Dreams are dreams, tale of a straggling life

I feel that I am lacking behind in life. I feel that my college pals have moved far ahead in life while I am lagging behind. Gosh! Why do I feel like that? I have seen my college mates starting their own PR or advertising companies and rising in the corporate world, raking the moolah.
The thing is that I wanna move ahead in life but there are days when I feel that I am stuck somewhere in a rut. It's not like I am not enjoying what I am doing and in fact, I am passionate about my work. I have worked in the print media for almost three years and this is something I enjoyed to the hilt. The problem is that nowadays, I am growing hyper and consistently worried about my career and worrying with the, What Ifs? What if I don't make it? What if, I am not able to pursue my dreams and move to a place where I am comfortable and happier in my life? There are lotsa apprehensions in life. I keep wondering whether I will be able to make it and I constantly compare my life to that of my friends who are flourishing.
Their bank balances are flourishing, they have bought high end cars and flats and me..Still a struggler and fighting to prove myself in today's competitive world and better, don't speak about my bank balance. I am literally broke. Savings is very less, if not almost zero, have some EMI and a huge loan chunk. It's not that I will not be able to make it and I am pretty confident that I will make it happen in the city of dreams and the land I truly belong to. At the end of the day, I am tempted to ask, is it really worth all the pains in the world.
But, dreams are dreams as they say, if you don't have the courage to pursue your dreams, don't go after them. I still vividly remember this dialogue from Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai and these are the words told by Jackie Shroff to Abhishek Bachchan.
Should I really compare myself to people and friends who have moved ahead in life? Or, should I go with the flow? I sometimes ask myself whether I should be calm, composed and patient as things will happen with time. I am hopeful and let's see, how things move on. But, but, such thoughts keep lingering, they have made it, you haven't..yet we started at the same time in life.
Good Night
V

Should Facebook be banned for Minors?

Former Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) ideologue, Govind Acharya move to ban Facebook for minors under 16 smacks of ludicrous understanding of social network and mirrors the image of conservative mindsets to curb freedom of expression. I nearly fell off the chair when I saw the idea of ban being vehemently supported by lawyer and social activist, Vivek Gupta on Headlines Today this week.
The internet nanny garb espoused by both Acharya and Gupta shows a one-way thinking spearheaded by not only a conservative mindset but an abject stubbornness which is absolutely ridiculous. There is no doubt that Gupta is eloquant and knows the law on the tip of his fingers. But, both man ignores reality and the silly attempt to ban both Facebook and Google + will only drive kids to the wall. There is no doubt that today's kids know more about the internet than our generation did. I have a two-year-old nephew who knows how to operate his I-pad and jumps on You Tube to watch kids videos. So does Amitabh Bachchan two-year-old grand-daughter, Aradhya.
Both Gupta and Acharya are basing themselves on the terms and conditions of FB that mentions that the social network platform should not be used by people below 16. First, how do we ensure that a 16-year old doesn't use Facebook? We are not opening a pandora box when we say that there are lakhs and lakhs of teenagers all over the globe surfing on social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus. Haan, it is another thing that parents' must use their discretion in order to ensure that children do not misuse internet platform, are not exposed to porn or fall easy prey to pervert individuals hunting kids for sex.
The move that the likes of Gupta and Acharya asked the court in India to implement law to prevent usage of Facebook is an attempt in India to not only curtail freedom of expression but turn us into a Taliban-type of state control. We are not idiots and internet is a medium that ignites the spark within the human mind. It is an added bonus to children so that they are able to question the status quo at the tip of their fingers and news update has never been made so smooth fluid with the advent of social media. We are living in a globalized world and for fuck sake, India is a democracy and social network websites targets young turks. It is the segment that constitute the proliferation of net. One need to log on to Twitter and Facebook to see that the millions of followers commanded by the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Tharoor, Karan Johar and Narendra Modi are mostly young people.
What do they want the law to achieve? In this age of information highway, we cannot treat bright and young minds in front of the law as criminals in the same vein as rapists, terorists and push them towards becoming anti-social beings. It is simply not done and the move by Acharya and Gupta reeks of a ludicrous stand and an abject attempt to cull on freedom and right of expression.
My main contention on the issue is how can the banning of new media help in curbing crimes against children. Firstly, by banning something, it will only acerbate the problem where children will try every trick in the book to gain access to the tool. We are dealing with young and inquisitive minds who will resort to any possible means, albeit, illegal ones to gain access. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google + are spread out and it is an almost impossible to curb its usage among the youth. Information cannot be restricted and both gentlemen seem to live in a fancy world that does not exist. In fact, it is a very dangerous thing to  do since we shunting our children from the world. True, we live in our own country but there is an external world outside our country or geographical region and by advocating the banning of social network, we are pushing young minds towards a ghetto.
As far as the law is concerned in India or any other  country in the  world which speaks of banning Facebook or  Google  Plus or for that matter, restrict access to those under 16, it is an archaic  law that is in dire need of being re-visited. We need to move ahead with times and certainly, we cannot follow the route adopted by countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan or the Panchayat India whose vision is blurred by extreme religious and deep-rooted beliefs. Such obsolete laws need to be changed and it is not out of place to draw a parallel with a judgement of the Supreme Court in India that called for  same rights for live-in couples.
Lawyer Gupta went on record to tell TV anchor, Rahul Kanwal on Headlines Today and the guests present on the show, 'Centre-stage' that he trust his kids so much that they don't access social networking sites such as Facebook. One can only laugh at such sheer stupidity of a father whose vision is blurred. It's like saying that my son or daughter doesn't watch porn or smoke or for that matter get laid coz he told me so!!! Hell, in which world does this lawyer-father lives in?! I mean, will the child tell his or her parents that such things are part of their lives. Is Gupta surveying all the moves undertaken by his children? How much do we know about our own children?
As far as children being prey to pervert minds, it is not banning Facebook or Google+ that the problem will be curbed. Banning FB or Twitter to under 16 is not a solution and it has no relation to child trafficking, sex with minors or forced sex. Let's not pass the buck to the new media that has a power to spread awareness on social issues and all respected newspapers. magazines or even news agency targeting young minds regularly post updates on FB and Twitter. We are not willing to attack the roots of the problem of rape against gullible minds when we speak of banning something. It is not the solution and what is need is strong laws to prevent such crimes. Perhaps, a certain control is needed for kids surfing the net and it is the parents' responsibility to educate their young sons and daughters on the internet threat.
The same goes when some people, hungry for publicity, goes on national TV to cry hoarse that porn should be banned. Let's see the reality in front of us: Porn do not necessarily lead to rape and what is needed is proper legislation to deter rape and other crimes against women, young adults and toddlers. As it is, it is up to a person whether he or she wants to watch porn movies and somebody who is not willing cannot impose its views on others. The same goes to young adults and kids whose parents want to give them the best of both worlds by opening a Gmail or FB account and some moron cannot decide what is the best way of internet parenting. Certainly, a single person cannot impose its views on others in a democratic and secular society.
Today, what India or other global nations need is not some internet nanny who will decide what is good or bad and morally right or wrong. We are not living in the stone age and depriving a generation that has the 'windows to the world' at the tip of its fingers is an indecent attempt to deter the flourishing of information and killing a generation hungry for knowledge and learning tools for personal growth. We aim to become a super economic power and it is a tragedy that every time, a crime takes place we shamelessly uses it to push for our stone age ideals and hypocrite mentality.

Perfect Dream and Life

Wrapping the blanket on the body, I curled on the cosy bed.
The room is cold and I put the lights off.
Putting the best seller novel aside, I close my eyes.
In the flick of time, I am transported in dreams.
A magic spell cast its shadow as I am brought in the chamber of secrets that unfurl itself.
I am delighted with my mouth and eyes wide open.
It's wonderland smeared by magic.
I am living a fantasy life.
There is so much love around me, cupid strikes and everything is made of gold.
I love the shining stones that is thrust open me.
Men and women are good and selfless.
The angels hold me tenderly.
All of a sudden, my head is jerked upward.
I open my eyes and the magic has waned out.
I am surrounded by fellow passenger, deep in slumber, in the plane.
Fuck! Why I need to be woken up and thrust to grim realities of life.
If Life was a perfect dream!

Thursday's 100 Post and beyond

Writing a test paper is the most excruciating, painful and horrendous exercise that may have happened in my life. I abhored writing examination and loathe the tedious process of sitting in an examination hall for a good three hours. I just hated that, no matter how much I loved the subject. It's a traumatic scene.
I re-visited writing a test today and it was online test for a content-based website that I stumbled, courtesy a good friend of mine. All it took was five minutes to apply and upload my CV for a freelance job where I received a link to complete a test to determine whether I am eligible to write for the website. The fun part was that I was sitting in the room and write at leisure 250 words for 90 minutes. I finished the test in some 45 minutes and submitted. I felt so good within and exuded a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. Perhaps, schools and colleges should consider the idea of giving students the opportunity to do written test online and within the confine of their own comfort zone..hey i'm kidding, okie.
So, waiting for the results and fingers crossed. I shall blog at length when the results come.
Good Night
Ta-ta

Rantings Lagey Raho

It's been a pretty lame day when every possible plan fell apart. It's not that I am not enjoying my break, as I call it, from work but was planning to work on my novel, indulge in quite a bit of reading and I dunno what. But, my laziness overpowered everything that matters.
On the good side, I started with few pages of Rohinton Mistry's Tales from Firozsha Baag based on lives of Parsis in old Bombay. I love Mistry's narrative style on the life he experienced in Bombay and the start gives an indication of the joy ride. I am hopping from one tale on Bombay to another as I just finished Vikram Chandra's Love and Longing in Bombay which is an amazing collection of short stories in entirely different settings. Bombay or Mumbai, the city intringues me even more since I stayed and loved the city for more as I yearns for new experiences in the city. I am planning to relocate back to Mumbai next year and I've worked out quite a bit of plan. I hope this plan does not fall through, so lets see. But, I am confident that the plan will finally take shape since lately, I have started to believe in magical surprises in life.
I watched Zero Dark Thirty based on the killing of Al Quaeda Leader, Osama Bin Laden and the film is not bad but it does not go without saying that it is entirely the US point of view. The movie do get heavy at some point and the tedious narrative seeps through from time to time. On the whole, it is a well made flick with some brownie points.
I am forever on Gchat and it's actually one of the best things that ever happened as it brings friends closer. Social media has and remains the icing on the cake as you are spared high mobile costs. It's like a big 'date' where you know pals will be around and it actually strengthen the bond of friendship. It's a big boon and solace which is not pleasing to naysayers. What I enjoyed the most is how Gchat has facilitated my professional times when I would stay and work from home. This is something that I could not have imagined perhaps in the wildest dreams.
It's been raining heavily today and the room is being kept cool which makes it easy to concentrate and buckle one's mind to something. This has eased my writing process and I think at this time I sit and continue with my reading stuffs, work out other stuffs and let's see if I can replace time lost in staying idle during the day.
Till then, bye bye, alvida and ta-ta-ta
Cya soon

The Letter and the tormented soul

He drenched the quill leaf in the ink bottle and shakes the liquid with his hand. He hesitates for moment and shrug aside his fury, 'Should I write the letter or not', glancing at the neat and white paper. Maintaining a calm posture, he slinks on the bamboo chair and neck perched towards the table, penned the first thoughts that came to his mind.
He wrote few lines, picks a slab of cement and laid it on the paper so as to prevent the gush of wind to thrust the materials far away. He got up from his chair, walked to and fro for few minutes and lit a cigarette. He peered at the scenic view, gazed his sight on the hill, sky and trees before going back to the bamboo chair. He breathes heavily, lit another cigarette and buckled his mind to the white sheet of paper, dipped the quill leaf in the ink and swayed with the flow black-and-white. His eyes was red with fury and poured his heart on the not-so-blank sheet of paper. The paper has lost its white sheen and has gained a black colored composure. How he wish his life would move away from darkness and edge in myriad colors significance. It's been six months he is struggling to move away from the life of deceit, darkness and he had decided to put an end to everything. It was time to vent out his feeling and let them know how he is feeling inside. He has been sitting on a volcano that shall erupt one day and was determined to vent out his anger and frustration. The silence was tormenting his live, the utter loneliness was gnawing every moment of his life and told himself, 'This has to end and even if they are hurt and humiliated, the whole thing need to be destroyed. Today, I will let them know that I can no longer repress my feeling. Let calamity come and exterminate everything.'
He folded the letter and slided into his deep pocket before walking towards the gate that bears a strange silence. It was past midnight and the vicinity wear a deserted look as he feels a gush of fear and pain down his spine. He shakes the old gate that is stuck in the rut to make his way inside the yard where the grasses are unkempt and the lamp guided him to her house. He bended on his knees and gently places the envelope on her door steps.
The old Majid woke up at 5 a.m  and gulped his cup of tea hastily before attending his daily chores. He entered the yard and as he traipsed through the small dwellings, his eyes beamed at a nicely folded letter which he diligently opened lying at the tomb of Jennifer. The letter reads, Dear Love I wish I could hate for making me suffer in hell and hate your God who took you away from me.

At Peace, Finally Living Life

Peace be flinged on me.
I am an eternal romantic, jumping from one place to another.
An eternal lazy cowboy, enjoying the chillum.
It's a relaxing atmosphere as I enjoy doing nothing.
I am feeling so peaceful inside.

Wassup folks? I've tendered my resignation at the company and enjoying every bit of the major difficult decision I took. Since I need to give one month notice, I am taking my remaining local and sick leaves and it's my first week of staying at home, blogging alternatively on both blogs, reading books and magazines. I have never felt so much at peace with myself and glad I trusted my sixth sense to resign as a reporter.
It all happened that the newspaper whom I cherished working and where I was emotionally attached closed and some of us were shifted to a different department which I obviously did not like. After dilly-dallying and mulling over my state of being unhappy, one fine day I decided to submit my resignation since it does not make sense staying in a place where I will growl with frustration. It is better to stay with a job for a month or so than being unhappy. But, it's another thing that I notched a job in the days that followed. But, plenty of time before I join the new work place.
I am feeling so free to indulge in stuffs that I love doing..you name it, you get it..DvD movies, reading novels, blogging yeah of course, reading magazines stuffs and what's not. How can I forget that I gotta clean the room and declutter stuffs that are not needed. I am loving every minute of stay put till late and waking late without being least worried of rushing to office and meeting deadlines. It's like cherry on the cake. I am also looking forward to pen my novel which I started long time back and few short films scripts. It's an amazing moment where I can afford the luxury to introspect over life, elaborate future plans in life. It makes sense when you are a bachelor and there is no pressure on your life whatsoever. It's a terrific time.
There was a moment when I felt that life was culled to nought when we heard that the company decided to close the newspaper. I agree that I took a long time to get out of the feeling and situation that remained to be digested. I am still recovering from the after shocks but it's much better now as the extended holidays has been something good and very positive. Well! I am feeling much better and in a recovery sort of process.
I am geared to positive-thought process and I am relishing the prospect of waking up late, lazing around and have nothing to worry about in life. I have slogged my ass for almost three years and I could not afford myself time to do things I love doing. It was a one-shot drive to work, home and then work. It was madness and in a way it's good that I am now able to give  'me-time' and be at peace, albeit, doing things at leisure and at my own pace. It is such a beautiful feeling where I can afford to sit and relax. But, one good thing about my previous job is that I was able to go for my holidays in Mumbai, Pune and Goa and hopefully, I shall travel again in December.
Till then, see ya
New Kid.

Friday 100 words post and beyond!!!!

Lazing around in the warm room, I let the time pass me as I blogged, watched snippets of the Stardust Awards where superstar Amitabh Bachchan invites five lovely heroines Priyanka and Parineeti Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Anuska Sharma and Farha Khan all geared for a kiss from the country's biggest superstar. It's a wonderful moment watching Amit-sir performing a jig with Ayushman Khuranna on Jhumma Chumma De De from Hum and it's commendable to see the legendary 70-year-old superstar putting so much energy in the iconic dance. Call it coincidence! I watched Hum today, one of the biggest hit of Bachchan in the early 90s and it's always a pleasure to watch the superstar perform in his earlier movies. Sometimes, Mr Bachchan put young men like me to shame when we say that we cannot do it. Wow! Bachchan sir! This is tremendous and simply superb. You are forever and ever an inspiration and no wonder the girls dashed towards the stage to pick a kiss from u.
Cheers Vishal
(Guess the post went beyond 100 words)

Drop of alcohol and heaven

Dropping the ice cube in the scotch, it swashes its way in the glass.

I hold the glass and peer over the liquid that fizzles as I take a sip of the grand old scotch.

Who said alcohol is harmful to one's health?

A drop of alcohol soothes the mind, soul and body.

It transports us in the world of imaginary laden with lust and dreams.

A dream world that bear existence in the imaginary land as we are swayed in heaven.

Like the beautiful women, we are enamored by a drop of scotch as we delve deeply into a world of inconsistencies.

Love, lust are matters that bear half-truths made possible by the inventions of men.

We cherish the world of unrealism, it is a testimony to the escapism of the modern world.

Like sex, alcohol provide respite and refuge to the stark realities of life.

Scotch relaxes an over worked mind as we sought refuge in a world far from complicated.

The effect of alcohol make us yearn for more as a sure shot to heaven that exist only in the mind.

A mind that seeks metaphor to life, exposed to the complexities of human annihilism.

What Am I Thinking Right Now?

1. Been in retrospection mode for almost a fortnight. I do not really subscribe to the view that we become wise after the events. Never mind, a lil bit of thinking in the middle of the night doesn't harm.

2. I just downed a hot cuppa tea and I am tempted for another cup to make the mind more agile. Tea helps us to think as it has the effect of wracking the brains like my countless yoga classes. Still, do it at your own risk since in my case, tea always helps in the middle of the night.

3. I am happy to keep away from RedBull for quite some time now. As they say, old habits die hard but I was a victim of circumstances and I wonder at the magical long break from the energy drink.

4. I am gearing up for new challenges in life but also worried at whether I'll be able to make it happen in life. Though, it's just a matter of time and why the heck do we worry so much about things in life, I often ask myself.

5. Just watched Special 26 and it's indeed a different-kinda movie or what we call in Mumbai, hatke style.  It's been long I haven't watched a movie and today, I renew with my DvD's and such kind of movies should come more often. I love the suspense, though predictable at times but I feel Akshay Kumar should act in more intelligent movies like this one. It is definitely a superb era in Hindi cinema.

6. I am actually thinking of writing a love letter, in its traditional way of expressing love to an unknown girl. Wait! Hasn't the old-fashioned love died? Cookies: It could be my next blog title. Idea hojaya toh duniya mast hojaye...

7. I gotta clean my room that ressemble a gutter. Even the garbage service provided by Bombay Municipal Corporation will refuse to enter the room to chuck out stuffs. How lame I've been with my personal space? Well, that's me.

8. Time to hit the sack now at the risk of thinking 100 things and make this post heavy like a long monologue. Yes! I am having my cuppa tea. Tempting Taj Mahal tea:)

Truly Yours
Vishal

Tragedy of Human Life

Cars floating in the floods.

People yelling for help as they are carried away by they are carried by the water.

Cars, trucks and buses stumbled on each other like toys.

It was not a make-believe film set.

We were farway from the Titanic.

It was real scene from a movie.

It was mayhem in the city as people are caught in the miasma of rains, winds and nature's anger.

The spurt of water reaches the surface as one can make no difference between rainwater and the seas.

It wrecked havoc on the lives of city dwellers.

They were not spared a second to mull over, why my city?

Chaos took over the city as people cried for help, some dangled on the tree branches.

It's such a terrible sight.

Some laughed over dinner in a house well lit with lamp and faraway from the maelstrom of human tragedy.

Buses and trains were running late as service was disrupted.

Did it spell doomsday?

Some naysayers believed in the Mayans prophecy.

The world could never end in such a manner after all.

The violent flush of water seeped through the buildings and houses in the city.

The city was held to ransom as people scuttled for help.

It ended abruptly as lives were lost.

The men had a tough task to recuperate the bodies washed by the heavy waters.

Dreams of families were crushed as they lost sons, daughters, husbands and wives.

It was a shock that sent waves of ripples all over the island.

An island that always prided itself in believing that they are farway from human tragedy.

No human being is powerful enough to prevent storms, floods.

A world can be put to an abrupt end as nature holds the upper hand.

Yet, it is a life worth living as long as nature is gentle with us.

The day nature hold us in sway, we shall not afford the luxury to think on our existence.

This is the tragedy of human life.