us. Megha would often attribute some sort of mystery to Simi’s life before the accident, until that fine day, when Himesh concluded his investigation.

Jojo was a small time goon who gathered a group of twenty children, all either orphans or lent from families that could not make their both ends meet, to make them into street urchins. He would often force these children into begging. More often, he would even resort to physical assault with the already distraught children, if they fail to  bring a “nominal” amount each day from the alms. Suhaan was one of them.

Simi’s father, who was a daily labour, found Suhaan alone at one of the construction sites he was working. He took Suhaan with him to his house. It did not take much time for Simi to bond with Suhaan. Things didn’t go well when there was a  slump in the real estate world. Simi’s father could not get work as most of the contractors did not risk hiring workers from unknown sources. He realized he would not be able to earn his bread. That was when he met Jojo and agreed to lend Suhaan to him. He got money from Jojo in return. Simi would go out with Suhaan every morning.

On the day Simi was knocked off by a car, people gathered around her and started enquiring her where-abouts. One of the workers at the STD booth who knew Jojo, stopped Suhaan from running towards Simi and informed Jojo. What happened later was still unclear. Some say Jojo fled to Kolkatta taking away Suhaan and the other children with him.

Simi’s father, it seemed, knew that Jojo left the city that night. Afraid of the volley of questions he had to face from the cops, he committed suicide.

A crap of a man! This was the only impression I always had on Simi’s father….. until today.

                                                   ****************

I gave a deep breath and sighed as I tried to remember all this that happened five years ago.
A knock on the door startled me.
I looked at my watch and realized that it should be Megha.

“What were you doing?” she quizzed.
She saw the scrap book on my table. “What was that you were scribbling?’ she gave a glance at the scrap book and laughed.

“It’s not just a scrap book, Megha. It’s probably the mirror of a little girl’s heart which we somehow couldn’t connect to, all these years”.

Megha looked at me puzzled, took the scrap book from the table and started reading it.
” I think I did not quite understand whom to look for a support on. I was terribly afraid. Pappa and I were very happy. He was the strongest man I knew.His instincts to many things in life, perhaps, made me think so. I saw my world through his eyes. I remember the night when pappa returned home very tired from work. I wanted to eat vada paav from the shop at the end of our street. He never let me down. When he had no work for days together, he used to take me to the lake every morning. We used to sit there on the grass and chat for hours together. When I had fever he would never leave me. He would sit beside me and tell all the stories he knew. The one in which the moon comes down to earth to make the little girl happy was my favourite. I never used to be tired listening to that story.

One day Pappa brought Suhaan home. I liked Suhaan a lot and we played together since then. I remember the glow in Suhaan’s face when he brought home the marbles he found on the sands of the lake. We played with them for a long time and then I stored them in a cigar box that pappa would normally throw away.

Pappa somehow never liked Suhaan. I always wondered why he brought him home if he never liked. He would never tell stories to Suhaan when he was sick, just like he used to d so for me. But pappa didn’t know that I would tell all of those stories to Suhaan the next morning. I was so fond of Suhaan. He said he worked on the roads. I used to go out with him whenever pappa was not at home. I used to play with the marbles and sometimes help Suhaan collect some money.

But now I am left all alone. Megha didi and bhayya takes good care of me. But I could never come to terms with pappa leaving me suddenly. I am angry on him. I do not know what I would do if I ever see pappa again in my life. I would probably hate him for leaving me, or I would hug him tight and cry a lot. The aaya in my school calls me a dumb girl. But what does she know about me? I would take her to Suhaan one day and then she wouldn’t call me dumb again. I will show her that I can take care of myself. I am angry on Suhaan too. Why should he leave me when I  told all my stories to him without Pappa’s knowledge? I have many friends in my school, but it is not like how it used to bewith Suhaan.

– Simi”

Tears trickled down my eyes. Megha cried copiously.

“Where did you get this from?” her voice trembled.
“The Psychologist treating Simi gave this book. He took it from her”, I said.

I realized how most of us would act so indifferent to the things that happen around us, until that day comes when we have to face it for ourselves. As I read this scrap book I did not see just Simi’s thoughts in it. It reflected the thoughts of a child whose comfort lies in its parents, who draws strength from its caretakers. How the dreams of children would be shattered, when, the very person they see the world through, lies helpless infront of them. The fear and insecurity that creeps in their minds when they come to know that they lost the support.

And most of all, how a suicide wrecks havoc in the lives of the people living with that person. The one stupid thought at the nick of a moment would grab life away from not just the victim, but his loved ones too.

I realized how there are many people out there, who are stolen away from their smiles, who are withered by the world’s indifference. Life is beautiful. But not everyone has the previlege to understand its beauty. No matter what happens, a ray of light always waits to touch our lives. It is only that people tend to stand in the shade and not be able to see the light of life. May be it is time I bring them out of the shade and show them the Sunshine of Life.

As thoughts encircled me, I opened the drawer of the table and took out the five coins Simi gave me years ago. I stared at the coins for a long time. I noticed that the coins were not worn away through out these years, just like the hope that Suhaan would one day own them.

                                          ****************** THE END *****************

Well, hmmm…the idea of this depressing story came to my mind when I was completely fed up of reading the daily news papers report a suicide each day at the drop of a hat. And then how children (rather, orphans/street urchins) lead a gloomy life in a metro where people have no time to think of them. Psst! People these days have no time to even think about themselves, leave alone thinking of others.

I tried to link up various incidents we see in the news papers everyday and make a rather-not-so-short story.