A Bull ride

The sun was gearing up to recommence his day at work. Chirping all along, birds winged out of their nests. Like wandering souls, I and VJ (Vijayananda SB) set out for an enthralling journey for the next two days on his red bull, a 350cc Royal Enfield. After initial hitches, synchronized with the swiftness of breeze, we were on our path to a serene place, Coorg. Better known as Kodagu, it is one among many attractive geographical locations in Karnataka.

Route for two wheelers: Bangalore – Mysore – Hunsur – Gonikoppa – Ponnampet – Kutta – Sreemangala (homestay). Two wheelers are not allowed inside the forest range. It takes 40 more kms to reach Nagarhole via this route.

Route for four wheelers: Bangalore – Mysore – Hunsur – Nagarhole – Sreemangala (homestay). No vehicles will be allowed after 5:15 PM.

Our first break was at Maddur to end our overnight fast. Crispy Masala Dosa and Maddur vada was the common preference for our platter. From here, smooth roads greeted us all the way till we reached Hunsur. Next stretch of about 40 kms, till Gonikoppa, was rough & bumpy. It was tough for me, the pillion rider. VJ, please add more cushion on your bull.

Ten of our friends who had reached Coorg a night earlier were waiting for our arrival at a hotel near Sreemangala. We had booked our accommodation at pristine homestay, 2 kms from here. It was an hour past noon as we finished our lunch and headed towards Nagarhole National park.

Known for its numerous streams, dense forest, valleys and waterfalls, it is also declared as one of the several tiger reserves. Indian bison and Elephants are highly populated in this region. We considered ourselves lucky to have spotted many elephants and a few bisons, if not the tigers. Safari timings: 6 AM to 8 AM and 3 PM to 5 PM.

Nagarhole

Bonfire music dance and delicious dinner followed by a lengthy chat was the order of the night. Around midnight we allowed angels of sleep take over our tired souls. Next morning we were to visit Irupu falls.

Irupu falls/ Tea estate

Beautifully maintained by forest department and also the temple trust, Irupu is a fascinating place. A small trail leads to the concrete steps which will take us to the water fall. As we saw a thin layer of gushing water hitting the ground, a sense of joy prevailed. In no time both of us stripped to bare minimum clothes to let biting cold water to peck our face and then our entire figure. I don’t have enough words to express the joy I had at that very moment. Marvelous!

Little did we know that our enthusiastic expedition of Irupu would be cramped by unpleasant episodes of ignorance? We had committed two sins, please note sins, while we entered Irupu premises. First, we had violated the visitor timings. And the major of the two, we had parked our bull in extremely dangerous parking lot, that is the dense forests. It was only then I realized that ignorance is bliss. We ignored these two facts and experienced bliss. Now it was time to repent. We were made to pay a fine of 500 rupees and let go. Apart from the fine we were looked at as aliens by the kids who lived in the surroundings. Feels good :-)

Our next destination was a lone tea estate in the coffee dominated area. After taking some photographs it was time for us to head back. I believe pursuit is always longer. This was apparent while returning since we took lesser time. Clock ticked fifteen minutes past six when VJ smiled and said it was a nice time.

Intimacy in 55 words



Googled image



Googled image

Clasped hands, gasping breath, moist lips and eyes filled with desire they were about to relish their wild fantasy. Embraced in eternal bliss they sensed, for instance, a paradise. They endured intimacy like never before.

No evil could dare to separate those fervent souls but the harsh tone of alarm which crushed his dream, often. 



Googled image



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: My foray into the world of 55 word stories. Enlighten me with your criticism or Laud with acclaim. I thank you.

PPS: I hate alarms.

(PS and PPS is one more 55 words story I guess…lol)

Humane - Gentle: Part 4

Googled image

It had been a while since i wrote anything in sequel to my earlier posts with the title Gentle. It is all about the wonderful gestures of humble people characterized by sympathy, by compassion, by the tenderness towards others. You can read my earlier ones here: Part three, Part two and Part one.

Traffic snarls can, and will, at times, leave your arse numb, while sitting in your car or on your bike. It was around eight o'clock when i was returning home. As always the roads were crowded. Patience is the key to peace while you are out on the road either driving or riding. The other way is to swear. Most people stick to the later, even me.

A car in front of me had slowed down on it's pace at a crossroad. The person at the driver's seat handed a few coins to the traffic policeman at vigil. I was wondering at the predicament of that public servant. Was he accepting birbe? That too A FEW COINS.

A few seconds later i realised that all policemen might not be corrupt. Some are gentlemen. That person in the car must be a philanthropist. He gave those few coins to the policemen to hand it over to a beggar, a beggar who was not fake, a beggar who was stricken by misfortune. The gentleman in the khaki & white uniform did oblige, walked a few yards to help the helpless.



Googled image: STILL THERE IS



It is these kind of people, with a deep feeling of sorrow and a strong desire to alleviate the suffering, uphold the humane gestures.

Be gentle be humane.

First Night !

It is the most awaited day; err the most eagerly WAITED NIGHT in every young, ENERGETIC, ENTHUSIASTIC boys and equally eager girls' life. Agree? Nevertheless if they had chosen to overcome the eagerness even before stepping into a wedlock, it happens to be everyone's dream to live that night once for the first time before doing so forever thereafter.

Many weave their dreams to indulge in pleasure & utmost intimacy with their life partners. It is the night when your body & soul unite into one relationship, a divine relationship.

My obsession towards attending weddings, especially friend's weddings, took me to one of the most beautiful historical metropolitan Hyderabad. The grandeur Nizam's had spent better part of lives here. Language doesn't hold any barrier between the local residents and the adaptable visitors. Most of the people speak Urdu which helps travelers, only if they know Hindi. Telugu is its native language.


Charminar

Known for its rich cultural heritage, wedding ceremonies are wroth attending in this city. Contrasting to other places, most of the rituals begin in the evening. It was around ten in the night when NIKAH (main ritual of wedding among Muslims is called as Nikah) was performed. People who had gathered wished the Bridegroom.

Wedding hall

For enthusiasts like me, who often visit the weddings, with a whole and sole intention of looking at beautiful girls, it was disappointing. Like many Muslim weddings, this one too had separate seating arrangements for men and the gorgeous women. So sad na?

It was already midnight when we went for dinner along with bridegroom. Kanyadaan (sending off of Bride) was at around two in the morning. All the while only one thing was going on in my mind, and I am sure even you must be thinking of it by now, that when is the FIRST NIGHT going to happen?

My dear lord it was already three in the morning and yet the new couple was still at the function hall, Greeting with smile at the guests. I can never imagine and I will never even think of getting married in the night.

This was the time to be in each other’s arms but not hugging the guests. It was the time to be caressing each other rather than accepting gifts. It was the time to indulge in each other’s love but they were far from doing any of that. They had to wait for one more day to enjoy their FIRST NIGHT. I pity.

I couldn’t stop myself laughing at the mere thought of a song “suhaag raat hai ghoonghat uthaa raha hoon mai…simat rahi hai tu sharmaake apni baahon me”. My friend had to tweak the lyrics a little “suhaag DIN hai ghoonghat uthaa raha hoon mai”.

I had heard about one of my friend getting a muhoortham (auspicious time) after twelve after he got married for his first night. I have no words. For those who believe that weddings are not all about physical intimacy, a healthy relationship does depend on it.

PS: For those of you who expected more after reading the title, I apologize. :-)

Hey, it's a birthday!

I commute to office every day, for about an hour, at daybreak & return home as twilight prevails, in an automobile called as tempo traveler. We get to know new people who travel with us. We make friends. We also miss those beautiful people who, in the journey of life, at some point, prefer to take up different trails. We do hang out on weekends & we do celebrate birthdays of our cab mates. DON'T WE?

I remember seeing one of my senior friends eyes being moist at his birthday party, planned as a surprise. It was for the first time, in more than three decades, he was celebrating his birthday, ceremoniously. It was for the first time he blew candles & cut a cake, a delicious one. Birthday boy, oops birthday uncle, was very delighted at this pleasant surprise. His joy had no bounds yet he had it humble. His glittering eyes had an incredible happiness to share.

Birthday...Isn't it the best day of your life? Is it not the day which you eagerly await a whole year? I am damn sure you will nod your head in concurrence. I DO. Is it not the day you wish to be happy (more happy than on other days, though)?Is it not our birth right to remember our friends' birthdays? YES IT IS! Will we not be guilty if we forget & fail to bring a smile on a person's face by not wishing happy birthday? YES WE WILL BE.

As a famous joke goes, "best way to remember your wife's {(Don’t read it as wives) (girl friend's for bachelors) birthday is to forget it once. You will never forget it again". Don't you agree?

Social networking sites, these days, will keep saving if you do not remember any of those birthdates. You get hundred's of wishes, on your wall. So called best friends will wish in their own styles. Even if you give thousands of excuses, you will be made to pay a hefty bill. That is the best way it can happen. I love it.

There will be a few formal wishes from friends, acquaintances and also from people whom you might take a while to remember their name, if you happen to bump into each other. Thanks to Facebook, orkut, twitter etc. etc.

Have you ever realized what happens if you choose to turn off those notifications? How many names in your friends list remember YOUR BIRTHDAY? Check out.

By the way, how many do you REMEMBER?

Children of a lesser God!

Aamir's television show Satyamev jayate inspired me to post this, again. This is one of the earlier posts on my blog (two years ago, to be precise). From past one week i had nothing running in my mind which i can blog about, so thought of writing (editing) this again.

No, i am neither talking anything about Mr Aamir Khan nor his show. Also, the title of this post has nothing to do with the eighties' melodrama. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sanath, tell me the names of at least 5 cars you know?
Maruti… Honda… Indigo…Maruti, Honda, Indigo…
Say it loudly Sanath, I can’t hear, u have 2 more to go. (This time more articulate from the teacher)
Maruti, Honda, Indigo… (The boy was very hesitant to answer further)
Will u not answer if someone is looking at you Sanath?

This was a conversation between a teacher & her student. To be precise, this was perhaps a conversation between a teacher & a ten year old student, Sanath. You might be wondering why such a simple question was asked to a ten year old. In fact boys of this age can answer a lot more difficult ones than this one. If you are thinking if something was not proper, yes your thoughts are right. Sanath is mentally challenged. I witnessed this above conversation at ‘Apoorva center for AUTISM’ located at JP Nagar, Bangalore. Sanath is one among the 22 children who come here every day for special kind of schooling. This is the school meant only for children with Autism. The children of lesser gods.
 

Sanath's Elephant ...Jumbo Elephant!

Autism is a neural disorder in kids. It causes them to experience this world entirely different from the way most other kids normally do. They cannot express their feelings to others through words. They cannot eat, they cannot walk properly, they cannot play, they cannot feel, and they cannot. They just cannot.

My son is 18 years old. He is here for 15 years now’ Lakshmi madam, who is the caretaker of this noble institution, told this. She gave up her banking job to look after her son. He was 3 years when they noticed his disorder. Her elder son works for a reputed firm in US.

Every kid at Apoorva had different behavior. Some were happy on seeing strange people walking up to them & trying to be friendly with them. Some resisted, some shied away, and some not even tried to have an eye contact, as in case of Sanath. One of them was crying profusely just to avoid mathematics class. He hated numbers.

These kids, mostly, prefer to be alone, sometimes they don’t respond no matter how much loud you talk & sometimes they get afraid of even a meager noise. They don’t have a real fear of dangers. Sometimes they show their extreme distress for simple or no apparent reason. They find it extremely vulnerable to interact with other people. They never like to see any sort of change in their routine.

Autism doesn’t have any particular symptoms related to health, as per doctors. Kids’ behavior is the only way to figure out the disorder. Usually AUTISM in kids can be detected when they are around 18 months old. Worst part is that there is no treatment for this disorder. Early detection, Doctors’, therapists & the special teaching alone can bring any difference to these Children of a lesser God.

Some of the beautiful paintings at Apoorva

"The tallest man is he who stoops to help a child" are the humble words you will get to read on Apoorva's website.

Many thanks to my friend D who took me to this place.

So cute!

Her death, under mystifying conditions, had all the family members perturbed. But astonishingly, there were people who seemed not only insensitive to the bereavement but were content with the news of her demise. Not even in their wild imagination did they believe she would come alive to avenge (haunt) her rivals.

When the time had come to put an end to her vengeance, she finds herself in a deeper grave. Unfolding situations had left the bitter truth of her life stand naked in front of her. It was hard to acknowledge the reality that those she believed to be her parents all her life, were not the ones who gave birth to her. To make the situation more vulnerable, she comes across her sister, who happens to be her identical twin, who also is a partner in crime.

I am not trying by hand on fiction. I would certainly want to but not anything, even slightly closer, to the one above. You might be shocked to know that it is the story of a saas bahu (mother in law, daughter in law) tele serial broadcasted during the prime time on one of the leading channels. If I am given a chance, I would shoot the writer at point blank range. Can you even imagine it to be any closer to reality? I wonder how do people follow it so closely.

Literally, there would be world wars happening if anyone dares to browse any different channel other than the ones airing these stupid soaps. Many thanks to one of the leading lady of Indian television (can be read as Ekta).

Let me not divert my intention of coming up with this post. I think I have already deviated much. Last weekend, thank almighty that they let us have television remote controls on weekends, while browsing through, I stopped at one of the reality dance show. Having enjoyed the success for more than a couple of years, this reality show is quite admired by all age factions.

Auditions are more interesting and most of the times hilarious to watch. All kinds of people put their talent at stake in front of the judges and also millions of viewers. This year it is time for the kids to unravel their blooming bundle of talent. I bet a fortune that watching these kids is far better than watching some idiotic serials. (Let me not elaborate why did I watch one of those serials)

No matter how worse or how chaotic your day at work would have been, watching these kids shake their leg to the peppy numbers will, of-course, make you feel better. You might not have seen cuteness being personified. I am sure you will.

Prabal Bhandari & Arya Jain

Last week it was these two cute & pretty kids, five year old boy & four year old girl, performing to a duet song, which must have left the masters of dance wondering. Those two kids had put the best of the dancers at shame. They were flawless. They danced to perfection. They danced in sync. They had put the stage on fire. They made everyone watching them smile. They had innocence in their dance. They had happiness.

Enjoy watching them here.

PS: I am not paid for promoting the show or the channel J

Desperate Eyes

googled image

Rubeena, with her melodiously sweet voice was talking to one of the many callers on her show called ‘flashback with Rubeena’ on radio. I was falling in love with Kavitha Krishnamurthy who was at her vocal best in one of her songs being aired. Next to follow was the legendary voice of Mr. Jagjit Singh, singing one of the best gazals of all time. Humming to these serene tunes I was couched comfortably at the navigator’s seat of a friend’s car.

Rubeena had an interesting topic being discussed on air. She was asking her listeners to express their childhood memories where in they had anything mischievous to hide their wrong doings. One of the interesting caller, believe me she also had an amazing voice, went on to narrate her tale. We were at a traffic signal when a boy, who had been to this world around a decade ago, approached us to sell a toy.

His bones were wrapped around with a thin layer of skin, which could have easily been torn apart, without prompting much of a pain. His hair screamed they had never been caressed with the smoothness of oil. His clothes had seldom tasted water. His dark eyes were so so desperate. His voice uttered emotions.



The toy!

One thing which impressed me is that though life had pushed him to extremities of deadly hunger and poverty, it hasn’t got the best of him, yet. He was not begging. More often than not we see people resorting to all sorts of drama, just to beg. Having finished his day at school, yes he is to join fifth standard now, it was the time to earn money, by selling toys. His parents are working at a nearby construction site. I wonder what this kid would have answered to Rubeena if she asked him if cherished his childhood?
Would you buy a toy if, by any chance, spot any of those burdened boys around? It might cost us not more than ten or twenty rupees, but it might change their lives. He politely answered that he earns fifty to hundred rupees, if he has a lucky day. Wish every day brings a fair bit of luck.

Positive perspective!

Imagine you wake up to read a headline “Skilful pilots land copter on terrace” or to read this “Engine fails Helicopter lands on apartment terrace”. These are the headlines of two different leading national news papers, through which a majority of Indians begin their day. It occurred a few days ago in Bangalore when a helicopter developed failures in the lone engine. Pilot & the trainer ensured safe landing on the terrace of a building, averting a major mishap.

Do you see any difference in those two verses of a literature considered to be of high regard?

These above statements carry two different perspectives in it. One has a positive, motivating message being conveyed where as the later showcases the failure. The larger picture, to understand, is the ability to come up and try something new. The later statement has, undoubtedly, suppressed the immense talent and the ability of a young potential pilot, using his skills, avoided casualties.

Ill fated Helicopter

When an entire nation wakes up to read these national news papers, it is obvious that it bears lot of influence on people's perspective towards a country’s ambition to develop new technology, towards it’s strive to achievements, towards its path to glory.

When some alien showcases the dark side, and the so called slums, of our country, it wins enormous accolades across the globe. Where in these honorable, self proclaimed journalists, just for the sake of making profits, strip the pride of our country in front of their own citizens.

Do these journalists realize they are, or they can be, catalysts in changing the mindset of people? When will they realize the importance of being mature enough to support in harmony rather than inculcating in needless criticism?

A word of appreciation - Awesome blogger!

Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well - Voltaire.

Appreciation is always married, in fact very happily, to motivation. A word of appreciation, to an aspiring person, is like millions of ways towards perfection. The one who appreciates will, and must, deserve utmost gratitude. Voltaire is true.

Alka Narula is one such graceful person who appreciated my work in the bloggers world. She has bestowed upon me an award, Awesome blogger award, which is equal to an Oscar, for me. I am a beginner when compared to some of the indomitable writers. I knew her through Indiblogger, one of the most suitable forums for bloggers.

I thank you for your noble gesture Alka. You have been an inspiration. Thanks a lot. This award means a lot to me and i hope to live up to expectations.

As per the rules for accepting this award, i have to do this:

• Thank the person who conferred this award to me
• Share 7 things about me (the most difficult part)
• Pass the award to 15 newly discovered great bloggers ( Alka, can i change this rule? Next person can present this award to any number of bloggers he/she would like to. You must know it better how difficult it is to select only a few. Every blogger deserves this. Do you agree?)
• Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

I hope i have done justice to the first obligation, of thanking the person. Let me come to the most difficult part of sharing few things about me.  

1. I am an introvert. It takes a lot of time for me to get along with a new person i meet, particularly girls. It literally took me three months to start a conversation with a girl travelling along with me, every day in my office cab. Please don't laugh.
2. On the contrary, I am very jovial person. Peep into my facebook profile, you will come to know.
3. I am single. (hehehehe I am finding it difficult to write a few things about me, already)
4. I love to drive. Enjoy long drives with friends
5. I love playing cricket. It doesn't mean i play only cricket, i do play lot of other sports too. (two more to go...huh)
6. I adore my Blog (needless to say though)
7. I don't like a lot of things about me (For obvious reasons, i cannot disclose those things)

Oh that was pretty tough. It is time now for me to pass on the prestigious award to the people who deserve and are far more worthy than i am. It is an honor for me to pass this on. And the award goes to:

• Ajeya
• Sujatha 
• Mangala 
• Deb
• Arun
• Joshi Daniel
• Arti
• Rajkumar
• Deepak
• Rupertt Wind
• Sonia
• Valady Hariharan
• Abu
• Sarabjeet
• Rads

Thank god, i am done. It is very hard to select fifteen out those fifty plus bloggers i know. Rule number two is changed.

All readers are bloggers' inspiration to come up with something new. I hope it continues. Thanks a lot. Happy reading.