When Guys cry, Song of the Year and Related Stuff

             Guys can be really sentimental too. Its a trait frequently associated with the fairer sex but its a MYTH!. I know tonnes of guys who start snivelling at the drop of a flower. The guys reading this right now, would be like 'Oh,Yeah!. and would have started flexing their fingers to try throttling yours truly if they could ever get their hands on me. (As if you could!). Cutting the crap now, I am talking about a VERY well-known and VERY-well disguised thing. 

              Guys cry! Now stop calling me a twat and continue reading further, if its possible Mr. Macho.We guys hide this fact for a reason, for THE SIMPLE REASON that we look ridiculous when we do so. Not just ridiculous, Plain Ugly!. If you dont agree with what I say look no furthur, scroll down.

Check out how cute girls look when they cry.. :(  (I can already start feeling sad, as I am typing this!)

                 While girls look adorable when they cry, that you just want to go and hug them and say everything is alright; when a guy does the same, he becomes the root of all the bugging for the week. Its so unfairly tuned into our genetic makeup that girls cry with so much poise,charm and dignity while guys look as if we need to take a poo break.

Want proof?!! Check out these pretty faces when we do bawl...

         I am a guy who is the farthest away from a typical sniveller, all with the way I look with the unruly mop of frizziness that I call my hair, unshaven beard and the brainless crap I keep on blabbering about all the time. But, its a BARE fact that a lovely song, a stunning sunset or a touching movie scene can send my tear glands into full throttle and a Jekyll-Hyde situation unfolds turning this hardy guy into a snivelling 'lass'.(Hint of a sexist here, Bitch Please!.) 

         The fact is that I listened to a song while I was in front of my workspace and 'immersed' in work(Read FBing) when my Philips GoGear(Ya, there are other good music players too, you rotten 'Apple's out there) started playing this blissful song. 'Phir Le Aaya Dil' from that very acclaimed lovely, funny, cute(I am running short of adjectives here) movie 'Barfi!'. 

Oh Barfi!.. Loved it!

       Keeping things short,the song just blew me away. It struck a chord somewhere deep inside that I stopped doing everything else and just sank into the melody of that song. For me, the most important aspect of a song is its soul. If the singer can relate to the soul of the song and render it from his heart, it becomes so much more than just a song. It transcends the earthiness and grows into something blissful,something magical. And in the case of this song, it did just that.

         Great work by Pritam Chakraborty who seemed to have fortunately grown tired of endlessly lifting songs from foreign languages and mindlessly 'remix'ing them with synthesised beats. Swanand Kirkire who penned the scintillating lyrics and Arijit Singh, who sang it gloriously made it the song of the year for me.

Arijit Singh

Pritam-Back with a Bang!

Here is the song for those who haven't heard it. Awesomeness is an understatement.

       I am also a member of the above mentioned, men-who-cry-club. As  a result, without meaning to and inspite of all my great endeavours to stop the tears from straddling down my cheeks and puffing up my face, I started crying. And as luck would have it, the bloody idiots with whom I share office space noticed it and I became the butt of  all the jokes for today. I know for a fact that you sorry-asses also do the very same thing but hey!, that's not macho. Macho!..MY foot. Here is one post for all those sentimental guys who cry out there. We rock because we are the natural ones, who have no pretensions. We laugh when we feel like lauging and we cry when we..ummm!..listen to a song. Ahem!

P.S. And  to answer the question as to  why am I posting this now- Sugar induced high because of the extremely sugary double Nescafe I just drank.

The taste that keeps me going now!.. NESCAFE!

P.P.S I keep on wondering how in the blazes did Pritam came up with such a delightful soundtrack. Of all people Pritam,Seriously!

Melbourne - The Start of his Cricketing Journey

The Uber Modern Metropolis- Melbourne where tradition and modernity walks hand in hand

The sun was idly floating over the placid waters of the pristine Yarra in the city of letters, Melbourne. There was something oddly disconcerting about such a calm, languorous vision bang in the middle of the ultra-chaotic streets of the Uber-modern Metropolis. But for young Abhinav Trivedi, it was mysteriously comforting. For him, the day of reckoning has very nearly come to pass. Having been fast-tracked into the International squad on the background of a heavy run-scoring marathon in the Domestic Cricket scenario, and then translating his unbridled talent into a complete symphony on the cricket field, across all the three departments of the game, he truly deserved the break that any 21 year-old cricketer in the country could only dream about -opening the batting for his country in the Boxing Day Test of India's Tour Down Under.

The Hallowed grounds of The MCG

The multitude of emotions he was experiencing and the painstaking anticipation of the moment that he had been hoping to experience for all his playing years now seemed to be weighing him down, drowning him. The restlessness and the jitters were the main reason why he quietly missed the optional team gym workouts that morning and skip down from the posh Melbourne Marriot hotel, where the team was staying and experience the sights and sounds of the beautiful city all by himself, after informing his supportive coach, the legendary southpaw whom the cricketing world calls Dada. He was never much of a show-boy material like his flashy team-mate Virat Pathak who was a poster-boy for brand endorsements; he was more of a man with his work cut-out, banking on the huge reserves of his self- belief and immense talent to propel him from the humble beginning that he started from, to finally realize his ultimate pride of representing his Nation. So, when his captain and idol MSD came near him, clapped him on his shoulders and told him ‘Son, instead of Virat you are pairing with Viru on Boxing Day, it’s your time to visit Melbourne NOW’ , he could hardly stymy the torrent of tears forming in his deep, expressive eyes. It was hard to believe that all this happened just two days back and in less than 24 hours he would be making his debut in the hallowed grounds of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

He knew that what he wanted then and there was a release- a total escapade from the maddening pressures and requirements of the modern day game and what better way there is, than to sink into the paradise at hand. He always loved travelling and exploring new places. So this short alone-time gave him the perfect go forward to channelize the free-spirit in him, reflect on himself and also explore the cosmopolitan charm of throbbing city of Melbourne- vibrant in spirit, elegant in its old-worldly appeal and charismatic in its outlook.

Hot Air Ballooning across the sunny skies overlooking the behemoth skyscrapers

He had been at it for some hours exploring in great detail every nook and corner shopping for trinkets and souvenirs for loved ones back home , walking through the famous Melbourne’s alleys and cobbled lanes; complete with its unique street art, extreme skateboarders and aboriginal musicians with their soulful renditions and in some cases their foot-tapping numbers. He had been so overwhelmed by the sheer number of the towering skyscrapers and for a small-town boy like him a journey over the magnificent city, overlooking these behemoths in a hot-air Balloon was one of a sheer unbridled child-like joy. The jolly rides down the pristine green suburban areas with their manicured parks and breathing spaces, in the popular tram service reminded him of those rare childhood trips to Kolkota with his beloved Papa and it only enforced him with the necessary fortitude to give it his all on D-Day.

Melbourne- The Mecca of Street Art 

He loved Victorian Architecture and the city was like ambrosia to him with its oriental charm intermingling with its suave and chic modernistic approach to design. The buildings that remarkably caught his fantasy were the super tall Eureka Tower and the Rialto Towers. The former gives a bird’s eye view of the entire Central Business District where the bulk of the activity was centered around. The CBD and surrounds also contains many significant historic buildings such as the Royal Exhibition Building, the Melbourne Town Hall and Parliament House which really appealed to the art lover in him.

Bird's eye view of the Central Business District from the Rialto Towers

The sheer joy associated with exploring the culture and cuisine completely alien to his appealed to him. In the flow of the pure magic unfolding before him, he wasted not a minute in hopping into a cab and rushing to the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Museum which according to his amiable cab-driver was an ‘Osum place, Mate!’ During the 20 minute drive he really opened up with Matt, the driver who, so unlike the typical Aussie, was not a cricket junkie and was rather an Australian Rules football and Hewitt-fanatic. (It was with a certain respect that he pointed out the Rod Laver Arena!).He made a general observation that Aussies in general and Melbourne-ites in particular are a very passionate and appreciative lot once you give them enough reason to respect you. They love their shopping(Queen Victoria Market-their answer to CP) and their theatres which mainly includes the Victorian Arts Centre, the Melbourne Recital Centre, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Princess Theatre, Palais Theatre and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.

Where modernity gazes at the pristine waters of the Yarra

Every minute that he opened up to the soul of the city, unknowingly he was opening up his consciousness and becoming a totally different person with a wider perspective and a profound understanding of the things around him giving him a clarity to his mind that was until then cluttered. From Matt, he learnt about the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park and the Philip Island Nature Park and he made a mental note of it to visit there if only to just cuddle the koalas and see the kangaroos. After a ‘brief’ tour of the Museums, he was longing for a place to just chill out for some time and watch the sunset and that was when he heard about that wonderful place-the Great Ocean Road. Exploring the entire avenue with the 12 Apostle'sentinel stones' out there in the sea and soaking in the everyday life of the people was a really exciting experience, adding the fact that he was munching down on the most favourite Melbourne street food – the delectable sausage sizzles and a huge bowl of pie-floaters. He also observed with surprise at the sheer number of kebab counters with their daily display of spicy meats.

The Apostles from the Great Ocean Road

The typical Aussie sausage sizzle

The brilliant sunset that he experienced along that coast was a memory that he vowed that he would treasure to his last breath. He imbibed it all, the entire journey, right from the huge fiery red orb at its zenith to its slow descent into the calm blue of the Tasman Sea and he smiled to himself. It seemed that the city and all in it were telling him something all day long, something that he had completely forgotten. He tried to reflect on it and saw it as clear as crystal. It was the fact that life is to be lived to its fullest every single moment and that he needed to loosen up a bit . He only needed to enjoy what he loved doing rather than treat every day as a battle. It told him only within himself would he find the courage to be the best and to beat the best. He gradually understood that he had the capability and that he belonged there at the highest level; he was ready for tomorrow’s challenge. He was a new man, a changed man. And he owed it to this city of dreams, so unlike from where he had come from but what has now become so much a part of him. Melbourne…

A dreamy sunset across the Tasman Sea

This post is written as a contest entry. If you liked what was my first attempt at a story kindly like me on IndiBlogger.

To enjoy the thrills and magnificence of this wonderful city Visit Melbourne

CREDITS: All images used in the entry are from google images. If you find that I have infringed upon anyones IPR I would gladly take down that image concerned. Thanks..

That Moment...

This wait is filling the void in my heart with a purpose, a direction. It is giving me the sustenance to battle it out in this hard clime. It provides me with the courage to face the demons of my past and my present. In those shadowy hours, in each of those harsh moments, I keep myself centered thinking only of that glorious moment- the happiest moment that I have had in days, or rather, in months. The darkest hours, when every minute of existence seems like unbridled torture to the extent that I can take no more of it, is upon me; but I cling on in fervent hope dreaming of that moment which would come to pass in a few days. That wondrous moment, when I would see you again, when time as a whole would stop and you tread gingerly towards me with that beautiful smile playing on your lips. There would be thunderous showers pouring all around, with the monsoon at its peak. Every drop of rain on you would sparkle like a diamond set in the radiance of a blazing flame. The wind would be playing a symphony with your dark,lustrous hair. You would gracefully brush them away from your pretty face like the wind blows those dark clouds away from the face of the glowing moon in the night sky. Your eyes, on seeing me would twinkle in recognition, like the stars greeting the moon, with renewed love and dainty shyness, after the heart-breaking parting which occur every dawn. As you tread those few remaining steps towards me, I would restrain the multitude of emotions running through my mind to savor the innate beauty of that single moment. I would shut myself from every other feeling, every other emotion, so that I could gaze into those solemn, deep eyes and hold you close to me- never to let go, never to let go ever again.

The Ultimate Wishlist 2: Watch the Sunset while Skydiving

Skydiving from 15,000 feet above the ground. Watch the setting sun and enjoy it from the highest point possible. Tread the clouds while hurtling down at that breakneck speed and do the stuff which Hrithik and Co. did in ZNMD (If I can’t I could always say they are camera tricks, right? ). And as the age old saying goes to not just do it but enjoy it even if it means shitting brickbats and cussing everyone around me including myself for bringing this upon myself.

P.S. Note to self: Tell Dad and Mom only when it’s done and dusted. 

 P.P.S. "The Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Skydiving Scene"

Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay inspiration in ZNMD

The Ultimate Wishlist-1: Watch God Incarnate at SCG

Watching the God of Cricket score his final century at his most favorite cricket ground the Sydney Cricket Ground and helping India thump the Australians on their unstoppable march towards retaining the World Cup in 2015. I would beg / borrow / steal / sell my (or my friend’s) kidney-{Deepak, Pappan and Nithin (BEWARE!!)} to reach Australia.

The Sachin Cricket Ground(SCG) in its new Avatar

Those Tiny Priceless Experiences-1

Curling up on my favourite chair on the verandah, with a fat novel (preferably an all out action or fantasy one), sipping on a mug full of hot, steaming coffee and listening to the pitter-patter of the rain and experiencing the occasional sprays lovingly caressing my face.

The ones who have experienced this calls it BLISS

P.S. For all of you out there who loves to listen to the symphony of the rains here is a useful link.

Rain Sound 

The Last March of the Lion

Head held high, eyes narrowed in concentration,

Not a hint of fear- it’s been already conquered,

He looks up from his diary, the tiny hint of a mocking grimace playing on his lips,

With a gaze so stern it smolders the victorious look from his jailor’s face,

He arises proudly from his narrow cell, ready for his one last rendezvous.

The name of the Motherland on his lips,

With a grim satisfaction that his purpose had been achieved,

He marches on with long strides, echoing in those corridors which reek of death.

With pride and sorrow in their eyes, his fellow comrades watches him stride forth,

One last time, they egged themselves on to watch their hero,

One last time, they egged themselves on through their tears,

Never had anyone walked so purposefully towards the gallows,

A silent, poignant look he gave them; of reassurance, hope and purpose;

Reminding them of honour and duty and everything worth living for,

He marches on with long strides, echoing in those corridors which reek of death.

The air was deathly still; his captors flinched at the sight of his proud,unassuming bearing,

They tried to comprehend his demeanor; was it pride or suppressed anger?

They found no fear, not even a hint of dread on the face of their nemesis,

Shackled, though he might be; none could even hope to chain his spirit,

An all-conquering love for ‘Azadi’; a love for his beloved Motherland,

Led him forth through thick and thin, through paths unimaginable for lesser men;

Infusing hope and patriotism in his comrades, instilling belief and give them direction,

He walked through those doors of death, climbed those wooden steps, to the gallows,

            He stood proudly on the creaky platform and stared at his captors,

            Stubborn was he to the last moment, breaking their advances to get him to speak,

            The wind caressed his handsome, gaunt face one last time as the noose was placed,

            He felt the tension in the unsteady hands of the executioner as it was tightened,

            Silently, he thanked the Almighty for giving him the chance to serve his motherland,

            For one last time he looked up to the skies and shouted ‘Inquilab Zindabad’

            As the cruel order was passed, his captors cringed in awe of his glory,

            Nature, bereft of her true son shed tears of raindrops on them all,

            As the world echoed in the mournful thunderclaps, which rang as a death knell,

In solemn remembrance of his supreme sacrifice.

(Dedicated in loving memory of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who inspired    millions to fight   against all odds.)          

Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!

     

Words are shallow to bring out the multitude of emotions which I am experiencing at this particular moment. It is a mishmash of a pinch of happiness, a tinge of sadness, a dash of naughtiness, a trace of jealousy but mainly an over-riding, comforting sense of Contentment- an overwhelming sense of Gratitude.  It is a  poignant  occasion, wherein I could experience a fresh perspective towards living - to look at the beautiful, wide world around me and to shout out loud to the Heavens that ‘Life is beautiful’.
          What makes Life such a beautiful spectacle? I feel the answer is Happiness. This ultimate Bliss is such a lucky affair which only a handful of the populace actually experience. The Magic Formula for Happiness is Contentment and Gratitude.  We Should also ensure that we open up to the grand celebration called Life, blend into that elaborate carnival, let joy and love become a component of our being, allow the Supreme Consciousness to evoke  His magic upon us and take relief in knowing the fact that each of us are being taken care of every single waking moment.

Being lucky enough to be given this wondrous life is a reason big enough to stop worrying about all the negatives and concentrating more on the positives while gradually working on our mistakes. Ultimately, Life will turn out good…That’s what I have seen in my tryst with existence until now.

Yeah, I know it’s a pretty lame take on the Essence of Happiness and The Secret of Being Always Happy. But that’s the whole point of this post- its simply a 24-year old IITK Survivor alias Grad students’ take on life. 

Cheers to Life!!

Tempestuous Times

The calm breeze which caresses me on sultry evenings is amiss,

The humid, lethargic summer heat is spreading its wrinkled wings all around me,

Over-powering me; drowning me in a swirl of darkness.

Annoyed and irritable, I seek the reason for my discomfort.

The feel of the cool breeze, which wakes an ocean of serenity in me, is amiss

That undying spirit, that unbreakable confidence which has propelled me onwards,

Is it being suddenly taken away from me?

The tempestuous waves comes crashing down upon me,

In a cold infernal storm, like the doors of Hades have opened up,

Unleashing feral, nameless terrors upon me.

Irate restlessness; rising to a fever pitch crescendo,

I feel distraught and lost; the rage within me is unquenchable.




----------------

Love-Ye Most Beautiful Feeling of ‘em all

Can you ever define how much you can Love a person? 

Can you limit it with boundaries, constrain it within fences or count it with your fingers?

            Limitless, boundless, entire, whole and perfect-That’s what love is for me and that’s what it could become. It is a feeling that washes away the last vestiges of doubt, eclipses the ego-the feeling of ‘me’ being above ‘us’ and ‘you’, and overtops you with a sense of fullness that encompasses your entire being. A sense of belongingness and a feeling of pride develop in you, coupled with tremendous warmth and respect towards that person. They say Love happens, but Love blossoms. Love grows like a sapling-tend to it with time, water it with smiles and laughter, trim out those little quarrels and lies, and you could pluck delectably sweet fruits from it (the hugs and kisses :)]. Jokes apart, it is a feeling worth living for. The knowledge that there is someone out there ever-willing to sacrifice anything and everything for you, to pray for you when your hopes are down, to prod you onward if you stutter to a stop, to give you a comforting hug or a reviving word when you need some support, to be your greatest fan and full-time admirer, to have someone to pull your ears when you are naughty- God, it’s the most beautiful feeling. No, it’s much subtler than just a feeling, it could be an emotion but it isn’t that either and if we delve deep it’s something that connects with our true self, something that touches a chord with our inner being. If we give it our all and immerse ourselves completely in this divine feeling, we can see that the whole world around us is part of a great big symphony and every tiny speck of nature around becomes the grandest of spectacle. What I came to understand is that we are essentially tuned to love and this very basic fact becomes crystal clear when THE PERSON graces you by entering your life. Once this happens, all we need to do is just open your eyes and just let go- feel the magic just sweeping you off you feet, see everything around you with renewed clarity, observe life in a different perspective, an abundance of Creativity outflows (start writing, reading poetry and learning guitar specifically in my case ) and life becomes so much worth living for and gives the rudderless ship a stern direction.

             In any case be rest assured that life as you knew it will change for good. Cos, hey! It’s not just anything that we are talking about- Its LOVE, the most beautiful feeling of ‘em all!!

And from personal experience –IT’S MAGICAL :)

A Sweet Pain..

I miss her like the hard baked earth yearns for the sparkling rain,

To stroke his worn face and smoothen away the pain,

I miss her tinkling laughter and pouty lips,

Which makes me want to hug her and smother her with my kiss.

I miss the love-light in her eyes,

Her innocent, dewy, sun-drops, wherein my whole life lies.

But she’s a free bird, with her own heights to reach, her own barriers to transcend,

And I never want to cage her, never ever again.

Let her fly, rise above the clouds and glide,

And I’ll watch her from below with love and pride,

‘Cos I know, my love, when it’s time to roost,

You‘ll come to me to nestle under my cosy wings.

------------------------

Sunny Shores

  Travelling the churning sea, traversing the distant corners,

Journeying through fog and mist and sprightly tides,

The milky waves champing and chafing with infinite recklessness,

Rocking me, swaying me, tipping me overboard…

But I hung on, in clear hope and endless faith.

There has to be that distant shore.

At the very horizon of this chaos,

A sunny shore, with happy people

Who live in bountiful happiness and overflowing joy,

Where the splendid colors hold us spell-bound,

And melodious music quenches our thirst,

Where the enchantment of love is not forgotten and loving smiles are universal;

And I hung on and fought the tide,

With a stern heart and a stony resolve.

To work the magic that comes from within me,

And to beat the sea and sail onwards,

Onwards, inch by inch and push beyond my endurance,

And reach those hallowed shores.

A Rush of Romance..

The rainy month of June always had a special place in his heart since he was a kid. He could keep looking at the falling raindrops for hours and listen to them whispering sweet nothings to him while sipping hot, steamy cups of Coffee. Life had been such a raucous, boisterous party for him until that point when a breeze of fresh life wafted into his life.

It was a carefree, monsoon evening like any, but it turned out to be the greatest gift that the wonderful journey called life bestowed upon him. After-hours  at his beloved Alma Mater was his favourite time to wander listlessly and bask in the profound stillness that reverberates from the deep confines of his college. Maybe, it was this ethereal beauty of his quaint campus that he loved so dearly.

The sound of a peppy Indian song coming from behind the closed doors of the activity room in the main building, was an aberration to his perfect sojourn. Curious, he just peeked inside and saw the college dance team practising for an upcoming cult fest.

Then he saw her as if for the first time. Well, not exactly for the first time. You see they had been in the same class for like 2 years until that point but were miles apart in their hang-out groups. But Destiny is such a Naughty Kid-She just mixes up the most seemingly-different persons’ together and waits from the side-lines to see how their lives would pan out.

However, for him that was THE MOMENT. A wondrous moment when the whole wide world stood still- there were violins in the air (really there were) and butterflies in the stomach. The first moment when he looked into her wonderful eyes-it was THE MOMENT when he lost all his cool and confidence and he bumbled about like a baby and asked her something really out-of-context  to which she simply smiled.

That one smile was only a prelude to what would pan out in the following years. That one smile which took his breath away, those shining, big, innocent eyes- the overwhelming feel of consideration and caring that he feels whenever he looks into those deep, pearly orbs;  the nonchalance and the graceful elegance with which her body danced to the music-(Poetry in motion!); the healing  quality of the base notes of her mystical voice which could portray the essence of a thousand feelings, the melancholic disposition which makes him want to change the whole world and wage a war against whomsoever is responsible for her tears; those clear, sparkling, tinkling little giggles which are like the rush of a mountain spring.

Every single waking moment he wants to love her more. .And even More...