~ Reflections ~

Despite all the storms we've seen together And all the battles we've fought with ourselves & others Sitting next to you, with your arm around me Makes my world feel like heaven..

Words will only crowd the emotion.... Only his own words can do justice !! No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life.  It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

So are you the kind who likes to start with the dessert... Or do you like ending the meal with one... Only recently did it occur to me that even the way we eat, especially the best part of our meal, is an apt reflection of our attitude... What I am trying to suggest is.. do we start with the best part... or like to save the best for the last.... Tell me if I am wrong.. but isn't that the way we treat most things in life....  getting over with the mundane work at hand, hoping that we'd finally do the best stuff in the end... The only difference is that there is a defined end to a meal.... but the quantum of mundane work for a day is unlimited !!! 

Fear is an important component in life.. The fear of loss... the fear of gain... The fear of being left alone... the fear of being lost in a crowd.. And all it takes is some self-confidence... and your loved ones.... To feel secure again :)

Its almost a heartening sight when you see someone facilitate the movement of an ambulance on the road... Though I've mentioned it in the past , I think most of us need re-iteration, especially when it comes to etiquette on the road... So what kind of drivers are we... One with the mind on the road... or is it just eyes.... What I am trying to ask is.. are we the kind who drive, with just music to enjoy... or do we believe in multi-tasking.... Lord forbid, but that multi-tasking might leave us incapable of doing any other task in the future !!!

We try and make every moment special... By talking, loving, caring... In that every moment is unique.. makes it even more special... So why then, do we seek to make those days (read birthday/anniversary etc) special... I guess we all live life as it comes... so we like to preserve the occasion by making the day memorable... But in our race against time... Aren't we wasting lots of moments that go by, waiting for these special days ?!? PS: My husband has started calling me Sigmund Fraud .. Can't think of a better gift :) I guess that only encourages me to post more of my theories...

Our parents are the single biggest influence in our lives... But if we believe that they the only ones, its untrue... We are all like sponges... observing things around us, and absorbing what we like... The rate of absorption might reduce with age, but I doubt it ever stops... Since our school teachers are the people we observe most, when we are kids... they are the other set of strong influence.... To all those who taught me... knowingly & unknowingly.. Thank you... for doing what you're doing.. the way you are doing it.... Because atleast I've learnt from it....

I've heard some wise man say that a pessimist looks both sides while crossing a one way road... What would you say if not being a pessimist turns into your worst nightmare ?!? Taking a turn on the NH8 without looking out on both sides of the road could be fatal...  What is worse... you begin to feel stupid for not looking both sides before taking the turn (on a 1 way road !?!) The question is not whether what is being done is right... or wrong....  It is more to do with the implications.. if you are adamant about following the rule book.... But again.. if I were to address the larger question... where should one be drawing the line ?

Most of us feel guilty once in a while... if not most of the time... It would be interesting to dwell on the reason we feel guilty... If we look beyond what seems like an innocent emotion... we'll find that its a vicious thought our mind propagates in order to calm our conscience.... The inherent nature of the emotion is a cover-up.. and eyewash... for ourselves...

I have a specific complaint with Indians (pardon my targeting citizens of just the subcontinent... but here is where I've witnessed it !) Whether it is a bhajan/kirtan session.. a puja to celebrate a festival.... or a call for that day's namaaz ... or a sermon being given by a famous priest.. we have learnt to use microphones to the most....  It's as if we want to tell everyone around us what we are upto...  I always thought connecting with god, or atleast attempting to, was a very personal intimate thing... which is why it amazes me when all of us attempt to advertise these dialogues with god... I understand, that in today's world, everything needs publicity... from a tiny chewing gum to a man's ego... But I am always left wondering if the communication would have been more effective the other way... Afterall, how will you get peace of mind, when you are disturbing the peace in other people's lives..... PS: I am sorry if I hurt anyone's sentimen

All of us love our parents... But I doubt, if even once in our lifetime, we tell them how much we love them... ya ya.. I get it... that some things are understood, and need not be said... but once they start getting old... these are the things that keep them going... to know that they are loved... that we'll take care of them... Afterall, life comes a full circle.. from their holding our hand to walk... to us holding theirs....

Our mind is a funny thing.. Lapping everything up... But then, all it takes it the tide..  to change....   and  we start revealing some... concealing some... and then... sometimes things just show up.. on the shore... Photograph Source: Google Images

I guess all of us have noticed the recent advertising Google is doing for itself... Needless to say it's trying to reinvent itself (again) through Plus... It just goes to show that the best of us need to showcase our abilities once in a while... Gone are the days when people try and take the time out to "notice" different new things... Now, one needs to showcase the different side, even if that means you take the most common way to tell the world !!

All of us have sides..  Is it the good.. the better.. and the best... or  Is it the good.. the bad.. and the ugly... PS: If you haven't already guessed.. this is one of the many masterpieces created by MC Escher . If this has intrigued you enough, you'll find more of his stuff here .

As far as I could remember, one would always wish to do things the right way... the underlying assumption was always that the way is being sought for doing the right things :) I guess doing things wrong doesn't need directions (unless you are seeking directions while circling the roads of delhi ;) But as things progress from the mono-colour world of black n white to the land of grey's.... discussions about "the right way for the wrong thing" shouldn't have come as a surprise... I mean... haven't we always known that there is only 1 unique right thing - right way combination... imagine the confusion in picking the "right" way to do the "wrong" thing... So if I had to choose simply, isn't it easier to pick the right thing - right way option... easy on the brain you know !!!

What happens if you are crossing the road and a bike suddenly rams into you.... Besides the fact that you'll probably be unconscious (or maybe you wish you are), what is the first thing that will come to your mind... Thank god I am alive !! But what happens if you've just witnessed someone getting rammed! Whats your first impulse ? Wonder what the sign means ?

There is a fine line between praise and flattery... What sounds like music to our ears needn't always be true... But what if the words are well meant, and you think its flattery... What is worse... believing flattery.... or hurting someone you love... Where do we draw the line.... Or do pessimists always assume the worst !!!

History (from Greek ἱστορία - historia): "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation" If we dwell deeper in the word, it brings out the past - the good, the bad, the ugly... and so, is a strong tool to develop opinions.... Needless to say, most poeple are "taught" history as children.... I remember pouring through books of history in school to scrape through my history test. However, almost 20 years later (goodness, its been very long !!), I realize that history should not be taught... poeple should be allowed to explore it for themselves, and the society should just provide the tools... to explore freely, whichever aspect we wish to... Though my liking for history stems from school, it is more due to my teacher, who acted like a narrator of the events that have gone by, rather than someone trying to preach a moral outcome.... school only touches the tip of the iceberg... History is unbound, and growing every moment... even as I write this blog...

Decisions are part of all our lives... Some are taken by others on our behalf... and for some, we manage to summon the courage to take the leap ourself... But each and every decision taken has a bearing on our circle of influence.... So when we take the plunge (I mean when we try and decide for ourselves), do these people figure in our consideration set at all.. And having said that, didn't we always dream of being independent people, where our mind and thought was free from any other constraints... 

What do you find easiest to concentrate on.... some would say god... some would say themselves... but somehow, whenever I make an attempt to concentrate on something is precisely the moment when my mind begins to wander.... Maybe our subconscious loves playing the Devil's Advocate...  trying to challenge us to not let us do what we have set out to do :) Isn't that the case always... for everything.... I wonder how people concentrate on anything ;)

In our busy lives nowadays, we seem to spend most of our time in office, and the remaining time on the roads (driving, i mean)... Its interesting to observe how people react to different situations on the road... I've come to believe that it has a direct correlation with our actual behaviour (or maybe our closet behaviour)... For instance, what would be your instantaneous reaction when you see an ambulance, with a blowing siren coming behind you... don't bother clearing the passage for it - a  dumb ass who doesn't bother about rules, not even when it's a matter of life and death for someone else clear the way, and the immediately follow it - an opportunist who has found a  way to beat the traffic clear the passage, wait for it to pass by, and then proceed with wherever you were driving to - normal bahaviour (or so I thought) of a cool headed individual clear the passage, and remained on the sidelines - laid back individual, who is not bothered about pace Disclaimer

People like us, i mean those living in metros, have a tendency to seek calm and peace... we search for an environment that would soothe us... But most of us (or maybe all of us) tend to miss such gifts of nature right in our backyard... The early morning sunrise (though m sure all of us stake claim to having watched sunrise at a hill station :)) the twitter of birds (not celebrities!!) after sunrise the early morning dew, and the smell of grass wet because of it the smell of wet mud after the first rainfall in summer where are we when all this is happening..... neatly tucked in bed ?? or working in those concrete jungles?? Is it worth it????

Its appraisal time... so would enjoy appraisal of the blog too... So bring it on... The good, the bad, the ugly.... What should be changed, what should be retained.... Or should I just stop blogging and head to the Himalayas and make peace :)

Interesting mail I received recently.... A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled body and shriveled wings. It

Wrinkled faces... young at heart... Youth rising.... antiquated thought.... Identity of age.... tautness of skin ?!? Beauty of age.... the spirit of the mind Lets just hope that as our body gathers the dust of age... our mind sheds all the age... after all there has to be a balance !!!

Most of us believe in signs... Signs people give.. Signs life decides to show us... So what does it mean, when in a single day, I almost ran over someone... almost fell from a staircase.... and then got jacked at work... I guess it means that I should treasure what I have, and not take it for a ride.... Or is it that I'm living life on the edge and could fall any moment.....

I give you light..  I show the way.. I support you..  I melt away... Giving... is selfless.... Getting.. is unconditional... And it is equally important to appreciate both.... Afterall, you never know when you are on the other side...

Man evolves physically... but I've come to believe that we are slowly devolving (if such a word exists) emotionally & psycologically... Our previous generations had blind faith... in their elders/forefathers or who ever they chose to believe.... M not saying blind faith is good... atleast they had the strength to stand by their belief... What are all of us doing now??? In the name of experimentation, we dabble in different things, without understanding the reason/basis of it... j ust for the sake of experimentation, we are not only letting go what we have, but are getting into some new unknown.... Call me old fashioned, if thats what this is.. but I've always learnt to question... I'm not averse to change or experimentation.. but not without a basis.... Remember the science experiments we used to do in school.. Aim... Apparatus... Theory.. Method....  That's the way to follow here also...

Its human tendency.. to look around... compare... admire what others have... crib about what we don't... I guess that's why, when Onida had launched the campaign "Neighbour's Envy, Owner's Pride" , it was such a huge success. But there is another catch... is the pride subject to the fact that what you have is someone's envy !?! PS: Another thought... I wonder why it is symbolized by the Devil ;)

All of us have another side... a Jekyll & a Hyde... a black swan & a white... What matters is not that there is a split.. but what we let prevail... Afterall, it is all in our control... or is it that we try and control too much....

The anger within.... The calm outside... The anger brought out... The calm within... Afterall, there has to be a balance Credits for Photograph: Joshi Daniel - The Monster Within (from http://joshidaniel.com/2010/07/06/103/ )

iss sanaate mae sab sunai deta hai jo hum chehre se chupa lete hai iss kadar sab saaf nazar aata hai ke raunshni ka asar he na rahe

It seems to be easiest to make decisions/judgements based on faith for a 3rd person... slightly easy to make for oneself... but when it comes to a loved one... somehow the faith in the bigger power reduces...  Suddenly taking that leap of faith is not all that easy... 

we all like to put in the best for the ones we love... and as we strive towards the "best", we loose track if the person really wants all this... I guess each of us just try to satisfy our own wishlist...  the loved ones are just an alibi :)

What is easier... to make the choice.. to take the choice... or wait for time to show you the way... Or maybe all this just seems easy...  there is essentially no "choice" involved...

All of us love talking about the ideal... the epitome.... all of us have those images.. or should I say, Illusions... I wonder why we fail to see that the best in the world need not necessarily be the best for us....

Silences... the most versatile moments if I might say so... The happy ones.. the sad ones... The playful ones.. the ruthless ones... The meaningful ones... Some with none at all.... The ones that say it all... the ones that don't say a thing... Some meant to fill the spaces... Some meant to create them... As much as we claim to know a person..  I often wonder if it is ever possible to understand the silences that pass a conversation..... Hmmm.....

the speed of time..  the lethargy of the moment.. the clock ticking by...  yet the moment not letting go...

"Dhoop Ke Ujaale Si, Puns Ki Pyaale Si, Khushiyan Mile Humko.. Zyada Manga Hai Kahaan, Sarhadein Na Ho Jahaan, Duniya Mile Humko.. Par Khudha Kheir Kar, Uske Armaan Mein Kyun Bewaja Ho Koi Kurbaan.. Gujha Muskuratha Hai Kyun Waqth Se Pehle Kyun Chodd Chala Tera Ye Jahaan... Ek Lau Is Tharah Kyun Bhuji Mere Maula Ek Lau Zindagi Ki Maula.."

Moving on is simple, it's what you leave behind that makes it so difficult. Photograph: Ahmed Shajee Aijazi & Hamza Azeem - "Escaping Birth"

I was high (in the air.. what did you think ;)) when it all came to me.... Clouds are like dreams... we see them give shape of our thoughts.. And when dreams collide...  it rains !! Eureka!! which then either go down the drain (literally !!) or do something more constructive...

udaan bharne ki koshish sabhi karte hai kuch pankho ke saaath, aur kuch apne hauslo se par udne mae mazaa tabhi aata hai jab lage na darr, neechae aane se

Everytime I'm falling down all alone,  I fall to pieces...

So what are the different sources of energy that come to your mind...  Petrol , Gas , Nuclear Fission , Fusion , Photoelectric.... Here's a new source.. Words..  They can propel your thought.. Move you to action...  Make you realize your potential.. and if the push (read words) is strong enough, then ensure action :) They can hold your thoughts and build your potential... break the dam of patience and result in a flood...

Every thought, every emotion , every action has its own lifecycle... From the initial kisk.. to the euphoria & the heat to accomplish.. to the joy of fulfilment... to the satisfaction that the needful has been done... to the emptiness that nothing is left to do..  till we find something new again to kick start the whole process again :)

Borrowed from Pravs.. couldn't find anything more apt

I like keeping it simple... or atleast that' s what I've tried so far... Then why do I suddenly feel like I'm complicating it for myself...  Maybe because life became to mundane, and its time for some change...

"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." ~ Ayn Rand

"... the quality of men who are selected by these modern democratic methods of adult franchise gradually deteriorates because of lack of thinking and the noise of propaganda... He [the voter] reacts to sound and to the din, he reacts to repetition and he produces either a dictator or a dumb politician who is insensitive..." This is what Nehru had to say about the Indian Democratic System when the Indian system was being created....and to think the description is even more apt today, where we have politicians & citizens who lack the passion that existed in those days.. Jinhe Naaz hai Hind par wo Kahaa hai.. Kahaa hai kahaa hai kahaa hai  !!!

We are all like Sponges... soaking up what we see / hear and assimilate around us... but every sponge has its capacity to absorb.. So till we dry up or throw out some of the stuff we've got inside... we'll stop soaking it up... " Habit is a second nature which prevents us from knowing the first, of which it has neither the cruelties nor the enchantments.  " ~ Marcel Proust

Thought... rumination... Beauty... reflection... Feelings... emotion... Dreams.. ambition..

2 girls... nonchalantly chewing gum... casually dressed in jeans and t-shirt... could have been anyone... who's to tell the difference... the fact that it was the middle of the night (don't we all haunt the streets of Delhi at odd hours)..  or that they were with a pimp.. made me feel insecure... sad....

Here's my solution to Communal Riots & Religious strife... The government should give incentives for...  Intercaste / Inter-religion Marriage !!!! It will then become all in the family :D

Living in the fast paced lives that we do.. we have very few things in our live that we do outside of the circle of work...  So when we go out to watch movies, most of us go for sheer enjoyment... so the farther the movie from reality, the greater the chances of the crowd enjoying it.. Don't get me wrong, there are still few connoisseurs of good serious cinema which is closer to reality.. but the breed is fast depleting... N why not...  Blame it on our lifestyles !!!

I've been reading a collection of essay's by Arundhati Roy.. Some of the stuff she has to say makes a lot of sense.. here's a sample... "The nuclear bomb is the most anti-democratic, anti-national, anti-human, outright evil thing that man has ever made. If you are religious, then remember that this bomb is Man's challenge to God. It's worded quite simply: We have the power to destroy everything that You have created. If you're not (religious), then look at it this way. This world of ours is four thousand, six hundred million years old. It could end in an afternoon." For anyone who wants to atttempt reading them, here is one of them, titled "The End of Imagination", which featured both in Frontline &  Outlook .

The more I see my grandparents and parents, more I feel that it is important to live in the present, for the present. But the more we live just for the present, more complicated our future seems to be getting.  

Ever watered plants in the summer heat...  Not only is it a satisfying experience (because the plants suddenly seem alive ! ), the smell of wet mud is intoxicating. It somehow isn't important whether the plants thanked me in words.. what I gave led to the satisfaction, that of good use, and that's all that matters.

Ayn Rand's world of perfect competition is one in which I'd love to live in.... where everything is as per my capability and capacity, the fruit I get it what I've earnt..  and I have no family to satisfy... and I have absolute health... no worry of diseases (I'm not talking about a diseased thought though)..

We all have the tendency to blame our parentage for most things.. for our habits, opinions, things we do wrong... We do learn quite a lot from our parents, but then blaming it all on them, and simply passing the buck (for not doing something the right way) is just escapism.. Its about time (considering we've spent about a quater of a century on this planet) that we stake claim to our actions and doings.

Here's my friend's status message... liked it a lot... Main logon se mulaqaton ke lamhe yaad rakhti hoon, Main baatein bhool bhi jaon, toh lehje yaad rakhti hoon, Sar-e-mehfil nigahein mujh pe jin logon ki parti hai, Nigahon ke hawale se main chehre yaad rakhti hoon, Zara sa hut ke chalti hoon zamane ki riwayat se, Ke jin pe bhoj main daloon woh kandhe yaad rakhti hoon!

The fastest judgements we make are about others. And the ones we accept the slowest are about ourselves. So by the time we realise the judgement is right, more often than not, we've already made the mistake again. No wonder they say that History repeats itself :) :)

We are all like onions... We need to peel the layers, to finally reach the core... But we weep so much in the process, that we give up midway...

The basis of everything in life seems to be Exchange... A favour for another.. some help for some more... Give and take...  Maybe I'm stupid... to think that its not about what you give or take.. its just what you wish to do... unconditional.. without compulsion or guilt...

There is something about the human touch that's reassuring.. Maybe because that's our first tryst with reality.. the touch of our parents..Or our first understanding of support... holding your finger I walk.. So whenever I'm afraid.. I need assure.. I try to reach out.. for that warm touch....

Recently discovered TS Eliot... Awesome stuff... found it difficult to pick the part I like the best... But couldn't resist giving a glimpse... Enjoy !!! Extract from Burnt Norton ~ T S Eliot At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is, But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity, Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards, Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance. I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where. And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.

Life is a funny thing... atleast most of the times.. We get what we don't want, Not what we expect.. Love the ideal, Miss the real... See what we want to, And ignore what we have... And then, on one of those depressing nights, regret doing it all..

We all see good times... and witness some bad times too... As long as we are not the subject of all this emotional seesaw, we seem to handle it well... But unfortunately, the true test, which most of us fail, is the way we handle it all... It's not about whether those tears finally trickle down your cheek after you reach the finish line.. or that you simply shrug your shoulders without any change... It's about how you were through the race, if you can call it that..  whether you can be happy, with others, even though the fruit is still forbidden... and face it all without finding faults.. My only conclusion is this.. Adversity shows us the worst.. only to bring out the best.. if we really try :)

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. ~ Tennyson

We like walls.. barriers.. boundaries... Not for others benefit , but our own.. Not that anyone would cross them.. But so that our thoughts don't cross them... And then we open a small window.. For those special few... Without realising, that the window will open you to all...

We all work.. and like to be rewarded when we feel we've done something worthy of appraisal. But what happens when you see the same reward being given to a mediocre performance and one which was par excellence. I guess we all need to learn to refuse... not just what we don't deserve.. but also when mediocrity is rewarded in the same breath and with equal gaiety as good work.

I actually got inspired by a blog-post I read.. so here's an attempt at a different form of expression... just humour me.. Beauty... seen through other's eyes.. Vision.. seen through my own... Wind.. blowing in my face.. Rain.. beating against it... Things... with names.. Relationships.. without... Secrets.. bottled up inside.. Truth.. staring at me.. Structured thoughts... randomly expressed.. My life.. an oxymoron...

Conversations.. atleast the long ones... always leave me with the longing for more... Needless to say that the realisation of how few of them I've had in the past really gives me a sinking feeling.. of how it will be in the future, when all of us will get busier, trying to fight our way to our professional goals... It all sounds good in books and movies that relationships are a thing of the heart, and they are never lost... blah blah blah... but in reality, it is essential to keep in touch... So here's to all my friends... I hope we all stay in touch... "Someone remembers, someone cares; Your name is whispered in someone’s prayers."

There is some kind of jinx... I'm not a celebration kind of person... I don't attach too much importance to birthdays etc.... I guess this is life's way of teaching me a lesson... The one time I really felt like celebrating... when I thought I had finally earnt it.. I am unable to... I deserve it !!! Damn !!!

We all give importance to different things in life... And for me, time is the essence... I dont mind reaching early.. but i detest being late... So now, when I am on the other side, makiing people wait for me.. I really don't know what to do/say to make it better...

This seems to be the eternal dilema we face all the time... Where do we draw the line.. On your palm an endless wonder Lines that speak the truth without a sound In your eyes awaits the tireless hunger Already looks for prey to run down So why do we keep up this charade How do we tell apart the time to leave from the time to wait What does tomorrow want with me What does it matter what I see If it can't be my design Tell me where do we draw the line The dance of flames and shadows in the street Make poetry nobody's ever heard The weight of loneliness stands on your feet The cage already there around the bird So why don't we join the masquerade Before it all falls apart before our love becomes insatiate What does tomorrow want with me What does it matter what I see If I can't choose my own design Tell me where do we draw the line Where's the cooling wind Where's the evergreen field Where's my mother's open arms Where's my father

There seem to be two ways of living life... (and since it seems to be raining in most parts of the country, thats the parallel I shall use) Some enjoy watching the rain .. maybe from a safe distance.. without getting wet... The others enjoy getting drenched in the rain.. like the feel of the raindrops on their head and body... Quote: "One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try."

What happens when you are suddenly let down.. not by someone else, but yourself... I'm yet to learn to cope with the feeling.. the sadness... It suddenly makes me feel weak.. or maybe I deserve it.. Maybe I had become overconfident.. and this was just a touch of reality...

This was a friend's gtalk status.... Really liked it.. No one will ever win the battle of the sexes; there's too much fraternizing with the enemy.

Sometimes simple appreciation from people who matter can make your day... It doesn't really matter how big or small the task was... Just the sweet after taste of the compliment stays... And the memory remains..

I walked in stealthily... tip toed into your life.. your thoughts... your mind.. and now you cannot think beyond me.. live without me... They call me doubt.. I call it insecurity..

Have you ever felt happy if you've had a fight with a person close to you... You might think I've become senile.... but that's how I felt recently... It's not that I enjoyed the moment of miscommunication... It's just that the relationship suddenly seemed more real... As if there was still life in it... Relationships having life :)

Read this somewhere... "Bheegi hui cigarette jal nahi sakti….. Aur yeh tay hai ki meri maut ki taarikh tal nahi sakti...."

More often than not, we resist change, and our overactive (or should i say over-reactive) brain starts concocting reasons to abstain from changing... but what we miss all the while is the newness and the excitement that change brings with it... Every new step looks like a giant leap, till taken.. and then it looks like a thing too small to talk about... All the same, every step is movement.. a change... and any change takes courage... " There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. " ~ Nelson Mandela

Change is a funny thing... Its perhaps life's way of playing tricks on us.. The moment of comfort is when things decide to change.. and when we long for a twist in life is when it all becomes static...

Maybe its that time of the year.. or just that I had the time, but i recently rediscovered some of the small joys of life... So I thought I should share some of them.. here goes... Fresh blades of grass on my palm... My fingers moving through running water... The feel of the strawberry seeds while eating it.. The smell of freshly ground coffee.. The intoxicating smell of the first rain beating the soil... We encounter most of these things regularly... but do we ever notice them.... Small joys come, not once in a while.. but quite regularly.. its just that we never recognise them...

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friendship is a funny thing. We put it through all the tests possible... all the fun, the fights.. But the moment you actually realise its importance, is when you are so close to losing it. Thanks for always being here...

Our life is a summation of the many relationships we create and then forge as per our liking... and they are THE reason most of us enjoy living our lives. But in each phase, we give importance to a different relationship.. our parents are our lives when we are young... we move on to school and friends move into our lives... their relative importance increasing as we move towards adolescence and adulthood... and so at each stage, we have different people by whom we get gravitated.... and its all good, because each of these relationships come of age, and we outgrow them when the time comes... What I'm trying to say, everything has a time, purpose, reason, season... and so does every relationship.... Or am I just looking for a reason to sever my ties with people !! मे मरासिम बनते है , लम्हों मे भला क्या टूटेंगे तू मुझ से बिचादना चाहे तो , दीवार उठा धीरे धीरे ~ ललित कॉल

"All my bags are packed Im ready to go Im standin here outside your door I hate to wake you up to say goodbye ..... Already Im so lonesome I could die" All of us have a time of entry and exit.. not just in this world, but also interms of each others lives.. So even though its good to treasure sweet memories, it isn't a good idea to cling on to them.. or you won't let new people enter your life..

There is also the debate on whether chivalry is good or bad... whether a man should take pride in being chivalrous.. and a woman should happily accept... or does it become a battle of egos between the two genders... The bigger problem of course is when the thin line of difference between chauvinism and chivalry is lost. Again, I m sure many people of the fairer sex (keep guessing whether I'm referring to the males or the females) tend to enjoy it all... but is it right.. Isn't giving help to the other sex irrespective of whether it is required, an attempt to show their superiority.I've met many men :) who take pride in not just being chivalrous but also chauvinistic . I really don't know if there is one right answer to this one... there are lots of people who enjoy the attention and help, and lots who detest it... The point is that the guy needs to be smart enough to understand what women want !!!

I know this not a very origional way of expressing my thoughts, but at this point in time, these seem to be the most appropriate... This song featured in Hazaaron Khwahishae Aisi.. sung by Shubha Mudgal.... Bavra Mann Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna Bavre Se Mann, Ki Dekho Bavri Hain Baatein Bavri Se Dhadkaane Hain, Bavri Hain Saansen Bavre Se Is Jahan Main Bavra Ek Saath Ho Is Sayani Bheed Main Bas Haathon Mein Tera Haath Ho Bavri Si Dhun Ho Koi, Bavra Ek Raag Ho Bavre Se Pair Chahen, Baavron Tarano Ke, Bavre Se Bol Pe Thirakna. Bavra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna... Bavra Sa Ho Andhera, Bavri Khamoshiyan Thartharati Low Ho Maddham, Bavri Madhoshiyan Bavra Ek Ghooghta Chahe, Haule Haule Bin Bataye, Bavre Se Mukhde Se Sarakana Bavra Mann, Dekhne Chala Ek Sapna....

Life has its own way of getting back at you... I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe that whatever happens is for the good... Like Steve Jobs said, in one of his famous speech, that we might not understand the significance of all that we are doing... but somewhere down the line, if we look backwards, we are able to join the dots, and then, it all makes sense... I guess I’ve successfully confused you n myself with my thoughts, so I’ll let the lyrics of the song by Byrd’s do the talking, or rather, explain :) To everything - turn, turn, turn There is a season - turn, turn, turn And a time for every purpose under heaven A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep ...... A time to build up, a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones A time to gather stones together .... A time of war, a time of peace A time of love, a time of hate A time you may embrace A time to re

The battle between The Right & The Wrong (not The Left !!) is not something new... Questions keep popping up in our head.. Here's my two pence to the debate... Who decides what is right.. the majority ?!?? Is there any common guiding principle ? And if not, then doesn't it all boil down to what you think is right, and what you think is not... Who is anyone to judge you and your thoughts.. one can only give their opinions... Just the way I am :)

There is something very strange about power.. If one was to measure its effectiveness, we'd realise... The lesser you use it, the more powerful you become..