Things left unsaid...

I could tell you a love story,
That would actually be mine.
A story that tells you about,
The things that you can't define.

I can tell this story all day long,
Each and every day of the week.
And still manage to avoid telling you,
The only line that you want me to speak.

If a picture expresses unsaid words,
A story should be capable too.
For I can't always paint a picture,
But writing is something I can do.

Figment of imagination

Waking  up from a frozen dream,
I crossed paths with reality,
That is how I destroyed paradise,
And ruined our congeniality.

I was blindfolded by my faith,
And made a puppet by your love,
I believed you were an angel,
Sent to me from Heavens above.

The scripture of love has eroded,
Putting out the fires of my obsession,
There never was any angel of love,
Just a figment of my imagination,

Burning..

My dreams are shattered,
My soul is battered,
Sick of this yearning,
My soul has started burning,

The agony of a broken heart,
The pain of being apart,
The unquenchable thirst for love,
Is pounding my soul from above

It is all too much to endure,
With no possibility of a cure,
I wish I could free my soul,
And escape from this hellhole.

Aapki girlfriend hai kya?

Train journeys can be very boring and the best way to pass time is to read a mystery novel which doesn't exert your brain much. I was on my way to Bhilai traveling by South Bihar express. The condition of the coach is a story in itself, but let me not get distracted. I was reading Agatha Christie's "Dumb Witness" and was just reaching the interesting part when a voice interrupted me.

"Aapki girlfriend hai kya?"
The question took me by surprise. I looked around. The other occupants in the compartment were an elderly couple and a young girl. No doubt the question had been asked by her. It was evident from the wicked smile on her face. The elderly couple also exhibited an amused expression. Nine out of ten times I would have answered the girl without a moments delay, but on this occasion my discomfort was on display. She gave a chuckle and then said "Aapka dhyan kitab se hatane ke liye pucha". I don't know whether she was telling the truth or not, but she had certainly managed to distract me from the book.

I kept the book aside and started making small talk, things like "what is your name", "where are you traveling up-to", bla bla bla. For obvious reasons I won't divulge her name here, but she was quite friendly and we talked for a long time. It wasn't long before she got too friendly and started telling me all about herself. Her personal life, her problems, everything. I tried to discourage her but she was a real chatter box. I couldn't complete my book during the journey because she wouldn't stop talking to me. Finally when she got down she asked me my name and bid me adieu promising that she'll add me on Facebook.

I had no such luck on my return journey to Asansol, and finished two books during the journey. Now I did not take all the trouble narrating this just to tell you about the girl. I just wanted to give an example of how people tend to become too friendly with their co-passengers on a train journey. This is not the case if you are traveling by air. I do remember when I was traveling by Kingfisher airlines with a friend of mine. It was a two and a half hour flight and we chatted for the entire duration. I don't have words to describe the kind of looks we were getting. It was as if everyone was maintaining silence for a noble cause and we were showing disrespect by talking.

The same people when they travel by train would bore you to death by their senseless talk but when they travel by air they all start believing "Silence is Golden". I wish people realize that it is not a crime to talk on a flight, and that it is humane to socialize a bit with the person sitting next to you. I don't think a girl sitting next to me on a flight would ever ask me "Aapki girlfriend hai kya?"

PS: This post is in no way intended to insult the girl I met on train, who was really sweet and friendly.

Balderdash..

Every time I look at your lovely face,
I get mesmerized by it's aesthetic grace.
An innocent face which doesn't know of crimes,
A face which reminds me of happier times.
When I am not with you I feel lost,
I want to be with you at any cost.
You are like a sun spreading its rays,
Lighting up my mood and brightening my days.
Nothing is more painful than being away from you,
I wish I could tell you how much I love you.

I am the exception that proves the rule

I am the artist performing on the stage,
I am the tiny bird trapped in a cage,
I am the firefly that isn't very bright,
I am the spirit of a moonless night,
I am the song that was never sung,
I am the bell that was never rung,
I am the athlete who lost the race,
I am the stranger without a face,
I am the book that was never published,
I am the lamp whose light has diminished,
I am the oddity, I am the fool,
I am the exception that proves the rule.

The Famous Five

If after reading the heading you jump to the conclusion that something has gone awry inside my brain, then I assure you that this is not the case. "The Famous Five" is not a tribute to Enid Blyton. It is not a story about Julian, Dick (LOL!!), Anne, Georgina (George) – and their dog Timothy. When I say "The Famous Five", I am referring to five famous lines that probably touched the souls of the reader, or remained imbibed in their memories for a long time. Every-time a book is mentioned, something jumps to the mind, be it a character or a line.

1)"For you, a thousand times over!"

This line keeps reoccurring in "The Kite Runner" , a Khaled Hosseini masterpiece. A line which Hassan often uses to pledge his loyalty to Amir. In the end when Amir reiterates the same to Hassan's son Sohrab, it gives a finesse conclusion. The final punch which manages to convey to the reader the very depth of Amir's feelings. Something which will always be remembered whenever you think of the book.

2)"You don't understand, but you never did, and you never will.. "

 

In my opinion "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes is one of the best books ever written. Especially if you consider the fact that it manages to convey Anthony's entire life within 150 pages. This is what Victoria Ford says to Anthony in the end. A simple line which carries a lot of weight in it. It shows you how much Victoria has endured, that all she manages to say is this one line. The one line which has so much impact on Anthony when he finally understands.

 

3)"Not all that glitters is gold, not all who wander are lost"

Most of  you will argue that this line is not as famous as the above two. Very true but still this line very aptly conveys the intended message to the reader. JR Tolkien follows this line with a beautiful verse in his book "The Lord of the Rings" to describe Aragorn. This line highlights how easily looks can be deceptive and emphasizes the age old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover".

4) "I'll make him an offer he cannot refuse."

GODFATHER!!! According to me there is no character portrayed as strong as Don Corleone was. Mario Puzo made sure that the reader could feel the sense of power radiating from the character. Marlon Brando by his portrayal made sure that the Godfather was remembered not only as a bestseller book but also a blockbuster movie. This one line uttered in a simple conversation carries a lot of weight.

 

5)"But I don't think of you."

 

This in reply to Ellsworth Toohey's question: "Why don't you tell me what you think of me?" Howard Roark answers: "But I don't think of you." This one line shows Roark's indifference. It shows how he doesn't even care to form an opinion about others. "The Fountainhead" has many brilliant lines but this one line gives you an insight to Roark's character.

I have not included Shakespeare, Dickens and other classics because then selecting 5 lines would be an impossibility. Instead I have selected five lines from books which might be labelled as "MASALA NOVELS", but still are very beautifully written and deserve praise.

Memories

Strolling down the memory lane,
I relive those moments again,
Moments when we were together,
I wish they could last forever.

When the colours begin to fade,
And loneliness starts to invade,
That is when reflections start,
Why did we drift so much apart?

Will these memories give me light,
Even in dark and stormy night?
Will it stand the test of time,
And leave a print on the sands of time?

Think outside the bun.

NO! I am not being paid by Taco Bell to promote their punchline. Even if some genius among their ranks does figure out that my blog might be a good promotion technique, I won't consider their offer. You see I am a very loyal customer of KFC and will not promote any other food chain. Not even if I am offered millions (billions, I may have to reconsider) Anyway this is not about my favourite food chain.

In fact this is about something else entirely. It is about the pigheadedness of the entire education system. I may not be the right person to talk about the education system, but still I'd like to express myself. As they say, "The bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, but because it has a song". I don't have any tag attached to my name like IIT, IIM , or any other "top-notch" institution. I don't have top grades to boast about. And I assure you this is only because of lack of trying. Or rather the lack of will to try. I don't think this education system has anything to offer me. I don't have any incentive to work hard. In short, I don't want to be another rat in this rat race.

Just have a chat with a student appearing for his 10th board. He has everything planned out. 95% in 10th, 90% in 12th, engineering from IIT, MBA from IIM and then join Goldman Sachs. The particulars may vary from student to student but they all have a plan. A child should only focus on learning new things, getting real education and not about how much he is going to earn after 15 years. What the objective of this mad race for marks is I don't know, but I can say this unidirectional thinking about how to make more money is moulding the upcoming generation into money earning zombies.

Fine arts, music, sports have all taken a backseat as they don't improve your chances of earning more money. On the contrary they use up precious time which can be used to mug up senseless course books. Its surprising that not many institutions focus on the all round development of skills as a parameter for admission. Instead they concentrate on marks and some stupid entrance test which  even a vegetable head can crack after loads of practice.

Students should try and garner knowledge rather than slog aimlessly just to get a TAG! Everyone should take responsibility for this. Parents, teachers, even the government and each and every one of us. Being a food addict I am using a food analogy here. IIT is Mcdonalds, IIM is KFC. The bun is taken care of. But what about Taco Bell? What about thinking outside the bun?

Silently I love you..

I was never so helpless,
Before I met you,
Always dreaming of you,
Silently I love you.

I am tired of waiting,
Surrounded by nothing,
Cursed to be without you,
Silently I love you.

Writing on the wall

So many weeks have gone,
Yet I sit here all alone,
I sit and cry here everyday,
With nothing left to say,
Everyone just walks by,
Without even asking why,
I get drenched in the rain,
Screaming and writhing in pain,
But all they do is stand and stare,
I wish even one of them could care.
My misery is written over my face,
Happiness has not even left a trace,
No one is there to answer my call,
No one is there to catch me when I fall,
The mountain of trouble has grown so tall,
It seems my end is a writing on the wall.

Keep Flying..

When life becomes a shadow of your fears,
Don't feel helpless and shed tears,
Search for a reason to stop crying,
And have confidence to keep on trying.

Even though its been quite a while,
Since life has given you a reason to smile,
You don't have to hide inside a cave,
Now is the time to be strong and brave.

Even if it takes long to find a way,
Don't lose hope even for a day,
Fly like a free bird among the skies,
Success is sweeter if it comes after a million tries.

Reading is injurious to health.

"IS YOUR NEWSPAPER MAKING YOU DUMB?"This may be one of the lines used in The Hindu's advertisement campaign, but each one of us must ask ourselves the same question. With the emergence of facilities like online news, sms alerts, etc the print media, once considered the most prominent source of news, faces tough competition. A few years back the race was between news channels and the print media. Owing to the self-degrading tactics used by news channels to increase the TRP, the print media was never really under any kind of threat.

The scenario is quite different now. There are many factors which must be taken into account.The ease with which a common man can now get news by sms alerts, emails or by simply surfing the net. Thanks to some enthusiasts even social networking has become a major source of providing news. But these are all minor factors. The major factor is the degrading standard of newspapers and tabloids. One may correctly assume that when facing stiff competition the print media might focus on improving its standards in order to maintain its circulation. On the contrary the standard keeps on going downhill.

When I was a kid I had formed a notion that The Hindu is a newspaper for scholars, Hindustan Times is for kids, and The Times of India is for people like me who like some spice along with the news. I won't be exaggerating in saying that TOI was my favourite newspaper. It may sound childish now but the newspaper had some good articles in addition to the celebrity gossip, the usual "masala" news and two pages of cricket columns.
I would like to list out a few noteworthy columns at this point.:-

Mindsport by Mukul Sharma: a treat for anyone who craves for mental stimulation
Erratica by Bachi Karkaria: one column which I religiously followed
Jug-al-bandi by Jug Suraiya: a very witty column
Jugular vein once again by Jug Suraiya
Speaking Tree
Geek-speak
Apart from these, occasional articles by Chetan Bhagat, Shobha De and Shashi Tharoor were also appreciable.

Some of the above columns have been stopped altogether, while some appear only in Sunday Times and that too not on a regular basis. Another factor that jumps to my mind is that World News column now comprises only half a page while the local news of the state occupies 4 pages. Even that half page has news about broken relationships of Hollywood actors, extra-marital affairs of foreign diplomats, or any other scandalous data. The sports column focuses on cricket even more, now that India has won the world cup. TOI was once a newspaper which had bit of masala but now it is a masala paper with just a pinch of news.

Other newspapers like, Telegraph, Deccan Herald, Indian Express, etc are no better than TOI. The only newspaper that stands out is The Hindu. The only drawback is its limited availability especially in small towns, where either you can't get it or you get it 2 days late.
I personally love reading a newspaper early morning, rather than getting news from any other media and I wish that either TOI improves its standard or The Hindu increases its circulation. Because reading TOI these days is injurious to health!

Candle of light.

You are like a candle of light,
A candle which with its glow,
Brightens up my dark night,
Each and every time I feel low.

How I wish that this light
Stays with me day and night,
The candle may flicker out of sight,
But in my heart,it burns bright.

Regret...

Three months of fun,

And lots of laughter,

Classes were great fun,

Exams were a disaster.

The early morning chat,

Laughing at a poor joke,

Are all things of the past,

Lost in a cloud of smoke.

Now I am left all alone,

Lost in this wilderness,

With no one to talk to,

Wandering along in darkness.

How I wish I could go back,

To the life I had before,

And get rid of this boredom,

I don't want this anymore.

Farewell!

It has only been a few months,
But it feels like its been years,
A journey filled with laughter,
Might even end in tears.

No more poor jokes to hear,
No more gossip in the hall,
No one to pull my chair,
No one to catch me when I fall.

I am really going to miss,
Those funny chats in canteen,
I am going to miss the fun,
In scaring a photocopy machine.

I'll cherish the memories,
Of the times we spent together,
It was only for a while,
But I wish it had lasted forever.

There is nothing I can do,
But say my goodbye to you all,
And give you all my wishes,
I wish success for you all.

I hope that as time passes,
It would lessen the pain,
So that I'm in high spirits,
When I meet you all again.

You don't even know me..

There are so many things
Which you don't know.
All that you can see,
Is the careless look I show.

You only see the sarcasm,
And the happy-go-lucky attitude,
What you cannot see is,
The pain that marks my solitude,

You too believe the illusion,
Deceived by the joyful look,
You do not know the sorrow,
That is the story of my book.

You don't know that I am scared,
That I am haunted by my fears,
You cannot see past the facade,
You are unaware of my tears.

You think you can understand me,
You think you are my friend,
But you don't even know the beginning,
Forget about staying till the end.