Basic necessity or Luxury?

Today, I came across an article in the news titled Toilet Conference Opens in Delhi.

What a funny news story, was my initial reaction on reading the title. But my curiosity was aroused, and I clicked on the link to read what it was all about. I was assuming that the conference would be about the different kinds of toilets used by people around the globe.

As I read the article, the gravity of the story became all too evident. Almost half of the world' population did not have access to this basic necessity. That equals 2.6 billion people. Of that, 700 million are in India .. 70% of our country.

For some of us, it is a basic necessity that we take for granted each morning. For most of the others, it is an elusive luxury.

Part 1 - Testing the waters

Many moons ago, there was this young lad
who went into the web world known as brat

He used to be online after dinner most nights
as he loved to surf and browse new sites

One day, as he was clicking away up late
there flashed an instant message, a request for chat

He tried to make head and tail of that screen name
was it someone from afar playing a game

He typed a cautious hello, do I know you
back came her reply, no, but how do you do

Her words were warm and without a pretence
and before he knew it, they became net friends

From the same country, but seven seas apart
they chatted daily, and a unique friendship did start

They grew closer as true friends often do
as to her real name, he had no clue

Even in the closeness, some distance was maintained
it's best for our friendship, was how she explained

Days into weeks, weeks into months, the seasons changed
some tears, some smiles, pieces of their lives were exchanged

And one rainy day, as he lay reading her email
he found his heart in the waters, ready to sail

The feeling was strong, too hard to ignore
the thoughts rushed in, can there be more

But his mind faltered, and warnings blazed the way
scared of the unknown, he locked his heart away.

.. to be continued

Ladli

I recently came across Fazal Sheikh's website. He is a social activist who portrays the problems faced by people around the globe using images and narratives.

One of his projects is titled Ladli. I request every one of you to please check it out, and share it with as many people as possible. Hopefully it will make a difference .. for our ladlis.

Why is it always a man

Lately, I have been come across several blogs with a common theme. Each of these blogs portrayed the dark side of men. These portraits were drawn from personal experiences and real incidents.

I tried to capture these feelings in the following words. It's my first foray into the world of verses and rhymes. So be fore-warned.

All kinds of comments are allowed, but the author reserves the right to use them to his advantage :-)

you say we promise you the stars,
but all we do is break your hearts

you say we start with friendship
but end up wanting more than a 'friend'

you label us with various names
and claim that we play games

you call us dirty and perverted
that our minds are sick and totally corrupted

you say our ego is greater than everest
and you feel oppressed and suppressed

you say we only believe in physical beauty
that on the inside we are shallow and empty

you sit on venus and say we are from mars
and blame us for being so wierd and crass

You cry in the night, full of grief and pain
and you ask why .. why is it always a man.

Some days are happier than others

Once upon a time, in the land of the Nanak, on the banks of the mighty river Sutlej, lay the bustling town of Ludhiana. It was home to the Manav family.

The Manav family was like any other family one finds in every town and city. A hard-working and caring father, a loving mother, and two well-mannered and intelligent children.

The father worked hard to make ends meet and provide a decent life for his family. He was an engineer in the big textile mill across town. The mother spent all her time taking care of the family and providing them with love and nourishment.

They loved and doted on their two children. The older one was tall and lean. He was in sixth grade and enjoyed playing cricket. The younger one was an angel. She was in third grade and loved playing with dolls.

And so they led their daily lives. They had their ups and they had their downs. Some days were happier than others. It was one of those days.

The father got the news at work. He had been promoted. It not only meant a better position at work, but more importantly, it meant a bigger salary. He was elated.

In order to celebrate this happy occasion, the family decided to go out and have a good time. There was a newly renovated movie-plex in the center of the city, and right next to it was a nice but pricey restaurant. The plan was to watch a movie and then have a good dinner.

Instead of the regular bus ride, they took the taxi to the city center. The kids felt like royalty riding in the back-seat. Watching the joy on their faces, the father smiled inwardly. Even though it was expensive, it was worth it, he thought.

After getting the tickets, the father and son went to the snack counter to get some pop-corn and drinks. With their hands full, they hurried inside to take their seats quickly as it was almost show-time. They were showing the trailers to some of the forth-coming releases.

The lights dimmed and the movie started. Everyone was glued to the screen. Within a few minutes, a loud explosion tore through the very row where the Manav family was sitting ..

Some days are happier than others ..

[The family is imaginary, but the tragedy is real. It happened on Sunday, the 14th of October in Ludhiana, Punjab]

Down memory lane

At last the little one slept. He took her upstairs to the kids room. The elder one was already fast asleep. He laid her down on her bed and crept out silently, closing the door but not shutting it completely.

He stepped into his bedroom quietly so as not to wake up his wife. Her calm rhythmic breathing was barely audible under the blankets as he lay down besides her. Plugging in the ear-pieces, he turned on the ipod.

He skipped through the next six songs. The need of the hour was mellow songs, not fast and raunchy numbers. Finally, lata's voice drifted across with woh bhooli daastaan into his ears.

As he heard the words, he felt a knife cutting through his heart. He felt himself falling back across time .. to a place that was once familiar and inviting, but was now strange and forbidden.

And all the memories came rushing in, like a tidal wave, flooding his mind and numbing his senses.

The song ended in a few minutes. He turned off the ipod, turned on his side and closed his eyes ..

He was still drowning when he finally drifted off to sleep.

Reflections

Reflections .. a collection of verses and poems that convey emotions, in a manner that is simple and yet profound.

http://reflections-fromtheheart.blogspot.com/

Society

We live in a civilized society. It consists of people from all walks of life going about their daily lives, professional and personal. Each day, people interact with each other, they socialize, they collaborate, they grow families, and they break relationships.

We have rules and regulations that help us in our interactions. Follow the rules, and you are welcomed by all. But break them, and you are incarcerated and locked away in a cell.

This is how civilized societies operate .. for the greater good. One gets rewarded for the good deeds, and punished for the bad ones.

I sometimes wonder what is the purpose of the punishment. Is it to make a person realize his mistakes and become a better person? Or is it to act as a deterrent so the person does not make the same mistake again?

Are either of these goals ever achieved in reality?

Today, sadly, it is a terrible state of affairs. Corruption and greed have muddied the very principles on which free societies are formed. Money and clout can buy you freedom from the most heinous of crimes. Street-smart lawyers can take a open and shut case and turn it upside down. Not only is justice rarely served, but the innocent person ends up at the gallows.

It is time for each one of us to refuse this injustice .. refuse to accept the status-quo .. refuse to just sit back and watch the show.

It is time to stand up and make a difference .. for the greater good of society.

Anniversary wishes

Thirty-six years!

That is the number of years that my parents have been married. My mom was 18 and my dad was 24 when they got married. It was a love marriage but luckily within the same community .. otherwise I am not sure if I would have been here writing this :-)

I called to wish them this morning from work. They were getting ready to go out for dinner with my brother and bhabhi. I asked mama what papa had bought her as a gift. She laughed at my silly question and gave the phone to him.

"It's not Diwali yet" was his reply. When they were visiting us a few months back, he had made a promise to get her a diamond mangal-sutra, something she had wanted for some time now. My father never buys anything impulsively .. one has to put in a lot of effort to get something .. and especially jewellery!

"I will keep reminding you" was my response back as I smiled.

They were still on my mind long after I hung up the phone .. and I realized how much I miss them.

Happy Anniversary mama and papa.

A new beginning

Starting today, I am turning a new leaf .. and become a vegetarian.

This is not the first time that I am doing this. My previous attempt was a few years back, and it lasted eight months.

I sincerely hope that this time around, it is more permanent.

Worlds apart

"Can you get S ready for school today?" my wife asked sleepily. The alarm had woken me up as well. Normally I just turn around and go back to another round of sleep, while she gets up to get S ready for kindergarten.

"OK" I replied while getting out of bed. I got myself ready first, and then went to wake up our daughter.

"One more minute, please" came her sleepy reply as she slid under the blanket to hide her eyes from the light that I had turned on in her room. After a couple more of these "one more minute" pleas, she finally got up. Thankfully she had slept well, and was well rested and in a good mood.

After getting her ready and some light breakfast, I went out with her to the corner of our street. It was a nice cool morning. Our neighbour was dropping his son as well, and we exchanged the customary pleasantries.

The school bus came right on time. S gave me a quick hug and climbed onto the bus and waved bye. It was a beautiful start to my day!

I was smiling while driving in to work. I usually have the radio tuned to the news channel. There was a report on the Blackwater security firm in Iraq and the killings of innocent civilians.

My mind began to reflect on the people who live in a war zone. Do they get a peaceful night's sleep ? Do they wake up in the morning and call the day beautiful? Are they ever able to send their kids to school without worrying about seeing them again? How do they cope with the pain at the loss of loved ones?

One world .. and yet worlds apart.

I have learned

(These are not mine .. wish I knew who the author was .. )

I've learned -
that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved
The rest is up to them

I've learned -
that no matter how much I care,
some people just don't care back.

I've learned -
that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned -
that it's not what you have in your life
but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned -
that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned -
that you shouldn't compare yourself
to the best others can do.

I've learned -
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned -
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I've learned -
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned -
that you can keep going
long after you can't.

I've learned -
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learned -
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learned -
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned -
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned -
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned -
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I've learned -
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned -
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned -
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned -
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned -
that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned -
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned -
that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned -
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I've learned -
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I've learned -
that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I've learned -
that no matter how you try to protect your children,
they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned -
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.

I've learned -
that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned -
that the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

I've learned -
that it's hard to determine where to draw the line
between being nice and not hurting people's feelings
and standing up for what you believe.