Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2010

Things I love to see

A couple in love dancing together People offering to let old people go first in the queue A baby flashing an instant smile at me Decorated Christmas trees People carrying shopping bags, talking to each other, and laughing Emails from friends that are more like letters Facebook updates British people gathering in large numbers to enjoy Community Diwali fireworks Dark,winding passages in old forts Wild streams flowing in dense forests

Kissing a Frog

Based on the fairy tale "Princess and the Frog" in which a princess kisses a frog that turns into a handsome prince upon being kissed. As always, they live happily ever after. Click here if you want to read the whole story. "Kissing a Frog" is my take on the fairy tale. Kissing a Frog It was the most beautiful night possible. High up in the sky, a full moon shone brightly and around it twinkled countless little stars. Fireflies fluttered from shrub to shrub and the moonlight reflected off delicate drops of dew. The whole landscape was bathed in a silver light. There was hardly any noise except harmonious sounds of little creatures of the night. Things were as serene as they could be and the air was cool. Tired birds had just started to fall asleep in their little nests when they were cruelly shaken out of their stupour by the sudden, crashing noise of Princess Greta emerging out of the shrubs. “I will catch him tonight,” she exclaimed loudly to the wilde

Shopper Stop Woes

I had planned a nice surprize for my sister and brother-in-law for their anniversary that is on the 23rd of November. It was a big mistake using Shopper's Stop for it though. I had placed an order for Shopper's Stop gift vouchers to be couriered to them and because Shopper's Stop's stupid website does not allow me to specify a date when the gift should be delivered, I left a standing instruction for them to ship it a couple of days before the 23rd. They responded graciously that they would do the needful. However, they went ahead and did excatly the opposite. They shipped the order right away and, as a result, my sister and jeeju have received the vouchers full 10 days before their anniversary with a personalized message from me that sounds pretty foolish because of the fact that it was delivered earlier than it was supposed to be delivered. I have just sent a scathing email to Shopper's Stop and have vowed never to use their service ever again. Spoil Sports!!

Travellers

The bag full of stones gets heavier by the minute. Should I keep it down? I wonder. Is there time? For A little rest? A little nap? Or for even a short wink? No, I wave these lazy thoughts, away. Far Away! Treading the rugged path, I must keep going, I must move on. This is the way it works, The force that pushes the earth. "But my feet hurt!", a small voice, petulant, weary, makes itself heard from deep inside my tired heart. "Let them hurt, let them bleed", And I Pull out the thorn that has broken the skin "Does it hurt now?" The blood dries. Won't a little bit of sun, shine down upon my brow, and break the shiny little beads, strung by dancing drops of rain? No matter if it does not, It will always be this way. Just like yesterday, just like today, just like tomorrow. I can never stop, and neither can you! for we are together in this. Eternal travellers!

Life before Death - A Review of Jenny Downham’s “Before I Die” by Vibha Malhotra

We always assume that we are going to be around for years. And as every step takes us closer to our own respective deaths, we philosophically ponder about what awaits us after death. In the process, we often forget about the present. Jenny Downham’s first novel, Before I Die, successfully shocks us out of this pointless reflection and brings the focus back to life before death rather than after it. Though the book is targeted at young adults, it lingers on in the readers’ thoughts once they have read it, irrespective of their age. The book does not advocate stoicism, it does not set rules, instead through the eyes of terminally-ill, 16-year old Tessa Scott, it sets out to reflect on Tessa’s and her family’s constant struggle to hold on to the time that is slipping away. Tessa Scott, the novel’s central character is perceptive and analytical, wise beyond her years. This is most evident when she reflects upon her father’s unique position and surmises that “his shambling protecti

Game

It was a game they used to play often. They would sit across on a table and stare into each other's eyes. The one to blink first would lose. For Anand, it was an opportunity. Anand sat with elbows resting on the table and both his hands under his chin. Mamta sat straight back right across. And they tried hard not to blink. "Deep blue just like Pacific ocean!" he thought as he considered the unusual hue of her eyes. "How lovely would it be if I could just look at her like this every second of my waking hours!" The tables, the chairs, the walls, and rest of their friends disappeared gradually to be replaced by angels playing harps on cotton clouds. A deep fragrance, possibly her new perfume, filled the room. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for while. "Caught!" she cried. "I win again." (This was done as an exercise on the flow of time in fiction during one of my classes today. The first sentence of this short piece of fiction is it

The Little Green Man

Today was one of those rare days when I was headed to the library to actually pick up a course book. (Usually, I only go there to chat for hours and post insignificant updates on facebook.) I was waiting to cross the road when an elderly couple holding hands of a 4-5 year old boy who was walking between them joined me in my wait. The elderly couple were taking this opportunity to educate the boy about the art of crossing the road. To give you some context, this crossing was one of those where, before you cross the road, you need to press a button and then wait for the light signal to turn green. The light signal is in the form of a little red man. When the little red man turns green, you can cross the road, else you (should) wait. The elderly woman gently explained to the little boy that we are only supposed to cross the road when the little green man appears. And now the little boy was eagerly waiting for the man to turn green. This being a busy intersection, it was taking forever

Our Waste Bin Woes!!

The first day we put our garbage out, our garbage bin was taken away...perhaps by the council or probably some neighbour who liked the way it looked. Here is a short poem dedicated to the bin: Ahem!! Oh! Our dear bin, where hast thou gone? Your green splendour! Oh yes, we miss you a lot! We remember well the last time we set our eyes on you! We took out our garbage, all our dirty secrets, and stowed them deep into you! Then we dragged you out through the slippery floor of our backyard. We remember the sound your wheels made as they squelched through the moist moss. But now, as we step out! Outside the yard! We search for you dear friend. But you are all but gone. Did someone steal you? or did the council take you away? For us, they are both the same, as we cannot see you anywhere! Oh our dear green bin, How much we miss your charm! Now that your green spelndour no longer dots our backyard! We promise to take more care, and to watch out for you

Just to be sure!

The second day after I got a University Bus Pass, I boarded a stagecoach to the University. After occupying the most convenient seat available, I relaxed and started reading a book. At the next bus stop, a middle-aged white man dressed in a formal trouser but an informal jacket got into the bus and came towards me. He asked where I was going. "King's Gate", I said. "Can I see your ticket please?" he muttered (or something that sounded like it). Unsure of what I had heard, I showed him my bus pass reluctantly. He scanned it with a fancy scanner and then scanned a bar code on a paper that he was carrying. After almost two minutes, he looked satisfied and moved on. He did the same routine with a few other passengers and then came back to where I was sitting. I looked at him and our eyes met. Just to be sure, I asked him, "Were you checking the tickets?" "Yes!" he chuckled. He went to the front of the bus, smiling to himself. And just b

Technical Humour

Apart from releasing a high quality software product, our team has various other talents. Amongst those, there is one that just cannot be overlooked. If some of my team mates are reading this, they would probably know what I am talking about. Yes, it is the ability to crack pathetic jokes about anything and everything on the surface of this earth.   Over the last 7 years, I remember two "technical jokes" that deserve a special mention. If you know more, please feel free to add. Technical Joke #1 (Joke Creator: Saurabh Gupta, Audience: Me, Comic Creator: Me) Technical Joke/Puzzle #2 (Joke Creator: VJ, Audience: Whoever he could catch) There was a group of 30 people and a tray of 30 sweets. The first member of the group said "Lo or aage pass kar do." So the tray went around the room and when it reached the last member, it still had 30 sweets in it. Why? . . . . . Try harder!! . . . . . because the instruction was "Lo  OR aage pass kar do&q

A Tiny Voice

(Wrote this about four years back. But has remained my favorite till now.) Vinay was a sound sleeper. He usually slept late in the night and, as a result, woke up late. Very few things could disturb his sleep. He barely stirred when there was an earthquake. He would not budge if clouds thundered themselves away. He would not even wake up if his cell phone shrieked right next to his ears. Things looked the same that night too, when after a wild evening at the local pub, Vinay came back home and slumped down on his bed. He fell asleep right away and started dreaming almost immediately. He dreamt that he was back in the pub surrounded by beautiful girls and having the time of his life drinking and flirting. This was his favorite type of dream and he was thoroughly enjoying himself when something very unusual happened. He woke up! Surprised, Vinay looked around for the source of this nearly impossible interruption in his sleep. A very low but continuous static could be heard. He t

Anxiety, thy name is Tiger/Lion

(Photo clicked by my friend, Sachin Jain) I am not afraid of Tigers and Lions. I love watching them hunt on National Geographic or Discovery and am not repulsed by the way they devour their hapless victims. I do not jump out of my skin when I see their pictures. They are the animals that I find most interesting when I visit the zoo. And while on a Safari, I keep my fingers crossed for a sighting. I am not intimidated by them provided they maintain their distance.  People claim to have recurring dreams or nightmares. I do too. I dream a lot about Lions and Tigers. They do not attack. That could be quick and clean. Instead they stalk. The general pattern of these dreams is that there is a village or a town where these tigers or lions or sometimes both, are roaming around. I am trying to get somewhere while avoiding these predators who, by the way, seem to sense that I am trying to do just that. On my way, I take shelter in various houses and many times narrowly escape being spotted by

A Post Office with a Difference!

On Saturday, I had to deal with India's Snail Mail System after ages. I do not remember when I last received a speed post. Yet I received one on the 27th and that too at my Indirapuram flat which is currently unoccupied. So it was only by chance that my friend went up to the house to show it to some potential buyers and he discovered a note stuck on the bolt. The note stated that the Ghaziabad Post Office had received a Speed Post in my name and I would need to collect it from the Shipra Sun City Post Office the next day from 9:00 AM to 10:00AM. My friend went to the post office to collect the letter but the post office did not hand it over to him. They insisted that someone from the Malhotra family would need to collect it. Everything about a Speed Post suggests that it is important. They are mostly used by government agencies as they are considered safer. And the term Speed Post also carries with itself the connotations of urgency.  And an urgent letter from the Government is

Think!

Imagine a world where you cannot scold your children. Or a world where your other half hurts you but you dare not retaliate. Forget about having an argument, imagine a place where you cannot even 'not talk' to your friend because she or he did something to hurt you. Imagine a world where we are too scared to express our anger, disappointment, or hurt to people we love. World will be a strange place if all of us need to be so petrified. Will we like to live in such a place? Or do we want to be in such relations?  It will get terribly lonely place if this happens. And this is where we are headed. Children today are so fragile that if their girlfriend's father scolds them, they will go consume poison. If their teacher slaps them, they will hang themselves. Also consider grownups, if their boyfriend/girlfriend decides to separate ways, they will go and jump outside the window.  Have we lost the power to think? If not, then before doing the ultimate, why can't we spare on

Blood Relations

Nishu (my nephew) and me What is it with blood relations? I was never too fond of children before Nishu came into my life. A few minutes with a child were ok, but anything beyond that got on my nerves. But I absolutely adore Nishu and my relationships with other children have also improved. Before Nishu, I wasn't able to talk to children much. Now some of them are actually fond of me. When Nishu was about to be born, I used to fret that I wouldn't get on well with him. But now, I laugh at those worries as Nishu and me are best of friends. My mom used to tell me that it is always different with children of your own family. I was always incredulous. But I think there is some truth to it.

Debates and Group Discussions at Inlingua, Delhi

inlingua is one of the world's leading language training organizations with over 350 Language Centers in 44 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America. In India, Inlingua has centres in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Pune. If you want to know more about Inlingua, you can visit their Website http://www.inlingua.com/ For their English Language students, all centres in Delhi organize Debates and Group Discussion competitions. And once in a quarter, students who have won in these competitions, participate in the Finals. I was invited to be the guest judge for the 6th Activity Finals on June 19th and was looking forward to meeting the talented young students. The Finals were held at the NCUI Auditorium near Sirifort ( http://www.buzzintown.com/delhi/venue--ncui-auditorium/id--10169.html ) and were attended by Inlingua Students and faculty members. The event started at about 2:00 PM and concluded by 5:45 PM. And the entire duration was full of fun. Audience T

Illusion

Through the mirror, she reaches out, her arm outstretched. I blink, she blinks, I smile, she smiles She is real. I am real. The beautiful vase, a gift, a memory, the shining woman in gold, Mystical! Beautiful! It is real. She is real. Lovingly, I lift the vase, And hurl it at the mirror. Anger, love, hate, peace All exist, all are real. Broken mirror, shattered ceramic, chipped paint, threads, warmth. melt down, leave nothing, but a void. Was it real? Was she real? Was I real?

Sunset at San Francisco

I love sunsets and find them beautiful. Here is a picture from San Francisco shot with my Nikon D90.The hill in the background is home to Alcatraz.

Curious Curie

Once upon a time, in a city full of traffic, houses, and people in Northern India, there lived a curious cat. For the sake of this story, lets call her Curie. Though she had a perfectly acceptable name in Cat language. She was a very likeable, furry, black and white, one year old kitty, just on the brink of her youth. She had just one annoying habit, Curiosity. Curiosity, in itself, is not bad. But in Curie's case, curiosity often got better of her and she nosed around in people's houses, kitchens and even refrigerators, if she could get her paws into one. If a door was open just a crack, she would open it and enter, prowling around in people's living rooms, hiding beneath the couches, beds and trying to figure out what all was happening in their homes. If she was fortunate enough to get into a kitchen, she licked the utensils and tasted all uncovered dishes. Milk was her all time favorite. People in the neighbourhood were kind and put up with Curie most of the times. O

Long Haul Flights

3 Reasons why I hate them You can't do anything but watch movies, read books, listen to music throughout the day There is no fixed schedule for sleep. Your mobile does not work. 3 Reasons why I  love them You can't do anything but watch movies, read books, listen to music throughout the day There is no fixed schedule for sleep. Your mobile does not work.

Displaying your Picture along with your Comments at Ghumakkar.com

If you are an author or a reader at ghumakkar.com and are wondering why your picture does not appear along with your comments, you have reached the right place. While going through posts and reading comments at http://www.ghumakkar.com, you will notice that for some comments, the picture of the author appears with there comments. For example: While for others, a generic graphic appears, like this: If you want to make your picture appear with your comments, follow these steps: Go to http://www.gravatar.com/ . . In the email field, specify the email address that you have registered at ghumakkar.com and click Signup. This email address will most probably be the one on which you receive the regular updates from Ghumakkar.com. You will receive a Welcome Email from Gravatar at the email address that you have specified above. The email will contain a link to activate your account at gravatar. Click the link. The link will take you to the gravatar page where you can create your

I haven't done anything selfless. Ever! Have you?

"I have done so much for her and see what I get in return." Sometime or the other, all of us are prone to feeling this way. It becomes worse when this feeling creeps in between two people everytime they have the slightest of the arguments. The next stage is more often than not 'regret'. Feeling cheated in this way does not make you a bad person. It only makes you human. But if you hold these thoughts somewhere within you, they are sure to surface some time in form of words or actions. And this can deeply hurt your friend/spouse/parents/children/siblings... I started thinking about this when someone told me that it is difficult to avoid this frame of mind. I agree to a certain extent. In extreme cases, it is often important for you to know for yourself that you have done the best for something. For example, in case of a cheating spouse, if you know that you haven't left any stones unturned to make the marriage work, you are more confident of your choices and

One Question

For those who read Harry Potter: The ownership of the Elder Wand could only be attained by defeating the previous owner. Gellert Grindelwald stole the wand from Gregorovitch. So even if Grindelwald now had the wand, Gregorovitch was still the owner as he had not been defeated by Grindelwald. Albus Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald and took the wand. But Gregorovitch was still the owner as he had not been defeated. Voldemort killed Gregorovitch. So shouldn't the ownership of the wand have transferred to Voldemort and not Dumbledore?

My First Rendezvous with Snow

A month ago, I used to lament the fact that I have never seen snow in my life. Then, just like that, my wish was granted. I visited Dalhousie in March when there is almost no possibility of snow. But what are a few rules to bend if a wish needs to be granted. Thank you God.

City of Lakes - Udaipur

Udaipur is also known as the city of lakes. The biggest lake is the Pichola Lake which is located at the center of the old Udaipur. This picture, however, is of Fateh Sagar Lake which is set amidst the hills.

Sunset Point @ Monsoon Palace

The Monsoon Palace is placed right on the top of the Highest hills around Fateh Sagar Lake at Udaipur. It is also famous for the beautiful view of the sunset.

Ajmer to Chittaurgarh

We bid farewell to Jackie and left Ajmer at 8:30 am today. The highway is excellent. 50 kms more to go.

The Companion of Our Evening Reflections @ Pushkar

This great dane, Jackie, owned by the owner of The Pushkar Heritage, choses to spend its evenings brooding by our side. The droopy, sad eyes are a deception. Jackie is still a puppy at heart!!

Dhai Din ka Jhonpra @ Ajmer

This monument is a couple of hundred metres away from Ajmer Sharif. Local autowallahs, if you have hired one, may try their best to deter you from going there. They go to the extent of telling you that it is just one building. But that is only to convince you to hire the auto for the complete to and fro trip. The jhonpra is worth seeing. So don't be deterred. Go for it.