The Words That Changed My Life. January 21, 2011

There are moments that change your life. There are words that haunt you and shake you from within. They change your perspective and they change the way you deal with things in life. I bring forward some of those words that have effected me the most.

 

10. If you want it for yourself , then you’ve got to get it yourself. –

This quote taught me to be remain self-dependent through-out my life. It gives me a reason to work a little harder.

9. Its nice for your heart to skip a beat once in a while but it would be nicer if it does when you start earning your own money.

My Class 7th teacher Usha Ma’am was telling this to someone else but it somehow hit me the hardest.

8. He didn’t prosper because he didn’t do anything new.

Dad once said to me when he showed a shopkeeper in  Lucknow’s busiest market and said he is where he was 20 years before. I knew it then and there that if you have to succeed keep trying new things.

7. Mujtaba, do what you feel like but remember , you are responcible for every step you take and every move you make.

Last words of my principal before I was leaving the school. These words have somehow stayed with me the most.
6.If you think life will get easier then you mistaken. It will get tougher and tougher as days will pass on.

5. If every thing happens according to your will then its good,  if it doesnt then its better coz if it doesnt happen as per your wish then its happening as per God’s Wish and He knows best.

4. Electrical Engg -externals  30/100  internals 30/100.

I already had failed in 3 papers and had i got 1 marks less in internals or externals then i would have been sent back to first year, that would have meant end of studies for me.

3. I never had any faith in your abilities.

2.I am alive because i dont want my sons to grow up without a mom.

1. Ayan , Aliya and Kaku.

It isn’t time that’s passing by- Ruskin Bond September 11, 2010

Remember the long ago when we lay together
In a pain of tenderness and counted
Our dreams: long summer afternoons
When the whistling-thrush released
A deep sweet secret on the trembling air;
Blackbird on the wing, bird of the forest shadows,
Black rose in the long ago summer,
This was your song:
It isn’t time that’s passing by,
It is you and I.
– Ruskin Bond

Reason why I Rhyme. July 16, 2010

On Golden realms of your silken dreams, I often tread at time.
But when I am stuck, I say your name and soon I begin to rhyme.

There are countless Voices In my Head,
I’m sure no one’s ever heard.

Can’t even claim 2 Luv u d most,
though after ur mom and dad i’d rank third.

Ur dazzling smile has shattered few hearts,
but mine was already crushed.
My make belief mind keeps listening ur voice
n words u never hushed.

Few things would match the Rising Sun,
In Beauty, In grace and Might.
But its nothing compared to your dazzling smile,
which is shiney , bubly and bright.

Failure is never final May 29, 2009

They say that the end justifies the means. My last few days at college were filled with anger , despair, a feeling of helplessness and most importantly extreme frustation. These wild emotions incessantly resonated inside me through-out my stay at IIMT last year and my last few days were no different. These feelings do not die easily and slowly eat your soul. My elders told me that heaven and hell lies on earth itself and we get punished for our deeds in this very life. I know for what i was punished but today I feel like as if my days of penance are over . Now whatever happens to me can’t be as bad as circa 2008-2009. But you can ‘t be sure what life has in store for you. My dad once told me that life gets harder and harder with every passing day. I do believe in what he said but one thing is for sure that i am better prepared to meet the life then ever before and that too with a gentle smile. College is an institution and no matter how bad any particular college can be, still it teaches a world of good to you. My college taught me that how so ever bad things might be, but you still can work to do some “damage control” , else the things might become bad still. Tenacity brings luck but more importantly it brings you out of mess. A youngster need to have a tenacious and a never say die attitude . Tough people last but tough time doesnt. My SSB inteview in August 2008 brought a whole new Mujtaba in me. I realised the importance of positive thinking and found strength in the idea of perseverance. People make a living accumulating small successes time to time but look at me i have met failure at every corner of my life still i believe that those failures collectively would pronounce as a huge success one day. Now thats what I call optimism. But seriously i do have reason behind this logic. I never made a century and got out at 99 everytime but one day those 99 runs every time could well make me the highest run getter of all times. Insnt it.!!!!!

The War brings out the devil within us May 20, 2009

The bodies of the family members of the notorious terrorist Prabhakaran were found yesterday in a pile of 18-20 bodies in the Nandikadal channel area. His wife Mathivathani Erambu, daughter Duwaraka and his younger son Balachandran were killed by the army. Although prabhakaran was a threat to Sri Lanka but i believe that his family could have been spared. The 13 year old boy Balachandran was defence less. atleast the ladies must have been given a different treatment. When you do not behave in a gentleman’s way with someone then how come you deserve or demand a gentlemen’s behaviour. Prabhakaran was no doubt a terrorist but the modern day army should have some values and ethics. It was really bad to see the fate of the family of the slained terrorist. Although I have no symapathy waht so ever with the LTTE chief but i still believe in giving respect to the defenceless.

The war brings out the evil within us and we finally become the person whom we hate so much. The tough hand with which the people in war effected zone were held shows that with success a lot of arrogance do comes naturally. The civilians were brutally murdered and i believe what will happen if more ‘prabhakaran’ get born from the ruins of this catastrophe. Army is after all an organised unit and it should refrain itself from getting in the human rights violations. Old vedas and history of India taught me that in the early days when the war used to be fought then rules were followed.Sarthi( driver of the rath) was never targeted. This shows that we were more civilised in the past and as the time went by we became more and more barbarous. I am of an opinion that even in the wake of a war one should not forget the value of an innocent life. What happened with Prabhakaran was all right but his family did not deserve what happened to them. The Sri Lankan Army became a terrorist to kill a terrorist.

Kudos to you- Puja, Neera and Shubhra April 29, 2009

The amount of courage that mother nature bestowed upon the heart of a mother is endless. A mother when fears the existence of her child become capable of unmatched grit and valor, she does the impossible and fights the world singlehandedly. A unique ability that no other being possess or might ever dare to achieve. Puja Chopra has been crowned as new Miss India. The success of Puja Chopra vindicated her mothers decision of leaving her father after he neglected his daughters. Neera Chopra, the mother of the current Famina Miss India Puja Chopra , is a women of resolve. She brought up her two daughters, Shubhra and Puja, all by herself after she was forced out of the house of her husband, when Puja was just 20 days old and Shubhra was just 7 years old. Puja proved no matter how much the odds are against you still all it takes to prove your worth is just a little courage stirred gently in a cup of patience. She should more aptly be termed as the Destiny’s Child. She came from a very humble family and saw a lot of hardships. Mother saw fighting her saw through abject poverty all alone and she gave what ever she could give, still the family of three females were more or less hand to mouth most of the time. Her mother recalls how her elder daughter would save her food so that she could give it to her younger sister the next day for lunch. All the possible problems could not keep her mother away from dreaming of a day when her daughter would do her proud. The faith in her eyes kept her going while her worked 16-18 hours in a Hotel and still managed to give odd tuitions in whatever time she managed. Neera , remembers how her husband neglected her after she could not give him a male child. The apathy and neglect forced her to choose between her husband or her daughters. She choose her daughters and decided to fight her way and prove her husband wrong , who thought daughters were worthless. Today when Puja became Miss India then a good chunk of her success should be owed to the courage of her mother and sister. I salute you Mrs Neera Chopra. You are a fountain of inspiration. A lot of women today are fighting their small wars at the battlefronts confined within the boundaries of their own houses. Women are fighting to keep their marriage alive and are silently bearing the physical and verbal abuse. A mentality of the world is still biased towards the male counterpart. May be I believe that men know deep down inside them that women are more powerful and if they will allow them to rise then they might displace them from their position in the society. The world was shocked by the images of Taliban punishing a woman by whipping her publically. The world stood up protesting against it and quite rightly so. But let me remind you that a lot of women still face the neglect and abuse all across the world. The only difference is that it is not public. Both form of crime against women is heinous. For the sake of keeping their marriages intact women choose to say nothing. I just cant think of the trauma and the pressure that goes in their minds. A lot of you may say that the things have improved but I believe a lot needs to be done. The men needs to give up the idea of supremacy and realize that the equality of stature of women. I have heard about the evolution of species. Think what would happen if the women would evolve themselves against all the crime committed against them and biologically decide to give birth to only female child. If the crime shall persist then the evolution could continue and then the male female ratio could drop significantly. Then one day would come when the current species of men would phase out and a different, less strong species of men would come into being. They would be ruled by women then. The women would then take the upper hand. Then every body in the Government would be Women and men would cry for getting a 30 % quota in the parliament and they will be declined. They would only fight election if their criminal wife is not allowed to contest. Men would be sexually abused at the busses, train or the area of public transport etc. Men would fear going out alone in the dark and they would read about the golden days of history when they used to rule the world. I wish that that day should not come therefore I plead to all my brothers to kindly spread the awareness about the equality of gender and try to respect the other sex as well. By the time this doesn’t happen all I say is that- Kudos to Womenhood.

Highway Of LiFe !!..!! April 16, 2009

A sabulous stroll down the memory lane;
On the variegated chariot of delight.
Amidst the rocky narrow streets of pain;
sometimes to the exquisite ecstatic height…

Where some effulgent moment continue to shine on…
With some cimmerian nights eclipsing  the sheen f joy.
And ailing agonies dashing to the island f grief..
And pleasures weaving an illusionary decoy…

Rejuvenating  the past with the essence f remembrances;
And living in that few moments the span f years.
There lies a dry  crumpled rose still full f fragrances;
Chanting softly the saga f some unshrinking distances….

Coming back to present with some tears & smiles;
With your love shining bright,can walk an extra mile.
Not the candid hours:memorable moments r worth while;
They are what make us whole,no matter if they are volatile……

The longing to relive some moments intense!!!!!!!!!
The desire to embrace the warmth of words unsaid…
With hope that sunny days will be back again…….
Compensating  with love n care for my embroiled pains…….

 

The Art Of Letting Go..!!.. April 14, 2009

Letting go is hard,but it is an essential part of our Life.And unless you learn ,how to let go – whether it’s your toy when you’re a child and need to give it away because  you’re  too old for it,or your  first love who for some reason cannot be yours – you will never grow .You will have feelings of hurt,remorse guilt and self-pity,but once you acknowledge those feelings.and understand why letting go will in turn ,later benefit you and those around you,the  process will become easy to tackle..

Why..??..

We are all wired differently.So,quite naturally,when what you think will happen does not happen,it leaves you angry ,upset and hurt.However when you cool down and look back to see what you learnt from the experiences,you will begin to understand a couple of things -it was never meant to be yours because your personalities mismatched and-you can never change anybody forcibly,but you can try to change yourself. And once you let go,you also realise there is  a world outside the one you were clinging on to.Also,everything is predestined,and if you believe in the purity  of your self then hold tight one belief that God can never do to you what is wrong.He is the only one who helps us to cruise through every tough time.He loves us too much to embroil us with pain for too long.

Letting go  revitalises your body and mind like nothing else can.It is easy to let go.Acknowledge the hurt and pain in first place.Life is unfair.Accept that.Nobody gets dealt with same set of cards.There is happiness and sorrow in different parts of everyone’s lives,only we dont know is when we have to go throughh our share of eacch.

Life is too short to hold on to anything.This is the time to let go.Do it mentally first..MOVE ON…

Dont let it stagnate to a pool of regrets,hatred and old grouses.Grow up.Choose to be joyous and happy..

“Time moves only forward.It leaves the past behind.To be liberated is to switch our minds off and erase the old files.We can take a tip from time -Leave the past where it belongs …in the past…..

Move on..Life is beautiful..Hold it with both your hands and just realise  how lucky and blessed you are..

Make most of  every moment and you will never run out of reasons to smile and celebrate..

Inshallah.. 

Lucknow Gets A New Sister City- Brisbane March 29, 2009

Lucknow’s Mayor has recieved an invitation from Brisbane City Council to establish a sister city relationship between them. It is a marvellous opportunity whose mere thought gives immence pleasure to the Lucknowites.
Lucknow would be the first city in india to have such honour. Currently, Brisbane has various sister cities, including Kobe (Japan), Semarang (Indonesia), Auckland (New Zealand), Chongquing (China), Kaohsiung (Taiwan),Daejeon (Korea) and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).

Although its hard to believe that the condition of Lucknow would improve but surely in days you would probably see shops around brisbane selling banarasi pan and people roaming around in Kurta-payjamas with rich embroidery…….the sky of brisbane will be populated with colourfull kites flying all over it. The attitude of those people is likely to metamorphose into a much more complicated one. Those people will be affected by our life style and hence will become more laid-back and give into a princely swagger. People in brisbane could now be spotted fighting in a more polite tone because all these things are the very basic traits of us lucknowites…..this is what we are known for.  This is to say tha if brisbane would be linked to us then they can not evade from getting a touch of our soul.

A PAK Of Cards March 5, 2009

The cricketing world was shocked by the attack on the lankan team but to sincerely speak,i wasnt. As an Indian i felt vindicated on the fact that our government did the correct thing by not sending our nation cricket team to a terrorised and almost a terrorist country-Pakistan.
Sri Lankans were very restless to play cricket in pak in the wake of our rejection. They were trying to be our substitute and now i believe that they would not even go to any place where us indians will deny going( not even in there own back yards).
On the more lighter note , i believe that this attack must have been funded by the pakistani bowlers.(hehehe)Samaravera along with fellow lankan batsmenwere piling on double centuries. had the tour gone ahead then many of the cricketing records would have been shattered.
But the Lahore commissioner thinks otherwise.He childishly pointed the finger on the big brother country-India. I ask him,how would he explain the so-called “indian terrorists” coming to Pakistan , easily firing bullets, rocket launchers, grenades in such a high security area and then calmly dissapearing into thin air of bazaars of Lahore. This would happen only if the pakistanis were extremely fond of indians and would prefer to die before letting anybody know about the whereabouts of the attackers.
Interestingly the commissioner Hamid Gul is himself an ex ISI top agent.this makes me think that pakistani people are such morons to let such idiots work in their intelligence services. Sadly he isnt the only idiot. One other man called Imran Khan once said that “The Indian team need not fear about any attacks because if the terrorists would attack then they will loose all the moral ground in a cricket crazy country. ” today he again opened his mouth by saying” There is no way one can deny that Pakistan is not safe now.No country will want to send its players here for any tournament.this must be the handywork of outsiders”.
You know what i wish to say to Imran-” Dude !!! Grow Up.Clean your mess then blame others…..or else the time will prove you wrong like it just blown our assurance of no attack on cricketers theory”.
Lastly i wish to say that may the Lankan cricketers recuperate fast and start playing soon……
Let there be Peace.

Hey Girl you are stronger than me !!!! January 23, 2009

She met me with a warm smile but soon i could make out how fake it was.

I had known her for almost a decade and she has been really close to me. Last year she went to Gurgaon to work in an automobile company. To cut the long story short she had to face lewd comments and had to fight with perverts to guard her space. As far as i knew her she never believed in the saying ‘ if you can not beat them, join them’.  Therefore she fought, for she always has been a fighter.  After a while she changed her job but was not at all amused by the incedent and was quite disturbed by it.

Last week when i met her she told me story when i pressed her a lot. She asked me a simple question of which i had no answers. She said” Mujtaba,Why is it so tough to be a girl”. I joked and said” Hey i’ve been a boy all my life how can i know” but deep down inside i had no answers, just a helpless silence overpowered me. i felt bad and wished i could help her someway but in this big, bad world i am an insignificant force.

I sometime ponder that with all the degrees and percentages if we cannot learn how to treat a lady then what is the social importance of it.i read about the gender inequality being prevelent in old times, in lesser educated areas but quite lately i realised the fast paced big city people can be far more ugly and henious than we imagined. The world is fake far more cruel to the weaker sex. With all the pain they actually go through this terminology lost its meaning. The fairer sex is actually far more understanding and stronger and no longer deserves to be called a weaker one.But i guess they have always been like this.I salute them.

The world is fast changing but the trials and tribulations of the women remains the same. The trauma that they face makes the face of this world far more ugly . We call ourselves a free nation but how free are we when women,the better half of the population cannot walk with a fearless mind. .Its so easy to be afraid for someone we know and fight with the menace and when its concerned with a girl we dont know then we conveniently become the menace ourselves.i feel I share the guilt myself being a man.It must be quite abrupt for the ladies to go through the searching eyes of strangers everyday. i would have wept out of humiliation but thats what make the women so strong. Thank god I am a man.

There are few ugly things and you cannot do anything about it.Its a shame that your sisters and close friends have to go through all the madness alonebut one could only wish that world can one day will come out of the rags and clutter and transform into a beautiful place for our daughters before its too late.

with a silent prayer…….

Rahman : Superb in the superlative January 22, 2009

the nominations for 81st academy awards have been announced and guess who is smiling. Our very own AR Rahman finally is on a triumphant path and has done what no indian could achieve before him.He has bagged 3 nominations for Oscars including one for the best score and two for best original song.

He is finally getting the accolades which were so long due for him and what he so rightly deserved. After the Golden Globe glory its time for the Oscars. No doubt every body is in praise for AR for we all salute the rising sun but AR
(as he is better known among his friends) is above all the awards. He is a man of shear genius.Oscar or no Oscar but for us back at home he shall always be a pure magician.

Some might say that had the music of ‘Slumdog ‘ been in any hindi movie than it wouldn’t have got such acclaims but AR doesn’t mind that. He said the world is beginning to
accept our music and he even said that award is not the vindication of a superb work but he was overjoyed by the response that his work got.He even said”For the people of India to get an Oscar is a big thing. So for their sake, more than mine, I hope my song ‘Jai ho’ and my music score in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ win the Oscar,’
but his humility was evident when he said that “no award can judge pure music”,said Rahman.
This explains that if we haven’t got an Oscar earlier than it doesn’t mean that our work was in any mean inferior to anyone else.

Its just the beginning and lets hope i get a chance to praise Rahman on the day when he actually gets the Oscar.
Good Luck AR.

Oh Salman ! What have you done to yourself January 21, 2009

The Hindi film industry is ruled by 3 khans since long- SRK, Aamir, Salman. Although Aamir And Shahrukh are still doing fine but the things are getting increasingly difficult for Salman.With hardly any hit film to his credit since a long while, Salman faces a threat of being soon termed as a thing of the past.He is more in the news being in love with Katrina than for any other reason. His Acting skills were always a questionable entity and he has survived mainly on his looks, physique and style. Quite recently he was seen in a flick’ Heroes’ dressed up as a sardar where he acted horribly.The dialogues he spoke in punjabi were uttered in bits and pieces and looked as if it was forced on him. It reminded me of something called ‘Ham-acting’.

Yes, I know Salman is a benevolent man and it will take ages for me to even reach 1% of which he is today, but being an ardent fan i have myreasons to be angry with the way salman has guided (and at the same time wasted) his career. Highly unprofessional approach has limited his growth as an actor. One is forced to think that he could have done so much better.Due to his attitude he hasn’t worked with the big banners.Some say out of choice but i have my doubts.

Salman has had huge fan following and even his worthless films like Garv, Salam-e-Ishq, Tumko na Bhool Payenge,Lucky, Hello enjoyed a healthy opening at the box office only on the brand name Salman.
His fans have been patient till now but only time will tell whether they are willing to put their money on an ageing horse. A lot is on stake on his coming film with Asin’London dreams’, but if it fails then it might even write a swan song for Salman.

The Tale Of Twin Cities January 15, 2009

Gomti not only divides Lucknow in two halves but also has great effect on the spirit and nature of people living there.Trans-Gomti Lucknow, although shares the name with the old city, yet it is almost a different city in all way of speaking.Like two parallel lines, there are two absolutely different cultures within the city of Nawabs.The City is divided by Gomti in contrasting style and nature.Trans Gomti Lucknow is like a place of ‘haves’ and the old city is the place of ‘have-nots’.

The Old City has people living there since ages and even if they migrated there then they assimilated the culture and the  behavious peculiar to the regular lucknowite, but the people living in trans gomti area( i.e aliganj, gomti nagar, indra nagar etc) are the ones who live in the city because they came there in search for jobs.Most of them rich and affluent yet they lack the princely complacency and sophistication of the people of the old part of the city.

All Hail Queen Asin !!!!!!! December 30, 2008

I thought i grew up and had come of age on my 18th birthday.I also thought the drama of hindi movies could no longer move me and make me feel mushy.
Then suddenly ghajini happened and i did cry bitterly.
It was all because Asin acted so well that i actually thought ‘kalpana’ was someone real.
I saw her and I said to myself, look Mujtaba ,here comes the queen.Much to my amazement , she hails from south and now there is no stopping her.
Though it was a movie that revolved around Amir, but it marked the birth of a next big star Asin. (Kajol , sorry but you will no longer be missed)
You slowly do fall in love with the character of kalpana played by Asin.Such is her potential and charisma.
She potrayed the role of a bubbly, vibrant girl so effortlessly that you for a second think that she is
the character herself. Hats off to you Asin.( She is the only Actress to manage her own website www.asinonline.com )
AR Rehman did a fine job though i thought lyrics could have been better.
The movie had awesome music and the track ‘kaise mujhe tum mil gaye’ had the stamp of genius all over it.
A tear trickled down my cheeks when I listened to that song. I cant
remind myself of any song in recent times which happens on such an exact time.There couldn’t have been more appropriate timing for that song.The build up to that song was superb and the acting skills of the protagonists did steal my heart and appreciation. The song flew like a gentle stream and
s rich in melody and emotion.The song happened on a situation which befitted and demanded such a melody.I was impressed.

Though lastly i would say i want to watch the movie again but i am not prepared to go through all that pain all over again. Aamir-Asin…you people are great.

My First Crush December 26, 2008

I find it pretty hard to write about it coz the crushes have come so thick and fast in my life that I haven’t had a moment to stay over a place and ponder over it . Before the momentum of the last one could even die ,I have somehow gathered pace for a fresh crush every now and then. Thus I have never sobbed even once. And that’s a good thing . Isn’t it ! as crushes make you imbecile . They take away the ability to stay calm over a place and think rationally. Every fleeting second is a bliss. Ain’t I right ? Sure I am. Hence I have let crushes happen to me quite easily.
Akanksha: I met her in my school bus when I realized that she was looking at me after every now and then ,Her gaze was like that of a thief. At a moment she saw me , the other she was looking outside the window. She was a girl of immaculate beauty. Her interest in me gave me ideas of a brighter tomorrow. Thousand light bulbs were glowing inside me. I was on top of the world. Later did I know that she was suffering from a mental problem. She had trouble fixing her gaze on anything for even a second. My dreams came crashing down in front of me. But by then I was in love with her. I said to myself “No problem ! what if she has a disorder. Why cant we be pals”. I made the first move and soon we were friends. She was an avid Govinda fan and I hated him. In no time he became my favourite.All the day I was singing only one song-“O Mummy Daddy ho jao ready! Jisse meri shadi hogi ,aaj maine wo ladki dhoondh li hai” In short I had completely lost my senses by then. Then came the day when she made the deadliest move. Finally she proposed ! She asked me to send her word to one of my class mate whom she loved. I believed in self-less love and hence I did what she said. I was the common friend and they used to meet in front of me. One day they even kissed each other in my presence. For a boy in class 7th that just too much. I couldn’t take it. My heart remained broken till I heard that the she was also interested in the‘Bus-Driver’. People say I am an intelligent man of uncommon IQ thus I quickly moved on before I could even hear the news about her and the conductor.

P.S
Anything mentioned above has got nothing to do with anyperson living or dead (and certainly not akanksha).Similarities, if found any, should be treated as mere co-incedence.

Juno- All I Want Is you December 22, 2008

Written By- Barry Louis Polisar  For Movie -Juno

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I’d want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I’d want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I’d be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

If you were a wink, I’d be a nod
If you were a seed, well I’d be a pod.
If you were the floor, I’d wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I’d be a hug

If you were the wood, I’d be the fire.
If you were the love, I’d be the desire.
If you were a castle, I’d be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I’d learn to float.

One of ‘The Most’ romantic lyrics i came across, And definately my favourite….I couldn’t stop myself from doing some copy paste job on my blog( something which i refrain myself from doing.)

anyways enjoy

Tiger On The Prowl December 18, 2008

Contrary to the national mood, the lucknowites are busy fighting with a different kind of terror.A Tiger was spotted in the streets of Mohanlalganj and gosainganj, the suburbs of Lucknow.
Probably a 2 and a half year old tiger is on a royal visit to the laid-back City and has dined on few stray cows and a couple of blue bulls.The tiger is young — but those set after him are all veterans foresters. The combination is odd. But, forest department has no alternative. The officials heading the combing operation are seniors in the department and the so-called experts in tranquillising wild animals.

No matter even if these seniors are missing the dart each time . But you see they were out of practice for so long. A tiger is a rare sight even in Sariska , dont blame them if they are not prepared , on the contrary give them a national award for creating an atmosphere for tiger to feel safe and grow at such unusual places.
The tiger was sighted for at least half a dozen times on Wednesday ( remember when Rajiv Gandhi went to Ranthmbhor and came back without even seeing a single tiger.Imagine how happy would he have been had he been alive)

There are officials on four elephants chasing the animals and two parties dont even have the tranquillising guns.God knows what will they even do , if they happen to meet the tiger. I guess they are planning to scare the tiger with the elephant.Hehehe.

Had there been any elections in the offing then the tiger could have been used to gain political mileage( you know they use anything ) and afterall tiger makes a good conspiracy theory. The bird brain politician could have blamed the rival party or even Pakistan for the animal to have arrived the capital.But as of now the tiger has no nationality or party affliations.

After a week-long enthralling hide and seek with the tiger, the supposed wildlife experts have come to some entertaining conclusions. That the tiger is very cunning, that it is very alert for its survival and that it is very difficult to trap.I guess they were thinking of tiger to be a petty cat or anything like that. Experts fail to explain how their tranquillising darts, more than 30 used each costing Rs 2,000, have not found the tiger. There have been at least 20 sightings since December 13 but the UP version of Abhinav Bindras could not find the target as huge as a tiger.

The Art Of Avoiding December 4, 2008

THE ART OF AVOIDING

I think we all have, at some dark time in our lives, encountered people we would never want to encounter again. I certainly have. They say (please don’t ask me who ‘they’ is as I haven’t the slightest clue) that one can learn something even from the worst experiences. And i definitely have (i do note my obsession with the pronoun ‘I’). So I (yet again!) have devised a few tricks of the trade to avoid those I want to. And being a kind and generous person (just nod that head of yours!), thought of sharing these valuable and extremely handy ways to stay away from a person, without of course, letting that person know that

1. DRH - No, it does not stand for drinking rum with honey. Why would anyone do that in any case? It stands for ‘duck, run, hide’: the three things you should do first when you see the Person U Need To Avoid (henceforth ‘Punta’). Duck – if in a gathering, sit down, bend down, crawl down – anything to avoid being seen. Run – only if you can run. Hide – behind the tallest, largest thing around (look for me if out of all options). DRH is only applicable, however, if Punta hasn’t spotted you yet.

2. Amnesia – local or general – In case you’ve met Punta just once or twice before, and it is too late for DRH, then simply look through. If Punta comes up to you, act as if you don’t recognize him/ her (local amnesia). If s/he is annoying enough to remind you of the exact circumstances of the unfortunate meeting, then say that it wasn’t you. Then if Punta asks who you are, say that you do not know (general amnesia). Usually, by the end of this conversation, you join the Punta list of your Punta, and it is their turn to become amnesic. Problem solved!

3. IADS – The ‘I am depressed‘ syndrome – If Punta is someone you’ve met a number of times (maybe an old college mate/ colleague etc) and amnesia will not work, then IADS is a safe option. Say that you are not well, emotionally and physically, and do not want to talk to anyone as of now. If Punta is bugging enough to pester you to discuss your ‘problems’, then graduate to IASS – ‘I am suicidal syndrome’, saying “If i talk about it now, it will be too much for me to handle and i would want to kill myself then, so please just leave me alone”. Unless that person has homicidal tendencies, i think you will be safe for the time being!

4. BFF to rescue – If you aren’t an actor enough to pull off IADS, then this is for you. Catch hold of your nearest acquaintance and start talking like you two are ‘best friends forever’. Best would be to talk about things you know Punta has no clue of, or would rather not comment on. Like talking about the value of faith in a relationship and how one has to be like the biggest losers to cheat on his/ her partner, if you know that Punta is seeing 3 people at the same time! In case Punta catches you alone, then do not worry. BFF can still come to your rescue. Just tell him/ her how you are super late to meet this friend of yours and just have no time to spare. If the situation demands, then turn your boss into your BFF.

5. Famous Five - What if Punta refuses to go even after all this? What do you do? Do not panic. There are a couple of things you can do, which will make sure Punta considers you Punta for the rest of his/ her life. Here i enumerate most effective and famous five of those:
One - Eat something that disgusts you and throw up all over Punta.
Two – Borrow Punta’s cell and make that long distance call to a friend you have so much to catch up with. Or maybe your bf/ gf – whichever is gonna cost more.
Three - Sing at the top of your voice while walking along with Punta on a busy road. But do it only if sure Punta will be embarrassed and not join you instead.
Four – Dig your nose and wipe your finger in Punta’s clothes.
Five – If even that does not work, just tell Punta, “Dude, your clothes stink and are filthy I can’t be with you or I’ll puke yet again” and scoot!

I hope these will help you while dealing with all kinds of Punta. Now that you have a basic idea, maybe you can think of some tricks too. Do share them with me. Happy avoiding!
Ciao.

Disclaimer – If this post puts me in your Punta list, then i just want you to know that i was super bored and had a toothache. Here is a golden opportunity to show how benevolent and sympathetic you are!

No place for them in our nation December 2, 2008

Muslim organisations in Mumbai have decided that Muslim cemeteries in Mumbai, where unclaimed bodies are usually buried, will not open its doors for the last rites of these  ‘so called’  urban jehadis.
A move that has called for an out right salute from myside.The muslim organisations have taken a nice step which is so unlike their behaviour. It is an uncharacteristic move and deserve appreciation from my side.
I felt happy and they are justified in doing so. Islam , as i learned , teaches us to respect our nation. We even put the nation’s soil on our face (tayam-mum) which is only alternative to ‘wuzu’ ( a state of total cleanliness in which we can offer namaz). When we value our nation so much then how should we spare people who attacked us.They should be denied the martyrdom they seek and even a burial place

We believe that “Hubul Watn e Minal Emaan” means “love of one’s country is part of faith”. Its Part of our culture to love our nation.The fanatics should no longer represent the face of our faith. The sensible and just people  are the real representatives. We should stand and let ourselves be counted.It is high time we seperate ourselves from psycho terrorists because our silence shall bring us in their category. A category to which we certainly, do not belong.

May The Dawn Be Near December 1, 2008

The horror of terror has grown huge in stature in the past few years. It has reached places which were thought unreachable a little while ago.I wish it should all end now.People say it is darkest before dawn. I ask isin’t it dark enough already. Shouldn’t the dawn be somewhere near.

I am a simple man of simple pleasure. I have lead an ordinary life and want a simple death for myself. I dont want an abrupt and unromantic end like a gun shot on my head from a mental terrorist. Is it too much of a wish ?

A big bad thing happened in mumbai, the incident ,no matter how devastating it may be for some families, would reduce to only a spicy story to some.The blame game shall start and sacrifice and the loss of life of innocents shall be used as a method of gaining individual points.The politicians in alligation mode shall treat this as statistics and wrong people will suffer.The worst part of the terror aftermath is the disintegration of society and the fallout of the social fabric which is sacred to us.This would reveal the cold face of our society, or should i say our cold society shall heat up for some time only to become colder than before.

Lastly , my heartfelt condolences to those families which lost someone dear to them coz they know the value of a life which would only be counted as an insignificant  number among the head count in a ridiculous government file.

No matter whats the ending, My life began with you November 30, 2008

Not all love stories begin with love at first sight, at least not mine. Some take a little longer , some even take ages to find the first sign of attraction. If you get things easily , you don’t value it. I was accustomed to a smile since time unknown. If I was alone the smile was thee, If I was shaken, there she was with her silent and unnerved presence. Cool as mint, still as a rock. “Do I love her”? I asked myself and assumed the possible answer. I said to myself,”I am in love with her attitude and not with the whole girl”. Later did I realise that the attitude came with a package deal and i have to give credit to the girl as well and there you go . I felt the first sign of love for her. That was my first sip and i am still in a hangover. In reality this so called ‘later’ part came in just a little late, say like almost seven years when i met her in 2004. Since then my heart has longed for just a glimpse of her. She is not around and i still love her.Just like a butterfly flies away from a flower to a place unknown, a prayer leaves my heart for a place straight in heaven above seventh sky. I dont want her to come to me coz that will be selfish. I want her to happy in her own way, the way she wants.
I doesn’t matter if i saw a dream with her then it should end up with her as well.I believe , the real romance does not have an ending.Thats why it is for ever.

From The Factory Of Memory November 8, 2008

In the bylanes of my memory I have preserved few moments . The moments that define me as a person. Take a walk with me as I bring some of those moments back to you.If you are one of my friend then in some strange place of my history you might even find yourself because we share a common yesterday.

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