Thursday, July 20, 2006

Work in progress...

I understand that to the visitors to my blog it might seem that my page is incomplete, and most/some links don't work. (I am assuming that there are visitors).
This is a short note to say that my present template is under construction, and so, many links might be unavailable, and the site might look pretty untidy...so please bear with me till this is done, should be done by tomorrow if I keep correcting it :).
Once I am done, I'll remove this message so that you know that 'This is how I want my template to look like'...apologies till then.

Update: This page now looks 'almost' as I want it to look. All that is left is the header image and the 'recent comments' link to be added.

Time for a new post on the new look...will happen as soon as I am free or at least have a bit less work than I do right now at office.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

They won't win!!!!

The morning newspaper....the photos....the hurried calls to friends and relatives in Mumbai...the sigh of relief....of feeling lucky for being in another city....and then the news sinking in deeper...
Feeling saddened..and then angry...trying to put myself in the place of the mumbaikars and thinking how today will be for them:
Will they go to work as usual?
Will they come to the railway station and try to control the surge of panic and stay put?
Will the mothers tell their sons and daughters what happened or will they gloss over the facts so as to keep them away from the horror of blood and death? Can these mothers let their children go away to school without a moment of hesitation?

Me, am just an onlooker, far away from Mumbai...which they say is 'Sapnon ka shehar' (the city of dreams)...where people land up to try their fate...to fly higher...to go places...some dreams come true, some people reach heights, some go places...but everyone gets into that local train once at least...the early local train to work, the push of humanity, the chats in the trains, the sharing of seats, the gritted teeeth to start a day, ladies discussing knitting and recipes, men scanning the newspaper headlines...never knowing one day they will become the headlines...
Yes, I am scared, scared enough to blame my city's policemen tightening the security today, when we could have been blasted out yesterday, scared enough to worry about my aunt, who lives in Mumbai, not picking up her home phone, scared enough to recognize that this is the feeling those people or should they be called animals....wanted us to feel, and so they planted those explosives.
Which makes me stop being scared, and start being angry....angry enough to be ready to hit out...even make false pretence of bravery when maybe I'll want to run away...angry enough to be defiant, and proud.
Yeah, proud of humanity which is still left in people who helped the injured and took them to hospitals, proud of the courage of Mumbaikars and their resilience...I can't do anything except laud them from afar, and hope that they hold together at this moment, as they are doing so far and prove those non-humans wrong, so that those non-humans who did this will know that - THEY CAN'T WIN!! It is going to take a lot more than this to break Human courage, resilience, and love.

P.S.: Amit Varma has made an exhaustive compilation of all useful links in his post, so linking his post here. Please go through it if you are looking for information.

I should be a romance novelist...

According to one of those 'tests', here's what I got:
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You Should Be a Romance Novelist

You see the world as it should be, and this goes double for all matters of the heart.
You can find the romance in any situation, and you would make a talented romance story writer...
And while you may be a traditional romantic, you're just as likely to be drawn to quirky or dark love stories.
As long as it deals with infatuation, heartbreak, and soulmates - you could write it.


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So, what am I still doing, blogging about everyday mundane stuff....Mills and Boons, here I come!!!!!

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Some things don't change....

She came out of the classroom, fumbling with her bag, and started walking with the other girls to the building complex, which housed the general stores.
I need to buy a hair oil," said Nishi. “I hope I get Keo-Karpin here.”
I think they have, I got one last week,” assured Swati.
She was half listening to them, and was hoping she met him. Or, his friends...
She hurried to keep pace with the others and merely glanced at the canteen as they walked past…she thought she could make out some familiar faces, but it was all a blur. If only…
His familiar voice stopped her in her tracks and she almost turned back, stopping herself just in time. Damn, he was talking to someone else. Why doesn’t he call her?
The next thing she did was straight out of a movie. She dropped her umbrella (the essential commodity that all girls carried to college and was almost considered a part of their clothing) and almost tripped over it, and asked her classmates to go on, as she must have dropped her pen too. It took her three times the usual time required to pick up her umbrella, look for some imaginary stuff inside her bag and slowly turn to face him.
He smiled, she gulped. Did he understand what she was feeling suddenly…that the day was suddenly more interesting, more hyper, more …stop it, she told herself, and say something.
Hi!” Was that all you could manage, you great orator?
Hello.” Was he passing by already? Sheesh!
Did you see Rajesh?” Very convenient, but…
No, any work with him?” Now you are caught buddy.
No, was just wondering where he is…”
Anything special?” He had that smirk on his face. Dumbo, you are special!
Nothing. All set for the exams?
Kahan yaar. Let it start, then we attack it…nothing like you girls do.”
She smiled. "As if…"
"As if what?"
"As if we girls are always studying."
"Ok, if you are not, how about joining us for a movie?" Now was that a challenge or an invitation?
You guys going for a movie today?"
Yeah, we will leave by 1…show is at 2…what say?
This thing was getting interesting...if only the others could just disappear at the movie hall...and she could be just with him. "But then...no, forget it...we got to take Jini for her check up to the doctor this evening...so..."
"Oh no..."
"Enjoy yourself." Now turn away before he gets restless...idiot. "Bye then!"
"Not fair, I was hoping you would join me."
She almost turned back and said, "Me too," then stopped herself, just smiled back, and walked away.
She never knew that she was smiling and blushing to herself, all the way back to the hostel...she never knew that the wind was sweeping the yellow leaves and spreading them all around, some on her hair, some on her dupatta....she never even noticed the couples sitting around the lake behind the dispensary...she knew that she would remember the day...all because he said, 'I was hoping you would join me'.
---
She removed her seat belt as the car stopped in front of her office, and took out her identity card. Time over for togetherness, time starts for serious work....
"Can I kidnap you?"
She had almost opened the door by then, but stopped herself. "What?"
"Can I kidnap you and go somewhere else today?" he smiled at her confusion.
"But where?"
"Kahin bhi...what about a movie?"
"And what about my deadline?" She knew she sounded weak...as it is the overcast sky and the wet breeze were already against her decision to go to office.
"How about coming in early tomorrow or even logging in from home tonight?"
"As if..." she bit her lips.
"As if what?"
She flashed a big smile. "As if, nothing!" She re-fastened her seat belts. "Can we go?"

Seven years back someone else had hoped she would go for a movie, though she was not sure whether he was telling the truth then....she had hoped too, and she knew she was telling herself the truth....both hoped for the same thing, but it could not be fulfilled....
Today, he wants to take her to a movie, and she wants to go....when both want the same thing, the moment should be seized - what say?

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P.S.: For those who came in from Megha's post, this might seem similar...so I can say i might have been meme'd ...I admit...