Z- Zenith

Why zenith ? Because I feel , I am at the top of my blogging career (?)…in terms of quantity if not quality…

I am essentially a once-a-week blogger and taking part in this challenge , has not changed me for better ( A leopard and his spots, you see !) I missed some letters ,but since I am on ‘Z’ ,I can say that I have completed the challenge !

“ What next ? “ is the question that pops in my head…

First a break !...

And then , back to my trot …once a week or lesser !

Too much of anything is bad for health…. In similar vein , excess of blogging and I will not be able to think of a topic for my next post ...... or worse ....a  writer's block might afflict me ....

So…bye , bye folks ! I enjoyed this challenge and knowing y’all…

And as we say in Hindi….” Milate hain ek break ke baad !”

X-Xray

X-ray -

“I have a bad news, doctor. I am sorry… Your X-ray Chest shows a mass in the right lung…”

Lung cancer? Me? How is it possible? I always thought I was immortal….A doctor can never die from cancer , that is what I always thought….

There is so much to do….I have not really lived…or loved….I have only worked…and earned….

I still have to read so many books that I have bought over the years ….presently they serve as showpieces in my sitting room….

I have to sit and really talk with the girl I married 25 years back , who has now grown old…waiting for me….sacrificing her life and career for my sake…..

All those things, that I kept aside….to do later…will never happen now ?...later will not arrive for me…..

One X-ray….beginning of the end !

W- Walk

A walk on the roads…

Every day I walk home from work . It is a short, 20 minute walk , it also involves climbing up and down a railway bridge ( Illegally – without a ticket!)

Since I walk on this route daily , I just walk mindlessly ,without really paying attention. But at two places my mind springs into attention- everyday !

The first one is a bookshop called ‘The Book Shop ‘ ( Like the dog whose name was Dog!) There are new books, second hand books, books on sale (Rs. 100 per kg) and books on rent. Sometimes I stop over to buy or rent books…a happy day for me !

The other place is a gym…Every time I pass it , I think…yes…I am going to join this gym one day ! But I know that I don’t really like gymming , I will not be a regular there and it surely will be a waste  of money !

That’s when I console myself…these short capsules of walking exercise are all that you need ! 

Continue girl !!

V-visiting the blogs

Visiting the fellow bloggers blogs is an integral part of this challenge and I have done that faithfully. ( But I do not always leave comments…I like to be invisible sometimes!)

I was not sure about this initially , I was not even sure that I would complete this challenge ! But when I started doing it , I discovered that this was fun !

Leaving comments , showing appreciation , getting reciprocated was an enjoyable process. It also had other advantages – it stimulated my thinking , sometimes gave me ideas about the topics I could write about…

In short , I acquired knowledge, enjoyment ,creative inputs and appreciation…

A confession: I cheated! Instead of visiting 5 blogs per day, I did not visit any blog on weekdays and visited 50 blogs on weekends!! …. Well ….that kind of averaged out , I suppose ….

T-Task

I enrolled in this challenge very late .People had decided on their themes and were ready with most of their posts too! (I assumed this!) This sent me into a panic mode – I have to do so much in such a little time! How will I manage? What shall I do? OMG!!!

Then I calmed myself down, took deep breaths and sat down one night ,just started writing a series of short posts one after other. Next morning I read them…they were utterly boring! Back to square one!!

After continuing in panic mode for two whole days, it dawned on me – I don’t have to write all the posts now ! I am making a simple, enjoyable task into a monumental one! Why see so much ahead and cloud the present?

We do this often in life “So much weight to lose! I will never succeed…Why begin then?” You don’t have to lose all that weight right now…you just have to begin now…Break down this monumental task into a smaller segments...it will be surely enjoyable !

Just begin…and continue…you will reach your destination one day ….

S- Simple , simplify, simplicity....

"It is so simple to be happy...but it is so difficult to be simple " says a character in the movie Bawarchi.

Why am I starting this post with a quote from a movie ? Well....nowadays , when I have to do anything , this quote always runs in my mind, as a background score....because of bewildering range of choices....

Everyday, you are faced with lots and lots of choices . Especially when you have to buy something , there are so many choices , that you feel confused. So many colors , makes...so many outlets....and there is internet and TV shopping too ! Should I buy a mixer ? or mixer with food processor ? mixer-juicer-food processor ?....all multitasking products ....Confusion !!

Same with the television ....so many channels , so many types of programmes , I don't know what to watch. I long for those days of Doordarshan when there were only one or two channels & 4-5 hours of programs . Surprisingly , in spite of less advanced technology, the content of programs was much better. Nowadays,because of too multiple choices,I end up watching nothing.

Life is complex and these choices makes it even more complex and confusing....

 Have you faced such a confusion ? Or do you prefer choices ? If you have tried to simplify your life, how did you do it ? Has it worked for you ?

R-Rains

Frankly speaking , I don’t like rains.

I know…they are necessary and considering the drought situation I may sound callous….but I often wish it would rain only in catchment areas ,leaving my home and office areas dry !....( Or there could be more rain water harvesting projects  in Mumbai , at least our suffering will not be in vain ! )

But there are a few instances ,when I like rains…

First rain of the season …sudden coolness of the atmosphere…lovely ,earthy smell ….crisp and hot bhajjias and romantic songs playing in the background !

And of course…the last rain of the season….although you don’t really know that ,but you certainly hope so….thunder and lightning ,again sudden coolness after a spell of humid ,hot weather….reminding you that the festive season is just round the corner….

And in between it is just wet clothes , musty smell in the office , water logging , mud , irritation and anxiety …..

Q - Questions

Class 12th exams going on.... Students furiously writing away ..... But one constant thought in each  mind ... What does question number 4 mean ?.... something surely wrong there .....

And then , as an answer to their prayers, a lady comes in the class ...." Question number 4 has a correction ....please note the change ......"

If only life was this simple ......

The questions that don't make sense could be changed to something which made sense .....Even if you were not thoroughly prepared , you could at least attempt to answer it based on your basic knowledge and common sense .....

Or better still , a choice...attempt any 4 out of 7 ....You could simply drop the difficult ones.....

But,alas ! ....all questions have to be attempted , sooner or later .....If you are lucky, some questions simply disappear if sufficient time is given.......

And not all questions have answers ..... Some questions beget more questions.....and in attempt to solve them we probably understand a little about life .....

P-Postman

Nowadays we hardly see a postman.

Nobody writes letters anymore.

I miss those days, when I used to wait for letters from friends and cousins. The postman used to visit between 2.30 and 3 pm every day. No postboxes those days, he used to ring our bell and push the letters through a slit made in the front door. The sound of letters falling on the floor had me running towards the front door. More often than not, the letters where official, boring, but sometimes I used to hit jackpot!

These days, postman come only around Diwali ( That’s the biggest festival in India ) They come asking for “post” ( meaning Baksheesh) …And we give them that , for ( not) delivering letters , that our loved ones ( don’t) write ! 

The letter O ....

O for Oranges… in summer… with their sharp, sweet and sour taste (as opposed to winter ones, they are merely sweet … my perception !) On a hot May afternoon ,you are travelling in a Mumbai local train, You feel you are dying of thirst and a lady selling oranges appears…A perfect time to eat these delicious little things ( little because these oranges sold in the train are always smallish, about the size of a big lemon)

O for Orange, the colour…conjures another image…., again associated with the month of May…streets lined by the flowering tree Delonix regia ( known locally as Gulmohar ) The streets appear fresh and vibrant ,notwithstanding the sweltering heat….

May and Orange…a strong correlation!

And then , O for ‘O sajna ,barkha bahar aai “…. My favourite song ,only song in my playlist to start with the letter O ,a sharp contrast with the May heat… rain , Lata , Salil Chowdhury and Sadhana ….

M - Mind games and meditation

It is my sincere wish that I should learn to meditate. I have read up a lot on this, made copious notes and attended a couple of courses too.

But then, my mind starts playing games with me….a sort of cross examination!

“Why do you want to learn to meditate?”

“To control you, of course!”

“You think you can do it, huh?”

“Yes, I can…it is not that difficult, people do it every day!”

“Okay…If you think so…but tell me, what are you really trying to achieve?”

“Hmmm….Peace of mind ?”

“ Oh…so the next time you face an unpleasant situation or confrontation, you will say…wait…let me meditate and bring back my peace of mind ….”

“ This is precisely why I want to meditate….always arguments and counter questions ! I will be very good at it, you will see soon ! “

Well…I am still waiting for that moment to arrive…aarrrgh !!! My mind games ! 

L - Less is more !

I agree that it is a cliche ! But it is my favourite cliche !

Less is more ....that is why I prefer writing short posts ....I don't have patience to read looooong ones ....why would I write one ?

Less is more .....  The more clothes I have , I feel confused and undecided in the morning.... so I limit my wardrobe to just enough clothes... when I buy new clothes , I donate the older ones....

Less is more ... only a few classy pieces ....jewellery , furniture,...rest all is just clutter !

Less is more ....We should follow this , to achieve satiety through just a few bites of our favourite ,calorie rich food ..... balance between health and indulgence !

Less is more .... real communication...a few meaningful words ...coming to the point in just a few sentences ....rest is all noise !!

Less is more ....hmmmm .....  one thing where I am unable to follow this .....books !!

What do you think ? Should I do that ???

K - Kapoor and sons..since 1921

Being a Fawad khan fan ,I knew , I had to watch this movie ! But wait...there is not going to be a single word in this post about Fawad .....and this is not a formal review too ! ...just a few stray thoughts after watching the movie....

I love watching dramas about relationships. But  I think ,it is difficult to capture subtle shades of relationships in a movie.In just 2 1/2 hours ,you have to develop the characters ,build the relationships , let the story unfold and evolve... and take it to a satisfactory conclusion ....I think this is easier in a novel or a T.V.series or even in a short story ....there is enough time for development ... ......But I think this movie has been successful in doing that.

The movie is the story of a dysfunctional family ....both the sons have moved away from the parents , mentally and physically.

Marriage of the parents is going through a rough patch , constant bickering over finances , lack of communication and other things, has pushed the husband into arms of another woman...

Elder brother , a successful author,  always carrying the burden of being a perfect son ... struggling with his second  book .... living a lie...because he is scared to come out....of the perfect box the world created for him .

Younger son is going through an endless struggle to find out who he is ....to prove himself...to reach the level of perfection that his brother has achieved...

And then we have the grandfather..Dadu...a nonagenarian...jovial , enjoying life , constantly playing pranks on his family...( His favourite game is dying on the breakfast table !)...

Love is always there ...but is hidden under layers of misunderstandings  and miscommunications there is a reluctance to confront and speak out , a reluctance to rectify the mistakes of the past....

It is the grandfather's wish that the whole  family should be brought together at least once , so that a perfect photograph could be taken....'Kapoor and sons..since 1921'

A simple story..yet not a moment of dullness....the hero of the story is love and relationships...

A sudden jolt - an irreparable loss - revelations-confessions-slowly  heals the years of damage....

Family matters....love prevails....

And yes....an almost perfect photograph in the end too....

Definitely worth a watch !

J- Journal and the Journey of life

The journey of life…and within it, numerous small journeys …of education, love, marriage, relationships, motherhood, carrier, jobs, hobbies ….. And yes…of enlightenment … a spiritual journey …. for some lucky souls…

I have been maintaining a journal since last 30 years . Initially it had only one line entrees.  “ Watched the episode of such and such serial.. utterly boring !” “ She is so mean ! I am never going to speak with her again! “ At one point ,I had stopped writing in my journal- I had other important stuff happening in my life – studies ,friends, movies…

As I entered my 20s ,I realized that I needed to say things which people didn’t want to hear ! ( Various reasons ! The most obvious being everybody likes to say things and nobody wants to listen ! ) Slowly ,as I started writing my journal again, I began to note down the things which I couldn’t disclose to my friends…fears , jealousies ,envies , insecurities….

Today, when I read those journals again, I understand the journey of my life...some things are the same, I do the same mistakes again and again…but, there is progress too… and I have realized that “This too shall pass…”

And my journey is still on…..the journal continues….

I – Idea of Item numbers !

I initially thought of writing ‘ I for ideas’ …I wrote the post, too. But after re-reading that one , I thought it was too tame. Who wants to know about from where I get my post ideas ? ….I am no JKR….I knew then….I wanted something sizzling , shimmering and spicy !

Then then this idea came….The Idea of Item numbers… 

Item numbers…. an integral part of our bollywood movies…

I don’t know who coined this term “ Item number”…but hats off to that individual ! And salute to that person too , who actually started incorporating the item numbers in our films !

What is actually an item number ? It is a song and dance sequence in a bollywood movie , which has no connection with the plot. They are incorporated simply to increase the commercial value of the movie . ( And they often feature a top actress wearing skimpy ( so called designer!) clothes ,making energetic , sometimes provocative dance moves! – In a very few cases , you may have a male actor ,making similar kind of dance moves – but fully clothed ! ….) . These songs are in fact big hits and are the USP of the film.

Is this a new invention? Well , I think item numbers were always there , but those songs were picturized on so called vamps. Cuckoo & Helen were our item queens of 50s and 60s. Then came Aruna Irani ,Padma Khanna , Bindu and Jayshree T. ..... .

These songs were mostly shown as a stage performances or as  cabarets in hotels , sometimes also as banjara songs. The music was peppy & toe tapping ,contributing to the success of such films. R.D.Burman was a prominent name in such  songs. But I think the trend was started by O.P.Nayyar and Laxmikant Pyarelal in 50s and 60s.

Note : This is not a scholarly ,well researched article ...This is written purely out of my love and fondness of hindi film music !

Here are a few of my favourites -

1. Dilbar dil se pyare - ( Caravan , R.D.Burman ) - Included as  this is my personal favourite and also as a representative of Banjara songs ,a subtype of Item number.

2. Aa jane ja ( Inteqaam , Laxmikant Pyarelal ) - Included here because , this is supposedly the only so called Cabaret song sung by Lata Mangeshkar. ( But I remember now ,Dil se milake dil pyar kijiye from the movie Taxi driver (1954).... is probably in a similar category ! )

3. Piya tu ab to ( Caravan , R.D. Burman ) - Love this song...love how Panchamda has utilised the asthmatic ,breathing sounds ( wink , wink !...don't know what else to call them !!) in a melodious way !

Another note : I am not including the latest ones...'beedi jalaile ' and all...they are anyway very well known...

So,what are your favourite 'Item oldies'?

H- Hill Station

There is a small hill station in the state of Maharashtra in India. Name: Matheran .It is about 90 km from Mumbai and a perfect weekend getaway . It is a small but beautiful place.

What is so different about this place? No vehicles are allowed here. It is Asia’s only automobile free hill station.

You can either walk or take a horse to visit various ‘points’ in Matheran. Points are nothing but places where you can get a panoramic view of the valley below.

A couple of days are sufficient to rejuvenate you. No cacophony of the traffic and the vehicles ….no pollution …nature in all its glory….

Visit it any time of the year…take long walks…come back refreshed  ….

G –God

God is. He simply is. Do I have to say anything else?

Okay…if you insist!

How do you picture God? An old man ,with long flowing robes and long beard ,a benevolent smile and a twinkle in His eye   ? Someone like….hmm…Albus Dumbledore? Well…fair enough! Sometimes even I see Him in that avatar!

But most of the times, I just have a feeling of presence of God. A warm cocoon of love enveloping me …….the voice of silence in my ears when I close my eyes…..a slight smile that lingers on my lips after I open my eyes…..a cool, fragrant breeze that caresses me as I take my evening walk…..notes of flute that float in the air…real or imaginary…..

And the answer that I receive before I ask the questions and the pen that goes on and on to complete a post….

How do you see Him ?

F – fiction

Yes…one day I intend to write the greatest fiction ever! The greatest novel !!

Everything is ready!

The characters…some crawling….Some dancing and some prancing…. have already entered my mind. At present they are getting to know each other…building relationship between them….

The right atmosphere…aha! ….it was already there….

The dialogues….yes! ….they are my specialty….I love writing them!....

But….but….something is missing !!! …..

Ohhh !!!....where is the plot ???

Or….should I try this thing , which is called the new age fiction….fiction without a plot ?

Hmmm…..will you read it ?

( My son says …No ! )

D-Dog-eared books

These are simply my favorite kind of books! Well thumbed…well read…well loved! I know, some people hate it, when you do that to books…I have several friends who make it a point to gift me a dozen bookmarks (instead of books!) But I choose to ignore them! (After this confession, none of them will ever lend me a book!)

It is not that I don’t try it…you know, to keep the books pristine and untouched (!) But I keep on losing the bookmarks! Then I use pens, my spectacles, another book…(At least I am not as bad as the person who had used an omelet as a book mark!)

Besides, folding a page feels satisfactory…it means that the book is truly mine!

Perhaps that is why I haven’t bought a Kindle yet! After all, you cannot fold a Kindle, right?

C – The curry story !

“The curry does not taste right today! Are you trying to poison me? I tell you …you are reading too many Agatha Christies nowadays! Just tell me to go away…no need to do these stunts! “

“What rubbish! You are watching too many Hindi movies! Poison you!!  As if!!....Please, I have better things to do….”

“Okay…let’s not fight on this…I was just joking. But seriously, this curry does not taste right! Taste it and see! Have you changed the recipe? “

“You have forgotten, We have got a new cook …I haven’t cooked anything today! “

“A new cook? Who is she? And what have I done to her? Why does she want to kill me?  No..no…don’t look like that …don’t you have a sense of humor ? Okay…please tell me this…Is bitter curry her specialty “

“Aha! Sarcasm!! Let me taste it! “

“Hmmm…It has some very familiar and distinctive flavor ! ‘

“ Oh,Yes ! It smells like….coffee ??? “

“What ? “

“The brilliant lady has put coffee powder instead of cumin powder! She has no brain and she has no nose!!”

“ You are a very disorganized lady..mixing up bottles like that ! One day you will surely kill me !”

“ Bang “ ( A sound of getting hit on the head by a coffee bottle !)