This Lonely Isle

I could not fathom the smile,
Lovely pink, shining white,
I just remember the pleasure,
Stranded on this lonely isle.

Thumb which I sucked slowly,
Hiding face, feeling secure,
I just remember the comfort,
Lying on this rocky isle.

The fights, the arguments,
All leading to truce; embrace,
I just remember shouting at you,
Mumbling on this silent isle.

Mad, immature, childish,
Teaching, Preaching Day n Night,
I just remember you nodding,
Gazing at this unresponsive isle.

Pushing me away, No No No,
Mighty struggle in my arms,
I just remember you losing,
Fighting this unrelenting isle.

Calling at unearthly hours,
Talking for long, without care,
I just remember fighting sleep,
Insomniac, this uncomforting isle.

Forcing me, Adamant you,
Holding it, fingers wrapped,
I just remember the feel of it,
Lying dry, this barren isle.

I think, I never said enough,
How lovely you, how smitten I,
If only we could meet again,
Separated by this isolate isle.

Of Batman and Bollywood

With anxiety about the latest Batman flick running Everest high, Christian Bale is the name on everyone’s lips. This masked and caped vigilante has brought a sense of respect to comic books, missing till now. There have been many a actors who have donned the cowl over the years ranging from the heroic Val Kilmer to the forgettable George Clooney.

This led me to wonder how would the character have panned out had our own Bollywood stars played The Batman. Let see one by one.

1. Salman Khan
	The accented Khan would have suited best as when he speaks in accent he is hardly intelligible, much like Batman whisper. How awesome would it have sound. Catwoman: “Tumne Gotham ke liye bahut kuch kiya. Ab bas karo”. Batman: “Nahin, ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, toh main apne aap k bhi nahin sunta”.

2. Shahrukh Khan
	He is no alien to wearing tight body suits and saving the town. Unlike Batman, his sign would be posing sideways with arms stretched out. Whenever he would do that, Inspector Gordon would run into his arms with music in the background.His melodrama and his enemies would die weeping. Casting Robin for him would be a no brainer!

3. Akshay Kumar
	A flirt Batman. A Kishen Kanhiyya. More like Bruce Wayne, partying with models on his yacht. His endless gags one after the another and his enemies would go insane laughing. Dialogue: “Mein apne desh ka pehla launda hoon jo chimkadad ban ke ud riya hoon.”

4. Ajay Devgn
	The Singham Batman would break the fingers when pointed at. Aata majhi satakli, aali le aali Joker, teri baari aali. The superhero with tilted head would be famous for car chases, blowing and flying cars as he chases his enemies in Bat Car.

5. Saif Ali Khan
	The cool urbane Batman with a sheepish smile. “Ek baar mein samajh gaye ki main Batman hoon ya mein waapas ghoom ke aaoon”. He has his readymade Batgirl in Kareena. He would roam around flirting with umpteen girls while his enemies would get eliminated. “Bade aaraam se”.

6. Aamir Khan
	The perfectionist Batman. He would sleep hanging upside down at the ceiling, lest the character gets diluted. He would surgically get bat wings and paint his face black. Instead of fighting crimes, would fly away and live with bats in their caves. His logic, Bat’s don’t fight crimes, they just hang upside down and terrorize people.

7. Abhishek Bachchan
	This would be the first Batman of its kind. Liberation! Instead of the Cape, he would be donning a gown. Instead of all black, it would be all red and pink. He would charm his enemies and live with him happily ever after.

Anna you betrayed us

Amidst the chant of “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, the atmosphere was all charged up. Patriotism was in vogue again. A huge crowd had gathered at the ground while million more stuck to their TV screens. All were living a force-fed dream. A dream of corruption free India. A dream that we can make a difference. A dream that we do matter.

We saw rebirth of a frail, thin leader. A fighter without arms. Not the demand for food, but the refusal of it shook the very foundations of the legislative of the biggest democracy of the world. We all stood in unison, we did what he said, and we followed wherever led.

As the days passed. One…Two…Three, the pressure started mounting. The health started deteriorating. People were anxious, government was worried. Not for his health but for the backlash, if something happened. More so coz the ideology of party in power was based on fast-unto-death. There seemed no way out.

Some back room negotiations ensued. A tainted ex-CM from financial capital was rushed to Delhi. Anna you agreed. Having been betrayed by Govt., time and again, you still acceded to the letter and promises as if you were just waiting to pounce upon. It’s tough for me to say, but Anna it would have been better if you had withered sitting on the fast. Alas! somewhere down the line, your fast-unto-death became wolf cries.

The corrupt politicians unclothed you in front of public. The cheer-haran was painful. I ask Why? Why did you fool us into disbelief if you were not ready to go the distance? I know it’s tough to give one’s life and I for one cannot. But why did you make false promises?

Your movement is in tatters. Our belief stands shaken. You sided with the limelight hungry, self proclaimed Guru to get the zing back into your campaign, but I am scared now. Scared to be betrayed again. Scared that I will be left again in the midst to fend myself off.

It would be tough for me to believe in another Anna. So long Hazare!

No Country for Emotional Men

“Real Men do cry”. This has almost become a modern cliché. Of the past, men were considered to be this hunk, who were strong physically and emotionally. They seldom broke down, could take right decisions even in traversity and could carry the family on their shoulders. Of late this perception has changed. Emotional sides of men have come to the fore. They do cry, they do break, they do are humans.

How does our society behave with these mortal beings? How does the emotional men treated? Well not quite well to be frank.

What I have observed is, however we may evolve, however we say its fine for men to be emotional, the truth is ‘emotions’ and ‘show of it’ is considered by and large a weakness. On your face nobody would say anything, but you would be mocked behind your backs and the worst part is, at the next opportune moment, you would be ripped off and your emotions en-cashed.

Not only people who don’t matter to you, but also the people who matter to you a lot, your friends and family, will chance upon. Might not be music to your ears but it’s true.

How many times have we seen parents trying ‘emotional blackmail’ just because they know their ward is an emotional fool? How many times did your girl fake cried just because she knows you will break? How many time a colleague told an emotional story just to get some money out of you? It’s all a big hoax.

The thing is, there is no place for emotions in this cruel-cruel world. None outside, None inside. Especially, if you are men. My tip would be to keep to yourself, not let anyone in your emotional side. Not unless you want to be short changed.

People will try to make a fool out of you, just because they can. No other reason.

Years in Wilderness

Have been around a month since I jotted something down. And no I was not on a break. Last couple of months I have experienced something new and refreshing.

All my life I was lectured upon for lack of it. “You have the potential but lack that thing”. To be frank, I always laughed it away. Either I didn’t understand what was said, or was in denial. What I am talking about is the virtue of hard work.

I would be the first person to admit that I have never ever put myself through the grind. Everything that I had done to-date has been a natural flow.

Last couple of months I have come face to face with hard work. And I can’t explain in words, the feeling. It’s celestial. Earlier I used to wake up and go to office, lacking any excitement. It was just a routine. Now I am eager to go to office as I am eager to take on the work. I find pleasure working.

I was trying to figure out the reason for it. To a certain extent it’s again something I avoided to date. It’s called in depth knowledge. I prided myself to be jack of all trades, a versatile sort of. You know it’s nice to be jack of all, but in today’s day and time you got to be master of something. You have to go through the grind to become one and it’s not always pleasant.

I read it a long back what I have understood only now, “Most of the tensions in present day life come if you are not good at what you do”. Give your 100% to what you are doing, or don’t do it at all. Be the master at your work, your whole life will be a smooth ride.

I have promised myself to make up for the lost years. Got to rush. Have some work. Ciao!

पता चल न पाता कभी

दिल का धड़कना होता है क्या,
सांसें आखिर कैसे चढ़ जाती है,
नींद रातों की कैसे जाती है गुम,
तू न मिलती, पता चल न पाता कभी|

लटों की उलझन में फसना है क्या,
डूबकर आँखों में तैरते कैसे हैं,
मार खाने में आता है कैसा मज़ा,
तू न मिलती, पता चल न पाता कभी|

रात दिन, एक कैसे जाते हैं हो,
भूख लगती है, खा क्यों न पाते हैं हम,
एक चेहरे में पहर कैसे कट जाते हैं,
तू न मिलती, पता चल न पाता कभी|

रिश्ते नाते सब गैर लगते हैं क्यों,
क्यों बेगाना ज़माना ये हो जाता है,
प्यार भी सबका लानत क्यों लगने लगा,
तू न मिलती, पता चल न पाता कभी|

सर्द रातों की गर्मी में तपना है क्या,
चंद बातों में दुनिया का बसना है क्या,
चाँद तारे तोड़कर कैसे लाते हैं सब,
तू न मिलती, पता चल न पाता कभी|

इजहार-ऐ मोहब्बत होती है क्या.
कैसे दर्द-ऐ-जुदाई तड़पा जाती है,
प्यार का रंग खूनी लगता है क्यों,
तू न मिलती, पता चल न पाता कभी||

miao

An Open Letter to Akhilesh Yadav

Dear Sir,

Let me congratulate you and your party for winning the UP elections fair and square. Fair as in you made no promises of reservation, you replaced tainted nominees, you promised growth. Square is for all to see in the number of seats you garnered.

You have been a fresh face in UP politics in some time and people have taken a liking to you. With no disrespect to your father, this referendum is yours and yours alone. Whether you decide to be Chief Minister or not, is a trivial matter. There are some serious issues at hand which requires your consideration than the anointment.

Development of UP has been stagnant for as long as I remember. We were promised flyover at by-pass Agra. It has been decade since and traffic looks like war-front these days. I would request you to look into the development of roads on priority. Better transportation converts into good business and growth.

Next would be to create jobs in the Tier-2/3. Apart from Noida, I can’t name any other city where jobs have been created at such pace. Create atmosphere conducive to IT and other industries. Lure them in like Gujarat and Bihar.

This might prick a bit Sir, The Gundaraj. Your party has been infamous for propagating the same. Your party had been accused of converting universities into breeding ground for strong men. I hope you would do different this time. Make mafia shiver in your rein. Please allow competition and bring an end to one-upmanship of notorious characters like Ponty Chadda.

Bring pride back to UP. No one should be able to address our state as breeder of migrant labor, hub of corruption and den of poverty. People should be forced to respect UP with the level of development you bring in.

I know it’s a long and hard journey. But we are with you Sir. Your detractors would want you to fall, aam-junta too fear of being disappointed once again. Prove us all wrong and make Uttar Pradesh, an Uttam Pradesh.

Arpit