WHERE THE END MARKS THE BEGINNING............

As I sit here writing, my mind goes back in time - a week or so - refresh the memories that will always stay fresh in my mind: our final days in school. Moving backwards in time is quite tough. But the once you are into the world of your fnd memories, I think it is worth the difficulty.

That day, we decided to play our last cricket match - our class and the adjoining class. The game reached a sort of an anti-climax even before it started - lack of space. Yet, it could not hamper our spirit to play one final game before leaving school. We are old rivals(on-field only) - the rivalry is 7 years old. And as if to pacify our hearts burning with that fire of revenge and to be declared a champion, the match ended in a tie - even in the super-over. That inspired me to write this post - the beginning of the end.

And the week that followed was quite emotional and the "floodgates" opened - it was our last week in school(and the preparatory marks were also given).With slambooks, hugs, photo sessions and tears, it could have made anybody sentimental. Afterall, we had spent 12 long years in school - having shared almost everything: our secrets, our likes and dislikes, punishments and even bunking classes, sometimes. Those 12 years had built a strong sense of unity and oneness amongst us - even when one was caught doing wrong, we stood by him and saw to it he came out unscathed.

That week saw even quite a few teachers getting emotional. Afterall, they had nurtured us for so long. We had bid adieu to all our familiar haunts and fellows and our very dear school to embark on a voyage where still uncertainty shrouds many of us. A voyage that will take us far - away from all our familiar-till-now places.
I only hope we all are successful on our voyage(s).

Then came our final day - the final ever - in school, after which we would never be alowed to step into it as students. As fate would have it, our class got jinxed dat day for various reasons - our final assembly programme could never be presented. Yet, we enjoyed viewing it as a class - together for one final time.
Again, there were more more hugs, more pics and more tears. Ah!!!!!!! how I wish I could relive those 12 years again and again and over again. How I wish for a "time turner"(HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF ASKABAN)!!!!!!!

Now, sitting at home, with no expectations of meeting my friends again in school, I feel cut off, chopped from the world I belong to. The truth is yet to dawn upon us that our school is not the world but a part of the world. Sometimes, I feel it is better if that truth dawns upon us. Sometimes, I feel  it is beter if it doesn't.
All that awaits us now are the board exams and that endless wait of hope and expectations until the results are out. And then, take a plunge into the a sea  of new people with a "school" of old fishes and explore the new world with enthusiasm...................

"..........If winter comes,
Can spring be far behind?"          - P.B. SHELLEY

OF WAR – Once Upon a Time……

Sitting on a stone was an old man.

He had an unearthly look.

For his left leg he had a stub

For his left hand – a hook.

Walking down the road, I was amused by his sight.

I felt an urge to talk.

“Sir, how is it that you have only two limbs?

Will you be able to walk?”

His right hand he placed upon my head

Over me, he cast a spell.

His piercing look bore into me.

His tale he began to tell

“It is the story of revenge –

The tale I will tell you now.

It is the story of treason and hate

With a little shade of love.

Once there lived an able king –

Courageous and just was he.

He had a daughter – the heir of the kingdom –

Who was admired and loved by me”

I asked him “How did she look? Was she beautiful? Why did you admire her?”

“The princess was charming.

Had an enchanting smile did she.

She was beauty in human form,

As beautiful as beauty could be.

She was generous; She was kind

She was character personified

She was the owner of a magical voice

She was our kingdom’s pride.

I served the king, his General I was.

I was his comrade; He was never a boss.

Many a war we fought together, many a war we won.

Once I did save him from death

From then we became one.

One fine day, I asked the king

If I could marry his daughter.

For a moment he stood still.

Then, he burst into laughter.

‘Who are you?’ the king asked

‘to ask my daughter in marriage?

You are after all, my General.

I want a prince with lineage’”

The old man continued “This insult I could not bear. The king had hot me where it hurt most. I decided to take revenge and make the king pay for his words. His most trusted General was to become his enemy, for the king had destroyed the love I carried for his daughter”

He continued:

“Then came a war – a fierce war.

What a huge army our’s was!

The king was away fighting the enemy king.

Of the army, I was the boss.

On sending the troops to fight the enemy,

To assist the king I went.

‘Oh! What a chance!’ I thought

‘A chance fate has sent’

In order to fight the enemy king,

I went and joined my boss.

When the chance presented itself,

I slew my Master’s horse.

Our king fell down. I thrust my sword

Through his mighty heart.

He swung around and with his sword,

Chopped my two limbs apart.

The war was lost, but not the kingdom –

It was gifted by the enemy king.

I was the king, I ran to the princess

But I could not hear her sing.

The princess had died, the people – enraged!

They knew of my deed.

They pelted stones, they hit me

Till I could no longer bleed

They carried me atop a hill.

They nailed me to a tree.

With the tree, I was burnt,

But my soul was not to be free.

My story ends here” he said.

“Oh! Let him not be a spirit” I wished

“Who are you, then?” I asked aloud.

Right before my eyes, he vanished!!!

IN AN "EGG"SHELL(not nutshell as the phrase goes)

This post is not to discuss anything serious. They are just two anecdotes.

 It so happened that I returned home from school to find my brother a little excited. "A pigeon has made a nest on our bathroom window sill and has laid an egg". He has an inclination for nature and that sort of things. There was no doubt he was excited. He derived great thrill in watching the bird everyday as it sat incubating the egg. No doubt we had to bang the bathroom door several times when he went to bathe those few days!!
Even I slightly caught up with his enthusiasm and was seen climbing onto the chair to watch the egg - I am shorter than him; so what? Even Tendulkar is short -
 My brother recently joined a gym(nasium). He wants to gain weight and develop stamina and fitness!! He doesn't have a body that can be boasted about - nor do I. The gym trainers initially made fun of him he says "admiring" his body. Even the other people who come to the gym chuckled when they saw him, he says. And that made my brother extremely determined to develop a body and gain weight. He heard them say that eating eggs will help build a body. And that trigerred off a series of events which i enjoyed receding to the backdrop of all the drama:
   Soon after coming home he told our mother that he wanted to eat eggs. We are a strictly vegetarian family. Infact, eating eggs was something we could not imagine(though many had eaten once upon a time). He called one of our cousins who was his "senior" and asked him how he ate the egg. Let us not go into what he told and what my brother asked again. That was it. He told how he had eaten the egg.
  Then my brother called up another senior in the family - senior in age this time - who said something not very encouraging about eating eggs. He - the senior -  too is an activist for vegetarianism. And my brother was caught between to opposite currents - to eat an egg or not. And in that cross-fire in the mind, I don't think he had his meal properly that day(meal of rice) - I don't exactly recollect.
  And today, the egg is no longer on the window sill of our bathroom(my brother has no hand in it - I swear). Maybe, a cat or something ate it. Maybe, it fell down. Maybe, it was shifted to a place where it is safer. I hope it is the third.
  And today, my brother is yet to taste an egg - an omlette or whatever the dish is made of the egg. Maybe, he will never eat an egg. Maybe, he will eat it in secrecy. Maybe, he will eat it in public. I hope it is the third.
 This is my brother - in an "egg"shell.

IN PURSUIT OF FOOLS - based on a folk tale

Once upon atime in England
There lived a Jack and Rose.
Such fools were they that on them
The sun of sense never rose.

They had a daughter Molly
Who was engaged to a Jack
Fool Molly was of the nth order
Luckily, sense prevailed on Jack

'Twas Christmas Eve - they
Invited Jack to dine
It was after a great feast that
Molly went to fetch wine.

To the cellar Molly went
To fill the jug with ale.
In the ceiling was an axe!!!
Our dear Molly went pale

Sat crying did Molly
Into the future her thoughts ran
She forgot to close the barrel
On the floor, ale ran

Into the cellar ran Jack and John and Rose
Shuddering and crying, our poor Molly rose
Asked Jack: "Why do you cry Molly dear?"
Holding back her tears, Molly expresed her fear:

"Oh dear Jack, soon we will marry
Our name will our dear child carry
One day like me, he will come to fetch wine.
What if this axe falls on the son of mine?"

Saying so, Molly burst into tears
John and Rose followed suit.
"How irrational are your fears!!!"-
Jack marched away stamping his foot!

Coming out of the cellar, Jack made an oath- "On Christmas Eve, On Christ I swear, I won't marry Molly until i find three people more foolish than you three!!"

On horseback left Jack on pursuit-
A pursuit for fools it was
A sight made him stop dead
Oh! What a sight it was!!

Pushing a cow onto a ladder
There was a plump man!!
Amazed at this curious sight,
To him Jack ran:

"Pushing a cow onto a  ladder!
What mean you to do sir?"
"Oh! There is chaff on the roof.
I have nobody to get it to her"

Flabbergasted at this reply,
Jack left the man alone
"He is the first fool" he thought
"Two more before  I go home"

Through a village travelling was Jack
Right in the dead of the night.
People were running helter-skelter
It gave him such a fright!!!

Of all the people running,
Jack stopped one:
"Brother, what has happened?
Why do you all run?"

"Don't you know?" asked the man
His tone was filled with misery
"The moon has fallen into the lake-
We do better hurry"


This was too much for Jack to digest. He told himself: I have found not just three but a village full of fools. My Molly and her parents are far better". Jack returned home, married Molly and lived happily ever after!

THE TRUTH - 2

  Imagine.........If we -mortals- had the strength to defy death.... !!!!!!!!!!!
  The idea may seem nice to imagine at first. However, gradually, mere imagination terrifies us! That world of ours would be full of people... congestion... disease, yet no deaths... hardships... torments... more "saas-bahu" conflicts.... no economic growth.... pitiable state of the country in our "beloved" immortal leaders' control... mere imagination can kill us with us with the endless list of the problems we would face. At this point, I would like to narrate a short story(which is made shorter for convinience).
  There once lived this man. He was nearing his death. Yet, he did not want to die. He prayed to the Almighty to bless him with immortality. Smiling, the Almighty granted his wish. This man now started leading life in new light. He saw his progeny grow. However, nobody took great notice of him as he was blessed with immortality. Not bothering, he used to do his share of work and lived. Gradually, his children and grand children perish before his own eyes. What can grieve a man more than the death of his own children !!{In Sanskrit, it is said "PUTRA SHOKAM NIRANTARAM" meaning: the grief of the death of one's son is eternal} This had it's effect on his mental status and then he realised what a mistake he had made by asking the Almighty for immortality! He then requested the Almighty to take back the boon and died peacefully(at last, though!)
  Life has to go on. After birth, one thing is for sure- death. Then ,why is it that we are not ready to accept death as a part of life? There is nothing of permanence in this world. Though it may seem philosophical, it is a necessary truth we need to understand and assimilate in life.
  A few days earlier, in class, we had a discussion regarding the same topic with one of our teachers. The teacher was of the view that we need to have expections wishes and attachments to lead a life. Else, we become too philosophical and lose interest in life.
 Yet, is it not when we  develop attachments that we grieve at its loss? To quote Buddha's teachings, "THE ROOT OF ALL MISERY IS EXPECTATIONS AND WISHES".
  Of all things I have seen, people fear death the most. The simple reason I could think of is that nobody has ever returned to tell how it is to die. It is the irony of life that we fear things we know not of than those we know can cause danger. If somebody ever reveals how life is after death, I bet, nobody will ever worry abut the dead!!! That still stands as a mystery and it is better it stands so. If we ever get closer to that truth, we would go an inch closer to the greatest secret of mankind. That way life would lose all its colour and energy. We are leading our lives today riding on the thrill of hopes  and uncertainties and wishes. The greater the development in the field of science, the less interesting life would seem, I feel.
  I have read somewhere: "EVERYBODY WANTS A PLACE IN HEAVEN; BUT NOBODY WANTS TO DIE!!!" How true!  

THE TRUTH

I have not much experience in life. Neither am I a big philosopher to write an article(post) titled so. Yet I cannot hold within myself what I have seen, felt and experienced. A few of my sightings, experiences and opinions form this post.

We have seen since the time of great conquerors and kings that the one with the hugest army and the largest empire was considered the most powerful and mighty. Today there has been a slight change in the scenario. Since we no longer have kings and have adopted the democratic form of government, there are no kingdoms. However, the respect given to kings has been transferred to those with huge sums of money. Yes! Money has taken control of our lives. We respect a rich man irrespective of whether he deserves it or not.
    Coming to India, it was only a few decades or probably a century back that there emerged these so-called "middle-class families". Until then, it was only the RICH and the POOR.  What I feel is that, it was with the emergence of these middle-classes that people started boasting or what can colloquially be called "showing-off".  It is true people used to work hard to alleviate themselves from POOR to MIDDLE-CLASS. However, any thing changing to the better should teach the person to be humble - be it education or riches. It is not bad to be proud of your success. However, one's success must not get into his head, isn't it?
   A few days earlier, we had been to one of our distant relatives house. While we were going, the elderly were discussing how troubled a childhood that relative had had. Today he is successful. 'Great! Wonderful! Fantastic! I will be meeting a true "success story" ' I thought. Ah! How wrong I was! No doubt he is successful. But he was no exception to the worldly ways......or rather the ways we have adopted. The way they spoke......as if they were omniscient! How they praised their children! Yet they tried to act humble! It was quite a bit for one day!
   Is it necessary that we blow our own trumpet in relationships?
Another day, I was discussing with one of the elderly persons why is it that some people are respected while others aren't even amongst relatives. He told me "In today's world it is only money that forms or breaks relationships. It is because we have sold our hearts and minds to money." I didn't believe what he said. Yet, after a few observations, I exclaimed "Ah! How true!"
   He told me that within his family circle quite a few years ago, when he was not in possession of huge amounts of money, no real respect was given to him. Today, he earns a respectable salary and, oh yes, he is treated well - with lots of respect!
  A few years ago, I saw a family feud crop up between brothers on account of division of property. Those who were brothers till then now hated the sight of each other. All contacts and correspondance between the families stopped!! Recently, when it came to light that there was a division of money involved, again there were phonecalls and talks between them. However it stopped as soon as the division was settled!!
  After all this, questions crop up within me. Why is it that w humans have forgotten the value of relationships? Why is it that a piece of paper(with value, of course)can govern our lives and make brothers fight each other? Have we become so heartless and mindless? If so, are we fit to be called humans? What is the difference between animals and humans? If animals fight for food and territory, we fight for money and property. That doen't make a lot of difference, does it? Is money the only thing in life?
  We need to realise that money is AN important commodity in life and that money is NOT "THE" important commodity in life. Only then will we be able to understand the true meaning of life and savour it.
          ಅಪ್ಪ ಅಮ್ಮ ಇಬ್ರು ದುಡಿದು
          ಸಾಲ ಮಾಡಿ ಮನೆಯ ಕಟ್ಟಿ
          ಮಕ್ಳು ಇಲ್ಹೊದ್ರಂತ  ಹುಡ್ಕಿ
          life ಉ ಇಷ್ಟೇನೆ!      - Popular kannada director, YOGRAJ BHAT(ಪಂಚರಂಗಿ)
  It means that when we attach a lot of value to maney and material possessions, we lose out on our children; This is life.
  When we need to be happy in life, we need to attach equal importance to all the little joys of life. That is the TRUTH of LIFE.

INDIA HAVE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I sit here writing on the day of one of the historic test wins recorded by India, my mind wanders through the stories  I have heard of people crazy about cricket in India. Not surprisingly, I too have a strong feeling when it comes to cricket. Infact, that is what India is all about. Just hours ago, I was surfing through the TV channels when I came across the report of Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang won a CWG gold for India in trap-shooting. Fortunately or unfortunately, it was quickly followed up by India's sensational victory over the Aussies in the 1st test of the BORDER-GAVASKAR trophy.

Much hype surrounded the Australia tour of India. It was obvious. India-Australia matches have given rise to several controversies in the recent past. Many  were against this series as it came during the time of the much-awaited CWG. However, the series did commence and no one would have expected a resulted of a game where both teams scored over 400 in their first innings.

Nail-biting stuff it was!!!

 Since I am having hols, I was following this test match earnestly. After the Aussies were dismissed for a paltry total of 192 in their second innings and India needing a mere 216 to win, I thought the match was in our kitty, keeping in mind the fact we had more than a day of cricket left. However, the Aussies never let go of things easily and this was one such instance. By the end of the fourth day, India had lost 4 of it's wickets. This  promised not only a fantastic final day but also more number of people turning up in the stadium.

I regretted having overslept, because by the time I woke up, Zaheer was back in the hut. And then, what did I witness? The little master getting out in a fashion that everybody would have little dreamt of!!! With Dhoni falling for a spectacular bit of fielding and Harbhajan getiing back a little too early, I did give up hopes of India winning the match. In the end, it was the Very Very Special LAXMAN who stood tall, despite a back spasm! Ishant Sharma too joined in- a man who everyone thought little would save India's face. Putting up a heroic show, Ishant departed immediately after the drinks break during the post-lunch session. That was the end of it all everybody thought. So did I. With Pragyan Ojha as his partner, one could have a rare sight of Laxman- very very animated. Fortune favours the brave, they say. It did. With quite a few misfields, a decision going India's way and an overthrow, India were finally home. The last few minutes of the game had people on the edge of their seats!! What could have been a huge defeat(India were 124/8 at one stage) or a fantastic tie, turned out to be one of the great victories in the history of Indian cricket!!

Not only has this game resulted in finding a new batsman-of-sorts in Ishant Sharma, it will prove instumental in drawing people back to the stadiums for test cricket, in this age of T20 and ODI cricket. As for me, it has once again rekindled that lost love for cricket. It had been ages since I had witnessed such a thriller of a game. Yes. I was indeed involved in the game today, venting my rage at each dismissal and appreciating each crafty boundary. This game did take India-Australia cricket to the next level.

The consequences are quite obvious, I think. With such a cracker of a game to begin with, people will be asking for more in the upcoming matches. Once again, the people who were interested in following CWG for the reason it is being held in India, will change channels and end up watching cricket. Cricket- a game of glorious uncertainties- will never lose its audience.

Does that mean other sports shall receive a step-motherly treatment in India? That is a question that needs to be answered.

akshay