http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/filmedia/play/492/Girl-Star-Ruby-the-Beautician/Tnc9PStP

Interesting story!

THE UNFORGETTABLE SUNDAY

Last Sunday, earth to me felt like mercury. While I was perspiring like a pig, I and my friend had enough reasons to curse our lives as ‘mere students’. After haggling with several auto wallahs at Connaught place, we finally got a good bargain for our destination-South Extension.

My friend, Hrishant, is an ambitious boy with social and humanist philosophy towards work. “I have a dream to start a school in Shimla”, he said with a twinkle in his eye. Almost immediately I spurted out a query, “Why don’t you put up a school in some rural area where the underprivileged don’t have access to education, have no transport facilities to reach the town?” Without delay, he answered back, “My school’s name would be ‘SOKA’ which means ‘value creation’ in Japanese. I truly believe in the power of creating value out of education. Starting a school at ‘such places’ is next to impossible. Where would I get the capital from? How can I expect to provide a decent education when the source of income is nil! I can imagine my school having numerous societies such as the cultural society, the music society and so on……” The auto wallah was waiting for the traffic signal to go green and the heavy black smoke coming out of the DTC bus standing next to us had left me in no mood to communicate further.

Just then, a girl of age nine to ten came to sell packets of fancy pencils to us. It was such an ironical situation that both of us just could not face the little girl. The child almost fell on Hrishant’s feet and begged for the can of coke in his hand. He gave the can to her and looked the other way. For a while, I forgot the honking of the horns and the detestable smoke. All I could hear was the ringing bell of a school, children shouting and rejoicing and the voice of the street girl begging at the same time. Both voices colliding in my mind, instantly brought me back to the extreme reality. I don’t even remember the girl’s face because I just could not keep my eyes off the pencils in her hand. Pencils, which are tools of learning for a child, had instead become her source of income! We were both ashamed of the situation and the future headmaster had nothing more to say……..

Ain't I a romantic - written long time back...

Ain't I a romantic?

When the sky welcomes the darkness,
And the moon gives it light,
I see your face shining bright…..
Staring at me,
And I want to be close to you
for the rest of the night.
Ain't I a romantic?

When you are sad,
And only I will understand,
You'll once again believe in yourself,
Come out of your shell,
And have the confidence to be my man.
I'll be so near, you won't have a single tear.
Ain't I a romantic…………..?

I'm jealous of the sun who touches you through it's rays,
I'm jealous of the cool wind which excites you in so many ways,
I'm jealous of the rain which throws it's first droplets over your face,
I'm even jealous of the stars which gives you that twinkle in your eye,
Wanna be the world for you,
Well……..I won't lie!
I'm such a romantic!!

So whenever I come across you,
I'll give you all the clues,
But if you don't understand,
I'll fly away to my own very land,
Don't want it fake and quick,
Can't put my heart on risk,
'Cause I'm such a romantic………..

Being yourself...

'Being yourself' seems to be an exaggerated feeling...but it is not. I know what being someone 'you really are' means - or more so, I believe i understand the conditions in which you can be that. This kind of an approach towards day to day life is only possible when you participate in the activities you love and find your potential in, when you are emotionally and physically strong enough to not be en captured by a trauma, when your mind is free of guilt and you know that your actions are good for the people around you and better off for you own well-being. Above and over all this, it is so important to face a 'life turning' or an 'almost' life saving situation to gain that courage and wit. That situation could be a heart-break, a car-accident, terrible loss of a friend, a business failure...anything which includes that fight for life...

Is it ever possible to have lived ENOUGH?

"I hope the rising radiation from the chemical reactors didn't make more mothers lose their children, more youth physically and mentally devastated with no hope for future, more elderly cry in pain" - my thoughts kept building up, when suddenly the Times of India blared on my face and said out loud, "Japan on brink of N-Catastrophe as 3rd reactor explodes in 3 days...3 more on boil..." Other news items about Indian parliamentary issues, rape cases, sensex losses and more became surprisingly insignificant. Could any pain be compared to that of the Japanese at this moment?

The most hardworking people on earth, the only ones to have faced two nuclear attacks would have to prove their mettle again, make the dead land seem prettier than before... its unfair, very unfair...

Reading the follow up's of Japan, I tell myself, " How sad it would be if I had no other choice but to die at my age. I've just begun to get big ideas about my future, I've just begun to appreciate what I have and don't have...i still haven't loved enough, hated enough, dated enough, struggled enough, exercised enough, eaten enough...i still have to experience life as a wife, a daughter-in-law, a mother, a business woman, a cook, a writer and what not! The countless who were mercilessly beaten by the catastrophic combination of earthquakes and Tsunami have died leaving behind their countless dreams, aspirations...maybe some of them wanted to read more, some to drink more, others to simply...'live' more.

And so no matter how much we chant the mantra of 'Live Each Day as if it is your Last' nobody really wants to die... but then, considering everyone has to give up this world sooner or later, the least we can do is to be aware of our mortality, and remain humble in our actions...

Do you accept?

When one is young, he/she gets ample opportunities to play and experiment with different courses of study,men and women, friends, jobs, sometimes even family... folks who experiment extensively, or rather, harshly, many-a-times become addicted. Living in the present, for the present, also has a negative chapter to it. You simply won't be able to resist a promising temptation, because you are used to 'giving-in' every time.

Sometimes its good to be content with a single dress, a single friend, a long time job, a long time boy friend... you do not really need to anticipate a 'destination beyond' every time...maybe you are very well staying within the realm of perfectness...maybe...just maybe...

And so one can think, and study his own thoughts - deeply and correctly. Its not a bland acceptance, something which makes you feel stuck, its rather the appreciation of the world you stay in and the worldwise who make you understand the entire possible worth of it...

Be proud of yourself...

I think it was that hour, that very hour of reassurance that made me believe that i am loved...but as soon as i left the city or the place, or that very moment, i had nothing to back upon... the realization dawned as i came across self assured, laughing, celebrating and loving people around me that my love does not need an object...the object can be created, or visualized, imagined...or the object of love can be simply YOU, YOURSELF! And hence, I love myself today, i even love my thin-shaped eyes, snub nose and broad feet...i found beauty in those evening walks, i felt the air feeling me and me feeling the air, i cherished each morsel in my mouth, savored the flavors, i even cherished the unflavored :)

Its life you see... you grow as you watch, you find when you hide, you love when you bluff, you run...you hop...you stop...and that's when you look behind and find reasons to be proud of yourself... ...