kinshuk sunilit aint no, dessert if therez no caek

November 26, 2008 was a dark day for all of us as 10 gunmen roamed the streets of Mumbai, firing indiscriminately on anyone in sight. They molested the Indian dignity and hospitality that day. Destroyed many families, ruptured life. Today, it is a complete year and there is no justice in sight. Things havent changed. When will they?

As I have mentioned in previous posts, these days I am working on the lyrics for some songs for Manu Rajeev’s next album. One of the songs is on the subject of terrorism – a lament. Today, I share the lyrics with you. Do give your feedback. Hopefully, the song will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Romanised Hindi lyrics, followed by (rough) English Translation:
(I had trouble writing in devanagri – every help welcome)

Kal, shor tha aur tha, jalta aasman
Kal the, sapno ke bujhate chiraag
Kal, dard tha aur tha, ye ehsaas
maine hai khoya koi apna is gham ki aandhi me

Yadon ki dastak na thi, Sapno ki aahat na thi
Gardishi gard me, mit gaya tera mera nishan

Tu hai kaisa aadmi? Teri jannat ki ye hasrat kaisi?
Mujhko mita ke, khud ko luta ke, tu kya payega?
Khoon ki ye nadiya baha ke, tu kya payega?

Apno ki aahat na thi, Lamho ki chahat na thi,
Gardishi gard me, mit gaya tera mera nishan

Tu tha kaisa aadmi? Jannat ki ye teri hasrat thi kaisi?
Sab kuch bhula ke, duniya ko jala ke tu kya payega?

Kal, lut gaya, kho gaya mera jahaan
Aansuon me beh gayi, meri pehchaan

English Translation:
Yesterday, there were shouts and cries and a burning sky
Yesterday, there were some dying hopes

Yesterday, there was pain and the numb feeling
that I have lost a dear one
in this torrent of sorrow

Memories did not beckon, dreams did not reckon
In a sad dark cloud was lost our existence

What sort of man are you? What is this desire for heaven?
By destroying me, by ruining yourself, What will you achieve?
With all this blood-shed, What will you achieve?

Kin do not beckon any more, No more is a want of moments
In a sad dark cloud was lost our existence

What sort of man were you? What was your desire for heaven?
You forget everything and just burn the world, What will that achieve?

Yesterday, was ravaged and was lost – my world
And was lost, in tears, my name

It feels really strange to realize that in those few minutes when I was at CCD, just after having felt the bombs; I was there, between two bombed sites, joking, trying to preserve my calm, while people were injured, while they were crying, trying to find their loved ones, while they were witnessing violence, gore, and death. It is a tragedy of unknown proportions…
A tragic end to a day full of twists and turns. Sadness and sorrow fills me as I write this. As I began my day, I had never thought how it will end. I had no clue at all.

September 13th, 2008. New Delhi
8.0 AM
It started with me rushing to my Ahok Vihar office for the monthly strategic review meetings. Had to work on the Marketing Divisions strategic intent and planning and put it across the board. Had just updated Open Coffee Club Delhi in the morning that I shall be attending the OCC Delhi Meet at Café Coffee Day, Outer Circle, CP later in the evening.

At around 12:40, between the series of meetings, got a mail at the OSScamp Community mailing list about the offline Drupal Meet up at Srijan Campus, Nehru Place. God! I was going to miss it as my schedule was already overflowing. I didn’t want to miss it anyway. But that’s what short notices do. No offence.

3.20 PM
Started my presentation. Discussed the various aspects of our brand building exercises, problems we are facing and possible solutions and the ones the marketing team would recommend. A fierce discussion on a new brand identity that needs created. A lot of discussion I wouldn’t want to bore you with. Finally, I was free by 4.15PM.

4.20 PM
I left a note for my boss that I am leaving for the OCC Delhi Meet at CP; an unusual first for me. At the time it felt the right thing to do even when I have never really cared about updating my boss with my every movement. It’s like we have an understanding at OSSCube that if we are doing quality work in stipulated time, it proves that I am a good judge of how to utilize my time and we don’t question each other. My boss doesn’t question me and I don’t question my team. That’s the way it goes. So it puzzled me: why I wanted to leave that note. Obviously, now I can speak a lot about my intuitions and premonitions and other such myths. But that wasn’t it, exactly. Not very easy to understand what it was.

4.35 PM
Trying to get an auto for CP has always been a tough job for me at Ashok Vihar. Finally I got one and I called Satpal to update him about my being late. The problem with unconferences is that people generally don’t take the deadlines very seriously. Or let’s put it correctly, diplomatically: we all are busy people with overflowing schedules; unconferences are just flexible enough to accept such situations. Needless to say, moron me was not the only late guy. But that’s what the game is all about – people coming.

5.11 PM
Some problem at Ramakrishna Ashram. The road was closed. Had to take a detour through Gole Market for CP. A thick jam there due to all the vehicles detouring.

5.20 PM
Finally reached CP. Café Coffee Day, Outer Circle. A few hundred meters from Central Park and Gopal Das Building.

(more…)

on my flight back home:

And I’m coming home now
It’s been so long now
Gonna get there somehow
Praying you’ll be there

10:40 AM	I am glad to be going home. Here Comes the Sun; Here Comes the Sun, And I’ll Say – It’s Alright!
11:03 AM	I keep running into bad weather, or so it seems.
11:07 AM	Its common to have Turbulence due to the current weather. Current Height is 38000 Feet. Just crossed Hyderabad. Scheduled to fly over Bhopal at 11:55 AM and over Delhi by 12:45 PM.
11:20 AM	I wish they had bigger windows to enjoy the view.
11:22 AM	I wish I could feel the wind on my face.
11:31 AM	Bad Weather Again: Be Seated, Fasten Seat Belts, Don’t Use Lavatories. Great! Bleeding Great!
11:35 AM	I am rocking my toes, my feet are numb. I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there! Become so tired, so much more aware
11:38 AM	Through with bad weather and no visibility for once. Cloud Cover Lost. Land Ahoy!
11:50 AM	Hey Bhopal! How you doin’ man?
11:52 AM	Aaj main upar, aasman neeche Aaj main aage, Jamana hai piche I dunno why, but I am humming this song. And grinning shamelessly.
11:56 AM	Ah! Be Damned You, Turbulence!
11:58 AM	It’s kinda weird the way the craft wings shake in the wind. I hoped them to be hard and firm.
12:02 PM	It’s like a vast ocean of clouds that I am flying over. Nature’s Call. BRB.
12:08 PM	I have been a great discomfort to my seatmates with all the walking from and back to the seats. Wish they had more space between two subsequent rows. Sorry!.
12:19 PM	I want to be a space tourist next.
12:27 PM	Approaching Home. 20 Minutes to Terra Firma. Wait! Isn’t TERRA supposed to be FIRMA? Ain’t that implicit? I mean, do we have Terra Infirma? I wouldn’t want to be there.
12:28 PM	Preps started. Changes in direction and altitude.
12:28 PM	We will be landing shortly in Delhi. Descending Now.
12:29 PM	Mother Earth and Gravity playing their little games.
12:40 PM	Touche!

Two Years. Seven Hundred and Thirty One days. Seventeen Thousand Five Hundred and Twenty Hours. Over. The End.

I, today, stand at that juncture in one’s life whence one phase ends and a new one begins. Ancient Indian System divides the life of any individual into four phases: Brahmacharya (Student phase; implies Discipline), Grihasthashrama (living in the material world), Vanprastha (Retired from responsibilities) and Sanyasa (renunciation), each lasting a period of twenty five years. A students life ought to be that of self-discipline and a guided effort towards learning – Brahmacharya. It is this phase that I cross now and enter into the material world. Soon, I’d start working. Life will be so different then.

But, before I start running the rat race I want to take a pause. Stop and pen down my thoughts here. So that when I grow older, I can always return here and remind myself how I used to be as a student. More particularly the two years that were GBO.
(more…)

A Very Warm and Sweet Valentine’s Day to you. I hope you enjoyed the day with your loved ones (read: the loved one). But wait a second… What exactly is love? This is what Wikipedia has to say:

The word love has many different meanings in English, from something that gives a little pleasure (“I loved that meal”) to something one would die for (ideals, family). It can describe an intense feeling of affection, an emotion or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love. Probably due to its psychological relevance, love is one of the most common themes in art and music.

Just as there are many types of lovers, there are many kinds of love. Though love is inherent in all human cultures, cultural differences make any universal definition difficult to establish.[1] One definition attempting to be universally applicable is Thomas Jay Oord’s: to love is to act intentionally, in sympathetic response to others, to promote overall well-being. This definition applies to the positive connotations of love.

Expressions of love may include the love for a “soul” or mind, the love of laws and organizations, love for a body, love for nature, love of food, love of money, love for learning, love of power, love of fame, love for the respect of others, etcetera. Different people place varying degrees of importance on the kinds of love they receive. According to many philosophers, the only goal of life is to be happy. And there is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. Love is essentially an abstract concept, much easier to experience than to explain.

Read More.

Easier to experience than explain. Oh! Point taken.

So, How did you experience love? In English, Love has many forms and meanings… same is here… love for your family, kinship, the special one, nation, culture, your favourite superstar (??), err.. well… back to the point:

What is Love to you? How Did You Experience Love?
And yes: What Would You Do For The Ones You Love?

PS: Read this excellent post on first loves… [First] Love’s Labours Lost