Longing

Fractions crave completion.

There is something about a 0.99 that implicitly longs for another 0.01 to make it whole.

Reciprocals crave reciprocals.

The universe craves unity.

Heavy, drooping eyelids crave sleep.

There is something about tiredness that longs for rest and quiet.

Each malady longs for its cure.

Entrapment craves freedom.

There is something about a butterfly struggling to break away from the death grip of a mischievous child.

Restraint longs for liberation.

Night skies crave constellations.

There is something about the needle-points of light from millions of years ago which still shows lost humans the way.

The lost long for direction.

You are my fitting reciprocal, my last 0.01.

You are dreamless sleep, my inimitable peace.

You are the Pole Star, helping me find my way at a tumultuous, treacherous sea.

In my aloneness, I long for you.

I crave you the way craving craves to be craved.

Trust Issues

I grew up with a stereotypical dose of measured warnings not to be friendly with strangers and not to place my faith in anybody unless and until I was well acquainted with them. Leading a sheltered, protected life till date, I have often wondered why the world does not deserve my unquestioning acceptance, my total trust.

I have often wondered why, when we meet someone new, the instinct is to fence ourselves and erect a wall of opposition rather than pour out love and honesty into our cursory, pretentious handshakes.

I used to think that people are scared of people, of letting them in, of opening up, of confessing things to them and broadly, of having to deal with pain later on in life. I was wrong. An absence of trust does not come from fearing others. It stems from fearing our own selves.

The world, basically, hinges on trust. 

You show up at school. The territory is strange and frightening. A grown up lady smiles and offers her hand. You have no option but to take it, so you do. For all the years you learn to count and spell, she ensures you develop to the best of your potential. She does this for you, not just for herself. Today, you make a point to thank her, every Teachers’ Day.

You apply for jobs; blurt out details after details about yourself, your passion, your ideas and your dreams before hostile interviewers. You get tired. Then, one day, you get placed. When you are promoted, your recruiter throws you a party. You learn every friend was once a stranger.

You see a first timer trying to figure out an escalator. You extend your hand; they clasp it firmly without second thoughts. They are aboard. You rise up together, and they leave with a grateful smile.

You board an auto-rickshaw, knowing nothing of the driver’s past, present or future. You speak out the unfamiliar address you have to reach.  He turns the meter down and off you go, trusting him to deliver you safely to your destination. You arrive, hand over the money and sometimes, bother to say thanks.

You ask the solitary jogger on the street for directions to a friend’s house you haven’t visited in a long time. He points you to the house, simplifying the route so you don’t get lost in the darkness of the dawn. You are glad he was passing by.  

You call up the ambulance and have no idea who picks up the phone. Within minutes, the siren is blazing at your doorstep. The doctors at the hospital manage to defeat the heart attack that almost killed your dad. They tell you timely action can save lives in most cases. You breathe a long held sigh of relief.

You make a pen-pal who lives 6000 kilometers away. You picture her going about her daily life as you bitch to her about your boss. You invite her to your wedding. You don’t really expect her to come. She shows up beforehand, to help you get prepared.

The world hinges on trust.

Yes, there are people who will abuse your faith only to bring you down and make selfish gains. Yes, there are people who will be sugarcoated pills. Yes, there will be people who can be dangerous to get close to.

Nonetheless, distrust can close windows which are actually letting light in.

That said, I am not asking you to blindly make the best of friends with strangers. I am only advising not to keep yourself locked in and label others before getting to know them.

Kindness is an inherent human virtue. Nobody is cruel by birth. Infants smile at you when you smile at them. Grown-ups aren’t that different. And, each person on the planet has their demons plaguing them, knocking the daylights out of them, plunging them into whirlpools of sorrow and despair.

So, be gentle, instead of being accusatory. Try to look a little further than the exterior and appreciate the circumstances people come from. And, most importantly, stop fearing yourself, so that you can have the courage to keep your trust in humanity, when you meet someone new… the way you already do.  J

Sab Tamasha Hai! :) - Movie Review

Okay, okay! Accepted I am pretty late to be doing a review on Tamasha when the film has already spent more than one and half weeks at the box office and at the multiplex near you. And agreed, most of you would have watched it by now and reviewed it for your friends and family members who would also have watched it, some probably twice.

But, I am still going to do this review because this is what I am writing in a long time and Tamasha was my after-exams treat. My exams just got over on the 7^th, in case you were wondering, so, yes, I am late.

But, in case you haven’t been lucky enough to catch a screening, please feel free to take (or shun) my advice J as I bring to you reasons why you should absolutely go and watch this flick, just once!

Warning: Spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk! :P

1.      Ranbir and Deepika, together!

Bollywood hasn’t given us more crackling chemistry in recent times. If you are one of those who still mourn their break-up and hang your heads low every time you read about Ranbir and Katrina’s impending wedding, this movie is a treat for you! Admitted, they fall short of the magic they revved up with YJHD, but watching these two love, laugh, dance and cry on screen is a beautiful experience! :)

2.      Corsica

The sheer superior cinematography will blow your mind, as it did mine, and what happened in Corsica, didn’t (un)fortunately stay in Corsica. I carried the visuals all the way from the movie hall, imprinted on my mind. The sunsets, the seas, the sand, the streets, the cobbled pathways, the mountain roads and the French in all their elegant glory…the term picturesque acquires a new definition in the movie :)

3.      Simla and the bachpan in the hills

The queen of hills is a character to reckon with in itself. The grand old church, the magnificent mountains, the seemingly royal house where the protagonist spends his childhood, the complex, twisted family ties, an old storyteller and a gift of imagination…all blend in to give the melodramatic recipe the pinch of spice it needs! You almost feel like hugging the little boy who loves to weave stories of his own, and keeps questioning the old storyteller as to why we get the same old story every time! Cuteness quotient: one hundred per cent!

4.      The storytelling

Scenes from the life of Krishna, the Ramayana, Romeo and Juliet, Heer-Ranjha, Laila-Majnu,and countless old legends of cult status keep flashing in the middle of the main story, and keep the narrative flowing even when the pace of the main story falters a bit. Yes, there could have been sharper and crisper edits, but the constant switch between who one is and who one wishes to be, would perhaps have been lost, then!

5.      The storyteller- Imtiaz Ali

You cannot help but compare this movie to his past ventures, especially Rockstar. I came out with the feeling that all his films, including even Jab We Met, have that common theme of trying to find one’s true self and remain true to that self. It makes me more curious about the man himself, and perhaps, there are bits and pieces from his own life, reflected in the story!

6.      The story-identity crisis

Who is Ved? Is he Don? Who is Don? And how can someone be two people in one, at the same time? Do we ever figure out if we are the Rama of our story or the Ravana? Do we know if we are capable of love or only of hatred? Do we know we are someone else on the outside, and a whole different world on the inside? Do we ever get to know? 

7.      The angst (and the humour)

Sexual innuendo abounds. Apart from that, there is situational humour in some of the scenes, but it fails to impress, though you might end up laughing hard at some silly dialoguebaazi! The angst is another matter, altogether. If you like to have stuff to think about, watch the movie well and re-read point 6.

8.      The music

The best part of the movie, for me, was the song ‘Tum Saath Ho.’ I have always been the kind to love senti-songs in the middle of a senti-sequence, and ten on ten to Tamasha for achieving the brilliant placement of the song, and not just this one. ‘Safarnama’ and ‘Tu koi aur hai’ ring a bell, too J

For those who love flashy, dancing numbers, ‘Matargashti’ is the perfect number with the perfect locale, and perfect moves!

9.      The end

We know there has to be a happy ending! And that is also the correct ending! You can’t help but smile, when Don returns, and once upon a time turns to a happily ever after.  :)

Yes, it may still be the same old story, like every time, but, it made me smile J

And, I couldn’t ask for more. A word of caution, though! Don’t expect a YJHD and you might come home with a feel-good feeling! :)

Not a five-star worthy one, but three doesn’t seem too bad either ;)

Happy watching! Do let me know if you liked the movie!

The Festival of (p)Light

It’s been long since my fingers tapped on the keyboard, and the punched-beaten-harassed-overworked keys aren’t too happy about having me back! I can say that because they aren’t complying with my rough demands today, and so I am forced to check, recheck, type, retype, delete and correct things multiple times.

Nevertheless, Diwali is almost here and I am really sorry about the whole thing, except for the fact that it marks an end to my fifth semester at college.

Unlike the average Indian for whom Diwali is a high-light event (pun intended), for me, Diwali is just a stupid, silly festival of (p)light.

Before the devout Hindus of this nation rush up to strangle my already choking throat (smog, you see!), let me clarify that it is not the festival I am against; it is only the mystifying meanings we have assigned to it that I am allergic (literally) to!

What make Diwali a festival of darkness for many of us are the frivolous notions, expectations, ideations and traditions that have come to be associated with it over the years, as the society has devolved.

Smoke (and noise)

There is something depressing about the entire patakha mess that plagues the streets of Delhi soon after the ten headed menace of Ravana is burnt to ashes during Dussehra. Kids as young as five years of age vow to replace that menace and create a city of smoke on the congested, dying streets of the capital. Even adults no longer care about the rising pollution levels and plunge into bursting crackers, full throttle. People set fire to their own hard-earned money and dance with inexplicable joy as it is reduced to wisps of smoke which blanket the whole atmosphere.

And, I am not even going to start about the obvious, intense discomfort animals face due to the noise and the pollution.

Breathing the city’s air during such times of smog is equivalent to smoking eight cigarettes a day. In fact, Delhi is so polluted that every year you spend here shortens your life span by a month! (Yes, you are free to Google the stats, doubters!)

This Diwali, spare those of us whose lungs aren’t as good at breathing smoke, and gift us all a life, please. _/\_

  The mess and stress of gifting

Though more prominent in the corporate world, commercialization of Diwali is no news to us. While the opportunity is fully exploited by chain discount stores by offering attractive gift packages, schemes and irresistible vouchers to the frenzied shoppers, for most of us, choosing gifts for friends, family, business partners, bosses, colleagues, and the occasional door ka rishtedaar who materializes out of nowhere during festivals, is a headache. And, people always secretly dislike the gifts they get, anyway!

Here is a tip: Limit the exchange of gifts to those who you cannot do without (read essential business associates), prefer gifting cash wherever possible so that the other person can use it to their advantage and not sulk over the gift,  and if someone takes offence over your no gifting strategy, fold your hands and mutter ‘good riddance.’ Honestly, you are better off without such people in your life. And, think of the number of dinner sets and glass sets you will be spared in return! :P

Traffic

Though the chaos is common on Delhi roads at any given time of the year, Diwali takes the cake. This Diwali, since you are no longer a part of the gifting mess, give your car some rest and avoid the jungle on roads ;) Carpooling is a good option, plus, you always have public transport that saves you the trouble of clutch-break-accelerator-break-break-clutch! J Travel easy, travel happy!

 Lights that can make you go blind, and the nation bankrupt

We as Indians are licensed to waste the nation’s resources, but, even by our standards, Diwali marks the absolute epitome of the reckless expenditure. And what is worse is that we are spending it on Chinese lights- giving the Chinese more reasons than us, to celebrate the festival. Case in point, just take a look at the extravagance that goes into lighting up houses at Diwali, decking them up like brides to be!  

No, I am not against lights. But, excess of everything is bad.

Complement electric lights with traditional diyas, so you not only save on the bill, and the nation’s resources (electricity in India mainly comes from coal which is non-renewable resource, as fifth standard Science will tell you!) but also contribute to the meager incomes of the desi artisans. Give them a cause to celebrate, too! J

So, dear fellow citizens of my nation, this Diwali, be a little more considerate. Celebrate and put a smile on the faces of those not as fortunately blessed as you, and have a good time without the chaos, confusion and drama.

Here is wishing you all a very happy Diwali. Please don’t make it a festival of plight J

Emergency!!!

Simple Scribble # 11