This one's for all the girls out there!

I came across this open letter written by some random bloke, addressing all girls in general. I don't know whether this is the general perception every guy has in his mind, but at the end of it you'll definitely have a smile on your face and be thinking about that special someone, I'm sure!

***

Dear girls,

We guys don't care if you talk to other guys. We don't care if you're friends with other guys. But when you're sitting next to us, and some random guy walks into the room and you jump up and tackle him, without even introducing us, yeah, it pisses us off. It doesn't help if you sit there and talk to him for ten minutes without even acknowledging the fact that we're still there. We don't care if a guy calls OR texts you, but at 2 in the morning we do get a little concerned.
Nothing is so important at 2 a.m., that it can't wait till the morning. Also, when we tell you you're pretty/ beautiful/gorgeous/cute/ stunning, we freaking mean it. Don't tell us we're wrong. We'll stop trying to convince you. The sexiest thing about a girl is confidence.
Yeah, you can quote me.

Don't be mad when we hold the door open. Take advantage of the mood we're in. Let us pay for you! Don't 'feel bad' . We enjoy doing it. It's expected. Smile and say 'thank you. Kiss us when no one's watching. If you kiss us when you know somebody's looking, we'll be more impressed. You don't have to get dressed up for us. If we're going out with you in the first place, you don't have to feel the need to wear the shortest skirt you have or put on every kind of makeup you own. We like you for who you are and not what you are. Honestly, i think a girl looks more beautiful when she's just in her pj's or my t-shirt and boxers, not all dolled up. 

Don't take everything we say seriously. Sarcasm is a beautiful thing. See the beauty in it. Don't get angry easily. Stop using magazines/media as your bible. Don't talk about how hot Chris Brown, Brad Pitt, or Jesse McCartney is in front of us. It's boring, and we don't care. You have girlfriends for that. Whatever happened to the word 'handsome' I'd be utterly stunned by a girl who greeted me with 'Hey handsome!' instead of 'Hey baby/ stud/cutie/sexy' or whatever else you can think of. On the other hand I'm not saying I wouldn't like it ether.
Girls, I cannot stress this enough - if you aren't being treated right by a guy, dont wait for him to change!!!!! Ditch his sorry butt, the disgrace to the male population and find someone who will treat you with utter respect.

Someone who will honor your morals.
Someone who will make you smile when you're at your lowest. Someone who will care for you even when you make mistakes. Someone who will love you, no matter how bad you make them feel. Someone who will stop what they're doing just to look you in the eyes....and say 'i love you' ..and actually mean it.

Give the nice guys a chance.

Life is too short to complain about everything that comes your way so stop and smell the roses in life because you might never have another time to take it, so take your time because they are all different in every way, so take chances in life, if it doesn't work out then fine, there are always more roses to smell....♥

***

Are you smiling?  :)

 

A modern love story!

To all those spurned and scorned lovers and people who love to read love stories, come take a look at a modern love story. Sprinkled with tragedy, not penned by a Shakespeare or a Nicholas Sparks. And your heart still goes out to the people who were forced to choose anything but love.

Remember Aung San Suu Kyi? Yes, the same one we'd all read about in Political Science in school.Those who don't seem to know or recall her, simply put she is a popular leader of Myanmar who'd been under house arrest for nearly 15 years of the last 22 years she spent there.
Away from her husband and two young sons living in the UK, away from a marriage, a very happy one at that, of 16 years, away from the comfort and luxury of family life! She had a duty to fulfill towards a nation she called her own.Myanmar was in a political turmoil then and desperately needed a leader. Suu had then gone to Myanmar to meet her mother who was not keeping well. Being the daughter of a famous general, she seemed like the obvious choice for the people's leader.

Over the years which unfolded, she was placed under house arrest by the government, visa applications of her sons and husband denied and all means of communication with the outside world snatched. She was left with little choice herself, because if she left Myanmar even once, it would mean permanent exile for her. And she knew that very well. So did Michael Aris, Suu's husband. When Michael was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she could not even go and meet him! His love for her was boundless too. He would not hear of her return. He had silently campaigned for her cause throughout her house arrest tenure and supported her in every way he could.
As Michael's health faltered, Suu realised she might never see Michael again and put on a dress of his favourite colour, tied a rose in her hair, went to the British embassy, where she recorded a farewell film for him in which she told him that his love for her had been her mainstay. The film was smuggled out of Myanmar, only to arrive two days after Michael's death!

Who would have thought that behind the steel facade of this strong lady, lies a heart so full of love and longing?

In this harsh world, when you hear "Love has more hits than fear", a smile of hope crosses your face! :)

East or West - who treated Anuj Bidve better?

Yesterday night while flipping through news channels, I stopped at a leading Indian news channel where a debate was going on about the recent murder of Pune-based Anuj Bidve who had apparently been shot by a Briton in Manchester without any provocation. Many label it as a racist attack, many a hate crime n some as just a psychopath killer. Whatever be the reason, a family lost a son without any rhyme or reason, a 23 year old son whom they'd sent for higher studies to the UK, a boy they'd raised so that one day they could proudly say this man is my son. A bullet shot, a moment had taken it all away.
The debate started from sending condolences n heartfelt grievances to the family and continued along the lines of hate crime and racist attacks ending with the British media handling the crime better than the Australian media during the 2008 racist attacks on Indians.
Irritated, I put on the next channel. BBC. Bidve here too. But the stark difference was that the journalist was sitting with the Bidve family and sharing the moments they'd spent with Anuj. No mention of race, religion, nationality or hatred. Simply the sharing of a loss.

What struck me was the way the same murder case was being handled by the media.
While one was sensationalizing, the other sympathizing.

I am in no way comparing and evaluating the two groups of journalists. Rather I am simply laying down what I saw and what I felt as a common man.

I hope to God that the family finds the strength to endure this test of time too. And wherever Anuj is, may his soul rest in peace.

Happy New Year! :)

Every New Year Eve I take resolutions and then by the next week it is long lost and forgotten!

Often we come across quotes and wonder how true they are. We think about them for a minute, share it with someone close, maybe they linger on with us a day or two and then with the lapse of time they fade away.

Words which touched me in the journey of life in 2011...

• Change is static.
• God helps them, those who help themselves.
• You've built your castles in the air, its time to lay the foundation beneath!
• When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
• Life is mostly froth and bubble,
  Two things stand like stone,
  Kindness in another's trouble,
  Courage in your own.
• The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. 
• What we are is God's gift to us.  What we become is our gift to God.
•  Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
• Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.
•  Live life to the fullest, you get it just once! :)

 This year, more than resolving to do a particular thing, I wish I could remember to live life along these lines....:) 

Happy New Year to all! :)

May the world not end on 20.12.2012!

Small things matter!

Yesterday morning I left home with my Dad, windows all sealed up, sitting cozily in the warmth of the car, listening to the soft music of songs of the golden era. We were discussing some current issue of rather vital importance (or that is what we thought!). We stopped at a red light. Dad pointed towards a man bathing outside in the chilling cold, lathering himself in soap, pouring the ice cold water from a pump over himself! And he still looked like a contented man, for God's sake!

I don’t know what came over us but forgetting our precautions, we rolled down the windows of our car; let the music blare and drove ahead at full speed! The rush of the cold winds biting my skin, hands going numb and mouths zipped, and a smile on our faces, we enjoyed the rest of the ride much more!:)

Enjoy life as long as it exists! :)

Or as my friend put it…

Life exists as long as u enjoy it! :)

So keeping in spirit with the festive season, here's a toast to life! :)

Rest In Peace.

Yesterday morning Calcutta woke up to another horrifying story! A fire in a hospital! Our domestic help came rushing with news which had already prompted us out of our beds at 6 in the morning! Eyes struck on the television; we heard her first hand review of the situation. She said nearly 200 are trapped inside and a lot feared to be dead. The news hadn't mentioned any casualties. We thought she was exaggerating. She turned out to be right.

This morning I went to see the hospital which is a 15 minute walk from our place. A lot of nearby slum dwellers, who have been applauded for the immense help during the outbreak, were present. Some talking to the police, some with the fire department staff. Nearly 27 hours after the fire broke out, the presence of two fire tenders reminded me of what must have gone on the day earlier. Broken glass, shattered windows, and people speaking in hushed whispers was all that was left of yesterday's tragedy.

To think 90 lives had been lost in the building towering over me, the shadows of whose facade fell over me in the early morning sun sent a chill up my spine. I didn't have the strength to take my cell out and click pictures. I suddenly shuddered to think how reporters and journalists take bytes of the survivors and families of victims, how they see death lower its grip over people and snatch them away. All I could do was stand and stare at how an institution of life turned into a haven of death overnight.

May their souls rest in peace.
And may their families find the strength to live on.

Sense and Sensibility!

"We have to take care of the sensibilities of the people"
- Kapil Sibal.

Yesterday, yet again, Congress plunged itself into further darkness!
Attempting to censor, no I'm sorry! Attempting to screen content on the
Internet! And through out the press conference he didn't mention even a
single incident where people of this country have reacted violently because
of inflammatory content on the internet!
Oh and can someone please define inflammatory content?! A remark or article
can be inflammatory for some but not for others! For instance, an article
derogating Sourav Ganguly (of whom I'm a big fan!) might not go down well
with me, however for others it can be regarded as a piece of criticism!

When Mr. Sibal says he has to take care of the sensibilities of the people,
I'd like to ask him just one question.  The same people you're so concerned
about are also asking for a Lokpal bill for the past 42 years! What about
that?

The timing of the screening of content also raises question. With Anna Hazare calling people for an open debate in Delhi on the 11th of December and a new series of fasts coming on if the Government doesn't issue a strong Lokpal in the winter session, the social media might once again erupt in support of India Against Corruption! Though Kapil Sibal refuses to accept this reasoning, one cannot deny such a possibility!

Three cheers to Mr. Sibal's sensibilities!

The Indian fixation with film stars!

A few days ago I was at some eatery, waiting for my parcel to be packed, when I overheard a conversation the staff was having. They were talking about a film stars' oncoming visit to Calcutta. This is how it went :

" Shahrukh will be coming to Calcutta!"
"Maybe Salman too," piped in the other.
"Both won't come together. Don't you know they're enemies? Salman and Sanjay (Dutt) are friends.Haven't you seen them hosting?, he explained, referring to Salman and Sanjay's stint together as Bigg Boss hosts.
The other nodded his head knowingly, agreeing to the speculations!

Shocked, smiling to myself, I collected my parcel and went my way with a new realisation. At least the efforts of the paparazzi to spread fantasy stories and rumours of Bollywood don't go waste! Someone, somewhere believes it all!

***

While I was walking today I saw two young boys, dressed in school uniform and bags on shoulder, staring at the posters of a new release 'Desi Boyz'. As I walked past them, I heard them comparing the two posters and declaring which one is John Abraham and which Akshay Kumar. I simply absorbed what I'd just heard and kept walking ahead. Only I know how difficult it was for me to resist turning around to take a picture! ;)

Ever come across such incidents?

The Shades Of Nature

It's been a long time since I've posted something on my blog! Exams and office left me too tired by the end of the day to even think.

But I'm back! :)

And presenting to you a collection of pictures clicked by me over the months...

Depicting "The Shades Of Nature" :

Enjoy! :)

A smile doesn't cost much! :)

One of these mornings on my way to office a school girl was travelling alone on the same bus as mine... Generally school kids take a seat thanks to their heavy bags! This one stood towards the front and kept relaying all of the conductor's shouts of stop, slow down, etc to the driver, which often get lost in the din of the crowd. She was relaying them loud enough for the entire bus to hear! At first I found it irritating but then I got used to her. As her stop approached she told the driver to stop. When the driver started slowing down immediately she said in Bengali, "No, no not here! I'm getting late today! Drop me right in front of my school please!" This brought a smile on the faces of many!

As she was getting down, she went on to say, "Don't drive now, 'people' are getting down", while she was the only one getting down at the stop!

The best part of the entire incident was that after she got down and started walking towards her school, the driver actually slowed down and shouted a bye to her! Looking around perplexed the little girl realized where it came from and waved back to him, ensuring a smiling start to my day! :)


One of those rare incidents which makes me love Calcutta all the more! :)