Serendipity- Part 1

How frequently does it happen that you wake up at 11 for a 10:30 am bus and still manage to catch it, hardly in these overcrowded chaises brimming with detestful creatures, you ever find a space to fit your ass in. But when you lucky enough to manage both on the same day, you know it’s a manifestation of escape from tedium, you know its one of those days when everything around you presages something remarkable.

 It was in this commotion that a fragrantly smelling cuddle some ”F”( 20 or 22 perhaps), with enigmatic blue eyes, killer curves, and a smile cute enough to make snowhite  jealous, entered through the front door and all of a sudden the entire chaos was pacified, the multitude was lost in her smooth untangled hair and She was the object of desire for every single “M” in the compartment. “Kyra“-the key chain on the lustrous shopping bag read.

Coming back to the senses, after being lost to that smell that was made ubiquitous by her entry, i returned back to the third quarter of book in my hand, which i was resolute to complete. A few minutes passed, Irwing Wallace was compelling enough to make me immerse back in his work of fiction. Aroma still filled the surroundings, but the thoughts of the charming lady were gone, mesmerised first by the book, then by that work of art and then again by the piece of literature in my hand, i was happy with the beginning of the day. I plugged in my ipod, disentangled the wire and tuned to the playlist that read favorites.

“Do you mind if I sit here”.

“Excuse me…. I am talking to you. Can’t you reply me back….”

Shocked, flabbergasted and fascinated at the same time i looked up from 10th last page of “The Almighty” and realized that the faint voice mixing with the Adele was of the pretty lady smelling  lily.

Mesmerized, i looked in her eyes, sparkling emerald they were.

“Are you going to Shimla ?” asked the amorous damsel.

“Yes…yeah. You too ?” I replied excitedly.

“I coudn’t get the train ticket due to my brother’s lazziness. i tell you he is such a pathetic person, i can’t rely on anything done in time by him. I was to leave with our “famous five” girl gang yesterday and now i am not just a whole day late but stuck in this moron filled bus.” the loquacious voice uttered.

“Do you mind if i sit here” ?

It was simply a matter of sheer luck that the seat adjacent to me was the only one unoccupied.I knew from the beginning that today wasn’t like the every other day. It wasn’t the beginning of always but of something new and better which was going to be cherished for long.

Partly enchanted and partly overjoyed i told the verbose “F 20-22″ that it would be a pleasure to have her as a company for the journey. Have i mentioned she smelled “Lilies”.

To be Continued ……

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# Don’t Judge, till you read the other part as well.

#End Sem- 3 more days to go. “Studies”…. Are you serious ??

#Don’t search for “Kyla” in my Fb list unless are an Indiblogger .

#I am not buying a gift for you maa this mother’s day. It will be delivered home. My 3rd from Indiblogger.

#Song of the day- Getting you home. Chris Young.

#Tchao !!!!

Biking: The Eternal Bliss

An ode to passion, An ode to joy, An ode to swim, An ode to fly.

A reason to live, a reason to cry, a reason to travel, a reason to touch the sky.

It is a Beethoven symphony for some, soulful music for others, for some it is a dream to chase,and a dance of ecstasy for others.

The spring is here again, and with spring, back is the spirit to set yourself free, to conquer the wide open highways, to ride your obsession, to feel the machine underneath you.

A passion for biking is really something hard to describe, it is something that is such a part of your life, it’s something that you need much like air or water. They are those magical moments when it’s just you and your machine and you feel the motion and power of that dash, untamed spirit to fly, when subconscious takes over all your senses, and you escape from the everyday’s mundane existence. It’s a joy inexplicable in words, an unbearable thrill of being your own self, a sensation which only two bikers can understand.

Catching up with newer roads, broader streets, being a desperado and just riding and riding for no other reason other than the bliss of being with your beloved bike .  Call it the love for your mean machine; call it the roar of your untamed dragon or name it the hustle of the gears and chains, but make the romance with your bike come true this spring.

Those who have felt this knows that you always share a bond  with the machine. When you get too close to it, you understand that it is not just a bike but rather a living being of its own, with its own feelings and emotions. That is the reason why “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance” is probably written. 

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# This is written for The Castrol Power1 Blogging Contest. www.facebook.com/CastrolBiking

#When you are not getting the T&P t-shirt, Indiblogger gives a tee to you.

     Thank You

#Currently Reading: Oliver Twist

#Fest starting from tomorrow. No plans this time. 

#Song of the day: Manmani

#Tchao !!!!

Movie Review : The Pianist

A rabid tale of pianist Szpilman’s rueful escape from rampant nazi persecution;a dissertation of his struggle to survive,to conciliate with his loss of  everything. Pianist is not a mainstream heroic battle and survival movie but an obstinate callow fight to be alive. A constant search beseeching just for food and water;maintaing his equanimity in the midst of lonliness, hunger and being awake just for the solictude of watching himself becoming a vile, minuscule existence in front of his own eyes.

Cinematography of the movie induces a ghastly effect with just a withered person alive standing besides a myriad of fallible buildings passing through ordeal of not being able to save his beloved ones. The movie goes back down the memory lane of Szpilman several times, mortified by his existence he passes through self realization ending up with an imaginary piano and his hands flowing accross it producing a mellifluos music. The movie traces his transformation from a passionate music lover to a stoic who stops feeling the pain of reason and of those several atrocities he continously passes through.

Towards the end,he escapes to his life by the reverance of a Nazi offcier who hears the music of his soul which he continues to play until his death two years later.

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# It was a fine day.

# 140 pages more to go. “The Almighty”

#Labtest Tomorrow. Have to study.

#I am 21. And its a not a coincidence that it’s half of 42

#Song of the day : Ye mera diwanapan hai .

# Tchao !!!!

The Moon and Sixpence

” The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We must see the beauty of quietness. We must go through life so inconspicuously that Fate does not notice us. And let us seek the love of simple, ignorant people. Their ignorance is better than all our knowledge. Let us be silent, content in our little corner, meek and gentle like them. That is the wisdom of life.”

 Finishing this masterpiece by Maugham was never a cinch. Montage of human emotions, dialectic of the plot and the jargon floundered its completion. Title of the book inspired from the quote “Like so many young men he was so busy yearning for the moon that he never saw the sixpence at his feet “ clearly portrays the Strickland’s dilemma of choosing among the emotionally attachment to his better half(sixpence) or to leave her and pursue a life of pure aesthetic elegance       ( The moon).

Told episodically, with a saga of  events revolving around Strickland, Maugham presents an insight in the heart and soul of  the main character (Strickland) and his transformation towards a callous existence. The inspiration of the story was Paul Gauguin, the originator of the primitive art. The novel presents an eccentric point of view that reflects those moments of  non- prejudicial thinking where a genius transients his short term goals for an epoch. Loosing the ability to be sentient and eschewing of panache are described as the presage for such an elevation of mind. Maugham makes an exquisite illusory comparison of shedding of the leaves for a distant spring , in this regard.  

The book follows Strickland and his work from France to Tahiti, where the story ends. Strickland’s unwillingness to compromise for his pursuit of art is implausible.Living in penury, denigrated by the society with a proof of his existence nearly effaced, he starts abashing anyone and everyone who tries to come close to him, which includes his purveyors and even those whom he beseech. 

Like every other classic, it too presents the entry of a mellifluous young charming lady who leaving her equanimity becomes his minion and her own personality becomes a vile minuscule existence. 

The book ends with the note  “Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem ”. 

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# It was my 2nd classic.

# Incase you have read it, F. Scott Fitzgerald is the next author in the series.

# In a period of last 2 months, i have read a lot. A lot of Book reviews are on their way.

#If nobody spoke unless he had something to say, the human race would very soon lose the use of speech. - The Painted Veil

# And I have nothing to say  :P

#Song of the day – You are Beautiful – James Blunt

#Tchao !!!!

Book Review: Lolita

Reading Mitostargazer( Phaedrus Within) publishing a saga of book reviews one after another, has finally made me penitent for not reading enough. Left with a feeling of dejection, which lately arosed from not updating my blog as frequently as others, I decided not to abstain,waiting for that natural blog post to happen, rather have chosen to pen down book reviews. The forecoming posts are not going to be flamboyant ; filled with satire or comical expressions but placid once, with a confined scope purposely restricted to the theme without any gibberish.

 

Lolita, the modern classic, is infamous enough to avert any stereotype and was definitely a wrong choice for me at this early stage of my “journey to classics”. The content is pathetic, obscene enough to be digested by anyone. Though, as I read a few more of these lately, it doesn’t took much time to conclude that “No modern fiction is complete without these explicit scenes described in lengths greater than actually required”.

Anyhow,the scintilating flow of the language by Nabokov is awe-striking. Such a good conrol over English, despite Russian being his vernacular definitely demands respect.Strength of the eloquence and the lively use of imagery at times become subtle enough to comprehend.  The plot is a chase of the main character “Lolita” and his step father all across the east just for the sake of their survival. Going any further in the plot won’t just ruin the reading experience but would also make this blog blocked,at least in our college  :P

Analyzing it holistically, the only statement that strikes me is that it is a “funny serious thriller” to be read once, criticized twice and never in one’s lifetime recommended to anyone. Commendation for the elusive piece of literature is also enough to compete with the renounciation it has faced lately. Incase, you want to read “The Satanic Verses” after the controversy that recently came into light, and are unable to lay your hands on it, then it’s a perfect substitute.

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# I hate writing book reviews. Its tedious and monotonic.

#Are you thinking that my vocabulary has shown significant improvement since last 6 months?

#No, I was referring to my MBA wordlist the entire time

#Incase you are flattered by this boring post, leave a comment about what should I focus more on, while writing book reviews or any specific book you would recommend me to read.

# Deathnote and Modern Family – Season 2 running in parallel.

#Will I be able to sing “XL ki kudiyan very vey smart”, in its campus ?

#Only time will tell……… It’s a novel by Jeffrey Archer  :P

#Tchao !!!

100 Tips About Life, People, and Happiness

1. True wisdom and insight is always free.

2. Give your power over to no one.

3. Going into the unknown is how you expand what is known.

4. Get a library card.

5. Spend more time around people that both challenge and respect you.

6. Remain skeptical forever.

7. Fight for what matters.

8. There is a method that works. Find it.

9. Join a movement.

10. Drink your coffee black.

11. Never let anyone photoshop a picture of you. It creates a false sense of self-confidence.

12. Read more. Especially things you disagree with.

13. Get used to feeling stupid. It’s a sign of growth.

14. It’s easy for people to talk a good game, so watch how they behave instead.

15. Learn something from everyone.

16. Find things that inspire you and pursue them, even if there’s no money in it.

17. Starve if you have to, for as long as you need to.

18. Survive on a little just to prove you can do it.

19. Get one big success at an early age. It’ll help build your confidence for bigger things.

20. Do what you say you’ll do. No one is reliable anymore.

21. Be comfortable with abandonment, even of parts of your identity.

22. Learn a new language.

23. Eat more protein.

24. Keep people around you that will tell you the truth.

25. Genius gets you nowhere. Execution is everything.

26. If given the choice of equity or cash, always take cash.

27. Meet new people as often as possible. Offer to help them.

28. Don’t discriminate. Connect anyone in your network to anyone else.

29. If you can’t do a pull-up, you have a problem.

30. Nobody likes a know-it-all.

31. Get a passport. Fill it up with stamps no one has ever seen.

32. Quit your horrible job.

33. Read biographies. It’s like having access to the best mentors in history.

34. Go to bed, and wake up, early. No one will bother you, letting your best work emerge.

35. Scare yourself a little bit every day. It will expand your inner map.

36. Learn to climb trees.

37. Don’t buy a lot of stuff, and only buy the stuff you really love.

38. Be humble and curious.

39. Twitter followers don’t keep you warm at night.

40. Be as useful as you can in as many circumstances as possible.

41. Show up.

42. Repeat people’s names when you meet them.

43. Turn internet access off your phone. Wifi is fine.

44. Get a deck of Oblique Strategies cards. Use them.

45. Make your home a place where you feel safe.

46. Take people up on bets. Make more bets yourself.

47. Take cold showers. They’re better than coffee.

48. Learn to enjoy hunger.

49. Make everything either shorter, or longer, than it needs to be.

50. Always remember those who helped you. Deliver two or three times as much value back.

51. But also, help people who have never helped you, and can’t.

52. When you know that pain is temporary, it affects all of your decisions.

53. Get a tattoo. Don’t worry about regret.

54. Commit to things, regularly, that are far beyond your ability.

55. Meet with friends more often than you think you have to.

56. Learn to meditate. Go on a retreat if you have to.

57. Your stories are both more and less interesting than you think.

58. Learn to really listen.

59. Walk more.

60. Ugly is just a step on the way to beautiful.

61. Get to know your neighbours.

62. Don’t take anything personally, ever.

63. Consider avoiding school. Go to lots of conferences instead.

64. As soon as you can, buy some art.

65. Apologize more than you need to.

66. Find out if there will be food there.

67. A good haircut changes everything.

68. Read Man’s Search For Meaning.

69. Say no to projects you don’t care about.

70. Do things that are uncool. Later on, they usually end up becoming cool anyway.

71. Find your voice.

72. Have some manners.

73. Learn to play chess, go, and bridge. They’ll keep you from going senile.

74. Learn about the Tetrapharmakos.

75. Find ways to cheat the system– just don’t cheat people.

76. Be like Jesus, not like his followers. (This applies to all of them.)

77. At least once, date someone that’s out of your league.

78. Examine your jealousy. You’ll learn a lot about yourself.

79. Good connections are about people, not social networks.

80. Address small problems. They will become big problems.

81. Dress like a cooler version of yourself.

82. Yes, there is such a thing as bad press.

83. Add “adventurer” to your Twitter bio. Then, become one.

84. If the internet is the best thing in your life, you have a serious problem.

85. Give away your best work for free.

86. Find mentors. Just don’t call them that.

87. Actually write on your blog. Nobody cares if it’s hard.

88. Download Freedom. Use it for an hour every day.

89. Join a gym. Lift the heaviest you can. (This applies to girls too.)

90. Do some freewriting. It helps you think things through.

91. When you’re having supper with rich people, pick up the cheque.

92. Learn how to speak in public.

93. If you see someone who needs help, stop asking yourself if they need help. Instead, just help.

94. Bring a bottle of wine.

95. The best conversations are had side by side, not one in front of the other.

96. Protect your hearing. Trust me.

97. Do what’s most important first thing in the morning, before you check email.

98. Everyone feels like they’re not good enough. It’s not just you.

99. Courage is a learned skill.

100. Go to Iceland. It’s worth it.

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#101. Read this once every month.

#note-to-myself -Point 87- 6 months have passed since you last wrote something.

# Yes, this one is copied,from here. (Box that is on top left corner, yes, put your mail id over there).

# Different font styles, sizes and random hyperlinks. It’s subtle than the post itself.

# Life’s way too busy again.

# Song of the day – Give me love . Ed sheeran

# Tchao !!!

The Letter to Mother

This one’s a guest post. Quite late for the occasion though, yet i hope the author  ( Raj vardhan Nigam ) won’t mind it.

Happy Independence day to everyone !!!

Dear mother,

Here’s wishing you a very happy 65^th year of independence. I know it’s been long since you’ve heard from me and no amount of explanation can justify this deplorable behavior. Nevertheless I take this opportunity to apologize for the conduct over the past years.

Every year on 15th August, your anniversary evokes nostalgia about the times gone by — innocent memories of childhood when tuning into Doordarshan to see the swaying tri-color on the ramparts of the Red Fort was a must, buying one-sided paper flags at the bus stop was a morning delight and singing the national anthem in school – a moment of great pride.

A lot has gone by from the time when I did not comprehend the meaning of freedom and yet could see a lamp lit with nationalism, to a time when I’m surrounded with manipulated definitions of freedom which has stifled the lamp and smudged the contours of democracy to elucidate the selfish motives of people.

Power  is the new freedom, corruption is the new monotony, assurance is the new food, reservation is the new vote appeal, manifesto is the new betrayal, misinformed is the new patriotic, terrorism is the new communication-protocol, miss call for lokpal is the new devotion and a Facebook event is the new revolution.

Before independence we witnessed the Jail Bharo Andolan when people abandoned everything fighting to free you from the British rule and today after 65 years of independence social activist Anna Hazare ventures into bringing back the same movement to bring down corruption and tackle cases like the 2G scam, CWG, Adarsh, Taj Corridor, etc. through the Jan lokpal bill.

With the grace you bestowed upon us, we did take remarkable strides and achieved several milestones that changed the way world perceived us. To borrow from the title of a book by noted author Gurcharan Das, following radical reforms undertaken in the early 1990s, the economic growth rate, successful nuclear tests like Pokhran II, satellite launches, cricket world cup triumph, beauty pageants….you became “unbound.” But behind Mukesh Ambani’s landmark home Antilla hide the slums and refugee camps spread across the nation; behind Rahul Gandhi’s multimillion dollar donation for a Harvard degree hide schools with broken walls and open roofs; behind CEOs like Indra Nooyi hides inequality and discrimination towards women and behind the smiling face of politicians hides the ugly truth of scams and corruption.

I know this has disheartened you. Something is really gnawing at the heart of democracy and even though there might not be a panacea for all ill, but a ray of hope kindles as several steps are being taken in the right direction. I know there’s little point in complaining about evils like corruption when I myself am aware how and when I’ve got my driver’s license or how I’ve brought down a Rs.1500 fine to Rs.200(or less) on several occasions.

As an anniversary gift, I pledge to be a better citizen’.

Happy Independence Day!!    

Yours Lovingly

An Indian      

Untitled

This one goes for all the first years who wanted to know what college is all about and are constantly bugging entire H-3 to answer for them and for all others who have enjoyed it all.

A few general questions-:

1. Why are they ragging us ?

 Ans:  It’s not ragging, trust me on this. It simply isn’t.

2.How much do we need to study?

Ans: You don’t need, at least not now.

3.We are getting bored.

Ans: Go explore, Its College, you can’t be bored.

4.How many nearby places can we go for fun?

Ans:At least visit all floors of Shipra first.

5.Should we join any of these clubs in college?

Ans:That ain’t a valid question. It is the one thing you are going to regret rest of your 4 years, if you don’t.

6.Is laptop necessary?

Ans: Would you spend 120 bucks in JAM every Friday, 3 times a day. There is a better answer to this question beyond the                             scope of this public blog.

7. Who does a senior refers to when he talks about ‘minor’ ?

Ans:You are not 18 yet, they call you minor

• Don’t judge people in college. I was wrong almost every time.
• You can love a lot many people in lot many ways.
• You can know everything and still score lowest in batch, vice-versa holds as well.
• You were best in high school. So what? Its college.
• Many people will change, many won’t. At some point of time, you’ll hate both.
• Be around those who are better than you, there will be plenty and they will be the ones who’ll make you what you will be.
• Never say you “Think”. What all will be going through your mind in the coming years, is what “Thinking” is.
•  Way2sms.com. After google and facebook its going to be your third bookmark.
• First D in the grade sheet would make you cry. Just the first one
• You will remember your first “mass bunk”. Many would follow, and then the definition of the term will change.
• Be nice, but not much. You’ll pay heavily.
• There would be a girl very close to you and won’t be your girlfriend.
• Never leave your Facebook account open. A series of comments on your changed relationship status will follow.
• Your freshers – Learning to play the guitar would seem cool.
• You’ll get up early in morning for a week (a month in rare cases).
• Travel as much as you can. Click photographs as much as you can. Even after 20 Gb collection, you won’t be satisfied.
• Clubs are fun.They seriously are, especially if you are a part of CICR.
• No matter what, you will always hate your mess.
• I saw India winning the World Cup in Audi. It was awesome !!!
• Hot Girls exist. If you can’t find them, what the hell are you doing after dinner.
• Home will be a great place to visit.
• Milk in the mess which is supposed to be till 9 am would vanish by 8:50.
• Physics is going to be the real maths, maths is to be learned and in Economics, final answer is all what will matter.
• That it would still be possible to be alone, when surrounded by friends.
• Most of the education would happen outside the classes.
• You will buy more fiction than your course books in first year, you won’t buy course books in second, you would buy none in third, google and seniors have everything.
• Drugs available will be of more variety than you knew. There exists a list beyond weed, bong and LSD.
• You can trust anyone. Just don’t make it more than you have on your own self.
• The best of the trips would be unplanned and will make you meet the most awesome people you never knew existed.
• Many things will end suddenly, much like this post.

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        Tchao !!!