tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35302008057012968032024-03-04T05:56:37.573+05:30DREAMZZ...Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-76455020035889809512023-07-07T07:53:00.000+05:302023-07-07T07:53:28.324+05:30Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Yes. Pronounce this title and you get a chance to spend a lovely evening with me. I know, not a very promising prize. You would rather not pronounce it. So, what is it?</span></p><br /><span style="font-size: 16px;">Living a generally mundane life, I saw the Whatsapp status video of my mentor (for all practical purposes) in the writing area and my daughter's Creative Writing teacher - Anupama Dalmia, where she was playing this "guessing" game. The question was - which is that word in English Dictionary/language which was actually a song but it became so popular that it was included in the language. And the video ended there...</span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 16px;">With my limited exposure and love for English songs, I made no efforts and asked for the answer. She - equally aware of my limitation - immediately gave me the answer. And it was S</span><span style="font-size: 16px;">upercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It took me a few seconds to figure it out that it was not a typing mistake and I asked for the Youtube link, if available. She sent me that too. My mind was blown away. Whoever thought of that word and the lyrics of the song, who composed it, who sang it... </span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 16px;">Such a small thing but it got me excited as a child. </span>
<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 16px;">Once, a family friend and a life coach, told me. Our brain needs to be challenged and indulged into something new every now and then. You go to office from the same route every day. Try a new route some day. You use your right hand to brush your teeth. Try brushing them with your left hand some day. See the fun. I did some of these things and I was totally amazed. I think doing such things actually increases your concentration amd makes you stay in that moment, which is something very important. Thinking of 10 other things while doing that one thing actually increases anxiety and lack of concentration. So when I was brushing my teeth with left hand, my mind was totally into it. No other thoughts. But our resistance to do things differently also increases with our age. In fact, seeing somebody do something differently makes us (at least me and a few others that I know) irritated. Young kids are the best example. If I make some stupid sound or a gesture, my baby boy burst into laughter and I am like, hello, what was so funny about it. But he likes it. The babies use the 'tools' that we give to them in unimaginable ways. Give them a spoon and they may use it as a tool to do everything but to eat. Thats curiosity. Unfortunately, our curiosity slows down as we age. </span><!--/data/user/0/com.samsung.android.app.notes/files/clipdata/clipdata_bodytext_230707_073959_152.sdocx-->Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-58443188598563165462021-01-20T22:33:00.002+05:302021-01-20T22:33:49.858+05:30I am on a BREAK<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIGlFVfuKQnftBmWgO5bHmakrHZ3tmPPR_ceq7vNev6TVWrmH5nTAlqMEUbmyu3-7NS_B_ecxYzRkSp5S4GRGVB6q4Zgp8SllP8wGGP3wmdEO-GeXZg8yjDvZKVWYR9aadBbFLD0ak9mI/s1280/1611158110238_I+am+on+a+break.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIGlFVfuKQnftBmWgO5bHmakrHZ3tmPPR_ceq7vNev6TVWrmH5nTAlqMEUbmyu3-7NS_B_ecxYzRkSp5S4GRGVB6q4Zgp8SllP8wGGP3wmdEO-GeXZg8yjDvZKVWYR9aadBbFLD0ak9mI/s320/1611158110238_I+am+on+a+break.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>This is something that I wrote within 4-5 minutes for a Daily Prompt from a Bloggers' platform but due to some issue, could not get published there...<p></p><p>Prompt word for the day was BREAK...</p>Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-36820724161313307962021-01-16T20:40:00.003+05:302021-01-16T20:40:14.289+05:30Part 1: The Unnamed Caregiver<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The first “Human of my life” that came to my mind
the moment I thought about this series was someone who took care of me, without
being asked to do so, during my pregnancy. Since this episode happened during
my pregnancy, I wanted to share this beautiful story with several other fellow-mommies and that’s why I had posted it on another online platform that is exclusively
for the Mothers – Momspresso.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Here is the link to the first part - <span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></span><span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><u>https://www.momspresso.com/parenting/nikita/article/humans-of-my-life-part1-the-unnamed-caregiver-7iqpmo18cftg</u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCkQmliaCrr3YVZKjTyeWThLPedhhzPvK2m3151t-ylSl8GqaEmzdqUc-qHuvAHVW2qwvuQK3tI_CaOfeNVGzvBC2xDW5v4m21K0oM3M4d74G7RzZ412QOEnSPlFp_L7SVxneALSrkvon/s1000/Coconut+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCkQmliaCrr3YVZKjTyeWThLPedhhzPvK2m3151t-ylSl8GqaEmzdqUc-qHuvAHVW2qwvuQK3tI_CaOfeNVGzvBC2xDW5v4m21K0oM3M4d74G7RzZ412QOEnSPlFp_L7SVxneALSrkvon/w400-h225/Coconut+water.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p>Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-32973808312764933792021-01-16T20:36:00.003+05:302021-01-16T20:37:45.330+05:30New Series - The Humans of My Life<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;">Life is short and
unpredictable. We keep coming across life coaches who suggest we to not wait to
do something in our lives but just do it. Many of us have even seen that
happen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana;">In our everyday busy
lives, we are so engrossed with our mundane jobs that we rarely get time to
take a pause, appreciate little things around us that give us joy. We are
surrounded by news of dangerous crimes and criminals that we just cannot see
some beautiful people who might have selflessly helped us in some way. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">I, too, have several
instances where I kept on thinking about calling someone and talking to them or
reaching out and convey my heartfelt gratitude to them and regretting my
laziness as I lost touch with these people or lost them forever.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><i>“I will call her on this
Saturday”</i>, I thought to myself very recently, only to know that she left us
forever on Friday – a day before I was <i>thinking</i> to call her.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><i>“I will retire after
3 years Nikita and I am not going to miss even one single Bharatanatyam
performance of my daughter”,</i> said my ex-Manager, only that a massive cardiac-arrest took him away forever the very next morning.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">I cannot undo what I
have done, or rather not done. However, what I can do now is to think about and
express my gratitude towards these angels and heroes of my life – <b><i>The Humans of
My Life</i></b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">
In this series – The Humans of My Life – I am going to share the stories of
several strangers who I might have met just for a day or over a period of time
and they helped me in some way or the other and left a major mark on my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OACbP8yQhrD2to4qj7DNBKktt_XFa8m7mnchg-ryoazEL-vYsvidm3FuPjIDDJCBiiCICdQSHZQfumqzYmxwgi42Ir6bVZ4OPzd3SwLY6ehOxG9aqtvbLO_88nxH4H2jSl0PWcucCXuR/s626/People.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="626" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OACbP8yQhrD2to4qj7DNBKktt_XFa8m7mnchg-ryoazEL-vYsvidm3FuPjIDDJCBiiCICdQSHZQfumqzYmxwgi42Ir6bVZ4OPzd3SwLY6ehOxG9aqtvbLO_88nxH4H2jSl0PWcucCXuR/w400-h400/People.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><br /><p></p>Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-38042799383416800742021-01-12T22:31:00.002+05:302021-01-12T22:31:40.335+05:30A grand funeral<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Guys. I have sad news for all of you”, said Swatee to her group.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f2e3d97-7fff-8322-f711-9a01c106b507"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Group - It was a group of five, nicknamed <b><i>SAVAN</i></b>, using the first letter of the names of each of the members in the order of their ages. <b>S</b>watee, <b>A</b>nkur, <b>V</b>ipul, <b>A</b>nurag, and <b>N</b>ikki. They were cousins. Swatee, Ankur, and Anurag were real siblings while Vipul and Nikki were the children of their aunty. All of them were very close to each other and most of their summer vacations were spent together.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everybody looked up as Swatee announced the sad news.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What is it?”, asked Ankur</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He is no more. I just checked on him”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh no. I knew something was wrong with him. He was sitting still for a long time there. God knows if he passed away when we saw him yesterday night. You guys did not let me go near him. We could have saved him somehow”, said Vipul</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Where is he now?”, asked Anurag</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Still there. In the corner of the garden. I went near him and called out his name many times. When he did not respond, I went close and nudged him. That’s when I realized that he is no more”, explained Swatee. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He must get a very nice burial spot and a grand funeral. Shall we inform our mothers?”, asked Vipul</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No. They won’t allow us to do the last rites. Let’s do it ourselves. How about making his grave right there at his favorite spot - the corner of the garden?”, proposed Ankur</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Won’t our mothers scold us?”, asked the youngest of all, Nikki</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Don’t worry. Now, go and get a cloth to cover him. You can find a white one in my cupboard”, instructed Swatee and Nikki took off.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everybody got up and went outside and made sure that nobody was there. As it was mid of June, the hot weather made sure that all the adults were sitting inside. Nobody can force the kids to stay indoors though. The boys dug the grave at the corner of the garden. By that time, Nikki had already got the white cloth. All of them gave one final teary look to their friend and covered him. Ankur and Vipul picked him up and lowered him in the grave.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They all stood around it and then slowly started covering it with mud. Everyone stood in silence, tears rolling down their cheeks. To everyone’s surprise, Anurag suddenly ran inside and reappeared after some five minutes. He came near all of them, made his way closer to the grave, and planted a flag that he just made, with their friend’s name on it.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Goodbye, my friend. Rest in peace”, said a teary-eyed Anurag</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone shared their memories about him and occasionally had a brief laugh thinking about the precious moments spent with the departed soul.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He always liked this corner. Whatever the season be, however hot or cold it might be, we could always find him here”, remembered Ankur</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“And he instantly became our friend, isn’t it? None of us hesitated to play with him the moment we saw him”, said Vipul</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes. May he rest in peace”, finally said Swatee and placed some fresh flowers near the grave</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Nikki, won’t you say anything for him?”, asked Vipul</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ummm… I… What do I say? He was very friendly and free-spirited. Always jumping and hopping around. Do you all remember his long tongue? I freaked out when I first saw him catching that big mosquito with his tongue. I wish we could have played a little longer with him. He used to play hide & seek with us here in the garden and it was always so difficult to spot him, for his green color. I’ll miss playing with him now. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goodbye dear friend, Froggie”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And SAVAN bid adieu to their friend, a green frog, who they had fondly named as Froggie.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUFoACWjsAlomdOKm7rzzv5iNbO5AaCjcXqddf8KbfEkYVsQqggi_P2vbhMB1Cc8ugYY9lKHPMiMWRupy1TSWDT5Xamm8Pb1EfkFmQL8ZTPx8tVnzsRoJztwMvSIKbIXF9UyfPb-wU24Z/s500/Funeral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="500" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUFoACWjsAlomdOKm7rzzv5iNbO5AaCjcXqddf8KbfEkYVsQqggi_P2vbhMB1Cc8ugYY9lKHPMiMWRupy1TSWDT5Xamm8Pb1EfkFmQL8ZTPx8tVnzsRoJztwMvSIKbIXF9UyfPb-wU24Z/w400-h305/Funeral.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><p style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ab24507d-7fff-8f76-d041-d66c99114c3e"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is what our childhood was made of. Memorable summer vacations and stories to narrate to our next generation and laugh about them. This story is part fiction and part real. The real part is that we did name our group as SAVAN and had also performed the funeral of a frog. But we were not that dramatic in those days. We still are not!</span></span></p><p></p></span>Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-88994064438296548082020-12-02T22:29:00.004+05:302020-12-02T22:29:21.524+05:30The Baarat Mix<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last week there was a wedding or maybe many weddings nearby. We know it from the music that would start every now and then. One day, the loud music went on till late night. It was our time to sleep and Navyaa was getting irritated with that noise. We kept on trying to sleep however it was not helpful since the music was too loud. All of a sudden, Navyaa blurted out and asked - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“aaaah. Mumma, how can I sleep?” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and without thinking, I just told her - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Navyaa, close your eyes and just imagine that you are dancing in a baarat with that music”.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I have no idea from where I got that and if that really helped or not but she soon fell asleep. The music also stopped 15 minutes past the legally allowable time.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1ad63778-7fff-9512-faf1-ad621f8d22c4"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But that random advice that I gave to Navyaa brought me to my favorite topic - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Great Indian Weddings and the baarat</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. For those who don’t know, it's a procession of singing and dancing family members and friends of the groom from his home to the girl’s home for the wedding ceremony. In North India, many families hire a horse (a mare rather) on which the groom sits and a music band to accompany the Groom and his family. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(for more information - </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraat" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baraat</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, every baarat has a few peculiar participants. You will find them in every baarat. Here is my version of these peculiar characters - baaratis.</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Captain</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reason I have given the name to this particular character is that he is going to be referred to several times. He is the most important character of the baarat.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is he </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Generally, the groom's maternal or paternal uncle or the cousin elder brother or brother-in-law.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traits -</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This person is given some cash by the groom’s father and his responsibility is to ensure that the baarat is getting enough time to dance but also reaches the bride’s place on time. Also, make sure that everyone in the baarat dances. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Captain does not care if someone likes to dance or not but if your body touches his body, his job responsibility says that he has to make you dance.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just not that, he must give the due or undue footage to everyone. He does that by showing off that limited amount of cash to the band members, bringing them closer, telling them to play their best tune for this </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">someone-who-just-touched-me </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">so that this person can get that undue importance for 4-5 seconds. Btw, that cash which he just flaunted, goes back safely inside his suit pocket.</span></p><br /><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A loaded Dad</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is he -</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> He is a dad of a newborn baby or may be a toddler whose wife just thrusts the child onto his lap because she wants to dance in the baarat. This dad also wants to dance but has a constraint in his lap - his child.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traits - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can obviously spot them with a child in their lap. Now, since they also want to dance but the child is in his lap, nobody, including the Captain calls him in the center of all the action - the dance arena. So, this loaded dad slowly keeps on making his way closer to the Captain, with a smile, looking as natural as he can. Just at the right moment, this dad touches the Captain enough to make him turn towards him and urge him to dance. That’s it. He gets his 5-seconds of fame with the band playing some peppy music for this dad to dance. He gets back to his original place just in time before his wife spots him dancing with their child still in his lap, as if nothing happened.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before we move on to our other characters, I must introduce one more party in such baarats. The groom’s family hires a wedding band. However, an uninvited duo of “punjabi dhol wallas” (drums) always join every baarat. These dhols are used to heat up the environment with some high intensity music and dance. </span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 267px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 401px;"><img height="295.0829410904838" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9WX6CHdEhsS880nt01lxhfW25nBN4t9nQMqcZb2olCOWgoAggVNVDLOmJtkoUw8U-VuwS6eQsXBRZmXTfu6YOs75LJR31AAWcK2HO0Qmy7ZJGJXwTmICcKBn-xjPAl9QowwOADoW" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="401" /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Picture only for representation purpose</span></p><br /><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Serpents</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who are they -</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This is the group of the groom’s friends. Most of the time, they are seen and that too hyperactive only during the baarat, dancing inches away from the dhol wallas. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honestly, of all the friends invited by the groom, only one or at max two remains close to him. Rest all are here only to drink and dance</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (and sometimes create unnecessary nuisance, which I hate). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traits -</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> They do not show their exemplary dancing skills with the hired band. They get their energy and purpose to dance like serpents only once the baarat is intruded by the uninvited dhol wallas and they are 6 pegs down. Exactly at this point, the baarat gets divided into 2 or 3 parts. The first group leading the baarat, far far away from the groom who is getting extremely uncomfortable sitting on that mare, is this Serpents group of friends dancing on the tunes of the dhols. The reason I am calling them serpents is that their favorite dance step is when one of the friends puts a handkerchief in his mouth and holds it like a trumpet and the other one lies down and dances like a snake </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Naagin dance, as is popularly known in Hindi)</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This maneuver helps them get some attention </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(and a few photographs in the wedding album).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 225px; overflow: hidden; width: 300px;"><img height="225" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Noq_LFt0h8Z4ooP6poP4guWKfH842TSWQ5e5ukRXytah_wTvlftWecFsyS37PYHl782j56NTuVA3pU_jw70vIBdrXSJQvaDICLpx5RyVjpcMf8nFs7JwHo-pJDIfoH2ZbbH2PbW" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="300" /></span></span></p><br /><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The plain talker </span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is he -</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> He is also one of the friends of the groom. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traits - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He is very popular in his friend circle because he talks a lot and is considered funny. However, he cannot dance (</span><a href="https://youtu.be/dbdtBQ16CXc" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://youtu.be/dbdtBQ16CXc</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When his serpent friends drag him to dance, he wastes a lot of time just to crack several jokes which nobody can hear since the music is very loud and after wasting several minutes and unheard jokes, he raises his hands just when he sees that the photographer has come very close to the group, twist his waist enough to make his friends erupt into a group noise and… that’s it. He vanishes. By doing this, he has made sure that there is evidence that he did dance.</span></p><br /><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unhappy Uncles & Aunties</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who are they -</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Please refer to my previous blog - </span><a href="https://nikitasdreamland.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-lockdown-uncles-aunts.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://nikitasdreamland.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-lockdown-uncles-aunts.html</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traits -</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-left: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are unhappy about everything</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-left: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are not the dancers</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (not even a bathroom dancer, if there is any such thing)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-left: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They do not even have any enthusiasm for dancing</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 35.43307086614173pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, since they are unhappy about everything, they are always angry about the baarat being so late, even if the convoy is well within time. They charge up to our Captain to complain about being late but Captain being Captain. The moment they touch him, as per his job responsibility, he takes out that same note of cash to call the band closer to him, gets these uncles or aunts the required attention and urges them to dance. But they shout at him which obviously he cannot hear and march off. By then, without their knowledge, their two hands had done something to be called as a dance and they were photographed as well.</span></p><br /><ol start="6" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Non-Dancer Uncles & Aunties</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who are they - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are the same as above.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traits - </span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-left: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are unhappy about everything</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-left: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are not the dancers</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (not even a bathroom dancer, if there is any such thing)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; margin-left: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DO HAVE</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the enthusiasm for dancing</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 35.43307086614173pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, they are unhappy not because of the baarat getting late but because our Captain did not even call them to the center stage for dancing. They charge up to our Captain to complain about</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> being late</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> but Captain being Captain. The moment they touch him, as per his job responsibility, he takes out that same note of cash to call the band closer to him, gets these uncles or aunts the required attention and urges them to dance. And that’s it. They dance their hearts out with their two left feet and two left hands, all four of them bouncing off in different directions all at the same time. Once done, they shout at our Captain which obviously he cannot hear and march off. </span></p><br /><ol start="7" style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ladies of the family</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who are they - </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pretty obvious. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traits - </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Generally speaking, a day before the actual wedding ceremony a music and dance night is organised. These ladies have already danced to their hearts’ content last night and now they are wearing almost half of their respective husbands’ and their own bank balances in the form of heavy dresses, jewellery and make-up. Still, they make sure that the Captain gets the band and the dhol wallas to their side of the baarat from time to time so that they can show the same dance moves that they showed last night.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the time our Baarat reaches the bride’s place, are welcomed and people get inside, our uninvited dhol duo catches up with our Captain to now be paid for their uncalled services </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(even though, throughout the procession, they had already pocketed several currency notes from various people)</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Now is the time that the Captain will finally use the limited cash given to him by the groom’s father. But, just not like that. For the last time, the groom’s friends, who are several pegs down, are used in this wedding. Our Captain tells the dhol duo to play their best music to “earn” this cash reward and makes these drunk friends dance. Once either of them gets tired, the cash is handed over to the Dhol duo and our Captain can now enjoy the wedding.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh, any of my cousins (specially, the male ones), please get married immediately after Corona limitations are lifted off. I am badly missing attending the weddings, and the baarat.</span></p></span>Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-58594063380163027992020-11-24T19:49:00.000+05:302020-11-24T19:49:11.755+05:30The Lockdown Uncles & Aunts<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before I get into the actual objects of my post, let me give a quick little background about the real life uncles and aunties that I am going to compare them with.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-889bf0e2-7fff-ab40-4d2e-989f7d0e0a22"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of my North Indian friends would immediately understand. For the benefit of my non-North Indian friends - in every family - immediate or a little distant - there are always those uncles and aunties who are given undue respect specially during a wedding in the family even if they practically do no work except cribbing about almost everything.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So late in serving the dinner”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What kind of return gifts are these? Huh… In my daughter’s wedding, I gave them so much and yet this is what I got”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Food was bland and absolutely cold”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why are they dancing so much on this loud music?”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Chalo, finally he got married, though the girl is just okay in looks. God only knows what did they see in her”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">… and many such useless dialogues.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of the hard work is always done by the groom or bride’s parents, brothers, sisters, sister-in-laws and even friends. This breed of relatives does nothing except such cribbing and yet they are placed on the pedestal by the groom or bride’s parents and showered with gifts.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway. I almost always get pretty excited about weddings and what all goes behind the scenes. But I promise, this post is not about the weddings. I just wanted to give a background of the nature of such </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“unique relatives”</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It’s true that I am missing attending any weddings and the food and the gossip. Shush… Stop… No more wedding talks.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, recently we celebrated the bright Indian festival of Diwali and with Diwali comes a strange tradition of cleaning the house. It’s good in a way but very tiring. This year while taking this annual tradition forward, I gave special attention to some of the things in the house and could not help but compare them with those uncles and aunties that I just explained above. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, everyone of you definitely has at least one such uncle or aunty in your family. Think about them and read the rest of the post.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because of the lockdown and compulsory Work From Home for the majority of us, some of these things have been savagely ignored exactly as the family ignores those uncles and aunties.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #990000;">Wrist Watches - </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love wearing wrist watches and was almost about to give myself one on this birthday but then lockdown happened. Four of our watches (mine and Mr. Husband’s) are placed right in the center of our home. Although, poor fellows have been ignored. Yesterday, after a really long time, I thought to wear one and guess how it behaved? Just like that uncle of yours that you have kept in your mind.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5o-_3nQg19IlRxrCqJ5EnmK54-N5uJSwqYHw2CwsCc17Gb46uhKCyVxQFKAh9bGJt83ZKXoLkEjdCPp805mABr_Th_GEchFedDzYJqL9Zb2bARW_Qj3WYVxJ0ADLnqU5dHpFXuFEs1HLO/s1032/WhatsApp+Image+2020-11-24+at+19.46.42.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="774" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5o-_3nQg19IlRxrCqJ5EnmK54-N5uJSwqYHw2CwsCc17Gb46uhKCyVxQFKAh9bGJt83ZKXoLkEjdCPp805mABr_Th_GEchFedDzYJqL9Zb2bARW_Qj3WYVxJ0ADLnqU5dHpFXuFEs1HLO/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2020-11-24+at+19.46.42.jpeg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I have been here only for several months. You did not even check me or pick me up or wear me. Now, you want to show off. No. I will not work”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Poor fellow did not realize that I already had it’s replacement - the mobile phone.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IGNORED!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #990000;">Formal/Party footwear - </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The doors of our wooden shoe rack expanded when it was raining very hard in Hyderabad. Then they shrunk back to their original size and the cycle repeated a couple of times. However, they were never opened since March 2020 for many months. No office or school, no party or outing - no shoes. Only chappals. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, one day my husband announced that he is taking our daughter downstairs for cycling and she excitedly opened the rack (with great difficulty - saw the face of your uncle?) and tried one pair of shoes after another. None fitted her. All tight.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You forgot that you used to wear me whenever you went downstairs for playing? Now, you have not looked after me for several months. I will not fit in”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Poor party bellies helped her for a few weeks and then we went to Decathlon and got her a new pair of sports shoes. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IGNORED YET AGAIN!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, for Diwali, our cousin invited us over for dinner and I decided to wear my high heels footwear that I bought last December. I lay in the same position for many months and when I took her out, the strap just refused to get back in its shape. It took me some time (read: pleading) to convince it to get back in shape so that I can wear it and take it with me to the party. It obliged. I wore them. Thanked and have stuffed it back in the same place only to be seen next year. Yes, I cheated this “aunty” of mine.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #990000;">Formal shirts/trousers/Indian wear - </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Normally (pre-lockdown) whenever I would clean Mr. Husband’s wardrobe, I would neatly place the formal shirts and trousers on the middle shelf - the most sought after berth of the almirah and the t-shirts would be kept on the top shelf since they were used only on Fridays or weekends. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Similarly, my office kurtas and leggings.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ever since the work from home had started (March, 2020), the new formals are the T-shirts and track pants or shorts and so the positions changed. I know, the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“uncles and aunties” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">felt bad however, those who are helpful would get the best place. Ain't it?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One day I announced to my wardrobe that they are going to get new friends soon since Lifestyle had put up a stall in my apartment’s Club House. My office wears got excited and “proud”. Poor fellows felt </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IGNORED </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">yet again when I introduced them with my new track pants and T-shirts.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Occasionally, I give them some (undue) respect and wear them. They feel happy. Then I wash them, iron them, fold them nicely and back in the cupboard to be seen after many weeks. While I am sweating hard to lose a few kilograms from my body and a couple of inches from my waist, these “uncles and aunties” sitting in my cupboard are praying hard that I gain extra weight and inches so that I could not fit into those. But little are they aware that I can always order big size T-shirts and new relatives (read: kurtis & leggings).</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were several other such “uncles and aunties” in my home (car battery was another one, btw). Tell me what are your “ignored-during-lockdown/WFH” objects or things in your home in the comments section below.</span></p></span>Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-25873004946479975042020-08-22T18:54:00.000+05:302020-08-22T18:54:35.575+05:30The Struggle is Real<div dir="auto"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;">You remember watching those romantic scenes or songs in several Bollywood movies in rain? The heroine looks sensuous and the hero most desirable. The setting and mood takes you to the other world. You are happy, almost immersed in the scene...</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>"What the hell? Close that window. The rain has just changed the direction. Leave that one closed for now. Hurry up or that rain will make our bed wet." </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Did the reality hit you? I hate Bollywood movies for this. The colorful funky colleges, love at first sight, and the romantic rain sequences. All fake.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Come back to the real middle class flat dweller's life and here is how the rainy season looks like:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ol><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The rain does not fall down straight. The serious spell of rain is accompanied with wind and makes it fall in any direction but straight down. For people like us, who took pride in owning the corner flat, it's the payback time. We keep on running around to close and open the windows as per the rain's direction.</div></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">When we were small children, we used to enjoy the smell of the rain. Now, the rainy season does not bring that earthy smell but whatever smell it brings, it sure immerse itself into everything. The cloths, the food, the books, the bed-sheet, the cupboard, the child, parents, husband, myself - everyone and everything carries the same smell - of dampness.</div></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">For a mother of a 6 yo, the only part of the flat that provides some privacy and "me time" is the washroom. Take your phone or take your book or just nothing but closing the washroom door's latch brings that relief. Come rain and the wooden doors swell up. They just refuse to close. Now, I am forced to use the washroom for its original use. No more that peaceful corner cos the door does not close. </div></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The ginger tea... Wow. Is it? When the monsoon gets in the full swing, 90% of the family members start coughing. Now the ginger is not used to make tea to accompany the <i>pakodas</i> but to make the <i>kaadha</i> for the coughing members. </div></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">You sure feel sleepy or you want to spend some cozy time in your bedroom. Nah ah. Your bed, the chairs and any available space that you can see has your cloths spread out. The cloths washed today takes a free trip of the entire house throughout the day and finally is ready for you to wear after 4 days. If you are in hurry to wear them, iron them up.</div></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: justify;">How much time you spent to decide the color and texture of your walls? Thoughtfully handpicked wall decorations... Well, the continuous rain has left a sweet love bite on your walls. You see that? That wet damp patch. </div></span></li></ol></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hollywood movies are one step ahead. Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Titanic and so on. How much water they might have wasted to shoot them? Anyway. In those Hollywood movies, their phones continue to work even when they have been getting wet. My bloody phone starts misbehaving even when I pick it up with 3 wet fingers! Their cars, phones, guns, heroines - everything works. Here, just seeing the clouds, our Tata Sky and electricity goes off. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And the most irritating moment award goes to - when the sky goes pitch dark and it starts with a drizzle. You start feeling happy. You dash out to take the cloths stand inside to save your almost dried up cloths from getting wet again. It rains for.... full 3 minutes and then the clouds fly away and the sun smiles back at you. Almost mockingly. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No power, coughing family members, damp flat full of wet cloths and closed windows and doors. That's what the real monsoon looks like. I am not </div><div style="text-align: justify;">even talking about the flood hit areas. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Rim jhim gire saawan"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Jo haal dil ka"</div><div style="text-align: justify;">....</div><div style="text-align: justify;">....</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">like, seriously?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div> Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-29490139674908793662020-06-18T15:59:00.001+05:302020-06-18T15:59:52.489+05:30Hats off to the Teachers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alright. So many a times my
husband had suggested me to take up the teaching job. Though, I had almost
every time declined it since I am struggling with my one child at home and
cannot even fathom the thought of being surrounded by 20 toddlers or teenagers.
But secretly even I wanted to take up teaching since I am very good at giving
the <i>gyaan</i> and “explaining” things in real good details. I know, that’s
not the only attribute of being a teacher. The most important quality that one
must possess, especially if you want to teach pre-primary or primary students,
is PATIENCE, which I clearly lack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway. With COVID hit situation
around the world, my daughter was lavishly enjoying her “holidays” and being
away from school and seeing her parents 24 X 7 around her. Suddenly, to her
utter shock, her school announced starting virtual classes. No, it was not her
who was shocked, it was her mommy, uhhhh – I. She was happy but we were
apprehensive about those virtual classes, that too she got the afternoon slot
of 12:15 till 3:00 PM. For the first time in probably five years, I really
liked my husband’s work schedule which starts post-lunch. For all these years,
I would hate it. But his schedule means that most of the days, he could lend
his laptop for our daughter’s classes and be around her instead of me. But an
invisible pact signed among us – first preference, Mr. Husband’s laptop and
time; second – mine and if both of us have any meetings/urgent office work,
then it’s her grandmother’s iPad and she would go through the torture of being
around her. Errr… I mean, she would be around her if she needs any assistance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Day 1</b> – Connect and Bond session
– went well. Kids were happy, teacher was able to engage them, and we got some
time to feel happy that our daughter is happily eating away her teacher’s head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Day 2</b> – Started off really well.
Were amazed at her teachers’ patience and how they were handling the kids and sometimes
their parents as well, since some of the kids had to also switch the online
links for Language classes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Day 3</b> – Oh, we have settled down
now. All good. I just happened to come to the same room where my daughter was
taking her classes and decided to sit down to have my lunch. That was their
music class. Smiling to myself, I even went back to my school days where my
music teacher would always struggle with me. And that’s when I heard one of the
classmates of our daughter call out for his Music Sir’s attention. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boy – “Sirrrrr”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teacher – “Yes my child”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boy – “Sirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teacher – “Yes beta. Tell me”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boy – “Sirrrr. When will ma’am
(their class teacher) come back? This class is soooooooo boring”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I almost missed the bite and I
and my husband looked at each other with our respective mouths open.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our Daughter – “Yes Sirrrrrrrrrr.
This is such a boring class”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My mouth managed to open even
more bigger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We tried to exchange some
warnings to our daughter with our big wide eyes. She was courteous enough to
put herself on mute and tell us – “what? This is really a very boring class”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we asked her why, since we
saw that she was enjoying the song her teacher was teaching? She was like,
“yeah, I know but its sooooooooooo boring” (while literally making a big round
circle with her head and upper half body).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thankfully, music teacher’s
supporting teacher came to his rescue and engaged the kids by teaching some
virtual classes protocols and igniting some excitement by telling that sir will
now teach the song along with the instrument. Kids came back on track and I
managed to finish up my food. Some kids here and there were like – “Sirrrr, I
want to go to the washroom”, “Sir, I am hungry. I want to have food”, “Sir,
when will this class get over”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Day 4</b> – Again, started off really
well. Kids were showing off how “wonderfully” they spent the weekend. Post lunch
was the Dance class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sir started off by making the
required adjustments to the sound, laptop screen, placing kids away from
laptops and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the boys –
“Sirrrrrrrrrrrrrr”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teacher – “Yes beta. First you
learn these steps and then I will listen to all of you”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boy – “Sirrrrrrrrrrrr”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teacher – “Yes. Tell me”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Boy – “Sirrrr. You are looking
like a girl”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teacher – “Is it? Why do you say
so beta?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>(silence – clearly the boy’s
parent has put him on mute while being hidden away from the camera)<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Teacher – with a smile, he
literally checked himself – trouser all good, t-shirt is fine, shoes all okay.
“Alright beta. Doesn’t matter. Just enjoy the dance”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s just been four days of
virtual classes and I already have two things to share - </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Teachers
have put in immense work and dedication to make sure that they are able to
teach the kids as much as</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">possible
without wasting their year, even if that means working for longer hours by
taking the same sessions twice a day or working even after the classes to
prepare teaching material so that they can pass on the concepts to the kids
virtually as well. Our curriculum and the teaching material were not “virtual ready”
but they had made it. Hats off to all the teachers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Secondly,
I am not going to take up teaching ever. The way our daughter’s teachers have
been handling a group of 15 toddlers with such patience and smiles on their
faces, if I had been in their places, either I would have disconnected the call
or given an earful to them.</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have all sort of parents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of us wanted schools to
start the classes, even if online, since it’s so hard to keep them engaged with
our own office work and any further delay would mean a rushed session for this
year. Some of us do not want online classes since it means “even more” screen time,
or we don’t have proper resources to support online classes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of us think that teachers cannot
get or give the required attention with online classes. Some of us think that
ample attention is being given.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of us see it as the new
mechanism from schools to “extort” more money from us in the name of supporting
infrastructure for virtual classes. Some of us understand that it’s required in
this time when we don’t know when will schools go back to “normal” on-campus
operations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whichever type of parents you may
encounter, know this that we have immense respect for all the wonderful
teachers. Their work has increased manifold. What they would teach once in a
day, they now are teaching twice a day to maintain a small group for virtual
classes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All the resources which they had
in school are now hand-made or managed by them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They have to spend extra time and
so much more effort to prepare teaching material so that they can pass on the
concepts to their students during virtual sessions, which are so different than
physical classroom sessions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The amount of energy spent on
making everyone maintain the decorum, the patience to listen to all the banters
from the students and yet bringing them back on track and getting their
attention to take the huge yearly syllabus forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From our side – whoever can
afford to attend the virtual classes, we should help them by making sure that
our kids – younger or older ones – understands the importance of joining the
classes on time, being on mute when teacher is talking and listening to
instructions properly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s a different time which needs
to be dealt with differently. They are trying their best to teach our kids. We
better respect them and their efforts. Yeah, I do have grievances but that’s with
the school. Not the teachers.</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-64701772280778901982020-06-16T12:12:00.002+05:302020-06-16T12:13:15.613+05:30कौनसी घड़ी थी वो?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="auto">
जाने कौनसी वो घड़ी थी जब दिल मे शादी करने की बात ने जगह बनाई थी<br />
आज तक सोच रही हूँ के वो आग किसने लगायी थी<br />
<br />
कुछ दिन पहले तक रात रात भर जागकार नए तरीके सोचती थी, के आये हुये रिश्तों में कौनसी खामी निकाली जाए <br />
अचानक से मन में ख्याल आया के इस मिठाई को भी चखी जाए <br />
<br />
एक दिन भाभी ने एक रिश्ता ढूंढ के मम्मी पापा को बता दिया<br />
हमने भी बिना सोचे समझे उनमे इंटरेस्ट दिखा दिया<br />
<br />
दिल और पेट में अजीब सी घबराहट तो तब हुई जब थोड़े ही दिनो में माता पिता उनके घर पहुंच गये <br />
पहली बार तब एहसास हुआ के बेटा, अब तो बुरी तरह से फस गए <br />
<br />
भगवान ने भी इतने में हार नही मानी<br />
लड़के की पोस्टिंग उन्हीं दिनो मेरे ही शहर बैंगलोर में करवा डाली<br />
<br />
बात फिर थोड़ी और आगे बड़ी। अंदर से फीलिंग हुई के ये पंगा तो लेना पड़ेगा <br />
हमने सोचा, डरना क्या, कौनसा हमको कोई एक ही बार में देख कर पसंद कर लेगा<br />
<br />
हद तो उस दिन पार हो गई जब लड़के वालों ने मिलने के बाद अगले ही दिन हाँ कर दी<br />
खुद को आईने में देख के भगवान को बोला, आपने तो आज लिमिट ही क्रॉस कर दी<br />
<br />
आँखो के सामने अन्धेरा छाने लगा, फिर भी हमने हार नही मानी<br />
शादी से बचने के अपने पुराने बहानो की लिस्ट बना डाली<br />
<br />
एक एक करके वो बहाने मम्मी को सुनाये<br />
वो हर बहाने को फुल्ल तोस्स (full toss) पे उड़ाये जाये<br />
<br />
"दिल्ली का रहने वाला हैं, कितना कम बोलता हैं"<br />
मम्मी ने कहा के इससे अच्छी बात भी भला कोई सोच सकता है<br />
<br />
शादी से पहले मत निकालो लड़के में इतनी कमिया<br />
वरना शादी के बाद कैसे निकलोगी हर बात में गल्तियां<br />
<br />
2020 में पूरे हो गये हमारी शादी के 10 साल<br />
अभी तक कुछ खास समझ नही आया हैं के किसने किसका किया है ज़्यादा बुरा हाल<br />
<br />
चलती रहे सालो साल गाड़ी हमारी इसी confusion में <br />
वैसे, बेटी पूरा फायदा उठाती हैं हमारी इस situation में <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
- निकिता</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-19388493339362335152020-06-15T23:58:00.001+05:302020-06-16T12:15:28.815+05:30वक़्त कहाँ हैं<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
वक़्त कहाँ हैं किसी के पास दो पल ठहरने का<br />
गौर से देखना अपने दोस्त को, उसके चेहरे को पढ़ने का<br />
वो जो हसी लिये बैठा हैं मेरा दोस्त अपने चेहरे पे<br />
अंदर की है खुशी या ज़रिया हैं गम छुपाने का<br />
वक़्त कहाँ हैं किसी के पास दो पल ठहरने का<br />
<br />
मैने पूछा उससे ऐ दोस्त कैसे हो तुम<br />
उसने हस के कह दिया के बस खुश हूँ मैं, हुँ अपने काम में गुम <br />
मैने उसकी बातों पे विश्वास करके अपने खुद के गम को दबा लिया<br />
यही सोचा के क्या फायदा उसको अपने दुख का भागीदार बनाने का<br />
वक़्त कहाँ हैं किसी के पास दो पल ठहरने का<!--/data/user/0/com.samsung.android.app.notes/files/clipdata/clipdata_200615_235727_662.sdoc--><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
- निकिता </div>
<div class="mobile-photo">
</div>
<div dir="auto">
</div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-962798906051411712020-03-23T17:07:00.000+05:302020-03-23T17:07:13.978+05:30Human Beings - The Trivial Race<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="auto">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To all those</span></div>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who would ignite communal clashes for political gains</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who would smuggle things to make big bucks</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who want more power to rule the "world"</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who would stoop down to unbelievable levels to malign someone for sadistic pleasure</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who would throw acid on any who refuses their proposal</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who would curse and kill a girl child</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who cribbed that their life is hell</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who want more and more money and attention</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who did scams after scams</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who tortured and burnt their wife/daughter-in-law for dowry</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>who run land, sand, drug mafias</i></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>and many more... basically the entire human race who think that they are the supreme race and one of them will rule the entire race and the planet.</i></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you now see that we are such a trivial part of the entire universe?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Image result for small spot Earth in the universe" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQR8fTREg8Fp692vK9mT-x1xbgd7sqf8eGvVx6u0NJyLTjXOXph" title="That tiny spot is Earth. Don't even try to find your Continent, Country, State, City, Land - You are nothing." /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you now see that we are scared to death and confined to our nests because of an invisible virus?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That money, power, fame, land, gold, position, property - nothing, nothing is more precious than being alive, being with the family, being with loved ones.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am ashamed that I was shouting at and fighting with my daughter when I was confined in my room attending to my office calls and all she wanted was to share the frame. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have been sharing jokes and forwards about how difficult it is to work from home with your kids around and how we should become creative in keeping them engaged. I think they were looking for a little bit of our time and yes, engagement. Now that some of us have become creative on how to engage them while we work, I wonder where was this creativity before this forceful confinement?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My company had announced such employee friendly ways to work from home and we are figuring out how to connect with each other and share a laugh and keep everyone engaged and motivated. But the moment we would be back in the offices, all that would matter would be "meet the deliverable". I myself would shut out my daughter if I would work from home under the 'normal' circumstances because that's not an acceptable and I totally agree but I can't help but wonder why can't we be always that empathetic with each other?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This virus has made us empathetic about others - <i>"I should be careful with my habits so I don't transmit it to anyone else and this pandemic is contained and ended."</i> I am being careful for my family and friends, yes, but even for all those fellow human beings whom I come in contact with several times of the day without even realizing it. Yes, we are being overtly cautious but even after this ends, I hope that we all carry this empathy and hygienic habits at least 50% of what we are doing now. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We all clapped for our medics, support staff and several community helpers on 22nd March because they stepped out of their homes to be right in the center of the war zone to keep our lives going. But I clapped for those who did that genuinely and always does - not only in the hour of crisis. This applaud should also hit the hearts of those of the community helpers who does not do their duties sincerely otherwise. Yes, I am not ashamed of calling out that there are several doctors, medics, policemen, teachers and so on who run scams, take bribe and take us for a ride under the name of "I spent so much money on my education and now is the time for me to eat the fruits" theory. All of you have been blessed with a beautiful power to heal, safeguard and nurture this world. Yes. I clapped for you all also. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">once all of this comes to an end and we step out back onto the streets and to our workplaces, I wish all of us to step out as a lot more humble and thankful people.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mother Earth is using up this time to rapidly recuperate from all the pollution and exploitation that we had been subjecting her to since several years non-stop. Animals are roaming around fearless because they know they will not be killed/poached. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Human race has done a lot of damage to their own home and almost every century has given us one big tight slap to introspect our actions. We cry, we suffer, we blame God and we are forgiven but every time we come out of that crisis, we come out even more meaner. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All the mafias would be back in the business, all the 'MEN - the stronger ones' would be back harassing and raping women, all the rich and powerful kids would start using their family names for being unfair, all the politicians would restart resorting to dirty games for their vote banks, all the thankfulness would vanish, all the empathy would be limited back only for our immediate family, we will start polluting the earth with our stupid ways of living, we will throw away the sanitizers and soaps. We are a trivial yet such an asshole race. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-59937753490546174482019-11-30T09:30:00.001+05:302019-11-30T09:53:04.540+05:30Kill Kill Kill<div dir="auto">Find a girl or child alone, rape and kill her.<br> <br> Someone refuses your proposal, kill them.<br> <br> Someone does not give you side on the road even after your stupid honking, curse them and if possible, follow and kill them.<br> <br> Not getting the property from your parents who btw nurtured you, harass them, beat them and then kill them.<br> <br> A child does not complete the homework or poor parents did not pay the fees for "education/knowledge" which you impart, brutally beat up the child.<br> <br> Suspect your spouse of infidelity, poison them.<br> <br> Find an empty road, push the acceletor and fly and may be kill yourself and others too.<br> <br> Even if you don't find an empty road but as per you, you have some emergency like going for a party or reaching office (when btw you should have left your home on time), honk honk honk and finally hit someone and injure them or kill them.<br> <br> I mean, it has become so very easy and obvious to take someone's life. I don't get what I want, I can just kill someone. Not a big deal anymore...<br> <br> Just spot a girl alone or get her to you in case you already know her, brutally rape her and kill her.<br> <br> Such carelessness on road. Drunken driving cases, overspeeding, losing control of the vehicle, the way people mindlessly cross the roads...<br> <br> I am a mother and I know how much we dreamt of and prepared to bring a new life. Nurtured her in my womb, husband took my utmost care and when she came in the world, all of us made a comfortable coocoon around her to keep her safe.<br> <br> But everyday she goes away from us into this bad world who cares nothing about her or us. Who is she? Who am I? Who is my husband? Nobody will give a second's thought before overspeeding and killing me. Nobody will see how delicate the child is. Nobody will understand that my husband is the world for his family.<br> <br> Some stupid youngster would get drunk, get behind the wheels of his swanky car and kill people on the road.<br> <br> Yes. Do meditation. Don't think about these things. The world is beautiful. There is still some humanity left. There are good samaritans. <br> <br> Everything fair but not thinking about something does not mean that its not happening and all of us are vulnerable. All of us. I can't close my eyes, meditate and say that I and my family are safe. Nothing can happen to us. It can.<br> <br> When a superstar shared how he and his wife feel unsafe here and pondering to move out of India, everybody tainted them as traitors but I ask, why? They were thinking about their safety. Are you okay to see your daughter or friend being raped and murdered and still say that everything is fine? No. Everything is not fine.<br> <br> My heart goes out to the young Vet doctor who sensed danger when she saw few strangers around her and her fear turned true. Raped and burnt to ashes.<br> <br> I cried reading the news that a drunk BMW driver who was booked twice earlier as well for the same offence killed a young techie, whose mother is already is coma since past few monhs coz she was also hit by some vehicle at the time of her morning walk.<br> <br> My blood boils when a teacher mercilessly hits a small child because his parents failed to pay the fees. You are a teacher for God's sake. You give education.<br> <br> Kids sleeping next to their parents are picked up for child or sex trafficking. I can't even imagine the pain of the parents of knowing that they would never be able to see their child ever and the poor soul would be tortured, given pain, sold and thrown into a dark world.<br> <br> Just because someone's daughter married a boy out of their caste, they kill them in the broad daylight?! I mean, HOW? How can a father think to kill the daughter he brought in this world just because she married someone out of their caste? You can be angry. You may not talk to her forever but kill her?<br> <br> Every time I read any such news, I wonder about the moment when the accused may have thought "oh, a girl alone. Let me rape her. What will happen after that? I will burn her. Who will catch me? Nothing will happen"<br> <br> or<br> <br> "That idiot has guts to marry my daughter. Let me kill them both"<br> <br> This is nationwide mental sickness which is catching up. We don't talk anymore. We don't argue anymore to sort out. We are not afraid anymore before committing such heinous crimes.<br> <br> It's just that we don't eat human flesh but apart from that we are actually the Cannibals. Can we hang some of these cannibals? And btw, if any of the rapists would be hanged - if at all - then our 24X7 media would make him a hero during his last journey and garner sympathy for him. Will show his old parents, how he was an innocent young boy, get few illiterate ministers for debate - they themselves must have either raped or sexually assaulted many - but they would shout and debate that hanging someone is not the solution. <br> <br> I say SHUT UP. Hanging them one by one and quickly is the only solution for now. <br> <br> Yes. It's not okay to rape and kill someone or drink & drive and overspeed on the roads or torture your parents for property... It's not okay to do all these and yet pay some hefty amount and get out on bail, because who can kill once, can kill one more time. Yes, Country needs to be feel fearful before committing any crime. That moment when some idiot decides to commit a crime, that moment should send chills down his or her spine that if caught, I would be hanged and nobody will save me.<br> <br> The only thing that we are not doing is eating human flesh but otherwise we are all Cannibals. Humans have become human prey. </div> Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-43875253983984593702019-06-05T13:36:00.000+05:302019-06-05T13:36:12.376+05:30Me and the Luxury<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, I got the chance of my
lifetime, well, not like complete life but something which I had been looking
forward to since a long time. I was going to Pune to attend a professional
training. What’s the big deal in it, you may ask. Well, for a person who had
not traveled alone since past 5-6 years and have been travelling with
overloaded suitcases and 3-4 handbags with an infant-turned-toddler in tow,
travelling solo was an irresistible offer, that too an all-expense paid by the
company trip.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now was the time to make the bookings.
While searching for a nice, clean and a comfortable hotel on the travel site
with which my company have an integration (technically)/collaboration (non-technically),
the hotel at the top of the list was a 5-star hotel and it was tagged as the ‘negotiated’
(aka recommended) hotel for our Company employees. For a few seconds, I had a
big grin on my already big face – just so you can imagine how ugly I must be
looking at that time. But then, I was like, <i>‘what? A 5-star hotel?! No way. It’s
so expensive.’<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next closest hotel was 4K
lesser than the 5-star one and I toggled between choosing the Luxury over a Budget
hotel, for like almost a day or even more – may be 34 hours. No, not exactly
but just writing a ‘day’ was not giving that powerful impact. ‘34’ brings that
attention and reaction. Anyway. Whoever I asked in the office to help me take
the decision told to ‘obviously’ go for the Luxury, since its an all-expense paid
trip. Whoever I asked in my family also told to go for the luxury one since
they didn’t want me to land up in a hotel which may turn out to be
uncomfortable – remember, I was going solo after almost 6 years? I finally
decided to go for the luxury. You may be thinking for why was I so confused,
why was I even thinking to choose between a 5-star and a 4-star hotel? Because,
I am a MIDDLE-CLASS lady, like literally. I am always looking for a middle
path. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5-star is good and closest to
office, 4-star may be good and a little far away from office – can I get any
hotel in between them? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also, I just can’t handle so much
a luxury. Why? Take food. Eating in a 5-star hotel. You ought to sit formally,
eat formally, conduct yourself formally. I mean why? You wanna eat, you wanna
eat as you like. Order something in a 5-star hotel and you get a carefully and craft
fully decorated plate with a little bite, which will cost you in 4 digits. I
mean, beautifully plated food looks great in the food contests or on lifestyle
channels on TV but when it is meant to be eaten, quantity matters boss. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lift – In other ‘middle class’
hotels, you enter the lift which is overcrowded with people of all caste, creed
and odour and you just hit the button for the floor you want to get to. In the
5-star hotel where I finally (and reluctantly) landed in, I was supposed to
swipe my room key (which was like a credit card) and when it flashes the little
green light, press the floor where I wanted to go. Hell, the light kept
flashing red light. I was stuck in the lift with another family who looked like
they were pro of staying in this hotel. Now, how do I ask for help, show off
that I am cool when internally I knew that I was stuck and embarrassed that my
key was not working? Off they got from the lift but just then the lady stopped
and called out her husband in a typical squeaky voice of a middle-class wife – ‘aye,
Mukes. Give me our key. Let me see if it works for her’ and I was like, oh,
same pinch. (I have not forgotten the ‘h’ in Mukesh. She called him Mukes). Both
of them tried their keys by inserting them in every direction but nothing worked,
and an alarm was triggered. I thanked them and told them to off-board, probably
the lift will take me back to the ground floor and I will take help of the
staff. I came down to 7<sup>th</sup> floor I think and entered a celebrity –
the motivational speaker – Gaur Gopal Das with few of his aides. Now, I
definitely cannot ask for help from a celebrity but thought to give it a try again
with my key, you know, it happens with us all the time. Things don’t work the
first time, then it works with someone else and then immediately we try, it
works for us too. But again, my key did not work. Solid embarrassment in front of
the celebrity. But then, he was kind enough to quickly gauge that and ask his
aide to help me since his keys work for all the floors. He off-boarded on 5<sup>th</sup>
floor I think and I was helped by his aide. Phew!! Then I got back into my
senses and realized that it was HIM!! Ufff, I had a book where I could have
taken his autograph and I had a very important question to ask him. I missed
all this because of that super swanky but unhelpful key. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Finally, I landed on the 18<sup>th</sup>
floor. It’s almost 10:45 PM and the corridor is all quiet and empty. Not a soul
to be seen or heard. In front of my room – 1812 and the same key was to be
used. I swiped it – no prizes for guessing. It did not work. I was sleepy, I
had to get up early in the morning and this key refused to let me in. I tried
both my keys, this side, that side but the door does not open. I dare get
inside the lift again. What do I do? Why don’t people walk in the corridors of
the 5-star hotel? It’s deserted. Finally, good sense prevailed, and I notice a
phone in the corridor and that connected me to the front desk and I ask for
help. After I put down the phone, I walk back towards my room. Thought to give one
more half-hearted try with the key and I swipe it. Voila…. The door opens. Ufff,
another embarrassment waiting to happen when someone will come to ‘help me open
the door’ when I would already be inside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Wow, the room is amazing, clean, scented,
2 extremely red apples on the table which confused me if they were real or just
some toys, bath tub, too many lights to make the room shine, a big TV and what
not. What does a typical middle-class person do in such a room? Immediately
connects to the free wi-fi (to save the mobile data) and then take lots of
pictures. Every angle, covering every luxurious thing. I did that too. Had a
Video call with my husband and daughter with the free wi-fi and then was the
time to sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For a mother who has been now
used to sleep in the corner of the bed since the toddler is ever growing in
height (or length, if that’s correct) and keeps on playing in the bed while
sleeping, going to sleep on a King Size clean bed was unbelievable. But guess
what? I automatically found myself sleep in the corner of the bed. Habit, you
see. In the last 5 years, I have been tuned to slip to the corner of the bed,
even if it is empty. The bed is too soft and cosy, but I can’t sleep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wake up early and check all the
toiletries given by the hotel in the room and does a virtual toss in my head –
to use the free things of the hotel or stick to what I have already got with
me? Use what I have already got with me, so that I can take them on the last
day with me back to Hyderabad – intact. What were you thinking? I see the bath
tub and a shower area. Again, does a virtual toss. Use the bath tub or the
shower. Use the shower, for 2 reasons – I didn’t want to waste so much of water
which will be used for a bath tub and… shhhh, I don’t know how to use the bath
tub. <i>Why to call for another embarrassment if I accidentally make the bath tub
overflow? </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Time to go for the included-in-room-tariff
free breakfast, which means that I must use the lift again. I pray to God and
get inside, swipe the card. My joy knew no bounds when I saw that little green
light which meant that my key has worked this time. Oh, you should have seen my
confidence boost at that moment. Those drooping shoulders suddenly were back to
where they should be. Back straight, confidence in eyes and attitude, no more
wrinkles on my forehead – so much a tiny little green light of a 5-star lift
can do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So much to eat and grab in the
breakfast. At home, after a juice or curd or fruit-based item we don’t take tea/anything
hot but at a free breakfast in a luxury hotel, everything has to be consumed,
all at the same time. At home, if we are having idly, we don’t make sausages –
you know, the combination is weird. But at a free breakfast in a luxury hotel,
who cares. Noodles, sausages, cakes, idly, fruits, Greek yogurt, fruit juice,
tea, croissant, cookies, pie – everything within those dedicated 30-45 mins.
But I was so conscience. What will those suited-booted foreign officials think
about me? But then I looked around to find other Indians like me who were all
charged up to consume everything of that lavish buffet because they were also
on the company-paid visits. That eased me out. Decided not to look at those
foreigners but at the Indians like me. A casual eye contact with them would
convey so much in those 2-seconds – <i>‘Oh, you too on company paid hotel booking’</i>
– <i>‘yeah, you too. Enjoy. Who knows if you will ever stay in this luxury with
your own money?’<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s an experience to avail a
luxurious stay on someone else’s expense and the experience is same for all the
Middle-class Indians and I am no different. The stay was amazingly comfortable
and memorable.</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-58994788228090488502019-02-05T15:48:00.001+05:302019-02-05T15:48:29.156+05:30'Rafu' - a must listen song<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<style type="text/css">
@page { margin: 2cm }
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115% }
a:link { so-language: zxx }
</style>
<br />
<div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<style type="text/css">
@page { margin: 2cm }
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115% }
a:link { so-language: zxx }
</style>
</div>
<div align="justify" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Yes,
I get irritated with the senseless BOLLYWOOD songs which we get to
listen to everyday. But what irritates me even more is that all these
musical media keep on playing such songs in loop. That way, even such
songs become the ‘chart busters’, for whatever may be the
definition to declare a song as a ‘chart buster’. But then because
of this, some of the good songs just do not get an option to be even
heard by people. Only if audience go and watch the movie, they would
get to listen to them. Even then, there are high chances that people
look forward to hearing the ‘chart buster’ songs of the movie and
dismiss the other songs.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div align="justify" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Anyway,
to cut the story short, while driving back home yesterday while my
brain was overworking due to something really stupid which happened
in the office, somehow I felt that there is a very soothing song
being played. By the time, I realised that, it was just about to end
but thankfully, the RJ announced the name of the movie - it was
‘Rafu’ song from the movie Tumhari Sulu. Mind you, it was not a
newly released movie and I had also watched it on Amazon Prime but I
knew only two of its songs - Ban ja tu meri rani and recreated
version of my childhood favourite song Hawa Hawai. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div align="justify" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">But
ever since I searched for this song today, I am hooked on to it.
Simple and nice lyrics, melodious voice of some Ronkini Gupta
(honestly, I have never heard her name) and if I understand a little
bit of music, only couple of instruments used. I wonder why this song
was never played on FM, may be played but rarely. I am almost sure
that it would not even get shortlisted in any category for any of the
popular awards (though, I wish it does). Those of you who have not
yet listened to this song, please do:</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"><a href="https://youtu.be/6AICqitg368">https://youtu.be/6AICqitg368</a></span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-33379654774328582492019-02-04T14:18:00.001+05:302019-02-04T14:18:33.810+05:30How's the Josh!!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<style type="text/css">
@page { margin: 2cm }
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115% }
</style>
<br />
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How’s
the JOSH!!!</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">High,
too high. May be first time in 5-6 years (after our daughter was
born), I and Mr. Husband went to watch a movie in theatre sans our
daughter. But don’t get too excited. It was no romantic one, rather
a hard core patriotic one. But I have no regrets about it.
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We
went to watch Uri - The Surgical Strike, based on the surgical
strike carried out by our Indian Army with a nod from India’s Prime
Minister in September 2016. I think only 2 things can make me cry
watching a movie – Child missing his/her parents OR losing an army
man. Sadly for me, I have seen my cousin brother who was a Major in
the Indian Army, losing his life while fighting with the terrorists
in an ambush attack. Shaheed Major Alok Mathur is still <b><i>amar</i></b> for all of us
but time and again, we can’t help but think for what happened that
day, how was his contingent blocked, how did he fight with all those
terrorist even after being hit with bullets, what went on in his mind
at that time? For his parents, family and friends, even though all of
us are proud of him, our hearts still ask just one question - ‘why
did he not save himself?’ We all know the answer as well. He was a
fighter. An Indian Army personnel for whom his Country takes the
highest importance followed by his Countrymen and finally the family
and friends.</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watched
Uri and felt that the personal problems that we all go through
everyday and what we crib about are nothing for our Armed Forces.
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About
the movie. We loved it. The first half set a good background for why
India decided to give a solid response to Pakistan. It was an
emotional journey. You see the valour of the Indian Army and you see
their emotional sides too. They don’t think twice before jumping in
front of the enemy’s bullets yet they yearn for the love of their
mothers. They are those fighters who do not enjoy sitting in AC
offices.
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vicky
Kaushal fits the role and is outstanding. Though, he had done some
good work in the past but people sat up and took notice of him since
Raazi. And he does not disappoint the audience even now. Vicky
Kaushal as Major Vihaan Shergill is impressive. The one who does not
fail in his planning, the one who promises to bring back every single
man of his team back after finishing off the strike, the one who is
sharp to notice the grenades tied to the gate they are about to open.</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yami
Gautam does her bit. I won’t say too impressive. May be it was only
me, but who wear heels while being on an army mission – boarding an
army copter while going for interrogation for a terrorist attack? I
may not be too aware. Anyway.</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paresh
Rawal as Ajit Doval is amazing. Honestly, for a person like me, who
is weak in Country’s political and bureaucratic affairs, I had no
knowledge about Mr. Ajit Doval. It was when Mr. Husband told that
Paresh Rawal looked every bit similar to ‘Ajit Doval’ that I
Googled about him and was amazed to read about him. Then, I could
appreciate Paresh Rawal even more. He played the role fantastically,
also adding his ‘personal touch’ to the character. The subtle humour, of breaking his mobile phones every time he was upset and
pulling the intern for why he made his boss run with the Garud if it
could take off from hover.
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So
good to see Swaroop Sampath after such a long time. Though, not shown
in the pink of health, she looks her character. All other actors
provided a solid support to the film. Mohit Raina (Major Karan
Kashyap), Manasi Parekh (Neha), Kirti Kulhari (Seerat Kaur), Shishir
Sharma (Gen Arjun Singh Rajawat). Though, I missed catching the name
of another actor, but he played the role of Captain Sartaj. Good
work.</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
direction and screenplay was crisp and too the point. VFX and sound
effect just right. You could hear each of the bullet shells falling
off. The second half was meant for the planning and execution and
that’s what it showed too. The moment the mission was over, the
film ended, with few glimpses to make us feel relieved and happy that
the team got its due. Be it, Vihaan’s mother momentarily forgetting
him but immediately calling out his name and the entire team having
dinner after the strike as promised by Mr. Prime Minister. Songs does
not stop the film. They give pace to the story.</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though,
it is a one-sided story from India’s perspective, as was the case
with the actual strike, the neighbouring Country had nothing to defend
about. Yes, people call it a propaganda by the current government and
I don’t believe in that but even if that was the case, I see no
harm in that. Surgical Strike was one of the boldest actions taken by
any government of India and it was a success, bringing down the
terrorist activities in the Country and everyone should be proud
about it.</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Director
and Writer Aditya Dhar should take a bow along with the entire team
and we get our new slang - ‘How’s the Josh?’ High Sir...</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-89216488752609383172018-12-14T17:57:00.001+05:302018-12-15T08:22:41.651+05:30Oh, Poor us!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<style type="text/css">
@page { margin: 2cm }
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115% }
</style>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Kabhi
kabhi mere dil mei khayal aata hai</i> <i>(Sometimes, a thought arises in my
heart – literal meaning):</i> aren’t some people made exceptionally
rich and some people are exceptionally poor and then there is a
middle layer of people who think that they are rich, they try to imitate rich people but little do they realise that they are
actually poor.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From
the past couple of months, almost all the social media platforms are
filled with photographs and videos and news of Uber Rich people
marrying even more Uber X Rich people <i>(Uber and Uber X is same as
Large and Extra Large)</i>. I take a look at a very graceful bride
wearing the best of their wedding dresses created by Celebrity
Designers and then I look at my pic as a Bride. Till so many years, I
was so proud of looking so beautiful in a ‘very expensive’
lehenga <i>(don’t you dare ask me its price)</i> and then I see Priyanka
Chopra wearing a Ralph Lauren wedding gown with 75 meters of trail
which was being handled by at least 4-5 people.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I
remember being fed tomato by my husband when our photographer asked
for a customary pose of Bride and Groom feeding each other. Tomato
because I was suffering from Jaundice. And then I look at the 6 tier
Palatial Cake being cut with a sword by Nick and Priyanka. I now hate
Tomatoes and probably 2 tier cakes as well, coz I still calculate the
price difference between a single tier birthday cake and the 2 tier
cake for my daughter’s birthday and then I always decide for a
single tier one. You see, its easier to cut and manage. Money does not
matter to me, I swear.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After
so many ‘secretively’ conducted ceremonies of these Rich people,
when the list of events came out, the immediate thought which crossed
my mind was this: My wedding, total 3 major events and I almost died
of getting ready, forget about giving a smiling pose to the ever
intruding photographers and here they are. Changing into extravagant designer heavy costumes for 7-8 MAJOR events and yet giving that
perfect ‘dream’ smile and gracious shy smile (which, btw, looked
very very very fake – the ‘shy smile’ part). My brother got
married with a high fever. I got married just after getting
discharged from the hospital for a severe jaundice. My cousin injured
his toe just before reaching his hometown for his wedding. Not that I
want people to be injured or sick but how can they look so fresh and
vibrant all throughout those shows, errrr, wedding ceremonies I
meant?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shows
– that reminds me. It was so difficult to know if those videos were from some wedding Sangeet night or IIFA or Filmfare awards night. For
one of my cousin’s wedding, my mom and other cousins somehow put
together a dance on a certain song and they were very excited. When I
called my mom and asked how was their ‘performance’, she cursed
another poor cousin of ours coz he played the ‘remixed and faster’
version of that song and all the participants were dancing together
but in different directions and on different lines.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Such
accidents happen in our weddings and such accidents must happen in
the weddings otherwise what will people remember those weddings for?
So, all these high profile weddings of Uber X class of Indians made
me think if any such stupid accident happened there. Was there any
bhua/fufaji (aunt/uncle) there who cribbed just about everything? Was
there any last minute shortage of Gulab Jamuns or everything was well
stocked? Do these Uber X families gossip about who was wearing what
and how everyone was looking after the wedding ceremonies are over or
they just go back to their businesses? Did anyone shout on the hotel
staff for not serving morning tea on time? Was there any immediate
uncle who was in-charge of the cooking staff so that they don’t do
any kind of scam by bringing 50 Kgs of potatoes but sneaking away 5
Kgs to their homes?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But
yes, one and only one event made me feel really connected to one of
the Uber X rich families – the Sangeet night of The Ambanis. The Ambani
men were dancing right from their hearts. The Celebrity Choreograhper might
have spent numerous hours and billed crores of rupees yet the men
danced with their 2 left feet – to hell with the rhythm and to hell
with the World. That’s a father’s love for a daughter and
brothers’ love for their sister who is getting married. And then
entered the groom <i>(Priyanka Chopra got him on the stage for Desi
Girl) </i>and I thanked God that the family got just the right man.
He gelled so well with the men of the Ambani clan. Had the same 2
left feet!! I wondered if any of their multi million dollars business
deals got cancelled after the stakeholders saw these men dancing like
that but who cares. There were other paid celebrities who were
dancing and putting up a nice IIFA show there.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes,
one noble act that the Ambanis did was to feed around 5100 needy
people. That was really commendable. But I still do not understand
the need of a 3,00,000/- worth of a wedding card (from the news
sources). I saw a demo online and had 2 basic questions <i>(typical
lower middle class mentality of mine)</i> –
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1.
That aarti which plays on opening the card run on batteries? So, if
the battery is drained out, the recipients have to put on the new
batteries?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. I
am sure they might have invited many foreigner friends, the most
prominent one being Ms. Hillary Clinton. Did they FedEx those big
Invitation Cards to them or they personally visited them in their
private Jets?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I
have only 3 wedding cards left from my wedding and I diligently take
them out from my bookshelf and blow away the dirt almost every 2/3
months. Had my father made a 3,00,000/- wedding invitation card for
me, I might have booked a few bank lockers for them and carried them
with me in every wedding within the family or friends circle - It would have worked as an expensive jewellery/accessory. I think
I should check with my parents <i>(without getting slapped in slow
motion 3 times in the Ekta Kapoor serial style)</i> if my entire
jewellery which they gifted me was worth 3,00,000/- or not. If not,
then I would really be heart broken (after 9 years of my wedding). If
yes, then also I would want to get a little drunk and console myself.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Just
now read the title of one of the news items (didn’t bother to open
the article though) – <i>“The real reason why Deepika-Ranveer has
delayed their honeymoon”</i>.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I
mean, I already figured that out man!! They had a pooja ceremony,
Sangeet night, Wedding – Style 1, Wedding – Style 2, Reception –
Bengaluru, Reception – Mumbai1, Reception – Mumbai2, Reception –
Mumbai3 (an after wedding party thrown by Ranveer’s sister), then
they had Ambani Sangeet in Udaipur, Ambani Wedding – Mumbai, Ambani
– Reception (not sure if they were invited to Priyanka-Nick
Reception – Delhi, Priyanka – Nick Reception – Mumbai or not).
Where is the time and need for the honeymoon guys??!!!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh,
Nick-Priyanka (Nickyanka) reminds me, poor Nick (not literal poor but
<i>awwww, poor</i>) might not have realised of how expensive his
wedding and wife would turn out to be. I am more worried about them
specially. Not that I want that to happen but you see, separations
are very common and frequent in the West. So much spent on wedding, I
honestly wish that they stay together for at least 25 years. Oh, do
you think he knows that he is not the Jiju of only Parineeti Chopra?
He is India’s ‘THE NICK JIJU’!!!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyway.
I know people ‘dream’ about their weddings ever since they know
the spelling of the word and would do everything within their
capacities to bring the experience as close to their dream as
possible but how I hoped that they could have married in a little
lesser extravagant fashion so that we majority of middle class
Indians would not have felt bad for our weddings...</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-89447972471555494112018-12-06T15:20:00.000+05:302018-12-06T16:32:08.232+05:30The famous EGO GAME<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<style type="text/css">
@page { margin: 2cm }
p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 115% }
</style>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From
past few weeks and months I have being witnessing a very weird scene
but something which is not at all uncommon in organisations –
Unhealthy and unnecessary Competition between Leaders. Not that I am
seeing or hearing about this for the first time but every time I see
this happening, I just can’t help but travel back in time and
remember one of the most powerful Team Building activities that I
have ever been a part of.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It
was in May or June of 2008 when I had just joined 3i Infotech
Limited, my first job. We were a batch of good 100+ MBA graduates who
had joined the company and our induction was in Mumbai. We were made
to go through many sessions to induct us in the Company and train us
to work in a corporate environment. At the tail end of this induction
month, we were taken to Garudmaachi (an outdoor training centre) near
Pune. It was a weekend trip with a night stay and many team building,
trekking and other outdoor activities were planned.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We
were divided into teams and we enjoyed many activities. Now, there
was one of the team building activities for which we were taken to a
ground where there were lot of obstacles which were placed (like
drums or ropes or bars etc). Our Trainer asked the Captains of both
the teams to accompany him to a separate corner, while the teams
waited. He explained both of them the task and announced - ‘Are you
ready? Get set go!!’ and here came our captains rushing towards us.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Both
of them explained that the respective team has to cross over from one
corner to the diagonally opposite corner, where the other team is,
before they could reach our corner. Block their way, deviate them but
the rule is that none of the team members’ foot should touch the
ground. Either you hang by the rope or walk on the bar but not on the
ground. And we had 15 minutes of time. Our respective Captains gave
the <i>Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De</i> style motivating speeches and we made
strategies and started our ‘fight’ to block their way and help
our team members cross over...</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And
boy, it was tough. We got mildly injured, our lungs were tired after
so much of shouting and we pushed the ‘rivals’ and pulled our
team members. As soon as 15 minutes were over, our Trainer blew the
whistle and we had to abandon the game. He then called all of us
towards him. He sat on a rock while all of us sat on the ground, even
though chairs were there at some distance, but all of us were
exhausted. Now, came the biggest lesson of my life.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We
asked, which team has won and started arguing based on how many
members were able to cross over to the other side from each team. We
were startled to hear that ‘none of us has won’. We again started
arguing and mudslinging the other team members and what not. Then he
blew the whistle again and made us go on the ‘pin drop silence
mode’. Then he calmly asked both the Captains of what he explained
to them about the task in that corner. Both of them stood up and
almost synchronously and in complete agreement with each other told
that ‘You asked us to cross over our teams from Corner#1 to
Corner#2, which are diagonally opposite to each other and vice versa
and we have 15 minutes of time and that none of our team member’s
foot should touch the ground’.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He
then asked one simple question - ‘Did I ever tell you that you have
to block the other Captain and his team?’</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There
was a pin drop silence.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He
went on to explain – ‘I just told that Team A has to go to the
corner of Team B and Team B has to go to the corner of Team A. Yes,
you would have to cross the hurdles making sure that you don’t
touch the ground but that’s why those 15 minutes were given. A
simple walk across the corners would have taken less than a minute
but since each team had 7 members and there were around 5-6 hurdles,
it would have taken 15 minutes. You know what you were supposed to
do?’</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
captains shrugged.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He
told - ‘Both of you could have spoken to each other first and
decided which team will cross first, Team A or Team B and first the
respective Team should have crossed the area and when all the members
of that team would have crossed over, the other team could have
started their journey. In this case, even the first team could have
shared their experiences and knowledge to help the second team to
cross the area even faster to make sure that both the teams could
finish within 15 minutes. See, what the two of you have done to your
teams. While some of them did cross over to the other side but look
at them. They are injured. They are accusing each other. They are
fighting.’</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That’s
it. Leaders are not supposed to make strategies only for their team
and their team to win. Leaders have the responsibility to take the
task to completion making sure that they and their teams synchronise.
We are in corporate world. All of us join a company to become a part of
the Company’s vision and mission, not to make your own teams who
will win certain competition which is not even there. In this journey
to fulfil the vision and mission of the Company, surely, people would
grow as they gain experience of working. They grow on to become the
Leaders. The leaders are supposed to then take the complete team up
but not pulling down the other team or the team members. This is what
makes a leader respectable. With this attitude within yourself, you
will instil the same in your team and definitely influence other
teams as well. But if you indulge into ‘my team wins’ - ‘your
team loses’ tactic, you will train your team and even other team
members to learn this attitude.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My
first manager in the previous company (Nagesh Sir) was one such
example of good leadership. Of course, he was unreasonable at times
but I found him a great leader. Though we were allowed and even
expected to call him with his first name but many a times I would
find myself calling him Nagesh SIR, out of the sheer respect that I
had for him as a leader.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I
had seen him pull a chair and sit next to a developer to get into the
code to fix something which the developer was not able to fix. I
remember that we missed something and were running against the time.
To fix that piece, another team had to work on it and they won’t
work till all the formal approvals were procured. I was tensed and
reached out to Nagesh. Very calmly he got up and walked up to the
desk of Tech Team Lead of that other team, explained the problem,
impact and the solution and instructed me in front of him that I
should straightaway start working on getting all the necessary
approvals while that team works on the solution. The TL immediately
agreed and the wheel started rolling. I knew what I have to do and he
knew what he had to do. Nagesh, meanwhile, went back to his desk.
Problem solved.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Team
building, corporate relationship building, respecting everyone in the
team, helping everyone learn and grow so that one day your junior
will take over your role is what a Leader is about.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If a
leader has a fear of helping his team for them to grow and take
his place some day, he is not a leader. If the leader has a hidden
agenda to ‘win’ a non-existent ego competition, he is not a
leader. If a leader has a massive ego which does not let him say
‘sorry’ for something wrong he has committed/missed and does not
‘congratulate’ anyone for their good work – own team member or
other, he is not a leader. If a leader takes away the entire credit
for himself or select few people of his team, he is not a leader.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Leader
would stand tall and congratulate anyone who does a smallest or
greatest of the good work and hold the hand of a faltering member to
help him stand back on his two feet.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This
trip to Garunmaachi was almost 10.5 years back but I still can’t
forget this lesson. I wish to spread this message to everyone,
especially the famous ‘Corporate Think Tanks’ where we complicate
our professional lives and then gradually ruin our mental peace
because of such misconception about being a Leader or a Manager, as
we call them.</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-82275108864743192052018-03-08T20:31:00.005+05:302018-03-08T20:31:56.691+05:30Movie Review: Padmaavat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A 2.5 years movie drought was finally broken with the much awaited and one of the most controversial movies of recent times - Padmaavat. First of all, when I say movie drought, I mean, I had gone to watch a movie on the big screen after roughly 2.5 years. In 4.5 years, 2 movies.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was pleasantly surprised when last Friday Mr. Husband proposed the idea to go for this movie and I made sure that he pre-book the tickets by constantly reminding him...errrr... actually nagging him. But who cares. I finally forced him to book the tickets.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This movie had been in the controversy right from the time SLB started its shooting. He was attacked by a community who somehow knew that he is demeaning their community with his movie. How did they know it when the movie was not even shot? Never mind about it… The movie is ready for release with the name Padmavati and one of its songs has already become a chart buster, maximum number of watches on YouTube within few hours of launch and the community declares war. Buses are torched, people are attacked, open threats are given to the leading lady and what not. Finally, the movie is banned in a couple of states even after the Supreme Court ruling. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did not really understand the core reason for the outrage. One thing which I heard or so I understood was that this movie demean the community. If that at all was the reason, after watching the movie, I think this is one of those movies which instead glorified that community for their courage, valor and the values which they stand by even when they face death.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway. Since I don't know the exact reason for all this, I should rather not comment on it. So. Back to the movie review.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Large Scale. Beautiful Costumes. Melodious music after many years (except Khalibali). Fantastic acting by Ranveer Singh. A feast for eyes - Beautifully choreographed Ghoomar song. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For a movie and sleep deprived mom of a toddler, stepping into the movie theatre itself was a feast. I think I might have even loved Humshakals movie in the given circumstances. Btw, this does not mean that I will ever watch that terrible movie but I was just trying to give you an idea about my happiness. Since past many weeks, I, my daughter and Mr. Husband had been a fan of Ghoomar song and my daughter's first ever stage performance (during a wedding) was also on this very song. So. It was special and I must say that when the song finally happened on the screen, I was not at all disappointed and I got a "paisa wasool" kind of feeling just by watching that song and my daughter watched it with her mouth open. After the song, for her, the movie had finished and we should go back home, unless there were pop corns to eat.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Shahid Kapoor </b>- I think he was looking suitable for the role till he was romancing Deepika and have not encountered Ranveer Singh and had not delivered the heavy weight <i>"wo Rajput"</i> dialogues. Lot of times I felt that the poor guy had to stretch himself more than his height to (a) match up with Deepika's height and (b) to carry those heavy costumes, especially the final fight scene <i>[for a war, that was definitely not a very convenient costume]</i>. Replace him with Hrithik would have justified the role but then he would have over shadowed Ranveer Singh, which definitely did not look like SLB's intention. So, with that, I think he looked good in few places but really unconvincing that he could actually have guts to marry two ladies and run a Kingdom!!!</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Deepika Padukone </b>- Did anyone notice, she did not have many dialogues? I will say it again. Though major adulation should be for the choreographer of the Ghoomar song but she did show a great screen presence. Something which I didn't understand. She belonged to Singhal (somewhere in Sri Lanka). Married a Rajasthani Rajput and within only few days learnt Ghoomar, the Rajasthani language, Rajputs' <i>aan-baan-aur-shaan </i>nuances and even knew what a Jouhar is... I have been married for 8 years now and on many occasions I still feel that probably I have not understood my family and the rituals. But, probably she was madly and deeply in LOVE with her King.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whatever high pitched dialogues she had, I must say, made me laugh. Nice costumes. She looked good. Loved her and wanted to stop her when she was running into the fire but then I thought, why stop. She is looking good as she is not talking. Let her go. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Poor 1st wife of Shahid Kapoor. She did not even get a single scene with her husband. I am no one to comment on that culture during those days - marry many times as and when you either fall in love with a random girl or you have "won" the girl - but I would kill my husband if he marries another girl while I am still his wife and alive. How can a husband simply wash out from his mind that he is married and has a wife back home? Anyway. I can understand the frustration of the 1st wife - not even one shot with her on-screen husband, forget about any romantic scenes.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Ranveer Singh </b>- The Star of the movie. Barbaric. Someone to be hated immensely. Dark. Can't think of anyone else to replace him. Many people don't like him but I think as an actor, he is a <i>"chupa rustom"</i>... He played a typical Delhi awaara boy in his debut film and played a suave rich spoilt boy in Dil Dhadakne Do. And now, a barbaric, throne hungry fighter. I like him. The most convincing actor in this movie. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall, the climax scene was a bit stretched but since it was the highlight of the movie, can't blame it. Beautifully shot. Even though I knew what is going to happen but still pushed me on the edge of my seat to actually see how it will be shown. If it was a true event in the History, just to think about it gives goosebumps on my hands. </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another thing which I didn't agree with - the time. The enemy is at your door step and you calmly decides to celebrate Diwali. He is still at your door step and you also celebrate Holi - these two festivals are at least 5-6 months apart. No other King or guest visited you in these 6 months? Neither did you go out to ask for help after your fellow Kings refused your message sent with your messenger just once? Again. The next time, enemy comes back at your door step and then you decide to do some Pooja and goat sacrifice. When you had already invited your enemy to come and fight with you whenever he is ready, why did you not do any special planning with some heavy duty arsenals? You had time in your hand. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, you come down on the war field. You have your army with you. You knew that your enemy does not follow any rules or ethics and your wife and kingdom are at stake and yet you go ALONE to fight him? When Shahid Kapoor is shot with arrows, why did his army also not kill his enemy with arrows? He was unarmed and not facing them... Oh, the <i>"war ethics"</i>... </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would say, a one-time watch on the big screen only to enjoy the larger than life scale of the movie, beautiful costumes, Ghoomar song, Ranveer Singh and the finale scene for Jouhar. On lot of other parameters, did not quite match the expectations. But as I said, being a movie and sleep deprived mom, this movie was like a treat....</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-88062580401858457492017-10-22T01:32:00.003+05:302017-10-22T01:32:47.128+05:30I wish....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No, I am not turning into an atheist. I still believe in God and am still a God-fearing person. But I have lost any interest in wishing people on various religious or national festivals. It has two major reasons –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> (a)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->These days on any religious or national festival, people simply forward you a good wish. There is no personal touch and it looks so mechanical. Wake up in the morning, you already have wishes in the form of forwarded text messages or images, choose the one you like and forward them to others on your contact list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> (b)<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->We are all pretending to wish for a beautiful world and a good year. We are not actually doing anything about it. We, on the contrary, are ruining the world around us. So, what’s the point of wishing someone a Happy New Year when you yourself are going to turn around and throw a piece of garbage on the road in the very next moment? Are you contributing to making the upcoming year as Happy by turning your locality, your city, your country into a garbage pile?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I remember my childhood days when a week before Diwali, people would start visiting us with sweets and gifts and my mother made sure to prepare some homemade delicacies for us and for the guests who were expected to visit us. We, as kids, would make fun of our parents for the fact that one guest leaves and before we could refill, another guest would arrive but to think about it, we were meeting people and not just merely forwarding wishes on our smartphones or Facebook pages. Some of those guests were regulars every year and would always compliment my mother for her ‘special’ festival delicacies. She still tries to prepare them but just for the sake of it, for she knows that no one is going to come to taste them and compliment her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have stopped sending good wishes to people now. I call up limited few people with whom I really want to talk and wish them happiness. I don’t wish people on various WhatsApp groups that I am a part of. Why? Because everyone is just pouring their wishes with the images and forwarded text. Even if someone is typing them on their own, does anyone on the group even spare a minute admiring that message? The phone just keeps on pinging with message alerts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Secondly, am not happy from within. No, my husband is all good, my in-laws are caring, my daughter throws tantrums as any other 3.5 year old would. But am not happy with what is happening around all of us. Kids, ladies, men are being raped, beaten up and murdered mercilessly for any trivial issue, roads are bad coz the governing bodies have had their share of bribe from the hard earned money of the people of this nation and they are least bothered about correcting the infrastructure, law and order, politicians are busy in mudslinging on the opposition parties. We don’t feel safe anywhere. We are a bunch of scared parents who can’t sleep through the nights just thinking about what to do to make sure that our kids remain safe. They are not physically, emotionally and sexually violated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few weeks back I heard over a radio channel that as per official numbers, 52% kids in India are sexually abused. Out of which 48% are boys. The rest of my journey to the office was not very pleasant. 52% means that every second child that you see around you is sexually abused. The offenders are not booked. Even if caught, the punishment is so trivial that it hardly makes any difference to them. We just take out candle march rallies and sign some online petitions but is it making any difference? No. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So many CCTV footages are floating on the social media where someone beats up and kills someone mercilessly in broad daylight among so many people. But no one does anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I know there are people who live happily and professes the philosophy of finding something good in everything. Sorry to say, but they are turning their eyes off from the reality. A 2-year-old boy or girl raped by some pervert – I fail to see anything positive in that. A girl murdered by a man in broad daylight just because she refused to marry him – I again can’t see anything positive in that. A business tycoon who fooled so many banks and left them high and dry of money and fled the country leaving thousands of his employees jobless overnight, while he still enjoys all of his luxuries in another country – I don’t find it amusing. Lakhs of fake self-styled Godmen and Godwomen fooling around lakhs of people to rob them of their properties and modesties – this doesn’t please me either. Thousands of builders gulp in the hard earned money of people and do not give them their dream home even after several years, while those helpless people keep on paying EMIs to the banks – I see positive side only for their fraud builder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">How often do we see a Happy news making it to the front page of the newspaper? The TV, newspapers, online news channels – every one of them are loaded with sad and cringe-worthy news. Why can’t they see something positive and show it to the public? We are sick and tired of listening to the same old fights, plotting and scheming type of news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And yet, we simply wish each other a Happy Dussehra – the festival of celebrating the triumph of good over evil with the fanciest of the images. I wonder, what’s the point? All of us are evil within ourselves. I fight with people around me for any trivial thing. I still have that alter ego which forces me to hurt someone emotionally. There are so many people around me who would not budge for even a moment in hurting someone beyond imagination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ever since the Diwali night, the Facebook page is covered with people posting their photos of themselves dressed in the best of clothes, colorful rangolis made by them, having a good time with their families. Among all of those posts, only 1 person seems to be making sense of the festivities. He spent his festival days along with his families visiting not-so-lucky people in shelter homes and spending time with them and sharing food and sweets with them. I felt ashamed of myself but proud of him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, my dear fellas. Don’t just wish someone good. Do something good. Be good. I have started my revolution for myself. In a small way but I am bringing about changes in myself. I was and will always be God-fearing but I am trying to kill that dark side of my personality which forces me to be evil with few of the people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With folded hands, I say Sorry for not wishing you on those important festivals and not even responding to your wishes. I sincerely wish for a better world every day and not only on those special days.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-37825069868791429742017-06-27T17:26:00.004+05:302017-06-27T17:26:53.587+05:30Technology Virus...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While driving to the office
today, I heard the RJ of the FM channel enthusiastically promoting a Smart
Watch which can use your gestures and do lot of work – turn on or turn off the
music, switch off or switch on lights, fans, TV etc and that the listeners must
check this watch out and buy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ask WHY?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We anyways have already become so
lazy thanks to so many gadgets around us in the name of Technology Revolution.
Now get a watch and keep on sitting on your couches and make gestures. How many
new diseases and disorders have been introduced over the past few years just
because we don’t get enough sun light, we don’t move more often, we keep on
sitting in our chairs for long hours, we watch iPads and Laptops continuously. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WhatsApp – Almost like Oxygen for
us. Think about the pros – you stay connected to everyone, share photos, videos
instantly, have a video call.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Think about the cons – I btw,
realized them just now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You get a forwarded message
created by God knows who. You read it, laugh at it or cringe on the ‘severity’ or
‘gravity’ of seriousness of the message, long press the message and forward it
to others. How many times do we check if the message is true? We spread rumors,
fear and wrong information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What about the spoken and written
English skills? Gone down the drain. Just notice next time you speak to someone
in English. Most of us now use slangs and Hinglish. Why? Because, most of the
time we are forwarding the messages. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the name of ‘staying connected’, we
‘talk’ throughout WhatsApp and at that time who cares about the grammar? I am
sure this post also have lot of grammatical errors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do these messages convey the
correct emotions at all? When I don’t want to speak something directly, simple
– just send it as a message. Let the other person read it and comprehend the
emotion and reply back. Then we can tackle the further conversation
accordingly. Now, I have realized that change in myself. Most of the time I end
up saying things differently from what I actually meant them and is most of the
time mistaken in wrong way and then I fret why the other person never gets my
point. It’s because I wanted to say something with a different emotion and
since I am practically out of touch of etiquettes of ‘talking’, I end up saying
it in a completely different tone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My father worked in a bank for
the longest part of his career. I remember him talking about his clients.
Regular clients. They would exchange greetings on festivals. Now, I don’t know
any of my bank people. For the sake of it, I have designated Relationship
managers for each of my bank accounts but they call me up once in a year –
which I think is a part of their annual process. I do get automated festival
greetings from my bank but I can’t respond back to them. I don’t know them and
haven’t seen them ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why walk down to our grocery
store when you can order things online or get them home delivered by calling
them up? I remember seeing one of our grocery store man getting married, giving
sweets to us on the birth of his son and seeing him growing up before moving
out of my home for my post-graduation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Birthdays don’t excite me
anymore. Not that since I am growing older I don’t like them but that
excitement which used to be there to wait for the post man to start delivering
the birthday cards and letters much earlier than actual birthday, later people
calling in for wishing – that is not there. Yes, we do get messages and cake
photos but hardly anyone CALLS UP to speak and convey their birthday wishes. On
top of it, I post on my Facebook wall at the end of my birthday – ‘Thanks all
for your lovely wishes. They mean a lot to me. They made my day’. I confess
here. I am thanking only handful of those people from the bottom of my heart.
For others, it’s just a customary step that has to be done being on social
media.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I laugh my heart out when I see
so many younger cousins/nephews/nieces of mine who, once they get married, post
such emotional and loving messages thanking the Almighty for blessing them with
the best spouse in the entire world and 100s of people liking it and posting
‘awww’ and ‘best couple in the world’ comments on that. Though I really do wish
that they actually mean what they are saying and that they continue having that
love but sad reality is that wait for completion of one year and no more
thanking to God. I have seen that most of the time, the couples who are away
from the social media are the ones who truly walk the talk of loving their
partners in true way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We meet someone after a long time
and end up clicking pictures in every possible angle just to post those
pictures with adorable messages on our message groups and Facebook walls. That
long awaited meet could be enjoyed more without the phones or cameras and with
a lot of coffee and talking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We get to see so many horrible
accidents and fights on social media. Why? Because people are capturing the
videos instead of saving the victims. Something funny happens all of a sudden,
it’s okay to capture it. But someone being shot at, beaten up mercilessly,
being kidnapped… shall we not stop that instead of pulling out our Smart phones
and capturing the act?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sometimes feel that we were okay
without our smart phones and without free Wi Fi hotspots. Simple phones which
were used only for calling and messaging were enough for us.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-73702817659599715462017-04-18T14:46:00.001+05:302017-04-18T14:46:23.695+05:30Drive safely...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I drive these days to my
office. Driving alone is such a boring activity, at least for me. That too, on
the same route daily. But not the same traffic. Traffic in terms of number of
vehicles can be less or more but on the scale of how many <i>‘horrible’</i> drivers
are there on the road, it’s either the same or increases every day. Yesterday I
was thinking, probably it’s a problem just with me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I might be the only one who wants
to switch and come in the ‘correct’ lane much before the crossing. I might be
the only one who uses the indicator to check, confirm, inform and kind of ask
for permission from the vehicle coming behind me to change the lane rather than
randomly putting it on while I am recklessly cutting across that vehicle. I
might be the only one who is not honking the horn and restlessly jumping from
one lane to another wherever I find an inch of extra space, even if that means
to jump to right most lane, blocking the way for the people who have to turn
right when I have to actually take the left turn. I might be the only one who
don’t want to squeeze the right most lane vehicle when I can comfortably drive
in my lane. I might be the only one who prefers to apply the brakes and slow
down when some slow driving vehicle suddenly come in my lane instead of blindly
jumping in my right lane thinking that the idiotic fellow of that lane can
apply the brakes. My brakes are supposed to be used only in case of emergency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Out of the 4 scratches that my
car have got in one year, 2 were gifted while my poor <i>rampyaari</i> was silently standing in the parking lot of my office,
while I was obviously breaking my head inside the air conditioned office. 1 was
when an auto rickshaw zipped across my way coming from nowhere and poor fellow
loosened his grip on the break exactly at the time when I sneezed. His auto
came backwards and gently kissed my car leaving behind a scar. Wow. That
rhymed. The 4<sup>th</sup> one hurts the most. I don’t have any clue of why I
decided to take a U-turn on a busy junction to get into the narrow by-lanes for
reaching my office when I had been going straight for good 3-4 months. But I
did that since my colleague told me the previous day that those by-lanes are
very smooth these days with no traffic. And the by-lane welcomed me with a
traffic jam. Spoke to my sister-in-law, listened to 10-15 songs on FM, had one
or two biscuits which I normally keep in my car, whatsapped in almost all my
active groups and one on one conversations. Finally I was fed up. I mean,
hardly a kilometer of a distance and I had been crawling on that stretch from
past 40 minutes. When I arrived at the final turn for my office, I see a big
car on its lane and an IDIOT biker boy with a girl trying to outsmart everyone
jumped ahead and blocked my way head-on, blocking the complete traffic. Only
way out was if he could politely go back from where he jumped. But that’s too
much for a man and biker boy’s ego. So, he stays and signals me to go ahead
since he has given me few inches by ‘adjusting’ his bike position. I knew that
I can’t go but by that time I had lost all my patience and zoomed in. That
first moment when his bike touched my car, I knew that I have got a scratch but
I didn’t stop. I made that biker boy yell and fear and cry for the stupidity
that he had done. That meant, my car and his bike, both getting a long scratch.
The moment I reached my office I realized that I should not have lost my
patience but what to do? I think that auto rickshaws and the bikes are like
water. They will fill in every empty space on the road whether that spot is
easily reachable or not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lot of my colleagues in my office
make fun of the speed with which I drive and boast about the maximum speed that
they have hit. I don’t want to die in a car crash. You have too much confidence
on your vehicle, other vehicles on the road and on God. I don’t. Big deal. I haven’t
been in any such emergency situation as yet which makes me accelerate at 130
km/hour speed. For them drive fast gives them a high. For me, it doesn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t understand one thing. Out
of 100 vehicles on the road, none or probably except 1-2, have any kind of emergency.
Then why are people so restless on the road? Why are they not patient enough to
drive in their lanes instead of cutting across like zip-zap? What will they
lose or rather what will they gain? They might probably reach their destination
10 minutes earlier. What kind of competition do they want to win? I have seen
many times that the cars will keep on honking their horns till you move aside.
Why? Can’t you see that there are other vehicles coming from behind and I
cannot move to left lane? Can’t you wait? How do you know that I don’t have to
take a right turn because of which I am in the lane where I am? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And when it comes to giving way
to an ambulance, all of us think that the other lane will make the way. In
fact, lot of time you can see lot of vehicles suddenly behind an ambulance
because they know that somehow people will give way to the ambulance and we too
can tag along. I mean, instead of tagging along from behind, come in front of
the ambulance and now honk your horns to help ambulance make its way through
the traffic. At least, get aside in case you don’t want to volunteer for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only the vehicles. People on
foot. Why can’t you see the signal and time when you should cross the road? Why
do you block half the road for the vehicles/side which have Green signal? Yes,
some signals are really long but that’s because they usually have heavy rush.
So on such signals, why do you want to cross when it’s a Green light for a
side? I often gasp of how people can be so careless on the road. It’s
impossible to have zero human error on the road or no accidents. That’s too
good a situation to ever happen. But only few things people need to keep in
their minds:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">There is no race. You are not supposed to drive
ahead of every vehicle. No need to honk the horns and squeeze or crush other
vehicles to make way for yourself</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">You are not an ambulance or a police jeep
driver. There is no emergency situation for you. Even if there is, better to
keep calm. Else, you yourself are going to land up in the hospital’s emergency
ward</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Learn why your vehicle have been given the horn,
brakes and indicator. Seriously. And also that why your country has marked ‘lanes’
on the roads. The government is not that fond of painting that they would make
different type of white or yellow lines on the black roads. They are there for
a purpose.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Always promise yourself that you will drive such
that neither you die nor anyone else should get hurt because of your stupidity.
It can lead to someone bedridden for life or even losing it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">There is absolutely no need to honk your horn
the moment the signal turns green. For the car or bike ahead of you, it will
take at least 2 seconds to put on the gear and accelerate. 2 seconds to move
after a green signal does not mean that the driver is stupid or his/her vehicle
has broken down. It’s absolutely normal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">There are many people who love you and rely on
you. They may not scream out their love towards you or how important you are
for them but be careful on road for their sake.</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the way, my husband in a way
confirmed that I am probably the only one who thinks that way – <i>refer to the second paragraph</i>. Scroll up
again!! But I am not ashamed of that. Sorry.</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-18441621192032252292017-03-08T18:30:00.002+05:302017-03-08T18:30:28.524+05:30Celebrate every day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Had been thinking about this
since yesterday. Why do we celebrate Women's Day? Searched on the web. Got some
answers. Apparently somewhere in 1900s around 15000 women marched through the
NY city demanding for voting rights, equal pay and shorter working hours<i> (I don’t know why was that demanded, but
anyways)</i>. Following year, that day was declared to be observed as International
Women’s Day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After reading this, I am
surprised that apart from voting rights in many countries, other demands still
are to be met. In fact, the number of demands have rather increased. Demand for
equality, respect, security, freedom… Respect at home, respect at workplace,
respect for an entrepreneur, respect if woman wants to take up an offbeat route
of life. The reason for starting to celebrate this day might be noble but it
really does not help. Organizing fun women oriented events on one particular
day of the year and then beat them up emotionally, physically and mentally on
all other days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fact, on this particular day
there are lakhs of women around the world who are still being oppressed. I am
not against the fact to celebrate a day but only for day is not what it should
be. Every individual – man or woman, boy or a girl deserves to be celebrated every
single day. Every year we wonder if there is any Men’s Day as well. Google it.
It says 19<sup>th</sup> November. How many of us know that? Handful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s the mindset of the people
which needs to be changed – men-women alike. There are women who wants to kill
an embryo or an infant if it’s a girl. There are educated men who works in
corporates with female colleagues but still thinks that they (females) are not
capable enough to compete with us (males) and feel jealous if they get promoted
– <i>the boss might have got some favors
from her or she might have done some extra boot licking to get the promotion</i>.
There are parents who still don’t want to send their girls to school or higher
studies because they have ultimately to be married off. There are people who
still does not hesitate even for a moment to pass ugly remarks and stares to
women or raise their hands on them. Lot of women drive cars and bikes, yet if
we see a female driving a car, all sorts of jokes are cracked – <i>hope you have the license. How many
accidents you have done? Let me pray while you drive</i>. Eyes and mouths open
wide if you see a girl riding a bulky bike. And talk about Women Empowerment
campaign – many women are misusing the laws made to protect them to blackmail
or extort money. We talk about equality but still fight if men do not vacate a
seat ‘reserved’ for females (I am not talking about pregnant ladies).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can’t become <i>‘Fragile Gender’
</i>as per occasion or situation. Apart from the basic genetic and physical
differences which are there between men and women, if you believe you are
equal, you are equal always.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know I am dreaming or talking
about the perfect – and so, impossible – world. But respect for each and every
living being is what is required, rather than specific days to celebrate and
salute each role – Women, Men, Mother, Father, Daughter, Valentines and what
not. I find it very awkward to utter those three words to my Mom and Mom-in-Law
- Happy Mothers’ Day. Why should I consciously make that one day special for
her? Same way, why should I be treated with respect and congratulated on this
one day out of 365 days of the year? On our social networks daily we see so
many quotes and videos made to show some beautiful messages to respect females,
to love your mothers, parents, and babies. All of us Like them and Share them.
How many of us have actually changed ourselves because of those videos or
messages?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I say, celebrate those specific days
but continue the celebration throughout the year. And don’t forget to celebrate
Men’s Day too. They also deserves to be celebrated.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-15449404184580906802017-02-08T11:31:00.000+05:302017-02-08T11:31:18.826+05:30Hard Hitting Movies...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God Bless Internet. For a movie
lover like me, not watching a movie for almost 3 years on the Big Screen is
almost suicidal. During my pregnancy, I went on to watch Gravity in 3D and my
mother was mad about it… <i>‘how can you go
and watch a 3D movie with all that loud noise? It might affect the baby’</i>…
The only affect that my baby has is that she is a full time drama queen,
nothing else. Post-delivery, the only movie that I have watched in a theatre is
Dil Dhadakne Do. Apart from other factors adding to my frustration level, this
too played a major role. So, what did I do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vowed to myself that I will take
out some time for myself. I will groom myself, write for my blog, play with my
daughter, sleep on time whenever I can, come back home on time whenever I can
AND watch the good movies online… Yes. No, not the pirated versions or
anything. Watch available good movies on authorized online channels. Of course,
I am going to miss the whole fun of a multiplex visit but the end result is
achieved – watch the movie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fortunately or unfortunately for
me, the first two movies which I watched online made me cry and cringe at the
same time – PINK and Neerja.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>PINK</u></b> – have written it umpteen number of times but every
time I think about a rape or molestation and the helplessness of a woman or
rather the victim, I cry. This movie too made me cry. So many hard hitting
dialogues and sequences. You are a Woman – we can touch you, feel you, own you
anytime we want and you should not retort. That fellow who was not even there
on the crime scene was excited about taking the revenge just for fun – <i>mazaa aayega</i>. <i>Mazaa aayega??</i> To rob a woman of her modesty, to make a woman stand
alone in this world, to make her cry for what she did in her self-defense, to
lose her job… Just for his fun. And the reason I could so believe in this movie
and this lame character is that I have seen such perverts in my life. And it is
always going to be so difficult to fight these people. That kind of mentality
is deep rooted. My mother and sister does not drink – they belong to the
esteemed family. Though, all the men drink. She drinks alcohol that means she
does not belong to a good family. When I got married, it was a mild cultural
shock to see the ladies of my new family enjoying hard drinks since in my family,
drinking alcohol is only for male members but they all are lovely people, doing
pretty well with their lives, successful in their own ways, have given strong
character and values to their kids and are loved by all. But they drink
alcohol. So what? But guess what. I had a mild cultural shock since I had
already seen girls drinking and smoking in my college but it was so difficult
for my mother to digest that. So, somewhere, even some of my family members
still has that mental block. And so does many other families. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not supporting or debating on
alcohol is good or bad but only that same thing consumed by different genders
give different impressions to people. Which is unbelievable. Hats off to the
entire cast of the movie. Perfectly portrayed what the girls go through, how
the pervert minds think, the anger boiling in within us, the helplessness and
pain of the victims… Made me think for so long after watching the movie. Such
crimes are committed around us every day, just that we don’t know about them.
When we come to know about them, we are too quick to pass our own judgement.
<i>The girls must be characterless to have gone through this. Why should girls go
out for drinks? What is the need of girls to come back home so late at night?
Girls should be married off quickly, what’s the point of having a job which
needs them to stay so late in office…</i> But guess, it’s difficult to change the
mindset of 1.2 Billion strong population… Unless, government makes it mandatory for EVERYONE to watch this and all other <i>sensible </i>movies made on the subject.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>NEERJA</u></b> – Probably one of the very few movies which did not
show the <i>hard-outside-and-soft-inside</i>
terrorists. Harsh and heartless – that’s what terrorists are about and that’s
what they showed and by far the only movie where I loved Sonam Kapoor’s acting.
Though I won’t say that she was the perfect choice for the role and no one else
could have pulled it off but glad that she got this movie her way and she
accepted to do it. Everyone, again like PINK, played their role so perfectly.
You never know what can be going on the minds of those terrorists. When will
they open fire? When will they stab someone? When will they listen to anyone?
Tricky situation. The people trapped inside trying to escape the situation
cautiously with no injuries without knowing what is going outside and the
people outside making strategies and bargaining for more time without knowing
what is going inside. I could not sleep for at least two nights after watching
NEERJA. The final scene of the aircraft when the terrorists opened fire and started
killing any and every one coming their way – men, women, kids… painful to even
think about what those people might have gone through. Shabana Azmi was
effortless in her character. She is an institute of acting in herself. Nobody
could have portrayed the role of Neerja’s mother. The man who played the role
of Khalil was scary. Neerja's father was so strong, all throughout. That’s how
fathers are. Glad that the film did not have lot of unnecessary drama or songs
but got straight to the point pretty soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can watch both these movies all
over again for all the great performances, screenplay and dialogues but dare I
watch them again. Hats off to the people who still believes in good cinema,
rather than making a movie with songs from the likes of Yo Yo Honey Singh or
Badshah…</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530200805701296803.post-17752136783423657292017-01-17T00:14:00.001+05:302017-02-08T11:32:25.803+05:30The Balancing Act...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>‘Wow, lucky people’<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>‘I should also become a Business
Analyst. Their life is so easy and relaxed’<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>‘So early? Kabhi toh kaam kar
liya karo yaar…’<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>‘Aish hain’</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Almost about to complete 9 years
of professional life as a Business Analyst and these comments have become a
part of my professional life. To be precise, after I became a Mother, Working
Mother that is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If I pack my bags and leave
office by 6:30 PM IST, I get to hear all of the above comments, taunts, unfulfilled
wishes of how beautiful my life is. Is it that beautiful? On face of it, yes.
But once I reach home after driving in mad traffic for 45 mins, I almost
immediately have to get on the calls. Sometimes for mere 30 minutes, sometimes
for continuous 2 hours; while my three year old daughter at times bang my door,
simply coz she wants to meet me and hug me after many hours. Then I play with
her. If possible, feed her one of the meals of her day. Prepare hot chapatis to
have dinner with the family. Clean up the room. Make her drink milk while
narrating one story after the other. Make her go to sleep. Finally, again
picking up my laptop to sometimes finish off my pending work, sometimes to get
on a call with my US team working well past mid night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, should I wear my daily calendar
when I am leaving the office at 6:30 PM? And where do I mention on that
wearable calendar that I almost ruined my Diwali vacations when I visited my
hometown after 2.5 years and yet ended up with puffed eyes since I <i>enjoyed</i> during the day and worked during
late nights? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I refrain from dropping any mails
or replying to any of them during those late India hours unless it is required.
But if I do, next day, people label me as a <b>SHOW OFF</b>. Sometimes I feel like explaining them for why I dropped that mail so late in the night instead of waiting for the morning. But then I am like, <i>what the hell? They have already decided that I was showing off and they won't understand the reason.</i> So, I just leave it there. I am not answerable to any of them. They call it an easy life. I call it a <i>Balancing Act</i>. My company is not paying
me thousands of rupees monthly to reach office at 11 and leave at 6:30. They
are paying me for the quality of work that I do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I remember one such incident. Normally,
when I get lot of things on my plate, I have a habit of preparing a prioritized
To-Do list and start working on them one by one and marking them off my list.
On one fine day, I spent 10 minutes to prepare my To-Do list and found out that
almost all the items have the deadline of TODAY. So, I decided that I am going
to focus on finishing them off. I had no tea. Did not call my mother, as I
usually do. Took minimal breaks and by 5:45 PM felt proud of myself that I had
cleared off all those items from my list. Took a 15 minutes relaxed break to talk
to my colleague-cum-friend and by 6:00 PM I decided to leave the office. While
I covered the mere 50-100 meters of distance from my desk till the lift, I
encountered 5 of my colleagues who sarcastically pointed out that I had a
great, easy going and enjoyable life that I am leaving my office at 6 and I was
like: <i>‘Yes Idiots. I can leave at 6
because I planned my day well, completed my work and no one is dependent on my
physical presence in the office. You, on the other hand, are wasting your
unplanned day by taking multiple un-required breaks, having that extra sugary
tea and goofing around’. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If I leave by 6:30 and then login
at midnight, it’s not out of choice. It’s out of my circumstances. I have a
small kid to take care of, who meets me after a gap of 7 to 8 hours. Believe
me, I am not just a typist who writes some stories. I am a professional business
analyst, who thinks, analyzes and writes the technical document, named as User
Stories. If you think that I create that junk document in mere 15 minutes, I
challenge you to create that JUNK document with the same quality for me.
Quality is the word. Yes, your life is tough. So is mine. The grass always look
greener on the other side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Such comments once is fine. Twice
is okay. Thrice can still be ignored. But not every day. And what are <b><i>YOU
</i></b>expecting? Are you my boss? Is your work being affected if I leave early? If
yes, raise that concern to my manager or to me. I can correct that but don’t
expect me to sit in the office till late in the night just because of you, your
targets, your unplanned day and your incomplete work. That’s your problem. Not
mine. Every such irresponsible comment or taunt kills me. For God’s sake, my
parents had spent lakhs of money on my education and I can proudly say that I have
burnt the midnight oil to grasp that knowledge and get a job for myself. Never
ever have any of my managers called me to complain that I am not doing my work
well. On the contrary, have always got the best of compliments for my work from
the fraternity. Then how can leaving early be a problem for you or for me? If I
sit in the office and take calls from there and then leave for home at 8 or 9
PM, does that mark me a better employee? How? I fail to understand that logic
simply because we have virtual meetings. When all the people on the call can
practically take it from anywhere, how does taking it from office makes me a
better or hard working employee?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Your role is difficult, so is
mine. Yours might be more difficult than mine but that doesn’t make my role
easy. It’s just a tad bit easier. And I guarantee that if you plan it better
and be more disciplined, you can also complete your work well within time and leave
EARLY. You might be gauged on the hard skills of coding and testing. I am
gauged on the soft skills of writing stories and communicating and managing.
You miss a line of code or a test case, you are questioned and grilled. I miss
an important communication or miss an acceptance criteria in my story, I am
questioned and grilled. You decide to work hard to get a hike or a promotion. I
do a balancing act to continue the work that I love and get hugs from my
daughter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Keep feeling jealous but don’t
pour that out on me…</span></div>
</div>
Nikita Mathurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263540354268202512noreply@blogger.com0