Pages from an Unknown Diary

A Story is about a girl and a boy who liked each other but… they never spoke the two words that they wanted to spend their life together … now and forever. 

 After few years of relationship the guy tells the girl that his parents have chosen a bride for him. Later both of them celebrate that big moment of his life. However as time passed by, circumstance change and both of them get to know that they love each other from years.

No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever.  Both of them are sensible and intelligent enough to know that they have to move on with their respective life.  Being friends they keep missing each other, however they chat occasionally.

One day boy give hints to his friend that he is uncomfortable with his wife …life is changing too fast after wedding… he is facing so many liabilities... adjustment problems… carrying burden of marriage. Hearing this  her heart sunk.

Sometimes friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value, rather is one of those things that gives value to survival.

Girl often pens a few word in her diary whenever she miss her friend.

(which she mailed him one day)

So here are some of the pages from girl’s life.

To  You!

 10 jan/ 9:06pm -9:12 pm

Hi, how r u

I m fine, day was quite busy…

N i missed u
i think now it’s impossible to talk everything on mobile due to several reasons as bills of mob, my office time and your office time clash, and although, when both of us are free we can’t talk or chat because we also have our social circle around, which is also very important in our life and there are also some important people which meant as a need in our life and we can’t live without them

Isn’t

Lamhe juddai ke bekaraar karte hai

Halat mere mujhe lachaar karte hai

Ankhe meri kabhi padh kar dekh

Hum khud kaise kahe ki

Hum apko kitna yad karte hai

11 jan/ 9:58-10:14 pm

I am aware about everything, how and what changes have taken place in my life, i know all these have made my life…..
I don’t know what to write on the above blank space
i sometime feel very good and sometime  get tensed when i think over it…
when i feel something good or like to share anything i want to call u , although i have made promises with myself that I will not call you.

 But….

And after calling

If i talk to u whatever i want to share i feel great but i somehow feel hesitant to talk on those matters and it makes me sad.

 Or someone has disturbed me or u Or both of us can’t talk due any other reason, I feel bad

After ending the call I always decide neither to call u nor to share any of my personal matter with u because After that i realize that u have your own life and i can’t superimpose anything on u and

I don’t want to do something like this

And then i don’t expect that u call me & chat with me or anything else

I know you have so many liabilities and responsibilities which is more important than anything else and
i don’t want any of them disturbed due to me or my any activity

I can’t live with this blame that i disturbed or i created any problem

Zindagi me kuch naa mila toh kya gam hai

Tumahari dosti jo mili ye kya kam hai

Aapke dil me ek choti si jagah jo pai hai

Wo jagah tajmahal se kya kam hai

13 jan/10:32-10.58pm

Yehi wafa ka sila hai toh koi bat nahi

Ye dard tumne diya hai toh koi baat nahi

Yehi bahut hai ki tum dekhte ho saahil se

Jo hum dub rahe hai toh koi baat nahi

Mujhe nahi pata mein ye sab kyu likh rahi hoon jabki janti hoon ki in kabhi tumsey yeh sab baatein kahungi toh shayad tum an-suna karney ki kosis karogey aur, tumhey phir thohdi symphathy ho jayegi, ya phir mujhe daantoge aur samjaoge aur mein samajh jaungi ya phir sorry bologe ki -sorry bat nahi kar pata tumsey

18 jan /1:02-, 1:05 am

Dosti toh cheez hai bas ehsaas ki

Pass hote toh manzar hi kya hota

Door se hi khabar hai hume aapke har saans ki

Kahi padha tha…

20 jan /9.50-10:06 pm

Tum na milo to gila nahi

Jo mil jao to shikwa nahi

Pyar ki had tak chaho ye tamanna hai

Jo na chaho toh koi shikayat bhi nahi

Iss shayari k baad aur kuc aage kuch likhne ki himmat nahi ho rahi hai

Kal office k kaam sey out of city jaa rahi hoon , kuch achaa nahi lag raha hai yaha

Jaante ho lappy me kaun saa gaana chal raha hai

HUM BHOOL GAYE RE HAR BAAT MAGAR TERA PYAAR NAHI BHULE . . .

Goodnight

Take care

2 7 jan / 10.46 -11.05pm

Hello…

Jante ho tumhe shaam se hi call karne ko mann kar raha hai par Nahi kiya,

 bahut kuch likhne wali thi aaj main par ab mann nahi kar raha hai,

Bahut saari baate thi batane ko, bahut sari shikayaate thi,

Bahut kuch tha likhne ko par ab nahi

31 jan/ 5.09-6:34pm

Finally thursday se khud par control karte- karte aakhir sunday ko mein ne call kar hi diya

Jab mein akele maggi bana rahi thi to purani baate yaad aa gayi

Pata nahi kyun mujhe aisa lag raha tha ki tum pareshaan ho  And finaaly i called

Do baar to tumahare cell par call nahi lagi. Shyad network bhi bat nahi karney dena chahta '.

But after some time i again called u, U picked up and said hello hello, koun hai

And the though WHO AM I engulfed me the whole day.

And finally i told myself that i am your friend  however i was not satisfied

Actually i am nothing  Yes i am nothing

Anyways i again called u in evening and after making number of effort i talked to you,

It was nice

And you know girls have a problem, they don’t remember those important issues in life but they remember many unnecessary things as i remember all those days, those dates and everything which is related to you.

Now don’t smile on it.

Dekho awaaz dekar pass apne hi paaoge

Aaoge tanha par tanha naa jaaoge

Dur rehkaar bhi hai tumhi par nazar

Tham lenge haath jab bhi thokar khaoge
 

Today u told u r facing lots of adjustment problems in your life which disturbed me a lot.

I want to tell u that Dear whatever happened in your life, till meeting me,

Forget all that. Don’t remember them now and don’t dare to make comparisons

Bcos everyone has some good qualities and also bad traits and If u love/like someone u have to accept both the qualities, of her nature. 

So many people came in our life from birth to death-mom,  Dad, brother ,sister ,uncle ,aunt ,g fat-mother, friends ,

Teacher, lover, wife , husband, in laws , son ,daughter and so many people the list doesn’t end here ,

There are also some people with whom there is no relation like

U

N

Me

Or
we can say we can’t give any name to few relations.

Ham Ne Dekhi Hai In Aankhoon Ki Mahakati Khushaboo
Haath Se Chhuuke Ise RishtoN Kaa Ilzaam Na Do
Sirf Ehasaas Hai Ye Ruuh Se Mahasuus Karo
Pyaar Ko Pyaar Hi Rahane Do Koi Naam Na Do.

Ppl came in our life suddenly or we can say accidentally and have an influence on our life, our thoughts and one day some of them go far from us and we can’t stop them due to several reasons but their sweet sour memories remains forever.

Sometime we miss them and search their company and need them.

Bade ajeeb hai ye zindagi modh

Kuch anjane raah me mil jaate hai

Milne ki khushi de naa de

Bhichcdne ka gam zaroor de jaate hai

And when we fail to find them, we realize their importance and how much we need them in our life and then we need someone who can help us and at, that time the relations which are near, help us,

Then we understand their importance, Relation need time and care to develop.

1 feb /7:33- 8:15pm

So my dear friend understand the importance of the relations which are near and dear to u,

The relation which is near to u, make them beautiful so that when u want them… they are with you,

Do whatever they need,  Fulfill there all wishes, Make them happy and  I am sure u will get more than u have given them,  Yes there may be quite a few hiccups on this way but you can do it, Every problem has a solution and all you have to do is search for  it and always remember that if  

God has created any problem, he has made a solution too,

I know what you will say if you read this line – Every problem has a solution and every solution has a problem.

U knows if girls are known for their love…

Then men are known for their care

So dear,   give importance to the relations which are near to you. Give them your time and care and your love.  They deserve you undivided love.

It’s not necessary that you give expensive gifts, or go for long drives; I think the pleasure which we feel in small joys of our daily life routine make our life more beautiful than anything else,

So stole these moments from your life.

3 feb /4:55- 5:30pm

You know a girl leaves her big, loving and caring family for a single person, makes so many compromises, change her  behavior, attitude and life style only because  she know that now her hubby is her whole n soul.

He is the only person in whole world who will give love, care and time more then she has received in her entire life that s why some time : Wo kuch zyaada adhikaar jamaati hai j

4 feb/ 5:21-5:40

Mujhen lagta hai ki humen  apne relationship par fullstop laga dena chaiye . yahi shayad hum sabke liye achaa hoga .

Tum shayad ye kabhi  nahi keh  paoge isliye mujhe ye kehna padh raha hai. Waise bhi i will never be  happy. I have hurt many people intentionally or unintentionally.

Waise se bhi tumhari life me main galti se aayi thi aur aur ab ye galtiya dohrana  nahi chati hoon .

5 feb /8:15-9.0

Jante ho agar mein kisi ke sath bura karti hoon jane anjane me toh mujhe bahut jaldi hi aur badhi sajaa milti hai.

So now I m behaving like a selfish girl.

Forget everything between us as if nothing had happened.

Today evening me m leaving for… Austria

When u will be reading….this mail I will be very far away from u.

I will be always your good friend.

Tanhai hai phir bhi main bebas nahi hu sajna

Teri yadien jo mere nas nas mein hai

Malum nahi hai mere dil ki yeh baatein tujhko

Phir bhi murjhai si ek khwaish bhi hai

Zindagi k kisi modh sey gujar tey

Mil jaye tu toh main keh du tujhey Jaaniye

Mere aankho ki tu hai roshni  Jaaniye…

Teri mohabbat ki main hu roshani  Jaaniye

Aur haa

Mujhe tumse koi shikayat nahi hai

Bye

N

Take care

J

Allah Tero Naam Ishwar Tero Naam

After n numer of extention of Liberhan Commission report on the Babri Masjid Demolition of 1992 and the much awaited court verdict on it  – Home Minister P. Chidambaram announced that the government had decided to hand over the disputed land to the Indian property behemoth – DLF Group.

Mr. Chidambaram - clearly disturbed at how the dispute had led to fisticuffs between Samajwadi Leader Amar Singh and his BJP counterpart S.S.Ahluwalia announced that this was the best decision that could be made in the interest of the country. In a news briefing Mr. Chidambaram said:

“In the spirit of Indian unity in diversity – the government of India has decided to hand over the disputed land of Ayodhya to the DLF group. DLF – whose tag line is “Building India” is easily the best organization that can take care of this territory without inflaming the sentiments of either religious body. As per the agreement – 

DLF will build a 4 story mall on the land which will include a 50-50 division of designated shops between Hindu and Muslim owners. 

It will also feature a Café Coffee Day where leaders from both sides can come together and discuss their ideas since we all know that “A lot can happen over coffee”. 

Apart from that there would be a food court which will be divided into three zones namely “Pure Veg. / Jhatka and Halal to cater to the needs of every community. 

We have roped in PVR to build a 6 screen multiplex which will only showcase films highlighting national unity such as Border/ Lakshya and Fanaa etc. 

Apart from that there would be ramps and automated stairwells for older visitors and an underground museum for tourists where they can see audio-visual presentations and fact-finding reports that have been generated over 17 years of govt. inefficacy. 

The mall would also feature an outlet of Casa Gelato which would be inaugurated by Chairman of the UPA Smt. Sonia Gandhi. 

Not only will the mall be a major tourist attraction for a region but will also provide locals with employment opportunities which are few and far between in the region.”

RSS leader Mr Gadkari – who declined to be present at the time of the announcement - said that the RSS had decided to go ahead with the decision keeping in mind Hindu and Indian interests. “We recognise that K.P. Singh is a devout Hindu and DLF is a proud Indian company. Thus as long as the mall is named the Sri Ram Mega Mall – we have no objection.

The spokesperson from the AIBMAC refused to comment on Mr. Chidambaram's remark. Sources indicate however that organisational representatives were not happy with the decision and were going to stage a nation wide campaign for painting the mall Green as an act of last resort.



PS: Today I woke up with an SMS “Who r we, Hindu or Muslim?? Wen dere is ‘ALI’ in Diwali & ‘RAM’ in Ramzan. Help India in being united!!! Spread dis msg as far as u can for September 24. Sabse pehle ‘We r Indians’...Luv all hate none.”   Nothing new in the text, have read it a thousand times. what was touching was it was send by one of my Muslim friend and the occasion was not diwali or ramzan but the the upcoming verdict on babri masjid by honorable High Court. it conveyed that whatever be the verdict lets not harm the secular fabric of the country.

PPS :
Kis kaam ke mandir masjid,
kis kaam ke hain gurudware,
is desh ke beghar bachche,
jab firte maare maare.
(“What is the point in having temples, mosques, and gurudwaras when the homeless children wander aimlessly and without help?”)

An Affair to remember.

When the night falls and the moon softly touches the sea, there is some restlessness in the waters of the sea. Its waves peel from it, spreading its arms to embrace the moon but the moon mischievously hides behind the cloud only to leave the helpless waves to shrink back in the sea.

"Ah, Sea you are too bold, have you ever seen women proposing men?" questions the moon.

Oh! He hardly sees my generosity, murmurs the Sea.

Then the Moon peeks again from the cloud and the Sea spreads its arms again to hold it but the distance is so much that its energy fades and shrinks

The Moon continues to tease the Sea by playing hide and seek from behind the cloud but the Sea smirks and says, "The clouds that you are hiding behind are also mine."

"Huh!" the Moon says, "Then why those tides?"

The sea winks and replies "Darling, these are just my ways to entice."

"Hah! Entice the one who itself is so mystical?" says Moon, with pride.

"Darling, why so much pride? It is my faith in you that makes you so mystical," replies the Sea.

"Hmm, you are right, what would my brilliance do if you did not have faith in me? You have so beautifully broken the pride in me!" confesses the Moon.

"Now, why do you make me yearn so much and keep disappearing behind the clouds?" questions the Sea.

"I am just trying to feel you, through a part of you?the clouds!" winks the Moon.

Smiling, the Sea says, "It's your wit and brilliance that always wins me and makes my waves throb for you."

"And it is the charisma of your melodious music and your dancing tides that fascinate me and invoke me every night to come and meet you" rejoins the moon.

"When the whole world is asleep, I am overjoyed to see you welcome me with your scintillating tunes and ballet. And then it is just so difficult for me to resist a single moment and with the strike of twilight. I come stealthily just to meet you" sighs the Moon.

"And I spend all day banging against the boulders and rocks in desperation, especially when I see lovers sitting by my shores; I become impatient and ebb and flow on the shores. How much I wait for the night, you will never know!" says the Sea.

"I know it all dear, had I not been the captive of the centripetal and centrifugal forces, I would have come straight down to embrace you and live with you forever" sadly states the Moon.

"Yes, and had I not been the captive of gravity, I would have flowed straight up to you and wrap you with all my love and care" utters the Sea desolately and smiles.

"I wonder when will we get out of this time warp or the curse and meet forever"

"Don't worry darling" replies the Moon and suddenly the sky gets darker and clouds begin to clear, leaving the moon alone in the sky. And then the Moon spreads a silvery hue on the sea as if embracing it. Then gently it caresses the Sea with its reflection. There is a wild ecstasy with this unique reunion and then the lovers dance in unison. It all appears awesome!

So lost are they in each others arms that everyday when the Sun comes, it winks at the Moon and says, "Time's up Buddy!"

And then farewell the lovers bid, promising to meet again. The Moon diminishes in the clouds and stillness in the sea dwells. And they eagerly wait for another night to fall, and then again they start with the rhapsody of their unique love affair!

Pointers to train travel in India...

Trains in India are usually divided into three categories:

Executive Class coaches are badged A - for Assholes, because thats usually how the uptight passenger behaves like when his Veg. platter has one pea too little.

Economy/AC Chair Car coaches are sometimes labelled B - for Bechaare. Bechaare roughly translates to poor souls. This is because they book AC tickets thinking they'll travel in luxury that regular Indians cant afford, but end up getting stuck between fat aunties whose gota garnished suits itch like a genital wart and whose wailing babies replicate the sound of Kishore Kumar in his grave everytime DJ Aqueel remixes another one of his hits.

Third is the cattle/sleeper class - christened S - for shitty. I personally also believe this is a sneaky potshot at the Mercedes S Class.

For an authentic Indian railway experience - one must always travel S Class. And for that, here are some key things to keep in mind.

1) Just because you have a seat doesn't mean you can do what you want with it. Any random fuck will come and ask you to "Please adjust" even if you don't want to. Especially old women. DO NOT bee nice to them. They are using old age as an excuse to cheat the government of its taxes - hence making them anti-national, hence not deserving enough to travel on train.

2) If the person who wants you to adjust does have a ticket but was on RAC or Waitlisted - tell them on their face that they are too fucking stupid to travel and throw them off on the next station.

3) If youre visibly Muslim (i.e. wearing an outfit) and not travelling between heavily concentrated poorer areas - be prepared to be stared at, questioned and called a terrorist. If you are visibily muslim and travel in A or B class, prepare to be stared at and thought of as a terrorist with more money as you are obviously funded by the ISI.

4) If you are a Sikh travelling in an A or B class - you are expected to wear nut hugging jeans. If you are a Sikh travelling in S class, you are expected to have atleast some part of your lipstick on your teeth (woman) or unwashed hait for 3 weeks (Men)

5) If you are Hindu - no matter what class you travel - you are expected to be dirty and pray 40 times within a one hour period while praising Rahul Gandhi.

6) If youre travelling down south - you will be woken up at 4 AM by a guy shouting "Kapi" in your ear.

7) If youre travelling up north - you will be woken up at 4 Am by a guy shouting "Chai" in your ear.

8) If you are travelling anywhere above Mumbai excluding the North East - there is a 65% chance of getting accosted by Eunuchs in the S class. Please keep your money ready or prepare to get the wackiest lap dance in history or even worse be readey to get waked on your private part OOOps.

9) Trick: In any Indian train which serves food - they will asf if you want Veg or Non Veg food. Always ask if they have a "Continental" meal. For 10 rupees more its the cleanest and tastiest thing you can have which is normally reserved for frequent travelers. Never EVER step near the pantry unless you want to realise that the crispy almond in your salad was a sun-dried cockroach.

10) Practice Yoga before your train journey. It is critical to be able to balance yourself while peeing or crapping. The margin for error is less than it was for Luke Skywalker to destroy the Death Star. Unless ofcourse you want to come out wet.

11) Avoid washing your face early mornining near the public sink unless you want to see random men adjusting their crotches and hair from the night before in full amphitheatre view.

12) Never stand near an open door for too long. That lovely fresh smell of crops can quickly turn into a hard tilted electricity pole that just took your head off.

13) Never pay attention or make faces at little kids who keep staring at you as if you are a Chicken drumstick on a Tuesday. Like stray dogs, the more you humor them, the more they pester you.

14) Clevage and fluttering eyelashes go a long way if you have to adjust seats

15) Buy knick knacks from the blind sellers but dont give money to the random train sweeper. Twist your mineral water bottles after consumption so they cant be reused and don't expect to reach anywhere on time.

And finally, whenever you get a chance, take a flight instead. . . San the cramp boot space....

View from a moving train

The Indian panorama is essentially a rural and an agricultural landscape -if you are traveling on a train and more so if it’s the north Indian Gangetic plains you are passing through.

 
There’s scenic beauty and misery, filth and prosperity. While one travels enjoying the luxury of the cool interiors and a certain level of acceptable cleanliness, it is but a thin steel wall and a thick glass window of the train coach that separates it all from the heat, gloom, muck and sheer poverty outside the train.


THE DUAL NATURE OF INDIAN SOCIETY STARES PROFOUNDLY IN YOUR FACE !

Well this is my country - my land – my India and it is but just a view of my India through a train window!

Despite all the incongruity and disparity, the landscape seldom changes drastically. So as the rain moved I watched and valued a tapestry so unique woven with hues of Indian contrasts in colour, concocted out of a combined effort by the creator and his creations.

Stretches of farming land - surprisingly green even though it is the transition time from summer to monsoon, the kharib is yet to be planted. In spite of a scorching vengeful sun there is cool greenery through out the travel -contributed chiefly by corn crop which is in growing stage, the stalks all green and the tops of the corn sheaf – a glorious yellow and gold.

The mangroves laden with fruit – there seems to be a bumper crop this year!

Primarily there are fields and more fields

Neat fields, untidy fields, green fields, barren fields. Ploughed fields, weedy fields. Frams and more farms dot the railway tracks. A crooked banyan tree, a huge neem tree with kids swinging merrily on a jhoola made out of tyres and ropes, as they enjoy eating raw mangoes.



An almost dried out pond awaits the rains to fill it up and quench its thirsty, parched innards. Buffaloes enjoy a spa in this very pond.

An irrigation canal flows lethargically dreaming a mid summer day’s dream is rattled by kids jumping in and out of it to beat the heat – very tempting!

A constant feature of an Indian field is a hut like structure built to store dung cakes – that essential, free of cost fuel of the rural Indian housewife. The producers of this fuel enjoying a kitty party and probably putting their heads together ruminating whatever happened to all the dung they created!

The cakes are heaped in a hut shape and covered with hay and straw to protect them from thieves, rains and wind. Whereas some such huts are plastered with dung itself and on this dung are etched out intricate designs -flowers, vines, animal shapes even swastika! A manifestation of creativity of the Indian women.

A lone temple here a couple of graves there. A Samadhi flying a red flag or a pataka in memory of a deceased soul, while a Deepak on the Samadhi awaits the near and dear ones to light it up in the evening. It is very common indeed for the rural folk to have a desire to be cremated or buried in their own fields depending on their religion. All about Janam Bhoomi, Karama Bhoomi and the final resting place. Mud to mud ashes to ashes.

A comparatively new addition to the soils of the Indian farming lands are the Mobile Network towers, standing sentinels to the villages at regular intervals. And watching so many of our rural brothers and sisters using the same fields for their daily ablutions, I could not but help thinking yet again that more people in this country have access to cell phones than a toilet.

On various platforms that I saw cell phones stuck alike to the old and the young ears, inside a ghoonghat of a bride and inside a helmet of a two wheeler rider. The cell phone is the new great leveler of the Indian society as are the Indian railways. This gizmo has brought us together to at least one common station in life.

A pleasant observation – the smaller the stations, the cleaner they are! Green painted benches, terracotta painted pots bearing seasonal plants. A shiny brass bell outside the station master’s office and of course fewer people – probably the reason why the stations are so clean. Mofussil town women in colourful saris men in dhoties and kurtas – eating, sleeping and watching a lone TV to kill time – we are so used to reaching the station hours before the ETA. Ever seen the railway ticket carefully? There is no arrival time printed for final destination – probably a joke played by the Indian railways to enlighten you that

THERE IS NO FIXED ARRIVAL TIME !



The small winding road keeps racing with the train as it moves, coming dangerously close at times and then leaving the train to get lost into some moffussil town to enjoy a brief flirtatious prelude to a meeting again -coming back like a prodigal daughter. At times making up for abandoning the train and waiting for it to supersede it at some railway crossing.



The village wells are quaint structures, close to the tracks, some abandoned as they have dried and some still supplying water. The old walls bear motifs of mostly Hindu Gods, sacred animals, peacocks and pigeons. In addition, a reservoir for stray and domestic animals. I however wonder if these wells are only for the higher caste people and animals? Are dalits are allowed to draw water from these wells?



Most walls of the buildings that run close to the railway tracks have graffiti -rather advertisements for an interesting mix of services -Impotency, marriage bureau, hakims and vaiids and one very interesting new organization – Patni Pratadit Sanstha (Organisation for tortured husbands) !!!

The closed crossing is an interesting milieu of sorts. A tempo stuffed with humanity, people spilling out from all the orifices, and one can see all shapes and colours of the Indian back-sides! While a bus awaits impatiently, its occupants walk the road, some relieve themselves some fill them selves with aam-panna. While a little boy sells cucumbers shouting – “kheera kakdii” as he deftly peels, lemons, salts and sells them.



A newly married couple on a motorbike, refuse to get off it as she – dressed in all the glitter and bling in magenta, clings on to her newly wedded husband! A sight to behold as love oozes out of their every movement!



A bullock cart carrying a sick cow that lies very still, probably being taken to the nearest vet or the state run ’pashu-palan vibhag’. Another bullock cart pulling a heavily over loaded  trolley, carrying wheat for the levy, on top of which rest two young labourers listening to a transistor that played the latest bollywood hit–



Sapno mein aayi ke jayi ke O goriya humri udayi le nindiya! Baharon mein tu hai, nazaron mein tu hai

Dekhoon jidhar tu hi ti hai, prem ki nayya hai ram ke bharose re, prem ki nayya ko paar tu lagayi de


The omnipresent paan shop displaying shiny streamers of paan-masala and tobacco pouches, swaying in the wind. The paan wala making paans  dexterously wiping each paan on his dirty checkered lungi before adding all the colourful ingredients! No one complains. They are grateful for the closed crossing and the interlude it provides.


A chai shop with a varied clientele comprising of a sadhu sitting next to a young boy, both looking at the passing train with dazed vision.


Railway quarters built near small stations have certain order, certain cleanliness about them. Though there could be an odd broken chair lying in the courtyard or an old bicycle hanging from the roof, the houses are clean and often decorated with potted seasonal plants and flowers. Not to be missed out the weed that forms the natural fence of the courtyard – the besharam shrub – a ‘shameless’ weed with beautiful purple blossoms, which grows on its own and does not even demand care! Most of these houses have an inverted ‘J’ like three feet high concrete structure, which has always intrigued me, yet till date I do not know the purpose of erecting this piece of architectural marvel, all over the country on top of the railway quarters!


A sad vision is that of the railways’ abandoned cabins. Walls covered with moss, weeds growing out of it from walls and roof, plaster and paint equally chipped in different places. It carries the forlorn look of a man -an abandoned lover who does not have much to look forward to just some memories of the unrequited love.


Brick fields are another very common feature of this giant view. Kuchha bricks laid to be taken to the kiln and the giant chimneys billowing smoke fearfully resembling nuclear missiles.


Limestone painted village schools, often display proudly Gandhiji or Ambedkar statues – depending on which government paid to put up the school. There aren’t many students however, and whatever number is present, it is mostly outside the class rooms, chasing, kites, tyres, stray dogs and of course –each other.

Despite the free mid day meal and free education, few children attend school and those who do are rarely dressed completely. Such a sad sight, most children have just one proper clothing either the top or the bottom.

The most common piece of clothing worn by both small girls and boys is the ‘kuchchha’! The American boxer shorts seem to be the inspiration behind this ‘So Very Indian’ attire, so very suited for Indian weather conditions and comfort!



A tractor ploughing field has a host of cranes chasing and consuming the late worms which have been upturned in the soil by the tractor. A colourful depiction of a fraction of the food chain – green farms red tractor brown mud and white cranes –lovely!


A bulldozer or rather a JCB with a hook at the back and the claw in the front digs mud for some construction – I am not sure what is the generic name for JCB ! A crowd of about two hundred people form the neighbouring villages has collected to watch this extraordinary activity. Some entertainment for them in their otherwise dreary and drab lives.


The scare crow in the fields is a dress designer’s delight! Sporting a variety of castoffs of the field owner’s family, it is dressed in kurtas, shirts, ‘maxi’ and jeans – a perfect study for a NIFT student to observe a mix-n-match ensemble!


Its evening time a crimson sun ready to bid adieu till the next morning. The cattle return home from the fields or whatever is left of the meadows in this hot and dry season, where they went to graze kick up a mini dust storm signifying that the ‘godhuli bela’ has arrived. And the tinkle of their bells can only be ‘seen’ from my window and not heard!


Smoke begins to ooze out of the kuchha houses as women begin to prepare the dinner. Most houses are kuchha in this poor region of the country and those which are pucca are rarely cemented and plastered, probably because their owners lack the funds for the purpose.


The scare crow in the fields is a dress designer’s delight! Sporting a variety of castoffs of the farm owner’s family, it is dressed in kurtas, shirts, ‘maxi’ and jeans – a perfect case-study for a NIFT student to observe a mix-n-match ensemble!



As the train moves piercing though the darkness suddenly emerges a power house – a huge milky way of thousands of lights flashing in dark, reminiscent of a sci-fi Hollywood movie or may be a colony in Mars with innumerable UFOs, yet its all dark around it because the power house caters only to the surrounding towns!

A journey is well-traveled if –

You are not blasted off by a bomb in your coach.

If you are not blown away by a landmine on the tracks.

If you haven’t caught an infection through the food served while your travel.

If a pair of loving concerned eyes search for you at the platform !

Friendship Vs Love

Recently, one of my friends asked our group of friends: “Which one is more important in life: Love or friendship; which one is more powerful?” Lots of guys were confused and marked the question as a difficult one. But I tried. I hope it will be interesting for you, to read my view.

In my opinion, while friendship is more important in life, love is more powerful.

Friendship is cultivated; it is nurtured by every moment shared among the friends. Friendship happens mostly in like-minded people only; or persons of similar background, or similar thinking.

But Love is something that is uncontrolled. You don’t know and you start loving someone. Any similarity is not a pre-condition. In fact, most of us love someone who is entirely dissimilar to ours. It is often said: “Love is blind.”

Friendship is a two-way process. For a successful friendship, both of you need to like each other. But one way love is possible. Some people spend their entire life without revealing their love to someone else. Nothing like this happens in friendship. Friends express their friendship very often.

Often, friends remain friends for life-long, while lovers get apart.

Love is more universal. We can love a child, our grandfather, our college, or our country. Friendship is different.

Friendship is a healthier relationship. One doesn’t force his/her friend to remain only his/her friend. You can have a number of friends at the same time. But love turns to be possessive. The partners expect the other’s loyalty with him/her. Friends often forgive each other. But lovers often break apart or their relation gets tensed on small issues.

A large number of Hollywood marriages fell apart. Because, the actors and actresses have grown in a habit of being friends with so many people at the same time and they find it difficult to remain loyal to a particular partner.

Friendship is more important. Throughout our lives, we take help of friends. Life would become very difficult, if we don’t have a good number of friends. We make gatherings, we enjoy weekends, and we share gifts in friendship. Friendship allows us to learn from our friends. As we can have a lot of friends, we get a good exposure. But if love turns too possessive, often it kills the enjoyment. Friendship is superior to love.

Love is powerful. Often, it makes us take wrong decisions. Those who have little control over their emotions, fall in love, and break so many relations, just to get remain with their lover.

Therefore I say, friendship is more important, but love is more powerful.

PS : I googled this topic and this is what i found :

Happy Friendship Day to all my Dear friends....(Can i wish the same to my valentine....)

Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee......

Barsaat ki bheegi raaton main,
Phir teri kahani yaad aayee,
Kuch apna zamana yaad aaya,
Kuch unki jawani yaad aayee*

I am in Chennai. I have just finished reviewing a code running into four and a half thousand words and a hundred errors and thousand warnings and my head is spinning. I go out for a walk and in the dazed state that I am I do not realise that it is drizzling. Five minutes and wet clothes later, reality strikes. And then I realise the beauty of the moment. Wet roads. Smell of wet earth. The shining leaves of gulmohar trees all around me with water on them. Little puddles of water on the road. 

This sends me back in time to the city I was born and brought up in – Boakro. as the social studies textbooks of your would have told you, houses India’s largest steel plant, is situated on Chotanagpur plateau surrounded by hill stations. And what is a hill station, even if it’s only one in the text books, without rains...and power cuts and dark clouds. Black thunder with a flash of lightening. Drops of rain. The smell of wet earth. The red gulmohar in all its glory. Ek cup garam chai. Kishore Kumar singing "rim jhim girre sawan." 

Every year after two months of scorching summer when temperature would touch the forties and stay there, it would rain. And rains would bring life back into the city. The dull and dreary faces would all be smiling. Playgrounds, which wore a deserted look during summer, would be full of children playing football in rains (And believe me, no sport can match the exhilaration of playing football in rains). The complexion of the entire city would suddenly change from rust to green.

There would be cyclists trying to avoid the pools of water that rains had managed to create and there would be children jumping in the same pools, splashing water on the passersby (cyclists included), who did not seem to mind. Hot tea and 'garam samosas' with chutney would be the flavor of the season. All the talk about the receding water level in the lakes and Dams supplying water to the entire city would be replaced with how many millimeters it rained that day. Buffaloes could be seen enjoying a swim in ponds, which were dry till sometime back and were now overflowing with water.

From my home, with farms all around, one could see grease lightening kissing the ground. And the first burst of lightening was enough to ensure a power cut. And in the evenings this would send one searching for a matchbox and a candle or a lantern. Many evenings have been spent studying in dim candle or lantern light (or improving concentration should I say). And when the rains stopped, the smell of the wet earth would come through, something that doesn't happen anymore in the midst of all the concrete I have chosen to live in.

The rains in Bokaro were rejuvenating, yet there was certain anger about them. They hit the ground with a thud...a knockout punch. The romance was clearly missing.

Being a nomad all my life I have had the experienced rain across the geographies.

Delhi the capital of India. The rain is far and few but when it does rains along with thunderstorm, it leads to a fall in mercury. The rain water is chilling as ice and draws a lot f enthusiasts for a rain bath. My favorite is seeing Eak Ladki Bhigi Bhagi Si after a rain.

Pune, lies on the leeward side of the Western Ghats. The clouds empty themselves over Mumbai and by the time they reach Pune, the heavy rains of Mumbai have converted into a drizzle. In Pune, in the truest sense of the word, it rains, it hardly ever pours. The romance that is missing in the rains of Bokaro can be found here. And it literally sucks you in. It's the kind of rain you would want to go out in and get wet. Or go out for a walk arm in arm with your loved one under the same umbrella. And given that Pune is a city of students, it is a fairly common sight.

The rains in Chennai, the city I moved to make a living, like the city itself, promise to deceive, looking fairly good when they start off, but fizzle out very fast. It doesn't really rain much in Chennai. In fact it rains more in Tamil movies, with the heroines from Smitha to Namita  getting wet to the welcome relief of the front benchers, than it does in Chennai  and when it does rain, the place to go to is the Beach. When the first drops of rain hit the water in the sea it's a sight not to be missed out on.

My nostalgia trip ends with with a voice interrupting me "Done?" the boss asks. "Yes am mailing you” I reply and hurry back to work.