Season of love.....Blanket-love!!

Its 7:30 in the morning. I can feel the sun’s rays coming through the ventilator and falling right over my face. Yeah, it’s quite bright out there and as I struggle to open my eyes, I remember I have an important task to be completed today. I need to wake up immediately. But NO. I end up snuggling in my blanket trying to catch a few more winks of sleep!!!

cliparstoday.com

.

Yes, the winter is very much here and every one of us has a tough time getting up in the morning. It needs a great deal of motivation and will power to defeat the temptations of a warm and cosy bed and walk out towards the bathroom. Well, if you are one of those kinds who sleep with all the warm clothes on, then you are saved from this. In fact, I have tried this trick quite a few times during exam days in December when I had to get up as early as possible for those last-minute preparations. But as you would agree, it’s not much comfortable to sleep all stuffed up in jackets and socks and caps (I guess it would be safe to mention that this post is not meant for those living in the poles or heading towards the Everest to have a picnic up there. For all the other lesser mortals this post is all yours)

So no doubt your blanket becomes the most loyal and lovable companion of yours  during these days. The moment you come back from work and finish up your chores slipping into the comfort of a warm blanket is the most preferred activity, to leave it only to answer a doorbell or to attend nature’s call.  And trust me; even the most possessive of couples can’t compete with this kind of attachment. 

Team up your blanket love with some hot coffee and freshly baked snacks and you are in for a treat. Switch on the TV or plug in your i-pod or grab hold of a book and even Devil won’t dare to disturb your romance. And why would Devil be bothered any way? Laziness was a vice when I last heard about it..

As I wind up this post, I can feel my blanket hugging me more tightly. Hmmm….I won’t mind this little bit of possessiveness for the next two months or so at least.


Happy winter!!

Left Behind

Google images

Out there, somewhere in the woods

There is a flower that speaks of you

Born the moment you first smiled at me

And still blooming while you bade adieu.

There is a spring that speaks of your tears

Of painful departure and hours of pleasure

And you know the butterflies you once chased

Now look for their colors in some hidden treasure

The moments of ecstasy might have passed

And the flames surely have been doused

But every time the sun pierces through the gloom

The old fragrances reunite, alive and aroused.

Come home my dear, come back and behold

The brook has lost its flow and the song knows no tune

And they who pass by those woods now feel ditched and broken,

Being once promised fluid for life and a melody to croon.

Out there, somewhere in the woods

There is a flower that you had left behind

Though weathered and bereft of freshness,

Bears traces of the past, preserved for you to find.

The not-so-curious case of Vinod Kambli

"A tearful Vinod Kambli leaves the field, being escorted by security officials as the Eden gardens crowd turns violent.The match was abandoned with India at 120 for 8 and Sri lanka declared winners. India loses a golden chance to lift the coveted ICC Cricket World Cup of 1996 "

 This very scene has been shown on the television several times over the years and even in the build up to this year’s World Cup. It was 15 years back and all I can remember of that match was the chaos at the end of the match. I neither had the interest then nor was I able to understand what happened that was gruesome enough to disturb everyone so much. Even then, I had heard some quarters claiming the players to have been bribed. May be it was an act of anger and hopelessness. But what took everyone by storm was that same player who left the field in tears after the match was abandoned and awarded to the Sri Lankans, shouting on Star News in faulty Hindi that he doubts that the match was fixed, 15 years later. This was a spontaneous reaction on being asked about a former ICC anti-corruption investigator, Paul Condon’s comment that almost all matches in the 90’s were fixed. But Mr. Kambli, why do you say this after 15 long years??

Kambli had always been a character of interest for me. Always fond of the lime-light, he has tried his luck in a couple of films , a few reality shows and an odd TV serial.. A much Caribbean kind of dark-skinned,bald and goatee look made him quite a novelty. But still, all fame he could garner was as Sachin Tendulkar’s childhood friend. Many a times I saw him getting all emotional (the guy must love to cry in public, ain’t it?) whenever a question about his friendship with the legendary batsman was raised. I remember him once declaring on a dance reality show “Even if Sachin needs me now on the field, I shall stand by him”. Oh c’mon! As if it were a battle-field and all he needed to do was smash some heads with a bat. Since when did they allow players to have personal bodyguards with them on the field? And until recently, he wasn’t even considered for expert views on any of the news channels. ( This is when even a Vijay Dahiya is sought for ‘expert’ opinion. But that’s a different story altogether)

If you look into Kambli the cricketer, the figures reveal a batsman of sufficient talent. In the 7 Test matches that he had played for India, Kambli had scored two double centuries and two centuries with a batting average of 54.20. Not bad at all! Yet he played his last Test match way back in 1995 at the age of 24. Surprising indeed!! His ODI career was a bit extended though with Kambli playing his last ODI in 2000 and has an OK average of 32.59. His 664 runs’ unbroken partnership with Sachin in a school-level match in which Kambli made 349* is still a world record. But somehow, he lost his way. The glitz and glamour associated with Indian cricket reportedly shifted his focus from his game to parties and showbiz (though he still denies it) resulting into a drastic fall in his career. It’s quite amusing that he officially announced his retirement from all forms of cricket just a few months back in September, 2011!!  Was he still expecting a call from the national selectors?!!

And now suddenly , after 15 years of being in the oblivion ,Kmabli finds himself on the front page of most Indian newspapers on the basis of a few ‘doubts’ that he has of that infamous semi-final encounter. Let’s have a look at Kambli’s allegations.

-          

• It was decided until the afternoon before the match that they would bat first on winning the toss which the captain (Mohd. Azharuddin) acted against.

• The wicket was not a turner as suggested by the manner in which he Indian batsmen got out and if he could hold fort at one end how could the others not?

• He was a victim of conspiracy against his career and was dropped from the national side repeatedly without valid reasons being stated.

Now if we take Kambli’s allegations under consideration, then all the players who got out after Sachin’s dismissal were involved in fixing which is practically absurd.. And even if it is so then why was Kambli not approached by the bookies? Or may be as his score of 10* suggests, they were pretty much sure he wouldn’t be of any harm either. Moreover, if he was quite comfortable with the pitch, why was he not scoring well despite the fall of wickets at the other end? Well, regarding the toss, whatever might have been the difference of opinion among the team members, the captain has the final call.

Whatever might be the result of this entire controversy, it has certainly brought him under the spotlight that has eluded him throughout his career and even after it. It might not have been so easily bearable for him o see his childhood buddy reach the epitome of the game they both had started playing together with his own short stint being only comparable to a cameo in Indian cricket. Nevertheless, even if its sheer frustration that drove him to making those allegations, it can’t be denied that the cloud of match-fixing has tainted the Gentleman’s game to such an extent that its very easy to point a finger at any player, team or mach. The presence of vulnerable targets can’t be overlooked either. Hence a probe by BCCI on the ’96 semi-final might just help to strengthen the belief of the people in the integrity of the players and the sanctity of the game. And we never know, some skeletons might fall out of the closet…

Click to see all the picks

Dreams galore...

"This post is an entry at Blogjunta Dreams Contest to be judged by Jyoti Arora, author of Dream's Sake"

Google image search

 

Dreams!!

The very first thing that comes to your mind when you think about dreams is slumber and quite reasonably indeed. We dream when we are sleeping, being unaware of whatever is happening around us. There is a great amount of imagination when it comes to dreams. The dreams we have while sleeping are a product of our sub-conscious mind and we really can’t control them. But dreams that are seen with open eyes are the ones that matter. Those are the results of constant pondering over something that we wish to be changed in a way we want. Speaking of such dreams, I have a bagful of them!

There is hardly anything I haven’t dreamt about. Right from the childhood dream of being a superhero to a much mature and ambitious dream of  launching a product of public interest, my dreams have varied with times. I have often wondered about seemingly nonsensical matters. But that’s how dreams are supposed to be, right? Free from the bondage of possibilities and ascending towards exception??

Ever since I was in my teens, I have dreamed of  seeing my country achieve greatness someday. I was never overtly patriotic but I do love my country a lot. At the same time I dream of prosperity for the place I was born in, the beautiful but troubled region of Assam. As I grew up and the reality of all sorts of political short-comings dawned on me no doubt I ended up being cynical in most cases. But did I give up my dream? No. I still nurture it with a hope that someday things will change for the better and hopefully I will have a role to play in it.

There are times when my dreams take a leap into the future- A future of endless possibilities. May be someday we will have our homes millions of miles above earth. Residential colonies on the moon, space bikes to go for work or regular shuttle service between the earth and space stations. I wonder if someday we will have a single ruler ruling over the entire earth. Move over America. May be it will be an Indian at the helm of affairs (Don’t worry, we will remove the corrupt ones by then or who knows, might even  make the world believe that corruption is a way to attain a smoothly running governance). And why do I mention countries at all when we are already very much into the term “Global Village”?!!

Phew! Countries, world and space, huh?? Let’s come down to something as basic as a family. Who doesn’t dream about a happy home by the way? I wish that someday, even if not exceptionally rich, I will have a house that will be blessed with all kinds of luxuries and objects of comfort. A dream that I have always held close to my heart is to make my parents happy and contented. I wish to give them a comfortable retired life, a life free from all the worries and hard work that they have went through all their life. This is one dream I am ought to make happen.

Is it too early for a 23 year old to dream about his children?? I guess not. Though this dream is not about having kids in the immediate future but there is a certain wish that sometimes creeps into my mind. Besides thinking about providing them with the best possible things, I dream about how I will relive my childhood with them. I dream about their fondness for me, those little tantrums and demands, those hugs and kisses in exchange for just a smile...

Speaking of lady love, whoever comes into my life, I dream of being loved by her ‘truly, madly, and deeply’. Silly it might sound, but there is a romantic in me asking for a chance to come to the fore and dazzle the lady with stupendous acts of charm and chivalry. Yes girls, if you can dream of some Prince Charming I can definitely dream of being one, right?  Dreams are all we are talking about!!

Ah! I am ambitious. I want to take challenges head-on and make things happen. There is a dream to carve a niche for myself among the existing giants in the software industry (or any other industry if they let me in). Now this is definitely not the Ramalinga Raju way that I am dreaming about!

I wish to write a book someday. Maybe the very author who will be judging this post, Jyoti Arora herself, will someday be nagging her friends to read my book!! An award or two won't be bad either...

Now if you are still reading this post and amusing yourself over my so-called 'dreams', let me tell you something  on a much more realistic note i.e. to ‘live a dream’ is very different from’ living in a dream’. We have often witnessed people giving up their present for a future. We have seen people walking out of relationships, breaking hearts, ditching friends or having bitter times coping with themselves unable to sustain the burden of unfulfilled dreams.. How much of that is really justified? Dreams are supposed to be a hopeful wish for the future and not a deterrent in living your present fully. Obsession is a crime you won’t be penalized for. But the consequences of it take down several others along with the person concerned. At the end of the day, we are supposed to live in the real world, being practical and calculating probabilities.

But still, dreams are the best thing you can have of your own. Something no one can alter or have control upon but which solely belongs to you created out of your own imagination. It’s these very seeds of dreams you plant in the present that gives you the fruits of reality in the future. So, nurture them, live them and let them grow over the years…

Click to view the results' page

All that's in a name !!

"What does your name mean?"

I know this is one question that all of you have encountered often in your life. And just why not? A person’s name is his identity and it’s always so interesting for others to know how much someone’s personality matches or doesn’t match with his/her name (in the later case to  have a personal joke in private later on). So I was no exception either. Quite a few times, I was asked what my name Prosenjeet means. Well, to be frank I never had a clear idea until recently. Long back someone old and respected by my family had announced that it means ‘king of kings’. Naturally, a young child’s mind would be so excited to think that his name just doesn’t mean a king but one who rules over other kings. But then came Internet in our lives and when someone asked me the same question again I felt why not get assured if that man was really right. I didn’t really want to be a butt of joke. Besides, by whatever knowledge of Hindi or Bengali I had acquired  I could not reason out the formation of the word Prosenjeet to mean “king of kings”

Google image search

 

So, there I was, Googling for the name Prosenjeet  and guess what I found. A KING OF THE EPICS  !! Now what is that supposed to mean?  I searched more and on all those Indian baby names sites I got the same result.This was so vague. I needed a more concrete meaning. I tried looking for different forms of my name viz. Prosenjit, Prasenjit, Prasenjeet, etc Then one fine day, I stumbled upon this revelation –

“Prasenjit (Sanskrit Prasenajit) originates from the Pali name Pasenadi. Pasenadi was a king of the Kosala kingdom and was a close aid of Gautama Buddha. He is known for his sixteen dreams each of which were interpreted by Buddha as future predictions”

Imagine my surprise. Literally stupefied, I was like ‘Wow!  So I have a name that dates back to the age of Lord Buddha?? 6^th century BC??  Should I not be considered as an archaeological heritage? A room in the National museum, please? But till now I am unable to find if there is any meaning for the Pali word Pasenadi. So its more like "I know where it came from but don't know who it is" !

 But really, does all this have any importance at all? We all have came across Shakespeare’s famous quote from Romeo and Juliet  “What’s in a name?” and “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. TRUE. A person’s character or ability is not defined by what his name is. But just for the sake of that question I stated at the very beginning that we start being substantially bothered with names. You would rarely find someone who is not sensitive about their name and are very particular in getting it properly pronounced and spelled by others.

The names that our parents give us, we have to live with them forever. Yes, no doubt we can always change them with an affidavit. But once you come to be known by a certain name it’s very difficult to shrug it off. Often people end up having names that either sound funny or on just a little pondering turn into laughing stock. Tell me, how does one justify the name Avishkar which actually means 'discovery'? I am pretty scared to imagine that the doctors, at the time of his delivery, came out of the labor room shouting “Eureka Eureka!!”. Very few of you might be familiar with the Indian cricketer by this same name who going by fast bowling standards, was nowhere near to a  discovery in the cricketing world.

This is how things get really interesting when we relate individuals with the meaning of their names.  I am not going into the distastefully racial Hardik and Sukhdeep kind of pun which are mainly based on mispronunciations. But it’s the meaning of a few names that become really amusing when viewed in the light of the persons bearing them.  Now there is one Rakhi , the quintessential drama queen, that no sister in her right frame of mind would want her brother to be tied up with (yup, those whom you saw on her Swayamvar were either insane or too desperate to be on national television). Then there is one not-so-efficient Rahul whose very name means ‘efficient’. However, he matches the famous father’s son tag connected with this name as Rahul was actually Gautam Buddha’s son’s name too. But before you start looking for all the inefficient Rahuls let me remind you, there are only a few batsmen who are as efficient as a Rahul Dravid.

  Well, there was this Bolloywood actor from yesteryear's (and still to be seen laughing on comedy shows) who was confused between comedy and serious acting much like his misleading name 'cause despite being lean and tall he had the name Chunky which means something “thick and short” !!! (or may be its Chunkey but then it would mean nothing at all except rhyming with monkey)  

The name Osama means lion-like and the dreaded terrorist in his entire lifetime followed the ‘hiding in caves’ part of a lion. The name Ajmal means “the handsome one”. But that’s not a reason enough for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Kasab to be still alive. By the way, Salman 'Bodyguard' Khan justifies his name quite a bit (at least in his Dhishum Dhishum films)  as it means "protector or conqueror".

Similarly, you will find the most timid of individuals named Andrew (a warrior) or the most atheist ones being named John (God is gracious). Michael Jackson was one who did exceptional justice (though unintentionally) to his first name Michael which means “one who is like God”, considering his god-like stature among his millions of fans all over the world. But then again, you might find a Michael down the street who drowns himself in alcohol, is abusive and spends most nights in the police lock-up.

Likewise, if you look around yourself, you will find plenty of such examples. And yet you will find some interesting ones where the names have no meanings at all and are in fact just supposedly cute names given by their doting parents. I am not sure if you have heard about some aboriginal tribes where names are actually clicking sounds. Dare anyone ask them their meanings!!

Nevertheless, a name is something by which we recognize a person. It is this very name that is made famous or infamous by one’s deeds. Some people just do exceptionally well to make brand-names of their names. Whatever, might be the meaning of such a name and no matter how mismatched the name is to the bearer’s appearance and personality it just stands out in the crowd and anyone who is even remotely associated with such names feel a sense of pride and social recognition.

 So, the next time I hear Shakespeare saying “What’s in a name?” I might just end up saying -

Google image search

                                                              

  “A lot, Sir...
There’s a lot in a name”

My old, blue college shirt speaks up (?)

“What should I do with this?”, my mom asked with my college shirt, signed by my friends on the last day of college,,in her hands. The next moment I was shouting at her demanding her to keep her hands off that shirt as if it were a million dollar antique. She asked me to relax and said she was just cleaning up the cupboard and wouldn't have  thrown it away in any case. Ok, I over-reacted.

That’s when I heard a soft sigh from somewhere. My mother had left me with my shirt. So was this very shirt  making that sound? ‘Duh can't be!’, I said to myself. Just then I heard my shirt calling me by name and what followed next was a mental (yeah right, MENTAL it was) conversation between me and my old, faded blue, college shirt, scribbled with good-wishes and “I will miss you”s all over it.

Shirt:”Hey Pro, you know I was so touched to see you standing up for me. I know it wasn’t a crisis and she wasn’t going to dispose me off either but still. Your concern mattered.”

Me:”Yeah OK. I ought to protect you with all those messages from my friends. That’s why I brought you with me right?”

Shirt:”Hmmm….that’s true. Still I am glad. Will you just talk to me for a few minutes?  All the clothes in the cupboard just treat me as an outcast. I feel so lonely”

Me: (to myself) Don’t I have anything better to do rather than listening to its blabber?? It’s a goddamn shirt after all, which has suddenly turned all emotional. Just because I love the colour blue I am not going to entertain it.....

  
      Okay! Speak up. But you better keep it short.

Shirt: Ok ok. You just don’t seem to have any respect for me. Well,that's not much unlikely too. You never liked me and always grumbled over the bad fitting. But was that my fault? The tailor was at the job. And what about you? Who asked you to be all dumb and not instruct the tailor about the fitting and all? Anyways I just did ok for all these 4 years. You lost weight and regained it towards the end. But my fitting was never a cause for concern.

Me: Ah, yes. Carry on sir.

Shirt: Hmm…..you remember those first year days? I was a lot more blue and bright then. Infact all of us looked so great together. You went to college more often then. Why did you decrease your regularity later on Pro? I loved that place man. I mean that’s where I belonged!

Me: Hahahah.,,, Haan yehi baaki tha!. I had to attend more classes just for your sake. Get a life!!

Shirt: Yeah, why not? In fact I heard some of your friends went all dressed up in uniforms to college even on Sundays.

Me:  I never belonged to that elite group dude (grins)

Shirt: and….and….your T-shirts told me some even carried our kind to the City Center?? Malls and movie halls !! Ah! They had a life. But no. You always had to be the fashion conscious one. Just for a single occasion in these 4 years you could have gone out with me on. I don’t mind being teamed up with a pair of jeans.

Me: (still laughing) wait, wait. Let me finish laughing. Oh my god!! Now you tell me you wanted to visit malls. Damn! New age shirts huh?!

Shirt: Very funny!! I deserved a bit of outing for all the sweat that you drenched me in. Man, you sweat a lot! Thank god, you took regular baths unlike your friends. And I loved the deodorants. The alcohol in them made me feel tipsy.

Me: Huh! Whatever.

Shirt: Well, well. Don’t you show me your attitude ok? I know exactly when your heart skipped a beat and when it went faster.  I hanged too close to the area that matters. So I know stuffs…..like when you were being roughed up by your seniors and you made a sullen face or when your face went all red at a particular occasion. I know,..I know when you once bumped into a girl in the corridor...

Me: So?? What will you do? Go out and tell those stories to everyone? You know you can’t. And can you please embarass me a little less?

Shirt: As if I am blackmailing you. I was there with you on your big day too, remember?. Your first ever interview. I was also nervous along with you dude. The chilling weather just didn’t help either. Glad you made it. You are smart!

Me: Ok (smiles)

Shirt: <sighs> I miss my wife..

Me: Hold on…come again. You had a wife??

Shirt: Of course, your tie!

Me: (laughing aloud) Oh my goodness! My necktie was your wife?? Super cool!!. Then you might have been guilty of wife-swapping ‘cause we guys always messed up our ties with one another.

Shirt:Huh, how could I know?? They look all the same. But I was lucky to be with my wife on most days when you made your trip to college, considering there were plenty of divorced shirt-tie couples and some having an on-off relationship.

Me: You got to be kidding me.Yeah, right. I never went to college without my necktie on.

Shirt: And then came the last day of your college life. I didn’t like the idea of being scratched with pens and markers. I was scared to death seeing Himanshu and Abhishek's shirt being torn to pieces. Imagine my relief when I got away with just a ripped-off pocket and a few broken buttons. Oh, I heard there was this one Khan who was later on going around with his pocket-cloth taking autographs? That was kinda sweet. And don't tell me you didn't get a tickle or two with all those girls writing all over your torso though technically they were all scratching me...

Me: Ha Hs Ha.. You are one crazy piece of cloth man ! (still laughing)!
.

Shirt: But as they say there is no gain without a little amount of pain, so I did bear it all…more so, because those writings meant a lot to you. I knew I won’t be washed ever. But still, unlike my twin brother, your other shirt, I wasn’t given away to your maid. You brought me home. I am happy.

Me: Hmmm….you got a point buddy. (smiles)

Shirt: Ok then. That’s all I had to say. I know I will be never worn again and will be stuffed in some cupboard or suitcase for ages. Even our kind can be no more seen in that college thanks to our great Sharma Ji. We have been replaced by pathetic off-white shirts. But I don’t mind. At least, I will be with you. Now come on. Put me back in my place before your mom comes and shouts at you. Goodbye. Take care.

Me: Yeah, ok. I don’t know how to react. All I can say is thanks for being with me in such an important phase of my life. Goodbye friend…

Well, this might be an imaginary conversation, very much pertaining to my days spent in an engineering college , yet it can be any one's story. We all have passed out of schools and colleges and have particular items that remind us of those days. We go back in flashback mode, much like in the films,whenever we have a look at those things  and it seems like each one of them has a story of its own to tell... We move ahead and get on with our life. But they remain where they WERE, waiting to be listened to.

Sniff sniff !! What's that smell ??!!

A guy takes off his shirt to reveal his perfectly built abs, sprays some deodorant, enough to fill up the entire room, goes out and ends up in bed with the hottest babe around or has chicks jumping all over him like iron fillings on  a magnet (The proverbial 'chick magnet' )

Yes, who hasn't seen such an ad and which guy hasn't tried testing the same with all those brands of body-sprays, wishing someday he might be the one who gets his shirt ripped apart down the street by at least one reasonably sexually arousing (read: hot) woman?? But alas! the bottles end up in the dustbins but the dreams don't die.

The women's perfume ads are not that outrageous though. That may  be because even the most nymphomaniac one won't prefer a bunch of guys to spring upon her (which we men mentally do anyway, perfume or no perfume). So the female cosmetics companies keep their focus on all those hair removal creams and what you call those.... "arm-pit whiteners"?? And the expensive, elite brand of perfumes just stay from everyday television.

You might be thinking , "Well, hasn't this guy ever bathed himself  in a deo or perfume at some point of time with similar intentions whatsoever??" Hell yeah! I have. For years now, I have followed this ritual of spraying scented alcohol based liquids, stuffed in smartly designed cans, right after  coming out of the bathroom.Not as much as because of that elusive "dream" working at the back of my mind but more because of my over-active olfactory senses.

Yes,I like to smell good. I like people who smell good.An average looking girl would score a point with me if she is wearing a decent perfume.Similarly, a foul odour creates a tremendous feeling of disgust..I knew a guy who emitted such a strong stench that he created a No Entry vicinity around him . People who stayed with him probably suffered from a chronic nose blockage !!

Good fragrance works wonders for your mind.Why else do you think agarbatis (incense sicks) and attar (oil-based perfumes) are associated with religion and prayer??

But as they say "Excess of anything is bad",so is true in case of perfumes, scents and deodorants too. You don't want to go around smelling like a bouquet of flowers, a basket of fruits or even worse a crate of alcohol !! Just use it enough to not give others a I-didn't-take-my-bath feeling.

So go ahead and spray at will. You never know, your scent might just catch the right nose and get your "object of desire" falling for you (and all over you) !!

A Tale Of Radiance

The stroke of a stick
Brought me in this world.
Slowly I began to grow
And my brilliance unfurled.

Don't you know me anymore?
Your erstwhile companion of the nights
Or your eyes have been blinded
By those glowing balls, you call lights?

But you still find me an act of romance
Put me on tables to dance in those eyes
I flicker in shyness,stranded between.
So that's what you call love, I surmise.

I stand by you on those nights
When those crystals deceive you.
I glow in silence while you pray
To spread light I need no cue.

Please don't blow me off yet
I just fought with a violent breeze.
Let me glow till the wax stands..
Oh! I can't even beg on my knees

Amidst your lights, I do hold my pride
Even the daylight I dare not blame.
At my brightest best before I die.

Still your friend, a candle flame.

10 reasons why you should have a heartbreak !!

Has anyone ever broken your heart??
The answer will be an emphatic 'YES!' from most of you. But few of you might have ever realised how much a rejection of a romantic proposal or a break-up has benefited you. Here is a list of 10 such reasons why we need to have a heart-break at least once in our lifetime. These are strictly based on personal experience ( I maintain experience also comes from observing others..) and hence I can't guarantee you all 10 of these. But more or less, its in general for everyone.

10. Reality check. Yes, now you know what you lack or where you went wrong.C'mon, you can't just blame it on the other person or your destiny.There must be issues about you which now as you know them, can improve upon.

9. You value relationships more now. Be it with your parents, siblings, friends or relatives.You will spend time with them more often. Maybe, just to run away from that void feeling within but still it strengthens those bonds.

8. You become a better FLIRT. Yes, you more often than not bring out that naughty side of yours, without any feeling of guilt. Flirting becomes a lot more easier when you do it with anyone and everyone in your radar without being worried about the results.

7. How often have you noticed a heart-broken guy/girl listening to sad songs or sharing sentimental updates/poetry on Facebook?? Quite often,right?? Yes, a heartbreak gives your artistic sense a push. Even, the musically deaf individuals would start finding meanings in all romantic songs (sad ones basically) or the most insensitive ones would start writing poetic lines of their own. And you never know....some of them even turn out to be surprisingly good at these and end up being applauded for new creations (mainly by other such 'victims' of course)

6. Now you can just "be yourself". This might sound cliche but one can't deny the various attempts one makes to impress that special person, often going overboard in their attempts and ending up displeasing them rather than rising in their eyes.
[ Don't confuse this as contradictory to No.10. Being your true self doesn't rule out scope for improvement in character or personality.]

5. Your friends now don't have complains about you being unavailable. Infact, you will always end up hanging out with them most of the time. Moreover, you will also discover how some of your friends are so good at counselling and will make you wonder why they didn't make a career out of that!!

4. Like your friends' counselling abilities, you will discover multi-dimensional talents in yourself. Yes, being busy is the best thing you can do when you try to get over someone and if there is not enough work you tend to CREATE  work. In the meantime, you might help others with their work too and get those grateful smiles in return.

3.This one's crazy! You will find a new-found confidence on your memory. The way you have to keep fighting off those sweet, old memories that keep recurring to you every now and then, you have got to say to yourself,
"Damn, why the hell couldn't I remember those lessons at school/college??!!"

2. Okay! you are a much stronger person now. You will definitely not feel the same amount of pain the next time you face an emotional loss, of any kind.

1. New beginnings.Well, whatever it was, it WAS !! It gives you a chance to pick up the broken pieces and build up again. You may keep denying it, but you will eventually...

Click to see the Spicy Saturday Picks

Carnal Connections

You are right. This post is all about the 3 letter word SEX.Nah!, I am definitely not going to tell you about how its to be done describing various positions and techniques (in fact, I don't possess the required experience to talk about that). But, what  I am going to talk about is how it's the most basic thing on this earth and how almost everything directly or indirectly revolves around sex.

Even if we are to believe the mythical concept of Adam and Eve, the first couple from which the human race is said to have started, we can't think of anything else other than sex between hem that made it possible. Going the scientific way, we evolved from apes and are very much animals but equipped with rationality.Our evolution into 2-footed beings brought in a lot of changes in the way we acted and reacted. But, still the basic instinct. to propagate one's kind through sex remains  the same.


Men are supposed to be sexually more active than females. Some feminists even go to the extent of saying that "men have their brains right between their legs". Well, its not totally untrue. Males of the human kind have been genetically programmed to think in that way. Blame it on the millions of sperms produced every single day !! The original male instinct was to spread their genes for which they were always on the lookout for potential receptors for their seeds i.e. women.That very instinct still works in the male minds.

Females on the other hand, after they learnt to stand on their feet and started holding the babies in their arms instead of their backs, they looked for male partners who could protect them as their arms weren't always free for that.This evolved into he female instinct of women being more choosy about their partners.But that doesn't eliminate a well-concealed urge and need for sex .

[However, with homosexuality on the rise, exceptions do exist. ]


The idea of sex is so much imbibed in our minds that all our expletives and swearing words are actually nothing but sexual accusations. Our clothing and fashion industries sell this idea too. We want to look good primarily to attract the opposite sex. Businesses and professions are mainly pursued to support families; a family being very much a product of sexual union.The oldest business known to mankind is in fact sex-trade or prostitution.Moreover, the entertainment industry mainly thrives on the idea of portraying sex, either directly or indirectly.


Yet,the idea of sex has also been labelled as something evil, abstinence from which is considered a path to divinity. Lot of religious beliefs around the world look down upon sex as a diversion from the path of goodness and holiness and ask their followers to only practice it for the purpose of carrying on their hierarchy and not for gaining carnal pleasure.But the question is how can something so natural and basic,responsible for the creation of life be considered condemnable,just on the grounds that one can derive pleasure from it?? Based on this very notion women have been treated in various societies from time immemorial as mere objects of sexual gratification and thereby evil temptations !!

The point is, both men and women possess similar urge to experience sexual bliss.Its not something to be ashamed of or spoken of in hushed tones. But to be celebrated as a depiction of LIFE.

But there is something that distinguishes us from other animals and restrains us from lounging into sexual perversion..We are social beings and living in a society have to abide by certain norms and rules maintained for the sanctity and sanity of the human kind  .We can't support polygamous and unabashed sexual activity just on the basis of the argument of sex being the ultimate foundation of life.
We need to realise where to draw the line...

A Real Life in a Virtual World !!

"When was the last time you logged out??" 
Yes, that's a common gig that many of us avid Facebookers might have faced and got amused with. The way this very social-networking site has invaded our lives, its needless to say that most of us feel the need to "update and stay updated" through Facebook. This very need has made a Facebook application or tab a common in-built feature of smart-phones. Every now and then, we  keep checking if there is anything new happening out there, which we can comfortably call a virtual world. A world in which we have a LIFE  of our own, a separate, distinct one from our biological life on earth yet very much REAL.!

Any social-networking site, including Facebook revolves around the concept of network of contacts aptly termed as "friends". Yet all of us would agree that NOT all of these so-called friends are really friends (not going into the ethical idea of a friend) when we walk out on the street or go to work.Many of us might have experienced the practice of having substantial interaction wih someone on Facebook through comments, likes,posts, pokes and occasional chats while in actual face-to-face scenario, we might have just shared a passing  glance, a cordial greeting or at max a  smile with them

Similarly, we do often witness heated arguments through comments on a particular post that supported or offended so and so. This kind of discussions would really not have been possible between those individuals often from different  professions, social upbringing and different parts of the country or world.  

Often, we 'Like' someone's picture and shower them with loads of praises. But think for a moment. Would you have been really so expressive with your views if you met the person in real circumstances, even if you had genuine liking for their appearance??I guess not always...

Yet another such interesting practice is of using Smileys, available for every possible human emotion. Now c'mon...don't tell me we always have so varied and frequent change of expressions, especially guys !!


Well,this doesn't at all mean we are being fake online or the other person is.But its just like living a totally different life altogether in this virtual world of Facebook. We have our own "avatars" ( a term often used in the digital circuit too...remember Yahoo chat??) on Facebook, equipped with all possible emotions and views on almost everything under the sun. We all do sometimes secretly wish to live a different life that would give us a break from the chains of this mundane world and Facebook to an extent makes it possible.

So much for social-networking !! But are we really being social  in the true sense?? Are we not running the risk of being turned into future beings incapable of using the more conventional "mouth-to-ear" mode of communication?? Only time will tell....


 

Writing again...

So here I am up to blogging again. I used to have a blog by the same name at Wordpress.com and due to a massive attack by hackers on the site, like many other bloggers,I lost my blog too. It was quite a loss as I valued those writings and it hurts to know I can never have them back. Yet, there's always a fresh start and so I decided on resurrecting my blog on Blogger....