piece of personal plateau

the night is fast asleep

the guilty roads have taken a leap

hollow hearts club share their bleed

amidst skeptic shelters and emotional keep

take a look at the naked shape

of my vulnerable heart beat

jesus christ hanging on your neck

laughs at my helpless sweat

try now the unbeaten track

enamored souls and pillow talks

whisper a wish and pack your bag

opportunity is your shoes and it seldom knocks

a culture plagued by shades of colour

theories and theologies battling their guts

morality is crucified and glorified (forever)

god, angels, demons – mere helpless mascots

pledge your faith, seek your liberty

radicals on loose, declaring infidelity

nobody is anybody’s somebody

fate, destiny and luck keep me company

fake charms and artificial smiles

define your part of sanity

bad breath, unkempt hair and natural glows

is what i call reality

plant now, your desires

for the time is ripe and the weather is fine

dig now, my heart

for who knows? you could be forever mine!

loan me your consciousness

as you gaze at my other side

leave me all the hopelessness

in a sacred space you’ll confide

Canvas of self expressions – Six

“I’m happy to be alive, I’m happy to be who I am”

Do we have the chance to attend #TED India?

These are just a few concerns I have with regard to participation of youngsters in TED India. I keep seeing a lot of tweets about TED India’s final date of registration and how they are looking forward towards the participation of Indian youth in the event.  However a few concerns remain. I may be wrong or I may be right. I’m just trying to add a perspective here and intend to keep it as short as possible.

a) While India has a large young population, a majority of the TG that TED would ideally want to attract rests in the tier 1, 2 and 3 cities. And within that set, given the high standards that TED has set for its fellow program + presence of local societal factors influencing the opportunities for creating an impact makes it all the more difficult to participate in TED India! (Leave aside the fee of Rs.1.5 lacs)

b) TED India should understand that, India is just 60+ yrs old and though there are enough opportunities for making a change, the youngsters are not (yet!) trained or educated in the best of manners/processes when it comes to a strict ‘problem-solving’ approach or even ‘critical thinking’. After 12th std, youngsters have only three fields to choose from > science, commerce and arts (though this is rapidly changing now with options like management, finance, information technology and accounting)

c) Societal factors like earning a good salary as soon as one graduates, looking after one’s own extended family, buying an house by saving enough money are still the driving forces for youngsters. We have very less avenues + interest for research and development, technological expertise, etc

d) The best of young Indian minds (IITs and IIMs) tend to either go abroad for better opportunities or end up working in the best of MNCs in India itself. There are also many ailments that plague the Indian ecosystem when it comes to policies, labour laws, education, etc > hence the trend.

e) So, what TED can get is (i) highly aspirational and motivated young minds who have the will to work for a change. (ii) Students who are presently studying in the final year of the best of institutions (iii) Young execs who have started projects/ventures of their own

Feedback in the form of appreciation or critism are welcome

My ’sad but true’ love story

The After Effect

It was a dream. It was what I always wanted in a phone. And arguably it was the best!!

Its been 48hrs since I’ve seen my iPhone and I must admit that I’m going crazy as I write this. It seems like a very important part of my body is suddenly not in existence. And this is really weird – considering that I’ve never felt such a strong feeling towards any inanimate object!! Damn…how I hate to tell the sad story

The Story

It all began on a happy late night friday evening when I was (as usual) chilling out with a few friends. I wanted to tweet something funny I came across and suddenly my iPhone screen decided to disobey me. Instead of showing me the sexy looking interface it has with all those icons of various happy looking apps, it just went scrrrrrriiiiiiiisssshhh….blllliiiiirrrrsssshhh and started flickering. Like every other hardcore iPhone fan, I ignored it. But then it happened again and again and again. To my dismay I started living with this abnormality in my life and started to hide my iPhone in front of my peers. But then one fine day – it became worse. I just couldnt access any of my app coz the screen was constantly flickering. It took two long minutes for it to settle down!! (And 168000 results on Google for “iphone+screen+flicker really didnt help!)

Rationality raised its first set of questions and I called up the Apple India helpline. They told me very politely that they have handed over the rights to sell as well as the rights of maintenance to the service providers. In this case – Vodafone. I called up Vodafone and as always was disappointed with the lack of knowledge their customer service executives had with regard to the iPhone and its problems. It took me 3 calls just to get a perspective in what kinda mess I am.

The Mess

I bought my iPhone from Croma. Becoz Vodafone was “out of stock” on iPhone when I wanted to purchase it. On their suggestion and (some research) I decided to buy it from Croma. Now technically Croma provides for the warranty. But they just act as an intermediary between me and Vodafone as Apple doesnt look into such issues in India. It took me 25 minutes to explain the problem to the Croma sales executive. And they werent co-operative. Ironically they had a poster in their office which loudly shouted “The customer should tell their problem only once!” (Whatever they intend!!!)

The present

And finally after producing the original bill – they take my iPhone and tell me (a) It will take 15 to 20 days for it to be repaired (b) They can’t gurantee whether this problem will be repaired. Which basically leaves this irritated-restless-pissed-off-piece-of-flesh just more irritated-restless-pissed-off….

P.S. : iPhone – I still love thee! Come back soon!

I’m a stranger here myself

Sarcastic sweat
Helpless glances
Unanswered prayers
Done to death

Screaming possibilities
Repugnant thoughts
Show me what you are made of
Illicit ecstaties

Bricks and dreams
Sleeping on your skin
Tell me what you speak
70mm films

Casual breath
Touch, rub, wait
Patience pays
Sinfully wet

Tender frustrations
Beautifully timed
Careless conversations
Vodka with lime

Shallow claps
Conference room clocks
Recycled sparks
Hey Mister, your walk seldom talks

Overweight reactions
Bathroom blues
False affirmations
Another farcical flu

Desperate road
Fragile prophets
Rotten prophecies
No direction home!

sullen.saturday.speaks

a text message teaches me

about the measure of a man

early morning blues

breathes its turn – at times in absolute disdain

i warm up to my bedsheet

painting pictures about the woman

i met, who was once a girl

eating corn on the cob, besides the junk van…

my hero waits to sing a song for me

in the tech-toiled bytes of ipod-yssey

again and again

stuck inside of mobile with the memphis blues again

saves the day for me; leave the pain

mothers and mangoes

keeps me in conversation

a day all colored yellow – without a plan!

and i look forward to confessions

to a woman

of unknown proportions

for analysis of the hand

34

P stands near the balcony everyday. She seductively smokes her poison. Quite passionately for a woman; who may or may not find herself compromising for anyone’s sake. Forget knocking on someone else’s door! She stares, she talks and indulges in rare outbursts of fake laughter. Wonder why does she do the latter? Maybe it just establishes her superiority over the sissy Adams that surround her. And boy, it’s indeed a sight to see her blend in black! She’s definitely made of those dreams of the virgin mind.

She’s ambitious, she’s flirtatious and she’s losing her charm. She is 34.

S is stuck in a marriage that promises to rot. Though he’s never been that kind of a man whom I’d like to see cry; I somehow feel happy for him! Did he deserve it? No. Should he have been living a better life? Can’t say. But at least marriage has taught him so much! The only motivating factor in his life is his daughter. He looks forward to the weekends where he could spend some time with his daughter and his dog, Brutus – (who in many ways feels terribly bored and ignored these days!) He travels around the globe making new deals but hasn’t found the one thing he likes doing the most in his life. Yet.

He’s complacent, he’s lost and he’s a great dad. He is 34.

Y always complains. Whether it’s her kids, the weather, the traffic or even her husband – they all have their names etched in her never ending complaint list. She always feels that she is the victim of every tragedy that has ever taken place on the face of this planet. She has a passion for gardening and actively collects little pieces of information that would help one cultivate ‘that perfect garden’. But the irony of life is that she doesn’t have a garden of her own. Though she dreams of owning one very soon. I somehow always find her in the act of waiting. Waiting for the bus, kids, husband, security guard, and of course – her garden. Wonder whether life is really hard on her or does she reach a particular place/event/destination too early?

She’s adventurous, creative and highly sentimental. Sad but true, she is 34 too.

Blank!

It’s 11:15pm on a Monday evening and I’m heading back home after a hectic day at work. While I was supposed to blog about an entirely different subject; confusion has occurred in my puny little brain and suddenly it just refuses to take a decision. That’s when the ego took charge and decided to teach my brain a little lesson by actually forcing me to write about the indecisive state I am in right now! I tried seeking help from my mind but it seems to be pre-occupied with a lot of other important things like dinner, downloads & the theory of diminishing marginal utility. So I guess I’m kinds lonely right now and technically I have been hijacked by my own ego… Yes…Yess! It’s possible and its happening to me…right now! Do you realize it? Yes? No? What? Say something!!! Arrggghh!

Wait a minute…have I really crossed the boundaries of meaningful existence and rational thinking?

the reader

you don’t even allow me

to narrate to you

the real story, we

make as individuals

and the sparks, we secretly brew.

stop

speaking with your eyes

open

your mouth and suffice

the hunger of this

illiterate silence.

if only time could be our friend

and could stand still

none to care for and offend

just the sweet space that fills

our bodies

and souls.

who would have known

at the break of dawn

you’ll be gone

leaving me alone

and disowned?

i still carry the burden

of you; deep within my heart

and i wish i could plant

it on a sacred space

in your remembrance – your little grant.

thought of narrating

our passion and laughter

to my little daughter

pages of longings and sins

secrets, morality and all of them

my first lines of poetry, while you swam

forever yours

Reader i am.

Chaos Theory

Smokey feelings, Color blindness

Ambitious benchmarks, Stark contradictions

Bottlenecked emotions, Blowing in the wind

Callous worships, Visions of leaders – all sour and blind

Angst of bourgeoisie, Agenda of the extremists

Mellowed sparks, Formations of various outfits

Failed systems, Flawed ideologies

Breaking news, Secret orgies

Heap of dust, Jammed nostrils

Open relationships, Extravagant bills

Ladies and gentlemen, Lesbians and gays

Sleepless in Mumbai, Dreaming in the day

Fish fingers and pork chops, Lasagne and the biryani pot

“Oh, I’m so complicated syndrome”, Women on top

Tweet-ups and break ups, Seemingly aimless minds

A gram of wishful thinking, You are my lucky find

Music and caffeine, Caffeine and music

Spiraling dollar and the urbane chick

In and out, slow-now-fast, Burning sex drive

Walk the talk and Illegal 172 km/hr @ marine drive

Smelly armpits, Sweaty shirt

Gimme some space or You’ll get hurt!