29 December - National Shame Day (India)

Six men brutally raped, battered a 23 year old girl and and her male friend. To know more about the case, Click Here>>

India fights back for justice and safety of every girl. That led to insensitive remarks rolled out by sexist politicians, which I strongly believe is representative of what the society thinks. President's son's remark - painted and dented women are protesting, which led a row amongst activists.

As a crisis management exercise the girl's body was moved to Singapore, where she died experiencing two cardiac arrests in the air ambulance.

Despite promulgation of section 144 and 66 A, protests continue in New Delhi and on social media, to go on till the time she finds justice.

Today I don't have words to express my anguish!

Amid all this drama, we need to discuss the gravity of the crime? my question is how would you define justice in this case? Hang them is the most common phrase on the placards held by protesters. But is it justice delivered? Whatever the verdict be, it should set an example for all.

The Government, the society, the attitude, the crime, the people, the rapists are all a part of us. Look inside and find how have you been a party to such crime? Have you accepted an attempt by a passer by to brush past you or have you fought for your dignity? Kill that criminal in you, speak out and support those who speak up. Look through the veil of societal bounds and give dignity every chance.

This girl fought, till the end, but succumbed to the injuries she bore. She had been oblivious of the protests, but she wanted to live.

PS: Although it's a day to mourn, I wish to talk about a constructive observations. Men are coming out in numbers to support the cause. And that's precisely the reason why India doesn't need feminist movements like the ones in Saudi Arabia. What we need is to instill in the minds of the society that a be it a man, woman or a child, each one of us have an identity. Respect that!

Author's Note: Hope this movement becomes a revolution. I will do my part by lighting a candle outside my house to support the cause at 7 pm today.

Pick and choose - the tag

Shesha asked a few questions on her post The Tag. And here I am thinking a little beyond social  acceptance.

Though these questions seem simple,  I actually had to think a lot, phewww

a. "Forget and forgive" or "Remember and plot your revenge"? Situation, depends on the intent of the action, I would choose remember and plot your revenge.

b. Greatest thing that has happened to you till now?

My life, it is unique and interesting!

c. Do you really laugh/smile, when you write lol/haha/rofl on chat? 

Yes, I do. If situation doesn't permit a smirk makes way out of me.

d. Do you believe in Life after death?
I have to die to provide you with the right answer to this, as of now I live with a belief that there is no life after death.

e. Hollywood or Bollywood or any other -wood?
The dhinchak Bollywood!

f. Whom do you trust more with your secrets- Family/Friend/Stranger?
My secrets are engraved forever in a secret place.

g. Your views on Gay marriages - can you accept it in your family or in case of your son/daughter?
Yes.. I take pride in defying conventions.

h. One of the most interesting things about you?
My hair colour, it has been subject to quite a lot of public scrutiny.

i. How important is money? "Live today" or save for the "D-day"?

Live today, I try hard but fail to save.. sigh!!

j. Mind over heart or heart over mind
I cannot be harsh on my heart, therefore Heart over mind!

Now my turn... Pick one and tell me why ?

• Sushmita Sen or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
• Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor or Booman Irani
• Delhi, Jaipur or Singapore
• Married, Single, Complicated or Live-In
• Swimming, horse riding or Tennis
• Gym, yoga or Judo
• Skype, Gtalk or Mobile
• SMS, BBM, Chat or Whatsapp

I blog because..

Here I go with a compilation of why do I blog perspective from fellow bloggers:

Shesha Chaturvedi

Ummmm I blog because idle mind is devil's workshop and I have so much cooking inside! I want to give other's my perspective on looking at things, then who doesn't like to show off a bit of social/technical or wtv intelligence they have. Life is all about expression, we never know how our life/or somebody else's life changes after the sharing of thoughts!

My comments: Shesha, my long lost and fairly long found kinder garden friend, and I are so connected. We have found so many similarities in the way we think and I love the way she describes her thought.

Amit Dang

its like shitting....you get the fuck out of your mind and get relaxed!
but as you know since the time i have stopped bothering about all the social and political issues going on....I'm at peace with myself...kind of stopped blogging...but will get back on this soon..with a different approach probably;)

My comments: Pheww.. I was a little taken aback with the first line, my blog these words.. Thanks Amit for mellowing it down. I liked your opinionated blog posts, and somewhere I feel that it has to come back.

Durgesh Bhardwaj

Its like opening up ur heart.. No hidden agendas.. Serving ur thoughts.

My comments: From Durgesh's philosophy to his poetry, I love it all. Please blog a little more often,  I just can't get over that Majnu and Laila's poetry

Garima Om

I blog.... sometimes to let it out what I could not discuss with others that's why most of my posts are emotional and very close to my heart, sometimes I blog to try my hand on different genre of writing like poetry, story, quotation etc...sometimes to add to different points of view floating around to give others a whole new perspective to look at a particular thing/situation...all in all it gives me immense pleasure when the writer in me is able to 'paint' the imagination of the reader with words

My comments: I love her iQuotes, she uses subtle words to convey a strong messages.


Joy K Sahoo (The Brand Spy and The Sense of Joy)

To help out the hidden aspirations come out..

My comments: We recently discovered that eating is also a sense of joy (lifting the idea from his blog URL) and I await a few insightful foodies' posts :)


And finally, it's my turn... I blog because of the varied flavors.. I blog because this is one of the best incredible things to do on the internet. Just to give you an idea, for me I blog because of the beautiful feeling that I get with it.

With each post comes a connect, a fragrance and a memory. It is such a feeling which strengthens my faith and tells me that I can fly, something that falls on my face as the rain drops while I get drenched standing faced up on the terrace, it is like a a breezy summer evening on terrace or a winter sunny afternoon rooftop peanut treat.. 

Reservation Relaoded

The advent of reservations.. We know all that SC/ST/OBC/ Gujjar/Jat/ Muslim/Christians/General Category  story, lets take a look at a refreshing reloaded version!

Reservation Part 1: The implementation of Direct Taxes code was not taken up in the national Union Budget 2012-13. In addition to Income tax people are forced to pay more service tax as well. Despite surge in inflation, there is a gap of equivalent appraisals. Rupee's value against Dollar is uncontrollably high and the value of gold is shining everywhere than on page 3. Sad we are forced to read all these bland news everyday!

Reservation Part 2: 
Your daily SMS limit has been reserved to 20 per day. This has been decided by the government as a lot of SMSes, degrading the government, were doing the rounds. And like an abla naari, she had to protect her integrity!

And the funniest of all is the Reservation Part 3: Seemingly agitated with the stride of protests in the Indian national capital, the administrators have  decided to go aggressive with their autocracies. Now that the police was done with the implementation of section 144, and knowing that amending one of the fundamental rights to protest is not possible, they have another nasty trick in place.

Excerpts from the Times of India Article posted online..

But with Delhi Police reportedly proposing to restrict entry to the grounds with barriers in the wake of recent anti-corruption protests at the site, and seeking to impose visiting hours citing security reasons, this way of life seems threatened.  

Complete article is available here

Be it any activity, crime, of a call to call off corruption, the government doesn't think about the ways to solve the issue, but sadly endorse LIMITED ACCESS! With this the sick though they have come a step ahead of its ways of 'reservation'.. Reserving our right to visit places in our own country.

Author's Note: This government does not let a pout of fresh air come in.. I don't want the government to be a nagging neighbourhood aunty. It want it to be someone with the style and pleasant personality as a 5 star waiter!

Mind power

When I was a child, my mother use to narrate stories about the power of mind. She made us believe that mind is so powerful that if we concentrate on something, we can achieve it. Years later, someone told me that our mind is so strong that while we sit we can get a door opened without having anyone to touch it. It's a hard sell, but beyond the literal meaning, I knew it carried a deep message.

As I see the world today, I have learned a lot about the power of mind and the underlying meaning of hard sell quotations. Being a writer, I often find my mind revolving around finding the best of words that can narrate something in a unique way. However, there are many more instances where my mind has been my accomplice, and held me through the tough tides, a few of them are:

• I have always found a relation with the great ideologies, self belief, principles, morals and thoughts. Ironically many a times I have failed to follow them. There comes my mind telling me that I am just being human.
• It's easier to help someone than to help yourself. There comes my mind telling me that I am amongst those few who have the courage the stand up and help themselves, so don't fiddle, keep trying.
• I often end up fighting with my EGO and ID, trying to comprehend what is right and what is not. It's when I end up judging myself more than anyone else and my mind tells me that I don't have to be harsh on myself.
• Despite realisation, I take time in making life's tough decisions, for me as I know that once I have decided there is no looking back. My mind shouts, take your time, better late than never.
• When I get bogged down by the mean world, my mind tells me not to be sad, the world is meant to be like that.
• When I get into an impulsive mode, my mind tells me that since I have kept quite for a long time, it's okay to get in that mode. 
• When I want to be alone, or I am lonely, my mind refuses to leave. I am glad I have a mind of my own.
• Besides that my mind tells me that I have a beautiful life to live, it will not come all by itself, but I have to put serious efforts and believe in myself. 
• When I am scared, my mind tells me that I am not suppose to live in fear, I need to stand up and fight back.

In the end, no matter what I choose, my MIND tells me that I have either learn something or have gained something that could be as simple as a plain smile.

Author's Note: Does your mind speak to you like my mind does?

P.S.: There are a lot of posts lying idle on my drafts folder, but they never get to the 'publish' slot. And every time I think of myself, I feel, as I fail to have a constant flow of posts, a part of my identity is lost. But its my mind that comes to rescue me, it tells me that I write not to force the readers with posts and stories, but to let the readers feel free and connect with my words.

Ticked 28

Birthdays are never simple.. some are full of surprises, some people spend their day working, some miss someone special, some just count years, some party hard, some cook, some.... some ................ and some ..............

This time for me was full of surprises.. and innumerable wishes. 

Rigmarole!

Question: If given an option for an eight day week, which day, out of all in a week would you want to repeat?

The Friday morning is a happy morning, you wait for the day to end and facebook status reads TGIF.. No hard work today and all the tasks get dragged for the weekend... You stay up till late night, watch a movie or too.. chit chat with friends and make plans for the weekend.. the weekend celebrations begin from friday night.

Saturday morning is when you realize how messed-up your room is. Everything that you have used during the week is lying next to your bed, on the table and in your bags, the wardrobe is all in a state of dizzy...You realize that if you have managed things better, if you kept every stuff at a proper place, than life would be easier.

On a Sunday you find time out of busy shopping schedule, catching up with friends, meeting the grand mom, doing the weekend grooming and et al... Sunday evenings when you have a face-pack on, you start arranging the messed-up stuff in your room. You are tired, but you have decided that you will cut the clutter and clean it up.

The morning blues experienced on the Monday, take a backseat as you feel good about you clean and organised room. You get up and get ready for work. Since you had already decided what to wear, you don't messu the with wardrobe and the undecisiveness. For the day, you bid a good bye to your room, you tell it that you will miss it and you love it the most in this world. In the evening you open the door and see it all neat and clean.

The feeling is very similar to the feeling a day before is when Tuesday's sun knock from the window. During the day, you are told that have to get some documents, and you remember that you had seen it and kept it at a proper place. Although you are confused between a few places :-/. Evening is as neat as it was a day before. But the dried clothes have found their place in the wardrobe, and it looks a little messy.. But as long as its not visible to me, its okay! But what about the documents, especially with this friend's calling up, you delay taking out the documents for the next day's morning.

You get up a bit early on Wednesday as you have to get those document. You feel proud that your cleaning drive worked well and a hi-five for keeping the documents at the right place. As you check out all the places which could have been one of the proper places for the documents, but you dont find it anywhere. You find it at the most unlikly places, as you had put in a lot of effort to keep those important documents at the right place. Your wardrobe is messed up.. But that is ok, you promise that you will get it back in shape in the evening. In the evening, you realize that your nails are chapped, you try to recollect where did you keep the personal grooming kit. You end up messing the dressing table, throw everything on the table and start working on your nail. You wear a nice nail paint shade.. As the nail paint is wet, you cannot fix the mess tonight.

Thursday morning was tasked to fix a bit of the mess that has been created. But you are already running late for work and waiting for the weekend as you need to spend time with yourself. And since the weekend is blocked, you promise to yourself that this evening things would be cleared.. In the evening, no wonder you are tired, and then there is Friday too..

But but but, my dear friends, there is more to it, remember what the post started with....


The Friday morning is a happy morning, you wait for the day to end, and facebook status reads TGIF.. No hard work today and all the tasks get dragged for the weekend..................................................................................................................

Author's Note: Yes.. I am the you in this post!

I reckon that during those growing up times kids had certain set of beliefs, including the concept of oceans (with Shesha Chaturvedi), that breaking promises was a crime.. I wonder, if it were true should you be hanged till dead for not standing upto the mark. I made promise to my room everyday, but I stick to them only on a Sunday, which can anyday takle a backseat dependending on my schedule, however whatever state it is in, I love my room!

PS: Writing this post was a therapeutic and beautiful experience for me. At last one post for the month of March
PPS: Refereing to the question, I will choose the Saturday.. What about you?

Quit Smoking

In the morning when my mom came inside my room, she told me that an acquaintance has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Since she has seen her father suffer, she was visibly shaken and was recalling how terrible it is for the patient as well as the family when a person suffers from cancer.

Whenever I hear cancer, I picture in my maternal grandfather, my Daddyji, he suffered with lung cancer, fought like a soldier but succumbed to death. He had quit smoking long ago, but his lungs were damage with the tobacco tart that he had smoked before quitting... He had respiratory problems and every now and then he had to be rushed to ICU. With a survival rate of zero percent, Lung cancer or small cell carcinoma grows to third or fourth stage within 15 days.  By the time it is diagnosed, a patient is already in critical stage.

I recall how I wished that the doctors tell us that they diagnosed it wrong, and tried to convey to everyone that a medical professional can go wrong. Till the end, I did not feel that he will ever leave us, even when he was on ventilator. Even when we had to rush as the doctors said that he is left with 30 min of life. I am proud that he fought... Smiled through the oxygen mask whenever I met him in the ICU, he blinked whenever I spoke to him, holding his hand and telling him to get well soon.

I would confess that I was also about to give into the temptation of smoking, but I did not. And I thank god for that... I reiterate this today, I reiterate this as you read it, and I reiterate it every time someone Quits to smoke. Cancer knows no love, no boundary, no colour, no caste, no creed... Lets fight it, lets start with boycotting things that lead the cancer to grow.

Author's Note: Quit Smoking, nothing is worthy to take away a part of your life.. And its not cool, its doesn't make one a better artist, it cannot bring out the creativity in you, it doesn't take away your stress, and the list goes on....... whatever reason you have, it doesn't help at all..


PS: Daddyji, I love you...   I am glad I was always able to make up to convey this to you!
You are (I still believe that you are around us) the best, And I miss you..
Wherever you are, I wish lots of happiness, health and smiles for you... 

Happy New Year 2012

A very Happy New Year pals.. I don't subscribe to the thought that the world will end in 2012, go ahead and make as many plans as possible...

You all make me feel great... Life is just great and I need to tell a lot to you... So hopefully I will be in full spirits to jot down my thoughts and achievements!

This year's resolution falls in line with Oscar Wilde's quotation ..

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”

As this year has begun on a very special note, I need to talk something serious with you.. I need to talk to you about love, not just love, its about Self Love! 

When does one stop loving thyself? It might be a bad life, a situation where one ends up being a soft target of bullies, or may be a breakup..

One needs to realise that its a phase where people around are turning you down. And once you are over it, you will feel something like what your drawing teacher did to all those bullies, who made fun of your creative self, for not scoring well in the drawing classes. Well creativity is in-borne, no one can teach you that.. similarly..
..... ehemmm I seem to be drifting away from the topic...

 And still you need to know that there is someone who loves you unconditionally.. and that's you, yourself!

It's about Self Love.. Why do we need a lot of people around to celebrate? Why do we have to throw a lavish party post appraisals? And how much of our 'thyselves' is being pampered for that achievement?

As I sit today in the midst of something that is shaping up to be beautiful, I reckon that my life has been an experience.. It has enabled me to lift subtle hints that are thrown towards me.. Hints which indicate what will work and what needs to be kicked-off, what should be celebrated and what ought to be refrained from!

It tells me that something is going in the right direction, and I don't have any doubts about it. I am sure that it will work! Its like, one doesn't find self in the midst of introspection, something is saying that whatever happens will be for the best.

Let this year, be an year of newer achievements and more reasons to celebrate.. 

Just say what you feel is to be said

Just do what you feel is to be done

Because this is just a phase and it shall pass

And you need all the reasons to celebrate it

And you need all the reasons to know that you are being loved

And you need all the reasons to know that you are special

What matters in life is not the relationships we share with people around us, but the relationship we share with ourselves. How well one is treated completely depends upon how much of you is open to vulnerability. Those who test that waters by repeatedly hitting that spot should be kicked out of your life...

Author's Note: So next time you have a reason to celebrate, don't call over friends, just hop into for a Gol-Gappa treat at Bengali market!  I don't know what should I suggest to those who are not in Delhi!

P.S: I recently lost my wisdom tooth,

and the story of the misery, fights and rights will  soon come online  :)