On a rainy day...

Rains - to most of us - are harbingers of joy. When the heavens open to let through a downpour of relief, they inevitably herald visions of lush, sparkling greenery, rich white, flowing water, and monsoon trips.

Living in a city however, means muddy roads, potholes, dirty sidewalks, and of course increased density of traffic. This short piece was a result of being caught in traffic during heavy rains.

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Pouring down in sheets,
splattering against the road.
Caring not for the earth beneath,
the heavens opened and roared.

Confined in the three-wheeler,
a haze covered the sight.
Like a phoenix rising from ashes,
imagination took a flight.

To the lush green farmlands,
savoring the touch of life.

Dancing in the sweet nectar,
filled with heavenly delight.

To the high and mighty mountains,
dressed in lush green coat.
The canopy of wispy clouds
caressing as they float.

To the tall steep falls,
nestled in mountain's womb.
Water daring the heights,
yet not meeting its doom.

To the angry roaring river,
shackles broken, set free.
Sweeping away one and all,
who dared not to flee.

To the rambunctious childhood,
danced away in first rains.
Feet splashing in the puddles,
not bothered by the stains.

Blaring horns and pungent smells,
clear the mist that led astray.
Leaving behind a smile on lips,
on a dank and muddy rainy day.

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My views on the movie - Fast 5

I saw Fast 5 AKA Fast & Furious 5 last night. Yes, I went to the paid preview of the movie and it was totally worth it J I simply loved the movie! ;)

Fine, the movie has gaps; Fine, it's predictable; Fine, I couldn't place it between the first or the fourth movie of the series and couldn't even place it after the fourth. I spoke to a couple of people and the movie fits best in the sequence: 1 - 2 - 4 - 5 - 3 (I wonder how that happened but this is how it is)

But the movie was fun, exciting. It kept me on my toes and even after being awake for over 24 hours, I didn't feel sleepy while watching the movie. That's got to mean something right.

It's a must must must must watch.

P.S: A smile doesn't suit Vin Diesel. He looks like a dufus when he smiles

Also, if you are going to watch the movie, do watch the end credits because it is followed by a Post-credit scene ;) (which is very very interesting) I am already waiting for the next sequel.

Enjoy the movie guys!!!!

Gone is the real Tiger of Ranthambhore

A world-renowned man with an equally famous moustache and the hunter’s hat, who “was” known more as the Tiger Man of India, passed away on March 1st after a battle with cancer. The first thing that comes to the mind of a person who knew Fateh Singh Rathod is, the person who brought a revolutionary change in the history of Tigers is no more amongst us. But it takes more than just knowing him to actually feel the loss of the Tiger Man. You need to meet him at least once to feel the exuberance, zeal, energy, and compassion he had towards life. Owing to which, I guess, he was so sensitive towards the plight of Tigers in India and beyond that, the ecosystem as a whole.

I had one such chance to experience Fath-ji’s (as people at his Maa farm lovingly addressed him) compassion and knowledge about the biodiversity and ecosystem in the April of 2008. As a part of a Wildlife Conservation Camp organized jointly by Sprouts and Tiger Watch, I travelled to Ranthambhore, all the way dreaming about interacting with Fath-ji, whom I guess, we all watched on Discovery or Nat Geo at least once in our lives. The moment I reached Maa Farm; Fath-ji’s home and Tiger Watch’s office, I was greeted by peacocks, which roam and flit around the farm and the house without any fear. If you took a close look around, you could spot a monitor lizard, paradise flycatchers, and sometimes, even a jackal. This tells us, how comfortable and safe the wild felt being around him.

I had to wait for 2 days to finally meet him one evening, just when he was about to take a few people for a safari in the park. The twinkle in his eyes even at his age and with his medical background was remarkable. He was a person who would invite anyone who came to his farm, for dinner and stay at his place. Such was his nature, down-to-earth even after being so famous and sought-after by the likes of the Queen of Britain. He greeted me but said nothing much, which disappointed me a bit, but before driving away, he turned around and promised meeting again to have a chat. Yippie, I felt so lucky!

The camp came to an end and on the last day, Fath-ji invited all of us to his home. It was while looking around his place that I realized, he had a thing for hunter hats. His collection included hats in all sizes and material, be it fake leather, wood, clay, or wrought iron miniatures. Although he was known as a hunter to many, he never hunted! In fact, he was the first to identify the man-tiger conflict and provide solutions to avoid it. It was he who recognized what apart from hunting was a cause for the dwindling number of Tigers in India. And not just did he provide solutions, he implemented those against all the odds, which came in the form of politicians, babus, local Moga tribals, and even the international racket for tiger skin and parts smuggling. So much so was the opposition, that to save him from being killed, as many say, Fath-ji was released from the duty as the Director of the park. But he led the battle despite all the hurdles with help from like-minded people, such as Madhu Bhatnagar, a Delhi school teacher; Dr, Dharmendra Khandal, a botanist and Conservationist, and Jay Majumdar, a writer, documentary film-maker, and journalist from Kolkata.

After a group talk and pleasantries, all of my other camp-mates left for home at night itself, leaving me alone at the camp. I was sitting at Tiger Watch’s office flipping through the numerous albums and newspaper clippings when Dr. Dharmendra Khandal, the heart and soul of Tiger Watch, asked me whether I would like to stay at the farm with the volunteers who worked for Tiger Conservation. I grabbed this opportunity and was least bothered about how the remaining hours would pass when Dr. Khandal suggested a night-safari, of course not inside the park, on permission from Fath-ji. It was he who suggested that if the girl dared to stay back just to interact with me and get a firsthand experience about the wildlife, take her for a night safari, when the wild actually awaken and do their things without any interruption from humans. It was a once in a lifetime experience as Fath-ji promised, with the howls of jackals, hyenas, and distant calls of a river-owl.

Fath-ji always had a broader perspective about conservation, which included relocating hamlets from inside the park to other locations; provide the villagers with a source of income and their children with state-of-art educational facilities. He believed that only then would the man-tiger conflict reduce, which in turn would help reduce the number of tigers being poisoned or killed. Before I left for Mumbai, Fath-ji asked me very casually, “Humare school me bachhon ko computer sikhane koi nahi hai. Tum sikhaogi?” (We don’t have anybody to teach computers at our school. Will you teach?). And he gave off a booming laughter when he saw the look on my face. Such was the man, so casual, who threw opportunities to work with him when least expected. He said, “Tum khoob padho, apni life banao aur jab bhi chaho, jaise bhi chaho, yaha aana apna yogdaan karne” (Study well, make your life better and do come here to contribute your share whenever you feel like). Just before leaving, he asked me, “Since you are a maharashtrian, what is your native place?” His expressions when I told him I was from Konkan left me puzzled. As if an answer to the puzzle, he said, “Send me Devgad hapoos this season!”, which I did send. From then, he named me Aam-wali, asking me for mangoes every season. And I was more than glad to send him those! For the Tiger Man of India, that was one thing he loved most after the Tigers and wildlife. It is very sad to know that the man who inspired the likes of poachers, tribals, kids, school teachers, journalists, and so on, to spread awareness about nature and its importance for the survival of mankind, is no more. Adios to Fateh Singh Rathod, the Tiger Man of India.

-Shrutika Kalgutkar

Stubby: The only Dog I am not scared of.

I hate dogs. No, they have never done anything to me, I am just too scared of them. They bark, growl, pounce, fight, poop and they are just everywhere no matter where you go. But lately I have changed, someone, something changed my attitude towards them, or rather to be more specific, I changed my mind only towards him. He's my friends 4 year old Black Labrador. The first time I met him, he just kept barking. I was petrified and locked myself in my friend’s car for half an hour (as if he was going to open the door and jump on me). When I met him the second time he was just wagging his tail with a toy in his mouth (the usual) and entertaining all the guests at the party. I was glued to my chair and didn’t move an inch. The third time I met him, I got used to him, a bit. Since then there was no turning back. Every time I go there I discover something new, a new habit of his, a new trick. I miss him when he doesn’t welcome me, I talk about him to my friends, I think about the way he lights up my day whenever he’s around me, dancing and playing with me. You take his name and there he is, wagging his tail at its best. How he eagerly awaits and doesn’t go to sleep till everyone is home. He can even put Shakira to shame with his vigorous hip-shakes. His energy is contagious and makes me forget all my worries. But why? Why do I love him so much, or why everyone loves him so much? He's just a dog after all. I think I know the reason. He's the most selfless being I have ever seen or met. He doesn’t see you for what you are but will shower you with his love nonetheless. You give him love and all you get is love that is pure and unconditional. The world is filled with people who are always ready to pull you down, tell you how incapable or bad you are and make you feel worthless. But he has that knack of making anyone feel extraordinary. He welcomes me with the same energy when I put on some weight or when I am dressed at my worst, or when my cheeks get chubbier. In time, we forget who we really are; the child within us is lost. Maybe, because of the mundane lives we live every day, but he knows the exact way to bring out that child in each one of us. I like to be that child again with him, and for once just be MYSELF.

BETRAYAL

'Pon the cliff he stood so proud,

bethinking glories in the days gone past.

Victories won with blades flashing hard,

smiting all who dared to waylay his path.

Riding with the valorous, more brothers than comrades,

honoring the mortals immortalised by their deeds.

Fair he was, to foes, broken and defeated,

winning over hearts with kindness unseen.

His foes vanquished and kingdoms conquered,

he dreamt of ballads sung to honor their deeds.

Thus stood he, lost in glories achieved,

looking over his lands stretched beyond mortal sight.

The hand laid on his shoulder, to a brother belonged.

Alas! T'was too late, to know the purpose of the hand.

One hand fastening on his shoulder,

the other driving in the blade.

Grief overwhelmed him, driving away the pain,

As the blade pierced his heart ringing his death knell,

his eyes seeking answer, met with the betrayer's.

Regret he saw first, overcome by jealousy.

'O my brother!' said the King, 'may you be blessed and live a life long!

Remember though that jealousy is unworthy of a king to be.

I beseech to thee to leave it be, for a mighty heart befits a king.'

And then he fell down the cliff, plummeting down helplessly,

till he was but a speck of sand, lost in the dunes of eternity.

HEIGHTS OF FRENZY!!

It has been really long since I have posted anything here let alone access our own blog (embarrassed smiley!) I found this to be the apt moment to write one when one cricket match has captured the imagination of people around the world and not just the participanting nations in the match!

The bitter sweet Cricketing rivalry of India and Pakistan in can cause an instant rise in the population of butterflies in our tummies :) And that is even before the match actually being played out! The anticipation causes such furore that today in the morning, it took me extra effort to handle all the hyper-energetic pushing and pulling in the local train :D People have been so vocal about their views for the last few days (compare that to the nervousness which led to excessive talking during the appraisal :D).

On the point of being vocal about views, we have come across amazing chatter from all forms of social media communication leading up to this match. Most of the chatter has been in good humor (read: downright abusive! :D). I am recounting some of the most entertaining (and clean) parts here:

• MTVIndia on FB: 1lakh for a 10k ticket, 17lakhs for a 10 second TV commercial, 22k for a one- way flight to Chandigarh, productivity down to 75% in the fastest developing nation in the world, that too on the final day of the financial year!!


• Afridi: We won't let Sachin make a century in this match! We will be 93 all out!!


• Teams qualified from Group A: Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka. Teams qualified from Group B: India. Moral of the story: Lions walk alone!


• 1:7 bet between Dr. Manmohan Singh and Asif Ali Zardari - If India wins, Pakistan hands over Dawood Ibrahim. If Pakistan wins, India hands over Mayawati, Raja, Jayalalita, Kalmadi, Mamta, Mulayam and Lalu!!


• FB status from Pakistan: Beware of the green TSUNAMI!! - Comment: Tsunamis are BLUE you idiot!!

ENJOY THE MATCH EVERYONE!! :)

Graffiti called ‘Memory’

Pop a little bubble, spread a cute smile
The stupid mind draws a graffiti called memory
Whether good or bad
Don’t dare wipe it off, just let it flow around
As you see a buttlerfly, merge the colours of isle
See the dolphin dance, vanish your worries in a glance
Hug the warm breeze and smell the sweet flower
Let the nature spring in galore
As the vibgyor shines over you
Remember this wherever you are
Look above and stare at the twinkling star
Oh my dearie
That’s what you are!

Under the weather

I was diagnosed with "early Bronchitis" a while back. I had always hated taking pills and tablets and was hoping that the doctor had prescribed small tablets. But no, I had to take a 650 mg antibiotic twice a day! Worse, no sympathy from anyone at home! I showed the tablet to my mom and said, "What in history makes you think that I would be able to swallow this?" She gave me a look that only moms can give. My cousin looked at the elongated pentagon-shaped tablet and remarked, "Oh, this is not that big!" “But look how thick it is?” He then broke the tablet into two and said, "There! You can't swallow one big tablet, but you sure can swallow two small ones!" Yeah, right!

When you are on antibiotics, you experience the weakness-coupled-with-sleeplessness state. You can't sleep, you can't lie in bed all day, and you can't do anything else either - except for watching the idiot box. So, that's what I did. And wonder of wonders, a sparrow flew into my house from the balcony, took a left, and went straight for my room. I yelled, "No, not there! The windows are closed!" The bird continued flying only to hit the window and fall on my bed. My mom rushed out from the kitchen hearing me yell and went in to pick up the bird (I don’t know if it’s a he or a she!) and held it in her palm. Luckily, the bird didn't suffer any injuries.

I took a few snaps of the bird with my mobile phone. (I need to buy a good digicam. Any suggestions?) I didn't touch the bird fearing it would get infected. See, this is what antibiotics do to you. You begin to worry that a bird will catch your "early Bronchitis." Anyways, the little bird had a few grains of rice and was good to go in a few minutes. Mom and I stood in the balcony and watched the bird fly away.

So, altogether, being under the weather is not a bad thing after all. You are taken good care of, you get to laze all you want (blame the medicines!), and if you are lucky, you get to hold a bird in your palm!

Wuhoo! Road trip!

Tarun, Mansha, and I set out on a Monday afternoon to collect our smart cards from Microsoft office in Kalina. Tarun commented, "Let’s drive down there; it shouldn't be difficult to find the office.” Having been lost quite a few times on drives with her husband Abhinav, Mansha thought it prudent to have at least some sense of direction. So, she called up Abhinav to ask for directions. We buckled up, and Mansha cried, "Wuhoo! Road trip!” And then began the quest for good songs to listen to on the different FM channels. Predictably, we couldn’t agree on one channel to listen to. If Tarun stopped punching the stereo’s buttons, Mansha would cry, “Change!” which was my cue to punch the buttons.

Clearly, Tarun hated traffic and traffic signals and expressed his displeasure with frequent “tsk tsk.” We were on the lookout for a CST road, and after enquiries with a few rickshaw-waalas, we finally arrived there only to find auto garages on either side of the road! Nevertheless, we bravely forged ahead and spotted the office soon enough. Tarun’s “tsk tsk” had been increasing at a steady pace, and Mansha and I were getting worried about this. After all, our lives were in his hands! We entered Microsoft’s office and were seated at the reception while the security got our smart cards. Tarun was punching his mobile phone buttons angrily. Mansha and I exchanged very worried looks then. We got our cards, and walked toward the car. Mansha told, “I am not sitting next to him!”

We were on the expressway when I caught Tarun yawning. I panicked and said, “Please don’t fall asleep; I will keep talking to you for the rest of the drive.” He laughed! He was showing signs of normalcy, finally. We reached Spectra and found a parking spot near Axis bank. A Honda City was blocking the spot, though. When Tarun honked, the driver of the Honda City coolly parked his car in that spot! That was so mean! Tarun started, “What the…” and stepped on the accelerator with a vengeance. He was so red! Thankfully, we found a spot near Aromas and parked the car. Never have I been glad to step out of a car!

Wisdom gained from this road trip:

1.      Tarun learned that I speak a lot via the OCS and not in person.

2.      I learned the delicate task of punching the stereo buttons without disturbing the guy-behind-the-wheel changing gears.

3.      Mansha and I agreed that we would never drive along with Tarun.

4.      I learned that Mansha loves drives even if they are interspersed with traffic jams.

5.      My belief that all men feel good when they are behind the wheel proved to be wrong. 

Random Musings

A lonely Drop in the vast ocean,

Tossed and turned and by the wind blown.

Journeying seven lands, over mountains and stones,

never in control, I wonder does it ever moan?

A Beam of sunlight bringing hope to all,

clearing the shadows wherever it falls.

Warming all hearts, gladdening all spirits,

who gives her the joy that she rightly merits?

The delicate Lotus standing tall amidst the filth,

Praised by all, it floats unnoticed, adrift.

Beauty it radiates, shining pearls on its leaves,

Surrounded by squalor, does it rejoice or grieve?

Standing proud and majestic, towering above all,

Unyielding to nature, come summer, spring, or fall.

Thus stands the mighty Oak, sheltering the lost wayfarer.

Neither tales nor songs speak of the behemoth’s valor.

Random thoughts drift ‘cross the mind,

Queries aplenty, no answers to find.

The many hues conflict, in the cauldron they strife.

Is this why they say it’s a wonderful life?