For" GOD" sake

Happen to skim through some trailers of the serials that run on our Indian TV,which I seldom do, and I was Shell Shocked!!!Almost every episode, in different serials, on various channels seem to be having the following content.50% tears and emotions, 25% deceit, 10% extra marital affairs and balance a mixture of exaggerated anger, jealousy,envy and suspense!!!!!The face of each lady acting on the screen had a layer of 1.235 mm of makeup,bright colours and shades of clothes irrespective of day or night,tonnes of jewellery that added approximately 1.63 kgs extra!!!!The way episodes are stretched and some actors who are simply pathetic, when it comes to acting are watched with so much of concentration ,that if they were to use this in schools and colleges, India would have the largest population of intellectuals in the world, that too, majority from  the fairer sex.

But the ultimate shock was this .Every actress, be it from the majority or minority community or from the reserved category, keeps asking God for help at the drop of a hat ,and when it doesn't work in their favour they hold him to ransom.Ask him silly questions, blame him for all the things that have happened to her,because of her mistakes.So conveniently do all the illegitimate things, get into controversial relations, and then ask for forgiveness .God must be wondering, with just 1.3 billion strong Indian population alone imagine the stress he must be having with people giving him a tough time every second, across the globe,365x24x7.Imagine a situation if he were to give up on us?

Why do we create such a hoopla and spoil the sensibilities of the audience at large?Light comedy, fun filled episodes should be relayed more to keep every TV couch potato smiling and relaxed, rather than add to the burden, he or she is carrying with them ,every day.The( atrocious)scenes shown ,muddle up the sane mind of the youth, and they start being a hazard to society,trying to emulate it in real life.When will people realise this and really stay away from this Idiot box which doesn't spare almighty? God, please accept my apologies, and forgive me for bringing this to the fore, as I would have created hatred amongst millions virtually over the Internet ,by stating the truth.

Touch Encounters.

What a whale of  a time I had in the last 48 hours.A group of 13 people, staying in the same complex, a few  known to each other and the rest absolutely unknown, went on a short vacation to the near by Hill station of Panchgani.The age group spanned across  a band ,starting from 7 years to 72 years, and had an equal mix of both genders.Talk about religions,there were Gujarati's, Marwari's, Maharashtrians from all walks of life.They have a background that ranged from free lance consultants , to Directors of a Global Robotic firm, to a Kids School Owner, to a banker and a businessman.

Packing of in 3 cars, with different premium brands ranging from an SUV , to the rock solid Octavia and the sleek Honda City, we took off at different times due to various commitments we needed to close before we land up for a real well deserved break.I was pretty curious, as we had literally packed our stroller just a few minutes before departure, had no idea where were to stay and what arrangements had been done, and only knew that we were to be carted along with one family who had ample space in their SUV ,inspite of it being packed with luggage and snacks.It was fun to rush into a blind alley and yet not being apprehensive just by the fact that we had company along and we would  manage any situation that we confront.So ,we started our journey @1400 hrs,and saw our friend ,who is a super enthusiastic driver , who would drive any place anytime, when its his time.Distance etc doesn't matter one bit.He inspite of being under the weather, got himself and the family all set for this awesome vacation.The others were somewhere on the Google map, planning to reach the set destination,just a few hours apart.

The driving experience, or rather being driven in that SUV, sure got me the jitters, as seated behind, I was taken across at breakneck speed,cutting corners ,wedging so precisely in between 2 vehicles that made my heart jump out 102 times in the 90 minute journey.I had to cling to my seat and the seat belt ,asking both, to remain with me through the journey.My wife,probably must have created enough holes in my skin to start a fountain of sorts till we reached our destination. Whoa!!!What a roller coaster indeed.Fortunately we all got into the bungalow which was to be our abode for the next 48 hours , in one piece and in good time.It was beautifully nestled in the midst of thick green bamboo surroundings and a foliage that had practically all shades of green and enough space for us to have any tournament we wished.Then started the interactive sessions that spilt out the eternal truth about each individual and their families.Their values, their talents, their unrealized potential, their dreams,their differences, their opinions, their thoughts and ideologies, the child in each and every person irrespective of age, the likes and dislikes for food and the thrills and adventure they all faced in life.That set me thinking.Each episode that unfolded, from 0600 in the morning, till 0100 hrs next morning,was so intense, so rich, so informative that I wish to thank god for giving me the chance and opportunity to meet these wonderful friends, not on a social network, but in real life .The multi-talented, the deprived, the orthodox, the easy going, the silent brooders, the chirpy enthusiastic partners,the matured elderly fatherly figure,the kids and their smart moves, was an eye opener.One common thing I learnt was each one was fighting to secure himself & his family,oblivious of the fact that he is loosing quality time which he is not utilizing, running after those $$$$.Mostly all of them were concerned with their state of health,some over anxious and stepping up the fitness regime, and others just letting things float.Some of them, getting hyper active and going on overdrive worrying about whats gonna happen next in the coming 2-3 days, and loosing sleep over it.A few of them uncorked their hidden talents of opening up their vocal chords, and lighting up the skies with sweet melodies, never heard before.Some blazed the floor with such moves that would put the most seasoned dancers to shame.They flitted in all combinations and revealed their exciting sides to the crowds.These were some without the golden fuel effect and some with the effect.Either ways the results were mind blowing.

The struggle, the pangs of separation due to heavy travel and business schedules, the late night and long hours, the dreams and desires, the long wait is so common across families.The children had so much talent that simply rubbed of each other and set the stage on fire.Be it music, games, songs, dance and boredom.The innocence, the mischief, the bored look at times, the happiness and ecstasy when they went on the bumping cars or played the noisy electronic games in the parlor.Eating strawberries, horse riding, painting the town red, going bonkers on shopping,and creating a havoc in this audience ,living life at their own terms was a lesson for the seniors.Then came the evenings that went on till early mornings, with discussions on spirituality to watching the IPL cricket matches, reading palms and giving every one around a chance to pin someone around so that the real persona emerges.That bought out so much out of each individual that unmasked the personalities , created new friends,and established new equations which drew out the truth.
But the sheer engagement and delight it bought on the faces of each of us till we popped of completely zapped.The return journey ,was inevitable, and  that woke us all up to the Monday morning blues that were to take place.Fagged out by the sheer activity and yet excited about all that took place and will take place,certainly made me richer in terms of experience and knowledge that has taught me a few things in life -What to and what not to follow in life, who ,and how to connect with the people ,who you know are genuine and not wanting  to be with you ,for what you have, or what you would do for them.Looking forward to more such exciting encounters.

Black dot

The entire country is in a frenzy,the polling is in full flow. The people of India are excited and need the change.Speculations are rife, bets, debates, accusations and counter accusations are flying faster than superman and his cape.People get a paid leave so that they can cast that valuable vote in the ballot box.However ,many still don't vote and go on a holiday , or don't get themselves registered and take the whole exercise, as a joke.

Little do they realise that thousands of man hours are spent by the election commission , their teams of teachers, govt. servants, police officials, reserve protection force,who work day and night to ensure peaceful polling. To top it all, the media hounding them, the arrogant egoistic politicians and their cronies throwing their weight around they need to carry out their orders strictly and comply with the rules set for themselves.Inspite of all this , they put up a brave face, work those long hours , face the wrath and do a thankless job for the nation.After the long stretch of work, they are carted like cattle ,in the back of a dump truck or any available rickety transport .They presumably get food  and water to drink .They face the  sweltering heat and in some places even Naxalite threats .

Once the results are announced ,some are  merry making and others have their heads tucked in sand , but no one remembers these officials. The families of these people also deserve a respectful life. They too need motivation , acknowledgement ..... But who cares. 1.2 billion strong nation wants a change at the centre but don't work to change these simple basic needs of the deserving few.Hats of to the CEC for a splendid job,and making a huge effort to conduct the elections of the largest democracy on earth successfully.

Eternal Truth

It was such a pleasure to see that humanity still exists.The bonding, the emotions are still so real and that ultimately, is what counts.We, in the fast paced world, are running mad  in a virtual world, networking socially ,millions of miles across, with selfies, and mms,emails and sms, and send the flying muwaaah's free all over the developing the so called Love bonds, without a chance to meet a person in real life at times.

Just a few kms from where we stay, 30 kms to be precise, we had a chance to meet and mix with simple , straightforward people, who were not pseudo's, they extended so much of warmth and genuine affection in what ever they did, and were willing to adapt and accommodate us to ensure they give us the best hospitality.Mind you , they met us for the first time as a family, and are of minimum acquaintance as such.
They were all present to greet us at their simple home,prepared simple homemade curry and Bhakri( Indian Roti) and we all sat on the floor to taste that meal that touched our hearts.All members of the family were excited as if they were on a special mission and freely demonstrated their love and affection in making our experience at their place a memorable one.The neighbors also stepped in to say hello, and were more that enthused to extend help in anyway they felt , that would make the hosts impressions one of a kind.

On exploring that canvas, we found that they live as one big community and share their good and bad times together, have great trust, love and affection amongst all of them, share food and sweets , help each other in times of need, be it materialistic or emotional and moral support.They hop on to their vehicles, be it any kind of transport and chat and discuss many issues that ultimately build up an opinion.They sit out under the stars and enjoy nature, toil hard on their farms, drop family members and neighbours together and run errands without making a fuss.

We on the other hand have a facade,ulterior motives, and live in a virtual world gradually moving away from real happiness.If this continues , we will never be able to enjoy God's gift to us.