Moving pictures

"Questions show the mind's range, and answers, its subtlety" ~ Joseph Joubert

These words came to life for me when I (finally!) watched "Harishchandrachi Factory" yesterday. What a beautifully crafted movie - so moving, and yet absolutely no trace of melodrama. Proof of the fact that one need not have slapstick comedy to induce laughter or shedding glycerine tears to induce empathy or emotion ...

Indeed, the mind is such a wonderful thing.. But what's more wonderful is to see that there are minds that are capable of making a direct connection to others, simply using (as Dadasaheb would have said) "halti chitra" (meaning, moving pictures).. There truly could not have been a better tribute to the great mind who started what later became the largest movie industry in the world !!

Needless to say, the pun "moving" in the title is intended.. :)

Crossover

Discovered this beautiful song while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's sometime back. And it was one of those weirdly wonderful moments when you hear something which resonates with your state of mind perfectly..

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
Wherever you're going I'm going your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.

We're after the same rainbow's end--
Waiting 'round the bend,
My huckleberry friend,

Moon River ... and me.

Resonance happens when frequencies match and only the two objects resonating know of it - my soul, and this song..

Let the show BEGIN!

Well.

I did not enter the Voice of Persistent singing contest to lose, so to say. Like all the other participants, I too harbored the not-so-secret ambition of being in the top three, and coming home with a trophy. I knew what a tough fight it would be and given the musically accomplished folks who were going to be singing in the competition. I realized, right at the start, that it would be a great honor just to reach the final five!

And that I did. As my name was announced in the final five list, I was not thinking about the trophy anymore. All I was thinking of was - "Yesssssssss!!! I *will* get to perform the last and final song that I had prepared for!!!".. The final moment came and I performed. Then the super-final moment came and the results were announced.

And then, anti climax.

My name wasn't there in the top three list. I put on a brave face and applauded the winners. Okay, let me be honest and say that I truly was very happy for each one of them, for they totally deserved to be holding those trophies in their hands. But hey! I am human too and for that split second, I felt upset that my hands were too small for that trophy and my voice too weak to reach it..

Kunal was on the stage with me in that very split second. I was looking at him, trying to fight back tears which were threatening to swell in my eyes - ".. so I was hoping I would be third in rank at least.." and he was saying ".. arre yaar.. We knew it from the beginning right? That there would be a very tough chance.. We just wanted to give it our BEST.. And God knows you did that.. Sumi I am proud of you.. The way you sang today, I fell in love with you all over again.. Sach.."

I smiled at his happy face and thought, yes, I did not let him, my best friend, my life partner and my Guru, down. And that's a big prize in itself. I started going backstage to get my bag and other stuff.

That's when it all started.

"Congratulations Priyanka!! That was a MIND BLOWING peformance.."

"Priyanka.. You were the best! I LOVED your songs.. "

".. Kyaa performance thaa yaar.. Mazaa aa gayaaa"

".. and the way you guys sang the duet, you were tempting photographers to click your pics.. Arre yaar tumhaarein photo lete lete memory khatam ho gayi camera ki!!"

".. My god woman! You had the nerve to sing THAT song on THIS stage!! I have forgotten how that song originally sounded after hearing your rendition of it.. You ROCK!!"

I was swarmed by people from all sides!! I knew my team mates would stand by me and that the results would not matter to them.. But I had certainly not expected this level of adulation!! People from all over the auditorium were coming and congratulating me for my performance. People I knew and people I had never ever seen before - all of 'em were shaking my hand and lauding me. There were kids who were waiting to come and shake hands with me and wish me luck!!

Finally the audience started to disperse, but the icing on the cake was yet to come. A very senior and special person came and talked to me after that. This gentleman defies his age in his enthusiasm and quick wit, and especially his memory. He still remembers one of my stage performances, which took place five years back - he still addresses me as "Sonia Gandhi", after the character that I played in that play. He is one of the most revered folks in the company, and he walked up to me and said - "My vote went to you dear! You truly were the best"..

Finally, I was able to go and meet my family and my Mom's joyous face with tiny tears in her eyes said it all - I had already won my prize in the pride that she felt for me!! My sister, who's one of my biggest critics, said it too "I never knew you could sing like THAT!! WOW!"..

When I went to sleep that night, I said to myself - "This was one of the best days of my life.."

I was wrong.

There was a parcel waiting for me in office the next day - it had a rose pinned onto an envelope carrying a beautiful, handwritten letter. It came from one of the prize winning participant's father who deeply appreciated my songs. That letter is now a part of my most treasured things. Sir - if you are reading this - I do not have words to tell you how special that letter will always be to me and saying "thanks" seems too tiny a response to your thoughtful and soulful words..

I always thought I knew what it is like to be rewarded and awarded. But what I was experienced on the evening of the show and the day after, was something totally different. And without a single doubt, it was much more special and personal. The pride and love in Kunal's eyes and on my family's faces, the letter, the overwhelming response I got from everyone in the auditorium - these are all my special prizes, and they are priceless. The first line of that invaluable letter said it right..

"You stole the show, though not the trophy.."

ये जो सिली सिली औंदी हैं हवा.. तेरी याद संग लांदी हैं हवा ....

"अच्छा Priyanka, एक बात बताओ.. अगर किसी के birthday के दिन holiday हो, तो chocolate कब लानी होती हैं?"

"उसके दूसरे दिन.."

"ऑर अगर उसके दूसरे दिन भी छुट्टी हो तो?"

"तो फिर उसके पिछले दिन"

"तेरी तो ... मैं तो आज chocolate लाया ही नहीं!! "

"तेरा birthday हैं?? कब हैं??"

"कल.. चलों कोई नहीं.. Monday को आ जायेंगे.. "

Monday आ गया हैं Sumit... अपना वादा पूरा कारों. हमारे लिए chocolates लेकर आओं... Sumit...? Sumit?? कहाँ हो तुम?? Cubicle में क्यों नहीं हो? कहाँ हो यार??

अरे यार देखो अब नाटक मत कारों.. कितने सारे काम पड़े हैं!! वोह Axis २ का कोड merge करना हैं - तुम्हें बोला था मैंने उस branch में मत checkin करना- पर बात तो माननी हैं नहीं तुमने!! Selenium के testcases review करवाने हैं तुमसे.. और वो तुमने Sonali के setup का organization delete कर दिया फिर से - डंडे पड़ने वाले हैं तुम्हें अब बस!! इतने दिनों पहले तुम्हें parties की list दी थी manage करने के लिए- वोह भी अधूरी पड़ी हैं!! डांट खाओं बस अब सबकी!!!

अरे!!! जवाब क्यों नहीं देते? कहाँ छुप गए हो?

Kunal कब से call कर रहां हैं तुम्हें - नीचे बुला रहां हैं.. तुम phone क्यों नहीं उठा रहे हो यार?? Eventwadi के coordinators next event की meeting के लिए कब से तुम्हें बुला रहे हैं.. आख़िर तुम उनके best volunteers में से एक हो!!

कहाँ चलें गए हो यार?? देखो.. अब बहुत तंग कर लिया हमें.. अच्छा chocolates को छोडो.. सब काम छोडो.. सिर्फ़ तुम आ जाओं.. अब आ जाओं बस..

तुम्हारें बिना मन नहीं लग रहां हैं.. हम सब तुम्हें miss कर रहे हैं.. "अच्छा एक बात बताओ" सुनने के लिए कान तरस गए हैं.. तुम्हें ढेर सारे सवाल लेकर Cubicle में आता हुआ देखना चाहते हैं हम.. तुम्हारी total Punjabi accent वाली बातें सुनना चाहते हैं हम.. "भूख लगी हैं.. कुछ खाने के लिए हैं क्या" कहने वाला कोई नहीं हैं अब. देखो तो.. Sonali तुम्हारें लिए डब्बा भर कर पराँठे लायी हैं तुम्हारें favorite वाले.. Niraj के डब्बे में नमकीन भी हैं.. आओं तो..

तुम हमसे रूठ तो नहीं गए हो किसी बात से?? तुमने उस दिन कहा था ना के घर जाना हैं और छुट्टी चाहिए तुम्हें? तुमने कहा था के "अगर इस बार छुट्टी नहीं दी तो मैंने नहीं आना वापस".. तुम्हें जितनी चाहिए उतनी छुट्टी दिलवा देंगे यार.. तुम बस वापस आ जाओं please..

please Sumit.. please वापस आ जाओं.. तुमने मुझे वादा किया था ना Sumit - के मेरी शादी की चूडियाँ तुम अमृतसर से लाओगे मेरे लिए.. तुम अपना वादा ऐसे नहीं तोड़ सकते.. तुम्हें वापस आना ही होगा.. हम सब के लिए.. क्यों तुम्हारें बिना ज़िन्दगी बेरंग हो गई हैं.. सब कुछ रुखा हो गया हैं..

जानती हूँ तुम इस वक्त मुस्कुरा कर कह रहे हो.. "ओये कोई नहीं - मैंने कभी दूर नहीं जाना - वहीं पर हूँ मैं.." जानती हूँ के तुम्हारी जिंदादिली तुम्हें कभी हमसे दूर नहीं होने देगी.. और तुम अगर चाहो भी तो हमसे दूर नहीं जा पाओगे.. क्योंकि तुम्हारें साथ बिताया हुआ हर एक पल इतना यादगार हैं के भूल पाना किसी के बस की बात नहीं.. तुम हमेशा हमारे दिलों में रहोगे .. जानती हूँ के जब भी हम तुम्हें याद करेंगे, तुम्हें हमारे पास ही पायेंगे.. सच

Sumit died in a freak road accident on 1st May 2009, his 23rd birthday. I have not known him for more than 8 months, and yet, he was and will remain one of my closest friends. Not only was he a beloved friend, he was one of the nicest human beings I have ever met. I never saw him frown even once in all of the 8 months I have known him. My ever smiling kiddo was the sharpest of the lot.

This is for you Sumit. We all will miss you, we have been crying like babies for the last two days you know, and while the tears have still not stopped, we know you would never want to see us crying.. We will always cherish the time that you spent with us.. And if we have been able to muster up the courage to smile today, it is just because of you.

Sumit Kumar Choudhary
1st May 1986 - 1st May 2009

Homecoming

I can hear the question that most people reading my blog have: Where have I been? Why have there been no blog posts since the last five months or so!

The answer is short. Instead of experiencing life by writing about it, I've been experiencing it by living it!

And I've realized that it's stupid to act as if something that you truly want is not important. Especially when you're assuming it to be insignificant based on what someone else wants you to believe.

For instance, more than one person has said this to me, that having a person you love be with you, does not mean everything (if anything at all) in life. And as I realize now, not surprisingly, these people were the ones who refused to stand by me. Convenient ehh? :)

Today I would like to take this opportunity to inform all those losers, that it's a wonderful feeling to have a special someone stand by me! And in fact, I must thank them all for not standing by me or in my way, else I would have missed out on the real bliss that I have now found.

It's very easy to talk about faith - it's very difficult to keep it. And as I taste the wondrous essence of love now, I remember a poem titled "One of these days" that I had written a long long time back. It ended with something like:

On the shore- gazing at the the ocean- day and night I sit...
The wait is long and painful- but every bit worth it.
Over and over I hear it- as the wave solemnly says-
"You will be the ocean I return to- one of these days"

The day is here.

Alive

As all layers of dust
Started coming off
I knew it to be true
All you need is
A tune to sing along
Whenever you're feeling blue

As fingers danced
Up n' down
On those six strings
I saw how much
Joy and spirit
A single chord brings

Hour after hour
Song after song
Melodies, left and right
Yes, it was miracle
That I saw unfold
In my soul last night..

Set your music free - you never know whom it touches and gives life to..

Revival

I know there's something

Special in this world

When I see

Flowers blooming by the road side

Even as smoke

Threatens to suffocate them

I know there's something
Special in this world
When I see
The sun shining every morning
Even as twilight
Threatens to drown it at dusk

I know there's something
Special in this world
When I see
The wind flowing effortlessly
Even as skyscrapers
Threaten to obstruct it

I know there's something-
Something very special
In this big wide world
When I see
Hope
Conquer everything
That comes in its way

...
Believe.

Get set GO!!

While sorting out my book rack- I found some old paper cuttings. I have had this hobby ever since I started reading newspapers. Whenever I came across some interesting articles or abstract art, I would cut them out and put them in a file-folder, so that I could make a scrapbook out of them. Then I got busy, and though the pile of cuttings kept on growing, they never made their way into a scrapbook.

The following excerpt. from a column called Points To Ponder from a very old edition of Reader's Digest, caught my attention:

When I was a Boy Scout, we played a game when new Scouts joined the troop. We lined up chairs in a pattern, creating an obstacle course through which the new Scouts, blindfolded, were supposed to manoeuvre. The Scoutmaster gave them a few moments to study the pattern before our adventure began. But as soon as the victims were blindfolded, the rest of us quietly removed the chairs.

I think life is like this game. Perhaps we spend our lives avoiding obstacles we have created for ourselves and in reality exist only in our minds. We're afraid to apply for that job, take violin lessons, learn a foreign language, call an old friend, write to our legislator - whatever it is that we would really like to do but don't because of perceived obstacles.

Don't avoid any chairs until you smack into one. and if you do, at least you'll have a place to sit down.
~ Pierce Vincent Eckhart

As I went through this and the other cuttings- I thought- it's never too late to begin. And I started a new scrap book just some time back.

Go for it people. The time is now.

Tyohaaron kee kaun jaat?

I read the following article in The Times of India in its edition dated 19th Oct 2007:

Durga For All - Abantika Ghosh

It was that terrible time in every teenager’s life — the period before the Class XII pre-board examinations. Puja had just ended and some of us friends were waiting for our English tutor to arrive, contemplating the horrible things that were going to happen to us when we sat for our papers a month later after the five days of mindless revelry. There was just one composed person in the room — my classmate Emmanuel. He made a smug statement: “Nothing can happen to me. I will pass with flying colors’’. What audacity, we thought. “What makes you think so?’’ was the almost instant and disgusted chorus. “Aami thakur tulechi (i lifted God)’’ was the answer. It took a while to register. And then we realized. His supreme confidence stemmed from the simple fact that he had helped organizers of his neighborhood Durga Puja lift the 12-odd-foot idol onto the podium and he hoped to clear the examinations by the grace of Devi Durga. He was dead serious about it. He had managed to silence us. He was the only Muslim in the room, and also the only one who had been so actively involved in the religious aspects of the Puja.

After 31 heady Durga Pujas, this has come to be my everlasting Puja memory, even though the incident did not happen during those precious five days filled with the intoxicating fragrance of new clothes, bamboo pandal, dhuno and everything else all true-blue Bongs associate with the festival. It is special because it drove home the real essence of the festival — the fact that it is not about religiosity at all. In fact, it was fairly late in life that i grasped the religious connotations of the festival. As a child it had been all about this superwoman who looked pretty and meant five days of no studies. Puja is a celebration of culture, a celebration of everything beautiful, including falling in love with your sari-clad classmate at 16 and exchanging furtive glances in the midst of drumbeats during the aarati. One does not have to be a Hindu or Bengali to enjoy the delights of the Puja. All one needs is the willingness to join the festivities with gusto. Because the Puja is a celebration of life.


It was just a week back that we had gone and had enjoyed lip-smacking, authentic Hyderabadi Biryani and an equally delicious preparation of Sheer-Kurma in Amma's small, freshly painted room, on the occasion of Ramzan Eid. Amma is the house maid who works at our place.

It is Dussera today- and my mom offered some sweets as prasad to Amma when the latter came to our place in the morning. Amma did not hesitate at all- she removed her footwear and took the pallu of her saaree over her head as my mom put the prasad in her hands.

As I watched it all, I realized that the place has changed- the occasion has changed- the delicacy has changed- but the essence of celebration and the festive spirit has remained the same. And that it has nothing to do with where one was born- which language one speaks or which form of God one worships.

Because the joyous spirit of a celebration has no caste- no creed- no religion. As the title for this post asks- "Tyohaaron kee kaun jaat" - meaning- "What is the caste of a festival?".. Amen!

Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Dusseraa :)

The Invisible Man

Mahatma Gandhi...

A name synonymous with ahimsa. A name which has spawned a series of philosophies, a score of super-hit movies and which still finds a place in all major political speeches in India.

I am not a Gandhiwadi. Yes- I look upto Gandhiji- like most Indians do. But I have never been a strict follower of him or his ideas. The simplest example- "Ek gaal par yadi koi thappad maarein- to doosraa gaal aagein badhaaon.." I think I will find it extremely difficult to follow this. If someone does slap me on one cheek- depending on the size of that person- I would either slap back or I would retreat.. I wouldn't really offer my other cheek to be slapped..

All to say that- I respect this great man- and he is a force to reckon with. But that's about it. What I am trying to say in politically correct terms, is that I am essentially indifferent about it.

All that indifference changed in a single moment yesterday.

I was working on a professional assignment which involved monitoring the mailing of a newsletter. In the process of doing so- me and my colleague needed to go through the messages which were a part of the mailing. Being a newsletter- it had a weekly summary of some individual opinions about various topics. And one of those topics was about the Mahatma himself. As a few expletives in that particular section caught our attention, we went ahead to read the whole article and at the end of it- we both were dead silent.

As we read that revolting text which compared the Mahatma with Osama and Bush and others we felt sick. Suddenly the empty office walls seemed to close in on us as our blood boiled with anger. But of course- being professionals we quickly closed the window and resumed with the monitoring. "Oh- this stat has increased- that's a good sign.. Hmm- we'll need to change the config here a bit"

But we both knew- that inside us- we both were terribly upset and hurt after reading that message. We both avoided talking about it- but that one moment of pained silence was enough to say it all- it hurt!

The Mahatma- albeit invisible- made me feel his presence. And the invisibility made him more powerful than any tangible force. Yesterday I understood how implicit some things are. We do not realize how much they matter to us till we see them being brought up in an undignified manner.

As for the individual who had all that nonsense say to about Mahatma Gandhi- I know that beating him up won't help and suddenly- Gandhiji's ahimsa starts making sense... So here's what I pray for that bird-brained lost soul:

Raghupati raghav raja ram
Patit paavan sita ram
Ishwar allah tero naam
Sabko sanmati de bhagwan..

Rock n Roll...

When we are sad- God always sends us some joy wrapped up as a gift. We just need to keep our heart open and see these gifts and open them up- and viola- the happiness is all ours to have... :)

One of my colleauges just sent this song called "I hope you dance" to me- out of the blue- just like that. And listening to it made me smile instantaneously! Thanks Duy- you made my day.. And yeah- though I truly believe that I have two left feet when it comes to dancing- this song does make me wanna dance! :)

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance...

- A song performed by Lee Ann Womack

And yeah- never wait for fate to ask you for a dance... When you feel like it- just go ahead and.. Dance! :)

Teachings of Life

5th Sept was celebrated as Teachers Day all over India. It reminded me of my school and college days when I used to make cards for all my teachers.

This Teacher's Day I thought of all those teachers who created a permanent impression on me. And a huge string of names started tumbling down from memory. I guess I cannot put down the whole list here. All the names that came to my mind included teachers starting from my pre-nursery to final year of engineering, family, my seniors in college and colleagues at my workplace. I was thinking to myself- wow- I have learnt so much from so many people. And suddenly I thought- so who is my favorite teacher of all..? And the answer was immediate and unanimous.

Life

It has given me experiences which taught me more than a hundred books. It has thrown up questions which I struggled through- but when I went past them- the satisfaction that I felt was better than any rank prizes or medals. It has taught me important lessons in faith and courage that no amount of logical reasoning could have explained or put forth. And the best part is- this teacher does not stop teaching me as I change places or positions or phases. It always has something or the other to teach me through everything that it brings with itself.

Happy Teachers Day!

Past Tense - Future Perfect

I have two options.

I can run away from the situation and pretend as if nothing has happened. That would be simple to do. Like starting a new fresh blog- which has no history of the old one.

OR

I stay here and face the situation. Not fight it- simply accept it. Like staying on the same blog. Just write new posts. Slowly over time- the new ones will start filling up the blog.. And there will be a time when there will be so many of these new ones that the old ones will be difficult to find. Then they will be gone in the true sense. As they say- the opposite of love is not hate- it is indifference.

I choose the second option. It's the more difficult one- but I know that it's only one that will work. No pretension- and complete submission to the truth. The truth is not simple to accept. But it is worse to have ghosts of incomplete truth haunting the soul. Let the truth be out there in the open. It will be difficult to digest- the first few instants-days-months-years.. But the peace that comes after that will be complete in all senses. No unsaid things- no half truths- and no unanswered questions. Just acceptance.

Acceptance of the fact that no one has a clean slate. Each person whom we meet throughout our lives has a life before me meet him or her. And that life is past. What we live with these people is the present and the future. And that is in our hands. The past has happened. It's gone, over and done with. There's no changing it.

But lets's not jeopardize the future over the past. Let's promise ourselves that we will build our future on top of the present moment. And the past has no role in it. Period.

The blog stays. New posts have begun :)

Undercurrents

Never underestimate the strength of silent faith.

Dying sunshine...

I am sure many people must have seen the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A character (the receptionist to the memory-eraser doc) in the movie mentions the quote from which the title of the movie is derived:

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

This quote is actually a prose from a popular poem called Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope. It's a long one- and a very dark and sad one. It creates a dreary picture in the mind- a dream turning into a nightmare- joy being just an illusion while sorrow is the cold truth.

I found the complete poem here. A word of caution- this is written in 18th century English and not everyone might understand or like the constitution or the style of expression. Also, some part of the prose that I have put below in this post is not in the same order as in the original poem.

Want to try your emotional strength? Read this poem when you are upset. I happened to read it at a time when I was not in my happiest moods- and it took me deeper into it till I thought I would not see light at all...

Far other dreams my erring soul employ,
Far other raptures, of unholy joy:
When at the close of each sad, sorrowing day,
Fancy restores what vengeance snatch'd away,
Then conscience sleeps, and leaving nature free,
All my loose soul unbounded springs to thee.
Oh curs'd, dear horrors of all-conscious night!
How glowing guilt exalts the keen delight!
Provoking Daemons all restraint remove,
And stir within me every source of love.
I hear thee, view thee, gaze o'er all thy charms,
And round thy phantom glue my clasping arms.
I wake — no more I hear, no more I view,
The phantom flies me, as unkind as you. I
call aloud; it hears not what I say;
I stretch my empty arms; it glides away.
To dream once more I close my willing eyes;
Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise!
Alas, no more — methinks we wand'ring go
Through dreary wastes, and weep each other's woe,
Where round some mould'ring tower pale ivy creeps,
And low-brow'd rocks hang nodding o'er the deeps.
Sudden you mount, you beckon from the skies;
Clouds interpose, waves roar, and winds arise.
I shriek, start up, the same sad prospect find,
And wake to all the griefs I left behind.

Yet here for ever, ever must I stay;
Sad proof how well a lover can obey!
Death, only death, can break the lasting chain;
And here, ev'n then, shall my cold dust remain,
Here all its frailties, all its flames resign,
And wait till 'tis no sin to mix with thine...

But it is only in my darkest moments that I have found the courage to go on with even more determination! The pessimism in the poem acted like an antidote for my depression. It charged me up enough for me to smile and believe that Sab achchhaa hogaa :)

Flying high

Spread your wings and reach beyond the boundaries.

Limit yourself to nothing, strive for all.
For in that reaching,
You just might find that you have grasped;
All that will bring you happiness and completion.
- S. W. Murphy

When I passed out 12th std, my uncle gifted me a small frame with a picture of a soaring eagle, and a message on it- "You cannot know how high you can fly till you spread your wings". I liked the picture a lot and I put it on my study desk. It has inspired confidence in me in some difficult times as I made my way through four years of engineering.

I left that frame on my desk back at home when I started working in Pune. But the frame and its message have not left me ever. There have been times when I have been wary of doing some things- but once I started with the task- I realized how naturally it came to me and that it was not as difficult or impossible as it initially seemed to be. All I needed to do was spread my wings and I realized that I could indeed fly!