“Had I known you would be having this special conversation with the wind, I would never have come here. Honest. I am sorry. Do you mind telling me when I will have the pleasure of hearing your discussions with the other demigods?”

She broke the silence first, her silvery voice masquerading any sign of laughter.

It was not nature that bowled him over this time. The features of his face found this rare moment to exhibit their finesse,  portraying a big cherubic smile that made her chuckle.

“Why are you always alone? You should be mingling with people to write about them. At this rate I am afraid you will become schizophrenic very soon.” Her eyes betrayed the concern her voice concealed. He didn’t fail to notice the futile attempt of her velvety voice to sound untouched.

“I am not alone, dearest; solitary is the right word. I am absolutely enjoying the company of my self and no, schizophrenia is not a euphemism for being alone”, he laughed, with the characteristic twinkle in his eyes which told her the subject wouldn’t be discussed further.

What can a poor damsel do but sigh when the man of her dreams has a  mental disease! It would be another matter if it were physical, but who can cure the diseases of the mind, that too those of an overgrown kid?

“Listen moron, I am genuinely worried about you” he wouldn’t let her finish the sentence. Before she could even imagine to dare to speak another word, his throaty voice started reciting Boulevard of hazy silence, one of her all-time favorites.

The tortures in the depths of my being

that accompany the darkness of my soul

leave me desolate

in your very hands that protect me.

Harm me, ruin me, destroy me

but never let me live

in this hazy silence.

I will die.

“And who says the wind is masochistic?” He wouldn’t let her advise him, that much was clear. So she tried to lighten up the conversation though she was secretly worried about the darkness in his poems.

“You are my worst critic. Say, why don’t we talk about something interesting? Why don’t you ask me to define abstract entities which I will try answering with a poetic touch?”

She had never seen him like that and she smiled inwardly at his childlike exuberance yet keeping a stiff upper lip.

“You are so narcissitic! I hate you!” she pronounced  the words with mock indignation.

“Hate is not a very good word to start with. Try something else!”

“One can’t argue with you even for arguments’ sake. You are soo …. conceited. Very well, since I am super bored and don’t have anything worthwhile to pay attention to, I might as well listen to whatever gibberish you speak. We may start with love. ”

“This is precisely what I expected from you, sweetheart. Anyway, understanding love and living it are two different things. You might not like what I am going to say but be assured I am not being biased. Love is a magnetic field of force people get attracted to when they have a subconscious wish to experience pain.”

“You son of a.. ” she was so furious that she didn’t know what to do . Standing with her arms akimbo, she glared at him while he guffawed, a gleam taking permanent residence in his deep set eyes.

“Easy. Anyway, I will give you your kind of explanation. With an analogy. In the beautiful relationship between a honeybee and a flower, what the flower has for the honeybee is love and what the honeybee has for the flower is lust. While the flower remains oblivious to the intentions of the bee which visits it only to covet the nectar, the bee ironically, is oblivious to the flower’s sacred devotion. Neither the bee nor the flower can be blamed for it is the rule of nature to impregnate the world with follies.”

“But what makes you think the flower is experiencing pain? The joy of letting the bee make use of its treasure should surpass the pain of separation.” she countered.

“Precisely. But the bee takes advantage of the flower’s magnanimity. The flower gives itself completely to it; it’s an act of total self-giving which is what pure love is all about. The flower may happily let the bee transcend its boundaries and call the act ‘love’ but is it really living a life of love? When it graciously lets the bee make use of its honey, it shines with generosity and why do you think it shrivels and falls when it dies? The untold agony!”

“Does love always end in tragedy then? What a preposterous thought! Don’t let your subjective opinions rule our conversation” she hated his definition of love all the more loving his analogy and his explanation. ‘What would he say about my love for him’ she wondered, not quite willing to broach the topic.

“Did I ever say love is the highest form of relationships? There’s something more to this topic than you think there is. We will save this discussion for a rainy day. The flower-honeybee lovesaga has given me an idea to write an epic poem. Thanks for entertaining me all along. You may leave now”

What followed after this would be anybody’s guess. Suffice to say what started as a war of words ended in a peace of sorts. I leave it to the reader to ramble on with anecdote after anecdote.

There is nothing such as the absolute truth. The human mind creates it, only to suffer later. Experience, in my arrogant opinion, is the absolute truth. I defy all rules that bind Homo sapiens. I live by my own rules that sway tumultuously according to a situation. You used to tell me that my insanity keeps me sane. Being sane and having the knowledge that one can be sane are again, two different things. I don’t have to tell you which category I fall into.

In “Waiting for the moon” by Kristin Hannah, Ian Carrick thinks Selena is brain-dead. Now I know the inner meaning of the words. The knots are slowly untying themselves. Wonder how conundrums have started unraveling themselves to me. Some achievement this is!

Now, as I am writing this letter that is going to change both our lives forever, a lopsided grin adorns my tranquil face, making me want to reminisce the memories that I have long shut out of my mind. Hoping even for a little bit of happiness is the sign of the weakest! Life is divine chaos and I embrace it with an open mind and a smiling face. Every dog has its day and I have had mine. Now is the time to let you go. To cling to you would be to destroy you- destroy a part of myself. Now, does that sound like literary nonsense to you? I can’t help it. Remember the time you got angry when I said I hated Wuthering Heights? You are every bit as insane as I am; only you don’t know that you are. Two of a foolish kind we are!

To cut a long story short, I don’t love you. How can a person love herself?  I can’t go around telling myself that I am in love with myself! Forgetting you would be next to impossible. Then again, how can I forget myself? Ah! That’s a really funny thought.

I am not a literary genius to end this letter perfectly. This is a parting letter after all. All I can say is this:  Stay out of my life. I don’t want to talk to you again, yes, or even think of the past.

Anything more would be superfluous. Period.

*********************************

Don’t know what made me write such dark stuff! Blame it on the books I have been reading, of late!

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs appraises just that. Every person has needs and none is an exception to that. When the needs get neglected, he automatically turns a cold shoulder to whatever that’s happening. Let’s suppose A loves something dearly, and when A’s expectations fail over a period of time, A becomes indifferent and starts wearing a facade.

What makes people say things like  “I don’t care what others think about me! ” and “I am what I am”? Elementary, my dear Watson. The need to act perverted sets in. Such people want to prove to the world that they don’t care about anything at all while in fact, they do. Sadly, such indulgence is fondly being called “Attitude”.  Is this not hypocritical?

I have met many who act perverted just to attract attention. Ha! Pretense is sickening indeed! What is the need to act perverted, basically? By proclaiming yourself as someone that is not you, you are only making yourself seem stupid to me. I have come across many such paradigms who want to be hated or despised. Indifference gives way to another equally perturbing tool, Hostility. Hypocritical indifference is being rendered as a bow and hostility, as an arrow.

Pretense is the greatest folly of Mankind -Ranjani Ravi aka rampantheart

Why would people want to be hated? The repercussions  of their reactions are very well known to them. People that want to be hated show a strong craving for social acceptance. According to my hypothesis, they want to be either hated or loved. Still don’t get get me? When people know for certain that they don’t get what they want, they use the hate factor as a facade. They want to be either loved or hated:Not Neglected I am reiterating the point. They would rather be loved or hated than being ignored or neglected. Their behavior says they need something to prove others that they exist. That their existence is part of the finite world. That they are part of the infinite cosmos. This is the fundamental aspect of human psychology, in my opinion.

Why do you think the teen population has gone astray? Pretense rules their lives. The time you start thinking you know everything (Why, some even think they know the nexus between Brahman and Atma), ignorance takes the upper hand and makes you fall into the abysmal pit called delusion or Maya.

The next time you come across a person that has a care a damn attitude, don’t ignore him. Acknowledge his presence.  Acknowledgment of the fact that he exists, is what he needs.

Go ahead,  inundate me with your never-ending questions!

On the professional front, she actually has a doctorate degree from the University of Neverland. She is a part time lecturer at the same university too.

She makes at least $100 a day picking pockets and robbing others. She has her own philosophy for doing so and has even published a book called “101 effective ways to pick pockets in a crowd” and has had universal acclaim for it.

On the personal front, she has a penchant for people whose IQ falls anywhere in the range 20-80. She proudly holds a record of being the most educated person in her group. An incident has to be mentioned here:  She was in her middle school when she broke the head of one Siley Sillyfingers, a guy who took a liking for her friend. Goes without saying that Siley died on the spot. I am not trying to justify but our ‘prospective’ bride never had a date all her life and was depressed. She tried telling Siley to mend his ways but he wouldn’t listen. Won’t you call it fate? Stupid chap! Well, yes, she was in jail, unfortunately, for about some 6 years where she learned the trade of picking pockets and mastered it. Everything happens for a reason! Great dedication and hard work always pay, don’t they? You don’t need school education to proclaim yourself as smart and our rampantheart is one fine example for that.

She doesn’t have a hobby as such, but likes visiting jails as a rule. Says she learns a lot from the guys and that learning is a continuous process. Whenever she is free, she goes to adult education centers where she speaks devotedly about the integrity of her work and the scope of it in the future.  She earns at least $600 from donations every week,for the altruistic work she does.

She also has this great habit of getting up early in the morning as her work needs it. She sleeps very late at nights. Says she needs to cope with the hot happenings of the pickpocketing world. She even blogs at rampantheart.altruismredefined.com where she constantly updates her profile and pics. Her blog has lots of guest posts too.

She expects a dowry of around $2500 a month and won’t under any circumstances, agree to marry a guy in the similar profession. Says there will be ego problem. I have scared you, haven’t I? Don’t worry! She is not so tough after all! If you have robbed a bank, please apply soon. She will be thrilled and might say okay soon.

Age no bar as long as you are not a teenager. Teens are rebellious, she says and her eyes cloud when she reminisces how she lived with her twelfth teen husband.Please, we don’t want to hurt her, do we?

Her romance booms on Halloween days. She had married 14 out of her 15 husbands on the Halloween day and says it’s fun to dress up weird. She is childish and has the heart of a kid. Her frivolous side is something to watch out for! Well, once a newspaper article carried a news that said “70 year old male dies on watching a bloated balloon dance” and who do you think the guy saw? It was our rampant heart who dressed so for Halloween’s day and appeared before him to lure him. But fate wouldn’t let them unite. Sad, indeed!

She hates movies but loves paris hilton. She can’t tell why but paris hilton is who she worships. She detests George Clooney saying he’s too gorgeous and Brad Pitt saying he’s too cute and Johnny Depp saying he’s mismatched for her. Overall, she wants a man to be a man. Sorry, I can’t provide the definition of a “Man”. Contact her personally for such trivial details.
She would prefer meeting the applicant  in person because she needs to check if he suits her and accede to her conditions.

Well, if you would really love to apply for the post of husband on a contract basis, just send an email to rhlovestomarry@againandagain.com or if you want to spend the rest of your bright life with her, send a mail to rh@yoursoulmateformoney.com. She is in a social networking site called iamreadytomarryapig.com and her profile is www.iamreadytomarryapig.com/Profile.aspx?id=pig666

***** PS For every mail you send, please send $10 via paypal. She doesn’t accept credit card payment.

–Advertisement posted by Sobby Sucker, rampant heart’s secret admirer

This time, I looked at the couple before me who were joining hands and having a leisured walk. I snorted, struggling in vain to hide the frustration. I stopped short and closed my eyes when the inner voice told me to die. Clenching my fists, I slumped forward, in total delirium.

“I am not Masochistic”, this was my optimistic voice hissing violently, answering the other vulnerable voice. “I am not going to die nor refrain from the tranquility I am entitled to, no matter what!”.  By now an old man came to my side asking if I was okay. He was taking a casual stroll across the beach, I gathered, only he was in his perfect senses and I was not. I was convinced I was brain-damaged, for, no words escaped my dry throat. My brain was too jammed to function. All I could do was mumble a plain “Yes. Thanks” with a  grave smile.

“Hmm. Okay. You look awful though. Have you brought someone with you?”

I hated his inquisitive nature but couldn’t bring myself to ask him to mind his own business.

“Give me some space oldie, don’t bother me with your questions. Leave me alone”  I was almost successful in mouthing the words, trying to act nonchalant and rude but it was a very bad show. I created a very feeble impression of a ‘tough’ person.

He chuckled, nodding wisely, all the while measuring me with his shrewd eyes. I thought those eyes would miss nothing or was my very being an open dictionary? I didn’t know. I just glared at him. But what would go wrong if I talked to him? The least I wanted now was someone advising me. If this person started unleashing his persuasive powers on me, I might as well make my escape.

“I am going alone. There’s none with me. I came here alone and am going alone. ” I managed to answer at last, surprising myself.

His ear-ear grin angered me. “What’s so funny about that?” I managed to hiss through pursed lips.

“Nothing, My young lady. I am sorry I provoked your anger. So, tell me more about you. You seem to be interesting”

I gave him what authors in their novels usually liked mentioning, a vicious scowl.

“Now now, don’t look at me like that. That frightens me”  He grinned again and this time I could sense compassion soak his words.

” Please,  Whoever you are, leave me alone. I don’t want people telling me what’s right and what is not. If you knew what I have been going through lately, you wouldn’t bother me with your advice. No, I am not suicidal and won’t contemplate doing something lethal to myself. I have just found out what I want to do and where I need to be, to complete my existence. I am going right there and yes, I know where I am going. I am not hallucinating.”

The words were out before I even wanted to utter them. The confession and not-so-complete catharsis  evoked the dry tears that appeared from nowhere. I was in pain, but how could I bother others with my pain? I couldn’t reason. I hated myself for unabashedly telling a stranger, my predicament.

” I am not going to tell you what you need to do. Of what use is your sixth sense when you can’t reason? No, I am not going to try to talk you into doing what you would rather not do. But don’t be a fool by taking decisions on a whim. You’ll only regret them later. Think, but take decisions with your heart. Being emotional is not wrong, as often as it is exhibited the other way round.  Think and then feel. You’ll be surprised that your emotions have led you to a logical decision.”

The intensity of his words hypnotised me. The smooth words sounded perfectly synchronised with my current situation. But still, something was amiss. I knew not what.

The momentary silence gave him another chance to speak but this time, less harsher.

“Child, look here, I am too tired to stand the scorching heat. Why don’t we sit on the bench over there and resume our talking?”

My legs and arms moved voluntarily. I felt like a puppet.

My silence would have perturbed him for he addressed me with laughter in his wise old eyes.  ” Young charming lady, so, why don’t you tell me what your name is so that you can be freed of the embarrassing adjectives that are likely to be used? Also, to free me from my eternal boredom, why don’t you honor me by entertaining me with your story?”

His expression softened and an infectious smile set in.With the next sentence, he nearly achieved in making my expressionless face show some emotion.

“If you would rather I tended to my own business, I would still want to listen to the story” he added with a twinkle in his eyes, his infectious smile still lingering on his solemn countenance. By now, my tears had dried.

I wiped my eyes and opened my mouth, closing it again as a spasm of grief evoked the painful memories.

“I am just being curious. Why did you not listen to my story first and then offer me counsel? Should it not have been the other way round?” I suppressed a smile and asked him as plainly as possible.

“I love working backwards from the solution. It has always worked the best for me. Did it not work out now?”  The same lighthearted grin again, masquerading his concern.

I mumbled something unintelligible not knowing how to start the story my story. I badly needed to talk to someone. It might as well be this magical old man.

Sensing my embarassment, he added quickly in a caressing voice  “Would you like to talk about it?”

I glanced at both my sides looking if there were people near us. Thankfully, the place was isolated. He adjusted his spectacles and smiled his smile.

“I don’t know what makes me do this. I have never burdened other people with my worries. But this time, you asked for it and am giving it to you wholeheartedly” I tried to smile but couldn’t. Every part of my body ached. Momentarily I was distracted by a young girl in the bright blue frock who was struggling to cling to her dad’s hand, evidently afraid of the huge waves . A pang of jealousy hit me as I carelessly bit my lips.

He harrumphed good- naturedly and I laughed a dry laugh, admiring his patience.

I got up from my place, adjusting my long legs so that I could speak without discomfort. The old man slightly inclined himself to my side,  his face impenetrable.
His serious disposition encouraged me to begin my tale of doom.

“To cut a long story short, I am sparing you the details of how I met and married Rahul. Or would you like an elaborate flashback story?”

This time it was I who appeared frivolous. At another time I would have made a perfect raconteur.

He would have sensed that I didn’t need an audience now. He stayed mum without wanting to interrupt the catharsis.

” Rahul and I met 4 years back. I am not so sure how the friendship blossomed into love. Nor do I care about it now”  I sighed and closed my eyes, sinking in melancholy.

“Life was exhilarating then. It used to be so much fun.  I couldn’t have asked for more. But not now. I hate myself for having chosen a person who is in no way perfect for me”  The old memories brought a melange of feelings.

“Don’t be so harsh on yourself, Kid”

I continued, ignoring the last few words.

” When I married, like all teenagers  I thought that life would be a fairy tale.” I paused and spoke the words immediately with an ironical smile ” with a happy ending. Well, it was a fairy tale before I caught Rahul cheating on me” I broke down at this instant, hyperventilating.

” First, I brushed aside any doubts regarding his promiscuity but later when I knew the truth .. ” I couldn’t bring myself to complete the sentence. Tears of anguish and self-pity glided down my already tears-stained cheeks.

I was crying unabashedly in front of a stranger and he looked at me like he would, at a child.

“I am sorry. I don’t usually cry. I don’t really know what happened right now. My life is ruined.”

“And where do you intend to go now that you say your life is ruined ?” The lopsided grin didn’t escape my attention.

“I don’t know” the words slipped out meekly.

“Okay. Did you confront Rahul with the accusation? If yes, how did he react to it? ”

” No I didn’t. I should have but what’s the use anyway? Do you think it will make much of a difference? ” The resigned tone set in.

” I have never seen such a careless woman in my 73 years”  He arched his eyebrows up and looked at me with half-amused eyes.

” Look, It’s your life, Child! You shouldn’t have been indifferent to all his promiscuities”

“Only one. Not promiscuities“  I almost snapped.

“I am sorry I slandered” he chuckled and started speaking again his words falling quickly this time .

” When you knew what he was up to, why didn’t you confront him? Why were you indifferent to your own life? After all you only have one life. Make the most of it. Don’t act foolish by running away from problems. Moreover, it’s your life. Who will take care of the problems if you don’t? If you got chickened out for such a trivial problem, what would you do in the future? Believe me, there are more to come. Life is tough at times but it’s in our hands to weed out the problems and make use of what we have.”

While the monologue addressed did make me think, I wasn’t altogether pleased. The word “trivial” provoked me.  If  his wife had done something like that, what would he have done?  ‘It’s always easy to preach’ I mused.

“Of course, I don’t support what your husband did.” he resumed as though tracing my thought process.

“But why make a big issue of it? Fight, make him plead. Make him understand that he has committed a grave mistake. Forgive him! Why are you making a coward of yourself sinking in self-pity and unwanted despair? Also, your escaping reality is not going to last long. Be practical! If you went away, who’ll guarantee the happiness you had with your spouse? You may marry another man, have a great life. Let’s suppose he does the same thing or is involved in immoral activities. What would you do then? Marry another guy?”  He stopped short, his staunch brown eyes regarding me with mixed emotions.

” Feminists wouldn’t like this idea very much. Well, are you one?” He suppressed a grin.

I did not answer. I didn’t know how I felt like at that instant. It wasn’t delirium. I wouldn’t even call it exultation. It was something different; something  serene. I was no longer confused. I was going to live my life and fight back. I had every right to question him. There might be a great deal of crying and cussing involved, but it was worth it. I was mentally prepared for my tryst with destiny. And that was all that mattered.

Lying comfortably on my back
And gazing intently at the moon,
I basked in the glory of the moment
Secretly wishing it would never end.
The stars, though ad infinitum,
Failed to amaze me.
My eyes were hypnotized by the enigmatic moon,
her graceful stance and her inexpressible delicacy.

I always thought stars were a mirage,
And that they were just guarding the moon,
She, who always was in an abysmal solitude and misery,
Or so I thought.
Do they seem to worry lest the vulnerably delicate one should be held captive?
I was turning into a poet, alright.
The very idea made me laugh
And I struggled in vain to stifle a lopsided grin.

Her loneliness tore my heart.
And her brave posture evoked a sense of sympathy
for reasons I couldn’t fathom why.
I felt sorry for the knights, the faithful followers,
Who watched her over,
Wasting their time.
My eyes clouded over in compassion for the intrepid yet delicate queen
Who seemed to wait eternally for the one.

Image credit: Flickr

I have been reading awesome  novels, of late and a few days before, I lay my hands on this book called “Twilight” By Stephenie Meyer. Little did I know at that time that I would fall in love with the vampire hero, Edward Cullen! The suave, cool character and the topaz eyes are all set to make you crave for his presence in the book. Stephenie must be lauded for creating such an alluring character which makes girls doubt if human guys have really lost their charm!

There are basically 4 books in the Twilight series ( as of now) and I have read the first two. While the first book, ” Twilight” was really amazing, the same can’t be said about the sequel, “New Moon”. It wasn’t really all that interesting which can be attributed to Edward’s absence. I can’t wait to read the third and the fourth books in the series.

I was not surprised to see many fan clubs for the hot cold one. This may be an oxymoron but the term suits the vampire hero. I found the fan groups on Facebook very interesting and joined a few, just to know what people had to say about the series. As usual, I was not surprised to see a few hate groups. Why people take fiction seriously still amuses and intrigues me. A few hate groups proclaim the novels must be banned! Why don’t they enjoy the book as a fictitious one? I found many swear words and words of protest and anger. I am genuinely shocked by their verbal attack . Not that I got involved in any feud. I never enter any because I don’t get emotional over fictitious characters.

When I say I like Edward Cullen or say, love him, it doesn’t necessarily mean I expect human guys to be like him. That’s IMPOSSIBLE. In reality, no girl in ger RIGHT senses will love a vampire. Who are you kidding? Girsls love action and all that but it’s restrained to films and fiction. Not real life. There’s no need for verbal feuds. Even if girls were to expect vampire boyfriends, we wouldn’t find them, would we?

People, stop being so sensitive and serious towards things. You can’t love a vampire. That too, a hundred and something old person. That much is for sure.  When you read fantasy fiction, don’t expect the author to be logical. Do I have to tell you that logical fantasy fiction is an oxymoron? You know better!

Don’t forget to watch Twilight, the movie! It’s equally amazing! Robert Pattinson is just as perfect.He has a sweet voice and even greater smile. Yet,Edward is still hotter.

O Edward Cullen, Where art thou?

Image Credit: Flickr

This poem is dedicated to all the brave souls who have been sweating blood for the less fortunate ones.

Love

Estranged her

From her kin,

Coercing her into living

A desolate life of vulnerability,

Enlightening her ever sagacious mind, nonetheless.

Basking in the sumptuousness of each moment,

Her mind sashayed through the broken barricades of

Frailty, making her even more resilient and imperturbable

To the iniquitous outside world, that denigrated

Her altruistic deeds, bestowing upon her

An even greater fortune to

Fight, protect and cling

To what is

paradoxically called

Love.

I am not very sure about the style of the poem. I would place it somewhere between a Cinquain and a Rictameter. Please let me know what style the poem comes under if you happen to know!

Image Credit: Flickr

Image Credit: Flickr

We have all been escaping reality all along. But how long do you think this will last? Have you realized the fact that our search continues even after we find our ‘ideal’ solution? Why are we humans not able to accept reality? Who do we blame, ourselves or the society that undermines and shares a cold shoulder? Okay, who do we call as the society? Isn’t it us? One sad thing with humans is that they can’t blame themselves. We have this egoistic, senile desire to blame others for anything that’s happened!

Now, an important question all of us have in mind is “ Are people who network on the web lonely?” My answer to the question is a sordid yes. That doesn’t of course mean we are all unhappy. When people work to distract themselves, we call them selfish. What do we call people that try to escape reality by doing things we don’t do in our “real” life? Frankly speaking, I for one, happen to be an ambivert and well, yes, I am introverted on the larger scale. But I happen to be a social media enthusiast and an extrovert on the web. I am really intrigued when I think about this aspect. Has virtuality engulfed our lives to such an extent that we don’t know to embrace the real world? Is the Virtual World trying to make us slaves? The ultimate question is “Has love perished?”

Frankly speaking, I have lost the art of talking to real people. No, not the ones on microblogging sites, Social bookmarking sites or Social networking sites. I mean the ones that have a life. Why are we not aware of the fact that people expect a lot from us? I cringe inside when I am not able to reciprocate  feelings. Not that they are non-existent! But what’s been happening? Why do we take pleasure listening to people on the web ranting and rambling about their lives, when we are not able to stand the sight of real people who only want us to listen? Why have we lost the connection-The HUMAN CONNECTION?

Why do we think that wishy-washy affection isn’t our forte? Why do we take pride when we tell this to people? And why are we embarassed when loving kin display their affection? If we don’t like the human connection , why do we like the concept of sharing gifts and hugs on Facebook?

The final question: Have we all turned into full time zombies?

Now, I am sure 98% of you have this problem and sadly, that includes me as well! Now, you may be wondering why I came up such a post when I happen to be an internet addict. Thanks to the novel Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom that at least made me think such thoughts. Whether or not I will change from what I am right now is hard to tell. But from now on, I shall definitely try to be the individual Mitch’s professor “Morrie” was.

Imperturbable and indifferent toward things in general that I am, I didn’t like what this book was preaching me, at first. I hated it , in fact for the wishy-washy affection it encompassed. These books were not my kind but I wanted to finish reading the book anyway. I don’t usually stop reading any book halfway unless or otherwise it’s absolutely ludicrous and vulgar. Now, When I started reading chapters on emotions, family and friends, my heart wasn’t what it usually is. It had molten. I was inwardly crying. But I wouldn’t cry unabashedly. Crying isn’t my thing and the strong person that I am, I usually make it a point to talk to myself whenever I start crying and  tears would recede when I start mouting my ‘incantations’.

One outlandish thing about us all is we hate anything that makes us think. That’s why we take protection in the arms of distraction. The delusion we create around ourselves acts as an armor. And we are naïve enough to think that we have escaped the invincible and inevitable reality.

When I drifted to various topics like Love and Death, I started thinking if the mistake was with me. It had been me all along who’s bitching about things. Not in the literal sense. I am talking psychologically here. I would never bitch about things. I am a very happy individual with a lot of online friends! Yeah, you read it right. Mitch’s words- or rather his professor’s had me contemplating things. Going back to where I was, Yes, in the psychologically, I have been living an empty life. We all have been, to be precise.

My most favorite lines in the book are:

“Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it”

“.. the culture we have does not make feel people good about themselves. We’re teaching the wrong things… I may be dying, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls. How many people can say that?”

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in. Love is the only rational act”

“Everyday have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, ‘Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I being the person I want to be?’ “

“Love each other or perish”

“.. detachment doesn’t mean you don’t let the experience penetrate you. On the contrary, you let it penetrate you fully”

“What’s wrong with being number 2?”

There are lots of awe-inspiring sayings like this! I seriously recommend you all to read the book! If you really want to make your life meaningful, read it!

Now, what do we do to harness the power of love?

Remember, True love is unconditional. Here’s a way to nurture love one step at a time.

Coincidentally, today happens to be World AIDS day. You’ll be genuinely shocked if I put forward the fact that in Asia alone, there are 4.9 million adults and children suffering from the deadly endemic. [source]

Starting today, you can make your life meaningful! Social networking alone just for the fun of it isn’t life! Let your voices, along with mine, ricochet in such a way that love spreads its wings encompassing the whole world. Write about the pandemic and try to bring to people’s notice that HIV/AIDS is fast spreading. There are other ways you can help too! The satisfaction you get is priceless. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Blog Catalog and am glad that I am part of their special endeavor.

Remember, simple things in life make a big difference!

Image credit: Flickr

Is being in love a nefarious crime? At least I don’t think so,thanks to all the movies and novels that have made me feel “broadminded”,hmm,whatever!Now,it’s definitely not that I am supporting it to the extreme,but i know how it feels like.Yes,everybody knows,right! There i sound stupid again.

You can’t expect people to gawk at you when you talk to your “honeys” and “sweethearts” in train or in any other transport on this love-filled planet, for that matter. The trend is rather catching on,guys!There isn’t a gal that says “chee poda” or a guy that frantically becomes a spendthrift for the sake of his ladylove,thanks to movies again,for the catching on trend. Especially our tamil films! The congrats are in order guys,don’ t be fickle minded as to think i’m thanking only our productive and arduous directors and funky heroes. Did i miss out the glam queens? Huh, I am sorry! Hey now,who wouldn’t wanna be in love?It’s very easier to preach,people! Get a life!

When i see the “pairs” in various parts of the city canoodling and making words out of eyes, I am indeed overwhelmed! Such supernatural powers these people have got! One can’t help but wonder if their love would succeed! Man, don’t be old-fashioned! Be optimistic! You have got a serious problem there in thiking thoughts the wrong way!

When i see lovers, I frown inside, not out of jealousy, out of pity, I’d say.Clinging to each other ina pathetic situation wherein the girl hides her pretty face with her duppatta(who knows wat lies beneath?), they quite seem anxious as to who will catch them where. What if uncle Raj or aunty Rani catches them while on their “philanthropic”(doesn’t philanthropic mean “on a broader scale?” No it’s only one person here. You are mistaken. Go buy yourself a dictionary and look on with your myopic eyes! It’s not love of mankind.It’s love for Ram or Sita, OMG, won’t you people get a life and walk on? Gosh!)

Now,over to “duppattas”, a special area that always has me captivated!
I extend my special thanks to the one who invented duppattaas. Wouldn’t you say so? You wouldn’t, huh? I knew so! Such fickle-minded , old-fashioned goons!

Next i’d like to thank all malls and theatres. Whoa!their part in imparting love to all as a free token is something inexpressible.How can i ever miss them out! Whether it’s chaya or maya or tamilarasi,everyone’s
keen on doing the same thing. You must be knowing ,clever guys or you wouldn’t be spending those precious moments with your beloved ones! Yep,Spend time with your beautiful belles and hey,wait. You know what the first rule is to love? Have money, loads at least to meet the growing demands of your beloved one or pyaari. This isn’t a film, moron, if you thought your lady love were a saint. This is for real. Wake up from the dream! Spend money, nope, satiate ur love’s thirst(for what,if i might ask) and don’t mind what your dad will say the moment you ask for money again. No dope again, silly one, but if you are not gonna be without dope,it would be a faux pas. You would rather die of cardiac arrest than ask your sweetie pie to pay the bills. Or, your condition would br exacerbated if your love attarcted “richie rich” es of the world! There again,i said it right,didn’t I?

Newspapers have their share too, goddamn it,how did i miss the point!? !!uh,huh!
Reading chronicles like “The Chennai Chronicle” will not only quench  your “never ending” thirst for “wines and babes” but will let you know what’s hot and what’s not. (if you are a geek and say ” I have better things to do”, dont read the supplementary. It’s for ones that are “real* humans! People who say “i don’t give a damn about these things”, better visit the local shrink. But i’m warning ya guys, You really are missing something. Not some, but many! What better work have you  to do rather than getting to know the hot and happening things about the gliteratti here?  If you are still  like “inga kollywood kkae vazhiya kaanumaam,idhula hollywood vera”,i can’t do anything but give you a lopsided grin that drips with sarcasm. I’m not insolent,people. What can one do after having stated everything? I am actually helping. Now,get going! Dont fret!)

I’ve not been in my right senses,i presume. How did i miss out colleges?Oh my GAWD! Guess every nerd and geek knows love is inevitable in college life. At least ottifying is! But the terrible part is you can’t have who you wanna have as your ideal gf or bf. Even if i wanted someone like salman khan, i couldn’t. Now, don’t you sneer! That’s bad manners! You get the ones that contradict you in all ways. That’s the golden rule.And all guys abd gals play it right!  Dont expect anything in college. At least in this matter! You may get disappointed! If Mr x is short and ms Y is tall,people start ottifying and this soon develops into a headlong relationship, a very serious one,ahem! My special thanks to coll guys too,who make the unexpected happen!
Finally i’d love to say something to “losers”(those who are against love.uh,huh!)

Don’t stare at pairs and the next time you look at a gal who is talking to him or him to her,don’t erupt with jealousy and gawk at them making them look at you with contempt and rage. And the next time you find a newspaper article that says “how to succeed in love?”, dont throw it away. It could perhaps be useful to your grandchildren!

And hey,when you watch a movie that is absolutely terrible in a theatre that shrieks ‘Money’ , that too with ur gf, try not to think of the bucks.it is a nightmare,all right, but the golden rule doesnt apply here. What comes next in line after the movie is your “special treat for the special someone”. Watch out! Life’s to enjoy! And enjoyment comes with money!

My vote of thanks(??) is over atlast and last but not the least i’d like to thank…

(why does the bloody list seem to go on and on????!!!!!)

PS: I wrote this post a long time back and this article was published in the “Deccan Chronicle” on December 4th, 2007 and i was awarded Rs 2000 for this(equivalent to $50)