The 'plane' analogy

I was at the airport the other day for a long halt on the way to Mumbai. Long halts at the airports can be tiring and can test your patience. On the other hand, it almost seems like this mini-world where everything is going on smoothly without any hassles. It’s this perfect world which we always wish the outside world could be. There are restaurants, walkways, money exchanges, waiting rooms, internet services, medical services etc. Yet there are things which are distinctively different from the outside world though or may I say the absence of them. No separate homes, traffic, terror, pollution or ghettoization. Now is that a negative??
Sometimes I kind of get lost in this world as if everyone is living under one umbrella and is so content by this fact. Why couldn’t our world be like that? Everyone I could see around was hopeful of something. There is a lot of positivity around. Why can’t we replicate the same outside?
I saw a father waiting to see his daughter, a couple embarking on a journey for holidays, some people thrilled as it’s their first flight ever and not to mention mother’s tears when her son is leaving abroad for studies. I realized that hope and love is really what binds us all. The materialistic comfort and the sumptuousness don’t matter to us as long as we are close to our loved ones. We value the core principles of life more than anything else and are ready to face and grapple the exterior inhabitation with respect to this miniature world of luxuries. Cheers to humanity!
For the complete journey, I was in this surreal world I had imagined and was enjoying it. Suddenly there was this announcement that the flight had reached Mumbai. A lovely song started playing “Yeh Rishta kya kehlata hain……”. There it was, Mumbai beckoning. I felt an instant nostalgia and couldn’t resist rushing out and feeling the sense of belongingness to my mother country India. It’s always a great feeling to be back home. I also saw an advertisement caption showing “Welcome to the real world”.
I think the journey in a plane is like a journey in life. There are no stops in between. Only life and death or departure and arrival. The difference being that we are the pilots of our own plane of life. We have to judge the correct path which will lead us to a meaningful and safe journey. There will always be cloud of difficulties and turbulences every now and then. We must have the wings of high spirit to keep us aloft; the hidden wheels of wisdom which run on smooth runways of perseverance to ensure safe landing in every destination or milestone. The windows of opportunities can only show the world to us and then it is up to us whether to close the lid on them or just face it. Hard work and belief is the essential fuel to realize the speed and direction of success. There is no other substitute discovered yet. Sometimes we fly on high altitudes and sometimes low. But hey, it doesn’t matter, as long as we keep flying and in our heart we know that we will make it after enduring all the lightnings of hardships and challenges and there is no reason for us not to find out that SKY IS THE LIMIT.

Players' interview after the T20 world cup loss

After the T20 world cup debacle, the Indian players were interviewed for their poor showing. This is what they had to say for their self-defense.

Gautam Gambhir : (In a very “Gambhir mood”) Well it’s none of my fault . The kind of bouncers I faced; I never get to face in India. If they had pitched the ball up, I could have made runs but they didn’t. Gary Kirsten did not teach me how to play bouncers. He is a left hander himself. I can only play well with Sehwag as my partner. He guides me well. We have also spent endless times together lying on lawns in the sunshine adoring “Karbon mobiles” and cuddling each other.

Murali Vijay: (Perplexed) I more than made up for Sehwag’s absence. If you look at the statistics of his previous ten T20 innings ; I was better than him .

Suresh Raina: (Relieved) I was one of the highest run getters in the IPL. The money is in the bag; who cares for international T 20 tournaments. Show me the money. I have made enough money in the IPL to last me another 10 years. It was a nice picnic though. Boys had nice swimming sessions with hot babes after every match.

Rohit Sharma : (Cool as a cucumber) What can I do if the umpire gives me out when the ball hits my elbow. I could have saved India the blushes if the "dancing Billy" had concentrated. Please have patience with me. They call me “The next Tendulkar”. I have not been picked for the test and one day team. Looking forward to the next IPL.

Yuvraj Singh : (Looks of disdain) Well I understand people criticizing me because I didn’t score any runs. But who else did???. I was in the same boat. Plus they kept fielders wherever I hit the ball. I also tried to scare the opposition with contemptuous looks on my face but it didn’t work. On the contrary I was made to look like a fool on some of my shots. I missed Preety badly. The French beard was her idea.

Yusuf Pathan: (Scratching his beard) Well don’t see me as a batsman who bowls. I was never a batsman. It’s the fault of the media and the authorities to call me a batsman. I will play as an off spinner who bowls straight leg breaks for India from now on.

Mahendra singh Dhoni : (Proudly) Well ,of course , I take the blame for the poor performance of India. But I have been given a poor side to work with. Look at the Australians; I wish I was the captain of Australia. I think 4 foreigners should be allowed into the Indian team like the IPL. This change will revive Indian cricket.

Ravindra Jadeja : (Hiding his face) I would prefer not to speak to the media. I am keeping my mouth shut.

Zaheer khan : (Tired look) I bowled well in the death overs with attempted yorkers. I am not a robot to bowl six yorkers consistently. It takes a lot out of me. They make me look like a fast bowler but actually I have never taken more than 2 strides run up in practice. I am better off as a spinner who bowls seam up. I need at least 1 year rest now.

Harbhajan Singh : (The usual smile) Well , I think I bowled well. The tactic of putting a little bit of Bhangra at the start of my action has worked for me. Also planning to add a Punjabi version of the somersault in near future.

Ashish Nehra : (Very Very angrily) Damn!!!Look at me; just look at me . Do I even look like a fast bowler! I think fast bowlers in India are like considerate politicians. They are nonexistent. I will also make a special appeal to ICC to organize World cup every year for “Oongli cricket”. I can bowl at 150 km/hr then.

SAVE THE EARTH

We are lucky to have a beautiful giant habitation called Earth. Man implemented his intelligence and ingenuity to dig out, deforest, reconstruct and manipulate the earth into a planet full of skyscrapers, nuclear centers, arms and concrete roads which is wonderful from the point of view of technological advancement and sheer brilliance of mankind. Although we have managed to unravel the mysteries of this universe and construct an imposing residence for ourselves; the fact remains that we are still at the mercy of ‘Mother Earth’ if we want to continue living peacefully and uninterrupted for many years to come.
The do’s and don’ts in our everyday life to support the green cause are well known to all of us. It’s just a question of implementing religiously and ensuring a safe haven for our next generations. The government plays a key role in making laws and regulations for the citizens to follow. There is no way to measure or monitor whether we are really reducing the wastage from our households (My dustbin is full everyday); turning off the lights of unoccupied rooms (sometimes I forget); reducing water consumption (I like to have a long shower); reducing tissue paper consumption ( haven’t spent even a single day without them) and so on. We must be true to ourselves and wholeheartedly seize each and every opportunity to reduce wastage. We must take the onus for protecting our planet against possible extinction of resources in the future. It is as much a responsibility of every citizen as it is of the government and the authorities.
We need a breakthrough invention in technology also to help the green cause. Renewable energy resources should be used in as many operations as possible. A solar car can go a long way in establishing measures to reduce gasoline consumption. Experiments have proved that a solar car ( car which works on sunlight) , although may not match the speed and power of gasoline or diesel cars , still can be used as a supplementary source of transport while commuting and driving short distances. Of course it won’t be as thrilling an experience as is with modern day diesel cars but losing valuable fossil fuels in future won’t be thrilling either. Anyway we waste a lot of gasoline on traffic signals particularly in big cities. Tropical countries should use solar energy to the maximum extent possible through devices like solar heater, solar cooker etc. The temperature scales are rising each year which can be used as an advantage for us.
Employees can display green tips on their desks or company logos can carry a green tip apart from the usual advertising caption. Mass awareness is the key to confront this issue effectively. Sometimes we are aware but don’t do anything about it. For example, keeping the computer on standby mode rather than shut down (Standby mode consumes some power) or taking a business trip instead of resolving issues over video conferencing (unnecessary travel). These are the kind of tips we can spread instead of buying T-shirts with fancy catchwords which are inconsequential anyways. The panic button is not switched yet but humankind has known that nature can spring a surprise on us at any point of time and we must be prepared for it. The petroleum products are getting costlier by the day which is related with the number of people using it which in turn relates to core issues of education and social awareness. The only way forward is to use renewable energy resources as much as possible and cut down on the demand for fossil fuels, electricity, water and other forms of energy. Let’s not be selfish and save the generations to come from the blues, quite literally, because the Earth is “mostly blue in color” and we certainly don’t want the Earth to become “all blue in color”.

Friends for life

When life goes wrong; as it may;
Comes to the fore, when things are astray.

A friend is the one, who has his way;
The glorious way, where the smiles would lay.

Able to listen, the words untold;
For innocent mistakes, he’s there to scold.

Able to see, deep into your heart;
Reads your moves; he has the art.

Able to smell, the fragrance of love;
And lift the drowned spirits above.

Able to feel, your vibes of bliss;
When you search for souls; he’s there amidst.

Able to taste, the essence of friendship;
The architect of life; the way it is.

Inseparable souls, we are today,
It’s only love, no fight or fray;

To grow, prosper, we shall pray;
The friends for life, would never sway.

It's like happiness

It’s like a feeling I can’t explain
Like a heartbeat; I can't restrain

Like heavens opened up on me;
Like a nested bird just set free.

All of sudden, I have all the powers;
I imagine myself on a bed of flowers.

Your smile is worth a million dollars;
Like all is simple; there are no miracles.

I feel like jumping up and down;
Like the craziest boy in the town.

Tremor of happiness I feel within me;
This incredible joy and ferocious glee.

Like a current which passes through me;
When I hear your voice so sweet.

It’s a journey I dearly want to commence;
My happiness now has no bounds no ends.

This day of the year-Thank u GOD

This day of the year, I see the might;
As the dreaded fear runs out of sight.
On the valleys of life so widely spread;
Through the width and every breadth.
I can’t believe the feeling I get;
Up on the crest, it feels so right.

Cool air blows by the ear;
Freshness of your innocent soul.
I can feel it on my skin so near;
Here up on the peak in the snow.
For all the good reasons, I vow;
Every inch of the way, I will fight.

Standing midst the serene skies;
Symbols of my endless love.
Waiting for the clouds to clear;
With the mountain birds flying by.
I feel u here, I feel u near;
Everything’s turning dull to bright.

If only it can continue with time;
This came as a blessing of god.
For its God only who can define;
The rationale and the gist of all.
The way u touch my heart o’ dear;
Thank u god, for this gift of mine.

LIFE GOES ON

On a buzzing evening at CST, life seemed normal. People flocking in and out of dogging local trains, commuters thronging the ticket lines as if nectar was being doled out and not tickets.
Small town boy with his father came to Mumbai to get admission in a Medical college. The boy had dreamt to be a doctor all his life. His mother had passed away when he was 2 years old. Since then his father was the only figure he could look up to and derive motivation out of. His father shared the dream of his son and was determined to see him through all the financial and emotional challenges on the way. This little boy had worked hard to get through the selection process and was never ever going to let his father down.
Coming to Mumbai for the first time, they were nervous and excited at the same time. They got down the train and witnessed such a crowded place for the first time, trying to get out of the station before they get lost in the crowd. The boy had never spent a day without his father till then and was incredibly attached emotionally to him.
Suddenly there was chaos in the crowd with the noise of gunning shots coming from the background. Two armed men appeared with guns blasting away at the crowd. Turning hysterical, the father-son duo ran for cover. Just before they could react, a bullet had already slit though his father’s body. The boy was shell-shocked and benumbed. His father was down with blood seeping out of his body. He shouted and cried for help but to no avail. His father was dead. A brutal reality drowning all his dreams into the waters of inevitability. Helpless and distraught he could barely sense anything around him as he saw several such bodies lying around messed up in blood. Life had turned its face on him before he could embark on to his journey of dreams.
After 1.5 years, the debate is still on whether the person who brutally gunned down so many innocent people should be hanged or not. If only this question was asked to this boy who lost his father that day, the answer would have been clear and unequivocal.
The boy is pursuing his medical degree today under a scholarship but deep within his heart is an inexplicable grief and broken heartedness coupled with painful laments. Only he knows how he derives motivation to continue with his life only to rue that incident when he lost his father. Tragic things happen in life with unbearable incidences that make you feel hard done by; one wonders how on earth still LIFE GOES ON!!!