Scissors Paper Rock...Situation III

This time the game has turned tables. Its not Rock Paper Scissors. But the other way round.The three elements are in battleground. Coming to terms with each other...

Scissors
Searching a steady ground and trying to unravel the situation to find the hidden meaning.

Paper
Can sense the strings are breaking slowly. Wondering whats going wrong? Can things be the same as before?

Rock
She is an inseperable part of the game. Don't back out. Things would turn worse. And she knows it.

Comfortably Numb

This is not the famous Pink Floyd song but the present state of mind I am going through. I AM COMFORTABLY NUMB. Numb to what people say, numb to what people think, numb to what they are doing, numb to their cries, their cribbing about the things around them, numb to what they think about me. I am numb.

Others may disapprove, it maybe a blow to my social life. I don't care. This may seem as a confession or a hate entry on the entire human community that I am a part of or just a 19 year old wannabe who is throwing her 'I don't care' attitude on everyone. But I like this state of denial which I am suffering. It maybe short term but I love it. I am what I am. I don't want to be accepted neither want to accept anyone.

I am living in the 'me' mode, in my own personal space in which I don’t allow anyone to enter. I am in the trance of myself. It may sound as some Paolo Coelho book but that’s how I feel. I am COMFORTABLY NUMB.

The Anonymity of the Unknown...

As I again go to my introspection mode...

This time thinking about people. In my 19 years of life if I think of the number of faces I have come across, damn I would never be able to count it. People with strange facial features, absolutely different personalities, different thought processes and what my advertising prof said- "specifically defined" individuals.

When I walk from my hostel to college everyday, I come across certain "specifically defined" beings, who don't matter anything to me. There are some random acquaintances who I meet everyday yet I would never speak to them or never have any kind of association. Despite any connection with them I do share a certain bonding with them.

When I move out of the hostel, I know there would be some prototypes that I would come across. Just like the kid playing with his ball and the autowallahs waiting to get a customer and ask for lumpsome travelling charges. Then as I walk further and reach the busy streets, I am used to see the lady at 'Rasoi' dhaba serving hot parathas to the home food deprived hoggers, the two friends sitting in the roadside restaurant in their usual corner seat and having gupshup over snacks and not to forget the 'once upon a time' fauji who is now a lunatic swaggering with his typical army air in his style and the guy with everything Indianised and an intriguing panache walking alone in the road with no care and worries on his shoulders [ that what it seems through his walk].

We have our friends, relatives,'known' acquaintances but these are the people who cannot be categorised in any personal chronology. They are persistence of vision and mind which are seen and forgotten and never to be remembered once away from site.
These are the people who in their random nuances and at times the nano moments of eye contact which I often have with them are the ones who are constant in my dynamic rather monotonous life.

It Was Just Yesterday

It seems it was just yesterday
When I started my school
With dad dropping me to my play school
And I
Looking at him with tears in eyes
As if which scaryland is he leaving me.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I stepped in a film theatre
For the first time
Holding mumma's hand
Crying when
The hero dies in the end.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I took my little brother
In my arms
And thought it to be
Another doll that I possess.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I ate handful of salt
And got frightened
That I may turn a cow
As said by my granny.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I left Delhi
And set off to the city of joy
Unknown of
That it would turn my life upside down.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I met my first friend
And believed
We would be together
All our life.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I had my stage performance
With hundreds of eyes
Scanning me
From head to toe.

It seems it was just yesterday
when I felt a strange feeling
Towards a stranger
Spending days and nights
Thinking about him.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I passed 10th grade
And had my first confrontation
With tension and anxiety.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I came back to the capital city
Trying to adjust with
The culture shock
And diverse circumstances.

It seems it was just yesterday
When I joined college
And finally had a taste of
Living away from home
And enjoying my independence days.

And here comes today
When I sit alone
And wander
The evolution of my yesterday.

Rock Paper Scissors...Situation II

They are back together...Caught in the webs of their own world yet inseperable to others web...

Rock
Tired of being rubbed against Scissor's action....Vented out as a melted rock....


Paper
Recycled yet crumpled and scribbled with circumstances, it is unable to resolve....


Scissors
Coming to terms with itself and with its support elements...

College Life- Season 2

A year in college has passed.

15 June 2009, Monday begins the 2nd year in college. Taking college to be a sit-com what are the new features and the unchanged stories that would be seen-

College Life
Season 2

*ing

• The same old 130 students reaching new levels of maturity (or immaturity)
• Introducing the new batch of 130 students ready to experience the Roller Coaster ride.
• The 3 faculty members and some additions (if rumors are to be believed)

Catch the new season of College Life with brand new episodes with old characters back to action and new 130 characters taking a plunge in the world of confusion, love, hate, distress, fun and all that jazz that happens in Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication.


Coming Soon in the lives of Simcians....

Don't Miss It...

Rock Paper Scissors...Situation I

Rock
In the midst of the dense jungles bearing the heat and the adventures coming its way...

Paper
Crumpled and torn...kept folded in an office diary...waiting to be recycled...

Scissors
Cutting the maps of the country...searching for new avenues to capture in its frame...

The Big Question...

F-R-I-E-N-D, the six letter word that means a lot to everyone. However a person is lonely or introvert, he/she has that special one in his/her life with whom he/she is comfortable. i feel it is the comfort zone which is actually the deciding factor of friendship. But, nobody ever knows what might click between two individuals which blooms into a friendship.
Ok! too much of generalisation...If I think of my friends, still the question that creeps in my mind is who is the one or who are the ones who I can consider my friends and what are the parameters of friendship?Do i really shared the comfort zone that is between two friends? What is it?


The one who wanted me to just do what she considers her friend should do, or, the one who gave me the assurance that she will be there for me always but turned her back just bacause I got better grades than her?


The ones who just included me in their 'solar system' group just because I was standing with them when they were planning to form it, or, the ones who fought for me with their block's puja authorities because I was not allowed to participate in that area's Durga Puja celebrations?


The one who considered me her best friend and was not ready to share me with any other person, or, the one with whom I used to go for long walks and talk about anything and everything until the point we discovered there was an 'unsaid silence' between us all this time?


The one who was my only friend in a class of 60 because everybody other than her took my reserved and introvert nature to be arrogance, or, the one who manages to call me despite living 2600 km away affording long hours of chatting?



The ones who miss me in Kolkata whenever there is a get-together, or, the ones who I meet only during festivals and special occasions?


The ones with whom I love to be with because of our foolish acts we often do, or, the ones who brought some fashion sense into me and shared their relationship diaries?


The ones who don't want to have any attachment with me except when it comes to borrowing accessories and clothes, or, the ones with whom nothing connects but still we share a strong bonding just like two magnets being attracted towards each other?

Delhi Belly

My internship in Delhi has led me to travel 3 hrs in public transport and not in the luxurious confines of my car. Its been 3 years that I have left Kolkata, the place where I have breathed the most wonderful times of my life but these 3 hrs has brought me closer to the city as ever. As in the morning bus no.717 covers the Qutub Minar which stands tall as the statue of liberty in US to the huge education centre Jawaharlal Nehru University. At times I take another route that leaves me to IIT, the dream college of millions of Indians. That’s a treat for the eyes early in the morning despite getting stuck in the traffic jams at office hours. Delhi traffic jams are very different from the usual ones. The car doesn’t stop at a point but keeps on moving and it is interesting to see how the vehicles move through the winding roads in spite of the diversions due to the construction work going on since time immemorial. Delhiites are used to it. I wonder what will happen when all these diversions will no more be there. Roads would seem like runways as the eyes are so used to the usual narrow lanes. In the evening while coming back home I experience the other side of Delhi, the beauty of Delhi which has often been talked about. Siri Fort Auditorium, Lodhi Gardens, Dilli Haat, Indian Heritage Centre, Humayun Tomb,India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan , Akashvani Bhavan till the point I reach Janpath where my Delhi darshan ends. What a sight it is!!! I marvel the wonderful city which I previously hated and think how wrong I was. One fine day after coming back from office I went to Old Delhi and explored the entire Delhi 6 area. Delhi 6, contrary to the modern and developed avenues of New Delhi breaks all the stereotypes of Delhi being hep and happening. The ancient buildings, the narrow lanes, wires spreading here and there as if scars made on the surface of the sky, markets bustling with people, the pandemonium of sounds of vehicle horns and the loudspeakers crying the verses recited by the Jama Masjid priest and the Red fort only spell of Delhi in historical times . No wonder despite so many malls and other commercial areas coming up and the government’s continuous efforts of changing Delhi into New York or Paris, filmmakers and authors capture this part of Delhi where development is only seen in the McDonalds outlet in Chandni Chowk (it does look very out of place). Old Delhi is the preserver of the heritage and the homogenous culture that is long lost in the web of changing times. Delhi is like a kaleidoscope, it may seem to be just a piece of glass but more you look deeper you can see its different colours and how they change from one part to another. Someone needs time to understand the complexities of this place although people are the easiest reflections that can be recognized in mirrors of time. Punjabis with their tales of show offs, Idli dosa and the chain of Annapurna hotels of the south Indians, Bengalis and their huge conversations in Bengali even if the third person cannot understand a word, UPites and their inclination towards hindi culture and literature, Northeasterns carrying all the latest fashion on the streets; Delhi has it all.

The Awakening Part II

With the elections round the corner, there is a lot of hustle and bustle all around the country. Politicians have come out of their white houses and promising flying castles and forts to the common man. On the other hand, people are finally seeing the MLAS and MPs they had voted five years ago. Where had they been? And what about the development they had promised? No answers.

The blame game is as usual on. But yes there has been an awakening of a new kind. Youth are finally realising the importance of voting and are ready to participate in the coming elections. Internet is being seen as the harbinger of this change as organisations like Jaagore.com are taking initiatives to include as many young voters in the voters' list. Kudos to them!!

There also has been an army of young politicians in the battlefield this time. Although majority of them belong to the royal political families [Rahul Gandhi, Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Jyotiraditya Scindia and many others] but there are many middle-aged[note not young but middle aged; a relief from the grandfather aged politicians] people who are standing as independent candidates. Hope they win. My best wishes and my vote to them.

So India's democratic nature is being reflected which is a respite from the fact that people are aware what is happening in the country. But the main question still remains whether it will lead to the grand renaissance which the country is still yearning for. The 'near' utopia dream is still alive in the hearts of the citizens and these elections will again be a test of times of whether this vision will be attained in the next five years.

Viva La India...

Rock Paper Scissors

Most of us have played this simple game of rock paper scissors at some point of our lives...the simple game of luck...Many made decisions according to this game...For some it is just a timepass during boredom...But has anybody ever thought that it can define personalities of people...Thats what happened with three people who come from different walks of life, different places but when they come together they merge like the game of Rock Paper Scissors...

Rock Paper Scissors...What does three of these elements denote...Have you ever given a thought??...

Rock
Tough...Street Smart...Headstrong...stand against odds...Idealistic...confident

Paper
Smooth...Quiet...Patient...Observer...Reserved...Practical...calm

Scissors
Sharp...Straightforward...moody...unpredictable...exuberant...

I have come across the unison of these three personalities who despite being different,unlike the elements complement each other. They promise to be together in the arduous times ahead. As I observe their kaleidoscopic life as an onlooker, I dwell that how this game of Rock Paper Scissors turns out to be...

Sumthin of a mocktale....

10 days and a significant part of college will be over...as in college terms the 2nd semester and for the students a year in the life of SIMC...Sitting near the library suddenly thought of writing the equation that best defines SIMC...

SIMC as a college with a difference can be put into a formula of C5A where

C stands for
CONNECT[with people] {thats what people were trying to do in the 1st semester}
COMMUNICATE [something that does not exist in college]
CONVERGE [the commonly used jargon]
COG IN THE WHEEL [a term which a certain Mr.Goswami has imbibed in us]
CREDIT HOGGERS [you will find in plenty in here]

A stands for
Amalgamation [the much hated word in the premises!]

All this and much more jazz is the essence of this "premier" media institute..Following are the do's and dont's which a SIMCian should always keep in mind...

DO's
1. Always keep in mind the C5A formula.
2. To prove yourself, make a movie. [Ripping and Plagiarism is always invited]
3. Take SIMC as a roadies show. [Thats the best way to survive]{you like splitsville...o that is invited too}
4. If you think you have the qualities of a politician. Don't let it go waste. Use it to your fullest potential.
5. Have an opinion of everything. [However useless and illogical it is]
6. Talk in generalised terms. People love it. [the only way lectures can be understood here]
7. Deprived of sleep? MINDROOM 501 can provide you with the most comfortable mattresses in town.[and lullabies too]
8. If in Section B...do argue and deliberate.
9. Love the staircase. [you have to climb 104 steps if there is a power cut]
10. Try to understand the group dynamics of the "defined" groups.
11. Have an artistic inclination? explore it. [you'll get ample time for it during lectures]

DONT's
1. Miss college in the first month. [it will surely screw your attendance and much dilemma comes in the latter half]
2. Mess up with the administration. [SIMC is actually under them]
3. Have a valid point during lectures. Please don't speak up. [nobody would entertain]
4. Do not enter the lift if there are people less than 15. [ that is the official record till now]
5. Don't be the change. Rather change yourself.
6. Finally,don't forget your ipods and cellphones. [you'll need them during lectures]

Morality or desire...What would you choose??

The oscar nominated movie The Reader touches a very sensitive topic that dwelves into every individual's mind at one point of time i.e. how can someone draw the line between morality and desire? Who dictates the moral ethics in the society? Morality in simple terms can be stated as an act which is accepted in the society. Desire is what is acceptable to an individual although it may not be morally correct. This battle between society and individual has long been fought and exists as a cold war in everyone's life. Our every action is governed by society. We modify it according to the standards of the community we live in. But what about our desire? Desires are not monitored or governed by anyone. Not even by the person itself. In Freudian terms,id vs. ego is what drives a human being.

The strongest and the most "sacrilege" topic in Indian society is the most obvious three letter word SEX. It is the most desired instinct in individuals designed by the hormonal reactions in the body. But moral when you indulge in it after abiding by the rituals of matrimony. Immoral sex is like red tapism. All done under the table unless there is a sting operation and you are caught red-handed.There are also many dimensions to it. As in the movie, a 15 year old having sex with a 40 year old...not admissible; self stimulated sex [masturbation]...still not right; sex with the same sex...OH MY GOD!!But these things happen right under the nose of the society gurus and knowingly been ignored. It is at this point where the cold war is favourable towards morality as everything said and done, rules broken, desire being satisfied but we are not going to spread the word as we are "moral" members of our society and cannot see our coming generation being driven by their ids rather than ego.

You may think what is this woman writing!! Has she lost her mind!! I know its funny but this is the truth which deep in our hearts everybody accepts. The chastity of a woman and the potency of a man is questioned by this contention. We judge people on the basis of this notion. Finally the question arises,ultimately who will be the winner between the two? There is no answer to it. Rather it is an open-ended question to which further demur would be added from time to time. What we can do is just listen to it or read and write about it as we are the masters of our psyche and can judge the best.

An ode to my most special friends...

The following poems I had written when I was leaving Kolkata...Jilly and Madhurima are the two very special friends for me...Adding these poems in my blog I just want to let them know how much I love them and miss them...

For Jilly:-

I know a girl
Sweet,charming and pretty
I cant find any words to define her
For my eyes speaks all about her
I want to be her good friend
(Which i dont't know whether I am or not)
But in turn she became my best friend

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But her chatting about Riddhiman and Mayukh
Are like the seasons have all gone

We have departed
Like a baby from its mother
And never know whether we can spend those precious moments again
But still I want to say her
That "Jilly jaisi koi nahi"

She is one who made my days more brighter
My nights more sweeter
My happiness more happier
Whenever I was sad
She is the one who made me smile
She is the one who inspired me
To live a life full of zeal and style

I don't know whether this poem appeals her or not
But the only thing I can say is
'Jilly, Jilly please don't cry
You can forget me by and by'
But I will never forget you
Even when there are
Beautiful moments in my life
Coz I want to experience those
With you by my side

For Madhurima:-

Oh my friend
How will I live without you
I want you not your letters
I want you not your words
Each minute
Each second
I remember the days
That we have spent together
When i joined the group
It was you who always comforted me
Whenever I saw you
I felt I am not alone
I have somebody
Whom i can adore
Your friendship is the most beautiful gift
I can ever get

I yearn for the days
Which have gone
Which brought us together
And made us the bestest of friends
Please remain as you are
The pretty, chirpy and charming
Madhurima

MUSIC

What is music?
Has anybody given a thought?
A writer’s words
Or a lover’s ballad
A mother’s lullaby
Or a child’s cry

What is music?
Can anybody tell me?
The beauty of resonance
Or the voice of hatred
A maiden’s dream
Or the victory song

What is music?
As I wonder
A tribute to the martyrs
Or the dancing tunes
Prayer to the God
Or the bustling traffic sounds

Music
As I listen
I think
What is music?

Past...Present...Future

This is life
As others say
Living in present
And forgetting the past
And waiting for the future

But if past makes life
What is present about?
Is it all about learning from past mistakes?
Or start with 'new' everyday

Today's present will become past tomorrow
Then why to live the present?
As i dwell through this mystery of life

I write,
Live every moment with joy
With love
Enjoy every second with zeal
As these moments will become memories
This will give joy in present
Make past look beautiful
And give life new meaning in future

So as I end

I think of my past
Live the present
And wait for the future
To come fast

Something called LIFE....

This is my first attempt at writing poetry..

Life is a journey for me
A journey of happiness and sorrows
A journey of beautiful moments
A journey of painful mishaps

My journey i feel has no ending
It has a horizon
Which I try to vision

A vision unknown
A vision I search
A vision I adore

Why is life a mystery?
A mystery always unsolved
A mystery never to be unfold
A mystery of unforgettable events

Hey life,
This ode is for you
Show me light
That can lead me to that horizon
The horizon of hopes, happiness
Love, hate, faith, sorrow, pain
As I want to end this journey
The beautiful journey called life...

The Awakening

Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan
Zara hat ke zara bach ke,
yeh hai Bombay meri jaan

When this song was a hit in 1956 who thought after 52 years, these words will hold some other meaning. Bombay a.k.a Mumbai, the financial capital of India and the karmabhoomi for thousands and thousands of people is succumbed in the hands of the modern lucifers.Everybody is aware of the aftermath.As always politicians are again busy playing the dirty blame game.
But India is seeing a new dawn....a renaissance...an awakening...a revolution.People joining hands and ready to fight the devils...The stereotypical belief that India is a leader-driven land is fading away...every individual is taking its own initiative to save our beautiful nation.
The quotes by Bhagat Singh at the time of India's freedom struggle-
Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Ab Hamare Dil Mein Hai
Dekhna Hai Zor Kitna Baajuen Qaatil Mein Hai
Dekh Sakta Hai To Bhi Dekh Le Aye Aasmaan
Hausla Yeh Dekh Ke Qaatil Badi Mushkil Mein Hai

These lines are again being chanted by every Indian. Terrorism and its followers will not be spared by anybody.We will fight...we will stand together against all odds.We are not Hindu,Muslim,Sikh or Christian, but a nation...a powerful force of a billion people who can bring the change and will bring the change even if it takes a century of long struggle...

My Independence Day

I know I make mistakes, I will have to live and learn
Sometimes you play with fire and sometimes you get burned
I have my dream to live, following that star
It doesn't matter how long it takes, it doesn't matter how far

No time for make believing, and it's too late to turn back now


I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence Day
My Independence Day

I know it'll take some time, but I won't give up the fight
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but that's alright, oh yeah
I've got to spread my wings and learn how to fly
'Cause this feeling drives me on, it's something I cannot deny

No time to make excuses, 'cause it's too late to turn back now


I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence Day
My Independence Day

my Independence Day



No matter what comes my way, I'm gonna live for today
This is my, this is my Independence Day

Independence Day

I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence
I've been dreaming about it
I can't live without it
I've got to find my own way
I'm not changing my mind now
Or looking behind now
This is my Independence Day
My Independence Day

Independence Day

my Independence Day

Independence Day

Wishing on that same bright star, I shouldn't wish my life away
Wish my life away
They say it's a small small world
They say it's a small small small small world

Independence Day
Independence Day


-Melanie C.

Bong connection

Typical as it seems, we often overlook the community we belong to and have views of other communities existing around us. This thought struck me recently when I was travelling in a train from Delhi to Mumbai. It was a sheer co-incidence that I was travelling with an assemblage of Bengali families who were going for a week long holiday to Mumbai and Goa. For me this 26 hour journey was the best way to observe and scan the community I belong to.
Bengalis are often seen travelling in a big group consisting of people of all ages and all the year round. A very common statement often heard in Bengali families-“Next week 3 din chhuti aachey,cholo bondhu bandhob miley kothaye bediye aashi”. They are found enjoying hot tea in hill stations to camel riding in desertlands to bathing in seas. Nevertheless, we are said to be the most prolific travelers in India constituting 60% of India’s 400 million annual domestic tourists.
Talking about Bengalis and not talking about food is something like discussing about the present US elections without Obama. We love to eat and have no issues showing off the various delicacies we can come up with by mix and match of spices, vegetables, fish, chicken etc. Fish is a part and parcel of our meal and I feel Bengalis are blessed with this certain kind of power that despite the fact that a fish market has such strong smells, with one sniff a Bengali knows if a fish is all right or not. That also reminds me of Ileesh maach, although having 10,000 bones we have it with great pleasure. I am sure Dhokar dalna, shorshey maach, malai chingri, cholar daal and many other mouth watering cuisines can make Haldirams or the Punjabi Dhabas a run for their money.
Another very aspect of us that really makes us different from others is the amount of nicknames we can come up with. Stand amongst a group of Bengali kids and each and every child will have a nickname and no two kids have the same one. Jhumpa, Tumpa, Dola, Laltu, Chotu, Bubul, Bulbul,Montu , Bablu- all this names also bring out the creativity of ours.
From sports to politics, culture to literature, no doubt we are the wealthiest society in the world. Football madness is evident when there is a Mohunbagan vs. East Bengal match and thousands of Bengalis are glued to DD Bangla channel. Even during FIFA World Cup, I think there are more supporters of Argentina and Brazil among the Bengalis than in the respective countries. Also reminds me of Ganguly-Chappell scuffle which shook the hearts of each and every Bangali in India. Korbo, lorbo, jeetbo is the spirit we have in the field of sports. Communism, Mamata, Jyoti Basu are hot topics discussed in all Bengali get-togethers and not to mention Kolkata coffee houses. Politics runs in the veins of khati bangali person.
Coming to culture and literature, nothing can be soothing to our ears than Rabindrasangeet, book shelves are not completed without Sarat Chandra and Bimal Mitra, still movies for us is Satyajit Ray’s Panther Panchali and Gopi Gayin Baga Bayin. Durga Puja is a perfect example of our cultural prowess. I can boast as a Bengali that no one else has taken a religious function of Puja up to this level. The folk culture and various songs written by our poets of the land on yearly home coming of Uma which has given a separate entity to the whole aspect and these songs are named as "AAGAMONI". I wonder, the untimely worshipping of Maa Durga by Ramchandraji in the period of unknown history, today has achieved a status of celebration not only as a simple puja but also enriched the bangla language with all those songs and poems, with an approach to establish a direct connection between human and God. Only we the Bengalis can do this sort of soul searching as we are blessed one.
Finally, the train was one stop away from Bombay Central Station where my journey ended. It was fun thinking of the eccentricities and idiosyncracies of my very own Bangla community. As Rabindranath wrote,- “My golden Bengal, I love You”, I am fortunate to be a part of this civilization which has its own charm yet well integrated with other societies of the world.
“