Wednesday, December 30, 2009

New Year Time!!!

2009 has literally flown past! Its the end of December already and we are on the onset of 2010!!

Its New Year time once again...and I am left with a lot of mixed feelings- New years leave me both excited and scared.

New year is more like an annual stock taking!! Time to measure the Profit and Loss accounts and settle the discrepancies in the balancesheet!!!

Definitely there is happiness of a fresh beginning and anxiety about but more importanttly there is a lot of positive anticipation from the comming year!

2010, I have a lot of expectations from you dear, Don't let me down......!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Return to Innocence!


Children..aren't they the sweetest things!! No matter what state of mind you are in - they always manage to bring back a smile to your face!! Just try doing this!! Have you ever seen children lined up parallel to the railway line..happily waving back to the ignorant passengers of the passing trains!! For once - let go of all inhibitions of how people will judge you and wave back at them....with a simple smile if not over the top alacrity. And see the magic!! Their moon like faces brighten up with this momentary happiness of receiving a positive response to their mirthful anticipation. They keep waving back at you, till your train speeds away farther than their vision can capture!! I am not able to word the way this feels...its a pleasant feeling to make them happy in the most simplest form...like there is a complete different meaning to life other than the infinite materialistic ones we keep chasing about!!!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Tags!

I came across this very interesting tag on Anand's Blog! So filled in the details! Bongs, Aakya and Deeps you too fill in the details! It will be a fun-read!

1.Where is your cell phone?
Meticulously put on the Mobile Stand! See it 2 Believe it!

2.Your hair?
Used to be ruffled and gave an "out of the bed look"! Strangely they are completely manageable now! : )

3.Your mother?
The only person who loves me unconditionally!

4.Your father?
My Pillar of Strength!

5.Your favorite food?
Anything made by Mom as I hardly get homemade food made by her! I have to eat what I cook usvally!! : )

6.Your dream last night?
I don't dream anymore! Dreams just make people more impractical.

7.Your favorite drink?
H2O Neat on the rocks!!! What were u thinking???? ; )

8.Your goal?
To prove myself!!

9.What room are you in?
Definitely the one which has a lot of sunshine and ventilation! Any Guesses which one???

10.Your hobby?
Blogging!!!! I love it!

11.Your fear?
Being Judged wrongly!

12.Where do you want to be in 6 years?
hmmmmmmm! Now lets c how that one works!

13.Where were you last night?
Chatting away with friends @ Home - the best place on earth

14.Something that you aren’t?
Perfect!!!

15.Muffins?
Yes I am all "Gimme" for them - If they are made of Sugar Free!
On an after-thought its such a sweet name for a cat or even your object of affection!!!hahahaha

16.Wish list item?
A flat of my own and a car!

17.Where did you grow up?
Hogwarts

18.Last thing you did?
Just made some Chapattis!

19.What are you wearing?
Blue Tee and a pair of old Jeans!

20.Your TV?
Is sitting in the warehouse of some shop gathering dust!! As I Don't Have one yet!

21.Your pets?
Don't have any right now! Aishwarya and Sundari are two strays who are very cute and friendly dogs!

22.Friends?
My Lifeline!! They keep me on the move!!!

23.Your life?
A Roller-coaster ride!
Plain till 2007 - Bumpy after that!

24.Your mood?
On a H3
Holiday Happy High!!!! : )

25.Missing someone?
..................................!!!!!!!

26.Vehicle?
Kinetic ZX!

27.Something you’re not wearing?
My Specs!

28.Your favorite store?
Wills Lifestyle!

29.When was the last time you laughed?
Today afternoon while watching 3-idiots @ R-MALL, Mulund! Had a blast!

30.Last time you cried?
Don't want to remember as Tears only make you more and more weak! But yes it was a worthless effort for a person who did not care!

31.Your best friend?
My Lil Bro! Bhauama!

32.One place that you go to over and over?
Parvati, Pune. I am gripped with a dejavoo feeling every time!

33.One person who emails me regularly?
Bongs!

34.Favorite place to eat?
La Dolche Vita, Pune!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

I like!!!

Fireflies in the Garden


Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

- By Robert Frost

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Bicycle Riding in Pune!



A few days back, I tried picking back one of my ardent hobbies which I had abandoned in My Odyssey years- Cycling! Since Aakash and YD were going on a long bike ride! I tagged along with them. I borrowed YD's cousin's ladies bicycle and on a chilly December Tuesday evening we were all jet set to hit the rough roads. So we decided our route which was going to be down from Sadashiv Peth-FC Road-E-square flyover-University road. I had only practised a little the previous evening on Karve road and was a bit apprehensive about the evening traffic on all these jam-packed bottle necked roads. Anyways it was my first time and I decided to take the risk. Of course I was finding it difficult to keep pace with these guys as they were very fast and experienced. I had to pedal my way faster to keep up with them. The seat of my bicycle was very low and I was finding it problematic to pull the cycle on upward slopes. Infact I had to get down on Garware Bridge! But some how I managed to ride down all the way ahead of E-square but then my legs which were not used to all this exercise gave up. So I turned back and returned mid-way! But though exhausting it was an exhilarating experience. And a quiet fulfilling one @ that. I think I need to go on more such bike rides which will make me used to ridding. The most difficult part was facing hell while driving thru full traffic at 6 pm. I wish we could go on a plain green pollution free road someday, probably on the outskirts of the city. Aakash had a bike problem so he turned back mid-way while I guess YD was the only person to reach the decided spot. Albeit a bit taxing, it was too good an experience! I think one must keep giving a shot at such different strokes to keep up the excitement in our mundane life!! Thanks Aakash and YD! Can't wait for the next round of Bicycle riding!

Life's Big Lesson in a Small Scoop! 10



I am updating this section after a loooooooong gap! It was not that lessons weren't learnt in this span! Infact there were many! Its just that not all of them were drafted here!

Abb padh likh kar kiska bhala hua hai?????

I have a habit (You can call it a bad one) of uttering hackneyed dialogues and making fun of the highly cliched sentiments that our Hindi Cinema evokes @ times - rather ignorantly. One of my favourite one is to babel fish in a typical auntie like monotonous style, " Abb padh likh kar kiska bhala hua hai ?"(Read:Who has benefited out of Education anyways?).

Yesterday I had my Eureka Moment! As me and my hostel mates gathered for our regular late night "girl talks". And our regular bhanksss about films began. I began to utter the same dialogue. And I stopped mid-way. Rather my rational brain forced me to press the STOP button immediately.

"Padh Likh kar Kiska Bhala hua hai ?" My brain re-read, scanned and comprehended the dialogue. The answer came pronto: Mera aur Sabka. This was even more applicable in terms of women. I gulped my curiosity @ that moment and let it lie low for later contemplation. After everyone descended to their slumber the internal ratification began. I am 26 years old. Am independent!(yeah I can finally say that) Inspite of a crash I have landed to the safety of my own feet. Bruised but certainly not broken! And a major portion of the terra-firma beneath my trembling feet(apart from my loved ones) has been provided by no one else but my education.

There are girls in my hostel who have practically come from remote villages in Maharashtra. Some of them can hardly afford a metro-lifestyle. They prefer to walk their way around instead of spending Rs. 3 everyday on the "comfort" of overcrowded PMT Buses. They want to educate themselves and the world around them. They are taking pains of working part time and educating themselves because they understand that in a society that is ruled by the influence of ever-altering political, social and economical scenarios, it is education that will be their backbone.

Education today has stood firmly with many ladies who have absolutely no support in this world. With education comes financial Independence and it further reckons freedom to take individual decisions responsibility.

Just imagine the spate of us Indian women if we were born in an earlier time frame where situation was not conducive for women education. The vicious circle of poverty - early marriage - illiteracy - dependency - destitution would have continued. The anti-women literacy antagonists would have ruled the world and our atrocities as a second sex would have multiplied. Or for that matter even if we were born in a third world country that was not pro-women education and liberation, each day would have been so difficult to live.

I think we Indian women should really be grateful to the doyens of women education like Anandi Bai Joshi, Mahatma Phule & Maharshi Karve etc. It is only because of the relentless efforts of these people that many Indian women are Educated, Independent and Earning a living for themselves today!

What has education provided me??? The answer is simple! EMPOWERMENT- to stare the world in the eye, keep pace with it and challenge it!!!!

I got my answer!
I will never repeat that dialogue again!
I swear!
: )

Thursday, December 10, 2009

English just KICKED THE BUCKET! 1

English dies a sad death everyday..And very brutally @ that!
And guess what, we kill it~
Here is one instance how..

The victim- the word " Functional"

According to Merriam Websters dictionary:
Main Entry: func·tion·al
Pronunciation: \ˈfəŋ(k)-shnəl, -shən-əl\
Function: adjective
performing or able to perform a regular function
—func·tion·al·ly \-ē\ adverb
ctional psychosis>—compare organic 1b

I have atleast heard 25 people at isolated instances using the world wrongly, in a totally different parlance colloquially!

They say- This dress is casual but I prefer functional dresses for special occasions.
or
This is a functional clutch- for everyday purposes I have another one.

1.e. the word functional is surmised as "related to function or special occasion"
when actually it means a regular function(activity).

It is high time that we correct this gross culpable linguistic gaffe immediately!


Yeah!

It rains in the land of creativity and the ensuing " Thinker's drought" ends....

Friday, October 16, 2009

Sleepless in Shaniwar Peth!!!

What among the following factors contribute the most to you turning into an insomaniac due to sleepless nights ?

1. Bed Bugs
2. Painful Breakup
3. Coffee
4. Nostalgic dreams
5. Exams
6. Work Load

My Observation:
All of them are equal partners in the crime....Just not in that order..hehehehehe

I like!

Where the mind is without fear and the head held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action; Into that heaven of freedom,my Father, let my country awake.

.......Rabindranath Tagore

हिम्मत करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

Indeed a very beautiful poem that I came across Today by late Mr. Harivansha Rai Bacchan. The last para holds a very special place in my heart!! It inspires......


लहरों से डरकर नौका पार नहीं होती
हिम्मत करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

नन्ही चींटी जब दाना लेकर चलती है,
चढ़ती दीवारों पर सौ बार फिसलती है,
मन का विश्वास रगों में साहस भरता है,
चढ़कर गिरना,गिरकर चढ़ना न अखरता है,
आखिर उसकी मेहनत बेकार नहीं होती ,
कोशिश करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

डुबकियां सिंधु में गोताखोर लगाता है,
जा-जाकर खाली हाथ लौट आता है,
मिलते न सहेज के मोती पानी में,
बहता दूना उत्साह इसी हैरानी में,
मुठ्ठी उसकी खाली हर बार नहीं होती,
हिम्मत करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

असफलता एक चुनौती है स्वीकार करो,
क्या कमी रह गयी,देखो और सुधार करो,
जब तक न सफल हो नींद चैन को त्यागो तुम,
संघर्षों का मैदान छोड़ मत भागो तुम,
कुछ किये बिना ही जय-जयकार नहीं होती,
हिम्मत करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

-------- Harivansh Rai Bachchan

Monday, October 5, 2009

Not So Mundane Dialogues! 2

Sheer CREATIVE NONSENSE DIATRIBE as discussed by baba bongs and me
on Sep 26 on gmail chat!


Me: hehehe
ani gf wagre
kon navi britneyla bye kelas ka?
ata kon gathliyes

Saurabh: britney kon...???

Me: britney bongale

Saurabh: hehe britney spears.... ticha marathi madhe surname... britney bhalerao asel
lolzzz
:D

Me: hahaha. BRITNEY SAURABH BONGALE

Saurabh: lol

Me: HEHEHEHE

Saurabh: britney bongale... porancha naav... britania bongale
lolzzz
aareeeeeeeeeeeee
:O
:-s
lol

Me: HAHAHA
awadla
naav mala

Saurabh: :D

mag loka mala british bongale pan mhantil

Me: hahaha
masta ahe
tu kalwaycha mulga
california la
gelas
naav kadhlas
british bongale

Saurabh: lolzzz
to ek dialog aahe mahitiye ka...
anand bombay to goa jake don bann gaya
tasach...
kalva ka koli kali jake british bongs bann gaya
Sent at 1:47 PM on Saturday

Me: hehehhe

mastach

Saurabh:
:D

Me: hahaha
apan picture banvoo tujhawer

Saurabh: ha...
ekdam...
aare megh...
story dokyat aali pan...
kalvyachya khadi var ek choti hodi
tya hodid ek nakhva...
typical koli costume madhe...
to me...
mag kalva khadi madhe tufaan yenar... 26 julya cha paoos...

Me: hahahaha
ho
ani tu beshusddha

Saurabh:
ti hodi samudrat janar

Me: paadtos

Saurabh: me behosh

Saurabh:
nantar hosh madhe yenar tevha samor swatantrada devi cha putla
statue of liberty

Me:
hahahah ?? Wah kya Doka hai tumhara dost.

Saurabh: :)
mala samajnar nahi...
me valhat valhat US madhe entry karnar...
mag tikde mala pirates milnar...
aani te hamla karnar... pan

Me: Mag Kahani Mai twist......tula immigration wale pakadtil

Saurabh: nahi nahi....
aik tar story

Me:
kay

Saurabh: me marathi manus... aapan warrior...
me tya pirates cha mitha jahaj... budavnar...
majya chotya hodi tun me tyanchyavar jaala taknar...
tya jahajat mala hostage milnar
llolzzz
hahaha

Me: bara sang...bolo bolo tell tell

Saurabh: tila pirates chya tavditun me vachavnar...

Me:
ho

Saurabh:
ti immegration sagla handle karel... green card milnar mala lagech

Me: ani mag bush kaka

Sauarbh: ticha naav britney thevu

Me:
tujha shall wa shrifal satkar karnar
pan towar

Saurabh: ho...

Me: aliens hamala karnar

Sauarbh: aani mag kolyachi lungi aani laal topi jaoon tya jaagi suit boot aani hat yenar

Me:
ho
pan aliens cha kay

Sauarbh: ha aanu tyanna pan...
te kasa honar...
ki maja satkar mhanun te mala cali cha ek lake bakshis denar
me tikde panyat ek palm beach type motha hotel bandhanar
maja swatacha 5 * cruse asnar
tikde panyatun armagaddon sarkha koni tari ailen yenar
pan majhi heroin ji aahe na...
tichyakade super natural powers asnar...
mermaid sarkhi ti masa hou shakel...
mag tichya mdatine me tya alien la haravnar....
aani asha prakare me aani majhi heroin jagala vachavnar....
aani mag sagli kade aanandi aanand
happy ending mhanun bongs britney chi family.... lovelyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
movi hittt hai bhaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy
house fulll
wht say...

Me:
arrey wah
mastach
spielberg la vikuyat ka story

Sauarbh:
aani mag.... achanak... punha ek jordar tufaan yenar...
me punha kuthe tari vahat janar...
mag saglyanche dole ughadnar....
aani kalvyachya khadi madhlya chotyashya hodit... tyach kolyanchya dress madhe me asnar...
:)
wah wah...
subhan allah.... excellent story baap....
Me: arrey wah
mastach
tussi gr8 ho

Saurabh: :D
blog lihi hyacha...
hahaha...

Me: haha
tahamb hi akkhi
story blog wer takte

Sauarbh:
ha taak...
:)
Saurabh: tu pahili audience hya movi chi.. first critic...

Me: Sure.....

My AHA Moment!!!

The Ultimate Dilemma:

A few days back I was facing a deadly internal battle. A slew of open-ended questions were circulating round and round in my brains--- both cortex and amicdala J
Should I or should I not?
Will I be able to recreate the magic?
Will I be able to pull this off?
Will I be able to live upto the expectations of people who have entrusted me with this responsibility?
What if I cannot make it?
It has been eons since I felt the fire in my face?
Should I take my chances or just chicken out?
It has been 6 years since I last held the MIC in my hands?

After all, it was an opportunity in itself to become a Master of the Ceremony at an Official Function.

So I said yes……..

A little bit of background:


These exact kind of questions gripped my mind back in July 2001. I was selected for our College K.J. Somaiya Arts and Commerce’s Cultural Forum- Literary Department after appearing for the written test and 3 Interviews with the CF Panel, Vice-principal and Principal.

I was given the job of hosting the inauguration function. I had never done this before. It was a maiden attempt.

I remember the first time I went on stage I was gripped by a jumbled feeling. There was happiness of facing the challenge and there were butterflies of a lot of “ifs” and “buts” hovering in my stomach. I remember standing there looking the audience in their eye with a smile. Assuring myself that I can do it and then beginning to host the function.

But I somehow knew that I was cut for stage. So I took up the challenge head-on. And after that for 3 consecutive years I hosted more than 10 programmes in front of a crowd over 700 people.


Present Day Situation: Continued

I said yes but there were a lot of things that needed to be contemplated. It was different to host a programme in front of 700 cherubic youngsters who looked forward for all the fun and hosting a show in front on your employers and guests was a different ball game all together.

I was going to host a full-fledged corporate function which was going to be graced by national and international dignitaries and an audience of a whopping 200 people. And I had less than 2 days to prepare. There was heavy performance pressure and I didn’t want to blow my chances at this opportunity.

OMG!!!!!!

I saw my quote calendar- It read “ There would be nothing to be frightened of if you refuse to be afraid”

And I assured to myself- What the heck – I can’t keep on brooding – I need to start practicing the one lettered Golden rule “PREPARE”
So then began a tedious phase of scripting, rehearsing and re-rehearsing AGAIN!

Thanks to all my friends who patiently gave me a keen ear, their precious time and genuine feedback & helped me in practicing the act!!!

And then the D-day arrived:

There I was all dressed up appropriately very much looking my part….hoping that I would speak my part fluently as well.

Familiar Feeling:

Do you know the feeling when you suddenly find something you lost years ago. And you find it in exact intact position. That’s what I felt! Once I went on the stage, faced my fears, coaxed myself in giving my 200% I could sense the positive energy that filled me.

Revelation: I found out that no matter how the circumstances change for an individual, his/her innate positive talents and traits never completely vanish. They remain, waiting to be re-explored!

Of course I went with the flow and did put up my fumble-free, confident, expressive best performance! More than the abundant appreciation I received from my peers I think what was best was that it gave a facelift to my sagging self-worth.
The feeling: Absolute Sense of Achievement in its Simplest Form.

I remember my personality Coach Ritika Ramtri Mam telling us: “You cannot grow until you challenge yourself” back in May this year.
I know she was right. I experienced it. I guess it works wonders!

Finding @-NIL!


Last weekend when I was home, my mom made me clean some of my old books and papers! It was a different feeling rummaging through my old homework in pink ball pen, doodles, receipts of library for over-due books, speeches, scripts of my dramas, small poems, tit-bits about sweet nothings, messages written to friends during lectures, study time-tables which were never followed, sheets full of paper games like love percentage, x and o, bricks etc. It was fun going through all the memories of my pre-graduate years. On one of the sheets I found a Phone Number with Anil M written beside it. Hmm Anil Mukundan! My College Buddy! Anil was one year senior to me! I had been trying to find Anil on the Social Networking sites but couldn’t. I was super-elated to find his number. I just prayed that it would be still in a working condition.

Circa 2001 -2003
I, Anil and Rupesh were inseparable pals in our college days. We shared a great wavelength. We participated in dance, dramas and all the social activities together. We hung out at each others houses after college and went for movies etc. I was in first year, Anil was in second year and Rupesh was in third year. Anil though very tall and heavy would give any lean dancer a run for his money. He danced with high voltage energy levels. Anil used to call me his little guinea pig. As he studied Psychology he needed constant bakras to haul up and take to his HOD as subjects. I always became his bakri. I used to go with him as a subject in our college as well as Mumbai University, Kalina Campus for his Masters Degree. All his Psycho- Friends (read those who studied MA in Psychology) became my pals. We both had a very bad habit of breaking into long sporadic laughing spurts. He was my DAD in our serious college drama and we broke into giggles at nothing and would not stop soon. So much so that our Director had a tough time controlling us. One afternoon we both sat on a bench on Vidyavihar station and started talking in weird noises ( read in a voice that resembled the noise that comes when a record player gets stuck)so much so drawing the attention and curiosity of the by-standers. Anil had a vast female following and we even betted if he would become the rose king of the year!! We always addressed each other as Kaminey and Kamini!! All three of us used to go and sit at Nariman Point and talk about where we wanted to take our lives! Anil always wanted to go Mollywood to try his luck. But now he is a HR professional. I guess that still gives him a scope to try his acting skills. Hahaha. Except for Rupesh, I think none of us got what we wanted!!! But I guess it’s all a part of the game!! hehehe

Hurriedly I dialed his number and guess what it rang!!! Anil picked up and after doing a lot of TP I told him who I was. It had been 6 long years and life had changed its tracks. I could sense the happiness in his voice. He told me how even he had tried to get in touch with me. We jabbered for almost an hour about his shifting of house, his career with Citi Bank, his fiancé, his x-girlfriends, his family, myself etc. It was absolutely gr8 to get in touch with you @Nil- Hope we never loose touch now!!!!

It is so kewl to find a old friend again by a strange stroke of luck!!! : )

The Haunted Heart!



Time is trying hard…Fading your worthless memories
Trying to heal my wounds perhaps…

But how will it delete the sorrow
That’s etched painfully on my heart?

For years it shall remain constant and depositing
Like a self-inflicted burden on the soul

Bringing to life with every moment of truth
The ghosts of yesterday from the Graves of our past………

-By Me

Monday, September 7, 2009

Emotional Baggage!




Dust away the magnificence of your lost love
And the remainder shall take you by surprise
It will take some time before you decide
Was it really worth what it claimed after all?
Chunk by chunk, piece by piece depleting your life
Snap, brood and the fragility becomes even more conspicuous

There lies among other chaotic paraphernalia
Almost mortal inter-dependence
Broken shards of trust
Foot-trampled self-worth
Dead weeds of lust
Charred remains of loneliness

Among all that command their existence,
Lies the absolute absence of belongingness
All this unwanted excess baggage
Created, Circulated & Carried
for a painstakingly long distance
by the emotional fool called YOU


By Me!

My First Best Friend- Jacky!

Friendship Sonnet

When to the session of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death¹s dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancelled woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish¹d sight:
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.

by William Shakespeare



Circa 1988

The other day I was at home in Thane, my brother took me near the burial grounds where my very first best friend - Jacky was laid to rest. Can’t believe it has been 8 long years since he passed away. Every memory of his is fresh in my mind. Just 6 months after my Grandma passed away, Jacky left for heavenly abode on 21st Jan, 2002. I and my brother both have always missed him and have never treated him as gone because he just went away physically. We have always felt his presence in our rough times and in our happiness. It is practice that we follow my brother and I, we seek his blessings along with god because we know he is watching us. I have constantly addressed Jacky as a Him and not it. It is a deliberate attempt because Jacky was more like a Human than animal. And because the bond that we shared was that of two great friends.

I was 5 years old at that time- badly wanted to visit the loo and was tugging my Mom ( my nemesis of that time- my younger bro was still a lot smaller than the whopping 6ft 1inches he is now and only a few days old in this world ) to take me to the nearest place where I could relive myself..my grandparents house. My grandfather saw me approaching his house from his favorite swing in the balcony and waved at me excitedly to come up and said there was a surprise for me. I ran upstairs only to be baffled by the BOW WOW sounds coming from behind the door. As the door opened, I was thrilled to see this beautiful 5-6 month year old pup with killer looks, golden & white fur and eyes that spelt the color and warmth of golden- red embers.

Not that I was head-over heels in love with him in my first meeting. In fact we started off on a terrible note. He was a tad bit hostile towards me and was restrained with a chain around his neck. But I remember clearly I wanted to stay with him. I remember I was staring at him for a long time..and was reluctant to leave my newfound object of curiosity. I had clearly never seen a dog as beautiful as him and I still maintain my stance till this day. Being a cross breed, his mom hailing from a rich Alsatian family and his father a stray( Sounds like filmy love story) he had qualities that encompassed the best of both worlds. When it came to naming him….he was called JACKIE, a very common name for Dogs back in 1988(I knew atleast 2 other Jackie’s of those times). Everyday after school I used to go to my grandparents place, to find him barking hysterically at me as if not liking my presence at all.( He absolutely hated sharing my grandparent’s attention with me). Then slowly because of my interest in him and partly because of the delicious biscuits I gave him we became best of mates. I even remember emulating him by drinking milk like him from a plate. We were very close, because we both were growing up together. I remember at many times I shared with him my teenage sorrows with him and he staring in a distance out of the grill like a keen listener and even licking my face when I would cry. Even at a tender age I knew this was a bond that would last a lifetime.

Jacky and I loved to go on long walks together. I remember I could man him from a very early age and we would go together to run errands. In fact, I felt proud when I was along with him. People-kids-aunties used to stop on the road to admire his beauty. Jacky used to love kids- kids of all ages, when let loose in the park he would play with them but never bite anyone. I was the only one whom he had bitten 3 times. Entirely my fault, I agree because of my naughtiness I had pulled his whiskers or tail and had landed in trouble. But there was something about him, this aggressive friend of mine used to feel guilty for biting me. He used to lie low and refrain from food (even if it was his favorite non-veg) for 2-3 days and would come back wagging his tail to me with a look that said “ I AM SORRY. Now please forgive me and let’s have some delicious biscuits…..I am very hungry). I clearly remember his steel round biscuit box where his special biscuits lay. We would immediately burry the hatchet and be the best of pals that we were.

Once when I was about 9 years old and Jacky about 4, my grandma was giving me food in the kitchen when we heard a “Bachao Bhacao” sound coming from the Bedroom. We were surprised to hear a male voice as we were the only ones in the house at that time. We rushed to see what was wrong and saw Jacky pouncing on a man with a hammer in his hand near the main Shelf. We quickly assessed what had happened and called for help. The guy admitted that he was the building painter and had wandered in thru the balcony with an intention of robbing the house. He did not know that this home had a dog. And boy a ferocious one at that! I sometimes wonder what would have happened to us, if Jacky wasn’t there for our rescue that day. Jacky had all the human qualities an animal would ever have. Not only was he very loyal he was very possessive about his things. Though a very friendly dog Jacky hated strangers coming to my grandpa’s house and touching our stuff. He hated the cable guy even worse and tore his shirt once for touching our tv. Whenever our uncle used to hang us by our legs upside down playfully, Jacky would jump on him till the time we were let go. He absolutely adored us! Whenever we went on an outdoor picnic in my uncle’s car or bus he used to always sit beside me and put his head out of the window and peek outside. He loved feeling the breeze on his face. Whenever alerted “Ketaki has come” he used to go to the door and wait for me to arrive. He was a highly alert dog and hated staying alone at home. I remember my angry young friend had once torn all the newspapers in anguish because he was left alone.

Jacky was a very energetic dog and loved playing with rubber bushings from my Uncle’s cars rather than red rubber balls. He loved hunting Mice and helped my uncle in tracing them. Jacky used to kill the mice but he never ate them. Taking Jacky to a vet was an experience in itself. He would put up a tantrum or two during his vet visits and had to be muzzled. My brave friend used to cry at the sight of his vet and the big syringe of his vaccination. He would then be angry on us for taking him there and would lie low for a day before barking his way back to his ebullient original self. We would love to give him baths. But trust me he hated it. I still have the smell of his wet fur polished with clean and clear shampoo lingering in my nose. He used to look so vulnerable and dangerous both at the same time with his wet fur. Finally when he was all dry he used to look amazing and clean. I and my grandma used to take out the lice from his body (Which he would have imported form his stray frinds) and he would allow us to do that only on his terms. We had to show him the lice before putting them away. He used to smell it first and then allow us to throw it. Even if he had to puke, he was so considerate that he would go and do it only in the Balcony to spare my grandma the horror of cleaning it in the house. Jacky used to them go down and eat some grass to help him feel better.

Jacky was a typical male. He atleast had 5 girlfriends in our locality but his favorite was a black and white female stray. If Jacky went missing for more than a couple of hours we knew where to find him. J Infact many times I used to play with him, I used to give him a gender bender by getting him all dolled up by applying talcum powder, a small bindi on his forehead (Which this intelligent friend of mine used to remove with his paw) and he used to look so cute with it and a duppata draped around his head. I used to tie ribbons around his neck and tail and trust me he hated it. It is as if he always knew all this was meant for sissy dogs and he was a MAN. When indulged in fights he would bravely fight for his women and scorn at other fellows by gritting his molars and making fierce growling sounds. He used to get hurt but he never used to give up.

We practically grew up together- he saw me through my KG Years, Primary, secondary, high school and college days. My grandpa called me oneday to tell Jacky was very sick and old and he had gone down but was unable to climb up the stairs. Even my uncle and grandpa tried getting him up but could not. I was apprehensive of hurting him but slowly I picked him up and he climbed the stairs on his hind legs and waited in intervals. I was surprised how at ease he felt with me and was ready to come up with me because he felt I could be trusted.

Jacky passed away a few days after that. I was not with him at that time. I was away in college. This is something that I will regret all my life. My brother called me to tell me the fatal news. I was very disturbed. I had lost my soul mate. We had spent nearly 15 years of precious time together. He had been there for me in my every joy and sorrow. And now he was gone. But before going he instilled me with something very precious. He taught me to be compassionate for his kind. I learnt to love all animals. He was the one who increased my affinity towards animals. I came to know that animals are selfless-beings who love you back with unconditional love only because of him.

Jacky is the very reason behind my interest in helping out those who don’t have a voice!

Jacky is woven integrally in my childhood and adolescence memory. He was my first best friend….and he will always be remembered and his presence will always be cherished.


Jacky, I miss you direly dear……..




Circa Mid 1990's

Naive!




Sweet, shy, coy smiles are deceptive
And so is the sound of intelligent silence
They will take your numbness for granted
For they will drill a hole in your scattered heart
And out shall ooze pangs of profound pain

Releasing anguish; much better in than out
There! Out gushes the mellifluous restrain
And rancorous words become swords of defense
Pugnacious sanctity goes to doldrums
Much guarded assertiveness transforms into a sin
Lack of peace breaks loose its maddening havoc….

And you stand all alone & cornered.
Far away from what according to them is “acceptable”
And the world fiercely stares at you
And laughs vociferously in your face
“This one!” they cruelly point out…..
“Must pay the price for being too Naïve all his life”

- By Me!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Heartfelt!

The following song keeps on playing back to back in my MP3 player continuously these days. I love this song for some strange reason.It has been penned down by Kavi Grace and sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Its the flavour of the month for me. At times the kind of music one chooses determines the mood of the listener or rather elevates it. All I know is this song pulls some chords in my heart!! Call it some strange Music Therapy.......

Bhay ithle sampat nahi..." (kavi grace)
भय इथले संपत नाही...मज तुझी आठवण येते...
मी संध्याकाळी गातो...तू मला शिकविली गीते...
हे झरे चंद्र सजणांचे, ही धरती भगवी माया
झाडांशी निजलो आपण, झाडांत पुन्हा उगवाया
त्या वेळी नाजूक भोळ्या, वारयाला हसवून पळती
क्षितीजांचे तोरण घेऊन, दारावर आली भरती
तो बोल मंद हळवासा आयुष्य स्पर्शुनी गेला
सीतेच्या वनवासातील जणू राघव शेला
देऊळ पलिकडे तरीही, तुज ओंजळ फुटला खांब
थरथरत्या बुबूळापाशी, मी उरला सुरला थेंब
संध्येतील कमल फ़ुलासम, मी नटलो श्रृंगाराने
देहाच्या भवती रिंगण, घालती निळाईत राने
स्त्रोत्रात इंद्रिये अवघी, गुणगुणती दु:ख्ख कुणाचे
हे सरता संपत नाही, चांदणे तुझ्या स्मरणाचे
ते धुके अवेळी होते, की परतायची घाई
मेंदुतून ढळली माझ्या, निष्पर्ण तरुंची राई

Saturday, August 15, 2009

My Birthday Cakes!!!














Thanks a ton everyone for all your love and my favourite chocolate cakes!! : )

Monday, August 3, 2009

His Home!



Date: 25th July, 2009
Time: 6:45 pm
Venue: Balgandharva Rangamandir Campus, Pune

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest”
- Robert Montgomery

The Door to Happiness!





Date: 29th July, 2009
Time: 6:45 pm
Venue: Ram Mandir,Tulsi Baug, Pune



When one door closes...keep yourself in senses......somewhere a new one opens up.......

Let The Celebrations Begin............



Date: 29th July, 2009
Time: 5:40 pm
Venue: Tulsi Baug, Pune

Decking up the Gods.....Here the Tulsi Baug Ganpati Bappa getting ready for the hordes of crowds that come all over India to visit Him.....









Date: 29th July, 2009
Time: 6:05 pm
Venue: Tulsi Baug, Pune


Beautiful Gauris......





Date: 29th July, 2009
Time: 6:15 pm
Venue: Tulsi Baug, Pune


Lamps...Lights..Colors and Brightness....



Date: 31st July, 2009
Time: 5:45 pm
Venue: Narayan Peth, Pune


Charriot of the God.........




Date: 3rd August, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm
Venue: Omkareshwar Mandir, Pune

Girl Band Practising Dhol- Tashe For festivities.
This photo was taken by me after doing a lot of catastrophic stunts by jumping on a Parafit of the building against the temple and by the bridge. I guess the end result speaks volumes for itself...

Saturday, July 25, 2009

I love!

I grabbed this book on compilations of poems by Vikram Seth called "All you who sleep tonight" from the British Library, Pune. This is the title poem and one of my favourite poems ever. Whenever I read this poem it reminds me of the ordeal of people like me who stay far from their homes and on their own.

All You who Sleep Tonight

All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love,
No hand to left or right
And emptiness above -

Know that you aren't alone
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years.


- By Vikram Seth

Sepia Tone!



We see the world in the colors of our convenience

No, not by an ethereal chance, more so by a deliberate choice……….

When we are happy, it seems to be all white and bright

And when sadness creeps in, it turns out to be black and dark

Nothing lasts forever, neither time nor situations

Yet we crave for it to be dazzling when in gloom

And spend half of our lives fearing the shadows when it is sunny

While we live and emote in a mechanical world where our perceptions

Are ruled ruthlessly by the despotism of the colors Black and White,

We miss out on the real intangible color of life...

An altering mosaic painted with the hue of bliss and melancholy,

……Cast in a two toned shade of an esoteric sepia grey!!!

........By Me!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Mutant Jaswanda........


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 12:45 pm
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

This was a huge Jaswanda flower....much bigger than the ones that we normally get...

Divorced!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 12:45 pm
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

So Near yet So Far.........

Color Me Red!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 11:54 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

The brightest of them all.....

Bouganvellieas!

Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 11:45 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon








The beauty of Bouganvellieas.........

God of small beings!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 10:45 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

The resting place of an abandoned God........

Swaying Grass!!

Time: 10:45 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon
Date: 19th July, 2009



Luv, Luv kari pata.........



The beauty of small white grass flowers.........

Plush: Fresh shades of green!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 10:45 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

A color so vibrant....and so full of life

The Silence of the Gong!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 10:45 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon


The Gong awaiting the call of time!

Mesmerised!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 10:45 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

Mesmerised: Curious Sun-rays peeping in through a tree!

The Forbidden fruit!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 10:50 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

This was a strange looking fruit but was compelling enough to increase my curiosity!

The Afterlife!


Date: 19th July, 2009
Time: 10:45 am
Venue: Shrinagri Campus,Talegaon

Beautiful: In full bloom or without

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Back To College!


I am back to college after a sabatical of 3 looooong years(I completed my My Masters degree in 2006) and its definitely exciting to be a student again expecially of a reputed Institution like Symbiosis. Am looking forward for all the fun activities that await me. Of course that means a curb on my lovely liesure filled evenings, regular reading books will now be replaced with study materials, visists to friends and family will reduce drastically. I will have to practically juggle my personal, proffessional and educational life. But thats ok. Am ready to take this added responsibility head on!!!.....Am Soooooo Excited!!!!

: )

Is the Reason to Die Good Enough?


The other day I was browsing thru some of my old School Photographs. Its been 10 long years since I left School. And I spotted a friend. She was a very talented singer and was so intelligent that the school expected her to bag a rank in the merit list. This however did not happen. We met again in XI when we studied at Karnavat Coaching Classes. This girl who was so talented, plunged to her death from her terrace just because she couldn't fare well in her CA Entrance when we were in our First Year B. Com. I am sure it was an impulsive decision. How can someone just give away their life for one trivial bad experience. What I learnt much later was many people are driven to the point of no return and take such random decisions every single day. This is one of My Poems in an effort to change the mind of at least One such person who is on the verge of self-destruction. Because even though life may not please us always but it is a precious gift. No pain or person is deserving enough to sacrifice ones life for. The poem is in 5 parts. Each part symbolizes a different thought process!

This one is dedicated to you my Late Friend! So Long.......

Is the Reason to Die Good Enough?

His Story: Failure
His grades topped him in the high school
And the burden of expectations grew
manifold on him after that…
His marks became the object of his family’s pride
His parent’s beaming ego went on a complete joy ride
But due to his negligence his grades plummeted
And when he flunked his engineering entrance
With dashed hope and the pain of failure being unbearable
He could not meet them but more importantly himself in the eye
And he felt it was a reason good enough for him to die
One morning without anybody’s notice
He plunged to his death from his family home
His home- the place where once his presence
was celebrated was now cast under a pall of gloom
His parents who were left less shocked and more ashamed
Will regret the pressure they put on him all their life
But what was the use to contemplate their actions now
Its better that they swallow their grief and heave a sigh!
For their doomed peer pressure
Spelt a reason good enough for him to die



Her Story: Heart Break
She had everything that could set the ball rolling…
Beauty, intelligence, confidence, education and all
She have had always so many people around her
Waiting to be-friend her for her kindness and charm
Her down to earth sweet demeanor left impressed one and all
She was a different person until she met him in that fall
He floored her with his compassion and swooned her with the beauty of his tall claims
He showed her pink dreams of love and laced them with golden promises of marriage
She drooled over her knight in shining armour
Thought he was the one to bail her out when she was a damsel in distress
Little did she know that he was the guy who would leave her happy heart in a wreck
And walk off to be a prince of someone new, to be with somebody else..
And this was a reason potent enough for her to die
She cried incessantly for she thought nothing worth living was left anymore
She wondered what a fool she was to believe someone
Who could easily breach her trust and forget her instantly like she never existed atall
Then she decided she was too innocent to survive in this cunning world
She sang of Juliet and drank a venomous drink to forever cease her pain
Her prince is happy with his life now….has his new princess in his tow
Her pain and suffering is dead and so is she!
For her ripped to shreds broken heart
accorded her a reason good enough to die

The aftermath


For Him: Coward

He is dead now…He will not return
He will have no opportunity to undo what’s done
He will not see the smile of his loved ones
He will not be a reason to be their pride
No…not any longer
He could have given his life a reprimanding of sort
He could have fared better the next time
Now there is no next time
No…Not any longer
His parents hide their tear-dried face
For every time someone stares at them
They say, these are the people who gave birth to a coward
Who cracked up for one fickle failure which was under his control
When he could have easily given himself another chance…but is it possible now
No…Not any longer



For Her: Futile
She is asleep, her slumber is beyond the recall of time
And she wont get up even if her prince comes by
What was it that she derived out of this reckless abandon of life
A proof of how true her love was or an evidence of sheer cowardice
She couldn’t bear living without someone
Someone whom she never understood that she was better off without
Why give up something as precious as ones life
For someone who doesn’t care even an ounce for it otherwise
If she had wallowed her pain and healed her heart
And lived to see a beautiful day……..
Her life wouldn’t have been a tragedy
but a story of will and strength..
She gave her life for him…
For someone who thought nothing more of it but “Futile”


The Thought: Escapism
Both He and She sought solace in the arms of death
When they could have done so much more…
Instead of turning a deaf ear to the call of life…
They thought these reasons were good enough to die
Because for them
Giving up was much easier than hanging on…………….

Friday, July 10, 2009

Life's Big Lesson in a Small Scoop! 9






Elephant the Management Guru!


Date: 5th July, 2009
Time: 7:45 pm
Venue: Gokhale Road Naupada,Thane


Are you perplexed with the Tittle? Are you taxing your brains thinking about the connection between this Mammoth and Management? Allow me to explain.
I had always heard that Elephants are very intelligent animals. But have you ever seen an Elephant practising Management? This Elephant seems to have all the qualities of a Management Guru. I will tell you why!! : )
Foreword: It collected coins and notes on the tip of his trunk and would give it up to the Mahout only when a substantial amount was collected to avoid taking pains by raising his trunk consecutively again and again. This shows that the Elephant was a Smart Worker and not just a Hard Worker. But it got swayed when it saw someone giving him Bananas. He lost his focus, gave whatever coins he collected to the Mahout and continued to binge on the Bananas. One Man just pretended to give him something to eat but never gave it to the Elephant. The Elephant however gave all the coins to the Mahout.

Now what are the lessons that we learn from this Elephant.

1. Keep some cards in your hands, do not divulge all. You rule the roost till the time you are the sole party to whats IMPORTANT.
2. Be a smart worker and not just a hard worker. Gone are the days to slog. It is time to be proactive and plan strategic moves. Foresight, initiative, innovation, interpersonal skills and Plan B are the new found key words.
3. It is good to focus on something and treat it as significant but if a fruitful(literally in this case : ) opportunity comes along you may switch your streams to be part of the High Tide.
4. There are people who show us Gajjar( banana in this case hehe) but that might just be a facade and you might end up loosing out on what you had in your hands in the first place.
5. Every situation is different and it is necessary to contemplate the pros and cons of every action and act accordingly. One way of reacting might not necessarily fit the bill for all the circumstances. Your thought process needs to be fluid.

Isn't it weird but wonderful how people, places, animals and our surroundings have a lesson or two to teach. We just need to observe them closely and decode the hidden meanings and apply them in the due course of our lives.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

New York! My View!


Owing to the sheer scarcity of films due to the distributors strike over the last 2 months and due to a pressing urge to relieve our stressed sensory nerves (Translate: fu@#$d up brains) by indulging into some mindless melodrama, we forced ourselves to make a not so difficult choice (Read : Obvious) of choosing New York over Paying Guest. So on a relaxed lazy Sunday afternoon we (Me and my groupies) took our seats at E-square, Pune. Some what groggy eyed(due to the heavy lunch) and somewhat due to the dim lighting conditions along with the comfort(Aahhhh read AC, completely non-existent in my hostel). We were just stepping in the Cinema hall when we all got the same message from our dear friend Shreyans. Let me quote him in his very own sms vocab,”John is d terrorist n he dies along with Katrina.neil mukesh beign fbi undr cover agent. Neil tks care of john n katrina’s child in d end…NJOY D MUVIE NEWYORK” Yeah Shreyans thanks for being so pro-active to disclose the story to us already. What fools were we to spend our hard earned 150 bucks on Tickets we would have might as well heard the whole story for free from you. (Warning: Please stay put wherever you are coz we are going to tug you by your lapels and are going to take back every ounce of our hard-earned money. And yeah thanks once again for killing the suspense)
After a lot of cursing and swearing. We finally settled down to watch the movie. So the credits started rolling and we saw the most beautiful views of the sky scrappers in New York. As the film advanced you spot the gullible Omar targeted by the FBI under the pretext of a hoax terrorism charge. FBI’s game is to make Omar work as a under cover agent to breach the fool-proof plan of John Abraham who allegedly runs a terrorist sleeper cell in New-York. Then there is a 45 mins flash back of “ sweet as candy” good ol’ days. Where one spots the regular ingredients of Yash Raj banner – there is a lot of dosti And pyar, ishq aur mohabbat on the campus of the New York State University. Omar, Maya and Sameer played perfectly well by Niel, Katrina and John are college mates and are enjoying the crisp & beautiful years of University life. Then there is a love triangle thrown in. No prizes for guessing who's the object of admiration.NO! its not John we are past his Dostana days already. And boy we prefer it that way ; )

Ok. SO Omar successfully plants himself in the family with an underlying agenda only to prove the FBI otherwise. We are soon made to believe that Sameer is leading a very straight-laced life until a sudden and well executed twist reveals he is actually undertaking terrorist activities(Thanks to the forsaken SMS we were not surprised atall). So Omar plays accomplice even though has to shoot one of the traitors to prove his loyalty. FBI Agent Roshan played to the hilt by Irfan Khan has some interesting sequences in the film.

Katrina looks like the quintessential baby doll. Whats worth noticing apart from her beauty is the level of improvement that her language and expression shows. There are many close-ups in the films and very emotionally charged scenes but Ms. Kaif performs fairly good than her other films( See Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya to understand the progression in her acting skills by leaps and bounds : )It was also very cute to see her play mommy dearest. Omar continuously undergoes a battle for his purpose behind deceiving his friends. Especially after Sameer tells him about how he was imprisoned post the 9/11 on no strong proof for his involvement in the terrorist activity. The atrocities hat are rendered on these suspects are extremely grotesque and are completely heart-wrenching. This forms a background and gives the raison d’tre for Sameer’s inclination towards such hard arm tactics. At that moment the audience starts sympathizing with Sameer. Then there is an alternate track of Zilgae who Maya is trying to help legally and emotionally as a human rights activist. We also see him killing an NYPD officer because he practically molests Maya in an attempt to search her. Omar together with Maya try to get a commitment from the FBI for Sameer's imprisonment instead of killing him as he is planning to give up his mission. But as the end unfolds we find Sameer is going to Blow up the FBI building. Only after a long emotional diatribe we see the FBI killing both Sameer and Maya. And Omar looking after their son and forgiving Agent Roshan.

Flop Side:-

Niel and Katrina have different looks when they are in University and 7 years after. But our John seems to be looking the same.

Why does John put the Bombs outside the building? Doesn’t he know the windows are see through and people are watching him planting the bombs!! huh..

There is no indication that this is a suicide mission, then why is John on the top of the building with the remote that he actually intends to blow up?? Duh…

The musical score doesn't have much to add except for the latest radio chart buster”Junoon” ans "Mere Sang"



Flip side:


New-york is shot extremely well. And the landscape blooms beautifully in the cinematography.

The screenplay is good and fringes on the border of acceptable and believable.

The plot is tight and too the point and does not get over verbose and saggy

The best part is the film ends in 2 hours

I will definitely recommend it to be watched at least once. It's a good Masala Movie trying to highlight issues of grave importance like terrorism and human rights on the backdrop of the 9/11 tragedy and its aftermath!!

Notso Mundane Conversations! 1



A few days back Milind N and Me had an enlightening or you can say lightening conversation on the serious issue of Swine Flu. Read it below.

Milind Naphade's SMS: Do you know the symptoms of Swine Flu plz tell me? I think I have got it.

My Reply: Yeah there are 3 Symptoms
1. You start hating pork for some strange reason
2. You start falling in love with the lil piggie "babe" from Babe in the City. And you get this non-curbable fetish to watch the movie again and again.
3. You start SMSing your friends frantically to know the symptoms of swine flu

Dost I think you are infected.


Milind Naphade's SMS:
LOL.

Monday, June 29, 2009

I Like!

Saurabh's Status on Gtalk reads the following

Tough Times Never Last....But Tough People Do...So Will I!


Way to Go!

The Happiness!

I appreciate good things like

I never did before

And the smallest act of the kindness

In my heart is restored

The earlier you realise the better

Because forgiving is easier

forgetting is very difficult

-By Me!

The Realization!

Of all that exist

Love is the most fickle emotion

Dubious effervescence leaves us blind-folded

And we forget that trust is a cursed virtue

Hardly followed but easily broken

Love accords us beautiful dreams

And when it goes it snatches our peace

Shattering our world and

Leaving our heart as arid as a deserted land




-By Me

The Silence!

Something has somehow stirred inside

And has raised a quiet storm

Words have become priceless

Silently wisdom observes it all

Before it allows me to talk

And takes a moment before

The new-found meanings sink-in


-By Me


The Change!

I stare at me,

The mirror never lies

I see it, I see a change

I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise

Mocking at me in my face

It stands there claiming

flamboyantly to be for my best

Ruthlessly uprooting the

foundations of my most

endearing “I”


- By Me

Friday, June 26, 2009

A Pink Tribute to the Icon of Popular Culture!



Date: 25th June, 2009
Time: 5:45 pm
Venue: Mr. Amrut Purandare's Office at Deccan, Pune

Its always a pleasure listening to Amrut Sir on art, real stories and life. May be I will dedicate these pink periwinkles to the Late Michael Jackson! May his soul rest in peace!

The Blues!


Date: 19th June, 2009
Time: 6:50 pm
Venue: Balgandharva Bridge, Pune

Its so beautiful by the river when the evening melts away into night! A strange shade of Blue sprawls around. And the lights pop up one by one like eager children waiting for the Candy Man!

My City!


Date: 29th May, 2009
Time: 7:26 pm
Venue: Parvati, Pune

The City I love!

Endless Wait!




Date: 29th May, 2009
Time: 7:19 pm
Venue: Parvati, Pune


Kahin door jab din dhal jaye, sanjh ki dulhan badan churaye......

Cement Chaos: Urban Jungle with Green Patches



Date: 29th May, 2009
Time: 7:10 pm
Venue: Parvati, Pune

Pune the way I see it!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Rain: A Young Lover's Song!!


Is that you? Really have you finally come?

I stare in stark dis-belief as I hear you arrive in all your onomatopoeic regale

You wake me up with your grunting and growling….disturbing the silence of the mordant night....

Slowly I hear the same familiar pitter-patter on turpentine roof-tops

Displaying the grandiose beginning of a young lover’s song.



The strong enforcing fragrance of wet soil lingers on

When you hit the dust for the first time…….

From far and beyond like from a distant dreamland

You have arrived to quench the thirst of the parching earth

Exhibiting the deep satisfaction of a young lover’s song.



I see the trees.....they are happy now……..

They have got rid of their sun-dried leaves

The new bloom, awaits your sprinkling fall

To express their gratitude they sway and dance in your love

Infusing the novel freshness of a young lover’s song.



The birds are all perched on their nests

Trying to protect their young ones from your thunder-storm

But still they spread their folded wings and around they fly

Exhorting the feeling of pure mirthful joy

Releasing the true freedom of a young lover’s song.



I am trying to acclimate my best to keep pace with your changing moods

And I still wonder why you have arrived so late this year……….

You hear me rhetoric….. You just smile….I hear a distant thunder….may be it is your reply?

You suddenly stop and then start again catching me completely off guard

Soaking me in the playfully flirtatious nature of a young lover’s song.



By Me!