Elections 2014 - A Non Political View

DISCLAIMER:

The below contents have not been written to create any sort of political rage/debate. The writer (yours truly) apologises in advance for any sentiments hurt.

It has been a crazy period of 9 months! 9 months of planning, 9 months of apprehensions, 9 months of labour & 9 months of anticipation. If it wasn’t for the title, many would have mistakenly assumed it to be an article of a mother to be. The emotions though are more or less the same.

9 months back, my parents along with the family of my fiancé fixed the date of our wedding. But more than the date of our wedding, it is the date of 16^th May 2014 that has been imprinted on my mind, all thanks to an avid follower in the form of my fiancé. I have never really been a political person – which means, my opinion & knowledge on this subject is extremely minimal. I have never voted, despite having a voters ID, the same reason as to why I had decided not to criticize the Govt. The elections 2014 changed that perspective.

The frenzy that these elections have created is second to none that this country has seen, or so I would like to believe. Elections 2014 was about one man. It was the first time in years that there came a candidate who knew what he was talking about & there was so much conviction that you were  led to believe every word he spoke. It is no doubt then that this man is who majority of India feels IS the change. There was a point in time where I had wanted the candidate in the current ruling party to be the PM one day because I really believed he had the capabilities of attracting the youth and well, changing the face of the country. Unfortunately, I was in for a rude shock after having followed a few of his campaign speeches, guest speeches & his infamous TV interview.

An unexpected twist though was the party of the common man & the man who led it. It truly was the excitement of an “Aam” citizen who took on the role of a CM only to later decide that leading a state & its people was no child’s play. No, I am not writing him off. Give him another 5 years and he will, I believe, be a tough candidate to contest against. Now that, I am looking forward to.

Apart from the ecstasy created by the parties & its candidates, the NEED to vote became massive especially amongst the youth. As an onlooker, for me, it did not mean that the citizens of India were being responsible. What it actually meant was that the youth was only living upto the peer pressure of getting a selfie flaunting the inked finger so as to upload it on various social networking sites!

All said & done, the Elections 2014, created a furore among media circles, social circles and at all possible awkward silences. And to those of you who have voted, for reasons best known to you, I just hope you have clicked the right button – the button of change, the button to a non – corrupt India and above all the button to a democracy in its true sense.

Ati Sarvatra Varjayet

A term in Sanskrit that I came across while reading the third book of the infamous Shiva Trilogy. When translated, it means, "Excess should be avoided". What a marvelously simple statement yet the effect of it - intense. Since time immemorial, one has heard about man being greedy - greedy for all that is within his reach and beyond.

I used to be under the impression that it is this present time and age that has left man wanting for more - more time, more money, more space. more freedom, more of everything. But this sloka only proves that the "want for more" is not a time thing. It was born with man and will probably end with him. It is this want for more that ruins one's peace of mind, health and realising the simple pleasures of life. In our quest for a "more" comfortable life, we push ourselves to an extent that even we fail to recognize. Well! that is precisely when you should stop.

Personally, my need for more kills the happiness that I would have otherwise felt in my daily life. More attention, more communication and many more of such emotions. It is my "more" mode that probably spoils the moment many a times. Perhaps the fact that I do understand where the problem lies is why this term of excess be avoided caught my attention to this degree.

To know what to want, when to want it and the right amount of wanting it will definitely come with practice. Easier said than done especially when one has lived one's life in a certain way and to change that to adapt to a more cordial living can be quite a task. Maybe that is why it is essential to understand the deeper meaning of "Ati Sarvatra Varjayet" so that the journey of life which is much more important than the destination, gets an opportunity to reveal its purpose.

Real, Fake or an Illusion?

It is indeed a very funny world that we live in. We are all made up of the XY chromosomes yet the difference in each one of us from the other is plenty. At most times, it is these difference that brings us together & later its these very differences that sets us apart. And how!

In all these years of my very colorful existence, I have had the privilege of meeting people made up of the very same chromosomes as I and believe it or not, I have reached a conclusion that there is a chromosome Z as well in most people. I would like to be of the opinion that it is the Z chromosome which is responsible for the effortless "illusion" effect some people have the ability to create for themselves.

There are always three sides in a human being - the real side, the not so real side and a side that we are made to believe is real. Unfortunately, more often than I would have liked, the people I come across falls under the third category. Now this is a category that is filled with dream like people. The flawless, the ever loving, the too good to be true types. Actually yes! they are TOO good to be true. No, I am not being skeptical, merely observing that there are NO flawless people. Each and every being has some flaws or the other which makes them the real deal.

I used to be on the look out for that perfect person or the perfect people to hang out with. But the more I got closer to such beings, I started respecting the flaws in others. Atleast with them, I knew what I was getting into. Atleast with them, I was sure I would be grounded to reality sans the sugar coating. And with them, I also started realising that the facade of illusion eventually stripes off revealing one's real self making me believe that it definitely is not a "big bad world" out there. There definitely is place for genuinely flawed people.

On Turning 25...

The time - 8:40 pm, the year - 1988, the day - Thursday and the date 05.05. Well yes, that was the date and month given to my mother to bring me out into this world. And rightly so, I did come out on that very day though my mother enjoys talking about it as, "You came out after eating all the three meals of the day.. Even dinner"! Ah well, that habit has stuck on - that of eating. Its 25 years since the 5th of May 1988. A quarter of a century in this planet; living the good and the bad. Learning from the mistakes and ensuring that it is not repeated. Been quite a journey this 25 years. Met a lot of fellow human beings - some of them who remained just human beings while some of them became my soul mates/rock stars and a few others who found space as my extended family. I am thankful to each one of them. Yes even to those who remained as "just fellow human beings".
You would think 25 years is time enough to know the good from the bad. But if I was that aware, what would be the fun of life, isn't it? I never refused to learn, I just refused to learn it ALL at once! I am still in the process of learning how to be patient, learning how to be selfless, learning how to be understanding and most importantly learning how to be in peace with myself. The contributions of my family in molding these 25 years of my life is immense. If it wasn't for their constant support and encouragement in letting me do what I am truly passionate about, it would have been a tad bit difficult to realize those dreams and aspirations. Grateful for letting me be an individual; even more grateful for trusting me enough to pursue the choices.
25 years! In a way it is a long time to know the good from the bad. But hey! I never promised to be perfect; I only promised I would be a true incarnation of the person I am. Some wisdom, isn't it? All thanks to the painful way of turning wise (read wisdom tooth) on my 25th year.
Last but not the least, turning 25 does not make me feel any different from when I was 23 or 24. Apart from the constant reminder of, "You are 25! When do you plan to be married?" or "At your age, I was already a mother". The response to the aforementioned jibes would probably come as a blog titled, "On Turning 26". Until then, I am going to enjoy having turned 25 and my new found wisdom!

To Noel,

As I sit to write this, you are 4 days & 90 hours old. It might take you another 20 years & a lot more hours to read and understand what this post is all about. Well, the reason I am writing this today is because I want you to know what was happening around you while you started your journey in your mother's womb till the day you came out, through the words of your mother's companion who saw it all.

Your mother, more than being a wonderful soul, is a woman with a fierce sense of independence, love & positivity. When she shared with me her anxiety of possibily being pregnant, I was thrilled. She had her emotions in check and so I had to do that as well. Later that day, she confirmed the news and I couldn't have been more thrilled. That day, I was happy as woman for another woman who was embarking on her journey to motherhood. The first trimester, you being a little cell inside her, troubled her to a great amount of morning sickness. She was sick most of the mornings but never complained. Came to work regularly, waking up the people of UAE with so much energy that one would never realise by the voice that she had just finished her first round of morning sickness! Oh and by the way, your mommy is an RJ :-) She even got into the habit of listening less to our talks and more to soothing music in the hope that you become a musically inclined person. Well, I hope you have some good taste in music!! But instead, if you have taken a liking towards gambling, fret not, because mommy dearest enhanced her skills at playing cards whilst you were inside her.





I can't remember the exact day but it was a fine sunny afternoon, in her hurry to go home and sleep, she left back in office the first picture she had of you - the ultrasound scan result! I tried looking for you and couldn't but your mommy's "Muhbola Bhai" showed you to me & I smiled and "awww'd".


In the second trimester, the cravings began. Breakfast was ordered, not just for her but for everybody. Having breakfast together became a ritual. Like dinner time was family time, breakfast time in office was used to gossip, anticipate whether you would be a boy or a girl, give your mommy the confidence that she will be able to bring you to this world without any complications. As days went by, your demands grew and so did the intensity of her hunger pangs. "Breakfast Time" was cut short but yes we understood. She was eating and that's all we wanted. Towards the end of the second trimester and the early last trimester, you were a part of a dream. The dream of an extremely confident, talented & capable man. He was unitedly our philosopher & mentor and you made history by being the youngest being on the sets of his movie! It was a short film with a social message, "A Walk To Remember". Watch it, you will love it! During the post production of this movie was when I felt you for the first time. You kicking her from within her womb and me feeling it from outside, brought tears of wonder & amazement to my eyes and it gave birth to the motherly instincts in me. Your kick made me believe in miracles. Feeling you was a miracle.


Oh your mommy managed to make a enemies with a few restaurants as well because they did not satisfy "your" cravings and hunger on time. I told you, she is quite fierce. Well, in the bargain though, we discovered new ones. I should also add that incase you find yourself grooving to extremely feminine numbers such as "Chammak Challo" and "Chikini Chameli", don't worry too much. You are absolutely NORMAL & have all the rights to blame it on your mother for shaking her heavily pregnant belly (with you inside, obviously) to these songs!!


7 months passed by & it was time for her to carry you back to homeland where you would be born as a healthy & handsome baby on the 7th of Dec 2012. With you, you brought a lot of happiness, tears & joy, not just to her but to everybody who was involved in this journey of hers. Noel, you were loved even before we saw you. Your mother, the beautiful & loved person that she is, made us fall in love with you. "He is sleeping peacefully on me" (a message from your mother), made me want to be a mother. You along with your mother has filled so much positivity in my life, its unbelievable. Mother's are a child's best friend but your mother will be much more than that to you - she will be your confidante. Be a good human being & allow her to cherish having borne you and given birth to you.


With Love...

When Emotions Take Over Emotions...

I am a woman - in all sense of the gender. I think it is my right as a woman to always think I make sense & I also think it is my right to take out emotions, good or bad, to the person I love. What I sometimes, no make that everytime, fail to understand is that it is not necessary for the person at the receiving end to necessarily figure out what exactly triggers these emotions. The good ones are easy & pleasant to handle but the bad ones, oh boy! God save them. There have been numerous books on how men and women are different. Many of them have been read and all that is written is acknowledged with a "So true" exclamation. But the minute you close the book, it is back to reality & you continue doing things the way it always has been done.

It is only natural for a woman to have mood swings during particular days of the month. Men say women have mood swings every day of the month. Not true! For if it was, then a man and a woman would never be able to be together. Trust me when I say, it is ONLY a few days in the month. As a man, you would never understand the turmoils that happens emotionally to a woman during that period (pun intended) and we don't blame you. But what we would appreciate instead is for you men to at least act like you care, show that you understand. Don't ever try to reason out with us... at least not when we warn you not to! As a woman we know what you are going through & we really want to control it but when emotions take over other emotions we just burst. There are no two ways about it, it's just that! Man, I love you but no Vivekananda's speech can influence me during this time.

The Day Technology Took Over...

In this 21st century, I might have been the only one from GenX who thought being technologically handicapped was cool. Well, I, was the one who committed the blasphemous act of wanting a Nokia instead of Blackberry! If this wasn't enough to prove my ignorance towards the advancement of technology then take this - it took me an entire year to start using my blackberry as a "smartphone" rather than just a device to send/receive messages or for incoming/outgoing calls. But once I did get the hang of it, I must admit, getting away from it wasn't entirely possible. Though I do (or did) take pride in not succumbing to technology even then. And then THE day arrived - when the "smartphone" proved to be not so smart & crashed worldwide. My phone did not beep indicating that I had received a BBM or an E-mail. Neither was there any notification from Facebook or Twitter. How could it happen that a whole one hour went by without the phone beeping? It was impossible! I cursed the network with all my heart (apologies DU) only to realise later that it was RIM (Research In Motion) at fault & not the network. An entire restless day and two recharge cards later (yes with the blackberry in hand, recharge cards were less often bought) the services of my (along with the rest of the world) smartphone resumed. That is when the rude reality shocked & shook me. I was no more the odd one out. I had succumbed to technology with my limited knowledge!! I felt like I had sinned for life but I soon got over it and started to enjoy what my phone gave and continues to give me - company in unknown places, company when I am with strangers, company when I am trying to avoid somebody - basically companionship when I need it the most. Yes, my smartphone is proving itself to a still technologically handicapped person (a lot of my friends will vouch for this). But but but, technology I think, is slowly starting to take over & eradicate the handicap.