Silver lining

After a long long time I am here.

It's not that I don't have anything to say or share, it's actually the other way around. I have too much to share. Things I have attained, opportunities I have lost. New people who have come into my life, old ones who have walked out. Joys and of course the setbacks.

Yet there remains lots of topics that may not touch me directly but causes deep anguish and pain. You might think it's outright stupid of me to think of such but thoughts are beyond control, right!

Recently a friend of mine has started an initiative to spread awareness about victims of acid attack. Happy, hard working, girls with dreams for a good life, ambition to make it big have lost almost everything due to some crazy animal of a man and his screwed thinking. In fact it is unjust to label them as animal because even animals don't attack you unless they are hungry or scared for their lives. 

These men most of them are jilted lovers who know nothing, absolutely nothing about love. Their bestial nature completely overpowered the humane sensibilities and made them wreck the lives of girls/women they said they loved. 

Since their respective attacks, the only place these girls can visit is hospitals as their friends, neighbours, relatives have stayed away from them. 

On the other hand there is a silver lining too. I recently attended the wedding of a colleague. She belongs to a rich family but one where girls are still married off at 18 or better 19!. To come from such a background and make her career in a dynamic and field like media is surely an achievement; not just for her but even for her family who accepted her ambitions and supported her to strive ahead. 

Mazaa

हर दर्द की दवा होती है
हर ज़ख्म का इलाज होता है
मज़ा तो तब आये
जब दवा ज़ख़्मी हो
और इलाज सिर्फ दर्द ही दे पाए

©  Antara Banerjee Gupta

When I was a li'l girl,
My mother used to sayy
If I be a good girl
There will be a dayy.
When, a Prince will come
and take me away
To a land of joy
where together we will stay.

Thanks God for Cliff Richard. Its been six months man! Six months of being married...If I say I could not believe it, its not because I didn't expect it but for the simple reason that its already six months. While I feel its just yesterday when I met Prayas (that's his name:)) But now we are married happily, though yes we fight (latest being today morning), we argue, disagree, throw tantrums yet it does not take long to bury the hatchet.

I had loads of apprehensions regarding marriages in general and being a finicky, egoistic, hot tempered person, there were many demons in my head. The run up to the wedding was not that smooth either scaring me further. But now after six months of living with a whole new family, I can say that I am not a very bad person and there are people to vouch for that (many more smileys follow).

But jokes apart, the last six months have been a period of learning. Lessons that no amount of formal studying can teach, knowledge that no amount of books can give and education that no institute can impart. Except life.

I learnt about relationships that are not by blood yet are made for life. I learnt love is not about how much you get but how much one can give and in the process you get drenched with love; of a mother who has not given birth to me but still stay awake till 2 in the night for me to return from office, of a father who did not teach me how to read and write but make sure that I am the first person to get to read the newspaper in the morning, of a younger sister who is yet to know my likes and dislikes yet never forgets to help me dress up and apply make up, every time I go out; a set of grand parents who due to age are not very interactive but extremely vocal with their blessings, love and care. And of course how can I not mention that one man who made it all possible. A finicky, short tempered, impatient person for the world but an ocean of patience, a tower of strength and my personal shield from everything that hurts, annoys and upsets me.

I was never a naive, happy-go-lucky person. Matured beyond years, shy, introvert, I always used to ran for cover whenever an opportunity brought me to the centre of attention. But now things are changing albeit slowly but they are. I am trying to come out from my shell while feeling comfortable among new friends and gradually sinking into new roles.

My parents and sister will always be in my heart but I can feel that few new people are also making their presence there. I am looking forward to many more such six months.

The tree

I had taken a week off from office. I had to. Last two months were incredibly chaotic, multiplying like amoeba. Effortlessly. So I am here in Krishnanagar, a tiny hamlet so away from the world that had I not visited it myself I would not have believed that it exist.

The first three days since I have arrived here, have been simply wonderful. I did things, I had never done nor did I think that I would ever do. I went fishing with the guesthouse cook, ate with my hands that too sitting on the mud floor! Come to think of it again even my mom would not believe it. And the best thing I did not smoke at all. Yet I felt so refreshed. Is this called bliss? Maybe.

Yesterday I planned to explore the woods that surround the entire north eastern side of the village. I left after breakfast. The village is small but the wood looked monstrously huge. I entered it with lots of trepidation but once inside, it did not seem so menacing anymore. Tall proud green pillars rising towards the blue ceiling with creepers and grass covering the floor. I don’t remember how long I was in there but one thing did strike me, there were no birds, none at all. I didn’t see any, I didn’t hear any.

The fact was scary. Why would a forest full of lush green trees, not attract any birds. Then I noticed there were no insects or reptiles visible either. Why? A strange fragrance was in the air. A notoriously sweet smell, so sweet that it made me giddy. As I walked around, I discovered the source of it. A tall 6’ shrub with leaves as large as elephants’ ear, luscious looking fruits and fiery orange coloured flowers. It was appealingly ugly. I wanted to move away from it but to my horror I found myself walking towards it as if some invisible power was pulling me towards it. There were more of them some distances away.

With trembling hand I reached for a flower. The moment I touched it, its petal clamped down on my palm. An excruciating pain shot down my hand. I started screaming for help while trying to pull out my hand from the carnivorous plants’ grasp. But in vain.

While struggling to free myself from its grasp, my steel bracelet got entangled with the petals. They immediately shrank, at first I did not notice but as I continued to struggle, my bracelet too continued to touch the petals and the flower stem. Suddenly the plant released me. As I tried sitting up a creeper from the plant wrapped itself around my legs. By now, I had realized that it was my steel bracelet that had got me released.

Being a junk jewellery fanatic, I was also sporting a steel chain around my neck. I yanked it off and tied around the creeper on my leg. It immediately withered off. Like a madman I started slashing it towards the plant. Whenever the chain touched the plant, it shrank. For few moments it looked as if the plant had reduced in height. Sensing it, I turned back and fled for my dear life.

At the guest house the cook cleared my wounds and bandaged it. He then told me about the carnivorous plant. It eats up everything.

I realized that my stainless steel chain and bracelet were completely new and strange for it to fight back. Stainless steel had crushed its ferocity and got me my life. Till then the metal was just that for me, a metal which looked good. Now it held a fresh new interpretation. It could save life.

© copyright with Antara Banerjee Gupta

My first story published in Woman's Era

Title:
Life again

Since last evening, Kapil has been acting strange. His usual silence has gone, been talking on and on. He has shared anecdotes of his office, colleagues even of college days which if not shocking is actually surprising.

Arpita is confused. First it took her six months to adjust with a husband whose preferred means of answering was monosyllables, ‘’yes’’, ‘’no’’, “thanks”, ‘’hmm’’, ‘’lets see’’, ‘’why not’’…maybe, fair enough, sure were others in the series.

And suddenly after 6 months, it’s like sleeping with a stranger. Yuck!

“You know Pits,” there he goes again thought Arpita as Kapil sauntered in the kitchen with the newspaper in his hand, ‘’lets’ bunk office today.” He said it very casually but because he said it, the work horse, Arpita almost choked on her coffee.

Within next two hours they were on the road zipping towards Jaipur, while she instructed her assistant about the store and certain priority orders, he just sent a simple message to his boss.

The road was smooth, weather was near perfect and the mood was amusing, all of them together had crafted a happy journey. Arpita was lost in her thoughts, going over the last six months of her married life which was also the first six months of her married life. Kapil has always been the thorough gentleman. Polite, but not friendly, articulate bit not talkative, well mannered but not warm. Caring but not loving. Their nights had intimate moments and passionate snatches which always ended abruptly. As if those moments were not a deliberate endeavour to complete a relationship but hasty attempts to achieve normalcy when it was least there.

Her in –laws preferred to return to Allahabad so within a fortnight of her marriage, she was the mistress of the huge deluxe apartment in the posh DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon. Initially she tried to bestow more attention to Kapil and their home and expected a deluge of love and camaraderie in return. When the reciprocation remained a trickle, she went back to her first love, Maya, her studio. She was an expert in jewellery designing and had won numerous awards for the same.
Maya kept her going.
“Am hungry, Pits, wake up” Kapil snapped his fingers in front of her; “You are lost, where?” His amused look brought a smile on her face and she replied, “let’s stop somewhere to eat.” “Yeah but am not liking any of the dhabas we are passing by, but then I am famished too.”

They finally stopped at a small dhaba. The mud floor was sprinkled with water, the sweet fragrance of jasmine welcomed them and the spotlessly clean seating arrangement looked so inviting. The man at the counter welcomed them with a namaste and a friendly smile. Kapil was a tea lover, the stronger the better. Arpita’s relied on green tea but dhaba chai was always welcome.

Adjacent t the dhaba was a green field full of mustard crop. It looked beautiful. They requested their teas and pakodas to be served at the small patch of grass near the field. The small grassy carpet under a shady tree looked as if it was designed by nature for them. Sipping hot and sweet ginger tea, seated under the shade, with bites of oily and spicy pakodas is any fitness freaks’ nightmare but today was different.

“What do you think Pits, why I am behaving so differently? You must be surprised but then you are so patient. Not one question. Or are you too hurt to even bother me with any question.” The way he looked at her dried her throat. His voice sounded heavy with an emotion that she found so difficult to accept. Guilt.

He questioned again, “Don’t you want to ask me anything.” The pleading in his voice was dropping from his eyes. His steady stare made Arpita uncomfortable, ashamed and naked as if she was with a total stranger.

He turned away. The highway was visible from there but they will not be seen from the roads. He took another bite off a pakoda. After taking a long sip, he started slowly, “I loved Kanchan a lot.” Arpita let an I-thought-so smile faintly escape from her and shook her head. “We dreamt and planned for a life together. She was very extrovert, exceptionally talented and unquestionably ambitious. The only thing she lacked was beauty but all her other attributes added an aura to her plain looks and opened all doors for her.”

“And then I saw you at Anshul’s wedding. My eyes followed you the entire evening.” For the first time since yesterday, Arpita was shocked really shocked. Kapil had seen her before their first meeting as arranged by their families. Now she was all ears!

“I watched you in admiration. The more I wanted to turn away thinking of Kanchan, the more you pulled me back. You are definitely better looking but appearances never my priority. It was everything about you. Then Buaji spotted me looking at you. She told me everything about you and your family. How your mother single handedly brought you up. How you worked your way to college and started working young.”

“That’s why I was surprised to know your bua asking to meet Ma. After all divorced women are outcastes and their kids are treated similarly,” blurted out Arpita.

“My parents and I do not possess such disgusting mentality.’’ Kapil reached out and took Arpita’s hands in his and squeezed it firmly. “What did you say to Kanchan, how did she reacted? It was unfair to her.”

Kapil let out a deep sigh. “I went over it for a week before speaking to her. For once she was speechless. While I was fumbling and fretting, trying my best to appear normal and making a complete mess of it, she got up, hugged me and left. Without saying a word. I knew she was running away so that I don’t see her crying. The next day she left Delhi. And till yesterday I was cursing myself for hurting her so monstrously.

“Till yesterday?”

“Yeah, the seminar I was at, even Kanchan was attending the same. I saw her and stayed rooted to the spot. She saw me, waved at me and rushed to meet me. There was no animosity, no accusation, no bitterness at all. She is currently the MD of a Singaporean IT company. Still unmarried but immensely successful. She took me out for lunch and over there accepted that my decision was not wrong.” Kapil waited for few seconds and then continued, “I feel she could not say it to me that my decision released her and helped her in flying higher.”

“Then I realized that my feelings of guilt although not baseless were not required. I realized Kanchan was doing fine but my wife was not.” Kapil took Arpita’s both hands in his and softly murmured, “And so here I am with the love of my life.”

Arpita smiled through her tears, “let’s have another cup”

©Copyrights to this story rests with Antara Banerjee. 2010

Take off to a new journey!!!

I dont know how to express myself in this situation. It is definitely special, exciting and a personally memorable one but I am acutely aware of intensive nervousness that is making me lose my patience.

To the uninitiated, I am getting married very soon in fact the D- day is exactly a week later. Preparations are almost done, things have been arranged,guests have been invited, there is hardly anything to feel jittery but still I am. Is it natural, maybe.

Break ke Baad....

Its been over 8 months that I am working as a freelance writer for small advertising agencies, publication house and similar other detached assignments. The work is fine so is the time lines but the thing that is very important is the worst aspect of freelancing. Yes...yes..you got me correct. The money. People dont pay, in fact to be closer to the truth, they never pay on time. Will the mutual funds, phone bills and other payments wait for them?

Just as I was trying to get a grip over my life, trying to decipher what life actually wants me to do or better what I wanted to do next, I correctly and pleasantly realized that I want to spend some more time in advertising. But before the enlightenment dawned upon me, I had done some scribbles which became pretty designs for silver jewellery and yes I was paid for them so no complaints at all.

Then participated in a media house plus cosmetic brand initiative..oh heck its my blog I can take names. So I participated in Take Care Take Charge Initiative organized by Garnier and Times of India where my idea was one of the top 10 in Delhi and northern region. Could not make it to the top 6:(((( [Will put my idea in the blog very soon].

And now finally am back in a new agency to do mazdoori. The months that just went by were great, hope to make it better from today onwards.

Recession or a corporate excuse

The magic called movies!

I am not a true blue movie lover but I do love them in my own eccentric way. I cannot watch any movie just like that. For that I am quite unpopular amongst my friends and my sister too. But then my stubbornness is so powerful that it is still unconquered.

Lots of movies, here for the time being when I say movies I mean the products of our Hindi film Industry. When I would mean something else, I will specify, so read on.

So lots of movies which have went on to create history in terms of sticking to a theatre, or in collecting revenues or being winner of A to Z awards, have missed my company while they were serenading others. The reason differed from movie to movie. But today, I am not going to write about the movies I did not watched but, nor the movies the mention of which sends me to spasm of disgust; today I am going to talk about two movies that I watched recently and realized that my notion of watching movies depending on my gut instinct is not only perfect but also that movies are absolutely magical if conceptualized with passion and executed with finesse.

The first is the recently released 'Paa'. Let me be very clear, it is not a cult movie, it is not a movie that will hit you for your ignorance like 'Taare Zamin Par' did, that will make you grind your teeth less with anger but more with desperation like 'A Wednesday' but it will gently remind you to face life on ones' own terms. Because life does not live you, it is you who live it. It teaches you that if you have done something then accept the repercussions without making a fuss over it, without blaming the poor old kismet because who knows the mistake might just blossom into the most fragrant flower you have ever experienced.

Paa is not your three hankie weepy drama. You do feel bad and hurt for a life that could have been but in the same place while global terrorism, climate change and new kinds of viruses attacking the mankind is taking away all our attention at that time a life that teaches a lot without being didactic seems so preciously priceless. Any problem with that?


And then there was Shaurya. Ok, it is a blatant copy of A few good men but then copying also needs excellence. Although I do not support Rahul Bose's opinion again Ayn Rand but boy that guy is too good an actor. He makes you feel the same his character is going through. Jaaved Jaafri could do wonders only if someone sees his potential beyond the comic timings. And there is Mr. Kay Kay Menon. That wisp of a man is a treat to watch be it as the protective husband in Honeymoon Travels or the elder son gone awry in Sarkar or the student politician in Hazaaron Khwaishe Aisi. His acting armoury has more dynamite than Alfred Noble might have had ever imagined. He is a true gem in the treasure chest of Indian Cinema.

Two movies, two radically different stories yet bonded by one common thing. A real love for good cinema can lead to making of such movies.

The break continues....

After working non stop since Sept 2004, am on a voluntary break. Just felt the place was no longer inviting anymore so decided to move on. And because there was no final destination to move on to, am presently at home but very much working. Which in other words is called freelancing. Working for different people without being employed by anyone in particular.

I like the feeling but sometimes feel quite apprehensive about the situation, about tomorrow.

Then I thought of writing a story online. There are so many stories literaaly fighting for space in my head. Although a couple of them have been penned yet some are still there. Have decided to start with one today, now. So here goes.

Tomorrow is the reunion day. It's been 17 years since the seven friends had met at the entrance of their college to bid farewell to each other. They were graduates finally. After all the things they had done from bunking classes for movies, spending most of their time in canteens, hardly buying books for their studies but depending on guides and 10 years. It seemed a miracle that not one but all passed the final exams with enough percentage to be called proper graduates!

They were 7. The beautiful Devyani, the intelligent Dharam, the cool dude Gautam, the ambitious Maya, the filthy rich Abhinav, the sporty Tarana and the immensely gifted Surya.

The day their results were declared was the first day they had their serious meeting, ever. That was the day, they decided to go on their separate path and see where it leads. Except for Abhinav, none of them belonged to a rich family. Except for Dharam, none had highly intellectual individual as parents. Each one of them had some unique or better a different vantage point from where they could see their particular horizon and that where they decided to go. But without staying in touch. Actually this was practical and was first voiced by the one who always moved with rationality, Maya.

"Guys, it was great to have known each other, been friends to each other but its time to move on to more practical stuff, you know. Gautam bas kar yaar, stop looking at the facchis, they are looking at you." The others sipping their cutting chai at the canteen laughed uproariously. "So what are you proposing?" asked Dharam in his quiet but curious tone. "Simply, that we go our ways without bothering to stay in touch." "Whaaaaat?" The chorus got them attention from everyone in the canteen. Even people including students, freshers and their parents passing by also turned to see what the matter was. "Yes," Maya continued unperturbed "going our way for a fixed time then meeting to see how each of us has fared. To know how high or low each of us has traversed." Initially all were not ready to accept that mostly Gautam, Surya and Tarana. But finally they agreed and the time was fixed 17 years, why 17th, because they all had met for the first time on 17th of July.

Home again:)

Whoever had said, "Home Sweet Home" must have tasted hell on this earth to realize and accept the true value of home.

Now even I can say this! Although I have spent a meagre 5 months away from home and on top of it visited 'home'every weekend yet I have fully understood that there cannot be a better shelter than one's own home.

Our office shifted to Gurgaon, the Indian Manhattan (pun intended, surely) in Nov.08 and since the very thought of travelling 100kms everyday was frightening; I did the best I could do. Shift to Gurgaon. Infact within 15 days I got a nice place. It was nothing fancy I was to be a PG..not post graduate but a paying guest. I was to share a room with another girl. Nice room with attached bath, nothing can be more comfortable than that at the onset of winters.

But the most imporatnt part is food. WHich was not to be served by the PG people..Ohho I simply forgot to write about them. The house was owned by a bengali widow lady with a working daughter. Ironically I shared my surname with her but that did not turn fecund in any way!!! The lady was basically non-interfering kind but sometimes she was really a pain. Her daughter used to stay as a PG in East Delhi which was close to my place. Funny eh!

As for food we used to order from Dabbawalas or tiffinwalas. The food was okay but then tell me how long can one survive on 'Okay' food...tell, tell? The co-habitants did not really matter, I hardly got to meet them thanks to my i-dont-know-when kind of timings. Most of it I really did not want to be the only one who stays near the office. I bet you all know why:P

And on top of it no increments! So 'here I am' back home . Enjoying myself at papa ka hotel.

But I would like to venture out again:)

5 days of maaadness...

Well folks, Durga Puja is over. It isn't just with a festival but with every special event. One puts in so much time and effort in planning and preparing and then the D- day arrives and goes away just like that leaving behind a heavy heart and hope of bettering celebrations the next time.

Almost a week long festivity of Durga Puja culminates in immersion of the idols with eyes letting the tears a free flow and a stifle choking all laughter. But why start with the end, why not the very beginning when the dark clouds of the monsoon give way to the clear autumn sky. The sun shines down with all its dazzling brightness as if pledged to eliminate all darkness from the deepest core of earth. The cool breeze of the early morning making one pull one's knees closer to the chin. The scent of the autumn flowers forcing all deos and perfumes to go back to the roots. The evening sets in early as if shooing away the lazy afternoon. The languorous tea session with friends and endless gossip goes on till night when all of a sudden the hurry to reach home makes one realize that the weather has changed.

Mother nature is all set to welcome the festivities in all its colour and spirit, then how can we stay behind.

Be it Navratri or Durga Puja or Eid(this year), the many moods of joyous celebrations is just an excuse to forget all stress, all misgivings, all rejections and dive in to spread smile wherever, whenever.

Suuuperb Sunday!!!

The king is rattled. After five years of rule suddenly the throne has been usurped. The wily Prince has strode in.

Yesterday the five hour long battle at Centre Court was a classic match that has been played after a really long time. Since last few years the way tennis is played has underwent a sea change. Its now pure display of muscles and power. Yes, the Swiss virtuoso has brought in the elegance of serve and volleys back but then he is alone.

Every season springs in some new faces which spark for sometime before getting swept by new powerhorses. But yesterday afternoon changed so much. The all Bristish scenario when a drizzle halted the game, when the summer afternnon was slowly melting away to an late evening with strawberries and creme, when the King of Clay was playing the game for supremacy with the Emperor of Grass at the Mecca of Tennis.

The audience have a day to remember!
Every game was heart stopper, every set was nerve jangling. It was as if not the players but us, the audience have a stake in winning. Maybe that is what happens when a true blue classic match is on. No one must have ever hated unforced error as it was hated yesterday.

And finally the king had to step back and let the Prince take the centre stage.
An wondeful end to an ordinary weekend.

Time to jaago...

Its really been along time since I posted anything on my blog. This must be one of those 'Most un-wanted' blogs ever. Just occupying a sought after and precious virtual space without adding to the richness of its existence or complementing the beauty (or the beastliness ) of fellow blogs.

Topic have not been scarce, its the reason to write. Not what to write but why to write. Words are limited isn't it and economics has taught us that limited resources should be used very carefully, who knows what might happen if they end?

So many things get written everyday in newspapers, magazines, on the net. So many new books both fiction and no-so fiction appear every week. These cover a gamut of topics...apart from the seven deadly sins, there is history, philosophy,science, politics, motivation; everything today is printed and published beautifully and artistically decorated in hardcover by reputed and new stream of authors. Arre bhai, do people read, I mean do they actually read, try to fathom the meaning apart from the literal meaning.

Do the readers read the brutality of holocaust and pledge not to create one in the 21st century. No they go ahead to make Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan,Burma, Tibet. My beloved nation has been in such turmoil since my great grand fathers' time. Never mind the economic boom.

Apart from political crisis, forget the economic liberalisation; if someone gets a job it goes without saying that someone must have lost it. There is social malfunctioning. Perfectly sane people with average IQ, full understanding of right and wrong feel nothing wrong to go the worst way possible. For what guys, whats the high that encourages them. And the worse doers are not confined to any particular region or religion or gender. Their fraternity is so universal, they have created a global village of terror, corruption and nihilism.

I write for my bread and butter. Create catchy, short and meaningful headlines to sell flour, soap, services day in and day out. Elaborate copy to explain the clients services to their prospective clients. I write but at the end of the day I cannot help but think when things far more important are not read, how do my words get read?

The call of the 'have nots'

Last week we 'the people of India' celebrated 60 years of our independence. People were happy not because it was a historical occasion but more so it was a chutti right in the middle of the week. Call me a traitor and I will show you a liar!

As a country we have definitely come a long way from the unsteady steps of a toddler to a confident stride of a grown up self-reliant man of new age. But the road ahead is tortuous not so because of the uncertainities but thanks to the fellow companions.

It is not a routine when we in India take a strong stand for or against an international issue. For heaven's sake dont say we have a stand on terrorism, on empoyment, on poverty eradication they have cease to be issues long ago. They are necessary part of behavioural functions of a democratic state. When I say issues, I mean nuclear missiles, armaments, rapid industrialization,racism; issues that fuels the progress charts of any nation. Day in and day out our policy makers exhorts us to work for the country, the question is when will they start thinking about the country let alone work for it?

No single initiative introduced by one political gets unanimous support from other parties even if the new policy is sinfully good for the country. The problem is opposition has taken the meaning too much in the literal sense. They want to oppose any and everything. Forget them even the allies are so much a trouble that they cannot be trusted.

The latest political crisis in India regarding the nuclear deal with US indicates the tomfoolery that goes into making of a successful politician. The communists have never bulit anything. Their very foundation is based on the destruction of several entities. They have been in power since last 30 years in West Bengal. A state that always has the possibility to do great but always fall short. A state which is always an underdog. There are no industries, no good agriculture, hardly any empolyment

Let loose law

In civilised society as has been put down by all political scientists, judiciary occupies a position of unparallel importance. Its functions and powers have the authority to equate the richest of individual with a begger. But how long is it going to continue to stand on this pedastal of honour not even time can tell.

A person rapes and kills a minor girl. He is arrested and the case drags on for more than a decade and when the court of law sentences capital punishment, voila we have saints incarnated in the form of NGOs who wants the sentence to be modified to life term. Why? A case of 'Dead Man Walking'?

A young educated man with a drive for life falls in love and decides to fulfill his commitment is brutally murdered. The court keeps sending summons to the key witness who not only leaves the country but adamantly stays away. Why? Love exists, does it?

A man accused of conspiring to blow up the highest seat of democarcy of the largest parliamentary democratic country of the world is sentenced to death. All the people of its state are storming the world to get him a official pardon? Why? Do these people realize that they are supporting a terrorist?

One question intrigues me why do people all of a sudden becomes saint when their guilt is unravelled.

Every other day the world loses many bright young talented people for no fault of their own. Their only mistake we can say is they choose to become soldiers for their motherland. Why cant our NGOs gherao Saddam Hussein, why cant they go and plead with Osama, why dont they threaten LTTE. They can never. Such act needs GUTS and no stupid sentiments.

We want law and order in the society yet we are the first people to protest against it the moment it enters our personal comfort zone. If the accused is a celebrity he should be put under microscope, dissected and left dry but if a spoilt rich brat commits the same crime then the entire equations change. Salman Khan should be sentenced for rash driving but Sanjeev Nanda is a cute kid: Fardeen Khan be hanged for drug possession but Rahul Mhajan is just a bit depressed.

This is not fair at all, let law live. We need it.

Nature takes revenge

When I was in high school, we had a poem in our English syllabus called 'The River' by A.K. Ramanujam. The poet describes how human beings in their pursuit of riches exploits a river and when the latter unable to take any further agony, strikes back it is pure devastation for the mankind. So the inference was that even nature can take revenge.

Natural calamities has always been there since Noah's ark but are they really be taken as nature's revenge or a question of man's inability to harness it adequately which underlines the point that whatever height of achievements man reaches it can never control the nature and its' elements.

I am not undermining the strength of human potential, it would be against my faith in me. But after the cyclone in Orissa, tsunami in Dec 2004 in most of South Asia, earthquake in Gujarat in 2005, hurricane in USA in 2005 and now the flood in most of north and west India, is it not time to pause and ponder the inevitable question as to how far the human fraternity should tread on nature's arena. It has nothing to do with ceasing all developmental activities but definitely a review with correct perspective of doing the work is desirable.

I want us to go ahead with our construction of dams, canals , roads and other necessary infrastructure but on the same hand I am totally against the rising population, the deforestation, polluting of natural water bodies and each of those activities which harm our natural heritage without adding anything substantial to our life.

Heights of Diplomacy!!!

So we had another blast. Again the financial capital was the target. And again it was the middle class that paid through its blood...Literally.

The first and the second world were quick to express their grief...So sweet but when the time came to accuse the perpetrators of the heinous crimes they want proof, proof engraved maybe on the walls of Babylon..well it's no longer there but then the proof has to be very concrete!

Come to think of it we are a nation of over a billion people, the entire amount residing in India itself and across the globe we have quite a good million scattered so it will be sometime before the enemy succeeds in wiping us out completely. But will that day come. I don't think so. We will be saved because we are needed!

We are needed by the most biggest of the companies of the world. If we disappear won't their inventory costs sky rocket? Then who will purchase the outdated weapons, who will purchase the medicines that are defunct in other nations but are prescribed and consumed with elan over here.

Some major software companies need the best of our brains to run, what will happen to them. Whenever there is a military offensive the Indian troops are sent to the death zones, from where the sacrificial goats come if we all perish.

So my dear brothers and sisters of India don't worry, we are safe.

Phew....wat a month!

It has been quite a "sporty" month, isn't it? The India- West Indies test series, the Wimbledon and finally the biggest sports show of Planet E, the soccer world cup......all of them in one single month. Although no one is complaining yet for that poor thing called heart and its health, it was a pretty testing time. Whenever the fortune of the favourite team or player see sawed from good to bad and then to worse, it was a pure tortuous time for the heart.

But one thing that cannot be denied is the pure joy which the entire mankind, with access to the games, have had for one month. That Rahul Dravid is not just 'the wall’ but very easily could be called 'the rock of Gibraltor' or that the king of grass can be fooled on clay but on a grass court it is FEDex from start to the end or that whatever the punters may say or the armchair experts say it is not the star studded team but the fighters who finally claimed the World Cup.

Some performances were spellbinding(the way Argentina played) whereas there were some which was expected(Roger Federer winning) yet there were shocks, Brazil not even making it to the finals, Nadal defeating the ever popular Agassi, Brian Lara snatching the ball from the hand of the umpire and ICC not punishing him!!!

I could not watch all the matches in either of the three spectacles but experienced three different emotions one was of triumph with India winning the test, one of pleasure of watching a well fought contest in Wimbledon final both men and women and finally a pain that words cannot explain when Ballack wept I could not control mine. After 4 years of wait he could not again play in the final. So we wait for another 4 years.

Celebrate

Another two months and we will be bidding goodbye to 2005. Its' been a good year for me professionally and personally but for thousands around the globe, it may not be so.

While Iraq is yet to recover, US herself is being ravaged by natural disasters continuosly and now with the earthquake in India and Pakistan, its' not exactly a celebration.

Anyway in India festivals are as omnipresent as the human beings and currently its the festive season across the sub continent.

I hope people all over the world get to enter the new year joyfully.