What is that you go to bed with? Cell phone, partner, book, aspirations, hope, tissues? And what is that you wake up next to? A naked body or a person you know, a paperback or a hardcover romanticism of a writer in any other part of the globe, struggling to get his words right?
Well, no one gets all the answer they seek, but how many leave the cocoon in search of an answer. Or how many know that there exist questions, questions that sprout from the void of emotions.
Why am I writing this? Just to give myself a reminder that every night before sleeping what I’m thankful for may be seeking answers and confining itself in the vivid reality of something else. It isn’t about the loyalty, but perception. It isn’t about holier than thou but the one-dimensional truth of an individual.
All I could do is to feel the skin of emotions that I encounter every day and take my one-dimensional truth and put it into the crossroads of perceptions and judgment and then leave to lead the life that I chose for myself.
Man! It has been more than two weeks since I saw this and, to be very honest, I have still got the hangover.
Despite all its flaws and plot holes and a retard lover boy, this movie still shines like anything.
I remember reading Raj Comics as a kid, and in one of the issues ( hopefully it was Nagraj aur Misskiller) Nagraj and Dhruv saved Superman’s and other Hero’s ass. I was mesmerized by the valor that these heroes had.
But to my disbelief, my brother said other heroes are better than our desis and then introduced me to detective comics. I was completely blown by the story arcs and the detailing and multiple layers of these characters. I can say nothing more in their praise as a lot has already been said. What I can only say is that these characters made my childhood amazing.
As I grew a little older and color and cable TV made its way to our house I saw these amazing DC and Marvel cartoons. I was hooked to these. Then I dived into marvel comic books, but before I could get anymore further my board exams came and Iron-man made its way to the silver screen in 2008. The rest is history.
I have seen and followed Marvel cinematic universe very religiously since then. All I can say is after all these years my love for these characters has not changed a bit. I wish to see more from DCU. But for now its high time to live the characters I have loved all my life.
P. S. Someone please get Super Commando Dhruv on big screen with utmost sincerity and respect to Indian Heros. Universe please make this happen.
Operation 136 has to be the biggest expose of our already rotten Indian media. Subjects of a state are always gullible. One may shout at the top of his lungs to scare us and create an illusion of keeping the viewers safe. Take some time out of your busy schedule to witness how opinions are forced in today’s time.
Noise is the real god… Or evil, if you believe evil is omnipotent too. The choice is yours. You can easily make this choice if you’re not an invertebrate that I know you’re not. You may find it little difficult to make a choice if you’re an advanced primate and exposed to twenty-four seven ongoing debates, that I know you are.
My first attempt to debate was in college in which I told a joke to everyone and came second. First was the girl who banged her fist on the podium to make a point and third was a guy who came up with statistics.
Well, that was first legit attempt. I have made other numerous attempts at debate too, few of which were mainstream and others were mainstream because others said so.
Numero uno being, what’s scarier? aliens or ghosts? My elder brother is a geek and he exposed me to this early trauma of being abducted by aliens. But I wasn’t retarded, who falls for stupid aliens coming from UFOs and abducting humans for clinical trials. I was scared of ghosts who were apparently everywhere. From the bathroom to storeroom and I’m also hundred percent sure of the presence of one ghost which came on night dragging his sharpened wood on roads and whistling. Later I realized that the same ghost charged everyone in my colony of his talent.
So for me, ghosts won and aliens lost… but one fateful day I saw aliens, and I kid you not, this particular debate came to an end with a tie.
Although not all debates have the same end. For me SRK won over SK and Cake triumphed over ice-creams, I mean those were personal choices. And who cares what people are doing in their personal spaces. I mean having a personal space in our culturally clubbed country is a huge deal but still what you do in your personal time and space is none of my business.
All debatable questions were occurring at their own speed and were taking their time but then suddenly I started figuring out how this world is functioning. How people are trying to make sense out of this perfect chaos and BAM! I lost my sanity. I realized how geographically, politically, economically, culturally, and-god-knows-what-ly divided we are.
Now everything is a topic of debate and when I say everything that means everything. People have become fragile. Good old days of not taking offense to other’s liberty is a thing of past. The political discourse has made its entry into our lives. Answering allegations with allegations is a new way answering questions.
All good things from past are either already exhausted or are have been made brand new by changing it fundamentally. Ideologies are subject to market risk and also subject to how much you love your life and peace.
Homo sapiens are meeting every year to decide how the single source of essential resources should be used and then go back to exhaust it in a non-orderly fashion.
And the only thing that we are being left with is high commodity pricing, polluted air, non-drinkable water and tonight on prime time…
When I was in school “Kala Bandar” was a piece of news that everyone, in those days, wanted to consume. There were many news reports and police reports about it. Then there was this “Teen Mundi” Ghost which stalked the areas of Navi Mumbai. And last year it was some barber ghost which was after Chotis of innocent women sitting in the dark.
I was quite young when I realized that I have irrational fears. As a kid, I feared my Social-Science teacher. I feared that while invigilating he will turn his ass on my face. I feared Lucy Gray because my elder told me how she died and what she seeks from the kids like me, and NO, it was not like the way Mr. Wordsworth did. I also feared going out in my village because according to my grandmother there were bloodthirsty Chudails all over our village, in ponds, on pipal trees, under khatyias, inside wells.
I was a timid child growing up but then one day while turning pages I stumbled upon Lucy Gray and my fear got converted into anger. I got furious about Lucy’s father’s decision. I mean Mr. Gray it was probably United Kingdom’s weather and were you dumb enough to not realize that it sucks.
Well, this incident did something wonderful. I started looking for logical reasons behind the superstitious things that people said to me and I started looking for their reasons of saying such things to me. I became Littlefinger and showed my middle finger to my fears. The only fear or rather image that stuck with me was of the aforementioned ass.
But when I came over this hindrance of irrational fear, which is so deeply rooted in our society, I realized that people do not make informed choices. I mean they do when it comes to purchasing a car or going to some salon but in case of news, they believe whatever comes to them first.
The period I was referring to was before the time when these colony gossips and collective stupidity became a national thing. After the late-dawn of the internet, WhatsApp knocked down the collective conscience of our great humble nation.
Now we are in an era where the “fake news” has been named the word of the year. Favoritism has become a part of the propaganda. And the universal adult suffrage is turned into universal propaganda consumerism.
Matlab, Is it ethical for them to do so is a question for some other day. For now, we will have to become cautious about the news that we consume. We’ll have to become vigilant and not like my social science teacher, it’s not cool to put your ass on other’s face. And in the same way, it is not cool to consume only those facts that you pertain to. It is also important to know the other side of the story.
Or as smart people have said, don’t react but respond.
“Long distance was, and is, a terrible idea… a really terrible idea” – Ted Mosby.
I don’t understand relationships though I’m fifty percent of my relationship since last eight and half years. I get it, I mean; I get the point that when you like being with someone then you’ve to be with that person rather than to be elsewhere.
As a part of a country, where opportunities to work and grow are concentrated in very few areas and from where habitable zones are miles away, how are you supposed to make the work-life balance?
Thanks to Globalization and liberalization that footloose industries came and provided opportunities for people to be around those they love but still the problems of long-distance relationship persist.
But what if destiny keeps throwing you on a completely different path?
See, Growth is not the issue but growing apart is. Being a millennial I have seen many parents, including mine, living apart to provide for the family and for our education but I have also witnessed many of them falling apart or just simply being together for the sake of their children and, all time abused, society.
And also with the knock of liberalization, we have seen steep growth in the divorce rate. I don’t blame divorce, I mean, it’s better to live alone than to live together miserably.
But when it all boils down to living alone then why do people seek companionship?
I have this insane theory that in past one or two decades there has been an unending debate on individuality. Individuality is being advertised and sold and celebrated. There’s nothing wrong in seeking individuality but in this search, we have also lost the sense of inter-dependability and the feeling of belongingness because, hello, no one is talking about it except a generation which has an un-updated repository of knowledge and has irrational fears.
Alcohol and weed have been made a cool thing to have. Parties begin when the bottom of the glass is reached. And the spaces that people wanted earlier got converted into the zones in which the significant other for the time being cannot enter.
What can you do when you’re in the middle of relationship turmoil?
Well, with all the negativity that is hovering in and around our lives all we could do is to let the significant other be what he/she may want to be. Because what you’re scared of will come in front of you in one way or the other. All you could do is to be supportive, caring and forgiving. And if it is meant to be then the destiny will find a way to keep you together.
It started with a small peg with my elder cousin brother and went on to become a habit. I was in denial for so long that it is something that I do occasionally, but the truth was, I was habitual and it transformed me into a raging alcoholic.
When I say raging alcoholic that doesn’t mean that I ever created hindrances in others lives (Maybe at times) or it ever came in between my study plans or other important stuffs. But at one point I was so sure that I wouldn’t make through my life without it…
… And when I realized that I’m addicted to it, I decided to quit. Because nothing in this world can make sense when you’re high enough to not care about anything. Now I’m almost 3 years clean and super proud of the fact that alcohol does not control my plans.
Yesterday I shared a picture of scotch bottles and got an amazingly engaging response on whatsapp which made me wonder whether this proxy war that we are at with ourselves is making us all lose our true selves.
Alcohol brings no good time. But what it brings along with it is a burden. Burden of addiction. What people may argue is that it also brings freedom. Yes, it does bring freedom. Freedom to be carefree, freedom to enjoy yourself, but what it also brings along with it is an abuse of that freedom, either by yourself or by the person being carefree along with you.
What I can advise you guys is that try to enjoy this life, this freedom, in your senses. And if you are one of those who think that they can handle their drink because they drink responsibly then remember that your fun ends where someone else’s nose begins.
It’s your choice to pick your habits and interests, but remember that your choices can also make ripples of goodness in this world and lives of those who care about you.
How much time, or rather how many cups of chai are required to catch up with your machhas, is a very difficult question.
And no-one has come up with a sustainable answer for it. Sustainable because alcohol makes its pupil quite unsustainable.
Chatting over a chai in our country has changed governments. Eating pakodas might change it again. Well, effect of before-mentioned game of thrones on friendship is subject of research for some other day.
Today’s burning question still revolves around the required numbers of cup of chai in a group of friends especially when they are meeting after a decade.
I say N where N is the number of cups after which you’re high enough to make a plan to meet next and not high enough to regret it.
Last time when I meet these guys one of them was going through a breakup and got married last night with no regrets.
And if you’re still stuck on the fact that N is not a valid equation then FU and you’re smart enough to understand what’s FU… FIRST UNDERSTAND that numbers don’t matter when you want to have a good time.
Remember when Robert Langdon ran across the Vatican City to save the potential popes… Wait, that was Angels & Demons in Inferno he was exploring Dante’s hell or as I would like to call it – my social life.
As a kid, my sole archenemy was that piece of Parle-G biscuit which decided never to come out after the dip in holy tea and also that was later ruined by one Mr. Khurana using it as an innuendo for erectile dysfunction. I mean this Mr. Khurana could have his own problems and I have mine.
My archenemy, now, is this adulthood and his sidekicks are those people who come to remind me that I have grown up. I have. I mean the midriff which was once a hanger-on which I used to drape my clothes has grown up to become a balloon which enters a room before my face could. Hairs which romanced with air once are now found sleeping with the towel. Their life is going down the drain.
These are all good things. I mean these are just traits of the aging process. My irritation doesn’t sprout from this but from the fact that other fellow assholes are aging too… and few them like wine – they smell foul and when stirred they throw up(fuckers!)
They throw up advice and opinions with subtle advice. These fuckers have opinions about everything. And if they have to be believed then they and their relatives have undergone every existing circumstances possible in this world.
These group of individuals and their covalent come in all shapes, sizes and holier than thou lifestyle choices and react badly to sarcasm. Their choices of weapons are Religion, Social Norms, Parampara-Pratishta-Anushashan, and something that happened to someone else. All they seek is their retirement plans and your happiness.
What can you and I do to void this?
Umm, let me know if you have any solution or poison to give them.
Used my extra-ordinary talent to google this image again. Taken from PINTREST.
Movies, Newspapers, Social Media any platform available in Milky Way admits that ‘passion’ is the Buzzword of the decade.
Half of the people I meet these days want to follow their passion. And half the people I’m not meeting is also pouring these magical words into someone else’s ears that they want to be a unicorn and I’m thirty-nine percent sure that these people, might or might not in return, must be telling them to go for it.
I’m not a pessimist. I don’t see the glass half empty. Ji Nahi. Instead, I have got a quick response to the bullshit that people serve me.
First of all, everyone has a passion to be something “creative” only.
It started with the dream of being a bestselling author then Photographers took over then all of these were brought down by the standup comics of our nation. Call it digital convenience or Make in India; everyone suddenly got a platform to become a celebrity. And not to forget, our national dream of becoming a Bollywood star.
Yaar you can accuse me of being cynical but this passion is on the same footing as Make in India – Not properly guided.
To become a sportsman you need stamina, endurance, practice, determination but, if every guy from Indian crossroads have to be believed then, to become a Bollywood Star you need only two things Hair Gel & Gym, and maybe skin tight Ed Hardy t-shirts and if your surname reads ‘Kapoor’ then – KARAN JOHAR!
Likewise to become a business tycoon you need an idea, unemployment, and re-runs of TVF Pitchers.
I know. Till now you must have had a hundred arguments against the things that I have mentioned and I agree with all those arguments without any rebuttal.
And the reason that I’m not rebutting is that you if you suffer from any of the scenarios that I have mentioned then you’re never going to understand what’s coming next and the reason you won’t comprehend it is that you are full of shit. Shit served by the brands, stupid sitcoms, your friends who are half empty, and the achievers who never tell this world how much bullshit now they serve others by not telling real qualities that others must acquire to reach the position where THEY are.
You may question, what authority and qualities do I hold to say these things?
Two Words – Common Sense…
See you may dream or aspire to become anything from A for Astronaut to Z for Zoologist. We all need certain qualities to reach wherever we want.
Passion is nothing without business sense. You must possess business sense if you want to follow your “passion.” Your likeability factor must top the charts. Your sensibility must be smart enough in itself to know that when you’re being served with propaganda. And your courage must give strength to others and obviously – to yourself.
Enough rant for now… I shall return to shatter some glass and burst some bubbles.
Expanding The Horizons 