Pride and Prejudice.

There are some movies that unintentionally tweak places deep in your heart and make you think twice, about things you wouldn't have otherwise. Makes you look at people in your life in a way you never have before. Makes you look at yourself and your actions and reaction. Makes you account for everything. It's like a splash of ice cold water on your face to wake you up from deep slumber. And it's usually not the movie itself but just a part in it that you can completely relate with.
The movie that is responsible for causing all the trouble and turmoil is "2 States".
I know uncanny right. Believe me it's not the romance or love story or the mushy love stuff. The movie is no doubt an eye candy and filled with cliches that you are bound to expect in a romantic movie. But it's not the cute and cuddly stuff at all that tweaked my emotions. It's the father-son relationship, that is portrayed so beautifully and ingeniously acted on by talented Ronit Roy who nailed the character.
For most parts it's a strained relationship where the son doesn't talk to father for their past rifts and his father's temper and dominance and demons of the past. Though the father triesmany times, in his own stiff manner, to communicate with his son. But the son won't have any of it till very end where his father does something so unexpected that proves his love.

Watching the character of father unravel, I realize how similar the situation is with me and my father. Now don't get me wrong I love my father but for most parts we have a strained relationship. And I have had always blamed his temper, blatant opinions and dominating character, until today. I realized that I am no better. Infact for most parts I am rude, insolent and bratty. I can see that he tries to be less of all those things, tries to communicate in his own way. He is not a man to show emotions quickly and open up. His emotions are camouflaged by his blunt manner but they hold a truth in them. The truth that I would rather not hear. I realized he tries but I don't. And isn't it the story of our budding generation? Don't deny it.
Our parents are not molded to accept the new ways easily. They are rigid. They have had their experiences. It's difficult for them to change. But they try in their ways. But do we? Do we try to understand them? Why does it feel like we are walking on tight rope while talking to them? If they can try, can't we make an effort to expand the rope into a walkway to accommodate both? Because an undeniable naked truth is they love you and always will and in moments when you need them the most they will be there. And you too love them, no matter how much you think you hate them in the heat of moment.

Here's another thing. The above just doesn't apply to parent-children relationship, but every relationship. Not everyone can open up and do things or say things that you expect them to. Not everyone can show emotions. Not everyone is moulded equally. But that doesn't mean the emotions aren't there. They have their own way of showing it, doing unexpected things. Little as they might be it's a big thing for them to do. It's just the way they are. And only if we can see the little things, the little efforts, Only if we could keep our eyes open we would see how wonderful they are. Try to understand the other person. Do your part because believe it or not they are doing theirs, in their unique ways.

Say sorry. It won't hurt your ego as much as it would salve the hurt of the other.

Smile. Not only is it free it make you look good.

Say thankyou. You never know if you might get another opportunity to be thankful.

Love but don't expect. Keeps you much happier.

Life is simple. Keep it that way.

Movie Review : Dark Knight Rises

A tribute to Christopher Nolan’s Epic Masterpiece – The Dark Knight Rises
(Now I am an avid fan of Christopher Nolan’s movies.. but I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible and give this amazing rare breed of a director, who makes movies for his own creative fulfillment while never leaving the epic cinematic sense that has gotten a pop culture following, a well deserve ovation.)

The Dark Knight Rises begins years from where The Dark Knight ended and what follows is a piece of cinematic perfection. The first hour of movie is a slow steady buildup for a journey to doomsday and that when the movie takes a breathtaking pace. The Doomsday in itself is one of the best visual representation of the worst a society can get.

Where The Dark Knight, though a great movie in itself, left us with a sense of gloom at the end, this installment is full of surprises and definitely leaves you with an awed expression while leaving the movie theatre. And yeah the vehicles at disposal of batman are an art in themselves. (And damn, if I wouldn’t want that bike for me!)

Christopher Nolan’s mastery not just the strong story and direction but also lies in his characters. Each character has depth and a story of their own. Our Batman himself is not ever-present but deals a battle with himself; his darkness, his fight with his will and power and fear or lack there of, his self destructiveness.

This is a must watch movie and not just once. Even if I know all the surprises there lies for the viewers I wouldn’t miss to see the story unfold again and again.

Movie Review: The Pianist (2002)

To watch hands flying over keys of piano, as they play Nocturne C sharp major op. Posth by Chopin, in the pivotal scene in the movie. And I mean literally flying...the flick of wrist and finger so quick and light at some points and sharp thrusts on other. It was mesmerizing. Only love for the instrument and music can creat such an effect, really.

I would have loved to say the whole movie is about music. But it's not. Though music is the major part of it. Its an account of a Jew Polish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman, a pianist from Warsaw, who survived the holocaust. For those who want to compare it with other holocaust movies like Schindler's list, don't. It's not a hero's tale. It's a survivor's account. The only things common in both movies are the gruesome acts of German so vividly brought to our sight; and that both are based on true stories. But here, there is no hero.

The movie is about how our protagonist survived merely due to shear luck and a lot of help from many friendly but also some unexpected sources. For some it might seem that some parts are detached from emotion but what Director Roman Polanski, himself a holocaust survivor, wants to portray is that most of the survivor did survive mostly by hiding, wandering off from places to places and because of help and support of friendly sympathetic hands. Their survival is not a hero's account because they had lived, carrying the knowledge that their loved ones died, and they couldn't do anything but live with the weight of it all their lives. His own experience and attachment to the horrific war is brought out elegantly in his work in movie. Adrien Brody's acting as Szpilman is commendable. He makes the character most believable.

The background score for most parts is best of Maestro Chopin's work, as Szpilman was known for his work on Chopin's compositions. They form the most key moments of the movie.

The Waiting Room

A common room. A place where all the stranded try to while away the time... waiting for the ever-so-late train.. A place where i learnt a lesson on life and choices.

Waitng... waiting... waiting..

I see an old couple, waiting just like I am. The man sitting, reading the news paper, and the wife sprawled, not in an undignified manner, besides her husband, her head on his lap.

I see other people. Many sleeping. And why not? Its 4 am after all!

Others, just like me, killing time...

But my eyes keep wandering off to this particular couple. Keeps tracking their movements if they change places. There is nothing special about them, really. Both in their early 70's, bedraggled just as we all are.

But it is what the old man said to us earlier that keeps repeating in my head like a broken record.

"God bless you", he'd said before leaving. "God bless you!" Again and again. Just the 3 words.. and shame fills me. Suffocates me.

You see we all are travellers, travelling to and from great distances, stranded here in this waiting room , waiting for our trains. Stranded and waiting, trying to make a haven out of this crowded place for those few hours.

Finding a seat just to sit, even at 4 am is a difficult task. We were lucky enough that a family just vacated their sanctuary for the waiting hours, as we arrived. We were even lucky enough so that two of us could sleep, leaving the other two to play guard-dogs.

As we settled in our new santuary this same couple trotted towards us asking for place to sit. Had i been the one sleeping i would have immediately sat up and made a place for them to sit. Not because i'm a model citizen but because they were as bedraggled as we were and looked very tired. I know what state they were in. Been there, done that stuff. But it was my cousin and my aunt who were sleeping. One awake all night, vomitting all the contents of any food that we had eaten and other tending to him.

The old man tried to reason with my uncle to give them place to sit. My uncle (at any other given time a your-most-model-citizen when it comes to doing what is right) retorted with a somewhat rude... "we have travelled long distance. just leave us alone" jesture. After a few exchange of words and a bit of glaring (and coaxing by the old lady to her husband "to let them be"), the old couple had to leave. But not before letting us know exactly what he felt of our model citizenship and humanity.

"You would let an old couple stand so that you young people could sleep comfortably?" --silence-- "God bless you"

And he left.

He was ofcourse right. But when it comes to that, the choice between our family and strangers is not really that difficult, is it? Even if our family is wrong. Right?

But shame on us. You see because the same old couple after trying a while finally got two sofa's and tried to take a nap till their train arrives. One on each sofa. but when another stranded passenger came along, the old man immediately sat up and gave him place to sit. I am sure if it was his wife sleeping he wouldn't have asked her to sit up and provide place for a complete stranger to sit. Or may be i'm wrong because you never know how people react when it comes to family or following principles of life. I can never guess nor would i try to. I know we made our choice. But thats life. Its all about choices, and right or wrong doesn't matter when it comes to family. But the incident still leaves me with shame and now i think does the choice we make really matter?

Replubic day

Its Replubic day!!!
For our Government its a very important day.. Why? Because our constitution was formed..the Assembly met... in sessions... for 166 days, which were, by the way, spread over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution....yadi..yadi..ya.. and so and so forth... it was "finally" finalised today as 26th January, about 61 years earlier...
So all in all a very big day for our "Gorvernment"- 'By the people, for the people'
And yet the "people" don't even know what the hell government does. Atleast most of us don't. Neither do we care much. For "us" common people, its a mere Holiday. Well apart from the part where we hoist our flag in honor of...
Of what?
Well no one really gives a thought.. besides... 'now i'm gonna go home, rest, watch TV... do "stuff".'
So over all today symbolises...
For grown up - holiday, rest, TV... hit a mall may be
For kids - No school..hurray!, miniature flags waving in small hands or pinned to clothes, and total oblivious of the "republic day"
But for me... its nostalgia!!!
Oh it has nothing to do with Republic. Neither did i know then nor do i know now what's it mean...
Call me unpatriotic! immoral!
May be... but hey i'm just a face amongst most others.
My nostalgia is for this very day we spent at school and it takes me back...

I hear shuffling feet...innumerous feet.
I look down...what i see is canvas copper brown colored shoes.. worned, a bit tattered at the edges.. the rubber soles and tips peeling due to all that running around...dusty with typical copper red soil of school grounds.
The ground it self so dusty due to all the loose, same copper red soil.
Much of that soil has settled on my socks. They are new. Just bought a month ago or so.. so the elastic isn't worn and all lose and rolling off to curl at ankles, as does for many feet when i look around.. All in all, they seem like small pillars of brown boots and socks in two shades darker than soil...but all are soiled, shuffling, impatient, tired from hours of standing, feet raising small clouds of dust.
I can hear the speaker going on and on about country and constitution. But i'm not listening and i know i'm not the only one.
The ground seems increasingly interesting and i draw small circles in soil with my feet.
More dust rises and now its on my well-ironed biscuit-colored tulip, as well.
I fidget with the crimsom tie rolling it on my finger. It has red cross lines and red school symbol. "Red house".
I look around. We are arranged according to standards-divisions-houses in that order ascendingly.
Five standards. Four divisions in each standard. Four houses - red, green, blue, yellow, in each division.
But from here, all i can see is a sea of heads. I have to tip-toe to even see the stage.
Drum rolls and parade marches.
Every head turns around.
I can hear them march but can't see, since, like me, everyone is tiptoeing now. So I quit my efforts and turn my attention back to the stage. I know I'll see them in front, which I do!
I see them march, a bit unco-ordinated but in unison they come to a halt in front of the stage.
And now the big event... Flage hoisting! The fun part being, seeing the flag hoister stumbling on the cords and somehow managing to tangle it even more, than untangling it.. After about 10 mins into this he finally manages, not without help, to finally raise the flag and it unfailingly flies with the wind as if they belong together!!!

They are not good memories or bad.. but they are memories among all the innumerous ones we fail to remember. These are the ones i remember and i associate. After all isn't that what everything falls back to. Remembering the day constitution came in to existence. Remembrance!!!

Kids are kids!

Have you ever observed kids? They have an amusing way of reverting back from a phase or a mood so quickly, like Jack in the box?! It's amusing! Uncanny even!

There goes an impish little kid, happily galloping away, aiming to leap over the super low brick hardly-can-be-called-a-wall divider. And... Thwamp!...he goes down sprawling... For a moment he just stays like that, still and silent... and then starts the wailing... And God! what a racket! How can such a petite little thing make such a lot of noise defies logic? Though, besides the wailing he is still not moving much. So I go there and try to get him wobbly on his feet. The wailing subdues a bit. Thank goodness, for that! This close to the source of all that racket, I might as well be at a risk of damaging my hearing.
So he wobbles, a bit unstably, wiping tears and smearing his face with dirt in the process... and just like that... in what seems like a part of a minute.. his face brightens and he shoots off, galloping towards the nearest just vacant swing, like nothing ever happened. And now he is swinging away merrily with such a vigour that he might as well be falling off again.
Like I said, uncanny!

A ray of light…

Like a ray of light through dark rain clouds, the best part of my whole tiring day was my visit to my school. Well when we are in school we never really realize its importance to us. And I don’t mean it in the way by imparting-education-which-helps-us-in-life-ahead-of-school. No not that way, however true it maybe. But I mean it emotionally. It is the place where you belong, where you can relate to, to which you can look back. Now I know you must have heard this a lot many times and I really can’t hold you guilty for being bored. But if you have to decide…

This is the day when I had to go to school to get some documents attested. Frankly speaking I was really nervous and excited. The person who was in my school and knew Lorna Demello only would understand why. As I entered my schools vicinity I was welcome with a welcoming smile from one of my teachers, Arpita teacher to be specific. Which helped to perk me up a bit. And as I entered the premises I was really welcome to my school by a clerk Satish mama’s warm, hearty, joking laugh.

But it was just not him, all the staff from my school recognized me. It was really a welcome to me. And the best part was that I didn’t even have to meet Lorna Demello, teacher, though I would have mind it after that.

After that though my whole day was really hectic and really, really tiring, I think the nostalgic memories kept me going on.

It just makes me laugh and now a little embarrassed, when I think about the time, I had once said to my friend. I was really enraged at my school’s inhumanity to call us all early at 7.00 am to give our respects to the national flag on the Independence Day. I said, to quote in my exact words “I so hate this school. Calling us so early in the morning! What do they think they are going to achieve? When I get out of here forever I’m never going to look back! Oh I can’t wait to get out of school and go to college!”

My friend totally agreed with me. Now I could easily give a good reason that I was groggy and infuriated. But that would just be a totally childish and relatively ignorant reason.

Today I don’t know about her but I know that now I regret saying it. Cause I know the only truth is when I look back after a long, hard, tiring, day, when I’m totally void of any strength, the only thing that really makes me smile is the smiles on familiar faces from school, my school.

Life or something like that!

It has happened yet again! I can’t believe it! It has been happening a lot these days. Again here I am slouched on my couch surfing the idiot box called “Television” (expressed by some as a visionary accomplishment of “man”. Till now I must have gone through all ninety-nine channels at least twice and yet could not find any program that could retain my eyes more than a minute. Actually the radiation from the screen is starting to hurt my eyes. Now for the third time I have switch to channel 66 ‘The History channel’ a discovery of ‘The Discovery channel’. I don’t know what they are showing but I can see lady dressed in the late 50’s style drinking what I assume to be tea. Hmm, that makes me wonder how can she drink with her lips so tightly pursed, a mystery that is difficult for me to decipher.

I finally decided to settle down with “The Gossip Girl”, watching it again for the second time in two days. Hey I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy the program. It is, I must say quite enlightening as to the lifestyles of uptown New Yorker’s. (Especially the hot guys they feature)

It is Saturday and I can’t believe that I have spent all my day just reading and sleeping. Though I didn’t have any plans for today (not that I always have any) I still sometimes end up doing something good and almost worthwhile but most of the time just doing exactly that I did today – nothing! Is my life ever going go past reading and sleeping all Saturday?

But I guess right now and for sometime hence the above question is just rhetorical.

Hence I sit down with yet another ‘visionary accomplishment of man’ and decide to type my emotions out on the very MS word, a savior of the bored.

It may seem that I’m droning and that I don’t enjoy my life at all, well though it is true up to some degree, it is not entirely that way. I just had the best Diwali ever in past 7 years. And not only that, but after three days of complete contentment of the vagabond side of mine, I had yet another opportunity to spend the day with my closest family members in a days trip to a temple. We did what all families tend to do on such a day picnic – traveling, taking photos in my not-so-newly acquired digital camera, which is one of my treasures, made fun of each other, discussion (especially it was most apparent in between my mother and my aunt. They were so involved in their conversation, both talking at the same time that I completely lost track of the subject, not that I bothered to keep update with them). The above all activities also include getting us completely tired by the end of the day.

However fun the trip/ trips might be in times to come you tend to forget all that. It is the same reason why I chose to put it in words (thought I cannot put everything in word. I guess some emotions are best left unexpressed.), so that whenever I look back, at times I’m sad or otherwise, I have an opportunity to remember and get contentment, however momentary it might be!

Pensive

“Breathe in”….Shnnn….. “breathe out”…..whoooossh….. “deeper breaths”……shnnnnnnnnnn…….. “hold your breath” ….. Head-rush …. “let it out slowly” ……. Whhoooooooosshh “concentrate. If you concentrate hard enough you’ll be able to hear your heart beat. Let your self lose…. your too stiff…. Concentrate”

The multiple instructions weren’t making the job exactly easy. Not only can I not concentrate but all the trying just made me nauseous. It also gave me a splitting headache.

“Concentrate on a point between your eyes” the yoga instructor voice rang through my ears. But which point to concentrate on. There were so many points in between my closed eyelids which were the sole result of all the concentration.

“loosen your body. You’ll feel calm” she persuaded on. I had no idea how to loosen up. I was concentrating on my breathing. I took a long breath in… held it a moment…. let t it out slowly. The result was a long raspy let out of air through my nose. Why was it so difficult? Wasn’t breathing the simplest and most natural thing to do? The only thing that man knows with out learning it! And yet hear was I trying to learning it and apparently doing a bad job at it. With every breath I took instead of calming myself my heartbeat raced and I felt that I had just ran a mile or a cute guy had just given me a BSAAW ‘big-smile-and-a-wink’. I thoroughly regretted my decision of joining yoga classes. The only reason I had done so was to help myself concentrate in my studies and maintain a so called equilibrium with my body and mind and all that the yoga instructor had promised us to get. Already three classes had come and gone and I felt exactly, if not worst for putting so much money in learning yoga, like before I joined the classes.

“Empty your mind of all thoughts” the instructor went on with out consideration. How was I supposed to do that?! Try by stop talking in your mind. That would be a start. This contradicting thought hit me so suddenly that I let out a loud laugh. But only before I realized that I couldn’t do so in yoga class. To hide my laughter I faked a cough. The resultant was that I succeeded in steering half the class off their concentration.

After a few unsettling moment and stern glares from my instructor that cleared all doubts in my acting ability, I settled down and resumed my task of breathing. The unsettling moment had some how relieved my stress and breathing was easy. I almost felt calm. Then came my instructor’s voice “Concentrate” and I knew somehow even with my eyes closed the remark was pointed towards me in a subtle attempt to rebuke me. So I did. Concentrate I mean. And then started all my previous problems over all again. My breaths came raspy and uneven and my heart race violent. There was no rhythm in my breaths as my instructor said there should be.

Then some thing happened…

“Try not to concentrate so much. I can actually see the nerves on your forehead. Relax” Huh? That was not my instructor’s voice. This voice was much calmer, softer and mature. I opened my one eye to peak as to who dared to talk in yoga class except the instructor and disturb the silence. But now that I wasn’t trying to concentrate on my breathing I realized that the room wasn’t exactly silent. When the instructor was silent the room was filled with un-rhythmic intake and let out of breaths of my classmates. I also realized that I was not the only one whose breaths were raspy. Some were even worst. That gave me such a relief. I finally saw who the voice belonged to. He must be 60 or so years old, a scrawny man but with a calm face and calm demeanor, almost as calm as his voice. In fact every thing about him was calm. Looking at him some how calmed me. He had bright eye though grey with age. I realized I was staring at him but I didn’t look away. He however didn’t seem to realize it or at least didn’t mind it. He again talked to me softly as I acknowledged him.

“You are trying too hard. Don’t concentrate so hard.”

“But the instructor said to concentrate.”

“Well the instructor is not really doing a good job then” That almost made me smile. He smiled too and urged me again “Just breath as you simply would. Don’t think about breathing. Breathing itself becomes a task if you concentrate on it. Instead think about some place that makes you feel good, like mountains, beaches…”

Yeah right now I was getting instructions from an old person I hardly know.

“I know I have no right to tell you. But I got old with experience. It is a package that comes free with old age.” And he smiled. Does he read minds?

“No one can read minds.” That took me back completely “Huh!”

“But one can read faces.” Does my face show all that much?

“People can only hide and mend the expressions on their face when they are aware and prepared. But no one is prepared all the time.” He was really freaking me out now.

“Listen to me. Think about some place you feel calm and comfortable.” I did listen to him. I thought of what place made me feel comfortable. Many suggestions sprang in my mind. Mountains, trees, grassy bed… then a picture rose in front of my closed eyes, a picture from one of the chapters from my 10^th grade English study book. An image of a boy lying on his back below a growing cherry tree, looking up at the sky through a leaves of the small tree, seeing it move ever so slightly in the wind, feeling the contrasting feel of light breeze and soft sunrays that dare to pass through the leaves of the cherry tree. I imagined myself in place of the boy. And guess what for first time in three classes I actually felt calm and gone to another place. A place that I had only formed through the writer Ruskin Bond’s writing and made it in to a place so real.

I realized something that day. If you try too much and too hard to achieve something, it will come to you eventually. But it might not always be worth the effort. Instead sometimes it is better to let it go and let it come to you on its own accord.

A Vanity Fair

Well what can I say my story always starts with my growing up days. They were difficult and my parents didn’t do much to help it either. Now don’t get me wrong I absolutely love my parents. They weren’t the most perfect parents but they did all in their capacity to be one. Thought it was precisely this factor that made them not so perfect. But they did good. I’m well off at least till now though I’m still living on their bread.

But it is not that what is I’m here to tell about. It is the fact that growing up wasn’t easy for me. I wasn’t the most accepted person in a group and I only had a few good friends which I’m proud to say are still my good friend till today though a few are long distance relationships now. But I never really made good friends after that for a few years since. It was in this period of time that I thought that making friends was all about looking good to people. Though I still cherish the idea my perspective is changed a bit.

Then it was about how I look. Face! It is all that mattered. You look good you make friends. Hence whichever friends I made then only lasted a year or so and now I know that it was because they shared the same view as me. I am not proud about thinking so, but I was insecure and vulnerable then and well wasn’t that good looking. I was stubby child with thick glasses and carried a very nerdy look as you can well imagine. But I see now that not much has changed from then and now. I’m still that insecure, vulnerable, not so stubby girl with not so thick glasses.

And though it is not about looking very attractive anymore it is still about looking good. It is about poise. It is about communicating at a comfortable level. And about thing that I just cannot seem to do. Yes I do have a very few good friends still it is because I can be myself with them and they can be themselves with me. But with the world outside mine I’m still trying in vain to fit in. It is but a continuous pursuit to fit in this Vanity Fair.

Log entry 24, 25 Jan 2008

Log entry - January 25, 2008

Fact of life: It doesn’t forget to give you certain unforeseen shocks now and then.

Things I learned today:
1) “I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one.” - Mark Twain.
2) When good things do cross your way out of the blue, do not lose an opportunity to enjoy them in full. You don’t know when they might come to you again.
3) It is only in difficult times that you realize how selfish you can be.
4) People that are elder to you in age and those whom you work for have an advantage of our respect and fear, respectively, to make us do their in convenient duties (in other words to clean up the mess they had created.)

Log entry - January 24, 2008

Fact of life: Life gets difficult everyday.

Things I learned today:
1) The person that gives you hard times at work place will make sure he does it everyday. That person is normally your boss.
2) If he promises you a certain challenging work besides tolerating him, he makes sure you remember, “Promises are meant to be broken.”
Just goes to prove that Oscar Wilde was right in saying, “The only way I can keep a promise is by not giving one.”

January 23, 2008

Fact of life: Life is difficult.

Things I learned today:
1) Things don’t come easily in life. But if they do the 1st time, it does not mean that they will the next time. It just means that first time you were lucky.
2) Where as “Patience” comes in abundance, especially in banks.
3) It is not always that the same person will give you hard time at work place.
There are others.


My motto of life: SSDD: Same shit, different day.

Just a situation

Just think about such a situation...

One blow, momentary blackness, splitting headache, persistent bump and a threatening scare is enough to show the sinister side of too much usage of cell phones. Especially when you walk straight into the wall without ever intending to do so. Oh and don’t forget to count in the complete sabotage to dignity when such an act is witnessed by populace. All this! just because of the wonders of instant messaging service.
Oh don’t worry none of this has happened with me but does not mean it can’t happen. And considering the feasibility of the situation, in some cases, such an incident most likely has already happened.

My encounter with the rat kind...

Rodent especially rat are the most unlikely beings on this earth that I ever will like. And from my experience with them you definitely can’t blame for not liking them and their kind. First of all they are messy and cause the most population. Did you know that the ratio of rats to a person is almost 3:1? Which means that for every person on this earth there are three rats. Which also means that rat population is thrice as much. Just thinking about them gives me the creeps.
Second of all, I don’t think they are as intelligent as they are portrayed in movies (specifically in Mouse Hunt). Because if they were smart they wouldn’t just walk in the traps as they usually do. Well some might turn up to be exceptions.
Thirdly they really don’t like us. I can’t blame. The feeling is mutual. But as I said there are exceptions because my mother had taken liking for this small rat, who apparently had taken liking for Complan-the energy booster (milk mix). But still it had to go. It died because its head got caught in the trap. Not a pretty site at all. Can you imagine my mother also shed a few tears for it? Well my mother can be very sentimental.
In our religion it is bad omen to kill a rat. Since it is supposed to be our God’s pet. (In reality a rat is supposed to be the vehicle of Lord Ganesha.) I must say (though I didn’t believe in the omen stuff) it did turn out to be a bad omen for my brother, who killed a rat that had taken residence in our attic. It turned out that this rat had a partner (spouse I suppose) who took his vengeance against my brother by chewing off the wire of the keyboard of his computer and completely disabling the speakers before dying. And the latest foolishness of the ratkind was when it took swimming, for a change, in a bucket of water as early as four in the morning, without taking prior lessons. What did it think itself to be - a dog? The idiot made it easy for us to flush it down the toilet.

My Great Escape…

My Great Escape…

Someone (now I don’t remember who) once said that to become a good writer you should always write what you see and experience. So here’s what I have experienced. I’ll call it more like sharing a good tip.

I was already very late for my classes. And since I just had been through an awful examination, the experience of which still painfully lingered on my mind, I could not accept any more unpleasant delays. So I had to run and board the first train that arrived on the platform at all costs. Well, I had thought “all costs” before I intentionally got on the first class coach but I guess I hadn’t given it a literal thought.
Here’s what actually happened, and a good a tip to all readers, for when you’re in as desperate situation as I was when the T.C unpleasantly welcomed me on board.

Here is what you should do (and I did) when the T.C. (from here forth referred to as ‘ “IT”- the monster’.)
Firstly: Don’t fumble in your bag much. Just make sure you at least have your second-class pass (No that does not help much. May be just a little.)
Secondly: Look for the moment when “it” is trying to catch another person who is in same situation as you are (though a bit more worst might help a lot). And if you cannot find such a situation then, God Help You!
Now this is the most important part - Grab the moment to show “it” your (Second-class) train pass.
Lastly: While doing so hold your pass in the way that would exactly cover the letters second-class on your pass. (It would help a lot if your destination is near.)
And if the probability for the odd happening (which wholly depends on your luck) is high i.e. if you are lucky enough and everything goes as per above, you might even walk off without being caught, just like I did.

Disclaimer: The above is not purely fiction. But if you want, or as the case might be, have to employ the above tip for real, the above all the conditions to the situation must be true, for you to successfully come out of “the situation” without suffering a financial loss.