Scentless

And she ran
Frantically
Looking for
Those violets..

Where did they go?
Did the storm
Blow them away
Into oblivion

No, she thought
That cannot be
They weren't real enough
For the storm
To touch them

Where did they go?
Did the harsh sun
Dry them up
Into rumples

No, she thought
That cannot be
They weren't real enough
For the sun
To see them

Then she saw them
Those violets
There they were

They swung with the spring wind
Intoxicated
Yet holding on tight
To the shrub
That bore them

Soundless

वक्त के सितम कम हसीं नहीं
आज हैं यहाँ कल कहीं नहीं
वक्त के परे अगर, मिल गए कहीं
मेरी आवाज़ ही पहचान हैं
गर याद रहे

जो गुज़र गयी कल की बात थी
उम्र तो नहीं एक रात थी
रात का सिरा अगर, फिर मिलें कहीं
मेरी आवाज़ ही पहचान हैं
गर याद रहे

नाम गुम जायेगा
चेहरा ये बदल जायेगा...

... मेरी आवाज़ ही पहचान हैं
गर याद रहे

~ गुलज़ार

Colorless

A tree was just uprooted
And a new seed was planted.

You're telling me
That nothing will change.
That some things
Are meant to be done.
That it's "a way of life".

But the way I see it-
I have lost my ways
In what you're calling
A way of life.

Impressive Expression

The other day, me and my colleague were reviewing a presentation that was to be given to students and fresh graduates who were about to embark on a journey in the IT industry. There was one slide which talked about having the right attitude. I had an idea to put forth at the time- but I could not put in across as clearly as I would have liked to. And when I read this quote, I was delighted to see that it put my thoughts in the correct set of words:

“It's easy to let life deteriorate into making a living instead of making a life. It's not the hours you put in, but what you put into the hours that counts. Learn to express rather than impress. Expressing evokes a "me too"' attitude while impressing evokes a "so what" attitude.”
~ Jim Rhon

Express v/s impress. A difficult, but very important lesson to learn. And the sooner one learns it, the better. I have an interesting example to give here. I had a colleague who frequently got into petty arguments with people. Over time, I realized what the problem was: he saw every thing as an opportunity to show off his knowledge. Whether it was an interview, a meeting or a general discussion, he assumed it was a chance for him to showcase his talent and expertise. No one ever had any doubts about his knowledge or expertise- everyone has acknowledged long back that this guy was good. But everyone shied away from interacting with him because of his "I know it all" attitude. So in spite of him being so talented, neither could he be of any help to people, nor could he add any value by his presence.

I had talked about this in another post of mine (Clash of the Titans), that after a certain stage, we need to stop asking others to certify our worth. Instead, we need to join this "others" camp and help people understand their worth.

Work on your expression, and your impression will take care of itself.

Influenza

"No no.. I'm not taking any risks. What if we go out and get pelted by stones?! No way- am staying home!!"

Me and my sister had plans with friends today evening- but my sister wouldn't listen. She had already decided. After my initial disagreement- I gave in to her decision and we are now at home. Today is Valentines Day.

So there's this anti-western stand that these supposed keepers of morality (read stone-pelters) have taken over the past few years. They randomly go and damage property at any place that seems western enough to them. Gift galleries, multiplexes, cafes, fast-food joints- you name it and they've broken things there. They apparently believe that Valentines Day is a bad influence.

I am not sure I understand what they're talking about. Valentines Day is a celebration of love! I realize that not everyone takes it in the same spirit , but does that mean that it be banned?! I don't think so. Are we not supposed to be living in a free country?! Who are these people to decide what we do or not? We are not breaking any law by exchanges roses or chocolates or cards. We are just having a good time! We don't give a damn about whether the Valentines Day has come from the West or the East or whatever. Indians are known to be people who love celebrating. And Valentines Day means the same as Sakrant, Holi or Diwali to us- it's a reason for celebration!

I celebrated Valentines Day in office today, and I felt great as I distributed toffees and little heart-shaped paper pin-ups to everyone in my team! Everyone forgot about work, deadlines, schedules and all our worries melted away with the sweet candy as we giggled away with child-like joy. For those 5-10 min, each one of us felt the spirit of togetherness and love. I'll say that we experienced Valentines Day.

Bad influence?!

Time Less

The last time I quoted Casablanca, I had not watched the movie. I am not particularly fond of war stories- I have not been able to finish many epic, bestselling novels which have the backdrop of war. So I was sceptical about Casablanca too. And now I can safely say that all my doubts were totally misplaced.

I started writing this post with a lot of things in mind, which I wanted to put here.. But now as my fingers are running over the keyboard trying to type them- I find that they all fail to match up to what I truly feel about the movie.

I guess that everything that I intended to say, is already captured in that song..

This day and age we're living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like fourth dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's theory,
So we must get down to earth at times
Relax relieve the tension
And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed
You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say, I love you
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by
Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

Yes.. Some things will always remain the same.. As I hear stories of jealousy, adultery, hatred and deceit- I think to myself- are we not looking at just the supposed end of all those stories here? Is it not apparent that all of them must've begun with love? And if only that love had taken the right path, we would have hailed the same stories as stories of faith, courage, perseverance and patience.

As I watched Casablanca, I realized that whether it is Radha and Krishna or Rick and Illsa- they will always continue to inspire people to do the right thing. But what's the right thing? I am afraid that it is not something that can be formulated and published for everyone to follow- it is something that each one has to decide for oneself.

And contrary to popular belief, doing the right thing is not about sacrificing what is precious to you- it is about knowing that what's precious to you would always stay with you, no matter how far it seems. It is to treasure the moments which made it beautiful and to know that ...

... We'll always have Paris..

Identity Management

I was once afraid of people saying, "Who does she think she is?" Now I have the courage to stand and say, "This is who I am."--Oprah Winfrey

You have one life- don't live it pretending to be someone who you are not. Stop trying to derive confidence based on what others think about you. Be yourself. That's the only way to really live- else you are are just living a lie.

Bitter Medicine

If there is one profession I respect a lot- it is medicine. When I stood at the crossroads after 12th std, I knew that I had neither the courage nor the patience to become a doctor. Because doctors are people who have the stamina, patience and courage of around ten average people put together.

But exceptions prove the rule! Along with being one of the most noble professions, doctors aka medical practitioners are also infamous for indulging in money-minting schemes and behaving in an unacceptable fashion.

Today evening, my sister got a very acute headache and my mom rushed her to a doctor who has his clinic close by. My mom has a history of migraine and my sister gets it from her. But since my sister was recently hospitalized and is on other medicines right now, so instead of any self medication, my mom decided to consult a doctor...

"नमस्कार doctor. दुपार पासून खूप डोक दुखतय हीच.. काही सुचत नाही आहे.. सध्या हे औषध चालू आहे आणी.."
"हे घ्या- हे औषध द्या.. चला"
"पण doctor- हे already जे औषध आहे ते..."
"बंद करा... त्यात काय..."
"आणी तिला migraine चा पण आहेच problem ज़रा..."
"काहीतरी बोलू नका.. लहान मुलांना migraine नसत.. तिच्या मनात काहीतरी भरू नका..."

For anyone who does not understand Marathi: the doctor completely snubbed out my mom when she tried to tell him that my sister is already on some medication and that it could be a migraine headache. The doctor said something to the tune of "What do you know?! Kids don't have migraine- don't try to put some silly ideas in her head!!"

At this point, let me mention that my sister is not a small child- she is 19 years old and totally looks her age. Needless to say, Dr. Impatient did not even bother to inquire her age. My mom was silent. I would have probably glared at that doctor and given him a piece of my mind, but because my mom is so patient herself, she continued...

"BP वगैरे काही.. "
"आता काय .. काही गरज नाही- लहानांचा BP वगैरे काही नसत.."

My mom left his clinic, but not before paying an exorbitant amount as the consultation fees.

I don't mean to be unfairly sarcastic. Such exceptions exist in all professions. But it is more critical in a profession like medicine, where it is someone's life and well being which hangs in balance. I realize that doctors are human beings too. They cannot be perfect, polite all the time. Treating and saving lives is a big responsibility and obviously it is extremely stressful. I cannot claim to even imagine what each day in their lives must be like. But does that give them an excuse to behave as they please?! No. It does not. Period. The fact that they get up everyday and go to their clinics and hospitals means that they have made a choice and are living it. And mind you- the doctors that I am talking about are getting handsomely paid for what they do.

Thankfully, I have met more good doctors than not-good ones. So my faith in these good breed of people is still quite intact. All I want to say to all those exceptions out there is:

If you cannot be true to the purpose of what you're doing, if you're not passionate about what you're doing, if you're just doing it for the money, then please don't risk our lives and our faith in your profession by continuing with it.