Precious Pearls

A wedding… not a monsoon wedding and not necessarily a summer or a winter one. It is the ‘season of weddings’ and you know, it is just a reason! Everyone is activated. Close kin are on their toes. They have to play hosts. Distant kin, too, are charged up as they have to lot display to their hosts. Everyone is busy. There are so many things to do, book tickets, get your dresses ready, send across invitation cards, buy gifts, living arrangements, accommodation, entertainment… wedding is just a reason…. Gorgeous women and handsome men, dressed in the traditional attire, walk the wedding hall just like the ramp. Kids carry dresses heavier than their own weight! Yes, there is an odd honest kid or two who finds a huge ‘playground’ and forgets everything else. Pleasantries exchanged. Compliments given. Beaming with smiles and teeming with enthusiasm, the venue is abuzz. Wedding is just a reason… All is settled now. Hosts are heaving a sigh of relief, the affair has started off with

Everyone loves to read. Not necessarily important always a book, but newspapers, pamphlets, mobiles, instruction manuals, social networking sites, documents, registers, calendars, plaques, signboards, oh people can read all sorts of things. Yes, but of late, one thing that kindled my reading habit was Kindle. It was a wonderful technological invention and to me, it was a lifetime library. My bookshelf suddenly wore a deserted look and it didn’t mind it. The kindle filled up the ‘emptiness’ of bookshelf. It was so light-weight and yet held all my treasure-trove. I was happier with the gadget’s slim and trim look and convenience. A nice casual travel, my kindle and coffee, it was my dream ever since I bought kindle. I wanted to sit at a peaceful sylvan location with a cup of coffee reading my favourite books. Oh, even a quiet coffee shop was fine as no bountiful beach locale was in sight. And finally, I happened to travel to Mumbai on work. Beyond working hours, it was going to b

All world is the stage, they say. The real one perhaps scares me, thus this ‘world’ stage makes me more comfortable. And it was the time to see my daughter at the stage. Ever since Diwali vacation was over, her playschool announced her school gathering. Earlier, I thought it was a small thing but as the big day was nearing, all teachers and parents were charged up. Their dress, practice, synchronisation and auditorium, oh, I had taken ‘grand affair’ little casually. I had my apprehensions to begin with. Looking at not only my little one all two or three years old perform, wasn’t it strange? But I didn’t sound it as I thought I was becoming ‘toddler rights’ activist. Thus, I kept it to myself. Yes, at home, my daughter would spontaneously dance, and it was the ‘power packed performance’.  While everyone around was little anxious of what would kids do on the stage, kids were the relaxed ones as they had no idea what was to be unfolded. When parents and relatives were really geared

Hi. How do I look today? Disturbed or fresh? Oh, I know you are too engrossed with yourself and hardly have any time to look at me. I would request you to spend a few moments.                                     Thus, I asked you how do I look? Well there's much more to me than my appearance. My reactions, tensions, relationships, prejudices, not it's born overnight. It's to do with my childhood, family setup, friends, parents, school... I have my own fears, moments of happiness and yes, confusion.                                     I think I can look at my life myself and sort out things clearly. Today, I can trace from where those fears and negativity spring from. I can take bull by its horn and deal with my problems clearly. It's been a really long process. I didn't seek any therapy for it but it just happened.                                   Oh, did i talk too much about myself? Well had you been a filmmaker, I would have asked you if you would have m

During a friendly banter with a friend recently, we burst into a laugh sharing a childhood memory. We used to occasionally take state transport buses for school and travel around. A few buses wouldn’t have conductors as tickets were pre-issued. We were typically reluctant to take a bus without a conductor fearing; what if the driver doesn’t halt the bus at the point we needed to get down. My fear for the conductor-less bus refused to wane for a couple of years into my schooling. For us, a conductor was the only ‘wise man’ who would step in in case there were heated arguments among people, a common occurrence. We, as a society too, look upon someone to take guard for us, don’t we? Meanwhile, more and more buses became conductor-less as the means of transport evolved and my fear evaporated by itself… For more than two decades, this bus without a conductor was out of my mind.  Now call it a far-fetched simile but a few Facebook posts reminded me of that bus again; only laughter

This parched state needs you much more than it ever did. As you played hide and seek the last year, you know how much you are awaited. And in spite of waiting so much, I want you to arrive at my convenience! Every time, when it’s time for my office, I would rather pray you hold on till I reach the place. I am sure many do it as during monsoons, most office talks revolve around how successfully people escape rains!! The one getting drenched is rather an unlucky fellow. It’s almost June end and have still left us high and dry yet we want you, at our own sweet time. None can get more ironical than the man!  For the past couple of years, I really don’t remember it raining cats and dogs. Now I particularly miss it as it’s been many years I haven’t seen the downpour. And today, in urbanized India, it just spells traffic jams, waterlogged roads, delayed trains and flood like situation even normal rains. Maybe those sylvan surroundings, lush greenery, small waterfalls are confined me

After a lot of hairsplitting, I finally zeroed in a haircut that I thought would give me a ‘different look’. To specify, I also downloaded a cute picture of a young lass to give a clear-cut idea to a hairdresser.  The picture happened to be of the girl featured in a 4G advertisement. While I thought I had done something innovative, the 4G cut was the norm in the parlor! Nevertheless, my hairdresser looked a little worked up. She looked at the picture and said, “Your face is broad and this cut might not suit you.” I insisted still I wanted it. Later on, she complained that my hair was too thin. I told her to go ahead and do whatever suits me. Maybe that made her comfortable. After finishing off the job, she said she had delivered her best yet failed to give me that ‘picture perfect’ look. I told her it was okay as I knew I was never going to look like the girl in the picture. I also made a passing remark, “If your clients expect to look like someone, make it categorically clear th

Before birthday wishes pour in, I would like to make it categorically clear that please don’t congratulate me on turning 100! I haven’t hit a ton though I have played many cricket matches. At this age, needless to say, even a cricket bat would weigh a ton so better I don’t touch it. I may have many more years to live yet I think I need to grow up a little more and display the maturity commensurate to my age and experience.  Celebrating 100 th birthday has never been my mission. Yet I have lived on to get that and I would celebrate it in my own way. At 100, my hair is grey would be an understatement. I would rather say hair is the whitest with a bright luster that’s missing in my eyes. My vision is blurred and sheer brightness of a zero watt bulb may blind me up. Yet on a brighter side, I can see things around me, maybe not always as they are. Yes, my face is wrinkled and my hands are shaking. Celebrating a birthday with a trembling body gathering hundreds of people, oh man, I ca

“Finally, I am hitting the landmark with my 100 th post”, I told myself while writing this. And at the same time, I had to remind myself this was post number 99. Yes, numbers don’t count yet it’s a measure that denotes how closer one is to the finishing line. And you know it! The about-to-finish-off stage ligers more than expected. Maybe, when we are just a step away from touching the finish line, we have already exhausted our energy and enthusiasm we had invested to be there. Of course, to me, none of these sorts have happened reaching 100. It wasn’t a target so writing knows no destination (!).  I don’t get along with figures yet 100 is a kind of figure someone would barley miss. So I planned to make it a special one and here was I talking about it just on post number 99. The about-to-finish-off stage appeared more intriguing than touching the finish line itself. There are many things that go while reaching the target. About-to-finish-off greets us with an eclectic feeling

Education helps one learn new things, I always believed. At the same time, I just couldn’t deny the independent existence of learning irrespective of formal and informal education avenues. That’s why we should really appreciate the idea of ‘distance education’ that enables many to learn. Maybe, it is intended for those who have finished education but still want to learn. Nevertheless the idea of ‘distance education student’ may not always be a welcome one in a formal university setup. I had been taking a similar experience for over a year ever since I opted for a yoga course at a varsity near Bengaluru. Yes, there was no discrimination or distinction between regular and distance students per se yet eyebrows were certainly raised the moment one revealed one’s identity as a ‘distance education student’! And what these two separate watertight compartments, regular and distance students, thought of each other was equally interesting. The divisions were clear cut yet the views were s