A short story contest

Guys, I am taking part in a short story contest.
https://notionpress.com/story/view/539269

If you like it, please vote for my story.

The perfection

There it was - the perfection personified.  The glitter and the internal reflections that startle the beholder's eyes, the affluence that belies the milieu it was placed,  it was a 120 carat perfection.  Yes after 10 years of hard work and sweat, countless ridicule, university loosing its patience, there it was for the entire world to see.  Easily one of the largest diamonds in the world, it was 100 % synthetic. Diamond is just a form of carbon, rather an imperfect one that makes it visually so audacious. As an autodidact analytical chemist, he had set his goal after his doctorate to simplify the process of diamond making.  In reality diamond making requires only two things, pressure and temperature.  Naturally the diamonds take millions of years to harden and acquire the brilliance that distinguishes it from the rest of the mediocrity.  Even the million years of efforts hardly produce a diamond as huge as the one that was lying there.  The accolades, wealth beyond his imagination, he could see them all at a stone's throw.  A quick phone call, and he had decided the destiny of the first diamond he forged.

She was also happy. High school sweethearts who lasted the distance, the amount of trust and companionship each other had was immense, inspite of the lack of affluence.  Two really passionate people in their respective fields - it was almost the perfect marriage till his dream started eating away most of his time. After their daughter was born, he hardly came home.  No festivities, family vacations or even a proper family dinner. She took the responsibility of bringing up the daughter as well as financially managing the household. As she was growing professionally, the communication with him reduced every passing minute. But both, deep down knew that it was just a matter of time before the normality resumed, though it took more than a decade. His success means that he would finally return and make up for all the lost time with the family. And his first gesture was so touching for her, a beautiful necklace embedded with the very first diamond he forged successfully.

But contrary to her hope the next half an year was even more busy than first anticipated. Basically his invention has paved a leeway to simplify the muti-billion dollar diamond business.  The illegal mining, the racketing, as well as the obnoxious pricing of the diamonds, all these will be checked. On the downside, most of the big corporates were vying to make use of his work. The amount of partys and awards thrown particularly for him were simply astounding.  She had been accompanying him as a model showcasing  his accomplishment. It was interesting for her to see her socially inept husband hogging the limelight.

He was enjoying every moment of the attention he was getting. After being in the wilderness this was a welcome change.   But this award he is going to get today, is very special - Country's highest award for scientific achievement. Sitting on the stage, he could get enough of the accolades from dignitaries who went on talking about how wonderful scientist he was. Finally getting bored, he looked at the audience. In the first row, she was sitting calm and vibrant as usual. A sudden fit of rage hit him as he noticed that she was not wearing that necklace. He could not understand he logic behind she not wearing the special necklace, on such an  important occasion. Rather the only jewelry she was wearing was a crappy necklace. On close examination, it was the same crappy necklace that he could afford when they had got married.

That night, they had their first family dinner together in years!!

The solitary Mansion

On a tortuous path,
Oddly filled with filth,
At your hand's reach,
A facade seems above breach.

The steel more than credible,
Protecting the incredible,
Solitary mansion,
Brimmed beyond expansion.

A pair of dove,
Like angels from above,
Merge in the scope,
forming the beholder's dope.

Noise of the merry,
Is like the topping cherry,
And the want of the leeway,
Cannot be subdued midway.

Promise of the greener side,
Lets the time abide,
With a great hope,
The great hope of the warmth.

Travelogue - Italy

Day 0: Amsterdam -> Milan -> Verona -> Trento

Meeting a school friend after a long gap is always quite  enjoyable. Add to that the sight of southern Alps, some beautiful old castles, Milan and Verona, a delicious recipe for an extended weekend is effortlessly concocted. The journey started on a rainy Thursday evening from the Schipol airport, final destination being Trento, a beautiful small town located near the southern Alps. Travelling with Aswin, it was a gentle reminder of the day we landed in Amsterdam three years ago. The first part was to Milan. We reached Milan airport with minimal fuss (mainly because we were sleeping throughout the journey). The plan initially was to spend the night at a bed and breakfast place and travel to Trento the next day.

But as we checked in at the gargantuan Milan central station, we surprisingly found a train to Verona.  And thus, started our first unplanned detour and was the norm throughout the journey. We reached Verona by 2 30 in the morning and the train to Trento was a good 3 hours away, which was spent exploring an empty Verona in the cold and catching up some sleep in the train station.  We were yet to open our cameras.

Trento Welcoming us, far better than kamali I should say.

Day 1: Trento

Trento welcomed us with a brilliant cappuccino and croissant. Located midst a valley, the huge mountains were staring with an inherent awe, making the beholders elated with a faulty sense of satisfaction that a monstrous structure is out there to protect him. As we came some 4 hours earlier than anticipated, we were greeted with mixed emotions, by a rather grumpy kamali. Waking up some one 6 30 when they are not expecting you is

First and only castle we visited

not pleasant. After catching up a bit and having our second breakfast at a hostel canteen, we set out for our first destination, Buonconsiglio Castle, a 13^th  century Gothic structure of Trento. 2 hours well spent on learning about the medieval history.  After numerous photos, a sumptuous meal followed in the university Trento canteen. 

Next we stopped at the picturesque Trento University of Engineering. Think of  a place of study, on the top of a hill, majestically looking

Yours faithfully enjoying a view

down on a green canopy. Its so much entangled into nature that all the cutting edge technology in the midst look so petty and trivial.  Kamali, I pity you. You can never concentrate fully on studies living in such a beautiful place. 

Our next stop was at a park in front of the central station. Completely tired from the day’s travels, we

A view from the top.

postponed our planned trek and simply feel asleep on lush green turf. Recharged, we went up a nearby hill. Next 2 hours , we trekked, pleaded the lord, learnt nitau from kamali and last but not the least posed for pictures. I wish we had spent more time there. Predinner followed at a restaurant in the centre of the city. We watched the closing ceremony of international cycling championship and had a delicious pizza for dinner.  And finally to sign off an awesome day, we had a 3 hour long nostalgic chat discussing almost everything, literally killing off our chance to wake up early and leave for Venice. It was quite a philosophical talk (read gossip), contents of which are too profound for mere mortals to understand.

Day 2 - Trento -> Verona and Verona. Verona -> Milan

We managed to wake up and get ready by 9 30 am, and had the initial plan of visiting Venice. After a rather low profile breakfast, we zeroed in on a couple of nightclubs that we would want to visit in Milan, in case we decide against Venice. The train ride from trento to Verona is an absolute joy to behold.  The journey through the valley is filled with brilliant peaks and  motley of gothic and post gothic architecture. This train ride is one of the must from people visiting southern alps. After lot of deliberation, we decided against going to Venice, as 7 hrs is hardly the right amount of time to appreciate the beauty of Venice. Sometime in the future maybe.

By noon we reached Verona, the city of Shakespeare's great epic Romeo and Juliet. We were lucky that we visited the city on the festival of games. Some really unique games. More on

Our Photographer taking a break at the opera house.

that if I remember later. Visiting the same place where we spent the night two days back in the light of a sunny warm afternoon was a welcome relief. It was around 25 C. In Euopean terms this is the scorching heat.  A sumptuous lunch followed at a local restaurant. The brilliant Italian city center, its vibrancy and beauty is a joy to behold.

The first stop in Verona was the famous opera house, size of which is comparable to the eden gardens or the san siro. We spent a good hour or two there. Next we set on foot to a hill top that aswin had visited in his previous trip. Delicious Italian Gelato added a wonderful flavor to the quest. Since it was he day of games, every street housed a competition of its own. Another enjoyable trek followed, less picturesque than the Trento trek, but more

One of the many games

flamboyant.   Another characteristic of the trip was the short but effective photography lessons that Aswin regularly gave me. 

After coming down, we made full full use of the day ticket travelling far off to have an espresso, just for the heck of it. And traditional wine and food followed in a local festive setting, that night part of the day's celebration in Verona. If that

Another view from the top

wasnt sufficient, we had a brilliant cello concert happening in the background. One could clearly see that people were enjoying the food and wine more than music. Eventually we left the place to catch the last train from Verona to Milan. Another enlightening talk followed, once again too profound for mere mortals to understand.

Day 3: Milan and Milan -> Eindhovan -> Delft

We reached Milan around midnight and with great expectations, tried to enter some of the biggest night clubs there. The bright flare of expectations was subdued in its infancy at the entrances of not one but three night clubs.  So here is the message, never try to enter a Milan night

Duomo at Milan

club if you are not wearing an Armani, without a girl and worse -unshaven. And in truth, I have personally never felt more out of place ever. The unreal extravagance that surrounded that place somehow felt alien to the middle class semi-conservative pseudo-intellectual mind. So we were forced to spend another night aimlessly wandering, this time in Milan. And sadly for us we had the rain station completely closed, forcing us to sleep outside the station.  

Recharged with an hours sleep, we set on foot to the last destination - the humongous Duamo of Milan, on foot. We had the opulent Armani street decorating our path to the Duamo. Another gargantuan Gothic structure that blows you off your feet. We spent some time exploring it and another photo session followed.  Ironically we had good Italian pastry and coffee in Mcdy for breakfast.  Completely drained, sumptuous foods were no more

A journey to remember

recharging and sleep was the ultimate prize we yearned for.  All good things do come to an end and so did our Italian safari.  If the trip was not real enough, I returned home to the news that Arsenal bet Stoke City via three set piece goals. I truly must have been dreaming.  

                                                                          

The Gift.

Having seen his daily pocket money slashed, Raju was getting frustrated. His daily amount was so dear to him and his trophy. Not even his type of mornings, the autumn ones after a night of continuous downpour force the chirpy birds out of their slumber, carrying that fragrance of nascent rain wetting the parched earth and clouds attired with cool breeze trivialising scorching sun not more than a week ago, could cheer him. His pride had no limits when he got his first cricket bat, with all the money he successfully saved. And the first shot he played in it felt like heaven. He would do anything to have that feeling again, the feeling of complete satisfaction with a boundless satisfaction that mutes all thoughts and keeps one  floating in a heaven. But with the penny pinching beginning from his parents, his small dream and the elation surrounding it was beginning to disappear and this was making his pleasurable 20 minute walk to school dreary. His enthusiasm to proceed further simply sprouted from the unbearable consequences, absence from the class would bring. Definitely not the right kind of motivation to do something.

As he meandered along, he saw a photo of mahatma ghandhi laughing at him. Its was no sarcastic smile, but an earnest smile coming out of a 100 rs note. Raju kept staring at the smile and did not know what was to be done. The note, quite drenched from the night's downpour was lying in the plain-sight. Quick glances to either side of the road assured him that there was no other human in the vicinity. He casually bent down with a thumping heart which was acting like a caveat, and a nonchalant exterior turning deaf to the inner doomsday predictor, picking it up. He folded the wet note in this hand kerchief and placed it in between the largest book he could find in his bag and hoped all the water would be soaked off by the time he would leave the school in the evening. All he had to do was to wait for the next 8 hours listening to his gabby teachers and cantankerous class mates. 

He could not concentrate to anything going on in the class. Even teacher asking him to stand outside for not dong the homework could not distract him from running and rerunning the possibilities his 100 rupee note would bring. This brain was working overtime to optimize the route he would take after the school  and he had started faking his stomach ache, while regularly checking the degree of wetness of the folded note. And right in time for the last PT (playing time) period, his fake stomach ache was severe enough for him to be excused for, and leave for home early!!  He was lucky that the no body from the school offered to take him home. He quickly packed his bags and set out for the market pacing slowly to begin with and then hitting a top speed an Olympian would be proud of.

Ice cream, cricket stumps, Sachin tendulkar poster, a fountain pen, new china watch, overdose of pastries and cakes from the bakery, sweets from the north Indian sweet shop - the choices were so confusing. He wished he had got one of those on the road rather than the 100 rupees note.  Suddenly the sound of  shattering glass disturbed his thought process.  To his left he saw a feeble old woman, a few feet away from him looking at the shattered set of tea glasses. A few boys came running from the adjacent narrow street turned cricket pitch. The guy holding the cricket bat started hanging his head in shame and tears started rolling down from his eyes. The old lady growing visibly agitated moved towards that boy in anger. But seeing him cry, she stopped for a moment and taking a deep breath, lifted his face, and wiped his tears off. She bent down, picked the red ball that was near by and gave it to boys saying they should be more careful while playing. The boy still sobbing, got the ball from her. Raju could not listen clearly what they were talking about.

After the children were off, the old lady started slowly cleaning the glass, laboring through the process, with a small drop of tear coming out of her eyes. She collected all  the broken glass pieces and slowly walked to the end of the dustbin around the corner. Slowly returning she continued attending her customers. That night when she started clearing the tables, below one of the table she found a new set of glasses and a small chocolate bar next to it!!

P.S. the story is from a short film i saw. I was so  impressed by it that i wanted to write it again in my own words. Sadly i could not find the movie again. I someone knows the short film pls do share.

Delft - 3 years and counting

This post is going to be a bit narcissistic and self congratulatory. About a year and half ago, I was sure my stay in Delft would be less than 2 years. But like the saying goes "Man proposes god disposes" I am still here counting the years. For me personally it has been a wholesome ride, with bits of all emotions competing with each other to come up with a motley of reactions that i am pretty much proud of. Not that all the decisions i made in the last 3 years have been on the spot, but its sure has been an interesting journey. If NITT made me a man, in delft i have fermented into a better man hopefully. I did spend a forgettable 3 months in Oberhausen, Germany. Through out the journey, i made a few good friends, and sadly lost a few. There have been some great moments in Delft till now. I am just listing a few,

1) It has to be the Leiden half marathon. The beginning of the end of mota Sriram, the process is still going on. But finishing Leiden half marathon was special. A great feeling and something to cherish.

2) Surprising my parents for their 30th anniversary. Went to india after a gap of two long years, without their knowledge, reached home and surprised mom. A great feeling. But will never do again.

3) Seeing Dennis Bergkamp Score!! Dream come true. I saw DB10 score, rather place ball into the net with utter ease - another moment to cherish.

4)   Of course the best of it all - graduating with a masters to be Ir.Sriram Ragav - I love engineering, every aspect of it. It is extrapolation of common sense and I am good at it. And graduating in trying circumstances, is something sure to be proud of.

5) The two week vacation in Canada. A wonderful experience.

6) Getting my first salary. The feeling was wonderful. The thought that I could be financially independent did have a cathartic effect on my mind.

7)  Applied transport phenomena!! - Just a validation that I do know my chemical engineering basics and my GATE score was no fluke.

8)  Making masala dosa.;)

9)   My ice breaker in toastmasters. Never knew, i could actually make people laugh.

10)  India winning the world cup.

Hopefully there would be many more of such memorable moments. There have been a few not so great moments. But they are too close to my heart to share. I do hope that the rest of journey here is also as interesting. .  

Its a cake walk mister!!!

"It is actually the beginning. The beginning of what could turn out to be really gargantuan, if it proceeds in the right envisioned direction. For all the effort, the disappointments, graying hairs, social discouragements, broken relationships, this deal could answer for itself without a word being spoken. Getting the contract to set up the data base management system and revamp the online existence of one of the biggest restaurant chains of the country is by no means an economy changing project, but still a project that could kick start the slagging corporate career of a small company.  Getting the deal was by no means a cake-walk. The biggest bottleneck for this was to make the hard-nosed archaic financial director of the hotel chain to change his outdated beliefs of quality of work being directly proportional to the time spent in the market. Thanks to their budget cuttings and penny pinching, we were one of the few who could actually complete the job within their shoe-string budget." Thinking silently, he kept moving ahead.

The thoughts never eased out as he looked out though the rear view mirror of his hatchback and the anticipation started clouding his judgement. Though the agreement has been verbally reached, nothing concrete has been signed in paper yet. Add to that, the last conversation he had with the manager was rather discouraging. He had literally invested the future of his company in this project and turning back would be accepting the defeat. With an eye on the clock, he sped through the motorway. All the fears of being the lone ranger, the heretic whose blinding belief of individualism and making the mark in providing services in a cut throat business environment seemingly dissolving, and scores of other drivels started testing his patience and loads of doubt started creeping in. Thankfully to distract his thought process, over the top structure of the hotel started at him intimidatingly, mocking his small stature literally and figuratively. He parked the car, in a tight corner to perfection along the marked lines, as if passing this test of precision would give an added leverage in tougher battles facing him. His self assured stance and a impeccable suite brilliantly made up for the conflicting inner demons and radiated an assuring self-confident persona.

He charmed his way to the reception, smiling and making the beautiful lady blush, at the same time carrying a tone of professionalism. He nonchalantly wiped off the sweat that started dripping down his forehead. As he waited for a person to receive him at the reception, he could feel the butterflies swamping in his well worked-out belly. Another young lady approached with a sweet artificial smile and guided him into the offices of the hotel. " Unfortunately, our financial director is not in today. I will take you to his deputy." He could not believe his luck. He wanted her to repeat it once more to be sure of what he was hearing. It was a sweet sound of music to his ears. He wanted to give that lady a tight hug, insipte of the fact  that she had noticed his wedding ring. She led him into a small room that was lit brightly. The desk resembled a small bridge that had been steam rolled by a heard of mad elephants. He knew he had found his scapegoat. "Pleased to meet you. Unfortunately my boss met with an accident and all the responsibility has fallen on me. I would like to conclude this deal as soon as possible. We have an audit coming up soon. This would be the first thing I do as the acting financial director." "You have nothing to worry here as you are dealing with a pro. I have been in this situation several times before. Its a cake walk mister!! " He beamed vibrantly hoping to sign his first substantial deal.     

A progeny's cry

That simple voice,
A person to rejoice,
For each step I take,
Even if it is a mistake.

The hope that the tiny boy,
who was your bundle of joy,
Has become your vision,
without any revision.

The rude shock,
when this progeny failed to dock,
in the haven of your choice,
will sure mute your voice.

It is not a lack of love,
nor an eruption of arrogance,
But is the personal dove,
Driven by my ambition.

Completely in your debt,
Born out of the strength,
rubbed of onto me by your breath,
And not just my sweat.

With the security of being your pride,
I mold my own ride,
Keeping you in my heart's abode,
With everything you bestowed.

Ring the bell Initiative - Fighting against the child marriage in Bihar.

“By 2020, 142 million innocent young girls worldwide will be separated from their friends and family, deprived of an education and put in harm’s way because of child marriage.” -Ban Ki-moon, U.N. Secretary-General.

Source : freethoughtblogs.com

Recently I came across an earnest effort of the indiblogger and Breakthrough coming together to increase awareness among the youth about the violence against women. In a country like India, where inspite of progress and economic freedom , the patriarchal approach to almost everything in the society is still very apparent. Growing up like me in a small town , there is a tendency to look down upon the women in your life, simply because of our social practice. One cannot point fingers at a single person/group for this mentality. On the other hand, this mentality has been changing quite dramatically in the urban area. That is a welcome relief and a move ahead in the right direction. Sadly, even today we have this weird practice of lower official age of marriage for women (The logic that women get early mental maturity is as archaic and non-scientific as any other social superstition that is prevailant.). We have a long and tortuous road ahead in achieving the utopic gender equality.


One startling fact that I came across in the recent past was, about 70 % of the marriages in Bihar, involve girls below the age of 18. This fact is a real eye opener. Its high time we retrospect, make a cautious effort to change the way society looks at these problems. Bihar is a state attired with natural beauty and resources. Still it is of India's least developed states. I have not made enough research to substantiate my claims, but I solely claim this on the fact that if I get an opportunity to move to Patna professionally, I would most probably pass off that opportunity. More on the central problem thats addressed here, a simple google search about child marriage directed me to this article. Simply put, the article points out there very minimal progress has been seen in the last 20 years as far as child marriages are concerned, ably backed by substantial statistical data. This is a scary trend. Ironically  during times when the economic and social progress have exponentially improved, peoples' awareness to the vice of child marriage in bihar has been grossly neglected.

Education, though may not be the ultimate solution for such a deep rooted vice in the society, it is most  definitely the very basic step in the right direction. Importance of education cannot be stated enough. There is no better way to liberate people, particularly women than a proper education. Education is a life long process. You keep learning new things every second. The schooling and college education helps us to streamline ourselves to keep the learning process going till we perish. As a novice, a raw diamond we enter school. Its one of the most beautiful and essential part of the development of ones' personality. Education is much more than the technical prowess that we attain. It helps us change the outlook towards life. It helps us understand our strengths and not to rood over our weaknesses. 

Eradicating the child marriage is no simple task. Like diamond formation, it requires two things. Time and pressure. Let us spend enough time and exert more than enough pressure, to ensure that future generations can enjoy a society that provides equal opportunity to everyone.

P.S This is a post written to spread the word about Ring The Bell initiative from indiblogger. For every 50 entries received about Ring the bell intiative, One lakh INR will be donated towards training self-help groups, community-based organizations and youth in the state of Bihar.

One full Year

A personal post one again. One year back, (though not exactly ) on 7th of June 2012, I defended my master thesis. This was clearly a very big moment for me. Overcoming the professional and personal demons, this was quite unforgettable. Not that it is something extraordinary, but it is my personal wonder. The bitter sour moment, where a sense of satisfaction had a cathartic effect on the mental and physical pains endured over the course of three previous months, can be and will be truely appreciated only by me.

Ofcourse such a sweet moment had important inputs from quite a lot of people. A big thank you to all those people. This is not a long post. But a few words, straight from my heart to remember that very day, that very moment, that simple applause from the audience, and the most important inference that I dont have the patience to cut it out in the academia.

And sadly, I dont even have a single photo to remember that day, but those moments are etched in my heart for ever.

Have an awesome day/night/month/ year!! 

The master piece

The deadline was fast approaching. He was sure that he will not complete the generator in time. The annual national science exhibition is the most prestigious competition for a high school student to take part in. To be considered for the competition the first step is get through an initial filtering from the division of  schools. A good academic record had made his selection in the school a cakewalk. But at a divisional level he was a complete nobody who had a level playing field and that overwhelmed him. What he wanted to do for the competition was pretty simple but effective stuff. He was trying to construct a generator that would convert the muscular energy into electric energy. For building such a device he was using the lever mechanism from a discarded sewing machine and connected it to a huge assortment of magnets that he had collected from different household appliances   He had a conducting wire wound across an insulated box housing the magnets. The sewing machine was supposed give a continuous rotating motion of the magnet,  producing an electric current across the conducting coil. The concept looked simple enough. But the execution was not as simple as it seemed, simply because of the convoluted connections required between the magnets and the sewing machine.

As the deadline approached, he became more restless. The idea of failing was too much to even think of. He had the  simple yet profound fear of not making the mark amongst his peers. His obsession made him lose his focus in almost all walks of his life. "If its bothering you so much, I will ask my mechanic to have a look at that" said his father in an encouraging tone. The idea brought out an instant relief to the boy. His relief turned into instant happiness and satisfaction when he saw his father's mechanic work in person. The latter was sure a master at work. He effortlessly connected the set of magnets to a wooden shaft, drilled a hole across the wooden frame housing the conducting wires,  connecting its end to a pedal through a crank-shoe and the reciprocating motion to the crank-shoe being provided by the drive wheel crank of the sewing machine. Finally the conductors were connected to a set of LEDs that read 'Eureka'.

With gleaming pride he was showcasing his generator, to all the people visiting his booth that read - "Converting muscular energy to electric energy." His gadget was very well received. As the judges arrived, he could not control his emotions, and was without any effort trivialising the works of Colgate ad models. He was not concerned about the results of the competitions that was to be announced. His main motive of impressing his peers and other visitors. He was still basking in that glory.

"And the winner of the competition is Ramesh of 9 C", announced the lady on the mike. He was rather taken aback and surprised. He ran to the stage to collect his prize. The presenter gave a warm hand shake and asked him to wait. " Engineering is a very noble and unique profession. One has to find solutions for everyday problems, where the options available are very limited. Today, in Ramesh, I see a person who could extend his logical thinking to creatively solve real life problems. If he can in a similar way apply his mind to solve real life problems in future, I am sure our society has found one of the best engineers around. Congrats ramesh!!" These words were piercing his conscience like anything. Now the very same action bought him no satisfaction but rather killed off his peace of mind. And today, 15 years later when he saw his name in the MIT TR35 list, he knew deep in his heart that he still is repaying the debts he incurred on that very eventful day.

Adult Franchise

"Indian constitution establishes political equality amongst her citizens through the concept of universal adult franchise. All adults of 18 years or above have been given the right to vote and select their representatives to run the country." Mrs.Sharadha, a social science teacher was explaining one of the most important rights to a class of middle school students. She was a students' favorite mainly because of the passion, she brings  on to the class. Her clear eloquence combined with a rare ability to simplify the toughest of concepts made her unique among persnickety disgruntled teachers. And this particular subject is one of her personal favorites. She took immense pride in introducing the students to one of the most important social responsibilities. She was Ramesh's favorite teacher too. Not only in the school, but also outside as she was from the same housing society. But unlike most of the days, he was rather lost in his thoughts and absolutely got nothing of what she was saying.

"Ramesh! What do you think of adult franchise?" she asked him out of the blue.  Having been lost in his own world, Ramesh was taken aback, when his teacher actually pointed at him. On the other hand, being pointed out by his favorite teacher was surely a matter of pride. But there was one small, but crucial problem. He had no clue what "universal adult franchise" meant. Hearing the word franchise, his thoughts went immediately to the IPL. IPL-1 was about to start in another few days. "Is it got to do something with the new IPL?", the quick thinker in him blurted out immediately. The entire class for the next couple of minutes had a laughing fit. "Thankfully you don't have to vote for the next few years at least  Now stop daydreaming and come to the first bench", she instructed with a cold authority that frightened him.

That particular incident had an overwhelming impact on him, that even after 5 years he could feel the humiliation. Not only it questioned his attention in the class, but also he became the laughing stock of the entire class. And today he could prove his teacher wrong. Today he could visit her and show the black dot in his left index finger and remind her that he is socially responsible. Though very childish, it was very important for him. He had spent the last 3 months running between multiple government offices bunking college, taking care of every thing from a proper application to making sure that his name is enrolled in the official voters list. He also spent time in reading about the candidates and making a good cautious choice on who he should vote for and be ready for any question she could throw at him when they meet.

It was 7;03 AM in the morning and he was set.  He could well be the first person to vote that day in the locality. This is an incentive to boast to her when they meet. With great pride he entered the polling booth. "Good morning Ramesh! Good to see you here!" A smiling Mrs.sharadha  was coming out of the polling both. A humbled Ramesh did not know what to say. He simply waved at her keeping quite.

Actions do speak louder than words.

Piece of Cake

"Be careful. Never eat anything given by strangers and if you girls fight again, I will take you to the tallest peak you see and leave you all alone there." The father instructed  his children pointing at the silhouette of foggy mountains in the backdrop. Two sweet little sisters who were always at loggerheads. The eldest one is 9 yrs and the youngest is 7 years old. Going to Tirupathy during the winter vacations  has always been a great ordeal for the family. This year was no different. The month of December is particularly the busiest , with a deluge of devotees offering their prayers to the almighty.  Return journey after 2 days of toil, is another challenge all together.  After a two hour wait for the bus, the family of four managed to get some space to stand in the bus. The bus was overcrowded is literally an understatement. The north east monsoon contributed the raised humidity levels which indirectly resulted in an aroma inside the bus which was a concoction of  human sweat and sandal paste, that was smeared as an ice cool after shave, on  the bald heads of the returning devotees.  The nauseating aroma inside the bus in many ways is a gross injustice to the picturesque natural canvass, the bus meandered through.

"One of the girls can sit with us. We can adjust", said an elderly lady, who was travelling with her husband. They were sitting in a two seater and offered to help the younger couple who were struggling with all their might to hold onto both the girls and still maintain their balance. The mother gave her a thankful smile and let the youngest one to sit with them to the great disappointment of the eldest. The elderly couple, seeing the eagerness of the kid to look outside, made enough space to let the kid sit in the window seat. Eager to watch the world passing by, she rushed to her seat. "Priya, Thank uncle and aunty before you sit there", instructed her mother.  "Thank you very much aunty!"  She positioned herself to get the prime view.

For the next hour the ride was with minimum of fuss. "Would you like to have a peace of cake?" The women offered her a piece of pastry, that had a custard cream topped of with a cherry.  The delicious cake was tempting enough not to refuse. From the corner of her eyes she watched out for her parents, and more importantly her elder sister. They were away from her visibility. So she slowly turned around, keeping her cake down. Her dad was turned the other way, mom's eyes were closed, resting her head on the railing and her sister was happily looking out clutching her mom's hand. She knew this was the opportune moment!! Just to be sure she looked around once again to confirm that all others were not looking at her. She started eating the cake biting off as large a piece as she could. The custard cream and the cherry was delicious and her appetite increased with every bite. In no time she devoured the entire cake.

With a overwhelming sense of satisfaction she continued to look outside. "Priya". He mother called out. She was for a moment frightened. "Come here and let suji sit there for some time. She has been uncomfortable too long." She made her face so sorry and hoped her mother would change her mind. "Come on priya!! Be a good girl and come fast", her father said with a compassionate authority, she could not refuse. She reluctantly walked off, smiling at the elderly couple. Her sister with a triumphant smile, gleefully took over the window seat. Just then, the elderly couple also offered her the very same custard cake. Suji was more forthcoming and directly started eating. "Amma, see suji is eating the cake from that aunty." She said that with a sense of satisfaction of accomplishing a great deed and ratting out on her sister. Her mom burst into a fit of laughter and said "You naughty brat! First wipe your face." To her dismay, Priya realized that she had a beautiful custard cream mustache on her face!!   

Vishwaroopam Review

Vishwaroopam - One of the best tamil action movies

The wish of any creator would be to have a wider audience (Inspite of what my blog title says). The creator would be satisfied when those audience understand his work. But a creator's true triumph lies when his work creates a multitude of interpretations with his audience, sometimes a few which he/she never envisioned personally. Now kamalhasan has achieved that ultimate success as a creator and that very success is the biggest stumbling block for the economic success of his work. Coming back to the actual work, I leave it to the audience to decide if it deserves the opposition its getting.  The movie as such is a stylish action entertainer that is taut with a few really touching moments and a few logical loopholes. But what takes it to a higher level than most of the movies releasing in India is the very obvious touch of the genius Kamal Hasan.

Coming back to the story (Will keep it to the bare minimum), its about a classical dance teacher Vishwanathan alias wiz and his adulterous nuclear oncologist wife Dr . Nirupama.  Its a marriage of convenience for the two, and is on the rocks because of Deepak, Nirupama's Boss.  Viz has his own little league of friends in Ashmita (Andreya), his Kathak student, his uncle (Sekar Kapur) and a British guy named Dawkins. There is Omar (brilliant Rahul Bose) along with Salim, who are the chief antagonists of the movie who want to blow up the entire of New York. Simply put, it is the Cat and Mouse game between Viz and Omar and how one outplays the other. More than the cat and mouse game it is the characterization of the two main characters that keeps the viewers glued to the movie. 

Coming to the performances, Rahul Bose as the chief antagonist is simply brilliant. He is not a typical  villain one finds in any international movie. He is as much humane as any of us. His crooked stance, his interaction with his family, his non-vociferous yet impactful speeches and commands, he really made the role his own. Another brilliant antagonist in a kamal movie following Devar Magan, Kuruthi punal and the most recent virumaandi. Look out for the scene where he cries like a baby after his family's death, but in no time goes out to stop a fight brewing between two of his subordinates. Also the scene where he warns the guy against teaching his son English. Non-Gory yet brilliant.  Kamal, the actor is on the top of his game. As a kathak dancer he blows over all of us. His eyes, mannerisms and dialogue delivery are top notch. But in the second half he looks a bit tired and loses a bit of spark like Kamal the director. Another character that shines is that of Omar's brother Salim. 

Director Kamal overpowers almost everyone in the movie in the first half that is filled with subtle moments.  Watch  out for the scene where kamal plays two youngsters on a swing. I dont think there has been a better representation of the importance of education in Indian cinema. Lack of melodrama is another high point of the first half. Technically the movie is the best to come out of indian cinema. There are lots of blanks in the story telling that leaves it to the viewers' imagination. Cinematography is simply brilliant. Special mention should go to the action choreography. Please watch out for the action sequences, which is possibly one of the best in indian cinema.  The action scenes can be named the anti-mimick of "Tamil Padam". I would watch the first action scene a zillion times and still be blown over by the artistry. Shankar-Eshaan-Loy's music is adequate. 

What brings down the quality of the movie is the second half. Since the movie banked more on the characters and not on the twists in the story line, the second half fizzles out a bit. And there are a few logical loopholes that mares the proceedings. Another drawback is the improper characterization of the smaller roles. None of the smaller characters stand out. Nazar has been wasted in an insignificant role.  Dr . Nirupama's characterization looks caricatured, but not as irritable as asin of dasavatharam. You hardly notice the presence of Andreya. 

So does it deserve to get banned in TN? Absolutely not. Does it show muslims in a poor light? Only those that live in a fantasy world. "Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters" is what he tries to say. If people are uncomfortable with that, then I am not sure, if I belong to a secular country. Its a must watch for every Tamil Cinema fan.

P.S I watched it in Netherlands!!

Mayan End, Retrospection and New Year Greetings

One of the most anticipated dates in the recent times has to be 21st December 2012, not just for the audacious plausibility associated with this date, but also for becoming a source of inspiration for countless comedians and satirists to show their ingenuity.This must be one of those non-events gathering such a huge anticipation just because people are bored. More than the mayan end, as an Indian what is disturbing is the Rape  and subsequent death of a 23 year old female victim in the capital city. May her soul rest in peace and so do the the soul of people losing their life every 5 minutes in the country due to some form of human neglect or atrocity  As heinous as the crime is, its the response of the general public that is really encouraging even if it borders emotional frenzy. If this emotional outrage converts itself into meaningful change in the attitudes, then all the means will have a semblance of sanity. The fact that it happened in the capital city and media is closely scrutinizing law enforcement means we can at least hope that the criminals would be punished eventually.

But more than the atrocity itself, whats more frightening is the fact that she laid unattended on the road for almost 1 hr without till the police arrived at the scene. There has been no protest against these ppl who were mere spectators. They must also share equal blame. These incidents in the last few days has made me retrospect who I am!

I am that person who has believed that education will bring a change in the mind set of people. I am that person who happily wants everyone other than me, do their duties to perfection. I am the person who is ready to break any existing rule to sate my ends and still scorn at corruption like i am not part of it. It all started from Nehru. Had vallabhai patel been the first PM this would not have happened. Subhash chandra bose should have been our first PM. All my sufferings are because of the past generation's mistake. I have no patience to wait in a line or wait for my turn, but still say that people around are barbaric and impatient. I am that person who thinks system is everything other than me!!

I am the person who says that reservation is bad for the system. Still I enjoy the social and economic benefits  my birth brings to me on a platter. I have no guts to stop my own kin and friends from making references to the origin of the people whom they meet.

I am that pseudo intellectual who has the absolute right opinions on every issue and will have no ears to the opinions that contradict mine. I am still not comfortable with the idea that i am born because two people whom i respect the most, decided to quench their craving for the cardinal pleasure. I need all the euphemisms to describe 'sex' and still am not ready to  talk about it to my parents or my kids. But still songs like munni bhadnam huyi and shiela ki jhawani are the biggest hits. And sunny Leone is a *****, but still she is the most searched person in the indian internet space. Indian men have absolutely no respect for women. It's due to their lack of understanding, immaturity and more importantly because of improper upbringing. 50 % of the parents had no role in this upbringing. it's all just the men. Mahatma Gandhi does not deserve to be father of nation because he was not chaste and slept naked with girls.

I know I have lived midst the god. His name is Sachin. He is god because he is good at something he does. I will either make a person god and will be ready to die for him. Yes sachin is god. Didi is god. Amma is god. Sourav is god. Bala saheb is god. Rajni is god. Yes I can also kill in the name of god.

I have all right intentions but no balls to take an action. Not even to stand up against the driver in a bus who fails to stop the bus long enough for a old couple to get in. Forget the gundas who molest girls. I cant go to the police  because they are all corrupt. All I can do is post messages in facebook, 'like' the emotional outrages of people. As soon as the media get another scam or celebrity wedding, I will forget the 23 year old and will not even know that she is a tip of tip of tip of the ice berg. Yes I strongly believe nothing will save India mainly because no one is ready to change.

Yes I am just another unique indian citizen.

P.S Wish you all a very happy new year. I really wish in 2013 I will be the change, I want to see in the society.