तुझी आठवण येते

रण रणत्या उन्हांत..... जेव्हा वार्याची झुळूक सुखावते..
तेव्हा तुझी आठवण का येते???

मुसळधार पावसात छत्री स्वतःला ओलं करून मला वाचवते...
तेव्हा तुझी आठवण का येते???

गुलाबी थंडीत कोणी उबदार रजई ओढवली की.....
तुझ्या मिठीची आठवण का येते.....

डोळ्यातील अश्रूंचा पारा फुटला की.....
तुझ्या पदराची आठवण का येते...

उम्म्लेली टवटवीत फुले बघून...
तुझ्या हसण्याची आठवण का येते.....

कोमेजलेल्या कळ्या बघून....
तुझ्या आसवांची आठवण कशी काय येते........

रोजच्या जगण्यात काही तरी चुकतं आहे कळ्यावर....
तुझ्या उणीवीची जाणीव कशी काय होते??????

नेहमी बरोबर तुझीच आठवण कशी काय येते....
नेहमी बरोबर तुझीच आठवण कशी काय येते....

Unforgettable Rainy Evening ---- Part I

He came back to the classroom after a winning some rounds at the TT table in the college gym, picked up his bag and was just wondering, if she could have waited, then he would have got company for having food and then a long walk back to the station, as he was thinking, suddenly he heard her voice from behind saying "HII.. So you are back!!!!” the voice jolted him... Surprised, he said, “YESSSS she’s here…!!!!” to himself and then said “hmmm lost the match!! so had to make way…. Winners to stay!! u know right!!!. What are you doing in the college till now!!!! “. She said to herself, "Idiot waiting for you...can't you understand!!!!" and then found herself struggling for reason. “Was studying in the library, needed some reference books”, came the patent, standard reply.

He always enjoyed the special treatment from her whether it’s his share in her lunch box to his share in her life. She had made him an integral part of it. The only glitch here was he named this friendship and never realized that it was lot more than that.

But today was different, there was something unusual about it, both of them were together with no one around. Just the 2 of them!!!!!

They went to the canteen for food and sat opposite each other. This was the first instance wherein he looked at her so closely, she was beautiful, and her smiling, radiant eyes were sparkling with happiness. He never saw her being so happy, the intensity was felt by him for the first time. He was in his own world, trying to contemplate, rearrange a jigsaw puzzle that has started to fall in place. Her making him feel special, her sharing so many things, and more importantly her being there whenever he wished or wanted was all of suddenly making a new meaning for him.

She was pointing her fingers at the canteen service counter where their order was ready but he did not seem to be listening. She shook him, and he instantly came back to life. While she was still touching him, he felt her for the first time, but again his mind went into overdrive trying to get to reasoning as to what was happening to him. He got up as if being in a trance and got the food. He was probably on the verge!!!! On the verge of a startling realization called LOVE!!!

The order was consumed taking as much time as possible and now it was time to go home. The way was a long walk to the station and then 2 different trains in opposite directions which she wished could be in one in the near future. They both walked down the stairs and reached the gate when suddenly the heavens opened up and welcomed them. She quickly pulled out an umbrella and handed it over to him to hold it over their heads. She very well knew he was without one but the time that they had spent in the college canteen, it was improbable to wait somewhere for the rains to recede. Anyways the rains were also not in mood to recede, it was like they were in a mood to celebrate the togetherness that they were witnessing.

They both were desperately trying to stay in the umbrella as much as they were trying to stay apart from each other. Seeing them some what achieve this, the wind pitched in. The wind made sure that both came in the umbrella, more close to each other. The susceptibility, hesitance of touch was more felt then never before. They both were uncomfortable but yet happy at the intimacy they were experiencing courtesy of the weather. In between he was trying his hand at some petty humor which was greeted with over hyped laughter by her. He had seen her smiling umpteen times but never realized that she had such a beautiful smile. They both looked at each other and her face had a glow and droplets sprayed all over like the morning dew on a flower. He simply couldn’t take the eyes off her. The rain and wind got heavier which drew them close to each other and for the first time they touched. They both felt the warmth in this wet and chilly breeze. They both looked at each other and did not realize that they have already walked half way through the station. He put his arms around her so that they can be comfortable inside the umbrella. The touch, the closeness was never so wanted, was never so felt, never it raised the heart beats to this unprecedented levels, never it made them breathe so fast, as to get out of control. Everything felt so divine, so celestial, so pure. They both were not at all feeling the rusty weather, what mattered to them was, they both were together.  The silence between them was unnerving them and by the time he mustered courage to speak about this enchanted experience, they both could see the railway station in front of them. The reluctance of being so intimate was gone long back and his arms around her were the most comforting feature of the walk. He wished this would be endless. The visual of the station in front seemed as someone waking them up from a dream.

They entered the station, closed the umbrella and just stood there speechless, recounting in their minds , sinking in what they just experienced. The only thing that mattered to them was whether it was mutual and who is going to confess that it was indeed mutual, but for now they just wanted to savor this walk for their lifetime. They bid each other good-bye, against much of their will and parted ways.

He’s condition was now the same as it was hers and the last piece of his jigsaw had fallen in place when they parted ways? The separation more profoundly emphasized to him what he wanted. As he got into the train he very well knew that she was the one. He decided to himself that tomorrow was the day he’s going to ask her. The togetherness did not make him realize the storm and rough weather that prevailed but made him pass through it. This simple fundamental can be true for his whole life as well. he thought. This made his decision more strong. He exactly knew what he wanted in his life. He was looking forward for the next day like never before,  meeting her, telling her, listening from her. The time was slow to turn over and  slowly and  steadily each every aspect in his life was now being filled by her existence.

The next morning he woke and wanted to be at his best on the day, but was also thinking how she would have wanted it to be. He wanted to say what he feels but in a manner in which she wished to hear it. He did not understand that what he wanted to say is what she wishes to hear. He was thinking and working on being perfect for her but in turn he failed to understand that she was madly in love with his imperfections.
He reached the college and the first thing his eyes were looking for.....was her. She was nowhere to be seen, and as soon as he hit one of their common friends he asked about her. The friend gave him a stunned look and asked whether he got a call from her house last night. He replied in negation and was curious to know why.
“She died in yesterday’s bomb blast at Dadar station!!!!!”, the friend said. He was so engrossed in what he had planned to say to her that initially it didn’t even register in his mind what shocking revelation was made to him. After a second he turned around and got the friend by his collar and asked him to shut up and not make such fun and it’s not at all appreciated. His friend realized the situation and asked him to seat and said that he was not joking and that’s why the mood is so somber.
His friend then told him that her family was searching her in the night and the last thing they knew was she was with you in the college so they were trying to call you but probably by that time, they had her news. She was standing at Dadar station when the Karjat train that entered Dadar station had a blast in it and she was hit by a ruptured part of the compartment that was blown off. She was found battling for her life at the hospital in Dadar where the injured people were taken and she succumbed to the injuries late in the night.

He dazed in an empty space, did not know what to do, his world had came crashing down like a landslide.His mind failed to believe what he was hearing.He searched her in the classroom and near by areas but to no avail.He had so much to tell her, so much to hear from her, so much to share and now he couldn't. He wanted her to know how much he loved her and wanted to know how much she loved him. The memories of yesterday came rushing to him and he thought if he would have stayed a while longer with her, said to her what he wanted to, this never would have happened. All the ifs and buts started to trouble him. He was completely devastated by this current and shocking string of events.
The contrast that life had thrown in front of him was cruel joke to the say least. One evening he was made to think everything was an eternal bliss, everything was so innocent, pure, divine and the next day all was hell.

He came back to the classroom the next day after some “violent” games at the TT table, picked up his bag and as always was thinking about her when suddenly he heard the voice from behind "HII.. So you are back!!!!” the voice jolted him... Stunned he looked back. It was some other girl, he kept looking at her shocked with tears flowing through his eyes. He just replied ,” yes,” and took the bag and rushed out. He ran downstairs with many trying to stop him but he was unstoppable and as he ventured out it started to rain again. This time as the previous evening the rain came for his help but it was to hide his tears.

He thought he just had to go back a day in his own life before the realization of love and everything would be just fine but he very well knew that to go back by that one day will now take a lifetime.

तू नसून असतेस.................

तू कधीच नसतेस आणी नसल्यामुळे नेहमीच असतेस!!

तरी तू माझ्या प्रत्येक क्षणात कशी काय असतेस!!

माझ्या यशात, माझ्या अपयशात
माझ्या हरण्यात, माझ्या जिंकण्यात!!
तू मला हवी तशी कशी काय वागतेस, बोलतेस, हसतेस...

कारण.....तू नसतेस आणी नसल्यामुळे नेहमीच असतेस!!

तुझं असणं महत्वाच असत
तुझं नसणं जीवघेणं!!!!
पण तरी तुझी उणीव असते आणी तू कधीच नसते!!!

म्हणूनच म्हणतो ....तू नसतेस आणी नसल्यामुळे नेहमीच असतेस!!

कधी तू माझ्या एकटेपणात असतेस,
तर कधी मला एकाकी पाडतेस
कधी तू सर्वत्र असतेस तर कधी साऱ्या गर्दीत ही नसतेस,

.तू कधीच नसतेस आणी नसल्यामुळे नेहमीच असतेस!!

तू अशी वागणार, तू तस बोलणार

तू यावर हसणार आणी तू यावर रागावणार
तुझं हसणं रडणं रागावून बोलणं...किंवा बोलून रागावणं!!!

पहिलेच माहित असतं मला सारं!!!

कारण या सर्वांचं एकाच असाव

तू नसून सुद्धा तुझं अस्तित्व जाणवणं!!!

तू नसल्या मुले असतेस का आहेस, म्हणून कधीच नसतेस.........................

ओलावा

एका सुट्टीच्या दुपारी माझ्या घराच्या खिडकीत बसून ऊन उतरण्याची वाट बघत होतो. एवढ्या रणरणत्या उन्ह्नात कुठे बाहेर पडायच, थोडं कमी झालं कि जाऊया असा विचार करत बाहेर बघत होतो. रस्त्या वर माणसे सूर्यच्या तेजा पासून कसे बसे स्वतःला वाचवत जात होती. सूर्याला दया कशी येत नाही असा विचार करत असतानाच अचानक सावली कशी व कुठून पडली म्हणून वर बघीतलं तर एक मोठा ढग सूर्य समोर आला होता. त्याच्या नुसत्या येण्याने रस्त्या वरचे लोक सुखावले होते.

मला त्या ढगाच कौतुक वाटल... वाटल की काय हिम्मत आहे या ढगा मध्ये, जमिनीवरच्या लोकांना, ज्यांना तो ओळखत नाही, ज्यांच्याशी कसलाच संबंध नाही, अश्या लोकांनसाठी स्वतः सूर्या समोर येऊन त्याचं सगळं तेज स्वतःवर घायचं, कोणा परक्या माणसांसाठी एवढी उष्णता आणि ताप सहन करण्याची काय गरज. या जगात जिथे आपली माणसं आपल्या लोकांनाच परके झाले आहेत तिथे हा ढग स्वतः जळत सूर्या पासून या परक्यांच रक्षण का करतो आहे. त्याला हि निस्वार्थ भावना कुठून आली, कोणी शिकवली. कदाचित ती उपजतच असेल कारण निस्वार्थपणा कोणी शिकवून येत नसतो तो असतो किंवा तो नसतोच.............

आभाळ दाटलं.... a photo by आशिष कारखानीस

मला त्या ढगाचा खूप हेवा वाटला पण थोड्याच वेळात लक्षात आलं कि तो एकटा या लढ्यात शामिल नव्हता त्याच्या सारखे त्याचे खुप सारे सवंगडी होते जे नकळत आभाळावरच  सूर्याच राज्य काबीज करत होते. सूर्य हरत होता आणि बघता बघता सर्व आकाश त्यांनी काबीज केले. 

त्यांच्या या हिमती ला दाद आणि आपला पाठींबा दाखवत हवा ही त्यांच्या मादितीला आली. ती ही आता सैरा वैरा पळत होती. सर्व ठिकाणी जणू फुंकर घालात, आपण ही लढाई कशी जिंकतो आहे याचा डंका बडवत होती. ज्या सूर्या ला एकट्याने हरवणे शक्य नव्हते त्याला आता आघाडी उभारून हरवलं जात होत. 

बघता बघता सगळं वातावरण बदलून गेलं, सूर्याने त्याचा पराभव स्वीकारला, तो हरला, त्याचा ताप कमी झाला किंबहुना कमी पडला आणि सगळी कडे ढगांच्या विजयाचा गारवा पसरला. ढग आपले साम्राज्य वाढवू लागले आणि शेवटी आपल्या विजयची आतिषबाजी म्हणून पावसाचे बाण सोडू लागले. 

या विजयी सलामीत सगळी धरा चिंब ओली झाली, ती तर स्वतःच या तेजामुळे रुष्ट, कोरडी आणि निरुस्ताही झाली होती. पाऊसाने तिला नुसताच पाण्याचा ओलावा नव्हे तर जणू तिला भावनिक ओलावा ही दिला. पृथ्वीला पुन्हा हसायला आणि फुलायला शिकवला. पहिल्या पावसाने जसे माणसे, प्राणी वगैरे खुश होतात तसेच त्यांना आनंदी बघून तिला एका आई प्रमाणे आनंद होतो, अश्याच अनेक कारणामुळे तिला आई म्हणत असावेत असा विचार चाटून गेला.

मला तेव्हा असा वाटलं आपण पण आपल्या आयुष्यातले पाउस शोधले पाहिजे, जपले पाहिजेत,  काळजी घेतली पाहिजे, त्यांना त्यांचं श्रेय आणि महत्त्व दिलं पाहिजे. कुठे तरी रोजच्या गडबडीत, धकाधकीत त्यांच्या कडे दुर्लक्ष करतो, गृहीत धरतो, आणि कधी तरी ते नाराज हून आपल्या वर प्रेमाचा, आपुलकीचा वर्षाव करत नाही आणि मग आपण कोरडे, निरुत्साही आणि निरर्थक होऊन राहतो. आपल्या आयुष्यातले हे पाउस आपल्यला जिवंतपणा देतात आणि तोच ओलावा आपण जपत नाही.... हे आपला दुर्दैव च म्हणव लागेल........

जेव्हा पाउस पहिल्यांदा येतो तेव्हा आपल्याला खूप हवा हवासा वाटतो अगदी आपल्या आयुष्यात आलेल्या नवीन व्यक्ती सारखा. तिची सोबत, सहवास हवा हवासा वाटतो तसाच पावसाचं आहे. पहिला पाउस खूप सुखावून जातो आणि नंतर सरता सरता त्याचा कंटाळा येतो... नकोसा होतो... तेव्हा जस आपण हे विसरतो कि तो आला होता तेव्हा त्याची किती आणि कशी गरज होती... गरज ओसरल्या वर लगेच कंटाळा येतो.. 

आपण माणसां बरोबर ही असच नाही का करत.... पण तरीही पुढच्या वेळेस पाउस यावा असा वाटत असत, तशी स्वार्थी अपेक्षा ही करत असतो परंतु गेलेली माणसं ही काही परत येत नाहीत.... पाउस नशीबाने तोच असतो पण माणसं कधीच नाही...

आपण आपल्या आयुष्यात एवढे गुंतलो आहे कि पाउस नीयमित यावा, हवा तेवढाच पडावा याची काळजी तर घेतच नाही पण हवी असेलेली माणसं टिकून ठेवून आपल्या आयुशातला ओलावा आणि हिरवळ जपण्यचा ही प्रयत्न करत नाही. 

पावसाला आणि आपल्या माणसांना या दोघांना ही आपण हवं असलेलं लक्ष आणि महत्व देत नाही. जे न दिल्यामुळे आपण सध्या दोघांना ही मुकतो आहे. हीच ती वेळ हाच तो क्षण काही इथून पुढे तरी बदलायचा का????

Hyped World Cup!!!!

14 Teams, 210 players, ONE CUP………. Nice slogan to read and advertise for viewership in India. I doubt if they had to advertise a cricket match in India ever as even the practice matches drew full house.
The Cup gets underway tomorrow when India take their arch rivals Bangladesh. I said “arch rivals”, I think; I must say arch rivals of the World cup as India sometimes just fail to lift their game above the minnows. The talent in Indian team is better than them but I just think sometimes we are too complacent or just don’t lift our game as they do in a crucial match of the world cup.
For the first time; I liked the format of the world cup. It’s not boring and won’t go on and on as the last one in West Indies and I think IPL season to follow is one strong motivation to get to this format. I always thought why there should be some other motivation to get to do something new in cricket. Why can’t the administrators be proactive enough? For example they needed an ICL to come up with an IPL, they needed an IPL to cut the duration of the cup and make more matches interesting and what this format has done is most matches in this edition would be critical. I always believed that once the knockout starts then and only then you can differentiate the men among the boys. The intensity is back and pressure is immense as you have that day to make it or break it.
The group stage is just a formality so that top 8 nations reach the quarter finals. The group stage is more or less predictable and we can safely assume that top 8 teams in the rankings to go through with no surprises. I think this is something that I failed to digest why would teams like Canada, Kenya Holland play only in the World Cup and they add no value to the most important event in the Cricket calendar. I think ICC did ban the Triangular Series to be played in any nation in the pretext of having all countries play all countries in the home and away leg to determine the TEST Champions. What they can do is add one minnow team to the ODIs that follow a Test Series to make it a triangular series with 2 main test teams and one minnow like Canada or Kenya. This will give more opportunities for the minnows to play the best in the world and can improve their game or at least know what they lack and the lesser known players can interact with the greats of the game. This would probably make the minnows add value to the Cup and the Cup is more competitive. Playing once in 4 years those 2-3 matches does not add any value to them; the new format is at least letting them extend their stay in the World Cup.
The richest sporting institution will be richer by hosting the world cup, the commercial angle to this is enormous and I really cannot imagine how much money has this pumped in India. But is this money reaching the grass roots, is the money reaching remote India to prosper or harness the talent, is the money helping the less fortunate and financially challenged aspirants to make the grade. I have my serious doubts on it.
Forget doing so much at the grass roots, they even cannot make the domestic format interesting or for that matter the standards of domestic matches nothing less than the international matches. I was just watching a Ranji match and bowler was Ishant and he was really bowling quick but the ball was actually stopping and coming not more than knee or max thigh high to the batsman. If he had to unsettle the batsman with a short ball he had to pitch it so short that the batsman had ample time to move away or pull it. It was such a demotivating to bowl on that wicket as a fast bowler that I really thought if India has the fast bowlers that they have then India is really fortunate to have them. The only way he made the batsman realise how quick he was; by bowling a Yorker right beneath the bat in the block hole.
Two aspects come out of such sluggish wickets first; the Bowlers don’t know what length they had to bowl when they actually gets a fast, hard wicket in SA or Aus. I think the second and most important thing is suddenly the fast bowler is the most important person to get you 20 wickets in the match rather than spinners. He gets this importance and becomes significant when he reaches a foreign soil and therefore at times we see our bowlers struggling for the line and length as they are either too full or too short that batsman can evade them. If we watch these matches carefully then the times the batsman got beaten and/or missed the edge is higher as due to lack of line and length and therefore batsman gets the extra time to correct in process they get beaten but don’t nick the ball.
The batters have a completely different proposition, the knee length ball now does not exists at all and the range of the delivery is from head to waist rather than from knee to waist as in India. This change is too much to handle in addition with the pace and occasional movement in air and off the pitch. You cannot expect a batsman to tackle it when he is playing international cricket or just a before a tour practice something in Nets and get going. It’s as if the batters know their theory of how to play the short swinging ball but haven’t done their practicals much.
We should have some strategic solutions to this and BCCI with so much money should do something about it in terms of pitches and improving the ground conditions. The Kanga league was one of the best solutions thought of in 1948 after India’s dismal performance in England. The peculiarity of Kanga League was it was played in June to September in Mumbai when no one plays cricket during the rains. The motivation was to create a natural English rainy atmosphere, the slow sticky, seaming English wickets which would happen naturally due to rain and a wet outfield. The overcast conditions in rainy season made the ball swing as in England and also the batsman was habituated to play in diminishing light as was the case in England then. It was such a success that we hardly see our batsman struggle in England after the advent of kanga league.
The world cup if India gets it home, then all the credit should go to the players and support staff and nothing to the administrators which is so unfortunate. We have most successful batsman against fast bowling of West Indies of 70s and 80s in Sunny, we have the most successful fast bowler in Kapil but I hardly see any former successful player helping the team and getting into the grass roots of Indian cricket. I initially thought that some won’t be interested but all are not interested is hard to digest. We need more internationally successful players to come forward and help kids and various institutions build a talent that no one can challenge.
Some great Australian player had said the 2nd best team in the world should be constituted of players sitting on the bench and not the team you’re playing against. This is so so true and if we can harvest such talent not only in cricket but in every other sport that India plays then we can well and truly become a sporting super power. At times I just feel it’s a matter of will than anything else and if our administrators improve or we improve the quality of administrators sitting at the helm things could make a difference. I was so happy to see Srinath, Kumble and Prasad winning the KCA elections and I hope that we see some good genuine world class bowlers from Karnataka as India best threesome spearhead the cricket in that state.
Just think as spectators we were so demotivated to see Common Wealth games due to the news of scams and other ill deeds, I can’t imagine from where did the players found their motivation and will to participate in the games. I think they did for India as representing the country was most important rather than all these things. But at the same time, I see someone going with all the money and medal winners struggling to find even the practice area is rather shameful. I always felt there 2 very important people who are not treated well in our country and one of them are sports person playing a sport other than cricket and other set of people is the ARMY. The 2 most neglected set of people represent the nation and make us feel proud about being an Indian.

The "isms" and the "ists"

The title of the blog seems to be very strange and if you are wondering what I am up to this time then don’t worry "your ideas would get clear here on".
I was just relaxing and watching “The BUCK STOPS HERE” a talk or debate show hosted by Barkha Dutt a senior journalists. The topic was Ajmal Kasab court trial. There were lot of distinguish personalities who were throwing a lot of ideas and thoughts, interpretations, conclusions and Barkha was catching everything and collating them together for the viewer to analyze and ponder on it.
Some basic jargons, if I dare say to that language, which was spoken in the show, was terrorists, fundamentalists, Islamists, communalists, fascist, racist, extremist etc. As I was hearing them speak and most of the related shows on even other issues in India we often hear similar verbose to the one above. The point I am making here takes us to the title of the blog, rather makes half of the title i.e. THE “ISTS” part of it.
What I wanted the distinguished guests to tackle or speak about is THE “ISMS” behind every such “ISTS” i.e. for example when we speak about terrorists then what about Terror”ism”. If we are speaking about Extremists then why don’t we speak about Extremism and so on………
From what as a English language student I understand is a Terrorists or any “…ISTS” is completely dependent on the “…..ISM” that motivates and propels the individual to become an “IST” of that nature.
The very notion above is good enough, to make us realize what we have to do in order to achieve what we wish to. For example we want to end Terror then finishing terrorists is not going to solve the problem. We have to work towards solving TERRORISM. If the “ISM” ends then the motivations that propels people to kill so many also is killed. The base on which this game is played is no more the motivation.
If I look at myself and see what today can propel me to be a part of a plan to kill so many innocent people, it would need immensely high level of motivational talk aided with proofs, images, statistics, fundamentals which would then create a high amount of emotional turbulence in me and I would want to take revenge by whatever means being made available to me. Basically I want to revenge whether if it’s the right way or wrong its immaterial for me. Such a high motivation is generated in people like Kasab which is very dangerous. The basic point is there are some people who has something with them which can create Kasabs. This again boomerangs a question onto us that have we done something wrong which is being used against us. Is the onus on us here rather than them???
I mean there could be more than what we see here. The motivational facts would be false but not entirely. There would be some strong reasoning which we are overlooking and/or missing something to this whole issue of Terrorists and their Terrorism. We have over these years, failed to understand their problem or the motivation that they provide to people like Kasab to go and create such carnage.
Here I am not justifying what Kasab did but I am saying there is more to it than mere act that he has performed. By hanging him, we can only revenge what he did but I think that neither makes our lives secure nor guarantee that there would be no more of such attack.
Did our government, we as people tried implementing, learnt from what inspired him to kill so many hapless people. Forget that did we try to understand the “ISM” behind the “ISTS” in Kasab. There could some starch realities, some mistakes we would have done that has reaped us the crop called Kasab. Are we even contemplating such a thing?
If we assume that Kasab was motivated from outside India and we as a nation can’t do much about it then what about the Maosits, Naxals or BODO. They are the locals and not someones who came from outside. Did we ever try to de-alienate the local people from the insurgent groups? Where are these groups of terror getting recruits from? They have a steady flow of recruits, which is a proof that they have something to tell and motivate people to join them. They can’t sustain by making people join them by force for such a long time. This motivation given to people is the root of the “ISMS” that has created the “ISTS”.
Any ill “ISMS” should be tackled and the problems have to be nipped in the bud, neutralize the motivations that make up the “ISMS” whether its Terrorism, Pessimisms, casteism, Racism etc….. we try to change individual and make him, bring him on other side of the “IST” spectrum but fail because the “ISMS” remain in the background and the change is therefore superficial.
The danger lies in the “ISMS” that we knowingly/unknowingly create due to our vested interests and not the “ISTS” that come up later. The “ISTS” are only the immediate consequences of the “ISMS” and they don’t die till the time “ISMS” exists. We can only prevent and feel lucky that we did not fall prey to the Consequence like Kasab this time but this does not guarantee any future setbacks to us.

Traffic...

I took a right turn to exit the highway and almost immediately contributed to the ever extending “tail” of the most regular traffic bottlenecks of the city. Today was no different and there was only one thing that would clear the bottleneck I believed and that was TIME.

As I was waiting I just started thinking if this road was life, and all the people on it were moving towards a destination which was death or some logical end to their jouney. The more I thought the more this idea of road being synonymous to life become stronger.

As in our own life we see different people, we see lot of them on the road as well some like us, some inferior to us and some superior to us. The inferiority or superiority is purely the individual’s perspective to look at other people. It’s the same way how a student with 70% marks looks at the one with 90% and how he would look at student with 50%. I as a biker, also looked with the same outlook at the person in the car with a chauffeur and at a person with a bicycle. We always have this comparing streak in us and always try to get where someone else is. Looking at the chauffeur driven car I would like to be there, we hardly find time and also don’t see if there is something else where we can be. Our success is relative from bike to car, from bicycle to bike/scooter etc. I just wondered whether the person sitting in the AC car was really happy? Don’t know.... but I was struggling in the sultry heat and he “seemed” to be happy.

The traffic jams on the road I thought are like hurdles in our life which slows down our pace. Initially we get frustrated, disheartened by them but what they actually do is they give you time to think, strategize and plan your way ahead. We normally forget to get our act together in such times and most of us even turn back and try to find a different road to their destination. In turn they only reach late to their destination and rue the fact that they turned back. Sometimes the road jam is just to test our patience and a little perseverance and the road clears and we think why the JAM was there in the first place.

Similar to be on the road, in life we all head in one or other directions, while doing that we change course, take a different turn to see if we can reach quicker or take a different route to explore a new endeavor. All of us have the same aim but all try different methods and no method is right or wrong. We say the road was wrong when we reach the end of it. It’s just so simple to conclude this in the hindsight.

I think every time we reach the wrong end of the road we start with a new vigor and are hugely motivated to mend ways, sometimes even the pace is increased and we make up for the lost time and effort and reach the destination on time. How many times we find ourselves telling people around that though I lost my way I made it in time, we actually are surprised at our own ability of moving in with such a pace and making it on or before time. It always needs an adversity, a wrong turn on the road to test ourselves and reach greater heights.

On the road to destination, we help people, help our friends by giving them lift and making their journey comfortable and/or we also help someone who had a terrible accident or a breakdown of his/her vehicle. We help people in our own way and I must say we feel immensely satisfied, happy when we help others reach their destination quicker. The gratitude in the eyes of such people is so satisfying that it cannot be compared to anything else.

The race to the destination is so grueling and taxing for us that we completely ignore the pains and rigors taken by the medium on or because of which we reach the destination. The importance of the medium is only felt when we have a breakdown or it’s just not available. Similar to this we are so worked up in our own lives that we don’t care about the various mediums that keep us going in our lives.

The medium which could be our parents, wives, friends to morals, ethics, principles, trust, knowledge, attitude, thinking etc… this list could go on and on. We service our vehicles regularly so that we would have hassle free and comfortable driving but hardly care about the driving forces of our life. We don’t care to service our minds and soul and at times even our body. That’s why in a traffic jam or any hurdle we become impatient, intolerant and uncompromising at times. We assume everything and everybody to adjust except adjusting or accommodating our own selves. We tend to hide at times or just surrender to the fight; we do not have spirit and courage to lift ourselves for the battle. The main reason for we being vulnerable is that we don’t have our medium serviced as our vehicle to maneuver us out of the LIFE JAM.

The traffic rules and one way restrictions are similar to the ethics, principles in our lives which make sure that we are always in the right scheme of things. We should not be crossing our boundaries to and break moral signals to achieve successes. The speed breakers signify an alert mechanism of sorts for over speeding and potential of crushing someone beneath your aspirations.

As I was thinking on these lines I heard a loud blaring sound of a horn from behind and I instantly realized that the traffic has finally started to move and my struggle was about to get over and very soon I would be well on course to my destination. While on the move I was wondering whether I would curse the traffic again as it has some significance in my life and probably teaches us some important lessons in our lives.