Making A White Globe

Piglet: Pooh, have you ever seen a white globe?

Pooh: Say what?

Piglet: A white globe, Pooh. Do you have a fluff in your ear?

Pooh: Maybe. But isn’t a white globe like everyday? Like a new day? Totally yours to make it, color it, anything you want, or even put honey on it and eat it!

Piglet: Do you think of anything other than food, Pooh?

Pooh: Say what?

Picturize a white globe. A globe without the markings and divisions, without any countries and continents on it. Difficult, yes? But interesting if you look at it from another view. Lets just slightly tilt the axis.

Think about it like this. The white globe is your life.  Its totally up to you what you draw on it, or for that matter what you do with it. You can play football with it, and while away your life, making it ordinary. Or, you could just see what others are doing with it, and copy them. Be a rat, and simply follow the other rats in whatever they are doing with their lives. Or you could do what the world did. Sit and divide it-form perceptions and boundaries. Boundaries for yourself, boundaries for your capabilities- and fix it. Fix it in such a way that there is no space for anything new and then just sit and become comfortable for the rest of your life.

Or, you can take your globe with you to all the amazing places you visit- and mark all the new places where you do something new. Never make boundaries. Draw and redraw places and color them whichever way you want.

Lets tilt the axis a little more now.

Each day is like a globe. White or colored-depends on you. You can wake up every morning and carry the baggage of a colored globe around your neck. The baggage of perceptions, premature opinions and set boundaries. Or, you can wake up every morning, look at your white globe and say to yourself-Hey! Let’s paint it afresh!

Whatever you do with your globe depends on you. So, smile and paint it pink. Or red. Or black! Or draw little cats on it, and spin it around. But whatever you do just remember to clean the slate everyday.  And never restrict yourself by boundaries of the world- step on the boundary and run. Run away with the globe. Run to the highest peak and watch the sunrise. And paint the sun on the globe. Jump from the mountain. Into the new sea. Swim with Nemo and his friends and make sand castles on the beach. Fly with the birds with your arms spread wide. Drink the wine and smell the roses on the way. Smile at that cute guy and say Hi! Experience the world, just dive into the pool.

After all, as the wise Pooh put it, it’s your globe. Yours.

22nd Sentimental Stuff

So, as the candles on my cake increased again by one this year, I set down to write the paradox that such an age brings with itself. Read on :)


It's not everyday you turn 22
And realize it's time to grow up but still make mistakes new
Time to start saving for the rainy day but still enjoy the rain
Time to start walking on the right lane but switch them mid way
Time to move out of your home but still come back every night
Come back on the earth but fly afar with all your might
Make new friends and enemies and embrace the new
But in the rush don't forget yourself
Be cautious in holding the sail but let your hair fly in the wind
Plan every moment but don't try to hold the sand in your fist
22, 23 and 24 - as the candles on your cake increase
Dont count them and but enjoy the cherry
After all what is age- if not a mere number.

Abhi Isi Waqt!

Last week while cleaning my cupboard I found some photographs of mine when I was young. Not that I am old now, but young in the sense little young-around 13 years old. I was alarmed to see my picture of 8 years ago. I looked so-weird. I cringed at the thick glasses, long skirt, and my hair- oh my god don't even get me there.
Hideous. Totally.
I wish I could go and give some tips to the 13-year-old-me.
Like, not that I am saying you are ugly, but please get your eyebrows in shape. They cover your entire damn forehead.
Please get your arms and legs waxed-frequently. You wear a skirt, for god's sake!
Oh, and this skirt-what era are you living in? It is not necessary for the skirt and socks to meet!
And that dull ponytail? You should get a haircut.
And please, don't be so coy and blush every time your crush talks to you. Tell tale signs, I tell you.
And the list is endless.
I kept rechecking myself in the mirror to assure myself that no traces of the young 13-year-old-me had seeped into me.
That night, I kept thinking and reminiscing to my school days. From school days, my train of thought kept moving and finally stopped at the station when I would be 30.
What would the 30 year-old me advice the 21 year old me?
Would it also say that I look horrible?
Would it urge me to have fun and not look back?
or, would it lament the fact that I havn't studied more?
And that's when I had my eureka moment.
Instead of vacillating back and forth in the future and past, shouldn't I be living in the present?
Considering this is my last semester of college, shouldn't I be doing all the stuff which I had planned to do?
All those road trips, exploring dilli, eating all that chandni chowk ka calorie high khana?
And then I pledged to myself that I won't give 30-year-old-me the opportunity to lament the fact that 21-year-old-me didn't enjoy college life. That I didn't complete my bucket list.
That I missed the last few months of a carefree life for what? A few attendance marks?
Not a chance.
It took me so long to realise that instead of thinking about past and future, I should focus more on the fact that this time won't back. This time of bunking classes and eating chai and biscuits or sitting under the sun won't come back.
So, live life in the moment. Not the previous moment, not the next moment. But this very moment.
Don't procrastinate. Laugh at stupid stuff, say stupid stuff, dance like crazy when you are happy, ask for a hug when you are sad, eat that big piece of cake-nobody's counting those stupid calories, gain weight then lose it, buy yourself something cute and pink. And don't forget to put that beautiful smile of yours on your face-looks weird sometimes, but most of the time works-at least for me :)


P.S. Again for one of my friends. Parul Yadav(got 3 paruls-had to specify!).
I hope you have your eureka moment and realize that life is all about living in the "now".

Aborted. Assaulted. Raped- Is this what is left for women?

It was centuries ago that goddess Sita had to undergo an agnipariksha to prove herself; to prove her purity.

Centuries later, we say the situation has changed. Women emancipation has taken a giant leap, and is hailed in the name of few women like Indriya Nooyi, Sonia Gandhi, Chanda Kochar etc. The optimistic government says it has reserved 33% of seats in all legislative institutes for women. 

While all this is used to paint a rosy picture of women development, the reality is altogether different. 

India is the perfect example where technology has proven to be a bane. Though pre-natal sex determination of a foetus is illegal, the practise is so rampant that even when India’s shining story is being appreciated at global platforms, the sex ratio is stuck at a shameful 953 girls per 1000 boys.  And if it’s a girl, then she is killed even before she can open her eyes to this ruthless world. But even if she survives, it seems that the entire society is set to take revenge for being a girl. 

Even after 65 years of independence, a woman who gets raped at night is said to have invited it to herself. Her mistake? Why was she out at night in the first place?  And if my mistake that poor soul had just come out of a night club or god forbid was dressed in what our society thinks is “provocative” or “unacceptable” then our entire male dominated society puffs up its chest and proclaims that the men who did it are innocent.

Our society, unfortunately, even has a rule book by which women should live, what careers they should take up, how they should behave, where they shouldn’t or should go, who they should befriend. And as if that wasn’t enough, even what they should wear. 

My question: even if a girl walks by herself naked at night, does it justify if she is raped? Can anything justify the lecherous looks we get even when we walk down the streets fully clothed? What gives men the right to inflict such behaviour on women?

And why do we even need reservation? Isn’t reservation done for minority communities which are socially or economically backward, and require an extra helping hand to be at the same start line as general? Is that why women need reservation? Are women socially backward? Or do we need that extra push?

Such questions have no easy answers. Legislations might help, but are they being enforced?

The police swear by that they are going to serve the public and protect them . Where does all this go when a woman comes to complain about domestic violence and is sent back, citing it as a domestic affair? Then why do we hear of instances where the protectors become predators?

We were not safe then , we are not safe now. Only the faces have changed. The voices remain the same, and sadly even the plight remains same.

The nation is mourning over the loss of the brave girl who was a victim of the Delhi Gangrape. All over the country, peaceful protest marches are being organized, but what will happen after a few weeks when life returns to normal?

After this incident, you are lucky if you are just raped and not subjected to physical violations.
I feel lucky that I've been spared till now, but what if my luck runs out one day?

The Mumbai Salsa

"Ready to go?", my mom asked looking at me.
No. I am scared. I am scared that something bad will happen. What if there is no such hotel as we have booked. What if its not decent. What if I get lost? What if....
"Yes. Ready", I said pasting a reassuring smile on my face. I wish I would feel as confident as I was portraying myself.
Seven days in Mumbai. An all girls trip. Phew.

"Four of us in one coach and six in another. You are in the four wala coach Gelato", Charvi said smiling mischeviosly, clearly knowing the effect it will have on me.
And undoubtedly, she got it.
"Oh. No. We will be alone. No. I will stick with the six. Please...", I start hyperventilating.

Well, it  was just the start of my hyperventilating at every small thing, and all my friends grabbing that opportunity to tease me.
The train journey and the next day went smoothly, and it was the first evening in Bombay.
It was six in the evening, and as usual, I was scared. Rest 7 had left(I am sure they were testing me and deliberately left me ), and it was   just Surbhi, me  and Vishakha.
Finally we got one, and we were just near the hotel when Surbhi got the call about the dinner.

"Yeah, we'll bring the dinner. Dont worry", I heard her talking on the phone.

My heart rate accelerated, and nearly jumped out when I heard Surbhi say to the autodriver "Bhaiya, koi acha dhaba par leke jaane ka?". While she was talking to him, I didn't know what to do. Laugh on her wannabe-mumbaikar-style or be scared due to the fact that its dark and we are alone in a new city.
I took out my cutter(yes, yes, I agree I am paranoid) and told Surbhi in hushed tones "If something bad happens, I am going to  first kill you with this".

On coming back( sahi -salaamat), I was greeted with a big hug from Anushka, "Oh Geet! Are you okay. You must be worried sick", she said with an amused expression.
"No. No. I was the brave on, it was Surbhi who was shivering, but I kept saying to her it'll be okay", I added sarcastically.
"Seriously Geet?", a shocked Divya asked.
"Yeah Right. She had the cutter open, ready to use the whole time", Surbhi said.
"Oh. I thought...I was just imagining Geet as the brave one...." Divya said laughing and everybody joined in, discussing how impossible that would be.
 If looks could kill.

The subsequent days went by smoothly. We went to bandra, pali hill, (hoping to catch a glimpse of any movie star(=Ranbeer Kapoor) or any other tv star(=karan kundra); typical delhi girls!), mannat(dont tell me you dont know who's house it is- Anushka would have killed me if I don't mention Mannat :P), bandstand, juhu, versova beach( where we saw only dogs and crows fighting for ulte-white-mare-hue-jheenge), haji ali, linking road, colaba, ferry from India Gate, and the Colaba police station( Ayushi's phone got stolen-had to add this).

But the best was the time we spent on the marine drive, eating our subways, quietly( there was not a moment  where you would see 10 girls sitting quietly:P),legs dangling with just the sea and us. Beautiful it was.
And sitting there I realized that as days had passed, I had shed some of my fear and learnt to sit back and relax. That nothing bad is going to happen, not thinking about the  million possiblities of something wrong.

Sitting there with the cool wind kissing my hair, I realized that  Mumbai has taught me to enjoy every moment, taking one step at a time, living in the now.
Every place that we went to, every bite of pizzas and pastas, every auto ride, every taxi ride, every small fight( what do you think- 10 girls and no fights-are you kidding me?), every second, every moment was the highlight of the trip which helped me realize that if I keep my mouth(rather, my pessimist mind) shut, I 'll be better able to enjoy. Better able to acknowledge the fact that a trip like this maybe my last chance to live a carefree life, to learn to be independent, to enjoy the view without thinking about the hundred wrong things reverberating in my mind, to take my Leap of Faith.


P.S. Anushka, Ayushi, Charvi, Divya, Gunjan, Surbhi, Vasudha, Vishakha and Vishesha: Thankyou for really listening to my million -wrong- things and my lame jokes.
P.P.S. I was thinking of giving the title as Bitchy and Catty (rather Ayushi's hindi version) but then thought against it- bordering on vulgarity:P

A Nocturnal Rendezvous

He sat under the tree , looking towards the sky
His face was clouded with pain, as if pained by waiting.
I asked him what do you see in the sky?
I see the dark, I await the night, he said.
The night? What is there to await the night?

He sighed and said, Night has a certain charm to it, she sits with u and tells u a story
She brings out the true self of you which otherwise was buried under the obligations and restrictions of sunlight, she makes you feel realistic
In the day you are just living a lot of different lives
faces taken by mirrors , views taken by instances.
Night cuddles with you , weeps with you, smiles with you , makes love to you , puts you to sleep like a beloved distinguished damsel does..

I said, but sometimes the damsel turns monster when it strangles you with its sinister arms,
tempts you with its cursed hairs, makes you fear her endless black existence deprived of happiness and hope.
Locking your gaze, she takes you to the endless pit of sadness.
She leaves in the sunlight to find another one who would join you in the pit.
But that's where light comes in, and taking your hand tries to pull you up...to help u survive..

To this he said , Maybe the light is an illusion to your belief
Night never brings sadness along, she is the most sought after creature and the damsel even though a monster, is still composed of feminism and womanhood and as a quality trait it gives birth
it will never embrace those who are afraid of her...

He looked at me waiting for a reply...

I sat beside him looking at the fading twilight...trying to find the goodness
but after some time I looked at him and said, its delusional to those who don't believe in it.
Who don't believe that no matter how deep the pit, no matter how many layers your pretty damsel makes of sadness, the light will percolate all of them.
All of them to save only those who believe in it.
But some are so blinded by the clouds of night that they think the lighted  hand to be an illusion, such is her embrace....

He said, on the contrary , the sadness the pains bring the best out of us
Pain is nothing but the weakness leaving the body
every time you suffer pain , you overcome it
But yes, I'd rather prefer the night embracing me in the pain than to be wearing faces that are stolen-
that are not me , that are carved by the hollow joys and shallow smiles.
The pain is my own , and the night cries with me to overcome it...
I looked at him and thought
Could it be true?
Is the night the real damsel that the man was talking about?
Is their a woman behind the monster..that only few can see, few can feel her embrace, few can feel her presence when she cries with them?

The man looked at me and said...
Run away...run away from the night
it is easy to believe in what looks good
But only few have the courage to believe in something that looks like a monster....
Run away to your light...
To The illusion...
Because the night will not embrace you as you fear her...
It will not embrace you..at least not today....


P.S. After the last post, all my friends are vying for my attention.:P
But credit for this one goes to Hullas, and the reason why I am writing this. Trust him to engage you in conversations, and that too midnight ones, and that too during exams, and that too as exceptional as what led me to write this.  Thank you Hullas:)
P.S.S: Trust men to anthropomorphising (ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing nothuman, especially to a deity), or rather gynomorphising(giving feminine attribute) everything and anything. Also, gynomorphising is not a word. Don't look for it:P ;)

The comeback!

Hello!
So, it has been long. Looong wala Long(No, its not about that song from SOTY, though its worth discussing:P). I know its been months that I haven't posted anything, but I had reasons.(everybody has them, right?). All of us have reasons to justify something we have been ignoring.
With placements and CAT, I had no time. After getting placed(am not flaunting it; I didn't even mention google:P), I thought I would post something. Then I thought let me study for CAT, then I'll do it. After CAT, I thought, let me get over with the project submissions, assignments and all useless-copied-from-net-stuff-which-would-just-fetch-me-5-marks(Now don't get me started on our education system-one useless things just to irritate students-after all real learning is beyond all these assignments; but all this for some other time.Let's not deviate from the topic). After that I thought, let me celebrate that everything is over, then I'll do it. So after all this, I am here.
Now all this got me thinking, actually, made me realize that life is very short, and stopping and thinking about enjoying life is more important than doing a lot of stuff we do. A great person once said(I think it was Richard Branson)," that most of the things about which we take stress aren't even worth taking stress about."
First its about studies, then about jobs, then deadlines, then changing jobs, then a new house, loans, family, kids..and the list goes on...
How often have we thought " ek baar kisi ache institute me admission ho jaye, fir life set hai" or "ek baar naukri lag jaye, fir to life enjoy karenge".
I am not saying that you shouldn't study, or worry about important stuff like career and job, but we need to understand that while running after stuff, we forget about enjoying life.
We forget about being grateful for all wonderful stuff we have got.
And as I have been saying before, life is all about the journey , and not simply about the destination.
So, don't procrastinate enjoying your life, don't make your life all about your job or deadlines rather make it about how you still lived the fullest even when faced with all the regular bumps on you way!!

P.S.I do give credit when its due!! Inspiration for this goes to Gunjan-thankyou!!:)
P.P.S: It took me an HOUR  to edit this. Screw all those subject -verb agreements and those useless grammar rules that I cramped my mind with for CAT!!