Acche din aane vale hain (good days are ahead)

I woke up early this morning because everyone in my home seemed so excited about the Parliament elections results. Normally I would not appreciate being disturbed in my slumber at 7.30 AM (considering I went to bed at 4.00 AM) but today I didn't mind that at all. Every Indian and probably a lot of other country people (considering the greetings that have flown over from the governments of US, UK, Israel, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan) as well knew that today was an extremely crucial day in the history of India. Not only because it will decide which political party gains majority to form government, but also because it will decide the fate of one man (and in turn whole nation), Narendra Modi.

‘Narendra Modi’, (or NaMo) the name every Indian had on their lips today. He lead BJP (and NDA) to a historic win in the parliament elections today. Hardly there would have been any political party which had not taken his name, either in support or in protest. No matter who was contesting elections from whichever place, Narendra Modi found a place in their discussion one way or the other. Obviously when everyone is talking about one person, he must be damn important. Well, he proved that today. He is going to be the Prime Minister of the world’s biggest democracy.

The story of Modi’s rise is like a Bollywood movie, with so many twists and turns, high points and low points. How often do you see someone rise from abject poverty to the most important position of the country? Rarest of the rare, isn’t it? In a country where majority of population still resides in penury, a man from the very same ground rises to be the most powerful man of the nation, wow!! absolutely brilliant. This happens when there are those who still believe in the feudal system, and think it is their birth-right to head the country. Oh come on!! Mommy promised me if I be a good boy she will let me head the country for next five years, give this chair to me.

I wonder what happens to the people who were ridiculing the humble background of Modi? There were our very own political leaders who derided him saying what a ‘chai-wallah’ (tea-vendor) can do? The election results (read one tight slap on their face) must be hard to take in, Ouch!! Sorry did that hurt?

Everyone.. and I mean literally every political leader of the opposition had targeted him one way or the other. They had called him names, some really nasty ones I would not like to mention here (my family reads this blog). They had blamed him for practically anything that goes wrong in their life. Oh God! The power went off, all because of Modi, hunhhh…, my dog ran away to be with Modi after he said he has pity in his heart for puppies, foul! cheater! (maybe all this and even more allegations). Even the smallest political worker was either singing praises of him or (trying to) mock him. I guess one reason for bringing many small political parties together was that, they wanted to stop the “Modi wave”. Ooops the tide was too strong and they got swept away. And amidst all this constant bickering and opposition Modi rose.

He is definitely charismatic and possesses great P. R. skills. Plus being a marketer, I can’t help but admire his stupendous marketing techniques. His STP(segmenting, targeting, positioning) is impeccable. His slogans, his speeches, his one liners are "legen…wait for it…dary". My one and half year old niece cheerfully shouts “Abki baar, Modi Sarkaar” (this time it is Modi Government). His words even catch the fancy of a kid as young as her, which he appreciated in his victory speeches as well. I can’t help but remark he came, he spoke, he conquered.

He gave every Indian a reason to believe in the magic of democracy. In a country that is hit by corruption, destitution, unemployment and anarchy, Narendra Modi infused hope of a better tomorrow. Don’t believe me? Need facts and figures? Look at the bullish stock markets! His story teaches us that no matter how modest you begin but your efforts and determination can take you to your dream. He will definitely make into research books and case studies similar to the likes of leaders like Lincoln. The nation is jubilant and here is hoping that his words “Acche din aane wale hain” (good days are ahead) will prove true soon. Amen!

To Show off, or not to show off?

Well…the question that I’m pondering over is; to show off, or not to show off? I’m excusing myself from this dilemma because I’m a humble creature so don’t have to worry with such big issues. This question is for people around me whom I meet often. They are always going ga-ga over something or the other. It may be as big as their children being married to some Miss World or Mr. World (I hope there is a pageant like that :P), or as small as a new sleek and beautiful toilet seat they have at home (Ugghhh…)

I don’t really understand why would you want to show-off? When you are singing glory about anything and everything about you, you are actually portraying yourself as a complete idiot. Is it only me who feels that in this way you are actually flattering the other person that you are so badly in need of their appreciation? Why would you need the approval of the world to tell you that you are good? You want to tell them that, see I have this big house, car, fancy clothes, etcetera, etcetera. You know how it actually sounds, allow me please. It is like; ..blah..blah..blah…please have a look at me…blah blah blah…I am so pathetically in need of your respect. So all in all you look like a hopeless person in need of respect..cough, beggar.

Okay I agree this is the era of marketing, where you have to go out in the open to talk about your product being the best, but hellooo..we are talking about people here. If you are so fond of telling the world about the minute details of your life, then at least have the sense to do it the right way. Learn from the marketers, you would not like if someone in the name of promoting their products comes up and pastes a pamphlet on your face! @%$*&!@*@#%* some beautiful words will naturally flow out of your kind mouth in praise of that person. Ta-daa! Now do you understand how people like me feel when you are singing that paean of yours again and again.

Okay you or your Daddy dearest has lots and lots of money, so why bore me with the details? Psst.. an advice the income tax people might be listening so hush-hush. What did you say? Your Uncle’s cousin’s friend’s brother is filthy rich! Woah! Should I be impressed? Okay I have a question, answer me please.

Is he naming me the sole heiress to his property?

Don’t be aghast? It’s a simple question, If the answer to this is ‘NO’ then please save your time and mine, I’m not interested.

They say money makes the world go around, true dat! Who doesn’t like a fat paycheque? Still is that big a thing to be impressed with? Especially when it’s someone else’s? Naah. It’s not that I have renounced worldly affairs, no need to look out for a halo around my head.  Still I can appreciate your belongings and possessions but how on earth do you expect me to be impressed with that? Am I missing something here?

Blame it on my parents they never taught me to admire things in this way. I have seen it in school and college also. Believe it or not but after Valentine’s Day girls used to discuss how many gifts they got from their respective boyfriends. I’m sure guys had other things to show off to their peers ;).  This matter wasn’t just limited to one gender. Someone’s boyfriend has a fancy bike/car (It used to be bike in our times, now the economy has progressed) and the whole college should know about it. Someone got a date with the super-hot chick of college and who will not know about it, none.

Such people grow up to me the kind of lot who glorify their toothbrush and toilet seat. Thank God they stop at that, who knows maybe there are more gory details they would like to shed light on.

I have even met people who think they are reincarnation of Plato or Socrates. They are incredibly talented in boring you to death with their words of wisdom, cough nonsense. Well I’m highly indebted to you for blessing my kind soul, but can I take your leave now, I don’t want to die out of boredom. That’s what my inner self keeps shouting all the while.

Actually on a personal level I feel if a person is really intelligent then their arrogance or show off can be a tad bit more bearable. But hey it is a personal choice nothing right or wrong about it. Yet blatant display of knowledge or anything else is extremely unpleasant.

Over all I find show-offs extremely obnoxious. I feel if you are actually praiseworthy or admirable then you don’t need to blare your vocal chords, your actions will speak for yourself. And in that I rest my case, not to show off is the right thing to do.

A Fool’s Paradise

At times I just wonder how much nonsense is one capable of. And my oh my, people are extremely talented when it comes to ahem... (Pardon me) bull shi**ing. I wonder if this is a trait found in India, where people have the attitude of taking themselves as ‘the enlightened one’ or it’s the same everywhere. On second thoughts it’s human tendency, so everyone on planet must have this 'special power'. Okay okay, if not everyone then most of the people.

I witness people just going on and on bragging about them. The inside me wants to shout, “Hello, don’t you get, people over here are not fools to listen to your crap”, but sadly you have to be polite (most of the times). To some extent I consider myself blessed coz I have an over expressive face and the person in front of me gets a clear hint of my feelings. I guess there is some amplifier that is in place, so no matter how much I try to keep quiet, my face tells it all.

Anyways not digressing from the topic, I suppose why people go on and on singing their own praises is because they want to prove themselves smarter than the rest. Maybe they do consider themselves like that, or they might me trying to save them from being proved a numskull. Well sorry to burst your bubble people but you are not as smart as you think you are. If at any point of time you work with the intention of duping others, trust me there are guys who are much smarter than you. You will end up making a fool of yourself. Don’t believe me?? Okay your wish, one day you will encounter a reality check, then don’t say that no one warned you. Psst.. a fact of prudence, it might be out of respect (if you command any) or out of the authority that you exercise over them that they are quiet.

A very common trend with these people is that they suffer from verbal diarrhea. They will certainly bore you death with their monologues, that’s all about eulogizing themselves. Narcissism is another trait that makes these idiots stand out. For heaven’s sake! People please know that you are not the fulcrum of everyone’s life. And what’s unfathomable is that they will glorify the most absurd thing they do. For example, a man going gaga about not spending time with his li’l kid and wife coz he is (supposedly) so much engrossed in work. I’m surprised how come his family hasn't kicked him out yet! Kudos to them for bearing him! I’ll tell you another instance, a man who is going bankrupt, derides other people (who BTW are doing pretty good) for doing petty business and not making money. Good morning sir, but wake up from your slumber and see where you stand. Another instance I just happen to witness, a visibly fat female (I’m not being shallow), calling another not so fat girl ‘ugly and fatso’. It just made me stare at her wonder-struck, thinking what do you consider yourself, Miss Universe? Oh where is her crown? Someone please show her the mirror.

Likewise there are so many instances which I’m sure all of us come across. There is no dearth of morons in this world. You might be mentally ROFL but you have to press your lips hard and try keeping a straight face. And of course there are lots of good and ahem... not so good things that you want to tell them on their face. who knows, maybe at times you do that as well (wink).

Honestly hats off to these people for their heights of ignorance about self. They live by the adage, “ignorance is bliss”. They are the “know it all” people, 'a blessing to humanity', someone please dust off their halo. Their words and actions would render you speechless with astonishment (how can someone be so dumb). You know the magic of this is that they don’t even realize this ‘facepalm’ moment. You get irritated and need and aspirin (God bless its manufacturer) after a meeting with them. Unfortunately you can’t do anything about them. So just vent out your feelings someway (like I’m doing right now), laugh out loud mentally (of course) and move on.

I remember this saying “the foolish and the dead never change their opinion”.  Let them be happy in their own imaginary world. Deep down these people are really very insecure. To protect themselves from the harsh reality they have built a world of lies around them. And they are engrossed in it to an extent, that they now take it to be real, my condolences to them. So why upset yourself over them? Let them enjoy their 'fool’s paradise'; coz when reality dawns on them it is going to be very distressing. 

The Power of One

They say what difference can a single entity make? It’s just one; we can neglect it most of the times (remembering old lessons of physics). As we do to the opinion of one person in comparison to that of the majority, neglect it.. it’s just one! But ask a person who fails coz of one mark the importance of one. Or ask a person who is dying the importance of one day of life. Sigh!! Pity we still ignore one.

You don’t think one is important? O c’mon have you ever spared a thought that one wish left unanswered can turn a believer to atheist. One goal left unachieved can cause days or even years of trauma and torture. One color left missing can waste a whole painting, imagine a rainbow with any one of the color missing and then you’ll get my point. Being far away from just one person can turn your whole life upside down. It’s just that one person that you find your solace in and if that person is not with you, it brings tremendous agony. It can be anyone, a family, a friend, a mentor, an idol or your beloved.

It’s funny how we think of kids as stupid when they want one particular toy and nothing else can comfort them. How different are we grownups from them? We may be better than them in just hiding our emotions. C’mon give the kids the credit that at least they are brave or ignorant (ignorance is bliss remember) enough to say what they want.

The desire or craving for that one thing or person is no different for elders. The pain of not getting that one thing you covet the most in life is no less for us. In fact we are less fortunate than kids coz we have to live up to our reputation and maintain certain so called ‘image’, for kids they care a damn for that.

The power of that ‘one’ is something that everything else fades into oblivion. It’s like the only thing that you can see, and the only thing that you can walk towards. Taking that thing out of your life leaves you into total darkness. It’s the one thing you yearn for and wouldn’t mind giving up everything else for. That one thing becomes the goal of your life, the sole purpose of your being, and the only wish you wish upon a star. That is the stupendous and incredible power of one. After all we have one sun (ok don’t go into the technicalities, I’m talking about our solar system) that our earth revolves around, the reason for life and energy for us. So think again before neglecting one next time.

Clouds of my dreams

‘Clouds’…the word brings so many pictures into my mind, there are these snowy white ones streaking the blue sky, then the dark,  gray ones ready to pour down, not to forget the ones which are filled with hues of all kinds as we see the sun rise or sun set… Clouds have always fascinated me. I just love watching these clouds as I sit by the window of the car/bus/train while I’m travelling. They are so beautiful and vivid in shape and form. Sitting by the window of the plane these clouds appear like someone has spread a carpet of cotton before me, and boy! I’m so tempted to walk over it (no, I’m not delusional people ;)). It is just so beautiful to see sun rays play peek-a-boo with you from these clouds.  

And somehow these clouds remind me of dreams. Beautiful, picturesque, light and dark, covering the sun sometimes, or else just blowing with the winds of time. You look at these clouds and they show a different form and picture, that is a reflection of your thoughts. Dreams are like the clouds covering the sky of your heart. Sometimes they stay there for a minute or two, while some other time it looks like they are going to rain on the earth of your life. You stand there looking up at these clouds, anticipating rain, but they are brushed away by the winds of reality. However sometimes these clouds of dreams pour down and infuse “life” into your life.

Like a drought hit region, where the cracks of despair show up on the land, these dreams bring with them the showers of cheer that get soaked in the grounds of psyche so as seeds of hope are irrigated. The cracks are filled and the barren land gives way to green pastures. All this is brought about by the clouds of dreams.

Sometimes it also happens that these showers flood the heart so much that eyes stream out in the form of tears. That’s how dreams are. Like I mentioned they are nomadic and restless. They might reside with you for years, or they might be transitory. Unpredictable, yeah that’s what they are. Sometimes you can pin down a sea of reason for their origin, sometimes not.

We cannot deny that dreams can also fog the reality. At times it is difficult to see the actual path. Obviously when clouds descend too low they block us from seeing our outlook of truth. Then the light of reason has to work hard to find the right way.

But whatever it is, one thing is for sure, they are vibrant and each dream of cloud renders a different beauty to landscape of your heart. I can’t imagine a life without dreams, naah..it would be so lifeless like a sky all painted blue. I would rather have these clouds spread over my sky. So my clouds of dreams whatever you are; you are always welcome to dwell in my heart :) .

Different is not so different

Every day I hear and use management jargons like “competitive advantage”, “differentiating factor”, and “point of difference” etc. today every brand wants to be portrayed as different so as to be recognized, and boy that is a difficult task. I'm sure you must have heard all film stars saying their movie is “hat ke” (different), nothing different about that right?

Why limit this need to be distinguished to products and brands? We humans are just the same. Every other person portrays that he/she is different from the crowd. Well yes, no two people are just the same. The physical, mental and emotional build up of everyone is different. But one thing that is common in most (if not all) is the need to be uncommon.

I have a doubt though, do we really seek to be distinct? Or is it just that we want to be perceived as different? Like the same brand of soap claiming to be different when it is more or less the same as any other brand of soap. While I have seen people claiming to be “no I’m not like the rest”, “I don’t believe in what others say” and blah blah blah, still give them a second look and you will know that they are the same. Leaving me to wonder why?

Hey but I’m not saying that there is anything wrong in being no different. Why should I declare my differences, let others decipher it themselves. Also I believe that there is no use in proclaiming being “hat ke” because the perception they form about you is dependent upon their own understanding and personality.

Also everyone wants to find similar people. Even the ones who are considerably different from the crowd are continuously looking for their types. And trust me it is very satisfying to find someone who works on the same wavelength as you. Humans are social beings, so it is only natural to look for people of your kind. Even the solitude lovers would like to find another solitary reaper.

It is the innate need of humans to be understood and for that they want to express themselves. Sometimes these expressions are more pronounced while in other cases they are subtle. This need to find like minded people is common to all (the distinguished and the common). So what say the different is not so different after all? 

Main.... By Richa Vatsyayan

MAIN

Lad lad kar aage aaun main, phir bhi kyun gir jaun main?

Himmat kar phir uth jaun main, or phir se daud lagaun main,

Phir thokar khakar ladkhadaun main, or phir peeche rah jaun main,

Baar baar himmat jutaaun main, aur apni takdeer se lad jaun main,

Par jab sitaron ka sath na paun main, to kya yunhi bikhar jaun main?

Dil se jise paana chahun main, har baar haath aage badhaun main,

Bas choote choote rah jaun main, to kaise dill ko samjhaun main?

Kya yunhi nirash hokar thak kar vahin tham jaun main?

Jo sapna apni saanson me basaun main, use aise kaise bhool jaun main?

Apne sapne ki khatir is duniya se ladd jaun main,

Jo darker tham gayi main yunhi,

To fir Main kaise kahlaun “Main”…

Happy B'day Sis (choti princess :D)