“Its kinda funny how life can change, Can flip 180 in a matter of days”…..Back in high school when I had first heard this song, it seemed like a meaningless junk with great beats by BLUE. So, no matter, how foot tapping the music was, the lyrics went unnoticed and un-applauded. C’mon, who plays attention to such heavy duty lyrics, anyway, at that age? It was only after these very words became the story of my life that i really appreciated the song.
Hi and welcome to the third semester of ILS. And while the college building shows little change, (unsurprisingly, it must have been looking the same for the past 20 years) the aura has worn off. Its now, just a matter of getting up by 9, reaching college by 10, be the great brand of the clueless Indian student with a diligent expression for an hour, give your attendance(a few proxy too, if you can wiggle it)and then run back to the hostel to your warm awaiting bed. So, when college remains so predictable, what flips your life? Hostel, new hostel, of course.
The pity party has ended for me. I guess everyone I have talked to closely made me realize that most of them have a sob story. A colourful story of first year with someone they considered to be best friend ending up as their worst enemy. This must have made the most of us wary and skeptical of making friends. Yes, Pune can be a deceptive city. But what is life without the search for the right people and bump into with the wrong ones as speed breakers on the way?
Am I hinting that I have found the right ones? Well, I fervently hope so. Gargi and Nikita do seem right. yes, right now, they are my room mates. It is fascinating to live with them. Gargi is calm, quiet; serene…Niki is loud, bubbly, chirpy. Gargi is sweet and simple…Niki is smart and practical. Gargi is a slender lovely creature…Niki is a “floater” wearing ‘walk’aholic. I always thought I epitomized extremism. But, here I am, the intermediate, between two fabulous extremes. And take my word, I am loving it!
But prod beneath their sweet or sturdy surface, they are simple, uncomplicated girls with boundless emotions. Be it a head massage, a word of consolation, a good advice or simply, a glass of lemon Rasana, they have everything I need, on their fingertip, including their abundant affection. The talks flow easy…the laughs come easy. A few days of living together has bought in a closeness that is so not ‘staring-at-your-face’, its subtle but nonetheless ever-present.
And yet, what tops my love for this room, are the laughs. Whether it is me removing my lenses and burying my face (literally) inside the drawer to the sexually illiterate Gargi who makes the most amusing faces on my enlightening lecture to Niki, who looks at her blank laptop screen and says ‘look at her guts! This girl is trying to copy me”. I never knew life could be so hilarious until I had stepped into this room. Like Niki, says, in the fear of losing our mother planet, there are three worlds existing simulataneously in this room!
Thankfully, even Shilpi, Mahi and Swati stay here. They are the few successful relationships that I carry from my previous hostel. And it feels good to have them here. You guys know me – I call a spade a spade and I am pathetic at sugar coating facts. Be it between the long night chats, group discussions, group dinners, crazy songs, swinging on the terrace, watching soppy romantic flicks and heart to heart talks, I have come to adore you in my own strange way. You make me look forward to the future. You flipped my life 180 in a matter of days……….. I just cannot thank you enough!!!
And, since it is me, Nikita typing this out for you, well, welcome…HAHA <3
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
And the Geeks shall inherit the Earth!!
Yesterday, I bought what I thought was a pretty terrific notebook… it had a geeky cover, consisting of binary speaking cartoons with Ctrl, Alt, Del in his brain, Facebook, Star Wars and other computer crazy things that impresses a select few. When I proudly exhibited it to my friend, she said “Nice!” whereas every feature on her face said otherwise. “What?” I asked, “Isn’t it cool?” “Not really” she confessed… “It’s so geek!!” I stared at her with a confused ‘so what?’ expression. She explained exasperated, “If you carry that around, everyone’s gonna think you’re this weird nerd!!”
I quickly connected the net for some Wiki-wisdom. No matter how much people slam Wikipedia for its lack of authenticity, I find it a really reliable site for quick clarifications. The most acceptable definition said:-
A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad but because many of these interests have mainstream endorsement and acceptance, the inclusion of some genres as "geeky" is heavily debated. Persons have been labeled as or chosen to identify as physics geeks, mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks, various science geeks, movie and film geeks (cinephile), comic book geeks, theater geeks, history geeks, music geeks, art geeks, philosophy geeks, literature geeks, historical reenactment geeks, 2012 geeks, video game geeks, and roleplay geeks. It didn’t sound so despicable that people should shy away from being called one. In fact, geeks sounded like eccentric, erratic people with an obsession that makes them outstanding in their field. To tell you the truth, it sounded like something of a prelude to a genius. But while genius is a much desired tag, geek stands as a derogatory one. It’s like appreciating the butterfly but calling the caterpillar disgusting. But if there were no caterpillars, where would the beautiful butterflies come from?
It is frustrating when your elders slam you as immature. But at times, I tend to agree with my Dad on this issue. We teenagers, with a not-fully-developed frontal cortex, do tend to exhibit truly amusing behavioral patterns. And what would top the list is our definition of cool. Going to insane reality shows is cool. Fooling around with five girlfriends is cool. Smoking cigarettes and taking drugs is cool. Wasting millions on high profile parties is cool. Attending IPL parties is cool. Buying branded, pricey clothes right out of fashion mags is cool. Going around in swanky cars is cool. But studying? It’s oh-so-uncool! Sitting in the library? Staying up late night to research something you find fascinating? Missing movies in pursuit of creativity? Disregarding parties to make projects for the fun of it? If you have dared to do any of these in front of your college friends, you are instantly labeled the class nerd… the dweeb who’ll never get a girl and whom the guys will never invite for the late night beer parties.
In spite of this, the geeks battle on. To do what they love. It takes real courage to disregard peer pressure and pursue your interest. All you ‘cool’ people out there, next time you slam a geek, I hope you realize he is a guy who is a deviant; who, unlike you, has refused to be run-of-the-mill. Just because he is quiet doesn’t mean he is a loser. He has got ten times the courage and guts as compared to you. And all you geeks, be proud. Put on those techno geek wallpapers and join those Art geeks clubs with zero hesitation… because, when night will fall on these teenage days, you will emerge as the brightest star!
Hold that thought!!
I quickly connected the net for some Wiki-wisdom. No matter how much people slam Wikipedia for its lack of authenticity, I find it a really reliable site for quick clarifications. The most acceptable definition said:-
A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad but because many of these interests have mainstream endorsement and acceptance, the inclusion of some genres as "geeky" is heavily debated. Persons have been labeled as or chosen to identify as physics geeks, mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks, various science geeks, movie and film geeks (cinephile), comic book geeks, theater geeks, history geeks, music geeks, art geeks, philosophy geeks, literature geeks, historical reenactment geeks, 2012 geeks, video game geeks, and roleplay geeks. It didn’t sound so despicable that people should shy away from being called one. In fact, geeks sounded like eccentric, erratic people with an obsession that makes them outstanding in their field. To tell you the truth, it sounded like something of a prelude to a genius. But while genius is a much desired tag, geek stands as a derogatory one. It’s like appreciating the butterfly but calling the caterpillar disgusting. But if there were no caterpillars, where would the beautiful butterflies come from?
It is frustrating when your elders slam you as immature. But at times, I tend to agree with my Dad on this issue. We teenagers, with a not-fully-developed frontal cortex, do tend to exhibit truly amusing behavioral patterns. And what would top the list is our definition of cool. Going to insane reality shows is cool. Fooling around with five girlfriends is cool. Smoking cigarettes and taking drugs is cool. Wasting millions on high profile parties is cool. Attending IPL parties is cool. Buying branded, pricey clothes right out of fashion mags is cool. Going around in swanky cars is cool. But studying? It’s oh-so-uncool! Sitting in the library? Staying up late night to research something you find fascinating? Missing movies in pursuit of creativity? Disregarding parties to make projects for the fun of it? If you have dared to do any of these in front of your college friends, you are instantly labeled the class nerd… the dweeb who’ll never get a girl and whom the guys will never invite for the late night beer parties.
In spite of this, the geeks battle on. To do what they love. It takes real courage to disregard peer pressure and pursue your interest. All you ‘cool’ people out there, next time you slam a geek, I hope you realize he is a guy who is a deviant; who, unlike you, has refused to be run-of-the-mill. Just because he is quiet doesn’t mean he is a loser. He has got ten times the courage and guts as compared to you. And all you geeks, be proud. Put on those techno geek wallpapers and join those Art geeks clubs with zero hesitation… because, when night will fall on these teenage days, you will emerge as the brightest star!
Hold that thought!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Defining YOUTH in my words...
“As we all know, college is not just about books and studies,” read the opening lines of an article in a major newspaper. “What one wears is important too.” Really? And then the article went on and on about how to layer your dresses, wear ganjis this season, printed leggings, colorful flip flops and a whole arena of clothing articles that I cant make heads or tails of. Nothing offensive. What you don’t know cant hurt you, right? But what made me want to claw my face off were the pictures accompanying the article. Girls wearing yellow skirts that have the word ‘Yellow’ printed over it, bags that I would have felt embarrassed to carry even in my kindergarten years, pink shoes that look like cheap plastic, three-inches gladiator sandals that would make any kind of movement a potential hazard. But hey, according to designers, this is what students are supposed to wear to college this season. This is fashion. This is youth!!
The cynical me finds it irritating. The not-so-critical me finds it fascinating. TV channels and designers and a similar army of people have decided what the ‘youth’ is. They are a bunch of airheads who eat pricey pizzas, down it with a bottle of Carlsberg, throw around their money at CCDs, buy useless CDs of English songs without understanding a word, watches Roadies, Splitsvilla, finds love on shows like ‘Dare to Date’ and then spy on them through shows like’ Emotional Atyachar’!!! Brilliant! It is amusing to see the generation that will grow up to define the future of India is defined with such shallow parameters. Youth special shows mean blonde babes singing mindless songs in skimpy clothes. Shows like Roadies think the youth is about doing a few tasks and playing lots of tedious politics; and of course pepper it with occasional outbursts and the catfights make the icing on the cake. Splitsvilla thinks it can script love between a couple of teens and twenty somethings roaming around in scanty clothes and plotting petty plans. And why not? The people who win these shows are overnight sensations… and worse, youth icons!!
What amaze me are people who cannot tell the name of the guy who suggested the theory of evolution or the not-so-beautiful chicks who don’t even know what the Booker prize is associated with can shamelessly claim themselves to be youth icons. Or this crazy female who’s 21 years old goes and sits in a village in her designer clothes claiming to be ‘Desi Girl’ thinks she is the face of the new India. Truthfully, if they are the people who will define what the Indian youth is, I would rather be 50 years old right away. Youth is not about what MTV or Channel V tells us. Youth is not about Youngistan or any such funky name like that. Youth is about normal kids like us. People who sit in canteens and debate whether communism should continue its hold over Bengal and Kerala or should people rebel against it? People who take up ‘Rights of Third Gender’ diploma courses, not about people who say a kind word or two about them just to see their names in print. People who decide to be politicians, to cleanse up the political machinery of the country. People who intern in NGOs not because it will look good on their CV but because they really think that they can make a difference. People who miss their lunch to watch documentaries about how the Bhopal Gas Tragedy affected millions in the county, even before the blame games and mud slinging starts. People who blog, write columns or letters to editors on current issues affecting the world in their bid to bring in a change. People who would rather watch a thought provoking movie than a slapstick humorous one. People like you and me. We represent the youth.
Don’t get me wrong. I never said I don’t go to Pizza Hut or never spent money on CCD. What I mean is, I refuse these things to be the only part of my personality. I refuse to have my contemporaries get judged in the name of crazy designers or hip coffee houses. There is more to us. A lot more. Most importantly, our ‘youth icons’ may not have a brain. But we do. And we also know how to use one. I am the youth. And I don’t think anyone can do justice to who I am and what I think. I dare to take a stand for what I think is right. And I stand up today to represent myself. Youth is, after all, just a moment, but it the moment, the spark, that you will always carry in your heart!!
Hold that thought!
The cynical me finds it irritating. The not-so-critical me finds it fascinating. TV channels and designers and a similar army of people have decided what the ‘youth’ is. They are a bunch of airheads who eat pricey pizzas, down it with a bottle of Carlsberg, throw around their money at CCDs, buy useless CDs of English songs without understanding a word, watches Roadies, Splitsvilla, finds love on shows like ‘Dare to Date’ and then spy on them through shows like’ Emotional Atyachar’!!! Brilliant! It is amusing to see the generation that will grow up to define the future of India is defined with such shallow parameters. Youth special shows mean blonde babes singing mindless songs in skimpy clothes. Shows like Roadies think the youth is about doing a few tasks and playing lots of tedious politics; and of course pepper it with occasional outbursts and the catfights make the icing on the cake. Splitsvilla thinks it can script love between a couple of teens and twenty somethings roaming around in scanty clothes and plotting petty plans. And why not? The people who win these shows are overnight sensations… and worse, youth icons!!
What amaze me are people who cannot tell the name of the guy who suggested the theory of evolution or the not-so-beautiful chicks who don’t even know what the Booker prize is associated with can shamelessly claim themselves to be youth icons. Or this crazy female who’s 21 years old goes and sits in a village in her designer clothes claiming to be ‘Desi Girl’ thinks she is the face of the new India. Truthfully, if they are the people who will define what the Indian youth is, I would rather be 50 years old right away. Youth is not about what MTV or Channel V tells us. Youth is not about Youngistan or any such funky name like that. Youth is about normal kids like us. People who sit in canteens and debate whether communism should continue its hold over Bengal and Kerala or should people rebel against it? People who take up ‘Rights of Third Gender’ diploma courses, not about people who say a kind word or two about them just to see their names in print. People who decide to be politicians, to cleanse up the political machinery of the country. People who intern in NGOs not because it will look good on their CV but because they really think that they can make a difference. People who miss their lunch to watch documentaries about how the Bhopal Gas Tragedy affected millions in the county, even before the blame games and mud slinging starts. People who blog, write columns or letters to editors on current issues affecting the world in their bid to bring in a change. People who would rather watch a thought provoking movie than a slapstick humorous one. People like you and me. We represent the youth.
Don’t get me wrong. I never said I don’t go to Pizza Hut or never spent money on CCD. What I mean is, I refuse these things to be the only part of my personality. I refuse to have my contemporaries get judged in the name of crazy designers or hip coffee houses. There is more to us. A lot more. Most importantly, our ‘youth icons’ may not have a brain. But we do. And we also know how to use one. I am the youth. And I don’t think anyone can do justice to who I am and what I think. I dare to take a stand for what I think is right. And I stand up today to represent myself. Youth is, after all, just a moment, but it the moment, the spark, that you will always carry in your heart!!
Hold that thought!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
My lost dreams, my lost friends...
Nursery… the three year olds playing together. The shouts of Ringa Ringa Roses and Fire in the mountain. The Tiffin-sharing during the break. The practice for the Annual day function. The feeling that these friendships would last for a lifetime. But by the time we end up in first grade, these friends fade from our memory. They become a part of our dim and distant past. Like the new lunch boxes and pencil cases, we have a group of all new friends as well. It’s not a decided transition. It’s not a deeply moving incident. It doesn’t break your heart. It just happens.
But once you have these friendships formed, they become your life. You hang around together, you share your lunch, you bunk classes together and you get punished together on getting caught. You do each others homework and give each other’s proxy. You join tuitions together and run away from there to get cuppa at CCD. You grow up together… You come up with hare brained plans to convince your parents your poor attendance sheets are not your fault. You chase the same girl or guy, end up fighting for his/her phone number… and then say “Forget it yaar, s/he’s not worth our friendship!!” You have no idea what you are going to wear the next day, but you set up your friend’s wardrobe for the entire season. You never give your face even a touch up, but come armed with a war chest of make up articles to give your friend smoky eyes on her first date. You console them when they fight with their partner. You sit for hours with them, holding their hand, when they have a heart break. You hear them slam the guy or gal over and over again and now matter how repetitive they get, you never complain. You be there for them, even during the most basic competitions, where they are sure to win. You encourage them to follow their dreams, even if in your heart, you know its never going to work. Still you do all that you can to make their efforts a success. You are ever armed with a hug, in case those efforts fail. And ever ready with a surprise party if they somehow make it big!! You give an ear to their fear of dark or heights or enclosed places, without ridiculing them. You call them up at 1 at night, just to check out if they have fallen asleep. When they leave you for even a short vacation, you cancel all your important events to be with them. You call them, message them, send them smilies when they are away, even if those few minutes cost you thrice the amount than normal. You sit at CCD, or Barista’s, hour after hour, sipping a single cup of Tropical iceberg or Mochachillo, continuously talking, never realizing how easily the conversation flows between you. You pull each others leg and laugh like hell, never thinking it might hurt your friend’s ego… never thinking that you might have to apologise about it. And you don’t have to. Even your friend knows you were just kidding. You never sit down and ponder how important these friends are for you. Because they are your friends for life. Because the chemistry between you, the equations are never going to change for your friends. Because they cease to be a part of your life… and end up becoming your life!
And one fine day, this very friend grows up. You guys have different choices, you develop different identities. You need your own ‘space’ becomes the rampant thought. Bad company, wrong people, unwanted influence… every teenager goes through these. And we also end up coming out of these. The only thing is that in this ‘growing up’ process, we end up losing our friends. That very friend who meant the world to us, whose support was all that ever mattered. Maybe when we get over our illusion of ‘space’ and the rest of the teen pop-psychology, we do realize that how much that friend mattered and still matters to us. We do understand, that for all their scoldings n negativity, they had they best in their heart for us. But by then, it’s the equation that changes; it’s the intensity that changes. And no matter what, that bonding, once lost, can never be re-captured.
This is for every single friend I have lost till date, and there have been many. And I regret losing every single one of you. I don’t care whose mistake it was or who was responsible for the end of our relation. I want to thank you, for coming to my life and making it a little more special. And despite the endings, I remember you, with much fondness…
But once you have these friendships formed, they become your life. You hang around together, you share your lunch, you bunk classes together and you get punished together on getting caught. You do each others homework and give each other’s proxy. You join tuitions together and run away from there to get cuppa at CCD. You grow up together… You come up with hare brained plans to convince your parents your poor attendance sheets are not your fault. You chase the same girl or guy, end up fighting for his/her phone number… and then say “Forget it yaar, s/he’s not worth our friendship!!” You have no idea what you are going to wear the next day, but you set up your friend’s wardrobe for the entire season. You never give your face even a touch up, but come armed with a war chest of make up articles to give your friend smoky eyes on her first date. You console them when they fight with their partner. You sit for hours with them, holding their hand, when they have a heart break. You hear them slam the guy or gal over and over again and now matter how repetitive they get, you never complain. You be there for them, even during the most basic competitions, where they are sure to win. You encourage them to follow their dreams, even if in your heart, you know its never going to work. Still you do all that you can to make their efforts a success. You are ever armed with a hug, in case those efforts fail. And ever ready with a surprise party if they somehow make it big!! You give an ear to their fear of dark or heights or enclosed places, without ridiculing them. You call them up at 1 at night, just to check out if they have fallen asleep. When they leave you for even a short vacation, you cancel all your important events to be with them. You call them, message them, send them smilies when they are away, even if those few minutes cost you thrice the amount than normal. You sit at CCD, or Barista’s, hour after hour, sipping a single cup of Tropical iceberg or Mochachillo, continuously talking, never realizing how easily the conversation flows between you. You pull each others leg and laugh like hell, never thinking it might hurt your friend’s ego… never thinking that you might have to apologise about it. And you don’t have to. Even your friend knows you were just kidding. You never sit down and ponder how important these friends are for you. Because they are your friends for life. Because the chemistry between you, the equations are never going to change for your friends. Because they cease to be a part of your life… and end up becoming your life!
And one fine day, this very friend grows up. You guys have different choices, you develop different identities. You need your own ‘space’ becomes the rampant thought. Bad company, wrong people, unwanted influence… every teenager goes through these. And we also end up coming out of these. The only thing is that in this ‘growing up’ process, we end up losing our friends. That very friend who meant the world to us, whose support was all that ever mattered. Maybe when we get over our illusion of ‘space’ and the rest of the teen pop-psychology, we do realize that how much that friend mattered and still matters to us. We do understand, that for all their scoldings n negativity, they had they best in their heart for us. But by then, it’s the equation that changes; it’s the intensity that changes. And no matter what, that bonding, once lost, can never be re-captured.
This is for every single friend I have lost till date, and there have been many. And I regret losing every single one of you. I don’t care whose mistake it was or who was responsible for the end of our relation. I want to thank you, for coming to my life and making it a little more special. And despite the endings, I remember you, with much fondness…
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Home... away from home!!!
INDIAN LAW SOCIETY”S LAW COLLEGE… Looks a little intimidating on that huge curved gate… And then the NAAC accredited A+ college sign… the sense of responsibility weighs heavily on your shoulders as you realize you are the student of one of the best law colleges in India. But as you cross the gates and meet the crowd, the sense of responsibility evaporates faster than it came! You think you are here to meet the best minds in the country… and you realize that, apart from being the best, they are also the craziest minds in the country. Welcome to ILS... My college, my love, my home away from home!!!
In my earlier posts, you must have realized I was real scared of living in an entirely new city, in a hostel, with roommates and the whole drill of adjusting to altogether new surroundings. If only I had known it wasn’t going to be all that tough… Say hi to my world on Pune;
To Suramya, my roomie, my closest friend out there… she suffers from the Peter Pan syndrome. A teenager who has no intention of growing up. An immature, crazy, spontaneous kid. The girl who skipped lunch to be there for me, just for an intra college debate competition. My make-up artist cum hairdresser. The one person I can always count on!!!
To Tanvi, aka Bouncer, my other roomie. Who really needs a boyfriend. For emotional support… or maybe for showing off. I’m not sure… And I think, nor is she!!!
To Abhigyan, the most eccentric guy I ever met in my entire life… I saw people trying to convince others that they are god. But he’s the first character I saw who tries to convince people he’s a dog. Often misunderstood, rarely appreciated, he’s one gem of a person!!!
To Vividh, the so-called stud of the first year. Trust a thief, but never trust this guy’s mood. It swings faster than anything you have ever seen. He’s still oscillating in deciding how good a friend I am to him. But, nonetheless, we went together to the Fresher’s… and he made it memorable for me!!!
To Arnav, the gentle-giant. This 6’4” guy is nothing like the image of the tall, intimidating bully that springs to your mind. In fact, I never met a sweeter kid than him. He’s amazingly nice, fun-loving and helpful… cheers, dude… you rock!!!
To Vivek, aka the punching bag. Who’s so caring, that he came up at 10:30 to the railway station, just to see if I am fine… who gives me car rides, whenever I am homesick!!!
To Malekul Ashtar Imtiaz Shipchandler… Whose name’s longer than the great wall of China. Who’s all the way from Dubai. And who’s always full of wisecracks!!!
To Anmol, Ankit and Ravisha… who can miss out on anything on earth… but not the aalo paratha, special chai and butter paneer exclusive to the ILS canteen!!!
To Kamakshi, a true patriot, who really wants to do big for India… Rang De Basanti!!!
To Tanvi aka Savita Behen, the cute raisa, the volley ball champ Tanvi… who make a delightful group!!!
To Ria and Prapa… the Bong queens… with a lousy Hindi!!!
To Avait and Anuja… who vowed to make life hell for me… on facebook!!!
To the cute Ankita, the stunner Sherizaad, the singer Krishna, the fortune teller (and too often hand fractured) Abbas, the know-it-all Laxmi, the eco master Dipti, the sweet soft spoken Priya, the always together Soumya and Vidya, the journo Jasmine, the SRK freak Asavari and lots of others who make my classes bearable!!!
To Harshad, who batrayad and rejected my college in favour of NLU-D… dude, I still remember you, sitting on the first floor, on the balcony!!!
To everyone out here… who made life so much better… who cheered me up when I was homesick… who hid my bags when they thought I’ll pack them up and run away…
Last but not the least, to Niki, Pri n Sayali… you guys make my class cheerful… despite horrific history and endangering eco… you make me smile! You make my day!!!
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns… and surprises!!!
Hold that thought!
In my earlier posts, you must have realized I was real scared of living in an entirely new city, in a hostel, with roommates and the whole drill of adjusting to altogether new surroundings. If only I had known it wasn’t going to be all that tough… Say hi to my world on Pune;
To Suramya, my roomie, my closest friend out there… she suffers from the Peter Pan syndrome. A teenager who has no intention of growing up. An immature, crazy, spontaneous kid. The girl who skipped lunch to be there for me, just for an intra college debate competition. My make-up artist cum hairdresser. The one person I can always count on!!!
To Tanvi, aka Bouncer, my other roomie. Who really needs a boyfriend. For emotional support… or maybe for showing off. I’m not sure… And I think, nor is she!!!
To Abhigyan, the most eccentric guy I ever met in my entire life… I saw people trying to convince others that they are god. But he’s the first character I saw who tries to convince people he’s a dog. Often misunderstood, rarely appreciated, he’s one gem of a person!!!
To Vividh, the so-called stud of the first year. Trust a thief, but never trust this guy’s mood. It swings faster than anything you have ever seen. He’s still oscillating in deciding how good a friend I am to him. But, nonetheless, we went together to the Fresher’s… and he made it memorable for me!!!
To Arnav, the gentle-giant. This 6’4” guy is nothing like the image of the tall, intimidating bully that springs to your mind. In fact, I never met a sweeter kid than him. He’s amazingly nice, fun-loving and helpful… cheers, dude… you rock!!!
To Vivek, aka the punching bag. Who’s so caring, that he came up at 10:30 to the railway station, just to see if I am fine… who gives me car rides, whenever I am homesick!!!
To Malekul Ashtar Imtiaz Shipchandler… Whose name’s longer than the great wall of China. Who’s all the way from Dubai. And who’s always full of wisecracks!!!
To Anmol, Ankit and Ravisha… who can miss out on anything on earth… but not the aalo paratha, special chai and butter paneer exclusive to the ILS canteen!!!
To Kamakshi, a true patriot, who really wants to do big for India… Rang De Basanti!!!
To Tanvi aka Savita Behen, the cute raisa, the volley ball champ Tanvi… who make a delightful group!!!
To Ria and Prapa… the Bong queens… with a lousy Hindi!!!
To Avait and Anuja… who vowed to make life hell for me… on facebook!!!
To the cute Ankita, the stunner Sherizaad, the singer Krishna, the fortune teller (and too often hand fractured) Abbas, the know-it-all Laxmi, the eco master Dipti, the sweet soft spoken Priya, the always together Soumya and Vidya, the journo Jasmine, the SRK freak Asavari and lots of others who make my classes bearable!!!
To Harshad, who batrayad and rejected my college in favour of NLU-D… dude, I still remember you, sitting on the first floor, on the balcony!!!
To everyone out here… who made life so much better… who cheered me up when I was homesick… who hid my bags when they thought I’ll pack them up and run away…
Last but not the least, to Niki, Pri n Sayali… you guys make my class cheerful… despite horrific history and endangering eco… you make me smile! You make my day!!!
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns… and surprises!!!
Hold that thought!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Of shattered dreams... and piercing reality!!
I love to win… no, not the title of the next book by Shiv Khera. You can call this my mantra in life. I am a strong believer in
21st century life is all about challenges. Reaching this goal, achieving that. And the funny thing is that there is no dearth of things you can want to achieve. I consider myself as someone who thrives on challenges. Competitions had a way of bringing out the best in me, of showing my fierce winning streak, of sharpening my skills. I loved the feel of going in front of that huge crowd and making such an impact that the other contestants would feel the heat. People get high on marijuana and cocaine. I used to get high on success! So why, you may ask, am I writing this piece? It’s to tell you about my first tryst with failure.
After completing my 10th boards with a commendable 92.6%, I decided to go for what appealed to me and not for what others recommended. I decided to go for the Arts stream. But like they say, life has its own course for you. For the sole reason of not finding the right combination of subjects in an English medium college, I ended up taking Science. And allowed fate to take its course. What I didn’t know was that God was so amused by my love of challenges and was making one so complicated, that I would never be able to accomplish this one like the one’s I had done before. I started my studies and hated every moment of it. Studying something I had no interest in… and had no aptitude for. Studying just for the sake of clearing my 12th. But still, the hunger to succeed never left me. Even when I was into something which didn’t appeal to me, I wanted to clear it with flying colours. But then, I found out that for my law entrance, I had to study five subjects that are nowhere related to Physics, Chemistry or Biology. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t balance the two. It was a nightmare, it was the ultimate test and I didn’t put in my best foot forward! So He decided to give me a blow…. And it struck real hard!
So today, here I am… 82% in my boards, a 130 in CLAT and a 107 in SET. I still can’t believe I blew it all. I am still finding it hard to get a foothold… I am still reeling in shock. But then, I am the one who advocates
This time, no suggestions for you. It’s me, who needs to hold that thought!!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Cricket nahi... toh badminton hi sahi!!
Saina Nehwal wins First Ever Indonesian Open Super Series for India... screamed the morning headlines. Huh? Yesterday was the T20 world Cup Final n Saina is making front page news?? Incredible! I thought groggily. Then slowly, as sleep finally let go of me, I recollected that India had not reached the T20 finals. Tabhi toh... how else can some sportsman who plays anything other than cricket make front page news in India?
Out in here, cricket is religion. We Indians love the bandwagon mentality. Everyone becomes doctors and engineers... anything other than that is sub-standard. 6 year-olds have heard about IIT, but 16-year-olds have no idea about NLSIU, the Law School equivalent to IIT. Similarly, if you play cricket, people pat you on the back and gals get all starry-eyed! But try telling them you are the badminton or tennis champ, they'll probably ask that except for the raquets, what's different in the two games anyway? Out in here, cricket is The Game. So all other games can take a back seat, thank you very much, the front seat are reserved for the exclusive 11!!
We treat our cricketers as demi-gods. They are so adorned in their larger than life images that we often forget to treat them as ordinary human beings, capable of success and failure. Last year, when we won the T20 World Cup, there were talks about building a temple for Dhoni in Jharkhand. This year, the same people are burning his effigies and posters, spitting on him... makes you think how lucky Lord Ram and Krishna are, that they didn't play Cricket! One day the Reebok sales pick up because Dhoni endorses the brand... and the next day, the same clips are show on Aaj Tak with the headline, 'This is not the same Dhoni... this Dhoni runs after money!' Yes, we treat our cricketers like movie stars... which really makes no sense considering that they perform in something where winning and losing is inevitable!
But yes, the Cricketers too don't find absolute favour with me. When you are being called upon to be awarded the highest civilian honour by the President Of India, how can you refuse it? Can Michael Phelps refuse an invitation by President Obama?? Never! And mind you, that guy won EIGHT gold medals in a SINGLE Olympics... so what's this chip that Indian Cricketers have on their shoulder? But then again, maybe it’s ultimately us, who are at fault. Or else why did the Indian Government ignore Sushil Kumar and Vijendra Singh while considering this Award? That's it... when Cricketers do something, every other success is over-shadowed!
So in the present hopeless scenario, all you can do is hope... for a change. Hope that someday, people like Saina, V. Anand, Sania, Lee-Hesh, Baichung, Vijju, Sushil, Abhinav and numerous such unsung heroes from different sports will be treated with the respect they so deserve. Things must change; they will have to... for nothing is permanent in this world except change!!
Hold that thought!
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