Attack at night

The three did a thorough recce of her area. The place she slept, the area she visited most and even the zone she kept her personal belongings. One went to the extent of checking her personal belongings when nobody was watching. Such a thorough survey that even the best of the investigative agencies could take few lessons from them. Nothing was left unseen, untouched and unknown.
They stalked her from the moment she made an entrance. Being engrossed in the daily madness of her routine, she overlooked and wasn’t aware at all. Every instance of her getting suspicious was countered with their immaculate planning. The minute she set her eyes on them, they would quickly escape in their hideouts. They positioned themselves strategically and discussed in detail about the onslaught.
Finally, the moment arrived. They were patiently waiting to launch their attack on the victim. The minute the lights went out and all was dark, the three rejoiced. Now, was the time when they could use darkness to their advantage. They jointly proceeded to attack.
First, they went in circles scanning the security around her. Then they marked the strategic position of attack for each of them. They believed in planning because the entire success of their operation dependent on it. Lastly, they surveyed for the route of escape in case of a strong counter attack. You should never underestimate the enemy, they were told from the higher authorities especially when the opposition was of a bigger size than you.
Their victim was completely unaware; she was unwinding after a hard day at work. The day was long and she was planning for her next day siege. Suddenly, sleep embraced her and she surrendered happily. This was the crucial moment for the enemy tank. They attacked her in full might. She in her sleep kept countering it with few blows but it was proving ineffective. The toxic sleep had rendered her semi-conscious.
The trio was beginning to feel confident and about to celebrate their victory. The sweet taste of her blood was worth all the hard work. Suddenly, light brightened the room and before they could realize they lost their commander, a dear friend and guide. The surviving two couldn’t help but grieve. Without the commander they had nobody to lead. They were inexperienced and young. Hence, they were caught badly in the battle of the might. They fought valiantly till their last drop. But that wasn’t enough, so one by one they perished. Their lifeless carcasses were left unattended on the enemy territory. They died a nameless death. Morning they were dumped in the sewage. Their families looked from far and mourned in silence.
While the enemy got up and rushed to work. The combat had disturbed her sleep and she got late to report. When asked, her words were, “Couldn’t sleep well because three mosquitoes kept humming and biting me all through the night.”


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Balancing marriage

“Convent educated, working, homely, beautiful and very fair match wanted for a well-to-do conservative, traditional, will-not-eat-if-wife-doesn’t-cook type of a guy”
Maybe you’ll say this is an exaggerated version of mine on Indian men looking for their matches made in heaven to be materialized in earth. But reality is this and much more, and you can’t close your eyes to it. This is a fact that I pass by on my daily journey for existence.
The pressure on the fairer sex is surmounting considering the balancing act between professional and personal life. Because in today’s world, most parents educate their girls either to attract better prospects or for progressive reasons of financial independence. All boils down to the theory that bride is your real dowry. Not only she will shoulder the responsibilities by handing over her monthly salary plus contribute towards saving through cost-cutting on the house helps. So if you calculate she makes more money than a one-time amount given on dowry.
Most women work in double shifts. They slog at work and once back they do the same in their respective kitchens. What more could they do when the husband and in-laws develop allergies towards maid cooking? Being the responsibility bearer, her KRA is to feed her family well. So most times, the minute she walks in, she drops the bag and heads to the kitchen to make tea for the entire family. After all the loving husband declares openly that he can’t survive without the tea his wife makes.
Thus, off she marches to her domain, cooking and getting cooked in the process. The entire household rejoices in her sweat. She knows about everybody’s taste and favourites but nobody can tell of her favourites. And if you question them, the answer is convenient “how do we know, she never tells”. Where is the time for her to tell?
She can report sick at work and earn a day’s sick leave but home is a different tale. The same woman can’t afford to fall sick. Because if she does the whole household will come to a standstill. Her husband loves her too much and can’t do a single thing without her. Her in-laws love her lots to be able to not miss her presence. So she prays every night to not fall sick, not for her but for them. Who will take care of them if she is ill?
Not to forget, the conversations with the in-laws to give them their grandson. After all their surname is too eminent to be kept alive, long after they are gone. Only a grandson carries forward the family name. So go for a child that too a son irrespective of their support in helping her to bring up her child. You’re a multitasker and by now a great trapeze artist. Hence, they are over confident you’ll manage.
The husband sites financial reasons to support another life. So what if it’s your child but you need to spend to be able to maintain. If you are so keen then let’s have a child but you just can’t quit working. Your additional income is required to bear the additional responsibility.
Our wife leads a sandwiched life between the wishes of her in-laws and the ambition of the husband. Nobody even bothers to know about her wants in life and even she is too busy to find about her wishes. She goes with the flow and does what others expect.
This is life for most members of my tribe, admit it or not. The pressure of being a woman is tremendous and most of us don’t have a choice. Liberation is a nice word which is the feel-good-factor of our lives. But what it means is unknown, sadly to most of us.
Thank goodness I’m out of this matrimonial show. I wasn’t ever a showstopper, you know!


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

To the daughter I've never had

In a world which isn’t getting any better to thrive, I want to tell you that I feel blessed to have you in my life. The love that I have for you will accompany me till my last. Doesn’t matter how old I get or how old you get, you’ll continue to be my little angel.
Love, my dear, is a precious commodity, so preserve it in a well-secured safe. And never forget to shower it generously on your own self because if you don’t, nobody will ever love you. It doesn’t matter on what you are or who you become. Look into the mirror and do tell that ‘you’re beautiful’. As long as I am there, I’ll do it for you but once I am gone, do promise to keep loving yourself, for me.
In a world where you’ll always be judged, more so-on the physical front, never let others measure you. Every colour is beautiful, so embrace the colour you’re in. Embrace the shape you’re born with. With age, your body won’t listen to you. It’ll grow and try to drown your confidence in the flab of disapprovals. Even the stretch marks will try to hold you back. Never fear, dear, they come with a purpose. They teach you that exteriors are forever changing. Change is the only constant and acceptance is all you have. Accept yourself, love yourself and let the beauty inside you never lose its sheen. This is true beauty, one that transcends all barriers of age.
Never be scared to fall in love. Love is the beauty of life. Let heartbreaks never break you down. Remember people who leave you where never worth keeping. Plus, love is not only between a man and a woman. It has no defined boundaries and feel free to explore it all. Never forget to love another human being. Never forget to feel the warmth all around. I have had two pets and they have never failed to teach me few lessons on unconditional love. They licked all my sadness in difficult moments. Their touch healed the wounds of despair and frustration. Have a pet, I recommend. But love and care for them, always.
Men will come and men will go. But there will be a special one who would be willing to look into your eyes and see the beauty of your soul. One who would like to grow old with you and be ready to hold your hand to help you cross the road. One who’ll never think you’re old and will still love every bit of you (including the stretch marks and weight). One who will worry if you get late and give you a space called ‘home’ to come back to. Although he might never tell you that he loves you (from the one who won’t spare a minute proclaiming his love to you), but his eyes will tell you and his face will brighten up to see you. More than love, he is the one who will respect you. He will be the one who’ll leave his closest friends if they speak ill about you (and will do his level best to hide the details from you). He will be your best friend, one you can love and fight with. To whom you’ll always be his ‘girl’, his valued possession and despite the age he’ll always be concerned about your security in this big bad world.
Dear Angel, you’ll surely get your special one but don’t lose hope if he takes long to come. Please understand, the world isn’t small and he might take a much longer time to find you. But once you find him, don’t let him go. Love him. Respect him and most important never break his trust. Temptations are plenty but love conquers it all. Remember, most men would love to take you to a room but only few will make home with you.
Never fail to make mistakes. But let everyday be a day of fresh mistakes. Failures are great teachers of success. So never fear if you lose. Keep taking risks without any fear of losing the battle. Because it takes courage to face your loss and those who fall gracefully, rise higher. There is no shame taking a fall even if the world will look down upon you. Remember, they have to bend their neck to aim at you while you’ll hold your head high to catch their view. If bad times seem longer then remember good times will follow soon. As the wise had said “nothing lasts forever” so bad times won’t last too.
Although, I’ll never have a chance to mother you. But I’m a daughter and the bonds I’ve with my Maa is nothing that I’ll ever have with anyone else. We love, laugh, share and sometimes fight too. I will always be a part of her and most times she just knows what I want, even before I could utter. Life has thrown me with many challenges and I have survived because I know she is there to hold me tight, lift me up when I fall, pray for me when I need prayers and be there for me even when I am standing all alone.
At last, my child, have children, lots of them. They let you live life, all over again. You know they are there, even after you’re long gone. And trust me, when they call you ‘maa’, your whole world changes.
I pray, God is kinder to you and gives you even my share of happiness.



Pic Courtesy: Google Images

I have the Power

He is happily married. His wife is married and he is happy, a joke he commonly uses to tickle your funny bones. My sense of humor is too dry, I guess, to manage a smile, though. Or could be I am too dumb to get enlightened by his way of living. Now, before you get me wrong, I am no judge of morality. “To each his own” has been my philosophy. After all, the doctor prescribes different medications to different patients despite them suffering from the same ailment. So what works for me need not work for you. And that is more than fine for me in most cases.
But my problem is the intent of this educated soul to impose his ideology, shamelessly, amongst all, more aggressively than how certain hardliners brain-wash their recruits. Coming to his ideology, it is simple and based on animalism, and various ‘isms’ to entangle. He believes a man is born to enjoy the carnal pleasures of life with multiple partners of the opposite sex. Feelings of love and loyalty are alien to his kingdom. All that exist is lust, more the merrier. He proudly declares, “What is a man if he doesn’t cheat his partner?”
Marriage is merely a routine you get into. Good enough to give you the window of free sex if you haven’t been lucky with your hunt, that day. “Atleast your wife is there to please you,” he says. Wives are not anything more than maids, who cleans-cooks-washes- entertains you at all times. Gives you, your children to secure your lineage and carry the surname ahead. And if she is good looking, well, that’s a bonus. Atleast you have a pretty looking maid whom you open your eyes to, every morning. Because come what may, despite the night proceedings, no man should wake up in somebody else’s bed. No man should ever be caught with his pant downs in an unknown house. What is a man if can’t manage his flings?
Never should the women in his life raise their voices. They are there to serve the mankind in every form. While a man enjoys, the woman should keep to her house. No questions to be asked, no fuss to be made, just mind their business and be good in bed.
If you think, his wife wasn’t aware of his pearls of wisdom. You’ll be taken by surprise. She knew his every move but was trained not to react. She is beautiful, educated and fits in the profile of a lifelong companion. But it didn’t matter, because more than an individual, she was the Wife.
“Men don’t know how to control their wives. Look at mine, dare she opens her mouth. I’ll kick her happiness and throw her out,” he would brag, often. To most he gave free lessons on managing wives. And nobody could tell him that he was wrong because he had every logic to counter you.
His wife suffers his silence, pretending ignorance. She says ignorance gives her blissful nights, with sleep and the hope that her husband would mend his ways.
And if you ask her why doesn’t she protest, all she says, “What to do? I am married.”


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Dear Daughter

You are a daughter I am extremely proud of. You have given me ample reasons to be so. You are educated, cultured, honest, generous and successful. You are nothing less than a son to me, by your own rights. You’ve never fallen short of shouldering the responsibilities and given us many occasions to smile. You’ve brighten our lives with your love and laughter. You are our only child because you gave us no reasons to have another.
I still remember the day you were born. Though, my folks weren’t a pleased lot. They said, “Start saving from now on, you have a daughter now.” I wouldn’t deny that I got worried too with my financial situation that point of time. But the moment I set my eyes on you, your beautiful eyes washed my worries. Your smile reflected my soul and I knew you are mine. Your tiny fingers held mine and I promised myself, “I will take care of you like the most cherished gift I’ve ever had.” I couldn’t have predicted the future but I knew I had to educate you even if I had to sell the last drop of my blood. Because I don’t want a life like my mother or her mother, for you. And the only key is to educate you and empower you to write your own destiny.
Your mother had other thoughts, she being a woman, had her own fears. She wanted us to save money for your marriage but I put my foot down. Marriage can’t be the be-it-all for my daughter, I protested. I wanted to give you the best of education and wings to fly. Compete with men and look into their eyes. Show them you ain’t any less, if not superior. And then marry a man who recognizes and respects you for what you are. Not someone who judges you with your skin-colour, looks and wholesomeness. You are an individual first, never forget that. I love the fact that you didn’t disappoint me on this at all. Rather you flew high on the wings I could offer.
Your mother is proud of you too, no less than me. She looks upto you and says the neighbour, “look at my daughter.” She isn’t bothered about your dowry anymore but thanks me for not listening to her. She wishes her dad was like me, so extra brownie point for me, you know how difficult is it to win appreciation from my wife. So, thanks for keeping me in good picture. Any fault of mine gets overshadowed by your conquests and I can bathe in your glory.
My only worry is that the world isn’t getting any better for you. Every time you get late, I get worried. Every time you get busy to not being able to call, I worry a lot. I spend sleepless nights thinking about the intolerance towards daughters like you. Be it the educated or the uneducated, women have fallen prey to inexplicable crimes. I worry every moment for your well-being in this madness of our times. I know you get irritated with my repeated calls and all I say is “be a parent first then you’ll realize.” I trust you the most, my child. But I can’t trust the people around.
You are my real treasure and wish God had given me many more daughters. But then I question myself, “Would I’ve been able to protect them all?”
In a world where daughters are the most destroyed lot, how can a proud father, like me, be not scared? How will this world look without daughters around? Without daughters to warm lives with their touch of care and love?
I pray that day doesn’t arrive, at all. Till then, my daughter, be safe because I can’t protect you, everywhere.


Pic courtesy: Google Images

His way or the highway

Total madness had embraced work. Deadlines are rendering the entire team dead and sleep-deprived. Gosh! Why do we have to work so hard?
In between the chaos, I stepped out in hope of getting a little bit of sanity back. And boy, there he was unaware of the worries of the world, the economic downfall, the inflated inflation, the tight shoe-string budgets, the…so many things of life. Nothing would faze him, neither the noise of nothing or the chaos of commotions. Sleeping in bliss amidst the soothing sun that is such a source of delight during the winters.
Handsome, headstrong and happening; he lay in full glory displaying his manhood and oblivious to the limelight. My heart leapt in sheer envy looking at his style. His demeanor remained unchanged throughout my short encounter. Without a worry or joy of a woman’s gaze, he, was enjoying his siesta. Tell me, how many can handle so much attention? Look around in the news. Even the rich and the famous don’t have immunity towards their weaknesses. So down they fall making headlines that they have no option but the sudden step down. And even that isn’t enough because there is no tolerance for a fall in the human kingdom.
On the contrary, here, my subject of attention was just living in the moment where even a woman can’t make him sit up and take notice. He didn’t even bother to respond to my callings or acknowledge the presence. It takes a man, I guess, to be so strong to ignore attention.
Then I remembered, why not, after all he could afford because he didn’t belong to our breed. He was a dog who had no objectives to meet. A dog that was happy to be and ready to take a risk for survival. We claim we are the superior animal but in this corporate craziness, are we really in a leading position?
I don’t believe it holds true in today’s times because we have to slog like a dog. But hey, whoever said ‘like a dog’ needs to re-think. Because dogs don’t need to work as hard as we do. They have many lovers who feed them and take care of their needs. Like a woman near my office who keeps coming and feed them food during lunch hours. The menu looks sumptuous too, more appetizing than food sometimes cooked in the office kitchen. I wish I could say the same for us. We have to slog to feed our hunger, pay the bills and indulge in good things. It looks that the dog has a better life than we-slaves of worldly gains. Their needs are none so they don’t have to run after them. All they have to do is wag their tails and look adorable. Food comes to them and so does many good things.
What say, are we the real dogs in today’s world?


Pic courtesy: Google Images

Shouldn't the Goodbyes be Good?

Human bonds are no different especially the ones we build ourselves rather than those we were born to. I have witnessed many blood relatives quenching their thirst in the blood of each other (quite almost). And the next moment of crisis, they stick to each other like the good old Fevicol. Maybe that is the beauty of biology.
Wonder, why can’t the same be in relationships which we choose? One unpleasantness and parting ways becomes the only option. Even worse, the parting is not always pleasant be it among friends or lovers. The good memories die sudden death and all that is left is bitterness, more bitterness. Soon before you realize your friends become your chosen foes. Both of you ensure that life gets no less easy. You bad mouth, gossip, stalk, hack or do anything to make life more miserable.
Relationships are worse. You separate your beds, belongings, pets, homes, kids and even parents cum in-laws. You derive pleasure in hurting where it hurts most. You attack everything you can get hold of. Women go to the extent of sucking out cash from their partner’s account without his knowledge. By the time he gets to know, he is bankrupt. Men stalk their women which includes hiring a Detective Agency to follow the tracks, hack their social and professional accounts, overall feed their fears and make the most out of it. Result is that she gives up because sanity is the most precious commodity of life.
What is it that we have no respect for the ex? Once upon a time, the same person was the most special. Does the basic feeling of respect lose in front of vengeance? The love that bonded seems to die of a catastrophic heart failure. All that is left is emotional ruins that take time to re-build. Admitted, that partings aren’t pleasant even in the animal kingdom. They fight each other and sometimes lose their battles in hatred. Still they respect each other and acknowledge the loss. They don’t continue to keep wounding the wounds, like we the greater species do. Once defeated, they leave the loser to its own fate. But here, even the society doesn’t miss a chance to inflict pains. We as social animals love the failures of others. We probe till the person cracks. We entertain each other at somebody else’s expense. And if that isn’t enough, we even try to take advantage of the hapless situation. Happily married men get a high in harassing the recently single woman, knowing her defense is weakest. Snide remarks on her status become the most regular feature. And if she complains all she hears, “Come on, that was just a joke you’re over-reacting, you should move faster and get open.” So what if she finds that suddenly all men start hitting on her and age holds no bar, by the way. Society just assumes that she is single so she is ready to mingle. Nobody bothers for her opinion though. Her business becomes yours.
As for the man, he becomes another case study of failures even though he might be meeting his targets. We wait for one slip and we fire him. Telling him, “You need a break to sort out things.” It doesn’t matter that he must be the most sorted out guy but we tell ourselves, “If he can’t manage his wife how can he manage clients?”

PS: I know the post isn’t as happy as I aim for. But the need to pen down my pent up emotions were too strong this time.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

The Twist

Life isn’t complicated. We complicate it. Whether you agree or not but do consider some thought on the various knots we’ve have tied ourselves to. The societal, the family, the professional and various other pressures that we inflict on ourselves.
Lately, I encountered one such episode, a story worth telling. And this is how it goes (won’t be giving names here as I respect the privacy of people involved).
She was the typical poster girl of wifey material. The ones who would sacrifice their careers, their happiness, their social life, their routine blah blah…for their husbands. The ones that any guy would love to take home to meet their mothers because she could be easily tamed, without a threat to the matriarch. A sure-shot marriage material. Docile, domesticated, dedicated to every cause in life.
She was extremely worried and asked yours truly advice on shopping for the right match in the marriage market. And I who’s never been successful in my findings jumped at this opportunity. Why wouldn’t I, who could miss this rare chance to give gyaan? I flooded her with an elaborate checklist to match. She seemed extremely scared of the proposition which was exactly my intention. After all in a country were the sex ratio is low and proclaims how rare women are, shouldn’t she make the most? I told her that arranged marriages should be a strict no-no. She should allow men to pursue her and then date some. Dump most, let few more chase her and date the most eligible ones. Filter the suitors, take a test drive, do a suitability test on every front. Then take more time to hand-pick the right candidate. Come on, if a swayamvar could be arranged for Sita in the days of no-internet, no aircrafts, no metros…you atleast deserve to hold a ‘why you?’ questionnaire form. More important, let the man not forget in his lifetime, that he is the chosen one. He should feel the gratitude of a Bharat Ratna recipient for being able to win the crown of “happily married”.
The only reaction I could achieve was more confusion in her mind. She claimed that whoever she liked, liked someone else instead. While the others she didn’t like, fell in love with her. She is infatuated to an old friend who has refused the proposal citing technical difficulties like inter-caste, inter-community etc. So she is hard broken and thinking of a shortcut to fame by way of saying ‘yes’ to a foreign proposal. I don’t blame her. Sadly, still a major chunk of our population lives the abroad dream. They think live is a roller-coaster there but reality turns out to be a trip of no joy.
I didn’t want to confuse her more and decided to make an exit. She offered to come out too as she had her brother waiting for her. Wow! I thought. Brothers are nice to have if they make time so late, just to meet you.
Bidding a hurried adieu, my new found friend left and my eyes naturally followed her through. It stopped at the image of her brother who stood at the gate waiting for her. I was about to go and drop the pleasantries (I was impressed with his dedication towards the sister, who does it in today’s time?). Just then I saw him hugging her tight with nothing brotherly though. They passionately exchanged a kiss.
I maintained a safe distance, didn't’t want to share the spotlight. I am no moral judge but couldn’t help wonder ‘What is this complication all about, why can’t she come out clean, why the confusion of to be or not to be?”


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Fists of fury

They were no ordinary couple, recently tied to the holy sanctity of matrimony. And how I got to know this? Well, as common sense (which is not so common, you see) prevail; the woman was steeped in the accessories of her newly acquired status. The bangles (signature of newly-bonded as typical in some communities), the gaudy make-up, the revolutionized lipstick turned vermillion smeared on forehead, the flashy traditional outfit, the heavy sets of jewelry struggling for space to place and much more declaring her marital status to the world. I often wonder why men don’t embrace the married look, like how their women do, apart from the sleek ring, which has the potential to be camouflaged to suit the situations. But that is a slight deviation from my topic of writing, today. Hence, I would refrain from commenting further.
This particular couple who took the coveted title of holding my attention was busy fighting. So engrossed were they in their tiff that the ocean of people around them seemed to be too navigable to ignore. The human tsunami of the mornings didn’t seem to bother them much. They continued expressing their displeasure freely and made no effort to pose to the numerous phone cameras that might have clicked to capture their moment. In a country where any display of affection becomes an issue of colonization of the deep-rooted culture and tradition, friction gets all the freedom to be practiced. Hence, couples do have the liberty to fight their guts out in public. Afterall we are a very free society and fights are free for all.
Result is that I have encountered a lot of couples engaged in severe battles. Thankfully all of them have been verbal with scope for fist-fighting within the private premises of their homes (viewership strictly on invitation). Funny, how we love to argue in full view when we are scared to even hold hands in public. Maybe, that is a safer way to shower our attention on the special one.
We fight on issues and non-issues, the older couples can create conflicts that could bring the whole world down over absolute nothings. And if you jump in to infect some peace, you are a bigger fool because the volcano of emotions will erode your sanity. While you will be left gasping for breath, soon, you’ll find them peacefully watching their favourite TV show sipping the good old sugarless tea. As if nothing has ever transpired and you’ve conspired to pollute their deeper sense of serenity. Better, don’t waste your time in peacekeeping mission. They won’t be successful when both the parties openly admit to firing at each other beyond the legal decimal level.
Coming back to the couple, their blood-soaked glare seemed lethal to kill each other. And I was living in fear every moment that passed by. Suddenly, the woman got down at a stop. Her man quietly followed, vividly shaking his head. She never looked behind to check his presence. She was confident that he will follow. Marriage has a way, I guess. You have no other option but to follow your partner. All I got to saw were the severely savaged high heels, she removed from her feet. She dumped it right away and kept walking on one pair, struggling to balance the weight. The guy automatically grabbed the fallen remains of the other pair and hovered around. The last my eyes could catch was the man holding firm to the irreparable shoe piece oblivious to the attention he drew. Who cares when you have a battle to win!
Do fight in public because that doesn’t draw much attention. And if you’re looking to create a scene then try blowing a kiss to your beloved you’re sure to draw some anger from the morality all around. Any eyebrows raised are just some incentives to add upon.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Hey, you married?

I thought women are the only breed to face the pressure of getting married. “Who will marry you if you get any older?” is the familiar warning from your concerned lot. Even the not-so-concerned ones think about you all the time. And they will not hesitate to hide their disappointments in you, “Why? Aren’t you getting any proposals?”
Any less thick skinned would succumb to the pressure. Either will make a hurried choice or boycott social interactions. Few women go through an extreme mental depression and poor self-image. Quite understandably so, because there is a vast majority of people who seems to think that you’re unsettled if not married. This is the expected so women learn to live with it, if you’re one. Be happy to enjoy your singledom if marriage isn’t for you, but don’t commit until you’re ready for it, is my statutory warning. Marry for yourself and not for people around. A lesson I learnt from my mistake and an advice I generously circulate.
What struck me with wonder was the fact that even men go through this constant pressure of marriage. Family, friends, neighbours are no less sparing if you’re a man. These days they even stalk you with questions on your sexual preference, “Is everything okay with you? You like women, don’t you?”
My, my, we are getting modern and more so the neighbouring aunties who have only one KRA in their schedule, “to mind what is essentially not their business”. Your business is theirs; after all they don’t charge you for minding it. Social service they call, match-fixing and after that match-minding and even match-breaking. Guys, if you’re single be very weary of this tribe.
Rest of the job is taken care by the popular matrimonial websites. You just have to get registered once, life gets flooded with options then. Every morning they will hijack your mailbox with profiles and they will continue to hound even after you’ve married your children. If mailing you wasn’t enough, wait, they will call you continuously with sadder profiles. Sometimes they pass your contact numbers to the world and your phone keeps buzzing all the time with interview calls for matrimonial positions lying vacant.
Nobody asks for your opinion. Nobody wants to know whether you would like to surrender to the sanctity of marriage. Suddenly, the guy becomes a source of extreme pity or jealousy depending on the situation. For people of your tribe, they envy you because of your freedom and secretly wish of the same fate, like theirs. “How can He be happy enjoying all the freedom while we have to answer every move of ours to the wives? How can He have as many drinks as He wants without any home policing?”, so come on folks, let us pray for his martyrdom.
Women pity thinking of the inability of the guy to catch a nice babe. “Oh! He must be so lonely without the warmth of a wife. No one to tame him down hence he is so brash and unsophisticated.”
Who cares, if the guy made a conscious choice to remain single. Who cares, for his opinion when there are so many flooding to drown him down? People just assume that if you’re unmarried you are, well, unhappy.
Whoever cares for the happiness after marriage? You can’t be the odd one out because how can you be the poster boy of “happily unmarried”.
I sincerely acknowledge the efforts of the tribe of happily singles (men and women both) for braving out the minefields of curiosity, interrogations and impositions.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Food bonds

The two fought. So severely that the surroundings shook with the tremors of their accusations. They just didn’t care about the people around because they were completely involved in choosing best diction to abuse each other. Those who came for romantic candle-lit dinners left in fear of the fire that could burn their emotions. Others were enjoying the violent exchanges about to turn into a brawl.
They hated each other although they worked as partners. The work place didn’t give them the space to shout at each other. Their homes were too fragile to hold the furry. But the need to blast was dire for them to feel the greater good of mankind. Hence, meeting in a restaurant was planned at convenient times. The plan was to erupt and leave, leaving the unknown spectators to survive in the ashes of their anger.
If you ask, the reasons for their hatred towards each other, they themselves were without a clue. They just didn’t like each other. They felt as if they were looking at their mirror-image whenever their eyes met. Same designation in life and work. Same age and similar situations. Their wives had left them to make home with other men because these guys were busy making office their homes. They never liked working together so what could be finished earlier took years to see the end. Their kids couldn’t remember them and would cry at their sight because they were strangers to them. They had no friends and no social life because their enmity ate away their spare time. All they thought were ways to harm one another.
Soon their boss couldn’t handle their animosity. He tried a lot to resolve. Had meetings, discussions, brainstorming but nothing helped. At last he gave them a last chance to sort out issues. Hence, the meeting at the restaurant, all bookings done by the boss’s secretary.
The free for all soon was turning into a free entertainment for the brave hearts. The wise Restaurant Manager was worried thinking about the property damages as situation was threatening to get out of control. But he didn’t give up hope and his experience guided him. He quickly instructed to serve them the very-best from the kitchen.
And when they were about to lift their fist, perfect timing became the saving grace. The elaborate meal was spread hurriedly on their table. The rich aromas spelt its magical bind. Both were hit and before they realize, the food had overtaken their urge to make a kill. The sounds of the growling stomach just couldn’t be ignored. They mutually decided for a ceasefire and gauged ahead. The sumptuous meal dissolved all bitterness in between.
Soon silence fell in place. They got too engrossed in satiating the hunger. And before anybody could figure out, they were eating and cracking jokes. Too soaked in the goodness of food, they bonded like old buddies re-inventing friendship.
A lot can happen over good food, such is human nature. Mix it with few pegs of alcohol and you make friends for life. Few moments of bitterness and a lifetime to love. Today, they have reclaimed their jobs and restructured their relationships of life.
Cheers to the human spirit!!


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Be a child

Life has its own complexities. As we grow, we complicate it further and crib for the rest of our lives. Today, when Children’s Day has arrived, I have this innate desire to become a child, once again. Because then life was so uncomplicated and simple. Then, the most mundane thing would never fail to excite me. And I was fearless to speak my mind, irrespective of the consequences.
Those days:
Happiness meant a Cadbury chocolate. The process of unwrapping one would brighten up my face. While the process of finishing the product inside would new no boundaries of propriety. I would eat it, enjoying every bite oblivious to the mess it could create over the face and outfit. Who cared because I was still a child!
Heartbreaks meant not being able to run to the park and play without deadlines to pursue. Play my heart out in the outdoors and come home all in ruins. Fight with my playmates over silly loses. Cry all the way back and still be desperate to meet the same friends, the very next day. Forget and forgive was a way of life. I couldn’t spell ‘grudges’ then.
Sadness meant being refused the new curvaceous Barbie in town which all my friends proudly possessed. While I was made to study hard to own one. It meant losing a faded toy, without an eye or a nose, which had wordlessly taken the onslaught of my affection. It also meant mom cooking one of those least favourite veggies for meals and ensuring that I finish every bite on my plate. Gosh! I tried my best to dump it to some secret places but she wouldn’t move an inch away even if a tsunami knocked at the doorstep.
Creativity meant drawing Diwali diyas (lamps) on mountain tops and showing sun-rise at the same time. Even better when my small group of followers, followed me till the T. Result didn’t win us any awards but we were happy that the disasters were displayed for public to notice. Publicity was what we all desired for.
Love meant a simple hug from the parents and dear ones. Any feelings of being abused were unknown. You could be demanding as you wanted without a care of break-ups. You didn’t need to worry about the timely arrival of your periods. Your hormones didn’t make you cranky and weird during those few days. Stomach cramps and other ordeals were not a part of your life. And if you had a miss, you wouldn’t have eaten the happiness of your partner, worrying about it.
Dancing came easy without any fear of the limelight. I knew no moves yet proudly displayed my own steps to an audience which would clap before I could finish hoping that I would stop the onslaught. And I was delighted in the ignorance of being appreciated. Wish I am less aware of the public glare, today.
Knowledge meant filling the pages of notebook with work assigned by the school teachers. Even if it meant writing the same good old ‘sorry’ for hundred times because I had bashed a guy, badly. It also meant crayon drawings in the sketchbooks and proudly displaying it to the parents, who tried hard to disguise their shock.
Stress meant getting less marks than expected. It meant not being able to finish the homework series during the long summer vacation because I was too busy getting pampered by the grandparents. Sometimes, it also meant not finding the school tie, missing pair of socks and unpolished shoes etcetera which got escalated to the parents.
Life was fun but most of us didn’t realize it then. All I wanted to do was grow up quickly and be the grown-ups. Little did I knew that with age comes acnes, aches of all kinds, losses-financial & relationships, gains-weight & diseases, pressure-performance & deadlines and the list is endless.
Aww…how I miss the good-old-days!
Here’s wishing the child in us find reasons to celebrate, today.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Winter wows

Winters have arrived. You love it or hate it. You have no choice but to live with it. Along with winters, the wardrobe gets a makeover. Layers of clothing need to be invented. My male counterparts crib because their female counterparts are covered from head to toe. Layers of clothing make it a wee bit difficult to appreciate the forms, better. And with hour-glass figures on display, it is a pity that you need to hide behind maximum clothing.
As far as I am concerned, I hate winters in big bold capital letters. The chill is too much to bear for my middle-aged bones, not to speak of the early morning fogs which make traffic even more troublesome. While I hate the weather, I do love the splash of colours. All hues of red, yellow, green, black greets you as does the numerous cosmetic creams to care for you. The smart coats and jackets flatter the not-so-glorious curves. Even the most mundane fat can be strategically hidden with some smart cuts. Winters do empower you with Guerilla clothing and gives you the option to merge, if your stardom attracts crowd or your enemies hound you.
The other thing I like about winter is the option to bathe as per your availability. The coldness ensures that your body odor doesn’t raise eyebrows or cause tremors of foul smell. Just do a quick dry-clean and you’re ready to go. Giving you that extra minute in bed, to think about matters of national prominence like the outfit to wear. Come on, it is we who make this nation so anything that is important to us is obviously important to the country. And what to wear is always a pertinent question, to make living worthwhile for the opposite sex. What say? So skip a shower whenever you want and indulge on it when you have the luxury of time. This is true winter wisdom for you to cash upon.
With winters, you do have the advantage to make the most of one of the greatest inventions of our times i.e. the refrigerator. You can cook quantities sufficient to feed the army and still preserve it to last long. They don’t stink like human bodies. So even if the cook misses a day, your heart won’t skip a beat. You have buffer to last, but don’t let the partner or others in the family know the age of the food. They might puke in disgust. Be creative and keep rotating wisely. Your chances of never being caught will increase by numbers.
Also, let’s not forget the gastronomical strength we develop over winters. You can feed your stomach to all spices without a scare of the impact. Can you do the same in summers where one mild variation makes the stomach too upset for you to skip work? Even the offerings go to enormous proportion knowing that you need the extra fat to burn the cold. So what if you don’t care to burn the fat, it is too cold to venture out. While the drinks keep rolling with the weather to blame. After all you need to build your resistance to kill the chill. Hence, winters are a must for eaters and drinkers.
The reasons to bear the onslaught are immense. So what if every night before going to bed, I pledge to bunk work, thanks to the warmth around. Come morning, I cry like a toddler on its first day to school. And brave the numbing coldness of my city. Life goes on, I assure myself. Plus winters are not so bad if you count on the advantages minus showers, maids, cooking, electricity bills etc.
Come on! Life isn’t too bad if you give it some serious thought.
Happy winters!!

Pic Courtesy: Google Images

A kiss about to kill

On a busy morning, as I was cruising along to reach to work, I was stuck in an ocean of vehicles and subsequent jams. Nothing out of ordinary, every morning is a battlefield for office-goers. Every second is accounted for and your killer instinct just takes upon you at those crucial moments. You won’t even mind wearing the shoes of a trapeze artist, if that ensured your arrival on time. Not a moment to spare, not a second to ponder, life goes on at a robotic speed.
I always thought that a lot can happen with a kiss. But today, I chanced upon a different kind of outcome which had nothing to do with love. And it wasn’t even a lip-lock. Just a harmless peck, so harmless that it didn’t even have the passion to embrace disaster. Yet, the impact was lethal. People stopped, vehicles scratched to a halt, even the pedestrians couldn’t resist but ogle.
Shortly, a small group of curious onlookers gathered and killed their time in the heated atmosphere. Two people grabbed each other, hurling posh abuses and were ready to punch. Their families were trying to pull them apart while the spectators were enthralled in a live-show of WWF championship. In the midst of utter chaos, the culprits stood quietly, unharmed and ready to move on. No reaction from them could be gathered. Maybe they were in a trance oblivious to the war they just generated.
My precious moments were wasted stuck in this commotion for nothing. I gasped and waited for the mass to disappear. Both the parties dusted the dust on them, combed their hair, listened to the words of wisdom from their close ones. Took a breather and drove on.
Their two cars, our Public Display of Affection offenders, after sharing a harmless kiss looked at each other. Started themselves without a sound. Honked and moved speeding way, taking commands from their masters.
And I was left wondering, “All this for a kiss”?


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Importance of being nasty

Be nice, girl. Hence, I was taught to speak politely. Respect elders. Not use the bad words. Herald encouraging word to an uncompetitive colleague. Shower kindness to the needy. Blah blah…
But nobody told me that being not-so-nice makes you famous. And most importantly makes your life, oh-so-comfy. People change their attitude towards you. They know you won’t take anything less than what you want from them. They suddenly value your time more and hence will call you only when absolutely necessary. You will never be overburdened with somebody else’s job because you aren’t nice enough to help others.
The world will somehow seem a peaceful place to work without any overfriendly comments to bear with. People will maintain their distance and won’t interfere or show unnecessary interest in your life. They will fear for their lives because they know you can give your peace of mind which in most cases will ruin their state of mind.
In relationships too, you wouldn’t be stressed in meeting expectations because you have no expectations to live by. They know you can be quite nasty so wouldn’t bother you so much. You know how to refuse and so wouldn’t listen to unnecessary obligations/questions/interferences.
I’ve struggled a lot being nice to people, that’s what we have been taught. But lately when I decided to let out the worse in me, I feel more in control. In control of my life, in-charge of my work schedule and most importantly in the process of seeking a respect out of terror that I had never experienced before. Haven’t you seen the government taking so many precautionary steps under threat of a terrorist attack? Would that have been the case under normal situations? Would anybody take so much pain, for nothing?
Hence, the lesson learnt is that it pays to be not nice. It is important to say it out when need be. It is equally important to let people know that you ain’t the sacrificial goat. And will resist, bite if need be. You will say ‘no’ even at the risk of losing out.
Wonder why didn’t the elders preach me the positives of not being nice? Maybe they never realized themselves and still struggle to maintain the niceties. That generation is different and their circumstances were different too. In today’s world, I’ve learned that it is important to be nice but equally important to not be one. Because at the end it all boils down to you and your happiness. So if the situation demands you to shout some choicest words, so be it. Don’t worry about your image. Good girls do abuse at dire situations. Pick the best you know and blast out. It will give you an internal peace, you’re yet to experience. The job will be done on priority with the added advantage of people being “be-ware” of you. You’ll develop a brand image of your very own. Agreed, eyebrows will be raised and you might run the risk of getting the gossips late. But who cares when people start taking you seriously?
Try it, it works!


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Let the lies low lie, oops another lie

We love lies, accept or deny. The reasons to lie vary though. Some lie to save the world while others lie to just live easy. Whether we like it or not, lies are an integral part of living. Now, we all were taught that lies never pay and you’ll have to pay a heavy price over a period of time. But, what about the bedtime stories we grew up to. The stories of the damsel in distress rescued by the charming prince or the frog that turned into a handsome prince. Weren’t those lies? Nobody told us then that those were imaginative lies of some writers who wanted to impress. Make some big bucks and hence passed their bug of lies. Isn’t it too much to expect to give up something to which we were fed daily? Just like you shouldn’t ask an alcoholic to leave alcohol if you are the one to buy him booze.
Even the penalties at that tender age where built on lies. A mom would never say the benefits of drinking milk to her kids, all she is ready to say is, “if you don’t drink you won’t become as strong as superman/superwoman”. Now, who could have the heart to tell the poor kids that there is nothing like a Superman so why aim to become one?
The saddest part is that only few have the guts to admit that they have lied. They vehemently deny. Common you lied like everybody else. Maybe today wasn’t your day and hence you got caught. So what? Admit it folks and see how the battle is half won. Else you should be smart enough to ensure that your lies are never caught. Only you know that you’ve lied and you can afford to forget it because we do have a short-term memory about our flaws. Be it someone else, our memory will last for a lifetime.
I lie too but I hate to lie because every time I lie, I have the added pressure to remember it so that each time I give the same version. Most of the times I fail because I am not too good at remembering things, numbers, directions and nowadays names too. The added burden of remembering one more thing cracks me and I get caught often. So I avoid till the last until it is absolutely necessary. But I lie.
Some common lies people say:
Oh! When did you say that? I wasn’t there: Although it is a different thing that the person concerned was very much present there and if you’ve had a CCTV you could have proved your point. But who knew then?
Sorry! I can’t come today as I am sick: It is a different thing that you’ve seen this same person roaming around, painting the town. But he/she is sick and you couldn’t challenge that. Life would be really simple if they called and said that they needed some break-time.
I promise I didn’t say that: While all the way you knew that the only person to know it was him/her so the only way to get it leaked would be through the tongue that doesn’t stop. You know you didn’t utter a word so who would. And since when did walls have ears to hear and mouths to puke.
You look divine: When you know what you meant is devilish. But you run the hazard of making life difficult to live. And who wants living hazards, so understandable and bearable lie.
I love you: You know you don’t mean it but that is the only way to get into bed with her. Strange thing is even she knows you don’t mean it, but it sounds good at the moment. So go with it.
Endless list and I am running a risk of getting carried away, so better stop.
This whole world would be a lie without lies. Admit it!


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Where is the time?

A recent workshop on time-management was held to open our eyes on the virtues of being on time. Impressive jargons were flashed over tedious presentation and tips were shared to be better organized. And I hoped my world will get slightly better to work. But hopes are made to be crashed and that is exactly what is happening now.
Whoever said ignorance is bliss, maybe knows my situation. In the past I wasn’t well-informed so no-sense of time was bearable. Now it looks like a torture when I am fully aware. Clients say in five minutes you’ll get the approval and there you wait taking each word literally. I am told to keep a watch on my time, but what about the wristwatch my client wears? Hey, I don’t even know the brand and it has a tendency to show late, always.
You should come on time and leave on time, is the utopia I live in every day. But what about the meetings which always start late and ends late? Thus, the whole concept on working with time goes to the rubbish bin. Not to mention the looks you get if you leave office on time, hey guys, I worked harder and finished all of them on time. Since when that is an issue?
The general mindset is that if you don’t stay back, you aren’t working and more so if the boss is around. You just can’t leave, leaving him behind. As if he can’t find his way back to his luxury car without you around. So pretend you’ve lots of work that can’t be finished within office hours even it means that you’ve to chat with strangers online or keep checking out hot babes on social networking site. Will then keeping a time sheet help or reveal more than you are ready to reflect?
In an industry I belong, most of the times client sleep till late. They wake up at the eleventh hour expecting you to sacrifice your weekends (and weeknights perhaps your life) for them. And if you refuse to work their way, you risk being sacked. So isn’t it better to work late than not work at all?
That’s another story that the trainer for the workshop was running late for reasons beyond her control. Isn’t it a fact that in life most things are beyond our control? Awareness educates us but what about the knowledge that kills you. The feeling that you are running late because somebody has forgotten to keep watching the watch, hanging somewhere, maybe in a neglected corner where it is meant to be ignored.
To top it all, all you get to hear is “Just give me a little time”. While you know you can afford anything but time.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images

Never say You won't

Here’s another story to keep the festive spree alive.
He isn’t the one to be domesticated. He isn’t the marriage material. He loves his freedom too much to be sacrificed. Neither does he believe in the concept of monogamy. “How can you continue to survive with the same good old daal-rice?” he questions to people in a committed relationship.
His other point is that he can’t be in the race to win affection through constant attention read long hours over the phone, keeping in touch through texting or whatever. He told himself never to commit and sacrifice his singledom. Afterall he was too old.
Hence, at his mid 40’s he was happy to live life, his own style. Stickler for routine he would indulge in few pegs only over the weekends. Over the working days he would hit the gym, cook his maid-cooked meals and watch the television happily till sleep would embrace him. Mornings were jam-packed with work and clients. He was living the perfect dream. Career was going places and he was seeking new territories too. What more could you ask from life?
Then life took a strange turn. His eyes travelled to her in a crowded metro station. There was something different about her. She wasn’t making any effort to gain his attention yet his eyes wouldn’t stop looking at her. She was not conventionally beautiful, dusky, middle-aged and lost in her book. She didn’t even notice that he was gazing at her.
That night he had a strange dream. Her eyes woke him up and he couldn’t sleep later. The meetings became more frequent. She never noticed him while all he did was make his way through the crowd just to catch a glimpse. He stopped himself but couldn’t succeed. The feeling was strange and funny. How could a complete stranger have that power to hold?
Maybe the forces above had a plan for him. One fine day, he found her at his office as a client. He was delighted and couldn’t help blushing every time their eyes met. Her gaze was too hard to ignore. The night that followed rendered him sleepless. Her eyes left him tossing and turning.
Next morning he pushed himself through the crowd just to see her. And there she was lost again in her book. This time he was more confident and interrupted her with the usual pleasantry. She was surprised. The surprises became a routine then. Soon there were more meetings for work too. He planned to meet her at every pretence he could create. From strangers they became friends and he knew that she was single but not ready to mingle.
He liked her unapproachable demure. He also liked the fact that she was completely in love with herself. Made no effort to impress anyone, made no qualms about gaining attention, loved her job as much as he loved his. She was simply no-nonsense person which made her even more irresistible to him. They became friends and he cherished the friendship.
Friendship became more personal and they would discuss things outside work. The more he got to know her, the stronger was the attraction. Now he wanted more than friendship but was scared of losing her because she wasn’t like any of the girls he dated before. The fear of rejection made him weak. The idea of being with anybody else made him uncomfortable.
He would have continued for life like this if she wasn’t leaving the country for good. He was shell-shocked. Didn’t know what to do but couldn’t bear the thought of living without her. Critical situation demanded something out of the ordinary from him. He wrote a mail to her. Got no response for two days, the toughest days of his life. She wasn’t reacting at all to his mails neither has she given a sure shot answer, he was living in confusion. Finally he did ask about the fate of his mail as a matter-of-fact manner.
She replied, “What mail are you talking about? I haven’t got any.” He re-sent her. Crossed his fingers and kept waiting. The wait wasn’t long enough. She called within an hour. All she said, “I was wondering when you’ll pop the question. Thank God you asked.”
They laugh about it now. He is everything now that he promised he wouldn’t ever be. He is domesticated. Eats the same good old daal-rice and has eyes only for her. She doesn’t seek his attention though, because her busy schedule takes care of her time. So much so that she sometimes doesn’t take his calls or gets no time to call back. But he doesn’t mind. Rather that is one of the things that make him fall in love with her. He doesn’t express it in words but let his actions talk. Like the patient wait outside the shop while she shops. Mind you, he hates shopping but it becomes a little more bearable when she is around.
The God Almighty is having the last laugh, now.


Pic Courtesy: Google Images