Ten men walk into our lives nd destroy it in all possible ways. We kill nine & capture one! He is young, educated & quite presentable to be honest. Different stories surface via various news channels (All claiming it to be EXCLUSIVE & through a very reliable source); Few are worth reading while the rest seem to be a mere gimmick by the channels to increase the respective TRP ratings.
What happens next? ‘Indians’ around the country or for that matter around the globe start offering ‘THE SOLUTION’. Some say bomb Pakistan, some suggest a subtle action within the boundaries of UN nd then we have those who just don’t even give a fuck – not ‘cuz they dun care for the country but ‘cuz they have become immune to such attacks!
Our mobile phone is flooded with texts about the next ‘peace walk’ or some message to be forwarded to all Indians so that ‘WE’ can take things in our hands & solve things the ‘right’ way. Millions of emails are been pushed out by the second, so much so that the automatic system designed by email providers are identifying such emails as SPAM mail!! Do we have any solution?? Umm… NO!
Today all the newspapers are having a field day with the ‘one-month-anniversary’ of the gruesome attack. It provides for quite an interesting read simply ‘cuz we (Matured & Responsible Citizen of India) are still provided with different versions of the event. To be honest, if you were to read all ‘stories’ minus the headlines & character names; I am sure you would have mistaken it for various bollywood movies - Full of suspense, horror, action etc. It’s like the numerous versions of Bhagat Singh movies which were dished out in the last couple of years... Different directors, Different actors, Different budget, Different storyline – Just Different!!!!
Am I one of those who don’t give a fuck about his country? Those who have given up hope? Those who want a change but have no clue what it actually means? Those who know how to complain but are too fucking lazy to make anything happen? Maybe I am … Maybe I am not … Maybe you & I share the same feeling of anger, frustration, defeat, helplessness, hate … Maybe not.
Here is how I spent the last one month.
§ I watched the ‘Live & Exclusive’ coverage of the incident on about six channels!
§ Discussed the issue with my friend’s nd family for the next 3 days.
§ Chose not to be an easy target for another attack & opted out of the peace walk
§ Discussed the issue with a new bunch of friends
§ Zoomed off to attend my brothers wedding
§ Discussed the issue with my relatives from other state & shared there reactions from the Jaipur bombing (Do we have any answers for that?? Umm... NO! )
§ Laughed at the blame game played between our ever fascinating ‘leaders’
§ Got busy with the wedding & thoroughly enjoyed every moment
§ Discussed the wedding and the terror attack with few foreigners on my way back to Bombay & noticed that they cared more about the wedding!
§ Found no change in the security at the airport or police in general
§ Ignored the discussions carried out through emails & text messages
§ Conveniently forgot what happened at Taj, Oberoi, Trident, Leopold & CST
You will receive 903, 000 results in 0.07 seconds if you type Kasab on google search. Who the fuck is this man? Correction – Who the fuck is this boy? Pakistan has refused to recognize him even though it’s ex president has gone on national television commenting about Kasab’s family & village in Pakistan! If you view his photo’s, video’s & confessions (questionable), your brain is bound to work double time in order to figure out the most horrific death for him – knowing that it’s perfectly alright thinking about it ‘cuz its bout a guy who blindly shot a million rounds & wanted to kill everyone in sight. To make things even worse he even goes on record nd says ‘No regrets’. I’m no different from you; I have a list of ten possible ways of getting rid of this boy – Our ‘united’ government can choose one or decide to use all at once! Either ways it’ll send out a specific & strong signal to all those who plan to execute similar ‘duty’ in the future... BUT will it guarantee peace in our country? Umm... NO!
I wanna hold my neck out & pose few more questions. Maybe you have thought bout it …but then maybe not!
§ Has anyone tried to find out what made this teenager take liking to such high end guns & actually believe in the slogan ‘Kill till the last breath’?
§ What could possibly make a human sacrifice his/her own life – be it for another person, religion or any other cause?
§ How is he different from a child who might have seen his father getting slaughtered while his mother & sister were getting gang raped?
§ Does he deserve to live?
§ Is he actually alive?
I don’t have any of the answer & most probably will never have but I do know that I am a changed person. I no longer question the system or point finger at the corrupt leader. Not ‘cuz I don’t give a fuck about what happens us ‘Indians’ BUT ‘cuz I have realized that I cant keep pushing the problem on someone else & take the easy way out. I have been irresponsible & ignorant towards MY country & I am paying for it today. I am paying for it not through the taxes but through the loss of the secure feeling that I once roamed around in the city, through the lack of trust in the person sitting next to me in a train/bus/restaurant, through the lost hope for a better future for me & my loved ones.
I am paying very dearly & yet I am trying to find some new and easy way out! But is running away from such issues in life an option? Umm… NO!
Pardon me for not saluting the “Spirit of Bombay” … Its does not exist! The only thing that’s keeping an average individual going despite the traffic, corruption, pollution, diplomacy, floods & terror attacks is the NEED to earn money to satisfy the everyday necessity of his family. Which sane person would want to live in this city? But do we want to contemplate that choice? Umm… NO!
I come in Peace
Vish
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Once in a lifetime...
It’s been almost a month since we got married. I don’t want to make this post sound like a diary entry, forgive me if it does; I haven’t blogged since quite sometime. I miss being the bride…I miss all the madness. The intent however remains a KT to “Would be” brides and to the ones who already walked the road and will nod while reading this.
Come to think of it, I always wanted the “Great Indian Wedding”. Not as magnanimous as the show on NDTV, but then great in its own stride of greatness. When it really, more so “Finally” was happening, I was overwhelmed by the entire process. A bride definitely gets terrified at least a week before the D day. It happens and is inevitable. On the female graph, I would put the irritation levels above PMS. People, who ordinarily wouldn’t have taken so much shit, begin to. It’s cuz of the trump card, you really are the Queen.
There is this weird memoir of the day, while I was walking down the aisle. I was extremely nervous, actually quite scared. It was cuz this was the first time I was wearing heels. I had had horrific dreams of falling off, while walking. I heard some aunts saying things like “Oh..how sweet…kitna sharma rahi hai dulhan…”
I could have puked in my mouth. I walked down fine, I kept looking down…people would now know why. The only time I lift my eye lids were for Arun – the photographer. The pictures are brilliant by the way….
The wedding was a 7 course meal and it was spread across 5 days.
There were “oh-so-many puja’s”, “the mehndi”, “ladies sangeet” “a cocktail” etc etc
It was a lot of fun, for the guests of course. My dad’s pockets were burnt, my mom was crying again n again, my sis was running around and I was jittery. The guests (especially the ones who didn’t really matter) were having a gala time.
Coming to the handy tips:
If you are organizing this all by yourself, the Indian brides usually don’t get to do this all by themselves. But then we do have a say. All that for independence.
This section is very “Sadi Dilli” specific, cuz I got married in that city, and I personally feel that is the only place in India where it is such big a deal. Other cities are still evolving when it comes to turning it into a Broadway musical. Delhites are veterans….
It is one of the greatest and easiest (well not anymore) ways to earn money. A project manager is a must, and we both felt that what we needed the most was a PM. We have self proclaimed ourselves as wedding planners the next time there is a wedding in the family. More on that later….moving on….
Photographer / Videographer:
Prem Studio
Photographer: Arun
One may find them irritating while they are at it.
But the results later on are phenomenal.
But it would be really great, if the old school of an Indian wedding photo session went through some evolution. The couples nowadays look for moments, fakeness that looks natural and video’s which could be documentaries.
Nevertheless, Prem studio would evolve. As of now, they simply are the best!
Make up: Ambika Pillai
The successful Delhi based entrepreneur doesn’t do it herself now. She has even stopped administering the process. But then pick up any of her senior artists and after that just leave it to them. Too much of meddling in their business, isn’t helpful – a lesson from the engagement.
An advice here would be, when leaving for the salon, dress very plane Jane’ish. The transition is extremely overwhelming. This is D day, you couldn’t have looked prettier. That’s a fact!
Mehndi vaala:
I have forgotten his name. But he sits in the Alaknanda market. All the GK-1 M block fella’s are good as well. These guys are true artists. This one was particularly strict, but then all worth it. Few traces of the mehndi still remain…..
Another flashback: People especially uncles getting sloshed in the evening and then dancing. It wasn’t joyous for anything specific. It was just joyous….I miss the frolic!
De Chuda:
Should be brought from Lajpat Nagar. More importantly, it should be worn…They do appear cheesy when you see women in bikinis wearing them on their honey moon. The worst part is. Why post them on the social networks! That’s where it just doesn’t match. They completely go with the wedding attire. They are considered auspicious (why leave a stone unturned?) and you can always have a shortcut of a 11 day time frame.
Cards:
Build a wedding website. It’s fun. There is:
Firstphera.com
Ewedding.com
Create event reminders on Face book. The e-way is really the best way to reach out to people. And then, there are always emails.
The paper card was quite classy and was ordered from Rajinder Nagar. But running around distributing cards, is no fun!
Venue:
Delhi has so many options, since weddings are quite an industry there.
Eg. Claremont, Farm houses, Lutyens, Tivoli etc.
Bangalore is limited to hotels and kalyan mantaps.
There is so much more that I would have forgotten. I would write more entries about the most important day of my life in months to come.
I miss all the madness now. I really do…
Wish a bride would realize it then, and not when she skims through the albums. WB’s…I urge you all to at least try.
Come to think of it, I always wanted the “Great Indian Wedding”. Not as magnanimous as the show on NDTV, but then great in its own stride of greatness. When it really, more so “Finally” was happening, I was overwhelmed by the entire process. A bride definitely gets terrified at least a week before the D day. It happens and is inevitable. On the female graph, I would put the irritation levels above PMS. People, who ordinarily wouldn’t have taken so much shit, begin to. It’s cuz of the trump card, you really are the Queen.
There is this weird memoir of the day, while I was walking down the aisle. I was extremely nervous, actually quite scared. It was cuz this was the first time I was wearing heels. I had had horrific dreams of falling off, while walking. I heard some aunts saying things like “Oh..how sweet…kitna sharma rahi hai dulhan…”
I could have puked in my mouth. I walked down fine, I kept looking down…people would now know why. The only time I lift my eye lids were for Arun – the photographer. The pictures are brilliant by the way….
The wedding was a 7 course meal and it was spread across 5 days.
There were “oh-so-many puja’s”, “the mehndi”, “ladies sangeet” “a cocktail” etc etc
It was a lot of fun, for the guests of course. My dad’s pockets were burnt, my mom was crying again n again, my sis was running around and I was jittery. The guests (especially the ones who didn’t really matter) were having a gala time.
Coming to the handy tips:
If you are organizing this all by yourself, the Indian brides usually don’t get to do this all by themselves. But then we do have a say. All that for independence.
This section is very “Sadi Dilli” specific, cuz I got married in that city, and I personally feel that is the only place in India where it is such big a deal. Other cities are still evolving when it comes to turning it into a Broadway musical. Delhites are veterans….
It is one of the greatest and easiest (well not anymore) ways to earn money. A project manager is a must, and we both felt that what we needed the most was a PM. We have self proclaimed ourselves as wedding planners the next time there is a wedding in the family. More on that later….moving on….
Photographer / Videographer:
Prem Studio
Photographer: Arun
One may find them irritating while they are at it.
But the results later on are phenomenal.
But it would be really great, if the old school of an Indian wedding photo session went through some evolution. The couples nowadays look for moments, fakeness that looks natural and video’s which could be documentaries.
Nevertheless, Prem studio would evolve. As of now, they simply are the best!
Make up: Ambika Pillai
The successful Delhi based entrepreneur doesn’t do it herself now. She has even stopped administering the process. But then pick up any of her senior artists and after that just leave it to them. Too much of meddling in their business, isn’t helpful – a lesson from the engagement.
An advice here would be, when leaving for the salon, dress very plane Jane’ish. The transition is extremely overwhelming. This is D day, you couldn’t have looked prettier. That’s a fact!
Mehndi vaala:
I have forgotten his name. But he sits in the Alaknanda market. All the GK-1 M block fella’s are good as well. These guys are true artists. This one was particularly strict, but then all worth it. Few traces of the mehndi still remain…..
Another flashback: People especially uncles getting sloshed in the evening and then dancing. It wasn’t joyous for anything specific. It was just joyous….I miss the frolic!
De Chuda:
Should be brought from Lajpat Nagar. More importantly, it should be worn…They do appear cheesy when you see women in bikinis wearing them on their honey moon. The worst part is. Why post them on the social networks! That’s where it just doesn’t match. They completely go with the wedding attire. They are considered auspicious (why leave a stone unturned?) and you can always have a shortcut of a 11 day time frame.
Cards:
Build a wedding website. It’s fun. There is:
Firstphera.com
Ewedding.com
Create event reminders on Face book. The e-way is really the best way to reach out to people. And then, there are always emails.
The paper card was quite classy and was ordered from Rajinder Nagar. But running around distributing cards, is no fun!
Venue:
Delhi has so many options, since weddings are quite an industry there.
Eg. Claremont, Farm houses, Lutyens, Tivoli etc.
Bangalore is limited to hotels and kalyan mantaps.
There is so much more that I would have forgotten. I would write more entries about the most important day of my life in months to come.
I miss all the madness now. I really do…
Wish a bride would realize it then, and not when she skims through the albums. WB’s…I urge you all to at least try.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
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