2017-08-31

100 gun salute to Mumbaikars




Standing on its feet and spreading its might.

Mumbai is back on track,

it's not called Maximum City flimsily,

the deluge,

rains that brought life to a halt,

but, not Mumbai,

the people make its undying spirit,

where everyone becomes one whole,

like the cosmic energy,

standing together forming a human chain and one voice,

breaking shackles and obstacles,

to give shelter, food and saving lives,

unstoppable and unbreakable,

Mumbai,

it feels no havoc was wrecked,

back on track like we always do,

beyond the ordinary,

pride to the people,

the city's life line.

deserve 100 gun salute,

resilience is thy name,

Amchi Mumbai

no flood or terror attack can break you.

Respect to Mumbaikars

V


2017-08-28

memory drip, ruins and ashes


Heavenly kiss,

tiny drop of rain,

smothering the lip,

memory drip,

reminiscent of the times boxed in a treasure,

sprinkle of love,

laughter,

thrills of wild days,

everything has an end,

youthful spring,

burden and joy of the past,

carried in the grey shade,

wrinkles,

beard,

witnessing the fleeting times,

like the ship mooring away from the bank,

it was the days of wilderness,

snorting on the drug of life,

time is but a breeze that flits,

 what shall remain one day,

ruins and ashes

Love
Vishal

 

2017-08-24

An echo of love and muse

Love is dearer than water, nowadays. So, are relationships carved in heaven. Longing for the special someone (s) and the search of the one has become more an ideology on social media where a rosy picture is painted.

Ever thought of making love with my soul and waltzing to the tune of love duet in the sky! I find love or relationships to be expensive commodities that are freely available like goodies on supermarket shelves. Everything is so so easy, casual and chilled out, love, sex and what's not! It makes one wonder about its existence or futility. I have always believed in the concept of free love. Ease out and chilled out for there should be no room for jealousy or longing. A relationship pocked with expectations. It makes quite a complicated definition. I love things, totally free and uncomplicated.

http://images.loksatta.com//2017/04/love-1.jpg
Image credit: Love/ http://images.loksatta.com//2017/04/love-1.jpg


 Free love for me is not about possessing the soul but a waft of breeze that touches every breath, fragrance, and spirit of a person as one whole entity. There are no two humans. Nor, there is room for ego. The love that you make or sexual encounter caresses the skin and soul to make it an out-of-this-world experience that the most powerful molecules cannot touch. It’s free love. The joy, pain, and passion expressed by two love-lorn souls carrying each other in the path of self-growth and touching the spirit make love so real. It's not about one person that we love till eternity. The eternity side of things is such a flawed definition of love. It reeks of possessiveness, ego, and attachment that breaks the purity of love.

 The question, what is love or does it exist? I've been in a relationship where I longed and craved for someone. Trust me, this thing called expectation bruises the soul and can tear one apart. I have a friend, a muse.  She wrote a post on this theme of love. I strongly feel that she is love. I am love. We are all love. Why look for it somewhere else and in someone?

 Love is light. Feel it. It's around us. We find it in someone, who becomes a symbol of love that carries the torch of eternity to touch us like the light. It's the same for sex, intimacy, and passion. It's only us humans who have this habit of compartmentalizing everything like our room, kitchen or hall. We are humans, not some fucking files that we send for approval. I often long and crave for someone, to touch her hair, taste the lip, caress her soul and carry the invisible energy inside us. I feel it's very powerful.

Love is selfish. It should be. The idea of sacrifice in love snatches our individuality and spirituality. Someone who would heal our wound, wipe the tears, caress the forehead, steal a kiss and hold each other, unfazed by the ways of the world. It's love. Selfish and free at the same time. The multi-dimension and facets of love to quench the thirst, make us trip and get up again.

 Someone somewhere is made for us is an over abused idea and made glamorous by Yashraj films that propel us believe to in it like some blindfold where someone is guiding our life. There is nothing wrong with a harmless flings or string of short-term relationships. Can you fall in love with someone during a one-night stand? I'd say debatable. Why not? How about the person touching the inner core but the moment, you decide to get into hot pursuit the whole idea goes for a toss.

Love can be one-sided. It’s an interesting facet of relationships that gets very tiring and drains the soul for there are expectations that we tend to carry on this route.  There are many who lost the faith for loving and being ignored wilfully. It can kill and haunt the souls but we should always strive to flush out this negativity surrounding love in the drain.  

Be a new person. Never shy not to fall but rise in love. It will sparkle the soul and spirit that will grow in every direction and dimension. Mushy, mushy things are cool and make one energetic. But, I do have an issue with this thing called attachment which is the side effect of love. Yes, love is waiting for the soul pretty much like the people who seep into our lives for a reason. Don't cry over spilled milk but feel the impact it bears on the soul, good or bad.

Never hold anything destined to go somewhere else. Regret is such a wrong way to view things. It's an experience and lesson that empower. Don't feel shy to embrace relationships, get set to swirl and roll in them. Love exists. It is gentle and violent like the storm or just plain love.

Dedicated to a friend and a muse for this post. She is love and a giver with a seamless heart capable of understanding love in all her forms.

Keep the faith
Love
Vishal


2017-08-20

Sunday reflection: Upclose and personal


I am going nuts with work. It's crazy. The time where you feel like hanging the head in a gun sack to hide. The corporate's client magazine is coming and still waiting for the interviews that are taking its sweet time to reach your mailbox. It seems that the contacts have forgotten that you exist and that you are some UFO looming large in their lives. The waiting time is ongoing and the deadline is fast approaching.

There are so many things to manage and yet there is less time on one's side. The downside of being a PR consultant and of course, as Monday kicks off, the blues will seep in with a pending article that I need to buckle the mind to write for the website that I work for, the weekly news stuff that I do for one of our clients and, of course, another patron's event which is slated to happen on Wednesday. Time to prioritize things.

After one month break and getting back to the grind of doing the novel, it dawns upon me that the chapter that I wrapped is not really exciting. I have put it in bold and the whole chapter has to be reworked all over again when the idea struck. Grateful for the small wonders and the online world where writers' friends have come in full support. The reason that I took an extra week break from the novel is that I need to cut myself off from the characters. I was becoming too emotionally close and protecting my characters. Tuning off helps big time.

The small wonders of this world and friends who matter to one's life make everything beautiful. I am thankful for them. I remember that last week, an FB status update was posted and lamenting how I kept one day for creative work but it wasn't happening. The beauty of things unfolded when an online friend pinged me and helped to surmount the mental block. I was hard pressed by her and advised to flush every negative thought down the drain and it worked like miracle where I was able to devote four hours in covering ground and this week, the whole thing was wrapped. It's a rough review of a book. There are loads of cutting and editing that needs to be done. Sometimes, our mind behaves in a weird way where we go into a self-destructive mode by putting blocks.

It's Sunday. A friend has put a status asking if anyone wants to get a tarot card reading for free to PM. I did and in no time, she sent the read that works awesomely for the soul. It just made the day beautiful. I leaped with joy. It's such small blessings that keeps me going from strength-to-strength. It struck me how important to count every positive thing that should far outweigh the negatives in life. Reason to be more optimist.

Finally, I was able to get some pictures of my childhood scanned and saved them on the laptop before sharing some on Facebook. The memory trove that we left behind is powerful and equips one's soul with strength. There are more to scan, the college days ka pictures where I spent the flawless moments that must be saved and treasured. It's such a reminder how time flits and it feels like yesterday only that we were spending the best of times. I feel that I am forever caught in an emotional trip and time warp sort of.

August will soon come to an end and so far, it's looking good. India's Independence Day was celebrated with fervor among the expats and happy that I attended the flag raising ceremony. August 15 has always been my lucky charm and the day where I got some good news. I did this time with some extra work landing on my lap. Mother India always know how to bless her children. I shall leave you on that and post editing this post, I sit in front of Star Gold to watch Anarkali of Arah.

Much love
Vishal




2017-08-15

Tricolor of emotions


https://www.askideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Happy-Independence-Day-Bird-Fly-Out-Of-Cage.jpg

Tricolor of emotions,

anthem of human identity and diversity,

pride in the heart,

a prayer to remove barriers,

make everyday the Independence Day,

freedom from caste, class and race bias,

one heart that sings the national anthem,
https://www.thereportertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/independence-day-whatsapp-1.jpg

Jana Gana Mana of hearts striking a chord,

togetherness,

tolerance,

respect for arts and life,

music has no color,

why should the heart paint the color of hate?


free ourselves from poverty, discrimination and inequality,

respect for woman and not telling her what she should wear,

it will be true independence,

free the spirit and soul,

say no to insult against women and fellow humans,

stop caging ourselves,

let her shine in all her forms and expressions,

after all she is the form of Bharat Mata.


Jai Hind
Happy Independence India

Vishal

2017-08-06

Friendship: Care free days and real conversation where every breath counts



https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij76iUWehaPHQKYJVn50tT-GfDZ5xpQL1dX5yzVefSpclMJSQakuTCymH3BT9rsQPjP4E3FC26sOSJatTn7W3Yq5cCQWxpWCgHTcXAUBMfpcRlcG1KSw6sWb66tn_hGRrJFN00hF57WFqo/s1600/Beautiful-Happy-Friendship-Day-Quote-Image.jpg
Image credit: Google


Fleeting moments,

care free days of joy,

where every breath counts,

we lived every single second,

love,

happiness,

joy,

adventure,

fights,

need for thrill was not spent on social media,

in the company of friends,

real conversations,

clinking glass of beer,

at times chai and sutta,

hugs,

bump pe laath on birthdays,

colors of life,

touching stars in the sky,

eternal,

timeless friendship,

memories carved,

traversed like light inside our minds,

capturing the flawless days of bliss,

smokey cloud curled,

past the sky,

an elixir has reached,

perhaps,

or, may be not.

A band of friendship knitting hearts together.

Happy Friendship Day




2017-08-05

July: The Gratitude Diary

Hello, August! It's winter in the part of the world where I am nestled. Evening time is the worst when the forces conspire to hit you the hardest and the body's immunity takes a toll. I have been unprepared for it and backed out to find my way in the shell, cozying to the thick blankets to keep me warm.

Image sourced from Google.



How did I fare during the month that flew past like the thick mound of earth? It's the gratitude for July which is now like a lost and past lover gone into oblivion. I like things skittish, good or bad. But, one should be content with what is on the plate. I am grateful that I am able to afford my cappuccino in the regular coffee shop.  The good news is that it is for the first time that I am able to attend my yoga class for seven months without fail. The only time that I missed a session was when a cousin passed away this month but made up for it by attending in the Saturday batch in the same week. My Guru told me that I have made good progress this time and there has been a marked improvement in the stamina. Yoga is empowering and brings so much comfort as well as peace to the mind.


There are things that I wish that my mind and body could do without, the depression and unwanted thoughts. But, I am learning to live and deal with it. To be able to take things in my stride is something that I am grateful to and it no longer affects me like it used to earlier. There are plenty of opportunities on the work front to explore the self by taking on public speaking in front of a small audience. It happened last week. I did make a mess because of the lack of practice and fear where I wobbled and stammered. The students must be thinking, how boring! That's alright. It's a blessing in disguise. We all learn by honing our craft.


The fees for the extra project of running interviews and cover story for our corporate client's magazine finally came and as directed to the company, has been credited to my alternate bank account. Grateful for all extra money coming my way that will be saved for travel. Time to curb expenses and start saving for my holiday that I've been longing since a year. It's the moment to connect to my roots. The small things and everything that I am forever thankful for come in a package. To be able to wake up in the morning, facing the challenges of the day, writing and being in good health are some of the stuff that I am grateful to. The friends that I make and who have been there for me for a decade or year are what make my life a blessing. Or, the amazing books that I am getting to read, from KJO's An Unsuitable Boy to Jhumpa Lahiri's In Other Words or re-discovering Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things.

Grateful for being able to meet the right kind of people and friends who matter makes it a life-long bond. Over time, we have been able to weather the storms and click through thick and thin. I couldn't imagine what I'd do without them. Yesterday only, it came to my realization that I missed the best friend's birthday and while rummaging through the old papers, it struck me of the amazing times during the college days. The crazy days and we were quite a gang who would get drunk like a fish, indulging into the extreme of life's silliness. We breathed every moment of life. For me, it's gratitude in all its forms. It feels like yesterday only. I thank my stars that the pictures over the years are treasured and the captured moments make me shed a tear of happiness every time that I glean through them. It empowers the soul and reminds of every moment of bliss. Truly blessed I've been.  It was awesome to share the pics from another era on Facebook yesterday and was able to connect with another friend after more than a decade. I am grateful for the small joys of life.

I was having a conversation with an online friend and good buddy Mayura just now who shared how grateful she is for the people who are part of her life. Grateful I am to have her in my life as a friend and she is the cell of gravity that lights up the bulb every time we speak.  It tastes like the mouth watering bite of Pure Magic biscuit that you crunch. Spread the love and be grateful for everything that comes your way.

Love N Forever Grateful
Vishal






2017-07-30

Looming shadow


Battling emotions,

fear and sadness,

insecurity of losing on friends and youth,

trapped,

the heart will shred into pieces,

body will turn into dust,

mirror will reflect wrinkles,

running away from the reality of existence,

for how long?

bitter pill,

truth that many run away from,

craving for love,

abandoned by destiny,

shadow looming,

fettered by regret,

time is abhorred,

clock swinging fast,

turn it around,

theory of impossibility,

coming to terms?

stop looking back,

wake up,

face the reality,

it hurts,

get a life,

i'm told.

Love
Vishal







2017-07-27

Counting every moment


Ah! Those times!
Whiff and sip of happiness,
rolling like a dream in front of the eyes,
catching the stars snuggled in the dark sky,
fragrance of memory,
love,
friendship,
beauty of life dazzling like emerald,
sprinkle of the monsoon,
wiped inside the palm,
warmth of hearts,
kindness of strangers,
food wafting from the kitchen,
heart drawn to this place,
longing for its sun, sky, stars and rain,
no end to the limitless joy,
cornucopia of human emotions and simplicity,
no mirage,
but every moment count.

Love
V



2017-07-26

Relationship, space and contradiction


Relationships are temporary and grow fickle in today's times. The rush to jump on the bandwagon of S for Shaadi is passe and taking the plunge to validate this ideology, 'You need a shoulder to lean on' is like living in the times of our ancestors. Dada-ji ke zamaane type doesn't find an echo with today's youth who have already fleshed out their priorities and there is no dearth of it, career comes first for some, love or family matters follows for the rest and globe trotting the universe for the adventurous lot.  One cannot afford to lose on several counts and the need to make things work out from a professional perspective to make money, get experience and shine  takes priority above the need to settle. As far as relationships are concerned, tinder is looming right in front of the window and there is no rubber stamp on sex. In today's times, being casual works perfectly fine for this generation and there is no need to take load.

Image sourced from: Google.


Relationships can wait and one can tie the knot at the later stage of 35 or 40 that is considered to be the new 18. The hitch is that no matter how much we want to get into a relationship with someone or a fling of sort, time comes in the way like a bitch. We become so busy and there is always the fear of not being able to connect the dots. Is there a twinge of regret for not making the most to be in a relationship? It's always a tricky question. Of course, the pressure is always here. In my case, most of my friends are getting hitched and, for that matter, baby showers on social media. I don't feel left out. Long-term relationship was never for me, in the first place. There is always the issue of giving my committed time which has now become a luxury of sort in my frame of mind and the fear of losing the sacred space looms large.

I struggled for a long time to find my mark career wise and it is only now that things are taking shape but somehow I am stuck in two minds. Do I have the time to invest in a relationship? There are so many things to do and being a very moody person, I am not very sure to focus entirely on that one relationship that brings joy or immense happiness to the soul. I am not very sure of how happy I can be in a long-term relationship. Things can be very claustrophobic on this level with expectations and the much needed space since the 'me' time is needed to switch off from almost everything every now and then.

The truth is that it's been ages that I have shied away from being in a relationship after the painful break up which took me long to see things in a fresh perspective. Agree! I am dying to be with someone, go on a regular date, kissing, intimacy, sex and sharing a good laugh. A relationship is not just limited to cuddling or things like that but much beyond that. I rue the lack of time and my silly mind that makes me more confused on whether this date will do me good or something else.

The bundle of contradiction that I am makes me wonder whether I will die without dating for the rest of my life. Or, should I just close my eyes and go on a harmless date? Honestly, I really don't know what I want  in a relationship, be with someone for that matter, even in a short-term relationship. It's a dichotomy since being in a string of relationships empower us and equip the soul with strength. Of course, I mean being in one relationship at one time and not on a multi-dating spree. It happens with an over-thinker like me, dwelling too much on those things as I verge on my mid-30s. Trust me, my love or sex life doesn't even has a sprinkle of excitement. There is nothing on that count and things are quite dull.

Yeah, I have decided to date but minus a strain on my life since I don't want things to take a toll on me. In fact, the real issue is that I am not in India which is making me so reluctant to date someone. May be, closing my eye and let the cosmic energy guide me to a unique date situation.

Love
Vishal



2017-07-02

Splash of love and sprinkle of rain


Windy breeze caressing senses,
Fluffing hair,
Pure love, obsession or madness
thrilling seduction 
Pally mood became a long lost friend 
One fine day it disappeared,
breaking the heart of the wandering soul,
when the sun shone brightly,
waving and offering its tenderness for company, 
crouched slowly to disappear in the distance 
Wound was nursed,
the friend that never was,
law of attraction can be deceptive 
another day rains lashed,
gush of shower sprinkled,
to become the loyal friend,
staying for long,
accompanying the soul in tribulations,
laugh, dance and smile,
swirling to its tune,
taking the form of an enamored lover,
offering memories made in heaven
life is like that only,
seasonal, loyal and moody like the friends we make, 
some last for a life time,
like the splatter of rain,
adding flavor and taste to the cutting tea like the honeydew,
a splash of love and happiness


With love
V

2017-06-30

Violence and mob culture: Modern India must stand up for rule of law, values of freedom and democracy



"All persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion subject to public order, morality and health."

-Article 25, Indian Constitution

The silence of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi was appalling and the silent Hindu majority of Hindu could be termed as necrotic on the spate of lynching and beef killing in modern India. Tremulous voices were heard on social media that consisted of feeble voice sandwiched between over aggressive extremists condoning such attacks that gave a false sense of entitlement or belief on one hand and on the other hand, citizens irrespective of religious belief coming together to condemn attacks on Muslims, traders, and consumers of meat. The dichotomy lies in the fact that beef is not religious centric.  

http://im.rediff.com/news/2017/jun/28protest1.jpg
Image credit: Google/India.com


 It reached a point of saturation when reasonable citizens, irrespective of their religious identities, decided to put an end to the break-down of law after 16-year-old Junaid was assaulted and dealt with death in a train on the eve of Eid. It was the time for Indians cutting across community and caste lines to say No to the heinous killing in the name of the Gau Mata.

Since the coming to power of the BJP, the law of the jungle reigned supreme with this idiotic and dim wit Gau Rakshak running loose to brutally assault citizens. We have one Mohammad Akhlaq who was brutally murdered in Dadri, UP for allegedly keeping beef that turned out to be goat meat. It gave us the impression that the voice of reason has lost its might and we failed to recognize the secular India, which seems to loom away by the day and disappearing like dust in the distant past.

 The time for action is now for citizens to engage and say No to such killings in the name of religion. A movement was born as an alternate power to protest in the right direction, #notinmyname. It bears resemblance and was strikingly similar to the Nirbhaya movement where women fearlessly trudged in the open and boldly faced police brutality. It didn't take long to mount pressure on the Government.
Today, PM Modi condemned such attacks in the name of religion and claimed that such killing and intolerant behavior shall not be tolerated. For the first, I saw the PM who somehow got lost in globe-trotting showed that he means business and that he is the Pradhan Sewak for everyone.

 He spoke like a strong statesman and sent a strong message to the warmongerers. I recognized my PM speaking and shall give credit where it is due. It was needed on his part at a time when so many of us were lingering on the verge of insanity and lives were falling.  We helplessly saw our country fading into oblivion, our secular values of respecting faiths crumbling and contrarian views bearing the brunt of intolerance. It is the top most priority to instill the fear of law in those terrorists and murderers.

The worse thing is that those extremists are giving a bad name to Hinduism and rewriting the Hindu scripture to make it the book of violence. It's extremely dangerous considering that Hinduism as a way of life has always celebrated peace, stability, tolerance, and growth of humans to cohabit together as enshrined in the Indian constitution and is being misinterpreted by a bunch of extreme voices. Today, Islam is facing the same issue where few bad and rotten apples are spoiling a religion and its adherents.

The power lies with the people to thrust the Government into action to safeguard and protect rights of both the majority and minority. The mass protests #notinmyname gathered steam and showed the power of an enraged nation coming together in mounting pressure on the political power. It reached the ears of the state which propelled Shri Narendra Modi into action. It was no asunder script where voices were lost. There is the government, the media as the fourth estate and like someone rightly said, the power lies with the people to say no to the forces of terror. India is the biggest democracy on earth which is facing testing times. It was a confrontation with the power of the day but with a legitimate reason. India cannot afford to remain silent when innocents are slithered to death on account of their religious beliefs with demented fools hijacking the country.

Non-peaceful method is one way to confront the forces of evil and one shouldn't be cowed down by the veiled threat of violence raging its might to silence voices. The demented goons hiding behind a religion and assaulting women cannot be my religion. I am born a Hindu. You don't do it in my name. My religion never believed or advocated violence and for instance, the Vedas is a gem that has always preached peaceful living, divinity, and spirituality. Till now, this mob culture gave an impression that their action received a legitimate nod from the Government of the day and the PM where they fearlessly went on a killing spree. Truth is they lack spine on the face of apathy where the state apparatus failed till now to protect the victims. Rise my countrymen and women against such heteronormativity!

There is a perception that the PM hands are fettered by the dangerous forces of Hindutva agenda and it’s extremists agents in the form of RSS and its ilk, VHP, Ram Sena or Bajrang Dal. Today, the PM affirmed his might in holding the reins of the country and in a way, thwarted occult forces of Hindutva to overcome this ‘perception’.  For the first time, I saw the PM, the one whom citizens want to see so that the rule of law triumphs above everything. It is the voice of reason and its citizens that make a nation the shining beacon of democracy.

However, the irony lies in the fact that long after the PM broke his deafened silence, a meat trader was beaten to death and his vehicle perished in flame set by ruffians and mob made of more than 100 people. It's unacceptable in today's India. The supporters of the Government and of this flawed ideology are as guilty as the murderers. We cannot condone such acts. The perpetrators should be brought to the book. Time for the PM's strong words to translate into action. Let the voice of reason rise against such killings and the movement of citizens as a watchdog should never stop till democracy gets back its sheen and voice of sanity so that we become a model to the world.

"King Piyadasi (Ashoka) dear to the Gods, honours all sects, the ascetics (hermits) or those who dwell at home, he honours them with charity and in other ways. But the King, dear to the Gods, attributes less importance to this charity and these honours than to the vow of seeing the reign of virtues, which constitutes the essential part of them. For all these virtues there is a common source, modesty of speech. That is to say, One must not exalt one’s creed discrediting all others, nor must one degrade these others Without legitimate reasons. One must, on the contrary, render to other creeds the honour befitting them.” 

-Plural India in Ashoka's inscription of 3rd century BC

Jai Hind

I abide by the Constitution of India, respect of law, plurality and tolerant values

Vishal







2017-06-28

Celebrating sweetend hearts, divinity and deleting hate


Sweetened meat,
swirling sensation lashing the tongue,
love,
friendship,
unity,
taste of soft words,
gentle whispers,
divinity,
music stirring the soul
pure love,
delicacies that bind hearts together,
no room for prejudices
hatred shipped to a different planet
the heart only knows how to love
glowing soul
tiny pieces of sparkle
kiss of divinity,
spreading into the veins
sumptuous dinner,
celebrating our differences and emotions,
love has various shades,
hearts are strung together,
one emotion,
our way of love differ,
yet it's symbolism carves its own place,
our heart is the abode of love,
carried in abundance,
 a weapon to thwart effort of haters,
killing innocents,
making them sacrificial lamb,
 a young life killed by mobs,

this Eid,
share love but wear a black band,
say no to violence and cowardice attack,
We are Indians,
we believe in unity and tolerance,
hate shall be met with love.

Happy Eid Mubarak
Vishal




2017-06-25

Gardener of love


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/49/21/89/492189e3e2d512cc3a7ba5ef2ff8220a.jpg
Raat ki Rani/ Image sourced from Google.


Sprouting roots,

adorning nature's own garden,

bliss, love, and togetherness

Roses,

Dahlia,

Raat ki Rani,


standing tall in its midst,

fluttering with the breeze,

offering ray of sunshine and hope,

glistening sight,

a shade of the gleaming sun creeping in,

beaming joy of petals sparkling,

ushering pure joy and deeply intense feeling,

a haven of love and togetherness,

cultive the roots,

spray the petals with water,

call it friendship,

affection

music strumming to the ears,

clinking bells in the heart

the gardener of love.

Love

V



 

2017-06-22

It's not called friendzoned but men-women friendship


It's not a tale of estrogen meeting testosterone and the X-factor of sexual attraction that hinges on everything imaginable. Yes! Not everything needs an electric shock running dizzy in our body to burst alive our sex bubble. Men and women can be friends and need not be in a platonic-cum-fancy one-night stand relationship. Pure friendship exists.

http://media.salon.com/2015/07/couple_grass-620x412.jpg
Image credit: Google


It was in the college days when a flatmate that I abhorred told me how men and women can never be friends. I shrugged it off! Stupidity has an invisible human form. There was a time when I was chaperoned by the hottest and most attractive women during my student days where some turned out to be the best buddies that I ever have. Nah! I didn't feel the need to offer my friendship as a shield to hit on them. There were no sour grains. We turned out to be the best of friends.

These women became my confidants and incarnated the 'guys talk' where I discussed anything with them right from the crushes, the woman I was madly in love with and swearing in front of them. Being in their company was pure bliss where we shared everything under the sun. There was no hesitation or constraint that I am speaking to a female and never became conscious to delete words or adjectives. We shared a certain bond. I would call them my 'male buddies.' Yeah! Right! They do the guys talk much better than the males I hanged around with whenever I freaked out about the love (s) of my life. Mind you! These super hot and perfectly beautiful women turned out to be the best companions. I never hit on them for there was a conviction about this riske job where friendship would go for a toss.

We are such a complex and confused society when it comes to the man-woman relationship. It's high time to move beyond this cliche that only one relationship exists between them. Men and women can exist without the sibling relationship and still share a sacred relationship based on deep bonding, respect and minus the attraction or sexual angle. For people who claim that both sexes can never make it as amazing 2 a..m friends probably never had someone of the opposite sex as a chum.

Friendship is sacred and bears no time limit, nor it's seasonal. It's genderless. There is one thing that I have always treasured and been emotional about and its friendship which matters more than anything else. Why paint the relationship between men and women? The moment we do it, the friendship is tainted and ruined forever. It's one of the most beautiful aspects of this timeless relationship. I would always hit off with a female buddy, smoking, watching a movie, go high on a joint and for that matter, catching up with beer. A flurry of shit is exchanged as the conversation veer about everything in life and coming with ingenious solutions that would put Einstein to shame. Poor guy! Must be reeling inside his grave and whining, 'Why the fuck I never came up with this one?'

The boy-girl-man-woman friendship is what vibes are all about. It's not even the friend zoned that naysayers would say and scorn at this relationship which never shies in blossoming in any season of the year. There is a thin line between friend zone and true friendship where the former doesn't even come into play since there is no attraction. OK! Be honest. There might be a certain degree of attraction but it's just a plain and passing feeling. It's a relationship based on trust where we respect each other's space and privacy as humans who bat for each other and standing tall during the rough weather. This friendship hold meaning for nothing can change even after decades.

Yes! A man and woman can be great friends and share a deep cum rooted cum meaningful relationship. It's not about whatsapp group but true dosti that stand the test of times. You don't make friends looking for sexual or material benefits. I think there is a dividing line between attraction or love on one hand and friendship on the other when we speak between the man-woman equation. The rest doesn't matter whether it's society's twisted mind or the faulty eyesight.

Love
Vishal




2017-06-19

Longing and lost on dark boulevard

A seemingly lost road,
unfamiliar boulevard and lanes.
Fazed and disjointed,
I long for a home,
something to call my own.
Craving for new friends,
 a woman to share my life
Momentary love
Isn't it traded on the market of hearts?
A courtesan for company,
nursing tears and healing wounds,
listening to deep dark secrets and whining.
After all, I am paying for company,
in exchange for an ear to listen and tender shoulder,
unbound caress,
adventure frill.
Making love behind the dark walls at night,
admiring tall buildings,
a silent and stranger lover,
we crave for company,
Closed mouth dipped into each other,
healing pain and distress 
rubbing salt on wound of separation 
It isn't just love that ordinary mortals seek,
but exploration of the mind and body,
to quench the thirst.
Encounters in an intriguing city
It may not last an hour
but who cares?
as long as it cuts corner and close gaps.


Love
V

2017-06-02

Lush and mush words in June

Flaky lip,
the taste of liquor and brandy,
swirling on the tongue's edge like a hot, passionate kiss
gulping to perfection,
sending rush of warmth roiling inside the stomach
the drizzling new season
winter has arrived
freezing sensation,
watching the sunshine trot gently
fresh brewed coffee
in the comfort of the coffee shop,
observing the surrounding and occupants swerving.
concocting a story
pure addiction
beautiful women
lone grandpa walking slowly but enjoying life in all it forms
 leaves snuggle on trees,
gyrating to music
crowd lost in translation 
longing for caress and a swing 
It's June
lush and mush words
kissing to make poetry
Cheerz to a new season.

Love
V

2017-05-29

Unsung song and shimmering gold

Shimmering gold
As dark as illusion
Existence is just a pack of lies
Rough and unpolished from the surface
Scratch, scars, and bruise
Flutter of wind,
stroking the senses
Experiencing the intense and emotional form 
Unpolished yellow
Turning into the goldsmith,
to design existence and carving the reflection of stars
As myriad as it gets!
the unsung song
Aren't we all made of clay?
Muddy terrain that we tread,
Wounds injected
Sprinkle lil bit of salt on our rough interiors,
to shine into a flawless spot
We need some polishing to remove the scratch
Our brain wiring emotions
Separating chaff from the wheat
It's our golden moment
Filter 
Laugh
Smile.


Love
V

2017-05-27

Why I have been single for so long?


I don't remember the last time I dated somebody and lost the art of flirting or striking a conversation with a random stranger girl. It's all about net practice, like some of my male friends would tell and urge me to be the wild stallion that I may have been in the past, at a time when people around me are either getting married, being in and out of a slew of casual relationships or flings.

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Image credit: Google.


The school days were spent studying and facing the pressure with the same good ole mantra, 'No good marks, no good job and no decent girl with marry you. You can find a girl once you are done with certificates.' Surviving on a measly pocket money for a middle class boy means the chances of taking a girl out is slim. It left me with only one choice, bank robbery. I turned into a speccy nerd whom girls found boring to date. They'd better choose death which means no action for me, sadly. I whined my time fooling around with my 'luccha' friends and time just flew.

There were too many options of beautiful girls to crush on in college and too many choices means a life time went on to decide whom to date or not. There were too many silly crushes that I contented myself my share and the eyes kept craving for the strawberry faces. College life flickered like dust.

See, I am a one man woman and the girl I liked was either taken and poor me was friend-zoned. I waited in vain for her to break with her boyfriend and when the time came, I already moved on to greener pastures. Same old story repeated here.

When it was the time to date with money in hand, work took its own toll on me and there was hardly any time for that. The days were spent waking up early, getting ready for work and sleeping. I forgot what it was like to go around with someone.

I was still figuring out what I wanted to do with life, career wise. Most of the chicks at work were either taken, made a sister and very few had brains whom you can date. You know, mindless conversations and gossips. The worse thing is my silly brain that raised the relationship standard too high post my last relationship where me and my girl had an intellectual level where our minds more than the heart converged. There was no way that I could lower my dating standards. I am no Deepika who chucked the suave Ranbir for Ranveeer. To complicate things, it's my ethical mind that was at play where office romance is a strictly no-no affair. A decade went by without finding that almost perfect someone and my heart goes on. I felt like the male version of Celine Dion from another era.

Losing faith in human relationships with the amount of break ups and marriages going kaput became part of my routine. To top it all, I became so used to be along and single. Bad habits are hard to break. I became cynical with relationships after my break up where my everything was invested in that single relationship. The time I spent to nurse my wound and heal...Time to move on, baby!

With time, I can only admire a beautiful girl from a looming distance and thinking that she is too young for me or too hot to handle. Better, I go back to college days where occasional dating was drenched in memory. It feels like the train has already left the station and there is no one to blame, except yourself for failing to hop on the bandwagon. You are no longer handsome and she is a fucking princess. Smile and move on.

During the college days, a question haunted me: Why aren't I dating? It's simple. I was in a relationship with the gang who was only interested in making merry, fooling around and busy having fun by smoking, boozing and occasional ganja parties. Friends became my life and everything. There was no place for a chick to enter my life or else vows of friendship would've been violated.

The pressure to get married and all that shit where you tend to hit back at parents who keep bringing a prospective match. As it is, matrimonial sites like shaadi.com are for silly people who can't even find someone on their own. Certainly, I don't want to be that guy who goes on a blind date set by parents where the woman finds me bizarely weird.

Books, blogging and the unsuccessful attempt to write this best selling book about imaginary love and sex became my priority. I wanted to become the next Chetan Bhagat in town raking the moolah. A decade flew and still nothing ever happened. Probably, things will not be happening in the next decade of my otherwise routine and mechanical life. Sex is a luxury.

Where all those women that you keep urging me to date? I must find them in the first place. They are nowhere to be found and all my prospective dates or flings are already in marital bliss or busy tying the knot. It makes you go mad.

I've spent a major part of my life paying that personal loan that I took to travel, laptop and expensive phone on EMI. There is no money to take a chick out and the little sanity I have makes it impossible to ask a random woman out online. How despo it sounds?!

At the end of the day, it's all about the aspirations to move away from home and parents exploring life in various cities of the world and the joy of staying alone in an apartment gives me a mental masturbation. I prefer to grow and see life rather than being stuck in the drudgery of marriage and kids.

There is no intention to share my bed with someone for the rest of life. Like my whisky, I like my bed large where I can spread my stiff body and spend my time reading fantasies or the world romance in books that sell like hot pancakes. No one shall invade that space. I am scared of invaders and terrorists...who knows some hot bimbo may be hired to plant a bomb. Dreamer I am! It leaves me with only one option...getting laid.

So, now you get the drift? Stop asking me such fucked up questions about how I should have found a chick in college to tie the knot or someone to make my life.

Love ya all, fuckers
V


2017-05-21

'Cougar' and pulling the strings in mature relationships


It's not a new phenomenon. Not is it about sexual thrills or estrogen-you know that sensation that run like electricity in our body and causing our sexual energy to reach an adrenaline high. It doesn't make men and women, predators, hunters and the hunted, witch or cougar, that attracts younger men. Unfortunately, the various media parlance terminology has cast an ugly shadow on relationships which is most of the time blurred by famous social prejudices and dogmas. The great hypocrisy in society that pulls all strings to control relationships that doesn't fall into their personalized grace. You name it, you get it, shame and guilt with the typical log kya kahenge.

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Image credit: Google


The French President Emmanuel Macron is married to his teacher, Brigitte who is 24 years his senior where both have shown that age gap is no excuse for the blooming of a beautifully mature relationship. Would Brigitte be termed a cougar in our present society? I have no doubt on our hypocrisy and uncalled ability of controlling each and every thing or doling of gyaan on how such relationships pollute morality and other fuck ups, born out of the brain child of so-called social norms. There is nothing wrong in marrying someone older than you between younger man and elder women and vice versa. There has been several instances in the past where I have been attracted to women who are much older or younger to me and trust me, there ought not be guilt feelings to that. It whittles down to the personal choice that we make as human beings.

Sadly, we live in a hostile environment where the by-products of society think that it's a legitimate right for them to make our life decisions. It's a blurred path that they love to tread in controlling minds. It's my firm belief that such relationships are based on sexual freedom, empowerment and modernity coupled with maturity in sharing a bond. It's a deep relationship that petty minds cannot understand or weigh in the connection.

The worse about the equation between an elder woman and a young man, on one hand and elder man and younger girl on the other hand, is that very few will blame the man in that. It's a matter of grave prejudice when the woman is always on the receiving end with accusations such as ensnaring the man. Agree, that the term sugar daddy is as prejudicial as cougar but it's during very rare instances that men in such relationships face brickbats.

Moreover, I refuse to see such relationships as a matter of sexual thrills or adventure, and be it for a short-term or long-term relationship, we need to be more open. It is pretty much like inter-caste, inter-race and same-sex love or relationships, where nonsense are blurted out in the name of religion or misplaced morality. It's the plain ego and fear of the patriarch that their so-called established norms are being challenged.

It's a beautiful and admirable to witness the act of love and respect among elder and younger successful couples based on trust. The maturity is inherent, be it sexual, spiritual or on the worldly views where both partners can learn from each other and grow together. I am in awe of people, blessed with the zest for life and energy to feel forever young and daring to shrug off ridiculous comments, social pressures or prejudices. There is a certain dynamism in the so-called 'cougar' relationships.

Of course, every relationship have its own con and is not restricted to the younger man-older woman or older man-young woman or girl. Critics who snub at such relationships often point out that the disinterest in sex at some point will happen, hostility among family or even friends but also an interest of the younger part in someone their age coupled with the lack of spark. 

Hey! A beautiful relationship based on this equation is about maturity. Therefore, the above factors are hurdles that exist in any other relationship. For instance, what is the guarantee that your partner who is exactly your age will not stray or be attracted to someone else? Can a more or else, same age couple stake a claim to sexual compatibility or maturity? I don't think we can give guarantees in today's times. As far as the hostilities are concerned, I strongly believe that it's your life and you are mature enough not to be in the control or mercy of others, be it parents, extended family or anyone else.

No civilized or educated society can thrive on stupid biases and prevent people to live the way they want in their personal relationships. It's high time for words like cougar or sugar daddy be deleted from our dictionary for it fetters our growth and outlook.

Love
Vishal