Hari's Duniya

My Idea of India. A Society Based on Equality !

2012-12-30T10:18:00.002+05:30

The last fortnight has been mentally invigorating. People are meeting up, discussing, protesting and asking tough questions regarding our country, its direction and what should be done. There are various opinions on what should our government do, how our laws have to be framed and how should justice be dispensed. I do feel that sometimes purely thinking with emotions leads to make some radical statements which may not hold out in the test of time. What is then the solution? How can we come out of this paralysis we find ourselves in every now and then.

In the analysis of any problem we usually think about the root cause of the problem. The arrival to the root cause can be determined by experiences and the thinking of the individual and hence people can derive different root cause for same problems. According to my experience and thinking of various issues I feel the root cause of many malaise in my country is due to in-equality.

I envision an India, which is equal to every individual. It would not discriminate between a man and a woman. It would not allow a girl to be killed because she is not wanted. It would not allow her to be molested or assaulted or subjected to any cruelty by anyone because of her sex. At the same time it would not allow her to falsely implicate any innocent person out of anger or revenge.

I envision an India, which is equal to its poor citizens just like its rich ones. The access to the schools, colleges, hospitals, police stations, courts is same to everyone. A person born in less privileged family let him be of any caste doesn't miss the opportunity or feel sidelined. Every hard working man gets the opportunity to stand and achieve what he intends without feeling discriminated based on his family or his caste or his state.

I envision an India, which is land of equal opportunities. Where a person with money in his pocket cannot think of buying the law or the government servant and mend the laws for his benefit. Where people are judged not by the expensive cars but the high moral values. Where ethics and not giving in to corruption is valued more. Where people are respected because they are genuinely working to uplift the society out of its malaise, the poverty and not because they intend to sweet talk into making themselves rich.

I envision an India, where people are not divided on basis of state, religion, caste, sex or class. Where there are no differences and the overwhelming similarity is we are all humans, meant to care for the welfare and the betterment of other humans. A society based on caring, sharing and creating a future which is not only bright but also sustainable in view of the turmoils which will inflict us from time to time.

We can be all this and beyond because we are from the nation of great saints, thinkers and doers. They left everything for the betterment of our lives. We owe to them to work in our lifetime to achieve a society which would lead a positive change for everyone around us. It is not a one day, one month or one year job. It is not a job which can completed and we can relax into but its a lifetime mission. It has to be practiced by each one of us everyday, every hour, every minute. We cannot talk about others being fair and just when we ourselves have different ideas of what is fair and just.

I strongly believe that the idea of India as a nation is going to exist till eternity. Its only how it is viewed by others. We the individuals of India have to make it real, we have to make it happen for the rest of world to emulate. We have to stand up to build a society which is fair, just and equal for everyone. Only then can we realize the real upliftment of every individual.

It will happen, it is inevitable. The process may be slow, it may be long drawn, but it is the only way. If we wish to evolve into a better society we have to ensure it. I only pray to God to give strength to every individual to work on his/her beliefs & contribute positively to the society.

God Bless India.

Mind & Thoughts

2010-10-11T20:03:00.000+05:30

Couple of days back on a visit to my banker, I read the following.

“Always Keep Smiling. Smiling doesn’t mean you don’t have problems but the ability and confidence to overcome them”

Suddenly I realized that I indeed had stopped smiling for quite some time. It wasn’t that responsibilities and pressures of life had suddenly come knocking but maybe because I was stressing more on the problems I have than the privileges I enjoy. Maybe I really understood what everyone meant when they said “Don’t take you self too seriously”. If you still have not understood what it means, is when we are busy doing our work in our field, at some point of time it so happens that the whole universe begins to center around our work. We start thinking that it is the only thing that is possibly happening in the whole wide world. We stop smiling, immersing ourselves more and more in the small world we have created and stop really caring what is outside. Its only when we open our minds and see with our eyes open do we realize that there is so much more to life than we thought of. The person we are thinking so high about is nothing but just a grain of sand in the vast oceans of time.

Every person’s life has their own amount of struggles and victories. I would not like to categorize people as more fortunate or less fortunate, happier or less happy, prosperous or not so prosperous because ultimately it all balances out. For some money is a fortune, but others good wife and children (family) is a fortune. For some bungalows, cars are happiness for others peace of mind is happiness. It doesn’t mean that keeping one view is the opposite of another. It just means that there are different definitions of same things based on different experiences and outlook. But like a learned Electrical Engineer once said “All life is but one sinusoidal wave. You reach the peak; now wait for the fall and so on”. It’s a cycle which keeps on continuing till life is a straight line (in medical equivalent of a dead person).

Over the last few months I have had varied experiences and interactions. I have invariably learnt so many lessons that are more or less likely to stay on for the rest of my life (or at least I wish).

· The people who stick with you when you are down are your real relatives.

There are many relations in our life that we just take for granted, like family, friends, colleagues, etc. Its only their true character is revealed when we are down. And this revelation is absolutely stunning; the people who stick it out when you are down are in fact your real relatives. Remember them and reward them when the times have changed. Don’t ever forget that they thought or believed in you or something and saw that you are through it. It’s a very humbling experience because you would realize that your strength doesn’t just lie within but because of this very people who believed in you. Maybe it’s because of their faith in you that made it possible for you to continue in spite or in face of innumerable difficulties.

· Importance of Balance of Mind and Good Intentions.

When you are roughing it out, when you are under pressure from all ends it is imperative that you maintain the balance of your mind and thought process. Equanimity is very critical. Besides the above good intentions can take you out of the toughest times of your life. The metaphysical concepts of thought is sometimes hard to believe and practice but in reality does hold true. Will Smith once said “To even think of a 2^nd option / 2^nd place (failure) is like giving chance for it to happen”. Believe that the best would take place despite the problems you are undergoing today and the whole universe would collaborate to make it happen for you. I know these sounds like some dialogues straight out of a movie but the fact remains that in the middle of gloom or center of happiness don’t get carried away. Just keep doing what you have do for every waking hour, without shirking responsibilities and passing out blames, taking the brickbats, doling out appreciations and you realize that there is nothing more fulfilling in life when you are at peace with your soul.

The most negative and harming effect which can pollute you in every way is the very thought of disrupting or harassing a person who is less powerful than you. The real test of a person in a powerful position is not how well he exerts his power on weaker subjects but how well he disposes his fairness unto them. Real respect for power arises out of this and everything else is just an aberration.

Inception - Mind Games

2010-07-18T11:48:00.002+05:30

Here it comes, after two years of Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan brings a concept which may seem audacious but very very interesting.

Inception, is very much like the Matrix, you would be raving about the amazing effects you see on screen and the worlds created by the characters but somewhere along the way you find it hard to relate. It makes for interesting viewing but of a world which you know is not possible i.e., of events which are executed in dreams so as to affect the real world. Its like being obsessed with one particular idea and that idea is the key behind the world functioning.

Personally for me it didn't work as well as the Dark Knight. Dark Knight even though a movie about Superhero (Batman) & his fight against evil was very much grounded and one could relate to it with real circumstances. Coupled with strong technological backup Wayne could stand up as Batman without raising the slightest apprehensions. He was afterall vulnerable and susceptible like all humans, which perhaps was the biggest achievement of Nolan.

Inception is supposed to do just the opposite what was meant for Dark Knight.

Inception is a must watch and like all Nolan movies, it is a one which will make you question, think and ultimately admire the intellect and the sheer execution of one of the finest directors since Stanley Kubrick.

Let me be ...

2009-08-20T21:17:00.001+05:30

I kept looking my whole life for thee,
When somewhere somehow it was within me.
O glories of peace and silence,
Why have you left in this shed of violence ?

My heart cries and lives in longing,
No sense of self, no kind of belonging.
Let me come to you where you ask for,
Just let me be as i was before !

Time Again - Part I

2009-07-07T20:05:00.003+05:30

It was a different time. A time when he could be more careless. A time where smile frequented his small face. He lived his life not exactly on his terms. But he was happy nevertheless. Maybe because he didn't think of it much. There were problems, which was bound to be there in any life. And he was glad that he lived life to the hilt whenever it required.

But he had changed now. Times were different. Responsibilities had come knocking. He was not one of the kind who would buckle down or who would run away. He was the one who faced it head on. Circumstances were not always conducive but he remained undeterred. He knew fate had it written for him. He was bound to come out victorious. Or so he wished. He was Raman Ramesh.

Looking towards the thick rooted tree outside his window, he could see the sparrows chirping. Been quite a while since he had seen the sparrows. It was as if they had disappeared. He tried counting them and it occurred to him that indeed there were not much of them anyway. He remembered a article he read sometime back mentioning the phenomenon of disappearing sparrows. He didn't think much of it that time. But now when he did see the delight it was bringing to his otherwise mundane life, he was feeling sad. A sense of loss, as if some near one had gone away.

A voice called for him. He turned around back to the world he was looking away from. The home had become a house, a dwelling where he returned every night to sleep. Crumbling peels of paints to the black spots of water coming from the roof, the walls were a sad story. Discolored floors were disinterested as well. The furnishings were unwashed, untidy and ugly. Life had left the place long ago and it seemed to take something out of him every moment.

He called her his wife when they went to social gatherings. At home, he hardly talked. There was nothing to talk. It had become a life where on every 10th he put the money on her table. She kept on rambling about his mother, his children, his indifference and his silence. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. All he remembered was his face. It was etched in his memory. And he would never forget for what had happened. Never again ...

Annoyance ...

2009-07-05T12:13:00.002+05:30

Well here I am, after all this months of hibernation. Hibernation not from life but from blogging. From writing on my own space. Not that I have stopped thinking for that matter even writing, but sometimes there was a strong incongruence between my thoughts and words. I would start something, stop in between and realise that what I had started was not what I intended. I don't know what is this called but certainly is very annoying. Its like trying to raise your hand to the left and it going to the right.

Many ideas, many events which requires mention but again it would lead this post to places where I have not thought of. There is a new thing which I am suffering from lately. "THOUGHTLESSNESS". There are times where in you do know that in order to perform and excel you need to have thoughts, you need to work positively towards that thoughts. And not negative thoughts mind you but positive thoughts. You lose track of time. Your mind wandering from one place to another without any connection or reason. The process is interesting if you think about it. The places mind take you, giving you an example ...

I go to a place and see a plastic chair

I sit on that plastic chair

I last sat on a similar plastic chair when i was in diploma

I sat alongwith my friends at the Jhunka Bhakar Stall outside the college

I had Arvind, Jai, Rushi, around for company when we ate vada pav and drank pepsi,

Arvind, Jai were my colleagues in our factory while training

Rushi was my another trainee friend when we were in CG

Bapu Narvekar was the sir in CG who gave me a lot of respect

And what you know next, sitting on the plastic chair, I give a call to Bapu Narvekar, asking him about his family and health, etc etc.

I know its not exactly what you call running out of thoughts. But then sometimes this eludes me. I just stare at a space like it never existed. I do remember, even in college or school when i used to study in the bedroom all alone, sometimes memorising in front of the mirror, i would stop sometime and incessantly stare at my image for about 15-20 minutes in absolute silence. Its a very weird feeling. After sometime you start thinking, is this really life you living in? Is this body really yours? What is that you are looking at anyway? What is inside me which is controlling my outside? What is going to go out when this body withers in pain or anxiety ? What is that you trying to achieve anyway ? And then there is whole loss of purpose. Cause what you have achieved so far is insignificant and what lies ahead of you is uncertain.

There are many self asked questions and trying to answer myself. Not been successful in many respects, but certainly a sense of fulfillment when you do realise the truth. There is one thing which I read recently which is remarkable. Its written by Kahlil Gibran, on children

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

I can't take this out of my mind, ever since I have read this especially the sentence ... They come through you, but not from you !!

Simply amazing. Till then, hoping not for a long break the next time around.

Remember (not to watch) Ghajini ...

2008-12-29T17:28:00.004+05:30

First questions first ...

What was Aamir thinking while doing Ghajini?

Or did he got too much into the character to forget what exactly he was supposed to do?

The body was there, the hype was there, everything was apparently in the right place for Ghajini to be that extraordinary action movie we all have been waiting for ages. Aamir Khan in a never seen before action role of a lifetime. I mean, who would want to miss that on a big screen ? Actually after seeing it, I gladly would have :(

To make a long (n boring) story short, Aamir was a Top Exec. of a mobile company at one point of time (he actually is throughout the movie, but doesn't act later on), falls in love with a seemingly simple hearted Asin (a aspiring, Hamam to Khaaj Khujli wali Model). But as fate would have it, the simple helping nature of Asin lands her into trouble with the man himself GHAJINI !! Apna Ghajini is nothing short of a MD of a big pharma company himself. And he is such a hands on boss, that he ensures that every murder is done by his "shubh haathon". As luck would have it, the girl has known too much about Ghajini uncle (just imagine the scores of people who must have already seen him execute so many others) and she has to die. In trying to save his beloved, Aamir also gets slammed by a Iron something (looked like a iron bat) but manages to save his skull (& his life), gets a discount and scrapes with two scratches on his head, no hair growth for 6 months and a new phenomena .... SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS. Ok, so finally by hook or crook finally he is able to replicate the same golfing action shot of hitting the skull of Mr. Ghajini and take his revenge. His hair grows again, he sees his love of life again and somehow his memory is beginning to come back.

Well, one could have guessed how Ghajini would have been seeing the posters of the movie. Aamir Khan, all muscled up, staring in one picture and putting his hands on his head in another. An indication by the great Khan, that it could not have messed any further than this (not even Mela would come close). Lets see what did not work for me in this movie ...

1. Was Aamir a patient of memory loss or had he lost it completely? I mean why was he shouting so violently when he wanted revenge?

2. Does getting hit on head means extra bout of energy and loads of muscles ? OK, I get the part wherein he develops the muscles, but that high amount of energy to hit ones face and find it turned around 360 degrees, too hilarious !!

3. MD of a big mobile company, MD who is hip hopping the globe, giving interview to CNN in his lavish corporate setting writes a daily dairy in hindi, manages to find time to take around apni Asin, have pani puri & pay with a credit card, "chitter - chatter" about ads of "chaddis & khaaj khujli creams" & smile around quite stupidly.

4. GHAJINI (the man himself) goes around in every frame with loads of goons & guns. And finally when in the climax, when our Aamir goes to kill him, he manages to run out of every single gun in his area. Also, where in case of others all it took Aamir to settle score was a punch or a kick, in case of Ghajini, lot of hitting ensured he did not get killed. The climax was a RAJNI hitting GHAJINI.

5. Finally, I really cannot make out in which genre the film should fall under. It tried to be a horrorific, gruesome, action, drama, comedy movie of our time (in short a complete mess !).

The overenthusiatic camera work, the loud background score, the long stretch .... phew.

The only thing I would like to take home would the wardrobe (& the abs if possible) of Aamir Khan. All other things sucked !!

Watch it, at your headache.

Yeh uski hai kahani ...

2008-11-21T21:01:00.002+05:30

Ek rani ki yeh kahani hai,

Bahut se yeh anjaani hai.

Chupke se wo roti thi,

Shayad kuch gum wo seti thi.

Koi na jaane kya dard tha,

Lekin ek ajab sa assar tha.

Uski muskurahat par jee lete log,

Wo agar kehti kadva zeher bhi pee lete log.

Par usne na kabhi kaha kisse,

Sab dard liye bas apne hisse.

Aaj agar wo kisi baat par heraan hai,

Toh sab usse chahne wale pareshaan hai.

Kaun pooche usse aakhir baat kya hai?

Aankhon main nami ka raaz kya hai?

Gumsum hoke bhi koi afsana bayaan kiya,

Na kehte wo bhi bahut kuch keh diya.

Tonight ...

2008-10-08T20:44:00.003+05:30

I can live tonight,

I can pray tonight.

I can cry tonight,

Live in your arms tonight.

I be what you want tonight,

I be what you crave tonight.

I be what you asked tonight,

Live another day tonight.

I want to be your love tonight,

I want to be your hope tonight.

I want to be your feeling tonight,

Give it all out tonight.

Lived all my life for tonight,

Thought of it all along for tonight.

Don't want to miss a chance tonight,

Just want to live another day tonight.

Believe ...

2008-10-07T17:18:00.001+05:30

I believe that the sun shines after the rain

I believe if you don't get hurt you'll never gain
I believe in not doing things the easy way
I believe that being selfish doesn’t pay

I believe in a second chance
I believe in a life long romance
I believe there is life after death
And standing up to a life of mess

I believe in love at first sight
I believe that revenge isn’t right
I believe that first impressions last
And there is nothing better then a good laugh

I believe that dreams do come true
I believe there's destiny for me and you
I believe that good things come to those who wait
I believe love never arrives too late

I believe something good comes from something bad
I believe that for tears of happiness there are tears of sad
I believe everyone has a guardian angel
And the good you do will be rewarded well

I believe sometimes there is no explanation
I believe money can't buy people's affection
I believe you don't know what you've got until it's gone
I believe a new day arrives with every dawn

I believe a smile can be contagious
I believe in being very outrageous
I believe in living with no regrets
I believe that life is as good as it gets

I believe that God watches over us
I believe the little things are worth the fuss
I believe you have each friend for a reason
I believe you will get punished for treason

I believe in making the most of a beautiful day
And it's not the end until everything's okay

I believe absence makes the heart grow fonder
I believe you will lose if you sit and wonder
I believe every experience teaches you a lesson

I believe everyone has one true love
I believe sometimes we need a little shove
I believe the whole world is a stage
I believe we only get better with age

I believe that to learn you have to live
I believe that to love someone you have to give
I believe one moment can change your life
And there's still help when you’re in strife

I believe everyone has one true friend
I believe love helps a broken heart mend
I believe in the power of a song
And things will change before too long

PS: Not a original composition, I saw it on a friend's orkut about me section and felt it was too good ... I had to have it.

No Plagarism charges please !!!

Sometimes ...

2008-10-03T20:21:00.001+05:30

A poetic verse,
A silent curse,
A little worse ...

A tempered bore,
A hallowed core,
A bellowed tore...

Sometimes i can irritate you with my voice,
Sometimes i can irritate you with my noise.

Sometimes i can irritate you with my songs,
Sometimes i can irritate you with my wrongs.

Sometimes i can irritate you with my presence,
Sometimes i can irritate you with my absence.

Sometimes i can irritate you with my silence,
Sometimes i can irritate you with my patience.

Spare me...

2008-09-06T17:31:00.004+05:30

Spare me from your gratitude,

Spare me from your attitude.

For things I do not care to hear,

Spare me from your vicissitude.

Anger, temper, irritation within me,

Shallow, unworthiness, suffocation within me.

Wonders of the world brought together,

But cannot remove the ugliness within me.

Full of passion.

Full of desire.

Full of lust.

Full of wants.

Higher & Higher as I seek myself.

Lower & Lower I find myself to be.

Deeper & Deeper I think of this.

Hollower & Hollower I find myself to be.

Looking for a image of love,

Thinking all is going to end well.

But the world would rather see it shove,

And would care a damn if I was in hell.

Deepening, reckless, pointless living of life.

Wrecking, Sickening, relentless living of life.

Antagonizing, searching for truth.

Wreathing, looking for ruth.

Its gotta be you ...

2008-08-19T09:20:00.002+05:30

It couldn't have been more beautiful,
The light soulful music humming on my ears.
The world moving by, with the drops on the window...
Patronizing the mist.
The green mountains of wonder,
The brown muddy waters of indifference.
Songs running through of joy, hope, despair.
Eyes reading words of wisdom and
Thoughts flying towards you.

What do I remember?
What do I forget?
What do I miss?
What do I yearn?
I know it not just your eyes,
I know its not just your voice.
I know its not just your smiles,
I know its not just what you say.
I guess its my world around you ...

I find it extremely remarkable the way we feel in the company of some people. Its like that we have known them forever. They understand us without actually knowing us. Its like they are a part of us. Judging with all the intensity but never really hurting in their judgments. Unprejudiced and unbiased. Giving us space, letting us be. Everything has a tinge of goodness in it, no matter how evil it may seem. Living life to the hilt as it should have been ...

Madness ...

2008-08-18T12:42:00.003+05:30

Why don't we cut you up into little pieces and feed you to your pooches? Hmm? And then we'll see how loyal a hungry dog really is. It's not about money... it's about... sending a message. Everything burns.

I had a vision, of a world without Batman. The mob ground out a little profit and the police tried to shut them down, one block at a time. And it was so... boring. I've had a change of heart. I don't want Mr.Reese spoiling everything, but why should I have all the fun? Let's give someone else a chance. If Coleman Reese isn't dead in sixty minutes then I blow up a hospital.

Who did you leave him with? Your people? That's assuming of course that they are still your people, and not Maroni's. Does it depress you, commissioner? To know just how alone you really are? Does it make you feel responsible for Harvey Dent's current predicament?

Let's turn the clocks back. A year ago, these cops and lawyers wouldn't dare cross any of you. I mean, what happened? Did your - did your balls drop off? Hmm?

Kill you? I don't want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, no, you... you complete me

Wanna know how I got these scars? My father was....a drinker. And a fiend. And one night he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. Turns to me and he says "Why so serious?" Comes at me with the knife,"Why so serious?" He sticks the blade in my mouth. "Let’s put a smile on that face!" And..... Why so serious?

I took Gotham's white knight, and brought him down to our level. It wasn't hard. Y'see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little...push.

You just couldn't let me go could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won't kill you, because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.

Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just, do things. The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon's got plans. You know, they're schemers. Schemers trying to control their worlds. I'm not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how, pathetic, their attempts to control things really are. So, when I say, ah, come here, when I say that you and your girlfriend was nothing personal, you know that I'm telling the truth.

It's the schemers that put you where you are. You were a schemer, you had plans, and uh, look where that got you. I just did what I do best. I took your plan and I turned it on itself. Look what I did, to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple of bullets. Hm? You know what, you know what I noticed? Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I tell the press that like a gang banger, will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all, part of the plan. But when I say that one, little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!

Come here. Hey! Look at me. So I had a wife, beautiful, like you, who tells me I worry too much. Who tells me I ought to smile more. Who gambles and gets in deep with the sharks... look at me! One day, they carve her face. And we have no money for surgeries. She can't take it. I just want to see her smile again, hmm? I just want her to know that I don't care about the scars. So... I stick a razor in my mouth and do this...
[mimics slicing his mouth open with his tongue]
...to myself. And you know what? She can't stand the sight of me! She leaves. Now I see the funny side. Now I'm always smiling!

Call me when you want to start taking things a little more seriously

This town deserves a better class of criminal... and I'm gonna give it to them. Tell your men they work for me now. This is *my* city.

Wake me ...

2008-07-20T10:13:00.006+05:30

Wake me when I am dead,
Leave me when I am gone.
Trust me when I am alive,
Love me when I am torn.

Living like a bittersweet,
Hoping with a song.
Crying like a baby,
Cursing if I am wrong.

Life is like a mystery,
Everyday it confound.
One day we'll be history,
No matter how profound.

Missing not we didn't,
Cherishing what we have.
Creating what we can,
Footing on the wave.

A small life,
For long deeds.
A big price,
For dear needs.

Without being sad,
We remember our past.
Without being bad,
We will be on path till it last.

Nothing to ask for,
Except ...
Wake me when I am dead,
Leave me when I am gone.
Trust me when I am alive,
Love me when I am torn.

Meri Kahani...

2008-07-17T11:43:00.003+05:30

Main kaun hoon?
Mera naam kya hai?
Ek kaagaz, kalam se likhne wale,
Aakhir mera anjaam kya hai?

Kahi aaye hai mere jaise,
Kahi likhe hai mere jaise,
In kahi naamon mein,
Aakhir meri pehchaan kya hai?

Dard ko mehsoos kar liya,
Pyaar ko haasil kar liya,
Par in daastanon mein,
Aakhir mera aalam kya hai?

Parwangi le leta hu,
Deewangi jab karta hu,
Lekin in silon se,
Aakhir mere daaman kya hai?

Do you judge fat people?

2008-07-09T09:39:00.000+05:30

Well the fundamental problem with humans is they tend to analyse people from time to time. From that guy behind the McDonald Counter to our best pal or buddy. We are constantly watching them, observing their moves, actions and analysing what does it mean anyway. So, we judge people everytime without even knowing them. We judge by how they wear their clothes, what they wear, how they work, how they eat to the most nonsense ones like how they sneeze. With our limited knowledge and understanding of people we start thinking in a direction and gives reason for the actions such as "Maybe he is lazy because, he is fat!", "His clothing is so sloppy, how can his work be good ?".
So yes not only me but I think everyone I know of judge people before even trying to understand them (how are they are as humans beings? are our judgements right?). We never really make that effort, maybe thats the reason why there are so many human conflicts.
But at the positive side, whenever I have made an effort to understand the other person without prejudice I have always surprised myself, on how wrong I was in my previous judgements.

Why do people fall in love?

2008-07-09T09:38:00.001+05:30

No matter how intelligent, or how smart or how dynamic, we tend to think with our hearts. We might not admit at many times but we are emotional souls and thats what separates us from the animals. With all our experiences and incidents in life we are constantly judging people and creating a ideal picture of what should be there and what not. Once that picture is made or even the slightest idea is there we start looking for that ideal soul, who would complete us as a human being. We need a person who would understand us, who would believe us, trust us. And when we see a person who is having the slighest qualities of what we had thought of from time to time, and with the subtle qualities of the person itself, we love the idea of being around that person. Suddenly, the absence of the person leads to a void in our life. More we think of that person the more we are attracted to him. This is love. This is different from infatuation or attraction because infatuation and attraction are temporary phenomena and many times is dependant upon beauty. Whereas, love transcends physical beauty. It is what lies beneath ! Love helps us realise our incompleteness and gratifies our soul. Thats why we fall in love, be it with our wives, husbands, children, parents, friends, anyone.

Answers

2008-07-09T09:35:00.001+05:30

When I was in college, I was big time into answers.yahoo.com , I answered a lot of questions and also got a lot of answers selected as best answers. I will try posting which I think are very unique, some of which I am really proud of and some of which are insightful. Hope you like it as well.

Like the rains ...

2008-06-29T21:10:00.003+05:30

Like the raindrops pattering on the panes,

Your thoughts come knocking on the purview of my mind.

The darkness of the evening,

Reminding me of your illuminating smile.

The rhythm, the melody, the music,

Reminding me of your voice.

As the pearl of drop tumbling down,

I see your sparkling eyes.

Every crack of lightning,

Asking me out, to take out the secrets of the heart.

The intensity and ferocity of the outburst,

Asks me what you might think?

Is it that this love ever pour out,

Or will someday the heart cry out like the rains?

A Story about Hopeless (guy) 'n' Romantic (girl) ...

2008-06-25T11:06:00.004+05:30

She: Do I look fat?

He: Well, it depends ...

She: On ?

He: On what you eaten?

She: How is that related?

He: Because its relative. Now considering that you had eaten something yesterday you must have taken something today as well. Now let us assume that with whatever you had taken yesterday some of it has gone to take care of your daily calorie requirement and some part of it has been excreted. If there were regular motions than the amount excreted would have been more or less same, but if there are irregular motions than the question is whether the amount excreted was less than or more than regular. So logically in one case you would be lighter than what you had been yesterday and on the other hand you would have been heavier. But again, it is important to understand whether you had weighed yourself yesterday and today. If you did not weigh yourself yesterday, you would never know in relative terms the increase in the weight. So it would not be possible to determine whether you are fat or not. Another important aspect to be take in consideration is whether the weighing machine was calibrated or not. See, it is necessary to note that there are measuring errors as well. Also, the manufacturers also give the tolerances i.e., the degree to which the errors can occur. Say the weighing machine shows 60 kgs and the measuring error is say +/- 1% so it means that your weight can vary by 0.6 kgs or 600 gms. So, if the weighing machine has a error of +1% you may conclude that you have grown fatter than yesterday ...

She: Ok, ok I got it !! Can we change the topic ? I see you have gone for a hair cut. Its looking nice. Btw, have you noticed, you losing a lot of hair... why don't you do something for it?

He: Tell me something, How much Hair does a Man Need ?

She: Sufficient to cover his head ...

He: Well, going a bit off topic over here, I would like to quote Leo Tolstoy from his famous story "How much Land does a Man Need", in this great story, Leo Tolstoy had told regarding the greeds of needing more and more land and finally the man was buried in a 7 ft (length) x 4 ft (breadth) x 4 ft (depth) pit. So inspite of getting so much land finally his land requirements was as mentioned earlier. Now coming back to the topic of discussion, I would like to admit that this thought did cross my mind when I was there back at the hair cutting saloon and I have managed to get a answer as well.

She: Oh really ?? And that is ?

He: Well its, 52,47,834.

She: Thats the amount of hair required? Amazing !! How did you do it?

He: Well, its not that difficult. Now if you look at my head, you would see that it is difficult to determine the exact shape. I mean you cannot call it a square or a circle or a rectangle or a octagon or any of the conventional geometric shapes. And in order to calculate the no. of hair required on the head, you would first require the area of the head cover. Then you need the density of the hair? So whether the hair follicles are thin in density or thick? If the hair follicles are thin, you would be requiring more number of hair to cover the same area and vice versa. So our first concern would be to calculate the area of the head, only than can we assume the thickness of the hair follicles and subsequently calculate the number of hair required to cover the head. Now if we were to draw a borderline on the sidelines of the head and take that basic shape we would not get a perfect (as we know it) geometric shape. In order to find the area, we would apply finite integration for the same. Now, the question of the limits to be considered has to be assumed to a certain extent and the calculation errors can be approximated to +/- 5%. According to my calculations the area is approximated to about 126 sq. cm. One element which I have not considered in the calculations though is the length of the hair. So, if we were to take that into consideration, the head cover would sufficient to get covered even with less number of hair. But than it is more about illusion than actually head cover, because if I don't comb my hair and the long hair fall across the head, it may seem that I have a lot of hair, which may not necessarily be the case and if i pull my hair backwards, it may seem that I have lost a lot of hair, which again should not be the case. So, practically there are many factors that may suggest that I have lost a lot of hair but it may not be ...

She: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

3rd Person: Sheeeesh .... n they say women speak more than men !!

Pained to know ..

2008-06-21T12:47:00.002+05:30

Now and then we read about it but here it goes again

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7466916.stm

Sad times, really sad times. This really vindicates my belief that god remains in the idols but not in the minds & hearts of people of India. How can you otherwise explain a country where people are supposed to be so religious and spiritual, where woman is considered as "Devi", as the "Shakti" of all forces, as "Annapoorna", as "Laxmi" and so many other epithets?

How as India become more and more hypocrite? At one hand, I frankly feel we don't have any kind of respect for our ancient vedas and loads of wise books. At the same time I also feel that we would like to emulate the west but for the wrong things. There are two major things which I like to emphasize in this blog.

Looking at the developed world or at the countries who have managed to move in with a great speed, there are two things alarmingly similar.
1. They keep their neighbourhoods, cities, villages, countries clean &
2. They respect the women.

All our ancient scriptures or books of wisdom have emphasized on the character of woman. When women have been disrespected in any kind of society, the society starts degrading. Also, the character of the woman determines the character of the society. Time and again it has reminded us all of the power that woman holds on the destiny of that society. However, as sad it may sound, the fact is we have slowly and gradually stopped reading those great scriptures and forgot regarding the simple things we need to keep in mind.

On the surprising side, I have observed that even though the people of the west or for that matter people outside India, have not had such kind of access to great books, they have somehow build in their culture to create a environment wherein everyone irrespective of sex is treated equally. And this is truly the true reason behind their rapid success. It is said that the word "Shiv Shakti" is actually a representation of the fact that the real power of SHIV lies with the SHAKTI that is 'Parvati'. Without that SHAKTI, SHIV cannot be omnipotent. When that SHAKTI is given the rightful place with SHIV only then SHIV can realise the true powers. When any society have not realised the potent power of the SHAKTI (woman), and mistreated or disrespected it, (e.g., Taliban, Pakistan, etc.) the society has degraded or disintegrated to a large extent. Also, when it has expressed the desire to create a society wherein not only women are respected but given proper justice from time to time, the societies have defied all logic and grown from strength to strength.

Other thing which has been on my mind for a long time now is the thought of clean socieities. Ever since, I have been to countries like UK, Germany and Croatia, I have been thinking all the time on this. I had been to UK at the time of Diwali. When I returned, it was Diwali here in India. People were up to their usual pre-Diwali cleaning stuff. As every Hindu should know there is a belief that we should keep our house, premises clean during Diwali so that Laxmi Devi blesses on the auspicious day of Laxmi Poojan. We really clean our homes like never before and its just wonderful to visit everyone. Which makes me wonder, why the people of the west keep their houses, neighborhoods, cities, villages, countries clean? And somehow the countries who have managed to keep it clean are ultra rich and they have never even read / heard about our beliefs. So basically, we know something through ancient wisdom and we use it conveniently whereas the western people don't know about it and still manage to do it religiously. Why cannot we start with ourselves, than our homes, than our buildings, than our neighborhoods, than our townships, then our cities, then our states and eventually our country. Rabindranath Tagore once said that "If every man kept his house and premises clean, eventually entire country would be clean".

I know, I may have oversimplified the reasons behind great countries, but somehow I strongly believe that these may be the reasons of their greatness. Simple but profound things like this have been advocated to us from ancient times, its time we took heed. Afterall they are simple things to follow after all.

GOD BLESS INDIA & HOPEFULLY RETURN FROM HIS LONG HOLIDAY IN THE WEST !! (Remember God stays where cleanliness is ...)

Liberated ...

2008-06-20T16:53:00.003+05:30

Running away from the feeling,
He thought he was bounded.
Bounded by the overwhelming feeling.
Bonded by the constant questioning.

He thought he knew everything.
He thought he had seen everything.
Every relation in every way,
He didn't connect with it in any way.

But somehow something changed.
The equations were changed.
Suddenly, he was a different man.
Suddenly, he had a different plan.

No longer he wanted to run away.
No longer he wanted to unbond away.
He is in love, and now in the first stage,
He felt liberated in bondage !

...... A poem about love

2008-05-12T10:58:00.001+05:30

She was too innocent,
He was too arrogant.
Everything was different,
But a feeling was persistent.
He was full of friends and words,
She was at loss of both.
She loved him every much,
He was in awe of her.
But they never talked,
Never did they say anything.
The love grew but in their hearts,
Thinking of what they would say and what they would do.

Their friends decided things were too much,
Finally they got them to meet up somewhere.
She was waiting in the diner thinking of him,
He was driving with speed thinking of her.

Alas, life is but a cruel irony.
Before the first words could ever leave her lips,
The words for her admiration for him,
The words for her love for him,
Ooh, the words that she had thought of for so long.
She heard the words that broke her heart.

In the excitement of meeting her,
He never saw the truck coming.
His car, his body and his life got crushed,
Like the petals of the rose he was carrying.

And thus ended this unusual love story,
Where never once did either one said anything.
For too long they had it within them,
Not a word said, not a feeling shared.

Thinking of all opportunities when she could have told him,
Now she curses her self and ponders the life without him.

Changing for him, she speaks now,
But words of sadness & pain that brings a frown.

The Beginning (Working title)

2008-04-13T09:37:00.003+05:30

The streets were covered in darkness. The lights illuminating selected portions. Shadows were long, lights dim. Silence & thoughts were together.

He did know where he was going, but he was slow. The paces were timid as if he could just delay his reaching. Avalanche of memories overcame his thought. Every now & then the mind remembered her face. That face of sadness, of uncertain melancholy, trying to be detached from her surrounding. She was present physically but her eyes, her mind wandered. He thought of her eyes. It had so much depth. It had so much to say. If only eyes could speak. They could tell tales the heart could only imagine.

As he neared the apartment he could see the lights of the room on. There were people moving. There seemed to a lot of commotion, a bit of confusion. He started feeling a bit nervous. There was a underlying fear. He could sense it but didn't know why it was there. There was nothing that he wanted to hide, but maybe he was being pragmatic. They could never understand what he felt and how did that feeling come about.

His steps started to betray him. Suddenly he didn't want to come in contact with all of them. Their falsities coming across every smile, a smile which could have been comforting but somehow it was mocking him. The eyes of the familiar ones would question his presence. It was as if he was somehow responsible for the agony of the deceased. He wanted to leave. He wanted to run. Run away to desolation. Run away to where his past could never question his presence. If only it could be so simple.

He had to be present however. He had to be present to show he was strong afterall. He was not weak to shy away from those questioning eyes. He did not know what to expect of such a gathering but he could not come in terms with it. He wanted to give a strong answer to every question asked, any doubt raised but he could not think of anything. Any thought of any answer would rejuvenate her memories.

She was not beautiful in terms of physical beauty. In fact no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't think of any physical aspect he was attracted to. She had long hair and a round face. Her eyes were small, very much a mix of Nepalese & North East Indian. There was a small scar below her left eye but it seemed to protect her innocence rather than tarnish her appearance. Her lips were thin devoid of any lipstick color. She wore big ear rings. A bit odd for her small round face. There was not much that could be said of her smile. It revealed more sadness than pleasure. The most vibrant of smiles was full of loneliness.

But her voice was charming. Her voice soothed senses. A gift maybe from providence to reassure her. She did wish to sing publicly when she was young. Enchanted by the voices of the stars singing in movies, her heart bloomed in childhood. Her sweet voice had filled the lonely valleys, the desolate lanes and unreached mountains. It was as if they all forgot their loneliness when she sang.

Now as life so full of irony, the same loneliness had taken her away. He could not help but wipe the tear. He would miss her so much. Her loneliness, sadness brought so much gloominess to his existence but nevertheless he craved for her companionship.