Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Treasured Memory- DeeptI aka ChippU


When I left Mumbai my friends gathered in numbers to bid me farewell. My college friends gave me what I love the most a diary and a card filled by everyone to wish me a prosperous life ahead. Gifts poured from office colleagues, family friends, school friends everywhere. But of all the soft toys, gifts, chocolates and wishes were expected, I knew Ashwin and Rocky did always give me softtoys, my classmates something to write with, close friends would come up with my favourite dress or book but of all one that I treasure the most was a surprise which came from Deepti, I call her Chippu because most of the time she is busy oiling her hair and roaming around the house in her oil tanked hair and giving instructions to me, how I should keep the house clean, how disastrous I’d be as a housewife!!(Her utmost concern), talking about her tension filled life, talking about things that we dislike and discussing about work, future, life and its philosophies.

She suddenly gave me a card out of no where and a yellow rose and hugged me tightly and tears filled our eyes but the truth is I rarely cry infront of Chippu, because I am her spirit of strength who did never fall, give up or backed out of any decision once affirmed and nonetheless always washed others tears than spilled her own. So how could I cry in her presence!!!

Finally when I read that letter sitting on my seat in the train tears couldn’t stop flowing from my eyes, it said,
“to the beautiful friend PooH J,
Dear pooja,
You have been the source of power and courage in times of sadness and disguise and source of happiness and cheerfulness in times of quietness always. Your stupid jokes and unstoppable lectures, I will miss them all.
Frankly and honestly in last three years you changed my thinking and perspective towards friendship.
Will miss your hand every time tears will come in my eyes, love you will miss you a lot. Keep in touch!
From, deepu (chippu)”

I cherish these words and will always do it(these words aint those which change with time), we both have seen life’s ups and downs together, days and nights spent discussing life and its various anecdotes, and my most adorable girl, I miss you a lot. I did never tell you what you mean to me or bid you goodbye because if I ever say bye to you then with whom will I share my feelings, my sorrows my happiness which I hide from the world.
My elder sister, my loveliest friend with whom life has been a Love-Hate relationship, fought, hugged, bitched, shared secrets done it all………..
Miss you , long for those humorous chats and crazy mimics and days when you would beat me during fights coz I could never reason prolifically …
With love,
PooH!!
puujdi-mojdi,
moti,
pooji!!!
SARKAR…..
Once again when I am reading this before hitting the save button, tears fill my eyes, but of course they wont fall as this is for U.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Uniqueness Of KoLkAtA~~~~

All my friends are filled with anxiety and inquisitivity about how I am able to adjust at Kolkata to add that I have lived in Mumbai city for last three years that is inclusive of the fact that I stayed where I’d dine three nights at McDonalds, rest two at Mafco Chinese corner and Sunday’s at my aunt’s place.
While my college friends were in kolkata they despised the city more than Mika as a singer but today in the evening while I was coming back from my uncle’s place I fell from the cycle rickshaw on which I was sitting as it was hit by another rickshaw and I realised there are some things which are so typical of Kolkata and you would never find them in Mumbai.

Cyclerickshaw- A carriage on which only two people can sit although with much discomfort and a lanky man or a boy would ride the cycle. A three tires rickshaw which doesn’t pollute air, the cheapest mode of travelling (you always have the chance of bargaining) and during rainy season they put a plastic sheet on top of the roof which has to be held by the traveller with his foot on it, the roof of the rickshaw during day times acts as sun protection and also the holder for the passenger. People who haven’t seen this kind of rickshaw can relate to the scene in Main Hoon Na where Shah Rukh Khan is riding a rickshaw to catch the mobs getting away in a Qualis!!

Auto rickshaw- Now my friends would ask me what is so surprising about an auto rickshaw, of course you won’t realise the fun unless you experience it. The auto rickshaw is the normal one but the abnormal part is 7 people sit on the rickshaw. Yes seven and the numbers can increase to 13 if kids are sitting. The driver seats two people beside him on the left hand side and one on the rear end that is the right hand side corner. As rickshaws don’t run by meter system fares sometimes vary according to the driver’s wish and if you don’t hop the rickshaw without coins (big notes like 50,100 can never be entertained) you would be thrown out.

3. Trees on Platforms: to save the trees from being cut down, platforms are designed in such a manner that the tree provides shade to the people and aligning to the tree trunk plastered cement seats are made where people sit with much relief. And you might not be shocked if you see boys riding there cycles on the platform. That is one of the most common scene here and you keep asking the question, “isn’t there any railway official?” no, ofcourse not half the times the RPF’s cycle are stationed aligning to a tree…see how helpful is that tree on a platform!!!

4. No firstclass compartment in Train- However rich or poor you might be, you have to compromise with the fact that Kolkata is a place ruled by the socialist thus there could be no differentiate between. No First class compartments for those who are willing to pay and only 2 ladies compartment which are filled with wild cats who just need to smell where the fight can begin.Man O man!!!the gate rule is the most important factor, the rule of standing on the gate is, there are selected people who come everyday and u cannot question them and incase you do you will be kicked( dignified version of what they actually do!!) out.

5. Buses- these blue coloured state run buses with yellow line imprinted as a scar on its body design, is the suicide machine!! Two conductors ride on a single bus, and deliver a ticket which 0.5 cm in width and 5 cm long, unique ticket as if it was a paper piece taken out from rough notebook although I could not dissect where they get it from!! The drivers rush so fast that one I was going to thwart off the bus..as it collided with another bus. These people are reckless driver who have a pressure to pick up more passengers and end up throwing those who are already inside the bus!!!

These five things I have noticed in proximity because I have been a victim of all these and if I introspect four unique things are about transport medium!!!

PS: Swarup, this one is specially for u!!!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Happy Birthday To Me!!

It was my birthday and I anticipated that my mother wanted to celebrate it with zest, although I lost my grandfather early this year I wasn’t sure of celebrating it, even my family members (my so called relatives) aren’t so happy with me turning mature and older day by day as that means I would understand there tricks which they are manoeuvring for years for gaining a small piece of property which my dad and grandpa built. Thus I decided to celebrate it away with a few close family friends, thus the venue was fixed at my dad’s best friends house where he and his nuclear family was present and my mama-jomma arrived later and me and my parents consisted the entire guest list.
Total Guest(including me): 8
Then I was asked to cut the cake with 20 candles alighting atop my cake which frightened me because I am growing older. Voila..i cut the beautiful chocolate cake and then ate the biggest piece myself… then we sat for the dinner. Chicken biryani (PETA supportives don’t read this!!), fish cutlet follwed by sweet and ice cream. Then my uncle and dad asked whether the birthday celebration they did put up at the short interval was good, was I happy?
MY INTROSPECTION: I was happy for the reason that I was celebrating with my parents’ close knit family friends. These two friends of my dad my uncle and mamu, they are friends for more than 24 years which is commendable in every manner. In the contemporary society it is very rare that we can maintain friendships for such a long time. It’s rare but still this three friends share such a wonderful equation with each other. They scold each other, laugh together and also in need stand by each other. And more than that these friends had been able to make there wives close friends of each other and to add the children also follow this same norm. but there is a distance between us me and my sis(mama’s daughter) we love each other a lot but surely a distance of eight years is inevitable in our relationship. Amit (uncle’s son) he feels proud of the fact he doesn’t mingle with girls!! So this is the present generation …standing far from each other. It really disappoints me when I introspect the present generation which is so time bound and mean, we don’t befriend someone for happiness we befriend to get our work done. Today there is dearth of friends but ofcourse hundreds of acquaintances are present who surround our daily life and sometimes we fool us by thinking that’s what life is all about today. But if I insist ourselves to think about the school days we would gladly say we had such great friends, then college days where we gain friends of lifetime and office where with every passing job the numerousness increases with less profoundness.
Life for some is short for some its long but we should try and look at the beautiful things, maintain relationships and be happy about it because only when we lose someone who was close to us then we realise the proximity. So be happy and grow older wisely!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Aeka Hata.....

Jiboner proti muhurto ta jano jachey ketey,
Hashi chada kanna chada krodh chada
Kintu tao ami khushi noi, dukhi noi, regey nei
Jiboner amon pathey dariye achi jekhan thekey
Na agey kichu dekhtey pai na pichoney ferar path chaitey payi
Matir putul pathorey thokle ja shesh paye
Shei shesh key alingan korar protikha korchi
Aka etota path heteychi ageo aekai hatbo
Mor moner katha jey keu na bojhey sheta kakey bojhai
Jiboner dhara ato tejey boichey jey amar daranor pal nei
Kheye ta jamon akla jole bhashey, ami bhashi manusher bhidey
Hayto dubbo na, kintu ami jey bachchio na!!!
Key bujhbey amar katha…..haway boyejay manusher bhabona
Jaley dub deye amader monobachona
Agni tey bhashm hai manusher chita
Kintu prann thakleo manush jey thakey akela!!!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Mobile N Home

One fine morning I got up and affirmed my decision to shift kolkata to be precise Ichapur, a small town in the outskirts of the city which is now a days been seen as one of the destinations for growing telecom services as the autorickshawalla to the guy selling Puchka “junk food” on the street corner everyone is a proud owner of a Tata Indicom handset which surely has the free 2 year talktime scheme and I really wonder what would happen when these customers would reach the deadline I have seen many a people who have only one rupee in there cell but it’s the scheme which is letting them talk to there girlfriends/boyfriends, friends, siblings, cousins and all the other networking individuals. What essentially was seen as a mode of communication has outgrown to be a mode of time pass. People suffer from diseases like ringxiety, a type of anxiety where an individual thinks that his cello phone is ringing whereas it doesn’t even blink its various colours. When I read the article on ringxiety I realised I am one of the victims of this new found disease. When one passes by the main street or lanes small shops adorn the posters of Tata Indicom, Reliance, Spice, Hutch and Airtel boxes, cartons, glass shields even the lamppost is not spared from the posters. The propinquity of the dealer with his customers is also noteworthy, the dealer tries to sell the network which gives him the maximum profit (usual selling method) but the way he sells it is something to lookout for, he would present such beautiful excuses that even you will start thinking about the consequences in case you don’t purchase that scheme (even in your heart you know he is trying to cheat you somewhere!!) and then the consumer ends up buying what the dealer had spoken; the memorised virtues of the scheme and there the customer goes happily boasting about the offer he validated and the dealer laughs how playfully he fooled another god damn fool!!
I wonder what would be the repercussions when these people who flaunt these gadgets would see the day when they would need to pay for the services? As town like Ichapur would be flooded with handsets which would not work with normal simcards and also they are financially not stable that they could pay for each recharges.
This situation supports another aspect of life which I am gravely concerned about- building homes for the future than as need of the hour. The constructions that meddle up in the midst of any empty space is startling, people don’t protest and the builder in these towns aren’t architects who design buildings, the contractors design and operate the structures which fetch them a huge amount of money and perhaps the buyers also know inside there unspoken heart that these buildings would fade there colours in next three years, the corners would rake rain water by the first monsoon and fungus would playfully feature itself as part of the interiors and to add the falling distemper. The burgeoning need is of understanding that building a structures costs money even more energy and emission of GHG’s (green house gases) which in turn combines to aggravate the climate change circle. Once a small contractor pin pointed me that he builds small buildings and apartments and it doesn’t add much but he forgot that as the population is exploding in India and there are lakhs of contractors and small time builders like him and thousands of big realtors who are constructing beautiful figures without considering any parameters. The building costs of these constructions might be higher but if seen they turn out to be only the initial investments and the maintenance cost is way less than what buyers end up paying. Architects like Laurie Baker, Dr.B.V.Doshi who have spent there life practising wonderful local architecture with global norms have exemplary art in there pockets which others feel difficult to manoeuvre.

MY INSPECTION:
Think for the future (years to come) than for the immediate present and future because money doesn’t come easily it has been earned by wiping our own sweat then why put it in those sources which would not yield results and of course the need of the hour is to GO GREEN!! So tell your architect you want a green building and manifold those happier times in your kitty!!!! Cheers!

Hastey hastey kat jay raste...

When I started my journey from Mumbai to Kolkata by Jnaneshwari Super Deluxe passenger train (Spelled Gyaneshwari) I was filled with joy, sorrow, hope, anxiety and various other emotions clogging my brain and I was sifting through the pages of The Kite Runner ready to read for the second time while answering the queries put forth by fellow passenger who happened to be a lady of 84 years travelling all alone. The other co-passenger were a bunch of Marwari ladies belonging to the same family going Kolkata for three days to shop for the upcoming wedding in there family. An entire compartment filled with ladies and it doesn’t take much time for me to start a conversation.
After the series of introduction I realised that every individual on this earth is disappointed with there own strata and the age old proverb stands true,” the grass is always greener on the other side of the road”.
Those Marwari girls were unhappy because they are not allowed to work or study, they have the mighty freedom to shop anywhere and anything at any amount but they are not provided with the opportunity to work and earn there own moolah. It was quite a knowledgeable discussion where I came to know about other coveted community of Marwari’s, about Agarwal’s where dowry is demanded before hand and if the bride’s family doesn’t fit the standard then they are not allowed to bring there Rishta (proposal) to the boy’s house. While listening to these stories the old aunty who was sitting across the table on the other seat said “I am more than 80 years old!” and everyone stunningly looked at her…an old lady with withered body, mix of grey and white hair, stout face and talking like a teenager excitedly tells the five marwari girls “why don’t you rebel?” I was looking at her face with enthusiasm as she narrated her story.
She lost her father at a very young age and being the oldest she had the responsibility of the entire household and her mother couldn’t materialise her wedding ceremony and finally she completed her studies Bachelor in Arts with English Majors (wonder 65 years ago!!) and then she started teaching after her retirement now she stays with her elder sister taking care of all her siblings and she had come Mumbai with her younger brother to drop him at his son’s place as he is unwell who is 60 years old. I was wondering how she manages to be so strong at this age and to note that at two stations her relatives came with food and gifts to meet her.She has lead a life which she never desired for yet she is contended and I looked at my seat where we all youngsters were sitting and complaining about our situations, where on one hand I have a job and was wishing if I could shop till I drop but I was bound by financial constraints and the other girls who had money everywhere but they wanted to earn and stand on there own. Of course I had the privilege of having my own identity and I adore that more than anything but this trip had been one of those where I could see three different perspectives and all three agreeing at a point which said “with time we need to change” because change is the need of the hour. Progress is good but not at the cost of defying our culture and heritage but today it is important that every individual needs to earn as there is no guarantee of anyone’s future as I came to know that if you live life of a Marwari widow you live the life of a caged women crying, wearing blue sari and they are not allowed to be a part of the societal obligations.
To spice up the conversation there came a girl who self volunteered and told that she is a Bengali model and Tv actress and was fagging at the door and chitchatting with the vendors and we all were wondering how low one can get to grab attention and then we realised that at the end of the second day the entire compartment had one purpose gossip about the female who was wearing a gogs(inside the AC compartment of the train at night!!), dangerously low waist cotton pants and t-shirt which I guess was bought when she had been a small kid!! Ahh..she was the lone piece who was talked I would say bitched and gossiped about till the train reached Howrah station where we all bid goodbye without offering our bye’s to each other but silently we all know that people whom we meet on a journey are like the footprints on a seashore, when the wave comes it takes away the imprint on the sand with its flow and with time our human mind forgets the conversations which we have during the journey, thus I thought of scribbling and keeping a note of a wonderful discussion that I had!!!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Ekdum Rapchik Ishtyled Log ~~ERIL

ERIL-----
After my board exams when all my freinds were busy shopping for the college tour i was hanging around at Pheonix mills and suddenly i got a call from some lady called Garima Rastogi,who wanted me to come down for an interview and i asked where is her office ,she said Marine Lines i thought its near by then why not just check it out...and then i landed up at ERIL and joviantly gave my interview to her and then she took me to the editor and after a tedious one hour interview the editor said, would you join us..i said"ok!!"
today its been four months i am part of this organisation where the most chilled out people come to work every morning and make it a norm to be happy the whole day. the editorial team is never silent when its working time people do it seriously and when its the time to let your hair loose who better than us.
now lemme describe the entire ed team who are now a daily routine of my life even if i am not in office i hav a talk with them everyday:

1. Raksha aka rakku baby: the most beautiful girl in the ed room, she might not have the educational qualifications but i challenge anyone that when it comes to gathering information noone can beat her!! very soft at heart and yes my Rakku baby is also the owner of oil factory as her tiffin leaks the maximum oil everyday...she is the precious oil girl!!!

2.Suchitra aka suchi/suchu: the Admin girl of the ed team...from tenders to admin she handles them perfectly. very dedicated and precise when it comes to work and the only person who understands my problems regarding cheques-notepads-tissues..don't u suchi?
The above dignified two individual happen to be my best friends since i hav joined office , life has become easier and yes i always feel great when you both laugh on those silly jokes which i crack when we are together, will miss those night outs, dancing at the disc, Partner and ofcourse marine drive wd chana chor garamm!!!

3. Architecture Update Team-My Team
Manju ma'm: the very first day she told me not to call her mam but manju!! but i can never imagine me calling her manju coz she is my teacher..how i hate her when she chops and operates my article at times but ofcourse thats the best way to learn. a person who always makes sure that i am well, i do my work on time, how to edit, report and which matters to be taken care of-i wished her Happy teachers day..because yes she is my teacher..and there is lot more to learn from her, this is just the begining..and i appreciate her how she carries the entire paper on her back , she does have the strongest shoulders in the entire team.

Renu mam: i dont know but we reach the same sites at the same moment, reach same people at the same time, call same people for same work ..it might not betelepathy but i have always observed that she is always one step aheadof me and how i love it because that gives me the kick to do something different. intelligent and still a child from heart!

Anoder bunch of Friends:

4.Tasneem aka Gola: people call her tassu or Motorwala but i call her Gola, infact we both call each other Gola.if there is any sale or shopping to be done you just need to visit her because she already has all the details. Books to websites, movies to career , shopping to travelogue she has all the information stored in her brain kit and yes if it is someone's birthday in the office she is our World Bank who collects money not by requesting but by haftagiri[;)]u simply rock and i love it the way u give me suggestions on that MSword format!!!

5.Poonam: A very good friend who is now a days alighted in her own world but yes she has good knowledge and always there to guide you and help you all the time.

6.Sandeep aka sandy: he comes office at 9am and leaves exactly at six coz he cant go without his bandra local and he is nowadays busy going gymming....one of those friends whom i respect a lot because of his knowledge, wisdom, caring nature and he knows how to deal with every individual. he is always ready to ask us to finish his dabba..and we always promise him that we would call up his mom and ask her to stop giving him tiffin[;)]

7.Shripad Sir aka Shree sir: we sit on the same desk, man with experience and knowledge and the kid of all, i quote him simply the BEST.

8. Harish sir aka HR: he is not aware that i have christened him with the tag of HR not because of his initials but he actualy handles the entire editorial as the human resource organiser. he is silent and yet chirpy, he always nods his head when some one says bye but yes when it comes to me he is compelled to say a big goodbye cheerfully coz otherwise i will make a small face and leave and when he blasts people need to run and find place and hide and i am waiting for my turn[:(]

and there are other people like Preeti mam(very sweet), Madhu(the oldest reporter wid experience), Shalini(my college senior)
and there are two people whom i know Mehboob and Kishore who comprise the marketing team.
Kishore: when quered how is he, he would always reply "same as before" thats why i believe he wears dose same coloured shirts(white n grey ) all the time... and for Mehboob i don undderstand why he needs to wear a red tie all the time?[:0] but they both r very well behaved people!!! ;)
anyways dis are my great office colleagues who have tolerated the most lazy girl everyday wid a cheerful smile and hearty wishes..i hope the path that i have trodden shouldnt take me much far from these people...you guys ROCk!!!!!!I wish You all Besta Luck :)

Sunday, July 29, 2007

My Angel...

You came as an angel and changed my life
You gave me a reason to smile and survive.
You came for my rescue when I was all alone
Sitting by the shore of loneliness and sorrow
You loved me and accelerated my strength
You held me tight without any questions
I will always cherish these memories
Till the end of my life.
I don’t know whether you are in love or not
But my heart will always wait for you.
You are my reason to dream
To hope for the sky and fly high without any worry
Because I know whenever I will fall you will be their to hold me tight
You will be there sitting by my side holding my hand
Saying “I’m there”
And that’s what keeps me going even through the toughest times.
The smile on my face is a gift of yours
I just wish if you could be mine, you are my angel
My guiding star, I love you and that’s all do I know
I want to be with you till the end that’s all I know.


I was cleaning my disc space and suddenly saw this poem which i had written for someone whom i loved very dearly. I used to wonder how one can fall in love while chatting online...my journey was also same..first on orkut then yahoo messenger then fonecalls follwed by meetings, movies and lots of movies then finally the day before i bid adieu i was dancing with him in a disc(My first Disc Experience...)!!!
Life is strange and out of nowhere you meet people who become your close confidants and then somewhere we lose them. its like the more we try to close our palms filled with sand the more it falls out, the more we become possesive and fall head over heels for someone the more outbursting the individual becomes. May be its for the better that we said goodbye to each other but yes when sometimes i do those similar things which we did together..studying, watching movies and other stuff, we tend to become nostalgic. some memories are well forgotten and some give us pains but may be i treat life in a different manner because i cherish the good memories of my life...people say love is blind and i had become blind..but now with eyes wide open..when i look back i can't stop laughing at myself and say, "Oh S**t! it was me!! Pooja Sarkar!![:0]..who did that?"hehe[:)]
Life moves on and it is better that we move but not with angst or pain, irrtation or frustration but with forgiveness(even if the person is not seeking!!) and happiness. Abhoring the idea of degrading the person, cherish the good memories and yes then life surely stands tall.
life is all about burgeoning enthusiatically in a positive manner and i am glad i didnt fall back not even for a day!!!
Moral of the story: Love yourself then only would someone love you, nobody can put a smile on ur face only YOU can if you want and yes dont hold anyone because memories can be stacked in our conscience but not human beings[:)]....and live life as nobody is going to hold you bcoz if then someone holds you it feels great!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Mumbai Moments:Rail Tale

Mumbai's Lifeline:Railways
Passengers Fun Quotient: Daily Shows(Fights..hehehe)

From a far flung place like Khopoli to Panvel to kasara to Bhayander, railways' reach is diverse yet it takes people from one destination to other succesfully.
I have been travelling in a local train to go to junior college, then degree college and now to office. As the destinations for my colleges strecthed its limits my journeys also became longer. From a town called Ambarnath toVidyaVihar to MarineLines the travel never seemed to be easier but these locals tried to make it possible for me to reach my destinations.
Four years back the trains were not as crowded as they are today and people were not so insane as they have become.
everyday when i travel i can see a "daily show"- what i mean by a daily show is the fight between two ladies(and the onlookers passing their utmost important comments on who was correct!!) for either hanging on the door(most dangerous stunt performed by ladies where five female try to stand on the footboard which is not also five inches wide to keep their feet firmly)
or to get inside the train when a few so called gatekeepers try to stop people from entering the train. Even if the train is not crowded inside they make the bystanders at station feel that the train is overcrowded.

Their are some who start a fight because the girl standing infront of her face has long beautiful/ shiny/oily/dandruf-filled hair which trickles the face who are standingbehined her and makes them feel yucks(i hav also fought in this category).
then their would be some to fight for the fourth seat. Ahha! this is the best one as every passenger loves to comment on this highly debated issue.where, if a fatty person is sitting then the women beside her woud say to the one who is trying to grab the 4th seat, " see can u see any place?tumala jagah kuthey denar?( where do i give u da place)" and then the one who has been standing for more than 20minutes will bomb and say," shift, shift..hamko bhi baithneka hai(even we want to sit)" and there it goes....the big indian female horrible jhagda(Fight) challenge and unless one of the fighter's station arrives the fight will go on and on and on and even if you are a bystander trying to listen to 'Indino' by Pritam on your FM you will be highly disappointed as they would surely include you in the conversation..and u keep on saying only one thing "ata bas jhala!!!( its it now stop it!!!) or "janey do rahney do"(leave it/ forget it) but who forgets whom is the biggest question coz u don't forget neither do you forgive....
the last category which i love to see fight everyday is the one who would stand on the door and block the way even if they dont wish to get down and when you shout at them they will simply ignore you and you feel like pulling off all her hair from her head and say"You Bitch" but ofcourse by the time you pronounce the words you are all away in the crowd running towards your destination to catch another train or get a taxi to your office.
every day in Mumbai a passenger commutes for a minimum 15minutes to maximum3 hours and these fun filled and horribly frustrating situations leads you to think why people are becoming inhumane day by day?why everybody wants to run ahead and lead than calmly stand behined and be a part?
Everyday 3 people die in a train accident?why?sometimes people hanging on the door pick up their call- is a call more important than a life?people hang on the door in flying positions as if he/she is a superwoman or spiderman..i mean why people want to catch the FIRST AVAILABLE train by endangering their life?even i have done this but still i am searching the reason why?Logically if i fall then the urge to reach on time and be punctual doesnt hold any value because u wont be their any more to face the situation, then why not take life a bit easily and treat it with love and respect. Respect Life because thats wat gives us the ability and strength to move on..so why not treat life as we treat our closed ones?why not open our eyes and become mature citizens than hovering around like criminals trying to out do eachother...WHY???????yes railways is at fault because with every year population is increasing but why can't we travellers try to make it an easy journey than a cranky one where unless you blow out the inner frustration you dont feel happy?i need the answer WHY?can anyone be able to provide it?

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

LoSt NeW MoBiLe

Yesterday i lost my new mobile which my father gifted me after a long discussion where i was able to convince baba that i am responsible enough to carry a high-end mobile costing ten thousand rupees. For some people around me ten grants is not a big amount but for me it really is. I am not disappointed by the fact that i lost a mobile which i had dreamt of since i joined BMM. as all my friends always carried heavy high end mobiles and i used to wander around carrying a cute, lowpriced mobile. but i am disappointed by the fact that it was a gift my dad gave me . It was put on my lap because he is proud of me, it was the most expensive gift i ever recieved from my parents. they had acknowledged my efforts, the hardships that i braved to be here and stand on my own feet, to be independent without falling on anyone, to grab a job without depending on any contacts. It was a moment where a mother spent one hour browsing through all the fones available in the store so that she can purchase the best one for her daughter. I was so excited about my cel that i spent hours searching for the best caller tones, uploading songs, standing at Ghatkopar station to click fotographs of tracks submerging in the rains, standing in ankle-length deep water to click the eaten-sweetcorn flowing in the speedy waterflow of Ghatkopar west, a cell which drenched itself when i was on bike and it was raining cats an dogs, it has pics of my family...some beautiful moments which i wanted to savour in my pc. It had pics of my frens who desperately wanted those "Sahi" pics on orkut display, and finally the cellphone had all my contact numbers which i will never be able to retrieve.
It was just a mobile but its value not monetarily but moment's(tarily) is invaluable. when i told my parents about the incident meekishly; my dad said, "don't worry ..give me 4-5 months i will buy you the same one...bcoz your mom told me how much excited you were about that cel. dont worry..."
i have never cried for materialistic things but losing possesion of this cel brought tears in my eyes..not because it was a costly gift,for the fact that it was a gift which my dad gave which was his bonus which could have been otherwise utilised well in the savings.
A stupid demand was fulfilled only to bring a smile on my face and i couldnt take care of it.it was not even a week old and its gone...today i bought another mobile..from my first salary and the satisfaction which i have i can't express atleast after this sad incidence i didn have to go to my parents and ask for something....M proud of the fact that i have such supportive parents but m sad about the fact that they have such an irresponsible daughter....who when tries hard to treasure something always loses it somewhere....unexpectedly

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Books...OuR BeSt FrIeNdS....

"Happiness and Success cannot be pursued. It must ensue!"-Robin Sharma
when i read The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari for the first time i closed the book halfway because even before i could complete the first page i used to fall asleep as i used to find his theories to be dumb...fake...their are no sages of Sivanna...Noone can look young after facing so much in life..and of course all his neanderthal era theories...
Few weeks back i faced some very unfotunate incidences from various counters which i wasn't prepared for. thus to rejuvenate myself i had gone to meet my friends and while travelling in the train i had this book in my jhola{journalist u see ;)} and i started reading it and the very same words which i felt to be not so encouraging in the contemporary society were sounding so metaphorically correct to be implemented in our lives that i messaged a quote to all my friends and not so friends that "when you start to condition your mind to translate every event into a positive and empowering one, you will stop being the prisoner of the past instead you will become the architect of your future"
Today while coming back from office i remembered a very beautiful quote that i had read years ago while reading "Chicken Soup for the mother's soul"...the mother tells her friend "i have never done anything wrong in my life..still i have remained poor and with less friends because i confined myself to my family..and today even they are far off...i know the reason why...i have observed that those who fare well in their exams from school to college always tend to do better in their lives......"
The way i dissected this story was people who do well in their exams of life are actually the ones who are prepared for it..they activate their senses and inner strength at the right time and push their positives to fight for the better..the same way we do in schools to get good scores...don't we?
Why i am i writing these quotes and anecdotes??? because i never liked reading but in last three years i have tried to fill the quota of not being an avid reader for 17years...and today these books have become my best friends!! these quotes they give me strength, encouragement to fight difficult situations..some imperative decisions are well taken by counting on our experience and the experience one attains by reading books is exemplary....i belive in what i said..Books are our best friends..and i hope they remain close to me always..even after having a tough and tiring day at office :)

Friday, June 1, 2007

Accident on a highway!!

Last week me and my buddy Raj went for a bike ride. It had been long time since we both had been on bike thus the moment Raj got the bike he came to pick me up for a ride and I was so excited to see the CBZ standing like a handsome hunk in front of my apartment that my dreams escalated to the top most slots of adventure and fun.
We both got stalled at the very first signal and I realized Raj is not wearing a helmet (A big No No for driving!!!!) and he is not having any license (the must factor!!) still we went ahead with the ride and here we were zooming ahead of other cars and bikes. Speeding at the speed of 120kmper hour, somewhere my heart was skipping what if we meet with an accident and Raj was in his own world cutting and speeding, trailing others behind, waving his hands at that extreme speed, for once I was sure today we are going to die!!! But then Raj slowed down and we were returning back after all we had a great ride then a Guy (like the villain of a movie “The Badman”) who was riding a Karizma came and started provoking Raj (“The Baldman”) for a race and thus my short tempered driver fell into his trap and again we were racing with this badman who was sporting a dark black goggles at 10.30pm which was quite surprising though!! The kala chasmawala was actually dressed like the villain and here I was praying my stars to save us from this situation because till then I had realized that things are not going good and this badman is up to some mischief, I shouted more than ten times “Raj, aram sey, Raj mat…he is doing it deliberately, don’t don’t don’t”
But can a guy ever listen to a girl? it surely hurts the male ego to listen to a female and the next moment the Karizma guy gave us a signal to move ahead and then the self obsessed hero -Raj took a pick up at the speed of 90km per hour and the goon who thought he was too smart to outsmart us tried to cut our bike and on the left hand side to us was a truck speeding at the same speed as ours and an auto on the right hand side and in the midst were the two bikes and the moment the Blackie karizma guy tried to cut us he hit his bike on my right leg and lost control, he felt with his bike and rolled with the bike and the one who was sitting behind him had hurt himself very badly. On the other hand I fell from the bike and rolled for at least five times on the eastern express highway and Raj skit with the bike and while he was skitting the Karizma was also skitting exuding fire sparks which was coming on my face and as I was rolling I saw a black shield and I saw my Mom’s face as if I was bidding final adieu to her and I thought if even a single car comes from behind I would be dead as no one can save me but after rolling over when I was stable I stood and ran on the other side of the highway searching for Raj for I was sure that he must have hurt his right hand and leg and the moment I saw him I felt a relief, a kind of satisfaction which I may not be able to express in words it was like as if discovering an oasis after visioning sand as water in the scorching heat of desert.
The moment I came on the road side the main concern for both of was to get away from the situation because as stated above we didn’t have helmet, license or the bike papers and we saw the police van stationed a few meters ahead of us and we were sure that in case the police catches us we both would be spending our night at Jail doing “Harey Rama Harey Krishna” somehow we found a traveling couple who helped us out in starting the bike and we dashed home and the moment we came Deepti and Arco(two of my best friends) were all set to welcome us and I thought of the moment when I had left home they both had specifically told “Raj don’t ride too fast, Pooja don’t let him drive fast” and here we were both coming after an accident, then came the most hilarious part their was no antiseptic lotion or cream at home and the moment Arco tried to clean the bruises I shouted at the peak of my voice and then he left it (people are always frightened of me!!!) I did my own bandage but yes I was pampered to the hilt, no one has pampered me till date like that and I’m sure I will remember this experience till the end as it was my first Bike Accident that also on eastern Express highway from where people don’t return alive or at least not with such little bruises and scars, we both were lucky enough to be saved by God. It was sheer destiny which saved us otherwise devil had already put his hand on our necks and before he could clutch it the angel came and took us away. That day I realized for the first time that “we shouldn’t always do those things which makes us happy” because they might be a reason for someone else’s sorrow and unhappiness. But yes I loved that ride I had never experienced such adventure on bike before….hope to go for a safe ride next time when I recover from my bruises and I’m sure this time we will definitely defeat the Badman!!! At last the last laugh would be mine!!

Monday, April 2, 2007

finally back to blogging...NOTES

Finally after one month my blogger has opened and i am glad to scribble everything that has been inside me for this long. University exams are approaching from 9 th April and i am yet to begin some of the subjects. while each semester comes and goes the only thing that takes the centrestage while exams come are "NOTES". students xerox notes worth hundreds of rupees and the xeroxwalas have a tough time xeroxing hundreds of copies, its the perfect time for them to rake everything possible from the students.
while discussing on this notes topic one of my friend suggested the funda of Socialistic economy and Capitilistic economy. now one might wonder how come these political terms are viable regarding notes. let me explain, the student who gives away all his/her notes to other classmates become socialistic economy and those who are always busy collecting notes and always replying others "oh yaa!!you got those notes..i didn get yaa..can u giv me dose ones..." even if he has those notes he will never accept he has them.
another major factor is groupism, if BMM has taught me anything then it is to stay away from groupism but somewhere down the lane even i had become a goupy girl but i am happy i am out of that phase. students would provide notes only to the people of their group.
It actually makes me wonder sometimes that what will happen if people share their notes with others, not giving a copy to another classmate for studies -does it really help? doesnt it strike the conscience of that individual of being selfish? what will one do with hundred pages of notes which the person will rarely remember while writing the papers during those two hours...yes some people do have the reason to justify for not giving the notes -"he didnt give me in the last sem so why should i? "
"why should i give my notes i searched them"
this makes me think where we are heading..we dont want to help people ..in BMM atleast marks dont matter still like small school kids we cry over notes and the allied affects of not getting notes, bitching about people who didnt give them and thanking God for getting some.
we have become so self-centric that we dont realise that we have forgotten some old morals of life that our parents ans teachers taught us when we were small kids- share and give. sharing is the best way to help someone and also a form of self- help. this trend is going to continue someone will remain widout notes and some with cupboard filled with bundles of xeroxes and we will only get to listen while standing in front of the xerox center...
" terey paas notes hai kya? "
"no reyy!!!"

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

shapnoer badhonto chedechi...

shapno dekhechi akashey odar
shapner shimanto badhini
shapneyer kane bollam jashne chedey amay
kintu shapno toh ghumer shangey tal diye chale
oki aar shakal holey shango daiy...
shapno tai aar dekhina...
shapneyer chahida nei kintu achey mone aek lakshya
matha tule hattey chai khola akasher nichey
hastey chai , ghuretey chai , kheltey chai
unmadito hoye aei prithibitey
ektu asha ektu bhalobasha
jiboney aer beshi na cheychi na chai kintu
aaj chedey shapner badhonto
jibon key nischoi khujtey chai!!

Valentines Day...celebration of love or money...

clock struck 12 and there enters message on my roomies cell...and here i go "valentines day message?" she nods!!
today valentines day is more about buying expensive gifts, boasting about oneself expressing how many gifts and accessories one gets on this day.i dont think people even bother to enquuire why valentines day started what it is all about but yes people do have the time to sit and think what gift one should grab for the loved one. for some it is the day of expresion of love, for singeltons like me its the day to sleep and laze around and for some it is yet another day to rush to office and say"what's so special?" and for some political parties it is the perfect day to make mockery of themselves.
there are people who think valentines day is the day of celebration of love by gifting expensive gifts i ask..where have the emotions gone?is only 14th february the day when you come and tell your partner how much you love them or how important they are for you.isgifting expensive things is celebration of love?i choose to differ because i think love is an emotion which you feel for someone it is not bound by time or gifts, it is bound by emotions which is always present in our heart. love is not a one day celebration it is a celebration of each and every moment which you cherish all the time. you are in love when at the end of the day you thank God and say" thank you for sending him" , love is when after a hard day's work you smile and hug that person and giving him a chance to relax and it is the assuarance that yes "i love you and i am always their for you" this is love according to me. its not monetary element its the smile that matters, its not the bouqet of roses its the clutched fingers and security that matters, its not a soft toy or perfume but a hug that gives more satisfaction.its not an exotic date but a long walk holding each other that matters.
Love is not loss of valuable energy but an expression of joy, happiness, security,care, affection and above all a wonderful feeling which eyes express more than words..and as St.valentine got the two wonderfull souls married i wish everyone falls in love and able to understand that however tough life may be its love that soothes our soul....Happy Valentines Day...

Mumbai University's International Film Festival

As part of Mumbai University's sesquecentennial year celebrations it joined hands with the Films Division and came up with an innovative idea of International Film Festival. The festival was held at 6venues of which one was Somaiya college(my college!!) and was highly appreciated by the students community. The major audience for this fest was the BMM(Bachelor of Mass Media) community and we bmmittes appreciate the university's move. for the first time the students got the chance to watch some excellent parallel cinema including documentaries , biographies and short films. some movies were excellent and some were too boring but then the combination of cinema was applaudable.
the movies that i liked :

1.The Little Terrorist directed by Ashvin Kumar
The story is set near the Indo-Pak border, it talks about human emotions, cultural differences, prejudices ,and the dogmatic values that we still believe in, differences between a hindu and a mouslem. i loved the last scene because when the young boy finaly crosses the Indian border and reaches home(Pakistan) his hair is shaved and his mother starts beating him and he starts laughing , that young boy's laughter talks so much that even words would have fallen short if that scene had to be expressed in some other way.

2.Riding solo to the top of the world by gaurav Jani
The major attraction of this movie was its camera work and adventurous story line. the added attraction which realy interested me was the fact that the movie was shot by himself while he was on screen. the way he has shot the scenes is excellent. to tell the truth i really dont believe that this kind of work can be done by anyone because it was simply awesome. the camera angles were so good that the character was never out of screen , no mistake in taking the shots , wonderfully shot movie and his way of explaining his journey was simple yet touching.it was a bit too lengthy but then nobody complains when one is watching some excellent work.

3.the animated movies like The Thinker, The Balloon, You Said It and Raju and I stole the show. the concepts were well executed and Raju and i used some new techniques and the way the story ends makes it more commendable.

4.Vietnam Symphony by Tom Zubrycki
This documentary uses archival clips which are rare and the story is absolutely different. how music healed people during times of war, their courage, willingness to spread happiness and provide strength to others is appreaciable. the Hanoui house's present condition and the people who survived to tell the tale is simply touching. a marvelous work which raises the bar of documentary makers!!

5.Mallika Sarabhai a biography by Arunaraje Patil.
Personally this one i loved the most , the biography focuses on her personal and professional commitments and how she handles everything so beautifully, her perceptions and mottos. a film which makes you think once about how people can differ with the choices that they make!!!

6.The black road :On the Front Lines of Ache's War by William Nessen
This documentary was shot in two parts first in 1999 then in 2001during tsunami. Aches is a small island which is a part of Indonesia whereas Ache's people want complete independence. this documentary has been a phenomenal help to solve the indonesian and Ache's issue because during the first peace meet William was also invited to be a part of this move , as freelance journalist his approach towards this issue is unbiased and yet it clearly shows the atrocities of GAM people and the Indonesian forces. excellent job by the director.

7.Zero degrees of separation by Elle Flanders
a documentary shot in Palestine, the story has two narrators, walking in two different lines in the same place. one for stopping the atrocities of israeli forces on palestenian people and the other seeking freedom not from any dictator but freedom from the clutches laid by the government. the right to live and express herself.wonderfully shot this documantary uses the maximum amount of symbolism than any other movie that i saw. the metaphors are so well skecthed that it makes us think what movie making is all about.

8. Satyajit Ray by Shyam Benegal (cinematogaphy by Govind Nihalani)
Satyajit Ray's biography is every movie makers delight. the shortlisted clips from his movies were good and the way Ray was explaining the shots, his camera work and sound effect was like icing on the cake. his way of capturing a scene and the delicateness of music and silence was simply superb.must watch for an amteur film maker.

I have not given the story details but only an overview of what i liked in these movies because if i narrate the stories then the charm will be lost if you hapen to see these movies. the movies are excellent and their were some like Homi Bhabha :making of a scientist which were boring enough to make the audiences think "when can i leave the auditorium?"
the film festival gave me a new insight into the world of cinema, now when i watch movies its not only acting but yes i really look forward to many more aspects of movie making.i hope such festivals continue to happen and gives the students a chance to witness sensible and internationally acclaimed cinema.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

IRANIAN MOVIES ROCK!!!

Till date the only film fest that i have attended are the college film fests...showcasing the amatuer talents but for the first time i had been to an iranian film festival. when i heard about the screenings i was skeptical but once the movies began ...god!!i dont have words to express my joy. such wonderful cinema and Majid Majidi is "the" torch bearer of Iranian cinema.
the first movie that we saw was "colour of paradise" by Majid Majidi who has won numerous awards for this film. the story has two central charachters Mohammed Ramezani, a litle blind boy who stays at the city blind school as his father doesnt want him to stay with him. and the second lead is shared by his father, Hashem Ramezani who lives in the village with his mother and two daughters. the story is so beautifully sketched that anyone will fall in love with the movie. the beautiful locales , Mohammed's curiosity to touch and feel everything from water, wind ,his family members, his urge to study to excel is wonderfully outlined. the movie wins over asthe director is able to depict symbolism through all the major scenes , expressions talked more than words and for the first time i witnessed cinema as a craft, a directors piece of art and not just another movie but a movie that i will cherish until i get to see something like this!!the movie is amazingly wonderful and the end when situations run on a pessimestic note , it not only talks about our beliefs and thinking but it speaks volumes about the universatility of a film. 2 scenes which i loved the most:-
1.when Mohammed's grandmother dies, her last shot has her smiling on the bed and the very next moment the fog fills the sky and Mohammed is shown in that fog...and den Hashem is shown crying , it was brilliantly shot.
2. when Mohammed breaks down and let his emotions flow, the acting prowess by such a small kid with such intensity is tremendous.i bow and say i have never watched an excellent cinema like this till date.
a simple story , simple narration yet it touched the heart of all the viewers sitting in the auditorium.i just hope that these kind of movies are shown in colleges during the film festivals.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

HUMANITY EXISTS!!!!

hi,its been long time that i scribbled something. today i had been to frames, SIES, nerul's film festival...i think it was much hyped but yes of course some movies were excellent and according to me these film fests provide an efficient platform to all the budding talents.
but this is not what i want to discuss.
Their is a boy called Raman Iyer , from KC college whose mother needs to be operated and it requires more than 5 lacs. it surely is a huge amount but today i saw how if young minds with enthusiasm and a motive to turn things take over the sitaution can bring unexpected results. as the message have crossed the KC college and now it is a mass movement. today from swami's, sies(nerul and sion), Khalsa, Somaiya every possible college is coming together to save a life. a life whom we rarely know but this gesture talks volumes about the unity of being a Bmmitte and moreover this incident makes us belief that still humanity exists. in the present times humanity , this word has lost its value and charm but i am glad to write that everyday i am watching how my dear friend Arco tries to channelise things, today when i met Priyanka Venu from KC , i really felt that their initiative is actually bringing results...when i listen to saransh and his ideas i feel that now somehow we all bmmites who are coming together for a cause will surely win over all odds and their are so many other people who are coming forward whom i dont even know... today it was less of a film affair for me than a humanity's call.
i hope and pray that the money required sums up soon and all those who are reading this- if possible please come forward and donate. any amount is acceptable, please come forth and help us save a life, a life is a God's gift why not save it to give a smile to a son ..why not come together and give a smile to Raman's face?
their is a ray of hope and i request all my bmm friends to please come together and stand for a cause.

Monday, January 8, 2007

Thank you my friend..

when i was solitarily standing on the road,
you filled the void of a friend
you came as an angel and changed my world
changed my perspective changed my goals....
focus is what you taught me
with revere i look at you
u channelise optimism
and i gave away pessimism...
a sweet friend, a humble soul
thank you for being the wonderful support
peace is what you preach...
peace is what the world lacks but one thing it surely has
and thats you.....



Friday, January 5, 2007

the king of IRAQ- SADDAM

It was really a sad and damn incident to happen that a ruler who ruled all alone for more than 22 years saw such a gruesome death.a death he wouldnt have ever imagined in his entire life. when he was hanged all the video clips were aired on national television and the entire hanging was available on internet.
i was travelling when my mom called me up and gave this news and my first reaction was...."what? r u mad...how can thay air it?" and ma mom said u shut up u always dont need to poke your nose averywhere. but ma question remains the same is their anything pleasurable to watch some one dying? have our morals gone down so much that we are excitingly and happily watching a hanging going on... it was like when Khudiram Basu was hanged publicly people gathered and till date hez been regarded but in this case the one who died will not be regarded as the martyr but as the one who got his dues of life back.
according to me airing such clips are harmful after this incident a boy died enacting the same thing ..the media should be held responsible for airing such a thing. i understand how much TRP it gathered for them- a breaking news and what not but does any news can be showed without even thinking of its consequences...and the media is considered as gatekeepers,gatewatchers..but this incident has really upset me so much that i feel the media is so much into minting money that human values have lost its existence. i accept he has killed more than 200 shittyes but was that aired to garner public viewing ??? he died by saying its a "sacrifice" but i feel the entire thing was over hyped and over done..it was only an event markin the end of a life...a life which for some was untolerable to bear and for some a holy one.
for me he doesnt matter but yes the way his death came ;it comes as a question that - how a super power nation can make or break countries, its citizens,lives of people. in india people want to go to America for higher studies but only one question that strikes my head is that what is the future of this world its all depended on that super power and the ill logically performing media which is presenting whatever is being fed to them. its high time that the citizens journalism programme takes a high to stop this type of public showcase of undignified news.
a leader being hanged is definitely a news but making it public viewing is pathetic. i hope that the media does not go so down that the question of existence of media can come to play...

something stupid i wish to ask u....

life is not bed of roses yet its not bed of thorns too...in da last few weeks i feel i have grown up immensely ...understood the meaning of my own actions and became stronger to tackle the consequences of the same.
the stupid thing that i wish to tell to all of you...is that how can a person be optimist.....no m not telling it but asking ; can a person really be optimistic throughout all the situations. life all the time doesnt give good experiences and then their are times you tend to lose the battle...then wat do you do..give up or think it was just a phase and restart your life.....

i appreciate all thode writers who wrote about love,life its happiness and impact of all these emotions were so much in my heart that till i was in sybmm.... that i never felt giving up on anything..but today i stand at the midst of the road where i dont know what to do...what to give up or what not to..because i really dont see a direction, their is lots to do..but then i dont want to...because i feel the time has surpassed while i was happy in ma sweet little shell or should i say i was so busy making ma dream castle that i left out much part of the reality for later part of the life. now when i have woken up i think i have lost so much..... their is so much to see, learn and to do....now for this should i be depressed that i left out on so much or should i be happy dat better late than never..... i dont have the answer if i look from an optimists eye the second option is feasable that i have some thing left...but here i stand unknowingly which path to opt for...the pesimists road or the optimists path....