The Gunny Man

I felt cheated! I was cheated in fact! I know I am over-reacting. The point was that I had purchased a first class ticket on my way back to Hyderabad from Nasik. And why did I feel cheated? Because the Ticket Collector never came to check the ticket!! I could have as well traveled without the expensive ticket. Okay Kedar, enough of grumbling!

So that was that. I was traveling. I had been to Nasik to see my darling nephew. Two days seems such a small duration when you are with your nephew, more so, if you have been waiting four months to meet him! I had just finished reading "A Carribean Mystery". I don't know why didn't Agatha Christie make Miss Marple a full fledged Detective. It is very irritating when she keeps poking her nose in things without any authority. Anyway, it was a good regular Christie mystery.

I got down at the connecting station at 7:00 o clock from where I was to board my Hyderabad train at 9:00. I had full two hours to spend. It was a small town with nothing much to explore (which I had already done on my way to Nasik because I had to wait for a couple of hours for my connecting train to Nasik as well.) So I decided to stay back on the platform and wait for the train there. And I was doing just that!


The railway platform was pretty desolate and dark. One of my friends had once told me observe people. In his words "Observing people is so much fun". Since I had lot of time to spare and since I had already finished my novel and since the charge in my i-pod was almost zero, I decided to follow his advice. I started observing people. But where were people?? And thats when I realized that it was too early for people to arrive on the station and very few people were there on the platform.So I decided
to just sit there and idle around. After a few minutes, the train slowly pulled on to the platform and stood there like a warrior waiting to leave for a battle. There were still more one and half hours for the train to depart. The warrior would have to wait.

I was getting bored. Nothing to do, absolutely. The mosquitoes there didn't seem to like me. Or did they like me? Why would they suck my blood otherwise? Anyway, So there I was fiercely brushing my arms to keep the blood thirsty insects from sucking my blood. In the midst of it, I suddenly realized I was hungry. A good way to pass time I thought. I unpacked the food that aunt had given me. I wasn't particularly hungry but I had nothing else to do anyway and I had to finish off lunch packed for me.

I just had a couple of pieces of roti and subji when I saw a figure coming towards me. Some people had started coming to board the train. Must be people like me, i thought. But this person was coming from the other direction. How did he manage to come from there when the entrance to the station was on to the other side. He must have got down one of the trains like me, I thought. But I had not seen or even heard any train arrive. There was virtually no one on the station; only a few vendors selling batata wada very far. I thought of getting up and leaving towards a relatively crowded area. The train had boarded but the doors were still locked, So I could not get into the train. But that would have been foolish, he was a fellow traveler after all. I was panicking for no reason, I thought and sat there eating my
dinner.

He came closer. From a distant light on the platform, I could see him partially. He was wearing ragged clothes and was carrying a torn blanket over his shoulders with something that looked like a plastic bag in his hands. The light had cast his faint shadow which was faithfully following him. I happened to look at the shadow and the shadow of the silhouette was particularly disturbing. The flowing blanket gave it a very ominous look. I got reminded of the Dementors of Harry Potter. I shuddered at the very thought of it. Then I said to myself, Stop imagining things! Either stop watching so many movies or stop reading such books. I was really acting stupid
Thats when I decided to shrug it all off and continue eating.

He went past by me. I didn't look at him but from the corner of my eye I could see he was staring at me all the while he was passing by me. I didn't care as far as he left. I relaxed. He had gone. But just to make sure that he had gone, I turned my head in that direction. My head bumped into something that felt like a pile of gunny bags and my glasses flew in the opposite direction. Sincerely obeying the laws of gravity, the glasses landed a few feet from my feet. My worst fear had come true and was standing right in front of me. I bent down to collect my glasses, which were thankfully still intact, all the while knowing that the person was staring
right through me. I felt my knees go weak. I struggled to stand upright. Then I decided to be brave and look directly back into the eyes of the stranger.

I did just that. I was shocked to see....

That man was standing right in front of me with tears in his eyes. I was perplexed. This might sound funny but I just could not imagine that the person who scared the hell out of me with his constant I-will-get-you stares to weep in front of me. All of a sudden I felt stupid. He was just a mendicant. I took a closer look at him. He was wearing clothes made out of gunny bags with a torn blanket pulled over his shoulders. It did not require the knowledge of rocket science to understand why he had come back to me and why he was crying. He was poor, wretched and hungry.

Although I had decided to share my dinner with him, I was surprised with the directness of his approach. He directly asked me if I would give him something to eat. I quickly agreed. I gave him half of what I had. Instead of eating there, he started packing the food. I felt miserable. Here I was, forcing myself to eat what I did not want to eat and there he was, a person in dire necessity of food packing the lent food, probably for a hungry family waiting at home. I asked him to take the entire food. His reply took me by surprise again. He said “Magh tumhi kaay khaanaar saaheb?”(What about you sir?). I could not understand this man. He very well knew that I could buy something for myself to eat, yet he asked me that question. I smiled with tears filled in my eyes (although I don’t think he could see. Firstly because he was too busy packing the food and secondly, the station was very dimly lit). I said I am done with my dinner. He packed everything and left after thanking me.

I felt happy, sad, overwhelmed and guilty, all at the same time. I had read many times in our canteen that “A grain wasted is a drain on nation’s economy” and I had laughed many times after reading that. Now I know one thing for sure that I wont find that line on the canteen wall "funny" anymore.

One day hope will roar through silence....

"Don't worry dude, I m alive and kicking!", he said from the other end of the phone.
"What the hell are you talking about?", I shrieked.
"Don't you know? I am at Koti right now. We heard a thud when we were practicing for the play. we did not realize then, but later we came to know that it was a bomb blast!"
"A bomb what...O my god!", I gasped.
"Yes, we have had a couple of bomb blasts in Hyderabad today. you seem to be out of this world dude. Switch on the Television set, you will know! Okay, I got to go home now. Call you later. bye"
"Hey bye! Do take care. Don't loiter around. Go straight home!"
"Yes! I will. Bye"
"Bye"

I immediately ran out of my room towards the living area . Every channel, everywhere it was the same news! "Hyderabad rocked by twin bomb blasts. 39 feared dead and more than 60 injured." I realized that Hyderabad was no longer a safe city as it had been for years now!

The news channels were apologizing for telecasting it live without any editing. Indeed, it was a ghastly sight. It has been painted in my mind like a dreaded nightmare. Chairs were painted red with the blood oozing out of shards of people. People. Innocent people. Students. Children. Grand parents. Visitors. Tourists. None of them was spared. The bomb knew only one language, the language of death!

These questions might be cliches, but I want to reiterate them. Why do people kill people? Why do they kill anybody for that matter? Have they no compassion? Have they no guilt? Dont they feel love towards their own race? What do they want to prove by killing innocent people? God had made this world without any bias or prejudice, then why do people draw lines between nations and create borders!

I know I am never going to get the answers to the numerous kindred questions arising in my mind. All I want is people to realize that this terror is taking us a step backward. With great advances in technology and software, no doubt we can make sophisticated weapons, bombs and the like. But Is it worth it? Millions of people are homeless. Thousands of them jobless. With all capital going into securing nations, we are snatching the basic right of such people. The right to live.

Now people are scared. I am scared. Scared of having to see such a grisly sight again in my life. Scared of inhuman humans who wear a mask of humanity on their faces. Scared of getting a phone call only to hear that I have lost someone. Scared to switch on a news channel on TV only to know that there has been another blast.I am also ashamed, ashamed to see my reflection in the mirror because I belong to the human race. A race where's no brotherhood. No love. No care. Only hatred. Vengeance. Betrayal. Destruction.

I don't know where is this all going to take us one day but as of now, I know it is only taking us a step backward. If humans are advancing in every walk of life, then humanity is retreating from that very walk of life. What are we going to do with latest mobile phones if the loved ones do not exist anymore? Who will we call? What is the use of an advance feature yahoo messenger, if we cannot chat with anyone?

All this and more has been troubling me since Saturday. I had heard about blasts and all everyday, but had never seen it from such a close range. My heart goes out for people living in Kashmir, Afghanistan and other areas, where they witness such incidents at the blink of the eye. I salute them for their bravery. I respect them for their patience and their optimism. They urge me to become optimistic. They shout through their silence that there is an undying hope in them that one day world will become a better place to live. And from today, I am with them...

Rendezvous with freedom...

I caught the world
I put it in a bubble,
I smiled in triumph,
I scratched my stubble!

Whimpers, wails, whines, wails ,
Human complaints or the animal yammer,
I took absolutely none of it,
Not the noise, neither the clammer!

Then my eyes fell on the jailed bird,
fluttering its wings, trying so hard,
It crashed on its iron confinement,
It lost its feather,not unlike a shard!

The captor crouched on the grass around,
oblivious to the bird's clatter,
insolently announcing the captive's worth,
freedom to him? it didnt matter!

I downed my head in dreaded disgrace,
I was someone I scorned to the core,
I broke the glass,I freed the world,
I found myself at the heaven's door!

The other's perspective...

I wish I were, a frog in the well,
Aloof and confined, not a part of this world,
In my domain of cognitive content and bliss!

I wish it were, not an empty pail,
Falling noisily, splashing as it swirled,
Impinging my privacy yet parting with a kiss!

I wish I knew, It has come not to dwell,
It has come to fetch, when the rope uncurled,
It bleeds with water, it leaves with a hiss!

I wish I were, a pail full of water,
Disgorging and spilling, clattering down with a splash,
Living in two worlds, one to complement the other!

I wish it were, not a frog in the well,
Lonely and desolate, deep down with a painful gash,
We could have spent more time with one another!

I wish I knew, why it prefers the gloom and not come,
Into the other world, celebrate freedom, have a bash!
It breeds in water, just like its mother!

The book called life....

Known as the page of happiness,
I am a part of the book called life,
I bring smiles to convex lips,
To a child, to a man, to a wife!

However much ironical it may seem,
A crying neonate brings bliss to parents,
All this has been indited on me,
The niceties of joy and joy of currents!

Here I turn, the page of sorrow,
The book called life contains me as well,
Thought of more than my positive counterpart,
I can take you to the doorstep of hell!

Equally ironic is the fact,
Someone's joy is someone's cry,
Gloomy nights,lackluster days,
Dolorous eyes sob until they dry!

Aloha, People call me time,
I turn the pages of the 'Life' titled book,
Be it merriment, be it gloom,
Nothing is forever, I pull the hook!

No Saint, No Doctor can heal like I do,
Absolutely no one on this terra firma,
More important is for people to realize,
Events occur fitting in with their karma!

So people come, live and receive,
Page after page, until the book dies,
Encounter in life both sorrow and joy,
When beatitude knocks the door to wipe the cries!

twitter-chitter....music's here!

It sends you into dreams,
It brings you back to reality,
It escalates your pace of thoughts,
It slows you down from agility!

An obvious question you may ask,
By the way, what is it?
An invalid response I shall give,
It is not music, thats not it!

Man is an extreme tyrant,
Even metals have not been spared,
He has made copper carry anti-phony,
Ducted it into wires if it dared!

But man is also a great achiever,
The wires carry euphony too,
A small earplug or a huge receiver,
Music flows, a mighty roar or a feeble moo!

When plugged into the ear,
It takes you to cloud nine,
Just a few number of pushes,
take you to the rhythm divine!

Conceived from any twitter,
a whistle, a roar, a shriek or a sigh!
The pattering rain drops on the soil,
Or the thundering clouds hung so high!

Music makes life beautiful,
Ask someone who cannot hear!
Music gives you strength and power,
Music allays all your fear!

Managing the unmanageable!

We had started with
tonnes of excitement,
It has all shrunk now
to grams of resentment!

The story is repetitive,
entangled in an infinite loop,
Initiatives are taken,promises are made,
Only to end with the starting whoop

It is human nature,
Is it not the common notion?
Is anyone bothered to change it?
Or do we wait for a magical potion?

He proposes to her,
She then gets betrothed to him,
They then struggle through the bond,
An otherwise lustrous life turns dim.

I am befriended by him,
we become the best of friends,
just one misunderstanding,
can change the friendship trends!

She is her kid sister,
full of energy, full of love,
And when he comes in,
she is an irate chicken and dove!

Effort is required,
no matter who you are,
to maintain a relation,
to become a star!

Getting into a relation is easy,
Living through it is difficult,
dedication and love can sail through,
be it any class, creed or cult!

Away from Him...

We bribe Him,
we kill Him,
then why in trouble,
do we revive Him?

We are mean,
We practice greed,
Even when he is always there,
We call Him, only in need.

He knows everything,
says nothing at all,
He gives everything,
stands always so tall.

An inch closer to Him,
relieves all the pain,
A prayer miles way from Him,
Does it go in vain?

People are corrupt,
not everyone,
He is kind to all,
not to a particular one!

Always remembered when perishing,
death takes closer to Him,
Forgotten every other time,
life goes away from Him

child's play!

As a child,
life was rife,
No worries, no hurries,
was there any strife?

running after the butterfly,
looking for wandering spiders,
sailing boats through rain water,
flying high on virtual gliders!

Then and now,
Is it fair enough to compare?
Even in this adulthood,
Is there a child to spare?

How much I wish,
I do the hakuna-matata,
But what pulls me back?
Is it the twenties' sonata?

For twenty-something,
I sound too old,
But now even a teenager,
gets wise as gold.

Wisdom cannot be bought,
so they say,
then why is it that this world,
has made it a child's play?

Suddenly Something!

This story is a work of fiction. But how much I wish it were true. I know, something like what I have written in the story is impossible, but only if it were true.Something that cannot happen in real life can happen in a story. Through this blog, I would like to share this story which many people like me would like to be a part of! Go on, read it! It is no magnum opus but has come out straight from my heart.June 1st is my dad's birthday and this story is dedicated to him.

Note: I have used some Marathi words in the story. Here are their meanings:
Baba: Father; Aai: Mother; Dada: Brother; Vahini: Sister-in-law; Tai: Sister

"Ten rupees for the coconut Saar" declared the coconut seller. I had a ten rupee note ready. Generally I make sure I have it ready. Looking for change can become very vexatious particularly when you are near a temple where everybody seems to be needing change. I handed over the money to him and left my slippers with that mute lady.

I was at the Raghavendra Swamy temple in Barkatpura. The place is gets pretty crowded on Thursdays which is considered the day of that God. This is what I like about being born in a Hindu family; you have so many options for worship and days reserved for each god. In that way, you won’t get bored of having to worship the same god, at the same time, you will worship some god or the other. Eventually, Sab ka malik ek hai, whomever you worship, it is going to go to that one god. After all this philosophy, let me come back to where I was. I visit that temple every Thursday. Earlier, when I used to live near by, it was easy to go to the temple every week. But now, since I have shifted to Ameerpet, at least 12kms away from the temple, I am really not able to make it to the temple every Thursday. That day I was there after three weeks. I was already feeling guilty for not being able to make it for such a long time.

I have a very special reason to visit that particular temple every week. When my Baba was alive, he used to go there every week without fail. He had much faith in Raghavendra Swamy. When I was a child, my father used to take me along with him occasionally. The temple, in spite of being situated amidst traffic and congestion, used to give me a strange peace of mind. There was a strange attraction towards the God’s idol. Spending ten minutes there still gives me so much pleasure and heartsease. After Baba passed away in 2003, I felt I could feel him in that temple. I could talk to him through God. That is what has been drawing me to the temple till date. It is four years now, I have been going to the temple regularly. Well, almost!

It was 7:30 in the evening. The clouds outside were bulking large over the temple into a huge black mass. The light color of the clouds, when I had started from the office, had turned into dark gray. It was going to be a heavy downpour, I had thought. The monsoons were not expected before June10th but these weather predictions are seldom accurate. There were already couple of showers in the last week of May, the pre-monsoon showers!

It was May 31^st. June 1^st was Baba’s birthday. I was missing him. I had more than one reason to visit the temple that day. I had to wish Baba birthday. When baba was amongst us, we used to go to a restaurant or Aai used to cook some delicious food and we used to bring some Ice-cream home. Our relatives used to come. Baba was a very gregarious person. He maintained good personal relations. He talked to everybody, all age groups. He was liked by all alike and disliked by few.

I was reminded of my dad’s last birthday. I was in my third year of Engineering. My exams were going on. We did not do much for the day. Tai had got some fine t-shirt for him. Baba liked wearing nice clothes. Though we were not financially sound then, he always made it a point to neatly press clothes without creases and wrinkles and wore them, from how many ever clothes he had. He was happy. Aai had cooked some delicious dishes. We had a hearty lunch and dinner. But it was a simple affair. We had decided that the next birthday will be a grander affair. Little had we known then that it was going to be his last birthday!

I shook myself back to the present and continued towards the temple’s entrance. I bent down to touch the doorsill of the main entrance of the temple. This gesture was a custom to show respect to the God, to mark the difference between an ordinary home and the God’s abode. I went inside, gave the coconut to the Pujari. He chanted mantras, broke the coconut and gave it back to me as Prasad. I bowed my head in respect, took the teerth and completed my eleven pradakshina. After I had finished all the routine I had formed over the days I visited the temple. I sat down on the floor and offered my regular prayer to God. “Hey almighty, bless me, my family and my friends. Keep us away from all the pains and sufferings. Keep everybody in good health and be with us always”.

Today more things were going on in my mind. I had to wish my dad for his birthday. I closed my eyes once again and digressed from the regular prayer, “Hey Bhagwaan, You are the only means by which I can send my wishes to Baba. Please send my wishes to him and tell him that we miss him very much. How much we wish he were with us today. Wish you a very happy birthday baba”. Just when I said these words, I heard a thank you. I was taken aback. Then I thought it must be someone thanking someone else in the temple. I did not open my eyes. I continued “Happy Birthday....” That’s when I heard it again “Thank you beta”. Startled, I opened my eyes in shock. I sat there with my mouth agape.

It was he. I could not believe my eyes. It was he indeed, standing there right in my front and smiling over me. It was Baba. He was wearing those ill fitting pajamas and that striped shirt that I had never liked. Behind his ear, I could see a part of the hearing-aid. He had a problem with his right ear. I rubbed my eyes, pinched my self just to make sure I wasn’t day-dreaming. But there he was, so alive and so real. I was thrilled, excited, astonished, happy and elated, all at the same time.

I jumped to my feet. I wanted to hug him but that’s not something I had ever done in my life earlier. I bent down and touched his feet. He blessed me. My eyes went damp. I could not believe my luck. But then, I was weary. I did not know how to react, what to say? I stood there, motionless, thinking of something to start a conversation. But nothing would come to my mind. It was he who broke the silence somehow sensing my awkwardness

“It has been a long time, you have put on a lot of weight since I have seen you last”.

I smiled in confession but said nothing. I had indeed put on lot of weight. I was around 55 or 60 kilos in 2003 and now I was well over 80 kilos but I had never thought it would be so obvious for him to see.

He continued, “So do you come here every Thursday like I used to?”

I nodded my head but still said nothing. It was as if I had forgotten how to speak.

I sensed he expected me to say something. Even I wanted to but somehow nothing came out of my otherwise blabbering mouth. Finally, I meted out courage and asked

“How are you baba? It is so good to see you after such a long time. I don’t know what to say, how to say, but I am extremely happy to see you.”

He smiled “Fine Kedar, It is ok. I know, I can understand. So what have you been doing all these years”?

Suddenly I realized we had met after four long years and so many things had changed since then. I had so many things to tell him, so many things to show and so many people to meet. I immediately took him by his hand outside the temple. I showed him the new bike that I had bought last year. “Look baba, this I have bought on my own. I am working as a software engineer in hi-tech city. I completed my engineering in 2005 finishing second in college, got a campus placement in a software firm. I went to Chennai for training. I dint like the job there and applied for a job here in Hyderabad and shifted here. I have been here for more than a year now. We don’t stay at Nallakunta any more. Dada has bought an apartment in Ameerpet. We all stay there. Dada got married in 2005. He and Vahini are not here. They are in the UK right now. Aai misses you a lot. She is also doing fine. She has become a very strong woman now. She manages the house very well.” I went on telling him everything, every small thing. Everything was all jumbled up. I just wanted to let him know everything. I told him about Tai. Initially he felt concerned but later he felt better when I told him she is very happy now with her husband. And I went on like that for a long time.

I had lost the track of time. I kept on talking and talking. It had been two hours now. Something in me was forcing me to tell him everything as quickly as possible. I had a feeling I may not get this chance again in life and time allotted for our meeting was coming to an end. Was it the way he was listening to me or was it my insecurity, I don’t know! He was nervously twitching his face. My most dreaded fears were about to come true. Something in me had told me already what my father spoke after a few moments

“Kedar, I have to go. I was given two hours to spend with you and now they have come to an end. It was very nice talking to you after such a long time. You have become very responsible now and that gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction. The values that I and your mother imbibed in you are still present. I want you to be like this always. Take care of your mother. She needs you. Give my love to her and Kaustubh and what did you say is the name of my daughter in law?”

“Shital” I replied, shocked and helpless.

“Ah yes. Shital. I am sorry, I forgot! Also give my love to Kavita and Sanjay. Remember, I will always be there with you in you. I am very happy to see you all so happy. Love you. Goodbye”

He started towards the temple entrance. I ran towards him. I bent down and touched his feet. He was leaving me, once again. It took a long time to realize this. I wanted to do so many things for him. I wanted to take him to our new home, show him so many things. I wanted to buy some cool things for him. I wanted to do everything that I had not been able to do all these years. But all my hopes were shattered. As I watched him go inside the temple, tears started to roll down cheeks and fell directly on to my naked feet. There was no way I could stop him. I never felt so helpless ever in my life.

I cried out loud “Baba”.

He turned around, smiled and waved me good bye. I waved back. He turned around and went inside. I saw him go towards the God’s idol. Others were oblivious to his presence. He went right past the priest who was making preparations for closure of the temple. He went into the idol and disappeared.

I looked at the god’s idol. I felt like cursing him for not allowing me to spend more time with my father. But then I thought, I at least got a chance to meet him. I felt better. I felt lighter. I smiled and returned back to the mute lady who was holding my slippers. I gave her a ten rupee note. She was counting back change in return. I stopped her and wore my slippers and left. I was very happy. I had spent two of my most memorable hours with my father. It was the greatest day of my life.

It had started to rain heavily.

Some Crap but Close to My Heart....

These are some of the poems(not sure if they can be called poems, they look more like rhymes :-)) that I and one of my friends used to chat in orkut. The poems are no master pieces but the fun that they have brought, the creativity that they have brought out is something that is close to my heart! Don't expect some great poetry here!! You might find it absolute crap!! I am going to present this in the form of conversation because that is what it is; A conversation between me and my friend.

Friend::

Ah!! How good is poetry..
Makes u forget all ur misery..
So much that i want to learn pottery..
What say...we call ourselves "kavi" and "kaviyatri".....?? :-)

Me:

Whenever I think of Poem,
What comes to my mind is Linoleum,
And more irrelevant is Petroleum,
How does it matter, life is after all a Colosseum

Friend::

Kedar...good morning!!
Hope this morning will have good beginning.
And may it result in an awakening...
Let it also be pleasing...
God!!! But I don’t want to attend that MEETING!!!! :-)

Me:

Of course I m enjoying it,
coz there's nothing annoying about it,
I hope I m not cloying it,
But my enthusiasm is buoying it

Friend::

Sorry cud not reply as I had no time...
but I will if u give me a dime...
also I will mime...
pathetic attempt...but cudnt get a better line....;-)

Me:

Time time time....
Yes, it was lunch time...
Going to canteen has become a crime...
This heat is making me Sublime....
All I want now is a Juice of Lime...
Even if I get for a Hundred Dime...

Me:

Looks like u r very busy,
Don’t work much, u may get dizzy,
Moreover ur hands cud get greasy,
Just relax and get some fizzy!

Friend::

Yes ...what to do?
I hate the heat too..
Shall we tell the sun boo?
Or else we will have to cry boo hoo...
chalo then ...why don’t we have some BRU?? ;-)

Me:

O yes, I like the coffee brew,
But when there's the morning dew,
And not when the sweat's sticking like glue,
It would be so nice if I flew,
I would go and turn the Sun into cool blue,
No more of heat and no more searching for any clue.

Friend::

A nice painting i drew...
Which my sister threw...
Into the brew...
And what came out was a mystery of Nancy drew...
The mystery consisted of a crew...
with captain called Andrew..!!!(lol)

Me:

Hey, even I like to paint,
I thought of drawing a saint,
But that would make the saint taint,
And it would be very quaint,
Which would then cause people to faint,
Don’t think that I m not good with paint,
That I a'int

Friend::

Painting is a good stint,
The colors should have given it a good tint,
And I am sure u were eating polo mint,
Or else it wud have become something like a glass flint...
Hmm...then u wud be sure to see my eyes go glint!!

Me:

Polo mint reminds me of FOOD,
Delicious and palatable tastes so GOOD,
I don’t know why some people BROOD...
Over eating and spoil my MOOD.
I pull over my ears and head a HOOD
and forget everything coz i m a DUDE

Friend::

I was getting lazy...
And getting cozy...
Watching a sick serial called lizzie..
I wish I had had something to keep myself busy...
And not to make things messy... :-)

Me:

Laziness is not a good trait,
It makes u weak, u cant even stand straight,
It also makes u put on weight,
U also lose the count of date,
U ll not feel like lifting even a small crate,
Who knows, it may even stop u from meeting ur soul mate!

Friend::

Hmm..being lazy is good on a Sunday..
When ur bored and the mind goes astray..
When we u feel dull and dark like an ashtray....
So, on the floor i lay..
Thinking about the sun and the hay..
Wishing I cud jump and play....
The thought made me get up and i made a doll of clay....
And at the end came to the conclusion that the lazy thought made my day!!

Me:

The day was not made by the lazy thought,
It was made by the idea that u bought,
Hadn’t u implemented the idea that u got,
Your day would have been dry as in drought,
I hope it is my point that u caught,
That the day was not made by the lazy thought!

Friend::

Talking of skill..
It’s a good way to improve them...than to have them killed..
Better than fancies and frills...
or to grind them in a hammer mill... (Bad one... ;-)
Let’s take it as high as the hills...

Me:

It is very important to hone our skill,
It is much better than the sandwich on the grill,
But it requires lot of thought and drill,
Once you get started the thoughts begin to spill,
And there's no way of staying still,
All you can do is shake and trill

Me:

Talents can be of any form...
Paint, Sing, Dance or Act but follow no norm...
Whether in office or in your dorm...
They help to soothe your inside storm...
In cold weather they keep you warm...

Friend::

Music is livin..
Meant for enjoyin..
That’s why i am learning the violin...
Onto the ears its pleasin...
Ppl in my house find it annoyin..
They feel i am squeakin..
One fine day they will be at my concert, rockin..
And that's why i am still practisin...

Me:

O you learn violin, that deserves a wow,
But I hope it doesn't sound like a dog's bow bow,
Neither like a mooing of an old cow,
Peace of mind is what I expect it will endow,
I also would like to learn the violin, Could u show me how?

Friend::

all u have to do is to gently hold the bow..
not roughly as if u r going to row...
have determination as i take u into tow...
be patient as i show....
and i am sure with effort and praise you will glow

Me:

How can I glow, I m not a lamp,
Hanging on a roof suspended from a clamp,
If u call me a lamp, My eyes will go damp,
And i will not take u along when I go for a camp,
I shall break the violin with a big stamp,
With the broken violin I ll walk on the ramp,
And let ppl know I m a star and not a lamp

Me:

Could not have got worse than this...Sorry for breaking ur violin

Friend::

Firstly...I will kill u if u do something to my violin...
Secondly...I think glowing is not a problem....
Confused??
Good! I will explain when time comes ;-)

Me:

Oh No! I don't want to die...
What I said was a big lie...
I ll glow like a lamp even it makes me cry...
Weep and weep until my eyes go dry...
Promise u won’t kill me, I ll breath a relieving sigh...
Thinking about all this has my BP's gone so high...
Life is so beautiful; don’t make me say Good Bye..
Make it colorful with emotions and not with Dye!

Friend::

hmm...good one..
i cant think of anything matching this rite now..
but i will end it for today...

Friend::

As time ticks..
I check the clock and it is six..
Well, at the end of the day...i have no more tricks..
If ppl work beyond six..
They generally tend to stick..
And finally get into a fix...
And hopefully they don’t get in a jinx....

Me:

All good things have to come to an end,
Let’s call it a day and leave this bend,
We ll come tomorrow and try to mend,
After all this is not a dead-end!

Me:

Wah kya baat hai! Congratulations to u....U have brought out the poetic genius of me...How can i ever thank you!

Friend::

Thanking me is not a big deal..
After all we have got a lot of zeal..
Let’s see if can meet up on a meal...
Or let’s learn how to make a film reel...
U cud also treat me to a chocolate of oat-meal...
Then it wud really be a steal!!

Friend::

Last night i got a dream,
We had formed a team...
To bake a cake full of cream...
But we had also select a theme...
After i heard this i started to scream...
Coz what fell on me was a beam...
Thank God it was not "Bheem"...
Or else it wud have been me who wud have become cream...

Me:

Wow that was some really good imagery,
A good mix of fantasy and drudgery,
The baked cake will need some fine crockery,
I hope you won’t take my words for skullduggery,
Coz they are not meant for any trickery,
I don’t want to blamed for treachery,
And finally imprisoned in a sanctuary

Friend::

Now is the chance
to get up from the trance
to take a stance...
show some nuance...
and start a war dance..
With a lance....hehehe

Me:

I think that was weird,
It made me scratch my beard,
All the thoughts in my head were cleared,
Unintentionally I realized that I sneered,
Coz your thoughts had me steered,
In spite of all this you ll be always revered

Friend::

U want to revere like a sage..
I don’t think i have come to such an age…
Pl don’t such tell such things...difficult for me to gauge…
it may also send me flying into a rage…
I might go and sit in a cage…
instead dancing/singing on a stage…

Me:

Revering is not only meant for sages,
Even a book can be worshiped by turning its pages,
Even bacteria is revered by Phages,
Some people are held in respect in different life-stages,
It could be me, You or even animals in cages!

Friend::

Ya, thinking about it made realize that u are right...
u have suddenly made life look bright...
At the end of the tunnel i see light...
also u have induced into me the germ of flying a kite...
I hope the string is not too tight...
will u help me loosen it without starting a fight???

Me:

Fighting is not something I look forward to,
I think Life has in store better things to do,
We can find music even in a bovine moo,
Or even in a pigeon's coo,
All we have to do is find the right clue,
And not waste time by s(h)itting in the loo

Me:

I m sorry about the concluding line,
But I thought it fit in perfectly fine

Me:

I like this message a lot,
It is natural after all, that’s what I thought,
But for some ppl it makes their blood clot,
As if the said thing was said-to-be-not,
Out of anxiety ppl jump out of their cot,
But I find it cool and not so hot

Friend::

For a while let’s shut
or else we will have to stay put...
We all will might turn into nuts...
Lets go out for lunch...
or for a brunch...

Me:

I don’t want you to brood,
Go and have some food,
We ll resume when there's a change in ur mood!

Friend::

I was sooo hungry that i thought i cud not last...
and I thought it be better if i were sacrificed by being fastened to a ship's mast...
and as I continued to fast...
my mind was aghast...
so I went and had a feast to end my fast!!!

Friend::

I just had the one-one
it was so bad that i felt that i was in a pig's pen...
so much that i felt that i felt like pecking like a hen...
Recollected the fact that the sword is less mighty than a pen...
I started to comprehend...
that there were things I needed to mend...
Took a decision and came out of the manager's den...

Me:

Hey, I was in On our next project meet,
The discussion was animated and kept me glued to my seat,
As to what to reject and what to greet,
The requirements are huge like a large fleet,
The decisions made were jotted down on a sheet,
How much I felt of having a nice sweet,
But the discussion's incomplete and have to for another meet

Me:

Not much from you today,
In snacks did u have many "vadey"?
I hope they were not "sadey"
But now I am leaving for the day,
Anyways, Have a good day!

Friend::

Let the project iterate
let the features itself animate
be sure of what you are gonna create
onto to ur team members: don’t forget to motivate
confirm that irritants are in the stage "eliminate"
or else they will tend to irritate
I am sure it will be great
and for a release party, we will negotiate

Me:

So you do have a release party…
I hope it is genuine and not arty…
It should not be as short as a military sortie…
Military reminds me of the famous Cuban Jose Julian Marti…
Lets the leave the military, I wish your treat is hearty…
At the end of the celebration, everyone will go farty

Friend::

This release..
We wish it goes on with ease...
I hope its not a tease..
And will please..
And also appease...
O I am sure I will become Japanese...

Me:

Japanese or Chinese, they are all the same,
However much different they are, they claim,
Given a chance they ll run behind the dame,
Even if they have no idea about her name,
Finally ending up bowing their heads in shame!

Friend::

Oh...they run behind the dame...
That will make the dames go into flames...
Looks they are difficult to tame...
Coz they don’t take the blame...
But you've got to agree that they have fame.
Coz they very well play the game...
why don’t we take a chance to tame them...and get some claim???

Me:

Training them is a good choice...
We ll get a chance to raise our voice...
And shut them up when make lot of noise...
And reprimand them with loads of poise...
But we shud remember they are not toys...
After all they are little innocent boys!

Friend::

Just bcoz there are boys...
they should not be coy...
We need to employ...
a person who will get ur ideas to deploy...
surely he should not annoy...
But allow us to enjoy...

Me:

Enjoyment is the spice of life...
It rejuvenates you after so much strife...
Gives a married man relief from his nagging wife...
Whose words cut right through your heart like a knife...
All we have to know Life is full of enjoyment, it is rife...

Friend::

This reminds me of a story…
Do u know it??? The one about Socrates and Plato???

Me:

Story? No I don’t....
Will u tell me, don’t say u wont!

Friend:

Don’t worry…
As I tell u the story…
The story opens life's mystery…
And will end all misery…
It was all about Socrates’ theory...
Of saying that "wife is life"
unfortunately, his disciple Plato thought on the contrary…
As Socrates’ wife broke onto his head: crockery...
Plato, for his master was sorry...
He changed Socrates’ statement to "wife is a knife which cuts through your life"

Me:

The story has been beautifully told,
It's fascinating to see how the characters unfold,
Poor Socrates, his wife was pretty bold,
How could she kill him, her blood so cold,
Did she have any soul, Or was it sold?

Friend:

I will to do the work; carry…
I am sure i wont be sorry…
Better than becoming Barry or Larry…
For that matter i want to be potter Harry…

Me:

Harry potter is something I don't read,
Somehow I never felt the need,
I think it is something that children heed,
Somehow I never did that deed

Friend:

Though i did get the opportunity...
I did not feel the necessity...
Nor did i feel the intensity..
I guess i did not have the clarity..

Me:

O So even u don't read Harry Potter,
I don't know what about it makes it so sought after,
I would rather go to a zoo and see Fish and Otter,
Than read that book and go to a Doctor!

Friend:

I agree with this chatter…
That the book has no matter...
My dreams it shatters...
Brings with it witches and wizards on a platter…
They jinx and mix ppl, blood and stuff like batter…
And b/w potter and Sheldon, I prefer the latter... :-)

Me:

Hey that was a good one,
Reading it was so much fun,
Search for flaws, there were none,
That doesn't mean that we are done,
Our poetry has to shine, as bright as the sun,
Don't worry about other poets, we ll give them a run...
For their money and they ll be behind us with a gun,
But we ll teach them non-violence and take them to a nun

Friend:

This is really cute..
Proves that conversations can take place in the mute…
Looks like we have got good loot...
We are surely not crazy coots...
Well i want to wear a boot…
And give a loud, shrieky hoot....
Like Popeye and say "toot-toot" (lol)

Me:

Conversations are more effective in Silence,
They bring out your inner resilience,
Just like the electrons in the orbit Valence,
Exchange positions to achieve a balance,
If you want to know your latent talents,
Listen to your heart with utmost silence!

Friend:

U forgot the conscience
Listen to it with obedience…
Also with sufficient patience...
And perseverance…
Coz it is of utmost significance…
When it tells you something with insistence…
Wake up with an idea of renaissance…
And find it building within you like resonance…

Me:

Indeed, We have to be very conscientious...
Life requires us to be extremely scrupulous...
Any kind of mistake can prove very dangerous...
Some people tend to become very religious...
Under the veil of which commit crimes very vicious...
Forgetting that truthful persons are more revered than are pious...
But ultimately it is the truth that overcomes the malicious...
And wipes off the snakes which are venomous...
So it is time for people to stop being barbarous...
And lead a life full of love and not callous!
I could go on forever...The words ending with -ous are numerous!

Friend:

Wow...this is going on so nice…
With lots of salt and spice....
More with virtues than vice...
With absolutely no malice…
We are composing poetry in a trice…
Quicker than the throw of a dice...
Our poetry will fetch a good price...
Let’s make most of it...before it gets infested with lice :-)

Me:

Creativity cannot be killed with infection...
It is an ant-resistant confection....
It has a straight-to-heart connection...
Our quest is always towards perfection...
With lots of ideas, it is a beautiful collection...
There may be case that we may encounter defection...
But to our flow of innovativeness, there can be only interjection...
As it is our heart's mirror showing the right reflection

Friend:

It’s good to work with a motive
To be extremely active
Bad to be passive
Let’s be more creative
Get praises in massive
I feel that's the way to live...

Me:

Today's day dint start really well,
Some things happened which made my head swell,
When I woke up, the day outside had a sweet smell,
And thought it would be so nice if in the house I dwell,
But that beautiful feeling I had to quell,
Is it fair to come to office with weather like this, u tell?

Friend:

Definitely not fair to come to office to meet a boss…
With whom i was cross…
Who is as cold and dirty as moss…
Whose brain works slower than ms-dos…
Yesterday, he sent my mood into a toss…
I vented out my anger on my friend who is as sweet as candy floss…
Then I realized that i turned our friendship into sauce…
I had indeed occurred a loss…
This was really gross

Me:

Friends for life are extremely important,
They bring joy to life, which is otherwise stagnant,
Show us the path to success which is relevant,
Make it a point to meet, no matter how the schedule's stringent,
Life without friends is type of infringement,
So this is an earnest plea, Dont make your friends distant,
They are the only ones to come forward, when there's a requirement!

Friend:

Peace and harmony was something my heart bid…
To the relation which was turbid...
And was sordid...
Onto my fears and inhibitions, I forbid...
I spoke to my friend being candid...
She dint bother about the things I did…
And finally the relation is now splendid...

Me:

You effort to normal the relation appreciated,
The fact that your heart is true cannot be negated,
The proof is the talk, in which you participated,
And resurrected the relation, otherwise deprecated,
The pardon of your friend has been understated,
I am sure you and your friend are more than elated,
This occasion is rare and should be celebrated,
The time is now and this moment should be confiscated!

Friend:

On friendship, I take this oath…
To it, I will be active and not loath...
It is simply cannot go on without both...
On all my friends, I will dote…
Coz friendship cannot proceed in an oar less boat…
All this I just want to quote...
All of us should remember this by rote...
Let the person not following the above be cursed with a sore throat!! ;-)

Me:

Today's day has been dedicated to friendship,
This is more important than any other relationship,
People sideline friends when in courtship,
Friends should not be ignored when sailing in the Love ship,
They are the masts to cling to when in hardship,
So give your everything when in friendship!

Friend:

Ur blog I read…
Reading the blog let other poets dread...
Let them fret, fume and see red...
Lets make it difficult for them to seek their own butter and bread…
Let’s make it clear that it’s not our paths that they should tread...
Else to bizarre tracks they will be lead...
And now that in comparison with others we are far ahead...
Shall we continue with previous poem or start a new thread??

Me:

Nah...Let’s stick to the old one,
We are by no means yet done,
Comparing us with others poets is so much fun,
I m sure we ll give them a run for their butter and bun,
I take this opportunity to thank you a ton,
Without you all this would have been none!

The Word Maze and The Champion...

They say words have a world of their own. Indeed, they have. They can express an entire gamut of emotions, just a single word can express one of the most complicated human emotions . Agreed, not everything can expressed through words. But there's catch, Is it not "everything" or "everyone"?
I ll go with "Everyone" and not everything. Because there is someone whom I consider to be the God of words! It is none other than Gulzar. His poetry contains imagery which is extremely difficult to imagine. In this post i would like to present some of his poetry which is my favorite. it is very difficult to say which ones I like because i find each of them unique in some way or the other. But I ll pick best among best(There's nothing in comparative degree for Gulzar, it is always superlative)


Maine tere liye hi(Anand)

Maine tere liye hi saat rang ke sapne chune, sapne surile sapne,
Kuch haste, kuch gam ke, teri aankhon ke saaye churaaye rasili yaadon ne

These lines say it all. A dying friend sings this song for his friend. This song shows love for a friend, respect for his dreams, his memories everything. Awesome song.

Yeh saaye hai, yeh duniya hai(Sitara)

yahaan koi saahil sahara nahi hai, kahi doobne ko kinaara nahi hai,
yahaan saari raunak hai ruswaaiyon ki

Loneliness to the peak. Thats what comes to my mind whenever I listen to this song.

Mera kuch saaman(Ijaazat)

Patjhad mein kuch patton ki, girne ki aahat, kaano mein ek baar pehen ke laut aayi thi
patjhad ki woh shaakh abhi tak kaamp rahi hai, woh shaakh gira do, mera woh saaman lauta do

Frankly speaking, it is very difficult to understand what exactly Gulzar Saab exactly tries to say through his lines, but each time you listen to this song, it gives you a feeling of separation. A separation which is going to stay like that forever.

Tere bina jiya jaaye na(Ghar)

Tere bina jiya jaaye na, Tere bina jiya jaaye na
bin tere, tere bin saajna, saans mein saans aaye na

There is some strange charm in Gulzar Saab's romantic numbers. The words he uses can be ordinary but they have an extremely pleasing effect on the ears. The way he juxtaposes the words or the simliarities that he draws are all very unique to his style of writing. Be it this song or "Jiya lage na", "O saathi re", Chup chup ke...they have a beautiful touch to it. The romanticism that his songs induce can hardly be felt in songs that claim to romantic nowadays.

Aane wala pal(Golmaal)

Aane wala pal jaane wala hai
Ho sake to isme zinadgi beeta do, pal jo yeh jaane waala hai

It reminds you to live life to the fullest. It lets you know the evanescence of time. Enjoy the life to the fullest because it is short lived.

Aankhon mein jal raha hai(Marasim)

Aankhon se aansuon ke marasim puraane hai,
Mehmaan yeh ghar mein aaye tho, chubhta nahi dhuan

The Jagjit Singh-Gulzar duo is a magical combination. If someone does entire justice to Gulzar's poetry, it is Jagjit Singh! Their songs take you into a different world. Close your eyes and you ll go into a trance. You experience magic, elation and lightness. This song is one my favorites. Such a mundane emotion "crying" has been depicted in such a beautiful way. The relation between eyes and tears has been described as an old one, that's why eyes don't mind tears coming over and again. Hats off! An absolute genius.

Woh khat ke purze (Marasim)

Woh khat ke purze uda raha tha, hawaaon ka rukh dikha raha tha,
Woh ek din ek ajnabi ko, meri kahaani suna raha tha,
Usi ka imaan badal gaya hai, kabhi jo mera khuda raha tha

Fabulousness. This is the noun that aptly describes this ghazal. With a matched rendition by Jagjit Singh, this is true master piece. This song explains the most crucial factor in everyone's lives -Time. Time, which waits for none, once time ticks away there's no way of getting it back. People change with time. Same situations are experienced by different people with time. All these aspects of time have been covered in this songs.

Zindagi kya hai(Koi Baat Chale)

Aao hum sab pehenle aainey,
saare dekhenge apna hi chehraa,
Sab ko saare hasi lagenge yahaan.

Hai nahi jo dikhaayi deta hai,
Aaine par chapa hua chehraa,
Tarjuba aaine ka theak nahi.

These special type of three liners, called Trivenis, are an exclusive Gulzar's creation. Extremely difficult to write as lesser number of lines have to cover an entire idea. An what a beauty he has created. These two stanzas in this ghazal are my favorite.
The first tells us about the stark reality, No matter who you are or what you are, you always like yourself. You always like to look into the mirror and adorn yourself. Such a subtle thought!
The second verse tell us that no matter how you are from inside, the mirror always shows how you look from the outside. It takes no pains to know what you are from inside, thus, calling the mirror inexperienced.





Will add more to this. Keep watching

An achievement or a compromise?

Sometimes I wonder, What exactly do I want out of life? Is it money? Is it satisfaction? Or is it just a compromise? Am I really doing what I have always wanted to in my life? Did I even know what I wanted to do?I think I had a fair idea...

As a child I had always thought that I am going to make it big. I will do something that has never been done before. I think I wanted to become a scientist, a researcher may be, holding those fancy test tubes and mixing colors and Eureka!I've done it! But here I am, testing some code written by other people like me and something that has been done by thousands, if not millions, of people. On the outside, life looks cool. No complaints whatsoever. But inside, I have a completely different story to tell....

I think I followed my childhood dream to a pretty good extent. I took up chemical engineering, which is in its own way, different from the usual engineering courses and more challenging too. I enjoyed doing chemical engineering. I still love it. It was one best decisions in my life. I did very well in college. Paper presentations, seminars, quizzes, being among the toppers, heading the association and what not!!Then came the campus placements...was bound to do well in it too. Got a job in software firm. But wasn't sure as to go for further education or take it up. All I knew was that I wanted to do something "different'" and software certainly cannot be termed as "different".Then, What went wrong? Why dint I go ahead and do some research in this "fascinating" field? Why did I take up the job in a Software firm? And, now I am stuck. Stuck with software, and thank god, not for the rest of my life.

I don't know if it is just a general human tendency or Is it with me. But I am seldom satisfied with what I do. I have done lot of things which probably many people have not done, but there are people who have done it. In fact, have been doing it for a long time now. How do I mark myself "different" from others? There are times when I just feel like screaming aloud, but I don't!

Inside Out?

There are times in my life when I feel like freaking out. Doing what I want....saying whatever comes to my mouth....but that doesn't happen! Why? Why do I stop myself? i don't know, I really don't know!

I don't really say what I want to say.It may be something very trivial and inconsequential but that is what comes out of my heart, that is what i feel, but i don't do what i feel like doing.I end up doing something that I never would have thought about.

One instance, i may quote here, is when i go riding my bike on the roads. I don't like to breach the traffic rules and I don't(well, i must confess, i do but on very few occasions). And the traffic sense of hyderabadis isn't very pleasing(This one of the very few things about hyd that I don't like, otherwise, Hyderabad rocks!!). God forbid! The Auto Rickshaws! They are pathetic.
So, let me come back to what I was saying, yes, when I am riding and it happens, everyday, that someone jumps a signal and lands right in front of me. I feel like kicking his ass off, but I don't. Whats worse? I smile. I mean inside I am burning with anger and frustration. But I smile or just don't say or express anything.May be it is good, good for him and may be even for me! But the point to be driven home is that I don't do what I think I would do. This may be a very poor example or probably i am not able to write it out properly but this is what I think when I reach home(or office). What is that stops me from doing what I would want to do? Am I afraid of that person? No, I don't think so. It is not fear! It is just that I cannot shout on somebody I do not know. Somebody who I will not be seeing again to say a "Sorry"!Or whatever! I dont know!Or I just want to maintain difference between that person and me.

Small and minute things in life can make so much of a difference, they can make you laugh or weep or just make you contemplate about it. You never know. But for all that to happen, we have to listen to our hearts. Listen to what it says. Not force it to do something that it doesn't want to do.But by this, i don't mean I am going to lash out at a person for breaking rules, No, I wont. I will continue to smile, with a fond hope that person will not to do that again.For, it is for his own good.

Will add more to this when time permits. This line is for others,If anyone's reading this, otherwise it is for myself. To vent out my feelings and try to reach to a solution within myself.