~ Reflections ~

The last week of December always leaves me with a nostalgic feeling... Between looking back at the year gone by... and what the coming year might hold.... So  here's some of the stuff the year brought by... Movie of the year: Jolly LLB & Table No 21 Both movies from lesser known directors.. and none of the cliched A league stars.... but both Jolly LLB & Table No 21 proved that if you've got the right story, and directors & actors to pull it through, the audience will shower praise... I think such cinema is the biggest boon multiplexes have given us. Most hyped book of the year : The Oath of the Vayuputras I understand the emergence of this cult of authors who have taken to writing plots intermingled with ancient history/mythology... I guess the trend was started by Dan Brown internationally, and successfully encashed by Amish Tripathi & Ashwin Sanghi amongst other....  But with this book, Amish stretched the concept (which sounded like a nice one in ...

AAP has taken the Delhi political scene by storm. Its an affirmation, not just that everyone is fed up of the corrupt ways of the stereotypical political leaders.. its also proof that when someone suggests a change, the common man (literally) has the courage to extend support and stand by the change... No one thought Aam Aadmi Party would come so close to getting majority in the state elections , within one year of their formation... I was recently watching an interview by Barkha Dutt, where she was questioning Kejriwal about the way forward.  There is no doubting the motive or honesty of Arvind Kejriwal , or the genuine intent in representing the issues faced by the common man. Now that they have achieved a milestone, they need to put in some serious thought into how they plan to achieve what they have so successfully started.... a movement by the people, for the people... Its time to convert their idealism into more tangible, practical solutions... else what has risen...

Seem to be in this mode of enjoying shayari..  What better way than this... Jab jab dard ka baadal chhaya Jab gham ka saya lehraaya Jab aansoo palkon tak aaya Jab yeh tanha dil ghabraaya Hum ne dil ko yeh samjhaya Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai? Duniya mein yun hi hota hai Yeh jo gehre sannate hain Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain Thoda gham hai sabka qissa Thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa Aankh teri bekaar hi nam hai Har pal ek naya mausam hai Kyun tu aise pal khota hai Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai Credits: Lines written by Javed Akhtar for Farhan Akhtar in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Recently read these lines...  Apne gham ki numaish na kar, apne naseeb ki aazmaish na kar... jo tera hai tere paas khud aaega, har roz usse paane ki khwaish na kar... Chuu le tu aasmaan, zameen ki talaash na kar.. jee le tu zindagi, khushi ki talaash na kar.. Taqdeer badal jaegi apne aap he aey dost.. muskurana seekh le, wajah ki talaash na kar... So true....

In today's world, we seem to take our freedom, our democracy for granted... Maybe it's because our generation hasn't fought for it.....  or maybe, we haven't seen the other side...  That's why, Polling day has just become another Holiday,when most of us just unwind, and don't bother to Cast the Vote.. the reason why we have been given a day off in the first place.... The other worrying part is the total ignorance on the part of the voter, as to what is happening all around us... We are ever-ready to crib about the corrupt politicians, misbehaving cops and pathetic civic amenities, but won't open our ears to be aware about what is happening, or lift a finger to vote... This combined ignorance and laziness will cost us our freedom someday. Please Vote !!! It is one of the few chances we get as citizens to express our opinion !

Just whiling away time on the internet, I came across this website Friends2Support , which allows you to list yourself as a blood donor, and also look for one. In today's world of PE's, it makes me feel nice, and reinforces my faith in new ventures... when entrepreneurs take the plunge and not just generate revenue, but manage to touch the needs of our society.. Do go the website & signup....

In the middle of hustling bustling traffic, my car broke down. Not only did the cop not create a scene, he pushed it to a bylane, with the help of few strangers.. The surprises the day threw up didn't end there... 4 - 5 drivers waiting around helped restart the car when I  opened the bonnet to look for the possible fault... and finally an inquisitive student just came by, and literally plugged the problem... Don't have enough words to thank them all... Didn't know any of them, but am sure to remember how they helped me yesterday !  So the next time I am on the road, and I find someone in need of some help, I'll stop for sure... Because I am a firm believer.... What goes around, comes around..

You and me... we talk.. discuss...  pen down our philosophies.. the challenges we face.... We are the Surplus educated.. And this is what the concern of (what he himself calls), a little educated man can result in... Kudos !!!

A man is free to use the streets as his toilet, and flick out their p**** not bothering who all they are showing it off to.... And the slightest sign of a cleavage is sufficient to say that women don't dress up properly... they provoke the "man"kind... And then we talk about Gender Equality !!!!

Midnight MG Road, Gurgaon Inside a Car Waiting No street lights Long queue of trucks Truck drivers You enter the Car And I weep . . . . . . . . . Finally relieved that I am not all alone PS:  What amazes me is our vulnerability in such a situation... no one can understand unless they experience it..

Few know what we deserve... and even fewer get what we deserve... Because in our view, we always have a justification to give.. an answer worthy of the situation... It is for the other to decide... to react as per their senses... Because there ought to be a greater cause... a bigger picture... a balance... that makes it all worthwhile... Because sometimes... the truth isn't good enough... Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.... ~ Dark Knight

Life comes a full circle.. as much as we try and take shortcuts, detours...  What we give is what we get... Needless to say, we came into the world holding someone's hand, learning from what we saw... and we'll leave it, holding someone's hand, seeing the world, and wondering why they haven't learnt ! Photo Credit: Raghu Rai

Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong. ~ Ayn Rand

I am a patriot.  I am proud of what our country has achieved so far, and think we have great things going for us.  But if the biggest factor going for us is people... the biggest factor going against is also the people of the nation. If we have the likes of Ratan Tata & Dr Anji Reddy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw & Verghese Kurien, to name a few, who have showcased the ability of what an Indian is capable of... we also have a flip-side.  Whether it is corruption, illiteracy, female infanticide or crime, India figures among the few countries on top.  We never seem to think twice before strutting with pride on the mention of Tata or Kurien at any international forum. Then why does it take us so long to accept that we are the ones responsible for the worst as well. That WE need to take the initiative to move things towards the better...  That WE take it on ourselves to stop paying bribes, to educate everyone in our circle of influence, to be brave enough...

Family to me is not about blood, or just love... Family is about time spent, moments shared, issues discussed....  Participating & contributing in each others lives... Where you are allowed to make fun... but are never ridiculed... Where you might not have the last word on everything, but every word said counts...

Power attracts different reactions from different people... Some people get attracted to people with power... some prefer avoiding such people.... and there are the minority whose reaction doesn't change with the power a person has... There is a similar parallel for people with power... Anyway, what is power ? pow·er   [ pou -er ]  noun 1.   ability   to   do   or   act;   capability   of   doing   or   accomplishing   something. 2.  political   or   national   strength:   the   balance   of   power   in   Europe. 3.  great   or   marked   ability   to   do   or   act;   strength;   might;   force . 4.  the   possession   of   control   or   command   over   others;   authority;   ascendancy:   power   over   men's   minds. 5.  polit...

We walk around life, like we have the entire world's burden on our shoulders.. as if we are facing the biggest problems & the toughest challenges... As a result, we talk too much, think a little lesser... and seldom smile... Even if our day isn't going well, it doesn't harm to make someone else's day more special :) Credit: www.pravsworld.com

With the General Elections due next year, one would have thought (or rather, hoped) that the political parties would be working in full swing, to prove their mettle, and show that they are worthy of making the next government. Unfortunately, most of them are spending their time pointing fingers at each other. Don't get me wrong, I am a strong believer of the fact that a strong democracy is only when we not only have a strong ruling party, but an equally strong opposition.... But the current scenario is such, where neither is ruling nor the opposition are worthy... as a result, a majority of their time is spent slinging mud at each other & proving themselves innocent & the opposition guilty... The irony is that, even in the most tragic events, be it the Uttarakhand flood or the Poisionous Mid Day meal in Bihar, all the parties are scrambling in the race of finger pointing... No one has used the opportunity for finding a solution/relief in the crisis.... As voters, t...

Living in a nation that loves cricket, and married in a household where everyone breathes cricket, I would've thought (or atleast hoped) that I'd come to love the game too. Instead, it has brought me to this ludicrous idea.  What if our the sport of cricket was banned in India for an year.... I know it is almost an impossible occurrence, but just humour me for a while... Besides bringing a smile on most teachers faces, who keep fuming over their class watching cricket matches and not studying, it might achieve much more.... It will definitely bring down the advertising cost on all channels at prime-time (since cricket has also become an almost daily source of prime-time entertainment). Other sports (which might provide similar excitement in smaller games), will finally see the light of the day or rather, will finally get a spot for telecast. With all the spot fixing and other controversies surrounding cricket, am hoping the black money in circulation through...

When we are 16, most of us are wondering what we want to do with our life (i mean careers here)...  Some of us find our calling by interest, some by force, and some just manage to dabble through different things and get there.... However, in India, one of the most "chosen" careers is that of an Engineer. Its almost a national hysteria - an admission in a good Engineering college. This phenomena has had a ripple effect.. The first being that now there a huge number of Engineering colleges (with little or no infrastructure whatsoever) which are full of students trying to soak in the practical aspects of science and technology... none of them realizing that they'll soon become a part of this ocean.. of Engineering graduates (i refuse to refer to the likes of us as Engineers!!! )... The second is the total ignorance towards the other lesser known career options, be it psychology, journalism, law, photography, medicine, architecture, design and the many others... A dire...

I am often forced to ask others (and myself) this question, when they fail to see what is not necessarily visible to the eye... The image is a dream. The beauty is real. Can you see the difference ? ~ Richard Bach, in Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

I've read a few books so far.... Some books many times, and many books just about once.... But the one book I can read as many times I lay hands on it is Love Story , by Eric Segal . So as I read the book again (once more !!!), here's what I like the most, besides the entire book that is... "When our two souls stand up erect and strong, face to face, silent,  drawing nigh and nigher 'til the lengthening wings break into fire at either curved point;  What bitter wrong can the Earth do to us that we should not long be here contented? Think.  In mounting higher, the angels would press on us,  and aspire to drop some golden orb of perfect song into our deep dear silence.  Let us stay rather on Earth, Beloved,  where the unfit contrarious moods of men recoil away  and isolate pure spirits and permit a place to stand and love  in for a day with darkness and death hour rounding it."

The more I think about it, the more I am confused... To think that the past doesn't have any bearing on us from the moment it has gone by is foolishness.... And to think that the future is what we need to invest for/in is not prudent either... So how do I balance myself in "that" precarious position.. not whiling away the moment... yet not undermining the importance of the past or the future ...

Have you ever felt that you talk too much...  and sometimes, words just slip out.. that you've said things that could have been avoided,  even though what you said was true... How do you control that spontaneous response, and the regret later.... Dogs are better than human beings  because they know but do not tell.  ~ Emily Dickinson

What I miss about my childhood the most (of course I miss the idea of not having to assume any responsibilities... duh..) is the freedom to think. Not like I've been chained to an outlook, or that an attitude has stuck to me.. But the supposed logic, and practicality that we tend to attain with age (is that what is erroneously called wisdom ?!?), is what is responsible for our lack of ingenuity... the lack of thinking out of the box.... We have regimented our outlook and thought process with dos & don't, the right & the wrong, the reality & the dream...  And somewhere, maybe unknowingly, we inculcate the same in our children... So when they ask why they can't fly, all we say is that they'll fall down on the ground... without realizing that we are actually clipping their wings...

I am a strong believer that the more you try and chase something, the more it evades you... and the more you avoid something, the more it chases you.... Despite believing in this, I tend to try and chase material things... Promotions, Increments, Praises, Appraisal.... Maybe because it is "that" time of the year.... maybe it is the to be recognized, for a change for what I am responsible for... But as always, the more I harp about it, the more it moves away... needless to say it really messes with the head and spoils the mood. “I can resist everything except temptation.”  ~ Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

Our views about life, relationships & people keep changing.... When we start out any relationship, we resolve that we'll accept everyone as they are..... But slowly, we get the itch to change the person....not necessarily to our liking, but towards our ideals..... And then guilt follows, when the realization strikes, that what we had resolved to love, without limits, unchanged, is what we are trying to change, knowingly..... and questioning them all the way..... Now I know what Oscar Wilde meant when he said....  "Women  are meant to be loved, not to be understood."

We drive the car in great speed... competing with others on the road... gathering dust, and hopefully just a few scratches here and there... without bothering about what we have done to others... not caring what we leave behind... But that's not the way I'd like to live life... After all, there IS only one life :)

Most of us wait for occasions to celebrate... birthdays... anniversaries ... exam results (though that was more a cause of concern for me ;))... I came from an even more extreme school of thought, where I thought that no day, and everyday is the same.. so why celebrate ! Now, we look for a reason to celebrate.. a Indian team victory... a lost purse found.... anything & everything qualifies as a reason to celebrate..  Maybe I am not as cynical anymore... either-ways, it feels good :) We don't always need a Milestone to celebrate... even the little Moments in life count....

A friend recently shared these quotes with me. Made a lot of sense. “An Atheist who refuses to enter a temple because he doesn’t believe in God actually does so because he believes there is God inside Temple.” “A Theist who prays to God, actually has no faith in God because he prays for God to do things his way, instead of trusting God’s wisdom and not praying at all.”

We spend a majority of our day at work... come home tired.. and eventually fall asleep... In today's materialistic world, the few precious moments one can spend with their family is at the breakfast/dinner table... You might think that this is an old fashioned thought.. I mean who eats at the dining table nowadays. Isn't it better utilization of time to watch TV side-by-side.. The dining table is the only opportunity for the family to sit together and talk, mostly the mundane activities of the day, and effectively stay in touch with each other. We might be living under the same roof, but may not have a clue about the other persons life.  And so.... I strongly believe that a  Family which eats together, stays together . Which is why the Coca Cola campaign, Khanna to hai bahaana makes good sense to me :)

We all find different ways to pay back to the society (and by that, I am not referring to Income Tax :)) Some like cleaning the neighbourhood.. some of us work for NGOs... the rest of us just ease our conscience by donating to a cause... In an effort to the same, I found a very interesting initiative online.... Microfinance, at a truly micro level, and for the people that matter... http://www.rangde.org/

We are all like inspectors... inspecting our own lives.. trying to figure out what it has doled out to us...  and more often than not, trying to find out what we've missed... And then the spiral starts... about the What If .. What if I worked somewhere else.. spoke differently... lived somewhere else... sometimes the what ifs spiral down to even more trivial issues... which eventually leads to cribbing about life.. What we often miss is.. what if we didn't have what we already do... would we even have the luxury of sitting and indulging in the what ifs...