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Enjoy reading the blog!
Someone Special…
There is a special some one waiting to be discovered … A special some
one who vows to share a lifetime with you… cares for you… laughs with
you… gives a shoulder to cry… stands by you through life’s ups and
downs… A special some one who waits for you on your way back from
work… there is a special some one who waits to dine with you … there
is a special someone who makes four walls of a house a home… there is
a special someone who nutures the little bundle of joy who comes into
earth… there is this special someone who witness the moments of life
which are mundane …
Shadows of Time….
These lines are an ode to ALL fair weather friends (capricious… disloyal), associates and other unclassifiable relationships in my life…It is all about circumstances……….
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You are history now …
Wid the ebbing tide … you left me…
Now when the tide is surging … you wish to be a part of it!
But u r history now… as you left me then.
Let our worlds remain separated in between now and then…
You knew a part of me …. When it was then
Now there is an unknown part … where u tread not…
As u are history now and u left me then!
Surgery, Coma and Euthanasia …
“Twice upon a time … two decades and four years from today on ALL FOOL’S DAY the Department of Telecommunications delivered illegimate joint twins in the NCR and the Business Capital by the western coast encompassed in the peninsular landmass jutting out into the Indian Ocean. She was carved out of its gory womb and was given the stamp of legitimacy by the Indian Companies Act, 1956. It began as a monopoly and today it stands tall as a colossal epitome of folly.”
The Bitch from Mithilaland
This pseudo-poem is a work of fiction. Any reference to a living animal (living or dead) is purely coincidental. I had originally written it for a particular somebody i despised but i have moved on from such immature acts of hatred. As on date it is just a sarcastic pseudo-poem as I call it… 
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I met a migratory bitch from the lands of Mithilanchal,
Her bark was loud and uncivilized,
She failed to appreciate her feminity and was confused about it most of the time…
Her tendencies (i fear and i secretly loathe in truck loads of acerbic sarcasm… ROFL) were not straight either!!
Poor bitch she had a low self esteem but an awful ego and an incorrigible attention seeker! (My good days)
Her barks were very customised and looked down upon others who she considered downmarket as per he limited sense of distorted perception;
OOOhhhhhhhhh that bitch from the Mithilaland..what a holy disgrace!!!!!!!!
She made friends with civilized dogs… but was not amiable with other bitches of her age! What a pity!Tch Tch Tch!!!
She got “married” to a softspoken and nice dog (her good luck) and gave birth to a cute puppy
And look at the stroke of destiny,
WE MET…
JAB WE MET … in cold winters of the migratory city … there were Western Disturbances from the Mediterranean Sea…they travelled to the land of Hindostan… the cold front met the warm one and there were thunders and lightening and a downpour!!
We met at the White Elephant Corporation (WEC) and there she goes with her gyaan about life, love, sex and sleaze…
I was having snacks and tea … but my luck … it fell down … the Mithila Bitch saw that and its nature goes
She started licking my feet where the snacks fell!!!
I was absolutely amused at that site…
The Proud bitch from Mithila Land fell to my feet …
Once upon a time … A bitch from Mithilaland!!
My Paintings
The Eternal Tree
Occupations of a Village
Planting lakhs of trees, designing hundreds of check dams, and evolving new techniques of irrigating tree saplings in dry regions are feats of an out-of-the-box thinker named Mr. Premjibhai Patel, Rajkot, Gujarat.
Mr. Patel’s tree planting efforts first started from Rajkot, but soon spread to states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Every morning, carrying a bagful of seeds and a small spade, the farmer planted seeds on field bunds, along road sides, and vacant lands. Individuals and some institutions also volunteered to help in the farmer’s effort at ecological restoration.
Since manual seed planting proved laborious, Mr. Patel developed a petrol-driven mechanical blower mounted on a jeep back for broadcasting seeds.
The blower, which cost about Rs 12,000, blows seeds upto a distance of 15 meters, says the farmer. Using the blower he broadcasted 10 tonnes of tamarind seeds in several villages.
Mr. Patel also developed a unique technique for tree planting in drought prone regions of Kutch, Bhuj, and Saurashtra. He selected plastic pipes of about seven inches diameter and 1-1.5 feet height.
“Bore two small holes on opposite sides at the top end of the pipe and place it inside a half foot pit. Keep the root of the seedling next to the pipe inside the pit. Add a mixture of sand, soil and gravel to fill the pipe. Insert a small stick through the two holes at the top of the pipe and remove the pipe. Water poured on the sand reaches the roots of plants without wastage or evaporation,” he explains.
The rate of seedlings survival increases by this method, according to the farmer.
Now Mr. Patel is concentrating on watershed development through an organization called Vruksh Prem Seva Sanstha Trust. The trust works through about 150 nature clubs on nearly 1,000 hectares. The trust launched a campaign in several villages for ground water conservation through well recharge.
“Though the government introduced several schemes to encourage the development of checkdams’ in drought prone regions of Gujarat and offered subsidies, villagers did not evince interest in them because they often considered check dams as government projects. To motivate people to actively participate in building dams and to bring awareness on groundwater recharging I introduced a scheme for people,” says the farmer.
Mr. Patel himself bears the cost of checkdam construction except cement cost. (In some cases the farmer also bore the total cost including cement). Those interested in the scheme contacted him and he personally visited the area to get first hand information about the location and help them construct the dams.
Explaining the checkdam construction method Mr. Premjibhai says:
“I place large stones in the middle of the flowing water and use river sand, stones and cement to fill the gap between the stones. Iron rods are inserted into holes in the stones for added strength. The body wall of the dam is built in such a way that it slopes at an angle of 60 degrees and the width of the top wall maintained at one metre height (height can be increased in future).”
According to the farmer, circular dams are more economical than the straight ones, because the thin walls of the dams make them cost effective.
About 1,500 check dams and 50,000 feet of pipeline for recharging underground wells are his contribution to society.
Mr. Premjibhai’s initiative in water conservation ensures water security even in a drought season. Today farmers no longer remain idle even during summer as ground water table has increased considerably and there is timely water availability for agricultural activities. He also bagged the National Water Award recently from the Ministry of Water Resources.
For more information readers can contact Mr. Premjibhai Patel, Fulara Mill Godown, Furniture Gali, Rajmarg, Upleta, Rajkot, mobile: 9426202340.
RUNNING SCARED…………
Post Holi hues … Monday blues and a burning inner desire to watch a horror flick, hubby and I watched one yesterday night. It was The Ring – I. I have seen this movie earlier but in bits and pieces. After watching the movie fear got under my skin the entire night though I did not very openly express and I secretly started chanting Hanuman Chalisa so that fear does not devour my sleep. I started imagining Late Miss Samara Morgan coming out of all possible dark corners, closed doors and cupboards in my house. After sometime the chants were interrupted by the creaking noises of the ceiling fan. Debi switched on the lights and “exorcised” the fan and it resumedits rotating motion.
My waking eyes grew tired and I slept with the fear held in oblivion. My sleep was intact. I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw the day light. My mood was very gloomy and with a heavy head I entered the kitchen to make tea and breakfast. I started wondering after Debi would go to office how would I cope with the freaky fear creating havoc in my imaginative mind. So I opened the laptop and started my favourite hobby – Writing. The search in Google pages educated me on some tips to get rid of fear after watching a scary movie. As I write this I still have dishes to wash that are lying unattended in the sink.
NOTHING IS NEW UNDER THE SUN… THIS TOO SHALL PASS!
Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them, ” Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?” All wise men got puzzled by King’s question. One answer for all questions? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he’ll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring. After a few days, the neighbors attacked the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of the King’s enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in the Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road – that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished…and he could not return because it was a small road… The sound of enemy’s horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way. Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great. The message was – ” This too will pass.”The King read it. Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes! It too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. Calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him. After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path. The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on the King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself,” I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me.: With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him. Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: “This too will pass” He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes. Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life.. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There were friends in the past. They have gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in the past. They have gone. There may be enemies in the present. They too will go. There will be new enemies tomorrow and……they too will go. There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable? It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it…
THE DRIFT
From a departed soul I entered a new body
A mother’s umbilical cord provided me life support system
Her labour pains set me free just to be bound by invisible cords
And as I age these cords become stronger and stronger and sometimes devour us, tear us apart
I drift from a stage to another and some memories remain
Every time with a decision there was a drift
And behind every decision there was a drift
As I drift I know not where the tide nests me
And as I nest sometimes I regret and sometimes I do not
Only the drift is permanent and rest all is temporary
We all keep drifting like waves in the ebb and surge of destiny!
The “Selling Class” in a Typical Mumbai Local
The local trains and life of Mumbai are incomplete without each other or I should say if one is body the other is soul. So, if you are in Mumbai and never traveled in a local train then you have missed the true spirit of it. When these locals run on steel rails endlessly and with no remorse to crush whatever comes under their wheels, the whole city also moves in its rightful pace and thereby always reminding that no matter what happens this city will always be alive.
For commuters in local trains in Mumbai; it is not very unusual to find deprived children and women and men who sell clips, trinkets, eatables, copper and brass earnings and ornaments, hand kerchiefs, dress materials and the list is endless, blind men and women singing songs – devotional and filmy in Hindi & Marathi. Few more carrying images of obscure gods and goddesses and asking for money. Some children begging in torn and tattered clothes and some more children who are handicapped or not that handicapped cleaning the shabby and dusty floor of the running train and asking for money.
Of particular importance is a Muslim lady who sells bags, bangles, etc. she narrates her life story while she sells her wares. She got divorced after she married a Dubai – based Business man. There is something about these people – not afraid to face life – some sort of edgy survival instinct. Thoughts enter my mind – like parents marry their daughter with the assurance that they have found a right match that can protect her from the big bad world – sometimes this works and sometimes it does not. I personally feel that parents who perceive this way need serious counseling. They should provide insurance cover to their daughters and little do they realize that the men they marry are also human and not a demi-god or deity who can be worshipped and appeased; in lieu of which he gives her protection.
Now moving on to other members of the “Selling Class”, there is this girl – short, dark, flat-nose-pierced with nose-rings, short tempered. She sells earrings, hairpins, safety pins, bracelets, etc. she gets very annoyed and always screams at her kid sister. Previously she used to come with her mother, but these days she is alone. I do not find her mother very frequently. She looks sad, lonely and distraught.
There is one old bespectacled lady with black thick frame and as thin as a reed of a grass. I think she is longsighted. She has a horrible temper. She used to sell henna powder, mango and ginger chocolates and sometimes plastic combs – wide-toothed, normal ones, lice combs, etc – of various hues. These days she does not appear – guess she is too old to exert so much.
There is one more old lady – extremely short-tempered, domineering, la-petit, silver hair, wide torso. She does not carry many wares and is very foul mouthed. Her pig-headed attitude is not good for her.
Then there is a mother-daughter duo. They cook hygienic & fresh food and it is served hot – samosas, puranpoli, shankarpaali, etc. They also sell pickles, paapads, chips, etc.
Then there is a young crowd of girls – decently dressed, well-oiled-&-combed hair, the train earrings, the dupatta draped around them like Bharatnatyam dance students – assertive and concerned only with their work. They sell earrings, hairclips, bangles, mobile covers, etc.
Men usually sell handkerchiefs, “China Items” worth Rs. 10/- per unit of any product. Their wares usually include pens, toothbrush, purses, flashy keychains, etc. some sell railway timetables, world and India maps, torches, tops, etc.
Young Boys usually sell earrings worth Rs. 10/- and Rs. 20/-. They look good and can go along with kurti and jeans and other combinations can also be tried.
The eunuchs normally beg. They place their palms on the heads of women commuters – a very irritating act indeed. I often wonder if they are really eunuchs or transvesites or men in disguise to earn easy money. There was one particular eunuch I met today in the train. She looked dignified and not scared of the fact that she was one. Unlike the others she was selling bangles and quoting high prices for them. She was well dressed in a grey top and steel grey jeans and back pack. She even had a mobile phone and I could see her blushing when she was talking to her inamorato. The picture you can see is hers. I was very impressed with her since she chose to be different than the rest of her “Kinner Class” .
Then small children and women sell flowers – roses (red, yellow and orange), African daisies – between Rs.10/- & Rs. 20/-. They also sell vegetables like beans, cucumber, brijal, pumpkins, corn, lemon, etc. women also sell fruits like orange, sapodilla, plum, etc.
You can find many employment generating avenues in the train by way of advertisements for part-time jobs, data entry work, growing mushrooms, etc.
It is very heartless of the commuters to bargain with these people even though they sell at nominal prices considering their standard of living. Some commuters even tell them not to move about in the trains as they find it very difficult to adjust and sit in the fourth seat of the train. But when the government and we commuters cannot provide them employment and a decent standard of living; who are we to deprive them of what they already might be earning?
No matter, kudos to all these free spirits of Mumbai who at every step make us realize that life is a constant struggle to fight it and win instead of sulking about the past………
