01/02/11 - 01/03/11:A Moment Please

Sunday, 27 February 2011

Between Him and Me

He was seated there - reading a book. His thoughts were engaged in the book. What was so special about the book which had him hooked? And made him ignore the cutest, prettiest girl in the near vicinity?

Was it something more interesting? Or was it the simple fact - that he hadn't spotted me yet? If he hadn't spotted me yet - he better do so soon. Otherwise I thought I would raise a hue and cry. And then he wouldn't have any option but to oblige.

But before that could happen, his eyes met my eyes. And we caught on to each other. Like we had known ourselves for long. It would surprise you if I tell you that this was our first meeting. Yet, we exchanged the broadest of the smiles.

He was one of those flirtatious kinds. Right from the moment he had his eyes transfixed on me, he started blowing sweet kisses at me. All in the sight of the glaring public. I was the only person on his mind right now. His book had lost the race. And I was loving all the attention I was getting.

I sat next to him. This made him all the more happy. I think he didn't think he would be lucky enough to get the pleasure of the company of a lovely lady like me.

He held my small, petite hand. I beamed with pride. His smile was getting bigger and bigger. And he blew one more big, sweet kiss at me. I blushed.

Over the next one hour, he talked to me with his eyes - making a lot of gestures and faces. And I too responded back to him with my lovely blue eyes. I was keeping him engaged and I think he was loving it. And I was loving all the love he was showering on me.

And after being showered with such flattery for more than an hour, I dozed off.

And when my eyes opened a couple of hours later, I saw him looking at me - staring at me with love. His affection was noticable. So was his warmth. This made me wonder - had he slept through the time I was asleep? Or was he just sitting there - looking at me, taking care of me?

I read his mind. I knew he was taking a bright, lovely picture of me - to keep it in his heart and mind forever. We were going to part ways soon - and he knew that we wouldn't be meeting again, ever. The thought had burdened his heart heavily. But there was little he could do.

Time flies and does not wait for any soul. And before you knew, it was time to say good bye. Good Bye with a heavy heart. We exchanged names. I knew he would remember me and my name. He knew I wouldn't rememeber him and his name.

The reason was simple. He was 27. I was just six. Just six months old.

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Friday, 25 February 2011

Something About Her

There was something about her which made her attractive. Something special which made her stand out in a sea of millions. Something which made her a gem.

Something which caught my fleeting eyes and made me turn back to have one more look. A look which I could capture in my eyes and cherish it forever.

This desire came in from an inherent insecurity - that I would not see her again. Her glimpse was special. She seemed to be extremely rare, like one of those uncut diamonds which you discover only with a great chance. Yet she made her presence felt like that polished glittering stone which you always wish to possess.

But how could you call her a stone? She was lively as the wind. She was livelier than others in visible sight. She was the liveliest!!

I asked Him one small question. Will I see her ever again?

He didn't give an immediate response but answered my prayer by offering me a fleeting glimpse of hers a few moments later. A sight so small that it would make a comet proud. And put the ghosts, who make a minuscule apparition, to shame.

And I took a small wish - to see her again. I was so selfish. But she was so alluring. I was supremely insecure. She was the reason behind it.

I wished to turn around to have another look...Just in case the wish didnt come true. But the worldly fear - of some other prying eyes catching my seeking sight prevented me from doing so.

And I used to think that I'm a fairly confident person. How wrong I was!!

And it was not the first time that this awakening was dawning upon me. And if you speak about dawns, how can the sun be behind?

From a distance, I could see her glowing face. A face so serene, it would impress the calmest of the waters. A glow so pink, it would make those chubby babies feel ultra jealous. A persona so elegant it would imprint on your mind - forever. And eyes so magical that they would just bewitch you and hold you in a spell.

I wondered what made some people more enchanting than the rest. It was not that she was dressed in enticing clothes . Yet she had that style which would impress a super model. Her two killer weapons - her magical eyes - held my attention.

But before that attention turned into a possesive stare, I took the tough decision of turning my eyes away from her. And lose her from my sight... maybe forever. And since then - till date - all I have is memories of her.

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Monday, 21 February 2011

A Sailor's Thoughts

The sea was choppy. The waves were a bit rough - making a cluttering sound as they crashed into the rough wood. You couldn't say that a storm was forthcoming. But neither was the water calm.

The night was dark. The silence was eerie. Water, they say, is colorless. But, black was the only color in sight. And it stretched upto infinity.

The weather was a bit chilly. Cold weather does have a calming effect on a warm night. But surprisingly that was not the case today. He wondered why??

He looked up to the sky hoping to see the shining stars. Or God Himself. There wasn't a single star in sight. But God was making his presence felt. The half moon was also to be seen. But it's light was not bright enough to drive away the darkness.

The lone traveler in the piece of the wood - called "boat" (or was it life) - tossed around. He tried to sleep to make it through the night.

Sleep, he thought, was a good way to drive away the loneliness. In those few hours, he could lose himself - without care, without any worries, without any corrupting thoughts. Just be himself.

The ruffled sea wouldn't let him do so. He tossed and turned around - hoping to catch hold of his lovely friend - sleep herself. She continued to entice him by bringing him a few singular moments of slumber. But teased him further by not giving it to him long enough. Long enough to make him forget about her. She knew how selfish he was!!

But then he spotted something far away. Or was it nearby? It was a small light - blue in color and a bit dim. It glowed in and out. And it continued to do so - once, twice, and many times.

Was it a lighthouse? Or was it something else? Was he near some shore? Or far away from some land?

The light continued to signal.

What impressed him about that light was the slow way it grew to its brightest. And the sluggish way it faded away. And the way it continued to do that same thing - over and over again.

Made him wonder about the monotonous way it went about its task. But slowly and steadily, over and over again. But at the same time being helpful to the travelers who came near him.

Could he do the same with his life - taking it slow and a bit easy rather than rushing into things.

It had set his thoughts in motion. And such thoughts always end up doing one thing. Taking him into the arms of his beloved friend - sleep.

All that he hoped was to see a bright shining sun rise tommorow morning.

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Thursday, 17 February 2011

Anger, Jealousy and Serenity

Red, Green and Blue are the fundamental colors in the world which drive away the dark black and plain white - to bring in the vividness in our life.

What does the color Red say today?

Are you facing the wrath of someone's anger?

And what does the color green say today?

Are you jealous? Or is someone jealous of you??

Well, someone can be angry. And someone or you yourself can be jealous. But what can you do in such a situation?

Just stay calm, composed and serene - just like the color Blue.

P.S. Apologies to the pretty ladies - Asin, Parineeti Chopra and Padma Lakshmi. The colors of your attires were so bold and brash that I couldn't help choosing your pictures.

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Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Dark Times

The sun set before it rose,

Taking with it away the glimmer of hope.

Before the dusk it was dark,

Pitch black, reflecting my life stark.

Wearing a mask,

I went about my task.

Wished for a place of complete bliss,

Only to end up in a deep abyss.

P.S. Sorry to my dear friend, who tried convincing me on not to publish such a sad poem.

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Tuesday, 15 February 2011

Risks

If there is any word which is used very commonly - in different spheres of life - it has to be Risk.

We always look forward to ensuring the success of whatever we do - however small or big.

Be it being on time to watch a movie. Or purchasing that desirable thing you always wanted to possess, at a moment when the prices are just right for you. Or executing that enormously complex project.

Achieving success in these endeavors, as you had planned, is indeed good and emotionally rewarding. But is there something which can prevent you from being successful?

Well, there is something. It is Risk.

You can come across a big traffic jam as soon as you start from home for the movie, which makes reaching on time difficult. Or you could misjudge the timing to buy the thing, only to see the prices fall a lot further, immediately after you do the purchasing.

Or you could come across some unforeseen complex situations in the project execution which set you back on achieving the set goal by a few days, months or even years.

Henry Ford - the car mogul - once remarked - "No one can really guarantee the future. The best thing we can do is calculate the risks involved, size up our chances, estimate our ability to deal with them, and then make our plans with confidence."

So what does Ford propose??

Well, first thing - every task, every activity is bound to have some risks. Some of the will be known when you start with the endeavor. And some are unforeseen.

What is most important? Assessing and identifying the risks. Because only when you know that a risk exists, that you can make some attempt to overcome it.

After identifying the risk, you have to estimate how that risk will influence the sucessfull execution of your activity. Will it have some minimal impact? Or will it have a huge impact - like derailing your activity itself?

Judgment of this point is very important - because it is with this assessment that you will give importance to that risk and take steps to prevent its occurrence.

What can be done to prevent this risk from occurring? Well, you have to take steps and create conditions to prevent the risk situation from arising.

In some cases, you just cannot overcome the risks. What you can possibly do is mitigate these risks to the best of your abilities.

And lastly, what can be said about risks which are unforeseen? How do you manage risks which show up at the eleventh hour?

I would say a few things. Be alert - so that whenever they arise, they show up on your radar. And once they show up, tackle them with the same cycle - estimation of the risk and taking steps to avoid or mitigate them.

What is most important about such risks? Well, you need to tackle them with a sense of urgency. Remember one thing - Procrastination is your enemy.

And with all such risks under your fair control - what do you do next? Like Ford said, make your plans with confidence and execute them with the best of your abilities.

And become sucessfull.

And another important thing that should be kept in mind while taking actions against risk - the evaluation of The Risk Vs The Reward. Read more on this point on my old blog post.

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Monday, 14 February 2011

Sarararara

Once in a while, you have a song which you like immensely. Half an year back, it was Mora Piya from Rajneeti for me.

And today I caught onto this song - Sarararara - from the movie Yeh Saali Zindagi.

The lines of this song are simply amazing - they echo "life" so nicely.

Kuch deke chalti woh, sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse, balkhaake chalti woh
Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

Or were they meant for this pretty actress (read Aditi Rao Hydari) in the movie?

Catch a small video of this song right below

And the entire lyrics too.

Sarara sarara sararara
Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

Hey behla ke chalti woh, phusla ke chalti woh
Kanya karaari si, itra ke chalti woh

Kuch dekhe chalti woh
Sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse
Bal kha ke chaldi woh

Mara mara mara ..
Girta na har tu toh mara mara

Arrey sarararara, zindagi nikal chali sararara

Khwaabon ki jootar hai, yaadon ki payal hai
Zindagi husn tera hum tere kayal hain
Aaja na reham tera humpe barsa ja
Sarara sarara ..

Aaja na jhalak teri humko dikhlaja
Teri raahon mein bhich jaaye bas tere nagme kayi
Aaja na aaja na aaja aaja aa
Tumpe apna bhi haq hai, apna haq leke jaaye
Behla ke chalti woh, phusla ke chalti woh
Kanya karaari si, balkha ke chalti woh

Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

Sa sa sa ra ra ra ..

Hey hum chalte hum rukte, sab teri hi marzi hai
Jeenay ki chaahat ho, kehde kyun khudgarzi hai
Aaja na noor tera humpe barsa ja
Sarara sarara ..

Tu koi noor nahin, tohdi narmi toh la
Tu agar zid pe atki hai hum bhi na gabhraaye
Aaja na aaja na aaja aaja aa
Chori karna bhi ik fun hai
Apna fun na aazmaaye

Kuch deke chalti woh, sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse, balkhaake chalti woh
Sa sa sa ra ra ra ..
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara

Khwaabon ki jootar hai, yaadon ki payal hai
Zindagi husn tera hum tere kayal hain
Aaja na reham tera humpe barsa ja
Sarara sarara ..

Aaja na jhalak teri humko dikhlaja
Teri raahon mein bhich jaaye bas tere nagme kayi
Aaja na aaja na aaja aaja aa
Tumpe apna bhi haq hai, apna haq leke jaaye
Kuch deke chalti woh, sab leke chalti woh
Hai dum toh rok usse, balkhaake chalti woh

Sarararara, zindagi nikal chali
Sarararara, haathon se fisal chali sararara
Sarara sarara ..

This movie also stars one of my favorite stars - Chitrangada.

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Sunday, 13 February 2011

Liz Hurley

You have people who are hugely talented and skilled. And this makes them famous and popular. And then you have some who are popular just because they are pretty, beautiful and smart. And you also have some, who are social bees, which moves them up the popularity chart.

If you know Elizabeth Hurley a.k.a. Liz Hurley - you would wonder about the category to which she belongs to. But whatever may be the category, she is hugely popular with the newspapers and the tabloids. And this has been the way for the last fifteen years.

All of 45 years, Liz is an English model and actress.

She has been an actress since 1987 - acting in about 32 films since then. Her films have not been hugely popular - but she has been extremely popular.

So what has made Liz move up the popularity chart over the years??

Well, in 1987, a hitherto unknown Liz Hurley met the British actor Hugh Grant. And they were good friends, a couple in fact, for 13 years till the year 2000.

And it was with Hugh Grant that she propelled herself up the popularity ranks.

At the age of 29, in 1994, she walked with Hugh Grant to the premiere of his film - Four Weddings and a Funeral - wearing a black Versace dress. The dress was held together by several gold safety pins and it immediately put her right at the center of the media's attraction.

This "Safety Pin" dress was later voted as the greatest red carpet gown of all time.

An year later, she was signed up by Estee Lauder to model for their products. And since then, she has been an icon for them - helping them sell their stuff across the world.

Most famously, she helped them sold their perfumes - becoming a style icon. Sensuous and Pleasures were immensely successful.

Liz Hurley also supports Estee Lauder's breast cancer awareness campaign.

All of this happened much before I knew someone called Liz Hurley ever existed. That was when she starred in a movie named Bedazzled. A review of this movie introduced me to her.

She split from Hugh Grant in 2000 and had a baby with Steve Bing in 2002. Later in 2002, she started dating Indian business man Arun Nayar.

Her relationship with Arun also went through intense media scrutiny. They finally married in India in the year 2007.

All through these years - till date, she remained good friends with Hugh Grant.

And after her much publicized marriage to Arun, she announced that she had split form him in late 2010. And this was via Twitter - the new age communication media.

And if you are wondering what had possibly triggered this, then you should have a look at the picture below.

This was at the races in Melbourne in July last year. If Liz is famous, so is he. He is none other than Shane Warne - the greatest spinner in the world of cricket in the last 25 years.

Since then, the media has been intensely speculating the nature of the relationship between the British starlet and the Aussie spinner.

They had been keeping their long distance relationship alive with a lot of tweets. And when the Liz decided to go to Australia to meet Warnie, the media was all gung-ho. Her visit has made it right to the front pages of the tabloids.

What is it about Liz which makes her immensely attractive? Is it her charm or is it her intelligence? Is it her beauty or is it her persona? What makes her be in the media's spotlight continuously?

Keep contemplating.

So here is Ms. Hurley - going from strength to strength - becoming a hugely sucessfull social celebrity. And if she does end up marrying Warne, then she is bound to be a darling of the Aussie masses.

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Saturday, 12 February 2011

Aspirations

Aspirations - It is something which we all possess.

In dictionary parlance, it is a will to succeed. Or a cherished desire - which we wish to achieve.

Achieving your aspirations always gives you a high. It will give you a sense of satisfaction. It will also give you a sense of joy and pride.

And if that aspiration is something which you have been trying to achieve for a long time, a feeling of exhilaration is most common.

But have you faced a situation where people look upto you to meet their aspirations?

Have you been in a position where people think that you are the someone who can help them meet their aspirations, achieve their ambitions, take them towards their goals?

Some people find themselves in this situations regularly.

Barack Obama, way back in 2008, was one such person. Just after winning the South Carolina primary, he said "Yes. We Can".

And with this, he caught on the hopes of the entire nation - going onto become the President of The United States of America. And in an unprecedented success, he became the TIME magazine Man Of The Year 2008.

Teachers also find themselves in such situations commonly. They are the role models for the students.

Leaders in organizations also have this responsibility. They are commonly looked upto and cherished. And their achievements make their understudies aim for similar goals, if not better.

And most importantly, it's parents who find themselves in this situations - since they are the anchors and guiding stars for every individual in their formative years.

And sometimes, or many a times, they curb or suppress their aspirations to help you achieve yours.

Being in such a situation is not an easy thing. It gives you an extremely huge responsibility. A responsibility to ensure the success of someone else.

But if you succeed in guiding that individual to his or her aspirations, then you would become their hero.

You would be their shining star - forever. A star whom they can look upto to be their guiding light.

Pole star anyone??

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Wednesday, 9 February 2011

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

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Click here for India wins Cricket World Cup 2011
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Click here for a view on the finals

In India, they say - Cricket is a religion. And Sachin is the God.

For the unknowns, Cricket is a game. And Sachin Tendulkar is the most cherished player in Indian cricket.

And for the knowns, this introduction is not needed.

What also is not needed is a reminder that the biggest festival in the game of cricket - The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 - is set to start in the less than 10 days from now in the Indian Sub-continent.

The World Cup will be hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh jointly. Pakistan was initially decided as one of the co-host. But a spate of terror attacks in the country in 2009 resulted in Pakistan losing its chance to be one of the co-hosts.

Stumpy will be the Mascot for this World Cup.

Cricket is a game which is played most commonly in the Commonwealth nations. Considering this, you will see most of the nations participating in the game to be Commonwealth nations. The Netherlands in the exception.

Fourteen nations will be participating in this year's World Cup. Four of them are the associate members of the ICC while the remaining ten are the permanent members.

The World Cup will be played over 42 days - starting 19th Feb 2011. The finals are scheduled in Mumbai on 2nd April 2011.

The matches will be played across 13 stadiums across the 3 nations - 8 in India, 3 in Sri Lanka and 2 in Bangladesh.

What makes this Cup special is the fact that it is 10th edition of the Cricket World Cup.

What makes it special for me and you is the fact that it will be played in our country. India as a co host are one of the favorites to win the World Cup.

Back in 1983, India won the third edition of the Cup in England - beating the mighty West Indies.

Four years later, the Cup travelled to India. Australia won the Reliance World Cup in 1987.

Circa 1992, the Cup was played in Australia and New Zealand. Pakistan, under the able leadership of Imran Khan, emerged as the victors.

The Cup was back on the Indian Sub-continent in 1996. India managed to reach the semi-finals but were blown away by the eventual winners - Sri Lanka.

Later in 1999 and 2003, Australia were the champions. They played like lions - under the leadership of Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.

The 2007 World Cup is the one of which I have the faintest of the memories. Played in distant West Indies, I don't think I even managed to see a single match. Australia were the winners once again.

But off late, the Australians are no longer the ruthless warriors.

India, under the wings of their charismatic captain, M.S. Dhoni are the new superstars. At this moment, they are right at the top of the ICC rankings.

The draw is out and each group comprises of 7 nations - with round robin games to be played between each country.

In Group A - Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan - look like the favorites to go into the knock out stages.

In Group B, you have India, England, South Africa and West Indies looking like the most likely candidates for the next stage.

But in a stage big as the Word Cup, you have a few rookie nations who can upset the applecart of these biggies. Bangladesh, Ireland, Kenya and Zimbabwe have the capability to beat these star nations.

As always, all of India hopes and prays that India will win the World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar - at the age of 37 - will be playing in his sixth and last World Cup. And he would definitely like to crown his superb career record by winning the World Cup for India.

And with the final to be played in Bombay a.k.a. Mumbai, Sachin will just have one thing on his mind for the next month and a half - lifting the Cup with his proud hands.

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Monday, 7 February 2011

Chitrangada Singh

"Ohh My God!!!".

This is what I said when I looked at this picture of hers less than 24 hours back.

She is none other than Chitrangada Singh.

I was reading a new article which had her interview. It said - her name meant - someone with unique features. I wouldn't disagree.

All of 34 years, the Indian actress has been on silver screen for the last 8 years. Yet she has acted in just 5 films.

Six years back, she made a stunning debut in the film - Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (A Thousand Such Wishes). Her role as Geeta Rao received widespread appreciation.