Whispering Shadow

The impact of 26/11 was such that I began to believe it would be the foundation of change in our country.   I saw early signs of it. Both the politicians and the citizens showed promised. But barely a month down the line, while the latter are still trying to find new ways to contribute to the state of the nation, the former are back what they do best, politicize the issue.  Mr. Antulay, the cabinet minister for minorities found a new found profession, that of a conspiracy theorist. The accusations that ATS Chief Hemant Karkare’s death was a plot by Hindu extremists took centre stage, over shadowing the voice of many Indians who were asking much more potent questions at that stage. The 542 remaining members of parliament got so involved in pressurizing him for his resignation that they passed 8 important bills in 17 minutes.  While the chaos was on in Delhi , I found one Mr. Bal   Thackrey’s comments extremely inflammatory and misplaced, though highly amusing. I think you will too b...

Everything seemed to be at a low a fornight back. The economy, national security, political will, and on a personal notes, work, creativity, enthusiasm and socializing. However, this week gave me many reasons to smile. Hurray!! For starters, I am no longer benched. I am on a big-big project with a fun-fun team and at least for now, enjoying the lack of forced idleness. Those who have been there and done that tell me its early days and the work pressure will soon catch up, but I still feel it's better than letting your usually logical mind catch rust.  I also had my much anticipated trip to Malshej and Bhimashankar last weekend. Though not as high on the excitement and fun quotient, it was a needed break from the monotony that had begun to set in. Moreover, I found time to spend with my lately neglected camera (yeah, it is fine now). Two whole hours early in the morning, clicking mountains, grass, streams, animals, trees and my naughtly little cousin. (I will have to be really smitt...

It happened one week ago. My friend and I were in the middle of a badminton game, playing on the deserted road by our neighbourhood garden. The road is rarely used by vehicular traffic and it being an odd hour of a lazy Sunday afternoon, the chance of a vehicle coming by was even less.  It was my serve. My opponent flicked the shuttle cock in my direction and it fell right behind me. I took an about-turn .... and  then found myself lying on the floor, looking in random directions, sometimes through people and trying to comprehend what was going on. It was literally the "main kahaan hoon" situation which a lot of protagonists from the Hindi movies of the 1970s found themselves in. I was totally blank. I was having a system reset. It felt like eternity. I felt I had been sleeping forever, sleeping for so long that my memory had cobwebs and dust strewn all over it. I couldn't remember any details. Slowly as I became more conscious, they all start coming back, limping into my...

Author: Niki D (my sister who attended the peace rally on 3rd December 2008) Twenty Sixth day of November. I shall never forget this day. It was the day my city was attacked left right and centre. The third day of December. This was the day my city stood up to justice, raised a voice against the terror campaign and seeked to root out political misdemeanors. “Bharat Mata ki JAI”, “Pakistan ki Hai Hai”, “Galli Galli mein shor hai, Politicians Chor hai!!” were just some of the endless slogans being screamed out by the livid Mumbaiites. People tore down banners of political parties and put up some witty ones of their own like “The government lied, the innocent died”, “Call the bargirls back, we need protection for our country”, “Shivraj Patil, suck ass”, “No taxes this time, only accountability” etc etc Missing: Mr. Raj Thackrey? Marathi Manoos or Marathi Mouse Jai Hind!!  Yes, there was a sense of anger, but there was also a stream of hope that flowed through the heart of every single per...

While I was sleeping Mumbai was returning home As were its tired and sleepy souls Theirs was a routine journey So should have been their homecoming But little did they know They will be scarred again In a way like never before. While I was sleeping Bullets were fired By cowards and liars Self-righteous mercenaries of terror The bullets pierced bodies Whose souls went to meet their Maker To ask Him, “Why us?” To ask Him, “What gave them the right?” While I was sleeping Symbols of Mumbai were burnt Guests of the city were taken hostage To be used as human shields The same shields they chose to tear The same shields they now wear Conscience is not what you look for In these agents of death.   While I was sleeping While I was dreaming Mumbai was burning Mumbai was bleeding At those very places I have once been I can imagine how it would have been If imagining the ordeal is so painful I will be lying if I told you “I know how it feels.”

Once upon a time, there was a Hare. She was powered by a noisy 6 cylinder engine and wore an untidy look of bright red. Her arrogance reflected in the fact that she had B.E.S.T. printed on it in bold. She thought she'll give two Tortoises a lift home. "What can these two slow coaches do? They will never reach home in time had it not been for me. I am faster and more energetic than the two of them put together." The Tortoises had had a tiring day in office and in no mood for a show of strength. So they decided to jump on the little crammed space remaining on the otherwise spacious Hare, who told them it is only a matter of minutes before she gets them home. But little did she know what great obstacle lay in her way, the dreaded monster called Traffic. He had broken the morale of many like her before, but this Hare of ours was not the one to give in. She continued the grand show of high-handedness. The Tortoises were tired after a long day at work, and the last thing they n...

There is life beyond good days and bad days. And sometimes, it goes far beyond the days of mundane existence and mere achievements, days where you feel you are invincible. No person can hurt you. No thought can enter your mind. You are blank, as empty as the sands of a barren desert. Yet, you don't feel parched. You are at peace, with yourself and all the variables around you, in every wordly equation that is yet unsolved. You think of those who love you, those who have prayed for you and those who have given you luck and realise that with so much positivity surrounding you, there can be no space for a pessimism. You start believing in yourself like you never have. An aura surrounds you, like an armour that takes all the blows when you are fencing your enemy off. Your are overwhelmed by a sense of objectivity. Your mission is to defeat your only enemy - panic. Life gives you second chance, but you are worthy of it only if you have lived upto yourself in your first attempt. Your att...

It is one day to go for the mother of all exams (if you didn't know, it's CAT I am talking about), but here are a few questions I definitely am trying not to think about: How is the paper going to be tomorrow? How am I going to attempt it?  What will the paper pattern be like? What if I get through? How will I get through? Can I get through? What if I don't get through? When was the last time I said this was not a serious attempt? When was the last time I said there is always hope? What is my chance of getting lucky, when 269999 others ask for luck on the same day? Do I need luck? What if my friend gets through and I don't? What if I get through and my friend doesn't? What if the paper pattern changes next year to an online test? What if the paper is leaked? What if I forget my hall ticket at home? What if I wake up and realise it is 11:30 already? What if there is a curfew tomorrow? When was the last time I tried to not think so much?  Luckily, CAT has only five an...

My new office location, to put it in one word, is far, so far that we have given christened it ''Kalapani", which was a colonial era prison on the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The fastest we reach there through any combination of means of transport (one is not enough) is 1 hours and 15 minutes, but then we live in a world where traffic could get stuck under a flyover long enough for you to complete your grocery purchases and return to your car without the need to park even park it. Sometimes, I wonder if a passerby would look at it as a road, or a parking lot! Since we are sincere employees and we love our work, we put up with all the hurdles that the travelling poses in our path and tirelessly keep looking for new alternatives to reach our final destination. Today, we tried a car, no actually a jeep, Maddy's jeep. And if you think we only drove to work, think again. I bet you could not have made your first drive to work so memorable as this. Continue reading to know w...

You might be wondering where I have been so long. I have just returned from a holiday to Dubai and Sharjah. The trip was not exactly a long vacation but it was a vacation well-spent! I lived like a tourist for a change. I also have captured bits and pieces of it through the pictures I clicked. Here's a glimpse of my photolog. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 1: Almost There Dubai truly represented the city of blinding lights, looking pretty in colours of gold and tungsten. Day 2: Burj Dubai This building is so tall that I couldn't fit it in my camera frame. I was around half a kilometer away. And guess what, it is still under construction. No wonder, it's the tallest man-made structure in the world. Day 2: Burj Al Arab from Jumeriah Beach Jumeirah Beach is one of the oldest and the most beautiful beaches in Dubai. It overlooks three hotels, Burj Al Arab (by far the most elegant), the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, ...

KK and he sat in diagonally opposite chairs in a cubicle,both within my audible range. At first I felt he was talking to himself. When I tried to make sense of his words, I realised he was giving instructions. But to whom? The computer monitor? It took me a while to realise he was talking to . The moment he asked a question, KK stood up and walked to his desk, diligently like a subordinate would. KK stood there looking at him, answering him, taking his orders like a timid rabbit. On the other hand, he acted as if nothing had changed. He continued working on his system while he gave instructions. Not once did he give KK a nod of approval or even establish eye contact. As soon as he was done, KK returned to his seat and resumed working.  Sometime after the above incident happened, another colleague of mine approached my super boss. He explained his predicament and requested my super boss to grant him a leave of a week. After 5 minutes, all he heard from him was "Drop me a mail....

Me: I am tired. Myself: No, it is just the October heat. Me: But it never happened to me before. Myself: Yes, sitting in front of the computer in an air-conditioned office without any exercise can do that to you. Me: I should exercise! Myself: I have heard that one before, more than once actually! Me: I think I will wake up early tomorrow. Myself: LOL. Me: I will. I am going to sleep early. Myself: Just to exercise? Me: No. I have to study too. Myself: Oh yes, I almost forgot to remind you that your big exam is less than a month away. Me: I haven't forgotten but I have just notbeen able to make the time. Myself: It is convenient to make reasons. Me: Ok, I know I have been a loser. Myself: But it is not too late. Don't give up in the  last lap. Me: I am trying. Myself: No, you are not but you should. I know I can! Me: Oh, in all this hopelessness, I have something to look forward to. Myself: Yaay, we are going to meet our parents but is this the right time to go ho...

1) Take a deep breath. 2) Step in. 3) Hold your breath. 4) Step out. 5) Breathe again. If only it was so simple!! Image Source:  http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/06Evfco5OJgwf/610x.jpg

She was one of the two But second to none on the day On the verge of entering a life so new The life she had longed for all the way Wearing a shade of venetian red With jewels and gold and flowers galore Gorgeous as they made her look None was as beautiful as the smile she wore With the blessings of the Gods In the presence of thunder and rain She walked to the ceremony pavilion Showing determination despite the pain With bashful eyes she sat On her beloved’s right It was what she had dreamed of The dream she was living tonight. Garlands of flower the exchanged Apart from vows witnessed by the Holy Fire Praying to the Gods to bless them And fulfil their true desire. The emotions that showed in their eyes Of trust and truth and belonging They lived in their hearts before The vows just gave them a new meaning They were bound at last By a bond so legitimate and pure For this lifetime and the six that followed To the disease to which there was no other cure As happy was the wedlock There w...

Under Construction , after four attempts on four different themes! Today is just not the day to write. My mind is void of any creativity, nor there is a flow of ideas. It is not that I am forcing myself to write. I just wanted to! But nothing lived up to my satisfaction. To stop myself from going to bed with the sense of dejection, I clicked sweet lime instead. It was supposed to be round but thanks to my dexterity when it comes to knives, it turned out to look like a leaf. But isn't it a pretty leaf? The colours exceeded my expectations and life doesn't seem as dull as it seemed earlier in the day.

I thought of calling it chicken soup but then I didn’t want to offend the vegetarians in any group. I didn’t even use a name of a Chinese variant of the soup because there might be members from the Jain community whose sentiments I might hurt unintentionally. So here I am labeling my next post “Green Soup for Mobster’s Inc” Do I need to tell you why? I do not want to be the next person beaten to death with iron rods by a mob of 60 men in broad day light in a buzzing corporate complex for doing what is required of my job. Lastly, as an added precaution, I will write the title of this post in Devnagri script to prevent the MNS hackers from tearing my blog down. Since all measures are in place, I guess I can start with the recipe now. Ingredients: Angry Men – 10-12 Leader – 1 to 2 Victim(s) – Depends on how memorably bloody you want the recipe to be. Sensationalist News Channels – Even one is enough. Steps: Place the leader in a spot that threatens his hold over his domain of work or area...

It had been raining heavily since four hours, but since we were in the comforts of our training centre, we didn’t realize how the weather situation in the locality was. So much was our ignorance that we decided to stay back and practice for an upcoming test. My friend and I consequently decided to go home at 8 pm. The rain had receded but the effects of the rain were still evident in the form of the traffic jams. There was no sight of a rickshaw. Considering how far away from civilization our training centre is, it was the only way of getting to the nearest station or bus-stop. Since there was none, it only spelt bad news for us. We had only two options, either wait or walk. In the Mumbai rains, we did not have much of a chance of staying dry with only our umbrella for our protection. So we chose to wait a bit and if nothing would work out in a while, we would walk towards the station. We waited for 15 minutes with not a single rickshaw came our way. We saw a tourist taxi taking a turn...

There are novels that you read for sheer entertainment. There are novels which take you on a journey into another world. There are novels with suspense so gripping that you can’t let go of them till you finish. And then, there are books that simply inspire. The Fountainhead belongs to the last category. It is so beautiful a book that I don’t feel qualified enough to review it. The book surely inspires, but it inspires each person differently. This is how it inspires me. I liked many aspects of the book. Each aspect was represented by one of the Fountainhead’s protagonists. Each represented an ideology of living, ideologies which can’t be categorized as valid or invalid. The book exposes you to so many facets of human nature that it leaves you heavy with thoughts. The egotism redefined by Roark was at the forefront. I personally belonged to a school of thought that despises the whole concept of egotism but this book made me rethink my stand. Is altruism positive in its truest sense? Is...

I usually don't upload factual stuff in this space, but then the mega-project by CERN is such an exciting innovation that I couldn't ignore it. I share with you a rap song which gives an ultra-simplified working of the World's Largest Particle accelerator: By the way, does any one know why did the Hindi news channels have to complicate a scientific experiment to such a level that it almost became a reason for the end of the world, the final apocalypse, in the minds of many? It is quite a rhetorical question, but then how did the move beyond TV seriels, Cricket, reality show updates, horoscopes and crime-fighting (rather sensationalising) and reach scientific frontiers?? I will call it progress at least for the time being. And thank goodness we are not an extinct planet just as yet. I won the bet with my grandfather.

Watching movies, chatting with friends, blogging, photography, cleaning, catching up with the newspaper and most of all sleeping (loads), I have done everything I love to do this weekend. I haven't even reached the best part. I got my first salary. Yes, The Illuminator is earning! The weekend was almost reaching its grand end with a cook-out session until my cold and cough also brought fever and a terrible headache along with them. You just can't escape the virus! Anyhow, fever is not something which can over-ride the upbeat mood the pay-cheque has got me in. My friend asked what I was going to do with all that money. "Splurge on shopping? Party? Movie? Gifts? What's the plan? " Frankly I didn't quite know. The only thing I was certain about was that I need to buy my grandfather a new pair of clothes. I didn't know what I will do with the large chunk that remained (now don't start giving me 'you can give it to me if you don't know what to d...

Call me a cribber, but I am not the one who will take mediocrity in my stride. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people love mediocrity. Not that they can't strive for change, but they don't want to do it. Right from college where we are stuck with an ancient education system to sports where we are still proud of being 46th in the points tally of the Olympic games, the sense of complacency is programmed in our genes. Do we not have the spark? We all do, but we let it die. We are not quick enough to light the fire while it lasts. Each one of us has ideas. Each one of us has plans. Who will fear embarassment in case of failure? Isn't it better to remaining at the same position in the ladder than two steps lower? The fear of failure overshadows the reason why one would suport a bright idea, forget coming up with it. Most of the time when there is an opinion poll, say of 10 people, there will be two who agree, two who disagree and the remaining six won't have any...

Around a fortnight ago, each of us was asked in class “Which is that one object you think represents you the best?” People came up with innovative answers like mountain, ice, a moter bike, the Internet, a bridge, the Sun, even ‘ Paani Puri ’ supplementing them with reasons and corollaries. My spontaneous answer was the digital camera. I went home thinking about what I had said. Was it my love for photography? Was it only my obsession with my digital camera? Later while discussing it with a friend, I realized that what seemed like impulse could have had a deeper explanation to it. Besides, there were many valuable lessons I could learn from the digicam . (Reminds me of Blink and 'rapid cognition'!) Firstly, it captures the real picture, as it is, where it is. Being a realist is both a good and bad thing. My friends hate me for being over-logical, not taking pleasure in the imperfections of life. It can be a pain but the truth always hurts. Even more when it is told...

Everyone has a unique way of talking. I love observing how individuals from different parts of the country speak and the verbal etiquette they follow. Recently, in a lecture, while making notes, I was also meticulously paying attention to the facilitator's style of speaking and noting the anomalies down. By the end of it, I had quite an elaborate list of mispronounced words, which some of you might even laugh on if you are fastidious about the spoken word. I am writing a part of it down here, the objective being to see if any of you can correctly guess which part of the country this person was from. hierarchical: high- rar -chick- al quotation: ko - tay -sun section: sex-sun information: in-for-may-suns fatal: phat- tal inflation: in- flaa -sun users: u-sh- ers able: abb - le (like apple) foxpro : fox-fro concentration: cun - sunn - tra -sun null: know-all balance: baa- lansh -e people: pee-pols Hemant : hee - maan -t view: byu - hh segregate : sigrig -gate study: sturr - dy in...

Any normal person would expect the title of the post to be a romantic line in the movie, but if you have seen The Dark Knight you know it isn't, especially when it comes from the Joker (played by Heath Ledger). There are action movies and then there are more action movies. Rarely there is one that manages to grip you with its performances as much as it does with its visual spectacles. Batman’s latest movie is all that and more. Usually, you come out loving the hero but this one makes you admire the villain . You admire him for his notoriety. You admire him for his wit. You admire him for his unpredictability. You admire him for his belief that there are no beliefs, the fact that the only rule is there are no rules. You don’t endorse his point of you but you can’t disagree that he has logic behind it. The whole argument that systems are so tuned to running on set patterns that a slight change can completely break them down is not invalid. In fact he proves it more than o...

Funny how kids play house-house and teacher-teacher but never play office-office. May be they just know that it is not fun. May be humans are born with an instinctive antipathy towards structured work. Last week was my first at office and it was not as bad as I thought it could be. I want to pen down the first impressions I had of work (actually training) so far for my own record. If I only keep this to myself, I might just create distorted versions with time. So here goes. What excited me about work? The smoothness with which the organisation functions. (I hate the college administration) The professionalism which is put in every task here. (It is a level apart) Coffee/Tea/Hot Chocolate on the house. (It spoils you) Conducive work environment. (Wow! It's cool, quiet and colourful.) Salary (For the first time, my hard earned money, no matter how much it is) Security (Seems super cool. No non-sense here) People (A whole new bunch to interact with and learn from) Learning (Loads, tou...