Friday, July 3, 2009

A Chafed Soul...


IT IS A LONELY WORLD THERE

EACH ONE TO FEND FOR HIMSELF

PULLULATING WITH SORROW

SUBJUGATING THE MORROW

HALLOWED BE HE, WHO LIVES TO TELL THE TALE

VINDICATES THE INSURRECTION OF HEAVEN IN HELL...

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Self-Importance

People have myriad ways to show how important they really are...


Now, now... INDIA spells IDIOSYNCRACIES, needless to say.
Any process here takes tenfold the time that it should've normally taken..
e.g. You go to a college during submission of an XYZ form. After understanding the process of submission (implying being tossed like a salad- to n fro from this table to that), waiting for ur chance in a serpentine Q n still not being able to submit it... why? coz a single teeny weeny paper is not signed!
Argghh.. u go.. but then comes Peon Kaka to the rescue...<>
With his stamps et al, n one has to go beeging to Him of all, n he pretends to be a VIP
Then again, the same paper needs to be signed by the principal

The process still doesn't end here,
Cz, by the time u go to submit the paper,
Ta Da! Lunch Time for the office......


Divas Sampla!

And still the work is never done....


God be with you..

Jai Hind!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Pictorial Representation of Lovestory by Taylor Swift...













We were both young when I first saw you.









I close my eyes and the flashback starts:











I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.








See the lights see the party, the ball gowns.













See you make your way through the crowd
and say hello;

Little did I know
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,








And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."









And I was crying on the staircase,







begging you, "Please, don't go."













And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.













I'll be waiting; all there's left to do it run.










You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess













It's a love story - baby just say "Yes."










So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew.










So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.










Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter,









And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet,"












But you were everything to me; I was begging you, "Please, don't go,"













And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.












You'll be the prince and I'll be the prin
cess













It's a love story - baby just say "Yes."









Romeo save me; they're tryin' to tell me how to feel.
This love is difficult, but it's real.
Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.













It's a love story - baby just say "Yes."













Oh.
I got tired of waiting,
Wondering if you were ever comin' around.
My Faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town.













And I said,
Romeo save me - I've been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think-













He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said,
"Marry me, Juliet, You'll never have to be alone.
I love you and that'd all I really know.
I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress;













It's a love story - baby just say yes."












Oh, oh.
We were both young when I first saw you..

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I was just surfing the net on a random note of ennui, the other day, n found some really intriguing stuff [courtesy Google]:

A guy who has too much time on his hand n other body parts:
http://www.beseechfanclub.com/bored/


if ur a 1st std kid, amused by the WOWness of internet
http://web4health.info/en/aux/do-instead.htm


if u have an Unlimited broadband plan, n love videos:
http://www.i-am-bored.com/


Still,
Bored? Listless? Help is at hand!
Pass away the pointless hours with our list of things to do when you're bored:

http://www.urban75.org/useless/bored.html

Here's some of the crassiest ideas:

Scratch yourself
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
Go ahead, scratch yourself now. Even if nothing itches, go ahead. Doesn't that feel pretty good?

Pinch yourself
(Amusement Potential: 1-3 minutes)
What is pain? Why is it unpleasant? There's nothing physical about it - it's all in your mind. Plus, after pinching yourself for awhile, boredom will seem nice next to being in pain.

Try to swallow your tongue
(Amusement Potential: 1-2 minutes)
There's not much to say about this one. It is possible, but really stupid.

Look at something for awhile, shut eyes, study after image
(Amusement Potential: 2-5 minutes)
Another great time waster. It takes about 30 seconds of staring to create an after image, and the image is then viewable for about the same length of time. Fun to combine this one with pushing on your eyes.

Pretend all humans will die except for people in room with you
Amusement Potential: 10-20 minutes)
What would you do if this really happened? Would the group stay together, or would there be factions? Who would join what group? Remember, there would only be power for a few days before the plants ran out of fuel or broke. To travel, you would always have to be near cars to siphon gas out of. Best to do with people you know.

Step off a curb with eyes shut, imagine it's a cliff
(Amusement Potential: 2-5 minutes)
To get any benefit out of this one, you have to have a good imagination. Don't step off immediately, build up to the jump. Study the ravine below. Feel the winds at that altitude. Step off and...AHHHHHH!!!!!






MORAL OF THE STORY:

u will never again dare to be bored!

















Friday, May 22, 2009

Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy.... himmat asel tar adva

Director: Santosh Manjrekar
Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Makrand Anaspure, Siddharth Jadhav, Priya Bapat Genre: Drama
Language: Marathi
__
The last marathi movie I saw was Dombivli Fast, which was indeed a thought provoking one.
But nothing has been ever so moving, yet entertaining to the hilt, as this movie....

It throws light on the quiescence of the common man or Marathi Manoos [as highlighted], in this oppressive world.
Interwoven with the glories of the Great Maratha King Shivaji Maharaj, it is the perfect concoction to 'Jaga karo' the Countryman in each one of us.

Dinkar Bhosle (Sachin Khedekar), is a typical middle class man, with a 9 to 5 job in a bank.
His son (Abhijeet Kelkar) is an Engg aspirant, made to realize that donation seats in colleges run by Marathi MLAs are merely a vice of the filthy rich non-Maharashtrians.
His daughter (Priya Bapat) aspires to be a Bollywood actress, but faces rejection by producers, on the grounds that Marathi girls are too conservative and vernac-accented to make it big in Hindi film industry.
His wife (Suchitra Bandekar) wants to sell-off their derelict, ancestral home to a Gujarati builder in exchange for a flat at the outskirts of Mumbai, to add to Dinkar's chagrin.

The cumulative repression of money, politics, education et al leads him to curse himself for being born as a Marathi... A scene, wherein Dinkar speaks to the mum statues of gretat men of the past, is particularly heart wrenching and stirring.
And this is what instigates the resurrection of the soul of the Great Shivaji Maharaj, from the sands of time..
Hereafter follows a series of events that lead to his transformation from a diffident old man to A people's hero.

How he saves his property from the impudent builder, gets his son into an Engg college, how his daughter finds her clarion call in the film industry and many other things in succession, without even once bowing down to repression, is intensely moving.

The Character of gangster Usman Parker, played by comedian Siddharth Jadhav, indeed makes an impact.
The term 'ghati', ascribed to the ppl living in the coastal part of Maharashtra, finds a whole new dimension here.

Though it is highly peppered with cliches and is quite stereotyped [a fact repeatedly hammered in2 my head throughout the movie, from a certain, so-called Precious Pearl], it manages to strike the right chords.
There's just one song n dance sequence which cud've def been better.
The crisp editing and screenplay and in-your-face dialogues makes it a complete entertainer!

Contrary to movie brickbats, i would say that this movie, is an effervescent show of secularism, not confined to just one state or creed, even if it rings with the 'Mi Marathi' hymn...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Meri Ma

Meri Ma....


Days weave in and time goes go by,
But, none sweeter than those under her eye.

We fight, we differ,
We plunder, we pilfer…

Not a day, that there hasn’t been a tiff
Yet, I cant have enough of our miffs.

From the moment I rise, till I retire,
She does her duty with zest and fire.

Whenever I am down and out with tears
She holds my hand and wipes all fears.

In her eyes, is the love
That melts for her pieces of heart

Wherever they may be,
Today, tomorrow, near or far apart.

She sings her symphony of life
From which we learned what it is to strive.

For all the world may be,
She will never leave me.

As I stand here today,
Words are pithy to glorify her,

Her place is way above all,
She is my dearest.. Mother.

Why oh Why???

WHEN A NEW DAY BEGINS
AND THE SKY TURNS BLUE,

I OPEN MY EYES
AND THINK OF YOU

WHEN THE DAY NEARS AN END
AND THE DUSK SETS BY

YOU COME YET AGAIN
AND THOUGHTS OF YOU FLY BY

ALL ALONG I TRY MY BEST
TO BE MUM AND THINK OF ALL THE REST

BUT, YOU- THE DEVIL, (AS I ALWAYS SAID)
HOWEVER MUCH I TRY, WON’T LEAVE MY HEAD!

WONDERING WHO I’M RANTING HERE ABOUT?
ITS MY LIL DOGGIE WHO’S POKING HIS SNOUT!!

Poof! A dream came true

I peered and pondered,
I watched and looked,

But couldn’t find out,
What had them all so hooked?

Book in hand, and mind full of fear,
I was down and out, all with tears.

What’s that you said????
Oh! this lesson, I completely forgot!
Still we got to do this girlie,
Whether we like it or not!

Between stress and expectations I was caught,
For silence.. Shh.. and time I fought and fought.

But just then it was like floo
No. Better, a dream come true,

I couldn’t understand what to do,
my happiness out of all bonds flew.

The exams had been cancelled,
Hurray!
The teachers left tangled,
In Dismay!

All of us happily prancing away,
While the poor Misses took in the mêlée !

L.O.V.E. etc.

Love is a game that you play alright,
Waking up through the day n night.
Surely is a dream you don’t want to wake from,
No start, no end, no break, no norm.


Its all bout passions,Its all bout pain,
Its all bout lessons,All along the lane.
It takes you in n out of unnerving trial,
Yet, bears the bliss that has no denial.


Starts off as a sweet, sweet story,
Takes over like a wild, wild worry.
Its all bout bearing,Its all bout stay,
Its all bout daring,All along the way.


Just one look lights up your day
Just one smile makes u want to stay
Just one word gives u so such a high
Yet another one makes it tough to say goodbye.


So love n let love,
Coz’ it’s a world to behold
Go ahead and witness
The magic that unfolds…...

Life without you...

Everytime I look at you
I live a dream I lived saw before
Everytime I look at you
I can see the love I saw before
Everytime I look at you
I wanna get closer to you
And then I know, I realize
What I am without you

I see you, I see you,
Wherever I go,
I feel you, I feel you,
Forever my love

Life without you
Is uncharted.. without destiny
Life without you,
Is a thought without integrity
Life without you,
Is when I live myself
..Without being me..

I see you, I see you,
Wherever I go,
I feel you, I feel you,
Forever my love

Everytime I look at you
I feel the power I never felt before,
Everytime I look at you
I hear words, I never heard before
Everytime I look at you
I get a surge, like it’s a new start
Everytime I look at you
I’m at peace, though we’re apart
And then when you look at me,
I know, I realize,
The emptiness there was,Without you…

INDEMNITY

An ocean of Dark stretches endlessly
A wave of anger surges within
Lashing out on the rocks that held so steadfastly
Splintering the anchor that rooted all sin


Everything seems still & peace prevails
Yet another moment brings along.. A silent fear
A wind blows by …… as the world travails
Sounding the knell of doom… a world so drear..

To think all the pain I gave
Incinerating the last vanity left
Rising from them, a mortal’s grave
That leads to an inferno at rest…

A life of upheaval flashes before me
Trepidation weaves its net…
The vengeance with which I seethed
Now comes back ….vehement.

If only I had that one chance
I’d live this life…… different
Unfetter the knight in white robes
And follow the path I was meant..

Fugue



Madness abounds in vivifying forms,

Scourging all that comes its way.

Lunacy makes a mark,

Dwindling down an escarp.

A warp of futility augurs hysteria...

Sometimes as a prophet,

Sometimes... a pariah...

DEAR TEACHER

As I sit down to pen down my thoughts today,
Words don’t seem to come my way
I am drawn back into
The sweet memories then
As a little child refused to
Leave its playpen

It was a whole new world galore
Nothing and no one I knew before
Fear, like a cold wave gripped me
All was unknown, unheard of.. a mystery

But suddenly, like a flash
Brighter than the day
You came into this teensy life
And swept all quandaries away

You taught me to stand up
And bravely face the tide
You taught me to never fall again
And forever keep the stride

Whenever I thought there couldn’t be anymore,
You egged me on to keep up the score
‘Dear Teacher’ as I fondly call you
-Someone who’d show me to be strong
And tell me, to where in this multitude
Of a world do I belong?

I am what I am today,
Because of you,
To thank you for everything,
Even 9 lives seem few…

Chastisement

Nothing to cite
Nothing to spare

Nothing worthy of Love
Nor despair.

Without a purpose
Shielding a door

Transuding....
I ask for no more

Breathe. Smile.
Think for a while.

What made us abide
Chiseling from the side?

To keep up the race,
Did we cass our own face?

Seeking veneration,
Blinded by Desperation?

I aver just one thought
Above the rest we sought...

From dust he hath arisen
Dust he shall meet

All shall stand by
Until you kiss his feet.

C'EST CE QUE JE RESSENS

This is something i once wrote, for someone very special....


There are few things in life
That ever make a lasting impact
There are days on an end
Yet only with some,life makes a pact

A sweet nothing to whisper,
An innocent reverie
A spark here, a twinkle there
A beautiful fantasy

Happiness surges even
As i look upto the sky
More lies within the heart
Than meets the eye

Time slips by when you talk to him
It seems like an eternity otherwise
You want to tell him everything,
Impatience never under disguise.

A smile on the face,
A thought about him,
Makes me wonder
Why,'Is this is a dream?'

Never a moment now,
when i feel jaded or blue,
I know he'll be there,
When i need him for true.

All day long he traipses in my thought,
Yet all's brought down to naught
A question that haunts me, and him too
Do you love me as much as i do?

There may be distance between us,
And miles to go before we meet,
There may not be a tomorrow,
That i look forward to greet.

To this there's only one answer
One thought that always recurs
All i have got to say
Without going astray
is that...

If this is be a dream
then i'll never open my eyes.
Coz in them are your memories,
that will forever be prized.

A faraway land…

I tread a lonely path
That leads to nowhere
I’m in search of a newland
Somehow… somewhere…

A place faraway, somewhere there
I would find him- the one who’d really care

Life’s come down on me
With its twists and turns
I’ve borne it all silently
With all bruises and burns

Had enough of trials for once
And this the time…the chance
To give it all it’d take
To think of it: make or break

A new life of mine, awaits me..
As I tread towards sanguinity
Burning all remorse of my past
Lighting a flame of hope that’d last.

They get their wings…

Death is not for your tears to be strained
For they have your love immortally gained.

It isn’t for you to cry, regret or mourn,
This is a beginning of yet another sojourn.

Maybe they are away,
Just for today.
Maybe they have gone afar,
But will have reached a star.

It is an angel’s call that they heard..
That took them them heavenward.

They get their wings..
Soar..rise above..
They get their wings..
Fly to a world He bestowed.

They will live in our heart
When we think of the past

Gilded, etched in our memory,
When we rewrite history.

They will be forever a part of us…
Every smile n joy that builds life’s truss

Those were the times, thinking of which we cry today,
Why? This is the time, to learn from all of yesterday

Together lets make a channel of love
That’d bridge the way ahead,
Through our hearts that beat as One,
We’ll live forever as we said…

HOPE ARISING

Like a nightmare that haunted the past
A sanguineous legion would leave all aghast

Never was it foreseen, ever before
A behemoth misfortune of the Lore.

They came, they saw, they destroyed
Every quoin there was, every side

Blackened countenances swept away
The peace that prevailed every day

We struck them too with all might galore
Bleeding, groping, lives were laid by scores

Twilight whispered of a dawn of the Morrow
Perdition, may they meet, for all this sorrow

A prayer grew
A day anew

The dawn of hope is now bathed
With a light exalting life unscathed

Rise..breathe.. from the ashes we seek
Conviction, a strength, to never again reek

Of turpitude among us- of one kind
Beyond the horizon… a world we find…

Girl Power

Girls of volition, true to success,
Girls of prospect and respect.
Ready to face the world with courage.
They pose the determination,
to give others co-operation.

Never like the lazy and helpless,
But, ready to give them happiness,
By being helpful and heedy,
Devoting their soul wholly to the needy.

With a natural flair to wield preternatural powers,
Blooming and glowing and blossoming like flowers,

With every careful step,
Along the charted course,
The world becomes curt,
ruthless and hoarse.

But still these blossoms
Never give up hope,
In every circumstance,
With perseverance they will cope.

They will build a fosse against the formidable foe,
Yet never will benight the earth under the toe.
Coalesce and combat against the hypocrisy
That still ruthlessly kills the society.

To personify an ideal that pervades the message of love
One that makes us realize, there is a power persevering for life: above.

Freedom of expression..yes, it is a reality in India

India –a smorgasbord of variety. A paradigm of unity in diversity. But the moot point here is that how in the first place did we foster this oneness? We could do so solely because we had the freedom to wield the power of thinking and speaking that has extricated us from the shackles of centuries of bondage and slavery to transform us into what we are today. The very fact that I am standing here on this dais is the evidence of the existence of this freedom. The freedom of expression simply put implies the right to put forth one’s thoughts and opinions without being suppressed by any entity.
We as Indians, are very fortunate in this regard because there are countries like Cambodia which still do not recognize the freedom of expression; and then there was Nepal which was also categorized as one of these countries until recently when their constitution approved this right.
We can change our society through words and ballots rather than through guns and bullets. The illiteracy rampant in our society may stand in contrast with the objectives of these rights. Nevertheless, the importance of free speech as a basic and valuable characteristic of our society cannot be undermined.
It entails another indispensable part of our democracy i.e. freedom of press. Yes, the fourth estate. The dynamic spark that has ignited so many minds, brought about awareness(in the true sense of the word), educated people and changed our views towards hitherto stereotyped issues so much so that there have been instances when bureaucrats (unsuccessfully though!) have tried to curtail this freedom. We have the example of the Rajiv Gandhi government which injured by the corruption in the Bofors affair introduced a defamation bill to create new offences of criminal imputation and slanderous writings. But a highly successful nationwide strike by newspaper industry and strident protests forced Mr. Gandhi
To withdraw the bill.
In the present age also we have the complete independence to express our views and ideas on anything and everything ‘relevant’. The innumerable strikes, protests, scandals and scams we see day in and day out speak for themselves.
Why then would you ask ‘do we still see the countries affairs lying in shambles?’ the answer lies within you………… If only the Indian elite would declass themselves and conquer India democratically would this question be countered.
The existence of this freedom of expression is sometimes questionable only because of us. It is we who need to open our eyes and strike a spark of hope in this dwindling Diaspora. So go ahead and wield the sword…………go and speak!!!!!!

Culture, as an entity, no longer exists

The word culture is derived from the Latin word ‘cultura’, from ‘cultus’ , meaning the customary beliefs, material traits, social forms and totality of behavioral pattern of a society.
I do not mean to harp on the same string, but, culture in real sense is just the way of life.
The culture of a country reflects its background comprehensively. It educates the people about who they are and what they should become. An author named Mary Poolie rightly opined, “Culture is what your butcher would have if he were a surgeon.” Truly, culture is what attributes good conduct to you and moulds you into your real self. In fact, good conduct is yet another way of defining culture.
When we all ask ourselves as individuals, “What belongs to me, to my culture?”, we are rewarded with varied responses. In this way, different perspectives continue to enrich everyone. But when we ask, “What belongs to us, to our culture?”, we ask a much harder question. Do the people of India, or of any culturally complex human society, necessarily know about their culture? The answer is NO! You ask why? Because culture simply implied does not exist.
In retrospect, India has always struggled to protect its cultural identity from foreign traders, who tried to suppress and stake claim on it. But in the course of time, we are alienating our own culture.
Theoretically, most of the tenets of Indian culture are based not on logic, but forcible superstition. The economic foundation of Indian culture is intensely weak and hence has no scope for development. Due to this realization, people are adopting western culture which has a richer potential and are immigrating there. This has led to a decline of our culture.
Indian culture never allowed woman to receive education, explore new horizons of life or even leave the house. John Mill rightly stated, “A cultured mind is one to which the fountains of knowledge have been opened; and which has been taught in any tolerable degree, to exercise its faculties.” And so, today, the woman has proved herself and her potency in every field. She has her own identity, her own face.
In the course of globalization, India has lost its individuality. Today, the lifestyle here, has completely changed. The joint-family system has died out, and nuclear families have emerged.
The chief Indian cultural aspects of spiritualism and morality, have completely attritioned. The recent example of Mr. Kulkarni, a landlord, was arrested on charges of voyeurism, against his tenants, using a webcam, on school-going students in Delhi circulating a blue video tape in through cell-phones, increasing number of rape cases are proxy of this attrition.
As for the apparel, the modesty of the sari has been sold out and is made provocative by disclosure. Needless to say, Indian sports, which form an integral part of our culture, have lost their regard. Why will the so-called GenX be appreciative of Zakir Hussain when Linkin’ Park is on its way? Who concerns learning Manipuri or Odissi when salsa and meringue are in? How many of them have heard of films like Sant Tukaram and Ram Leela, in the times of hip hop and funk-rap? Why are we in the process of development, becoming scornful infidels who believe in nothing? Why? In the countless masses of adjustments, are the good, brave and healthy parts of ourselves been clipped away?
The answers to these questions lie within you. It is up to you, to find it! NOW!

59 years of Independence, are we really free?

This is something i'd written for elocution in the 9th std.:

_________________________________________
59 years of independence, are we really free?

_________________________________________

Decades ago, we made a tryst with destiny. As we started off… “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will wake to life and freedom.”
But, thinking over, the most vexed question still remains whether through all these years, have we really awoken?
We seem highly affluent when it comes to define freedom- “ the ability of doing whatever we please as long as it does not encroach upon another’s freedom” we say. Freedom from misery, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, huh! a hollow dream. Our so-called democracy, of the people, for the people and by the people is drastically morphing into a ‘mobocracy’.
What makes me think like this you ask? The oblivious state of affairs with corrupt, illegitimate officials eating away into the system and still we can do nothing. If we really had this ‘freedom of speech’ then why would so many whistleblowers be put to a silent death? For standing against injustice?
The bureaucratic stranglehold and procedural red tape still undermine autonomy and enterprise. The rich get richer and the poor, poorer. Even today 25% -30% of the population stakes its life for a day’s meal.
Even the basic right to vote is being inflicted upon, the recent Bihar election tragedy is one such staring-into-the-face example, of how bigwigs get away with all the wrongdoings.
Moreover, even today there are instances of Sati, child marriages, female feticide, dowry et.al. ricocheting in society. 29% of the people are unemployed, and loitering in misery.
If you still think we are free, then ask all those children who have been ruthlessly caged in hell, having to work for their matters day in and day out.
Ask the abandoned families of all those martyrs who are left lamenting in pain and agony.
So wake up; wake up before it is too late, before this country becomes a stalemate..