My Latest Crush

I saw him in one of my gymming sessions. Tired with running in the field I was wiping off sweat from my forehead with my t-shirt sleeve when he caught my attention. Majestically he walked past without even flickering a glance in my direction. I smiled. Quite a sight he was. Felt like pummeling him all over just that it would have been the other way around had I given that fantasy of mine a try.
I continued jogging in the field. My instructor had refused to allow me use the tread mill. “If you want results, take on the field,” he had said. And I had clumsily made my way to the dry field on the right hand side of the gymming hallway. I had barely completed 3 rounds when Turkis (that’s how the little boy accompanying him pronounces his name) trundled his way into my life and made me his ardent fan. All the resentment on my instructor’s decision had melted away like butter on a grilled bread loaf.
It took exact 2 minutes for us to click. I think he sensed I was a dog lover. And no sooner did I call his name out he plodded clumsily toward me. Weighing close to 40 kgs this cute looking Napolean Mastif snuggled next to me on the green patch and looked up with droopy eyes. The folds of his skin hanging loose reminding me of the Garnier Fructis anti wrinkle cream advertisement. After initial head pat and a coat brush he preferred rolling on the grass and I got up to take few more rounds. My head would turn right, left and back to catch a glimpse of what he was up to while I jogged.
Now we meet almost everyday. I see myself beam when I see him in the field and my eyes search for him when I am early. I think he likes me too. He lets me play with his skin folds and ears and I even checked his eye colour by almost peering right into them. The small kid who gets him there? I told you about him right? Ya. He says, “Didi, you are the only one who has the courage to come and touch him and surprisingly he never growls, Nahin to yeh logon ko chhoney bhi nahi deta, apne ko”. I smiled. Ya may be I found a new friend ! Turkis- my little monster.

ROCK ON!

Music lovers watch it. Music ignorant watch it, still. “Rock on” really rocks.
The movie talks of love, jealousy, betrayal, dissatisfaction, lies, hatred, competition…. Everything.. It’s a story about four friends, who know nothing but music, talk nothing but music and breathe nothing but music are estranged from each other due to circumstances and how music re-unites them. The story is about going away and then coming back. A subject that has been dealt with, in many movies before but Rock on stirs a faint rhythm in your heart and makes it louder. It brings out alive the rock star in you. The one who wants to live life - the way it wants to, irrespective of the societal pressures, peer pressure or one’s own motive of leading a so called “comfortable” life.


KD- the character played by Purab Kohli is a sight to watch. He has played his reel role in the real sense. A next door guy with eyes dancing for girls he is the funny bone of the group. His drunken act in one of the parties is commendable and just a true snap from every day life. He plays the drums in the group.



Joe- An aggressive character played by Arjun Rampal is the guitarist in the group. Unfair - is the game life plays on him and becomes one of the reasons for the band to disband.




Luke Kenny is noticed as Rob- the key board guy who not only has talent but has been recognized by many musicians and has made a mark in the industry with few jingles in ads. Even after ten years of being without his band he wants to make it to the stage- against all odds




Farhaan Akhtar being introduced as Aaditya does justice to the lead role. His real talent of being able to sing and compose music, helps add credibility to the character and leaves the audience spell bound. No, he is not a chocolate hero in the movie. With shades of gray and dischord interwoven in his character his debut performance is commendable too. And his husky voice does sound sexy :)




Prachi Desai- the youngest queen of hindi soap “Kasam Se” acts as Farhan’s wife and plays a role of home maker of a wealthy investment banker. Her husband’s lack of involvement in family life and her quest to know him better makes her discover the “Magik” her husband’s band had tried to weave ten years ago. Thid pivots her to the critical role of the real starter of the re-union. With the re-union even her marriage which is some where on the rocks gets saved.

The music and lyrics resound more once you have seen the movie otherwise it becomes difficult to relate with it. Even Sindbad - the sailor and Kabhi Khud Pe Hansa make your feet tap in the theatre and you are bound to listen to it the very next moment you step out. "Jo Tum Ho Toh" tops the list.
I donot know anything about picturisation and camera angles, but the shots taken in Aaditya’s palatial house, where the reflection of the characters in being captured on the glass instead of their real self adds newness.
The film is to the point without any melodramatic moments and that makes it even livelier.
So what you waiting for- Rock on !

The Wait ..

I walked around the market
Looking for your favourite sweet
Bought a kilo and turned around
To make a hasty retreat

Kneaded the dough with coco
Stuffed it with kiwis and berries
Decorated the cake with lil hearts
And topped it with cherries

The clock struck one
Excited- I smiled
Six hours more and you shall be here
On fingers, I counted like a child

Went around the house singing
The song you gave to me
Feeding the fish with food droplets
In a bowl fish for you to see

Warmed the house with log fire
Lit candles as the sun set down
As their incense wafted through
And made my senses drown

The clock struck seven but no one arrived
I waited on the garden steps
The wax melted and candles burnt out
While I sat alone and wept

The sun came up the very next day
Lighting up the whole street
Out I sprang, away in the crowd
Looking for your favourite sweet

Picked up berries, picked up the dough
Counted all the packets of candles
With one arm wrapped around a new fish bowl
I made my way back in worn out sandals

Thirty seasons these eyes have cried
And woken up to bright sunshine
Thirty seasons have rekindled those candles
Which continued to burn out - without the wine!

FOR LOVE’S SAKE

Drops of blood
Fall down like beads
On the soil
And knees go weak

He stumbles and bends
And stops short
Raises his hand
Where his beloved calls out

Her picture fading out
From his bleary eyes
As his mind plays games
He hears her shout

Her flailing arms
Calling out for him
While they hold her back
From reaching out o him

A lid bats- he sees her eyes
That smiled and told him
How much she
Loved him

A struggling breath comes out
Her locks intrude his thoughts
That she blows away from her face
With forehead full of knots

A smile creases his face
As he lay down
And slowly visions fade
As he calls her name out

Like one last effort
He looks onto her side
And watch her speck grow
Larger in size

She rushes like gale
Against the harsh sun
Where her beloved lies
Slained for love’s sin

She stumbles and bends
And stops short
Raises her head
Gets up and starts out

Beads of blood
Appear on her sleeve
As her snow white raiment
Turns crimson with every leap

Crash and down
A feet away from him
Tears stream down
As she lunges for him

Their eyes meet
For one last time
Visions of them together
Ethereal- Divine

One last breath
One last shudder
Wind wipes their pain
As rain pours down to smother..

HAPPINESS...

Happiness is sleeping on your mother’s lap for eternity
The lick of your dog on your nose
The touch of a rain drop on your cheek
The gentle breeze flirting with your locks

A tap on your shoulder when you can’t face the world
Winning over an argument with a crinkle on your nose
A tear filled smile on your beloved’s face
Letting your friend win - by losing that race

That surprise waiting for you when you switch on the lights
A nod of agreement when every one’s hostile
Stealing that last choco pie from the refrigerator and then acting innocent
Helping an aged person while crossing a busy road- preventing an accident

Successful struggle for that last ticket of a blockbuster
Helping your dad wash the car when its pouring with not a fluster
Allowing your sibling to drive for a few miles alone
Bumping into your kindergarten friend after 20 years in the unknown


A long tiring day sealed with a kiss
Going over the same old song everyday- without a miss
Spotting a shooting star on a starry night
Searching for a face in the crowd - far away from sight

Cuddling next to your pet and going off to sleep
Waking up to a beautiful morning and go bow peep
Being called your dad’s favourite
Wearing a sweater mom had knit

All these and many more joys surround our world
And yet we all are in its pursuit..
In the pursuit of HAPPINESS…

Abraham Lincon rightly said:
"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be."

DELHI- when it rains !

" Every season has its own reasons and charm. To me rain symbolizes the start of new things, the catharsis of broken souls and the hope of reuniting the broken strings. What with the traffic jams and potholes- the lush green lawns and the earthworms have a different story to tell!"





Delhi can act funny in a lot of things. Temperature fluctuations, political hazards, traffic sense, auto wallas… just to name a few. But what really makes me wonder is the craziness that dawns upon the city when it rains.

May- June you get scorched. Its relentless and heartless. Come July and the rain gods smile at the parched city. But they would surely play hide and seek. Early morning you’ll wake up to the clouds laden with rain, ready to burst any given moment. Mothers reschedule their laundry for another day and those who have already washed the whole family’s raiment will rush to terrace and put them back in stands inside the rooms under ceiling fans working on full swing. Children would linger around the telephone with a hope of receiving a call from school declaring a “rainy day” while the adolescents would make it a point to meet their beloved in such a romantic weather. Fathers would opine on the weather forecasts for the week (based on their experience) while the grand mothers would talk of the crop cultivation boom for the year (also based on their experience).
One hour later and you would again be gazing at the sky- this time bright sunlight all around, temperature soaring and atmosphere getting increasingly humid. And every one is left stupefied.
It does rain when it does. Sometimes in spurts, sometimes in gushes. The reactions are obvious. Everyone sighs in relief and look up to the skies with gratitude. A smile everywhere, the city readies itself to embrace the monsoons.
Now what happens after rains is quiet interesting. Traffic jam with immediate effect. And if you are traveling you will realize that it is not the best time for you to be out in the roads. Its wet, stuffy, difficult and endless. The traffic seems to increase manifold. The waiting time at every signal is at least 15 min. And this amazes me. It’s not that the traffic stops when it rains. Neither does it slow down so much. Then why such a fuss after rains, I fail to understand.
Apart from traffic, the rain gives autowallas a reason to increase their rates, take the longest way to the destination, not to go by the meter installed and to charge any amount they fancy. Rains also act in their favour in a way that the number of passengers increase.
Also, you will find increasing number of men releaving themselves by the roadside ;). The numbers here also seem to increase. May be the outpour pressurizes them to compete or may be they feel its already wet and some more won’t harm anything.

Every season has its own reasons and charm. To me rain symbolizes the start of new things, the catharsis of broken souls and the hope of reuniting the broken strings. What with the traffic jams and potholes- the lush green lawns and the earthworms have a different story to tell!

The call

Cos he knows a call will get him a step closer
He steps back a thousand miles
And looks at the sinkin sun
With tears in his eyes

She knows she’ll keep waiting for the call
But waits till the stars fill the sky
And looks at the sinkin sun
With tears in her eyes