In ME....

After all the years, now I look at me,

I feel something’s lost, feel so lonely.

I’d once been alive, so full of life,

Wonder what is it that’s missing in me?

A decade ago, we were school going,

Loved to do the class monitoring.

Lunch boxes and birthday treating

These were all a part of our living.

The times in classrooms and canteen,

The loud screeches and soft chirping.

The proxis, the books and the mass bunking,

What happened to the moments of bonhomie?

Now we’re apart, occupied and busy,

Fighting to balance work and family

Setting goals and priorities clearly,

Doing our best to keep all happy

Many friendships and one love story,

Seem very much like a fresh memory.

Now I realize nothing’s missing really,

The reminiscence quietly lives in me!




P.S. Dedicated to the Graduates/ Post graduates like me...


Cheers!!
God Bless!!!


Chandra Daga

Drive Yourself...

I let the world be aside for a while and went on a short drive.

My friend drove while I looked forward to the drive... We took the flyover that leads us to Hosur. I let go off my footwear, sat comfortably in my seat, lowered the windscreen and let the breeze blow against my face. The soothing rays touched my cheeks and kissed my eyes like never before. It felt like nature was enjoying seeing me enjoy. The huge buildings that are homes to lakhs of us, surprisingly looked like miniatures from above the flyover..

Birds spread their wings and flew in the sky and created the same harmony made by the notes of a piano. As the music player changed tracks, I sang some songs aloud with a lot of enthusiasm without worrying about the melody and quietly listened to others with closed eyes. While the peppy songs reminded me of the fun moments that have passed, the soft ones made me think about my future which I feel would be as wonderful.  A speed of eighty let me enjoy the short drive for long.

After a sixty km drive in just an hour, some long forgotten questions were answered and an ensemble of new unanswered questions await me now. I'm not sure if I'd find an answer to all of them but I'm sure that such lovely drives would only help me experience life every time I take them...

The drive filled me with a sense of peace and zeal, it steered  me to leap to greater heights. Take the companion of your choice and try it for yourself. Drive Yourself!...

P.S. Thank you Senorita! :P

Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Jeetz...

It is said 'No matter how far people are, if relations are for real, the distance only strengthens the bond'

This holds true for one case wherein the person is very close to my family and even closer to my brother. "The Biggest Casanova" is what I call him and he's my brother's buddy Jeetz...

He not only left Bangalore five years back but also his childhood friends who made his gang. When he left, I felt that life was taking away a six feet skeleton from the gang but when he shows up every year, the Entertainer is back with a bigger bang every single time.

He has new episodes to share about the girls he's trying to hook, incidents about how he's chased by traffic cops but still enjoys racing against time and breaking rules, sneak peek into his neighborhood and not to forget his Everlasting Love Story....

Of all the things that he says or does, one would only enjoy hearing them but no one would dare do. Yet, in his very own way, he leaves a lesson for all of us. He had to leave his studies half way, leave his friends, let go off his city and set life in a new place altogether but he never complained because however it is, it is our life and we alone are responsible for it. Every time we meet him, he makes us feel like he'd never left us and was right here. He proves that its not the distance but the bond that matters. More importantly, he spreads a forest of happiness with his contagious smile and his full of life attitude helps us impose new energy into our lives and make it worthwhile...

He makes life four times more fun with sheer madness that unfolds with his adorable sincerity and endearing honesty... May God Bless him and keep him the same "Jolly Good Fellow" always...

P.S. Thank you for cautioning me about my smile :P
We all Miss you!!

Cheers!!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Where There is Light...

"There is no way out to light and there is no end to the dark"
When life gets harsh on us, you and me would sure agree with the above...

I have been trapped in many such situations when the dark seems to be powerful. A lot more powerful than our believes, our will our faith and even our hope... Off late, I've heard of people whose lives have been turned upside down. Some have succumbed to untimely accidents while their families are not able to overcome the loss, some people are being betrayed by the ones they never imagined would do anything to hurt them.

Just when we are trying to let some happiness sink in or trying hard to come to terms with a recent loss, Life is busy moving on posing a new set of challenges. Till the time I was done with my Graduation, I had no patience to handle the tough times until a mountain trekking camp happened.

We were at Dandeli, being led by our professor who'd served as Colonel in the Army. We were on a night trek and started climbing the mountain after dinner. Despite being a group of thirty graduates, we were scared of the unknowns.

The most exciting part was that we were not allowed to use torches. When I asked him the reason, the Colonel said 'Monkeys used their tails for jumping from one tree to another. When they stopped using them, the tails ceased to exist and they became Humans. We've got the gift of vision, lets use it the natural way. I assure you, you'd not need the torches after a while'

At the times I felt like taking the torch out since it would at least help us see if there are any wild creatures around. But I dint. Colonel was right, the moonlight was bright enough to lead us the way and the crickets gave us warnings from time to time so that we could avoid encountering wild animals.

A couple of days before, I was at my terrace at night trying to calm my tormented mind. I looked up and saw the stars that lightened the dark night sky and recalled Colonel's words. I realized that along with all other special gifts, we have a most priceless present.


In times of agony and sufferings, nothing can bring harmony to us other than our Soul. When we can keep aside a man made torch and still find a way out of the forest, why cant we just trust ourselves and let us be led by our Inner Light? With all the unpredictable challenges, it is not necessary that we depend on any external source to settle things down for us. Things have their time, until then why die worrying?

I follow the Light that is within me. Try the same....
Look within and you'll see that There is an end to the Dark and Where there is Light, There is Peace...


Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Burn it Up!!

We light up lamps at our homes every year, let us also Light up our lives with new hopes.
Sweets are exchanged in abundance among families, let us spread sweetness in our words as well.
New clothes are new only for a while, let us broaden our minds with new horizons that take us a long way.
Crackers make noise and brighten the skies simultaneously, let us silence our minds and brighten our souls with inner peace.

We wish that everyone prospers and that Goddess Laxmi showers them with wealth. Let us be wealthy by character, and fill kindness and respect in our hearts and Let us also learn a wiser use of the wealth we own.

Diwali for Jains, marks the end of a year and the next day is the start of a New year. So here's wishing all of us a Very Happy Diwali and a Very Successful New Year. May all of us be better humans as we prosper.

Lights, Crackers, New clothes, Sweets, Family, Friends and Gifts... The festival of lights creates a happy ambiance in all homes. Lets try and make it a little different.
Let not sorrow weaken us, Burn it up. Smile and Light up Lives..


Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Standwhich..?

Tasty things can be toasty at times... Like a sandwich...

A little difficult to understand without an example..
So here goes...

I'm sure you would have witnessed a person caught amid an argument between two dear ones.
Like a woman observes her husband and her kid.
"Mom, ask your husband not to talk in my matters" says the child
"You dare not take his side this time. I'm not going to tolerate this anymore" says the husband
You too may have been a part of this conflict sometime.
I have also been...

We would have been in our worlds, stubborn enough to even think about the others point of view. But that's not to be pondered upon. Attention should be given to that one person who's the most churned and hurt in such episodes every single time. It's tough to be an onlooker to the rift and even knotty is the state of dilemma where one has to make a choice. Dilemma and choice blend to be a good oxymoron and so is the condition of the person who is being forced to choose.

In the above example, the option is either the husband who's been with her through the major experiences of her life or the child who's nothing less than her life... Even a man could see himself in such a situation when his mother and wife are in conflict. It's like asking someone to chose between the footwear of both the feet. How can you let go one or pick up just one?

I may not be able to give an apt example at this stage but it is just as important for us to understand that it takes a number of years for us to make a life of our own. Asking anyone to make a choice between two stages of his / her life is indeed very unfair.

Being sandwiched is not at all joyful, so irrespective of the gender, we should all just let our dear ones decide whose side they want to go or whether they even want to take a stand. In the little meaningless conflicts, lets not lose the true Value of Relationships and of Life...


Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Evil Dead!!

All of us know the significance of Vijaydashmi and I wanted to write about it since morning but felt something missing. Now I know what it was... All of us know that Raavan was a remorseless and selfish demon and Ram was dutiful and righteous. Despite being a brave warrior and above all, an incarnation of God himself, Ram could not find Sita after she was abducted. Hanuman found the place where she was kept.

Ram still could not get there, he needed the creatures of the jungle to build the bridge. Even after reaching there, he could not fight the war and bring his wife back home, he needed help from the army of monkeys and his followers. The day the war was over, it was the triumph of Shri Ram over the ten headed Raavan.

It's true that Good always wins over the Evil but good can not win alone. It always needs the help at every step to be triumphant. Just like a structure can't be made by one person alone, a war can't be one by one man, we also can not fulfill our dreams alone.

In our lives, we need advice for making decisions about choosing a career / education stream or even a life partner. We need a hand to get work done, solve problems and fulfill our dreams. While in the story aid came from the various creatures of the Forest, in your and my case, it may come from a dear one, a stranger or any other living or even a non living thing. A prayer, a nasty idea, a motivational speech or just a few words of understanding would make our day. It is not important where it comes from as long as it helps us progress but it is vital for us to acknowledge the help.

No matter how little the help is, take a moment out to turn back to the person and thank them for the effort. That way, we'd not only add a name towards the fulfillment of our dream but will give the helper a reason to be happy. I'm sure the army monkeys would have been overwhelmed when Shri Ram expressed gratitude to them. Lets try and do something of the same sort to make life better for ourselves and others..

Just like help comes, we can also make sure we are of help to people and undoubtedly then, Good will prevail and Evil will be Dead!


Cheers!!
God Bless!


Chandra Daga

A Note of Thanks..

On this teacher's day, I wanted to wish all the teachers who have taught me from the very first day of school. There have been the kind ones and the strict ones, the smiling ones and the scaring ones, the ones who showed love and the ones who made me strong by way of criticism. But I was filled with a sense of disappointment since I did not know where they were and how I could reach them.

I picked up my cell to see if I have numbers of my BBM teachers, contented to find two contacts, I typed an honest text thanking them for the support and knowledge they give us. The text would have been on the way to the second contact when I received a text. "Thank you. God Bless you." came the reply from the teacher who was my guide... I was overjoyed to read it...

The next day my phone rang and it was the second teacher I'd texted. She thanked me for the wish, took updates about what's going on and told me what she was doing these days... After a 20 minutes talk about the good old times, the class and some special moments I shared with her she gave me her good wishes and hung up. I felt something that could not be put in words.. I was overwhelmed that my teachers not only remembered me but also cared to take updates about me.

I thought about the behavior that teachers get from majority of the students now. They are given different names, disrespected and back answered. At that very moment, a scene captured my mind. I was at my home in Rajasthan with family in 2009 when we heard drums beating. I walked with the camera to capture the procession. All of us were flabbergasted to see a few young men following the Dholis.. A man with turban, clothes full of Gulaal (color) and about ten garlands around his neck caught our attention.

"What's this procession for?" we asked our dad.
"Oh, the man in the center has been a teacher at the village school. He's being transferred now, so his students are expressing their gratitude by way of this procession throughout the village"
We had no words...

I also recalled a question answer round conducted at college during Guru Purnima. One student asked the teacher "There are so many people who come into our lives, teach us, help us learn and guide us in different ways at various stages. Why can't they be called a teacher?"

The teacher replied "No doubt there are friends, family and dear ones who teach us a few things in life but the point of view to look at life is given only by a teacher and that is why children are sent to school from a very tender age to help them grow to become not only successful but also educated and well mannered human beings"

Well I'm sure none of us would have done enough to thank our teachers, we would not have even made an effort rather. Lets not wait for 5th September every year... Lets use any of the social networking media or call or even a simple text to express gratitude to our teachers for their dedication, their knowledge, their teaching and above all for moulding our lives and making us the person we are today.

To all the teachers of the world....
Thank You!

Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Be Free...

Started this morning with DD1's  Rangoli.. I Day special and variety of songs telecasted with just one soul - Patriotism. The anchor said " Now that we're free, we dont know the value of freedom, but once out of country, we know what it really means to us!"

It is a National holiday and all of us have our plans. Some go for an outing with family, some stay home, watch television and relax, some hoist the flag, sing the national anthem, distribute sweets and that's the end of Independence Day! The next day flags are scattered on the streets. Lets not keep our Independence to just that.

64 years completed and we have freedom of speech, expression, movement, choice...
Probably that's why the good Indians stand up for their rights, protect trees and fight against corruption, while the others commit crimes, watch crimes happen and be mute when asked what happened or who did it! We've been physically independent from past six decades but are still slaves of tension, worry, anxiety, fear, sorrow, greed and such other negativity. Not from this year but this very moment, Just Let Go!!

> Lets forget our sorrows and wipe the tears of someone who has no one to do it.
> Lets spend some time with those who have very little time left. Make them feel happy and Independent.
> Lets be responsible not just for our families but also for our state and country. Lets do whatever we can for our surroundings and environment.
> Lets be safe riders / drivers. We'd be protecting our lives and of those who drive alongside us.
> Lets curb practices of bribe, dowry, corruption, violence and discrimination.

These words may sound huge but are factually very simple and significant. Lets start these tasks at our Roots - At Our Homes...

Lets Free Our Homes and Our Country Will Eventually Be Free!!
Jai Hind!

Cheers!!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

The Enemies of our World...

As the 'Anna Movement' started, the Indians were getting set to fight one of the termites that has been rotting India since Independence. Familiar with all the controversies, scams, scandals, ghotaalaas and money laundering unethical acts, India was readying for a wash out of black money. (or atleast a revelation!) And the country was struck by a monstrous inflation!

Fuel, consumer goods, medicines, clothing, vegetables, groceries, virtually everything witnessed such rise in prices that the movement was kept at bay as the population fought it out to get their hands on their basic needs. Those who envisaged an investment were also disappointed as rates skyrocketed.
And yet again, the financial capital of the country was struck!

Terror has shown its deadliest faces time and again to the ones who are resilient by force and not by choice. Just as people try to wash out the stains of blood, another such attack sheds more blood bringing the grotesque  nightmares alive...

H1N1, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Volcanic ash... As the world combats these colossal natural calamities, the tussle with the artificial ones like murders, rapes, terror attacks, riots, corruption and many more goes on...

When asked who do we think are our enemies, we'd have a long list of people, countries, organizations and circumstances to put the blame on, but the enemies of our world are none other than Ourselves!

An in-depth thought on the above statement and we'd know that while the artificial ones are undoubtedly caused by humans, the natural ones are the effect of human deeds.

It is said we are heading the Armageddon (The End of the World) but aren't we the very reason for it???




Cheers!!
God Bless!!




Chandra Daga

The System!!!

Mom was not keeping well since a while and the doc had suggested to get her admitted to the hospital. After a lot of deliberation (that went on for two days!) dad, me and bro took her to the hospital...

At the desk, Dad handed over the letter to a female who directed him to another side of the desk for admission where no one was present, the lady said that all had gone for lunch. I looked at the clock, it was 3pm!

While I waited with mom, bro and dad were performing the formalities after a while. Two ladies scrutinized the letter and one of them said to bro "Ward no 4. You can go and check if it's ok!"

Bro asked me to go along as we walked up to check mom's 'Would Be Room for the next two days!' It was as small as a room could get with the bedcovers shabbily off the bed and just one chair at the right side of the bed. A ward boy entered and enquired what we needed.
"Came to check the ward" bro said
"There's some renovation work going on in the room"
"You mean it's not ready yet" asked bro
"Have to fix it" came the reply.
"Ok. How much time will it take?"
 "Just a screw to fit in that board on the left hand side! Why sir? Admitting someone?"
"Ya, our mom" said bro and we left the room.

We walked down discussing about the room. Bro asked the ladies about the renovation and one of them called to find out what was it that was getting renovated. "The room is ok" we told dad. Across the desk one of the ladies handed over a card to dad and he paid for it (probably the pass required to meet the patient). As dad was checking it, another lady was talking to the doctor we consulted. She looked up and handed the phone to dad.

Dad spoke "Yes doctor.... No doctor... Yes doctor... No doctor.... Ok doctor"
He gave the phone back to the lady, looked at us and said "The doctor asked to go to his clinic for a test, if all's fine, there's no need to get her admitted"

Rejoicing with joy and with a sigh of relief, we smiled at mom who waited across the hall. I walked to her "Let's go. The doc will check you again, if all's fine, no admission!"

At the desk bro was telling the ladies what the doc had said.
"No problem sir, Get her checked, if there's need, you can get her admitted"
"But the card is made" he said
"No problem sir"
"What if we don't need to get her admitted? It is refundable right?"
The ladies smiled and dad and bro got the answer. He walked towards us laughing as we walked out and commented "Mockery of the system!"

Well... This is The System... Lunch goes on till Three o clock, Wards are not ready even when they are empty, Fixing a screw is called renovation and it takes ten minutes to do that, the people allotting rooms don't know if it's ready and what is it that's left undone and top of all, whether the patient is sick or alright, money once paid will not be returned!!!

This is just one System, we have loads of such systems in the huge System that we live in! All we have to do is keep Our Sytem (brain) in place while the Bigger System tests us every time we go out there.....

 
Cheers!
God bless!




Chandra Daga

Its My Life!!

I finally succeeded in taking up a course at Shaimak Davar's Institute... :)

Heading for the first class today, after a huge rush to have food, getting into the comfy attire, I was excitedly hurrying to avoid being late for the first session. On the way, I was constantly slowed down by a car ahead of me that was being driven on the least speed ever... I was frivolously trying to overtake when my eyes halted on something written on the back in big red letter words...

"It's My life"

'Ya right' I said in my mind and wondered of all the worries, problems, happiness and all the wanted and unwanted contributions to our lives by people around us. Without thinking much about it, I sped and walked into the class. After a anti stressing and refreshing session when I headed back home, I felt a great deal of sheer joy!!

Back home I was all excited and talking breathlessly telling my siblings and parents about the session. That was the instant I realized that we give ourselves so much to the big things in life that we forget the little ones. We think about family, career, future and in all of it, we lose the present! We run behind everything in life and in the race forget those things that give us the real joy, the real feeling of being alive...

Those three words put all that has happened and will happen in our lives so simply. The Past, Present and Future are all a part of our lives.
So how can we blame someone who hurt us? We let them.
Why do we cry when things go wrong? We can set them right.
What makes us let go things that we so love to do but avoid, giving them no room in our priority list?

Whether good or bad, happy or sad, Its our life and We are the ones responsible for however it is.
Then why let it go on murkily in the shadows of fear, skepticism, responsibility and troubles of life?

Think of things that make you feel full of life and ensure you are pursuing at least one of them at any given time. You'd be able to add exclusivity even to the routine and Life will start having more meaning than you ever gave it.

Cheers!!

God Bless!!

P.S. To have answers in situations when your in a fix, just say to yourself....
                                           "It's My Life!!" :)


Chandra Daga

Fight for It!!

Crocodile, Bats, Anaconda, Shark attack, Titanic, Jurassic park, Mosquito...
These are flicks from Hollywood with the same end and the same message...

If You want to Live, Fight For Your Life!

I watched a movie called "Snakes on a Plane" two days ago. A passenger smuggles a few species of snakes in the plane where they happen to escape the carrier and start spreading terror among the passengers. The people aboard mightily stand for each other, fight the fierce reptiles, burn them, throw them out of the plane and finally two inexperienced guys land the aircraft safely. A lot of it is obviously dramatized but I was amazed to see how they do it all in the air and finally walk on the land with their heads high. One for thanking god and two to show that they are proud to have fought it out.

I've often seen people taking their lives very lightly, being ignorant about their health and living life as though it were worthless to be alive... This is not we see in most of the people worldwide. There are a few who have a tendency to give in when troubles attack and if there's anyone around you who ever feels that life is of no value, I'd suggest you ask them watch one of those movies.

It is incredible to see the how people just don't give up fighting till their last breath. They care for nothing but their lives. They kill animals, run, blow the place up and do everything possible to save themselves. It is the zeal to live portrayed in the movies that is commendable and then I thought,
How can anyone degrade their lives?
How can one say I don't want to live anymore?
How can one just not value the most priceless gift ever - Life?

Eat well, Do good things, Compliment yourself, don't hurt anyone. Realize your efforts in doing little things. Live, Love, Let go... After all its just one Life we've got!


P.S: Respect and Value Your Life and Fight for it when necessary... !

Cheers!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Horrorscope..!!

"Mitthu chitthi uthayega, aapka Bhavishya batayega!"

"Aayiye aayiye, haath dikhayiye, apna bhavishya jaaniye, koi bhi samasya ho, hum samadhaan batayenge!!"

Heard these many times? Me too....

It doesn't matter who you are or what you want to know, whether you want to know anything or not, the so called "Jyotishis" will shower all their blessings on you just to tempt you to know what lies in your future...

I was with my best friend going to get a photocopy of some material when a lady sitting with some cards called out "Come here, know your future"  Excited, I went to her and showed my hand. "Your lines say that you'd have a great future. (All say that) You will marry this guy standing next to you. You two make a great pair" and we both burst out laughing. "I told you it's not true" my friend said as he pulled me back to the present and we walked away laughing.

When I was at Rajasthan, we'd been to a temple. We are not allowed black stuff inside the temple so my brother was putting his wallet and his belt in the car when a lady with an infant walked up to us. "5 rupaye de do sahab. Do din se khana nahi khaya."

"De diya hai"

"Hume bhi de do sahab, bache ko bhookh lagi hai. Kuch toh de do sahab, aap dono ki jodi  humesha bani rahegi"

"Bol dia na... Ab jaao" my furious brother shunned her as I laughed all my way.

With all respect to those knowledgeable about astrology, I am just surprised to see what people do just to earn money. Brother becomes spouse, Spouse becomes something else. All in all for those who actually are excited about knowing what lies in the future are nothing but horrified in the end.

Why go looking for people to tell you future when you are responsible for it. In fact, why even make an effort to know about it when we know it is unpredictable. Happiness has to be enjoyed and troubles have to be fought against. There are a few times when we don't know what should be done or what would be the outcome of our actions. In both the cases, its no point thinking because what has to happen will happen.

Don't let fortune tellers turn your Horroscope into a Horrorscope!!

If there's a solution to a problem, Don't think, Solve it. If you see no solution, there's no use thinking about it!!

Act apt...

Cheers!!

God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Be-live-er...

One of the funniest things that I came across in months was today...
We all know that summer vacations are over and kids have got back to school. But My dear nephew and niece missed the first day of school this year... When asked the reason for leave, he said I did not go coz its Amavasya today and I burst out laughing!!

After a while I found him sitting quietly staring at me and I knew he might have felt bad but I could not help it. It was not his fault...

India is a country where people stop when they see a cat cross the road, they either get back or pray and continue. I've noticed people being cautious about Shagun and Abshagun when it comes to things like marriage or anything of extra importance. Without any offence to any of the beliefs, I understand they come from our ancestors as a part of tradition and customs and we need to follow them.

My concern is how these long - established habits are passed on to our next generations. I was told about all of this only when I was old enough to decide what should be believed and what not. Kids studying in schools have no idea why some things are done in a particular way. Their brains will be moulded in the way they are handled. If this is what they are tought about life, they would be nothing but confused...

If these things are put to deep into their minds, they would make a complication out of every routine decision.
It's Amavasya today, I won't go to school today. What if I fail this year? 
They'd look up the calender and inquire whether its a good time to walk on the road or take a vehicle, to start studying or do homework, to play outdoors or stay at home, to learn new things or anything else for that matter.

Customary things are to be followed when it is vital, not in things that we do everyday. We would only end up being superstitious about everything otherwise.

As a matter of fact, as we advance in Life, we'd have lots of troubles to confront. So its wise to keep all the worries away from the childhoods of those who are budding...

Don't Fear, Live Life...
Believe as a Be-Live-er!!


Cheers!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

Quiet Angel...

I was looking at a wedding invite when I found the bride's name to be familiar. We got ready and left for the wedding and I was astounded when I saw the bride. "Dad, the bride was my college class mate!" I said.

"Oh! She's your friend" dad replied

"She was my classmate papa, not friend" I said

"Well, It means the same..." he said

To many others it would seem the same, but to me it was not. It is not. In the course of our school, college and higher studies, we interact with a lot of people. But that does not make them our friends...

I'm of the opinion that A friend is someone who knows when you're in trouble, when you need care, when you are to be criticized and when you are in need of a dose of a laughter or a blaster!! In short a friend just knows you and such people don't come in a herd, they are just a few...

When I was in my undergraduate school, we used a be a group of 16. After college, we usually met and caught up for dinner or lunches a couple of times. As time passed and all of us widened our horizons to find our path of life, we got closer to a few and had no clue about the rest.

Now, there are just a couple who I actually talk to, get to hear from one or two occasionally, hear about a few others from sources and have no idea what the rest are up to. Well! We thought we were friends at a point. But now we know how much importance each one has...

It's not that we don't have time or we don't like each other. It's just that we chose to talk to a few and keep them close while we let the others drift away. This reminds me of some lines I read in a write up from our college magazine. The writer referred to a friend as a part of our soul. So she outrightly negated everyone being her friend because she wanted very special people to be given the privilege. 

I totally agree with her since It's not about how close a friend is, It's about how connected A Friend is! He/ She's the one who brings you to terms with yourself in turbulent times, who introduces you to the reality by standing in front of you like a mirror! Just like an Angel who never wants credit for the goods and cares not to do bad things if that's good for you...

Take time but make sure you know who your Quiet Angel Is!! 

"Cherish the friend who tells you a harsh truth, wanting ten times more to tell you a loving lie."

Cheers!!

God Bless!!!

Chandra Daga

Un - Distract!!

Walking on the road, going to buy confectionaries.. I was looking at something and kept walking, vague thoughts drifting my mind...

After a while I realized I missed the condiments shop on my way. Without a thought, I turned around and started walking back. I had walked about 10 shops ahead. It was funny since I go to the same place every month but I've never missed the place...

There are loads of times when we miss out things that we do on a daily basis, things that we do almost as a routine... It may be preoccupation at times but more often it is distraction. I was thinking of other things while heading to do my job. It is indeed a very little thing to notice but when we are into something major, even minor mistakes cost us a fortune..

While cooking, sugar may go into a dish instead of salt and the hubby is fuming. Salt may take place of sugar in tea and ruin someone's day along with the taste. Clothes may stick to the iron and reduce them strands or things kept somewhere are difficult to find later and all we do is ponder... All these are mediocre things to notice and are usually not worried about.

Life is more than little unnoticed things at times. There are not less distractions when we are on a path to achieve our goals in life. In fact, disruptions are an inseparable part of everything we do. The key is not to avoid giving in to the interruption but to snap out of it in time.

We may make our share of mistakes but there's always time to rectify our folly. Let's Promise ourselves that when we have a Target to Achieve and an Aspiration to Fulfill, we would Not let Obstacles or Diversions Impede our Way!!


"Know the purpose of Life and Do Not Halt until Triumph is Your's!"

Cheers!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

The Two Sides...

Too bugged watching television, I've switched to music these days. I often tune in to Vividh Bharti to take me to the blooms of the golden era where songs meant more than the actors, their clothes, the beats and the singers... Every single word of a song had a meaning...

The recent one I heard was from a black and white flick, the lyrics of which go...
"Bol meri takdeer hai kya,
Mere humsafar ab toh bata...
Jeevan ke do pehlu hai,
Hariyali aur Raasta"

I felt a sudden relief after I heard those words. I had a lot of unanswered questions strangling my mind off late and I was desperately wanting to get a solution to that... Here it was....
I did not concentrate much on the first two lines, but the last two lines gave me all the answers...

We all very well know that life is a combo of happy and sad moments. But that usually does not give us courage to handle sad times. I'm of the opinion that these lines should be remembered by all of us...
"There are two sides to Life - Greenery and the Road"

Greenery symbolizes the Memories that we gather and Road signifies the Journey of Life. Whatever the situation, whatever the problem, whatever the worry, we should just remember that We are travelling and there are steeps, highs, turns and even speed breakers. But even after all of that, we have to travel because the road never ends and neither should our experiences...

I'm at peace now...
So all of us should just enjoy the sceneries and stay strong in troubles...

In the words of Buddha "There are two mistakes one can make along the road of life… Not going all the way and Not Starting!"



Cheers!!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

The Darkest Night!

I heard a saying once and now I've come to agree with every word of it.

"The Night is the Darkest Just Before The Sun is about to Rise..."

This is something none of us would agree with when we are a part of the gloom the night infuses. I've often heard people saying 'Pain is known best to the one who is suffering'. Honestly, I feel that these are just a few words put together by someone who did not want others to talk about his trouble or let people help him get out of the trouble... This resistance comes when a person has lost all hopes of a solution...

There is a solution to everything in this world.. Most of us sure believed this only till the time we were able to solve our Math problems.. But Experienced ones will assure that this applies to every problem we face in the life that follows those school exams.. I've seen people fight their lives for the stand they take to solve a given problem. Be it a fight with family, dear ones, spouses, the world or even those who don't physically live in this world.. From normal to paranormal, we have the potential to fight anyone and win as well... Provided we believe...

The power is not in the name, age, size of a person... Its in the Thinking...
When I saw this being proven, I agreed with that proverb all over again...

So let darkness crawl and play all tactics it has. Have patience and Wait for Sunlight.. Because however powerful the Night is, it will have to Give Way to the Rays of the Sun that will bring the New Day!!


Cheers!!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

A NO and A YES!!

How many times have you been unable to say No to someone??

I'm sure there have been a few times..

Sometimes the thought of hurting a dear one prevents us from saying no and sometimes probably thats what our inner self wants.. There are a few other things that we should learn to say "No" to...

All of us have had and will be having our share of worries, tensions and sorrows.. The worry is not about the gloomy days, its about the way we handle such situations. We may be hard hit by an incident, the behavior of a person or even by ourselves. All we have to do is Say NO to the sad days to take a toll on us because Life is as complicated as we think it is. 

Say NO to the habits that you know are hazardous to you but you are unable to be free of...

Say NO to the negative attitude that creeps into your mind when a few things go wrong in life. Many times, Thinking is as good as doing. So think good, Do good... To yourself and others.

Say NO to the changes that deteriorate the quality of your. Instead of being rude, try humility. Being Humble to others is being humble to yourself. 

Say NO...

To the people who take you for granted..

To the memories that give you nothing but tears..

To the times that demand you to be mean and harmful...

A "No" to everything? Not really...

Say YES....

To acts that spread smiles... 

To things that let you learn... 

To the efforts that would make your family happy.... 

YES to Life and NO to all incidents that make your life look mediocre..

Say NO to only breathing and Living...

Say YES to being Alive!!

Cheers!!

God Bless!!

Chandra Daga..

  

The 15 Effect!!

My friend had finally got time to show me his face.. We met at a cafe and when we asked for the bill he said "What the hell! Where's my wallet?"
"Go look for it where you parked your vehicle"
After getting out of the place when I found him outside, he action replayed the whole day.
"You may be missing something" I said.
"No. I'm sure no one has flicked it. I don't know" he said
"Block your cards for now" I advised.
We left for our homes. I was worried that the stupid would not be at peace till he gets to know what happened with his wallet. After a two hour search mission, He finally found it in his wardrobe.
"I'd gone home and after taking some cash out, left it on my clothes" He tried to explain....

The Gajini effect was 15 minutes long. But my friend's extended for hours!! It However amazes me at the way  this effect has influenced our minds.. It may be a minute memory loss or half an hour, here are some more specimens..

My mom has shown signs of the Gajini effect as well. (G Effect) as I call it.

She sits down with a tumbler of water, flour and salt to make dough. She opens the salt box, looks up then looks down again and asks "Have I put salt?"

My brother came home joyously yesterday to book tickets to go to Goa after my dad permitted him to enjoy a break with his friends. He took the laptop, went online, spoke to us about the last movie we'd watched. Then he said "What was I doing? Tickets!!" 

"I have something to say"

When asked "What?" I say "I forgot!"

Think of all the times you or people around you have had such memory losses. On a lighter note, It sounds funny but I'd also like you to think how preoccupied our brains are. We start to do something and half way we forget what we were doing. Too many wires in the brain, no wonder some connection problem may happen sometimes...

So try to Keep your brain free from stress. Par mamu jab bhi dimaag mein chemical locha ho toh muskurana mat bhoolna.........!!

Cheers!

God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Trip Learning!

Too long since I've written? That's because of the little break i took from home. I was off to Rajasthan!

I Always went to my hometown with an agenda to enjoy, watch my parents relive their youth days and tell me stories about their experiences, enjoy special delicacies, take pics of people around the village, learn about the developments. This time I came back with a story...

All of us have family but many times (especially during our youth days) we tend to take them for granted.
"Yaar humesha family ke saath jaate hai, kabhi toh hume bhi friends ke saath jaane ka mauka mile" or
"I don't mind going with Parents but real fun is going out with friends" or
Mama says we'll all go out. We say... "You go ahead, mera mood nahi hai!"
Think over...
I'm sure you'll recall a few times it happened with you. (Rather a few times you did that!)

Though I was out of town with my bro, I realized in just two days how badly I missed my Mom, Dad n Di. They are the ones who I fight with, they are the one's I tease, they are the ones I annoy and they are the ones who love me immeasurably but will never say!!

Just 10 days without them and I've known that I'm a nobody without them...
I started longing to eat with dad, work with di, sleep in mom's lap... Just yearned to be with them...
I'm sure this doesn't apply to me alone..

Some realize the true value of family and grow while others who don't, yearn for their loved one's... 

Which category do you want to fall into?

Just a little learning that I took from my trip... 

The little moments that we spend with our loved ones are the real treasures of our life. 

                        Those are the memories that are always ALIVE!!


Cheers!!
God Bless!

Chandra Daga

2/4/2011 - India on the Streets!

Despite all the anticipation, excitement, prayers, wishes and hopes...
We won the World Cup 2011!!
Or rather Team India won it for us...

It was quite an incredible win following which there was a furore on the Indian streets...
It was 12.00 am and the crowd pulled out of their homes with waving flags dancing on the streets with strangers.
Vendors gave fruits and chocolates free. My dad told me that the fellow at the soup stall did not earn a penny on Sunday because he was happy that India won the Cup!
Every single heart was filled with joy and felt itself to be the World Champion!
The following two days one could find people crazily still screaming Indiaaaaaa Indiaaah!!
Thanks to the Boys, it wasn't less than a Fever!!

It simply showed that We Indians are more than a crowd when it comes to Cricket..
I am of the view that if the same unity, stance and decisiveness is shown in other fields where it is actually needed, India would be far ahead indeed!
May be something we all had dreamed of, but could never see...

I just hope for the furore to reveal again...
In the eyes of women who are assaulted at home or molested outside.
In the work of employees being drained at work.
In the opinion of youngsters who think nothing can be changed.
In the decision of people who are forced to do things they don't want to.
In the self reliance of those who are rendered dependent.
In the ideas of Gen X and Y who are denied new beginnings.
In the Voice of India against everything that pulls it down!

Just a little ignition required and we would see our country as a place we would never want to leave, where every heart would want to be...
That would be the time for real celebration!!
Of course no one can stand alone...
But we can all make our small starts..

Go India!!

Cheers!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

One from my Collection...

I wanted someone to see

The simplicity that is within me

He knows it, yet wants me to be

Like the others who are not like me!

I wanted him to know I never lie

Wanted him to admire my honesty

He is hurt whenever I confess

So now should I say or let it be?

I wanted to love him lots

I wanted him to love me

He seems to be happy however

With his work, he forgets me!

I do not want him to be troubled

Not at all if the cause is me…

Sacrifice is a part of love

And for that he chose me!!

Cheers!!

God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

The Fall...

While climbing the stairs of the temple today, I found a lady coming down with a kid. A two year old kid followed. He used the wall to support him descend. At the end of the wall, there were three more steps to spare and only then would he be on the ground. He looked down, his feet wobbly and called for his elder brother.

I was on my way up and turned around to look. The little boy shakily managed to get down to reach his brother's extended hand.

Of course the kid was scared... Scared of falling, Scared of being hurt, Scared of being laughed at...
He still tried.

We would have also made the same effort as a child. We still make efforts.. But now, our aim is not as simple as descending a staircase...

Some of us may not give up until the desired outcome is achieved.
Some may try, fail and chose not to try again out of apprehension.
Some of us may wait in the quest of external support.
And Some may not attempt at all.
Approximately all of us fall into one of these categories... While the one's belonging to the first type find their way, the others lose the race...

I too have been in those categories at some stages in life and the idea of this write up to prompt the others to get to the topmost class.

Falling is not bad. But not learning from the fall is absurd. So what if there are some who laugh at you? They are not the one's who design your life... You Are!!

So don't fear a fall....
Because "When you are driven to the extreme,
                         Step out with the certainty of two things...
                                       You will either find something solid to Stand On,
                                                                           Or you will be taught how to Fly..."


Cheers!!
God Bless!!!

Chandra Daga

Grateful for something Great!!

If I say we are all lucky to have happy lives, you'd say I'm being philosophical..... But that's not it!

While going through today's paper, my eyes halted at the big news on the Front page with the picture of a lady in current state and in the inset, was her pic when she was in her early twenties... It was about the SC Ruling....

Here's the gist...
A ward boy assaulted and attempted to murder a nurse of a hospital in Mumbai.
The incident left the Nurse in Shock and in permanent vegetative state.
Nurses have been taken care of her since..
Another woman who was moved after witnessing her condition appealed for mercy killing. Plea rejected.
After few years the Plea was taken to SC and the verdict was out after 37 years of the nurse's suffering!
The verdict says she has to live...

Several other people around the world have pleaded for the same for themselves on behalf of their suffering loved ones.. We'd read about it and talk about it But we are no way close to even feeling the kind of pain they go through leave alone the intensity.

If I say we are all lucky to have happy lives, you'd say I'm being philosophical...
But when you face extreme things in life and feel that there is no way out of here...
Take a minute out of everything and try to visualize one day of the lives of those who can not move at all.
Imagine a person in bed 24/7, unable to move, eat, feel, communicate. Sure the brain is still working but that person can not convey a single word or even an expression to show their suffering!!

Now come back to where you are and what you have. I'm sure you'd feel a lot more secure, contended and grateful...

Life is great... but not to everyone alive...
So while you are here, Live it like every single moment is a Reward..
I'm grateful for this Great Life....

What about you??

Cheers!!
God Bless!!!

Chandra Daga

This Time... Every Time...

It isn't very rare that we hear news about mishaps and deaths.
So sure were our ancestors, that they would live a minimum of 60 to 70 years..
"Guarantee" is not the word for anything today!

Goods, Food, Commodities, Fame, Money, Life or Death... Absolutely nothing is Assured!!

I too ponder if I would be able to feel the rays of the rising sun, enjoy the rain or the chilly weathers of a another day. But that is not the resolution. While thinking just that, I lost some very valuable seconds....

Resolution?

Plan for your future but Do not think about what is going to happen
Work hard for results but Don't fear Negative Consequences
Express your Love and Don't let Hatred grow
Eat well but Don't let your Health Spoil
Troubleshoot problems but Don't let miseries take a toll on you
Learn from mistakes but Don't succumb to failures
Pray and Do as much Good as you can...

Live Life... This Time...
Every Time...


Cheers!!
God Bless!!


Chandra Daga

The Amendment Act!

A forward from a friend said...
"Never see a mistake as my mistake or his/her mistake...
My - will make you feel guilty.
His/Her will craft anger.
See it as Just a Mistake...
       And that will aid Improvement"

I would not have been persuaded with that thought, had I not gone through that very experience..
About Four years ago, some lovely friendships had splintered and adversely I was a partaker.

Time passed just usually and since all of us had Our things to do, we just did them.

A few months ago I had this feeling...
'Its okay if we don't meet again, its okay if we don't talk, its okay if they don't pardon me,
     but I have to Apologize...'

It felt like I would die with an unfinished job if I dint act contrite....
Driven by confident instinct I sent them a mail with a little explanation and heartfelt regret.

The reply came in absolution and that was when I realized that no matter what one has done or said, everyone is entitled to an Act of Amendment...
If you truly repent and truly mean your apology, You will be forgiven!

My Relationship(Amendment) Act restored my friendship and all that happened was overlooked...
I feel at Peace now...

So no matter who you've hurt or what you've done, When opportunity knocks, grab it!
                                    
                                     Do Not Miss Your Chance to Amend Mistakes...

                 You might Just end up Reliving some Best Memories,
                                           Sharing the Best Relationships
                                                           With the Best People you ever knew!
To Mins and Anki...


Cheers!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Try it!

A million times I think I should have conveyed my feelings to that special someone, may be he would have said yes!
                                       I never did...
A hundred times I considered talking to my dad and attempt to convince him to let me work.
                                          But I never could...
We all are surrounded by our obstacles and hassles. We take the journey which is not meant for us and find Excuses for not having done that which we should have...
Traveling, Pursuing a Hobby, Speaking the Heart, Supporting a Cause, Shore up a Dear one in times of need...

Thoughts without action!
Finally, nothing but a feeling of Regret prevails...

Its rightly said that all of us are here for something to accomplish. We have something to pull off. Irrespective of where we are, what environment we live in or what others want us to do, there is something We Believe We Are Born To Do...

A Desire to fulfill, A Passion to follow, An Endeavor to take up, A Dream to work on, A Plan to be made...
Rediscover that Ardor from the rubble of your brain and soul.. And Don't give up without giving it everything you have!
                                                                     
                                                                     Try it!!!
                                                          
Cheers!!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Deeper Roots, Stronger Branches...

A couple of days before, while crossing the road, my eyes halted on some matter printed on a guy's T shirt. It said "Deeper roots, Stronger branches"
I was instigated by the words and was compelled to reflect distinct connotations to those very words..

How many times has someone hurt you?

How many times have you tried to get over the hurt someone gave you?

It's alright to let that person know you're hurt. But don't let him/ her know how much they've hurt you. Don't let anyone feel that they can influence your life... Getting over the grief is sure difficult.  More often, the ghosts of the past haunt you, but your effort to surmount your misery should be incessant.

The deeper the roots of the past, the stronger will be the branches of pain.

Many of us see ourselves at the feat of what we like to do. It may be Business, Career or Hobby.
But the one's who actually make it big are those who have their passion gushing in their blood 24/7.
People say it's easier said than done, but that's not the reality.

The deeper the roots of your passion, the stronger will be branches of  rewards.

There may have been times when you may have thought or heard someone saying "I don't know what I've done to my life" There have been times when you would have felt you're so entrapped that there's no escape.. Elucidation? A talk with the one's who know us the best. They are the one's who can help us rise from the steepest falls - Our Parents...

The deeper our roots in family, the stronger will be our problem solving efficiency.

Let only those roots get deep into you whose branches help you emerge. The others may rest on the surface. The deeper you get into something, The stronger will be the consequences...


Cheers!!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

VQ

After watching Halla Bol and RDB, I thought among the crowd of an overpopulating India, there really are some people who are so triggered by an incident that they stand up to fight for justice. I appreciated the movies and pondered a lot over how I could be one of them.

However, a recent Movie gave me a glimpse of the other side the story....

While Criminals have a basket of options to chose from, the victims are unfortunately the innocent ones. The reasons for felony are mostly unbelievably sordid and of course the naive ones follow the route of Law for Justice (which includes Majority)...

Candle light marches, protests, conferences and storm of support messages do not Sustain the ensemble of witnesses and evidences. The ones who are out their to nab the defaulters know that they are fighting against the powerful ones but barely do they realize the meaning of that Power! Bravado and drive to stand for truth can very easily be overshadowed by fear of life. (If not theirs', then the lives of those they love)

Even Money can't do things that Fear can...

Result: The tenacity of the crusaders is rendered Futile because those with power do get away and in very rare cases do they get rewarded for their conduct per se...

All in all, that how's vulnerable we as human beings of the system are!!

Keep a check on Your VQ...... Vulnerability Quotient.


What If.............    


                                       Next Is YOU?










God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Game Over!!!

Beta beta, yes papa..
Playing games, no papa..
Telling lies, no papa..
Turn the screen, Game over!!

I really don't think  it's the kid's mistake. They don't have much of an option in these urban cities. The playful ambience exists no more. Flying kites, Gilli danda, latoo, hopscotch... Those stress relieving games were not only abundant in the fun quotient but also kept players fit. They are no more than ancient games that have been replaced by the New Generation Games on TV & Computers. They may seem more fun to kids but they do nothing more than decreasing physical activity and agility, increasing their laziness, spectacle numbers and not the very evident tummies!

I really wish those neighborhoods and games could be brought back because it is heart wrenching to see them  enjoy addiction in the name of play. A better a solution could be a trip to villages (preferably you native). It would take you back to your memories and will contribute to your kids' healthy childhood. One which could always be a part of their nostalgia.

Cheers!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga

Daily Soap...

Daily Soaps...
Oops.. Sorry I mean Kahani Daily Soaps Ki!!! :P

Well only non existent people would not know about them given the importance they get from women over everything else in the world...
What does it take to make the ladies stick to their television sets? I guess i can name some ingredients here... 

A Seedhi Saadhi Bahu (Bechaari, the lead)
A Huge Family (that keeps extending)
A Vamp (In the family who knows the weak points of the lead)
A Villian (who obidiently follows the Vamp's footsteps)
Repeat telecasts (of a single scene from different angles)
Defeaning Sounds (thunder and drums when the villian is scheming or is successful in the plan, Aalaps when the poor lead is being humiliated and thrown out)
A Different Look (wierd hairdos, colored lenses, loud make up, funny wardrobe)
A Story (that has very few happy moments and leading to eruption of fountains of glycerin tears at other times with as many illogical twists as possible)

All these, well blended with the ever Traumatic Destiny of the Lead, the Acts of the Bewafa Hubby, Plots of the Vicious Vamp made reality by the Jobless Villian, a few romantic and sad songs to mark the few happy and never ending sad moments and some Dead returned from Yumlok would make it Irresistable for the Indian women to miss.

Caution!

Your tea may be salty if the Vamp is succeeding
The food may be tasteless if the Lead has had an accident
Your wife may become Suspicious of you
Children may learn Sneaking out of homes and partying, some intelligent ones may also learn things like Running away and Cutting their Wrists!!
Your surroundings may be filled with noises repeated a minimum of three to four times differently.


Am I saying that there is nothing sensible on TV? Not really...
I Appreciate the social topics (like farmer suicides, honour killing, child marriage, female foeticide, women empowerment, harassment) being depicted in some of them today. The drawback is that though they start on a good note, they end up being like one of the typical soaps meant just for senseless entertainment.


My advice....
Beware!!! 

Cheers!
God Bless!!

Chandra Daga