One Year..that is a lot it seems.

The semester ended in a way it generally did, or at least nearly so. The results a fortnight later would not be a very accurate indicator of it though. It was time to get back to our leisure, the endless hours of doing nothing, yet probably being the most productive phase of our lives. The enlightenment achieved in this time cannot be explained in lecture notes, reference books or tutorials. Yet it is important to shape us, to define who we are. Most part of the semester went by in a similar fashion, exempting the weeks towards the end, when we sort of have to complete our duties towards the university. However, it was different this time. We were not supposed to come back to that place anymore. It was time for us to go to a new one, with promise that it was not going to be the same, devoid of the intellectual partners of our leisure. It was time for us to take care of the stuff we had considered trivial in all those conversations in our leisure. How are we supposed to do that? There was no satisfactory answer to that. I was convinced I was not prepared for it. But just as life manages to make you do all the stuff that's stranger than fiction, I eventually did. While I acquiesce to the fact, I did not do an excellent job, I was competent. And I realised something. Letting go of a dream is painful. Chasing it, even more. The twist is in the hope of gaining satisfaction in achieving it someday. I knew I had to return to the path that could take me where I wanted to be and not the one I landed up in because I was not confident, and wanted to resort to the options we had initially opposed just because it was safer. That brings me here. Today. I know more about fighting than I ever did. It's not about how hard you can hit, but how hard you can get hit and still move on. The importance of inches. How to fight for each one of the inches in front and willing to die for it. How everything as small and fragile as an inch is worth fighting for. In our imaginations a few years back, we did not conceive the fight, chasing a dream is all about. The temptations of glory and ego-contentment drove me into this lane. When I am finally there, I realise that the motivation of glory is not enough. It is about survival. It was always about survival. Survival is the cause and consequences of our dreams, aspirations and hopes. Dreams define the way we want to survive, not survival itself. This brings me closer to appreciate all the people who are doing so well in their lives, fighting and surviving with their dreams, which in my adolescent intellectualism I considered humble. The prestige of life is living it. The best possible way to do it is to remain guiltless in our own conscience, and justice to our own perspective. The others, who matter, will learn to understand and respect it. And if that way, manages to inspire or influence anyone else to fight their own battle, life becomes more, because it becomes light, a gift with a message.

Legends of the Arena

March 24, 2011
The outcome of the quarter finals definitely signified the end of an era. Going into it, a defeat for either side would have underlined the departure of one of the two maestros of the cricketing world from the world’s most coveted stage of the game- permanently. Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. Undeniably the greatest batsmen still in the game, they share almost all the records amongst themselves and together illustrate the best exponents of one-day cricket phenomenon. Overwhelming critics, negotiating expectations, eluding time- they have wielded magic at the world’s most prestigious arena, time after time. Their world cup records adequately representing that, yet excluding the influence they exerted to their own teams and their opponents. However, throughout their careers, Sachin managed to edge past Punter as far as statistics, reputations and opinions are concerned, and dear Punter had to remain contented being the second best in the minds of cricket experts and aficionados. These superlatives of world cup confronted each other in what could possibly be their last venture on the world cup canvas had their side lost. And as the Aussies were eliminated, Destiny probably decided to give the best another go, over the world’s next best. Ponting has chased Sachin in all his records, reaching pinnacles himself, yet living in the shadow of the tallest peak, yet in the agony of winning the silver. In the cricketing sky without Tendulkar, Punter is the brightest star. He made his point as he walked away today- the champion in his own right. Sometimes you just feel for him, just as this limerick says-

Had Sachin been not so much into cricket
Punter could have got himself the ticket
To journey ahead of all the rest
Instead of being the second best
And a little more value for his wicket.

Duality

If it wasnt for the bad, I would have never known the good
If I hadn't been mad, I would have never known what I should
I learnt to be polite only after I faced the rude
If it wasn't for sad,
I could not have felt glad
It was the wrong that showed the way to right
It was the night that made me realise daylight
It was all the extremes to which I had been
And everything that lies in between
I realised nothing is absolute, and its never too late
To change, to grow, to build up a fate
An eventful journey, but I have no regrets
Because in the course of things, it was you whom I met.

Life in a Vision

When i go to sleep every night, i just visualise a happy moment comprising of factual and fictional details accompanied by the perfect background chimes resonating in my mind. That’s how I end my day so that I might endure another as beautiful on the next. And maybe it will be the same (assuming I will be experienced practicing it by then ) when the ultimate end comes. What would I see then? Which vision will tingle my feelings until I feel no more. I think my quest of life is the search of the perfect reminiscence – the vision from life, and as of now there are plenty of options to chose from, from a particular day, the one day in which I almost lived my entire life. It started out on a wrong note, my clumsiness resulting in our missing the bus, to be exact, but it grew into something perfect. If smiles represent happiness, what does insane laughter signify? Happiness with all strings loose. There we were amidst happy people ; happiest of all in the city which was important enough to be claimed and occupied by four great nations , in the brightest of sun. There is a sense of delight in fulfilment after the realisation of a dream; and personally, standing at the center of Berlin was a dream come true; but I don’t know what can portray the bliss touching the G-spot of our hearts- tears, smiles, shouts,…..when we experience something beyond the reach of our dreams. This obscure ecstacy constituted all our emotions and engulfed us as we stood in the cruise…we shared and bonded in the same unexplained joy.., which took me days to realise.

Could I get back those moments of happiness for rent,
For the one precious smile in this pain they meant;
Let those memories fill the emptiness that is inside me
Let those visions illuminate the darkness and make me see...

Success

Life is all about who you are and who you are remembered as, and it is a successful life when they are the same.

Into the West

Day as a unit of measurement of the dimension fundamentally known as time has perpetuated or resulted as the consequence of the primary fact that earth is round and rotates about an axis. This enables us to go back in time, here day, by traversing space, the other fundamental dimension. It may therefore be possible to traverse time,( in other units also) by exploring space and exploiting the symmetry or asymmetry of the structure of the universe and its behavior.

Mot du Jour-Hero

Who is a greater hero...A seasoned champion or an unrated underdog who manages to pull off the unexpected?? Obviously it is a foolish and more so selfish attempt to compare greatness but I here fall victim to the temptations that human mind can barely resist, i.e. the tendency to interpret and define an abstract and vague concept. Although the event of an amateur causing an upset is definitely a more thrilling prospect from the hoi polloi perspective, one cannot help but ponder over the dilemma of hailing the worthy champion and who should be bestowed with the ‘hero’ endearment. It is probably the primitive instinct, to come out with the best, fight with your heart when one is left with no choices cornered and rather close to being down and out. When you see a rookie do that, somehow the audience connects to the achievement and personalizes him because somewhere deep down inside they are already familiarized to that position where almost invariably they have faltered. If this is how emotion decides the winner let us now give a chance to our reasons. The experienced campaigners on whom we have faith enough to endorse them with the title of favorites are present too. A series of immaculate performances given by them in the past provokes a lineage of expectations from captivated audience, which acts as an augmented encumber to the existent pressure. Their fans are waiting agog to find an opportunity to hail them. They adapt themselves to these implausible circumstances with the genius of being a professional. When these proven champions win, it is probably more of a satisfaction for the followers, merely an expectation being fulfilled by their icons, the masters. A momentary exhibition of joy accompanied by a silent exclamation is all that can be reactions to something great from the seasoned greats. Slowly, more often than not, admirers demand invariable superlative performances from their icons which they feel are bound to be delivered without any lapses. This madness is supposed to represent faith. The cool deliverances from the 'Stars' is the order of the day and reproach is their fate on account of their efforts turning to futile. Probably, this is something very clearly understood by those who have spent a fair amount of time in the hot seat, realizing their fates in the hands of the public and consequently getting detached, demoralized and vulnerable to the absence of ‘heart’ in their approach and efforts. Most of them probably had been the dawn of an era causing a turn around with epoch making performances the rule and somehow they become susceptible to being at the wrong end with time. Its probably only fair that humans chose change to be more perfect and encouraging because it is in the nature of the lesser diminutive mortals who claim themselves to be individuals. N’est-ce pas..?