Gaza: Where is Humanity?

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Pic: BBC online
Up until the second week of the war more than 750 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured. This is the highest Palestinian toll in four decades of occupation, and the figure is expected to be much bigger when a ceasefire is finally called. The few hospitals in Gaza, already under strain on account of the blockade, have not been able to cope with the tragedy. Israeli helicopter gunships have gone to the extent of targeting ambulances carrying the injured. Ehab Mahbub, a Palestinian doctor, was killed when his ambulance was hit by an Israeli missile. The appeals for blood are getting more and more desperate.

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Herbal Chicken

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Once upon a time, not long ago, we were made to learn by heart at least one essay in school. Often it used to be - India, an agriculture based nation (Krishi Pradhan Desh). Among other things, the essay used to contain exaggerated description of great mountain range, social tolerance, cultural integration and the holy rivers of India. Our glorious past was pressed in service any where and everywhere. We were like that unworthy nephew of a worthy uncle who flauntingly name dropped his uncle on every occasion.

Initially, obliquely in a hushed tone with jest and later with much solemnity it was proclaimed that India, actually, is a chair (read power) based nation (Kursi Pradhan Desh). The game of musical chair, vying for better and higher chair became so aggressive, people won't let the chair, once occupied, come what may, slip away from their posteriors. They applied variety of glue, Fevicol, Ereldite and what have you so that chair and they could become as inseparable as Siamese twins. They were so much smitten by their love for chair, they simply refused to die without one.

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Outsourcing here also

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, while I was loafing on Main Street, I meet an old friend of mine.

“Hi!” I say.
“Hi,” he says, “where to?”
“Aimless loitering,”
I say, “And you?”
My Friend Ankit:I’m going to work.”
Me:Work? This early? I thought your shift starts in the evening, or late at night. You work at a call center don’t you?”
Ankit:Not now. I quit. I’m on my own now.”
Me:On your own? What do you do?”
Ankit:“LPO.”
Me: “LPO? What’s that?”
Ankit: “Life Process Outsourcing.”
Me: “Life Process Outsourcing? Never heard of it!”
Ankit:“You’ve heard of Business Process Outsourcing, haven’t you?”
Me: “BPO? Outsourcing non-core business activities and functions.”
Ankit:
Precisely. LPO is similar to BPO. There it’s Business Processes which are outsourced, here it’s Life Processes.”
Me: “Life Processes? Outsourced?”
Ankit: “Why don’t you come along with me? I’ll show you.”

Soon we are in his office. It looks like a mini call center.

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My dates with Dentist

Sunday, January 25, 2009

I had just stepped into a dentist office and I read this inspiring quote ‘To extract is human but to restore is divine’.

That sums up the dreary dictum of dentists. Have we ever come back from a dentist hearing good news about our teeth? No! It’s always bad news. Dentistry means drilling, filling and billing.
Everyone dreads a dentist’s chair. It is the second worst fear after public speaking. My dates with dentists date back to my childhood. I was just eight and was sitting on that dentist’s chair and he said sweetly, ‘Hi son, open your mouth, Let me see if you have fine teeth.’
And I opened – ‘AAAHHHHH!’
He started examining my teeth and suddenly I bit his fingers.

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पता नहीं अब कब रोऊँगा अगली बार

स्वाद चखा कल आँसू का जब बरसों बाद।
आया समन्दर का खारापन मुझको याद।।
दिल का दर्द पिघलकर बाहर आया था;
बहने दिया मैंने भी खुलकर बरसों बाद।

बहुत ज़रूरी है जीवन में रोना भी;
सीखा यारों मैंने जाकर ये बरसों बाद।
अश्कों ने धो डाला दिल के घावों को;
आज मिली कुछ राहत मुझको बरसों बाद।

वैसे तो रोना फितरत है हसीनों की;
सीख लो उनसे ये गर रहना है आबाद।
पता नहीं अब कब रोऊँगा अगली बार;
शायद बहेगा मन का नमक फिर बरसों बाद।

जो पल बीते साथ तुम्हारे

Friday, January 23, 2009

रिश्ते टूटे बंधन टूटे सजने वाले दर्पण टूटे
सब कुछ तोड़ के बेशक जाना लेकिन पहले यह तो बताना
जो पल बीते साथ तुम्हारे उनसे पीछा कैसे छूटे

हॅस्ते हुए रहते थे हम, रोते हुए जीने लगे
खुशिया हुई मन से विदा, गम में तेरे मरने लगे

लोग करेंगे क्या क्या बातें, याद हैं सावन की बरसातें
जो पल भीगे साथ तुम्हारे, उनसे पीछा कैसे छूटे

कहती हैं शाम यह क्या हुआ नगमा कोई गाते नही
गुलशन ने भी पूछा मुझसे अब तुम दोनो आते नही

मुश्किल हैं कितना यह समझाना, टूटे दिल का दर्द छुपाना
जो पल महके साथ तुम्हारे उनकी खुश्बू कैसे छूटे

रिश्ते टूटे बंधन टूटे सजने वाले दर्पण टूटे

Divorce: Concluding Part (Doomsday conspiracy)

Thanks again to all readers for some good positive response and suggestions. This is fourth and last part of this series, i have tried my best so hope you find it good. Happy Reading.
SCENE I :THE MOMENT ARRIVES
The city of Nagpur was retiring for the night, as sun set and gave way to darkness, street lamps glow and people throng back to their home after another working day comes to an end. Traffic was like any other customary day, packed with daily commuters as bus, cars, two-wheelers try to move ahead in normal moving traffic.
It was not usual evening in the life of Neha as she drove back home after long day work at office. She was full of excitement after day of work. She couldn’t stop smiling as she sang sitting in her black Honda City, life will never be same again for her. The moment for which she waited for years was finally here, she wanted to be with some one close to her. No one was closer to her than Rajeev, she wanted to join him at house as soon as possible, she wanted to fly, and she wanted to hug her hubby today. She was happy and lost in her thought, thinking that things will change from here on. She can see their martial life back on track. She was feeling the baby in side her womb, the feeling of mother hood, the best feeling a woman can have, a moment that every women waits, its re birth for them. It’s something very special which no writer or poet can describe neither any man can understand.

Motherhood is priced of God, at price no man may dare to lessen or misunderstand. We know that birth takes a woman from one place in her life to another. The birth of a child certainly does change her viewpoint of herself and I believe her viewpoint of the world. The fact that all woman are trained to be mothers from infancy on means that they are all trained to devote our lives to men, whether they are their sons or not; that we are all trained to force other women to exemplify the lack of qualities which characterizes the cultural construct of femininity.

She reaches home but finds room locked, so opens the door sits on sofa, thinks something, open her bag and see the medical report which doctor gave her today, she is excited to know that she is six weeks pregnant, she wanted to convey the message to Rajeev, thinks of calling him but then aborts the idea. She wanted to hug him and feel the excitement in his eyes, she waited.

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You don't deserve my tears

Thursday, January 22, 2009


For eight months I have waited
And held all my tears
But last night I let them flow
I never again wanted to cry for you
Because of what you did
You don't deserve my tears

Because of what you did
I Gave up
I find no hope in humanity
Because of what you did
I see no love in a heart
I look for the corruption
Because of what you did
I no longer care
I try not to feel
I try not to cry
You don't deserve my tears

Because of what you did
I lost the only thing that made me happy
You were what got me through each day
But because of what you did
I don't know what to do

All that is left is tears
Tears that have been waiting to fall
Waiting for me to break
Waiting for me to admit
That I miss your love
But you don't deserve me

Because of what you did
I am now lost
Alone without you or anybody else
You don't deserve my tears
But I still cry for you

Dating in Ruins

This picture of two pigeons having some gr8 time was taken during my last visit to Qutub Minar, New Delhi, India

Divorce Part III (Southward movement)

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Thanks every one for your good response and constructive suggestions, this is third and penultimate part, sorry could not conclude in this part as it was getting longer. Hope you will comprehend. Happy reading folks.

SCENE I: LOVE & HATE
The life was never same again for Rajeev and Neha once Puja divorced from her husband Abhisekh. Its another Sunday morning in the life of Neha and Rajeev, its 6:30am in morning sun has just started showing its face to the people, there is absolute tranquil in the room as Neha sleeps with quilt on her, long curly hair of hers is all over the pillow and she looks stunning even while sleeping, three years into marriage she still looks college young at 26 years of age. Her face is half covered with coverlet as she rests on the bed. A glass of water lies on a table on the side of bed with a small night lamp and few magazines over it. Suddenly a bang sound wakes her up, she opens her eye, looks in amusement here and there, then realizes she is in her room only and the sound was off news paper hitting the window, she changes her side only to find Rajeev missing from the bed. Its not usual as he wakes up late on Sunday, she gets off bed all of a sudden looking for her dear husband Neha: “Raj! Raj! Where are you?” She finally smells cigarette and takes a deep breath as she locates him in adjoining room, sitting in an arm chair with cigarette in his hand and ash just attached to cigarette, which showed he just lit it and got lost in his thought and forget to take a puff.

She slowly moves closer to him and utters: “Raj”
He waked up only to realize that he forget what he was doing.
He says: “yes”
Neha:” what happened so early up in morning you left from bed and smoking also?”
Rajeev putting cigarette in the ash tray: “nothing just waked up early so thought not to disturb you”
Neha:” but why you waked up so early , are you ok” put her hand on his head, slightly moving her soft fingers in over his hair, probably trying to show her love, Neha knew that Rajeev has been moving away from him, and she needed to take care of him.
Rajeev: ” I am fine, holding Neha’s hand and probably realizing that it’s her only who stood by him for so many years and supported him for all the bad times.
Neha: “you want to have tea? Shall I get it for you” and sits on his lap”
Rajeev: “ok,” as she kisses on her forehead Neha must not have felt any kiss of his so loving, as a dazzling smile comes on her face.
Rajeev: “now make tea fast” Neha leaves to kitchen and starts her day with a smile after a loving gesture from her hubby. She gets betrothed in the kitchen as Rajeev sits and reads the newspaper, mobile rings a new message was received on his phone. He picks it up and starts reading the long SMS, as neha comes out with tea and sits at the side of Rajeev, bearing in mind this Rajeev switches off phone

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Divorce Part II (Unwanted Romance)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

First of all thanks to you all for some encouraging and good retort to the first part of this fiction. Those who haven’t read it should read it first; this was my first real attempt on fiction as I prefer writing on real life experiences. In the first part(click here to read first part), we read about a couple Rajeev and Neha in Nagpur fighting over Rajeev’s co-worker divorce and she suspects him at times that her husband might be having some affair with the Pooja (Rajeev’s colleague.) They reach the family court and it was final hearing of divorce case between Puja and Abhisekh, mutually they agree and so does the court. Abhisekh pays money and kids are sent to boarding in Dehradoon.

Scene 1
At the court premises after the case is settled.
Puja: “Oh! Rajeev I am so relaxed today, I got rid of this daily drama now”
"Don’t worry all going to be fine now” Says Rajeev looking both at his wife and puja.
Neha intrudes and disagrees: “its going to be tuff now Puja”
Puja: “You don’t know what I was going through; it’s such a relaxing feeling”
Neha says out of shear curiosity: “so you are planning to resettle?”
Puja putting up strange smile on her face says: “not decided lets see what happens”
Puja leaves to her home and Neha and Rajeev drive back to their home. At night in Nagpur, Rajeev wasn’t able to sleep so went out and smoked and came back to his room where Neha (his wife) is lying down, pretending as she is sleeping.

Neha breaks the deadly silence and says: “You not feeling sleepy?”
Rajeev:”no just a bit headache” Neha: “come let me do head massage”
Rajeev: “no I will be fine” Neha: “come”
Rajeev shouts: ” I said no, can’t you get that”
Neha shivers and says: “what’s there to shout at the middle of night?, why you look tensed? What’s wrong? “
Rajeev: “nothing wrong” Neha: "Ok” Rajeev: "why don’t you sleep off?”
Neha: “no I was thinking about Puja and Abhisekh, poor kids, their life is ruined now, wondering what went wrong in their life? Why both are separated? Why they decided to divorce?”
Rajeev: “why are you so worried?”
Neha: "why you look so tense?”
Rajeev: ” its headache”
Neha: "I hope you are not the reason of this divorce, I wont give you divorce even if Brahma, Vishnu & Mahesh comes and pleads in front of me, I wont leave you, I love you, and you?” Rajeev: “Yes I do too, now sleep off” Both sleep off as mystery surrounds the silent night.

15 DAYS LATER
Scene II

Another usual morning for Neha & Rajeev on the breakfast table.
Neha: “let’s go for outing to Khandala it’s been long time, Monday is off so we can go and take 3 days off”
Rajeev: "No some other time some work”
Neha: "what work? You never say yes now days lost in your own world”
Rajeev: “Please try to understand, we will go some other time”
Neha: “I am hearing this for last one year”
Rajeev hugging his wife: “sure next month”
Neha: “hmmm”

TO BE CONCLUDED IN NEXT PART......



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हम को इस घर में जानता है कोई

दिन कुछ ऐसे गुजारता है कोई
जैसे एहसान उतारता है कोई

आईना देख के तसल्ली हुई
हम को इस घर में जानता है कोई

पक गया है शजर पे फल शायद
फिर से पत्थर उछालता है कोई

फिर नजर में लहू के छींटे हैं
तुम को शायद मुघालता है कोई

देर से गूँजतें हैं सन्नाटे
जैसे हम को पुकारता है कोई

Divorce PART I (Somebody started the fire)

Monday, January 19, 2009


It’s like any other usual morning until the phone rings at 9 o’clock in the morning in a dwelling in Nagpur.
The husband picks up, pauses a jiffy as if hearing something, and says, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there on time,” and replaces the phone.

He then shouts to his wife, who is in the kitchen: “I’m going out for some toil. I’ll be back approximately one thirty or two for dine.”
“Where are you disappearing? You’ve taken leave today. Let’s go shopping; and then for lunch and a movie.” wife brings the list
“Please. Not today. I’ve taken leave just for this vital thing.” husband says trying to avoid.
“Vital thing? Where are you going?” the wife persists.

The husband knows now that he has no alternative but to tell her. He knows his wife’s nature so well – she’s not going to relax till she find out. She’ll plague him to death until he tells her.“I’m going to the Family Court,” he says.
“Family Court? Why?” Her eyes become larger than earth.
“A divorce case.” Husband replies
“Divorce? You’re trying to divorce me behind my back?” Wife says clutching her hair
“Please be silent. It’s not us. Pooja has asked me to come for the hearing.” Hubby replies
“Pooja?”
“You’ve met her." Wife smelling something fishy.
"She’s my collaborator at work.”
“Oh. That Pooja! I knew you for eternity you had a soft corner for her.” Wife says putting on sarcastic smile on her face
“It’s her concluding divorce hearing today and she’s called me.” husband defends his act

“Divorce? Called you? How are you involved? I hope she divorces not because of you?

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Comedy of Error

Saturday, January 17, 2009

I was feeling more chilly than usual as I was, only few days back transfered from 'No Winter' Mumbai to chilly National capital New Delhi. It was unpleasantly cold winter noon & being Sunday I was feeling lethargic and finding it hard to come out of quilt, then I got a call from my younger cousin Meghna
Meghna: “How are you? What’s up on Sunday?”
Me: “I am good, how are you doing? “
Meghna: ” I am fine too, I was getting bored nothing much to do to day as it’s a holiday”
Me: ” go out and enjoy with friends”
Meghna: “Most have gone home; can we go for a movie today evening?”
Me: “ok, that sounds a good idea”
Meghna: “ok then see you in evening”
Me: “ok”

I went to see her in the evening and we decided to go for a movie in the vicinity of multiplex, we reached there 30 minutes aforementioned to movie and then took tickets and were just chatting on some topic. Movie was about to initiate and we decided to move in.

We entered the multiplex and saw on one of many doors of multiplex showing the title of movie which we were supposed to see. We entered the hall and there was no one on the gate so we located our seat number and sat there. Movie has already started.

Me:” did we enter late?”
Meghna: "seems like that”

It was barely 5-6 minutes when INTERMISSION was displayed on huge screen.

We were surprised to see that and looked towards each other in taken aback way.

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