Whispering Shadow

We travel in the fast lane. We work. We work a lot. Not that we do it for nothing- some yearn, some earn, some learn. Working is good but conditionally, the condition being you are doing what you love to do. With most of us, we don't know what we love. By the time we do, it is too late to take that path. We then end up making what we do, what we love to do. There is no questioning that - compromises are inevitable and for some, permanent. While our lives revolve around work, we lose touch with our ability to follow our gut in matters not related to work. We begin to build a cage of comfort and security around ourselves. By the time we realize we are caged, it is too late. We have neither the courage nor strength to break free. We can either get depressed about it or work on building the courage and strength. And where do we find them both? The answer lies in creativity. The best creator is perhaps God and nature is his magnum opus. Not many of us have the eye for the lessons hidden...

You walk at a constant pace For you do not race You walk without friends or enemies You wait for none You walk on only one path You see no other way You walk in one direction Neither you look behind nor waiver You walk unstoppably You have no traction You walk in the present You define the past and future You walk apparently faster or slower But the frame of reference is you You walk for eternity Eternity is your boundary You walk with many names Most famously known as 'Time' PS: Just when I thought this blog was dead, I found inspiration. Writing has become impossible considering life as it is now.

You keep on running, You keep on tiring, For the miles gone by Leave you sore. Yet you go on Cause for the miles to come May have major milestones in store. You keep on fighting, You keep on hurting, For every bout Leaves you a scar. Yet you go on Cause for the battles you lose Courage you may have won. You keep on earning, You keep on losing, For everything once lost Leaves you less richer. Yet you go on Cause all that you have lost May be what you have never wanted. You keep on running; You keep on tiring; You keep on fighting; You keep on hurting; You keep on earning; You keep on losing; Yet you go on living In a hope that in the end Your dream will materialize. A purpose to your life You will realize.

...where recipes were sacrosanct - an onion could not replace a cucumber in a sandwich ...where dessert was served as starters and soup after the main course ...where a veg cheese sandwich was served in place of a veg cheese toast sandwich because that is what the order said and the customer may have forgotten what he ordered ...where drinking water took just 2 hours to reach the room after having called room service ...where the bathroom was so advanced that even the drainage water was filtered by hair accumulated in the mesh and sachets of shampoo and soap were kept torn open for the guest's convenience ...where the full tariff was charged for an AC room with no electricity for half the day ...where for a bill of Rs.107 and a payment of Rs.120, the change given is Rs.3 ...where the evenings entertainment was a great show by mosquitoes ...where there was no running warm water in any tap ...which happened to be the most expensive and renowned hotel in the town ...from where I check...

The sun had nearly reached the horizon. The weather had turned a notch cooler than it had been at mid-day due to the drizzle that prevailed over the past few hours. A brook was meandering through a lush grassland. It could not be seen but the sound of flowing water could be heard at a distance. In addition to the invisible stream of water was a dying stream of colours, flowing from the skies to the earth as a rainbow. In contrast to the multiple shades of the rainbow, the grass was of a monotonous but fresh green tinge. Parts of each standing blade were magnified at points where the drops of rain had settled, glowing under the light of the sun. Some of the blades were trampled along paths used by walkers, but today, they lay deserted except for his presence. One of the paths falling directly in line with the sun was lit by its now soothing light. Her silhouette emerged at a distance, rising along the slope of that path. She was running to him, just like the many sparrows rushing to the...

The sound of the cuckoo reaches my ears. My skin feels the temperature drop a notch. The sun doesn't seem to be gazing at me any more. Dark clouds fill the skyline. The breeze carries the message - it is time! It cannot be seen, but it has arrived. The scent of the earth cannot be mistaken. A flash is seen in the sky, like that coming from God's own camera. Clouds begin to thunder. In a matter of minutes, all doubts are put to rest as the thin drizzle matures into a visible heavy shower. Some animals take shelter, birds ground their flight. Greens appear greener. Children start screaming, possibly with fear or joy. When I see them run out of their homes and dance right under the rain, I know it is the latter. Instinctively, I pull out my camera and capture the moment. The photographs are about average. Something in me makes me not want to care about technical perfection. After the light dims to unacceptable levels for pictures, I head to the terrace. The shower is now heavier....

I have had inspiration in plenty. Inspiration has translated to ideas. Ideas have formed a story in the head, some beautiful ones. And yet, every time I start writing, I leave the posts (five already) unfinished. I have hit a writer's block. Is there a known cure?

You are big but your might is relative. You are important today and will be replaced tomorrow. You are stable as much as you are fallible. You have your head held high yet you are trapped. You have different perspectives with every varying degree but you always come a full circle. You make a good picture, but it not as much because of you but the elements that you are viewed among. Your beauty lies not in what you reveal but what you hide. You have your highs and you have your lows. You are powerful but your power is only derived. You can bring joy or you can gift fear. Your purpose is defined by your maker; the only problem is you may not find out till your time has passed.

I do not believe in the cliché a picture is worth a thousand words. Nonetheless, I strongly feel a good picture is worth a million. And you have to be ruthless with yourself to ensure what you have is high quality material. I do not think I am a photography pro. I am just an ordinary shutterbug striving to improve my skills. I often delete a photo which is not up to the mark. Many feel I am being fussy about a casual affair. How right they are! How else am I supposed to push myself for that one shot that makes you want to go back from a place with a smile? A photograph must evoke the same emotional response in you, as did the subject when you captured the moment. That is when you know you have met your own standards. I am not a big fan of the phrase 'Say Cheese' when it comes to clicking people. Why would a photographer want to corrupt a frame with their influence? A photograph must be an untouched interpretation of the state of the subject. The lesser the subjects know they ...

I am not an atheist or an agnostic For I know God exists I am not a man of religion But I believe in the power of prayer I do not participate in holy rituals The only prayer is through honesty in action I do not follow men of God Because there is one in each of us I am not a Hindu, Muslim or Christian However I respect another′s beliefs I am not regular with visits to the temple My place of worship is in my heart I am not aware of what holy books say But they can′t preach hatred or violence I do not ask God for favours I always thank him when things go right P.S.: I do not doubt your beliefs I just want to reaffirm my own I was not brought up this way Just uncovered my beliefs along the way

Nearly 60 of us stood through the last hour of the match, chanting the favourite slogans of Mumbaikars - "Ganpati Bappa Moriya", "Jo bole so nihal", "Vande Mataram'- but as we inched closer to the finish line, there was only one word on our mind - "Indyeahhhhhhhhh". The crescendo grew louder with every additional run scored. And then it happened. We erupted into a roar, jumping, clapping, hugging whoever stood next to us. Some of us were shouting, others had tears in their eyes - emotions of all types were witness in the moments that followed. The most heartening moments of the day were yet to come. We decided to hit the streets. The whole suburb was heading in one direction, to one celebration. Apart from Ganpati celebration, rarely have 5000 people gathered to dance on the streets to the Nashik dhol. Never have I witnessed a parade of fans, stranger to one another, sitting atop cars, screaming to each other as if they have had a bond of decades....

Starving for space, I was sitting towards the edge of the seat of the auto rickshaw we were in. From my position, I had clear view of the streets of Jodhpur city, which I was visiting for the purpose of travel. Jodhpur seemed to be a small town in contrast to the cities I have spent my life in, but nonetheless, it was lively and rich in its heritage. In an attempt to avoid a long detour, the rickshaw driver drove down in a direction opposite to the normal traffic flow. With all his attention focussed at the traffic coming from his left hand side, he did not notice that a father was trying to cross the road with his infantile daughter. Sensing the opportunity to get to the U-turn, he accelerated. The father, who was not expecting traffic from the opposite direction, stepped forward to make the crossing. In moment, all I saw was the face of the child come real close to the body of the vehicle. Impulsively, I pushed the father away with my hand, causing him to loose balance and fall away ...

This is a blog post for the online fund raising campaign Twestival being conducted for NGOs across five cities. I am writing for the NGO Aashayein in Hyderabad working to create better education opportunities for children. NGOs in India are trying to bring about a change at the grass root level. Many among them (like Aashayein) aim at connecting the growing professional population of the country with the segments of the society that are struggling to break through the barriers of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. The educated middle class has opened up to the idea of giving a part of their earnings to these NGOs for various social causes. As noble as the gesture is, NGOs today need more than just funds to make a lasting impact. Monetary and material donations are important. However, their effectiveness is only determined by the ability of the NGO to leverage these contributions to serve better the cause it is working for. This ability is indirectly dependent on the available vol...

On the insistence of Vishy, I have decided to pen down the recipe for a photography technique I just learnt - light painting. For a layman, light painting is essentially capturing shapes drawn in the air using a light source. Though there are incredible works in light painting available online, I will only explain the most basic technique used when you want to combine photography with fun and friends. The most basic ingredients for light painting are a camera with manually adjustable shutter speed, high ISO (800 and above gives decent results), a tripod and a light source (LED torches are the best option but practically any intense tiny light source would do, like cell phone torches). Besides equipment, you will need people willing to draw/pose as subjects for you. Follow these seven steps to produce results as seen in the photographs (though we were not meticulous with them) above. Decide upon the light shape to be painted and the position of subjects of the photograph. Set the camera...

A journey is not defined by: where you come from where you go A journey is defined by: how you get through your time how much fun you have how you manage crisis who joins you on the way who walks away from you midway who seeks your help who you seek help from who promises to call you back once it is over who calls back once its over where you take breaks where you run out of your supplies when you almost quit what you take back home what you forgo why you took the journey in the first place

I had been having a packed schedule. I decided to squeeze in a dinner with a friend who I had to catch up with. We met. And then they happened. They came like a pack of hyenas, hunting opportunities to kill time. Polite as they were, they exchanged friendly greetings. Courtesy demands we reciprocate and we did. Taking a step further, they joined the table with us. Acquaintances demand respect. This is the land where we not only preach, but practice the belief `Atitithi Devo Bhavah`. We obliged to host them on our table. Before they joined in, we were having a conversation. After they joined in, they were talking and we were listening. I cannot tell you how much fun it was! My friend in fact was the cynosure of their attention. She particularly enjoyed being a butt of their jokes, being the person that she is. We had a quick dinner and decided to head for tea. Having taken our silent consent, they tagged along. While we were walking to the tea stall, there was a moment of silence....

A culture that sank into the skin Pace that could make endurance go thin A new life in a new home We lived like the Romans in Rome Fighting, winning, playing and enjoying Adopting the best ways of surviving When all seemed lost, despair was in sight Came sparks of brilliance or luck gave respite Battered and broken, yet united Every achievement and joy celebrated Higher thresholds reached each time Bending the rules was no big crime Time flies; it is the season of ′lasts′ Shadows of the impending end it casts Nostalgia has set in; memories breach the mind There is so much that has to be left behind The buildings, the people and times we have had May be gone for good, which is sad The learning from experiences is here to stay Yet, on new paths, we may again go astray There is fear we are institutionalized Unfamiliar surroundings may leave us surprised “Where is the good in the good bye?” many ask, “Why is it such a painful task?” We travelled together in the same direction But let us no...

I used to be a happy customer once, until they ruined it all. Being with Idea is all about: Calling the helpline and getting inconsistent information, every time. Visiting the customer care centre for a service request and being sent back because a form is not available. Visiting the customer care centre again to switch to a prepaid connection and being told the incorrect pending amount. Being promised a service activation in 24 hours and being left unreachable for 72 hours, because you had a further pending balance to pay up for. Not being able to get a lifetime recharge done on your phone when you know you are going to be abroad for 3 months. Recharging on line in the dire hope that you will have incoming messages on international roaming. Landing 6000 kilometre away and then discovering that the country you were travelling to is not supported by your service provider, though you were once told it was by their representative. Returning after 3 months to find out they have discontinue...

Dear Shadows, You have been my loyal friend in the years gone by. I have always turned to you in the times, when I have been low or high, contemplative about the state of my being. I have always gone back with my peace of mind. Happy Birthday! Thanks for having been a window to my soul for the last 4 years. I hope you continue to spread sunshine in my life. Always remember, you are not so much for others, as you are for me. Yours Truly, The Illuminator