Book Review : 2 States : The story of my marriage :)

Its been long since I wrote something.I have off late been in a wandering thought process.Lots to do where work is concerned but still some thoughts,weaving their tales at the back of my mind.Anticipation,anxiety which doesn't seem to die.Overlapping thoughts which seem so muddled up that one single thought cannot be picked up explicitly.



In this wierd frame of mind,I happened to read the hot favourite '2 States' which has somehow left an influence on every couple dating or non-dating.The reason why this book has done so well is because it has connected with the masses,youngsters and even married couples who recall their days of convincing the girl's side or the boy's mother.Certain parts in the book are so true especially Krish's cousin's marriage in Delhi which is so typically 'Delhi',the line about '3 things what guys live for',Dolly the Delhi girl and the detailed description of her mother and how she flaunts her petrol pumps,the part where Ananya slams Duke of being a looser being one of my favourite parts.

But apart from the amazingly funny one liners and the dry sarcasm to set someone rolling,lies a message which the author says in his subtle way.......that love doesn't lie in the boundaries of religion.It lies in the simple fact that two people who love each other..want to be with each other...and do not know each other as a Hindu or a Christian or a Parsi or a Malyali.When someone makes a friend,he or she makes a friend for the soul reason that they connect with each other,can share everything with each other like no one else.So why not the same while choosing a partner?Why are we bounded in these chains which hold value only on a spirtual level.

Its not stars,horoscopes,color and race but interests,feelings and attachments which should matter more in today's world.Where the divorce rates seem to peak higher and higher,people have lost the connection with their loved ones for the very sad reason that they never connected,even though their horoscopes were a perfect match.

This book is more importantly written for the parents of our country rather than the children to tell them that we don't want to go against you and do something but rather convince you so that you too will add to this happiness......The reason being that 'We love You'.

Now lemme be honest, I'm not a huge fan of Chetan Bhagat! I didn't like 3 mistakes at all...reading 3 mistakes was one of the many mistakes of my life :P I liked fps though....But this one is worth a look :)

Reverence :)

A singular thought transfixed.
While at that moment it is the truth.
Why every breath mixed
In love and warmth its root?

Fervour in a fit of passion
Or is it a desire for oneness.
Humble, quiet compassion
In life and act and fairness

Revered is that holy sight,
I did see from my cradle.
And in that ever guiding light,
I did build my mettle.

Upon that warm hand
That rested on my shoulder.
Upon that sacred band
That bound us together.

A singular thought of selflessness
Transfixed within my mind.
While, as I approach that stillness
With you I shall bind.

P.S : Comments invited :)

Right as Rain

On rainy days, everybody lives.

And even if you’re in the foreign-est and loneliest of places, you won’t feel it so much on a rainy day. Because such days are pretty much the same no matter where you go. Or maybe because, such days tend to make you kind of stupid and contemplative anyway, in that if you’re at home on a rainy day then you want to be somewhere else, out in the rain, with nothing to stop you from getting wet. But if you’re out there in the rain with nothing stopping you from getting wet, all you want is to be home and dry.

In any case, what I want to say is pretty trivial, and I shall keep it that way - Rainy day memories are mostly eternal and universal. It’s probably been this way forever, but it was only just now that I noticed how I unconsciously equate a wet day with carefully chosen recollections only. I mean, even if there’ve been thousands of rainy days I’ve lived through, I can still count off my fingers the ones I carry around most clearly in my head.

Here are my top recollections. For all I know, they may change tomorrow. But as on 22nd September (Tom Felton's b'day...Bless him), 2 days after I turn 18 (Yippee!!) rainy days remind me of these:

1) A lot of ‘96 and ‘97 rainy days, I have spent on my grandparents’ bed in Amalapuram and Warangal. Hardly napping. Instead, it was on some of such days that I read my first comic, discovered the legendary “Coffee bite” chocolate, listened to their stories, learned that my grandma’s purse was a treasure trove of Vicks Tablets and got used to her snores. This ranks among one of my top rainy day memories – not the stuff I did, nor my grandparents. Just the general ambiance of their room.

2) The classroom with the tub of multi coloured umbrellas in the corner, and the umbrella shopping trips. This was during the years ‘98 – ‘99. In general, nothing beats the awesome-ness of Mumbaiya rains. Also, how I hated coming back in those packed jhunds after school ended, just due to the thought of walking by so close to those dirty, muddy and wet boys of my class.

3) The swarm of earthworms that came out of their holes after every rain in Mumbai (’96, mostly). And how the crazy boy on top of our house went around sprinkling salt on them (he probably didn’t realize he was killing them by doing that), to decide which of them would go to heaven and which of them to hell*. He was also the first boy ever to have been slapped by me :P

4) “The Photograph” – my most favourite Ruskin Bond short story ever!

5) Monkeys, music, coffee and Parul– Indore‘08 :)

6) Endless talks about envying a friend who still gets a chance to enjoy those heavenly downpours in Mumbai even after not living there for around 3 years - August‘09 :P

A pretty lame list, I probably agree. Still, this is how it is with me right now. Someday, I shall possibly be reminded of the day I spent in the forgotten land of Mashobra exchanging life stories with Sherpas, or doing photography in the Amazon forest, or discovering Hogwarts in some architectural ruin . Till then, I live with these. And wait for other memories which I already have with me, but have not yet sunk in, to replace them.

And listen to other people’s own recollections, and trick myself into believing that the most fascinating of those actually happened with me

And learn fully how to work on Linux :-/

* The Heaven-Hell theory is best not disclosed here. The last thing I want is to make this post disgusting [:P]

Cheers.

Valentine's Day Proposal from a five year old

Ever since I am in love with you,
You’re in my mind more than Barbie.
While I play with my dolls,
In them, it’s your face I see.

When I play ghar ghar,
I want you to be my husband,
When I pretend to be Barbie,
I want you to be Ken...

I love you more than my last chocolate,
I love you more than ice cream
Swinging with you in my jhula,
Is my only dream...

So, will you come and
Share your last chocolate with me...
I will wait for you till dark,
Coz after that, Mom says home I have to be...

PS: Valentine’s day always talks about love between two grown ups...so I having no work wondered how would a kid talk about love...and posted this...hope u like it :)

Author's note :
It's been pretty long since I blogged. Been too busy doing nothing, I guess ;)
Anyways...These are the newest members of my collection of poems (dumb piece of shit, I know!) Thought of sharing it with you people :D

To All My Friends...

Sometimes it happens in life,
That the world feels dark and dreary,
When all the paths feel lonely,
When everything goes cold and scary...

When uncertainty fills your heart,
When you feel really low,
Just think of me my dear friend
I will be there for you!

Bring a little smile on your face,
Because worrying is of no use
It is ok if the fight is gone,
The war my friend we won’t lose.

We will achieve success in life,
We will fly really high
We will touch such heights
We will leave behind the sky!

There is no other way life can go,
Our success dear friends is inevitable,
We shall conquer the world one day
For we truly are capable!

Let us give it all my friends,
And achieve our goals in life,
Let us always be happy,
No matter what the strife!

Authors Note:

Dedicated to all my worried friends

Thank you for everything!

Answer one question to yourself truthfully. How many of you, at this moment feel that everything is right with your life? Do you feel that life has been fair to you? Do you think that God has been kind to you? Do you feel that you are very lucky?


I guarantee you that if hundred people read this blog (hypothetically), then only five or six would answer yes to the above questions. We all feel that at some level, we deserved to have achieved more than what we have but couldn’t because of too much stress, too much work, thankless bosses, bad office, friends who don’t understand us, parents who expect too much etc etc. Despite of our innumerable talents we haven’t been provided enough. In Murphy, we all trust. Something or the other goes wrong with our life.


We all are human and it is only human to feel all this. Most of us never have even considered that what we have is more than enough to achieve our dreams if we care to believe and do it. Most of us have never made full use of our opportunities.


Well, next time you feel that life has been unfair why don’t you look at that innocent beggar child. What has he or she done except tug at your sleeve Why does he get that look of disgust from you? Or does he get a look from you at all? Or what has that child who sells you something done except disturb you from that all important newspaper article you were reading? Stupid kid, can’t even understand that your paper is running away. I am not saying you give them money, because he/she will probably blow it on drugs. He may be fully under the spell of drugs without knowing how harmful it is! Compare yourself to the kid and then say you are unlucky. You have been lucky to have parents, to have an education so that now you can read this and wonder!


Yup, I was lucky as a kid, but adulthood sucks! Is that what you are thinking? There is an acute lack of opportunity now, your boss sucks, your life sucks.


I had read a book about German concentration camps or the Holocaust five years ago. That book had such a profound impact on me, I still shudder when I think about it. Ordinary men, women and children were subjected to such horrendous atrocities, only because they were Jewish. We cannot even think of understanding what it must have been like to be separated from your whole family, knowing that you may never see them again, that they will be brutally tortured, maybe even be burnt alive. People were herded up like cattle and brutally beaten up. They were given only one flimsy garment to wear in that biting cold. Some of their insides were burnt up with harsh acids in the name of medical experiments. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be so used to starving, that the moment you have one square meal, you die of overeating. What it is like to be a small child of seven and not know what the taste sweet is like?


After I read that book I thanked God for all I have. I have everything. I have a loving family and friends and all the opportunities in the whole world. I know I have lost some loved ones, due to lack of time or distance or death but they all have had fulfilling lives and I cherish whatever memories I have with them. May all of them be happy, wherever they are.


We all complain too much. We give flimsy excuses like too much work, too much sorrow, I am too good for this etc etc. Have we ever thought that if there are Holocaust survivors who live to tell their tale, we can move mountains with what we have?

Authors Note:
Yup, this is still me writing and there is nothing wrong with me. My exams are up and I have noticed that my whole team and college tends to complain at a time like this. So, I got thinking and I wrote this. Oh, and please comment. And sorry if I was too preachy. Old habits die hard ;)

Things I love :)

It's exam time. My next exam is due another week because of elections. So, I am here. I am glad to tell you people that for a change I did well in all the exams till now. I hope to get good marks and will be thoroughly dissapointed if I don't fare well. Oh yeah!! The regular piece of shit, I know!!

It's been ages since I posted! Well, I feel nobody cares. I am not that creative. But still...When I jot down something, it's not that bad. It's worth a second look. If there are any silent admirers of my work there, I dedicate this to them. Have you seen Julie Andrews' "The Sound of Music"? There is a song in this musical...."These are the few of my favorite things". This piece is inspired from that song. I wish to add another line to the list. I love it when someone leaves a review. I've always supported healthy criticism. I don't mind being ridiculed if I've gone wrong somewhere. Now that was very rude. Yet again "my inner Bellatrix" (Thanx Sophie ;-)) wanted to come to surface and I gave her this chance. I know you people are silent admirers. I don't mind. I'm not forcing anyone to leave comments. I "know" you people read and follow this blog.

The smile of a child,
Flowers that grow wild,
A moonlit starry night,
The first ray of light,
The smell of the first rain,
The friends I gain,
A favourite song after a long time,
The melody of a wind chime,
Junk food in my favourite shop,
Seeing kids play, skip and hop,
Winning some silly contest,
Seeing the smile on Mom’s face,
Bugging someone all night,
Playing pranks all the while,
Sleeping in class and not getting caught,
When people like the gift I brought,
Laughing like all the joys are mine,
Talking till I lose track of time,
Being told that I love you,
Knowing that sorrows are few
Holding your hand and sitting just quiet,
Seeing a really beautiful sight,
Hearing that there is a holiday,
Knowing that things will go your way
Happy memories that make me smile,
All the people who are worthwhile
Someone did say it right,
Best things in life don’t cost a pie!

So....How was it? Like it? Hate it? No problem....Just tell me!! I would love it. You would indeed make my day :)