Mother - A divine blessing!

From being held in her gentle arms after getting a life,                                                                          From being caressed all through the day,                                                                                           From holding us up every time there is a fall,                                                                                            From singing lullabies and narrating bed-time stories,                                                                    How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                            .                                                                                                                                                                                                       From laying the foundation of life,                                                                                                               From scolding for the misdeeds,                                                                                                                 From discreetly welling up tears after scolding,                                                                                          From pampering and loving like none else,                                                                                                 How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                     .                                                                                                                                                                   From fighting the world to be by your side,                                                                                         From seeing all your highs and lows through,                                                                                   From being patient and reposing faith in you,                                                                                             From holding the head high on seeing you succeed,                                                                                 How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                     .                                                                                                                                                                   From sacrificing everything only to see you happy,                                                                         From being the 4 a.m. friend whom you can always fall back on,                                                        From worrying about all the bad food habits,                                                                                     From giving up on her sleep to cook your favorite dish,                                                                   How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                     .                                                                                                                                                                   From being the care-taker to a infant,                                                                                              From being the disciplinarian to a brat,                                                                                           From being the perfect companion to a grown up adult,                                                                    From being the proud mother to a successful adult,                                                                              A mother, is truly an angel to her child.                                                                                          An An angel, a child is lucky enough to see everyday in his life.

World Cup fever all around....

It just seems like a few days back when India brought the elusive World Cup trophy home.The fact that it has been almost 4 years since that illustrious win seems quite unbelievable. All the madness,euphoria, and hoopla around the last World Cup victory seem surreal and sometimes even refuse to die down. And that should most certainly be the case, I say. After all, it's no joke that we got the trophy back home after 28 long years. The wait was quite long, but it was definitely worth it. And all of the hype and craziness around the victory was justified for this cricket - crazy nation where cricket is no less than a religion. As rightly said, cricket is more a feeling than just a sport. Indians eat, sleep, walk, and breathe cricket. So much is the love for the game, that we literally worship our cricketers and make them living Gods. And those Gods need no introduction.                           'It's a magnificent strike into the crowd. India lift the World Cup after 28 years....' These words still send shivers down our spines and keep coming back to our minds often, not letting the World Cup victory be a distant memory. But, with another World Cup series being just a few days away, the nostalgia about our previous victory is sure to increase manifold. So much has been written and predicted already about the upcoming World Cup event and the excitement only seems to keep increasing with every passing day. Unfortunately, this time around, World Cup will not take place on the Indian soil. This being the only downside, I'm pretty sure there are other factors which will make up for this happening. Of course, there are questions raising against the outster of some good-but-out-of-form-players, but that is another story altogether. But, the larger picture, which is that of winning, remains intact, irrespective.                                                                                                                                   Catering to people across all ages and overlooking the barriers of religion, cricket has succeeded in uniting the entire Indian population with its mass appeal. Till sometime back, I used to wonder, what the fuss around cricket was all about. I'm still not exactly clear in my analysis about cricket overshadowing the other sports. From all the sense that I have tried to make out of the passion and craziness for this game is :                                                             a) Cricket, for Indians, is a feeling that cannot be denied.                                                                      b) Non-cricket lovers will never be able to understand that feeling and affiliation of a cricket fan towards the sport.                                                                                                                             c) The resources required to play the game can be afforded by a common man and hence active participation in the sport doubles up the overall interest levels.                                                              d) You cannot overlook the crazy passion India holds about cricket, which gets you thinking if you are the only odd man out in your dislike for the sport. And when there is so much tom - tomming about the sport, how can one not follow suit and join in the chanting and cheering!                                                                                                                                                          Well, that was my analysis and I assume there are many others who may feel the same way.                                                                                                                                                 Whether you observe a watchman or a chai-wallah or go to any roadside food stalls or a market area or even a luxury shopping mall or whether you eaves-drop in on a conversation, cricket discussions seem to be dominating among other interests. Period. Every other person, nowadays, knows about the World Cup scenario, the players who made the team, the reason behind the dropping out of some, and the list goes on. And not to forget, they have the schedule of matches right there with themselves. It almost seems like the whole of India is gearing up to play the World Cup. So much is the curiosity, that during the World Cup, you will find many people making sincere efforts to get the latest score updates irrespective of where they are and what they are busy with. And you know, the best thing about this entire World Cup episode is that they don't care about anything as long as they are fulfilling their duties of being avid cricket lovers.

Ideal love!

It is very rare, absolutely very rare that you get to see or atleast even hear about a wedding that has survived 75 years and still counting. I came across this beautiful article recently which covered the fairytale story on marital bliss of a Japanese couple. And the least I could say is that I was beyond surprised. Never in my life have I stumbled upon a more touching piece of story. Truly, it was a treat to the soul. It is one thing to stay married for 25 years and only have hopes about completing another set of it to celebrate half a century of marriage. It is another thing to achieve the precious milestone of 50 years of togetherness and feel grateful about it and feel blissfully secure in the memory of the years that went by. And it is a very, very special blessing and rare feat to be able to see the platinum phase of one's marriage through.                                                                                                                         What amazed me about the coulple was the fact that how, even after 75 long years of marriage, after going through various stints of hardships and struggles, there has never been a dull moment as they said or even a fleeting thought of giving up on their respective roles in the relationship. After all these years, which seem no less than a roller coaster ride, in which they brought up three daughters, lived in extreme poverty at once and struggled to make ends meet, fought many a hurdle together and went through a multitude of emotions, they still feel they haven't had enough of each other. So much is the love and concern for each other that, their only wish remains to die together. They cannot see themselves without the other. Being the epitome of what ideal love stands for, one would expect them to have a secret to all these years of wedding bliss. And one could articulate the depth of this bond when they said the only thing they would do if they felt they had hurt or upset each other even subconsciously, was to leave each other alone for a while without any exchange of words. This time, apart from each other would make them realize how incomplete they seemed without each other. And it would also serve the purpose of giving each other enough space only to make their hearts grow fonder towards the other.                  Beautiful is the life where one can share his/her joy and sorrow with a shoulder to lean on. But, more beautiful is that life where you have someone to shoulder half of your sorrow and share in your joy. Beginnings may always seem perfect and utopian but, the real test lies in being together when things may not seem perfect. And it is this challenge that makes two individuals perfect for each other.  Having no definition or expression, love is yet a feeling which needs no description. All the successful people in this world are proof enough of the fact that it was love they set out to conquer. Having fame and power are equivalent to being accepted enough which forms the crux of any mission. The only takeaway from successful relationships like the one mentioned above would be to always stick around. This may not sound easy but, when one wants the definition of love, acceptance is the only thing that breeds love which usually comes in the form of staying togethee right through. Only real love being effortless, is able to withstand this test of time.                                                                          We all have that different facet to our personality which is not often demonstrated. This side could be a streak of madness, wild child needs or being totally oneself or letting loose. People often make comments such as 'love makes my world go round' or 'life has come a full circle after the cupid struck' or even statements like they have found a new perspective towards life and that they have a new reason to live after they have found love. It is when this streak of madness or an unknown facet  is touched upon that life becomes worth living. That side only blossoms with love. And also it is scientifically proven that, when a person is in love, the chemicals that the brain releases are the same as when a person is mad. No wonder, we say 'love is blind' or 'madly in love'.

New Year Resolutions!

This new year my goal is to get into shape. And I want to commit to healthy living and eating. And I also plan to commit more time to my family and friends and not think about work all the time. And ya, I am also going to try and be as good a person as possible and refrain from any kind of misdeeds. And the list goes on.... As clichéd as it may sound, we all love making resolutions and commitments, as should be the case, but the only question that keeps coming into my head is - Are these resolutions only meant for the new year or any special occasion in an individual's life? I do not think we need to wait to make any kind of a resolve or commitment, as one may call it. And I do not even think one even needs to be expected to make one. Why only should special moments mark a change? What about the new year or a special milestone makes one want to promise for a change? Why do we subscribe to norms of having to make time-associated resolutions? As far as a new beginning that these events mark is concerned according to the demarcation made by humans, I can do that the day I feel it's time for one, realising it's importance and necessity. A resolve can be instinctive or on a definite purpose . It can be heartfelt and it can also be to sincerely want a change.I am absolutely for the concept of resolutions and commitments, no two ways about that. I am only concerned with the timing associated with the commitment.                                                                                                                                        The air of excitement and frenzy as the new year approaches is contagious. Infact the moments when the realization that we shall soon be going into the next year dawns upon us followed by its countdown, give us an adrenaline rush. The insurmountable level of excitement for the coming year, reflection on the year that went by and how fast it did at that, million plans for the new year's, zillion resolutions to be made and a gazillion other things.... These moments are overwhelming for people all across. We all want to make the coming year the best in our lives and hence the resolutions. All said and done, only a few try implementing these resolutions and fewer end up making them work. Nonetheless, it is quite fruitful when we make resolutions that materialise and we collectively see a better outcome. All in all, it is always fulfilling to start the year on a good note, if that gives us any hope.                                                         Personally, i have treaded the same path in terms of having a bucket list when it came to making resolutions. And trust me i did not find anything wrong with it. I tried repeating this act a couple of times and met with disappointment almost always. I later realized, after some self-interrogation, that i do not need a special occasion, particularly something that expects a commitment to be made. I have come to realize,that the more you keep thinking and reminding yourself of having to accomplish a goal that is deliberately made, the more short-lived the goal tends to be. This is for the plain reason that we are seeking external validation for something that is internal. As a promise that one makes to self rather than to the world, he/she needs complete self assurance. This promise is more internal than external and it does not need any external motivation. Because when you truly set out to bring about a change, telling people about it only makes you liable to them of living upto their expectations. You'd rather not want to carry that extra baggage.                                         Taking another approach, resolutions certainly exist to remind people that there is always a scope for change. To constantly make resolves for a better future that awaits all of us even though we do not feel the need to. To commit ourselves to what needs attention.To make us think and delve deeper into constantly finding ways to bring about a change in the lives of people around us. No wonder, change is the only constant!

The Indian makeover

India, of late, has undergone a makeover. In other words, westernization has started taking place at the grassroots. It may not have completely taken over, but it is surely getting there. Those days are not far when we shall see India on par with its western counterparts in all respects. Maybe, 2020? No, I think, a complete transformation by 2020 only spells OPTIMISM. Okay, let's be a little modest! How about 2030? Hmmmm..... It still sounds a little dicey, doesn't it? Then, how about 2050? This surely seems like a safe bet.                      We all have our hopes pinned on the coming years for India. And infact, we are very positive about these numbers. So be it 2020; 2030 or 2050, a change is inevitable. We all obsess about a westernized India, but what exactly does westernization do? The term westernization seems very typical to the Indian culture. For many, it is a process of modernisation and integration of the western culture. Not overlooking the obvious changes that tag along, as the word suggests, westernization has catapulted India into a renowned economy and put India on the world map. The term does not just restrict itself to higher standards of living, but also brings about a great deal of social change which mainly entails abolition of evil practices like serfdom or slavery. Laborers are no more reduced to sub - human standards. Technology advancement and upgradation that have made people more   conscious and aware about their surroundings have also largely contributed to the process of westernization. Mobiles and television have been major contributors in this change. Roads, safety, infrastructure, environment, health and sanitation among others have also majorly contributed to this process.                                                                                                    With this welcome change, came many cons and perils. This process interfered with the lifestyle of common people. The lives of most of the people underwent a 360 degree change. Many people cannot afford or do not have the access to this culture - degrading lifestyle. But most of us are fortunate enough to avail ourselves of the basic technology. Although, in the quest of higher standards of living, cultural, social and environmental aspects have been largely compromised upon. This kind of neglect can cost us dearly in the long run.                                                                                                                                                   Westernization may have taken India 20 years forward in terms of the lives we are currently leading, but, the rate at which it is making inroads into our lives by making irreversible compromises, i fear, we might move 40 years back with this westernization - storm. But, this does not seem likely in the distant future. For the time being, till the Indians don't completely tire of manufacturing the latest technology, building good infrastructure, world class health and education facilities, eradicating poverty and illiteracy and being on par with its American counterpart, there is no stopping them. After all, the most important and in - demand man currently in India has promised to make India have the Americans queue up for an Indian visa in a few years' time. Indians surely have some serious task up their sleeves, but, with this promise, half the battle almost seems won. And the rest half is sure to create history.

Are women actually safe?

This is the one question that haunts every Indian woman irrespective of who she is and where she comes from. Yes. Whether she is rich, poor, famous, literate, illiterate or a 21st century modern, independent Indian woman. And rightly so, when the political, economic and social conditions don't seem to be favorable and conducive enough for the safety of our women. The rate at which the crimes against women are increasing is flabbergasting. It has sort of made India a home ground for crimes against women. This growth spurt in the number of crimes is something one must have never heard of or seen before. Be it rapes, female foeticide and infanticide, acid attacks, dowry deaths, domestic violence or the frequent cases of molestation and harassment against women - the male ego and power have betrayed the entire purpose of womanhood. So much so that women are grappling with their identity and sense of being.                                                                                                       Women are and have always been soft targets. But the real question here is: how long will this continue? It's time for men to no longer have a desire for ascendancy. They need to wake up to the truth and move on. Women are moving on. Upwards and onwards to a life of grit and determination; to not let the men and society downgrade them. And it's also time we acknowledge their presence and contribution in our lives in the right spirit. And the only way to bring about a change is by giving the same amount of rights to women as men. By making India safe for our women, we would not only be protecting them physically but also empowering and preparing them for a bigger battle. And the battle is to revolutionize our nation. After all, women constitute 50% of our voters.                                                                     Women have always, since time immemorial, formed an integral part of our family. It's a woman who binds the family together and makes a home out of a house. Above all, they are the ones who have brought us into this world and nurtured us ever since. This also implies to all those wrong-doers in our society who often forget that they have been bred around various women and even later they will assume the responsibility of their wives and daughters. The worst part is that some of them indulge in these heinous acts despite assuming responsibility of a family. They often forget that those women are also someone's wife, mother, daughter and sister. These men may harm them physically to prove their superiority. But the fact of the matter is they are loading a woman with fury and anger to vent back.                                                                                                                                      The angst and fury of this woman are just in no case only related to the harm they have done to her physical, emotional and mental state of being. It goes far beyond. Of bringing shame and sorrow in the lives of those related to her. Of rendering those dependent on her, helpless. Of the sorry state of her family. And this fury comes with much more force and gusto. It is just not like that, when we say - when you educate a man, you are educating just the man himself but when you educate a woman, knowingly or unknowingly, you are educating an entire family.

Media Junkies

Media, as a medium has become too commonplace today. It is difficult to find a place which lacks any kind of connection with the outer world through the use of media. Infact, most of us today, become handicapped at the mere thought of not having access to the virtual world.Be it print media or electronic media, our lives are becoming increasingly dependent on media to not only keep abreast of all the happenings around the world, but it is also a means to switch off from the real world. Like, there are always two sides to a coin, the use of media, similarly, brings along its own share of pros and cons.                                                                                                                                                          Today, this use is bordering on addiction. And this addiction has got more to do with media's far and wide reach and its growing user-base. In addition, it helps us connect to those long-lost buddies and extended family circle. Now, half of the usage today, falls under the purview of Internet. But, there is no denying the underlying power and impact of media, in general. Television, Internet, newspaper, magazines, etc. are some of the things that all of us are sitting in the midst of. Infact, it would be apt to say that media has revolutionized the world in more ways than possible.                                                                                                       Among the good aspects of the use of media, today, we have information at out fingertips. We have the luxury of being able to keep in constant touch with our friends and dear ones. And not to forget, it brings the world closer. And the world has indeed become smaller. Believe me. Becoming media - savvy would top the list of cons. As we say, too much of anything is bad, I wouldn't be wrong in saying that the virtual world is taking over the real world. People prefer staying virtually active than being actually involved in the on-goings and scenario of the real world. Most of us are becoming socially inept, if I may say so. Misuse of Internet is also very rampant. The use of social networking websites does more harm than good by exploiting young minds. So much, that cyber crime is fast becoming one of the major causes of concern among people across all age groups.                               In addition to all of this and more, I sit to think and question myself, as to what will the coming generations be like? I assume, we shall see nano-babies being born with I - phones in their hands. Or better still, we shall see fetus' mulling over which phone would make a better buy than the I - phone when they are born. As I say, let's just wait and watch!

Sexy Vs Beautiful

"Sexy" is a term which is used so commonly today, that it is almost replaced with words like 'beautiful' and 'pretty'. I wonder, how can this possibility even arise when both the words 'sexy' and 'beautiful' sound almost like a pair of oxymorons. Really! How would you react to something like 'sexily beautiful' or 'beauty is sexiness personified'? A word like 'sexy', when usually associated with a woman implies direct or indirect derogation towards a woman's character. Okay, let's put it this way - when people compliment a woman for looking good, and this woman can be anybody, maybe someone closely or loosely-related to you, passing such a remark may not reflect positively on one's character. More so, if we are addressing a woman with this term. This is an indication relating to one's sexual appeal or sexual attractiveness. This is making a woman, in your perception, an object of lust or desire.             It seems like real beauty is losing its desirability and charm. Most people prefer being called sexy over beautiful. There were instances when women were complimented for looking beautiful. There were instances when women were complimented for looking beautiful, which imposed a certain amount of respect, love and kindness towards them. These are the words which most women are deserving of, to be associated with. Replacing them with inappropriate words, somewhere, hardly leaves any scope for respect and love. If this were to be just a matter of words, it would have hardly proven to be a point of discussion. Then, it becomes essential to consider one important question: 'Do we actually mean it' or 'are we generalising the term 'sexy'?'                                                                               It's high time women get their due share of respect, dignity, love, and glorification, even if that is by using appropriate words, for starters. I'm sure that a change in actions can also lead to a definite change in thoughts, if we consider it to be true the other way round.            All a woman needs is a little bit of love, care, and respect. And if this is asking for too much, then just think of the situation that may arise 20 years hence - when there will be no clear demarcation between women and whores. And i'm just restricting the use to our thoughts. Think!