A little story or a small question that everyone must answer.

Once upon a time there was a guy Mr. A. He finished his education, worked towards a brilliant career, earned a lot of money and had a rich and comfortable life. Having achieved everything he wanted to he decided it was time he settled down and got married. One fine evening as he was returning from work he saw a beautiful lady Miss B crossing the road. He fell in love with her and proposed to her the very next day. He said "Miss B, I love you and would like to marry you. We will have a happy and comfortable life. Will you marry me?

Miss B was in love with a certain Mr. L. Mr. L was a struggling painter of no great talent. Hence he could never make it big in the art world even if he tried too hard. Miss B said to Mr. A "You, sir are very good to offer me all this but I am in love with Mr. L." Mr. A said, "Please reconsider Miss B. Everything that is mine shall be yours. You shall never again have the lack of money or comfort or my love. I will not pressurize or persuade you into accepting but I would like you to take a week to think and then come back and give me an answer". Miss B agreed to that.

She immediately went to see Mr. L. To reach Mr. L's house she had to cross a river. The boatman Mr. M said "Lady you have to give me money or i wont take u across." Miss B didn't have much money. So she cried and pleaded and appealed to Mr. M to take her to her love. Mr. M was unmoved. Finally he said, "For one of those gold earrings that you have I will take you across once. If you agree, let's go" Miss B. agreed. She gave him one of her gold earrings, crossed the river and went to see Mr. L.

Mr. L was worried when he saw the confusion and anxiety on Miss B's face. He asked her, "What's the matter, my lady?" She said, "Oh Mr. L! I was proposed to by Mr. A today." Mr. L asked, "did you accept? or Did you say no?". Miss B said amongst sobs "He has given me a week to decide, but how can I decide I love you." Mr. L considered for a moment and said "My dear, I am but a struggling painter and I know I would never make it big. With me you will always have to scrape and live from hand to mouth, you would have to struggle all your life. My fate or my future is of my own making hence I do not mind suffering through it but you my dear, you don't have to pay for my mistakes. you have a chance at a better life and I don't want to hold you back and condemn you to a life of poverty." His answer made Miss B. think even more. She asked, "But what should I tell him?" Mr. L sighed and said, "You should find your own answer...but for your sake, I do wish you would say, yes."

Miss B was saddened by this. She came back to the river gave her other earring to the boatman Mr. M and returned to town. She thought long and hard about what the two men had said to her and after a week accepted Mr. A's proposal and married him.

Here ends the story and begins the question. Out of the 4 characters, Mr. A, Miss B, Mr.L and Mr. M.
Who do you think is the most morally justified? Answer beginning with the person of highest morals. Please leave a comment with your answer.

For all of you who answered the previous question...a little twist in the tale for you. Since you have now rated the characters according to morality...Now if A represents ambition, L represents Love, B represents Brains and M represents money...Think of the priority of these things in your life and now decide your order...Is the order according to morality and according to priority different?

Do we always think on moral grounds when we decide our priorities?
Or do we use different parameters when we judge others and different ones when it comes to our own lives?

A little thank you to all my friends

Here comes friendship day and I have probably never wished any of you on this day before. May be I have never really wished you on your birthdays or thanked you for being my friends. May be I have not messaged you, called you or seen you in ages but that doesn’t mean I don’t think of you. I do. And hence I want to thank this occasion for being there for me.

Thank you to all my buddies from St. Joseph’s Bhopal. We were all friends at an age on innocence and though we were not together for a very long time..I shall never forget you guys ( Thank you Rohit, Agnishikha, Akarati )

All of you from St. Karen’s you guys were amazing. Thank you Anirban for singing whenever I asked, Sarah I remember your attempts at teaching me Bengali! Thank you Diwakar your art is very inspiring and you are the most humble and softspoken guy I know. Thank you Ashutosh I shall never forget the assemblies and our discussions regarding politics.

Most of my formative years were spent in Symbiosis and everyone out there is impossible to forget. But just to mention a few….Thanks Gautam you always saw the goodness inside me, though I was not that good. Akshata …You are an absolute darling you know..a rare blend of sensibility and sensitivity. Your smile never failed to encourage me. Gaurav …most probably we have detested each other for a very long time but still you were one of the most honest guys in a school that was full of pretenses. And I also enjoyed our verbal sparrings immensely.

Gauri, Geeta, Shubhagee thank you for making a dull and dreary college like Modern so interesting.

Mohnish and Satyajeet I never knew you much in college but two of you are immensely entertaining. Mohnish…Sorry…you know I spent so long thinking of you as the “idiotic flirt” (based on others opinion of course) that I missed out on knowing the witty and intelligent guy that really are.

Namrata I shall never forget the IITP days and the “conversations” in notebooks. Ameya, Sneha I had a great time with you guys.

Ashwini, Shubhangi, Madhuri I had a great time with you guys. Goa was unforgettable. So are most of the things that we have done and immortlised on y.asm

Sameera, Sharayu, Uttara I had great fun in B.E on that last bench near the window with all of you sitting around there!

My dear diploma friends Priyanka, Sneha, Preetam Thanks for all those last minute study sessions outside the exam hall. Would have never done so well without you guys.

Manjit Thank you for all the advices on C, Java, computers and everything. You know you are more like an elder brother than a friend. And we will soon find a girl for you.

Devika you are a wonderful girl. Very cute and smart and nice to talk to.

Kunal You are a rare combination. You are funny without being boring. You irritate me so very often without making me angry :) (most of the times) And you always put up a great Federer – Nadal argument.

Prati..I wish we would have become friends earlier. We have already missed out on 21 years…but don’t worry we will make up for it. You are very logical, sensible, honest and nerdy (all that discussing studies on FB!) I absolutely adore you.

Pavan, Kartik… I have never met you guys but I always enjoy talking to you. Pavan you are not my friend..you are my twin. Kartik …Whenever I shall read a book I shall think of you to discuss it with.

Finally Jomson Thank you. This possibly couldn’t come to an end without thanking you…for a lot of things.

All of you and those whom I have by chance forgotten to mention (Sorry) I shall always think of you all fondly. May our friendship last forever.

26/11 and the mockery thereafter

Yesterday evening I was working late, when one of my friends called me up asking if I would like to join her in a peace march, in memory of those who lost their lives in the 26/11 attack. Though it was a well-meaning gesture it triggered off a string of reactions from me. What was the use of the peace march?

Half the people who joined the peace march, did not vote. Why? Simply because they were not bothered enough about their country or concerned enough about who runs the country or lazy enough that they couldn't find the time or take the effort to go and register themselves in the voter's list! Oh but they had all the time in the world to participate in a useless peace march. And they will have enough time to go and catch the latest movie or hang out with friends or laze around their houses doing nothing! Why show all this pseudo-concern when you can't even do your duty by your country?

Not only that these people would drive without licenses, skip traffic lights all the time and would suffer no qualms in bribing the policeman who caught them doing so.

It doesn't stop here. The people participating in such things are so ignorant about the entire situation at hand. They are not concerned about why such attacks are happening, they have no idea who is responsible, or what lapses lead to the current situation or what steps if any are being taken to avoid such things happening again. Hell, most of them don't even know the names of Home minister and defence minister of their own country! And when they themselves stay in such a state of ignorance, why do they participate in a peace march or an awareness march.

Besides I do not understand why 26/11 should be marked by organizing a peace march. If anything we should be organizing a protest march. Protest against

•Indifference of people towards democracry – A protest against all of those who are not concerned enough to vote

•Ignorance of people towards affairs of their own country – A protest against all those who do not know the office bearers in their own country and are ignorant about the basic political and diplomatic scenario.

•Indifference of Politicians – Neither the Prime Minister, the President, Chief minister, or any of the cabinet ministers issued a statement in times of this crisis to restore the confidence of people. Instead some of our esteemed leaders did not hesitate to make a political issue of the situation. Moreover one year after the event the then chief minister of Maharashtra who was not only ineffective and incompetent but also took Ram Gopal Verma on a tour of the Taj with him now holds a Cabinet position!

•Failure of defence mechanisms – The intelligence collected by RAW and presented to various office bearers was repeatedly ignored and not acted upon, which lead to this unfortunate event. And this situation still persists.

•Poorly equipped policemen – Our policemen still have the rifles which are no match for the AK 47s of the terrorists and carry VHF radio sets which do not even function well in a place like Mumbai that has so many high rise buildings. The CCTV surveillance in most CST like places still doesnt work.

•No speedy justice – Kasab still hangs in there and the state is paying a hefty price for keeping him alive

•Failure of diplomatic mechanisms in getting our dear neighbor to own up to its hand in the event and hand over the guilty.

•No naval intelligence mechanism in place – Inspite of having a huge budget allocated for modernisation of our defence till 2012 we still do not have a naval intelligence mechanism in place.

I am not saying we should not pay our homage to those brave officers who lost their lives in these attacks our pray for the souls of the victims of the attack. I am just saying that wearing white clothes and lighting candles is not the solution or the right way to do it. The right way is to raise your voice, and make sure its heard. It is the least we can do to do our best to protect our country.

2 states: The story of my marriage - A book review

A north Indian guy falls in love with a south Indian girl and wants to marry her. And then there are the usual problems with the families, cultures etc. etc. This story has been dished out to us so many times in movies, hindi serials and practical life too. Yet, why is this book any different?

Because Chetan Bhagat has written it... :) I do not like this book for its story line but I totally absolutely love it for the way Chetan tells the story. He describes an India we live in, an India you and I see everyday. All of us have been to the kind of hangout places he describes. Most of us have been on one of those dates that he describes. All those small steps in being in love...from the frustration of being just friends with a girl/boy to realizing that they are such an integral part of your life, that you never want to let them go and would do anything to hold on. I am sure everyone who has ever been in love can identify with them.

This love story is not just about the boy and the girl. Yes, I know you must be expecting me to say its about loving your parents too. But I am not really that predictable. Before I talk about the parents, I would like to say it is about an average Indian youth. The frustrations of living uptown our parents expectations, of coming from a dysfunctional family, being a victim of domestic violence and all those things that everyone knows happen but no one wants to talk about. Chetan talks about all of them. From the pre-maritial sex to the PDAs (public displays of affection), the frustration of being caught up in a corporate jobs that pays a lot of money but no job satisfaction and tramples upon your self-respect and conscience all the time, striving to make all those who love you love the one person you love...I havent seen a better sketch of emotional turmoil of a young metro-living Indian.

No, I haven't forgotten about the parents and the intercultural aspect of it all. My heart goes out to Krish and Ananya when they are trying to make their families get along. The potrayal Punjabi perspective on marriage (how many cars/petrol pumps will the boy get, how lavish is the wedding, how much was spent on the venue, the food and all the pomp and show..how milky white is the bride, no matter how stupid she is, the boys side should have the upper hand all the time and the girl's side only motive should be appeasing the boy's side) and the Madrasi..oops the Tamilian perspective on marriage (the guy should be from IIT, IIM preferrably with a PhD from MIT and settled in the US, the girl should be educated and 'pure' ) is amazing. The huge differences in the two cultures has been brought out so well. And a kudos to the effort of bringing together the two cultures. All of us who have ever been in an intercultural relationship realize how hard it is to do that. And in the process of telling his own love story Chetan has taken so many digs at the two cultures...be it the something something illa illa of the tamilians to the over the top love of food of the Punjabis..His ability to find humor in everyday situations makes the reader smile from ear to ear.

I think I have already written a lot. To conclude it all, I will say I love this book and its writer because he writes about everything we do, we see, we hear, we think but can't articulate. If you are still not convinced you need to read this book...you are a case beyond repair ;)

Love Affair

One day when the world was made

She was an innocent plain maid

He a prince robed in black and blue

Their gaze met through the evening hue

As the falling light danced upon their eyes,

Tides of love began to rise.

He touched her warm with the rays of the sun

And the silent lovers met on the horizon.

He wept for her through the rain,

The gushing rivers expressed her pain.

When he praised a shining beauty,

The plain maid went green with jealousy.

As his eyes glittered in the moonbeam,

She made mountains of snow to reach out to him.

As years and decades and centuries went by,

Thus continued the love affair of the earth and the sky.

Khamoshi

Apne hoto se ise mat chhedna
Kyunki aapki khamoshi bahot kuch kaha karti hai

Bina labjo ke haale dil byaan karti hai
Nigaho se kabhi hamara shukriya adaa karti hai
Kabhi hume sochne par majboor kiya karti hai
Ki hamari kaunsi khata aapko khafaa kiya karti hai

Aapki ye ada kabhi hume sazaa laga karti hai
Phir bhi apne hoto se ise na chhedna
Kyunki aapki khamoshi hamesha sach kaha karti hai

Ye alfaazo ke moti khamoshi ke dhaage me piro dijiyega
Aapki khamoshi sunnewaala koi naa ho...to hume yaad kijiyega.

Poetry by Keith Urban

This post is still in its infant stages will be updated later

Romeo's tune

It's king and queen and we must go down now
beyond the chandelier
Where I won't have to speak my mind
and you won't have to hear
Shreds of news and afterthoughts
and complicated scenes
We'll huddle down behind
the light and fade like magazines (romeo’s tune)

Making memories of us

I'm gonna be here for you baby
I'll be a man of my word
Speak the language in a voice that you have never heard

Tongiht I wanna Cry

I've never been the kind to ever let my feelings show
And I thought that bein' strong meant never losin' your self-control
But I'm just drunk enough to let got of my pain
To hell with my pride, let it fall like rain
From my eyes
Tonight I wanna cry

You're my better half

They say behind every man is a good woman
But I think that's a lie
'Cause when it comes to you I'd rather have you by my side (You’re my better half)

Days go by

I'm changing lanes
I'm talking on the phone
I'm drivin' way to fast
And the interstate's jammed with
Gunners like me afraid of coming in last
But somewhere in the race we run
We're coming undone

Headlights, taillights running through a river of neon signs
But somewhere in the rush I felt
We're losing ourselves

You will think of me
Take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need'em
Take your space and take your reasons
But you'll think of me

I went out driving trying to clear my head
I tried to sweep out all the ruins that my emotions left
I guess I'm feeling just a little tired of this
And all the baggage that seems to still exist
It seems the only blessing I have left to my name
Is not knowing what we could have been
What we should have been
So…

Take your records…

Its raining on sunday
Your love is like religion
A cross in Mexico
And your kiss is like the innocence
Of a prayer nailed to a door
Oh surrender in much sweeter
When we both let it go
Let the water wash our bodies clean
And love wash our souls
Pray that it's raining on Sunday

I love Hugh Jackman

I love Hugh Jackman. And it is not because he is one of the sexiest men alive (A “People” magazine survey) or he portrays such beautiful characters with so much conviction or he has its own style of humor that tickles your insides both on-screen and off. Sure those things make him a great actor, a treat to watch…but that’s not why I love Hugh Jackman.

The reason that makes Hugh Jackman so loveable is Deborah Lee Fumes. If your asking “who Deborra Lee Furness”..his wife, his better half. Hugh and Deborra met on the sets of “Correlli” an Australian TV series in which Hugh had the lead role. If you have seen Deborra, you will agree she is not “a pretty face”…not one that you would even look at twice in a crowd. She was also 18 years older than him…and no she did not come with any money or inheritance. So when the couple married in 1996 I believe it was truly for love. A marriage that stands its ground even after 14 years and is as strong as ever. Even in a place like Manhattan….Even in a setting like Hollywood.

Even after the wedding everything the couple has braved so many storms. Deborra miscarried twice and after which she was unable to conceive. Both of them were not the kind to lose heart. They adopted Oscar (born in 2000) and then Eva (born in 2005). And one just has to see them with the kids or hear Hugh raving about their latest exploits to one and all to know how much these two truly love the kids. The couple also does many promotions to encourage people to adopt. Their production company the Fox-based “Seed Productions” makes modest budget films to harness the talent in Hugh’s native country Australia. He believes he owes it to Australia to do so.

When Hugh and Deborra where getting married Hugh personally designed their engagement and wedding rings. The wedding rings bore a Sanskrit inscription "Om paramar mainamar” which Deborra translates as "we dedicate our union to a greater source." And by all that they have done till today, they have lived by this vow…dedicating their union to a greater source as well as cause.

So yes, Hugh Jackman is a sexy guy, great actor, immensely talented, but what makes you fall in love with him…is his love story. It just makes him a beautiful person inside out.

To blog or not to blog

To blog or not to blog

Every morning (well almost every morning) I hear Keith Urban crooning,

“I wont have to speak my mind
And you won’t have to hear”

And I am almost tempted…not to speak my mind. Seriously, why would anybody want to hear whats on my mind…Except the Facebook status bar which keeps on asking “Whats on your mind?”

When I was in school the greatest joy in my life was writing. Its nothing like putting pen to paper and pouring my heart out. I wrote all sort of stupid speeches, non-sensical compositions and really idiotic poetry…While doing my engineering the part I sorely missed was the joy of writing of course did a lot of writing for the submissions and a lot of “creative writing” during the theory exams but…well..thats not the same thing. I haven’t really written for a very long time. You cant really call posts on FB, a couple of book reviews or a few letters to someone writing can you? So seriously why aren’t my fingers totally absolutely itching to blog?

Because I have learned (the hard way of course) that people don’t really like you when you speak your mind and they like you better when you tell them what they want to hear. Well I think I should elaborate this a bit. To “See, people like my jokes so they laugh.” I would say “Yes you are so funny” and not “They laugh at your stupidity” which is really on my mind. To “I gave the answers so well yet I failed in the viva” I say “Ya the examiner was stupid anyway” and not “What rubbish all your answers were totally off target & conceptually wrong”. To “My boyfriends is nice, right?” I would say “Ya he adores you.” (and half a dozen other gals too and he would probably ditch you if one of the others agreed to go out with him). If I actually spoke whatever was on my mind everytime I would be…lets see…rude, arrogant and may be totally friendless. Because though honesty is a trait that everybody claims to appreciate very few people actually do. So seriously am I courageous enough to be honest and speak my mind? That is why….not to blog!

But seriously I don’t want to give up on joy of writing just because I am scared to be honest…So…As much as I hate finding the golden middle I guess I will make an attempt to blog without hurting anybodys feelings….at least I promise I will honestly try not to hurt anyone’s feelings and yet be honest. And if I do…I hope all of you would forgive me. Sorry. And thanks for actually reading this one.

P.S – One more probably stupid reason to blog…It gives me an opportunity to use Barney’s line “This is so going into my blog”