Closer to death

Two decades and three years I have lived. Lived. And that's the only thing that one should appreciate. Life in itself. I have lived to see people become my friends, lived to see them get closer, lived to see my parents happy and proud of my achievements. I also lived to see myself crumble, make wrong decisions, hurting people. Lived to see my dear friend pass away, lived to fight the depression, lived to collide with a person who just blew my mind away. Lived to hate love, lived to love it back all over again.

Life isn't about just living. Life is about creating an impact. People come and go. But how do you want others to remember you by should be your greatest motivation. Because the people you leave behind, the ones who adored you, the ones who sought inspiration in you shouldn't be left disappointed by your loss of interest in your life that they find interesting, cheerful, inspirational and peaceful. 

If scores of people are saying so, it must be true. 

Life is a paradise. Happy Birthday to Shubhra. 

Happy Birthday to you too. 

Mojo Jojo

I closed my eyes, head was spinning. I could listen to songs, people chatting, birds chirping, dogs barking, headphones blaring, wind rustling, the klaxon. I couldn't focus. Somewhere within, inner voice was begging me to listen to it. I sat still, trying to reach the inner sanctum of my mind. The more I tried, the more it eluded me.
I figured that the monkey called mind must be tamed. The sooner the better.

One liner

Love was a misplaced emotion. Period.

Incredible India

I am back after a memorable trip to my country, India. We see those Incredible India ad campaigns and cynically wonder what's so incredible about it. We moan about corruption, filth on the road, unhygienic environment and inflating prices. We love the foreign countries we see on TV, movies and secretly harbor a wish to settle there and lead a peaceful life, away from the chaos back home. I am glad I enjoyed quite the opposite sensation from the moment I stepped in India. I asked addresses to strangers, bargained with autowallas, talked in marathi and hindi with the restaurant waiters after a year and half. It was simple and genuine, the communication. I made sure I will not practice my Americanized behavior in India and that made me a simple Indian guy on the street. Oh how I enjoyed it!
India is a wonderful place to be and you admire her only when you return after a long exile. The roads you drove your bike on, the trees you hung yourselves from in summers, the back-alleys where you played hide-n-seek with your best friends.. You just can't escape the nostalgia as it grips you and drowns you in the pool of pure ecstasy. The food cooked by mum tastes far more delicious than those trendy happy meals served by Ronald McDonald. The variety is not limited to few changes in burger or pizza toppings.
Another important thing that is unique to India is her people. Diverse and awesome. Yes, we often see the bigger picture of mobs torching a bus in rage and dislike the entire human race. But did we ever stop to notice a common man? He's good, helpful and talks respectfully with you if you do likewise. These people aren't found in malls or multiplexes; window shopping, trying hard to look hip and talking in broken English to show how high-class they are and how they are better than an average Indian. No. The common man can be seen on chaupatis, eating pav-bhaji with his family and savoring every bite of it. The common man can be seen sweating at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to come, lost in his own world of worries. He'll still tell you which bus to board if you are lost though. Common man is found eating Pani Puri outside the multiplexes, oblivious to the sale that Lee jeans are having inside. The simplicity I saw in these people was genuine. Blissful.
I loved India and fell in love with her again. I must return and I will. The people I met were my people.