Reading through Reminders

Faithful.. That's what they've been... My family of over 300 books has kept me company at all times-good or bad-and I look at them when I seek answers. I have been in the state of Tsundoku many a time, but have never disowned my own.

Last evening, May 25, 2018...post 06:00 p.m Qatar time.

As I held a particular book in my hand, thinking, "What will this one really teach me?", my mind instantaneously replied.. "It has already taught you. Why weren't you paying attention?"

Delving deeper in the chambers of my thoughts , it struck me-piece by piece - that a lot goes on when you aren't paying attention.

I raised that book to my eye-level.

I looked at it with a lover's gaze.

I knew I was in love but couldn't find my heart.

And that's when the power of human perseverance kicked in...without coffee!!

In a long drawn moment that seemed to stretch beyond eternity, the life's purpose of that book seemed to change... It no longer served a purpose to be read, but rather to be meditated upon with open eyes and closed concentration.

What I saw, gave me several reminders...

What I saw, made me proud of my family of books...

What I saw, became the highlight of my evening.

I saw the book not for what it was, but for what it was meant to be.

And that is when I was reminded.

# The Book Cover with the title name, to remind us to recognize the uniqueness of us individuals despite our similarities.  

# The Cover thickness, reminding us that we are either born with great flexibility (paperback) or great strength (hardcover), and either way, we must embrace what we truly are.

# The Index, to remind us that even chaos can be organized.

# The Foreword, to remind us that even others can share our beliefs and ideas despite being different from us.

# The Preface, to remind us that experience from others and our own are few of the greatest things to share.

# Pages, to remind us that the story can only go on when we turn them.

# Page numbers, reminding us that life provides you guidance as long as you know where to look...

# Chapters and parts, reminding us that life has different phases to it, and all are tied together for YOUR greater good.

# The Print space area, reminding us that even if life is one huge party, you must remain in control of your senses and limitations to enjoy it optimally.

# Footnotes, to remind us that we can always refer to other valid sources for more information, and not be hard-headed when it comes to receiving knowledge.

# The Epilogue, to remind us that our work can live on even after we pass away from this world.

# The Epigraph.. To celebrate your life in one God-awesome quote...

#The Acknowledgements, reminding us to be grateful to all those who help you on the way up and even those who don't.

# The Book Spine, reminding us to stay true to the core values of our life.

# The Bookmark ribbon, reminding us that , at times, we need to pause and know where we are so that we can continue on life's sojourn with renewed vigor and enthusiasm.

# The Vacat pages: pages left intentionally blank (by life) , to remind us two things- To give space when needed and it's OK to let go when needed.

# The Binding thread and Glue, which represents our family and friends which keeps everything about you together.

# The Price Tag, to remind us that no matter how big or small or compact or wide, we are always worthy of something.

# And the Bookshelf, to remind us that we will always have a place in this world , no matter what our genre is.

If you cannot feel anything after you have experienced a book, you never truly experienced that book.

Every Book has something to tell you... 

So, have you looked at your nearest book yet?

If so, which book was it? What did you see? What did you feel?

Write in...

Warada Al-Iraqi!

Warada:

Scorching sun and a hellish fire,
Here I crave for an unknown, that I truly desire;
In the midst of this abrasive dust and grime,
I have endured the test of time;

Seen wars and battles of people unknown,
Fight over things they don't really own;
Oh this greed, for power-like deathly armors,
I've lived through this life, of sadness of horrors!

I saw those with stripes and stars strip down our stars,
Burn away what was once truly ours;
I saw those with black masks gag away our hope,
Broken, dead children turn misanthrope.

Sumeria, Tigris-Euphrates to Baghdad,
Lived in all extremes, underclad;
I have seen sights and empires tall,
For greed and pride, these kingdoms fall.

Oh, humanity! you took away my petals,
Fed it to those hungry,dastardly mongrels;
And now, nestled in the bosoms of a dead man’s garden,
My death would be simpler like an unforgivable pardon...

Tifl:

Oh, Warada- Why do you long to die?
For I am still alive-as your friend, your ally!
Everyone you know, in the end, goes away,
And so will I, for sure, one day...

Till then, I serve to thee,
with a smiling face, full of glee,
To quench your thirst, I toil for rain,
Be a soothing balm for your deathly pain..

Warada: 
Ya Amar, you remain my hope in this piercing despair, 
Enlighten yourself with wisdom, and quintet prayer, 
The world is blinded by fogs of their creeds, 
Be truly valiant and perform right deeds.. 

Rawi: 
History is a fragile candle with a smile sardonic,
Reminiscing its past laurels with it's wilting withering wick... 

You can crush a rose in chains held captive, 
But beyond death, its redolent scent will never be passive... 

Jannat Adni, our lives were here...
We will return back, of that I'm sure...

Ya Al Insaan Saya, you destroyer of all things whole, 
Ugrub ʿan wajhi!!!! Return here when you earn back your soul! 



(This poem is the second in line to my 'Roses' series after 'Roses of Gaza'
Image: Blood On the Leaves by axcy on DevianrtArt)

Roses of Gaza

Life began, they say, in the hands of the Almighty,
t'was as beautiful-as a song of a canary,
gardens of roses laid out beautifully;
But Man, they say, handed down apathy...

Years over and I don't happen to see,
Roses of Gaza and their vibrancy;
All seen here is the dark secrecy-
of happiness- happiness which I yearn to see!

Roses so innocents, they lived, only to die,
Courage, they have, and they defy,
with tears and anger, cries each eye,
knowing there's no chance to bid their loved goodbye...

Oh, in this rubble of destruction,
Their mornings- uncertain,
Their nights frail as an axed cushion,
Do they deserve such misfortune?

Roses wither and at times they cease,
Skies grey and they fall piece-by-piece,
Hatred it says, on the increase,
Will we all ever, ever know peace?

Humanity needed to view you through a vibrant kaleidoscope,
But lost its sight and become a myope,
cut what had remained of the safety rope,
Failed you when you truly needed hope!

Yet, not all is lost.

Yes, things are always easier said than done,
But, Oh dear Roses, we know what you burden....

Affliction- only love can mesmerize,
Hardships carry relief, not lies;

Oh! Roses of Gaza, do not despair,
For every Rose who has fallen there,
your fragrance has spread everywhere;
Hope still prevails, to help escape you this nightmare...

Humanity still lives, in all our hearts,
Hatred and anger-- it always thwarts.
And the day will come when we will again see,
The Roses of Gaza-You all smiling gleefully....

The Crossroads

It is a treat- is life,
Life, a diabetic sweet...
too much of it makes us ill,
too less of it,makes us ill..

How to live it, asks one soul,
like a chameleon in many-a-role?
Like the nomad who wanders alone,
or like a dog who seeks an extinct bone?

Questions many, answers few,
frustrates you to venom spew,
At its crossroads, am beginning to wonder,
what to decide, so not to flounder...

They said, leave all behind, and take the longest path,
Worry not about the aftermath...

Look not behind for soon all will be gone,
Look ahead and you'll see in this eon,
what lies in the shadows of the mystery,
might kill you or set you free..

Saw behind, and all was crumbling,
everything I lived through, was fading...
Like a knife through the heart, slowly t'was a push,
Time died behind, killed in its own ambush...

It stopped beneath my feet, not killing me yet,
It looked at me, telling me to forget;
what it killed, for it was now long gone,
Like well-water spilled after it is drawn.,,

Gave up to life, to take the path long,
Taken across by it to a soulful song...
"How", I asked, "can you sing so beautiful?
It sounds like happiness you give by a bagful!"

Sung it, "Death I am, not Life,
Am here to take away your mortal strife.."

Shrieked I , for I can't die now,
It's too early to bid the world ciao..
Said Death, "You aren't dead nor alive,
Both if it, I make you deprive..."

"What you choose always leads to me,
It is then I who will help you see,
Then what you do, what you don't;
For me, it matter won't..."

"You're standing now, on the brink of life anew,
Choices-they're are all up to you...
Long path, short path-Bah!it doesn't matter,
Its what you choose to do that makes you richer..."

"What life lies behind you is already gone and dead,
Then why grieve over it like a dickhead?
What lies ahead will enrich you,
Staying with it will destroy you..."

Life and Death are great teachers indeed,
They come to you in times of need.
Neither causes sorrow, nor pain,
until we choose to look ourselves with self-disdain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Answers...

Past few weeks (rather, months) have just been kinda like experiencing a tornado while riding a rollercoaster at a speed of 140 mph without a safety belt and harness at a height of 200 feet above... (But hey, the ride's free of charge!)

What I've noticed is, that when the Universe echoes a few things.. things you've known and not, it is important to pay attention. I believe that you may not know the solution at that moment, but you know you've seen it, felt it, experienced it and maybe even come out of it ,good or bad,at some part of your life...even your past.

We were always meant to travel in circles...circles which look like straight lines to inattentive eye.. Answers are provided aplenty by life a.k.a. the Universe, but which is the right answer at the right time, is what our past experience(s) help us choose... Sometimes, we don't choose the easiest answer because it is too easy when in fact, it is the most appropriate one for the situations.

But sometimes, we get mindblocks, and have absolutely no idea what the solution for a particular problem is. If there exists no solution, then it isn't a problem. Every problem has an appropriate  solution for a specific situation it was raised in.(Duality of the Universe- pure f***ing genius law that!)

To illustrate, think of a child approaching his/her parents for something they want. When they would be in a serious state, they'd most likely be approaching them with a bit of hesitancy and seriousness... And if they're in a jolly mood, the child asks with all eagerness and smiles!

So, the point is, that there is a solution to just about anything and its right around all of us. The Universe is trying its hardest to prove that by creating deja-vu sorta situations. But considering it doesn't have much time to dedicate itself to only one person all throughout, it expects us to be aware that a solution exists. No sooner do we assure ourselves that a solution exists, than it pops right out (OK, Sometimes it takes a while to pop out.. But Quality checks under ISO 9001 aren't covered by the Universe.. shitloads of documentations to take care of!)

Problems will be solved.. New ones will come up.. they'll be solved.. more will come up. Problems, like rashes, will always be there if they're not taken care of. Human beings, luckily, have been conditioned to overcome difficuties. If that wasn't the case, we'd have never passed Trigonometry in High School (or, stereotypically speaking, Science geeks would never have passed Shakespearean literature)... But we passed 'coz we paid attention to what our teachers taught (some may have cheated, but at least they were paying attention!).. So, why don't we all start paying a bit more attention to the the greatest teacher ever? Life!!!

To quote Ludacris,

 

 

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere"

 

Cheers :)

 

 

Pain is good!

Pain... Perhaps one of the few things in life which is felt physically and emotionally. No other element has such great power in itself to make a human being so emotional as does Pain. Be it the pain of a back spasm, or be it the pain of love- pain is a universal concept!

Every person has felt pain for different reasons and causes at some points in their lives. While I won't drab on about how pain is needed for us to realise certain things, nor will I tell you how to get out of it. Because I have experience in neither.

But what I can say is this- Pain is a wonderful emotion.Wonderful because it exists. Wonderful because we can feel it.  Wonderful because we know why it exists. Wonderful because there are people in pain all throughout the world... Wonderful, because Pain is a part of us.

Recently I had the opportunity to put myself in physical pain after a long time (though not on purpose- then I'd be termed as a psycho!) Having slipped and screwed up my back for the best part of the past few days, I cursed pain.

I cursed pain so much initially.. so much that my tongue may have turned black with all the expletives.

Then a funny thing happened. As the pain grew more and more unbearable, I decided to accept the pain.. accept that it's gonna be around to screw me for quite some time now. Accept that it is irritating... Accept that I'm gonna look as painful as if I'm having a bad constipation... Accept that I may turn cranky as a baby at 2 am at night.

As I walked and trudged around, I realised that pain was just a state of the mind.

We, as Human beings, are so emotional that we react to even a fly buzzing around us. I recalled a TV show on some nature channel where they showed a lion sitting as coolly as it could, and flies were on him. That lion truly the boss just sat there as he didn't care. If there was a human in its place, that person would have gone mad fanning away the flies.

While it is hotly debated whether animals feel pain or not, the fact of the matter is they don't complain. They don't bang out expletives after expletives.  How many of us have come across stray dogs who have a bruised leg and are still trudging about. Though it is sad to see animals in such a state, one wonders what would happen if we human beings were in their place?

Emotional pain, on the other hand, is something felt vastly by us humans. A love gone bad, your spouse not treating you well, or a friend betraying you or even anything untoward happening related to a close member of the family- all contributes towards emotional pain.

So, must emotional pain be 'accepted' too? Yes, why not? It is there for a reason. The fact that you feel emotional pain means that you are capable of not feeling it too. Emotional Pain just comes to you to remind yourself that some part of you needs to let go of certain things and do things which are necessary to make it right. If we weren't pained in love, we wouldn't realise the value of love. If we weren't pained on a difficult family situation, we wouldn't value the good times... if we weren't pained on the betrayal of certain friends, we wouldn't value those who are loyal.

So, I guess pain is just a mind game thingy. It may have existed to help us realise 'Look, there's something wrong, get it fixed". But its existence has been negated by people.. People who wouldn't mind having a headache without the pain :P

Do I want more pain in my life? I guess not. But when I do, I'll acknowledge its presence. Pain is an angel in disguise which tells us what is wrong and where we're going wrong. The more we let out our emotions in pain, the more relieved we are at the end of the day.

Look at pain as a positive agent in your life, and try and understand its value. It may not do wonders at first, and its way of working is kind of weird. But the lessons it gives you while it is with you can help you cherish life and live it with a renewed vigour.

Pain is a generous visitor who leaves gracefully when we're ready to part with it, and gives us enough to be thankful for, after it leaves.

'Why did you cometh, O cursed Pain,
With you, what will I gain?
You're as gloomy as thunder and rain,
You're nothing but a Bane!

I come to you to turn your life around like a wheel,
the more you kneel, the more you squeal,
you move towards the path to heal...
after which, you live life with lots more zeal"

:)

 

Souls...

Old Souls,Lost Souls...Lost in the poetry of life,
Built their own worlds, went through strife...
Paradox of Time kept them chained,
Dreams collapsed, everytime they slept,
Ran through ages, they cried and wept,
Life, was always strained...
A simple idea, A simple thought,
would join those lost souls together, only if they sought...
their dreams...
Oh, their half remembered dreams..

The Runner's tale...

Oh Runner, running away.. from what do you run away?Doomsday you say?
or did you just have a really bad day?
As you stand looking ahead out of the doorway,
Seeing through life as you'd see a film of X-Ray...
Feel like being,a scavenger's prey...
You see paths all muddled, life in disarray...

You will find a way,someday,
So stand strong at one place- you must stay..
The future's still large, large as the skyway,
Moments worth singing to, to pop & reggae,
So come on runner, you must obey,
People can come back in line after being astray,
And no this ain't just any cliche,
You may fold hands, kneel down and pray,
Trust yourself- Everything's gonna be just OK.

Close the past, open & see what the future has to display,
There's always more light when you come out of the subway...
No matter where you stay,
From Bombay to the Viking's Norway,
Live life as if everyday's your birthday,
While the sun shines, do make hay,
Serve yourself lotsa Happiness,-In life, its on unlimited buffet...
And soon you'll turn into a happy gourmet,
You'll play your own song, like a liberated Deejay,
Just because you, dear Runner,didn't run away!

Travelling through Hell...

Confined in a coccoon, no light- its dark!
rubbing stones of flint, where is that spark?

Ohh, Fire burns, breaks off my shell,
Feels like being elevated to heaven from hell!

Green Earth, O Green Earth, Why aren't you green?
Last time you were so clean, so pristine!

I hope to wander all worlds, like a patriotic nomad...
Dulcorate the bitter water with the sweetness I add...

Every road I take, ever river I cross,
The path's my own- I'm my own boss...

Roads may end, time may forever cease...
But I'll always keep walking, that's my greatest peace...

Ossy goes to 'Heaven'!

We all know the fact that Osama Bin Laden (OBL) will no longer be taking part in any beauty pageant now. Not because he's dead, but the fact that his head having a hole in it will definately not go well with the pageant judges....

We also know the fact that OBL was one person who brainwashed his followers into believing that if they took part in the holy war and were martyred, they would be guaranteed the following upon their death:

- 1 Free Passage to Heaven, All Expenses Paid..!!
- 80,000 Servants to take care of you once you're at Heaven!
- 72 Virgins for.... (Well,definitely not for washing your clothes!)
- A Huge Palace filled with all The treasures in this world!

One would feel that the description of this place perfectly fits into one place on earth, a place whose previous inhabitant was also weird. This person had a voice which, like OBL's, was listened to by people all over the world. People 'died' to see him too.

That person was Michael Jackson, and the place- The Neverland Ranch.

But that's not why I write this piece (Obviously,since MJ died in 2009 and ain't particularly hot news now!

Now, coming back to what actually happened when OBL was shot...

Unknown to many, OBL was playing truth and dare with his wife. The empty bottle of 'Pakola' betrayed OBL and it was his turn to be either Truth'd or Dare (BTW,Pakola is a nationally branded soft drink in Pakistan.. OBL doesn't drink Pepsi or Coke.. This is his way of contributing to Pakistan's economy..apart from the usual money paid to the government for using their services)

OBL's wife : "I want you to tell me a truth... How many goats have been in your harem before?"

Since OBL wished to hide the fact that he cheated on his goats with the camels next door, and also the fact that he didn't want to explain it to his wife ("She just won't understand!"), OBL said "Gimme a Dare or I'll kill you!"

Left with no other option, Mrs. OBL dared OBL to wear the packet of bright yellow and pink Bindis on his forehead. And since no one was around at that time, he did it anyways.

And so, this is the story of how the US Army guys knew where to aim at!

So OBL was shot dead.. and no sooner he's dead, than he experiences an OOBE- An Out-of-Body-Experience!

Strangely, OBL is now high.. he's soaring well above the land.. He's watching his Camels and Goats below, feeling sad a losing them.

OBL is so high as never before..."Damn, this beats that Amsterdam Marijuana experience...Wooohooo!"..

He's high.. literally and even otherwise.

He now comes to a place in the clouds. Quite far from the ground below....

He sees what his eyes had always wanted to see.. He was at heaven, at last!...

A palace filled with lotsa servants (he counted 78,321) till he came to a courtyard filled with 70 Virgins... Apparently it seemed that even Heaven had its Tax Policies and Capital Gains taxes. "Must be due to the fact that all Accountants, Lawyers and politicians who died must've gone to hell.. Tch tch, must remember to get them onboard once I take over here..."

"Wow... Chicks, Palaces, Treasures.... woohoo, Its true- So Damn true!"

He met the caretaker at heaven and instanteously asked him for his palace keys..

The Housing Section Admin guy at Heaven gave him an exasperated look and said," Ossy, You bastard.. You trained hundreds and thousands of terrorists and told them what they were guaranteed for after dying... Thanks to you, This part of Heaven is now full! So either you take the next best best option and just FO from here before we let loose the dogs on you!"

What is the next best option?, he asks...

"Go to Hell....", and mutters incessantly about working overtime just because of OBL!

So OBL is now in Hell...

Moral of the story: If you believe in something, don't brainwash others into believing it. High chances are,that when time comes, it'll be hell for you later...

I hate Love!

I hate love, because it exists,
and there's always no Dettol to treat those cut open, slit wrists!

I hate love, coz it makes me so weak,
Look lifeless like those mimes, those who can't speak...

I hate love, coz it takes away all my sense,
The only thing I can think of, is Rajnikanth shouting "Naan-sense!"

I hate love, because I know, in it, I'll die,
choking me slowly, like a tight-wound school necktie....

 I hate love,coz of the illusion it brings,
I can't eat it, like real onion rings...

I hate love- I won't fall again, no encore;
But God just won't take it out of my life's brochure!

I hate love, coz I ain't its shepherd,
I'm like a lost sheep, lost after a severe blizzard...

Why then, do I still love?
Answers I have none, coz Love is indeed weird,
Funny at times, at times I feel it's feared,
Still burning myself- like a mouthful of clove...

Poem for the Season....

Summer's gonna start, no shade looks cool,

Tis a long way away, the season of Yule,

Wanna kick myself, Coz I feel like a mule,

When I went to swim inside the pool...

Got caught instead ,in a whirlpool,

...Thought Why Life is ever-so-cruel!

When both, my heart and mind, none could decide...none could rule;

Oh I felt like a fool- an April fool...

The Haunting...

A cool,Thursday afternoon... Returning home from a long, tiring day at work... What could go wrong?

Weekend approaches..

Plans set- catch up with friends, watch a few movies- among them!

Humming a nondescript tune,I felt something was amiss...

Skin pricked by invisible needles, the same feeling when you hear a creaky door on a nightmarish rainy night at a desolate house....

I sensed it. Like a viper springing out of the bushes, it made its eerie presence felt. But it didn't strike..

I could hear the chirp of the birds, warning me to watch my step.. They somehow, seemed to know it was following me.. "How could they tell?" I wondered...

Stalking me,it was, like a crouching tiger ready to snare its prey... waiting to take over me...

I tried to lose it, in vain... I just couldn't....

I was now cheerless, like the waning sun... The very thought of it made me unsettled... I had still so much to do, It couldn't be like this!

My head ached earlier.. but now it was as if someone was using my head as a darts board... then those darts turned into spears...

Pain, unbearable..

My mind, My heart, my legs, my eyes among others... all looked inward at me as if I betrayed them... "How could you do this to us? after we've served you all throughout "

True, they did... I didn't realize that it was me who caused this situation to unfold....

I guess, sometimes, you just have to lose some battles... because you just cannot fight phenomenon like this..

I let go... and suddenly, my throbbing veins of poisonous pain metamorphosised into a nectar-filled pathway of redemption...

I had lost against it, my world turning dark... my eyes, who were red with anger till now, said "It had to happen... let go"

Nacreous light took over... I didn't want to understand what I felt,

So beautiful, So calm! It seemed just so... right, so correct...

It finally got to me.... It didn't strike at me, but instead it seemed to put its arms around me like a long lost friend...

It took me away from this world and the reality that circled it,

Like an Out of body experience within the boundaries of the human soul,

It was 4: 30 hours post meridiem....

and I was now,
.
..
...
.....
.......
Asleep!

Baby Diaries- Volume 1

"Aaaah, So Comfy!"

Day 0:

"Here I am, lazing in this coccoon... This is heaven! I have my eyes closed, yet I see the world... "

"Is that you Angel?", said I... "I was told by the light in the heavens that I will meet you... You are Angel aren't you?"

The Angel nodded...

"You know, everytime I stretch my legs and kick them, I feel that someone's placing their ear there... I mean, Whoever it is out there, Do they like being kicked in their ears??"

"And I hear voices too... they say 'Oh, when u'll come, I'll make sure you gonna be a Doctor one day, Oh you gonna be an engineer!'... What are they?? and where am I going??"

"Sometimes, I feel that they are putting something in front of me through this wall here.. I have a feeling someone watches me sometimes... eerie I tell you... not even giving me my privacy!!!

"OK..Seems you won't answer much...,So as per the agreement, you have to save my skin everytime I fall into deep waters, provided of course, I keep a good behaviour prior to that, right?... hmmm, done!!"...

"Wait-a-minute!! Why am I being forced out now??? Heyyy!!! Heyyyy!!!! What gives??? Noooo.. Nooo.. I like it here... Ohhhhh nooooooooooo!!!!!!"

"Oh, Ouch, I'm being evicted!! Quit pushing... O gosh Am I stuck?? O push for God's sakes!!! Push!!! Push!!! Push!!!! DO SOMETHING, Coz I don't know my way back in!!!"

"Wooooooooo!!!! Geez, Why am I being stared at by these things? What's this icky red thing on me? What's this??"

And there I was, in confusion!-covered with blood and the umbilical cord still attached to me...I was crying... a lot... I didn't wanna leave that place... Yes, folks I was born! And so, probably you now know why babies cry after they're out!!

DAY 1:
"Activity?? Score 2... Active motion!

Pulse rate?? Around 100 BPM sir.. seems normal!

Reflex response ?Normal!

How's his colour??? He seems normal!!

How's his breathing??? Good sir!"

After hearing this, I fell into a verrrry deep sleep.. Gee I was tired.... I could see my angel say "whew!"

Day 2:

"Koochie Koo!!!"..'Awwww!!"...."Oh so Cute!"

These were the most often words heard as the day progressed... Well, Of course I'm cute... Babies are meant to be cute! That's their USP!

When people said, "He's just like his father/mother", I really wondered if they thought I should look like someone else... I mean, Genetically, I should have features like my mum or dad... What'd they want- me look like Elvis???

Many people came to 'see' me... as if I was some kind of an act...

My Mum was looking quite tired... Yet, she held me against her chest and lulled me to go to sleep... I DON'T WANNA SLEEP! 1st you disturb me in the cocoon where I'm nicely resting, and then evict me out.. and now you wanna make me do the same thing which I would have done back there anyways?? Hmmpff- Humans!!

But then, as she held me more in her arms, I wondered if there was anything more cozier than this.. I mean, the bed where they kept me was comfy enough, but this... Mmmmm, warm, cozy and nice...

I was breastfed today.. I mean I was fed on Day 0 too, but was too high to remember anything... Its when my Mum puts me to her chest area, and puts my mouth against a small projection coming outta it, and I have to draw something out from it... It's called Milk, and is supposed to be the most bestest food ever for me right now for sometime... at least that's what the nurse was saying... But hey, I like it!

I really wonder what my dad does in all this? I mean, my mom gave birth to me, she holds me most of the time, she feeds me... and what does he do? Just stand there and watch! No wonder God didn't give man the gift to be a mom... he'd waste it left, right and centre wondering WTF to do!!

I can't wait to be fed again!! What do I do!!! Mom... Mom... Geez she can't hear me...

"O look.. he's saying something...Goo Goo Gaa Gaa to you too, my boy... I know you wanna go from here and wanna start trekking with me ASAP... I know, I know!"

That was my Dad.. and I was so pissed off over him! Why.. coz I don't wanna trek now.. I want my Milk!!!

Geez Mom, Doesn't he get it?? O gosh... He doesn't... neither does Mum... I feel like crying... Noooo.... Waaaaahhaaa!!!

No sooner I started crying, than my Mum swung into action and started to feed me... Bless her... and now, I found out a way to call out to Mum when I need feeding-just CRY!

Quite some time later, I was so full, that I felt the need to get it out... Lazy that I was, I just let it come out... But then, the stink was un-freakin-believable! So I did what I did best- "Waaaaaah!!!"

Bless Mum... Its almost as if she had done her PhD in Baby Linguistics...


DAY 3:
The Doctor's performed some routine tests on me... This was my first exposure to an actual Test... Dad said "Son, You will be having many more such tests in life- not as easier as this.. but some where you have to take out all courage and...."

Waaaaaahhh!!!!

And I was saved! Bless you Mum!

It seems that I was ready to go home... Dad had bought his Car... Nice shiny silver car.. made me wanna pee in it, but decided against it...coz it seemed new..

And I couldn't pee out... 'coz apparently, they made me wear some sort of cotton- armored clothing which retains all fluid and semisolid elements, thereby not letting it affect the external environment.

Mum called them 'Diapers'...

Baby Diaries Volume 1- Over and Out!!!

The Flower and the Tree

Forests have always being known for being mysterious and enchanting... This story is not mysterious nor enchanting.. It is the story of a Flower and a Tree which were located in the forest. The Flower was quite unique, because ever since it blossomed on the tree, it was always there...

The Flower and the Tree were quite good friends. One day, the Flower was very angry with the Tree... The Flower felt that the Tree was praising it way too much, even to the extent of comparing the Flower with the greatest things ever created.. and despite of insisting again and again not to do it, somehow, the Tree couldn't help but say it..

The Flower was very upset indeed... It wondered whether the Tree was aware of the fact that it was doing so...

The Tree agreed...

"You are correct. I have been doing so, despite you telling me not to.

You see, when I was here alone, I never knew the beauty of life around me. I had sight, but my vision-blinded...

..And when you rose up in the spring before the Summer, my life turned around... It was as if the sunlight renewed its interest in my life...

Gradually, all things became bright and beautiful... Worst days ended as they came...

And if, in letting you know how much you mean to me, has made you upset over me, then I am really very sorry. It may have come intentionally without my awareness... It could come later unintentionally too... But I promise you that I'm trying my hardest not to do it again.

If you are angry over me, I accept to being the cause of your anger...and I will make every effort to take it away...

If you are disappointed over me, I promise, I will spare no effort in taking it away...

If you want to scream at me, I'll let you scream anything at me... but don't keep it in your heart for so long that it causes my heart to wither away...

You blossom where my heart is; my heart is my life...

Dear Flower, I know I did not listen to you, but I did no wrong... And in no way I am trying to justify myself..

Its just that, I guess, sometimes, spoken words convey a lot more than hidden tears..."

No sooner the flower began to speak, than there was a familiar music playing in the background...

It was my alarm...reality.... 4.30 am- time to wake up for work... jeez!

What did the Flower answer? I don't know.. perhaps, I'll never know...

Common "Wealth" Games!!

So the Commonwealth Games (CWG) are supposed to be held from October 3-14 , 2010 in Delhi. (I say 'supposed to' because it looks like they are still confused ;))...and the way they are being set up, it seems that the politicians have misunderstood the term "Commonwealth" with "Common Wealth"... ;)

You all know that the Commonwealth comprises of all countries who were under the British empire. The Games are held every four years in order to promote relations amongst the Commonwealth group (rather, its like each nation wanting to say 'We're one-up on you!"..."Screw you! We have better athletes!!!(evil,sinister laugh follows)!!" )

So, for the 1st time, the CWG are being held in India, and second time in Asia (after 1998, Malaysia)..So technically, The CWG committee still has raging suspicion over the capabilities of the Asian countries to conduct such events, something which India is tryoing to prove RIGHT!!!

The fall guy here is Mr. Suresh Kalmadi.. This guy should be an epitome for the word 'Incapable'!! We won the rights to host the games waaaaaaaay back in 2003 (you know, the year India lost to Australia in the World Cup.. and personally my not-so-favorite year!!)..So this guy had more than half-a-freakin-decade to set things right in Delhi... We still have't found out what this bugger has done so far except waste money... Our official expenses (so far) is 1.6 BILLION (yes, billion!) dollars... which is waaaaaaaaay more than the official budget in 2004... Of course, inflation should be taken into account, but the degree of variance is quite high!!

Everyday, I read about new developments on timesofindia.com pertaining to the games... More than the sports part, there seems to be more news on the corruption surrounding it!

Corruption:

We know India is a nation filled with corrupt babus... So keeping up with the reputation, the Indian CWG Committee have taken corruption to all new levels (actually, we have our own level of corruption in India which is unparalleled by any nation..But when it comes to Sports, its the first time we're witnessing these levels!).. Illustrated below is an example of the marvellous 'deals' done by the members of the organising commitee...

Normal Cost of a basic treadmill: INR 10000-15000 per machine

Cost of a treadmill at Harrods, London: INR 7 Lakhs per machine

Cost of LEASING (not buying!) a treadmill for the CWG: INR 9.75 Lakhs per machine!!!

This is just the tip of the Iceberg... the Comptroller and Auditor General(the guy who audits the income and expenditure of the government) will be making enquiries into the entire episode and one thing is certain- we WILL unearth something!!

I am just imagining what I can do with Rs. 9.75 Lakhs... I can list them out, but then this will get too damn long! :P

You know, its actually humorous i.e. the CWG motto this time around.."Come out & play".. I mean, its not like you go out of your house and say 'Chunnu, Munnu, Bunty, Babli,,, Come out and play!"... And play on WHAT? the stadiums are hardly ready... one bout of heavy rain and the whole infrastructure got screwed... security is still an issue.. So the question is, will they come out?

I guess the babus must've thought, our athletes play in substandard conditions anyways... So why can't the rest of the world!?

Well, 71 nations are gonna participate in this showcase event... and going by the current scenario, its hardly a showcase...

If Kalmadi is trying to incept the idea in us that the games will be a superhit, then I think he still hasn't understood the movie yet...

Well, to end on a non-cynical note, I really wish that the games are a success... I don't give a damn what happens to Kalmadi afterwards, even if he's gulity or not.. what matters is, Shera the mascot of the games, needs to roar aloud... Good things can happen... Cab drivers, bus drivers etc are getting English lessons, beggars are (hopefully) relocated to government run shelters... infrastructure is being developed, Plans are in place to provide power to Delhi throughout the games such that Delhi will have excess power till year end... So, we can just hope that human life gets better because of the games...

Seriously, at this moment, Kalmadi needs an 'All Izz well' from someone...

Let the games (hopefully) begin!

NB:

Knock Knock...

Who's there?

Kalmadi

Kalmadi who?

Kal madi vaat lagne waali hai!!!

Amul

"Flattery is like cologne water, to be smelt, not swallowed."
- Josh Billings

The best of authors, writers and poets have written about flattery... some even extreme like comparing flattery to an evil...

I ain't gonna write about the moralities of flattery... No way José!

I wanted to write on this topic for a long time, especially since I committed to writing about this.. I started with a story, but it seemed so lame that I'm sure that someone would have shot me at point blank range at the opportunity...

After a brief block, I cogitated on this topic, and wondered, why the term "buttering up" has been used to describe flattery.. and what is more interesting to note, is that,the Indian word equivalent for 'butter' is also used to describe over-praising someone, viz. 'Maska maarna'!

Upon researching on this, I found that there is no "butter" equivalent in other languages for flattery...I could be wrong...there are millions of languages and dialects, and a
section of people may be using this word... but from what I have seen, in mainstream usage, there are hardly any languages which share this relation....

So Strange, I thought, especially since we have always used 'buttering up' and 'maska marna' in the same breath...

Let's face it, we Indians will tend to maska marao the other person to get the job done-...Be it:

- Your parents ("Mama/Papa, U the best!!... no one like u..ummm may I have money to watch the movie!")..

- Siblings (You a good sibling na... You are in fact the best bro/sis a person could ever have.. 7000 births will not be enough to find a sibling like you... So, Umm, you not gonna tell mum that I broke her best set of cups... pukka na?)

- The municipal worker who needs a dose of "arrey bhai, aap itne bade important aadmi hai municipality ke liye, aap hamara kaam nahi karoge toh kaun karega!" ..

-The Boss (Sirrrr... Omigod, You are great sir... you are God... There's no one like you sir... you are super... I worship u sirrrrr.... umm, I also wanted to ask you if there's a possibility for a raise sirrrr.. I am sure that your kind, generous heart ... golden heart... will accept my request sirrrr!!!)

Yet another point to prove why flattery is in-built in us Indians..is thus..

I'm sure many of you know what a 'chamcha' is... Yes, I know its a spoon... but think of a politician... say, Mayawati, and the people that hang on to her, over-praising her as the next big thing...(Yes, Even I feel that she's the next big thing... in terms of the size of her over-inflated ego i.e.!)

So 'chamcha', which is used to describe the flatterers, is yet an other example of how Indianised the concept of flattery is! We have the butter and also the means to apply it!!!

So, in this vein, I would like to rechristen the concept of 'BUTTERING UP' to the most famous butter brand in India..

So the next time you wanna use the term for flattering someone, say ' What re... you are Amuling too much!" :P

So I guess its true...Amul= The taste of India!

Be true to your country... Be Indian, Buy Indian and Say Indian!!

Life as a musical instrument...

Life is like a musical instrument, isn’t it? What notes we play determine how the composition will end; either beautifully or otherwise...

So if we play good, honest tunes, there’s no doubt that the great music conductor orchestrating from the heavens will surely show his happiness.

So what if someone says, “Oh, but I’ve got the worst musical instrument…Defective right from Day 1!”…

Well, I guess this person doesn’t know what an after-sales service is...

You see, God is a wonderful salesman… an honest one too… (well, You hardly get excellent salesmen with sincere attributes these days!)

When God gave you the musical instrument, he expected nothing in return for himself…rather, he expected in return that you play the musical instrument to its fullest potential. That was all that he wanted!

God realized, if I made everyone equal, people wouldn’t appreciate how different each of them was. So, he decided, in his grand plans, that he will create everyone differently, but will treat each one of them equally.

Now, let’s say, you got the worst musical instrument… So what’s its problem? Is it not playing well?

You should first be congratulated for understanding why your instrument is not playing well!

Ever thought of repairing it???

Ok, So now you get down to repairing it… ;) Here’s how you should ideally do it!

Step 1:

Put the instrument right before your eyes. Check it and see where it is that you can’t play it.

Step 2:

Observe that area carefully. Analyze (but don’t overanalyze!) how it should be, how it is, why it is, etc … (That’s why I said, analyze…don’t overanalyze!)

At this stage, you should probably have found out now that there is an ‘XYZ’ defect in your instrument.

Step 3:

Now that you know, solve it…Here are some handy tips to get you on the right trail.

1. If the instrument has come apart, what should you do?
a) Cry…bawl…and bicker “Why has it come apart????”
b) Wonder, “WTF do I do?” for the rest of your life.. OR
c) Take a bottle of Glue/ Fevicol and paste it back.

2. If the instrument has strings, and they’re broken, you:
a) Take the broken strings and hang yourself with them tying them around your neck
b) Wonder, “WTF do I do?” for the rest of your life.. OR
c) Go and buy new strings and put them on…

3. If the instrument has a foreign object inside it, You:
a) Allow it to dominate your instrument for the rest of its life
b) Wonder, “WTF do I do?” for the rest of your life.. OR
c) Get some tool and remove it.

Now, in all of the above questions, I believe that option (c) is the best option. It’s not like I have purposely kept the best option as (c), but then ‘c’ sounds cool… ;) :P

So, you see, no matter whatever is wrong with your instrument, there IS ALWAYS an option to repair it. And the best part is, we all have choices… The choice we make in trying to fix the instrument determines how effectively we will maintain the instrument.

So, to save us from all costs arising from after sales service (and also having the foresight in knowing that all the Customer Care Angels in heaven will be terribly tied up as the number of instruments in the world increase day by day), he devised a system where we, humans, could determine what is wrong with the instrument and fix it ourselves...

The system was initially called “Application System of neurotic strength to derive solutions using typical means without overexerting the utilization of resources”… But knowing that all aren’t God, he decided to call it “Common Sense”…

So, the next time you moan about the defective ‘maal’, thank God that he didn’t decide to junk you in the Rejected category! :P

I have used Musical instruments as a metaphor for life because everyone loves music…

Even the deaf love music. Beethoven was deaf, but didn’t he go on to become the greatest musician of all time?

A lady who was blind, deaf, unable to speak, went on to become the greatest known authors and activist… She passed her Bachelor of Arts despite living with such conditions…The lady, Helen Keller lived through it all, and didn’t let these shortcomings affect her.

So no matter what shortcomings you face, you are equal in God’s eyes, and he expects you to solve the problems yourself.

Once you commit yourself to solving the problem, God’ll make sure that he carries you through the end…

So, coming back, hope we’ve played a nice tune together.

There will be people who will play great tunes in your life. They can be anyone- Mum, dad, brother, sister, best friend, good friends, relative, anyone… So understand the music, because they are playing a part of themselves for your comfort…

Life is a musical Instrument, play it with full “Energico”! So that when you go ahead for a new Instrument, God will say “You know, you played the previous instrument so well, that I think I’m gonna give you a much better instrument this time…” And then you realize why some people have better instruments than some other.

Happy playing!