AAP Ka Desh, AAP Ki Choice!

“The beginning is always today.” ― Mary Shelley

Two years back, when all of this had just started and was in the initial stages, a young, enthusiastic and vibrant guy came to my room with an appeal to take part in the India Against Corruption rally which was scheduled to start the next day from Ram Mandir.

And me, the irrational, rude and pessimist guy that I used to be, dismissed him off with a bluntly stated vague argument- "Do you really think it is going to change anything? From years many things have been tried. Nothing has changed."
And his instant logical reply was- "Are you doing anything to change it?"

I was taken aback, and was offended by this reply, but didn't retaliate back. As I knew, or should I say had convinced myself that over the years there has been no difference made and will never be made. Those enthusiastic and energetic guys jumping in my hostel that day looked like fools to me. I had pretty much assumed that the country cannot be saved and the best way to survive is to follow the principles to live and let live.

It was not that I didn't want my country to change or I was really happy with the small acts of injustice that me and every other common man of India had to face in our daily lives. Its was just that I never believed that all of this can be changed. I never believed that a person at an individual level can bring about an uprising and convert those small rallies into a massive hurricane. So monumental that it would dethrone a colossal giant who had been thriving upon people's share of bread for the past 13 years.

Yes, two years down the line, I was proved wrong. And yes Apurva, you were right. Things changed, and we were the ones who changed it through our belief. Yes ladies and gentlemen, and all of us who think that the country is  far from saving, you need to believe, as he did. He believed that we indeed hold the keys to our future and we are the ones who are going to build it. He believed in, and not just recited when asked the definition, the true meaning the words 'Of the people, by the people and for the people'. We hold the power and it will only be of some use if we start to believe in ourselves and start striving for a change. If a rude, arrogant, stubborn pessimist like me can believe, I think anybody can.

We questioned his policies, the crystal clear ones, and he answered. We questioned his resources, he answered. We questioned his ability to enter the politics and not merely criticize like everybody else does, he answered. We dismissed his chances, he proved us exactly why we shouldn't. Yes, it's just one state or should I say the NCT. The battle isn't over. The nation is yet to be saved. This of course is just like a drop in the ocean, but then these small drops of distilled water are the ones who are going to kill the algae which has blocked it's surface from centuries. If 2.9 million people can help us win 29 constituencies, imagine what a billion people can do! It is all about believing and putting our faith and trust in the only source that we have left perhaps and hope that this one doesn't break our hearts.

-There are states which have been made hunting grounds by the respective bureaucrats who have been blindfolding people and winning majority votes. How will he tackle them?
Well, he just tackled and defeated one of the most stable governments of this country. Be patient, believe, he will.

- India is a diverse country. There might be chances that people might not even know him as of now. How will he be recognized by a billion?
Sir, Delhi is the National Capital Territory of the country. People from almost all the nooks and corners of the country live here, and guess what? They voted and elected him.

- I mean, he doesn't even have a clear majority and moreover, these were just assembly elections of a State! Why is it being hyped so much?
Simply because it deserves to be. In a country where the movies display a fantasy hero eradicating all forms of evil with his supernatural abilities and unbelievable action scenes, which again are enormously hyped, if there is a booming real life hero who can convert these from reel to real, he definitely deserves to be hyped.

- It has been a week since the results were declared and Delhi is still without a government. What is he doing now even after being invited by the other parts to form one?
Well, the aim wasn't to form a government, it was to bring about a change. And that list of 18 demands which have been submitted to the governor, Congress and BJP, which have been rejected as expected, will tell you exactly why.

Like these, there many questions which have been and will be raised against him. We just need to remember this-
"There is only one way to avoid criticism. Do nothing, say nothing and be nothing."

Never before in this country did a girl have the entire nation behind her for justice. Never before in this country was the ruling party shaken to its very core for treating women the way it did. Yes, she died, but only after igniting a fire, the sparks of which were still there and just needed some air. He was beaten up and had to be carried off the road just because he was our torch bearer. And what did they do? Did they do anything? Oh yes, they did. They said that one of the accused is a Juvenile. What do you expect from them?

The bottom line is that we're all afraid. Yes, fear is what stops us from standing up against what is wrong. Yes, even I am afraid of asking the rash rookie to get off my berth while travelling in sleeper class because him and his fellow mates might just beat me up and there would be no one to provide justice. Ask yourselves that how many cases of discrimination do you face in your daily lives which you have to ignore just because you want to be safe from trouble even when you're right? And if you still don't get the answers, go ask this question to a female Delhite or any girl for that sake. Because any trouble would favor the powerful and the corrupt and not the good and the honest.
And so was he, but he chose to fight it instead unlike us and proved to us and yes it can be done. I know that you and I may still be pessimistic about the fact that how will we do what he did, but then, we have an inspiration and all we have to do is follow those footsteps. It is dangerous and may be very disheartening in the beginning. But just be patient, hold on, try to stand up against small acts of injustice at a very basic level (Like not littering around and stopping people from doing that. Yes, it helps.) because it is those small victories that may give you the courage to win the big wars. And so that you may not blame the system to be corrupt, here is this man promising you to change the very system which we have been blaming since eternity. This man has given us hope, hope drives inspiration, and inspiration is all that a human being needs to shake mountains.

Stand up. Believe. Follow, if your logic permits. But for God's sake, don't ever tell yourself that "Is desh ka kuch nahin ho sakta!"

Thank you Arvind Kejriwal Sir.
You have given us numerous and quite flattering rays of hope. I sincerely hope that you don't break them like they have been doing for centuries.
Jai Hind!

A Thousand Miles- In the Pursuit of Happiness!

It is often said that happiness is like a butterfly, the more you try to chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder. So, the principle is not to chase the butterfly which of course, is just as hard to achieve unless you know that the butterfly is forever yours as you have been raising and nurturing it since it was a caterpillar. As far as my story goes, since I'm not much of a nature lover, though the person about whom I am about to write surely is, so raising a caterpillar was out of the question. So I decided chasing it instead and went a thousand miles in it's pursuit, and trust me guys, though I caught it for an infinitesimally short period of time, but for the while it sat on my shoulder only because someone was walking next to me, the one word which can properly describe what my heart felt for those 11 hours and 30 minutes, to be precise is 'ecstasy'!

Let me tell you how--

It was 6 in the morning, when I stepped down from a rather crowded yet comparatively warm railway compartment, to a much colder and breezy station platform, the first step on which sent a shiver down my spine and for a moment, the entire tiredness and sleep, which had been eluding me since last night, thanks to my over excitement, disappeared completely. Yes, I was tired courtesy that 30 plus 2 hour long chase and yes, I was sleepy because as idiotic as you may call it, I had been singing 'happy birthday to you' lying on my berth continuously since midnight. Little did I know, that two and a half hours later, I would be rewarded for doing absolutely nothing; that two and a half hours later I would be at the pinnacle of ecstasy; that two and a half hours later, all the worldly sorrows that had been encompassing my soul would temporarily be diverted to some unknown land, because two and a half hours later, I would be there- next to her.

It was her birthday, and we had been unsuccessfully trying to plan out things, gifts, surprises etc, all of which, would either turn out to be not feasible at the end, or due to the inherent nature of the birthday girl herself, would cease to be a surprise. But then, the way that day turned out, thanks to three of her very close friends without whom, this note would have been just another note and not a dedication, left me in complete awe. I know girl, that I wasn't even remotely close to fulfilling your expectations; that my entire plan was more about words than actions and I know that I could have done much much more but I wasn't able to, but as long as you have those friends of yours around you, that pretty grin on your face would always have an 'evergreen' tag along with it. Anyways, continuing on, I had two hours for what they call a 'preparation time', of course, not for exams, as I have it while I write, but to prepare myself as to how would I react when she sees me out of the blue standing right in front of her with excitement written all over my face. Well, I had an ample number of scenarios going on in this pretty much useless brain of mine and was continuously murmuring something to myself with the other passengers along with the monkeys, which happened to be a trademark of that railway station, looking at me suspiciously. But at that moment, my heart was too carefree to care about anyone or anything because all my eyes were looking for whenever they saw a tall girl on the platform, was my best friend who was about arrive at around 8:30. I was in a dilemma as to whether closing her eyes from behind would be a better idea or should I just appear all of sudden from the crowd of passengers and in a very normal and un interesting voice say, "Hi". Well, all of this was brutally and remorselessly murdered by this spoilsport of a girl, who had, thanks to my stupidity, found out that I was actually coming and the expression which she would have made if this surprise actually remained a surprise, which I had asked her friend to capture instantly, was far from coming.

It was around 8, and the cold weather which was unsuccessfully trying to act as a roadblock in my road to serenity had started to give up and had subsided a little, when I met a guy, whom later on I realized was one of the most humble, cheerful and openhearted guys that one would ever come across. I mean the way you welcomed a total stranger with that ever so inviting attitude and the manner in which I was treated for the time I was planning these things and of course when I was there with you guys left me humbled. Thank you for treating me like I was one of your very own mates and making me feel far more than just comfortable, because trust me, I'm such an introvert when it comes to talking to or gelling up with new people. The girl knows it very well. The hospitality that I received in an unknown college, of unknown people except a few, was way above awesome. Mutually agreeing to the well known fact that cricket unites any two guys in this country, we started our conversation with me asking the obvious question,"Score kitna hua?" The next half an hour was spent on discussions about cricket, school, college and of course how stupid and dumb the birthday girl was when they suddenly announced that 15273 Up Satyagrah Express was about to arrive on Platform no. 3!

That announcement sent an immediate jitter down my throat and I was immediately upgraded to the super-sayen level of excitement. We had asked a local vendor about the position of the coach S-2 and the plan was him going on to receive her and  keeping her engaged, and in the meantime me trying to run and surprise her from behind. The stage was set, I was waiting on the stairs while he was there on the platform when the train entered and with it my heartbeats were in resonance with the sound that the wheels made against the railway track. I could literally feel my pulse increasing and my legs trembling when suddenly something disastrous happened! The coach stopped way ahead of the expected position which meant that I had to run quickly and cover a comparatively longer distance before she turns around and finds me. I did exactly that and with stealing eyes and continuously trying to hide amongst the crowd I started marching towards her with occasional attempts to hide out under the chairs or beside the water coolers. But then, the birthday girl was too good and too spoilsport for me to actually reach her. Instead she found me, and yeah, I knew it! :-|

But then, that pretty smile, on an even prettier chink face with oily hairs which she was barely able to manage took those scandalizing moments away almost instantaneously and replaced them with utter joy and ecstasy. I saw her smiling from a distance and immediately stopped running and started to walk rather casually with a broad clown like display of my dentition, happy, elated and at the same time spellbound and speechless. Though I had a million words to say and a million things to do but at that moment I preferred to remain silent and just admire; just look at her, because I knew that eleven and a half hours from now, I would again be in a long queue, unless God finds time for my prayers, and graces me with such an opportunity again. Finally she broke the ice and the first words which she uttered were something like-

"Kya be? Ekdum udiya (as she likes to spell it) lag rahe ho!"

I don't know when was this pic taken, but that smile there was what I had come all these miles for!

With her luggage, which predominantly and expectedly consisted of eatables, kept carefully in the auto, the three of us set out for her college and for all those 45 minutes of the journey, I still couldn't believe that I was finally there sitting next to her. I mean, she would understand this part better as to why I keep saying this, and why I keep telling everyone that going there to her was nothing short of a dream come true! Such was my level of excitement that I was continuously blabbering random stuff all throughout our way to the college such as 'How Ghaziabad resembles Gorakhpur' and 'How people in my hostel drink less water and more beer'. It took me time to recover, but I finally did when she left for her hostel after reaching her college and I accompanied her friend to the boys' hostel. Meanwhile, I also had a glimpse of the college, the details of which are going to make it even longer, so I guess, I will avoid it.

About two hours later, after having a quick shower and partially compensating for the back pain which had chained me ferociously, we, i.e. me, her and her four other friends, were all set for what proved out for me the kind of six hours which I would obviously forget only if I suffer from amnesia. I had got loads of things to talk, to discuss, to ask, to tell, to laugh, to cry but I preferred keeping quiet and relishing the moment of being a tiny little part of her big day; a tiny little percentage of her smile; a tiny little half of her wishes; a tiny little note in her diary. You know girl, we obviously blabber a lot on phone, and at that moment I rather did not want to waste time in talking, to be frank, rather I just wanted to sit and observe. Observe those little things that you do, the way you kindly invite and slap your friends, the way you play with their hairs, the way you give those looks and say those words which probably no one understands! I was looking keenly as to what makes you happy; whether it was Kamlendra's humor or Aman's photography or Baniya's headphones or Animesh's taunts, but then, I realized that we were all a part of it and the fact that we were all there that moment would have probably made this mysterious scorpion grin a little. With some talks, a few jokes and continuous chants of 'Moti' we reached GIP, the venue as decided by our very efficient plan manager.

Traditionally, we are all supposed to visit a temple on our birthdays, and that small gap was fulfilled by a rather big Ganesha statue which was the first thing that she observed when we entered the mall premises. Well, perhaps that was the only interesting part, because for the next few hours we were all aimlessly revolving around this magnanimous area with the birthday girl getting utterly bored. So the obvious next step to relieve this girl out of her boredom was to resort to that one thing for which she would literally fight and knock you down any day even if she smells you trying to snatch her share. Yeah, right- FOOD! We decided to have lunch at a pretty awesome Punjabi Restaurant. Yeah, it worked! That properly smoked (as she likes to call it) buttery piece of chicken and those variety of pickles brought an instant smile, as expected, as she carefully shielded her plate from the rest. We ate to our heart's content and I was rather shocked at the number of chapatis that these guys had the potential to consume!

I mean, look at her. This was her face even before the food had arrived. Imagine what would have happened after it did! 

And dear Aman, I owe you a treat for this pic because you have no idea about the pleasure which this particular one gave me!

Our next destination was a rather famous coffee shop which had to be reached through a rather innovative road over walking bridge. The sun was about to set which made that location perfect for photography. So we decided to click a few. After this one was clicked, she immediately said, "ye photo bohot acchi aayi hogi." And me being rather dumb, was happy listening to this only to realize later what she actually meant when I saw this one-

I mean, yeah, with over grown hairs everywhere, I admit that I looked like a bear, but then at least I tried to pose well and all you had to do was this! (-_-)

Anyways, the next surprise, the cake, which we later realized was also a known one, was planned to be presented there. For the while it was prepared we had to keep her away from boredom, and those earphones solved the issue remarkably. She was busy shuffling the playlist and I was busy capturing her every move, but then me being a terribly horrible photographer managed to click even more disastrous ones. But then, for every such occasion, there is Aman. This was his click-

Apologies for disturbing the chronological order. This was taken after the cake was cut.

Meanwhile, I was getting restless, as there was a delay in the preparation of cake so tried my hands on innovative texting which again, failed. But then we had a God bestowed gift to fill up for that as well in the form of perhaps the second best pleasurable entity that she wants to treat her eyes with- Dogs. There were two of them, and not very surprisingly she was the very first one to observe them, and that very expression on her face was bound to be captured, but we missed it. Finally, the cake was ready and with the green signal I closed her eyes from behined with Animesh and Aman covering my palms so that nothing was visible even through the gaps between my fingers. (Little did we know that she had already figured that out)

When she opened her eyes, she found this-

And the next moment, this-

And the next-

Though I have a base voice, and I usually don't sing that well, but then the pleasure that it gave me singing happy birthday in my horse like voice cannot be penned down here. Anyways, the cake was carefully bludgeoned which again, was too large for our already full stomachs to consume. We also had a small hookah party immediately after which was sudden and perhaps out of the blue experience for her. Except me and her of course, almost all the others were doing it pretty well but then came THIS GUY-

Father of Smokers-  Bhai, RESPECT! _/\_

I mean, I had never seen someone drawing out patterns and exhaling smoke in projectile motion! o.O

Plus, the 'Party All Night' track in the background made the ambiance even more enjoyable, all of which, still, couldn't make the girl learn this art, as she would inhale in giant proportions which would magically disappear somewhere instead of coming out! We really had a great time there and perhaps this was the part which made her birthday a bit different. 

We had to return now and the metro station was the next destination where the metro card, which one of my friends had given me before I left college came in very handy. A tiring day it was for me as well as for her (as we both had pretty long train journeys on the previous day) which was evident when she rested her head on the metro door and closed her eyes and for a split second I realized the fact that I had almost forgotten how beautiful she is!

We still had an hour to go before we reached college. It was getting darker and so was my heart, as I knew, that an hour later, I will have to leave. So finally, I decided to talk, to pour my heart out and tell her how much the past six hours have meant to me; how much I have cherished each and every second that I was sitting next to her; how loved I felt when she took my specks and cleaned it with her sweater(This may sound stupid, but then I'm a kind of guy who is not used to even the smallest tokens of love and care); and yeah, how passionate and desperate I had felt while I was planning it for her. Suddenly, the time had started to run out, suddenly I had loads of emotions but a few seconds of time, suddenly I wanted the time to stop or rather the auto to run slow, suddenly I had started getting afraid of returning back to the place which I hated the most and suddenly, the auto stopped!

I had to quickly pack up and get ready to leave as my returning train was from New Delhi. We entered the college premises and all of a sudden the girl stretched her arms wide apart and looked towards the heaven as if she was saying- Thank you God. But before I could capture this, she was back to normal. Again, a spoilsport! I rushed to the hostel, packed up quickly, checked for the next train to Delhi, saw off those guys whom I had made friends with and left the hostel. My heart was heavy, but I didn't cry, and even if I would have, it would have been out of happiness and not sorrow. She came out to see me off, with the broadest of smiles that I had seen throughout the day, with two magazines in one hand and my birthday gift in the other, and said, "Humko bohot din se padhni thi ye, accha hua tum gift kar diye." 

I smiled and started walking towards the gate with her walking next to me in a similar manner as the day had started. I wanted to stop, wanted to sit and talk for my heart was still drenched as the butterfly had started to stretch its wings. I thought of asking Animesh if I could stay for a few more minutes but I knew that it was not to be. I placed my palm on her head and said, "Happy Birthday, God Bless you! Khush rehna!"

With these words I stepped out of the college gate where the auto was waiting for me. I turned around to see if she was still there behind the gate, but she had turned around (epic insult :P This wasn't a Bollywood scene, what were you readers expecting? ). With a heavy heart, I pushed myself inside the auto and the butterfly flew away!

Two hours later, I was sitting on my berth no. 44 in the S-11 compartment of 12802 Purushottam express, dead tired, hungry but at the same time with the feeling on contentment that at least I was able to be a part of that smile which I so dearly cherish on her face. 

Regrets-- Yes, I have a few. Girl, I did absolutely nothing. Trust me, I had thought of doing an ample number of things but those plans were far from getting executed. And that happens to be my biggest regret. I mean I wanted to surprise you every minute with some small tokens which I had thought of, but couldn't prepare them. I did nothing for you. I had thought that I would ask all of your college friends to gather at one place somewhere in you campus and organize a small thanksgiving ceremony, but I couldn't. There were many things that remained mere words and not actions and I apologize for it. If your birthday was as good as it was, it was because of those two gems that you have- Animesh Srivastava and Manish Porwal. They were the ones who did everything, every single thing to whom I owe the next two paragraphs--

To this guy- Our Plan Manager

Bhai, plane zarur udaana, leking pehle MBA kar lo. :P Desh ko zarurat hai tumhare jaise managers ki. Aakhir plane bhi to desh ke liye he udaaoge na! 

If you have to learn instant solutions to problems and last moment disaster management methods, he is your guy. Even I didn't know that the cake was to be presented there until he told me. We were discussing about the fact that she was getting bored and he said, "kahin bahar leke chalte hain and fir kuch karte hain." Nothing as such was planned, I think, when we left college but when we returned, everything looked like a well planned show! Also, if you have to learn how to be humble and how to have a correct attitude towards everyone, he is your guy. I mean, I have already told you several times, but I will tell you again that I was extremely humbled by the way you guys treated me and made me feel like home. Thank you.

To our Baniya-

The man behind the curtains, without whom the show would have lost its colour. 

Though you were completely surprising me with you sudden and magical appearings and disappearings from the venue, I knew that if there was a plan to be executed, you were the hard worker behind it. I think it was those gifts which were delayed that kept you busy but you were busy doing it for her and that is what matters. Thank you for co-operating with a total stranger in the way that you did and welcoming me with open arms.

Aman- Bhai, dil jeet liya tumhari photo ne! 

Kamlendra- Never saw you in school, but it was really great to meet you!

Lavang- Bhai, Respect!! 

And yeah, Neha Di- Thank you so much! You were among the first people whom I approached for this plan and you friendliness took me by surprise. I really enjoyed talking to you and thank you for that suggestion of  Birthday videos. Though I couldn't bring in the un-expected ones, but still, she liked it I think. Mission Successful! \m/

Finally, to you girl- What? Women are never satisfied, isn't it? You want more? I just wrote an entire note! 

(-_-)

Apologies if I missed out on something, but know this for sure, that I still can't pen down how exactly I felt each and every second that I was doing it for you.

P.S.- (You know the words)

The Sun and the Moon

PART-1

Long ago, even before God made Adam and Eve…

There were two best friends, who lived together with happiness and glee!

The guy was hot, in fact, a burning ball of fire,

Whereas the girl was the epitome of beauty, the best gift one could desire.

They grew up together, playing amidst mud and water,

A few silly fights here and there, but a million bursts of laughter!

See-saw was her favorite game, as she loved being lifted up into the sky…

“I want to find out what’s up there”, she said every time, to which he exclaimed-*sigh*

She loved running around all day, with him chasing behind with a water gun,

She would climb the slide all the way up, only to shout-“now push me down Sun.”

Walking hand in hand, sharing their meals,

Their friendship grew by leaps and bounds, and very soon she realized what her heart feels!

But before she could make him realize, the cruel fate played her part…

God summoned them the very next day, to assign them an important task.

PART-2

“Come my children, my most precious ones”;

“Here, I give you the responsibility of a million buns”

Perplexed they stood, not understanding what God had just said,

So they asked curiously, “What is it that you have planned ahead?”

“A world, my children”, he said, “a world that would mark the inception of mankind”,

“That would rise with the sun’s glow, and sleep under the moon’s light!”

With that God pointed towards the earth, and showed them his dealings,

The sun was overjoyed with it, though the moon had mixed feelings.

The very thought of parting scared her soul, her soul- as pious as dove,

 Because now, she knew very well, that what she had for him was love!

So, with a heavy heart and a frightened soul, she went to God and said…

I love him dear father, without him I’ll be dead.

“You are too small girl”, God laughed and said, “love is an adult affair”

“My mortals would surely love you, don’t you worry, coz you’re indeed so beautiful and fair!”

“I am sorry my father, my heart is in his possession now,”

“It’s him and not the mortals, to whom my soul would forever bow!”

“How dare you mock my mortals?” God said with anger and rage…

When he mistook her love as mockery, being himself bewitched by fate!

She knelt down, as tears fell from her eyes, her lips chanting a hymn…

“This beauty would be of no use, if I am not meant to be with him”

This infuriated God even more, being blinded by wrath,

“The beauty which you so foolishly boast of”, he warned, “I can take it away in a flash!”

But still, the innocent girl stood her ground, still willing to stick by her beloved…

Because now, she knew the price she had to pay, to explore the sky above!

“Darn you insignificant fellow, let with this stroke of thundering burst…

… The evergreen beauty which you possess may immediately turn to dust!”

The girl was cursed and so was her love, victim of God’s stealth,

Her soul, pious and pure, was robbed of all her wealth!

PART-3

The sun was watching quietly, helpless against God’s might,

He rushed to her after it was all over, to aid her friend’s plight!

Took her in his arms and said, “You have me captivated dear, you have caused my heart to bend…”

“… For I have found solace in your heart, I will love you till the end!”

He hugged her tight and kissed her cheeks, his eyes drenched with tears,

He held her hand and promised her, to take away all her fears!

But fate had some other plans, and God did have a final say…

They were parted for sure, but their love never went astray!

The world was created, humans were born,

The sun, as asked, provided them with their first dawn!

The moon, although being cursed by the Lord couldn’t give them their night,

The sun saw that and said to his love,” here you have a part of my soul; here I give you my light!

”

Days went on, the world progressed, and they did their job as scheduled,

Buried the pain, into the core of their hearts, everyday silently they mourned!

We humans got used to it- the sun for the day and moon for the night…

Never did we realize their agony, living every day without each other’s sight!

Everything was fine, exactly as it was thought,

But that witch named ‘fate’, stood silently, smiling wickedly upon the Lord.

PART-4

Her trick worked, exactly as she had foreseen,

The human race proved out too good to be clean.

Vices, evil, pain and greed…

Instead of love, compassion, kindness and a noble deed!

They divided God, made religions, and mocked each other…

Only to remind him of the way he mocked the girl’s plea, without a percentage of bother!

Vicious intentions, disguised smiles, backstabbing creatures, miserable oneself…

The greatest enemy for man in this world was the man himself!

Hatred in the place of love, war in the name of peace,

The God’s world was turned to a place where his own children were killed in his own belief!

All this time, despite of the pathetic circumstance,

The sun and the moon did their job, without having each other’s glance.

To everything there is a limit, the time for the human race was up,

For God was forced to repent and empty the overflowing cup.

“Oh what did I do and how did it happen, where was the mistake in my script?”

“My sorrow is deep, too big to keep and it’s time for an apocalypse!”

“O my beloved lightning, here I command thee;

To put an end to the anguish and set the souls free!”

PART-5

So the world ended, mankind was swept,

At the end what remained was the promise of love which was kept!

There they stood facing each other, after some billion years…

With bleeding hearts, but the feeling of togetherness, eyes yet again filled with tears!

There she stood looking at her love, with a soul, still as pious as dove.

And there he stood looking at his darling, with the same warmth and that fire still burning.

With a heavy heart she hugged him tight and could barely utter- I love you;

He opened his arms, engulfed her in and proudly said- I love you too.

All i wanted to convey through this was that do not give up on love. If you truly love someone, be there, hang around, sooner or later you will be rewarded with your most treasured possession. Don't let fate snatch away the love of your life. It is you who is in love, and if it is really true, it's worth the wait. So everytime you think of giving up, look up to the sky. When they can wait for a billion years, why can't you?

Back there.. Back then..

Back then, life was sober!
Back there, life was simple!

To those 'crucial' morning assembly talks with persistent perseverance..
To that '19 absent, 20' style of attendance..

To those 'maths books' which were scarcely available..
To that 'three witches' scene, which when brought to life (by Gargi, Saumya and one other girl), was easily decipherable!

To those 'lunch boxes' which were exhausted by the time that big clock struck 10..
To that resounding cheer of 'whaat' in response to the big Ben..

To those sleep inducing environmental lessons..
To that 5 minute cleaning of first, the duster, and then, the black-board, testing everyone's patience..

To those completely chaotic calculus classes, with no heed to 'please keep quiet'..
To that 'love one another' advice, which brought the whole class to life!

To those d-pie, p-pie bonds..
To that 'starik' (asterisk), int, char and long..

To those innumerable broken test tubes, and mixing everything with H2SO4,
To that one manipulative reading, with proper margins for experimental errors for sure!

To that alley behind the chemistry lab, where I so merrily used to walk,
To those surroundings of the basketball court, where bicycles and bikes were parked.

To those Bus-garages which were the perfect hideouts for hide and seek,
To that computer lab journey from MS-Paint to Class peak.

To that territory beneath the stage which is still unexplored,
To the parish hall where innumerable talents soared.

To those times, incomparable,way back from July 2008.. (or 1996 to be frank)
To that 'All play and no work' from period one to period eight! 

Each one of this, wouldn't have had it's own pleasures, if it was not for you people who turned these daily incidents into everlasting memories!
Stay connected folks, for who knows if one fine day we might very well find ourselves under the same roof to start it all over again!

My second home- L.F.S. 
:)

Par and Prejudice

At times in life, we question ourselves, ‘did we deserve this?’ or ‘did we deserve any better?’ Often we come across situations in life, where we are left on the cross roads of oblivion. We just have no idea what to do, how to retaliate or just let it go- which happens in most of the cases. Whether it is that long queue at the reservation counter, where a hesitant young boy, gets bullied by some nuisance making brats to draw away his ‘tatkal’ appeal, or just stay back in the queue or it is the question of those hundreds of people whose survival is at stake courtesy the latest bifurcation resulting in 28 (+1). From a local to a national level, everywhere there is one question that beckons every time.  And that is the question of equality. And that is what I would like to talk about in the coming few paragraphs.

‘All are equal in the eyes of law.’ The hypocrisy of this statement is pretty evident in our country. India is a place where people don’t cast their vote; instead, they vote their caste. All this diplomacy that is going on currently and that has continued since decades doesn't really work unless the MP candidate from their constituency does not belong to the ‘majority caste’. Even now, when a common man, be it a villager, or a citizen from a reasonably developed town goes to cast his vote, he would always be thinking at the back of his head, that if ‘X’ comes to power, we may get more closure from the administration as Mr. X is of my caste/religion. There is a sense of trust, confidence and acquaintance for ‘X’ and similar feelings of mistrust, diffidence and hatred (most of the times) for the other one, no matter how deserving, qualified or dependable he is.

Why does this happen? Why are people scared of voting or should I say ‘believing’ in the 'other one', that even though his surname is different from mine, (But he too is a human being) and his ways of worshiping the Almighty is different, he would, by all means, serve justice to us at jeopardizing times. I am not the first person on earth to raise this question. This has been the status quo for the past many years and the fact that many of these questions have not been answered at the right time makes the country ‘unity in adversity’ instead of ‘unity in diversity’. Where the former is still in question, and yet to be tested, (in the modern world), the latter is vitalizing and it is what India is (or should I say ‘was’) known for. Also the fact that India was reborn the way it was on the midnight of August 14, left wounds and scars which needed quick healing. The seeds of this evil were sown then itself, and the Whomping willow (Potter heads would know it) which rose thereafter has been known to attack anyone who disturbs its branches. And no wand is powerful enough to cut it down as of now. This is the harsh reality. And somehow, we Indians have got used to it, which is again disheartening.

What I think the answer to this question is that very topic of discussion right now- Equality. The answer is the fact that everyone here wants to be treated equally, wants to enjoy equal rights, to taste equally good food, to get equally good education and to live an equally standard life. And when this does not happen, people lose faith and they get scared, they get selfish, they get possessive and that is where the devastation of harmony starts. And what’s even worse is the fact that every single Mr. X elected by the majority proves out to be ‘of the majority’ and ‘for the majority only’. That is where equality goes begging.  Anyways, I am not going to go into the details of this, as this is not the field of my expertise. I am a mere observer or I should say, the stupid common man. What I want to talk about, and what made me write this piece of work was one more daily life experience which came my way yesterday. Now, there is a possibility that I may be wrong, and people might differ with me on this, as my best friend did. But then, this is what I felt, and it is purely a generalized opinion and not targeted to any one individual in particular. And also it is not tampered by the rumors as there are in an engineering college.

A reputed IT giant visited our campus yesterday. As the current market conditions are prevalent, we all knew that we core engineering students had a very feeble chance. But then, we are out of options. The core companies do not visit, and if they do, they are very selective and require excellence and nothing short of it. And every one of us is not that good at what they ask, but that in no way means that we are not good at all. And when people develop this perception, and start biasing with the opportunities, it feels really bad. Moreover, the government sector requires cracking some competitive exams, which again is not that easy. Now, I am not saying that we want bread and butter and we do not want to work hard. We do, we work, and we accept when even after the hard-work we don’t get the results. At least, we would come back and tell ourselves that you were not there, just not there where you are required to be. But then, when even after working hard, we realize that it is not respected, and the standards for us to excel are far above than our counterparts, it hurts. Every single one of us needs a job. That is a fact. We need to earn a living. And there is nothing wrong, if try to get it using all ways possible. (the legitimate ones)

We had to qualify the written test to make ourselves eligible for the interviews. There was a paper specifically meant to test our analytical skills. Quantitative aptitude was the subject asked. We were really hopeful as we had to study aptitude for our core engineering tests as well and most of us were practicing it continuously. The first slot went in for the written test followed by the second and the third. We had a decent number of candidates from our branch, though not as many as the other branches. The results were announced, and at first, there was nothing surprising. The attitude of the IT companies towards the civil engineering students has been deteriorating since the recession which was clearly visible in the first round results. Where as many our batch-mates made it to the interviews, there were none from our branch. And mind you ladies and gentlemen, some of the best students of our batch appeared for the test only to get rejected and question themselves and their hard work. Same was the case with the slots that followed. By the end of the day, only 5 of my classmates and 100s of my other batch-mates from different disciplines made it to the interviews. Now there is a question- Are we really that deficient when it comes to analytical skills? Do we really need to work very hard in this regard? Were we so poor that only five of us made it through? The answer is no- A loud and a clear NO.

Before the placement drive began, our director assured us, that there would be no partiality involved at all and they are not at all inclined towards any particular set of students. But then, those words were far from the truth. The attitude of the corporate gave more impetus to it. Even after attempting the same number of questions as our other batch mates, and attempting them correctly, it was them who made it and we who didn’t. Now, I am not all of the opinion that they didn’t deserve. Please don’t get me wrong here. I am just saying that we too deserved to qualify the writtens. And the rumor, as said by our director, of branch wise cutoffs, wasn’t just a rumor. We had to attempt 24-28 questions out of 30 to get selected where as the number was 17-20 for our other friends. This is the inequality and the biasing which I am talking about. I am not saying that we people deserve to be there more than anyone else. I am talking about the biasing. I never said that all of us have those exact skills which these IT companies require for software developing and related stuff. You want to reject us, do that during the interview, but this kind of prejudice does not go down well with us. Either you do not allow us to participate, or if you do, make it fair and equal for all. That is all I am trying to say. Had you rejected us during the interview, courtesy the fact that we were unable to answer those questions which you asked, we would have been disappointed, but at the same time contended. We would have told ourselves that you don’t have what they require. That would have been completely okay with us. But what happened is hard to digest. Why the hell do I have to score extremely well to get past the first round whereas similar attempts from my other friends are appreciated and are successful? What it does is, that it makes the candidate question his/her abilities- Those abilities on which he was working very hard to polish. I am not saying that we have got what it takes to work in an IT company or we do have those competencies that they require. Maybe we would have been rejected anyway. But at least that way, there would have not been a question of doubting our abilities and we would have known that this is not our cup of tea. And most importantly, we wouldn’t have felt played upon or treated with blinking eyes.

Lucky were those who made it to the interviews as they were treated equally and were asked equally good questions. Yes, no biasing here. They require programming skills, and we were asked programming questions, and even though we had little knowledge, we gave our best and won’t be disheartened if we are rejected. But what about those who are sitting right now in their hostel rooms, rejected, disappointed and of the opinion that they won’t get a job. Because, if this was the attitude of India’s best IT company, we don’t know what to expect from the rest.

Now, as to where did I know this from, i.e. evidences. As I said, these are not rumors. People coming out after giving the test are my evidences. They themselves discussed the questions with us and told us as to how many did they attempt. And mind you, one of them may lie or two, but not all. And these times, where all of us desperately need a job and are toiling for it, you don’t expect us to fool each other. Each one of us sitting in that auditorium yesterday wanted the other one to get selected, because none other than the final year students would realize the importance of getting a job. And when such a thing happens, it really is heartbreaking.

Once again, Mr. X played with us. Once again, we are scared, we do not trust and we are not at par. Once again, equality went begging. You may not realize the gravity of the situation, but we, the ones who have to face the music, and have to bear the ever increasing burden of expectations, do. Those corporates know exactly how it feels to be unemployed at these times of one’s career and yet they do this. I am just requesting one thing- don’t give us false hopes if you cannot fulfill them. We would rather be happy to be called a fool in ‘mockery’ than to be called intelligent in ‘sympathy’.

But then, this is how it goes as pointed out by my friend. And it’s right. This is exactly how it goes and is the harsh reality. And I am not going to illustrate how to eliminate this. Because we already know!

Wall-D (A tribute to Rahul Dravid)

If there is one thing in this country, which is comparatively un-marred by any of those several vices that are presently eating the nation from within, it is cricket. And by cricket, mind you ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about whatever happens on the field, and not off it. Whatever happens after those 11 men, in the India jersey, step on the field carrying with them the hopes, aspirations and most importantly, belief of a million people on their shoulders. Whether it turns out to be an unbelievable victory or a thrashing defeat or a nail-biting encounter, for those 100 overs or the 5 days that the team is there on the green turf or on the 22 yards, the nation stands as one. Now this, despite of us being sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic and republic, rarely happens. Yes, there are other sports, and there is no disrespect intended to them, but cricket unites a million people like no other thing does or probably will ever be able to do. There might be two people quarreling all day over their own political parties, or religious faiths or even for a berth in a railway compartment, but once the clock strikes 9.30 or 01.30 and once the Wankhede erupts seeing  MSD  coming out for the toss, there is a very high probability that the same two people might forget their day’s endeavors and cheer for the number 10 jersey guy to get yet another hundred. (Yeah, I know he has retired.) Cricket binds, it ties together a majority of that 1.2 billion ‘not-so-compatible-with-each-other’ Indians for eight straight hours. Now that is some achievement.

When the entire nation is glued to their television sets or to those big LED screens at the stadium itself, with tricolors wrapped around their bodies, there are people who are actually carrying the load and the pressure of all these eyes which are fixed upon them in the hope that they will do it once again for the country; In the hope that they will, once again, give them (the people) an opportunity to light some crackers and dance wildly in the middle of the night when India thrash Pakistan by 10 wickets. This piece of work is a dedication to one such man who did it for the nation days after days, years after years for 16 straight years. No matter at what position he was made (or rather had to) bat at, or what condition the team was in, or how hefty the run deficit was, or how difficult the wicket was to bat on, he was the guy who did his job amazingly well beyond all expectations. That is why whenever his name comes up in a discussion, the first thing that strikes my mind, is the epic dialogue once said by Harsha Bhogle—

“If you ask him to walk on ice, he would say, “Okay, how many kilometers?”

I mean, India doesn’t have openers, will you open the batting?

“Yes.”

“ The openers are doing a really good job, we need to accelerate, and we are sending in power hitters, can you bat down the order?”

“Okay.”

“Both the openers have been dismissed cheaply, will you bat at number 3 and steady the ship?”

“Okay.”

“We need you to keep wickets, as there is no place for a regular keeper (or we don’t have one), lest to disturb the balance of the team. Will you?”

“Okay.” (He kept wickets in spite of being a non-regular keeper throughout the entire 2003 world cup)

Yes, there are no guesses involved here, we are talking about the only ‘wall’ of the country(be it physical or psychological) which is yet to be breached.

Rahul Sharad Dravid, as the name  goes, happens to be one of those pillars of Indian cricket which would always be a source of unending inspiration and an un-exhaustible source of light which would always show the correct path to all the descendants  of the game. When India batted second, and no matter what the condition of the match was at any particular point of time, once I saw a ‘not out’ against R Dravid or when I saw that he was yet to bat, I always assured myself that even if something drastic happens from here on, he was there and will definitely do the job of a silent guardian, and our progress may be slow but will unquestionably be steady. He will keep the score board ticking with those singles and doubles and being the classy batsman that he is, he would find the odd boundary whenever the asking rate crept up. Every time I saw Dravid walking back to the pavilion, my heart broke, because now I knew that even though a win might be just around the corner, but now, since the anchor of the team has been dismissed, there may be a few hiccups here and there. I mean, with that Indian team of the 90’s and up to 2003-04(the Tendulkar dependent era) we could always expect the words “I will join you soon” when the dismissed batsman and the incoming batsman crossed their ways.  But not now, because there is this guy named Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who literally baits the opposition throughout the entire time for which he is at the crease telling them that,  “Yes, you have got a chance of winning the contest”, only to make a joke out of  their attempts in the final overs and hand India a nail-biting successful finish. And now, we are getting used to it. Anyways, let’s leave Dhoni for some other day, and come back to the ‘Chinnaswamy’s Heart-Throb’.  

Now what made me throw away my laziness and pen down this piece of work was a video on You Tube that I was watching last night. It was Dravid’s felicitation ceremony organized by the BCCI, and throughout his entire farewell  speech the sentence which he used most often was—“Playing for India humbled me.” Yes, being humble! That was one of the most valuable asset that Dravid had and which was on display through out those 16 glorious years that he had spent with the Indian dressing room. Not on one occasion did we find him engaging in a verbal spat with the opposition fast bowler who continuously threw short pitched stuff and gave him glares mixed with the ever so friendly (non-agitating) words. In fact, he was one of the few men in the Indian cricket team who would successfully hook the short-pitched deliveries over the fence, and the fine leg or the square leg fielder would merely be a spectator. 

We all remember what Michael Slater once said, expressing  deep regret after trying to break Dravid’s concentration—“Sledging against Dravid was one of the biggest mistakes.”

And also Dhoni’s lines at the adieu ceremony—

“In today's flamboyant world, where people think aggression is mostly verbal, he was someone who would never say a word to the opposition. He would keep it to himself, and make sure that when he is on the field, whether it is with a brilliant catch or helping the skipper or being the skipper or planning something for the batsman or staying at the crease, make the most out of it to get India win a game. He was someone who would channelize all the aggression and the discomfort that was given to him by the opponents in the best possible manner."

That says it all. That is Rahul Dravid for you ladies and gentlemen. The perfect example of patience, perseverance and concentration blended with talent, class and a God bestowed gift of exquisite timing and placement as mentioned  on several occasions by Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar. The moment that red cherry left his willow towards the cover, extra cover or the point boundary, literally piercing the packed off-side field, as the opposition captain used to set against him, there was no stopping it. And the vintage Dravid shots such as the off drive, cover drive and typical Dravid square cut were on display. And Mr. Gavaskar, as he so often does, began applauding by his typical lines—

“Magnificent shot. Look at the head position. It’s so still… He got behind the line of the ball, on the front-foot and drove it past the cover fielder for four runs. What a timing and placement! And the footwork too…”

He literally owned the square-cut for all those 16 years that he played international cricket. There were very few gentlemen in the international sphere who could play that particular shot as good as he did. Also, what lures me every time to follow Dravid and his way of living life were his own words at the same thanksgiving evening—

“ I have experienced, like I said, great joys. I have experienced some unbelievable victories, and I have experienced crushing defeats in my career as a first class cricketer. You know, what I have realized with it is that everything does pass, and you know, we can endure and we can survive.  It humbled me; I think playing for India humbled me, it really appreciated… it made me appreciate how lucky I was, you know, to be able to do what I did for so long.”

The fact that despite everything that he faced throughout his international career, from staggering hundreds to first ball ducks, from hitting the winning runs to being accused for playing too slow, he had the will and determination that deterred him from getting distracted, either form the success, or the failure and made him even more focused on the one job that he was always supposed to do, and that was-- To play for India.

For an international cricketer, or any sports person for that sake, it is really very hard to be focused and perform consistently on a regular basis without being distracted by whatever is going around you. I mean, it’s not simple at all. It’s not that easy as it looks on the television screen. I mean, to travel the world, adjust to foreign conditions, to let go of the ‘war of words’ that the opposition (particularly England and Australia) launches  in those ‘much talked about’ press conferences, to get used to the pace of the pitch, to keep yourself fit and running and most importantly, to perform when you are required to regularly despite the busy calendar takes a toll on the cricketers. And to come out on top, despite all these roadblocks is what characterizes this man. Though, many of us remembered or still remember him as someone who scored 1 off 23 balls before getting played-on to a wide Jason Gillespie delivery during a league game of the 2003 world cup, or remember him as the captain of the team which had a disastrous 2007 World Cup, I choose to differ. There are lean phases in everyone’s life and Dravid is no exception.  In fact, the way a player reacts to these situations and circumstances, and the way he recovers and comes back, is what defines his greatness. And that is what Dravid has done on countless number of occasions.

I rather choose to remember him as the only guy who scored back to back centuries in the last calamitous tour of England where the world champions were humbled 0-4, making it one of the worst outings that the team ever had.  I choose to remember him as the guy who along with the ‘Very Very Special’ Laxman, (who himself had kangaroos for breakfast, lunch and dinner) gave nightmares to the then World champions on many occasions, two of which have been imprinted on to the memories of the Aussies and of course the Indians, forever. The first one being the most celebrated ‘Eden Gardens’ test  of 2001 where we literally thrashed them after recovering from follow-on. Not to forget that impeccable 281 not out by VVS Laxman who was brilliantly assisted by Dravid who himself scored a majestic hundred. Now that test, marked a turning point in the history of the India-Australia rivalry. It gave the much needed air to the Indian side of the flame, which was there previously, but lacking the heat. The fire, which then built up, led to many more accomplishments against them in the subcontinent,  as well as, down under.  

This brings me to the second one of those ever rejoiced victories which came on their soil this time around. It was the famous Adelaide test of India’s tour of Australia in 2004. Once again, it was Dravid-Laxman partnership that  proved out to be the barricade between the Aussies and a probable victory. And you know what was even more heart-warming ? Dravid’s gesture after hitting the winning runs. He hit a cover drive to the boundary, pumped the air, roared in ecstasy, removed his Test cap and kissed it. That was how much he loved playing and winning it for the country. He then after, spread his arms and saluted the crowd, for whom he did it every single time he represented Team India.

I choose to remember him as the captain of the team who gave our first overseas test-series victory in England as well as the West Indies.  I choose to remember him, as the guy who has this record of hitting a century in both the innings of a test match; a guy who on countless occasions with his patience and the ability to bat for long hours saved the game for India; a guy who holds the world record for maximum number of catches by a non-wicket keeper in test matches; a guy who belongs to the elite 10,000 run club, both in the test matches, as well as the ODI. I would forever remember him as the guy who, in those chain of victories that the team had batting second after the 2007 World Cup, played a pivotal role through his 50’s, 60’s and even sometimes 90’s and centuries and guided the team home on several occasions. There are many more reasons for which I would remember him and would also rate him as the most consistent Indian cricketer that I’ve ever known. (Even after being a die-hard SRT fan)

The epitome of humbleness, the brand ambassador of greatness, a true gentleman is what Rahul Sharad Dravid is. I’ve left aside his accomplishments and deeds off the field for now. You can read it here only to realize how good a person he was in real life as well.

http://www.quora.com/Rahul-Dravid/What-is-Rahul-Dravid-like-in-real-life

To the man who contributed so much to Indian cricket that now the number 3 spot, which lies vacant, would be very hard to fill in. There are many talented youngsters coming in but to fit into Dravid’s shoes is not going to be a walk in the park at all; To our unsung hero (hard reality), to one of the best that the world has ever seen, to The Wall— Rahul Dravid.

We love you.

You will be missed.