MistAches in My Life

My day was pretty much the same, rather hectic as I was busy arranging things for upcoming college functions. Loads of chatter, calls, bills, strategy, ideas and people were passing by simultaneously.  A chill, gusty and fresh morning of November made the job look like a picnic. Amongst the hustle bustle of the day, came two phone calls which are pretty much the parents of this post.

The First Call

It was from a very close friend whom I haven’t met in a while but kept in touch over the phone. He called to share the ultimate good news (and bad news at the same time) a bachelor can share. He was getting married shortly. Quite sentimental as he was when we were together, he sounded content and thrilled at the same time. I am sure he will be an admirable husband. The call, however, took me back in time and I was happy he was clear in his thoughts this time and felt the fresh lease of his life ahead.

The Second Call

The second call was from an even closer friend with whom I had no contact for the last few years. It was totally unexpected yet pleasant to hear from her. Her voice reminded me of the same innocence and truthfulness she possessed back then. She tried to be as formal as possible even when I became the same old friends we were. I know when she does that; when she is apprehensive. But what was she apprehensive about? I can tell, but that’s not the point. A hum of poignancy plagued her words even though she tried her best to avoid it. May be she is finding things complicated around her, may be she had a bad hair day. I can’t tell neither help this time. I hope everything turns out just fine.

The Final Call

The calls ended but the hustle continued. My interest, though, suffered a setback. The world seemed not so small after all. There are distances and the one of hearts is longer from those of lands. You are more likely to face the usual sunshine than the bright faces of your best friends in joy. You may not even have the time to shed tears over your own misfortune to share some of your friend’s. It hurts, coming close to people only to part ways and never look back. I want to fish out of all the people I love and I don’t want them to disappear in the mist this time.

Ghar ka khana

It is the favorite cuisine of so many of us that its mere mention has become a cliché.  But have you really thought why it is so? Why India being the home of world’s spiciest and most scrumptious food, succumb to the food cooked at home with no allure whatsoever. And not only India, why do people crave for “Ghar ka khana” even if they are miles away in some other part of the world (which may also be filled with drooling delicacies). Is it just the taste, it can’t be. Then what is it?

Remember the last time you step foot in Café Coffee Day. Did you pay a visit because you like the coffee or because you like the ambience (and the girls, big screen TV with cricket playing, chill AC, service, and nice sofas...the list goes on). Nobody goes to multiplexes these days just to watch movies but to “shop, eat and celebrate”.  Same is the case with News channels which are switched on quench the thirst for updates as well as gossip, and the might remote toggle to something else the moment it get too informative.  Thus people look out for much more in a product than mere “product”. It should deliver some value over and above the bare minimum. The entire hullabaloo over “customer is the king” (another cliché by the way) tries to deliver the same value.

Coming back to “Ghar ka khana”, we love it because more than sheer food it reminds of love and togetherness we had while having it. It takes us back to sweet old memories. It reminds us of the extra paratha we threw tantrums to get, the sweets we stole (c’mon I know you did it), the cute dog face we made to get the lion’s share and the eagerness with which we awaited mom to finish cooking.  It jogs your memory to all the festivals we celebrated. It reminds of the satisfaction and the security the food provided. So much more than food it is, so much valuable. No wonder the cliché is our favorite.

Necessary evil

Gossip, grapevine, grumbling whatever you call it but an acute urge to complain and to be able to satiate that urge is more fulfilling than you imagine. Its negative branding and the usual moral obligation (that comes bundled with everything you like) put-off much fire of it. Don’t you think the world will be dull and boring if we don’t have anything to complain about? Complains and gossips double the taste of food on the dinner table, shorten the time to commute, uplift the mood (of women mostly), not to mention the burden we are able to offload once we are done. So in ways more than one, Complaining satisfies like nothing else and the best part is you don’t even have to work hard for it. Pick the Professor’s style whose class you just attended, pick your boss at workplace, working conditions, peers and if nothing helps pick Government, mobile network, Railways, weather. They will always be right on your side since they will never run out of shortcomings. The ultimate weapon is to complain about is your ‘luck’ of course.

So you see, even if you are in the golden age you may always complain how yellow everything looks. The message is not to be a whiner all the time, but if you never complain it probably means that you have no interest in people or surrounding. Gossip doesn’t only spread evil rumors but there are also some truths worthy to be passed around, what else can be a better way? As Winston Churchill said “There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true”.

Humor has it

Ask people around you what’s their favorite TV show is and the answer most probably will be sitcoms like F.R.I.E.N.D.S, How I met your mother, or animations like The Simpsons, South park etc. Comic strip like Dilbert and Garfield are so popular. Humor is incredibly appreciated and most sought-after soft skill you can imagine (though sometimes overrated). According to Mark Twain “Humor is the great thing, the saving thing.  The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place”. Perhaps more than their obvious reason for inclination towards sitcom euphoria which is to have a good laugh, people try to replace what’s lacking in them. Yes! Humor

In a way, sense of humor is similar to common sense just more elated. Watch Russel peters on YouTube and you’ll know what I am saying. The ease with which he transforms usual chatter in to superb hilarity is worth lending an ear. That’s the kind of conversation people enjoy, a conversation mixed with tidbits of humor like cherry on a cake (shouldn’t have used it, now I’m hungry). That’s the kind of person we all want to be, don’t we? Someone who can make a clan laugh with just a nip of wit.

As much as it may be desired, the rarer it is among people. You must have been part of those unfortunate chitchats where someone made a fool of him/herself (and you thought what a loser!) out of sheer pressure to sound (at least seem) funny. While it may come natural to someone, those who haven’t got the gift should remember that humor is just a funny way of being serious (Although if you fail after several attempts, give it a rest). But be cautious around sensitive people around who get a wound before the sword is drawn. Good humor is never meant to hurt. If nothing else comes to your mind try mocking yourself.

Mahatma Gandhi once admitted that If he had no sense of humor, he would have committed suicide long ago (now don’t follow suit here).  A keen sense of observation and witty bend of mind is all you need. Just don’t become satirical in the way.

The world is Knot enough

I m 25 years old and this is the part of my life where I hear friends and family tying knots left right and center. Everyday my mailbox welcomes me by showing me an engagement invitation (Boy! You should look at the vocabulary, straight from Kathleen Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower). I wonder why people are in so much hurry to get married. After all, there are other ways to kill time.

It is strange to see how life changes after that one day called “wedding”. Not that I have personally experienced it (which I don’t want anytime soon), but the fairy-tale like accounts of rendezvous I hear these days made me say that. I was surprised to see majority of these marriages were arranged, since I thought that the ‘happily ever after’ epoch comes only after a larger-than-life love story.

The knot not only affects those who are tying it, but also the people around them. You can no longer make any weekend plan involving your newly wed friends since they cant get enough of each other to even get a little of you.
You can’t call them either as the phone will always be busy (Damn Reliance and Docomo!). I guess they find a mate and you lose one. That’s the way it goes.

The life goes on as always and you begin to think whether your life with those friends will ever be like it used to be. Moments of delight, togetherness, bonding and even clashes (which later made the friendship even stronger) passes through your mind. You try to seize the moment, try to lower the pace of time, try to relive the past but the saddest part is it’s all over, and you know it.

Since that’s the way things always turn out, it’s better to join the enemy if you can’t defeat them. So where’s my better half ;)