A cup of coffee...

The pattering of an aestival rain,
Streets like Venice n ebbing drains,
Clouds imbued with greyish tint,
Umbrellas fluttered grasping the hint,
And the trees bathed new and green,
A girl so puerile, danced and careened.
And we ran towards an old coffee house,
Aromatic and dark like an obedient spouse.

And the glassy walls exuded and shone,
As a young barista exalts in its ambience,
Doling out white cups of Intransigence,
And one sip of that coffee like philter,
The potion ran filtering away our shame,
And as we locked eyes, on a brink of confession,
Sitting there hypnotised, awared of no recession,
And as the Rainy slithered and crawled,
A romance was born short-lived and withdrawn!

WHY DO INDIAN MEN OGLE??

Well, I am entirely awared that some of my friends[non-female] and Indian by birth and domicile will have grave objections and strong justifications against the title of this write up.Calling it an article or a write up is an understatement. Its much more than that, its outburst of ineffable emotions and disgust I have held since I started travelling on my own! I understand that there are men ogling at the fairer sex irrespective of any nationality..But since I have the first hand experience of this insulting and anguishing stares only in my land, thus I cannot comment on Non-Indian men.
Though I am not a raconteur, let me start by narrating some anecdotes which are so morally drained.Have you noticed a girl standing at a bus stop or better still travelling in a DTC bus. Well, if you are a boy offcourse you have! But next time when you see a girl walking alone in a busy not so posh market road just notice her closely.Yeah..I am really asking you to look at her!! She will be in a rush,completely conscious of her surroundings though trying to portray I-don't-care look and fully aware of those impertinent looks thrown freely in her direction! Man! She is not some celebrity ..Can't you guys let her walk in peace. The guilty here are most of the times unshaved public vehicle drivers, those dusty workers digging some road or some trying to copy Dhoom bikers! Well, I agree that their education has been limited and a subject on mannerism has been conveniently kept out of their curriculm. But believe me, they are a part of larger Indian population than those few who have taken their Moral Science seriously! The obscene gestures, lewd remarks on just anything possible, the temerity of pushing a girl or vituperations of these bus drivers and their mates. A girl goes through all this and more! Alas! we are developing and emerging...Eve-Teasing and Vulgarity in public behaviour is heading in the same direction as Global warming.
And if I reflect on the national agendas raised by some political parties then I cannot find a single party vouching to make the Indian roads anymore safer for girls and women to traverse. They strain their cords to gather minority votes, to woo the majority voters yet again and these insolent eve teasers with odd reservations and meritless quotas..But I cannot remember a single politician wasting the party's election resourses on woman voters. Strangely Indian Popualtion has 48.1% women! If we leave political parties alone, and dwell upon the reactions offered by a paunchy languid betel chewing policeman after listening to a complain from the fairer sex, I cannot be less disgusted. They can just offer you smirks or weird and petulant smiles in return! The condition is extremely revolting and unbearable, atleast for me.The state is so bad that I have made a resolution not to raise my daughter/daughters in this country. I know this decision is quite far-fetched but such is the extent of my irateness.
But till now we have been aberrating from the title" why do Indian men ogle?". Either they have this notion that they are always walking in a sanctuary and a female walking by is an intriguing species on brink of extinction! Or these guys have just landed on our planet from Neptune and they have not seen a female before! Well that explains the stares...but what about those ribald remarks and frowardness. I have just one logical explanation to it or rather two. They are devoid of any principles and morals and are budding crimnals who sleep without any conscience. And if such is the number of prospective crimnals in our country then we need to rethink about the foundation on which this nation stands! Man!! Is respecting a female is such a gargantuan task! I think it just needs inculcating some respect for your mothers,sisters and daughters back home. None of you are vagabonds i assume.
And now i have a brilliant plan to combat this arcane evil! Its kind of out of blue.It goes like this:
Every girl should be trained to use a pistol[ just a small one]. She should be given free licenses to carry this weapon, once she reaches the age of fourteen. And anyone..I mean it...just anyone who misbehaves with her, she should have legal right to shoot that person immediately.And to make the plan less unrealistic we can use tranquillizers in form of pistols.May be the hours of unconsciousness can wake up their conscience some day!

THE VACANT SPOT

Along the way was a vacant spot,
Deserted even by the wan Moon above,
Forlorn, And very dark for to me gaze,
At last a hermit's bliss evident in the haze.
And the chants were prolix n away,
Far away where the wind screams with fear,
And the water falls wrapped in a widow's cry,
There was just a lonely silence to propound,
And nature's insignia lies unclaimed,
The spell unbroken and Magic sustained,
That vacant spot had a living soul, and a heart,
For that beat escaped the torturing misty air,
And that guilty undocile wind dared me to bout,
But this petite mortal cared no more,
For a vacant spot or a living soul,
And as I meandered yet again on my way,
I saw the pleading spot dying in the grey!!

A ROCK N ROLL SONG

Drinking beer at a bar all day long,
A leather jacket and my black guitar,
The bike with a devil's logo in front,
And my back tattooed with a flower,
Life is a bitch and rock n roll is in,
What do I care if my building is bombed?
Or anyone out there gets killed in a war,
I live a life and do not disturb,
The science bugs me no more and I m sure!
So you launch a rocket or make a bomb,
Or my girlfriend gets married to a moron,
Even if Hitler comes back to burn me alive,
I am not going to follow any law for that's right,
I see through all your negotiations now!
I breathe pollution and hey did you even care?
The spirit I drink is less toxic than water,
What have I done when you were always wrong?
Dictate me no more and do not disturb,
My life is good and I still deserve a Heaven!
No black suits I will put on my back,
No lies I will write in those secret files,
I travel cheap and meet people rich in heart,
Will sleep under an open starry sky and smile,
Will drink to my heart's merry and dance,
I am the music and I am the trance,
Nobody can change anyone,that's trash!
So why to live a regular life and decay,
Why should I vote and go to a church,
I am not a fool with day dreams anymore,
Come on let's face and speak the truth once,
Don't you think my life is better than yours?
And I know deep down that you have no money,
So brother! Why does you have to live in a palace so big?
Let's live in real and then you are invited to my gig!

THE LAST OF SADNESS

The last time we met, it was raining so hard,
There was a pink envelope holding your wedding card,
It was lying on the coffee table soaking in my tears,
You were by my side so I could not infer that fear,
You were saying that you will always be there,
And I was so innocent that I thought you will care,
The time we spent was now a far away dream,
The white of your bride hurt my eyes like a beam.
I looked back and you never looked my way,
I felt so sad knowing that this feeling is going to stay!
And there I was walking towards my lonely days,
I tried looking for hobbies but nothing seems to work,
My apartment was a mess, our snaps lying all over,
I stared at them for clues, to know when we were done,
I was pungent and always wondering what went wrong.

The hazy winter was so long without you by my side,
There were emotions inside me that I could not hide,
I was wasting away and my smile was gone,
My laughter jingled somewhere, distant and forlorn,
And I wanted to runaway to a place not known,
Where this shadow will not follow and I can live alone,
So I packed my bags and tried abandoning you in here with fain,
I locked the doors and never looked back for you again,
And there I was sauntering on the path to a new beginning,
I had few plans and fire for I felt an inspiration waiting,
And then I decided to smile after so long,
It was like listening to an old forgotten melodious song,
And then I reminded myself to bury my pain so deep,
That even if I try it will be so dark for me to peep,
Realizing that there is so much more to experience and do,
The sad part just ended, and its time for happiness to take over now!

3rd July,2008

PINK!!

I was reading some articles on the world wide web when a particular article about WOMAN: EQ versus IQ intrigued me. Suddenly i found my choler rising. So "here i am" and as Bryan Adams sings "this is me" with a laptop with a keypad working in synchronization with my mind and absurd thoughts. Whats my present mood? "well! I really want to write a good write up!!" The inchoate idea that needs to take form in words is the color PINK..it has been a lingering thought and a dormant subject which needs a voice. I am dazed confused bedraggled and in this present state i continue to type.
The color PINK..Have u guys heard the song by Aerosmith called PINK.. Pink is the color of passion as well as Pink is the color of love you have just discovered..as well as Pink is the new lingo and it goes with any fashion!! Well, sincerely weird observations but this color has been out there associated with things which are so bizarre and unrelated. For example on one hand you relate pink with communist or leftist ideas and on other hand we easily finds its proximity to love ( for that matter an undiscovered one) , feminism and awareness for breast cancer. Emotions, politics and ladies are no sisterhood and here i am sitting perplexed and slowly realizing that this is one favorite color which gets itself attached to anything one likes. For other colors like Green its simply Verdure and thus Prosperity. As for Red its Blood as well as Danger or a Stop sign on one of our irritating traffic lights. All these relations makes sense but Pink is adaptive!!

The newest avatar of the color is to much hyped metro-sexual breed of our new age men. Simply by sporting a cute pink shirt and t-shirts one finds them canvassing for the idea " Girls! know what we can cook, we know the difference between a facial and a face pack and we can care for you as your mothers!!" well Guys the point noted and bang!! the color is a new insignia for a new idea!!

Pink is also one color that never gets out of fashion. The color which flaunts oodles of feminism [Of course when it escapes the wardrobes of our new men, nowadays] is also making its subtle and soft presence felt among formal hues like blacks,browns and whites. A pink formal shirt will not seem out of place now in any corporate office. Thus apart from being adaptive its a kind of new obsession, a wave that will grip your mind at one point of time in your colorful life. I easily remember that as a kid when somebody used to ask me my favorite color it was always pink..but then this idea of color pink felt puerile and i was drawn to "Better" colors. That was some years ago, this Pink Grip is back and as Steven Tyler from Aerosmith sings[says] " Pink is my new obsession" yet again.

The pink advantage is that it can also easily replace color RED. Take a serious look around a mall during first and and second week of February or what we call or market as "valentines week". So, instead of painting the city red we have painted the city pink! I bet, if colors were living persons Pink would be the richest color on Earth. With all the endorsements and marketing strategies associated with the color...that reminds me, Have you checked out the new pink laptop or the mobile phone or the new pink ipod.. it will certainly go places and bypass fields.. Pink and electronics!! Pink papers and Pink piggy banks and Economics!! And the word possible has just got a new meaning!

And its no new phenomena when rich starts supporting a cause..and here we are..a pink ribbon stands for awareness for breast cancer..so whether pink stands for sexuality, goodness, grace, beauty,bling and so much more... I hereby conclude its definitely more than a color!! I am PINKED! and know what i am not even grammatically wrong!!!

I kept my dreams in a wooden box,

And nailed the lid so tight,

I tried to walk away from my shadow,

And ran into a room so dark,

I denied the wind that I can feel it,

And held water in my palm,

My home echoed and felt strange,

The words I spoke were unknown.

And I thought that walls will shrink,

But I could not escape from an open room,

I was jailed though had freedom rights,

It was suffocating though the window wasn’t closed,

I saw colors draining away and begged them to stay,

Then I saw that wooden box sitting on a dusted table,

And realized that it was not my dreams that were chained,

I saw myself lying there in the box, half dead,

And as I struggled to open the lid, my hands bled,

My heart pounded so hard, I gasped so often,

How tight was the lid, I felt strange for what I did,

But when it finally opened, sunshine hit me,

I felt a breeze and the room was brimming,

I embraced my dreams, but indeed hugged myself,

I was back, breathing to life, happily living!

Dated: 29^th may, 2008.

Keshie Singh

THE FREE MAN

Fetters around my ankle,
And the wings are clipped,
A paean whistle in the air,
The Victory is finally here.

She arrived last night,
I was sleeping deep,
When the dawn broke,
I saw her, she was a beauty.

She touched my bruised fustian chest,
And the Pain released my whipped soul.
She smiled and the Morning star shone,
Whispering that she will stay.

Is this a dream or I have escaped,
My mind is devoid,its still,
My eyes wipes away the umbrage,
My heart embrace the truth.

Fifty years of my living,
And the maelstorm that surrounded us,
The attempts, the failures, the sacrifices,
All merged into her.

Those nights that i felt weak, and cried,
I realized, that she was always watching.
For these eyes.gleaming before me,
Made me a sentinent man!

I was betrayed by my blood,
And cast away from the world I fought,
My life could have been easier their way,
But against the words in the Holy Book.

Did i belong here?
For I failed to be an epigone of Distrust,
And I wondered where is my land,
How i will find the way back.

And as she sat next to me,
I realized she will take me there,
When tomorrow i will be stoned,and die,
I will be a free and a happy man.

And together we waited for the hour,
And when they will come, i will smile and leave,
But will come back for i want them to see,
That my life was rewarded in the end!

I M STILL WAITING!

its dawn at my grim window,
and my eyes searched the door,
dreams are still unanswered,
but i m still waiting,
waiting in the dark!

do u still believe in miracles?
and wait for the touch f the wand,
or t secrets held by a calloused hand,
but i m still holding,
holding the belief in the chant!

the beauty of stars is ethereal,
and heaven so surreal,
sounds of seraph echoes the misty hall,
but i m still moving,
moving away to a forlorn land!

And when light will be pure n white,
and swan will not sing,
the flowers will greet my words,
but i will still be searching,
searching for impunity from my sins!

and till then the smiles will be fake,
and glamor will expel,
love will be a liar in black,
and i still be a beholder,
beholder of my deeds and swords!

a thought......

LIFE, HE THOUGHT,HAD BEEN DEFINED AS MOTION,MAN'S LIFE WAS PURPOSEFUL MOTION: WHAT WAS THE STATE OF A BEING TO WHOM PURPOSE AND MOTION IS DENIED, A BEING HELD IN CHAINS BUT LEFT TO BREATHE AND TO SEE ALL THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE POSSIBILITIES HE COULD HAVE REACHED, LEFT TO SCREAM "WHY?" AND TO BE SHOWN THE MUZZLE OF A GUN AS SOLE EXPLANATION.
HE SHRUGGED,WALKING ON: HE DID NOT CARE EVEN TO ANSWER......
AYN RAND!

dnt beg for mercy!!!

THIS IS WHAT AN AYN RAND DOES TO YOU:

While reading a venerable book,i have propensities to think about arcane methods of preposterous nature and to abet my mind which has been in abeyance for some interim. Reading this i can visualize the baffled countenance of yours, as an epitome of my intractable manifestations to increase my vocabulary and my deplorable state of flaunting it too. Thus leaving the reader perhaps the readers to concert a plot against me and leaving me in utopia!!

HERD INSTINCT

What is Instinct? well, i will suggest "gut reaction", "intuition", "knack", "feeling", "hunch" etc!
And what is a herd? The first thought that comes to my mind is that this term is somewhat related to animals, not one with a pair of foot but pair of pair of foot! But literally herd is an assemblage or a crowd. Thus, herd instinct shall be "gut reaction of an assemblage" or "knack of a crowd". Man has always considered people's view more precious than an individual. Quoting Ayn Rand, from Atlas Shrugged, "men are not open for truth or reason.....Yet we have to deal with them. If we want to accomplish anything we have to deceive them into letting us accomplish. Or force them. They understand nothing else"! Here "we" is for people who are individuals, they follow their own instinct, and the one they have to force are the proprietors of herd instinct. Herd Instinct was not always negated to reason. Sometimes popular view is right and its easy to do things which everyone is doing. Remember the same questions done by you in a class test as your bench partner because then it shall be easy to co-operate and pass! Maybe the one thing attractive about herd instinct is that, to follow it is easy n achievable. But, herd instinct is difficult to follow when you have your own reason and instinct which is disparate to theirs. When you think of doing something implausible and incredible and they stop you or discourage you from doing it.

Well, what made me think about Herd Instinct? I am really impressed with the character of DAGNY TAGGART and HANK READERN and their venture of the John Galt line in " ATLAS SHRUGGED" One may say that they are materialistic duo, but they live a life of purpose more than that they happen to possess intellect when even an institute of science in the book fails to use it! Thinking differently is not always right, but when you think different as well as right and its not popular, then i suggest you should read the part 1 of this book. Cannot suggest about the remaining 2 parts as i m still on part 1 but i think it will be a great reading expression.

contrition on forgetting b'day! congratulations on new year! augmentation in me!

how should one feel after one forgets the birthday of someone special? One can concoct a variety of emotions. Emotions? yes, its not always about excuses that sounds so lame to any ears. its emotions, quite humane and familiar like chagrin,acrimony and acerbity on yourself and belligerence of all those birthday reminders you set and they failed you and itself. And all these synonyms of frustration and anger were felt by me on 19th of December! i forgot the birthday of Prakash which was on 17th of that month, and believe me or not i m still in contrition! Now something else happened after this feat of my flaccid memory! I did not call him as soon as this realization dawned on me. Now the emotion related to this deed was fear and chickenheartedness, or incompetence of my mind to produce marvelous excuses though i had one ready which was sounding quite lame to me already( i was having exams!) Even now i am afraid to call him and you all should know that i have not called him yet. Apart from facing the blitzkrieg of these emotions, i had my friends asking me to call me immediately as they told me that Prakash is greatly offended with me. Now, i should tell you that i m not at all jhansi ki rani, i m quite pusillanimous and to face THE PRISTINE DARK MARAUDER ( PDM ) in his rage is not my cup of tea! I then did something unheard between friends and quite average in corporate! i sent him an electronic mail which was some sort of written apology! So, whats your emotion now, r u astounded or this weird situation is appearing quite comical to you... whatever it may sound or appear to you i really regret missing my dear friend's birthday!
hey PRAKASH! A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! N MAY U HAVE A WONDERFUL YEAR AHEAD!

And with that consecrated wish i move on to another sanctified one! A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU AND YOUR ADORABLE FAMILIES! I read this quote somewhere that " NEW YEAR IS EVERYONE'S BIRTHDAY". Thats one way to curtain the much hyped celebrations and parties on new year eve! Thinking with acumen, its the birthday of our planet! And here i should narrate one of my incidents with my level-headed sister. She got up early on 1st of Jan, 2008 and deliriously went up to terrace. She looked up and observed the clear blue sky and then alluring red roses in mud pots. she sighed and said "hey! there is nothing new today. everything is same as yesterday! Does nature knows that its 1st jan today!!" Poor girl what was she thinking! Was she expecting the sky to turn golden n roses to change their hue! But still we commemorate and celebrate the special and unique 12'o clock in our own special ways. SO here wishing u all a very happy change in year!!

And with this change in year i as so many more pledge to change few things in me! These clandestine resolutions if followed are sure to provide me with augmentation and growth in myself. and the five liner below, summarizes the state of my mind in the beginning of the new year:
" With time i pledge to grow,
And change whats amiss,
To add a few accolades,
And drop some slurs,
And all is dubious but one,
The one to always to move on!"