Fate

Skipping a beat...

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Whenever my heart skips a beat,
I know its u deep within,
My world of dreams floats across,
I search verily for something,

A glint in your eyes, a smile on your face,
Makes promises to me u never said,
Though I know u r not with me,
Its u, in my dreams, I always had,

Hold my hands and take me away,
From all shackles of pretences,
And hold me close to your breath,
One touch from u will erase all distances,

Waiting for that moment to come across,
I am splurging in the depth,
This timeless journey has just begun,
Trying to weave threads to its end,

That end which will mark a beginning,
that moment which would lie still,
My tears would find a way out,
With love, my eyes would fill,

Till den, I’m waiting for that knock,
that destiny would mark for us,
Things fated will fall into places,
But our togetherness is must.

You are, I am

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0000

You fumble, you stutter, I laugh at your face
But you know my heart beats so hard
I'd stay by your side, but if that's the case
It's your turn, go on, play your card.

I'll give you a ring and we'll stay awake
Into the night until dawn
I'll walk on the ice just to see if it breaks
And these feelings of love will be gone

You be the clouds, oh I'll be the rain
And we'll need each other to fall
If I'm the tears, then you are the pain
We'll get rich, and we'll lose it all

And I'll take the fire to see if it scars
If perfect is anything to go by
I'll drive at full speed to see us go far
It can crash and burn if it lies

But I'll ride the wave, who cares if I drown?
And you be the air I inhale
I'll climb up the building and I'll jump right down
And you know you just cannot fail

Its everything or nothing, that's just where we stand
We stay or we vanish into the air
And I'll hold it back when you hold my hand
We'll run, until we go nowhere.

Can you bring back my friend to me?

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Can you bring back my friend to me?
Who knows not what its harsh to be,
Those twinkling bright eyes,
And the love laden heart,
Brought smiles on my face from within.

With no want of words,
Our eyes read the mind,
And the silence our hearts,
Now words too don't seem to reach.

The silence kills me,
Aloofness hurts me,
And the one-way talk rips me apart.

Can our hearts not open out
And the love soar high
And 'you' and 'I' be just 'we'.

Romancing the night

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:41:00 +0000

That day in the evening
the stars all shone in the sky
when you were in my arms
and the silent moon watched by;

The shadows in the waters
of trees and bush around
lay motionless and still;
only two heart's beating sound;

And a hush of leaves sometimes
of an air of friendliness;
your black eyes spoke romance
on a flawless pretty face.

I touched your hair; you closed your eyes
O heaven above! How beautiful she is!
Like the morning cirrus
drenched in golden glow,
as your hair fell like a cascade
in a silent night-light flow.

A blink a cost too many
with her eyes in a state of trance
I saw a thousand moons shining
all in a moment's glance.
O night of endless breaths
flow not with the stream away
for my love is yet to kiss Good night
in this tranquil hour of May.

A friend, not long ago

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:11:00 +0000

I guess I had a friend, not long ago
Not In my dreams, in reality
All the things I ever wished for
All the things God had wanted for me

With whom I could forget the future & past
& I prayed everyday for those times to last
Forever & ever so that there would be
Happiness till eternity

But the good times didn't last for long
& before I knew, she was gone
To a place far away, but just for sometime
And loneliness was at its prime

Wish I had known, in times to come
It would take long, to see the sun
Only if my tears could ever erase the distance
Wish I had tried harder & with patience......

Lost in Dreams - 2

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:11:00 +0000

I speak of castles, castles so high,
Sweet dreams atop, falsities - oh fie!
No spear, No sword - I thought could break,
A love filled world that I would make.

So thoughts they are, thoughts - warm and deep,
And as it were, you'd smile and weep,
For thus rolls life - no tears, no smile,
Nary a truth, Nary a lie!

A Woebegone heart in a feisty soul,
A new start beckons - a new goal,
Teary eyed no more - go forth fair one!!
A good tear shed - a good deed done.

Sob not for love, sob not for grief,
Sob if you must in sheer disbelief,
The truth so dark, the truth so stark,
Slumber no more - hark my words - hark!

Lost in Dreams - 1

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:11:00 +0000

A castle built of a pack of cards,
Each carefully placed.
Cruel claws tear my world to shards.
All dreams disgraced.

Innocent, unconditional smiles -
Taken away.
Teary-eyes, quivery lips -
And a teardrop gives way.

No hands to wipe my tears.
But they eventually dry.
No one to soothe my fears.
But I still try...

To rebuild my castle
For my dreams to reside.
To stand as testimony
To a fairy-tale life...

Independence

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:30:00 +0000

As I tuned into the radio this morning I heard the song ‘Bharat hum ko jaan se pyara hai…’ when I wondered is it so? And thought that if it’s true then why are patriotic songs played only on national holidays? Why doesn’t any one remember the martyrs on any other day? What exactly is the significance of these days (January 26th, August 15 and October 2nd) in our lives?

To be honest, for us, these are mere days of relaxation and recreation. Most of us don’t even bother to go to our institutions for the flag hoisting, we simply enjoy the day either by sleeping more or having a hang out with family and friends! We don’t value the independence just because we didn’t do any thing to achieve it… we opened our eyes in a free state, we never breathed the air of prison, we never were ever ruled by any foreign nation… should we not value the cost of millions of martyrs who spoilt there presence and sacrificed there future for us? Don’t we have any responsibility towards our nation? We have but we don’t give a damn for it, we plan for our betterment and not for the country’s!

They say that today, we have already achieved sixty years of independence… but are we really free? I don’t think so! We are still their slaves… we feel proud, to use foreign multinational products, to work in foreign multinational companies. In other words its not pride, its slavery! None of us bother about the nations problems… we do read newspapers just to have a general awareness and are least interested where the country is going! We admire the corrupt people, for instance take the case of an actor imprisoned a few days back, the whole day news channels kept on covering his imprisonment, his songs and movies being telecasted on each and every national channel, be it television or FM! People said that they felt sad, that their (so called) hero was imprisoned, and I pity them! Was he the real hero? We have easily forgotten the real life hero like S. K. Dubey! (I wonder how many have recognized him!) And say that we love our nation… do we? We admire such people (as the actor mentioned above) who are selling the country for their own betterment… who are valuing the Nation’s freedom with a few currency notes!!! Do you still think that we love our nation?

I doubt how many of us can speak fluent Hindi, or say aloud; all the swaras and vanjans (vowels and consonants) used in the National language, or use the Hindi Dictionary! I’m sure only a few, and the worst part is that we feel proud of it! What a shame! Is this what we should be proud of? Is this for what martyrs like Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandrs Bose sacrificed their lives? I don’t say that foreign multinationals or English should be banned… but we should use them, but we should not forget our culture!

Simply hoisting the flag for a day or singing or playing patriotic songs for the day doesn’t mean we are proud of the Nation… it should come from the heart. Have you ever wondered that millions of Indian National flags are sold on the eve before such days, but what happens to them after that? They are trampled beneath our legs! After the eve of independence we don’t care for the flags, we again preoccupy ourselves into our daily schedule, and that flag left all alone to be crushed and dishonored, awaiting for the arrival of next National day where it can get its lost respect! Don’t buy it if you lack the respect for it!

Its time now, when the generation should awaken… Feel proud of being an Indian, wearing Indian brands, eating with hands, speaking Hindi and following Hinduism! Don’t be a slave of foreign multinationals or corrupt nationalists who are selling the Nation to the hands of foreigners… set you self free… value the Nations independence… and do contribute for its welfare and upbringing. It is independent… and do care that it remains!

Past Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:14:00 +0000

Winds of change are these
Which touch our lives with
Hopes and dreams anew
And bring sad moments too.
But, look back
And thou (you) shalt see
The footprints
Which our hearts
Have held dear

And shalt
Leave stamp upon our "new" lives
Like the sweet memories of spring
That embalm our minds
During the frosty winter spells.

Wen it Rains !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Drop by drop it has started to rain,
all I could see is only you,
'Cause when it rains I remember you.

I can feel you when the droplets touch me
and find you standing close to me,
drenched in the memories of time spent with you
'cause when it rains I remember you.

Laying on the ground, I look at the sky
I see you there so innocent, so shy,
in the clouds I try to figure out you
'cause when it rains I remember you.

It's my turn

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Unhinge me, so that I can have
Another dimension to life
Let loose now, so that I can spread
My wings to soar & fly
Because it’s been so long
That I’ve been gagged & bound

All false emotions fed to me by society
But my search has lead to a discovery
Of an awareness & a new perception
Of how things are & how they should be

So I’ll walk away-nothing more to say
This calm can’t silence my inner storm,
This cocoon can’t shield me from pain,
This sugar-coated sweet haven made a numb soul,
I need to hurt myself to feel happiness again.

No clouds beneath my feet
It’s my turn to feel the heat.

The Crossing

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:26:00 +0000

Love is just a bountiful lake of forces,
We have little understanding of, but plenty of experiences.

Ever enjoyed waves licking at your toes on the beach,
Ever felt rushing winds blow you at the hilltops,
Ever seen the sun set or rise,
Ever seen the starry nights,
Or ever watched the moon coming out of clouds?

I have experienced these moments
And I have always felt blessed by the creation,
After such an encounter with nature.
It might be anything.
It might be a site which brings fond memories,
Or it might be an old photograph which unfolds the long folded page of time,
It might be the sight of a person, who sprays the scent of nostalgia,
Or it may be a book you erstwhile used to read.
But you will have to admit that love is omniscient and omnipotent,
Showering us incessantly with unbounded joy.

Every moment in life is like a rose bestowed by the existence.
It is a bud, it blooms, it flowers, and it withers away.
But that dead rose always remains in your notebook,
Reminiscing you of the lost fragrance.
Similarly, each moment of life comes, flourishes, and passes away.
But when you turn back in your life,
The fragrance of the passed moment still remains intact.
Saturate each moment of your life with so much fragrance,
That it spreads love not only for you but for everyone around you.

Love is in the air

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:23:00 +0000

Sreenivas has been associated with his college for more than a year now and one of his favorite hangouts is the lake at the rear end of the college. Recently when he visited the place; while the heavens were obliging with a little bit of a shower from bounties of the clouds; he had a strange experience. He went to the alleyway and stood by the edge of that lake. And the sight that met his eyes made him feel like never before. The lake is naturally surrounded by plethora of trees and greenery, and the raindrops were making ripples on the surface of water. The gentle whistling of winds imparted an immaculate touch to the panorama. Crescendo rose inside him, with a landscape of such immense beauty in front of him. There evolved a mysterious sense of happiness in him. It felt as if there's an unknown bond between him and that place.

Sreeni’s experience makes one thing clear, LOVE IS IN THE AIR. You just have to pull it towards you grasping its invisible threads, and see what colors it brings in your life. Bask in its glorious light once, bloom in its gardens once, you will find what makes life dewdrop hanging on the morning primrose.Love is a feeling which is at once so beautiful, and at the same time empathically mystical.

Love is not attraction, love isn't lust, and Love is neither a sin. Love is ever growing exhilaration; Love is just a silent pool of ecstasy.
Love is just a perpetual flowering of soul. It is an eternally flowing stream of contentment. It is achievement of ultimate bliss. Love IS divinity on earth.Many of us these days have got such weird interpretations for such a simple notion. We are either mixing it with affairs/involvements (love MIGHT be the lubricant in such cases), or we think all these simply are the means for adolescents to disregard their objectives in life. Love is neither. Love is just a force running in the undercurrents of life. It is our human inclinations that lead us to wrong paths.

Love is just a bountiful lake of forces we have little understanding of, but plenty of experiences. Ever enjoyed waves licking your toes on the beach, ever felt rushing winds blow you at the hilltops, ever seen the sun set or rise, ever seen the starry nights, or ever watched the moon coming out of clouds? I have experienced these moments and I have always felt blessed by the creation after such an encounter with nature.

It might be anything. It might be a site which brings fond memories, or it might be an old photograph which unfolds the long folded page of time, it might be the sight of a person, who sprays the scent of nostalgia, or it may be a book you erstwhile used to read. But you will have to admit that love is omniscient and omnipotent, showering us incessantly with unbounded joy.

Every moment in life is like a rose bestowed by the existence. It is a bud, it blooms, it flowers, and it withers away. But that died rose always remains in your notebook reminiscing you of the lost fragrance. Similarly, each moment of life comes, flourishes, and passes away. But when you turn back in your life the fragrance of the passed moment still remains intact.
Saturate each moment of your life with so much fragrance that it spreads love not only for you but for everyone around you……that’s what Sreeni says!

How could you ???

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:00:00 +0000

How could you say you love me
after you leave me
How could you say you care
if you were never going to stay
I wish it always rains
so you could not see
the hurt, pain and tears you gave me

How could you say you love me
when you loved someone else
How could you say
I can find someone else
when all I wanted was you
and all I needed were you

How could you say i'll be fine
when you made me blue
I don't wanna see your face
or anything that reminds me of you
I don't wanna be your friend
though that's what I am to you

How could you hurt me so bad
when all I want is to love
and be loved by you

Rain Rain….Come Again

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:30:00 +0000

Sitting silently
Eyes waiting, searching, questioning
And then, I hear
that familiar rumbling
lift my eyes, full of hope
and see the dark clouds looming above,
like old friends
Theyre back!
A smile tugs at my lips
I rush outside
trampling on the soft grass
gaze at the grey sky
Thundering, bellowing clouds
announcing their presence
I close my eyes and spread my arms,
welcoming them...

A drop caresses my face
followed by another
and another
Soon there are so many
showering like heavenly petals
sliding down my skin,
hugging my body,
trickling through my fingers...
Drenching my soul
Soaking my pain
Cleansing my mind
I feel pure, blessed, relieved
Enveloped in a wet embrace
I feel loved...

Your Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Fri, 30 May 2008 05:41:00 +0000

They come,they go,
they entertain,they aspire,
they remain as the ever-growing sky above.
Accompanying me every now and then,
they prove how friendly the world is,
and just how beautiful my life is,
with them-your memories!

They suddenly stir within me,
giving me a natural,involuntary smile,
that subdues my anger and grieve,making me feel delighted,excited,loved and secured...
They assist me,guiding me,
making me feel so secured,like the company of the oldest friends...
They induce in me enough excitement,
that last for the whole day...

They speak,they listen,they inspire,they reciprocate!
They smile at my every smile,
asking me to smile always.
They keep staring at me,but with your caring eyes!
They speak low to me but with your soft voice,
making me feel wanted,
they praise me,they love me,
they value me,they stay and walk always with me-
Your never-ending,ever-growing memories!!!

To My Love

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Sun, 18 May 2008 17:43:00 +0000

Our past runs deep, for you I did weep.
your memories haunt me, awake or asleep
I had you once, but could not keep
Forever flung far yet near, my sighs do you hear..
had you once in my arms, but now I fear..
that when I will open my eyes, you will disappear
and leave my soul drowned deep inside the ocean of tears..
Fails to penetrate, its unfathomable depth, the light of hope...

As I stagger I find your hand in mine,
and forget the world for a while...
My aimless fingers no more move,
My racing heart is now at rest...

At once the whole world seemed cooperative,
for your presence brings slight rays of hope,
that makes my face bright...
lit up with a smile, that once i thought was lost,

With every skip of my rhythmic beat,
I still wait..
With a hope that you will never let go...
the emptiness in me eased,
though my heart is heavy, and my eyes full,
the pain for a moment ceased,
by a tender touch, a loving smile..

Enlightenment

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:30:00 +0000

The flame shimmers in the wind,
As the last drop of oil dries,
It burns out...
To give away light.

Enlightenment...
The darkness fades away,
I reach out...
In the blindness of the night.

I reason...
The existence of known and unknown,
I search...
For the answer somewhere and everywhere.

The trees bears fruit,
In the summer's heat,
The earth thirsts for rain,
To feed thousands of men.

I starve...
Inspiration comes from enlightenment,
A creation takes birth,
When there is a sacrifice.

Art of Bargaining

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:51:00 +0000

When India is referred to as land of diversity , the diversity does not only direct to culture, people region climate etc but it also includes the variety in the markets present here. The markets all over the country provide numerous options...options which include various materials... options that help us enhance our art of bargaining!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be it Linking road or fashion street in Mmbai, m G road at pune or your local market, believe it or not, but it's always possible to get great discounts wherever you go even if the sales aren’t on. And it's up to you to haggle whenever the right opportunity arises. You can do it just about everywhere, from electrical stores to markets to car showrooms, as long as you're aware of the rules. Here are some of bargaining tactics you should know for effective transactions you can have everywhere.

1. Silence is bliss Go to the shop or the showroom when it's relatively less crowded, say during afternoon. The biggest advantage being that you get a much better response from the salesperson who is keen to sell to the few available customers around him. Also, since it’s relatively quiet, it facilitates better communication and makes sure that the salesperson comprehends your bargain offer a little more attentively. What you must also take care of is never to haggle when there's a queue. Those who are standing behind you surely won't allow their time being wasted just because you are trying your luck for a good deal. So, if you want to avoid those dagger-stares and ‘Hurry up’ looks from everyone around, keep your bargaining urge aside.

2. Knowledge helps If you are an aware and frequent buyer, you know the rough estimate of that saree you have been eyeing for a long time. So, come down straight to the 'acceptable' amount and bargain on that. Otherwise, the salesperson will bump up the price when you start haggling and then knock it down. You will think you've got a bargain when all you've paid is the amount that's supposed to be paid at the first place.

3. Don’t be rude Screaming at the top of your voice to get your point across or acting as if you are being cheated by every salesperson will not help. Instead, build a rapport with them. Smile a lot and speak in a friendly manner. Always remember, it is much easier for the salesperson to give a lee-way to that sweet lady and that well-mannered guy vis--vis that grumpy old customer who they wish had never walked in to their shop.

4. Know their policy It is useless to bargain in a shop that has a strict 'no bargain' policy. Hence, try and find out if the shop you are in is one of them. After opening with your first offer it's important to stay silent. Wait for them to speak next. If the reply is: 'We don't do discount,' keep chatting. You might have to ask up to three times before you get to know the shop better.

5. Compromise For buying something you know won’t be available elsewhere at prevailing rates, read their signals and meet them halfway. If they really can't give you a discount then try to get something thrown in (for example, a free juicer to go with your washing machine). If they say no then shop somewhere else, but keep practicing your haggling.

These are some of the basic rules which need to be followed to keep up the bargaining and go ahead with it... But there still are 'gurus' of this art in the market !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Art of Driving

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:15:00 +0000

I have been driving in Mumbai since quite some time now and also had the experience to drive in some other major cities of India like Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Pune. Driving in all these cities has something in common and following are my observations about driving. For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on our roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.

Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best and leave the results to your insurance company.

The guidelines are as follows:

Do we drive on the left or right of the road?
The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. If occupied, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess.

Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality.

Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the intended direction. Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself. Except for a belief in reincarnation, the other drivers are not in any better position.

Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back. Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts) or just to mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.

Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rain waters to recede when over-ground traffic meets underground drainage.

Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience (for those with the mental makeup of Genghis Khan). In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes.

Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver and the peg of illicit arrack he has had at the last stop; his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India and are licensed to kill.

Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously. Of course, all this occurs at night, on the trunk roads.

During the daytime, trucks are more visible, except that the drivers will never show any signal. (And you must watch for the absent signals; they are a greater threat.) Only, you will often observe that the cleaner that sits next to the driver will project his hand and wave hysterically. This is definitely not to be construed as a signal for a left turn. The waving is just an expression of physical relief on a hot day.

Occasionally you might see what looks like an UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrim buses go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, often meeting with success.

Apart from the above guidelines, there are some specimens unique to Indian traffic:

Auto Rickshaw

The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and god knows what. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare.

After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion en route to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur and are licensed to irritate.

Mopeds

The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Tower of Passes

Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem (hell). There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.

One-way Street

These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type.

Lest I sound hypercritical, I must add a positive point also.

Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house. This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence
and is left un-tarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

If, after all this, you still want to drive in India, have your lessons between 8 pm and 11 am - when the police have gone home. The citizen is then free to enjoy the 'FREEDOM OF SPEED' enshrined in our constitution.

Having said all this, isn't it true that the accident rate and related deaths are less in India compared to US or other countries ?

Art of Travelling

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:05:00 +0000

Local trains … the ‘life-line’ of Mumbai…. Thousands of people hold onto this life-line everyday to keep pace with their lives... And here I am... One of those thousands... trying to go ahead in life using the life line … so cut-to-cut that even one minute’s delay can cause me to be behind others!!!!

Daily adventures or misadventures in the train are very common. If I start writing on those, this post would never end. So this is my way of actually saying that Local train traveling is a very adventurous way of living!!! Adventure that begins from running to the station, to get on a train at odd times like 9.23am, 10.56 or 19.44 etc amongst which is suitable for me till getting in that train and from there till being in one piece to getting out of it!! But then every adventure no longer excites you if over done; you get tired. So I think I have started getting tired of it!!!

Anyways, this post is meant for people who never have come to Mumbai or traveled in a Local Train. To an outsider, who has never boarded a local train in Mumbai (a task difficult to accomplish and once done, difficult to keep up with), well, you have missed an opportunity to be massaged in every possible place on your body, even in those places, which you never thought existed.

Every morning I wake up to the same derisive feeling, loathing myself to wake up for such a task as to get on board a local train in Mumbai. This isn’t a personal loathing towards railways or even the people traveling on them, it’s just a state of contempt upon the whole competition for as scarce a resource as a square foot of real estate which is rightfully mine.

I was listening to Bruce Yandle’s pod cast, in which he discusses a really cool concept called as the ‘Hummingbird Economy’. It’s so deceptively simple, but to know what it means, we need to jump back to Yandle’s childhood. At their family ranch, as kids, he and his brother used to put up wooden feeding bins for hummingbirds. Since there were too many of those birds around the ranch, they used to have a great time watching them feed while fluttering around each other competing for food.

What he observed was that the feeding began with just one hummingbird hovering around the bin and trying to pick some food up for itself. But as soon as the bird backed off a little bit to make room for some more comfortable hovering, other hummingbirds (who have spotted the food source as well) flocked around the first hummingbird and competed for food and eventually there was a flock of birds trying to do the same thing and the first hummingbird may or may not get his coveted share of food.

This concept is so alarmingly close to what I feel every single morning when I try to board the morning local, especially a fast local train. It isn’t much of a trouble on weekends when the crowd is relaxed. But on a working day, during peak hours, it becomes a hummingbird economy. There is a resource (read one or possibly half a square foot) of space in the train compartment. There are 5 people or possibly more, standing right next to you who are contesting for the same space but with similar or completely out of the box strategy to acquire it. There are many variables at play. The speed of the train as it enters the platform, the speed of the train when your intended compartment approaches you. Other variables that come into play would be the density of people standing around you, their luggage and last and the most important your luggage and belongings (phone, watch, wallet, et al). When you factor in all these variables into the decision of getting on board the current train, it all boils down to a yes/no question. Sometimes you need to be brave enough to risk getting bashed against some other person, squashed in the crowd with your neatly tucked shirt desperately trying to give up any physical contact with you.

The whole physics of the situation is simple, your weight, your belongings, and your life (metaphorically); your shirt or even shoes for that matter are utterly immaterial. You need to be selfless, like a monk, to appreciate the serenity of getting a place right below the small fans that choke out some puff of wind every now and then.

Each day most of us fight... Fight to get in the train suitable to us so that we are in on time... Fight to remain in there and fight to get down...!!! (And here fight refers to an actual ‘fight’!!!!)

The ultimate lesson from all this is, get up early, catch your train early and leave the crowd behind to fight over what is left. As Yandle explains, it is always advantageous for the first entrant to set up shop, use the resources until others get to know about it and leave before there is too much clutter. Because if you even move to readjust yourself in the crowd by leaving your quasi square foot of space for just a microsecond, some other competitor will replace you and leave you starving for the very same resource which you once claimed.
No wonder why they call it ‘early bird’ prizes

Art of Lying

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:38:00 +0000

Well yes, lying is an art, though only people who get caught while lying seem to know it. They only understand how tough and skillful the art of lying is. It needs a man with common sense and commanding presence of mind to speak a lie.

I admit I am a liar and a seasoned one at that. Well that's nothing unusual, we all lie or I assume most of us do. It is just that some people never accept it. There are some who even claim that they don't lie, they have never lied in their life, and this is something I find hard to believe. Those who claim to be always honest and truthful may never have been in any difficult situation. This is something I can bet upon.

Usually we all lie in a trying situation; lying is an easy option. Here I am not talking about habitual liars, those who lie without purpose, just for the sake of it. For instance, there are some individuals if you ask them what they are reading they will answer "history" hiding the "geography" book. This post is not for them. This one is for sincere liars. People who lie when needed.

Personally I feel nothing wrong with lying, if it's not intentional. I have been doing it since childhood, since the time I can remember my first school. It all started with pranks in the bus on our way to school and back home. The driver complained, whenever he caught us and for our defiance lying was the only option. Later on as our pranks increased so did our frequency of lying and as they say "practice makes a man perfect" we achieved near perfection. If we ever got caught and were called in to the principal's office, we would never go to him straight; would always meet up before going in, decide what and how to lie, who would speak what and then with weary, ignorant faces we'll would enter the office, as if thought we were the most innocent kids GOD ever produced. Several times the bus guys used to get kicked because of us.

Subsequently we learnt that a liar should have a very good memory and a good understanding of the nature of the individual one is dealing with and his/her emotional weaknesses along with the commanding presence of mind needed for lying. Lying is safe if performed alone but in groups it requires precaution, coordination and proper communication. There are some fools (every group has one) who speak without thinking and make everyone suffer. The important thing is to identify such stupid-teammates, and be ordered to keep their mouth shut. Initially we suffered a lot due to this but once we traced who made a mistake, they were strictly prohibited from speaking. It all worked out fine. Basics learnt in the childhood worked very well in teenage and later in college.

One more precaution to be taken during lying is its repetition. A lie looses its credibility if repeated more then twice. Two grandmas' can be in the ICU at a time but not three. So I made it a point to be the first one to give excuse if 15 others are involved in class bunks. Obviously, one who would wait till the end would be left with no reliable excuse (haste should be in the minds of expert liars, not in action and expression). The whole charm of lying lies in novelty.

When I established myself firmly in this field of lying, then I practiced honesty (woh kya kehte hein “Sau choohe khaa kar billi haj ko chali” Had no other quote in English !!!) restricting to minimum lies. Lies don't work wherever personal relationships are concerned. It hurts and it hurts badly, sometimes the being damage irreparable. In relationships, hiding the truth is almost as heinous a crime as lying; also it erodes trust which is very difficult to build up again. So I think it's better to face the anger instead of lying.

But professionally, it's a necessity, minimum 2 or 3 lies a day otherwise I feel hard to maintain the job. Now what they say in management lingo: communication skills, social engineering, all these things are a revised, refined version of lying. What to speak, to whom, when and how it all depends on the conscience and common sense of the person. Like any other art, lying needs practice and concentration.

"Any fool can tell the truth, but it needs a man of some sense to know how to tell lie": Samuel Butler

Silent Love

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:52:00 +0000

It started with a glimpse, on a cold winter day,
A young lad was walking on a narrow dusty way
He saw her for the first time, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen,
They walked past each other, a magical moment to him it seemed!!

That night as he slept, he dreamt about that girl,
About her crystal blue eyes, about her long hair curled,
He desired nothing else but just another glimpse of her,
Another magical moment in the near-future

And that moment arrived shortly, on the following Sunday,
They met again, this time on the market way,
His heart skipped a beat, it raced faster and faster,
His eyes only saw her smile, his ears only heard her laughter.

Love fostered somewhere within, and it grew day by day,
The lad visited again and again that same martket way,
He saw her many times, and secretly adored her,
Such was the irony of love, the silent affection of a silent lover.

And here I leave the tale, incomplete yet completed,
As his love was, a tale that may never be repeated,
A tale that will be lost, as a one-sided love or rather just an obsession,
A tale that was lived by none but just one lad, for whom this obsession was life, an intense passion.

And so a lost tale ends, of broken words few,
Perhaps someday it will resurface as a complete tale all new!!!

If 6 were 9

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:18:00 +0000

What if 6 were 9
Wouldn’t that be fine

If you’d be me
N I’d be you
Would I really be free?
Or just wish it weren’t true...

It would feel like having it all
But nothing at all...

I look all around...
And I kiss the ground...
Only thing I’ve found...
That ain’t going round...

Wonder when heaven became hell
Wonder when things started to go so well
Wonder when life became death
Wonder why I’m out of breath

My life depends on that one choice
That is the one which will make me rejoice
Am I ready to pay the ultimate price?

What if 6 were 9
wouldn’t that be fine...

Follow Thy Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Rohit Ranganathan) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:06:00 +0000

What your heartbeats say
just listen to its song
say the feelings to your love
so it can stay with thee life long

Always heart makes u flow in memories’ river
sometimes you laugh, at times they make you shiver
just enjoy your life and live every minute fully
so that these will become your memories forever.
Memories always govern the heart
person you like most, keeps you alert
so guide your heart and follow the way
just listen to what your heartbeats say...........

Love is the thing which is always mystic
sometimes obtaining ,at times realistic
Love is contagious thing
which attacks every being,
being attacked by love every man dreams
else there remain only cries and hurt screams

So just say the words…three
to make your heart burden free