Friday, January 28, 2011
Since I’ve been loving cowboys since childhood for some reasons, jus felt like posting the below extract that I’d read somewhere long bak:
“…From wintery blizzards, to sun bakin' summers,
and everything else in between,
Out fixin' fences, checkin' water and windmills,
punchin' cows from here to Abilene.
A hat and its shape and the way that it's worn,
mark a cowboy, like a brand on a cow,
And Mister, if you bought one new, just like this
they wouldn't be the same anyhow.
The size of the brim or the shape of the crown,
ain't what sets an old Stetson apart,
It's the guy underneath it, who's makin' a hand,
with the love of the life in his heart.
Yaa see, some folks say a hat makes a cowboy,
but I don't really see it like that.
So I guess what I'm tryin' to tell ya, Friend,
the truth is, the cowboy makes the hat!!...”
Thursday, January 20, 2011
How much fun it would be had it been possible to turn back the time and travel into a period where life was so carefree, where bunking classes was a trend, cribbing over exams was an art, cursing teachers was purely enjoyable, sighing over that ‘cute guy’, assuring to pay the dues to the chaiwala, wondering what the future would be like...
How much fun it’d be taking a long holiday from work, going shopping till you can’t shop anymore, dancing like a crazy duck, relishing the aroma of tea and hot pakodas and the smell of wet soil during the rains, getting thrilled for a long drive on a rugged bike with the man you love on a pleasant summer evening in your usual comfy tee & shorts, enjoying a soft, fluffy candy floss till it dissolves in your mouth…
How wonderful joyful life it’d be had it been simply staying with your girlfriends, hanging out with them, roaming around and doing all the possible mad crazzyy girly stuffs with them, working with them, screaming with them, learning with them…
Sometimes how much happiness it’d given you every time you saw yourself in the mirror, where for a moment it takes you back and drops in the middle, and acts like a magnifier to look through yourself, at yourself! To notice the unperturbed fire within…To appreciate the lovely dress in which you’ve posed numerous times elegantly…
There are these familiar surroundings always that do bring a smile, but sometimes not for too long.
There is this feeling like an injured soldier.
There prevails this weird emptiness within that gets hidden behind those laughter & enjoyment with best friends, cousins or neighbors.
Nevertheless there is a pleasant smile on the face too before going to bed after thanking the Lord.
I wonder why we feel what we feel??
We’ve not failed somewhere, but haven’t succeeded yet either…We as humans just keep trying.
After all that’s what life is all about, right? To keep moving on?!
Rise each time to fall, but pick up something each time you fall!!
I wish I could go back to the old days when I was a child and I could simply crack, laugh, enjoy, every bit of LIFE!!
That was Life or is this Life??
Monday, January 10, 2011
It was Feb 2010, when I was preparing for my NIFT entrance exams, sitting on my cozy bed and wrapped in a warm blanket, my book kept on my fluffy pillow and me desperately struggling to concentrate since it was kind of “one night study before the exam.” It was almost 6 a.m. in the morning, and my quantitative aptitude book was feeling slightly ignored. My eyes half open, and through that partial vision I was trying to comprehend those black ink marks on the white paper. As I was almost giving in to sleep, the phone screeched. In an unjust manner I so cursed its inventor, though it was the same device that had also brought so many messages filled with warmth before. It was just a few steps away on my computer table. My possessive bed was not permitting me to get up and receive the call. I reluctantly left my bed, crawled to the table and responded groggily. “Hello” I said, but the line disconnected. Irritated I decided to make it helpless by keeping the receiver aside on the table and return to my bed. Sleeping felt especially very good during exams. I decided to set my cell phone alarm and sleep for a while. It seemed now that my landline telephone was all set to take revenge by conspiring against me. I’d forgotten to set my cell phone on a silent mode, which now vibrated rigorously. My customized fancy ring tone that rang out seemed so noisy at that moment. Before I could respond, I heard a husky voice speak in a commanding tone on the other end. “Please give the phone to Mr. Merchant”. “Excuse me, hello?!!” I interrupted. “I guess, you’ve dialed a wrong number.” “Ohh is it, well apologies then” he said and hung up. A few disturbances in around 30 minutes were enough to irritate me. My sleep vanished now. Neither was I in a mood to study.
I decided to go for a brisk walk. I put one my suede jacket and a stylish muffler, checked the time in my cell phone & left from home.
As I was walking, I was enjoying the cool weather as much as my walk. My mood suddenly changed and I felt fresh. A beautiful morning, a warm jacket, a fancy muffler and a carefree easy-going life!! I’d saw a fountain at the crossroads, and went close to it to enjoy the light sprinkles of water that would fall delicately on my face. The orange glow of the rising sun looked so raw and pure. Quite similar to that depicted by a little school kid in his portrait. Jus as I was walking on the clean open city roads, smiling to myself, I came across a small girl. I stopped abruptly. I could see her shivering badly. Her ears covered with her hands so as to prevent the cool breeze from entering. Her clothes semi torn, standing right in front of me barefooted, looking at every other pedestrian around in a wishful manner. Our eyes met. I started feeling sorry and sad. My smile disappeared instantly. I wondered how nature can be wonderful to one and harsh to others. She wasn’t crying. Maybe she was used to this cold. She did not even ask for anything to me. But her eyes that kept staring and did not even blink spoke much…
I returned home. Inspite of a brisk walk, I did not feel warm. I could feel the cold inside me. Feeling quite sorry and guilty, I wondered, I couldn’t provide her with my cozy bed, my warm jacket, my stylish muffler, and surely not with a carefree easy going life. May be I was as helpless as she was…