Kush Srivastava's Blog, page 35

OMG!

After a long time, I have had the pleasure of watching one of the most meaningful of movies I have ever seen. With such a versatile actor as Paresh Rawal to adorn the star cast, the movie is in all senses a must watch.

What amazes me the most is the manner in which  a mystical concept such as God is presented and catered to in such a rational and logical manner. It is indeed a blow to the many gurus and sadhus who claim to be representatives of the Almighty on Planet Earth.

The sheer grit and simplicity of the protagonist is depicted in a very non-partisan and in an unusual way at the same time upholding the integrity of middle class values and essence of life.

All in all, I would recommend all of you, if you haven’t watched the movie till date, to go and watch it, for there is something for each and every one of us to learn and admire from the movie.

Source for Image: http://searchandhra.com/hindi-movies/omg-oh-my-god-hindi-movie

The Trip!

The last time I was here telling you guys about my new trip, I was just about leaving that very moment and now having returned back to the cosy comforts of my habitation, here I am all set to share what I have just experienced.

When I left my place two days back, I had no clue where I would be heading to in the two days of my life which were about to follow that very day. Even though there wasn’t any destination in mind, yet, there was a sense of joy and excitement which was very much visible on my face.

With no one to talk to, I had an ipod and of course my own vehicle to accompany me on this trip. There were no time constraints and no deadlines that I was supposed to meet.

With lot of time in hand, the roads (if I can call them so because of the condition that they were in) didn’t seem to bother my state of consciousness and I drove in a carefree manner, at times taking a halt and having a cup of tea on the immensely famous dhabas in our country that happened to fall on the route.

A 74 km jounrey to Rudrapur which should normally take an hour, took me nearly 4 hours. A couple of factors were responsible for the same. First, I was in a really good mood and wasn’t in any kind of hurry what so ever and second, the condition of the roads didn’t allow me to drive at a speed higher than 40km/h or so.

On reaching Rudrapur, I was welcomed by a person whom I have admired throught the time period that I have known him. A very polite and sweet person you will ever come across and in true senses a gem of a person.

The time that I spent thereafter was in the company of this wonderful person. What’s amazing about this person is that the more I talk about him, the fonder I become

What followed was a treat that I would remember throughout my life. We literally went places ranging from Haldwani to Nainital. The mountains seemed to be welcoming us with open arms and the weather was ever so enticing and inviting.

When you are in such good company, you can’t help but discuss life. And that was exactly what we ended up doing, which led to one insight after another.

True to our nature, courtesy the same place we both used to inhabit once upon a time in our lives (our college), it was in true senses of the word a g-drive bulla session.

For those who are unable to discover the implicit meaning behind the explicit expression of a true emotion, it is very much my responsibility to tell you guys that g-drive bulla session is the most arbit of discussions you can ever have about things ranging from anything to everything.

What follows after that discussion is not any logical/rational inferences or judgements but a void which makes you want to discuss more and more about the same or different topics (for that matter what topic we are talking on doesn’t seem to matter).

After having had a wonderful night out on the streets of Nainitaal we decided to head back to the secure environment of our homes.

With lots to ponder over and lots to cherish, this trip was in more ways than one a very different trip. Without going into the details of why it was different, it was truly, what I would like to call a value-addition trip.

There was so much to learn, there was so much to experience, yet the trip, in no way, demeaned the very essence and significance of what a trip means to the many who love to travel.

All in all, it will always remain somehwere deep down in my memory lane as a trip which I had always craved for.

Source for Image: http //destination360.com

New Place :)

The traveler in me is once again all set to take control of my persona and here I am wondering as to what would be my next destination.

If you are wondering why I am unable to decide upon a place to go to, its because of my current location, which in all senses of the word, is pretty much what I would to call a teaser location.

Why I say so is because Bareilly, as a city, is not very far from most of the tourist places that people like to go to. But the nature of the distances is such that it is not very near by as well, so the moment you think about going to a place, you end up getting caught in the where to and where not to query which never seems to have any kind of answer what so ever.

The options are plenty ranging from Rudrapur to Nainital and from Agra to Meerut. But there is some kind of reluctance on my part. This is happening to me for the first time as, me being me, I wouldn’t be giving it a second thought.

And guess what, I am ready to leave. New place, new destination, here I come

The Jugaadu’s Shaadi!

Every day is a new day. Every day is a new beginning. Every day brings along a new perspective. Every day, a new experience tends to hit you head on.

Have you ever appreciated the fact that each day in our life is a thing to really look forward to. Not many of us would have thought about it and for those who have, they might have just allowed this thought to cross their minds without leaving any kind of significant trace on the lanes of memory.

But one thing that always seem to leave a trace on our memories is the time that we spend with our near and dear ones, the time that we always tend to reminisce about, the time we would so wish to come back to us.

And one such occassion occured very recently in my life, the essence of which has been brought out by none other than saty:

“wahi shaam ki mohakta, wahi raahon ka ishaara,                                                             wahi ek manjil humari, wo shaant nehar ka kinara,                                                                kinare per goonjati bas hum doston ki aawajein,                                                              kuch khusion kuch gamon se bhari humari baatein,                                                           wo haseen pal banke anmol aaj fir mahak uthe,                                                                  wo panchi bichde mile to aaj fir chahak uthe“

Indeed, it was a night to remember, not because we did something extraordinary and out of the blue thing, but sheerly because of revisiting the connect that we all so wish to feel again and again and which seems to grow in leaps and bounds with every such opportunity.

Usually, there is isn’t any topic in particular, that we tend to focus on, but yesterday courtesy another very dear friend whom we all call jugaadu (because of the talent that only he possesses), we all ended up discussing jugaadu ki shaadi.
I wonder if the older generation did the same as we somehow end up doing every now and then, not many would have got married. It is amazing to see how things evolve over time and how the thought process tends to change with every generation assimilating and accomodating the newly evolved opinions and ideas.
It is true that deciding upon whom you would want to spend your entire life with, can indeed be a mindblogging decision, considering the inherent subjectivity involved in the whole process and also because the criteria of an ideal partner has changed over time.
Presumably, that was the reason why our ancestors left it as a matter of fate over which no one seems to have control over and which has already been decided by someone up there.
Whatever might be the sweet will of the Almighty, one thing that goes a long way in keeping up a healthy relationship with your better half and if I take the liberty of representing that one thing in the form of an equation, then it would go somewhat like this:
Healthy relationship = committment * compromise
The above is not a guarantee or a turn key solution to all woes encountered, but surely it can and will lead to maintaining a better relationship in times to come.
Marriages are indeed made in Heaven. The thing that needs to be done here on Planet Earth is to savour it the way it is supposed to be at the same nurture the very foundations of a healthy relationship.
Somehow all the jugaad tends to fail and only genuine efforts result in bonhomie and a successful relationship. I hope someone is listening .
Source of Image: http://engineersunit.blogspot.in/2011/06/love-and-arranged-marriages.html

How can you do that?

A little while back, I was browsing through some of my pics which I took while I was in Europe. It reminded me of a coversation that I had with one of my friends who is a French (whom I will call Frenchie from now on ) and he is currently living in Paris. If you are wondering why all of a sudden I decided to go back in my memory lane, it is because I just got a message on fb from frenchie inviting me for his marriage which will take place sometime in November.

Without really going into the details of the marriage , let me do tell you about this conversation that I had with him when I was in Paris.

“Hey, how is it possible for you guys to do what you end up doing?”—frenchie

“What do we end up doing, buddy?”—me

“Oh, how can you get married to a girl whom you have never met before or for that matter never had an opportunity to spend some time together?”—frenchie

“Well! That’s the case for the majority in India and its very much a part of the societal system that we Indians happen to be a part of. I guess, it comes very natural to us.”—

“Yaaa, I could never do such a thing. Comeon, it can turn out to be a disaster.”—frenchie

“Yes, there is a possibility, but then don’t you think the chance, if not equal, is still there when you end up marrying a person of your own choice, though the probability seems to be lesser as compared to that in case of an arranged marriage.”—me

“Hmm! I guess you have a point, else why would there be so many divorce happening around among the current generation in Europe.”–frenchie

“See, at the end of the day, what matters is whether you are able to maintain and nurture the compatibility which people believe tends to come on its own, but least to their expectations, it needs to be nurtured and a lot of effort needs to be put in, in order to ensure that the compatibility grows leaps and bounds, which is so essential for a harmonious and loving relationship.”—me

“But don’t you think you will be compromising in such a situation?”—frenchie

“It depends on how you want to perceive such an act. For some, it might look like a compromise, but for others it might just be a gesture to show how much one wants to be with another person and what all he or she is ready to sacrifice for the moments that they end up spending together as a part and parcel of their relationship.”—me

“Then what if it takes a toll on you and you realize that it has been you who has been putting all the effort without the other person reciprocating for the same. Don’t you think you will really get frustrated about the whole scenario?”—frenchie

“Yes, you might get frustrated. In such a situation you can take either of the two courses that I am about to tell you. One is: that you go by what the philosophers in the field of love have to tell you about love and that is to love a person selfishly without really worrying about the returns, which I agree might be too much to ask for from this pragmatic World of which we all happen to be a part of. Second is: you should talk to the other person and should try to convey what you might be going through and what expectations you might be having from your better half, and then try to sit together and resolve the issue amongst yourselves; which seems to be a more pragmatic course of action.”–me

“You should be a counselor man! What are you doing in this business school? “–frenchie

“Yaaaa! Totally! “—me

And that was the last conversation I had with him before leaving Paris. Today, he is in a relationship (already engaged) and guess what he is about to get married arrangedly.

It is true that it is a very rare phenomenon in Europe in contemporary times. But if you happen to come from one of the richest business families in Europe then it does come very naturally to you .

With the kind of persona, this man has, I have no doubts what so ever that by now he might have already mastered what I call the art of marriage and would be all set to put into practice the very same art.

I would take this opportunity to wish him from my side and from all of you out there who are reading this article : Wishing him and his better half all the very best for the future.

But guys out there, who are already married and who are yet to master this art, what are you all waiting for? Christmas! . Wishing all the married couples all the best on this journey of life where they would be trying to master this very ART OF MARRIAGE.

Source for Image: http://www.icmarriage.com/, http://vasukimahal.blogspot.in/2009/12/equality-between-men-and-women.html

The Unsung Intelligence!

How many times have you heard statements such as these: “are tum karti hi kya ho? mujhse poochon mujhe kya kya karna padta hai office mein.”

A very common monologue that you might have heard the men in our society iterate this to their better halves at every chance they get to demonstrate their superiority (at least this is the case for the majority of the families in India, I am not referring to the modern lot here, who might have been able to get rid of the monkey off their backs, explicitly if not implicitly).

Somehow, the paternalisitc society that we all live in tend to make the women in their respective families look very small, ignoring completely the significant contribution they have to make towards their families’ growth, in turn enhacing the well being of the family.

As a result, the women in our society tend to have a distorted self-image which in turn have a bearing on their confidence and personality.

As far as playing their respective part and role in a relationship is concerned, this is beyond doubt that they tend to give in much more than what their male counterpart has to offer.

Still, they don’t end up getting their due share of respect and appreciation that they so deserve. For those guys who think just the above, let me tell you that your conception about the value that your better half might be adding to your life is totally distorted.

From getting up in the morning and taking care of all the chores to making sure that everything gets done on time for you is not so simple as it might look to you. Those men who have had the opportunity to do all this for just a day would completely want to agree with me about the enormity of the task that I am talking about.

In all senses of the word, the women are the real managers of our country and society. If it was not for them doing the things that they do, we men would not be so happily doing our stuff.

And all this feat is unachievable without a competent and a proportionate level of intelligence. What ever you might want to call it, practical intelligence etc., women are truly very very intelligent human beings and they deserve a big applause for what and who they are.

Here is saluting the women in our lives who make us what we are. Three Cheers to Women!

Source for Image: http://edenchanges.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/give-advice-or-ideas-that-will-help-women-succeed-in-the-business-world/

Chaiwati ;)

“Coffee is coffee and tea is tea. Ki farak painda?”—Riksi

“ok….ye kahan se aaya!”—me

“Don’t you know I love tea?”—Riksi

“Of course I know. Isliye to aapka naam chaiwati rakkha hai “—me

That was how our conversation started just a couple of hours back and we ended up discussing the different kinds of tea available the World over, courtesy Riksi .

After the discussion, I realized how many people in this World, especially in India, are so addicted to tea/coffee that the drinks tend to follow them from womb to tomb.

The people have got so used to taking it in the morning that they won’t leave their cosy comforts of their beds without having a cup of the same. And when they manage to get back after a hectic day’s work, what they desire is another cup of tea or coffee.

This coffee/tea addiction has increased the demand of the same manifolds. Is it good or bad for the economy? Some would say who cares!

But when it concerns your health, I am sure you would be interested. A plethora of research has taken place, but nothing conclusive has come to the fore which can establish a cause-effect relationship, speaking scientifically.

Riksi says that it is refreshing, it curbs apetite, has anti-oxidants and is good for her.

Some would want to contradict her saying that it is addictive, might have headaches if you happen to get rid of the habit.

Whatever the truth, at the end of the day Riksi would like to conclude: “bandar kya jaane adrak ka swaad “

Source for Image: http://www.ozzibug.net/

 

Are we all Prepared?

Today I am going to tell you about the three dogs who have become very much a part of my life here in Bareilly. (I am sure Deo would love me talking about dogs ).

It seems as if they have descended upon this planet from three different galaxies altogether, representing three different colours. As you might have guessed by now, it was not very difficult giving them names: Snowy, Brownie and Bageera.
The locals here tell me that they belong to the same family with Bageera being the mother of the other two, though it is hard to imagine how this is possible unless we assume that polygamy is very much an acceptable norm amongst dogs.
They always seem to move together in a group. I can’t help but getting reminded of a movie from the elaborate list of movies that Karan Johar can be so proud of, We are a family.
They, in all senses of the word; dine together, move together and sleep together. The ecologists might explain it as a basic survival behaviour, but to a sociologist, it might seem to be much more than that. 
Whatever might be the interpretation of the dynamics that these three demonstrate, one thing is for sure and that is they always tend to bring a smile on my face whenever I am there amongst the green and am enjoying a morning walk.
They not only bring loads of joy but also remind me of some of the attributes of life which, once upon a time, were meant to bring out its very essence
The innocence that they seem to emit through their eyes is a very rare site to be found in today’s competitive World. The tit-for-tat behaviour and the back biting are just a couple of examples to elaborate what I just said.
The kind of satisfaction and content they tend to show is unmatchable considering the fact that today, we are all caught up in a rat race trying to undo the other for the want of materialistic pride and glory.
The kind of bonhomie and doghood they tend to reflect is a lesson to be learnt by each one of us, considering the recent exodus of the people of North-East from Bangalore and the ever rising conflicts between Hindus and Muslims.
The kind of ownership and loyalty they tend to have towards their territory, in this case, my house, is a lesson not only for our armed forces, but also for each and every citizen of our country who tend to migrate to another country in the search of, what else, but materialistic happiness, which tend to fade away once you are away from your family.
Sometimes, I wonder that there are so many things that we can learn from our very own nature and the billions of species that seem to share the space with us, humans.
In spite of that, we humans, are bent upon destroying the very foundations of our lives by adopting a consumerist pattern of living which is surely going to have a major impact on not only us but the entire gamut of living species present of this planet.
But the good thing is, that not all is lost. Things can still be made better through our very own efforts. Small things like switching of the lights and all the electrical appliances when not in use, or closing the tap when one is not using water, or going to the office in a pool etc. can contribute in a big way towards maintaining a lifestyle which in all senses of the word can be called sustainable.
The only question that needs to be asked is whether we all have that will and motivation to move over and above our constrained and materialistic approach towards life and adopt a more responsible attitude towards the same.
Source of Image: http://alldog360.blogspot.in/2011/09/photo-of-puppy-dogs-very-pretty.html , http://wmdramble.blogspot.in/2012/07/glacier-yarn.html

Still Deciphering!

Somehow the past couple of days flew by in a flash and here I am welcoming you all once again to what I would like to call a thought provoking but all time favourite topic that has and will continue to have an immense impact on not only me but the entire society of ours, whether we like it or not.

Philosophers have tried it, psychologists have also given their best to understand the behaviour and the emotions, but no one seems to have deciphered the practical application or predictability of the very form of emotion that we all tend to fall in love with.

Yes! I am talking about an emotion none other than love itself. Whenever I use this term or come across this 4 letter word, the first thing that seems to occupy my mind space is my very own brother who was named Lav a couple of decades back by my very dear grandparents, expecting that I will follow soon after .

But coming back to the romantic meaning of the term, I tend to get perplexed thinking about the whole process of falling (I wonder why not rising ) in love.

It all starts on the day when you meet someone from the opposite sex and get physically attracted to her/him. It could be anything ranging from liking some of the personality traits or attributes that the person might be emitting in the form of a halo created right at the back of his/her head to liking the mannerisms that the person seem to demonstrate in a social gathering.

The question that arises here is: Why is it then that it is called pure/true love? This can happen to anyone in any social gathering what so ever.

To some extent, yes! It can. Then what is it that differentiates the feeling of love from the casual attraction that might have occured in a one-off gathering?

In all probabilities it is the committment that one makes after falling in love with another person that seems to create that divide between falling for someone and spending one’s entire life with the same person.

Some of my friends who have already got married seem to be very unhappy about the fact that their chances of staring and wooing another girl have gone down the drain after getting married. They seem to suggest that boredom has begun to capture their lives and they seem to be caught in a cobweb with no reprieve to be found anywhere.

Indeed, it can be a miserable situation for people who tend to develop this kind of a thinking. After all, who doesn’t want to be a free bird? Who would like to shoulder all the responsibility if it were not not for the social norms?

Somehow, I feel the entire concept of getting married is losing its charm. Thanks to the thinking that our youth seems to be developing, the institution will soon meet its end, if effective and corrective measures are not taken.

Imagine, how our lives would have been, if we were deserted by our parents? Would I even be writing on this platform as a liberated individual or for that matter would I even be knowing how to write?

It is all because I was provided an opportunity to evolve as an individual that I am able to do all this. And all the credit for this goes to the ever intact family system that our country takes much pride in projecting the world over.

Some of you might be thinking that it is a hell lot of a task to accomplish the feat that our parents managed to pull off so beautifully. Trust me, it takes only a word to be able to emulate or even improve upon what our parents did.

Some might call it compromise but I would like to put it as DISCIPLINE.

We all need to be disciplined in life if we want to make it big. Then why ignore this aspect in, what according to me, is the most significant of things to have ever crossed your life!

It is very natural for a guy to get attracted towards another girl or vice-versa, even after being involved in a relationship. But such instincts need to be curtailed and curbed affectively, in order to ensure that our societal structure remains intact and is saved from disintegration.

So. can I take the liberty of defining love in an extremely crude manner as: ” the discipline imposed on the alternative competitive instincts”. THINK ABOUT IT!

Source for Image: http://lovequotesandmore.net/, http://yunuenth86.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/discipline-4/,http://www.macslocalbuys.com/2012/04/14/its-party-time/

Eiffel Love!

This one is dedicated to the picture that I just saw on fb of a very dear friend and his girlfriend.

After seeing the picture, I wonder how many girls and guys out there would have wished to do just the same in front of the ever-attracting Eiffel tower.

During my time in Paris, how much I had wished that I would become a part of the histroy by getting involved in the most wonderful of things that a man and a woman is capable of doing together.

Don’t get me wrong guys. Here, I am not playing with a pun. I am simply talking about a harmless kiss .

The first ever time I visited the Eiffel tower, to give me company was indeed a very pretty face but not by the name of Senorita.Though I felt happy that it was atleast Senorita’s better-half Rahul.
As much as I had wished to replace Rahul by a pretty face in town, I am sure he must have shared this same feeling with me. But as if God had plans for both of us.
No, we didn’t stop right there. We were meant to witness the most magnificent of views to have ever embraced this planet. We went right to the top of Eiffel tower by availing the service of the fastest ever lift of my life to have been working at such a height.
The scene was indeed a treat to the eyes. But what was more fascinating was to see a number of couples expressing their feelings towards each other which of course culminated in the thing that, by now, all you guys and girls out there might be contemplating of doing yourself.
While returning, where on one hand, everyone seemed to be a on a high; Rahul and me seemed to be expressing replica of a person who might have just returned home back from a shell-shock.
We both seemed to be in a state of meditation. As soon as our lift touched ground zero, it was as if we couldn’t bear it further and we had to take it out of our systems:
“Dude! I never wanted it to take place this way.”—Rahul
“Same here buddy! Why did you force me to do this?”—me
“Comeon! You were the one who wanted to go to the Eiffel tower.”—Rahul
“Ya! ok! But what made you come with me? You could have said no.”—me
“I thought that you needed me the most at this point of time. How can you blame me for helping you fulfill your need?”—Rahul
“Ok! chuck it! Let’s go into a bar and lose ourselves into the heaven which they call Paris .”—me
And that was it. We were no where to be found till late that very night. What followed thereafter will always remain a mystery . But one thing that I can always vouch for is:
“It is really worth it to do it right there on the top.”
So, all couples out there, what are you waiting for? Christmas .

Source for Image: http://nadiafaz.blogspot.in/2011/07/take-me-there.html