IT ALL WORKS OUT IN THE END...

Everybody loves to catch up with friends. But in this busy day and age to actually meet up and hang out with people outside of work place or educational institution is very difficult. Its the eternal problem of TIME.

Strangely I found a few friends all relatively free on the same day, when I had the time and opportunity for a house party.Now, here comes the catch....I knew each one of them from a different place viz. one from pune, one from my building, one from a class that I once took etc and some of them were bringing their friends to boot.

So, not only did my guests not know each other, I had guests whom, even I didn't know.
Now, if you have ever planned a party you know, that this is a sure shot recipe for disaster!!
Guess what....
Surprisingly, it was a HIT!!

People started arriving at around 6 in the evening. Every time a person came in there was this introduction session, but I restricted it to who's who and left them to figure the rest in the course of the evening. Till around 8, when my last guests arrived, it was pretty interesting and you could literally see people "getting to know each other" over a couple of drinks.
Its funny how comfortable the whole atmosphere became. Not a SINGLE person, and i don't exaggerate, not a single person was left out. Yes, there were some jokes that were sometimes lost on a few people, a few lapses of memory(i.e."Oh sorry, what was your name again?" kinds) and some verbal faux pas, which could actually happen anywhere.

A multi-cultural, multi-professional and metropolitan crowd, it was quite a stimulating and fun place to be.

Dinner was an even better affair. Despite it being a Friday night we decided to take a chance at a restaurant, without prior reservation. Piling into rickshaws, after 2 tries we finally got a decent table at one, where NONE of us had eaten before (For those in Mumbai, its called "Restaurant 5", in Santacruz, around Rs.250-300 per head, exclusive of alcohol) . It was one of the best meals I've had in a really long while. Pleasant ambiance, amazing food and even better company!
Funny stories from school, college, work place from such a broad spectrum of people...It was fascinating! Not one boring moment.

We then headed to Bombay Blues, for our eternal favourite, Sizzling Brownie Sundae. There outside through the glass we were entertained by a couple of kids diligently practicing their WWE moves.That kept us for about half an hour.

All then camped at my place for the night..Floyd in the background(minus the vodka, unfortunately).There was a chaotic mess of people who had to get to work and college and stuff from 6 o clock in the morning, and all this from people who had finally condescended to sleep at 5 am.

I was left behind with a messy house, impending studies for my next paper and a sense of happiness.

Everyone here last night had a good time and has made a minimum of 2 new friends.
We figured out rock music is a common interest and most of us are meeting again tonight at 'Livewire'..the am-band finals and rock show as a part of Mood Indigo, at IIT Bombay...

so go figure!!! :) :)

I should try this more often...It all seems to work out in the end!!!

TARE ZAMEEN PAR

i actually saw the movie first day..first show...
but i dont have the time to actually write a review about thus movie...because..
i could simply keep writing!!

it is BRILLIANT.....multifaceted....sensitively handled.....implosive in its drama....


The actor Darsheel is awesome....he has done an amazing job..
and Aamir Khan..words fail me..
His directorial debut was an ABSOLUTE dhamaka!!

There were so many things i loved about it that i can't even begin to put it down..
I was in tears throughout the movie...
It is BEAUTIFUL in every single respect..
Kudos to the whole team of TAARE ZAMEEN PAR..
and a special one to Aamir Khan for giving us this movie hoping there will be many such more...

PS: PLEASE GO WATCH IT!!!

<<<<<<------ONE YEAR BACK..........>>>>>TODAY

A YEAR BACK

December, in Mumbai, is one of the most pleasant months. The residents of the city get a respite from the humidly oppressive heat without having to bear harsh winters.
On one such day in December 2006, they met around mid-morning at Churchgate station-A casual meeting between friends who hadn't met for a while because of exam schedules. They greeted each other with brilliant smiles, reserved for people who "make your day".

They exchanged initial pleasantries and headed towards Mocha for a relaxed morning of coffee and chatter. Most of the day passed by like a breeze...lunch at Pizzeria....a walk along Marine Drive...well almost...

Come evening, they sat together at the sea-side. Each of them involved in their own thoughts--thoughts of events, other people and life in general. The conversation was just perfect, just enough to suggest company and comfortable enough to allow room for the thoughts.
Suddenly, she glanced at him and caught him staring at her. She held his eye and they looked....just looked at each other.

They only noticed time, when it began trying to veil the intimacy of their gaze, with the dark blue of the night sky.The spell lifted and a chill breeze blew in.

Not a little conscious, she eventually asked him,"Usually when we speak, even when you are miles away from me, over the phone, I always know what exactly is going on in your mind and heart...
But today, you are here sitting, not 1 foot away from me and I'm incapable of understanding anything about you."
He just smiled a mysterious smile and answered.."Thats because I was thinking about you..."


TODAY

A year has passed that day....a year full of turmoil and unpleasant events.....

He calls her up.
Him: "Hi!! Whats up?"
Her: "Hey, nothing, just watching TV..U tell me.."
Him: "How are your studies going on?How was todays paper?"
Her:"Sucked big time...Better try to make up in the next one..What about your work?"
Him:"All great as usual."
Her:"And your amma?"
Him:"She's fine. But I do miss her."
.
.
.
.(a pause..the kind that you would call pregnant..)
.
.
Her:"I think I should get back to my work now"
Him:"Yea, I guess you should...bye!"
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I guess life goes on....
we haven't seen anything that qualifies the end of the world yet..

CSM

i studied for it till my brains went all fuzzy..
eight excruciating days, i was all busy..

through random numbers and simulations..
to end in a page full of tabulations...

the distributions of probabilities..
to check system reliabilities...

while thinking of the time...
when i leave all this behind...

today dawned scared and queasy..
i think this rhyme's just getting cheesy...

so lets get to the actual point lastly...
my paper today was extremely ghastly!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a random rhyme after an appallingly traumatic paper of COMPUTER SIMULATION AND MODELING..
cheers to u'll while i get to my next paper!!

BLOGGERS..POETS AND CONFESSIONS...

I like my blog!!
Well I'm starting by saying that because, unwittingly this has become a rather important part of my life..
I always knew what kind of a writer I was..and how much or how little I could do with my words..
I'd begun this blog for absolutely no reason...save...boredom!
But now its extremely therapeutic...
To be able to vent..or simply ramble....basically treating it like a Pensieve(For those who are Harry Potter ignorants..check the link)..
But wait..a diary serves this purpose too..doesn't it?? In fact its better...u can write whatever the fuck u wish...no one to censure it or judge u!!
Nah..thats what makes this place different and better!
The people.....those who read your blog regularly and comment...leaving behind words of advice...happiness...wisdom...comfort..as and when required..
Following other blogs by other people just completes the blogging experience...
The variety of topics...difference in thoughts and opinions...radical lifestyles...there is a lot that gets reflected in each blog, irrespective of the kind of blog that it might be..
a lot of people say.."I MY BLOG IS ME"...well i cannot somehow wholly agree with that statement because each one keeps a bit of themselves away from others..the reasons are different for each...
but everyone does it...
i don't judge people by their blogs...
i don't assume or presume that i know ANYTHING about the person just because i've been reading his/her blog...
but it DOES give u a sense of familiarity...

Now i really admire a lot of my "blogger friends"...

Annie- with her undiluted words straight from the bottom of her heart...
i admire this because..call me a wuss but i NEED the cover of poetry or abstraction to
express...

Ashu- who is so clear in each of her posts and pays attention to every detail...
her thought process clearly visible in each and every one of her posts...

c e e d y- heres one i started following only recently...but i think he comes up with great ideas in his posts...
his innovative and creative streak comes across on his blog..

D- opinionated and independent....yet her posts have an extremely homely feel to them...

Dharmabum- now i do enjoy his "bummy" way of writing...he's irregular but makes up for it with extremely long and flavourful posts when he gets back..
his posts are like captain cooks recipie...but u can still taste every ingredient..yes even the socks!! ;-)

DreamCatcher- aahhh...this is Mr.Big Words...my God I learn atleast one new word per post from him...
He writes beautifully in both English as well as Hindi..his poems have an ethereal quality to them which is extremely seductive...

Eva- aahhh..this is one good writer...shes refreshingly different and really good...
its a very young though sufficiently tempered view on life...which is beautiful to behold...

Keshi-this is one blogger whose blog is genuinely her online diary...
she write without inhibitions and reservations...the way she manages to carve her everyday life into such interesting posts, it makes me feel that life is never dull..
its the way u look at it..

Raajeev- this guy is absolutely amazing...completely out of the box...
the romanticism in his tales are amazing...and his poems are equally if not more brilliant...
he paints a very vivid picture irrespective of the medium he uses..

Neo- aahhh...the dark side of the moon.....
he uses his blog to vent...but what a beautiful blog that makes it...
his templates are always beautiful..and his poems..my oh my...they are dark..dripping with pain...the only colours he makes u thin of are the scarlet of freshly spilled blood and the black of death!
All this makes his blog strangely addictive...

Nothingman- Only lately have i realized the true value of this genius....
"i admire him" is an understatement...i absolutely love him...
i don't know HOW he manages to come up with a story AND a poem every day...and never has he posted an excuse for either...
sheer talent!!

PK and SAJIT- well these are actually my friends(not only on the http)...
and their blogs tho listed are defunct...but i mention them here because i have been greatly impressed and influenced by their words and works...

Shimmer- tho not on my roll...I'm amazed by this runaway poet!!

I really want thank all these people for making this fun and enriching....and all the others who visit this place and brighten my day...I read many more blogs and appreciate the sentiments on them all..the above are just a few who have left an impression on me in some way or another...
this seems to have a tone of finality to it..but I'm definitely not going anywhere and will continue to waste web space for a long time to come...
Keep blogging people...
Cheers!

Thi woh eik shaam-e-ghazal..
Mehfil mein na koi hosh tha..
Hum bhi kuch madhosh hi the..
Us shaam..jab hum zindagi se mile..

tag-a-long

I've not taken up any tags for a very long time....
but i got tagged by educatedunemployed yesterday...
SEVEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MYSELF
i think i've done it before...but ppl change the randomeness about them changes as well...

1.)I cant hear alarm clocks!!
no seriously..its not silly...even if u keep the most cacophinic alarm clock right next to my
ear...I CANNOT HEAR IT!!

2.)I share a love-hate relationship with my mobile phone...
When its not working..i'm happier without it..
but when its there we are inseparable...(still wishing it was in the shop)

3.)My tastes have lately undergone a drastic change...
i do no sports
love mush and comedy over sci-fi
unconsciously incorporated a whole lot of PINK in my wardrobe!

4.)I never form and opinion about ANY person in the first meeting or convo...
have NEVER done it!!(unless of course i have absolutely HAD to..like in an interview or
something)

5.)My feet are my feel good factor...i.e.
If my feet are well kept and happy..i feel happy on the whole.. :P

6.)despite nearly being an IT engineer...I'm technologically backward...

7.)I LoVe my Blog!!!!!! :) :D


oka...now i tag...
Ashu
dreamcatcher
c e e d y
nothingman
dharmabum
D
Annie
Keshi

cheers ppl!!

REVELATION

Today I'm Liberated..I'm Free..
There's no place else I'd rather be..
Gone past the irrevocable change..
New Beginnings..They can be strange..
---------------------------------------------------
I've just got my Life back..
I'm doing the same things..
But my heart feels so light..
And everything feels so right..
---------------------------------------------------
In order to move on confidently and unabashedly..
I have to make peace with my past..
See the path I've traveled..
Learn not to regret the ME of the past...
And Understand and accept the me of the present..

Aati hain jab hume yaad tumhari

Aati hain jab hume yaad tumhari
Humse mat poocho kya hasrat hai humari
Ek koshish thi kabhi pana tasvir tumhari
Jo keh na sake apni juban se kabhi hum
Bina kahe pooch leti tasvir tumhari
Hoti jo aahat aangan mere kabhi
Bhar jaati tumhare ehsas se chahat humari
Rehti hoon jab main saaye mein khamoshi ke kabhi
Yaad karti hoon hamesha muskan tumhari
Aati hain jab hume yaad tumhari

Na tujhe, Na teri wafaaein maangi,
Na apne liye koi duaaein maangi;
Na khwab,Na teri yaadein maangi,
Na dosti ki saugaatein maangi;
Pucho fir hume khuda se gila kya hai,
Khuda se maangi woh dua kya hai;
Tum khush raho, rab se yeh fariyaad ki thi,
Lekin meri khusi barbaad karne ki ijaazat na di thi..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I apologize if it was appalling...but it was a sincere attempt at shayari..

HOPE

i was just cleaning out my book shelf when i came across my very FIRST book in which I wrote poems...
here's my favorite one out of those...
this is about 8 years ago...and so its sort of kiddish...
but love it because its my first published work...in my school magazine... :) :D
i was damn proud of myself...

neway..here it is...

HOPE

There is beauty in the sunset,

There is beauty in the dawn,

One makes you think of what has been,

The other leads you on,

So while you enjoy these precious hours,

Let no regrets cloud your mind,

There's still the future bright with hope,

And many a rainbow to find.

bE baCK s00N...

alive yet dead...
with life unforgiven....

its long since i'd said it...
but now i finally awaken...

to truth..to reality..
to my life...
which is still waiting for me....

I loVe mY LyF!!!!!! :) :) :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

my exams have finally arrived to stay for a month...
will definitely post...but probably at the rate of one a week or something...
have actually just gotten back to this place after soo long...
dont feel like neglecting it...but PRIORITIES!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S: Please read the post below...entitled LIFE..??
I really want to know your perspectives on this one...

LIFE......???

Well...Wiki and Google are my uncontested God's and i will stand by that till my dying day..
But i have found some questions to which even these great search engines have no answers!!!
Life......
I think this in itself is one BIG question...
The way people lead their lives can broadly fall into three categories;

1. those who believe solely in action...their thoughts are always rational...and practical...they live without wanting to realize the meaning of life (if there is infact any such thing!!)
2. those people who try to figure the meaning of the life they lead...have an objective...and try to achieve a balance between philosophy and practicality(i would like to think that these make up the majority in the world)
3. and lastly those who only philosophize...their brand of philosophy abstains from productive activity...and if they achieve any its purely accidental(there actually are people like this!)

What is this great question I'm talking about?? Some problem in life?? Some major decisions to make?? Well yes and no...
Its a basic question....LIFE???

If I attach and WHY's ...HOW's and WHAT's to it...then the nature of the question will be mis-interpreted....

There are Spiritual Gurus who tell us how to lead our lives...
Religion has been doing this, for as far as human history dates back..and has succeeded to a certain extent...the thought process and behavior of a person is greatly influenced by their religious background...
There are also Books about how one go about every possible activity involved in human life from ingestion to incarceration...for heaven's sake they even tell us how to have sex!!
Friends...Family...The people who form our society are important factors in the answer to this question as well...but at least we voluntarily allow that intrusion...

But now its my turn.....
OBJECTIVE...This, according to me is the essence of life...
If u've got to live a truly fruitful life you need an objective...
Now this term needs defining...I mean it should be a broad center of ur life...
For example..Someones objective could be to attain God....
To make the world a better place....
OR....
To simply be happy....

Now what is important is to define "What makes you happy?"
Success.....People.....Social Service.....anything....

This seems easy...but is the most difficult step of all...
Once u've got this sorted...the rest is what YOUR life will be...the way YOU want it to be...
Every step or decision you take...every long or short term plan or goal that yo make...will be to fulfill YOUR objective...

Now this doesn't mean that, everyone REQUIRES to have a dream or achieve something great in life.
Even the person who decides that to be happy is his ultimate objective of life and that his happiness lies in -doing a decently paying 9-5 job, go home to his family and take the kids for a picnic on Sundays, as long as he lives this completely,
HIS QUESTION IS ANSWERED...

But I'm still asking.... LIFE???

THE VOICE OF A TERRORIST

My life is abhorred,
But for me was felicitous and gay,
as I chose the spiritual way,
They raved and ranted,
About God being squandered,
We listened enraptured,
Our minds staid and stronger,
We soon picked up rapiers,
And severed our minds,
Took an oath of subsistence,
Till placed in our shrine,
A promise of a tryst,
With the almighty lord,
Lured most of our kind,
To the paths we trod,
It wasn't a spoof,
I realize now,
I'm trooping those heights
My wish will materialize now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(the thought i have expressed in the poem are what i understand form the concept of JIHAD from a time when terrorism was not a professional option!)

The reason I have written this poem from the perspective of a terrorist, is because I was genuinely wondering what makes them do what they do and stick by it remorselessly.

I tried to do a little reading to figure it out, but obviously a terrorist has yet come out with his/her biography saying "This is why i became a terrorist----".

The reasons could be a plenty and varied. Broadly it could be because of socio-cultural conditions experienced while growing up, company kept by impressionable minds and more often than not some personal experience of loss because of the same activities they perpetuate in order to take revenge.

Meaning no offense to any religion but a majority of the terrorists in the world today, are Islamic. Unfortunately, because of these miscreants and their distorted interpretation of their (actually beautiful) religion, a stigma had been attached to Islam in countries which are not primarily inhabited by Muslims. The prejudice has only increased the divide.

"Mujahideen", is the word they use, which means struggler(it has its root in the word 'jihad').
The mujahideens in history were considered heroes, thats another things the TERRORISTS have negated, the positive implication of JIHAD in history.

But despite their abominable actions, what actually disgusts me something else.

Today, Terrorism has become a high profile PROFESSION, under the false guise of religion.!!

Living in India, we have now faced a lot of terrorism in all parts of the country in the past 15 years. Right from the 1993 blasts to the Hyderabad blasts of last week, perpetrated by organizations from within and without. Each time a different Lashkar or Mujahideen organization takes the responsibility for the incident.

But among all other emotions, I always wonder,
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING????

EGGS FOR BREAKFAST

When making my breakfast
in the morning today,
I wondered, what it my egg
represents my day?
An omelette, with chopped chillies,
onions and tomatoes,
Is a day when life, keeps you
on youe toes,
A fried egg or two, either sunny
side up or down,
Indicates a happy one or one,
marked with a frown,
An egg minus the yolk, for
the diet conscious folk,
A day of healthy living, lest
we die of a stroke,
An egg that goes wrong, can
be scrambled,
A day when life, is all
in shambles,
But fluffy buttered scrambles,
make a very tasty dish,
And ultimately breakfast in bed,
is now my wish!!

GOLDEN WORDS

Life deals everyone with at least their share of shit,
But each one reacts differently to it,
Some understand that it is crap and flush it,
Others stir it, just to test what happens.

HERO

I believe that there is a HERO in all of us.
This is because, according to me,
"To do the right thing, even when no one is watching, simply because it is the right thing to do is heroic."

This sounds simple enough, but ask yourselves,
how many would work as well if it were not for appraisals..
how many would study as well if it weren't for competitive and relative grading...

Begin by redefining a SUCCESSFUL LIFE..
Success lies in the quality you can see and feel in your own life, not, what others see in your life.

It is difficult to stick to the good path, to make this difference in your own life, simply because its right. We need to keep a constant check on ourselves, our life and other path to the future.

So the average man who does the right thing and is happy in his life qualifies as -my HERO.
The man
Who does his job well irrespective of whether or not his boos is looking,
Who plays with his kids, whether or not anyone is watching and
Who showers his love and lust only on his wife..

I think even such a person is a hero in life..

just something beautiful i came across...

I'm not begging you to love me.
I'm not really even asking you to.
But isn't it alright if i cherish that hope in my heart ?
If i just dream of holding your hand it will hurt me and not you.
I'll try to keep my eyes from shining when they see you and
i promise not to smile a special smile when you say hello.
But please...
Don't ask me
Not to love you.

Light is as surely a hoax
as is the adage
"Everything happens for the best";
Negating the ephemeral nature
of things to come;
Misery persists as sure as darkness;
We remain forever,
remain in the uncertain flicker of dusk;
Unavoidably...Inescapably
But sometimes,
Joy like music, transcends
all barriers and emerges
in the form or irridescent bubbles;
Ensconed in these bubbles
we see a pleasantly distorted world;
And finally
All our hypotheses are disproved
and our analysis rndered useless....

RECIPE

A cauldron with drops of honey,
Without any knowledge,
Awareness adds various ingredients,
Different for each one,
Sometimes good, Sometimes bad,
But eventually a recipe is what you have,
The stirring with a turbulence begun,
The ingredients react,
All the cooks can do is wait and watch,
Apprehensive how the dish will turn out!