Whispering Shadow

I am neither a misanthrope nor asocial. I am not driven by rebellion or non-conformance either. However, I am strongly driven by values of secular humanism, chief among them being fairness, simplicity, respect, integrity, wisdom, efficiency and scientific thinking. I also judge my actions by a simple thumb rule. I always ask myself "Is what I do thoughtful, helpful, inspiring, necessary or kind?". If the answer is no to any question, I choose to avoid the action. I call this the "THINK" rule. During the months leading to my wedding and the weeks following my wedding, I have often heard the phrase "man is a social animal" being used as a driver of certain actions that seem illogical but indispensable part of our fabric. In addition, many practices are disguised under the veil of apparently righteous terms like "culture" and "tradition". Many of these actions or practices surrounding the wedding strongly challenged my value system. I w...

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...

I was unfortunate to have attended not one, not two but four weddings in my community, in a span of 2 weeks, some of close relatives and the others of the superficially close ones! The more I see them, the more I'm shocked at the extravagance. I fear that the all the glitter and gold will leave me blind one day. Hold on, did I say gold? Naah, the wannabe aristocrats say it with diamonds. Jewellery no longer can be tagged as earrings, necklaces, bangles...they should be renamed as chandeliers, dog straps and handcuffs. I guess the whole thing will weigh more than the super-figure conscious girls themselves. Forget jewellery, the clothing itself is so heavy that I sometimes wonder why wear the jewellery and add to you burden. At times you really can't make out who the bride is. Thanks to them being the centre of attraction, and being given the excessive limelight that you are not mistaken. One particularly hilarious experience is the photographers asking the couple to pose in som...