Its been a long long journey with me and this blog and I guess the time has come for us to part ways, for today is a day when, life as I had known it, changes forever.
Sometimes, we keep thinking about doing something and never end up doing it. Other times, we throw our thinking hats out of the window and just go for it. It's amazing how beautiful life can be at times..how horrific at others..
I'd like to add that this is just the end of the beginning of the adventure that is life..Someday or the other everyone realizes that its time for them to move on..I think that time has come for me now..
Cheers to all the patrons of this blog..It was only your endless support that made me sustain it for this long..I am alleviating you of your pain and granting you freedom from this torture, this very moment..
ADIOS..AMIGOS !!
Stay happy forever and ever .. :) :)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
It takes two..
Sweet drops of silence,
The venomous glint of the eyes.
Holding onto the sole saviour,
That kept them from melting away.
As he walked the road less taken,
Wondering about the endless possibilities.
The sheer brilliance of her existence,
Took him far away from reality.
The two entities were on a collision course,
Unless someone diverted their paths.
The catastrophe that lied ahead,
Left their predicament all in force.
Denial of the obvious was his crime,
The voice of his conscience was too loud.
He could not feel what his soul craved for,
Could not read what his mind wrote.
When the rendezvous finally happened,
Sparks flew off in all directions.
None could make out one from the other,
Their bittersweet fate of damnation.
The venomous glint of the eyes.
Holding onto the sole saviour,
That kept them from melting away.
As he walked the road less taken,
Wondering about the endless possibilities.
The sheer brilliance of her existence,
Took him far away from reality.
The two entities were on a collision course,
Unless someone diverted their paths.
The catastrophe that lied ahead,
Left their predicament all in force.
Denial of the obvious was his crime,
The voice of his conscience was too loud.
He could not feel what his soul craved for,
Could not read what his mind wrote.
When the rendezvous finally happened,
Sparks flew off in all directions.
None could make out one from the other,
Their bittersweet fate of damnation.
Monday, June 8, 2009
I don't know !!
Do you know yourself,
As well as I know you?
Or do you keep contemplating,
Searching for a clue?
Confusion is your source of desperation,
An enigma of some sort.
Eccentricity is an obsession,
Naivete, your sole possession.
You come across as a wonder,
A sparkle in the still waters.
Your smile lights up the sky,
The silence takes me into a trance.
Why are you always on my mind,
Like a voice inside my head.
You speak to me in a quiet hush,
Reminding me of my fantasy.
I wish you were for real,
That you had a mortal soul.
A bloom which I could hold,
Like a petal you'd unfold.
As well as I know you?
Or do you keep contemplating,
Searching for a clue?
Confusion is your source of desperation,
An enigma of some sort.
Eccentricity is an obsession,
Naivete, your sole possession.
You come across as a wonder,
A sparkle in the still waters.
Your smile lights up the sky,
The silence takes me into a trance.
Why are you always on my mind,
Like a voice inside my head.
You speak to me in a quiet hush,
Reminding me of my fantasy.
I wish you were for real,
That you had a mortal soul.
A bloom which I could hold,
Like a petal you'd unfold.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Beast Within !!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
Life is lived in a continuous set of phases. You realize the importance of a phase only when its time to move on to the next one. While you are living out the phase that you are in, you are totally oblivious to the existence of space and time and world around you. That's just because things are so stable and move so slowly that you get seriously bored of it. Bored of it like hell.
Then, when the transition arrives, you start to realize how you did not live each moment to the fullest and how much you would love to turn back the clocks and be blissful all over again. Things, they have a habit of changing. Everything in this world has a nature of adapting to the environment and the changing surroundings. The one's who can change are the one's who survive. The rest are lost in the annals of history.
Change is something that I hate. I loathe change. I detest change. Change is always for the worse. I might be speaking the language of an ever pessimist but that's truly what I believe. Sadly for me, I too know that change is the only inevitable truth. But I just hate it when somebody tells me about it. I just hate it. Everyone knows about this fact, so why do they have to keep preaching the same old blasphemy to everyone else.
We human beings were actually supposed to be animals. What makes us different is that we have emotions and a conscience that tells us the difference between the correct and the incorrect things to do. Somehow I feel though, that being an animal is the best way to live. Everyone keeps reminding everyone else that to be successful one has to be ruthless and barbaric and all. What I make of such people is that they are not human beings. Their lust for success drives them insane and transforms them into brainless animals who are just looking for opportunities to pounce on the prey that comes first on their radar. They do reach the heights of fame, but sometimes I wonder how much they would have lost in getting there. Is everything that they have left behind worth the result that they have achieved ?
No one is genetically programmed to love and care for anyone else. Its always a physical need that drives two people closer and the society around them that puts a garb on that surreal bonding annotating it with meaningful names like relationship. Everyone in this world is living for their own self. The emotions and the feelings and the connection is all a farce. Every animal is programmed to love their offspring. Any other connection between to entities is an eyewash.
Expectation is the root cause of all misery, disappointment and anguish. Once you learn to be free of all the bonds and not expect anything from anyone, only then can you find true happiness. The redemption does not lie without, it lies within. All that one has got to do is to look for it. No one should be scared of expressing what they feel like. The only thing to remember is that when someone is expressing themselves, one should not read in between the lines. Its important to take people at their face value and believe that they mean what they say and they say what they mean. Live the life of a cynic but not that of a pessimist. Everyone in this world is going to hurt you one time or the other. Some of them are just worth the pain.
Life is lived in a continuous set of phases. You realize the importance of a phase only when its time to move on to the next one. While you are living out the phase that you are in, you are totally oblivious to the existence of space and time and world around you. That's just because things are so stable and move so slowly that you get seriously bored of it. Bored of it like hell.
Then, when the transition arrives, you start to realize how you did not live each moment to the fullest and how much you would love to turn back the clocks and be blissful all over again. Things, they have a habit of changing. Everything in this world has a nature of adapting to the environment and the changing surroundings. The one's who can change are the one's who survive. The rest are lost in the annals of history.
Change is something that I hate. I loathe change. I detest change. Change is always for the worse. I might be speaking the language of an ever pessimist but that's truly what I believe. Sadly for me, I too know that change is the only inevitable truth. But I just hate it when somebody tells me about it. I just hate it. Everyone knows about this fact, so why do they have to keep preaching the same old blasphemy to everyone else.
We human beings were actually supposed to be animals. What makes us different is that we have emotions and a conscience that tells us the difference between the correct and the incorrect things to do. Somehow I feel though, that being an animal is the best way to live. Everyone keeps reminding everyone else that to be successful one has to be ruthless and barbaric and all. What I make of such people is that they are not human beings. Their lust for success drives them insane and transforms them into brainless animals who are just looking for opportunities to pounce on the prey that comes first on their radar. They do reach the heights of fame, but sometimes I wonder how much they would have lost in getting there. Is everything that they have left behind worth the result that they have achieved ?
No one is genetically programmed to love and care for anyone else. Its always a physical need that drives two people closer and the society around them that puts a garb on that surreal bonding annotating it with meaningful names like relationship. Everyone in this world is living for their own self. The emotions and the feelings and the connection is all a farce. Every animal is programmed to love their offspring. Any other connection between to entities is an eyewash.
Expectation is the root cause of all misery, disappointment and anguish. Once you learn to be free of all the bonds and not expect anything from anyone, only then can you find true happiness. The redemption does not lie without, it lies within. All that one has got to do is to look for it. No one should be scared of expressing what they feel like. The only thing to remember is that when someone is expressing themselves, one should not read in between the lines. Its important to take people at their face value and believe that they mean what they say and they say what they mean. Live the life of a cynic but not that of a pessimist. Everyone in this world is going to hurt you one time or the other. Some of them are just worth the pain.
Monday, April 13, 2009
They Come, They Go !!
They come, they go,
Little do they know.
I am a tiny little speck,
In this great big wreck.
They come, they go,
Like water they flow.
I am next to a crumb,
All my senses are numb.
They come, they go,
Rain or shine, storm or snow.
I keep standing still,
As if in a drill.
They come, they go,
When will they ever grow.
I lend a helping hand,
To my brothers in the marching band.
They come, they go,
Will they ever be able to show.
I for one would never say never,
Only if they knew that friends are forever.
Little do they know.
I am a tiny little speck,
In this great big wreck.
They come, they go,
Like water they flow.
I am next to a crumb,
All my senses are numb.
They come, they go,
Rain or shine, storm or snow.
I keep standing still,
As if in a drill.
They come, they go,
When will they ever grow.
I lend a helping hand,
To my brothers in the marching band.
They come, they go,
Will they ever be able to show.
I for one would never say never,
Only if they knew that friends are forever.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The poison of first Love !!
A girl is lucky,
If she is a man's first love.
A man is lucky,
If he is the girl's last.
I walk this wilderness,
As lonely as a dark cloud.
There isn't a silver lining,
In the annals of my fate.
I know how it is to be in love,
As pristine and pure as it can be.
When I was possessed and obsessed,
Your comfort was a bliss.
You have chosen a new path for yourself,
I vacillate between the two extremes.
When I try to get over my past,
You hit me back with your wild innocence.
I have sulked and I have cried,
Those tears I wept were meant for you.
They helped me move on with my life,
Why does now, the past haunt you.
I wish you well, is all I wish,
As much as I am going to miss.
Those thoughts that I etched deep within,
Some memories which truly are mine.
I am trying to reason your eccentricities,
Why you laughed when you cried.
This endless search is my home,
You and me all alone.
If she is a man's first love.
A man is lucky,
If he is the girl's last.
I walk this wilderness,
As lonely as a dark cloud.
There isn't a silver lining,
In the annals of my fate.
I know how it is to be in love,
As pristine and pure as it can be.
When I was possessed and obsessed,
Your comfort was a bliss.
You have chosen a new path for yourself,
I vacillate between the two extremes.
When I try to get over my past,
You hit me back with your wild innocence.
I have sulked and I have cried,
Those tears I wept were meant for you.
They helped me move on with my life,
Why does now, the past haunt you.
I wish you well, is all I wish,
As much as I am going to miss.
Those thoughts that I etched deep within,
Some memories which truly are mine.
I am trying to reason your eccentricities,
Why you laughed when you cried.
This endless search is my home,
You and me all alone.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Romance Unlimited !!
Its been so long that I 've known you,
Now I wonder, if I really know you.
Its been so long that I 've seen you,
Now I wonder, if I ve really seen you.
When I look at your face,
My eyes just cant see anything but your eyes.
Your stare pierces my flesh like a sword,
Then you ease the pain with your smile.
I imagine a life without you,
Then I realize I am already living one.
I imagine a life with you,
And the whole world just transforms.
Pondering and contemplating is all that I do,
Someday I will be there with you.
By your side, I will be resting,
Heaven wont be far away.
I meet you and my heart starts thumping,
Reminding me of its existence.
Every single time that I see you,
My thoughts are all over the place.
May the dream come true, my sweet Lord,
Wish that I see you soon.
That one day we could be together,
Just staring at the big white moon.
Now I wonder, if I really know you.
Its been so long that I 've seen you,
Now I wonder, if I ve really seen you.
When I look at your face,
My eyes just cant see anything but your eyes.
Your stare pierces my flesh like a sword,
Then you ease the pain with your smile.
I imagine a life without you,
Then I realize I am already living one.
I imagine a life with you,
And the whole world just transforms.
Pondering and contemplating is all that I do,
Someday I will be there with you.
By your side, I will be resting,
Heaven wont be far away.
I meet you and my heart starts thumping,
Reminding me of its existence.
Every single time that I see you,
My thoughts are all over the place.
May the dream come true, my sweet Lord,
Wish that I see you soon.
That one day we could be together,
Just staring at the big white moon.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Love of the Evil !!
Optimists say that one should be glad when the worst has happened, since things can only get better from there on. Well, what do the optimists know !!
There are points in everyone's lifetime when they are so down and low that you feel that it just cannot get worse. Then suddenly the abyss that you are in, decides to give you another shocker. Deep down in that trench of darkness and gloom you realize how helpless it is to fight your fate. You realize how you are doomed to misery and grief all your life.
As soon as you accept the fact that you are a helpless soul in the middle of a deserted island, things begin to change. It is a sort of revelation that comes as a bolt from the sky. Life never ceases to surprise me. The emotion and the drama that unfolds each and every passing moment is worth every second that you breathe.
What is this life, that we have been graced with, by the God almighty, really meant for? Is it just meant for getting up everyday with a sense of hope, struggling your way the whole day and then coming back to the same dungeon at the end of the day licking your wounds from the battles you fought all day long. Is it a routine that we are supposed to follow or is there some message in all this. Does He want us to break free and wander in search of the ultimate truth, the treasure of absolute happiness.
When you surrender to your destiny, the game that unfolds is quite a marvel. They say that life is lived every moment. Every moment should be cherished and made worth remembering. Satisfaction comes not to those who chase it, but to those who have become oblivious to the fact that it even exists. Human beings were meant to be depressed souls searching for gratification all their lives, not knowing the fact that the sheer pleasure lies in destruction itself.
Sadistic pleasures are a fact of life. It is so simple to be happy but so difficult to be simple. Learning to appreciate the evil in you is the only way out of your misery. The love of the evil is the carnal sin that every living soul in this disconsolate universe is supposed to undertake, for, the demise of the worldly desires is the beginning of the highway to perdition.
There are points in everyone's lifetime when they are so down and low that you feel that it just cannot get worse. Then suddenly the abyss that you are in, decides to give you another shocker. Deep down in that trench of darkness and gloom you realize how helpless it is to fight your fate. You realize how you are doomed to misery and grief all your life.
As soon as you accept the fact that you are a helpless soul in the middle of a deserted island, things begin to change. It is a sort of revelation that comes as a bolt from the sky. Life never ceases to surprise me. The emotion and the drama that unfolds each and every passing moment is worth every second that you breathe.
What is this life, that we have been graced with, by the God almighty, really meant for? Is it just meant for getting up everyday with a sense of hope, struggling your way the whole day and then coming back to the same dungeon at the end of the day licking your wounds from the battles you fought all day long. Is it a routine that we are supposed to follow or is there some message in all this. Does He want us to break free and wander in search of the ultimate truth, the treasure of absolute happiness.
When you surrender to your destiny, the game that unfolds is quite a marvel. They say that life is lived every moment. Every moment should be cherished and made worth remembering. Satisfaction comes not to those who chase it, but to those who have become oblivious to the fact that it even exists. Human beings were meant to be depressed souls searching for gratification all their lives, not knowing the fact that the sheer pleasure lies in destruction itself.
Sadistic pleasures are a fact of life. It is so simple to be happy but so difficult to be simple. Learning to appreciate the evil in you is the only way out of your misery. The love of the evil is the carnal sin that every living soul in this disconsolate universe is supposed to undertake, for, the demise of the worldly desires is the beginning of the highway to perdition.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Rime of the Modern Mariner !!
When the wedding bells tolled,
And the couple exchanged vows.
I felt blessed to be there,
Watching them espouse.
That blissful ceremony,
Was the epitome of trust.
For someone like me,
Left utterly nonplussed.
Into the skies I went,
Met a strange exotic bird.
The fowl wanted to know something,
About a place I never ever heard.
I spoke with impunity,
During the lengthy conversation.
The bird was left impressed,
By the amount of information.
I went to the nest after that,
Met a tiny little dude.
I had hoped to see him smile,
He was just not in the mood.
Hours passed like minutes,
As I kept on trying.
Finally the smile came,
And then I felt like crying.
I moved on to explore a bit,
Met a whole new flock.
If I'd hoped for a quiet journey,
I was in for a shock.
The group was young,
And a lot of fun.
I was drowsy though,
Wish I had a gun.
The destination was far,
The journey was slow.
When we finally arrived,
We had nowhere to go.
The no man's land,
Was close to the border.
When the girls started dancing,
It seemed out of order.
The shopping had to happen,
What if there was no sale.
This is one of those aspects,
Always fuzzy to a male.
The shrine by the night,
Looked even more divine.
The still waters by its side,
Reflected a heavenly shine.
The next morning we had to go,
To the same holy place.
Sleep, hunger and lethargy,
Was all over our face.
When the plans went haywire,
No one had a clue.
I was just as perplexed,
Contemplating what to do.
We wandered like nomads,
Ended up in a garden.
Which was supposed to be a tribute,
To martrys gunned down by a crazy warden.
Life slowly dragged on,
Overwhelmed by depression.
The end was coming closer,
Of the team's disintegration.
The journey back was a cakewalk,
Apart from the lack of sleep.
We were in the middle of an ocean,
In a big white heap.
The farewells were quick and tidy,
As I had to rush.
To the place where the toddler lay,
Sleeping in quiet hush.
That same day went reflecting,
On the days gone by.
What a week it had been,
With all its lows and high.
If the journey was a picture,
The octet had to be its soul.
We fitted together like a mesh,
To reach the common goal.
Life is nothing but a journey,
You meet people along the way.
Some moments are there to stay,
Memories that just dont fade away.
And the couple exchanged vows.
I felt blessed to be there,
Watching them espouse.
That blissful ceremony,
Was the epitome of trust.
For someone like me,
Left utterly nonplussed.
Into the skies I went,
Met a strange exotic bird.
The fowl wanted to know something,
About a place I never ever heard.
I spoke with impunity,
During the lengthy conversation.
The bird was left impressed,
By the amount of information.
I went to the nest after that,
Met a tiny little dude.
I had hoped to see him smile,
He was just not in the mood.
Hours passed like minutes,
As I kept on trying.
Finally the smile came,
And then I felt like crying.
I moved on to explore a bit,
Met a whole new flock.
If I'd hoped for a quiet journey,
I was in for a shock.
The group was young,
And a lot of fun.
I was drowsy though,
Wish I had a gun.
The destination was far,
The journey was slow.
When we finally arrived,
We had nowhere to go.
The no man's land,
Was close to the border.
When the girls started dancing,
It seemed out of order.
The shopping had to happen,
What if there was no sale.
This is one of those aspects,
Always fuzzy to a male.
The shrine by the night,
Looked even more divine.
The still waters by its side,
Reflected a heavenly shine.
The next morning we had to go,
To the same holy place.
Sleep, hunger and lethargy,
Was all over our face.
When the plans went haywire,
No one had a clue.
I was just as perplexed,
Contemplating what to do.
We wandered like nomads,
Ended up in a garden.
Which was supposed to be a tribute,
To martrys gunned down by a crazy warden.
Life slowly dragged on,
Overwhelmed by depression.
The end was coming closer,
Of the team's disintegration.
The journey back was a cakewalk,
Apart from the lack of sleep.
We were in the middle of an ocean,
In a big white heap.
The farewells were quick and tidy,
As I had to rush.
To the place where the toddler lay,
Sleeping in quiet hush.
That same day went reflecting,
On the days gone by.
What a week it had been,
With all its lows and high.
If the journey was a picture,
The octet had to be its soul.
We fitted together like a mesh,
To reach the common goal.
Life is nothing but a journey,
You meet people along the way.
Some moments are there to stay,
Memories that just dont fade away.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Punjab - In Retrospect : Part I
The first time I went to Punjab was when I had just finished school. It was a stroke of pure luck that I was able to make it. I should really thank my uncle for actually taking the trouble of joining a spoilt brat like me on a trip around the state to where my origins belong.
They say that a visit to Punjab actually changes your outlook and your mindset. At least it has a lasting influence on your thought process since the people and the atmosphere just overwhelm you. You just have to experience the place since no amount of praise can do justice to the feeling of actually being there. If there is one place where you feel welcome, it most definitely has to be Punjab.
Ever since I came back from that trip I had promised myself that one day I was going to return to my motherland. My fortune had other plans in store for me though. I did manage to go back to the mother ship once again but the occasion and the responsibilities were so hugely surmounting that I did not get any time to get a feel of that place.
Finally it took another stroke of genius from another friend to get me back to the Land of Five Rivers. That week of my life can never be erased from my otherwise amnesiac memory. I experienced so many emotions, lows, highs, troubles and favors that I actually was more mentally drained than physically fatigued at the end of it all.
The journey began with me having to go to Chennai to attend the marriage of two of the closest friends that I have ever known. They have actually made me believe that true love exists and their solemn wedding was just the epitome for me. No other marriage has ever made more sense to me than that one. I haven't enjoyed any marriage more than I enjoyed their's. Love was truly in the air and I could get a whiff of it being there. Chennai was etched into my memory forever.
Before I could blink I had to depart to join a highly anticipated and the second leg of my trip up north. As I was leaving all alone in that cab going to the airport I had only one thought in my mind which was "I should have slept earlier". More seriously, I was just thinking how some events change one person's life and I was wondering if this was one of them. That one day had changed a little bit of my cynical mindset. Chennai had already done what I wanted Punjab to do to me.
I had a hunch that the flight would also not be as uninteresting as all the others that I have been on and I was right. As I sat in the front row of that flight to Delhi, all I wanted to do was sleep and wake up only when I had reached my destination. Then all of a sudden this British gentleman came and sat next to me. I generally avoid talking to people on flights and I give such condescending looks to others that no one else bothers talking to me as well. That trick fortunately did not work on this Brit chap and we ended up talking about loads and loads of stuff on the flight. He was so impressed with my knowledge about Delhi that he gave me his contact and promised that he would show me around London in case I ever wound up there. Again I had ended up enjoying my time even though I detest flight journeys to the core.
Next stop was my nephew's house and no sooner had he seen me that the sweet little thing started raking his brains out trying to find that grey cell in that tiny little head of his, which recognized me. I never liked babies and especially the ones which cry, which, as a matter of fact all of them do. I dont know why though this toddler with his huge eyes and his chubby cheeks and his wafts of overgrown hair and his unrelenting innocence made me change my mind about babies. I just wanted him to like me as much as I loved him. His one smile was all that I wanted and it took me 8 hours to finally achieve it. Maybe it was a sign that he had registered me and my face in his memory. For me it was one of those timeless moments in life.
I wanted to spend all my time with him and my sister (of course) but I had a promise to keep and so I had to leave. The journey had not even begun and I was already lost in translation. I was physically present in one place but my mind was still trying to catch up with my physical being. The adrenaline was flowing and the heart was thumping. It happens when you expect the unexpected to happen and your future is all that you can see since you are oblivious to your present and your past.
They say that a visit to Punjab actually changes your outlook and your mindset. At least it has a lasting influence on your thought process since the people and the atmosphere just overwhelm you. You just have to experience the place since no amount of praise can do justice to the feeling of actually being there. If there is one place where you feel welcome, it most definitely has to be Punjab.
Ever since I came back from that trip I had promised myself that one day I was going to return to my motherland. My fortune had other plans in store for me though. I did manage to go back to the mother ship once again but the occasion and the responsibilities were so hugely surmounting that I did not get any time to get a feel of that place.
Finally it took another stroke of genius from another friend to get me back to the Land of Five Rivers. That week of my life can never be erased from my otherwise amnesiac memory. I experienced so many emotions, lows, highs, troubles and favors that I actually was more mentally drained than physically fatigued at the end of it all.
The journey began with me having to go to Chennai to attend the marriage of two of the closest friends that I have ever known. They have actually made me believe that true love exists and their solemn wedding was just the epitome for me. No other marriage has ever made more sense to me than that one. I haven't enjoyed any marriage more than I enjoyed their's. Love was truly in the air and I could get a whiff of it being there. Chennai was etched into my memory forever.
Before I could blink I had to depart to join a highly anticipated and the second leg of my trip up north. As I was leaving all alone in that cab going to the airport I had only one thought in my mind which was "I should have slept earlier". More seriously, I was just thinking how some events change one person's life and I was wondering if this was one of them. That one day had changed a little bit of my cynical mindset. Chennai had already done what I wanted Punjab to do to me.
I had a hunch that the flight would also not be as uninteresting as all the others that I have been on and I was right. As I sat in the front row of that flight to Delhi, all I wanted to do was sleep and wake up only when I had reached my destination. Then all of a sudden this British gentleman came and sat next to me. I generally avoid talking to people on flights and I give such condescending looks to others that no one else bothers talking to me as well. That trick fortunately did not work on this Brit chap and we ended up talking about loads and loads of stuff on the flight. He was so impressed with my knowledge about Delhi that he gave me his contact and promised that he would show me around London in case I ever wound up there. Again I had ended up enjoying my time even though I detest flight journeys to the core.
Next stop was my nephew's house and no sooner had he seen me that the sweet little thing started raking his brains out trying to find that grey cell in that tiny little head of his, which recognized me. I never liked babies and especially the ones which cry, which, as a matter of fact all of them do. I dont know why though this toddler with his huge eyes and his chubby cheeks and his wafts of overgrown hair and his unrelenting innocence made me change my mind about babies. I just wanted him to like me as much as I loved him. His one smile was all that I wanted and it took me 8 hours to finally achieve it. Maybe it was a sign that he had registered me and my face in his memory. For me it was one of those timeless moments in life.
I wanted to spend all my time with him and my sister (of course) but I had a promise to keep and so I had to leave. The journey had not even begun and I was already lost in translation. I was physically present in one place but my mind was still trying to catch up with my physical being. The adrenaline was flowing and the heart was thumping. It happens when you expect the unexpected to happen and your future is all that you can see since you are oblivious to your present and your past.
Punjab - In Retrospect : Part II
When I ended up at the railway station I almost forgot my cell phone in the cab. I shook my head, gave myself a kick in the backside and pleaded my mind to stay with me for a little more time before I gave it some rest. I was mistaken. What was going to come my way was a barrage of verbal assault from the gang I was supposed to go with. Before all that happened though I spent a little time with the close friend (A) who had organized the trip and another gang member (V). (A) was looking tired, obviously because of all the travelling. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere the other gang members arrived and all hell broke loose.
I have always been amazed to see how each person reacts when they meet someone new. Everybody has his/her own special or rather unique way of meeting and greeting a stranger. What made this congregation even more interesting was the fact that we all had to be together for the next two days and so everyone started off showing their best self.
Punjab beckoned and as though some conspiracy was being unfolded the train that we had to board was getting delayed by the minute. When it finally arrived I thanked the heavens for my mind had had enough of introductions and pleasantries. I got into the coach and was getting ready to sleep when (A) quite surprisingly came off and made me realize how filthy and selfish I was acting. I knew that (A) was right and so I decided to spend a little more time with the gang. There were two people who hailed from a village in Punjab (CJ a.k.a. Devil 1) and (JS), two Tamilian twins (Devil 2) and (CHA) and one Bengali (SO a.k.a. Devil 3). All in all it was just the perfect mixture of stupidity and intelligence that makes a trip interesting. I spent as much time with those folks as I could. My mind had switched off a long time back but it was only when my body started giving signals that these folks relieved me and I gladly obliged.
I slept like a baby and the next thing I knew was that we were in Jullundur on our way to Amritsar. The events of the past few days had been playing on my mind. I decided to get off the train to just have a change of environment before the train started chugging off again. There are few things in life better than sipping hot tea on a strange looking platform with the winter chill biting you. What makes it even more special is if you have friends who share the same interests as you. Tea never tasted as good as it did on that platform in Jullundur city.
The next stop was Amritsar and when we finally got down the anticipation of it all had just drained the excitement out of us. We wanted to explore but our hearts and our minds were just not in sync. In a fit of helplessness we decided to book the return journey tickets back to Delhi and that later proved to be the single biggest mistake in my book. But a trip is incomplete without it's screw-ups. As travellers our first priority was lodging and we managed to find a decent hotel which was reasonably priced as well. The cost of living in the city had struck me as shockingly low, but I chose to ignore the first signals.
It was already late afternoon and we decided that our starved souls needed some respite. So we headed towards the "Brothers Dhaba" which sounds quite uncanny when the Punjabi name of the restaurant is translated in English. In the heat of the moment each of us ordered a full Punjabi meal and by the time the food arrived we had already started regretting the decision. The calorie scale would have to invent new units to measure the amount of fat that the meals contained but to all of our surprise we gobbled all of it up and even had space left for some Lassi. A trip to Punjab is incomplete if you dont have a glassful of Lassi right after the heaviest meal you will ever have in your lifetime.
Next destination was the Wagah Border and it just had to live up to its expectations. The place is utterly crowded and very poorly managed but the ordeal of reaching the destination is definitely not in your mind when you make that final rush to the Indo-Pak border. The entire ceremony is quite a marvel. It certainly got my, almost dead, patriotic juices flowing and that in itself justified the amount of chaos, energy and decibel levels that that place generated.
One piece of advice to all folks who love to travel. Always keep some time in your itinerary for shopping immaterial of which place you visit, since when you travel with the shopaholic sex you got to give in to their addiction. We all decided that in the best interest of us all, we have a rather sober dinner to quench the raging fire in our tummies. By the time we reached our rooms almost everyone had decided to call it a day and were about to retire. I had other plans though.
I knew that the "Harmandir Sahab" looked even more divine by the night and I knew that I just had to be there when it mattered. Luckily that enthusiasm rubbed off on all of the rest of the gang members and everyone decided to join me on the holy trip. (A), (Devil - 2), (CHA) and (SO) being the items that they are, happened to try on their shopping. I must admit that all of them were looking quite cute though.
That one night in that heavenly place is the stuff dreams are made of. If I ever was closer to God it was then and it was at that place sitting next to the "Sarovar" looking at that wonder structure standing majestically with the serene waters around it trying to soothe my restless soul. It was as if the silence was talking louder than ever, preaching us, telling us that true happiness lies only in selflessness.
It was only when (SO) caught cold that we decided to leave since we had plans of visiting the place the next morning and it was not worth risking it. I knew that none of us was going to make it. It was tough to leave that place and it was even tougher to understand how one can feel so connected to something having seen it only minutes back.
I have always been amazed to see how each person reacts when they meet someone new. Everybody has his/her own special or rather unique way of meeting and greeting a stranger. What made this congregation even more interesting was the fact that we all had to be together for the next two days and so everyone started off showing their best self.
Punjab beckoned and as though some conspiracy was being unfolded the train that we had to board was getting delayed by the minute. When it finally arrived I thanked the heavens for my mind had had enough of introductions and pleasantries. I got into the coach and was getting ready to sleep when (A) quite surprisingly came off and made me realize how filthy and selfish I was acting. I knew that (A) was right and so I decided to spend a little more time with the gang. There were two people who hailed from a village in Punjab (CJ a.k.a. Devil 1) and (JS), two Tamilian twins (Devil 2) and (CHA) and one Bengali (SO a.k.a. Devil 3). All in all it was just the perfect mixture of stupidity and intelligence that makes a trip interesting. I spent as much time with those folks as I could. My mind had switched off a long time back but it was only when my body started giving signals that these folks relieved me and I gladly obliged.
I slept like a baby and the next thing I knew was that we were in Jullundur on our way to Amritsar. The events of the past few days had been playing on my mind. I decided to get off the train to just have a change of environment before the train started chugging off again. There are few things in life better than sipping hot tea on a strange looking platform with the winter chill biting you. What makes it even more special is if you have friends who share the same interests as you. Tea never tasted as good as it did on that platform in Jullundur city.
The next stop was Amritsar and when we finally got down the anticipation of it all had just drained the excitement out of us. We wanted to explore but our hearts and our minds were just not in sync. In a fit of helplessness we decided to book the return journey tickets back to Delhi and that later proved to be the single biggest mistake in my book. But a trip is incomplete without it's screw-ups. As travellers our first priority was lodging and we managed to find a decent hotel which was reasonably priced as well. The cost of living in the city had struck me as shockingly low, but I chose to ignore the first signals.
It was already late afternoon and we decided that our starved souls needed some respite. So we headed towards the "Brothers Dhaba" which sounds quite uncanny when the Punjabi name of the restaurant is translated in English. In the heat of the moment each of us ordered a full Punjabi meal and by the time the food arrived we had already started regretting the decision. The calorie scale would have to invent new units to measure the amount of fat that the meals contained but to all of our surprise we gobbled all of it up and even had space left for some Lassi. A trip to Punjab is incomplete if you dont have a glassful of Lassi right after the heaviest meal you will ever have in your lifetime.
Next destination was the Wagah Border and it just had to live up to its expectations. The place is utterly crowded and very poorly managed but the ordeal of reaching the destination is definitely not in your mind when you make that final rush to the Indo-Pak border. The entire ceremony is quite a marvel. It certainly got my, almost dead, patriotic juices flowing and that in itself justified the amount of chaos, energy and decibel levels that that place generated.
One piece of advice to all folks who love to travel. Always keep some time in your itinerary for shopping immaterial of which place you visit, since when you travel with the shopaholic sex you got to give in to their addiction. We all decided that in the best interest of us all, we have a rather sober dinner to quench the raging fire in our tummies. By the time we reached our rooms almost everyone had decided to call it a day and were about to retire. I had other plans though.
I knew that the "Harmandir Sahab" looked even more divine by the night and I knew that I just had to be there when it mattered. Luckily that enthusiasm rubbed off on all of the rest of the gang members and everyone decided to join me on the holy trip. (A), (Devil - 2), (CHA) and (SO) being the items that they are, happened to try on their shopping. I must admit that all of them were looking quite cute though.
That one night in that heavenly place is the stuff dreams are made of. If I ever was closer to God it was then and it was at that place sitting next to the "Sarovar" looking at that wonder structure standing majestically with the serene waters around it trying to soothe my restless soul. It was as if the silence was talking louder than ever, preaching us, telling us that true happiness lies only in selflessness.
It was only when (SO) caught cold that we decided to leave since we had plans of visiting the place the next morning and it was not worth risking it. I knew that none of us was going to make it. It was tough to leave that place and it was even tougher to understand how one can feel so connected to something having seen it only minutes back.
Punjab - In Retrospect : Part III
Life goes on and when that day ended I felt that I had learnt something. I felt that that trip had already been a success and that, we all, together as a unit, just clicked. The next day promised a lot more fun and a lot more excitement. It turned out to be something quite extraordinary though. The first thing we did was to visit the Golden Temple again and have langar. Although it was a lot more crowded this time round, that place still taught so much to me that I was just left overawed by its beauty.
When we left that place finally, I knew that we would not be seeing anymore of it anytime soon but I also knew that one day I would be back to visit this out of the world monument. The next place we visited was the Jallianwala Bagh. I had a lot of expectations from this place but it turned out to be the worst experience of them all, apart from a few laughs that I had, seeing General Dyer (CHA) firing bullets while her sister (Devil - 1) combed her hair.
We had absolutely nothing to do after this since the plan that (JS) had made had to be cancelled partly because of the delay and partly because of our lethargy and we were left as clueless as dorks about the future of our itinerary. We visited a temple after that which had the idols of the Gods and Goddesses from all over India and was a nice little tweak to the trip.
All this while it just seemed that the end of the sojourn was coming close and that, alongwith the dull weather lent a depressing feeling to my mind. We went back to the hotel to freshen up and get set for the ride back but not before we hogged some badly needed food and beverages. I managed to catch a little nap as well after the binging session and that helped me to carry on for the rest of the day.
The journey back to Delhi was quite uneventful except for the fact that the morning fog there was reported as one of the worst in the history of that city. Sitting in that bus, it felt almost like we were in the middle of a white ocean, trying to find the black strip on which we had to move. When I finally split up with the gang to go on my separate way I felt no emotion at all. I knew that this was quite abnormal at that time. Maybe my mind was still trying to come to terms with the fact that the trip had actually ended.
I had one more day to spend with the little dude and it seemed like he was the only one who could make me laugh after the terrifyingly tiring ordeal that I had been through. During my spare time that day when I regained my senses, I tried recounting the events that had transpired in the last week. I realized that those wonderful moments were never going to come back. I realized how much we all had achieved together as a group. I realized how fortunate I was to have been a part of a team which never let the spirits dampen. I realized how it is the company that makes an average trip into an unforgettable experience.
The soulmate, the flights, the friends, the Little Dude, the family, the roads, the places, the moments, the feelings and the memories had more than completed the collage of my life that week and it turned out to be quite a masterpiece. I most certainly felt alive that week of my life.....Punjab had done it again !!
When we left that place finally, I knew that we would not be seeing anymore of it anytime soon but I also knew that one day I would be back to visit this out of the world monument. The next place we visited was the Jallianwala Bagh. I had a lot of expectations from this place but it turned out to be the worst experience of them all, apart from a few laughs that I had, seeing General Dyer (CHA) firing bullets while her sister (Devil - 1) combed her hair.
We had absolutely nothing to do after this since the plan that (JS) had made had to be cancelled partly because of the delay and partly because of our lethargy and we were left as clueless as dorks about the future of our itinerary. We visited a temple after that which had the idols of the Gods and Goddesses from all over India and was a nice little tweak to the trip.
All this while it just seemed that the end of the sojourn was coming close and that, alongwith the dull weather lent a depressing feeling to my mind. We went back to the hotel to freshen up and get set for the ride back but not before we hogged some badly needed food and beverages. I managed to catch a little nap as well after the binging session and that helped me to carry on for the rest of the day.
The journey back to Delhi was quite uneventful except for the fact that the morning fog there was reported as one of the worst in the history of that city. Sitting in that bus, it felt almost like we were in the middle of a white ocean, trying to find the black strip on which we had to move. When I finally split up with the gang to go on my separate way I felt no emotion at all. I knew that this was quite abnormal at that time. Maybe my mind was still trying to come to terms with the fact that the trip had actually ended.
I had one more day to spend with the little dude and it seemed like he was the only one who could make me laugh after the terrifyingly tiring ordeal that I had been through. During my spare time that day when I regained my senses, I tried recounting the events that had transpired in the last week. I realized that those wonderful moments were never going to come back. I realized how much we all had achieved together as a group. I realized how fortunate I was to have been a part of a team which never let the spirits dampen. I realized how it is the company that makes an average trip into an unforgettable experience.
The soulmate, the flights, the friends, the Little Dude, the family, the roads, the places, the moments, the feelings and the memories had more than completed the collage of my life that week and it turned out to be quite a masterpiece. I most certainly felt alive that week of my life.....Punjab had done it again !!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
It's that time of the year again
Life seems to have come a full circle
I am getting back with those whom I had left far behind
Sometimes I wonder if its part of a greater conspiracy
I wonder if its God who is behind this play of massive proportions
Its that time of the year again
When you breathe frost out of your breath
When Santa is just round the corner
You feel excited just to be alive
In an inebriated state my emotions are overflowing
I tend to shout but wonder if anyone wants to listen
If we keep running in a circle who wins the race
I keep meeting those along the way whom I detest to the core
Its that time of the year again
When you just yearn for one cup of coffee
When a warm hug is all you need
You feel like being alone in a state of surrealism
If ever there was a way out that I could choose
Standing still is the worst feeling of them all
What do you do when you feel incapable of breaking the shackles
The invisible barriers seem to be stopping the blowing wind
Its that time of the year again
When you feel that miracles are in the air
You feel lucky to have people alive around you
Celebrating the same joy as you
Things, they have a habit of changing
Nothing in this world is stationary
Change is the only inevitable overpowering emotion
Love is the only thing that is temporary
Its that time of the year again
When you want to fall in love all over again
The feeling of knowing that someone special
When you rediscover yourself all over again
I am getting back with those whom I had left far behind
Sometimes I wonder if its part of a greater conspiracy
I wonder if its God who is behind this play of massive proportions
Its that time of the year again
When you breathe frost out of your breath
When Santa is just round the corner
You feel excited just to be alive
In an inebriated state my emotions are overflowing
I tend to shout but wonder if anyone wants to listen
If we keep running in a circle who wins the race
I keep meeting those along the way whom I detest to the core
Its that time of the year again
When you just yearn for one cup of coffee
When a warm hug is all you need
You feel like being alone in a state of surrealism
If ever there was a way out that I could choose
Standing still is the worst feeling of them all
What do you do when you feel incapable of breaking the shackles
The invisible barriers seem to be stopping the blowing wind
Its that time of the year again
When you feel that miracles are in the air
You feel lucky to have people alive around you
Celebrating the same joy as you
Things, they have a habit of changing
Nothing in this world is stationary
Change is the only inevitable overpowering emotion
Love is the only thing that is temporary
Its that time of the year again
When you want to fall in love all over again
The feeling of knowing that someone special
When you rediscover yourself all over again
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