A Tale to Remember

You don’t need a lifetime to fall in love

Just a moment of love is enough to last a lifetime!

The two of them were sitting together, looking deeply into each other’s eye, holding hands-in-hands. They both knew they may never meet again!

She tried to leave his hand but he held it more firmly, as if he wanted the moment to last a lifetime. Both of them wanted to say something but both kept quiet. They were still looking into each other’s eye. Though they were not saying anything to each other, but their eyes were saying it loud and clear. She had it in her eyes. He read it in her eyes. They both tried hard to avoid looking into each other’s eye but both couldn’t stop looking deep into each other’s eye. They both dared to dream of the impossible… to stay together in love… forever.

It was not so that he had never seen a girl so beautiful. But there was something that completely captivated him. She was sweet, bubbly and vivacious. There was something that she also liked about him. He was handsome, suave and dynamic.

Love had struck. Cupid had strike both of them. Sometime earlier, both had spent some quality time. They got to know each other better. They smiled together, they chuckled together, they laughed together and they both listened to each other’s story. When she was speaking, he was listening. He was constantly gazing at his watch, for he wanted the moment to last forever. Later, they had a quiet walk down the alley. But somewhere deep in their hearts, they knew they may not meet ever again.

They say, when lovers part, they should have some chocolate or dessert so that they can have sweet memories to cherish. They both had their own separate lives and both were heading to two different directions the next day. They had to ‘Go the Distance’.

While they were drowned deep into each other’s eye, he had dreamed of growing old with her. But he knew, he was thinking of impossible. Suddenly, someone called her by her name. She realized she had to go. He too said that its time to go. After an eternal hug, they both went on their separate ways.

Before leaving, she said something in a very low tone that no one could hear. Although he also didn’t hear the message but he could clearly read the message. It was those magical words.

What do I want from life

Bonjour Friends, 

Welcome to yet another blog where u all know I don't intend to entertain readers.... Main koi Dirty Picture thori bana raha hoon jo sabko entertain, entertain aur entertain karu... :)

Anyways...for the past few days, there is something that is disturbing me... Something is missing and I don't know what it is? Its certainly not love; It can't be work stress and I haven't fallen ill for some time... So, all appears to be good technically...

I was just giving it a thought when something got my attention:

Every man is born with a mission and till that mission is over... he won't die...

How many of you agree with it?

Sounds pretty serious... but then this is the fact of life. One question that has started haunting me these days is what is my mission on earth?

Not to my surprise when I talked about the same with those familiar to me, they had something different to say. Although they agreed with me that there should be a mission in life but then their definition of mission is worth mentioning.

According to these learned and experienced scholars of life, the mission of life can be easily defined and understood. I am appending below their definition:

1. In early days of life, live your life as per the directions and will of your elders and focus on your studies, get good grades.
2. Earn a handsome paying job, keep looking for further growth
3. Most importantly, get married, have kids.
4. Manage the studies and then career of your kids and later get them married and make sure you do this before you retire from work.
5. Once all is done, spend your remaining days in a lavish penthouse that you have bought from your life earnings, read newspaper, crib about country's growth and live without much happening till... Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Uff... sounds like the Ashramas of life that we were taught in school, with slight difference and modifications.

However, I have a poor brain. I reject their definition as I fail to understand it and see no meaning in it.

Life is not about churning money, getting married and settling your children. It's certainly much more than that.

This definition that is widely accepted and followed cannot form the basis of life. Had Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein thought the same way, we would be living in a completely different world altogether... which we even fear to imagine. 

When I quote the names of great personalities, I don't intend to inspire the readers to become revolutionists... but then we need to give meaning to our life.

Come to think of it... I cannot believe that the mission of my life is to make money, get married and settle my children. These are just some components of life. I believe that people who live by the above definition have failed to understand life.

Life is a daring adventure that unfolds a new challenge every moment and encourages us to beat that challenge. 

There are 2 ways of living: 

1. You accept the aforesaid definition and live happily forever... No doubt you'll have a so-called "Raj Yog" in your life. You'll be following a same routine, you'll spent same number of hours in office, you'll have meals at fixed times, you'll socialise on net, you'll grow your contacts, you'll become influential, you'll celebrate on pre-defined days such as Diwali, Id, Christmas, B'days, etc. Although you'll get some minor challenges from time to time, but your life will be certain.
2. Live life that is directed towards a mission. A mission that is concerned with the prosperity of not only oneself and dear ones, but with the entire race at large. This would definitely be full of uncertainties and challenges at every step. You'll not have a same routine, you'll not spent same number of hours in office. But then you would be content with that you have done. A life full of challenges is worth living a million times.

The only point is we need to identify that mission. There is no meaning in living in a pigeonhole.   

It's your life, make it large... Royal Stag ka advertisement nahi dekha kya!

Chalo enough for now...

Have fun and yes thanks reader!

A Free Spirit!

The year 2008 had just started... and after the 31^st night bash, I was finding it severely difficult to muster courage to beat the 1^st January chill of Delhi… and reach office at 9:00 a.m. to do the same stuff of Business Development that starts with cold calling and ends up with client refusing to hire your creative agency because the price quoted by the agency appears too high to the prospective client… Phew… But I had to do it or else my bloody immediate morose G**du manager would again scream like hell… G**du is what I used to call him (My hostel friends will rememberJ)… Saale ki *****

While all this was going-on in my life… a friend of mine was getting ready for her marriage. Band Baaja Baraat, beautiful bridal outfit, glittering jewelry, fantastic food, arrangements for welcoming the Baraat were all going on!

Hey wait… saaloon kaminoon… I know what you are thinking but lemme just clear the air… I am not talking of any of my love stories or any lost love… No, it has nothing to do with me. You all know, love is not my cup of tea… me and love are like 2 opposite poles… always apart… That soon-to-be-bride is just a dear friend of mine…

Now, allow me to zoom the camera to Bangalore where my friend Shelly was about to celebrate the biggest and happiest moment of her life…

Oh yes, I forget to tell you about Shelly…. Born in a dignified family… she is the youngest child in her family and everyone’s favourite. Sweet, cheerful, lively and sometimes… mischievous… this is what Shelly has always been.

Elegantly dressed in a beautiful shimmering outfit, Shelly was ready to take the 7 vows during 7 pheras. Her parents had left no stone unturned to make sure that the night is remembered in times to come! They had hired the best wedding planner in town. The venue was a lavish and an expensive resort some kilometers from the city. The lighting, decorations and the mandap were so designed that they could envy even a royal Rajasthani wedding.

Not that her parents were very rich but they had put all their life savings, earnings and had also took some bank loan just to make sure that ‘No One’ returns with a frowning face – When I say ‘No One’ I am referring to the society which is composed of some relatives, some neighbours, some not-so-close family friends, whose only job is to criticize. I wonder, why the f*** we care for such morons.

Finally, the Baraat arrived and Shelly took pheras in the beautifully designed mandap. Shelly, like any other bride, was extremely excited about her new life. She had her own dreams, hopes, aspirations and expectations… She was on top of the world!

As days passed on, life started getting gloomy for Shelly. It wasn’t as she had expected. A sweet girl who was brought up like a princess and was never ever exposed to austerity of life, was about to face the biggest shock of her life. Differences had started cropping up between the newly wedded couple. It’s not that the in-laws were the issue… Shelly’s dream life partner had left her shattered. That man had never accepted her as her wife. He didn’t want to marry Shelly as he was in love with some other girl. But, he was coward enough to declare this prior to wedding. Now, he blamed Shelly for getting married to him!

Things went from bad to worse. He refused to accept Shelly as his wife and showed no respect for her. Life was very difficult for a girl who had never seen any problem in her life. But… when you have no other choice but to be strong and fight for your right, you dare to do what is beyond the conventional pre-defined rules of the game.

Now, Shelly, very unlike her personality, took and bold and a brave move to get divorced. The moment this came to the knowledge of people around her, they started whispering, “Zaroor kuch baat hogi”, “Mujhe to pehle hi lag raha tha warna shaadi me itna kharcha koi thori hi karta tha” and “Ladki ka koi chakkar hoga”.

I must say, she has the best parent. They stood by her through these testing times. Although their relatives, neighbours and not-so-close family friends were always more than desperate to feed her parents with ill-talks about her but her parents are wise enough to think of her daughter’s livelihood. They stood by her and made sure she gets that not-so-manly husband out of her life. Finally in 2009, Shelly was free to live a life of her own and trust me, she didn’t got this freedom by any luck or chance… she earned it.

Moving on, Shelly started working in a software company to focus on her career. But… life had other plans for her. She was the constant attention of her office colleagues. Few bastards around in office started talking ill things about Shelly. They thought that since she is a divorce, so they can say anything they want. But, time had changed Shelly by now. She was strong enough to tackle such mosquitoes.

No matter what the society said… no matter how hard the people tried to convince her parent to not to support her… no matter how much filthy creepy office colleagues tried to put her down… but Shelly had proved everyone wrong and emerged out winner with flying colors. She faced all the non-sense that she received from society and had the audacity to give them a reply that is good enough to silence such so-called ‘society’.

Today, Shelly works in one of the Fortune 500 companies… Shelly yaar mujhe bhi apni company me job dila de, I am good in Public Relations… thora bahut content bhi likh leta hoo, please…

Well, Shelly is now an independent, confident and a very positive girl. She attends parties with friends, makes international presentations and is doing superb. The marriage and divorce hadn’t shattered her. Infact, she has come out very bravely and is now someone who stands for determination, who stands for strength, who stands for liberty and much more… She is not scared of any challenge. She has proved her point and is ready to take the world by storm. Great job Shelly!

And yes, those who are thinking that we have reached the end of the blog and I haven’t said anything about myself… I have just one thing to say … Chor na yaar… hamara zikr phir kabhi sahi...

Thanks Readers!

Itsamanshathing

                                                   

Raanjhana – A die-hard lover or a fool!

Raanjhana  Hua Main Tera!

Hello friends, you must be wondering that these days I am writing blogs frequently! But this subject is so captivating that I couldn't stop myself from writing this blog.

One of my friends asked me to watch this newly released movie Raanjhana. Though I usually don’t get time to watch movies and Jab Tak Hai Jaan was the last movie I saw, I somehow left office at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday and decided to go for Raanjhana.

Excited and in high spirits, I went for the movie. 

The movie started with Dhanush (Kundan) drenched in blood, being hurried into an Operation Theater by 2-3 people. At this point, he starts narrating his love fable in flashback. With center point being Banaras, the story is of a Hindu Boy (Kundan) who is madly in love with a Muslim girl, Sonam Kapoor (Zoya). The movie shows how his love started in childhood and blossomed over the years. Kundan is a die-hard lover who is emotional, sensitive and is ready to do anything that can bring a smile on the face of his love. He is not a qualified boy and doesn't work in any MNC or private company. Zoya, on the other hand, is very practical, highly educated, witty and talented and is an active member of a newly formed political party.

We see how Zoya makes a mockery of Kundan’s feeling in the entire movie. Kundan has always been by her side for almost everything. 

Kundan crossed all limits when he convinced her father to get her married to Abhay Deol (Akram or Jaswant) as she had asked him to do so. No, don’t get it wrong. It was not so that Kundan never shared his feelings with Zoya. He did it in almost every scene. But Zoya, being practical, wanted something that could match upto her stature.

But… But… But… Zoya had lied even to Kundan. She had concealed the true identity of her love from Kundan. Whom everyone thought to be a Muslim guy, was actually a Sikh boy. Our hero learns this from a newspaper which had coverage of Abhay Deol with his name as Jaswant – PR played a pivotal role in Kundan’s life too… Phew!

Concerned and discomforted, Kundan exposes Jaswant and Zoya’s marriage is ruined. Don’t get our hero wrong. Any lover would have done that. His point was that if religion was not a problem for Zoya then why she always rejected his love. Anger, wrath and fury ran into Zoya’s relatives and they badly beat up Jaswant like anything. Zoya, on the other hand, blames Kundan entirely for her misfortunes and attempts to commit suicide. Ah, I forget to mention, it was the same day, when Kundan was supposed to get married but he was so very occupied in Zoya’s matter that he completely forgot about his marriage. When he finally reaches his home, he is beaten-up by his father and disowned forever.

The lover boy returns again! He goes to see Zoya at hospital and promises to re-unite her with Jaswant. The two leave for Punjab without informing anyone. Poor Kundan – Only a true lover can understand, how painful it is!

Another twist awaits Kundan and Zoya: Well, by the time, they reach there, Jaswant is dead. Remember he was beaten-up badly by Zoya’s relative. Zoya blames Kundan again and they walk their separate ways. Worried and disturbed, Kundan learns that Zoya didn’t return to Banaras and is out on a mission to find Zoya. He finally finds her in New Delhi where she is actively involved in the political party that was previously headed by Jaswant. He makes sure that he is always around her by taking up petty jobs like serving tea to the group. But this never mover Zoya’s heart! 

Once a lover always a lover – Kundan still tries to make sure that Zoya never gets trapped in any sort of trouble, irrespective of the fact that she hates her to death. In the process, Kundan becomes the blue-eyed-boy of the entire group and is the new leader of the group who is bound to make a difference in the upcoming elections. Worried about her future, the Chief Minister of New Delhi plots a conspiracy with Zoya to kill Kundan in a political rally. But then Zoya had to make sure that Kundan goes for that rally. She, for the first time, expresses love to our poor hero and asks him to go. Kundan, the lover, goes for the rally and is badly wounded with a bullet tearing him apart.

Finally, Zoya realizes that how Kundan has always stood by her side and never let he face any difficulty. She exposes the conspiracy in a Press Conference and is ready to go to jail. Then…  she gets the biggest shock of her live…  she comes to know that Kundan was aware of her conspiracy and still he went for the rally just because it would have made Zoya happy – friends, what limit would you set for such love!

Finally, the movie ends with the lover breathing his last!!!

Phew… long story. I am turning out to be a good narrator!

Now, the question is was Kundan a die-hard lover or a fool? Certainly, we all will have different point of views.

In today’s time, we all are wise enough to understand what is beneficial for us. We are intelligent enough to not to be fooled by this so called chestnut ‘LOVE’. Like Zoya, we all are practical. We have been taught in management schools to be smart and to maximize profits – be it professional life or personal life. We are not like Kundan, who is a fool and ends up giving his life for someone who never loved him for a nanosecond. We have brains and prefer applying it rather than being an idiot who listens to his heart. There is nothing wrong in being selfish.

But then, there is another breed of people. Those who always listen to their heart… Those who believe that love is always giving and never asking for anything in return! They are the people who epitomize this cliché called LOVE. For them, love is worship. They just live for their love. They are ready to give-up everything for their love.

Taking lesson from the movie, my wise friends will certainly have an opinion that Kundan made a mistake of always being with Zoya. He should have left her alone to face the problems. Well friends, Love is not like that!

They are often referred as morons who are emotional but then when had lovers listened to others.

A lot of us would have identified themselves with Kundan and lot of us would have thought of Kundan as a futile lover. We all our free to have our opinion. I know which class I belong to. You decide yours.

Besides, you must be wondering why this blog is written in red. Well, red is the color of love and this blog is dedicated to all those in love – itsamanshathing

C.M. Sahab bahut kaam karte hai

Itti si hasi… Itti si Khushi… Itta sa tukda chand ka…

Khawaboon ke tinkoon se… chal banaye aashiyaan…

Aadhi aadhi baant le… aaja dil ki ye zameen…

Thora sa tera bhi hoga, thora mera bhi hoga… apna ye aashiyaan

Well friends, don’t be scared! I am not trying to participate in Indian Idol nor do I have any plans of participating in India’s Got Talent… Phew! I hate reality shows. They are so monotonous.

This is my new caller tune which Suraj hears everyday (Arre yaar, Suraj is my health insurance agent and not the sun which rises in the east and roses in the west), when he calls to remind me of the new policy. Poor guy has been following-up a long time – So bad of me, I always postpone my plans of buying a new policy…. HAHAAHAHAHA J 

Actually, I am thankful to him. His call works as wake-up alarm for me.

We all know how a salaried person feels on Monday L

With a heavy heart, I mustered the courage to get ready for office. Hey, did I tell you guys that your foodie friend has started taking a decent diet and is also running in the morning. Cool na! Chicken Tikka, Tunday Kebab are like my ex-girlfriends – Gone with the wind… Hahaha

So finally, I started for office at 11:30 a.m. – you all know how punctual I am. But mind it, I work really late. I had barely crossed the Wave Cinemas, I saw a man dressed in Khakee with a cap and a stick asking the traffic to stop. With the help of his several colleagues (I guess that’s what policemen call their fellow workers) managed to stop the entire traffic, creating frustration amongst the public. The point was that the Hon’ble C.M. was about to commute from the same route.

25 minutes had passed, but the C.M.’s car didn’t passed from there. In anguish people had moved out of their car to enquire about the status. They were chatting amongst themselves. While some were tweeting the same on twitter, some preferred to post it on their fb wall.

Impatient – that’s what I am- I came out of my car and went to chit-chat with 2 traffic policemen standing near my car.

“Kya haal Ji” – I asked them in our hindi language just to strike a conversation.

“C.M. Sahab aaye ka hain (C.M. is coming)” – One of the policeman said.

The other one was quick to add, “Kahe aa gaye… rail gadi banye hai (What coming, he has made our lives hell)”

“Hamare C.M. sahib bahut kaam karte hain (our C.M. really works hard)”, said the first policeman

Now, my turn, I also needed to contribute my bit so that I didn’t sound moron. I added, “Haa Ji ab C.M. ka kaam hi kuch aisa hai (The profile of C.M. is so designed).

The second policeman started itching his armpit – Yuck! This is how these filthy policemen are. He whispered, “Pheeta kaatat hain (He cuts ribbon)”. Inquisitive, as I am, I asked, “Kya hua (what happened)”.

He said, “Ab ka bataye. Inhai jo hai… bas ghuma kari… jab dekho jabran pheeta kaat rahe hai, park ma jaaye rahi hai, chief guest bane hai, party ma jaat hai, flyover chaalu kare hai, haspataal me eeta rakhe… bas daftar ma na thahariye…  (Now what to say… C.M. is always out – either he is doing a ribbon cutting ceremony or is inaugurating park or is chief guest somewhere or is attending a private party or is inaugurating a flyover or is putting the foundation stone of a hospital. He does all this but is hardly available in office). Long translation… Phew!

The first policeman gave him a hint via a wink of an eye. It was meant to not to share such things with people. But he didn’t got it. He went on to say, “Shaher me bijli nahi hai (There is paucity of electricity in city)”. Just then, the C.M.’s car along with a fleet of officers in protocol passed through the wave Cinemas.

Relieved all, they started moving their machines (cars). While I was driving, the words of the second policeman echoed in my ears. To an extent, he was right.

The city is plunged into darkness but C.M. sahab bahut kaam karte hain.

There are no doctors in Government hospitals but C.M. sahab bahut kaam karte hain

The youth is jobless for lack of opportunities but C.M. sahab bahut kaam karte hain

Law and order is not worthy of mentioning but C.M. sahab bahut kaam karte hain.

Discipline in government colleges is nil but C.M. sahab bahut kaam karte hain

Clerks in Government Offices are still concerned about a paper with the photo of our Father of Nation on it but C.M. sahab bahut kaam karte hain

Issues like water logging, improper infrastructure, etc. have not been addressed but C.M. sahab bahut kaam karte hain.

Indeed, C.M. Sahab bahut kaam karte hain

Finally, I reached my office and resumed my duties.

So friends, bottom line is somethings never change. No matter how many ministers come, the system won’t change. The Government set-up is hell.

Well, bye for now. Thanks for being patient and reading one more blog. Will pester you again in some time with another irritating blog J J

One More Time – I Dare!

I never thought I would do this, but here I am doing it again.

Once again I dare to appreciate THE ALMIGHTY’s creation,

Once again I dare to dance in rain,
Once again I dare to think of someone,
Once again I dare to believe in GOD.

Once again I dare to not eat anything and still don’t feel hungry,
Once again I dare to spent sleepless nights,
Once again I dare to get lost amidst gatherings,
Once again I dare to believe in GOD.

Once again I dare to carry pain in my heart,

Once again I dare to be not with friends and associates,
Once again I dare to flip TV channels without paying attention to any of it,
Once again I dare to believe in GOD.

Once again I dare to be at crossroads,

Once again I dare to put a fake smile,
Once again I dare to pretend, life is fine,
Once gain I dare to believe in GOD.

 

Once again I dare to dream,

Once again I dare to see someone in my dreams,
Once again I dare to fulfill my dreams,
Once again I dare to believe in GOD

 

Once again I dare to be in love

Once again I dare to express my heart, irrespective of consequences,
Once again I dare to love someone, unconditionally,
This time, I dare to walk with my love!

Amen!

Many Faces of Love

At 1:00 p.m., I was feeling damn hungry. But considering that I was in my office with lotta things right upon my head, I mustered courage to carry on with my work. At 3:00 p.m., one of my friend, GOD bless him, asked our so-called biggie 'PR gang' to  stop work and come for lunch. Relieved I was... but never mentioned it to anyone that I was dying of hunger.

While my friends exchanged cholas, dals, salads and jack-fruit, a very interesting topic was awaiting us for a discussion. One of my friend just happened to say that "Love is a fake word". He was of the view that a better word would be "Like".

Confused... so was I. But since he is a very good friend of mine and is more like an elder brother, I never thought of refuting him. Instead, I just requested an elaboration.

He went on to say that Love is a word that has been used by people to express various sorta emotions. Making me the cardinal character of a story, he started narrating a fable.

He said that if out of affection, I happen to call my love over phone and there came no response, I would get a little uneasy. Oops! I forgot to say... he also said that there came no pre-designed tempelate from my love confirming her busy status.

What will happen, after some time, when same task is repeated with exact results, I would get concerned for her, thinking of various troubles that could have befallen on my so-called love. Here comes concern. Moving on, if the same situation persists, I would feel neglected. Later, in the day, I learnt from from my love's Facebook profile that she is in best of health and spirit and is having a boogy and just didn't bothered to respond to me... I would get furious. WOW... 4th emotion.

Curbing my emotions (in fable), I decided to express my anger to my love next time she is gonna call me. I, atleast, expected a message from her justifying her busy status (6th emotion). Now, when she calls, I take up the call fearing that if I didn't then I would not be able to speak to her. Over the phone, she apologises for not responding and this makes me forget my anger. Now, I am back in LOVE. Then, she goes on requesting me to help her in preparing a marketing plan for a FMCG  product. She needed my help in the job. This was 7th emotion.

The fable ends here. I know it has been a long-reading and you all must be exhausted reading this stuff, especially by biggie 'PR gang' who were there at the moment.

So, coming back o point, what my friend meant to say was that these are the different faces of love. Finally, we concluded that Love is super-set of all these afore-mentioned emotions.  Phew!

Wait... BLOG abhi baaki hai dost.

Another friend of mine came into picture by referring to the fable. He said that Love is not love unless it is from both ends.

By the time, this was going-on, I was done with my lunch and had ordered some cookies for all of us.

So, all of us objected this view of my friend convincing him that there are no conditions in love. You cannot stop someone from loving another person. This friend  added that since it was only me who was involved in love and not the other  person that's why she never bothered to inform me about her busy status....

More confusion added.... I felt that it was enough for the day. Debating Love is an ever-going act. Honestly, the cookies impressed me more than these views. The debate was put on hold as we had to get back to our respective work.

I hope I had  been apt in putting the exact views of my friends else they are gonna kill me... ROFL

Also, at 11:00 p.m. I am at my home recollecting the talks of the day.

Surely, Love is a complicated jargon. But to me, LOVE MEANS ALWAYS GIVING AND NEVER ASKING FOR ANYTHING IN RETURN... its a mansha thing :)  (This quote is copyrighted to me so don't copy it)

Bye for now... good night!