My Tryst With the Quadrupeds - Vol. III : Some Things Unsaid

I spotted him last evening, after nearly a week, sleeping peacefully under the tree. He seemed to have lost a little weight, but looked as cute as ever in his graceful sprawling posture. Not wanting to wake him up, I tried to tiptoe past, but darn his acute senses! The instant I crossed him he was up, and cried out like a baby. I couldn't be hard on him - and myself - after hearing that purr.

He got up and shook himself up to launch a series of meows on me. I figured he was hungry, and rushed to fetch milk for him. Unfortunately, the canteen was out of milk, so I had to get him biscuits. He doesn't like biscuits but his hunger pang was stronger than his cuisine preference at the moment. Taking our places at one of his favourite eating spots, I broke down a few biscuits for him to gobble.Watching him eat, I thought to myself who'd spoil this brat for the coming 3 months; at the same time assuring myself that Nature had endowed him with the requisite skills to fend for himself.

As he finished eating, I got up to leave. And for the first time he held me back. Placing a firm paw on my thigh, he perched himself on my lap. He then lay his head on my lap and slipped halfway on to the grass, not loosening his grip on me though. It seemed as though that was his way of telling me not to leave. Animals have this eerie way sensing things. I would've stayed back if I could, but we cannot always do what we want to, can we? I'd take him home with me, but I value his independence and free way of life much more than my whims. Also, my resident pets would create a pandemonium at home if I brought in a playmate for them. In the meantime he pretended to sleep on my lap. (I know he was pretending because he kept checking if I was looking at him!)

After about an hour I had to get up to leave. There was a lot of packing and sorting to be done. I put aside his paw, which he instantly put back. We did this a couple of times before I finally got up. He caught hold of my wrist and refused to let go, even licked it  - most unusual for a cat. He then tried to grab my attention by rolling on the grass and enticing me to play with him. I tickled his belly, and turned to go. I could hear him purring indignantly. But I did not turn back.

With immense attachment comes immense insecurity and the agony of parting. With me, it is the same about Bunty, and his little gesture conveyed a lot as well. With his typical grumpily smug expression, he watched me leave.

I'll miss you my little brat. Stay good till I am back!

~

Have a Look at Us

( Post originally written on 07/06/2009)

The latest product of dishonesty which is teetering into the lives of thousands of innocent Indians is the  influx of counterfeit currency notes in mainstream circulation. Counterfeits have been introduced into circulation in denominations of Rs. 1000 notes. You are likely to come across these new entrants in circulation at ATMs, bank cash counters and just about anywhere.

There are ways to detect the fake currency but what appals me is the directive issued by the government stating that the person found in possession counterfeit money is liable to be interrogated, even arrested! You cannot question the bank or for that matter anybody in this world if you happen to come across fake currency. If the ATM tends counterfeit money, well its your fault that you chose to withdraw YOUR money, and not the bank's who accepted such money which in turn was given to you by the ATM. Whats more, don't even expect that your claim for recompensing the counterfeit money will be as much as even entertained by the RBI.

This is just one of the many inhuman, inconsiderate, cruel and 'anti-people' ways that our government has resorted to for tackling or rather covering up their foolhardy blunders even if that means tormenting the common man, whose votes have given them the authority to do what they are doing.

What does one expect from a government who instates in its cabinet a Home Minister who tells an MP - under threat for his life - that he cannot protect each and every person in this country. This statement is tantamount to blasphemy in a democracy. What the hell does P. Chidambaram propose to do in the allotted five years of his term as the Union Cabinet Minister of Home is what I'd like to know; if its not the safety of every individual, what is it? A government which harbours such an indifferent and lackadaisical attitude towards the security of the citizens is one which is surely elected by foolish voters. Being so large in numbers, we have forgotten to value the worth human life. That's the reason why the aforementioned statement has gone unnoticed, let alone invite a critique. I'd seriously like to know what the Home Ministry has on its agenda if its so convinced that protecting every individual in the country is something they cannot do, and something that are not even going to try. Its just like a doctor saying that he cannot treat every patient or like a teacher saying that he cannot teach every student.

And then you have to place your blind faith and trust in the government which you have elected just because you are living in the biggest democracy of the world!

~

Complicated Thoughts of a Simple Mind

(Post originally written on 24/04/2009)

"Your own mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your promotion." 

~

Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are times when one feels that the world is beautiful, despite its flaws; and there are times when one feels that this world is hopeless. Well, these feelings crop up solely due to one's emotions at a given point in time. But the truth is that this world has no beauty, and is full of ugly and disappointing things. When you know you've worked hard for something and you are sure to get your due, somebody pours a pitcher of cold water on your head only to make you realise that what you did may be good, but I don't think so. There is someone better than you, and that someone will get to bask in the glory which you certainly deserve. These disappointments, it is said, are necessary to understand the journey of life. Such philosophical claptrap is said and propagated only to justify unfair deeds. It may happen that what you think to be outstanding may not be so, and someone else's work - better than yours - gets appreciated; an honest and clean mind will not get affected by it. But if something relatively mediocre gets your due recognition, that very honest and clean mind will be utterly discouraged and demoralized.

Have you ever felt like that? You must have. So what does one do in such a situation? It takes a lot of grit to gather yourself and get up again to face the world. But the crux here is that you have to get up. No matter what happens, you must get up. There will always be a few people in your life who always want the best for you - your family, friends, mentors. So when you feel bogged down, just close your eyes and recollect the faces of your loved ones. You will see the hope in their eyes and the smiles on their faces. Believe it or not, that will act as a morale booster for you. It will give you the strength to let go of what has happened and move on to bigger things in life. After all there is no problem bigger than your might and will power. You are the master of your fate. Your life will give you just what you want from it. So dream, dream big and dream a lot. Those who don't dream, don't really do much. Chase your dreams; they are not easy to catch. But then anything that ever was worth doing, was not easy.

Be honest. Be happy. Be blessed. Peace.
~

Merci Beaucoup

"They can conquer who believe they can. He has not learned he first lesson in life who does not everyday surmount a fear." 

~ 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Self-will so ardent and active that it will break a world to pieces to make a stool to sit on. "
~
Unknown

There is never a better time than now to offer a little vote of thanks to those who have helped you reach where you are today.
After all, everyday you grow, you learn, you achieve; and you do that with help of the people who come into your life.

So here is my vote of thanks for the people who thought

I was incapable,

I did not have it in me,

I was undeserving,

I was not intelligent,

I lacked creativity,

I was devoid of talent.

Not to forget those who were mean to me,

Who spoke behind my back,

Who criticised my methods,

Who misunderstood me,
Who judged me without knowing  me,

Who created hurdles in my path,

Who tried to isolate me,

And those who eventually parted ways, leaving me in the lurch.

I thank you all, sincerely.

For it is because of you and your deeds that I have come to value those who love me more than ever. 

I give my best to everything that I do. 

Every goal that I set is more challenging than the previous.

I have befriended excellence and perfection.

I have successfully polished my capabilities beyond what you can imagine.

I am my own teacher, and have honed my talents adroitly.

My creativity lives and grows with me, and we see a new dawn, a new opportunity, a new avenue everyday.

I spend more time with myself, and am a better person.

Being alone never daunts me. I am my best companion.

With a will power so indomitable, that the mightiest of storms will retrace,

Self confidence so fortified that I can take on the world single-handedly,

A mind so open, that imbibes something valuable every single day,

Faith so reinforced, that there is no looking back now.
I have emerged stronger.

None of this would be possible without  you. Thank you again.

Dissuade me, hate me, break me.

I will rise each time, like a phoenix rises from its own ashes. 

I will win the battle without any crutches, every single time.

And I will have a glorious story to tell at the end of the day.
~

Missing School

(Post originally written on 25/07/2009)

Many a time I have found myself pondering over the kind of people one comes across in the course of one's life. I can't say about others, but I have particularly been unfortunate with my acquaintances; I call them acquaintances because I was never given a chance to consider a lot of people as my friends. And, mind you, I'm very fastidious about acquaintances who become friends, because not everyone can be a friend; they have to be special.

As a child, I was always on the look out for a friend; everyone wants and needs friends. I always saw children in twos and threes pattering around claiming to be each other's 'best friends' and wondered if I'd ever have a 'best' friend; I was to soon realise that I have no friends leave aside best friends. In my school, it was a general trend that students sitting together in clusters of four would become fast friends. This was quite a comfortable arrangement, the only drawback being that lest your place be changed or should you be shifted to another section the next year (which usually happened) you would have to make a new set of fast friends. This in particular would sadden my heart, because quite unlike others I would grow fond of my so-called friends.

Also, there would always be a bully in class who would attract all girls to herself, leaving me with two options - either to follow the bully or loiter alone. I frankly don't remember what I used to do. As if this mentally taxing stupidity was not enough, a girl whom I was finally coming to believe to be my friend suddenly stopped coming to school. After a few days I began to panic and asked another girl from her vicinity about her, only to learn that she had shifted residence. For sometime I couldn't believe it was true, but who cared about me!

There were girls in school with whom I was supposedly friends but the next year they refused to recognise me (the general trend , remember?). I mean, come on, did those girls ever realise what they were doing. I longed for a "hi" from my best friend, but she chose to look through me and went right across my face with someone else. Okay, I did not want you to spend the lunch break with me, but does a 'hi' take so long? I spent seven years in this 'great' school, every year hoping that someone would be different and would be my friend for more than an year, but all I was being was hopelessly optimistic.

I was to shift residence after my eighth grade. My new residence was very far away from the present one, so that meant I had to change my school as well. I was in quite a dilemma regarding this, because I was not used to shifting schools very often and resistance to change is human tendency after all. But I had to shift. And so I did, with a heavy heart. And without telling anyone about it. Anyone but a couple of girls who were my friends, mainly because we lived in the same vicinity and travelled to and back from school together. I kept my 'shift of residence' a quiet episode simply because I thought nobody would be interested in knowing whether or not I'd join them the next term. I think I was quite right.

But as they say what goes around, comes around. After I finished my high school, for my graduation I secured admission in a college which was in the same vicinity as my previous school. On my first day to college, just one glance around the place was enough to realise that the place was swarmed with the girls whom I had left behind four years back. Not surprisingly, nobody recognised me. Maybe a few did, I could make out from the expressions. But that was all. No conversations ensued. So much for old times' sake.

~