Wishing all the women

Today is the day,
For Rupa who never realized how beautiful she is
Because she is dark and fat,
Because no one gave her a second look.
This day is to let you know that you will always be beautiful.

Today is the day,
For Priya who never realized how lovable she is,
Because her parents wanted a son instead of her,
Because the husband was too busy in affairs of his own,
This day is to let you know that you are loved a lot.

Today is the day,
For Saraswati who never got a chance to fulfill her dreams,
Because girls have no business as important as marriage,
Because girls don’t need to study too hard,
This day is to let you know that nothing is impossible for you to achieve.

Today is the day,
For women all over the world to realize that they are special,
Because they have the courage to go against the tide,
Because they have a heart which never stops loving,
This day is to celebrate that womanhood.
This day is to take a pledge to never stop being a woman.

Happy Women’s Day to you all!!

Watch your word!

Image courtesy: Google

“Hey, fatso!” the young boys screamed at my companion while speeding their bike right beside her. It caught me unaware and I pushed her towards my side fearing her safety.
Yet, the lady in question was totally undeterred and relaxed. Rather she told me to take a deep breath and stopped me from shouting back (curbing my natural instinct in the process).
Not once did I see her sulking or embarrassed, which is quite the opposite with me. You would have found me writing furiously on the weight factor. Who knows I would have stretched it much beyond by conducting a public poll on my weight factor.
The very next morning I found her at my doorstep asking me to go shopping with her. With my precious weekend just beginning to start, I was in every mood to say “no” if yesterday’s incident wouldn’t have happened in our lives. Retail therapy is a rather popular way of killing depression, I am told.
So, off we went for shopping without a clue of what was waiting for me in particular. She told me about her pledge while I was behind the wheels. Else, I would have faked a headache and ran for life. Only last night she came to the conclusion of loving herself (before loving anybody else). And the best way was to indulge in a perfect pair of denims. Says who, don’t ask me, I have no clue.
But the only issue that she quite conveniently overlooked was the fact that she was “supremely overweight”. I can’t call her fat because my manners won’t let me do that. And the other problem was that the last time she wore a pair of denims was before I was born. My level of confidence was fading while her level of enthusiasm was peaking.
The round to the various malls was a pain I could prefer to forget but wishes are not horses. And that very day I realized how underpaid is our sales guys. I was a mute spectator to the tortures these oh-so-patient sales guys were put through. The trial for that perfect denim started from size 32 and went till the sales guy cried out, “this is the last size we have”. Hope the Almighty forgives me from not saving the desperate. But, dear God, you know how helpless I was!
And each time we came out from the shops, the lady excitedly proclaimed,
“That denim was perfect but just a little tight on my waist.” She continued with her explanation, “You know I don’t wear tight stuff (like you all) otherwise it was just alright”.
I told my prayers and kept shuffling until it was late and her feet gave way. All I got to hear was that they have stopped making denims for real women anymore. That night I hit my bed and wished that those boys should never be able to utter the word “fat” in their lives.

The stranger

The flames of the next-door fire was about to engulf the kitchen window. Mr. T knew the last could be near, very near. He screamed for his son who was busy collecting all the important documents. The wife with daughter had reluctantly climbed downstairs carrying the valuables. He knew to wait further was utter foolishness yet like most middle-class, home was his most prized asset. Something he had built gradually and was now on the verge of losing it forever.
At that very moment, Mr. T found a hand patting his back. “Sir, we’ve to fight it out. Just can’t watch the fire overpower all,” shouted the complete stranger. His confidence was infectious and gave Mr. T the exuberance of adolescence. Together they put a strong resistance. Soon the professionals joined them to save the two room apartment. It was early morning when the fire was fully extinguished. All this while the stranger never once left his side.
Finally the wife moved up with the children. Mr. T searched for his wallet and emptied it to offer to the stranger. “You keep it back, Sir! I don’t need it,” the stranger responded. “Then what to do you need?” asked confused Mr. T.
Pat came the reply, “Just a cup of tea without milk and sugar.” He continued, “I am jobless. Entire day was trotting around looking for a job. Saw the flames and rushed in. Even you would have done the same, wouldn’t you?”
Mr. T went blank and speechless. The stranger had tea and disappeared from their lives as suddenly as he had entered. No pleasantries spoken. No numbers exchanged.
That very day Mr. T prayed for the first time in his 47 year old life.

(P.S. This is inspired from a true story.)

Till death do us apart

Image courtesy: Google


Everybody around is getting married. Even the British royalty seems to be in a hurry to take the plunge. Word of caution from well-wishers is not good enough for the lovelorn couple who sees no reason to the fuss around. And why not? Did we listen to the more experienced friends when they cautioned us? With dreamy eyes and soulful of expectations we tied the knot. And before you get me wrong, let me clarify one thing. I am not against marriage at all. And why should I because I have tasted and sailed through the different turns of holy matrimony myself. So, fear not but be realistic in your expectations and needs from this new relationship which according to Hindu mythology is sure to last your not one but seven lifetime. Quite a task! What say?
Here are some pointers which might help you for a reality check:
• All real couples do fight and they fight a lot. So if you feel that your marriage is going to be completely different from your parents who still fight at the slightest hint. You are in for some surprise. Chances are you could end up fighting more.
• Marriage is like a long drive on a highway. In the same journey, some roads are a treat to drive while others are a terror to pass by. Quite alike, in a marriage some days are like a dream come true while others are too bad even to wake up to.
• Marriage is a sealed deal which has no provision for any alteration in future. So if your spouse today can give some serious competition to any beauty queen. Count your blessings and don’t brag about it. Because people do change quite a lot and she might not look the same gorgeous babe you got hooked to. Your prosperity might be proportional to her size making her bloat even more with every success of yours. After all haven’t you heard the saying, “Behind every successful man there is a woman”. Now nobody told us how this woman looks like, right?
• Whether you thought you’ll never let any outsider intrude is a fiction far away from reality. Parents are bound to get involved. More so in your fights. And you will find yourself uttering sentences like, “See your mom said this and your dad told me that.”
• You’ll truly wait and celebrate just the first anniversary. After that the counting will stop. Rest will follow as you keep working each day to make it work. And one fine day, somebody will wish “Happy Anniversary” while you’ll wonder “oh, maybe that is why the day sounded familiar”. Then as you end up another fight for forgetting the D-day. You’ll find yourself murmuring, “Big deal! Marriage is not the end of the world.”
Before you think that I am trying to persuade you against it. Let me just say that I am not. Marriage is an experience on which you can write books. It is a change you wake up to and a belief you fall asleep to feeling secured where advices do come handy most times. And tomorrow don’t blame me that “I didn’t tell you so.”

Anything but easy

Some people have it so easy that it makes me sick while most including yours truly have to run from pillar to post for people to even acknowledge their mere existence.

Say, the day you fall sick and are entitled for a leave is the exact day when the whole world seems to be choking you with work. And you are left with no option but to wish the world to come to an end so that you can atleast rest you’re back for a couple of seconds if not more. But hey, how can you forget that you don’t feature in that list of the privileged few?

As if that’s not enough, while you’re struggling to come to life you do get to see your colleague (in the very next work station) taking a nap with no phone calls to intrude. Makes me wonder how come every time this same colleague gets to go on mid-term long holidays more so when a new pitch or work knocks at the doorstep? Even miraculous is the fact that this same person never misses a single appraisal and makes double than what I bring home (even without moving a muscle)? The only thing perhaps he does better is the generous distribution of butter when the biggies are around. Aren’t these big bosses worried about their rising cholesterol level with the consumption of so much butter?

Professional life is just a part of it. What about the days you’re already late; the traffic seems to be even denser? Why does the entire world have to be late too? Or when you are fighting with time not on your side, do you happen to be greeted with all the red signals that falls on your route? Perhaps even the ones that do not have the reputation to function also wake up suddenly and glare with bright red eyes.

Have you ever thought that how come you also bump into the same person whom you’ve been avoiding for the last decade? That too in situations where you just can’t avoid exchanging pleasantries even if there is nothing pleasant to share. The plot thickens further when you are with somebody special and your way crosses with some nosy neighbour or relative who leaves no stone unturned in going public making you a celebrity overnight.

The list can go on for endless pages yet such is life which is thoroughly unfair. Do let me know if you feel likewise else will feel left out in this unfairness.

Not common

Image Courtesy: Google


“Stop it that’s too much”, is what I often grew up hearing as I have this habit of getting carried away. And thank God for that! Atleast there was somebody to draw the line when it was enough.
I realize it more often than now when I see this whole circus of the Common Wealth Games in Delhi ensuring a prime location in every newspaper or news channel. First of all whoever decided to host the CWG game needs to be given a “Thank You” note with a statutory warning of “Not using his/her brain again otherwise the whole nation may die of shame.”
Second of all the organizers deserve a much round of applause for their outstanding service to the nation by pocketing huge sum of the hard earned tax payers money. Probably a ‘Shaurya Chakra’ would do justice to them for being so brave and unashamed about the whole thing. So much so that when one of the foot bridge fell even before any of us got a chance to set our feet there, the only response was “Hey, chill guys! Such minor setbacks are bound to happen in such big events”.
The accusations from a host of other countries displaying their loud public displeasure about the cleanliness and inadequacy of the state of affairs in CWG village too doesn’t seem to have any impact on the who’s-who our nation. And why should it be? Most of them chose to go deaf when it is not of interest to them.
Our last hope is the heavy rains hitting the north region that is posing some serious flood thread all across the region. Even nature is playing a spoilt sport here. Probably it is God’s way of saying, “Stop now. That’s too much”.

Not everything can be fixed

(Picture courtesy Google)

Life came to a standstill on the eve of any cricket match during my growing up days. Classes dropped and offices missed depending upon the situation of our team in the series. And whenever we won, the celebrations too ecstatic to describe. Would you believe me if I say that my not-so friendly vegetable vendor who otherwise would not even let you open your mouth to haggle, generously distributed free brinjals on the our victory against the cross border neighbour not known for its friendly ways?
Even my household was no different. All other mundane chores like cooking, cleaning, mopping would get finished before the start of the match. And if it happened to be on an off day, even better. Lunch would be timed as per the schedule of the player’s lunch time, tea time or the advertisement time. Any refreshment demand apart from these timings would be met with blank looks or better sheer indifference. So engrossed we got in the match sometimes that we just forgot to blink. Even the sanest ones would simply lose logic and insist upon sitting at the same place without moving an eyelid because Sachin has been hitting well ever since you sat at that place. All your nature’s call can wait, they would argue. Because what is more important you or the nation?
Such was the fever that everyone had an expert advice to give in between the overs. So what if you haven’t held a bat in your entire lifetime? Or couldn’t make out a no ball from a wide? Yet as an Indian we did have the birthright to comment on anything and everything that you could think off. While the not so interested ones would cheer for the better looking players each time they were onscreen, without a clue of which teams were playing.
Now times have changed. For better or worse, no points for guessing. No more we feel the need to spend sleepless night over a match because God knows what’s behind? Only the players can tell whether it’s fixed or not. And even if a player gives his best, the mind screams, “Could there be more than what meets the eye?”
Pray not because it is cricket that is always on the losing side. The palpitation in the crucial overs will be missed. The continuous chanting of prayers to see your team win will be skipped. The memories of those heroic innings by some brave player when it mattered the most will fade. And guys, that is something which just can’t be fixed.