Xpre$$!ons...

In the kingdom of vices

2012-01-04T08:59:00.001-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

In the kingdom of vices,
your mother is not the Queen.
But, you will be the Princess…
You, Oh Princess!… you will grasp after time.
That beauty is short-lived,
that life in the empire is momentary,
that child-like innocence is passing,
that all this is happening,
that you are mistakenly in the wrong,
that these ‘wrongs’ will meet you tomorrow,
that this present is not your future.

In the kingdom of vices,
before you take in,
all this will be gone.
And that present,
will be your only present.
You will abhor beauty,
you will write your past.
And that past, will be your only present.
Like your mother, you will be a mother,
like your mother, you will not be a Queen.
But, you Oh Princess!… you will bear a Queen.

When you don’t come…

2011-07-21T04:23:00.000-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

I smile for a second, laugh for a minute,
and before the cry returns,
I wait for the best moment to come.
That moment is again; a get-together for some seconds,
a second that brings happiness elongated.
When such awaited call rang no bell,
a tear ran down my cheek.
“Don’t come but don’t promise,”
my heart cried…
But I faked it, and said “it’s okay”
I don’t know how you wait, oh woman!
Woman, whose man is on the border.
I cry hopelessly, when I feel the distance.
And the next time you come,
make no news.
It hurts, when you don’t come.

2011-05-10T10:15:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

No, I am not asking for anything more,
little less but not lesser than less.
There is more in everything I ask for
But less in what I think I have.

’I am not the only one asking,’
….is what you would say,
So, I ask nothing at all.
But take away all that ‘very little’ I have.
For petite they are, and they stay no longer.

2011-04-29T05:27:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

It's so difficult to stand, stand in one place for long!
Every time i stand there, it's just for 'some' time.
That time, this time and every time,
i wish no distance from the old that has gone,
i wish no closeness to the newness to come,
...i wish no colour that changes me,
i wish i stand here for long and say,
"It's not so difficult to stand, stand in one place for long!"

2011-04-11T05:09:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

"I walk back to the same shore again, back home and yet homeless"!

A sea of emotions

2011-04-03T07:22:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

There was a wave of tide that rushed unto me;
I stand there looking, as they wash my feet,
it runs back to the sea like a child in the game.
The sea water came gushing again,
I am crying within.

A tear settles in the corner of my eyelid,
and drops down on my wet feet,
it goes back as water to the sea.

I reconcile and sit down the shore side,
There is noise that fell into my deaf ears.
I was being watched, heard and felt.

While I thought I was all alone,
There, she made me feel her presence.
I am sad, and she was gay.
Hers was the water, mine a tear.

They said…

2011-03-14T10:50:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

They said, ‘careful ahead, go slow.’
I ignore.
They said, ‘you’re doing it again.’
I ignore.
They said, ‘it’s wrong.’
I ignore.
They said, ‘I don’t have to do this.’
I ignore.
They said, and kept saying.
They still are…
I ignore.
They said, ‘Ignore.’
I listen.

2011-02-15T09:21:00.001-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

And the second time I have fallen like before,
but not a fall that would mar.
There’s a foothold,
keeping me grounded, unlike before.

You are the man I wait for

2011-01-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

No wonder this happened again,
you came with a surprise way in,
and so many surprises await.
For a man that you are,
this togetherness makes you my mate.
For a woman that I am,
you are the man I wait for.

Don’t make me wait for long,
take me away with you.
far, far from the coldness of this longing.
Unseen, untouched that our love is,
i see a touching, staring future ahead.
For a woman that I am,
you are the man I wait for.

Pasting dusty bygone

2010-09-22T12:44:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

Its gone, gone and gone.
When I stand here, looking back
An abhorrent past plays,
Some good, many dire shades they are.
I walk there, up to it.
I did not wipe the dust.
Its gone, gone and gone.

I saw a smile in darkness…
and a light here and there.
They came laughing, sometimes!
but laughing went back they,
crying the laughter’s wrath,
I stood there.
The pages I left there and walked,
i reached so far from dust and…
there came a running laugh, it stayed.
Still there, I see front.
And laugh at ‘pasting dusty bygone’.
Its gone, gone and gone.

I have nothing to say…

2010-09-20T09:18:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

What was on the wall today?
but I kept gazing at,
the prosaic air in the room drew more grey lines,
Not a good thing, no.
It’s scary, and it’s abnormally anomalous
having anything to say.
I have no grief to rue on,
No pain to heal
No feeling to sense
But don’t take away what I have
I have nothing to say…

You walked away…

2010-09-18T10:35:00.003-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

And there came a day when everything died. She walked away and argued that it was my mistake. Agreed, I was running a race evading my own people but it happens. Everybody makes mistakes and its okay to make one, may be even if that multiplies it’s still okay. Not because I committed one, just because my idea of loving a person is not in the idea of owning ones time. I am hurt, and may be because this came as an appalling demeanor for me. I was not your enemy, I was your friend! You could have may be called for the last time, if you ever considered me a friend or may be once met in person to ask me why I am the way I am. You walked away girl, and then said you’re alone!

Religion is beautiful!

2010-08-25T13:18:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

There is a ray of light in the corner of my house inside the kitchen and I like the idea of lighting a lamp to God while offering prayers. There is something about the beam, it glows only in the corner but there is a mystifying miasma of light in the house, its celestial. No need to sit down and sing elongated religious hymns, I don’t believe in doing that to impress Gods. Everything we do and we don’t is ultimately to feel good.

I am more spiritual than religious but that does not mean I am not keen to rerun customs of the past during festivals. It brings home fun and fervor and the sense of belonging to a family, a tradition. I am not saintly, and so I also add materialistic pleasures; new clothes, scrumptious food.

On serious note, religion to me means doing good, being good, respecting other religion and being a part of good work but God can wait when there is work, as the saying goes, ‘Work is worship.’

There is some beauty in religion, it is colorful, and it binds us all together for good reasons surely, only if we construe ‘goodness’ from it. I may sound religious when I say ‘religion is beautiful’ and if what religion means to me is the same to you then, yes, I am religious!

‘Solitary grand moment’

2010-07-27T12:14:00.001-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

I hate to dig my old diaries but only once did I smell the pages and I remember it was the purest way of pressing memoirs close to my heart, but I don’t keep my old diaries with me, for some reason unknown.

Whenever I stand thinking alone, there is this whiff of air that passes by me and it untangles the memories—even though they are missing in print they are etched in my mind.

Every first page begins with my grandma; her motherly nurturing has imbibed in me some good mores, the only reminiscence I cherish every minute I go flashback. I see her sitting in the balcony in a grey sari that she always cared to drape it flawlessly, her hair neatly done, and when I look at her pleasant face she smiled back and sang a religious hymn that I too loved humming. I am on her lap, and there is no one in the house and the ‘solitary grand moment’ becomes my only memorable moment with this ‘grand lady’. She was beautiful, the only woman in my life whom I looked up to with a child-like ogle. The blustery weather seemed to be calm in her stillness presence, no word of wisdom we exchanged, no age-difference mattered, the grand moment went by in its preeminent humblest way.

There were no chocolates for the baby but it was the sweetest moment ever, no video games played, yet playful; no park could create an ambience like the loggia, no ‘thing’, nothing could have presented me a beautiful moment like this one. Humming a song or two was not a chore but a chosen task that sadly did not live for a very long time when the tiny toes stood on its own. There were moments like this, but very few. And there on, the closing stages began to stare, demanding a bitter adieu.

No page can word this moment, its special it its own way and so here I remember the grand old lady who gave me my ‘solitary grand moment’. Love you grandma, miss you!

A battle within me…

2010-07-25T11:23:00.001-07:00

There are times when I just can’t accept as true, something that I become most of the times and then wonder whether this was really ‘me’. And then I pacify myself saying, there are many a kind of women in me who dominate one after the other. But I can’t recall the best woman so far…I haven’t lost it, no. It’s just that I love analyzing people and this time my subject is ‘me’.

Having adapted to reading zodiac signs, and people — my favorite of all I ended up looking into my own self, what I do? Why I do? And why I do whatever I do? Then the thought process goes on piling up, it’s madness though but intriguing. Some might call me self obsessed, I disagree! There is no harm in knowing oneself better, and if you are like me, battling many a women in you then you better watch.

And the confusion began with the mystifying woman inside me, she is the one who lays many a trap and teaches harsh lessons in life. I hate to take consent from her, for she never gave me a single solution. But then the problem is eventually solved with the smarter woman coming to my rescue. People I know never realize this complex nature in me for they know that I already have a twin, and we have been confusing them right from the time we are born. It’s fun, but this one is no fun!

I live in my own world and practicality is something I fail to understand, there is this stubborn dreamer within who just rebuffs the idea of realism. May be I should get real. It’s time. There are many a times you wake up with a bad dream, but that does not mean you stop dreaming, and that does not even mean you get addicted to bad dreams. Wake up with a dream to live it, a good one though.

I was caught in the web of real people around, it’s a maze out here and I am heading to my way out. I know I will reach there, for the real world knows no dreams of a dreamer and for this may be I need to surrender these women. There has to be a woman alone; strong, assertive, alert and very responsible. There are times when we have to do this, evaluate, own up and advocate ones’ wrong actions, especially if these unwanted women in you are building castles in the air.

‘I am just a girl asking her boy to love her’

2010-07-13T02:47:00.000-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

This is the best time to write ‘love stories’ when you’re alone, sick and coughing on the bed, to let know your best boy how much you love him. You feel sorry for your state, sometimes you go a step ahead thinking it’s your last breath, cry and tell some important people how much you care and love them. To add a little drama to the whole feeling of sickness, some tears drop in too, and then the whole episode looks funnier after you jump out of the bed and say, ‘whatever was I thinking last night’. And this just happened with me this morning! But I did make a call, and let my boy know how much I care to spend my life with him, how much I wanted him to see my crying face and how much I wanted to see him care for me.

Love, no, it doesn’t happen to lucky people, it’s not of ‘Mr Right and Ms Right, no, I disagree. There is more to it than just saying ‘I love you’. This thought crept into my mind when my dad asked me, ‘why is that youngsters today think we parents don’t understand love? Why are you guys obsessed with good looking, rich guys/girls and call it ‘love’? Why don’t you fall in love with a beggar? But he was right this time, every time we discussed love stories I always thought we knew better than our parents did. And this time I lost the debate, but I did realize that there is a little ‘thinking’ that goes even into falling for a person. Love happens, but before making it happen in the due course we consider many things. The making of a love story is more practical than it does not seem at all.

And when the thinking is over, there are emotions that follow up with some sense of responsibilities. When you’re in love you never admit, and as you enter the beautiful trap you realize the trap is a wonderful defeat and if this is how it feels to be in it, then you would always want to be defeated.

All I am trying to say here is that I have been defeated and madly in love. And I say, ‘‘I am just a girl asking her boy to love her’.

2010-03-04T08:35:00.001-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

Standing alone for a while and then teaching a lesson to 'loneliness' unlocks another room of confession! The skywalk on earth seems so shortlived and when eyes open to the morning rays of sun, it is the same earth down and sky up there.

2010-03-03T01:17:00.001-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

Every time I smile in good moments it is just for a while for that 'smile' never happened again, not for any other reason! Just like important people's validity in our life is very limited, no additional offers to ask some time from them to convince them for the 'smirk' but they leave for some other reason. The only reason you know for their departure becomes the only reason for another 'smirk

2010-02-26T08:28:00.001-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

Sitting in the corner of my desk I go back to the reverie, the days I lived every moment with zest and never did I realize the need for keeping mum for certain things that demanded a veil. They said things are not the way they seem to be and I never took it seriously. And when I said, all I said giving no hope to the ones that trusted me, bad.

When things go hay wire all you say is that it’s good to commit a mistake but the best only when you learn from it. And here I wait for that ‘best’ to come for now I deserve the cold wind and no defense I merit.

2010-02-06T06:24:00.001-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...
In the dark room when I enter looking for the switch to recognize how I left my home, in the form of some ray entering my lonely cave a light comes to the rescue of my sightless view. Then the room that could be a little more tidy welcomes its master with the same zest, no sound I hear even from the corners of the other room but then I realize why did I come home so soon.

When I am caught in the crowd sharing the little space on the road, I manage somehow to turn few heads for that puts me right in the place. Even the yearning for walking alone with that confident smile in the air has achieved and I look lost in the world of ‘fighters’, I feel the battle is over and ask for self to seek tranquility and the only place she drags me is ‘home’.

Even God has gone green!

2010-01-25T04:31:00.000-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

(published in www.deccanherald.com)

In the times when everybody is talking about grass, leaves and vegetables, the Ganesha festival too went green in Goa this year. What coaxed the Goan government to take such measures? The green activists there ensured that floral offerings made to Lord Ganesha would be converted to compost, and this happened after ‘hard line protest’ by ‘green activists’. They also made certain that the composting would be done in separate pits, respecting the sentiments of the people.

This is an example of how things can be moulded smartly without lighting communal violence. Hats off to the civil society groups in Panaji! They made Ganesha festival eco-friendly and even took measures to check water pollution. The compost will be used as manure for the parks and gardens in the corporation of Panaji.

We are all very familiar with ‘global warming’, but who cares! This is going to happen, but our stance is- let us see when that affects us…Our mind keeps trotting with such ‘chalta hai’ attitude.

We have to protest, not for language, state or statues but for ‘environment’. But there are a very few hearts that beat for ‘nature’. Unfortunately ‘mother earth’ has not been glamorous enough to earn fans like Mr Amitabh Bachchan and Dr Rajkumar did. Activists are summarily dismissed, their voices goes unheard. People brand them with different names but the fact is, these activists are right, very right. We have to go green in every way we could; thanks to the ‘Green Ganesha’. Just wished Bangalore raised this issue before, we could have used the manure for Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. But is the BBMP listening?

Selling blessings in the God’s market!

2010-01-25T04:27:00.000-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...
(published in deccanherald.com)

In His name we fight, in His name we kill and then swear upon His name of not having committed any crime. For His love to be known by many names He divides us, playing a joke with the country’s secularism but He is still the same; Godly and heavenly. It is not an atheist voice; it is the voice of a God’s devotee.

Recent visit to Banashankari temple near Badami (In North Karnataka) surprised me for its polluted land and corrupted scruples. When we go to visit some place at least after five-years one expects change and here everything seemed to have changed. The temple’s surrounding which used to be fairly clean, was filled with garbage. The temple’s interior needed immediate cleaning, unless one evades the dark corners of the temple. For some reason, even the space where a tap existed at the entrance, was converted into an area to store footwear; unlike in the past shoes were not allowed in the temple premises.

Many devotees fail not clean their feet before entering the temple, leaving the temple sullied. And then there is a cell for collecting funds for the temple. What happens to the funds? Why can’t the temple caretakers take charge of maintaining cleanliness? There are all kinds of rules framed for people who seek ‘darshan’ but no rules for maintaining cleanliness!

Cleanliness, says the proverb, is next to Godliness. We humans, are expected to take bath before we visit a holy place but if the holy place is dirty, then what are we talking about? So many dips in the purest water all in His name and not one dip for His holy place! It seems like a disgrace to the holy place, especially when you exploit every situation, in the name of God.

The priests’ today tend to behave like the frustrated auto-drivers in the metro city; they grab all that does not show in the meter. Rules are rules, agreed. Are they same for all? They are also paid extra, for that extra ‘darshan’ . Then why is it that most of the priests stand in the temples screaming ‘move fast’? Pay for your blessings in the God’s market, if that is the only way but make sure your ‘darshan’ is clean!

They don’t act like Gods!

2009-08-05T02:09:00.000-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

He waved his hands standing in the balcony at his Mumbai residence and fans gathered like devotees to get one view of his. It was when Mumbai was called Bombay, during my visit I was told by the guide that every Sunday at dusk, Amitabh Bachchan stood at his balcony to give ‘darshan’ to his ‘devotees’. Such crazy fans I wondered. Earlier it was difficult to even get a glance of big stars. Today every celebrity maintains a personal blog keeping it open for comments. In simple words, now they don’t act like Gods!

Most of the celebrities are tweeting through twitter.com. Wherever on earth they are they make sure to pen down messages for their followers.

In fact even the media has been getting entertainment news through these blogs. Coming back to Mr Bachchan again, when he wrote on his blog that his house ‘Prateeksha’ was also affected due to heavy rains, who also helped few women on the road giving them a lift while shifting to ‘Jalsa’— this did become a story.

It is surprising though, Mallika Sherawat has been followed by 7606 people— these figures are highest even compared to Priyanka Chopra’s profile onTwitter. Mallika recently found tweeting useful as she was away to Los Angeles posting messages on her experiences in Hollywood.

While Mallika was left alone by media, Priyanka’s eye infection became news the day she posted it. Priyanka writes, “Distressed today… have a mad red eye! It sucks…,”.And there it became big news that the former Miss World had eye infection. I thought it was silly!

These Bollywood divas aren’t the only ones being followed on Twitter. Shashi Tharoor has more than 16,000 followers on Twitter beating the Bollywood queens; this does not surprise me though. Nevertheless entertainers grab all the attention and boast of having many fans in their admirers list, today’s young politicians have changed the meaning of being called a ’star’. Apart from Indian celebrities, it is Barack Obama who is using Twitter, having more than 1, 75,000 followers.

Social Networking or Confession rooms?

2009-08-05T02:05:00.000-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

In the times when Doordarshan was called the ‘idiot box’, it had many dedicated viewers. It discouraged out goers from what they once used to do -go out for whatever reason. Thereafter, the idiot box became more advanced. Then came the cable channels which made the same viewers even more idiotic. But there still existed some quality face to face rendezvous and outdoors. Until the ‘internet mania’ drove everybody crazy. It changed lifestyles. I am talking about Facebook, Twitter, Orkut and Bebo.

What are we talking about? Checking out what friends are up to in their lives or hooking on to the net for ‘abnormal hours’? It is this addiction that has locked our teenagers indoors. Lets face it…we all have been hearing tantrums in the families on how kids get glued to their chairs in front of their computers. A recent study conducted by a British Scientist reveals that long hours on the net may harm the brains of young people. So, are we ready to risk our health for it?

Social Networking sites can also be called ‘confession rooms’. Very recently, I was told by my friend how a teenager wrote against his mother on Facebook, as he was frustrated of her bad temper at home. Unfortunately, she also happened to be a member on Face book- she was pretty famous! Her reaction could become another confession though.

If mothers can earn such comments then what are we talking about? This reminds me of another such case my aunt narrated to me. A school teacher’s mobile number was published on Facebook writing, ‘I am available tonight’ by students who were fed up of her. I don’t have to write her reactions here, undoubtedly she must have got ‘ugly calls’ in the nights forcing her to change her number. Looks like the confession rooms also announce their verdict! One does not stop it by confessing, either the confession brings shame to the person or it concludes with a dangerous punishment- like that of the teacher’s.

The problem here is, we don’t know where to draw a line and the solution is, just a simple ‘logging off’ before we get addicted to it.

Election. Who cares?

2009-05-13T00:53:00.000-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...
Early morning-quake on my bed— the phone vibrated unlocking my lazy eyelids. It was another “favorable day,” my classmates usually were free to call me for translations. Since most of them came from the northern part of India, I had to translate Kannada quotes for their stories. But this one was strikingly astonishing— most of you might have encountered such a situation and refused to ponder over it. This one is a very miniscule exchange of dialogue that unusually shocked me. This type of election times typical dramatic scenario was so common.

We at our Journalism school were bringing out an Election special edition, and this story was a part of this edition that demanded reporting in rural areas. One of my colleagues asked me to translate her quotes and so she gave her phone to the lady there, I guess the village was Tagachaguppe in Kumbalagudu near Mysore Road, Bangalore. While I question the lady asking her, whom is she going to vote and why? Without even giving a second thought over my question she asks me, “You tell me. Whom should I vote? I will vote to whomsoever you ask me to vote.

While we debate on having fair and free elections there are some people who simply don’t care to know their leaders or may be there are countless backhanders everywhere in the country taking advantage of every possible way out to win the elections. Film stars from all the ‘woods’ have been planting their seats for the elections— creating another woodland for a dramatic dome. In the name of election promises made to the people and the under-table compromises or exchanges of whatever—works in favor of any parties standing for election. The battle here is not individualistic but it is the matter of 1 billion people and the Biggest Democracy in the world.Who cares?

The 15th Lok Sabha elections is awaiting its results, aftermath of which, none of the politicians will even recall of their ‘prepared speeches,’ that pompously yelled of developments, social welfare and helping the needy. Nevertheless, growth in the economy is an exception; there are more people to concentrate on this issue.

India is a secular country- really? May be we should question Varun Gandhi for some comments on this, even the Congress for that matter. Whom should we vote and what happens to our votes after the elections? It will be answered as usual with a bitter silence after they win their respective chairs in the parliament, as they believe in the phrase below- “Speech is silver during election and silence is golden after the elections are over.”

Alas they remain who they are...

2009-04-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Xpre$$!ons...

It was my last day in school and a thought parked mulishly in my mind— disquieting my farewell. Then I ask myself, what did I learn in these twelve years. Apart from the textbook knowledge that was forced upon us I learnt how to drag myself into the list of teacher’s favourite.

The mores of ‘partiality’ has been running through generations and thanks to the active participation of the teachers— sadly they don’t realise not every student is genuine when they play with their words of flattery just to be in there as their favourite students. No, teachers aren’t idiots. I wouldn’t call all are ignorant of this but some really enjoy being given importance.

What happens when a teacher becomes a victim of ‘favouritism’? The students who badly require training are uncared. This results in discrepancy and discrimination among the students. And how can I forget the trend of criticism that is grinding up resulting in demoralising the slow learners. I have witnessed very few unbiased teachers in my life and miserably failed in hunting for my favourite teacher until now. I am in a journalism school and the hunt is still on and I can sense an inkling of failing all over again.

Teachers have many favourites but how many of us have our favourite teachers? I am talking in the milieu of a guru who is unbiased and fair. Have you ever been part of this partiality ambush?

I now keep brooding on how whom I considered as my favourite teachers was biased to me and how she/he unsighted the ones who desperately needed her support. They never came up to the teachers to change their mindsets, as they are convinced that these teachers have no soft corner for them. Hence they learn what they are taught and take all the shit that comes their way. And alas they remain who they are…

Atheists are damned and doomed, believe in God!

2009-02-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

IF FOLLOWING religion and offering prayers becomes not everyone’s priority then some of them boost themselves with the support of their counselors and mentors, as they call it. But to people who worship idols and believe in God, it is only at the doors of the almighty they feel relieved and morally heightened. Some of the strong believers in God address non-religious people as immoral and unethical. The stereotype attached to atheists who are labeled as ‘immoral’ is true to not many but to some of the religious people.

To most of the students who were asked about the stereotype they had to say that it is cool to be an atheist and also depends on their perspective of studying religion and praying to God.

“It is cool, it is their choice. I believe in God and that does not mean I am completely ethical and all clean, without making any mistakes. It is the way you look at it,” said Saheli Choudhari, who is a firm believer of Goddess Durga.

But revealing the point of view of a priest, Shivanna, at T C Palya, who said that the reason for today’s youngsters to not respect their elders and end up into dirty habits is because they don’t follow religion and don’t worship God.

Another software engineer has his own say on the issue. “I believe that there is something so called ‘God’ just because I have a hope when things don’t go as planned in life. Only thing I do not understand is what do atheists do when they need moral support,” said Deepak Badami, presently working in the US.

But to the families who have been facing flux of beliefs compared to their ancestral times have a different opinion about the issue.

“I did not have children even after nine years of marriage. I prayed to several gods and I believe in God, in fact I have seen God. When I prayed continuously for more than eight months I was blessed with a son,” said Kariappa, Chennapatna.

He also added that his son is an atheist and does not believe in God. In fact in the whole family his son is the first to be labeled as a nonbeliever and despite of requesting him to offer prayers to the God, which is why he is here in this world, as Kariappa believes, his son pays no heed to his words.

Kariappa, who begins his day from walking to the temple at around 5 am every morning, also believes that there are certain problems if one does not believe in God. This makes them less responsible as there is no fear of anyone and drops him on to the immoral category.

This stereotype is moreover seen in the rural areas, where people firmly believe in God and also think that if certain rituals are not followed and also if someone utters words like, “God does not exist” then that certainly is a big issue to them.

According to a villager, Manju, who is a firm believer of God, if one does not follow the holy book practices then they are sure to land into big troubles. “There is undoubtedly a question mark on their morality,” she added.

Apart from the rural areas of Bangalore, even the distant district Belgaum has been attached with the same stereotype in its rural land. The village called ‘Sulebhavi,’ which is thirteen kilometers far from the Belgaum city is supposed to be the abode of the holy Goddess’ temple called the Sulebhavi Lakshmi.

This place is bound with the beliefs of offering prayers for any troubled mind and for sure they would be blessed with whatever they desir. And if someone talks about not believing in this Goddess’ powers then he for sure gets lots in returns for such a remark.

“I pray to God because I believe in her.

But most of them in the village look down upon them who do not pray and visit temples. This is a wrong attitude, may be also because they are mislead,” said Utsahi Deshpande, an engineering student in Belgaum.

Another resident Surekha Desai, of Belgaum district informs that, in the month of June and July, in a particular village called Mutga, which is seven kilometers far from the city, a fair is celebrated. This particular fair is organised in the name of the Goddess Bhaukeshwari. It is during this time that people from the surrounding areas of this village are forced to not venture out of their homes and go to the city for a week.

This agitates most of the residents here, as these fair organisers believe that if they (the people) do not follow their sets of restrictions then they are unprincipled.

“If after violating their rules something goes wrong in the family then they blame that person for not following what was said and therefore this was doomed to happen,” added Desai.

2009-02-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

Happy Valentine’s Day to me!

Saint Valentine’s first love letter unfolded the celebration of love. In the third century Valentine was a priest and the Emperor Claudius II thought of keeping young soldiers single. According to him men without wives and children were better. But, Valentine considered this act unfair and he secretly performed marriages for youngsters. When Claudius II discovered this he imprisoned Valentine and death sentence was announced for him.

In the jail he fell in love with a girl, jailor’s daughter who visited during his confinement. Few hours before he died he wrote a letter to her and signed, ‘From your valentine,’ that is how this expression is still used today. Some also believe that Valentine was killed because he helped Christians escape from Roman prison where they were grief-stricken and tortured. Valentine’s death occurred around 270 A.D and the anniversary of his burial is celebrated as Valentine’s Day.
This day spread out merriment not only to lovers but to friends and family also. We can celebrate it with the ones whom we love the most and take a step to thank people who have made a difference in our lives. Most importantly, why don’t we love ourselves? Valentine’s Day is not only about special relationships like a loving couple. Buying something for us and expressing gratitude to oneself is another unique way of expressing love to oneself. If we don’t love ourselves, how can we love others?
Apart from the birth of Valentine’s Day and celebrations for oneself and family this day has brought different ideas of proposing ones love. Romantic getaway is the most popular way of observing this day. Couples dating in resorts and late nightlong drives are some of the features of getaway. Exchanging of gifts and offering red roses or flowers are other common ways of expressing love.
When asked few of my friends what is their view on Valentine’s Day Harsha, studying engineering had to say: “Why should it only be Valentine’s day to make love? If I fall in love I will not be waiting for Valentine’s Day to draw closer. Why do you want to celebrate love once a year?”

According to Varun, BCA, “This day is the perfect day to express love and for celebrating love.”

But, Monali studying engineering had different opinion on Valentine’s Day. She said “It is not a day alone for lovers but friends and family. Valentine’s Day is for those who have no time in the world to express their love and they choose this day.”
Nowadays, when we hear of relations the most common comment is ‘Are you serious’? The reply very often is NA!! You think so? Love stories are to be found only in novels and movies these days. Nevertheless, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with the same zest even today, camouflaged as a fashion statement. It is more like a trend to most of them, who consider having ‘boyfriends’ and ‘girlfriends’ as a tag of recognition. The real love has been replaced by lust and other materialistic pleasures.

To observe Valentine’s Day is like hunting for true love. Love is trailing its true essence and hidden in the armaments of lust, caste, language, region and colour. But, there are people who still create big love stories. And thanks to them for this act of revere, falling in love in its true sense and for not being blinded behind
worldly joys.

If some celebrate Valentine’s Day for their loved ones, there are others who raise a toast for oneself.

“Treat yourself with things you have always wished to experience,” added Harsha.

And today we find new genre of people who are seeking spirituality and fighting to reinforce their inner self. So, don’t have a Valentine? What are you waiting for? It’s time to wish your self “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY”!!

They call themselves revolutionists…

2009-01-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...

Here they arrive, they call themselves followers of Hindu culture and looks like these ‘revolutionists’ as they call themselves, are the teachers of moral policy in India. And then we flaunt the flag of democracy, and still allow such religious biased parties to overrule us. How sickening is this?

Pubs will be banned and women are the Godmothers, now if they are then what made these molesters as the TV channels reported, plainly toss the girls on the road who were in the pub in Mangalore? This is our culture, Hindu culture, barring women from doing what they like to and adhering to the moral policies framed by Rashtriya Hindu Sena. Where is it written?

Moreover, what are the politicians doing? They are supporting the acts by going against them only in making news statements, but all they have to say is they are against pub culture.

But, only one chief Minsiter, Sheela Dixit does not have the same opinion. She smartly said that today’s youth are matured and very well informed. Isn’t that a smart and unbiased move? In fact these leaders who are indirectly supporting these so called ‘revolutionists’ are lazy and do not want to improve the infrastructure and strengthen the police force who can help in guarding the city.

I am not saying that I support people who don’t respect culture but what I don’t understand is…do they really understand what is culture? Culture reflects the mannerisms and the behaviour of a person, but beating up and bashing people just because they are in the pubs does not mean that they aren’t cultured. In fact, I am sure of it that, most of the girls, who were inside the pub, would know what religion is in its true sense, unlike the ones who come to blows and tag themselves as the saviours of the religion.

Before slapping this article against such religious parties, I would like to question the need for such an unimportant tussle on the name of religion. Despite of all the citizens coming together to fight against the biggest troubling issue of terrorism, we are fighting amongst ourselves and with our own people. We are talking about morals when we have to debate on bigger issues like terrorism.

The White patch...

2008-01-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

Xpre$$!ons...The White patch…
The coughs echoed, people strolling two and fro in tension (especially for the caesarian operations and surgeries), patient visitors, nurses dressed in white tunic, doctors portraying the act of ‘busy personalities’ and patients giving a sick glare at each other and a sigh of pain all fell in my pot of observation when I made a visit to the hospital. My twin wasn’t well and we were here to see the general doctor, she had high fever. As soon as we stepped in I just happen to notice my classmate, Jayashree. Her face was evocative that brought school days episode in a mist form; those combined studies, science fairs, dance competitions, picnics and at the noon time when our hunger pangs troubled us lunch boxes were tempting and lastly the gossips of school rumors.
The scenes were disturbed by my twin’s interaction with Jayashree. She was indifferent, something was badly worrying her. On looking at her state of mind I thought we should leave her alone and I interrupted my twin by asking her to go see the doctor.
But, my conscience was disquieting me and I thought of having a word with her. So, I quickly moved to catch her up and to ask the reason for her be troubled. In the beginning she did feel ill at ease; she needed some time to open up. It was almost five years since we met. She then started to sob and told me that she was engaged to a guy whom she had loved. And I wondered what must be the reason for worry when everything was so well settled for her.
She then replied; ‘but… I have a disease…skin disease. I had no clue about it; I noticed it few days back when I saw a white patch on my arm. The doctor says its leukoderma and it is not got anything to do with cancer. It is not contagious and is incurable. He has prescribed some medicines but he is not sure whether they are effective. I have to go through the stigma in the society and how will I face everyone.’ I was taken aback and had no words to express grief for her.
After joining my twin and discussing the issue with her we both were shaken and didn’t know how to console our friend. She had no other way out and only her fiancée could help her out. After a month, she informed me that only her in-laws had problems with her and her fiancée had no issues. Life still was a struggle for her except that she was lucky her fiancée stood for her. This was the poignant tale of my friend but there are many who are still besieged and careworn. Our care and support is what they badly are in need of.
There is also a book written on leukoderma, ‘Mahashweta’ by Sudha Murty (a very simple woman with great thoughts, she is miles away when it comes to glimpse and glamour but today is the chairperson of Infosy’s foundation, wife of Narayan Murty ). The book narrates a story that is heartrending which opens eyes towards the fatalities of leukoderma in the society.
Leukoderma is a skin disease that is not communicable but a white patch appears on the skin that in some case can spread in other parts of the body. People have mistaken belief that it is a bad omen and the woman who has leukoderma is not healthy etc; but it is not so. The next time you come across a woman with a white patch don’t give an expression of shame rather pluck the shame out of the diseased by making her feel at ease. Life is never the same, tomorrow anyone of us can become the victim of leukoderma. Now, the question is; do we have a heart for them?

2007-07-08T02:44:00.000-07:00

Smile through your tears!

Sometimes I wonder why I weep,
Am I here to earn tears?Then I say,
Let them flow, don't you keep
It washes away all the fears

Then tears form oceans on the land
But still, it glitters and twinkles
Sun's harsh rays brushes the sand
When tears can shine, why not the wrinkles?

Hidden feelings are always canned
Tear it apart and let it leak out
Sun shines then,you will be tanned
Don't be ire on the tan, it filters your doubt.

Don't you feel bad for the tears rolled down
It's not worthless, all the time you frown
The litres of tears you sum up
Are equal to the number of smiles in a cup
so, smile through your tears.

2007-07-08T02:36:00.000-07:00

It's my life..

Nothing was bad, but still felt sad
Everything was there, but felt someone else had
And now when days are so bright
Feels one among Miss Right!

Laziness far from the soul
As if this is life's role
Feeling fresh and new
A gene rare compared to few

It's my life says myself to me
And that's why life's like busy bee
This is where I wanted to reach
And, here I am by someon's teach

Hope to land here for whole life
Till and after I become someone's life
My thought always reminds
what I want is some other kind
Without a blink of eye, I find
After finding if people mind
Remember! It's my life, I don't mind.

2007-07-08T02:15:00.000-07:00

Dreams

The whole world dreams,
very fabulous it seems.
happiness it gives as beams
then the laugh screams!

everyone wants their dream to come true
hardly people's tree grew,
because people who worked hard were few
others lost their cheese missing their due.

clever were those who were practical
never confused reading an article
they always knew their particle
and got the reaction using right chemical.

Dream can make you anything
a king or a beggar,depends on your thinking
so don't go very high swinging
down earth's bell is ringing!

those people survive who are humble
always being flexible
not being negative that is terrible
and that is why they are very able
making their dreams reachable
nothing in their dictionary as incurable
switching off their cable
switching on their table
playing games and not gamble
they are named as noble
who make everything possible!

2007-07-08T02:13:00.000-07:00

The Dark Light

Those silent tears, buried beneath
those hidden pains, feelings that
have no sensations.
Piling a solid ice that does not melt
Does not melt because of the fear,
Fear of having not accepted,
Fear of loosing oneself, though it has.

The tears then become iceberg and
prick the ocean of the heart.
When it melts it erupts,
Not only erupts, but gives
rise to a light-The Dark Light
the cave of darkness then shreds tears
calms the pain, escorting light
to leave no marks of darkness
and yet be called The Dark Light.

PEOPLE

Sometimes they always spoke
Their speech to spread needed no smoke
They thought that gossip was a joke
In no minute relationships broke

People are such kind in many folks
Like a seed that water soaks
And when sprouts out, has another looks
Cannot understand them, not open books.

Materialistic attract man
Remember naturals if you can
Applies sunscreen for his tan
Money calls and there man ran.

Ask him to walk with a rich person,
It gives him thousand watt smile and fun
When it comes to shoot from a poor gunHis thoughts sets down, saying he is not his son.