Chintamani

Be the Change You Want to Be

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 07:58:00 +0000

"Change" happens to be the most ironical word in the history of mankind. Its ironical because it is "Permanent."

Yes, Change is the only Permanent Thing. One cannot move from one milestone another without Changing. To achieve something at next level, the first step is change. Change not in your surroundings but with in you. Once you change yourself, the journey ahead becomes easy. Its like, 'Be the change you want to be'

Every change I want, irrespective of what it is, it should start from me. If I am not ready to change I can not bring the change I want. Changing others is difficult as it is not in my control but changing self is an easier task. I can control it myself. Changing myself is a simple question-answer. If I have problem with something, I have to start the solution from me. So, If I ... then I Should ...

Irritated of Corruption?

Stop Bribing.

Want Respect?

Start Respecting.

Want Help?

Start Helping.

Want Greener Environment?

Start planting.

Want Cleaner Surroundings?

Stop Loitering.

Want Cheaper Food?

Stop Wasting and Consume Wisely.

Want Cheaper Petrol?

Start using car pool; public transport.

Want Poverty Free Nation?

Stop Being Greedy. Start Donating

Want Newer India?

Be an Indian.

I am ready to be the part of this Change Game. Are You?

PS. Written for Stayfree - Time to Change Competition on Indiblogger.

A List that Never Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:14:00 +0000

Remember? The last time you looked at sky and said, "Oh God! Please this time. I'll not ask for anything again." Afterwards, did you ever mused to yourself, "Until I have another one to make?"

Now, don't you cover yourself behind that cunning/selfish grin. No, I didn't read your face but I am all the same!!!!

Experiencing the same situation myself many times over and over puts me into little thinking that we are so self centered that our wishlist never ends. We make wish for the first time and then we demand for another one in our times of need, greed and jealousy.

Whenever I am under a desperate need of something (anything from Crap to Platinum) the story of Ginnie and Aladdin comes to my mind. I portray myself as Aladdin whom Ginnie has granted three wishes and told me to "Choose Wisely." But all I heard is "Choose" and very unwisely I make the last wish to grant me three more wishes ;) and the list goes on and on...

So, in my times of need, greed and sometimes jealousy I do look up in the sky and make a good/bad/ugly wish to be fulfilled. My list was and will be a never ending one. What about you???

PS. I just wish this post get a never ending comments.

Unquoted Quotes

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:36:00 +0000

I don't Hate you, It is just that I don't Love you.

Your life is Hell without me and no less than that with me.

I trust everyone. It's the devil inside them I don't trust.

I can swear in the name of Holy God that most of things in here are Fake.

Life ...

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:39:00 +0000

To me Life has always been a jigsaw puzzle, an unseen one, where the past is arranged neatly and completely in its place making a complete sense. The future lay scattered around the past. The present awaits its turn to join the past in your hands. Your one wrong step will ruin your entire picture. The biggest irony of this game is that no one has come out alive from it. No matter as many pieces you arrange on the board the puzzle will remain incomplete only your death will complete it.

Love is the Feeling...

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:53:00 +0000

Love is the Feeling

You laughed at my silliness,

You cried on my success,

I felt...Love has blessed us.

Love is the feeling,

You’ll not reveal

Love is the feeling,

It won’t let it conceal

Though on my shoulder you cried

It was my heart that ached

I realized...our hearts are now one.

Love is the feeling,

You’ll not reveal

Love is the feeling,

It won’t let it conceal

Even after a decade,

You bring Smile on my face,

And Tears in my eyes

I sensed…your Love intact inside

Love is the feeling,

You’ll not reveal

Love is the feeling,

It won’t let it conceal

To Sir, With Love

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:00:00 +0000

We cursed them but they made us what we are today.

They scolded us only to make us capable of choosing between right and wrong.

They slapped us only to make a better person out of us.

We leave them at the end only to find a new one on the next turn.

There is no one who can fill their void.

They always were and always will be an important part of our life.

Without them we are like a naught in front of a number.

We owe our life to them and with this note I dedicate this post to them.

I dedicate this post to all of my Teachers (including my parents, my siblings, my friends, my foes)

***

To Mam/Sir,

Thanks for being with me all through my life. It is an honour to have you as guide in my life. Thanks for being the light that removed darkness around me. Thanks for everything.

Happy Teachers Day

With Love,

Pranav

The Promise

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:12:00 +0000

The bell rang at 1 o'clock sharp. He packed his pen and pencil in a box and left the examination room immediately. Today was their last exam and he doesn't know if they are destined to meet again or not. He quickly reached the room where he can meet her, but room was deserted. “She has already left” he thought “I have to find her immediately. Its our last day together.” He was looking here and there and his thought process continued “Should I express my feelings towards her?” Then someone called his name, someone who he was very eager to meet. He turned around and said “Thank God, I thought you left for your home. Where were you? Anyway its last day together, Best of Luck for your future and Best of Luck for your PMT exams. Keep in touch.”

“Give me your number,” said She “I'll call you soon and will give you my new number once we have shifted.”

“7-2-2-5-0-1-6” dictated he to her. She carelessly wrote it on question paper. “What are you doing, you can lose this paper.”

“I don't have anything else with me at the moment, I'll note it down in my diary when I'll reach home.”

Suddenly a teacher came and asked them to leave immediately. They started walking towards the main gate of the school. She was few steps ahead of him, he was not aware of it, he was lost in his thoughts again. All he wanted to say were those three beautiful words but something kept his lips stitched.

“Good Bye, Best of Luck for your exams” she said before leaving the school. He replied back and when he came out of the school, She was nowhere to seen. She was now the part of the crowd which he hates to be part of. His only hope was the telephone ring.

Epilogue

He laments about his thoughtlessness, about the decisions he took. But he cherishes the every moment he has spent with her. Even after seven years of their separation, he don't want to believe, rather accept, the fact that she will not call him. The difference between breaking and non-fulfilment of the promise is the only hope left with in him to wait for the telephone to ring. It will ring one day and She will speak his name.

***

An Apology

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 15:05:00 +0000

My Dear Daughter,

I don't know from where I should start this letter. The beginning appears to have vanished somewhere in the past. The only starting point that comes to my mind is your mother, whom you have seen only in photographs and heard of only in stories. Although I was not the source of your stories but I know you knew all about your mother and me. I cannot describe how much I loved her because it ~~was~~ is immeasurable.

We were together through thick and thin ever since we met until death set us apart. The feeling of loosing her sank me. I felt betrayed, I felt cheated not by her but by destiny. Do you know why? Because, we fought with it to get together, we fought with our parents to get married. But destiny slapped us right in our face.

All through your life I have neglected you, though I have provided you with every privilege but still abandoned you. All through your life I have deprived you from the love you needed from me, especially when your mother was not around. I, detested you not because she died after giving birth to you but because she chose you above all else, me and our relationship. She never told me about the complicacy but when I came to know about it, time had already left its mark. I had no option but to leave it to god to choose between you and your mother. I don't know whether his decision was in my favour or not, it was not longed-for or rather I was not in the agreement to accept it.

You received the punishment for the felony I committed and you accepted it with big heart. You never complained about it or I never actually picked it up. May be you ~~understood the circumstances,~~ adapted yourself to the circumstances without literally asking any questions. I took liberty in not answering your question filled eyes. But, you have grown up so intelligently of your own that sometimes it really makes me think that are you truly the destiny's child? You joined the world, your mother left it and your father never existed, yet you have grown to what I see you today. Calm, composed and understanding.

When your mother left for heaven, I lost the love of life. When your mother left, I didn't cherish the gift of her life. All these years I have mourn about your mother without loving you even a bit. All these years I have lost my moments of growing old by watching you grow younger. I lost the moments when tears rolled through your cheeks after falling from bicycle. I have lost the moment when you screamed after winning your first game of scrabble. I lost the moment of happiness on your face when you bought your first mark sheet to me. I lost the moment of smile on your face when you wore your mother's sari for the first time. I have lost every moment you have lived in. All through your life I have been a silent observer and nothing more.

Today when you lay down here fighting for your life, I have realized what I have lost and what I am going to loose. I don't want to be looser any more. I don't want to live rest of my life like I have spent in last 18 years. I want to give what you have missed all these years. I want to listen to all your stories you always wanted to share. I want to take you out for a dinner, for a ride in amusement park. I want to do all the stuff I have never done for you. I want to do everything a father does for her daughter. I don't want to be a mere observer, I want to live with you in every moment you are going to witness. I want you to smile again.

Please get well soon.

Promisingly,
Your Dad

PS. I don't know if I have the right to address you as Dear.

Do you "don" a new personality when you change your gadget?

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:26:00 +0000

Does our gadgets reflect our personalities? I am not sure about the personality but one thing that I am sure of is that they do reflect our status.The costlier the gadget the higher the status. No matter how much price has been quoted for the gadget but we do cross check our pockets, if we can afford it. We do brainstorm if the gadget is worth buying. We visit different outlets to check if anyone is quoting a less price or if someone is providing some freebies with it. We Indians share the same mindset while buying a new gadget i.e. to look out for a good original product at a cheaper price plus if we can get any freebies.

If we buy gadgets with same mindset then how can they reflect our personalities? Because if they reflect it, then we would have the same personalities. Now this is one situation which is completely hypothetical and idealistic. The reality is that all of us have a different personalities of our own.

Do we change our personality when we change our gadget, say a mobile phone? I am not sure about others but in my case, No. No, I don't change my personality rather my personality does not change when I buy a new gadget. Look at it this way, now a days technology advances so quickly, that it becomes difficult to keep pace (in sense of money etc. and not in terms of knowledge) with every new version of a product. Take the example of iPhone, it started with iPhone 3 (as far as I remember) then came iPhone 3S and now its latest version iPhone 4 is released. Keeping the price of each phone in mind, it becomes difficult for an average man to buy each version of it.

So, people who love to keep latest model of everything, do their personality changes with every upgradation? No, I don't think so. Change is easy, but if the frequency of change is high, it becomes difficult to adapt to each change and may result in something else. You may damage your personality. Attitude is the best example that I can quote here, it is one of the most talked about trait of human beings.

In the zest of mapping gadgets with our personality, I fail to develop a connection between gadget and my personality. I don't wear a different personality after changing my gadget. Do you?

This post is written for "Change is Easy" organized by Dell Inspiron Laptop in collaboration Indiblogger. If you liked my post click here to promote it..

Change: I am ready for it; Are you???

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:04:00 +0000

"Change is the only Permanent thing." A statement that I heard on first day of my first job. A statement that has been carved in my memory for eternity. A statement that pushed many thought into my mind and still does.

The very first thought was, "How ironic it is!" One you are talking about change and then you are talking about being permanent; "How can these two things can go hand in hand?" Then I left the world of Irony and came into the world of reality, the quote is talking about the "Change" and not the object which is changing. It is the "change" which is permanent, the object does not matter in this context be it some non-living thing or a living being. The object only need to adapt the change done upon it. Adapt is the word hidden between those words. The object need to adapt to the changes, the faster it adapt the simpler the change becomes.

Presently, I am reading this book titled "The Blind Watchmaker," a book based on human evolution. The writer Richard Dawkin has beautifully mentioned that humans have evolved of small changes taken place to simple things. Since we humans are evolved out of a change, adapting for us is easy; be it in terms of life or technology.

Technology a field of science/mathematics that changes like a click of a finger. SNAP! and you have new product in front of you. I have seen technology changing from the days of Transistors to Walkman to Disk-man to MP3 players to iPods. With each change my crave for the new product has increased. What could be the best way for a die hard music lover to carry loads of songs in an affordable, smallest and convenient possible way? Of course, a MP3 player. With its 2 GB memory I can carry 'n' number of songs without bothering to repeat them in my single trip and that to in a pocket. No need for extra bag to carry tapes, CDs etc. So, you see my MP3 player reflect me in terms of convenience (considering it an appropriate term for my laziness) which I feel and want to feel for every moment in my life.

But do every gadget that I have reflect my personality is still a question and I am not sure about its answer because they all were bought in the hour of need. My computer, my hard disk and my phone. They have been bought because I needed them and not because I crave for them. I don't know when the next hour of need will survive so that I can switch from desktop to laptop, my hard disk to bigger hard disk or from my phone to iPhone. But one thing I am sure of is that I am ready for the change that will take place, I am ready for the transition that will occur. I am ready to overcome the hesitation one feels when a change is about to take place.

This post is written for contest "Change is Easy" organized by Dell Inspiron Laptop in collaboration with Indiblogger. If you like my post, then do promote/vote for it here.

Fill them with Colours

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:38:00 +0000

‘Wish, it could have been in colour’ used to be my thoughts whenever a black & white movie used to play on television. The people of my age, who have grown up watching only coloured movies would have thought the same. I don't know about others, but I am not in the habit of watching movies in monochrome. Apart from the story of the movie I just can't relate to them. But if you go and play a BW movie in front of my or your parents or grandparents, they will happily watch it and will enjoy it too.

The only fascination to watch a Hindi classic was left in its story, the way Love is portrayed between the leads of the movie, the way a complicated issue is narrated with so much simplicity, actors dressed in Indian dresses and all those factors which lack in present day movies. So, I strongly used to feel, I would have loved it more if it could have been in polychrome.

But the blogging competition “Let your business Take Flight with colour” organized by HP Laserjet Printers in association with Indiblogger, really made me think if these are the movies that I want to see in colours?

No.

Surprisingly, I don’t want all those classic movies to turn into colour movies. I will cherish them the way they have been made. They will always remind me of those days which I haven’t seen. They are the symbol of golden era for the people associated with the movie. It is the symbol that we have grown in technology from BW to what we are today. It is the symbol of the good old memory and memories are best remembered if they are left untampered.

Memories are not only related to movies, there is much more powerful tool that is capable to remind us of the time that has gone. Photographs. Sometimes they tell us about the time that we haven't seen. From my personal experience, I came across a photo of a couple, very much familiar but unrecognizable. The photo was preserved by my bua (aunt, father's sister) with great care though it had signs of its age.

After exhaustive brainstorming, guess work I failed constantly to recall them until finally she revealed that the beautiful couple was none other than my grandparents. Sachi! dono kitne alag dikh rahe hai (Really! They both look so different) The photograph was monochromatic, and I didn't mind its grey shades, they looked so beautiful together, as they always did. But for some unknown reasons, I really wanted this photograph in shades other than black and white. Maybe it was the only photo where I have seen them young. You know, one always forget that his parents or grandparents were also young.

The question asked in the competition was simple: "Tell us what would you like to see in glorious colours?" They also provided various options, two above have been taken care. Definitely, they are not the options I will choose from. The only that was left was imagination and this is where all the problem starts, in today's world which is the one thing which is not coloured? The question which appeared simple had complex roots.

Courtsey: photobucket.com

Finally it clicked, the first thing I wanted to be colourful is rain for very few simple reasons: a) I don't have to wait for the sun to see the rainbow. b) I don't have to wait for the festival of colours, Holi, to get drenched in colourful water. c) I want the sky, God's own canvas, to show shades of colour other than blue and red.

Given a chance, will turn the miserable life of every child who works at a road side tea stall, in a factory (read: crackers, colours, glass) into a life of a child. Where he can study, play and enjoy like other kids do.

Courtsey: mylot.com

I don't know if anyone has noticed this: If you close your eyes and turn your face towards the source of light (most appropiate 'Sun') the darkness is filled with red colour. I will consider this entry a winner, if a sightless person is also able to witness the change in colour. I have never met an eyesight deprived person, so I cannot confirm the same fact, if it holds true for them as well. So, this is my last choice, to fill the colours in the life of a visionless soul.

It was possible to Start Again

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 07:30:00 +0000

After many centuries of turmoil and bad government, the population of a city high up on one of the desert mountains of Herat province was in despair. They could not simply abolish the monarchy and yet neither could they stand many more generations of arrogant, egotistical kings. They summoned the Loya Jirga, as the council of wise men is known locally.

The Loya Jirga decided that they should elect a king every four years, and that this king should have absolute power. He could increase taxes, demand total obedience, choose a different woman to take to his bed each night, and eat and drink his fill. He could wear the finest clothes, ride the finest horses. In short, any order he gave, however absurd, would be obeyed, and no one would question whether it was logical or just.

However, at the end of that period of four years, he would be obliged to give up the throne and leave the city, taking with him only his family and the clothes on his back. Everyone knew that this would mean certain death within three or four days because there was nothing to eat or drink in that vast desert, which was freezing in winter and like a furnace in summer.

The wise men of Loya Jirga assumed that no one would risk standing for the position of king, and that they would then be able to return to the old system of democratic elections. Their decision was made public, and the post of king fell vacant. Initially, several people applied. An old man with cancer took up the challenge and died during the period of his rule with a smile on his face. A madman succeeded him, but left four months later (he had misunderstood the terms) and vanished into the desert. Then rumour started going around that the throne had a curse on it, and no one dared apply for the position. The city was left without the governor, confusion reigned, and the inhabitants realised that they must forget the monarchist tradition altogether and prepare to change their ways. The Loya Jirga felt pleased that its members had taken such a wise decision. They hadn’t force the people to make a choice; they have simply got rid of those who wanted power at any price. Then a young man, married and with three children came forward.

‘I accept the post,’ he said.

The wise men tried to explain the risks. They reminded him that he had a family and explained that their decision had merely been a way of discouraging adventures and despots. However, the young man stood firm, and since it was impossible to go back on their decision, the Loya Jirga had no other option but to wait another four years before they could put in place the planned return of elections.

The young man and his family proved to be excellent governors. They ruled fairly, redistributed wealth, lowered the price of food, organized popular festivals to celebrate the change of season, and encouraged craftwork and music. Every night, though, a great caravan of horses would leave the city, drawing heavy carts covered with jute cloth so that no one could see what was inside them. These carts never came back.

At first, wise men of Loya Jirga thought that the king must be removing treasure from the city, but consoled themselves with the fact that the young man rarely ventured beyond the city walls; if he had and had tried to climb the nearest mountain, he would have realized that the horses would die before they got very far. This was, after all, one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. They determined that, as soon as his reign was over, they would go to the place where the horses had died of exhaustion and the riders of thirst, and they would recover all that treasure.

They stopped worrying and waited patiently.

At the end of four years, the young man left the throne and the city. The population was in uproar; after all, it had been a long time since they had enjoyed such a wise and just governor!

However, Loya Jirga’s decision has to be respected. The young man went to his wife and children and asked them to leave with him.

‘I will,’ said his wife, ‘but at least let our children stay. They will then survive to tell your story.’

‘Trust me,’ he said.

The tribal laws were very strict, and the wife had no alternative but to obey her husband. They mounted their horses and rode to the city gate, where they said goodbye to the friends they had made while governing the city. The Loya Jirga were pleased. They might have made many allies, but fate is fate. No one would risk accepting the post of governor, and the democratic tradition would be restored at last. As soon as they could, they would recover the treasure abandoned in the desert, less than three days from there.

The family rode into the valley of death in silence. The wife didn’t dare say a word, the children didn’t understand what was going on, and the young man was immersed in thought. They climbed on hill, travelled for a whole day across a vast plain, and slept on the top of the next hill.

The woman woke at dawn, wanting to make most of the final few days of her life to look her last on the mountains she had loved so much. She went on the very top of the hill and gazed down on what should have been an empty plain, and she was startled by what she saw.

During those four years, the caravans leaving the city each night had not been carrying off jewels or gold coins. They had been carrying bricks, seeds, wood, roof-tiles, spices, animals, and traditional tools that could be used to drill into the earth and find water.

Before her lay a far more modern, far more beautiful city than the old one, and all in working order.

‘This is your kingdom,’ said the young man, who had just woken up and joined her. ‘Ever since I heard the decree, I knew it would be pointless to try and change in four years everything that centuries of corruption and bad governance had destroyed. I was certain of one thing, though, that it was possible to start again.’

***

“It is always possible to start again” seems to be the moral of the story but is it always possible to start again? The message of the story is clear and crisp but still there are many hidden lessons with-in that need understanding before we can start all over again:

Planning: You need to plan for your actions in advance. Starting again should not be instantaneous because stakes are high, you may have dependency upon you.

Trust: Firstly, one should have trust in himself and then his people (family, friends) should trust him for his actions.

Understanding of Environment: Environment here is not just mean atmospheric conditions but in large society you live in, people you live with and place you live in. You should have complete understanding of environment you are dealing with. "Know your Market" as they say in business terms.

Time & Patience: Should your actions to be fruitful or your plans be successful, you need to wait for their execution in properly and timely manner. So, that results are in your favour. For me, wait is just another term for patience. Time tests your patience before turning in your favour.

Power & Money: Last but not the least, you need to have power to accomplish your campaign and money to support your needs during the process.

The story shows one more quality in the man that helped him carry out his plans, "Silence."

These are few hidden lessons which I was able to capture from the story and they very well go in real life as well. Do let me know if you find any other lesson hidden in it.

PS. Story taken from Winners Stand Alone by Paulo Coelho.

PPS. No matter what, Government always sucks!!!

Wake up... Before its ALL OVER...

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 15:06:00 +0000

‘Whenever he reads articles in the newspaper or magazines written by politicians using global warming or the destruction of the environment as the platform for their electoral campaigns, he thinks:’

'How can we be so arrogant? The planet is, was and always will be stronger than us. We can't destroy it; if we overstep the mark, the planet will simply erase us from its surface carry on existing. Why don't they start talking about not letting the planet destroy us?'

"The Planet will simply "Erase" us;" Isn't it true?

Hindu mythology has a similar story where Earth, to regulate itself, completely washes away everything from its surface by a deadly flood (Pralay). The only thing that survived the catastrophe was a boat and its traveller. The boat was only one of its kind, given by Lord Vishnu to the first man created by Lord Brahma. The gesture was to save the mankind from extinction. Almost same story has been told in the movie "2012"

My point here is that we have been destroying Earth like anything, digging oil out of it, consuming underground water, the various experiments etc. etc. The list is never ending. The above abstract taken from the book "The Winner Stands Alone" put me in to thinking about it.

We have destroyed Earth and continue to do it. We have always thought of consuming its resources without giving anything in return. Earth never asked them back. We have always thought of developing new technologies based on those resources. Any new technology developed always shows its after affects on Earth at a later point of time.

But now the 'sand of time' is reversed marking the start of time when Earth wants everything back in its place. If it does not find it, it will regulate itself and will literally wash us away from its surface. It has always done it and it will always do. It did it with dinosaurs and now it is our turn.

Somewhere in my heart or mind, I stongly feel that Earth has started its restoration. Changes in weather, its unpredictibility are the signs of Earth's resurrection. Tsunami in Japan has impcated Earth's rotation as well.

Americans very well know that a day will come when Earth will destroy everything on it. This is the big reason they make movies like "A Day after Tomorrow" "The Day when Earth Stood Still" "2012" etc etc. Their list is also very long.

Destruction from Earth is the reason we are celebrating "World Earth Day" today (5th June 2011) with a tag line "Save the Earth." On the contrary we are not saving Earth, we are saving ourselves. We all are afraid of Death (The first truth of everyone's life) but we don't want to agree with it. The writer of the book, Paulo Coelho, also mentions the reason for it:

'Because "saving the planet" gives a sense of power, action and nobility. Whereas "not letting the planet destory us" might lead to feelings of despair and impotence, and to a realization of just how just very limited our capabilities are.'

Very true indeed, what do you reckon? So, start saving ourselves but that can be done only if start replenshing the Earth. So, take a first step towards it.

Three Successful Years

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sat, 28 May 2011 13:39:00 +0000

"Better Late than Never"

Happy Birthday Chintamani

Beholding the Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Sat, 21 May 2011 13:01:00 +0000

An old saying goes like "Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder." I second that. Truly, the one who quoted it might have been beautiful because he changed the way we define "Beauty". Beauty is what you want to see in others that make them please you. If your eyes have it, your heart will see an ugly person as most beautiful creation of God. Beauty is mere play of perception. If you have it right world is beautiful else nothing is.

I remember my teen age days when we used watch Miss India Contest. The contestant used to answer the pet question about Beauty with "Inner Beauty." and we used to say "She is standing there that is why she is saying it." In reality, we rarely come to know about how much different a person is from his inner sense and the mask he is wearing. It is sheer perception of our eyes and mind that we believe them.

When we talk of Beauty, it not only restricts to living beings, it spreads through relation between them. The society has always been apportioned for them; be it love marriages, live-in relationships or queer relationships. But some forget that these relationships have most beautiful thing with them "Love," the most beautiful feeling ever known to mankind, animals and plants. To witness it you need to have right kind of sensitivity.

You pick up anything be it living or non-living, you will find at least one person who will say that it is beautiful even if others are against it.

My idea about beauty is Simple, what is yours?

Dil(li) wallon ki Metro

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:57:00 +0000

25 December, 2002

I clearly remember the day, it was a Christmas present from Atal Bihari Vajpayee to all Dilliwalle, The Famous Delhi Metro. Like crazy we went to feel the ride and pride of Delhi. When we reached the first station, we realized that we are not the only crazy ones but many others are also there to take the ride on the very first day of metro. It was like the ocean of people have flowed in to take the first day ride. Zenith of our excitement was so high that we were not at all bothered by pushes of people, we were not bothered about people stepping on our toes.

That day has been written down with silver words in history. In the years that followed, I have never seen metro filled with crowd and always considered that it is not making any profit. More years passed many developments took place in metro's network. It was 17th January 2011 when I stepped in the metro station after a gap of around 2.5 years. The ride from Vishwavidyalaya to Rajiv Chowk was fine with a nominal crowd (to me!!) and I was relaxed upon not seeing much crowd as I was told by my cousins friends etc.

The nightmare turned true when I reached Rajiv Chowk station for a change over. As soon as I climbed stairs, there was long queue of people standing, (itni lambi, I would stretch my arms beyond my power and tell my story to others) and waiting for the train to arrive. OH MY GOD! was my first reaction. Then a thought of empty train arriving at the platform crossed me and calmed me that I'll board the next train that will arrive.

The nightmare got worse when a train fill of people arrived. The train vacated and again filled. Nature's Balance I suppose. But I was still standing on the platform awaiting my turn to board the metro which I got only after 2 others have passed by after exchanging their travellers.

It was a war on its own to board the metro, thanks to others pushing you need not put effort to move in and out of metro compartment. A war to reach your destination on time, which I lost obviously. The day has been passed but I learned few lessons that day:

1. Avoid boarding a metro after 8 AM in the morning (I don't know the end time :P)

2. We Indians have learned to stand in a queue, whether forced upon or not, atleast @ metro stations

3. We need separate ladies compartment everywhere

4. We are flexible enough to accomaodate people anywhere even at the cost of our comforts. We always have a room to accomodate one more. After all it is Dil wallon ki Metro.

These were some of the lessons I learned the other day but we Indians still need to learn few lessons:

1. (For men) Never board ladies compartment

2. (For persons awaiting their chance to board the metro) Let the persons vacating the metro come on platform and then board the train.

I would like to dedicate this post to regular metro commuters who start their day with a dose of war. Have a Happy and Safe Metro Ride!!

Measure your Waste

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:54:00 +0000

Food is one of the most basic needs. It is one medium that can change the whole scenario be it that of an individual, a family or a nation. After 3 years into IT industry, I am giving my testimony to the food wastage in office' cafeteria which I have always cried for to my colleagues and still do it. It is not restricted to cafeterias alone but anywhere Restaurants, Parties and mainly at Home. You see, "Charity begins at Home."

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It all started when my mother (I think, yours as well) told me to finish my share of food when I was some 10 yrs old or more. My mom will always say, "Logon ko khanne ke liye nahi milta aur tum usse faink rahe ho." (People don't get food to eat and you are wasting it.) to this I'll promptly reply, "Bas mera pet bhar gaya hai" (I am all full and can't take any more)

"Phir utna liya karo jitna kha sakte ho." (Then you should take that amount of it which you can consume.)

"Woh to khaane ke baad pata chalega na." (I'll come to know of it only when I have eaten)

"To thoda thoda kar kar le liya karo.Ab apna khaana khatam karo." (Now finish your food)

This used to be the end of our conversation. Since that day, I don't remember if I have left anything from my share of food. There was always one query that used to be in my mind, how the food put in front of me will help hungry out there, when we have already bought it and cooked it. Moreover, the leftover food will be kept in fridge for later consumption?

But I never used to bother about it because I was getting my stomach filled by the end of the day. I never realized it when my mom used to give leftovers to our domestic help. I never realized when I used to tell my colleagues not to waste the food, I used to and still receive following replies:

1. The food is not good (I know cafeteria's food is always bad, but you also know that)

2. I was not aware, how much I'll consume. (My reply used to be same as my mum's)

3. I am not bothered, I have already paid for it. (Speechless)

Then one day I did some mathematics on "How not wasting cooked food will feed hungry?" Here is an example that can be applied to real life situations as well.

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Say a nation produces 100 Kilos of rice to be consumed sufficiently by its total population of 200 people (0.5 kg/person). Now say that an IT company is set up in that nation with total employee strength of 75 people. The cook did some of his own mathematics and started consuming rice on 0.75 kg/person basis i.e. 56.25 Kilos. The employees looking at so much of rice started taking more than what they can consume. Let us assume that they took complete rice and consumed only on 0.5 kg/person basis. So, total food wasted is 0.25*75 = 18.75 Kilos well enough to serve 37.5 person. Before nation could realize the shortage of food supply people will start to die of hunger.

This was the simple calculation I did. But look at the bigger picture: To meet the shortage of food supplies, the government will export it thus increasing the price of the supplement. Thus, increase the cost of living, it will affect psychology of the growing child thus affecting future of the nation and many other factors. There will not be any surety if the poor will be able to afford the new price or not. And it is a vicious circle that will keep on revolving.

In our country whose around 70% economy is based on agriculture industry has 40% of its total population below poverty line, where people don't have enough money to buy three meals per day. The cost of living has increased drastically in past few years that people can not survive and food is one of the major reasons.

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It's not restricted to food alone. Water is again on of the reasons. We deliberate ourselves when we see that we have enough resource to utilize. We use paper napkins to wipe when we already have a handkerchief in our pocket. We keep the tap running while we are brushing or shaving. We use paper cups to drink water when we can afford to keep a water bottle at our desk. We are becoming selfish day by day and now is the time to think of our future generations. Time is near when we will be paying for oxygen cylinders. This is wake up call for each individual. The time has come to contribute our bit.

1. Point out to people who waste food, water, electricity etc. They will change, I have seen.
2. Plant trees so that your generations can live.
3. Spread the word. Blog will be a great medium because we are the people who is wasting, because poor don't have access to internet and he knows the value of food. He is the one who can tell which is more costly: Gold or Food?

Write your own post or share mine and I can tell that you will see the difference.

PS. This is a view of general observation. I have not searched for statistics on food wastage. If you have anything do share it.

Love her, his way

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:01:00 +0000

She: Let's celebrate!!!

He: What?

She: Valentine's Day!@#!

He: Why??

She: Because we love each other.

He: So?

She: So??? Let us celebrate our love.

He: Why today? When we can celebrate it tomorrow or day after. Why today? When we have celebrated it yesterday or before. Why today?

She: (With face and eyes red) because everyone is celebrating.

He: We are not everyone, we don't need any particular day to celebrate our love when we can celebrate our love on any other day.

She: (With water in her eyes) but its a special day.

He: Everyday is special if we make it special. Anyway, if it bring back your smile. (He handed her a valentine greeting card)

The Bitter Side of Friendship

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:52:00 +0000

..all of them knew when they met for the first time but..

..they never new when friendship between them started..

..to them it was like a dream where you don't know how it started yet you are in it..

..a wonderful dream it was..

..there was fun, love, fights, secrets and everything else that a friendship should have..

..then one day..

..it became a nightmare..

..and like all the dreams it shattered into pieces..

..pieces that refused to get together because..

..if joined somehow the dream will always have the scars of the past..

..with this thought in their mind they never tried to be friends again..

..and continued their solitary journey..

"Next Blog>>" : An Innovation Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:46:00 +0000

The Blogger team claims that their "Next Blog>>" link in their templates is great innovation as it randomly browses you through the related blog you might want/love to read. I always thought of it as a good option as it opens a new area to explore. You get to read thoughts of other, their hidden talent at writting, things/issues they blog about and most importantly you can discuss/share your comments as well which you can't do while reading a book.

But lately and always before, I have felt that it is totally a ridiculous option. Earlier when I used to browse blogs using this option, it used to lead me to the blogs written in languages that were not understandable to me. I have seen myself browsing to I suppose French, Spanish, German, Portugese, Chinese and Arabic blogs. Furstrated, I quit using this option to browse blogs.

Sometime ago I heard that Blogger has improved its selection criteria for the same link but I never got time to use it again. Since I am now deprived of reading books (due to time constraints) I wanted some reading activity within office. So, blogs is the only (exclude ebooks) option left for reading stuff. I tried my luck again; and again I flunked to get some blogs which I want to read. This time blogger did blunder with this link as it loops you through same 4-5 blogs everytime and everyday. Vexed, this time I thought of completely stopping its use, blog about it so that others should know. So, next time you use "Next Blog>>" link, use it at your own risk.

PS. I still hope Blogger fix this issue.

A change in Lifestyle

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:24:00 +0000

I am the one who constantly believes in "Change is the only permanent thing" and have been using this quote in reference to my blog which has undergone many changes since I started it. This time for the first time I want it to quote for my life. Though its not the first time my life is undergoing any kind of change but still it goes for the first time.

Last 15-16 days have witnessed a drastic change in my lifestyle. A lifestyle I inherited after moving back to Delhi, "forever." Earlier I used to get bore on my holidays but now I never get time for myself. It is not that I am complaining about it because I always wanted to move back to home and I always knew that my life will not be as easy as it was in Bangalore. Its always good to be at home with all your people around you and getting back all your responsibilities towards them.

But one thing I would like to mention/complain about is that I haven't got a complete rest since I took off from Bangalore. My weekends now pass like a click of finger and weekdays seems to be too long. My holidays are no more holidays where I can get good afternoon sleep or lie down lazily watching movies on television (Kind off forget there is such thing called TV)

On the other hand, its always good to be at home by the end of day and I have always missed "ghar ka khaana" which has been added advantage here. On top of it, I haven't spend a single penny from my pocket :P

After being in Delhi I am just craving for a good sleep and a week off from office and more blogging time!!!!

A Piece of Advise

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:01:00 +0000

Finally I was packing my bag for journey back to home. To avoid any last minute rush or check in problem or the middle seat dilemma in flight I thought to do web check in. I wanted the aisle seat because the air line really had sexy air hostesses and ...

But I was still in confusion....suddenly my colleague popped up and I explained him my situation. He told me "You choose the aisle seat and I'll blog about you and this kind of stuff." hough I never had problem with him blogging about me but I was still confused which seat to choose from. Finally the same colleague pulled me out of my misery. He inquired me about my flight's timing. When I gave him the answer he told me choose a window seat at the left side of th plane. I asked him why? He told me "You'll be travelling from south to north so sun will be in east so its better to choose window seat which is on west side."

I was really awed with his reply. It has never occurred to me and I was never told by anyone. But the advise really helped me out. I took a window seat on the left side of the plane and was saved from the scorching sunlight.

Happy New Year 2011 !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:10:00 +0000

As 2010 dawns into 2011 with new rays of hope, let us make this new year a special and unique.

As you plan your new year resolutions,

Make some for the ones you love.

Plan some for your neighbours.

Plan some for your Country.

Plan some for the Mother Nature.

Let us spread Love around so that We can live.

Let us Plant a tree regularly so that Our Generations can live.

Let us not waste food so that a Hungry can live.

Let we Live and let Live.

May you fulfill all your resolutions in the next year.

Wishing You and Your Family a

Happy

Prosperous

New Year 2011

Value

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:46:00 +0000

Sometimes, we don't value things that are in our hands. Really, don't you think? I am not talking about materialistic things. I am talking about priceless things like Parent's Love, Friendship or the person you love (the person, as people say, you have affair with, going around with, girlfriend/boyfriend) and many more... the list is never ending.

A friend of mine was going through her story about her friend whom I happen to know. I am not providing any details here but after a discussion with her I concluded that we don't value what we have with us and we crave for more. We don't learn from the incident happened to us in past and repeat the same mistake over and over.

We don't respect when our parents show their love to us and consider it as their duty. No problem, when it is time for our duties we either dump them in a old age home or totally ignore them depriving them of our love and even duties towards them.

We don't respect our friends and we want them to change without changing ourselves even a bit. We take them for granted and seek every bit of attention from them.

Ever given a thought, what will happen by each step you take when things revolve around a relationship? No, we just like the things either messed up or totally lost. We simply end up loosing everything we have which was priceless. We can earn ample amount of money but we cannot have ample amount of relationships. They are limited, that are true. Money can buy us anything but love, affection and relationships.

So, next time when you think of something priceless think twice before you take your action regarding it.

????

noreply@blogger.com (Pranav Gupta) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:37:00 +0000

Something occurred in my mind while I was in a bus. I wanted to write something about it. But when I penned the core of the idea it was more or less like a question. SO, I thought why not put forward it as a question and see what others think of it. Here it goes.

Which one is better?

Doing wrong thing with right attitude

Doing right thing with wrong attitude

Any Answers?