Falling Apart!

19th century and Meera - a woman in her early 20s awaits a letter from her husband every month who works overseas in pursuit of his career goals. One letter a month and that is the promise her husband made as he sailed abroad. This hand written piece of paper for Meera is the virtual presence of her husband, the only source through which she could sense and feel him. Thus resumes her interim wait for the next one.

Shyana - A girl in her late teens, into 'Skype' through her PC having a virtual interaction with her love 'relatively' facing each other. Of Course, we are in the 21st century where technological revolution is just about to touch its epitome when we really do not need to stockpile our impassioned drops in wait for a small piece of hand written paper to travel all the way over seas and mountains to show up.

Still Shyana's everyday conversation with her beloved dismally ends with arguments or silly defiance in contrary to Meera's increasing empathetic affection towards her husband with every passing day! A perplexed state of affairs indeed!

The rise of the machines, rather the hi-tech inventions of our times have begun its pandemic rule over the whole human nation making our lives as fast and automated as possible. Are we actually heading towards a technologically advanced society or an emotionally challenged robotic society similar to some cut out scenes from one of those ingenious sci-fi films?

In the course of making our lives effortless and fast paced, we have also started the process of loosening its chords unknowingly. At times when our speedy lives are solemnly asking for endurance and patience, aren't we failing to dispense the same? In turn I suppose we are spawning distances among ourselves.

Oops! Spawning distances or diminishing it? I believe our modern globalized nation is burdened with such ambiguities. The world has befallen on our palmtops and we just need seconds to compass round its radius. We belong to the time when the whole world has gathered under one canopy yet........

Are we not letting our strings detach from each other??....... and Falling Apart!!

Status Quo of our Progressive Life

Dressed in elegant black and white satin knee-length outfits, two women stepped out of a recently mushroomed shopping mall at one of the posh areas in the city. Their manicured velvety hands were holding shopping bags of some renowned international brands......Oh yeah, this has been the modernized thing from the era our 'developing country' has become a part of the world-wide integration or in the common term called the 'globalization'.

India has become one of the epitomized example of 'globalization' across the globe. From the early 90's to this mid 21st century the radical changes that Indian populace has witnessed in terms of social and economical infrastructure has definitely made India one of the fastest growing nation. We the young generation of progressive India can certainly take the privilege of proclaiming ourselves to be the proud Indians who have been the part of the 'cellphone' & the 'mall' revolution but still the pivotal debate will be on how do we gen-x beings define our 'status quo' today?

We can indeed relate ourselves to those women stepping out of a renowned mall in the city. We are in the process of embracing the global culture recklessly but hasn't it got confined only to our belongings and the ways of treating our life? Has it really penetrated deep into our thought system? I guess the answer will be a 'no' as still today, a look bit away from the major metro mass will make us witness the taboos and the dogmas entangling our social structure to the core. We still have not succeeded to break those narrow domestic walls that ruled us for decades. So we can literally put the fact forward that besides abating our cultural values and ethics to a large extent and make us fall in love with bricks, mortar & machines, 'globalization' could not succeed in eradicating our gloomy societal aura till the present day.

Ordinarily the term 'globalization' when interpreted by many of the social thinkers portrays entirely its positive facets and we do agree to those doubtlessly. Merging of the international business into the domestic market and the other asserting economic implications always find its way to prominence whenever we debate on these substantial issues. However even if we ward off from contemplating the growing inflation rate in the present economic scenario, a negative aftermath partly caused by same term, we definitely do have its thoughtful social connotations to argue on. Like, "can we evaluate the concept 'progress' unrestricted to all segments of our society uniformly?"........again a 'no' as progressive life has only been observed by few specific segments. 

So what is the realistic status of our globalized progressive life? Would it only get restricted to brands like 'Armani', 'Gucci', 'KFC' & personified brand like 'Pitbull' or it would someday actually disseminate its significance to build the future 'Status Quo' of the brand 'Incredible India'..........??

The Other Face of Life

The rickshaw bell tinkled and the 'rickshaw-wala' cried out in his boorish tone 'eh side e side e'. It distracted me from my on-the-way mobile music tracks that am habitually engrossed in and made me stare out. My eyes caught sight of a haggard build on the roadside strolling away with an insubstantial murmur. As the rickshaw passed by I couldn't avoid a glance at his old rugged face which had a stroke of warmth on it as he leered at the steaming small container of tea in his frail hands. The glow on his face was asserting his delight on being able to grab some hot tea from one of the local chai-wala. I smiled on my own in awe as well as pleasure as I headed towards the bus stand with the thought that a small container of tea still has the ability to do such wonders when today's scenario of so called socio-economical progress and technological advancement has made wi-fi one of the basic need of mankind.

As we common inhabitants really cant do anything to change any situation except only staring at them blankly or move ahead by giving the whole event some sympathetic thought, my mind also got filled up with the thought of the commotion that I need to face on the way to my office with a stung of irritation as my eyes caught the sight of my wrist watch, making me realize that another day am late for my workplace. However the human sub-conscious mind always finds room for thoughts which our conscious minds prioritize.

The following morning asserted the said rationale as off guardedly my eyes started looking for the same rugged figure that I noted the previous day. This time too my eyes caught sight of him but was deprived of a pleasant smile, given to the site I perceived. His dirt spattered white long hairs were covered with a junked away partially distorted helmet and he was asleep with a quiet serenity on his face. The subtle glow and the frame of his visage was endorsing his belonging to a decent household - then what was it that made the streets to be his abode. The question reflected in me as the rickshaw passed him. May be his old age or his insanity has made his own people abandon him, as I guessed. Instantaneously it also made me feel the significance of each and everybody's presence in my life - my family, my friends, my colleagues, my well wishers and all others. Many a times we complain about our life being monotonous or desolated by others -  one cold word from mom and we feel that no one in this world loves us or understands us, one small misunderstanding with a friend and we conclude that everyone around us are conformists............

Have we ever realized the fact that we at least have people around us to argue or fight with? Have we ever imagined a place bustled with hordes of people but no one even bothering to have a single glance at the solitary figure sitting somewhere among them? Doesn't that thought even no less than an ordeal? Yes, it is.

In the rush of our speedy lives of 21st century we are on the verge of losing our sensitivity and are sensing ourselves to be successful in becoming a robotic being.

But I think it'll just cost us a minute to give it a thought and feel the actual essence of our living - our parents, friends, home places and all our nears and dear ones - to live through them and  most essentially for them.

Sometimes you just need to Let Go

Phone ringing..........

Sam : Hello!

Mags : He--e--llo Sam (sobs) why aren't you answering my calls? I called you a thousand time yesterday, didn't you check your cell? I was so tensed, why r u doing this?

Sam : I was busy Mags and its also the fact that I don't want you to bother me, I have told u this before.

Mags : I can understand your feelings but what about our friendship Sam. More than anything else I have always regarded you as one of my best friends, a person with whom I can be truly me and share my every thoughts and feelings. How can I let that friend go?

Sam : I don't want to converse any further Mags. I have decided not to be in any contact with you.

Mags : B--b--u--t hello please listen!

Call Disconnected.......

Maggie put down the cellphone beside her and stared out of the window with tears still rolling down from her deep black eyes. Thoughts flashed through her mind of the weekend recitation classes where she met Sam few months back. 

It was Saturday and Maggie hurried up the stairs of Canterbury School of  Liberal Art & Culture. Though she was late for the first day of her recitation class, she could not be blamed for this as her profession of journalism held her back in an urgent news coverage of an incident of social agitation that was to be the news headline for a next day morning daily.

Maggie : Please may I come in Sir?

Entraineur : Sure Madame but I guess you are late for the class?

Maggie : "Am sorry!"was Maggie's fidgeted reply.

Entraineur : Please do take a seat.

Maggie looked through the class and her eyes caught the sight of an empty chair towards the end with a bag as it occupant. A combined expression of embarrassment blended with traces of agitation shimmered through her eyes as she walked towards the vacant seat.

Maggie : Excuse me! Can I take this seat beside you?

A student : Surely! (and he freed the chair off its occupant)

Maggie settled herself on the chair and tried to concentrate on the class. It was a bit difficult for her to form a vinculum as she missed the first half. The hour hand of the wall clock dragged itself towards eight and the entraineur  called off the session for the day. Maggie took the opportunity to start conversation with her class neighbor as she was intended to know the missed portion of the class.

Samuel is the name with which the student introduced himself, a PhD student of comparative literature who is also an ardent patron of recitation which vindicates his presence in the recitation session. Thus the seeding of the accord  between Mags and Sam began.

 It was strenuous for Maggie to accept the curt end of their analogy that began with an Utopian gleam. She remembered the after-class reciprocation of their thoughts and ideas in a nearby cafe and those swirls of laughter woven with the steam of the hot cafe lattes. On her way back home it had always brought an unknown smile to her rosy lips stretched across her white skinned visage. She can never forget the afternoons in between their classes which they spent in patronization of their favourite poems and the authors. There were also times when hours had passed by grooving on the nature around and its creation. Their semblance of reflection intensified the chord with the  passing days and their friendship took an 'unusual' turn.  It was difficult for her to exemplify her relationship with Sam and thus the 'unusual' friendship that once both glorified, calmly took the shape of  an innate conflict of sensitivity as on the other hand Maggie was profoundly affectionate about her husband - an IT professional.

There are times when human race cannot administer a stern control over their emotions. Hence the emotional quotient sometimes becomes the most dangerous facet to be dealt with. It was her husband's lack of respect  and appreciation for literary culture that off guardedly created a void in her inspiriting Sam's gradual entry to her life as adding hues to the white patches in a canvas. 

"Can Sam actually be blamed for his impertinent behaviour?" "Can she ever forget the love and care that she had received from her husband in that one whole year of her marriage?"- were the distraught questions those entangled her mind as she rose up and faced the decorative long mirror of her apartment's bedroom. The appearance of her reflection on the mirror answered her interrogations with a prompt 'no'. She made a sudden realization that all the voids in life cannot be filled and one must learn to find peace from within oneself rather than seeking the same in some others' self. There are questions which do depletes a justified answer and goes beyond the power of rationalization and sometimes makes one learn to just 'Let Go' in life.

An effort en route to Smile

OMG am late! I exclaimed as I suddenly remembered one of my very important meetings of the day with the realization that I got late for it. The day started off as hectic as usual. Con - calls, meetings, targets, tension Phew! Nouns those are used commonly by all corporates like us. "How can I get so engrossed in that report that i didn't pay heed to those non stop tickings of my wrist watch!!" I rushed through Russel Street with a frowning tensed look as the thoughts flashed through my mind.

My tired limbs which were trying hard to get me to the main road adjoining Park Street came to a sudden halt. A rugged figure in torn clothes and a haggard look was foraging vigorously in the waste-bin that was kept near a roadside food stall. He was busy pulling out each eaten away plates from the bin in search of some morsels of food remain. I stood motionless for a second and then strolled forward on my way. Something stopped me and made me turn back and it was nothing but the thought that 'can i make some effort to bring smile on that worn out face'! My effort en route to bring smile on that worn out face was to help him to afford the day's lunch.

I turned back and walked along towards my way but suddenly realized that my tensed, frowning look has taken the shape of a smiling face. It made my rest of the day!

Guyz the above mentioned is just an instance. The secret of happiness actually lies in making people around us happy. If we can make an effort to bring smile on others face, trust me that will surely give us also a reason to smile. We don't need to always go out in the society and plunge into some sort of social activities but we can incept the same with our parents, friends, associates or may be any x y z person whom we may come across in our daily life.

Life is a short journey and we all must realize the significance of the presence of each and every person and every small moments spent with them. We should make an effort to value the emotions and feelings of people around us. A bit of sacrifice on our part is just infinitesimal in comparison to the immense pleasure that we can get if our small endeavour can be the reason of someone's 'smile'.

In the present century of digitalization and growing technological advancement, an era when different social mediums have entangled the society in its tentacles, have we ever thought of the fact that our accelerating friend list on these sites is gradually abating our face to face contact with people and in turn its making us self centric - concerned only about our own footing in the life's race . We are losing our feelings of warmth for others and 'de facto' unknowingly creating a void around us.

We really need to spend some time and give it a thought! Wat Say?