Life in a Metro

Twenty two years of it. My livelihood here in this city has still not been able to mete out the sense of what a well lived day in this metropolis would look like.

Silicon Valley, Garden city are all the titles that are passé. Bangalore is now competing with gusto to be the costliest city as far as my experience speaks. A cup of tea is now 10 Rs in hotels and a frugal meal, Rs 30. Public transport demands a hefty 40 Rs for a day pass and you can’t get into an Auto rickshaw without 20 Rs and an extra 3 bucks gratuity for the driver. Life is now no easier even for middle class families.

Some of the quirky aspects of life in this city are hilarious as well….

Walk along the roadsides in the evening and you can find retail shops displaying wide banners at their shopfronts like-“ Introducing the oil that isn’t Oily!” To give more flair to the suavity, there are wineshops displaying crazy brand names like “DIRECTOR”S SPECIAL” and what more “ TEACHER”S CHOICE” ! Okay! Is this a new strategy to attract the educated masses to go home TIGHT( If you know what I mean) or what? How does the name teacher even remotely make sense to a brand of Liquor? The trademark registration office , in whichever godforsaken place it is, must have gone nuts to let out such otherwise charming names.

Ok. Leave the streets..In the apartment building that we live in , people from neighboring houses behave like they are from different continents. It takes much pain to invoke a conversation, let alone bring out a forced smile from them. Aunties believe that they are the queens of England while they try to pose off in English conversations with their own children at home. And there is hardly any chance to get to know anyone from close quarters.

Where are the days where we could buy a whole month’s supplies for 500 Rs? Where are the days when we neighbors joined for the evening tea and biscuits? Where are the days when we distributed bajji on rainy days? Where are those cherishing days of brotherhood with neighboring friends? Whatever happened to civilization?

But there is some magic leftover in the morning sunrise of this place. Every morning, I amble to the terrace to watch the sunrise. Cool breeze washes my face and I watch the birds fly carefree. I feel thankful that this is atleast one solace left to the metropolitan cities by Mother Nature out of sheer mercy.

The little gift

You are abnormal, if you don't own a mobile. Survival without a mobile is out of the question ; people will show you the doors of a psychiatrist if you don't own one. And these are the words of my sage voice of experience!

Early this morning, my mobile beeps and i hurriedly pick it up to find the following text message :

" I thank you for being a part of my life and touching it with love, care and joy. good morning:)"

I delete it immediately, unmindfully and return back to mind my work. Because the right words from the wrong person and the wrong words from the right person are both gibberish.

If you meet a person face to face, it is impractical to greet him or her with such dramatic and syrupy words, unless you love them truly from heart.Then why put up a preposterous show? To those of you who think it is a gentle gesture of friendship,i must warn you that all that glitters is not gold . It gets to my nerves when the so called friends who try to please you with melodramatic words, don't even reply when you ask for some help or when you are truly in need.

It does not make even an exiguous sense, when it is forwarded to you by people who don't really mean it. Nevertheless, not all friends are opportunists.

Sometimes, forwards can be the prim ones, the most interesting ones which can scuttle a worthwile thought into your brain..

To exemplify,here are some of the best ones that i have collected.

1.You will waste your time if you keep throwing stones at every dog that barks at you.

Just keep biscuits and move on.

2. Success is nothing more than a few disciplines practiced daily,

and failure is nothing more than a few small errors repeated daily.

3.Don't tell people your problems. 70 percent of them don't care. The other 30 percent are glad.

4.Contradictory proverbs:

i) All good things come to those who wait.

but

Time and tide wait for none.

ii) The pen is mightier than sword.

But

Actions speak louder than words.

iii) Many hands make the work lighter

but

Too many cooks spoil the broth.

iv) Doubt is the beginning of wisdom

but

Faith moves mountains

v) Finally every one's favorite..

Practice makes man perfect.

but

No man is perfect.

5.Benefit of speaking truth is that you dont have to remember what you said but lying increases your memory power.

6.Dont feel bad that people remember you only when they need you,

Feel privileged that you are like a candle ,that comes to mind when there is darkness in their life.

7.Whatever is free is not good! whatever is good is not free!( This one is from a very genuine source whose identity shall be concealed as of now. Not to mention, i laughed my intestines out for this one!)

Of all the features that a mobile can adorn,the most pleasing to me is the SMS. It is a simple way to keep in touch with with your true friends and loved ones. Moreover, it has had the potential to manumit me from the bondage of miserable loneliness.

I bow down to the android phone that has its advent into the market recently.It's far reaching applications are captivating. But somehow, The most appealing are the simple text messages, which any basic cell does not lack..

Aren't the best things in life, the simplest ones?

GOD??!

Now, how would you feel if your coach forbids you forever from playing your favorite game, just because you cheated in your last game? Or how would you feel if your parents tell you that they won’t buy you a bike when you are truly in need, since you fell and damaged the cycle that they bought in your childhood? Now that feeling of denial is nothing in its magnitude. Read on....

Before i begin to proceed with my weird thoughts, let me be given a chance to put up my own humble proverb...

“GOD IS NOT ALL THAT GOOD"

Two weeks ago, i had been to the hospital to get my hand treated off some minor bone problem. As i sat there being given the last appointment for that day, i saw a father speaking compassionately to his baby. I think she was being suffocated inside the waiting room and wanted to be taken out. And then, when he turned and headed towards the door, with the baby girl couched in his arms, i could see a scene that i had not witnessed in such proximity till so far. The baby had a huge and deformed head and very small eyes. I do not know what medical syndrome she was a host to, but it really made me cold that day.

I like watching Johnson and Johnson’s baby soap ads. For me, It is surely titillating to see a baby smile and play happily being totally unaware of the world around it. But it hurts back thousand folds to see a baby which is physically or mentally challenged. I still can’t digest the fact that god can punish even innocent babies, if he wills...There is an old adage that everything in life is a fruit of the actions performed in the previous birth. To add to that, it has made its appearance in numerous historic serials that i have watched.

How judicious and lawful is it for god to make humans suffer or enjoy the results of their deeds in previous birth? Why are babies born with disabilities? some blind, some physically challenged and some sayamis? Well ,it might seem insignificant, for we selfish humans as long as we are safe, but when we put ourselves in their shoes, we get a tinge of all their bitter experiences. Not only is it excruciatingly painful to imagine being born blind or physically challenged, but surely demoralizing in its own way. How can such a feeling of injustice by god, inside them, be effaced when they grow up? What does life mean to them?

I am not leading anyone into thinking that we can commit as many sins as possible and demand compulsory forgiveness from god. Let it be a fair game.... coz at the end of every day in life, we already get what we deserve. The judicial system in any country today is strong and merciless anyway. The media is also unforgiving, unveiling the crimes committed by any Tom, Dick or Harry. More so, in the long run, we are surely loaded or burdened by the fruits of our deeds in the same lifetime. Then i question god, why carry it on to the next birth?

Does the wheel of time really turn tables? If so, how often does it do? When does it do? Will the downtrodden and depressed ever live to see a moment of revelry?Or if the entire dogma about previous birth deeds is false and unrealistic, then why is it that some are born in rich families and some born indigent? Why are some people beautiful and some ugly? Or is birth a matter of pure chance?

I need answers.

PS: I strongly implore the readers to make me happy with answers or even suggest how or where to find the answer

Redemption

He woke up with a start when the alarm tone sent disturbing waves to his eardrum. He had promised his daughter for a movie that day, but had also assured his fortunate few friends that he would join them for a trek to the steep forests. He had dreamt of trekking each time his friends fantasized and pontificated of their experiences. He hurried to the bathroom to get fresh and left a sticky note on the fridge door to his wife, that he would be back by nightfall. He entered his daughter’s room and kissed her on her forehead. The birds from the cage in that room-her pets seemed to be uncaring.

He joined his friends at the woods; his two friends bragging to each other on what food they had got for the day .They walked at an equable pace to the forest and could discern that they had stepped into it already as the trees grew thicker. The distant sounds of running streams merged with the sound of the birds chirping. The morning sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds, as the cold breeze swept across their faces. With silent steps, they enjoyed the environs of the forest and watched as the lives in forest slowly began to wake up from their slumber. They walked until afternoon and after their legs started crying, they camped at a nearby stream .Digging into their backpacks they had mouthfuls of their food and dozed off to sleep in the tent. He opened his eyes after what seemed to be an hour and joined his friends at the river bed. His two friends were reminiscing on their experiences to impress their new boss, also debating on her age.

After two hours of lazy talk on all the work that had to be scheduled at the office for the week to come, they took turns capturing each others pictures on a camera with a mixture of moods. After a while, they heard lurking footsteps at the nearby clearing. The footsteps grew louder and louder when all their senses began hunting for the source of noise.

One by one, the men appeared as though they had materialized out of thin air. Clad uniformly in their own code, each one of them pointed their weapons towards them, some rifles and some shotguns. The three friends stood motionless not able to ascertain what had just happened. The dark men handcuffed each of them. They wriggled to set themselves free from the handcuffs. From the hushed voices and accusations, it later became clear that one of the members of the gang had fled and let out the information about their hideout, to the police for his remuneration .

They mauled them and abused them asking for their identity while they began to search their backpack, the tent and at last their pockets, but to no avail. A heavy gargantuan figure pretending to be their boss ordered “Rip them fully, search thoroughly”. He stood there sternly as one of his friends was wrested a few steps to the front. The dowdy hands of an obsequious looking servant pulled down his undergarments. There was a huge uproar of laughter at the back. He stood there aghast watching his friend spit on the man’s face and kick him on his groin. The servant fell on the floor squealing with pain. The next moment, a shot from the gun deafened his ears as he watched the lifeless corpse of his stupid best friend drop to the floor. His face was splashed with his friend’s warm blood and perennial paroxysms of pain blasted through him as he began fighting his tears.

The two friends became numb, afraid and tensed at the same time, not sure of how to react. After the same checking was done unto them, they were taken to an old dilapidated building and locked into two separate rooms. He had had too much for a day. The stains of blood on his face were still wet. He wept into the night and fell asleep thinking whether he would ever go back to his family.

A platter of food was pushed from under the door in the morning. He grabbed it and gulped its contents. The dull silence of the rest of the day, the loss of his friend, thoughts about his family, all made him every bit uncomfortable. He sulked about the promise made to his daughter. He thought about the moments spent with his friends, the Sunday games and the weekend beers…….

He spent the next two days of solitary confinement in the same room ,a complete void without his friends or family. After four days, the food stopped. Water was spilled from under the door. He closed his eyes and licked the water to wet his throats. Fighting the tears that made their appearance for the second time that night, he kept telling himself “I must stay alive……….for my family”.

From the bright sun rays piercing through the windows, it was clear that it was noon and the day was hot outside. He woke up with his head pounding, realizing that he had probably overslept. He sat upright and began examining the room for some water. The trees outside began swaying and the dry leaves rustled and he could hear two helicopters approaching the building . He stood up and ran to the high raised window jumping to catch a glimpse of what was happening outside. The military men had encroached the forest and had surrounded the building.

As they began screaming threats to the gang though the loudspeakers, he heard hurried footsteps and incessant commotion inside the building. For that moment, his happiness knew no bounds and he thanked god for this unexpected blessing. He would finally be able to go back to his family…

The helpless smugglers were hauled from inside the building and apprehended. The door creaked and a group of over anxious military men pushed the door wide open. He raised his hands and started explaining himself ,panting for breath. They said “ We saw a dead body in the neighboring room. Is he your friend? “ . The paroxysms of pain erupted again. He ran to the next room and saw a thing made of bones and pale skin. It was his dead friend lying in one corner of the room. He must have been deprived of food since the day they were captured. This time there were no tears in his eyes, but dead silence in his mind. The god who had feigned to help him had betrayed him again…

He was taken to the military headquarters and asked to give a full explanation on the incidents that happened from the beginning. He was left free that morning, after a thorough investigation…………..

He came home that day and set the birds free from their cage. He had no idea how he would start the next day. …….

Compunction

How am i to be dauntless?

When you hew my desires to pieces?
Don't let me down to this blinding day;
With its trials and tribulations have come unending dismay.
Tell me how to greet the morning rays,
Tell me how to weave blissful days.
Don't let me lose hope in you,
Oh sweet lord, i bow before thee..

Yes, these silent words of prayers are only remaining now that a series of hostile, unfriendly events has hit me hard. They say behind every difficulty that god makes us shoulder, He has a reason. He might most certainly have it, but he'd better let us know the reason. It would surely lessen the brunt.


Most of the times, happiness also has its trail of little sorrow and every sorrow, its own litle happiness. Life is balanced that the division of happiness by sorrow or vice versa would give a precise unity..

Silent reflection also tells me that every life situation, every event or a happening and every aspect of life has two sides-just like the head and tail of the coin. Don't know why our vision gets blurred with only one side,almost every time........................


Ps: Contradictions are welcome.

The Key

Prenote:

The following post has the potential to enervate you in case, you are an impatient person.

There is one thing I like about my cellular device, the text messages. Oh come on! I like anything that inspires me. Not earlier than two days ago, I received an insightful text message forward… and here it is , verbatim.

Who do you think should be a world leader among these three?

Mr. A-He had friendship with bad politicians, consults astrologers, has two wives, a chain smoker, drinks eight to ten times a day.

Mr.B- He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps till noon, used opium in college and drinks whisky every evening.

Mr.C He is a decorated war hero, a vegetarian, doesn’t smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never cheated on his wife.

You would want Mr. C to be the leader

But

Mr.A was Franklin Roosevelt!

Mr.B was Winston Churchill!

And

Mr.C was Adolf Hitler

Strange but true.

Man’s innate hunger for power and influence, domination is insatiable. But the hunger for knowledge may go ephemeral once his plates are filled. Any field of knowledge can be in common terms coined as SCIENCE-the awareness of how the world around us works. To be at the forefront of any field, yes …experience and knowledge are the keys. But there is yet another finer and refined commodity that reigns supreme-Imagination.

Formal Education can preach us how to think straight within the strict borders of a particular body of knowledge.But it is only when the fire of imagination is stoked that inventors are born. Knowledge springs out of stimulated imagination as a mirrored response to one’s craving or desire. Knowledge has boundaries but imagination is boundless. In the vast realm of imagination, you are the king and you are the servant. You Don’t have to play the game by the rules. One can venture into any pursuit being ridiculously creative.

Tomorrow’s technology can subvert today’s. But we can never deny that technology has stemmed from science, which in turn has stemmed from persistent imagination. Roosevelt or Churchill could not rule, if they were imprisoned by their shortcomings. Edison could imagine thousand ways to accomplish the needful, lucky enough to have his eureka moment at last.

At the heart of imagination, resides genius.

If Necessity is the mother of Invention, I would dogmatize Imagination is its great grandmother.

WE, THE SCREENAGERS

I have got to log onto Facebook. Wait! Let me tweet first. No! it’s been one full day since I hit my orkut profile. Oh! Am I busy?

One of the biggest technology addictions has drugged my brain superlatively that I don’t keep track of mortal time anymore….! Why is my life revolving around the computer screen doing nothing but (facebook)ing and Orkutting? Should I call it the era of social networking?

As any social human being would rightly say, Social Networking is a great tool that creates a virtual space for friends. It would help you find your old friends and make new friends. It can also help you chat with friends all across the world. FACEBOOK of all,has enraptured the youth and captivated their minds.

But on the flip side ,when I see some of my friends so involved into their profiles over the mobile phones, right in the middle of the class lecture, it makes me ponder over it freshly again. Facebook has now gained enough fame and attention from the student community also, superseding the lawful books collecting dust on their shelves. Somehow, everybody around me loves to update their status messagesevery minute with something catchy and wait endlessly for reactions. When it becomes obsessively compulsive as such, wherein every soul is uploading photos, and giving instantaneous crazy status updates on competition, it loses it’s lusture. Being hunched over the laptop for hours may look good, but gradually the novelty dwindles. Moreover, despite being networked with pals all day, why do we still struggle with feelings of loneliness? Is it because we don’t have too many REAL friends? Are we so different from our real-selves when in front of the computer screens? We put most of our time and energy into it, and yet, to no avail? Are we prioritizing our online presence more than our real life presence?

I feel it is safe to maintain that minimal distance, even between the closest of relationships ,lest we all know that familiarity breeds contempt. Let us not turn so over-extrovert that we exhibit every phase of our life, every thought and every action. Life wouldn’t be interesting that way. Because even the stars would not have twinkled if they were very near to us!

PS: These words have churned out from the inspiration derived from Asha Choudhary