HEARTBREAK

I don't know why they call it heartbreak. It feels like every other part of my body is broken too

Yes it happens in every ones life, some how we know that it is inevitable but nevertheless we develop the misconception that we are immune from it. But Alas! Tragedy shall strike; it’s just a matter of time.

So when and not if, it happens we first refuse to acknowledge it. This is our first line of defense. But the little rascal plays hard ball. He breaks through this shield like knife through butter. We are shocked, but being the optimists that we are we refuse to give in so easily. We then use our second shield -we play it easy, take it as just a minor hiccup and allow the universal fix-it-all, ‘Time’, to carry out the repair work. But it’s not that simple any more. We wait first with resolve, then with anxiety and finally with helplessness for ‘time do take its toll’ but that never happens. Mr. fix-it-all can’t glue back this broken entity.

Now you start getting desperate. One day you suddenly jump from your sit and say to yourself ‘how could I have allowed things to go with the flow?’. Man creates his own destiny. I have to take the initiative’. You kick yourself for not having thought of this sooner. ‘How could I have been such an ass?’ is what you keep asking yourself.

So you pull out your last line of defense, determined and unfazed you set out to achieve the unachievable. ‘Failure is not an option’ is what you keep telling yourself. You do all the right things, you ask for help; you try whatever others tell you to do. You try the untried, you do the obvious, you travel the beaten path as well as the path less traveled upon, you leave no stone unturned, but finally you see the truth. You are forced to acknowledge it. You were just running away from it fully aware that ‘there is no place to run to.’

The thing is that all of us will have our hearts broken sooner or later. It is the rule of life, but the real question is- can you savor it before it becomes beyond repair. All of us build up our dreams, goals and aspiration with great hope and all of it is preserved in our hearts. So should we guard it with our life? The trick lies in foretelling the situation and making amendments. Just remember we have only three exhaustible shields.

IT’S COLD BUT I LIKE IT

This writer isn’t much into poetry; neither do I see much into the aesthetic part of life or the concept of ‘creating’ happy moments rather than living them. But a recent uninvited experience made me think otherwise.

Arguably the greatest poet of all times, William Wordsworth had made his love for Nature profoundly clear. He deprived inspiration for some of the greatest poems ever written sitting in the lap of Mother Nature. Solitude was his only companion. In his loneliness he observed some the various forms and mysteries of Nature and penned down all is thoughts which in turn ensured his mortality. William Wordsworth wrote invariably about the colors of spring season and how its’ mystical and mysterious beauty left his spell bounded.

Now I have never followed the beaten path. Like wise this time also.
I unlike the great poet had my tryst with Mother Nature, not in spring but in a cold winter morning. It was cold but I liked it.

Now I am not that kind of a person who reads between lines and sees the unseen. I prevent the labor of banging my head, to find the deeper meaning whenever possible. But that day the beauty, although not in an obvious way, was very striking.

For a person like me who lives in a place which is ‘Hot all year round’, the refreshing early morning chill was different and unique.

That day this late riser was forced by an unfortunate twist of fate to wake up early in the morning. Now even far worse luck was to follow as I was to venture into the cold. It was inevitable so with a deep breath I set out to wrestle the morning cold.

Shaking throughout, I steadily made my way towards my destination. But then I started to enjoy the surroundings. There was a fog so thick that one could have cut it with a knife. The shy sun’s struggle with the crowd was enjoyable. The falling leaves made one feel that even the Gods where sending their blessings.

Always having struggled to comprehend the fact that Nature is the most inspiring thing for all creatures, I was finally beginning to see so. The chilly wind was refreshing for the body, mind as well as soul. The solitary road, the green leaves soaked in mist, the ever so slowly moving clouds together with the elements resulted in a hearth warming combination.

So as I neared my destination, the climatic left an ever lasting memory and made me realize just how important and satisfying it is to enjoy the finer details of life. While contemplating my new love for things chilly, I kept saying to my left ‘It is goddamn cold…………but Hell………..i like it just like this’.

FRIENDSHIP-

Dedicated to all my friends

This has to be the most sensitive and difficult post which this blogger has made so far. The thing is that explaining something as complex and as powerful as Friendship is beyond the scope of this mortal creature. This one word has affected all our lives; it is powerful enough to help us crawl our way out of the deepest hole, its’ absence can force us to jump into a bottomless pit with no hope of survival. But the only reason I dare to infringe upon this powerful feeling is that I had once witnessed a very simple but extraordinary act which proves just how refreshing, enduring, benevolent and eternal true friendship is.

It made me think what all our lives would have been without our friends and the very next moment I was gasping for air and praying desperately that such an ill fated day never comes in any of our lives. Such is the degree of our dependencies on ‘Friends’.

The incident I am talking about is one which would not have provoked much interest in much of us. Some may dismiss it as ‘ordinary’, some may observe it and develop a smirk in their face, some may accept it as a lesson but I decided to rejoice. For it told me just how lucky I am to have friends who will be their besides me it thick as well as thin.

It was one of those numerous seminars which happen ever so often in my University. Those Seminars' where everyone eagerly waits for ‘High Tea’ as it is the only reason why people show up. Seminars’ where you cannot be blamed for sleeping during a Lecture. Now as I was ‘asked’ ever so politely to be a volunteer by a senior of mine and due to my inability to think of a good alibi I ended up actually going to the place where ‘Great minds meet and share’. I should have known better than reaching on time for there were hardly any souls visible.

But yes we did have the Professor who engineered this wastage of time. He is one of the senior most Profs of my Institute. A person with no hair on his head, carbon ripped glasses (it will fetch him a fortune if he decides to sell such an antique piece) and one whom I had hardly ever seen smile. There he was serious as always examining the events.

Soon a car pulled up. Another senior Prof came out. He was not much different from the previous one. Serious and ever ready to pull up a innocent student for the slightest misdoings. He meant business; all of us knew this and never dared cross his path. He also shared the same resolution of never smiling in public.

Now as he approached the entrance the made eye contact with the first Prof. What happened next was unbelievable. It was history in the making, a moment to behold and rejoice.

For the first time in my three years stay here I saw a smile in their faces and it didn’t stop there. The smirk just kept becoming bigger and bigger. Soon it took the form of a noisy laugh. The came near and hugged each other with great warmth. Their happiness was beyond measure.

They took advantage of the lonely place and chit-chatted for quite some time. I, their only audience kept my ears open and learned a valuable lesson. They talked at lengths of the time when they where younger, how much fun they had, how many times they got into trouble, how narrowly they escaped from them.

Now this eve-dropper could not abstain from drawing an analogy. Yes they were old, they were our teachers who ever so frequently chide us, corrected us. But they too were of our age once. They too were “FRIENDS”. They too did all the illogical and futile deeds ever conceivable. Just like every one of us.

Now the beauty is that no matter how royal, qualified, esteemed or wealthy you are, in front of a friend you will get reduce to being just ‘HIS FRIEND’. For friendship is powerful enough to break all bondage and barriers. At the end it gets reduce to the simplest relationship possible without any inhibitions and without strings attached.

So rejoice ever moment with a true friend for ‘these are the best days of our lives’.

“It’s like you are always stuck in second gear
when it has’nt been your Day, your Month or even Your year
I will be there for you I will be there for you.........................
for you were there for me too.”
(THE “FRIENDS” THEME SONG)

PLAYING CUPID

The past few days have been eventful as I got to play the most powerful force known, inferior only to the almighty. I imitated cupid.

Yes you read it right the same guy so moves about with a bow and love quoted arrows read to strike the most unsuspecting preys forcing them into a liaison of love and warmth.

If you ask me no one can play cupid just like no one can play GOD. Genetic manipulation, cloning, robotics may give man the false belief of having superior power over life but a minute itch in the palm of mother nature spreads havoc of immeasurable proportions which affirms the statement ‘Mortal Man’. The same holds for the next big being after GOD.

Although no one can have the ultimate power of making two people fall in love with each other for love can only happen if destined to, (clichéd but true) but two prospective love birds can always be given the extra nudge by their friendly neighborhood cupid.

So I played along trying to be as resourceful as possible, trying to make the right statements, trying to explain the beauty of love, trying to make each of them aware of just how beautiful/smart/funny/caring/joyous/kind/tender and all other humanely possible qualities are incorporated deep into the hearts, mind, body and soul of their prospective better half. Yes all these qualities can never be found in a single person but love is blind (again clichéd but once again true). It was as easy as hook-line-sinker or in this case hook-line-love.

Yes it was funny, seeing them blush at they very mentioning of the others name, seeing them making eye contact and then shying away. They wanted to be alone but could not be alone at the same time.

It was all too hilarious now it may not lead to stuff by which dreams are made of, but why should it for I realized one thing that man is so desperate for warmth and prosperity that the mere mentioning of it will make life better if not for long but for a microscopic moment none the less. So why spoil the present by being too far sighted. Live in the moment for if you act in the spur of the moment past, present and future fuse into one. Playing cupid may not have lead to a love story which will be told on for generations but in made me realize never miss the slightest opportunity to be associated with something remotely good. Absorb the moment, make the best out of it, and do not get lost in the maze of future for who knows the day after tomorrow may never come.

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT??

“Itni shridat se maine tumhe pane ki kosis ki hai
ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki sajis ki hai”

Half the woods in the green forests have been chopped down to pen down the golden rule to success, but all that they ended up achieving was promotion of Global Warning. But the path to success has many lanes and I think I may have bumped into the right trajectory. Off course this may not hold true universally but at least for this mortal writer in holds true.

Being around people who seem to achieve whatever they set their sites on I can’t help to think life is about desiring something badly, and I mean really badly.
Expertise holds an upper hand in any discipline but in the end it is all a matter of heart. For
victory is the liberty of the most perseverant. One shall succeed if thou want it the most.

Desire is the thing that differentiates achievers from dreamers. The will to rise above the crowd, the desire you be the very best and not settle for anything less, the hunger for success is what makes all the difference.

One may have a born advantage, one make have all the skills, one may have all the help ,one may have the money to buy anything but in the end it is he and only he who has the heart to outperform and the desire to win, who reigns supreme.

That brings us to the fundamental question of just what is desire. Is it a phase? Or is it a state of mind? Is it inborn? Is it attainable through practice?

The answer is a big NO. It is a feeling and nothing more. It is a call from within which all of us witness at some point or the other and which we alone can create or destroy. All of us have it, it’s a matter of self discovery and realization of the obvious.

It starts with a dream, metamorphoses into a world of infinite possibilities but then it breaks.
The dream gets a reality check. We are reminded our mortality. Now here our actions make us what we are. We can let go, allow our dreams to sink into the dark lanes of oblivious terms or we can dream on. We can light up the spark and make it a wild fire with no limitations, which can overcome any obstacle.

So it’s a question of just how much can you stuff out, how much can you sacrifice, how much can u dish out, how much can you endeavor?

The thing with life is that it has it funny ways of throwing up surprises to rattle you. But true want is untarnished by small obstacles, undeterred by failure, unscratched by pain for it knows the price of success and is more than happy to bleed for it.

So if you ever want to achieve some goal for which you deeply long for just ask yourself one simple question –How Badly Do you Want it??

“Kethe hai ki aghar kishi cheej ko dil se chaho
to puri kayanat use tumse mila ne ki shirdat karti hai”

MOI

LIGHTS ONLY

As GOOD AS IT GETS

FRONT VIEW OF THE MAIN BULIDING

A illuminated VIEW of ONE of the HOSTELS of our CAMPUS

OUR MAIN BULIDING-a side view

DIWALI IN BIT

This is the first time in my three years stay at my institute that I am spending the Festival of Lights right here. Although disappointed at first for not being able to be at home Diwali -07 was indeed a memorable affair.

As I am among the first to pull up my institute whenever it makes a mistake I thought it will be only fair to complement it when it does something right.

Well it certainly did things right this time.

The entire campus was a sight to behold. The radiance was almost blinding.

The main building was as beautiful as a newly wedded Indian Bride. The hostels were also lighted. There was light and joy everywhere. For may be our administration understood that the Lights symbolized much more than radiance. They gave us student a quick reminder that although we may be away from our homes we are in our ‘home away from home’.

Yes we were at home. The feeling was of mutual harmony and joy. There were smiles all around, genuine smiles. Everyone was dressed in their best, ready to live life the only way it should be-BIG.

As night approached our excitement doubled, we all realized the next few hours will be one of our finest hours and the memories shall last for many years to come. We sang, we danced, and yes we did burst.

We lived as if there was no tomorrow and in many ways it was true tomorrow certainly was not ‘Diwali’.

So kudos to the administration of BIT for lighting up our campus and thereby lighting up our Diwali.

HAPPY DIWALI

Yes it is that time of the year again.

Yes it is time to celebrate. The color of lights is upon us and as always it promises to bigger and better than ever before.

Diwali has always had a very special place in the hearts of all Indians. In gives us a hope, a reason to smile, a reason to believe in Life, a reason to say to ourselves that ‘Life is Beautiful’. As the lights take over in this auspicious night with the glow all the Darkness of the year is burned away and all of us make a new beginning. All of us are more resolved and strong. We feel rejuvenated, we feel free, we feel like living life to the fullest Such is the power of ‘the festival of lights’, such is the Magic of Diwali.

So Wishing all of you a Very HAPPY DIWALI.

I HAVE FOUND MY visualDNA
You too can know your dna

COMPETITION

In life things are never as obvious as they seem at first. Life has a demented way of letting you know the obvious. When, and not if, you choose to believe the virtual reality you fall flat in your face. All of us are lost in the maze, we believe what life makes us believe, we get scared by the friendliest beings, we chase the lowliest goals, and we fear success and strive for failure.

This is because of our innate misconceptions and pre-conceived notions. But once a while we see the light, we are able to rise above fundamental judgments and see things in their right perspective. Then when it finally strikes you, when after all these time the bells finally start to ring, when you realize that the round about way was the straight way you kick yourself and regret the fact of not having seen the prominent truth more prominently. Now that moment will cause you to look back and absorb the new fact, for if you accept it and correct yourself you make the right beginning all over again.

I recently had such a moment. The curtains were raised and the truth was unfolded. I had my moment .I realized that ‘competition always leads to growth.’

Yes its clichéd, yes I had heard it before, yes people and well wishers have preached so, yes life has in some way or the other made this statement hold true, but before now I did not believe in it completely.

I say ‘not completely’, as given an option of dismissal performance between giants, which will cause loss of false honor but increase of inner strength, and glorification among handicapped dwarfs I many times would have chosen the latter so as to bask in the immediate sun ignoring the storm in the not so distant future. For who doesn’t like attention, who doesn’t want glory, no matter how immediate and short lasting it may be. So I took the bait and was lost in the mist of life.

But life has a weird way or teaching you stuff. I learned it the hard way but learned it none the less. The fact that ‘competition leads to growth’ is an understatement and in no way brings about its true essence.

For anyone to succeed competition is as important as skill, determination and attitude. It keeps us at out toes, prevents complacency, makes us aware of your assets and liabilities and more important than anything else competition leads to failure.

Yes we fail because of our highly skilled peers but actually that’s the beginning of our success. ‘The one who falls can only rise’. Without competition we become stagnant, we think we are growing, actually we are falling.

So fear not competitions, because your competent peers are your gateway to success. Analyze your competition, judge it, fight it, you may loose but one day it will happen, the game of competition will lift you, you will be a winner!

“A competitive world offers two possibilities. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change.”

CHANGE—THE ONLY THING CONSTANT

My world is changing everyday. Changes are occurring at the blink of an eye, after every passing second and in a heartbeat.

Changes were happening a bit too fast. Not just my life, the entire world was changing. So the metamorphosis of dull, long, repetitive ODI cricket into thrilling, nail-biting, unpredictable Twenty20 is well documented. Also the slow but qualified changes as far as India global image is concerned, which includes Vijay Malliya buying F1 team Spykar among other things, where happening at an alarming rate with sensex crossing the 17K mark.

Some of the changes were not pleasant. Like Amitabh Bachchan of ‘Mohabatein’ I too “don’t like changes”. So I repeated this clichéd dialogue of Mr Narayan Shankar and fought against the changes happening around me. Predictably, I failed.

The more I tried to prevent things from changing the more they changed. All my surroundings objects, people, events were getting a face lift. Although I would rather have prevented these ‘changes’, I realized that they were beyond my control.

For, ‘change is the only thing constant.’ ‘Changes’ will happen, one way or the other.

But I learned a great lesson. ‘Change is good when it is done by me. Change is bad when it is done to me.’

Times change, we have to change with changing times. Faces change, we have to change accordingly. Circumstances change, we have to adjust. Life stops for no one. The cycle of change rotates and evolves with every revolution. It can be mesmerizing, it can be heartbreaking, it can lead to miracles, it can cause catastrophes, but one thing that it won’t and can’t do is stop the cycle itself. So instead of trying to stop it initiate it. Change when brought about by you opens the door to limitless possibilities. In a way change makes or breaks you. You have to innovate, change for the better if you wish to survive in the highly competitive world. In a similar way changes initiated by others get the better of you and force you to first decline and finally perish.

So at the end of the day it’s your call, identify your drawbacks, change them and thus prosper else allow your competitors to identify your faults, exploit them and get the best out of you.

So change is not that bad a thing in the first place. It proves a very old saying, ‘If you want to overcome your greatest fears- EMBRACE THEM’.