Why is there a QUEUE...Inside a Train?! #MUMBAIDIARIES02

It’s been over a month and I had already started feeling like I was a Mumbaikaar. I had travelled to almost all places and local train didn’t scare me anymore. I was comfortable…even confident enough to direct other hapless passengers and help them to know which train heads where.

Things went fine and were finally constant. But as they say “The only constant thing is Change”.

Recently I had moved to Ghatkopar where my cousin stays. I was travelling to CST from Ghatkopar and I was happy because there were fast trains that ply in this route. I would be saving 10 whole minutes and I was sure I would be able to travel more comfortably. So that fine evening I got down from my office planning how the evening would be with that whole extra 10 minutes. I got into the train which was proudly standing in the last platform as if it was ready for a race.  I boarded it and stood near the door hoping that the wind would blow on my sun harassed face. People, as usual, started asking where I had to get down. I pleasantly told “Ghatkopar  ” -that far away land which was 4 or 5 stops away. There were quizzical expressions and I was approached again by one lady who told me that Ghatkopar platform is on the other side. Their expression was if I had boarded a completely different train and I had to take a taxi and rush to another station. All I had to do was move about 5 feet and stand on the other side of the train. I appreciated their help and I said calmly that I know that I have to stand on the other side and shall do so in some time. I thought to myself that I am no longer a newbie here and I can figure out things myself.

It was then that I saw that strange thing! A queue of 5 or 6 people standing disciplined near the opposite door. One tall girl frantically came running from behind me, adjusting her spectacles, asked the ladies in that queue something that I couldn’t hear. But I definitely heard the reply “Haan! Yeh Ghatkopar ka line hai”. I was dumbfounded. The train that too a fast one, had not even started from CST and passengers had already formed a queue for getting down at GHATKOPAR. I sighed. Why is there so much fuss and hurry? I thought to myself .It was then that I observed ladies standing next to me were actually arranged in the same linear fashion. That was the THANE queue. At that point I lost it. I was exhausted by the intensely hot and humid day and I decided to stand my ground. I needed some air and I was in the perfect spot!

Came Byculla, I did not budge. Then came Kurla. I stood my ground but so did all the ladies in the Thane queue. Then ensued a fight. Kurla v/s Thane. People who were to get down at Kurla fiercely pushed their way towards the door demanding that they have to….they just got to get down. If people who were supposed to get down at Kurla were shouting that why Thane log have to block their way then it was countered equally fierce by people who pushed them back saying “All you have is this train? Why couldn’t you board another one..This is a fast one!”.By this time around 50 people were standing in that 5 feet of space I thought I will make it.

I got scared by then and decided to ask for help. I whimpered..”Ghatkopar”. A lady turned around and asked me completely shocked “ Ghatkopar”.I had the expression of “Guilty as charged”.Though she was kind at heart she was very strong and tough .She pulled me out of the thane line and wedged me into the Ghatkopar one.

There is one bad thing about fast trains. They are fast. When it reached Ghatkopar station there was so much of rush for people to get down that people who were standing behind me fell over me and I finally managed to wrench back my limbs from the crowd. I thought I had lost my bag. It usually is very heavy and it weighs down my hand. But supporting around 2 to 3 ladies who were leaning forward, now it felt a lot lighter. My lovely bag just dangled weightlessly now. Long Live Einstein and his wonderful theory of relativity.

Mumbai would never fail to surprise me..not even a single day! But I am loving it!

#MUMBAIDIARIES01 - HOW I LOST AND FOUND MY WAY….

M-Indicator App, Just keep it open and be ready! You‘ll be able to find the train and the platform and the time of arrival easily. Everyone told me so. But what they didn’t tell me was to make sure that I put my mobile in the bag and hold my bag tight. Once I found the very right train in the very right platform I had to do gymnastics in one leg to make sure I don’t lose my mobile which was in one hand and my bag which was in the other. #MumbaiLocal Journey begins! Though there was quite a rush, the journey was good and quick. CottonGreen, Dockyard Road, Sand Hurst Road ..Chunabatti, Sewri….the names amused me….and then there was Kurla. I think there is one big Mumbai hidden alone in this place. The sheer number of people who get down and get in here, in this station is humungous. Finally I thought I got a seat…I took my earphones out and was about to enjoy a song when I realized it was the last station. No wonder I got a seat.

Mumbai CST,UNESCO world heritage site, probably is the most visited tourist spot. The footfall everyday must be thousands or may be even more. People rush by, there is no time. If it is to catch the right bus in the morning, then it is to catch the right train in the evening. I have always felt that CST terminal is like a point in relay. The trains barely touch it and then they are off at full speed again…back to Vashi, Panvel ,Andheri…and then back to CST. For them it’s truly not the destination, but the journey that matters.

I looked around, searching for exit. I had to stand and look at both directions. The mere act of standing irritated people. You are supposed to either walk fast or run. That’s the norm. I had to dodge people who were rushing left and right. Finally I found the exit and walked out of the station. I had to go to my office which was near church gate. So I took a bus “CST to CST via Church gate”. I had to get down near Mantralaya. Everyone told me “ It’s very easy, most of the buses stop near Mantralaya”. I got in the bus and took the ticket. Something about me, might have been the way I pronounced Mantralaya, seemed strange to the conductor. I ignored it. I was excited to see around CST, apparently the prime location of Mumbai and the most happening place.

The bus route covered almost every place. It went along Marine drive and the morning sea was just perfect. The small dent in my happiness was that I didn’t know where to get down. There were so many buildings and I had no clue as to which one is Mantralaya. Finally I thought I reached the stop and I rushed to get down. Someone shouted at me from behind. “Ye Mantralaya nahi hai”. The conductor was smiling at me. So I sat down. And for all the stops that came by after that, I used to look back at him and he used to shake his head “Nope…No”! I was getting tensed. He came to me and asked me  “Aap ko kahan jaana hai?” . I told him “Petroleum House and its near Mantralaya”. “Petroleum house...” he pondered. He broadcasted my problem to everyone in the bus. Then everyone started discussing.

“She could get down at XYZ stop….” “She can walk from LIC office.” “She had to board the other bus.” “She should get down here…and walk right…then left…then straight…then right...then left…”!!! So much of confusion.  I noticed that even the driver had joined the discussion as he was driving. I was looking at everyone as they spoke and I meekly said that I can check Google Maps. Laughter erupted ,Google Maps won’t help you was the consensus.Finally they all came to the conclusion and they told me how exactly to reach “Petroleum House” .And the kind driver totally invented a new stop and stopped there to help me manage and find my way. And Yes!! …I did find my way and I safely reached in time to my new office!

Thanks to Mumbaikaars… Love you guys!! 

There is nothing permanent except Change

The toughest day in my life was my first day at School. Crying my eyes out,clinging to the window,unable to bear the sight of my parents leaving me,I thought I would never survive any of it. 20 years later,I totally agree that the most wonderful phase in my life was the one I spent in school.

Change is awkward at first. It is something that tosses you out of your comfort zone and when you manage to get up you understand the world as you know it is not there anymore. It is uncomfortable, for changing from one state to the next upsets our control over outcomes.It is essential to learn to deal with this as change never rests.Change is here to stay.It is just waiting around the next corner. 

So how do you turn the tables. Socrates said "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy,not on fighting the old but on building the new". Change can flow or jerk, depending on our resistance to it.Synonyms of change are shift,adjustment,variance....But change also means challenge,transformation and development.Even a roller coaster ride can be fun if you know when to lean and create balance.

Change pushes your boundaries and brings out the best in you. The true meaning of things does not lie in them but in our attitude towards them.Just when the caterpillar though that life was over it became a butterfly.

Standing on the brink of something new,let us not comfort ourselves by saying " Just hang in there" but by saying " Lets make it". We dont grow in retreat,we grow through endurance.

Change is opportunity in disguise.

Bhai,ek chai?

Time flies by when women shop.It was one such fun day in kochi,a few years back. The culprits were my mom and my aunty.Believe me,I was too young to understand the value of such an opportunity and thus was more or less a victim to their diabolical shopping spree.My mom and aunty,it seemed,had taken an oath that they wouldn't spare the touch of a single cloth in the shelves of a multistoreyed building which,obviously or probably, could be the largest silk showroom in “The World”.But time and tide waits for no man or..woman. We had booked tickets for the evening train ,a superfast train which unlike all the other trains, reaches the station on time,5.30. When the bill was paid and the multitude of bags were delivered the clock ticked 5. I wondered if the clock too wanted to catch train because its hands were rushing towards 5.30. Tucked beneath many bags in an auto rickshaw that was definitely under Hermione's undetectable extension charm,were my aunty,my mom and me. A journey through the roads of kochi is like enjoying a free adventurous ride in a theme park except that there is no seatbelt or any gurantee for safety. The roads arrogantly screamed,“Though I may be the cause, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OF VALUABLE (life).It is the responsibilty (and concern) of yours and yours alone.”

Toppled and tumbled somehow we managed to reach the station. And now comes the mountaineering. I bet you ,if you utter the name of god sincerely and climb those narrow ,sloppy steps that leads to the platform carrying two heavy bags on both the limbs of yours,he is likely to liberate you from much of the Karma of previous births.But we were running out of time and wits.My mom and aunty who had clad their beautiful sarees elegantly tucked it around to one side and was ready for the climb,looking messy.You see,fashion and style shall never hinder any woman from reaching their goal. The auto driver,a gentleman,looked at the 3 of us and the bags,he blinked at the hugely disproportionate number of bags and looked at us. He immediately swung into action.He helped us carry the bags and we finally reached the far away land named “platform”.By the grace of god,the train was still there,waiting and frowning. The auto driver helped us carry the bags and we reached th seats.Finally!! We kept the bags in their places and sat.We smiled at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.We made it.All that's well ends well. .......And all that is not???

I shall tell you. It just keeps getting worser.

Three belligerent passengers attacked us for usurping their seats and which on further scrutiny of the tickets was not an allegation but a fact.And thus the plight of the people with too many bags continued. The stress that I give on the number of bags again and again is because it really was stressful. The train had a chaircar arrangement .There was space in the middle through which one person could barely walk. If someone came towards you, you had to have had some training in gymnastics or experience in weight lifting.So people opted the easier way; to place the burden on the shoulders of aisle-side seated people,who were a lot likely to become quite humble by the end of the journey by sharing many a man's burden.Amidst their stares and curses,we struggled to get through. True to the dictum,it just kept on getting worser.We realised that we had to go through many compartments to reach ours.It was impossible to move on.But fatigue can give you ideas and also the courage to believe in them.My mom stopped an IRCTC employee,a Chai waala ,a man who distributes chai in the train.She asked him for help. He was a north indian who was addressed by many as bhai.He was tall and seemed custom made to render this favour to us.He carried the bags in his shoulder and the heights of his kindness and his stature matched.He troubled no one and walked swiftly with 2 or 3 bags and we could easily manage with the rest.And finally we reached our compartment.He placed the bags neatly in its place,helped us get seated and did not accept any money we offered him and went away with a smile.At last we were in our very own seats.Seated comfortably we enjoyed that evening by having chai from our bhai.

Today,many years have passed after the incident. I work in the city of Kochin now. I travel home every weekend in that same old train. He was no where in my memories and in fact I didn't expect that he would be in the same train. But the towering figure cannot be missed.He comes swiftly holding chai kettle to every compartment. He is still the same old bhai. I smile at him and ask him for chai. He smiles back. A smile that he generously endows on everyone,I am sure. I wonder if he knows the reason behind mine when I affectionately ask“ Bhai,ek chai!”

Another one in a million

It amazed me when I walked into that huge building along with some other thousands of people.It is one of that humungous structure that is the fulcrum of activity of an IT giant.

 It seems that the programmers have unknowingly programmed themselves to behave in a similar manner. 
They dress up in more or less the same shades. The lighter shades that fail to distinguish among stripes or checks. They walk in the same pace making the same strides that echo neither enthusiasm nor reluctance.An incomplete giggle,laughter that seems to have kept a tab on the decibel level is heard across the corridors.

I have seen the big bags,the smaller ones that hold lunch boxes,the shoes,the sandals,the ties.I have seen everything and yet nothing that I can remember and recollect as one that was different from others.
They put up their Identity cards that ought to tell them apart from the crowd. But sadly it doesn't . Sadly nothing does tell anyone apart. Every single one of them embodies the silent murmurings of a crowd.

It is good in a sense that no one can flaunt their positions or privileges that belittles another one. But as every coin has another side...it stimulates the frightful monotonous regularity.

The fulcrum is abuzz,the crowd moves on...The day turns into night...the crowd moves on...



"Inspired" by a boring visit to an IT Park.

Threads

Slow down and look around you. The things that you pass by,the people that you meet ,they all have a personal story and so do you.Sometimes the threads of these stories intertwine,else they just fly by.A person whom you have never seen before in your life  may play a part in your story,thus changing it forever.

Sometime back I saw a movie called "Sliding doors";a London woman's love life and career both hinge, unknown to her, on whether or not she catches a train.The movie halts at a point and then it diverges into parallel tracks.One track takes her to the heights and to the light;that is she boards the train and she reaches her apartment at the right moment and finds out that her boyfriend had been cheating on her.Though what follows is " get a haircut,get a new apparel,look beautiful,meet people and MOVE ON" .....the run of the mill thing,it brings a smile on the faces of the viewers on seeing how it actually happens and how she wins a loving heart eventually.The other parallel track that I was talking about,well there is no other track because she misses the train.She misses those moments,continues to love the jerk,her career messes up and its so frustrating to see how she spirals down into the dark abyss.The concept  strikes you so strong because it shows you what you could have had, against what you have ended up with.
The film disturbed me because that one moment which suspended the woman's life in mid air,swaying it between fire and water, was something that one would have considered so insignificant. She misses the train because a child jumps in front of her and she has to,not even stop,but slow down so as to avoid bumping the child. Had the mother caught hold of the child she would have boarded the train.

Films are not altogether a product of fiction or fantasy.Doesnt stuff like this happen to us everyday? My friend had come down from her new city last week.We decided to meet in a cafe.She told me how she missed this place.Down here people look around,well too often,and somehow they never seem to miss things.It is good most of the times as one does not become an isolato. She told me how things were different in her metro city,how people were bustling about,how she felt isolated in the big crowd often.Then she told me that while she was on the way to the cafe she had run out of change and the bus conductor was furious.A lady who was sitting near my friend smiled at her and said she shared the same sorrow. My friend told me how that smile brightened up her day and though it was a trivial matter she told me she felt good knowing that she was not all alone.That made me think,may be that lady smiles at everybody who runs out of change everyday or maybe she does not. But that day it did sooth my friend's aching heart.

On another day,on my way back from the tution class,I didnt get the right bus and I had to take two buses. What I was asked to do by my mother was to get down at a particular stop and get an auto.When I got down at that stop,I saw a bus which was half empty and before I knew it I had boarded it. I knew I had to get down at the very next stop and get an auto neverthless. I did get a side seat but I regretted the whole thing.I got down at the next stop,a major stop for people from everywhere and anywhere from the city. I saw a pale woman approaching the stop.She couldnt see me,her head was  lowered and she was bent. She was walking with the help of a stick.I caught a glimpse of her and I turned away to look for an auto.Then it happened..I felt someone tugging my top and looked around to find this same woman.She was anguished and told me that she was 5 rs short to board her bus.I looked at her confused. I dont think she had asked anybody else. It was as if she came to me directly. I gave her the money. Her eyes brightened,she smiled wide as if she had already reached her destination.She lifted her hand high and uttered those words " this money shall return to you multiplied..you shall have all the money you need,at all the times".With those words,that was worth a billion dollars,she walked away.When I got the auto and went to my mom I had a good news awaiting me.

I could consider all these things as mere coincidences. But something deep inside me says that it need not be so.Of the many times I went for my tutions that was the only day I had to board two buses. And I am not such a fan of buses.I still do not know what made me board the 2nd bus and to end up in that particular stop.I can go on penning down all the coincidences in detail and I might have to put a question mark over everyone of them and I might perhaps end up questioning  the 'coincidenciality' concept.

The thought thread of this post is that "Everyone is part of an intricate plan.Everyone happens to be inside a huge maze.Someone up there who has got the top view knows it all and designs it all"
You never know.Things can go horribly wrong,can take unnecessary turns,spiral down or shoot up..everything happens for a reason. And that reason need not make sense to you or fit your story.Because every "story" is only a chapter of a book that just goes on...Always look on the bright side of things and keep moving forward.That horizon of your life is only a mirage.

To Kill or Not to Kill

Euthanasia (from the Greek: εὐθανασία meaning "good death": εὖ, eu (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.

Whose pain and suffering? The patient's or his kin's who unfortunately considers him to be a burden?
Who has vested in man the power to take a life away? Every heartbeat,every breath and every cell's action is known and planned by god. How can man intervene and decide for himself or others?

Being a member of a charity organisation I have often visited govt oldage homes and home for the destitudes. I would like to share 2 of my experiences which made me question the essence of man"kind".

It was during Vishu(Festival in Kerala) that I visited the govt home for the destitudes in Poojapure,TVM. It housed the women discharged from the mental hospital but were never welcomed back home.Since it was a festive time we thought of gifting them with our old garments and other necessary things.During my previous visits I learned that they love to see colorful things and they loved bangles. So I decided to give them my old bangles.The colorful bangles that goes with not just a color but a particular pattern in your attire bought for a particular occasion.We,girls,know that we use it rarely after that occasion either because its not matching with our new dress or the trend is gone.If you have bangles untouched for days please be kind enough to donate them. These women love it.
The ladies have a dormitory with around 20 beds. So far I have only seen the beds and nothing else. I believe that is because there is nothing else there. Not a table or couch or tv or radio or books or music or...Life! We sat in the dormitory and decided to make them sing so as to cheer them up. Everybody took their turn. They sang the first 2 or 3 lines and we joined in after that.Then it happened.It was the turn of a lady whose youthfulness made me weak at the knees.I couldnt gulp down my throat the fact that she must be only around 30 or 35. She sang with a clear voice.She sang the 2nd line and there was a mistake in it.When we corrected her she said apologetically "You see,its hard to remember things when they give u so many medicines".

Another lady who was in her 60's sang a cruel line beautifully " We struggle and bring up our children with all love and care.And now they compete with us uncompassionately for money" .I wonder whether she finished the song because I found her crying when we joined her to sing.

These women have been thrown away liked used toys.When the battery starts to weaken and when one realizes that there is no good coming from it they are thrown to oldage home dustbins. If you ask these women whether they seek a good death they might probably say yes. Because they are not living,they are dying.As every moment passes they are glad they are closing on to the end. They are nothing but pale faced breathing corpses. Euthanasia is a light at the end of a tunnel for them. They are glad to put an end to their meaningless existence. Death is good. It is always good. Bad is pain,suffering and unbearable is neglect. The women know that no love or care shall peep through the foggy clouds of their life ever again.But these women still hope for a future.That is the most sickening fact of all. Some of the women know that the barred gates(of the building) have caged them forever.Yet some of them hope that the gates and arms of their loved ones shall open for them one day.

The underlying fact is not complex.It is as simple as ever. Nobody wants to share your sufferings or ill fortune.You will live a happy life only till you are capable of doing so. When the time comes and you cant help to ask for help it becomes differently sad.

Euthanasia is not the voice of the sufferers.It is the sigh of relief of their kin. Nobody prefers death over life.They shall prefer death only when they feel they have already been considered dead by their loved ones.

Love has the power to make the most excruciating suffering meaningful.It has the power to heal and it has the power to succeed. The world's renowned doctors consider love as the most powerful medicine. It gives the sufferer hope and energy to beat it off and come back. Love is good life and good death.

Well I guess I ought to change the caption "To Love or not to Love"
Just think ...Would you prefer Euthanasia if your dear ones hold your hand and whisper in your ear that they love you and need you back when you are going through pain?

Lively songs from LOTR

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many path and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

Fellowship of the Ring Chapter 'A Long-Expected Party'.

Farewell we call to hearth and hall!
Though wind may blow and rain may fall,
We must away ere break of day
Far over wood and mountain tall.

To Rivendell, where Elves yet dwell
In glades beneath the misty fell,
Through moor and waste we ride in haste,
And whither then we cannot tell.

With foes ahead, behind us dread,
Beneath the sky shall be our bed,
Until at last our toil be passed,
Our journey done, our errand sped.

We must away! We must away!
We ride before the break of day!
The Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 'A Conspiracy Unmasked'.


O! Wanderers in the shadowed land
despair not! For though dark they stand,
all woods there be must end at last,
and see the open sun go past:
the setting sun, the rising sun,
the day's end, or the day begun.
For east or west all woods must fail...
The Lord of the Rings

 The Fellowship of the Ring , Chapter 'The Old Forest'.

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
The Lord of the Rings

 The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapter 'Strider'.

Jane Eyre

True Love Liberates

“He is not to them what he is to me,” I thought: “he is not of their kind. I believe he is of mine;—I am sure he is—I feel akin to him—I understand the language of his countenance and movements: though rank and wealth sever us widely, I have something in my brain and heart, in my blood and nerves, that assimilates me mentally to him … I must, then, repeat continually that we are for ever sundered:—and yet, while I breathe and think, I must love him.” Jane Eyre ,Chap 17

"I am strangely glad to get back again to you: and wherever you are is my home—my only home." Jane to Rochester,Chap 22

"I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you—especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame" — Rochester to Jane,Chap 23

 "My bride is here... because my equal is here, and my likeness" -Mr. Rochester to Jane,Chap 23

"He stood between me and every thought of religion, as an eclipse intervenes between man and the broad sun. I could not, in those days, see God for His creature: of whom I had made an idol." Jane Eyre,Chap 24

Magic Mumbai...

The placid ocean that runs away from you just to come back
The busy city that steals the sleep away from you but still makes you dream
The huge malls that awe you...the narrow streets that yell at you
The magic Mumbai that casts a spell over you...

The Mumbai that made me fall in love...

Mumbai....Of course!!! One has seen chunks of it in movies, songs and yes in zoom's zoomed shots of celebrities' houses and hangouts. And the picture I was having in my mind was clear....The busy city, the city of dreams, the city where all those celebrities grew up like me and you.
But Mumbai has its own magic. At times a magician turns one shape to another...Flowers to rabbits ..or a rabbit to a hat ....and other tricks that surprise us.
Mumbai too, is one such magician!!

The cute airhostess announced that it was time to land. Peeping through the small window I could see the gigantic city. Sky scrapers which dared to touch the sky, the roads which seemed like endless caterpillars, the slums which formed big black blots here and there.
The Chatrapati Sivaji International aiport was an expanse of wonder. From micromini aircrafts which were cute and stylish, huge majestic aircrafts took off and landed every now and then. Trivandrum airport seemed negligibly small...like a star near the moon.

The city had many stories to tell...the stories of natives who were struggling to claim their space...the stories of migrants who had either flourished or perished...
One part of the city was so different from the other. There was HeeraNandani which seemed carved out from New York and unfortunately so were there places that stubbornly stagnated and refused progress. And all of it together lay entwined with the calm ocean.

The house that sheltered me was carved out of a hill. A complex of huge flats took the place of tall trees that should have populated a hill. But that explains the cool wind i guess. The complex belonged to the white collar working class.Named after flowers(frangipani,zinnia,voilaalba) it was a great place to have a morning walk. Thats the only time I stayed in that place.
Each day's adventure start at around 10.30 am when the malls come alive,the streets stir and the traffic roars. The malls are inexplicable. All the super brands clutch and tear your purse. You come out with light bags and a much much lighter wallet. Well some of best times did come from them.. especially the multiplex theatre that housed hilarious housefull2.The streets were excellent competitors. The heartbreaking fact that you bought the same thing from a mall for 10 x price kills you and brings tears to your eyes. At those times you wonder how in the world the streets still do make a profit.
The temples in Mumbai are like a splash of colors. Never have I seen deities so vibrant,colorful and ofcourse beautiful. Siddhi Vinayak temple(yummy ladoos),Mahalaxmi temple and Iskon temple are some of them where I could go.

The bright Mumbai has its dark sides too. The Gateway of India has a sad story to tell. The Taj has even a sadder one. The gateway of India whose gates were open and which welcomed its people with love is now shut and angry.It is guarded by army and police.Eyes full of suspicions follow you everywhere you go...A beauty marred with agony and sorrow.


Mumbai can never be described to its full extent. One ought to feel it.Cos its Mumbai...The magician who never rests!!

Thanks a ton to my family who took so much pain to keep me smiling......Without them Mumbai will always be incomplete to me.

DO IT NOW

The true meaning of things does not lie in them, it lies in our attitude towards them -CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE PRETEEN SOUL

Procrastination is also an attitude, Change it.

Are you one of those who keep putting off doing things till the last minute??Why don’t you give it a shot and finish a given task way before the deadline. Not only will u feel relieved and happy, but also proud of your work.

Many believe that the panic caused by a time bound assignment is a fuel for performance. But hurry and worry are not good for the heart. Here, I have shared 5 tips to keep your heart safe and sound when it tackles a deadline.

Deadline: Get it done by then or drop dead. Life has become a tale of deadlines. It can be anything- an exam, an assignment, a seminar, a family function that you need to help coordinate, a function that you need to shop for (girls especially).

The sad part is that procrastination hinders you from delivering your best. Finally you manage to do something that is “Not you”. When this keeps on happening you tend to lose your confidence and creativity. At the same time, when you do something that you are proud of it becomes a big boost to your self confidence.
Why do we procrastinate? There are many reasons( Ofcourse , We keep on inventing new ones when we get a deadline).But here are 5 ways to handle them.

1.Lack of core skills.

You do not have the skill to meet a task. This is a serious issue..When we feel that we cannot meet the task we tend to avoid it. It becomes a burden and life becomes harder as the days go by. But hey, anyhow you have to do it. So make it fun. Learning is the option.It has always been the best one. Get the help of someone who knows about the work. DO NOT GIVE UP.
But there are instances , where procrastination encourages you to falsely believe that you do not possess that skill. Change that attitude.

2. Split it up

My favourite option, it has worked well for me and life has become way simpler .
The hugeness of a task might make it fearful. So break it up!! Split it into sections and consider each section as a task and set time limits for it. Make sure you finish the sections properly.

3. Proper use of technology

The most sought after option. Get help from newpapers,articles,Internet. There is a tendency to copy paste the pages from internet. But friends, if you want to develop a signature style which will help you always, get information and develop your own ideas.

4. Get organised.

If you know how to manage yourself then you can manage things and even people around you.It would do you only good if you can get organised. Use your calendar to note down the deadlines and leave ample space for delays. STICK TO IT.
If your system of organising things are difficult and if it stresses you out then the whole purpose is defeated. Keep it simple!

5. Become creative.

Everyone of us have prized possessions that we cherish of. Something that makes us different and happy. Implement that on your task. If you are good at drawing,convey ideas with pictures,If you are good at presenting, be confident and present your ideas to the world.

Imagination is better than information – Albert Einstein.


There is no short cut to success. Hard work and god’s grace brings you success.
But hey! systematic,regular and sincere work might just make the “hard”work easier ;)

SO KEEP HURRY AND WORRY AWAY ...... AND BE MERRY!

I Claim My Life!

I belong to the green fields, amidst which the clear rill runs and over which the proud mountain stands. Iam a little lamb !



As sun rises we are brought to the fields.I love the dawns, the gentle touch of the soft breeze and the bright rays that fill me with energy. I spent my days in the field running around here and there. I don;t have anyone to play with. But my mom and her friends are fond of me and I play tricks on them,like hiding behind that small rock.


And If I climb on top of it I can see the rill and the mountain. I have always wanted to go there. One day,when I become big and strong like my mother,I will. I have one dear wish..I have seen a long snake crawling on the sides of the mountain ,my mother and her friends say that it is a train.They say it takes you to different places. I wish I could get in the train and see many more fields and mountains.

Yesterday as I was playing around I heard some new voices ,I knew it was not the voice of the man who brings us. It was a cheerful noise. I turned around and found two people smaller than the man I knew. They ran around just like me and chattered about what they saw and have seen. I ran to them and stopped a few feet away,I knew they had just seen me. I did not know what happened ,but suddenly I was swept off my feet and I felt the small pink round hands of the little girl around me and it was really nice.


I felt that they liked me. They fondled me and let me play with them. I enjoyed the day and I felt really sad when they left. I jumped around them hoping that they would come the next day.


Night fell,I was so excited and I told mom about the fun I had. Chattering,I didn;t know when I went to sleep.

When I woke up it was still dark. I didn;t know where I was, I felt dizzy and I knew I wasn;t on any stable grounds. It was very hot and it took a moment or two for me to realize that I wasn;t at my home, near my mother. I was crushed into a small area and there were other little lambs near me . It was the first time I saw one . They were all still..some fidgeting ,some gasping and whispering ..we were all uncomfortable. My eyes frantically searched for my mother. Terror creeped through me when I found that I was all alone in the crowd.



It was dawn but a different one ,the hard wind sent chill to my veins and I was scared. They tied all of us together.I wanted to cry and scream but no voice came out of my mouth. I froze as a huge shape loomed from the darkness and there was something in his hands which I had never seen before. I was pushed forward until I was last but one. I saw the thing in his hand now, dipped in blood and only the edge glittered menaciously. Realisation crawled like the slow deadly snake in me ..I struggled in vain. I heard a scream deep inside me ..a scream for life ,To live.

Don;t I deserve to live? They say you die later...after years of happy life..But I never knew anything nor been anywhere!!!!!
I want to see the world, live my life happily... WHY ME ...?!



But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh we deprive a soul of the sun and light.... Please stop this ..Stop being the living graves of murdered companions on earth ..slaughtered to satisfy our appetites!

All beings seek for happiness; so let your compassion extend itself to all...

Lets Remember them on this Christmas..!

Its christmas,the synonym for Happiness and Hope.But have u ever thought what christmas is to them who are deprived of both? for instance ...




Our class planned a christmas celebration. We had everything neatly and nicely planned in a bit of paper.It was estimated that each must contribute an amount of RS 25 to meet the expenses. Not over! The seniors in the bus " demanded" our co-operation and we had to give them Rs 35 as well. Again not over ,what about the cards and presents for our dear friends. How much money we spent on this christmas!

This picture gave a jolt to all the feelings in me and my mind stopped thinking for sometime.The picture became blurry as tears filled my eyes.But it got clearly imprinted on my mind and a surge of guilt came... They are children, much younger than us, and what does christmas mean to them..? What is celebration to them...? Perhaps merriment to them is one full meal atleast a
day and the biggest hope for them is a sound sleep without a hungry stomach..

Millions of children across our country are starving their lives out. The christmas lights are too faint to penetrate through their fogged and dead lives. Don;t they deserve christmas as much as we do? Yes ..because christmas is not just the privilege of the wealthy.

Lets remember them on this christmas. We spend alot of money in buying gifts, cakes and even decorations stuff that we throw away later. Be it a small amount,be it anythin that u can spare.. remember that there are people who are reaching out their hands for a little hope and happiness, this christmas.




Do what u can ,with what u have and where u r ...! Ur small will and help will make a lot of difference in their lives !..



SAVE AND SERVE. Before you spend money on little,unneccessary things this christmas,think! .. Think whether u really need this ! If not save that money and help the poor. Atleast on the eve of christmas lets follow what jesus christ preached us.. " Love is in giving, .. Love rooted in sacrifice is the true meaning of charity".

My Christmas Friend!

Yesterday my classmates decided to pick a christmas friend from our class . So they pinned down everyone to small chits and put them in a little pink colour pencil box(yes..a pencil box,seriously!) and it was passed on to each row,to each bench. Like always, I was busy with some work which I had to do days or even weeks before when I saw the pink box coming to me , I didn;t want to take any chit cos the whole idea seemed weird to me ... a christmas friend ??...what is that supposed to mean..?I have already got friends...

For being the miser that sadly I am, I thought why should I get something for someone who says just a "hi" or randomly ask u " did u do the home work"?. To reveal a secret i even persuaded the class rep not to have this childish thing for christmas...(i mean ..god we are doing btech ...we are engineers...!!!) She told me ..."Well u could get a new friend..."! duh! ...hmmmm...maybe...oh well..maybe not...

With all this in my mind and the pending workload in my head I grabbed a chit. At that time all I was thinking was how to convince my friend to come and sit with me in the last bench cos I was feeling too sleepy. I saw that some of my classmates were thinking so hard and bad before deciding which chit to pick as if they had to decide the fate of the one whose name they choose. But I didn;t wait for anything,without a second thought I picked one which seemed inclined to me in a way. I took it and opened it with an empty feeling (... oh yea... may be i will buy this person a candyman toffee or something...)

But as each letters started showing in a beautiful manner, I was so surprised to see that it was the name of someone who was actually special to me. Someone with whom I made friendship sometime ago,with whom I fought and was feeling really sad.I realised that I was smiling broad ..and was glad that I got a chance to rectify my mistake.... and I,today ,have that work still pending cos I got busy thinking what to get for my christmas friend....!

I am glad it is christmas,a time for happiness and joy( really hard to accept it in tht way cos i have too many assignments and work), but still, like the grinch wondered...".so maybe christmas is something that doesn;t come from a store...maybe it means more..."