Traffic

The peanut seller ... Mom kept on looking at him while we rode 5 cm/sec in the traffic. I didn’t. She was describing how he reminded her of those days when her dad took her to the beach and bought her those peanuts. Peanuts fried in sand she said. Well I don’t know about it and wondered how healthy sand fried peanuts would be! She stared at him, this time me too. He was getting burnt I tell you. The sun and the fire underneath the pan were doing quite a good job in absorbing his water content. Staring at someone is fun. No matter how far that person is, he turns and looks straight into our eyes. Mom was embarrassed, I laughed. He gestured at her to buy the peanuts. She would have... But suddenly the traffic increased speed and we were swiftly taken to the other side of the road. He could have earned 20 bucks that moment. I felt sorry for him then. We were cursing the traffic but for him, it was a blessing. Often that is how things are... Nothing is insignificant.

Gratitude

Today someone died, a friend of my dad. He was drunk. This was the first time he consumed liquor after 3 years. Surprisingly, my dad had tried to stop him from drinking today, but he refused. Even I wondered since when he started advising others on this matter. Maybe his inner voice made him do so. And he met with an accident in the least accident prone area. I heard my parents exclaiming how dedicated a husband he was. He quit boozing for his family, cared for his wife more than anyone in the locality because he even used to bath his child and do the chores after his wife's delivery. Theirs' was a love marriage and he was the only one to depend on. And I've seen him toiling to make those  three kids happy. But he is no more.. I don't know how they'll survive, without him. Maybe if he had listened to dad, he could have stayed.

Often I act as if my world is imperishable. If not for God, I wouldn't have had this "world" I am so proud of! Now I wish to thank God, for keeping us alive..for giving me everything despite my sins.

Break Off

Yesterday while travelling back with friends, listening to our favourite song so as to get a sentimental touch, I tried going back the memory lane. Unfortunately, none of us could shed a tear. All attempts in vain. We were meeting for the last time before we parted on our own ways. As usual, we met over a couple of pizza and made a big show. Roaring out loud... laughing till our stomachs ached .. This was what we used to do all these years. You know what? “We” (note-plural) haven’t done a single project. Any one of us would have done, and all others brilliantly copied. Though we studied, our combine studies hardly worked out, as it usually ended up in more serious  discussions. We used to snatch every crumb from one plate, yeah.. a plate was more than enough. There were fights, arguments..  But even if we kicked each others’ asses, never did we let anyone else do it. I can’t imagine crying because we are breaking off, especially in this century!! The funny part is, after we hug each other, say goodbye and reach home, the first thing we see is their message! Maybe I will, a little while later, when I start missing people who made fun of me and cared at the same time... After all, they made everyday different from each day!! 

Equals

Let me tell you about something that a friend should not be.

A friend of mine, whom I respect and care for, since long, suddenly grew quite different. Everyday she came at my door, banged and shouted why the hell I was late again. That was usual, I thought. But day by day, I realized she became more rude and dominating. Her gestures hurt me. Never did I enjoy a day without her until then. But things changed later on. She was busy, I never bothered because earlier I knew it doesn't make a difference to our friendship. We used to eat from the same plate, soon that habit faded off. I loved her and so did she. But taking a relation for granted gives shocking results. I began chilling out with my other friends, often saying a "hi" or "bye" whilst her busy schedule. I wanted her back and at the same time I felt dejected. So I didn't try, just wished we would last long somehow. A couple of months later she realized I was far from her. By that time I had a huge gang of happening friends. I knew she felt lonely, she was poor at socializing. I still loved her.. And wondered if she wouldn't mind coming back. Well, she changed, for the better. Though she doesn't talk much, I could sense she was sorry for how she behaved. And I felt sorry for having left her alone. Friendship doesn't go along with prudence nor haughty contempt. In friendship, it is necessary to evaluate how you have been to the other person. A friend is someone equal, nothing less and nothing more. After all how long could a disdainful friend last?

Contradictions

My little cousin loves junk food. He goes all crazy if we promise him we would take him to KFC. One such day, when we were about to go out, his dad refused to take him along. Uncle was restricted to have non veg due to some illness and there after he had created some theories on how harmful junk food is ( I think it was a means to convince himself ). And he began to describe how chemicals were injected to the chicken and how dirty their kitchen would be and stuff like that. Unable to bear all these, we decided it would be better to stay at home. And you know what? A year later, uncle was alright and he wanted to have fried chicken from the same joint he had once ditched about! I wondered if there were no more of chemicals and dirty kitchens.. Well, was that fair? IF GOING AGAINST YOUR ETHICS CAUSES NO HARM, THEN WHY SPOIL OTHERS' LIVES JUST BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE SO? Or at least in this case, "believed" or rather "convinced" so?

Yuck! Look At You!

I happened to hear this conversation a few months ago

Guy: Hey .. You know what ? A guy had asked me about you last day .. He found your new pic quite attractive..

Girl: Wow! Is it? What did you tell him then?

Guy: I asked him not to look beneath your neck coz you are a fatso!!! Hehe..

Mann! He was laughing like hell. The moment I heard this, I turned around to check him out. I laughed!!! He was talking as if he resembled shah rukh khan. How sick!! I couldn't stand it any longer so i walked out. Later i felt ashamed of simply staying numb. How would she be  feeling? Wouldn't she be hearing the same dialogues even when she is so gorgeous ? Maybe her spirits would have risen when he told her what the other guy had said to him. She might have cried later.. Well who cares ! Just because she was plumpy by nature, she just ought to be criticized na? Her beauty, kindness, intellect nothing else matters. All that matters is her being a fatso and that bloody right of all lean ones to make fun upon that! Now I said about a girl being bullied for being fat .. But later I realized, being slim is also a factor to be bullied. Last day one of my friend was being bullied by his closest friend.. " hey just look at you.. i could use you as a toothpick!!". And guess what? The guy who bullied him wouldn't be even half an inch fatter than him!! Lol.. The guy couldn't see anything else in him but the fact that he was slimmer than usual! After all those years of staying by his friend, supporting him in anything and everything.. This is what he gets! And I'm glad that I didn't shut myself up then. Maybe bullying is something that doesn't have rules. But it surely has same after effects in whoever is being criticized. No matter how good or how glamorous he/she is, bullying effects their confidence, their happiness .. And the people who bully proves their weakness, not their strength. If God has given you an over all perfect figure, it is not your license to comment on others' weaknesses. See the beauty! Appreciate! After all what do we lose?

Coins Atleast!!

An old lady counting the petty coins she had received came on my way day before yesterday. Everything about her looked pale and poor. She couldn't walk. All she could do was sit and drag herself to move forward. I noticed that all she savoured that day were coins. Two of my friends walked ahead of me. No idea why they didn't even look at her when she called out for pity, hands begging. I was about to give her something when my friend dragged me and shouted what the hell I was doing. What was I doing? Was it wrong? I didn't understand. I gave it to her still. My friend looked at me as if I did the world's most celebrated blunder. I still didn't get it. I thought and thought. Finally I asked her why. She said these people are not genuine.. And that last day the cops arrested a beggar who had 3 lakhs with him. I said "okay" and didn't argue on that. Yes, maybe there are non genuine people among them. Sometimes we can sense that too. But what about the rest? Why should they suffer on top of what they are already suffering? After all who on earth would want to beg? We are humans and we wish to live with dignity. If some people beg for a living, maybe they don't have a choice!!

To My Love..

It's been 21 years since you left. Everything happened the way we planned. Our children are married and now I'm a grand father. You used to talk about being a grandmother. Didn't you pull my legs saying how old I would be. Well, yes. I am old and greying. Our kids care for me. We had built this house so huge thinking we could rent a portion of it, if at all one of us dies soon. That was a wise thought. How much effort you had put, in designing it. I loved to watch you lose temper at the contractor whenever he suggested his stupid ideas. I talk a lot about you to our grand children. And they are shocked to hear that we have never quarreled or hurt each other. I simply smile at them. Still can't imagine our guts to have married each other despite the objection from both families. What all we did! And that ring... I admire you to have worn it everyday, even when my "loving" mom-in law made your life horrible for that. From Kerala to Bombay, I kept staring at you, unable to believe you would be mine in a day! It was god's wish that we should be together and that's why your brother was late by just 5 minutes to stop us from marrying each other! From then on, my life was yours. And still is. I miss the way you smiled at me. I miss cooking with you. I miss sprinkling the orange peels at your eyes and getting beaten. I miss your long hair that I used to play with. And I still live in the same house we had built. Why did you plan so much? Why did you even think of dying so soon? Why do you exist in my heart alone? Why don't you come take me along?Why? Why? Why?

Here I am, dying to die, to have you again!!