Happy Republic Day!!!

I had gone to Fun Republic to watch Raaz 2 - The Mystery Continues - yeah the mystery still continues as to why our Bollywood directors can't shoot a decent horror movie. And no this blog is not about Raaz - but for the fact when we enter the cinema hall with our popcorn, drinks that at times it seems like food piling competition. And then just at the start of the movie you will be requested to rise for the national anthem.

Forget rising, people literally glide through the first notes of the national anthem. Sometimes it makes me so furious as to catch hold of them and send them off to the LOC! There are some who are so engrossed in finding their seats as if somebody will steal their seats if they didn't reach in time, some who are bothered about stashing popcorn in their mouth, etc...etc. And no am not writing this blog to give them any piece of advice.

But am writing this coz there is this national anthem at Fun Republic which particularly moves me everytime I hear it. And I still haven't come across this National Anthem that Fun Republic plays. While other cinema halls play the usual National Anthem sung by classic and legendary singers (Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Pandit Jasraj, Hariharan), Fun Republic plays a different national anthem.

They show the Indian Army standing at the Siachen Glacier, standing tall and mighty against the freezing cold (where temperatures dip as low as -50 degrees Celsius) saluting the Indian flag. The next clip shows a soldier trying to hold the Indian Flag upright admidst the cold and gusty wind. That whole clip moves you so much that it gives you goose bumps when you see them getting drenched - with rain drops touching their face without any remorse (as if they deserve it). It ends with the Indian Army and Indian Air Force saluting the Indian Flag along with the credits for the national anthem that was played. Jai Hind!

Those TWO Minutes.....

"You don't know Megs, life is much better than you think", my colleague cum a good friend Saahil* happened to tell me last evening.... and well I just made a face and walked ahead.

Again when I crossed Saahil's* path - he still said the same thing, "Life is actually better, than you think - can I talk to you for two minutes?" One thing going at the back of my head was - well what do these people know. What do they know what I am going through?

I still went ahead and gave him my day's two minutes. What he told me - touched me, brought tears to my eyes, made me angry, made me feel helpless and made me reach out for him as well.

Saahil is a dentist by profession and an entertainer as well (I mean it!) and has a girlfriend with whom he has had a relationship for five to six years. This last week has been a bit tough for both of them. The D-day or rather the D -week as they call it. That would decide whether he could be a part of this woman's life whom he loved, cherished and treasured her love in his heart of hearts. This is what touched me!

What made me angry; her parents are not willing to see her settle down with this guy. They threatened her that they will kill themselves and if she does go ahead with it - then it is best if she does not show her face to them in future. And what not!

Why were they unwilling to accept this friend of mine? Coz he is of a different religion, he is in the field of entertainment (if he flirts with other women - who knows he might leave her!), he eats non-veg... and the list goes on. His girlfriend has tried hard, through salty tears, with determination in her mind to convince them but they have stood their ground.

What brought tears to my eyes was the fact that this darling friend of mine accepted the situation as is. In fact when he goes out with his girlfriend he eats orders vegetarian food, cannot call her up at his own will - only when she gives him a miss call can he call her back, meets her only when she's out with her friends. I mean goes to every extent of keeping her happy.

Her parents feel that they will be able to find a much better guy, very rich and who will also follow 'their culture'. Yeah right! Probably they will always keep their eyes shut and ignore the finer things that life gives them. What sort of parents would want to see their daughter unhappy, not getting her married to the man whom she loves to chat with, cuddle him, pamper him and get into sweet arguments with him at the same time.

The irony of the situation was, while her parents will not allow her to marry the guy she loves, my parents are willing and would welcome the option with open arms. The only thing is I don't have a GUY! So life is funny as they say.

My friend was right, life is better, much better than what we think - it seems they have put an end to their relationship. Coz well its not going to work anyways. Her parents have confiscated her cell so that she does not talk to him!

He looked at me, smiled and said, "Am fine - its okay, you go home now, will be late." I couldn't help but admire the brave face he put on that evening - I got up, welled with emotions, hugged him and bid him goodbye while he toyed with his cell.

What also touched me the most that evening was while I was leaving, he was going through the 'Images' folder on his phone to admire his love probably whom he would not be able to see again!
*Name changed on request

Slamming the SlumDOG!!!

Congrats to Danny Boyle and his team for making a movie like Slumdog Millionaire. We hope you get the Oscars too! Lately there has been a huge hue and cry of showing what our city is like in the movie.

It just takes one question to know what people are actually thinking about the movie. When you ask them, "Hey have you watched Slumdog....?" Before you can even complete your statement you will see a frown on the person's face who will then ask you bluntly, "They must have shown poverty, slums, etc...etc.." My only piece of advice to these so called 'Frowny Faces' is that - Dude you just cannot afford to run away from the reality that our city or rather the country as a whole is facing? And no Slumdog movie isn't about slums (rather thats just a background)- its a typical rags to riches story. Its a love story (and a genuine one!) - you feel sad yet happy when you see the movie (coz they have showed Mumbai which we have possibly been not exposed to in our day to day life - just heard of).

In fact Mr Amitabh Bachchan has been wrongly accused of Slamming the movie. For which he clarifies the same on his blog - http://bigb.bigadda.com/ where he has written a mail to the editor of The Guardian.

A story that is brilliantly shot, every technical aspect of the movie was great, the guys who have acted in are great. And yeah not to forget that Rehman has done a fantastic job. If you haven't heard Ringa Ringa song well you sure are missing something. Has the similar feel and sound to that of 'Choli ke Peeche'.

In todays Hindustan Times - there is an article on Slumdog - and I would like to quote Irrfan Khan, "The slums are a backdrop which you take away from the spirit of the city. It's not a backdrop Danny created. It's based on a book by an Indian writer. You can't say we are not poor. We have to accept and deal with the poverty." Well said!

By the way Slumdog's releasing this Friday (23rd Jan) - if you still think that Mumbai shouldn't have been projected as it has been then well my dear friend you seriously need a Reality Check!

Go watch it! And no Danny hasn't paid me to write all this - his movie is any ways receiving attention! Jai Ho! (his movie ends with this song and dance!)

When Destiny....is (Actually) calling?

How often have you heard the phrase - "Do not keep any expectations" - the battle of your mind and heart is endless coz your heart feels helpless - it gives in, expecting for more - much more and obviously your mind cannot do anything. It seems as if the mind has arms and ammunition, knows the strategy of how to deal with everything - but what do you know? None of the ammunition works coz your soul has surrendered to your heart!

Then finally when your mind is growing strong, you have begun to feel confident - wake up every morning see your self eye to eye when you face the mirror..... BHAM! What do you know? All along when you have been expecting something.....that particular 'thing' rolls in when you have least expected when infact it has become invisible for you. When faced with it, your feelings are well you don't know what or how to feel. Surprised, angry, pleasant, happy and the most amazing thing is you do not react to it because your mind is busy tackling ways to avoid it while your heart is yelling from the mountain tops of its victory! Probably singing - What did I tell you???

Then rolls in a word DESTINY which most of us have put ourselves against it, we are not willing to believe it. When this same destiny challenges you, you say well I am a determined person - I can change my destiny.....when all else fails you just well resign saying - its destiny.

This is the same Destiny that I too have resigned myself to. I cannot take off my weaknesses, my failures, my sadness and tell Destiny to own them. But try to see opportunities in this very Destiny and turn them towards my side. Otherwise how can you explain - the Edisons, Henry Fords, Steve Jobs and other such people who have come up from their failures and have become successful!

This very destiny has also come in a way in my personal life - some things as they say can never be avoided. And this is one of them!

THE CALL!

Why is it that we always tend to call up people who we have had very bad fights? Or that things have ended on a rather sour note? Why is there a burning need to call up that very person to ask how is he? And then later on regret doing that very thing??? And its not very womanly or manly to do that - but I guess because sometimes or people like me are so sensitive or so overwhelmed that we come to the fact that - Hey its ok if we call up that very person whom we had a nasty fight with coz he will surely understand and things will be alright!

If only we lived in that sort of Picture Perfect World that our mind wants us to create!

Probably there wouldnt have been break-ups and misunderstandings - no miscommunication - Nothing! You would just have had to ask the other guy - hey you do understand na??

They say let bygones be bygones! Sometimes I wish I was a river - flowing through leaving everything behind and excited to see what lies ahead of me! I do not completely think its my fault - but I wanted to make that call and I suffered the consequences which I know only the best!

How many times while taking a shower (oh yes the bathroom is the perfect place to make yourself understood for your own good) but no after the shower or after visiting the bathroom I guess forget it and well do what you always wanted to do!

Being determined is one thing but there is a fine line between determine and obsession that if one crosses could only meet with his untimely (not death) but wrecking apart his self respect which is more important!

Always bitten and not even once shy! If I could say and curse myself for why in the world did I ever go ahead and make that call.

The only thing I want for myself is that I learn my lessons (sooner the better) and not keep failing (am not afraid of the failure) am just tired of making people understand to know the real ME! The more I make myself understood to them - deeper I fall in the ditch - its like a trap that I have set for myself.....

Till then am hoping that the next blog I write does not consist of another untimely call!

Itch....Tch....I really want to do something....

You know sometimes there is that itch....a bit of discomfort, restlessness, etc...a need to do something...but you get so agitated that you don't know where to go- what to do and above all how to do... Off late I have realised I have become very restless - there seems to be a certain kind of unrest in my mind...really confused and well...most importantly - How do I get out of here???

There are loads of things you want to do - you list them down too. But you know how a human mind fuctions, the day we get involved with our usual work - we forget what we wanted, what our heart desired, and where do we exactly want to go.

We have sort of become slaves to work, to time - I know many writers, great philosophers have written about this - but I sort of cannot get out of it...the time when I took break did I realise I can go to work without actually putting my heart or being emotionally attached to it...but its all the same. I mean then work takes over us, and we become slaves again...coz we carry the same work home. And the stupidest excuse we give to ourselves is well, its work, you just cannot put it off...yeah really??? Wow...am so dedicated...this is a foolish satisfaction that we give to our heart...convincing ourselves emotionally...

Someday they seriously need to introduce a Nobel Prize for working like a dog or a donkey...whatever they find suits better...probably coz there is less of that bunch...and perhaps more of them...again human psychology rules... We think we are the only 'person' doing it...nobody else will be able to do it...than ME...

Phew...again the mind diverts, travels its own journey, comes back to square one and then wanders off....till it finds the right track....

Am off....to find that track...you find yours....ever became successful do let me know...am dying to know that myself...

Will write a book someday on the same....

Face In the Window ( a story I had written some 5 years back)

There is this story had written long long long time back....and after that well, I haven't written any stories....I do not know the reason....but when I keep on reading this it sort of pushes me to write a book in the near future....Amen to that....here is the story....and yea let me add this was the time when I actually was charmed by the world of psychology (I still do think my office people are suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder) :)) Enjoy reading...Comments are always welcome!

Face in the Window
Someone is after me, dressed in black, it was raining very heavily that night, all I remember is that I was running in dense woods, there was no place to hide. I trip over a branch and fall flat on my face. Till that time my intruder gets an advantage over me and he comes near me with something silver shining in his hand, “O…no,” I scream, he sneers at me ready to butcher me like he did to others, and then there will be no witnesses, he points out the stiletto at my throat and says, “Be prepared to die!” All I remember is that I screamed out loud as I could and fainted then and there.

I wake up, trembling and sweating, one of the nurse is already by my side, the doctor gives her orders to strap me tight to the bed, “She should be given shock treatment, nurse” says the doctor. I have been given a dose of injection and later on the shock treatment is brought and as they prepare to make me unconscious I drift back to my past.

My name is Brenda Carl Davis. I, am an author by profession, I am 26. I write books based on fiction, fiction, and more fiction.Every book of mine has been a bestseller. One of the bestseller, which sold more than million copies, was “Face in the Window”
This book is based on a serial rapist/murderer. He targeted young, ambitious, and single women. There was a particular time and place that he chose his victim.

This book is based on a serial rapist cum murderer who is running free. After raping his victim he brutally kills her and after each and every murder he draws a face in the window with the victims blood indicating that she will be his next victim . “Try and stop me,” he writes after his work, and thus he always been successful in his work, no matter how much the police try to find and warn the person by that time the rapist has already finished his work and he is on the move.

Now in the end the conclusion is that there is handicapped female who kills him in the end.
Meanwhile, I remember very clearly, it was a month ago that this incident had occurred which has brought me to this place…. I was sitting all alone watching 8’o clock news when there was a knock at the door, must be my pesky neighbor I thought, when I opened the door, to my surprise there was no one, so I stepped out to see if there might be some naughty kids playing pranks with me…. as I stepped out I tripped over the object I look down the corridor and closed the door.

Since I am a writer I do get many gifts and letters from my fans so this was usual, only it was a big gift. I opened it and gasp! To my horror there was a rag doll with its neck twisted to one side, there was a note. “The game has begun, even you will die,” it said, “Try and stop me.” I smiled someone has definitely got more wild imagination than me. “And the main crime stories today are…the city is shocked at attempted rape and murder of a 16 year old girl Denise Colagn at 7.30 p.m. this evening at South Minneapolis. She was butchered mercilessly. The police found no evidence but are trying, they say that only thing the murderer cum rapist has left behind is a sketch in the window with the victims blood.

“O.No…” I scream that means the threat that I got was for real. I call up the cops, they come after 15 minutes to have a look at the gift sent to me. “Someone must be playing pranks with you Miss Davis, I don’t see any harm here,” says the senior officer. “Goodnight Miss Davis and don’t worry about such things.” “ B…but the girl, he may start killing other females y..you..”
“Miss Davis I would you to go sleep nothing has happened so good night!”

As days and nights passed by, I started hearing more and more of rape and murder and the “face in the window” and everytime the police said that it is nothing. So I decided to go and investigate and save those innocent girls, I myself go on a hunt because I knew where he would go, the killer victimized people at South Minneapolis…it was a very dense place so I go all equipped with torch, dark clothes and rubber shoes. Unfortunately it was raining that night, so there was a smell of wet soil. As I stood there I heard ruffling smell behind me I turned around there was nothing I started running even the person behind me did the same, I knew I had to act on impulse so I turned around and picked up the stick lying down, it was then I saw him he was standing two feet far from me I could see him sneering at me, “ so Miss Writer wants to become Miss Heroine huh? Hahahahahaha…” he laughs out loud. “You won’t kill anyone again,” I say with nervousness, he suddenly plunged at me with a dagger. “Noooo…” I scream, that was the last thing I remember.

“Mrs. Davis, I am sorry to say but you have to keep your daughter here for special care and treatment,” Dr. Alice tells my mom. “But what has happened to her?” inquires my mom. “Your daughter is suffering from a mental illness called schizophrenia, she imagines things and she thinks that those things are happening for real. She cannot differentiate between reality and imagination and that is why she keeps on getting visions. This generally happens when the person is undergoing through too much stress and fatigue.

“Will she be alright doctor?” asks my worried mother, “I really cant guarantee you anything Mrs. Davis, you will have to be patient.” As the doctor tells this to my mom she leaves her alone and walks away to attend other patients while my mom looks at me with concern from the cubicle window while I look back at her at her and see her “Face in the window.”