An Uncanny Rainbow

           “Babumoshai, zindagi lambi nahi badi honi chahiye”, Rajesh Khanna from the movie Anand.

       Everyday when we get up in morning the first thing we do is to pray to almighty to keep us fit, to keep us at bay from mishaps, may our day be fine and all our activities end up being succeeded. As the day ends we our more often than not irritated with some or the other things that didn’t go in our favour or as we desired and contend with few things that executed according to the plan.

     But there are people in this world who have nothing to ask for while they get up in the morning as they have seen the worse and when they go to sleep at night they are more often than not happy because whatever they achieve or lose the entire day in a way acts as a new experience for them.

    In the movie Anand, we see the protagonist always smiling/cracking jokes/joyous/full of life because he knew he had 6 months left with him and he wanted to live it to the fullest, make people around him happy, never make anyone realize that you are the one who needs to be attended specifically, thus, in the process, keeping himself happy. In the movie Paa, Auro is the liveliest character of because he knew he had lost everything way back and he just wanted to enjoy the journey of his small life. Make it more beautiful and memorable. Had 2 small dreams of visiting Rashtrapati Bhawan and see his maa-paa together again.

  Thus we see that the physically handicapped/naturally affected humans are just like us. They too have feelings, dreams and the will, desire to live them. But still they are very different from us. Because despite being naturally disabled, they live their life with a smile by putting their utmost efforts and by maximizing the use of their resources unlike us who, instead of making the use of our fit/well-equipped mind and body, try to find faults/defects in the system and resources available to us. Our society still treats handicapped people with disdain, keeps them at distance in social gatherings, they are generally banned in most of the schools/colleges…but why?? Is being handicapped infectious? Would a dumb friend of yours make you dumb? Would a polio affected neighbour make your son a polio patient? The answer is despite being physically handicapped, they are mentally fit. And we, the so-called fit humans, are mentally handicapped.

      We love movies. Let’s peep into some of them. It was a socially discarded Kachda from the movie Lagaan whose polio affected right hand played a major role in creating the epic saga of a village who defied all odds to beat an empire at its own game. It was a spirited and brave Michelle in the movie Black who proved that, with some genuine guidance, life can be made very colourful even if it was black by default. Little Ishaan from the movie Taare Zameen Par showed that talent is not just confined to lives of fit and well to do people. Talent is not discriminated and all it needs is nurturing. Beethoven, the German music composer, continued to compose and perform even after becoming deaf. All these examples go on to show that organs can fail, situations can get worse and supports can end but passion and hope to succeed should stay alive somewhere deep inside your heart.

     Just as I wrap up this article, my heart goes out for all those who are unlike us but they teach us a lesson to stop complaining about small things and live life to the fullest. At times we are fed up of uncanny weather/traffic jams/skin getting exposed to sun/gaining weight, etc. These people teach us to look at the larger picture of life because life is beautiful only if we make it beautiful. Friends, such people are less but they are special, unique and happy.

Jitni bhi hain-jitni bhi hain ummeedein leke,

Jaayein kahan tak-jaayen kahan tak raaste dekhen…

Kar chalna shuru tu, mud ke naa dekh tu,

Jaise hain sahi hai, Ek main aur ekk tu !!

Notes: -

1) I dedicate this article to Pranshu, who inspired me to start writing blogs. Pranshu is the most full of life and cheerful friend of mine who is always smiling and making people around her smile, nevertheless how worse the situation is.

2) This article is also dedicated to the little but very special and brave girl Nisha, whom we saw in the 6^th episode of Satyamev Jayate. I salute her parents (Mr. and Mrs. Lobo) who had the big heart to adopt such girl as their daughter.

....@ Debashish

Why?

Why do we say sorry when we are not wrong?

Why do we bend ourselves as we can’t afford losing them?

Why do we run to help a buddy even after a bitter quarrel?

Why do we feel pleasure in hurting the one we love?

Why are we always eager to reach out despite being avoided?

Why do we explain every bit even when not asked for?

Why do we forget all anger and forgive them when it’s all over?

Why do we always try to avoid but can’t resist thinking about the person who is causing us the most pain?

Why do we get consoled only when we cry on the shoulders that made us cry?

      Because some pains are more enjoyed than happiness.

      Because some relations are more precious than self ego.

      Because some moments are more lived than breaths.

      Because some defeats are more triumphant than victory.

In a nutshell, we find that there are so many “Why” in this world which are better off unanswered. Do we really need an answer to every question asked!! In fact it’s the question, at times, that brings an unsaid answer along with it. A “Why” can be used to fill or create a void between two mates. It all depends on how we use that “Why” because at times we are unaware of the fact that why are we using a “Why”!!

....@ Debashish

Blood Nest

      

      Tanmay, a tall & lanky 26 year old shy guy, was driving back home from the city hospital in his luxurious wedding gift ‘Volkswagen’. With some despicable thoughts and a grim look on his face he parked the car at his residence and pulled the key from the right pocket of his trousers. Just as he put the key in its slot and unlocked the door, he was taken aback by the view of his drawing room. Horror of horrors, the entire room had turned dark red. The walls, the floor, the roof, sofa set, bed sheet, etc everything appeared bloodshot.

       Now let’s slip into a small flashback. 45 days back the “Rajput Mansion” was ecstatic at the news of the arrival of new family member. Ananya, Tanmay’s wife, was expecting. Mr. and Mrs. Rajput were on cloud nine, day dreaming the entire day at the joy of being grandparents. There were regular visits to the gynecologists, umpteen tests, medical checkups, etc. More often than not, Tanmay would return home early and take Ananya for a shopping spree. The house was filled with toys and all kids’ paraphernalia.

       Suddenly one day a thought struck Mr. Rajput that after few months they would turn grandparents but will they be playing with a grandson or a granddaughter!!! He shared this thought with Mrs. Rajput. Both of them always had a penchant for male child. But when this penchant turns into greed, it can make one do the unthinkable. Apprehension of arrival of a granddaughter, Mrs. Rajput once took Ananya to the doc’s clinic. In name of regular checkups, she did the sonography. Mrs. Rajput saw a girl child floating in the womb. A gush of disappointment struck her. She can’t let this happen. She had a long discussion with Mr. Rajput and they came to unanimous conclusion that abortion was the only way out. Tanmay, an ideal and obedient son, agreed after a few yes and no. He never had a say in his family, he could never raise a voice over his parents. He had never done it. Mr. and Mrs. Rajput convinced him quite easily.

       Amidst all this plotting and planning, Ananya was living the time of her life. The joy of “going to be a mother” had engulfed her. The next Sunday, after doing her regular course of exercise, meditation & breakfast Ananya, along with her family, visited the doc’s clinic for a checkup. But this time it was not only about checkup it was about checkout!!  The doctor was no more doing a noble profession; he had taken the role of a hustler. After attending to Ananya for 25 minutes, the doctor came out to congratulate the Rajputs. The little beautiful nest in Ananya’s body was blooded. It had turned red and dark. The bird had flown and she would never come back again.

       Ananya was told about it 4 hours later. She was shattered and crestfallen. The people whom she trusted the most had betrayed her. Tanmay was asked to go home and get some new clothes for Ananya. It was then that Tanmay entered and saw his drawing room turn red. To be honest the colour of drawing was never red. It was Tanmay’s soul/heart/mind that had turned red because he knew he was making a wrong move but he never retaliated. He was always silent and flew with the wave of crime.

       Rajputs’ were just one example of Female Foeticide in India but there are innumerable cases of female feticide and infanticide taking place around and in our society. It has plagued the educated, the illiterate, the rich, the poor everyone in our country irrespective of caste or religion. The befuddling thought is that the mother-in-laws’, who are themselves  women, are supporting such assassinations. We are at the twilight of losing daughters but today I pray that this twilight is followed by a dawn and sunrise rather than by a dark, hollow night.

       I dedicate this article to the mothers who undergo the agony of losing a girl child and to the angel who never witnessed the daylight.

Note: This article is inspired from the first episode of Satyamev Jayate, a reality show on Star Plus by the Aamir Khan Productions.

....@ Debashish

                                                       

The Evergreen Barter System

          Barter System came into picture way back towards the later part of Stone Age when the civilizations had just started to flourish. I have suffixed it with a word “evergreen” because it has only evolved with the passage of time & now with the arrival of “money”, it has been given a sophisticated name “business”.
     Over the years businesses grew in various fields like foods/real estate/jewelries/garments/vehicles/technologies, etc. Some resulted in profit, some in losses. Businessmen had to switch over from one business to another, at times even changing their profession too. Amidst all these businesses, there has been a particular form of barter system (now a business) which has always been criticized by the society but still continues to make huge profits. It’s Prostitution, evergreen in true sense.
      Prostitution has been prevalent in India and all over the world, since ages, in various forms. In India they started from Dancing girls to Mutta wives to Brothels to Bar girls & finally Call girls. All such forms have been taken to the gallows during daytime discussions but post sunset it’s the same form that provides the much required pleasure and satisfaction, thus flourishing magnificently. The same men who claim abolishing of such businesses are the ones who make their way to that arena when in hunt of mental/physical relief. So the business proves to be the perfect stress-buster.
       On paper, prostitution has always been discarded by the society and its people, but when it comes to getting pragmatic….people have always been equivocal in their deeds. Filmmakers have tried to depict the life & work-cultures of prostitutes via various movies. Right from Shyam Benegal’s Mandi to Muzzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan to Sudhir Mishra’s Chameli to Madhur Bhandarkar’s Corporate, prostitutes have been picturized performing different tasks. Earlier it was just about providing entertainment in form of gazals/dance. Slowly professionalism creeped in and it became sheer fun. Today it also plays the role of an agent to get work done by many people in corporate world.       As a matter of fact, no girl wants to be a prostitute by choice; it’s the need that forces them into this profession. But whether it is globalization or recession, it’s a business that has always made profit and will continue to make profit through black market. A prostitute may just be earning for 15-20 years of her life before her youth fades out, but they will keep serving the men in the society generations after generations as they have been doing despite being labeled as the dirtiest element of the society. Thus, bartered for time immemorial!!

….@ Debashish

Euphoria Revisited

It’s not very often that we witness 2 Diwalis in a particular year. But this is what happened in India in the year 2011. The first was celebrated on 2^nd April & the other on 26^th October.

Just when Indian skipper M.S.Dhoni lofted Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on for a massive six, the entire nation turned into unbridled celebration because the sailing ball had made India the new emperors of the cricketing world. India was already the ICC ranked # 1 Test Team and now they were the new World Champions in ODI format. Thus, 2^nd April, 2011 was India’s second cricketing tryst with destiny. Today we celebrate 1^st anniversary of that epic victory in Wankhede.

The road to victory was not a fairytale; India had to earn this victory. It took them 28 years to repeat history. The 15 men and the entire support staff should get the full credit for making it happen. There have been too many guys working behind the curtains. Yuvraj Singh & Zaheer Khan were the premier architects along with coach Gary Kirsten, for marshalling the troops to perfection, & captain M.S.Dhoni, for rising to the occasion when he was needed the most. The skipper had soaked and absorbed all the pressure of the grand finale. Special contributions came from Sachin Tendulkar( 2^nd highest run getter of the tournament), Gautam Gambhir, Virendra Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Munaf Patel, etc.

The last 1 year hasn’t been good for Indian cricket. Just when we were expected to dominate the cricketing world, we collapsed, especially on foreign soil. Things started to go haywire. 8 consecutive losses on foreign soil in Test matches. It took 34 innings for the master to get to his 100^th International ton. Yuvraj Singh is down with cancer treatment. We miss him terribly. In the meanwhile, Rahul Dravid, the legend & the wall, bid adieu to all forms of cricket. All this indicate the rough & the lean patch Indian cricket experienced in the last 366 days.

     But there has been a silver lining in form of Virat Kohli. This guy has arrived big time in ODIs & has also been a revelation in Tests. May be the next cricketing season would bring new joys for Indian cricket and its legion of fans as cricket is all about “Law Of Averages”. Rahul Dravid once said “Joys are temporary, as are tears”.

So as we all wait for a rebirth of the Indian Cricket, let’s celebrate the first anniversary of the epic victory we all witnessed a year back….a victory that still brings a smile, tears of joy, makes us feel proud and ecstatic. Let’s join hands to revisit the euphoria.

.... @ Debashish

                                           

The Beat of Passion

      "Kal stage hoga, lights hongi, audience hogi, music hoga aur music ke har beat pe zindagi hogi”, these were the lines said by Rob (Luke Kenny) in the movie “Rock On!!” when on his death bed. Just imagine, a person on his death bed, advised to take complete rest is planning for a rock show the next day. Why?? Because he wants to live life to the fullest, for one last time.

      Living life doesn’t just mean breathing, getting up in the morning, going to work/college, having lunch/dinner, watching TV and then going off to sleep at night. Living life means to live your dreams, to live your passion, to do what you always wanted to do, to do what makes you happy, to do what takes you to sleep late at night and what makes you wake up early in the morning.

      But there are only few, among us, who live such a life. Because this life is not a gift….it’s earned. Some are a bit lucky and earn it with less effort whereas few have to dig it out and work out of their skin to live this life. But most of us don’t do this because we are not that gutsy and think too pragmatically in such cases. More often than not we are unsure about a career in sport/literature/dramatics/photography/music…..we tend to think how long will we have to struggle…..whether life would be stable financially or not…..we come under the influence of society/elders/relatives who play a special role from distancing us from living our dreams. In the process we become part of the society who lives life like a machine and are always concerned with the annual earning, savings, children’s education, family health, insurance, etc. At the end of the day, they are tired/stressed/depressed with several day to day issues and go off to sleep just to wake up and get to back to work the next day.

      On the contrary, the person who’s living his passion may be earning less but is still happy because he’s earning from what he always wanted to earn. Salary is just a part of his life, not his priority. He is living his dream and that’s what providing him joy. Farhan (Madhvan) in 3 Idiots said to his dad “Papa, main 4 paise kam kamaunga…..mere ghar chota hoga….gaadi choti hogi….par Papa main khush rahunga. Aapke liye jo bhi karunga dil se karunga.”

      Sachin Tendulkar once said “I am lucky that I have been able to make my passion my profession.”  Just try and make your passion your profession because only then one can feel the true Beat of Passion.

…. @ Debashish

Rusted

              The journey from nadir to zenith/from being a novice to being a perfectionist/from being a stranger to a celebrity is tough but also pleasing and ends up giving you joy and fame. On the other hand, the journey from apex to bottom is even tougher and ends up giving you endless pain and dejection. Now that’s how life has panned out for so many talented sportsperson from Indian sports fraternity, not because they lost their talent somewhere in the middle but because the limelight was shifted from them as and when they grew old and with commercialization/advent of other sports.

      Indian hockey, which today is down in the pits, was once sabotaging the best of hockey teams all around the globe. After bagging 8 Olympic gold medals and 1 World Cup gold medal Indian hockey was hit by “the law of averages” and hence lost its way since 1982 Asian Games. Fine, we don’t want to give too much importance to our current hockey players/coaches because they are not performing well but what about those men who once travelled in trains, trained with low quality equipments/accessories but played out of their skins to take Indian Hockey to pinnacle of success. Today one would find them spending time with their family in an unfurnished hut in some village….running around to get their sons educated/employed….borrowing money to get their daughters’ married. Isn’t it shame on our sport ministry’s part that someone like Dhyan Chand, the hockey wizard, died of liver cancer in the general ward of AIIMS before a media story helped to have him shifted to a special room.

      Cricket had made its mark on its own merit and deserves all the accolades. But just like cricket, don’t we need to honour and remember the sportsperson who made us proud or are making us proud. Most of us would remember a Sourav Ganguly 183 in Taunton in 1999 world cup but do we still remember Karnam Malleswrari who won a bronze medal in 2000 Olympics for India in weight lifting. No one cares to talk of Makhan Singh, the sprinter who won gold at 1962 Asian Games. Today he has lost his legs in an accident and has received no financial aid from Indian Govt. We remember the Test match India lost to Pakistan in chennai in 1999 when the master scored a brave 136 with back spasms but we don’t talk of P.T.Usha who missed out on an Olympics medal by 1/1000^th of second.

            With due respect to Yuvraj Singh, who along with Zaheer Khan was the premier architect of India’s epochal World Cup win in 2011, has received help and good wishes from all expected & unexpected corners of the world for his cancer treatment but what of Jaspreet Kaur, the Kabaddi player, who hurt her spine during a tackle in 2001. 10 years later she got Rs. 1 lakh cheque from Punjab CM & now gets a pension of Rs. 10,000 per month.

      We must remember Vishwanathan Anand/Gagan Narang/Abhinav Bindra are as much a contributor to Indian Sports as is Sachin Tendulkar. They are all champions in their own fields. It’s just that their sporting arena are different. Cricket is the richest Indian sport today and hence is a household name and has commercialized itself brilliantly.

      Before I wrap it up, I would like to summarize the article with a dialogue from the movie Paan Singh Tomar…. “Jab tak desh ke liye daude….kisi ne nahi poocha. Aaj Baghi(dakait) ban gaye to sab pooch rahe hain...”. This statement highlights the fact that how the medals, fame, name…all get rusted with a passage of time.

Note: This article is inspired from a Tigmanshu Dhulia film “Paan Singh Tomar” and is dedicated to the unsung heroes of Indian Sports Fraternity. 

....@ Debashish

Locked Forever !!

      It’s so easy to lock a door by putting a key inside the keyhole and turning it around anti-clockwise. Similarly, while opening the lock all one needs to do is put the key again in the keyhole and turn it clockwise. Now for a moment imagine what would happen if the lock doesn’t open!! All you can do is to keep trying. You put the key again and again in the slot, trying to rotate it clockwise but it’s just not opening. Suddenly you start panicking and what next, one has to break the lock (hope it’s not a Godrej Lock). Now since it was a metallic device and you can afford a new one, you decided to break it.

     But in life, there are instances when few things get locked and locked forever. Unfortunately, these locks can’t even be broken. As per records, there are 3.73 lakh prisoners in India. 2.45 lakh have yet not been found guilty. They may be innocent. Nevertheless, they are behind the bars ‘24*7*?’. The ‘?’ here refers to the days which has no definite number. Yes there are men/women/children who are guilty and deserve to be punished but what about those who have yet not been found guilty!!

     When someone is accused of theft/rape/drugs, etc and is put behind the bars, most of them try for a bail, especially if they belong to a well-to-do family. Some can’t even afford a bail. Some get a bail, some don’t. The trial and hearing continue in courts for days/months/years....lawyers keep changing….judges keep changing….dates keep getting postponed and what not. Suddenly one fine day few of them (at times most of them) are proved innocent and are set free.

     Now the question arrives whether justice has been done in true sense?? It's easy to say that once you are out of jail you can start your life with a new frame of mind, a new beginning, a new dawn, etc. All this is easier said than done. People enter into the jail with some frame of mind and generally when they are out it’s a completely different mindset altogether. They are a different human being, to say the least. At times thoughts like vengeance/insult/self-hatred/dejection/vendetta get instilled in their heart and mind. In fact the mind and the soul go through infinite tortures/molestations/harassment inside the jail. One becomes hollow from within. Initially there are rays of hope that they might be free by the “NEXT” hearing but time passes on and by the time “NEXT” arrives, the hope had died.

     Someone was at the zenith of his life, someone was climbing the ladder of success, somebody had just started to see his dreams come true, somebody had just planned something new for his wife/kids but something happens that leads them to an arena behind bars. Now when that person is out of jail after a long trial, a life may start with a passage of time but all those ambitions/desires/dreams get locked somewhere in that jail forever.

There are lives behind bars, they have rights too….

Beyond Bars but not Beyond Justice!!

Note: - This article has been inspired from a Madhur Bhandarkar movie JAIL and is dedicated to all those prisoners who have yet not been found guilty. They may be innocent.

....@ Debashish

Welcome Death !!

Death is a term which, more often than not, scares most of us. We are always advised by elders not to use this term in public. At times we are even scolded by them when we use it in our day to day conversation. But have we ever given it a thought that why are we asked to do so!! Why don’t we ask our elders that every time this word “death” pops out of our mouth, suddenly a wave of disturbing frequency starts to ripple in the surroundings??

     Yes, one may say that death separates you from your loved ones and we all know that separation hurts and hurts deep. But that’s the emotional side of it. Here I am talking about the fear that has established somewhere at the back of our mind that stops us from taking few risks at times in life, from living life at the edge, from sky diving, deep sea diving, riding on giant wheels and at times from watching horror shows at night all alone (for few of us or many of us??). I totally accept that “Precaution is better that Cure” and it’s better to die instead being handicapped/paralyzed the entire life.

     But why do we start crying and creating panic when someone at the age of 85+ or 90+ leaves us or somebody down with serious disease dies someday. Don’t you think Death is just a part of this life? Just 1 moment. Just 1 chapter, probably the smallest one. Why not live this moment too??

     We haven’t seen Life after Death. Who knows Life after Death may be even more beautiful. One may just enter a fantasy world with beautiful falls, greenery all around, flowing rivers, hills, valleys, snowfalls, etc. May be a world where there is no more death, only life. A world where you may meet an old pal. A world without terrorism. A world without racism/casteism. A world where God doesn’t possess too many nomenclature. A world full of love, peace and unity. Now that’s also an imagination but thinking on those lines can at least instill some kind of positivity in our minds/hearts and help us in eradicating the “fear of death” too. Easier said than done but remember there is always “Life after Death”.

…..@ Debashish

Intezaar @ A Journey

We all know the only thing constant in this world is “Change” because it never changes. But if you are asked to name another thing that never changes what would it be?? Any guesses…Or would you just say NO???.....Sure !!!!

Well for me it would be “Intezaar”, i.e., “Wait”. All our life we keep waiting for something or the other. The desires/aspirations/dreams may differ from man to man but it’s the term “Wait” that ties us together.

          Okay let’s take the example of Rishi. Hold on guys! I am not talking of Rishi Kapoor or Rishi Tea Stall at Charbagh station, Rishi is the name of the protagonist of my article. Rishi Arora.

          Rishi was born on 9^th July. Everyone in the family was ecstatic, there were several rituals taking place, parties being thrown and what not. Celebrations were at the peak. Slowly Rishi’s parents started dreaming of Rishi walking, running, talking, playing and they wanted this to happen as soon as possible. Suddenly one day they saw Rishi walking by the bedside with one hand on the mattress. Then one day Rishi would say “maaauwma…..maaauma….mamma”. Thus Rishi’s parents long wait came to an end as Rishi could now walk, talk and has even started to put his thumb out of his mouth.

          Rishi was always a bright student. Physics was his favourite subject and he was very well guided by his parents/teachers. 15 years have passed and Rishi is now waiting for his class 10^th results to come. The 1.5 month wait was full of anxiety, tension, etc. Finally the results arrived and Rishi passed with 82.50%. The wait did not end up well as Rishi expected a lot more as he had given everything to his studies. But still the wait was over and it was time to move ahead.

Another 2 years of rigorous efforts and similar sort of “waiting” situation went through before the 12^th results were declared. This time the wait was even more anxious and troubling as Rishi not only waited for his class 12^th results but also for the result of IIT-JEE. He had appeared for competitive exams. But this time wait ended up well as Rishi achieved 92.50% and also AIR-240 in IIT-JEE.

Right from first year at IIT-Bombay Rishi started dreaming of the day when he would be a graduate and would be holding a degree in his hand with a black gown and a black hat. But just a day before the convocation Rishi slipped while bathing and got his right leg fractured. Hence he had to miss convocation. He got the degree but the dream remained unfulfilled, nevertheless, the wait was over.

In the meanwhile Rishi got placed in Google. First day of joining Rishi dreamt of couple of things. He wanted his first salary to arrive as soon as possible and the second one….he wanted a girlfriend. He was single all this while….he deserves one now for sure. Luckily within a month he met a girl Snigdha. Snigdha Awasthi. Snigdha was a pretty girl and intellectual too. Their frequencies matched and they started spending time together. So couple of more waits came to an end.

On 14^th Jan Rishi proposed Snigdha, but Snigdha asked for sometime before she comes to any decision. Now you guys can imagine the kind of wait this is. Finally on 13^th Feb, Snigdha said yes and the parents/relatives/friends wait of Rishi-Snigdha getting married came to an end a year later. Now Rishi has started dreaming of his own car, his own villa, his kid and Rishi’s parents of their grandkid (this one obviously is more eager). Finally the family was gifted with a beautiful doll. They named her Namrata.

Years passed and timed moved on as did life. The dreams/desires/aspirations kept changing and finally we come to Rishi-Snigdha’s 25^th wedding anniversary. An august gathering has arrived at ARORA Mansion which also has a BMW parked outside. A couple of years later Rishi retired. Namrata has also got married.

At times Rishi thought that he was done with all the worldly duties and there were not many responsibilities to carry now. He wished for a calm and peaceful death. Just when he was thinking on those lines he got news that Namrata is pregnant. Suddenly he wanted to live few more years and play with his grandchild. One fine day Rishi took his dinner and went to sleep. The next day when Snigdha came to wake him up and to give him the good news that Namrata has came to visit her parents, he didn’t get up. He was no more. He had passed last night when in sleep. He died a peaceful death, something that he wished and waited for but his wish and wait to see his grandchild remained unfulfilled as Namrata was only in her 6^th month.

We see that Rishi’s life had a “wait” associated with it at every step and corner. Similarly we also keep waiting for something or the other at every point of life. All that differs is the reason for that “wait”. Desires change, “wait” does not. It remains constant.

So “wait/Intezaar” can be for seconds/minutes/days/years….at times they end up giving us joy & at times only tears. Nevertheless, it is an undefined journey in itself. Always enjoy this journey because you never know what the final result is going to be!!! It may be in your favour. It may not be in your favour. But try to make the journey of this “wait” as beautiful as possible.

All the Best.

.....@ Debashish

Joys Of Being A Mum!!

 Motherhood- It’s a roller-coaster ride. A whirlwind. A mid-summer night’s dream. A re-birth. A rainbow.

A bundle of promises, responsibilities, duties. A maze of sleepless nights, sacrifices and not to forget the XXL clothes.

Motherhood makes women crib, complain, eat chocolates and cry. But ask any mum whether she’d barter it for anything in the world and you’ll get one hurt, definitive answer….a big, fat “NO”.

Yes, being mother is so very special that only a mother can explain to us the truest meaning of being a mom….specially for the first time….the first time when she held you in her arms….the first time when she touched your little fingers….the first time when she kissed on your forehead….all these are memorable moments and full of emotions bringing tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.

For a moment let’s enter the world of flashback of our lives and try to recollect few moments. The moment when your mom held your finger and made you walk for the first time, the first time she dressed you up for school, the first time you ran up to her with your result/trophy, the first time she saved you from dad’s scolding…..well I can understand it’s hard to recollect because we may not remember all those moments but ask your mom, she has all those beautiful moments treasured in her heart. Thus, there are infinite joys of being a mum.

Love your mom, hug your mom, kiss your mom because since the day she became a mother, every single day is Mother’s Day !!

.....@ Debashish

Being In 20s….is Something!!

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realising that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realising that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognise is that they are realising that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you.

You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realising that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realise that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.

You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone\ and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realise that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet     anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. You want to settle down for good because now all of a sudden that becomes top priority. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You begin to think a companion for life is better than a hundred in the shack and for once you would not mind standing tall for that special someone which otherwise you had never thought of until now. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realise is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your twenty-something friends.... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...

We call it the "Quarter-life Crisis” !!!


Note:- This article has been penned down by a good friend of mine.

Aarti After Azaan

           Everyday at the break of dawn in sleepy Kharkheri, a place at the foothills of Aravalis, the muezzin’s azaan- a call to worship- rings out loud and clear, urging believers to invoke Allah with the “farz” namaaz, the first prayer of the day. At around the same time, Hindu devotees are awakened by the strains of “Om Jai Jagdish Hare” that wafts in from the village temple amid the tinkling of bells and clanging of cymbals. So, there will be aarti at sunrise.

       Chandbhai’s family in Kharkheri responds to both the features- some quickly do the wazu (ritual washing of hands & feet before nawaaz) and the rest head for a bath before aarti. So, for Chandbhai and other members of the community, this is how it has been since ages. If Harivansh Rai Bachhan’s “Bair badhate mandir masjid, mel karati madhushala”, i.e., “Mosques and Temples create differences but the tavern unites them”, holds true for any group, then it is this.

          In our country, puja & namaaz go side by side. Muslims recite Koran as fluently as the Hindus recite Hanuman Chalisa. Hindus celebrate Holi & Deepawali as fervently as Muslims observe Eid & Ramzan. Then why are we separated? Why do the differences creep in time and again? Can’t we be known as “Indians” before being called “Hindus/Muslims”??

          Yes, we can be called “Indians” but only when we are educated because only education will make our minds clean and clear of all kinds discriminations, orthodoxy that exists in our society and the hollow principles that we have been following over the years. It’s high time we believe that God can be found only through personal purity and service to others.

.....@ Debashish