Learning frpm the pigs

My friend who was married off to a rich family, just after high school. She is now a proud mother of three, planning to marry off her daughter as soon as she turns 18. But I believe they’re liberal as per their standards. And I think so because thkids wear their headgear rolled up like a turban and she reposts ‘wailing Palestinian kids’ in her instagram story every other day.

Last day she puts up a post on how ‘not only pigs are unhealthy to eat but also people eating people get certain straits of pigs’. 

I asked her if her post was based on some scientific stidies?

‘But don’t your Bible says so?’

‘Every Semitic religion says the same things. It was based on the knowledge the people had at that time. Today we know pigs is healthy as any other food.’

Eating or wearing something based on you stupid belief is your choice. But claiming exclusivity and judging people who think differently based on your belief system is ridiculous

No religious text is a carta blanc. It should be treated as a point of reference

Colour of the shirt

The sleaziest pick up line for a middle aged flirt would be 'What are you wearing to Office today'

And that is what I asked her today. She was only one of the few who is kind enough to indulge my attempts at flirting with her. 

And then I remembered I was wearing a peacock green shirt. The shirt would be 7 years old this July and I remember it well because I brought it before my marriage. I was the shirt I wore on our first outing together and it so happened that we wore the same colours that day (totally unintentional)

Years had rolled by, there were many things we would not agree on, many things we had to agree because of the other.- Very romantic days and very difficult days. And like the test of time the shirt has managed to hang on to its useable life although the green has faded a bit. 

Opening Up

It was Arts fest in college. Guys were all ganged up and high on adrenaline. Their chief objective was to boo down anything and everything moving on the stage. Then the announcement came up for the Dance by Tony. We were surprised. We didn’t know the tall, shy Tony could dance. ‘Dance’ items were reserved for the exclusive gang and here comes Tony. The curtains opened to Tony in a shiny glittering outfit. He started swaying his body like a Snake and I was impressed. Sadly the silence turned to boos in a few minutes. In the next few days the discussion in the college was on how he managed to show the guts. I realized the Boos came not because the dance was bad, rather he had the guts to do a ‘feminine’ dance routine. Years later, I read in a news media that he became one of the Malayali IT professional to come out in the open and profess his homosexuality.

We, as Malayali breed, is a proud lot. We have to be cajoled to get in front of a mic or speak in a gathering or shake a leg. Still without much hesitation we would judge, find faults, get sarcastic and laugh at anyone in front of the mic. 

This ‘shyness’ reflects in every walk of life- social, political, economic,arts and even family. Rather than defining it as ‘shy’ I would rather say our society has set some rigid guidelines or framework on how people have to react and behave to various scenarios and platforms. Anything outside the guidelines are considered ‘different’, ‘rebel’, or even ‘abnormal’. The influence of patriarchy would have been a primary reason to ‘conform’ or to ‘protect’. Added to that there Kerala population was blessed with plenty of opportunities when the Gulf boom opened up. So if you simply stay put and ‘conformed’ to the standards your distant uncle would take you to the Arab lands. In other words you would be taken care of. 

This became all the more evident in our movie-land where movie after movie raised the feelings of deja-vu but were still welcomed. Heroes were meant to play their roles keeping in mind of their ‘image’. Cinema decayed itself to the point of promoting machoism and misogyny. Alarm bells went ringing when the likes of Shakeela started to be compete with the macho heroes. That turned out to be the curve for Malayalam Cinema.

It is not just in the acting department , which was dominated by monotony. My friend shared a few songs sung by someone and then I realized how our great singer, who is compared to Gandharva, is a boring singer sans any emotion. But he set a framework which countless others followed which derided us of any variation in the renditions. 

Moving over from Cinema, most of the Malayalis were reluctant to admit their wealth or to flaunt it. It was considered cheapness or arrogance. We preferred smaller homes, cars and average-guy outfits. We preferred it in Bank Deposits or in acres of Land.

Moving closer to home it was rare to see Husband and Wife getting cosy Or a Brother showing his love for his sister. I remember the Church ‘Youth’ camps where the older couples had to be persuaded and cajoled to dance.

Back in my school days a guy and girl had no reason to talk to each other, unless they were lovers. Nevertheless walking together or a simple date would have been equivalent to sex.

Walking back to final years in college, when the multi nationals made sure you don’t have to go job hunting after college, a friend of mine wasn’t lucky enough to get a job. He packed his bags to Bangalore where he found someone from North to marry. It was a rare feat back then and he religiously started posting poems along with recipe of Dal Curry he made for his wife. We the old guys’ gang ridiculed him only to get ‘blocked’. But when the chronic Bachelor of the gang got married recently and started posting recipes of fish fry, I realized we had missed the bus. 

What made us change? It is possibly the economic opportunity slowly drying up and we having to really cry out for the small blessings. Years ago we had this Manager in our organization who found particular enjoyment in making his friends email the Chairman of the organization about the ‘wonderful service’ he was rendering them. As per the protocol the Chairman’s office forwarded to the bosses commending the performance. The whole thing was a matter of joke back then. Today things have taken a U-turn with every other Branch Managers making a scripted video on how kind and loving they are. I even see people writing poems on each other as a part of well planned ‘I scratch your scrotum, you scratch my clitoris’

This change in economic reality reflected in our houses as well. We started having to tell our children and spouses how much we love them. I don’t remember a single birthday being celebrated in my childhood. Today forgetting a birthday is considered equivalent to unfaithfulness or lovelessness. I heard a lady worrying loudly on buying Gold jewellery for the birthday of the neighbour’s 3 year old daughter.

As we slowly climb down from the high branches, it is time we realize that people turning overnight stars in Youtube and Tik Tok isn’t the end of ages. It is just that the space have opened up for more people. We need to get out of the cages of insecurity and open ourselves to appreciate the variety around us.

Seeking validation

Around this time of last year, I dumped my only full sleeve shirt in the dustbin. It was not torn or unusable. I had brought it the year before to wear it at the annual promotion interviews. Last year was the second time I got rejected. This year, when I missed the bus again for the third time I had nothing left to throw off the drain. 

As the pain and humiliation subsided, there was a feeling of cool soothe. it is said that the pain reduces after each blow. You enter into a perpetual state of existentialism and wait for the ‘greater good’ from the heavens above.  

10 years ago as I joined this institution a senior person told me, ‘You are not meant for this place.’ He didn’t mean to chide me but stated this as a matter of fact. Every April as I wait for the selected list of promotees with a pumping heart and browse down the list to find that my name has been left out this year as well, the words of that man rings like an oracle. The small man as I am, it leaves me with abject morbidity to see people below me, climb up the ladder. 

Validation is all that I have been yearning for, all my life. Right from parents to teachers, classmates, friends, colleagues and the bosses. I yearn for those little ‘Congrats’ messages with emoticons of flowers and claps and thumbs up. But I am not sure if to seek validation in a job you don’t like by people who hardly like you is the redemption I wish for. I have boasted myself of being ‘different’ and ‘rebellious’. That might have been a way of seeking attention but the world knows no greater stupidity. The system weeds out the ‘different’ and the ‘rebellious’. Those who claim to have climbed the ladder while being ‘different’ are no better than pimps for the system.

One of my worst fears has been of obscurity. That I will fade out of this world, unheard and unknown. Perhaps that is why I have been yearning for the validation. The affable Punjabi guy, who was roomed with me during a training program told me’ Either you have to reach the top or don’t even bother.’

Perhaps its time I learn not to bother.

The world that changed in two weeks

Back in 2008 when I started blogging, I had promised myself to do 2 blogs a month. It was crazy 2 years until I started working in a place that ate your brains in lieu of salary. It has been crazy 10 years until the lockdown gave us a welcome time to sit down at home and enjoy the sunset. There was this urge to get back to writing along with reading. Then a long lost friend came in, who caressed my thoughts and gave the kick that resulted in a writing spree. It is the feeling when you are trapped in a endless black hole and someone comes into push you out.  


The Kerala Government came up with campaign, which rightly named ‘Break-the-chain’. Over the past few weeks, the humanity has seen many links of the chain being broken and new links being built. 


When the boss announced the one day curfew on a Sunday, I felt a tug in the heart. Although I have been emotionally detached from the Church for the last five years, being forced to stay out on a Sunday and that too on the lent season can be emotionally touchy. But then the lent season went off peacefully, so did the Hosanna and the Easter. No one died of not celebrating the Holy communion. But then it was high time the Churches modified its practice of celebrating the ‘communion’. 

Everyone knew there was a communion of spittle, but since the ritual was too holy to be modified no one really bothered. Now what common sense couldn’t alter, the virus may. Infact religion has been creeping into science, polity, arts, literature and every other aspect of human life. This one, invisible virus may have broken (or atleast rattled) the chain. 


People started learning that the ceremonies, functions and festivals could be done with minimal attendance and little ‘noise’. A few weeks ago the representatives from nearby temple came to visit. The temple used to do a well-known festival every year gathering thousands of people all over the state. This year they had to drop the plans soon after making a hefty advance payment. The faithful were no longer interested in making the donations and the usually-rich Temple Trust ended up in huge debts. 


Our big fat weddings became small calorie-free ones. 5 years ago I struggled to match the ‘in-flow’ to the ‘out-flow’ during mine and ended it up at 10.00 lacs( average wedding cost for a Trivandrum Christian). Today it has trebled the cost, with most of the spending on materials you won’t be using ever in your life again. It was beyond any logic to burn up the entire life savings and earning a debt on a single day. Moving on the penchant for celebration increased with people finding all sorts of excuse to eat poorly cooked food loaded with carcinogens. 


As the chains started shaking so did people’s confidence in immortality.  From the time immemorial humans were after the elixir of youth and immortality. A few generations ago it was difficult to survive beyong 50s. Today people well live into their 80s, thanks to the modern medicine and quality of lifestyle. When we temporarily stopped our weekly football match a month back, guys as young as 30 went with a parting note, ‘See you, if alive’. Even the youth couldn’t guarantee their lifespan. The reason was the virus had a bad impact on people with respiratory and liver issues and both of them are guaranteed in modern cities. Last week I saw my father, he was pretty sure this pandemic was certainly from the Book of Revelations. People has gone on to predict the end of the worlds. 


If lifespan was a worry, imagine the situation of people having to spend day in and out for weeks with people who they can barely stand. Work life was a means to escape from their own house for many. Now they have to spend their days in closed rooms with people bound only by legal contract. The worst affected is women who had to stand their in-laws. I have spoken to people who nearly hit the depressive button. The first few days recipes from Youtube and other crafts helped them trudge through. Then came different challenges with a hashtag and quizzes. In a couple of weeks the fountain of creativity goes dry.


The idea of capitalism and free market has taken a serious rattle thanks to the virus. Informal labour sector has been India’s greatest blessing. The millions of unaccounted and cheap labour oiling the giant wheels of Indian industry are not covered by any security. The people greatly affected by them were from this sector. We literally saw a huge human crises, which literally stared back at us and laid bare the ‘Indian growth story’. Many millions have been literally pushed into poverty during this lockdown and Government has no verifiable data for its utility schemes to reach them. Moving up the ladder there are chances of lay-offs in sectors catering to US and Europe. Salary revisions will be minimal and many investments will sour. 


We have also learnt that free will associated with capitalism will not help the humanity survive. Consumption has to be checked. We may have to minimize consumption and let go of many luxuries. But again there are many who lived off the luxuries. I haven’t seen the guy who irons my clothes and I wonder how he makes his living. The supermarkets gave you a ‘sense of choice’ and literally put out so many small traders out of business. The old Khirana shops have come back to prominence as people have to wait for hours to get into a ‘supermarkets’


The coming days we may have to adjust to the long queues, lesser human contact and common gatherings. The human civilization has turned a curve

ഓട്ടോ സവാരി

When the  right and wrong is no longer black or white

രാവിലെ ഇറങ്ങിയപ്പോ ഫ്ലാറ്റിന്റെ മുന്നിൽ കിടക്കുന്നു ഓട്ടോ. ഓട്ടോയിൽ കയറിയിട്ട് കുറേ നാളായി. അതിലേറെ നാളായി ബസ്സിൽ കയറിയിട്ട്. സ്വന്തമായി വണ്ടി ആയി കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോ മടി. വണ്ടി കാത്തു നില്ക്കാനും പിന്നെ ചില്ലറയുടെ പേരിൽ വഴക്കുണ്ടാക്കാനും. UBER സൗകര്യം വന്നപ്പോ അങ്ങനെ ഒരു ഉപകാരമായി. എത്ര കത്തിയാണെങ്കിലും Decimal കണക്കിനു പൈസ എടുക്കും. വില പേശി വില കളയണ്ട.

ഇന്നെന്തായാലും യൂബർ എടുത്തില്ല. ഓട്ടോ എടുത്തു നേരെ വിട്ടു. ഓട്ടോയിൽ കയറി കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോഴാണ് ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചത് നല്ല കളർഫുൾ ഓട്ടോ. ഓടിക്കുന്നതു ഒരു ചേച്ചിയും. ആദ്യമായാണ് 'ഷീ' ഓട്ടോയിൽ കയറുന്നത്. കുറച്ചു കഴിഞ്ഞ് ഒരു conversation തുടങ്ങി.

ആദ്യം സിറ്റിയിലെ traffic പിന്നെ സ്വന്തം വിശേഷങ്ങൾ

'എത്ര നാളായി ചേച്ചി?'

ഒരു ക്ഷണത്തിന് കാത്തിരുന്ന പോലെയവർ തുടങ്ങി.

'ചേട്ടനൊപ്പം തട്ടുകടയായിരുന്നു. പിന്നെ ചേട്ടന് കാൻസർ പിടിപ്പെട്ടു.

ആദ്യം RCC കൊണ്ടുപോയി. അവിടുന്ന് 'അമൃത'യ്ക്ക് refer ചെയ്തു. 65 ലക്ഷം രൂപയുടെ സർജറി വിധിച്ചു.

അതിനൊപ്പം ഡോക്ടർ ഒരു T&C കൂടി വച്ചു.

സർജറി കഴിഞ്ഞ് രോഗിയെ ജീവനോടെ കിട്ടാൻ പത്ത് ശതമാനം സാധ്യതയേ ഉള്ളൂ

അഥവാ ജീവൻ കിട്ടിയാലും അത് കിടക്കയിൽ തന്നെ ജീവിച്ച് തീർക്കണം.

സർജറിയ്ക്ക് വീടും കൈയിലുള്ള പണ്ടവും പണയം വച്ചു. സർജറി വിജയിച്ചു.

സ്വർണ്ണം ബാങ്ക് കൊണ്ടുപോയി. വീട് ജപ്തിയായി. പിന്നീട് കരുണ തോന്നി ബാങ്ക് settlement എത്തി. 

ഞാൻ ചോദിച്ചു 'അമ്മ' സഹായിച്ചില്ലേ

'ഉവ്വ, 25000 രൂപ കിഴിവ് തന്നു '

പക്ഷേ ഈ കഥ തീർന്നില്ല. പുള്ളിയ്ക്ക് ആഴ്ചയിൽ 2 dialysis വേണം, വില കൂടിയ മരുന്നുകളും. City corporation ഒരു ഓട്ടോ വാങ്ങി കൊടുത്തു.

ഇവർക്ക് ഒരു മകളായിരുന്നു. നല്ല മിടുക്കി. CA ആയിരുന്നു സ്വപ്നം. Fees കൊടുക്കാൻ കാശില്ലാതെ മനസ്സുമടുത്തു ആ മകള് തൂങ്ങി ചത്തു.

ആ സ്ത്രീ ഇങ്ങനെ ഉപസംഹരിച്ചു ' നാഥനെ കിട്ടി, മകളെ നഷ്ടമായി '

ആ ഓട്ടോയിൽ ഇരുന്നു ഞാനാലോചിച്ചു ഒരു  സാധാരണ കുടുംബത്തിൽ ജനിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പെൺകുട്ടിയെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് (അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വളർത്തുന്നത് ) കല്യാണം കഴിപ്പിച്ച് 'വിടാനാണ് '

ജീവിതത്തിൽ ഇത് വരെ കാണാത്ത ഒരാൾ അവളുടെ identify ആയി മാറുന്നു. ആ identity നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടാൽ പിന്നെ അവൾ തന്നെയില്ല.

ഇറങ്ങുമ്പോൾ ഞാനൊരു 500 രൂപ കൊടുത്തു

'അയ്യോ ഇതെന്തിനാ സാറേ '

' സിംപതിക്കല്ല. ഈ അനുഭവത്തിനാണ്. വച്ചോളൂ'

ദു:ഖ വെള്ളി

ആധുനിക ലോകത്തിൻ്റെ ചരിത്രത്തിലാദ്യമായിരിക്കും ക്രിസ്ത്യാനികളെല്ലാവരും കതകുകളടച്ച് വീട്ടിൻറുളളിലിരുന്ന് ക്രിസ്തുവിൻ്റെ കഷ്ടാനുഭവം അയവിറക്കുന്നത്. ലോക ചക്രവർത്തിമാർക്ക് സാധിക്കാതിരുന്ന സംഗതി ഒരു ചെറിയ കീടത്തിന് സാധിക്കുന്നു.

ലോകമെമ്പാടുമുള്ള വലിയ വലിയ, ചരിത്ര പ്രസിദ്ധമായ പള്ളികൾ ഇന്ന് ഉറങ്ങി കിടക്കും.

കഷ്ടപ്പാടുകളിൽ നിന്ന് സഭ സമൃദ്ധിയിലേക്ക് പോയപ്പോൾ ക്രിസ്തുവിൻ്റെ കഷ്ടാനുഭവം re-Create ചെയ്യാൻ പാടുപ്പെട്ടത് പള്ളീലച്ഛന്മാരാണ്. കഷ്ടാനുഭവം നടക്കുമ്പോൾ തന്നെ ഉയർപ്പിൻ്റെന്നു തട്ടാൻ പോകുന്ന ആടുമാടുകളെയും ഇറക്കാൻ പോകുന്ന കള്ളിനെയും ഓർത്തിരിക്കുന്ന കുഞ്ഞാടുകളെ എന്തു പറഞ്ഞാണ് കഷ്ടങ്ങൾ പഠിപ്പിക്കേണ്ടത്.

ഈ അവസ്ഥ ഒരു വിധം പരിഹരിച്ചത് Mel Gibson ആണ്. Passion of the Christ കാണിച്ചു കുറച്ചു കണ്ണുന്നീർ ശേഖരിക്കാൻ സഭയ്ക്ക് സാധിച്ചു.

എൻ്റെ ചെറുപ്പത്തിലെ ദു:ഖവെള്ളി കത്തോലിക്ക സഭയിലായിരുന്നു. കയ്പു വെള്ളവും കുരിശിൻ്റെ വഴിയും മുതിർന്നവർക്ക് reserved ആയിരുന്നു. ഒന്നു മുതിരാൻ വേണ്ടി ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു.

അവസാനം മുതിർന്നു കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോ കൂടെ പുതിയ ജോലികളും കിട്ടി. പള്ളിക്കകത്തെ ബഞ്ചുകൾ ഹാശാ ആഴ്ചയിൽ വെളിയിൽ കൊണ്ട് നിക്ഷേപിക്കേണ്ട ജോലി 'യുവജന'ത്തിൻ്റേതായിരുന്നു. കാരണവന്മാർ പറയുന്ന പോലെ വീട്ടുമുറ്റത്തെ കരിയില കുനിഞ്ഞെടുക്കാത്ത ഞങ്ങൾ ബഞ്ചുകൾ വെളിയിലിടും.

ദു:ഖവെള്ളിയുടെ പ്രധാന കായികാഭ്യാസമാണല്ലോ കുമ്പിടൽ. അതിന് അത്യാവശ്യം നല്ല തിരക്കാണ്, തിങ്ങി കൂടിയാണ് കുഞ്ഞാടുകൾ നില്ക്കുന്നത്. കുമ്പിട്ട് തളർന്നവസാനം മുന്നേ നില്ക്കുന്ന ആളുടെ കാലിൻ്റെ വെള്ള ചുംബിക്കും.

വർഷങ്ങൾ കഴിഞ്ഞു പോകുംതോറും തിരക്ക് കൂടി വന്നു. ബഞ്ചു പിടിക്കാൻ ആളും കുറഞ്ഞു. എനിക്കാണെങ്കിലിതിനോട് താത്പര്യവും കുറഞ്ഞു. ബഞ്ചു പിടിക്കാൻ ബംഗാളികൾ വന്നു. ഞാൻ പള്ളിയുടെ പിറകിലേക്കു മാറി.

കയ്പു വെള്ളത്തിന് പകരം കഞ്ഞിയും പയറും പച്ചമാങ്ങ അരിഞ്ഞു മുളകു sauce ൽ മുക്കിയ ഒരു കൂട്ടും ( അച്ചാർ എന്ന് പറയാം)

ഹറാംപിറപ്പ്

Lockdown കാരണം വീട്ടിൽ അടച്ചുമൂടിയിടപ്പെട്ട വിവാഹിതരുടെയും അവിവാഹിതരുടെയും വിനോദമാണ് chatting. അതിൽ കുറച്ചു ഇക്കിളി elements ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ സന്തോഷം.

അങ്ങനെ കിട്ടിയ ഒരു കുട്ടിയാണ്. വളരെ യഥാസ്തിതിക മുസ്ലീം കുടുംബിനി. പ്രധാന hobbies ആണ് നിസ്കാരം, ഹജ്ജ്, പരദൂഷണം.

യഥാസ്ഥിതികർക്ക് ഒരു പ്രത്യേകത ഉണ്ട്. എത്ര സ്വന്തം choice ആണെന്ന്പ റഞ്ഞാലും അകത്ത് നല്ല frustrated ആണ് ഭൂരിഭാഗവും. നമ്മൾ അവർടെ സൈഡിൽ നിന്ന് ഒന്നു ഇളക്കിവിട്ടാൽ എല്ലാമിങ്ങു പോരും.

ഞാനീ പറഞ്ഞ ആൾക്ക് വർഷങ്ങളായി കുട്ടികളില്ല. പിന്നെ ചറപറാന്നു 3 എണ്ണമിങ്ങു പോന്നു.

ഞാനിതിൻ്റെ രഹസ്യം ചോദിച്ചു

'എല്ലാം അല്ലാഹുവിൻ്റെ കരുണ'

ഞാനൊന്നൂടെ ഇളക്കി

'ഇസ്ലാം വിശ്വാസ പ്രകാരം ഒരേ ഒരു position allowed ഉള്ളൂ. ബാക്കി ഒക്കെ ഹറാം ആണ്

എനിക്കൊരു കാര്യം മനസ്സിലായി ഹദിത്ത് നോക്കിയിരുന്നാ കാര്യങ്ങൾ നടക്കില്ല.

അതു കൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ രണ്ടു കല്പിച്ച് കാര്യങ്ങൾ 'കൈയിലെടുത്തു'

(കൈ എന്നത് വായെന്നും വായിക്കാം. Reader's discretion)

Moral of the story : ആവശ്യാനുസരണം ഹറാം ഹരമാക്കണം

അയ്യപ്പന്റെ ക്രിസ്മസ് കേക്ക്

തിരുവനന്തപുരത്ത് നിന്ന് 20 km ഉള്ളുവെങ്കിലും സൗകര്യങ്ങളുടെ കാര്യത്തിൽ ഒരു ദശകമെങ്കിലും പിറകിലാണ് ഞാൻ ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്ന സ്ഥലം.

അതു കൊണ്ട് ഓഫീസിലേക്ക് ക്രിസ്മസ് കേക്ക് സിറ്റിയിൽ നിന്ന് വാങ്ങി

കാണാൻ ഒരു മാരക Look ഉള്ള കേക്ക്. എല്ലാവർക്കും Merry Christmas ആശംസിച്ച് ആദ്യത്തെ കഷ്ണം ഞാൻ വായിലേക്കിട്ടു. ഓരോരുത്തർ വന്നു കേക്ക് വായിലിടുന്നു. 

അടുത്തതു കൂട്ടത്തിൽ തടിയന്റെ അവസരം. അവനിങ്ങനെ മടിച്ചു നില്ക്കുന്നു. ഇനി Diet ആണോ?

പെട്ടന്ന് അവിടുള്ള ചേച്ചിയുടെ നിലവിളി 'അയ്യോ കഴിക്കല്ലേ '

ഞാൻ ഒന്നു ഞെട്ടി' എന്താ പ്രശ്നം'

'മലയ്ക്കു പോണൂ സർ'

'മൊട്ട കഴിച്ചാൽ അയ്യപ്പനെന്താ? '

'അതല്ല ഇനിയെങ്ങാനും'

Kerala had this ability to differentiate myth and reality. Now myth is slowly being fused into reality.

Religion cannot replace Science or literature. But today religious texts are glorified as greatest science or literary texts

മാറി നടക്കുന്ന ഓണം

ഓണം കഴിഞ്ഞ് മാവേലി കിട്ടിയ വണ്ടിയ്ക്ക് തിരിച്ച് പാതാളത്തിലേക്ക് പോകാൻ പോവാണ്. അന്നേരം വരുന്നു മലയാളികൾ Singapore trip ഒക്കെ കഴിഞ്ഞ്. ഇനി മിക്കവാറും പുള്ളിക്കാരൻ ഓണം കാണാൻ കേരളത്തിലേക്ക് ഉണ്ടാവില്ല. പകരം സിംഗപ്പൂർ എങ്ങാനും പോയാൽ മലയാളികളേയും കാണാം Singapore ട്രിപ്പും നടത്താം

ഇത്തവണത്തെ ഓണം എനിയ്ക്കു പ്രത്യേകത ഉണ്ട്. ഞാനും ഭാര്യയും പുതിയ ഫ്ലാറ്റിലേയ്ക്ക് വാടകയ്ക്ക് മാറിയിട്ട് ആദ്യത്തെ ഓണം. The continuous supply of അടപ്രഥമൻ നിലച്ചതൊഴിച്ചാൽ എല്ലാം ശുഭം. വീട്ടിൽ കുത്തിയിരിക്കുന്ന സമയത്ത് എന്തെങ്കിലും കുത്തി കുറിക്കാമെന്നു കരുതി.

ഈ ഓണത്തിന് വേറൊരു പ്രത്യേകത കൂടി ഉണ്ടേ. പുതിയ ഓഫിസിലേക്ക്‌ സ്ഥലം മാറി വന്നിട്ട് ആദ്യത്തെ ഓണം. 'അഹങ്കാരി',' മുൻ ശുണ്ഠി' അങ്ങനെ കുറച്ച് സത്പേര് സമ്പാദിച്ചു വന്നതുകൊണ്ട് ഒരു ശീതസമരത്തിന്റെ ഇടയിലേക്കാണ് സ്വാഗതം ചെയ്യപ്പെട്ടത്. പോരാത്തതിന് അവിടുത്തെ അനിയത്തിക്കുട്ടിയെ പഞ്ചാര അടിച്ചത് ജ്യേഷ്ഠന്മാർക്ക് തീരെ പിടിച്ചില്ല. അതു കൊണ്ട് ഓണ പരിപാടിക്ക് പ്രതിഷേധ സൂചകമായി ഞാൻ കറുത്ത ഷർട്ടും ജീൻസും ധരിച്ചാണ് പോയത്.

ഓണത്തിന്റെ പ്രധാന കലാപരിപാടിയായ പൂക്കളമൊരുക്കാൻ വന്നപ്പോഴാണ് ഒരു പ്രശ്നം വന്നു വീണത്. ഡിസൈനൊക്കെ നല്ല ഒന്നാന്തര രീതിയിൽ ഒരുക്കി. അന്നേരം അറിഞ്ഞത് കളത്തിന്റെ സെന്റർ ഒന്നു പൊക്കാൻ കുറച്ചു മണ്ണ് വേണം. ശകലം മതി. പക്ഷേ ഏകദേശം നൂറ് പേര് ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്നിടത്ത്, ആരുടെയും വീട്ടിൽ മണ്ണില്ല. എല്ലാവരും വീടിന്റെ ചുറ്റുവട്ടം നല്ല സിസൈനുള്ള Tiles ഇട്ടു ഭംഗിയാക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഇനി മണ്ണും തമിഴൻ തന്നെ കൊണ്ടു വരണ്ടി വരും.

വെള്ളപ്പൊക്കം കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ട് ഒരു വർഷമായില്ല എന്നോർക്കണം. അന്നു കേരളം വെള്ളത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിയപ്പോ ഒരു പ്രധാന കാരണം വെള്ളത്തിന് ഒഴുകി താഴെ പോകാൻ സ്ഥലമില്ലെന്നായിരുന്നു. ആ നമ്മളിപ്പോ മാവേലിയെ വരവേല്ക്കാൻ പൂക്കളം ഷേപ്പിലുള്ള Tiles ഇട്ടു തുടങ്ങി. ചെറുപ്പത്തിൽ ഗൾഫിൽ നിന്ന് വിമാനത്തിൽ തിരുവനന്തപുരത്ത് Land ചെയ്യുമ്പോ ഒരു ഭംഗി ആയിരുന്നു. നിറയെ പച്ചപ്പും, കുറച്ചൂടെ ഇറങ്ങുമ്പോ തെങ്ങും, പിന്നെ airport ൽ വിളിക്കാൻ നിക്കുന്ന അമ്പാസsർ കാറും. ഇന്ന് മാവേലി പ്ലേനിൽ വരാൻ തീരുമാനിച്ചാൽ തെങ്ങിന് പകരം ടൈലുകൾ കണ്ട് കേരളത്തിന്റെ പേര് ടൈലളം എന്നിട്ടേനെ.

പക്ഷേ ഇനി ഒരു വെള്ളപൊക്കം താങ്ങിയാലും നമ്മുക്ക് ഇനിയൊരു 'സാലറി ചാലഞ്ച് ' താങ്ങാൻ പറ്റുമെന്ന് തോന്നുന്നില്ല. ഓണത്തിന്റെ പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ട വിനോദം കടകളൊക്കെ കയറി ഇറങ്ങി ആവശ്യമില്ലാത്ത സാധനങ്ങൾ വാങ്ങിച്ചു കൂട്ടലാണ്. ചെറുപ്പത്തിൽ ഓണത്തിനു വരുന്ന കച്ചവടക്കാരിൽ നിന്ന് വാങ്ങിക്കാൻ ഏറ്റവും  കൂടുതൽ ആഗ്രഹിച്ച രണ്ടു സാധനങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട്. പൊട്ടാസ് തോക്കും നിറങ്ങളുള്ള പ്ലാസ്റ്റിക്ക് ബോളും.

ആഗ്രഹങ്ങളോടൊപ്പം ഓണത്തിനും കനമേറി. ഒരു സുഹൃത്തിനോട് ചോദിച്ചപ്പോ ഓണം റിസോർട്ടിലാക്കിയെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു. കുറച്ചു പൈസ ഇറക്കിയാലും ജാടയ്ക്ക് കുറവുണ്ടാകാൻ പാടില്ലല്ലോ

പുറമ്പോക്കിലെ ദൈവം

ഇന്ന് രാവിലെ മലക്കറി കടയിൽ പോയപ്പോ ഇളം മഞ്ഞ നിറത്തിൽ ഷർട്ടും മുണ്ടും ധരിച്ച ഒരാൾ വന്നു

കടക്കാരൻ: എങ്ങോട്ടാടേ

മഞ്ഞ: ഇന്ന് ഞങ്ങടെ ദൈവത്തിന്റെ ദിവസമല്ലേ

കടക്കാരൻ: അത് ഏത് ദൈവം

മഞ്ഞ: നിങ്ങടെയൊക്കെ പൊറമ്പോക്കിലെ ദൈവമേ

End of something sweet

What does 27/07/2017 mean to you? Date with a fancy numbers? Or any day like the usual ones. For me this day, you threw the guillotine at whatever we had for the past few months.

I know all the beautiful things end fast and the sweet memories just fade away. I wanted it to last as long as it could. Probably I am very immature and unpractical. But it’s good to be stupid than mediocre.

The weekend you stopped talking to me I knew something was going wrong. The moment you told me not to join you for lunch and took the higher moral stand I knew everything was over. Romanticizing the past is good to the point you take refuge in the myths that never were. I remember the people you told me about, the ones you shut out completely from life. I wondered if it was my turn to be next.

You gave me a chance to be ‘normal’/’good’ friends. I never knew the meaning of it. I have had enough of the ‘good’ friends and I didn’t want another one. I would rather fade away with the sweet moments you gifted me rather than pretend nothing happened. I would treasure the first phone call, the car rides, holding hands, rides in elevators, the chocolates. Today those memories are mine and mine alone.

Everyday when you give that look that pierces in through me, it hurts me like nothing else. Soon I will go away and will fade off from your memories. Years later we will meet in a mall or restaurant. I wonder if you will recognize me.

Encroaching Gods

Years ago many of us thought science, education and development would pose a serious threat to religion. We saw empty churches and priests begging for food, but it was not to be. The religion in turn has proved a serious threat to humanism and civilization.

Today we see an erosion of humanism and rationalism from our thought process. Instead various religious dogmas creep into every space of our lives. We have various religious speakers blaring through in our living rooms, palatial places of worship filled to the brim, huge religious festivals which ensures a few people are sent to heaven in stampede. The satire is not to be lost when we realize that the increased religious fervor has not made the world a better place at all.

 

An even disturbing trend is seen when the governance and state machinery is encroached by religion. Not so long ago the chief minister of a state made a huge donation to the tune of crores to one of the richest temples in the country. Now here, we didn't see much protests or intellectual discussions. How illogical it is to think of wasting tax payers' money for some non existent mythical beings? And to consider this happening in a part of the country where the marginalized are presented with noose of a rope rather than a few thousands of rupees to repay their debt.

 

Religion and castes are important agenda for the political parties today. Today we have children growing up in India with a  narrow mindset and view towards different faith and characters. If you don't believe me check the Facebook friends of your kids and make a rough calculation on number of friends who doesn't belong to his 'class'. Or 'belief'.

 

A few weeks ago, my friend insisted on witnessing a a religious procession. The belief is witnessing the procession grant your wishes. I agreed to witness the spectacle. People were lined up on the sides of the road. Police were deployed for the smooth flow. As the procession approached I was stunned to see throngs of small children accompanying ahead. They were very small and not used to walking long distances. I wondered if the parents would have allowed these children for a peaceful march concerning issues on society.

 

More recently I have been to a pilgrimage centre, happening to be a small church in Kerala. There a holy image is displayed once a year when throngs of people risk stampede to witness the spectacle. I saw people rummaging wastes to collect containers to carry back holy oil.

 

Nonetheless , very recently the capital city celebrated its annual festival of Pongala .Even basic amenities were closed as women lined up in the streets under hot sun to offer Pongala. In a city faced with draught, tonnes of litres of water was wasted. Small and tired children were happily dehydrated to earn the pleasure of the Goddess. The state machinery itself spent crores of rupees for the spectacle.

 

I happen to hear a Panditji speaking the glory of the Goddess. Strangely irrespective of religion the basic  idea of benevolent God is same today. Still, the Pongala Goddess is angered over only one thing- CRITICISM.

 

I am cutting this boring, stupid post short. I want the few of you, who read this to analyse how much of your thought process and decisions you make are based on religion.

Miracles and Rationale

Just the last night a friend shared a facebook post on a miraculous siting somewhere up in northern Kerala. I read the article with some reservation, as it appeared to be from someone faithful. I stopped myself from putting anything negative on the post. Why incur the wrath of Gods!

  At different points in our lives, questions will be asked on our belief system. Be it in people or in God. And it is not so easy to come out strong through that
Years ago when I was too naïve and innocent about the world, we had a miraculous happening in our town. At an English school run by an Anglo Indian couple, some Muslim kids spotted Jesus in their classroom during the lunch breaks, while the Christian students were out for their daily prayers. This led to some huge spiritual chaos as the news spread like wildfire. My chest was puffed with pride as one essential question of ‘ Whose God is real’ seemed to have been answered. I went around, with a puffed chest, telling my Muslim friends about the spiritual encounter of their counterparts with MY God  

The school organized a two-week vacation Bible school and miracle crusade. The Bible classes for kids were in the mornings and the miracle crusade in the evenings. The classes were led by a handsome American guy who taught us Gospel songs in foreign accent and the miracle crusades by the miracle worker from Tamil Nadu   I started enjoying the whole programme- the accented Gospel songs and the crusade.

I never had an opportunity to watch a miracle crusade from close quarters before. This was an opportunity for me to witness the action from front row. Since this was a programme mainly meant for the kids, there was no much scope for any terminal illness. The illness, at its worst, would be a fever. But then there were may wearing spectacles. ( Back then we watched a lot of video games and ended up wearing specs). To my utter surprise there arose, many whom I knew, claiming they could see without their specs. The preacher called them to the front and asked them to read their Bible without their glasses. There arouse a collective gasp. I had pretty thick glasses too, which I wanted to get rid off. I shut my eyes tight and prayed hard. And then I opened to see the world was blurred still. I consoled myself saying, maybe my faith wasn’t strong enough.

  But then I witnessed a curious thing. The same guys were wearing the glasses the next day. That was my first ‘shake of faith’. I struggled to comprehend the events just seen. It went for a even violent shake up the next day.

I happened to be sitting next to a guy during the session. He had the tattoo of a cross on his hand. I don’t know why I noticed the tattoo at that point of time. Towards the end of the session this guy gets up and goes to the podium, claiming that the cross mysteriously appeared in his hand while praying I was surprised and shaken.

That point in my life turned out to be defining in itself. As the years passed I started viewing things more rationally and I read more liberal literature  

The last day my folks were talking about a Catholic Charismatic building coming up. Probably, people wouldn’t have to travel far away for the spiritual encounter. The whole infrastructure and money associated with such a unit is huge and we will have to appreciate the people working behind this I have known a few people who had this spiritual encounter resulting in a physical healing and there so many people who haven’t had the privilege to. There are many people who had to go through a relapse after some brief ray of hope.  

I am not being judgmental about the whole thing. But it would do no harm, if we use a more liberal approach on our views about our own religion or religion of others.
The last day I visited a church known in the name of a martyr from 1st century. I walked around the church and there were no hint about life and times of the saint, but offertory boxes all around

The 24x7 economy

We, the idiot electorate, should have realized by now the splendor of the Ache Din that have dawned on us. It hit me with all the vigour when I read the recent news about amending the laws to legalize 24x7 working hours for more industries.

  Well, we are not talking about any conventional  life saving industry here- but shopping malls and banks. Can you even imagine hitting a mall right at midnight to buy some shirt or jeans? Or even apply for a car loan because his car broke down in the middle of the night.

Now, please don’t think that the measure was to boost the employment or wages. Nothing of that sort is mentioned in the bill. But the measure is boost our industry.   Here is a government that is so much into boosting the ‘industry’ that it’s passing archaic laws, which does no good for the economy, but  a selected few  

Speaking of the situation in bottom of the pyramid, we have a new trend of outsourcing “labour”. While in the earlier days you had a servant who comes in to clean your house and cook, a plumber, a carpenter etc who had their own livelihood, today they all have been collectivized under outsourcing agencies. These agencies ( contractors) do nothing much but rent out the labour services The good part for the ‘economy’ is we don’t have to beg/ cajole the plumber or carpenter. We need not even bargain or feign shock on hearing the wages. These agencies have every aspect fixed. Now for the people who were self employed, they can no longer fare out against the market forces or organized sector. And they opt for bare wages. One of my cleaner boys was telling how he was forced to do extra shifts without any additional allowance. He barely earns 7k a month and there are nothing like paid leaves or other benefits.

  I can never walk into a mall without a feeling of guilt. We have all these women in odd uniform and liberal make up standing for more than 12 hours a day to earn a pittance. Are they compensated enough? Do they get their basic amenities? And are we going to push them clock another 12 hours a day.

  Now just look at the other half of the population walking aimlessly, callous to the surroundings and only bothered about the discounts.

As long as we keep our eyes closed, everything will just turn out to be fine

The woes of Pongala

Sree wouldn't have imagined such strong repercussion when he posted his thoughts on Pongala and the innumerable difficulties it brings to the citizens. This snowballed into a barrage of abuses with him being termed as anti-national, anti-hindu, sickular etc. Sree did the wise thing by simply removing the post.

It isn't uncommon these days for the people getting more and more hyper-sensitive about religion. The people have becoe aware and identify with their religios and cultural beliefs which inturn helps them to identify with their nation and fellow citizens. In a way it may be good to prevent a slippage into anarchy, while it becomes more and more difficult to identify yourselves with a neighbour of different ideas and beliefs.

India has always been a religin f spirituality, religion and Gods. Men of power realized that the easiest way to rule is to divide. Back then, in an agrarian society where mutual co-habitation was necessary for survival certain differences were tolerated for survival. Even then the society was not free of racial tension rifling ino riots.
Today in a scenario where individuals become independent in terms of his survival, he can coin his own thoughts irrespective of neighbour. But in an urban setup where physical spaces are less and information sharing takes place in a crazy speed throughout the breadth and width of the society, impact of religion and race could be catastrophic.

A decade ago Pongala was a local festival of the city where women spread out to few kilometeres to cook in the open air. In the eveining it was a prety thing to see the women crowding on public buses to rerach home. Even before that Pogala was a festival the rich household sent their servants to celebrate
Thanks to some marketing gimmicks of the temple and adoption by  the media to develope this festival as some sort of cultural wonder plus world record fete, it got hold of public imagination. The film stars flocked into cook pongala in frnt of five star hotels. Various associations started even bigger cooking fetes  of breakfast and lunch for the poor darlings. Then the sad truth that Devi would show her displeasure if you don't cook rice for her has made this a huge exhibition of vulgarity. People has  to tolerate this show for the sake of national integration and secularism. All the shops and hotels close down. In the evenings over enthusiastic youths thrust cheap sodas into the faces of tired fat aunties. And all the garbage is cleaned out of the city by burning it all up.

Secularism is not tolerating bullshit

An anarchic human

Today morning I decided to put a full stop to my nightly chat with girls. It's just that I get horny after dinner and I search for girls over whatsapp, facebook, gtalk, viber and ask them every wierd question ranging from mini skirts, shorts, boobs, sex and lesbian friends (strictly in that order). At the end of it I earned another name 'Jerk'. It is not that I don't deserve to be called so. But I prefer not to go 'viral' and freak out anymore ladies.

In the afternoon, after making the life saving decision, I went out to get my daily coffee from a joint nearby. Now the joint, ICH, is quite famous in the city and there are good cances to run into old friends who happen to be there for a long conversation or silent rumination

And today I met my old friend who was into law these days. We chatted over a coffee  about the case he was into. A IT proffessional lady conspired with her lover to bump off the kids and in-laws. Her idea of a rosy life-ever-after was to get divorce from the husband with no strings attached.
I have always had  this fascination for men in black coat. They gulp up pages and pages just to drag the process for eternity. I asked my defense-lawyer-friend if he thought she deserved punishment.
Óf course she killed the kids'

I wondered aloud , what made her take such a risk knowing very well that a small mistake can result in te murder plans falling apart. She would be faced with a society too eager to cast the first stone and a judge too happy to tie the noose

A few days ago,  a couple of hundred miles from here, the cool liberal youths got together to kiss in public. Suddenly out of nowhere a religious group who hated people kissing in public brought an Ox and cow to drive home the fact that kissing in public is 'çattle culture'

What is it really that differentiate a 'human' from a 'çattle'. Is it the rules he conforms to? Who has set the rule? What do you really mean by the term 'society'? Why do we fear anarchy?

I had a friend from college who had this cute figure. More than the figure it was this mysterious current flowing underneath which could whip up some passion. After college we drifted apart and she got married , migrated to the paradise- USA. Last time we talked I came to know that she wa bringing up her baby alone, while her husband was far away busy minting money. I being the usual jerk, kept on probing and realized she was forced into marriage with the belief that life was adjustable.
I was disturbed that the girl, whom I believed to be the strongest ever, was forced into a decision which could ruin the rest of her life . If givena chance I would have asked what tied the 'husband' to her? But then she might call me the jerk.

If I was made to plead the case of the murderer I would ask the judge- Why couldn't we allow her to fuck the person she loved? Why did we make her someone she didn't know ? Why did we ask her to bear children when she didn't want to?

Accidentally Rich

The high beams were beating straight into his eyes. He would have sweared at these fancy cars any other day. Over the years the scooter ride home has become too tiring. The fancy cars are too fast, te drivers too careless and added to that the roads would beat the craters in moon. Back home he spent his evenings nursing the sore back

But this evening his thoughts were drawn somewhere else. The high beams didnt bother him. It seemed to him that the traffic was simply floating.

Each morning he woke up hoping his day would be smooth, that he would end up a millionaire, that he would go for jogging or badminton in snowhite outfit. Decades ago when he joined the company, everyone said his life was made. He managed to land up a pretty girl (thanks to the profile). He managed to get a loan and built a small home ( not exactly big as his dream home though)

Then at some point or the other everything stopped. He seemed to be stuck in his position for decades. Company seemed to have got over its boom. Everything became stagnant. The once bright lights seemed to have dimmed, wooden furnishing seemed to be peeling off and the air stenchy.

People seemed to hate each other and were too eager to bite each other behind the back. Can't blame them. This is the only way to get through this eternal pit. Back then , while joining, 'no-pension' didn't bother him much. Life seemed to be forever young. Now with a little more than a decade left for a 'tearful send off' he felt the involuntary shivers down his spine

The only thing he feared was his sons ending up doing mediocre things like him. Unless he wins a lottery or some childless uncle leaves him an estate he doesn't have any chance. But the probablity of both incidents were very very negligible.

That's when the well dressed sauve-speaking marketing executive came up for a 'financial education' session. He had tried his  hand at all fancy financial instruments and came out unhurt but not rich. Even though nothing else interested him, the 'Áccidental insurance' caught his imagination. A paltry amount can make him richer if he 'died'. And added to that there is no limit for the amount to which his life can be nsured. The marketing executive, seeing his interest went a step  ahead and regaled him with the stories of dead men who ended up rich.

The scooter kept on floating in his dream world until rudely awoken by the sudden beam of light from a car that took a sharp turn in front of him

Travails of a Bride Hunter

In two weeks I would have finished a journey of 29 years on earth, having finished up almost all my youth remaining a virgin. It's no mean feat considering my beauty, handsomness and enormous temptation I have been subjected to.
Jokes apart I had hoped to officially shed my virginity by getting married, the traditional Kerala style. But I don't think that's going to happen any soon

Now you guys have been reading blogs after blogs on travails of hot feminists in choosing from dumb boys. Have you ever read travails of a hot guy who had to choose his bitter half from a herd of dumb girls. Well, you're about to, atleast you are almost about to.

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' Is this your first kiss?' Imagine your wife asking you that. Just imagine the looks of suspicion when you find it dfficult to choose between  a Yes and a No.
If my better sense prevails I would say its my first and I feel wonderful

But if my sensiblity fails me I would say I had kissed a drunk girl a few years ago. She would pretend to take it cool and come up with the next question. 'Then why didn't you marry her?' 'Well it was a one night fling'. That would be the end of my brief 'happy-married-life'

That's the greatest challenge we men face. To be honest or not-to-be. If you tell the girl she is fat or dumb or pain in the ass, which is likely to be truth, could mean a lot of trouble. But instead if you say she looks smart, beautiful or sexy- you will have a successful, long , happy married life

The same rule applies for a bride hunter as well. Firstly speaking I am not a fan of marriage-the-institution. I would prefer to be a free single bird shagging off at Sunny Leones and Priya Rais. But my fate was that I was born into a traditional christian family who registered my profile in some matrimonial site without even me knowing it. I always despised and still despise this matrimonial site match making. This practice which was considered too posh and too ungodly is very popular now, since the old joint family no longer works. Even the good old brokers doesn't go around town searching for unwed handsome people. They too use the internet to hunt their prey.

So I told my parents, as they gave me no choice, to set up a profile and put in whatever they wanted in the profile. A few weeks later I get a call from a hysterical friend. I scrambled for my profile and to my dismay discovered that they had uploaded a passport picture of mine and created a profile which looked as if I was a Arsenal Football player. I was unbelievably mad, but then I realized my parents knew noting much of me and I don't have any proper looking photos.
Proper looking photos are essential for selling your profile. The old fashioned will get the help of a studio.  The chic people will  use a professional profile creator. Even selfie photos have become quite populare among girls. Among the boys, the fashion is to put up something in an exotic place. It shows you are cool guy and fun loving But let me warn you, get ready to get a shock when you finally see the girl for real.

The nature of work is the most clinching factor to get a 'good match'. If you're some top notch government servant or a doctor or a software pro working abroad the girls queue in front of your house with the placard 'steal my flower'. But if you have some boring jobs like say a banker or a software engineer in some god forsaken city you will have to hunt some equally loser girl. If the guy is settled abroad not only the girl but her mother and sister will give yo a blow job readily, irrespective of what your job is. That's the secret why guys try desperatly to get some posting in USA for a short term and get married before the whites kick your ass alll the way back to Hindoostan.

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A few weeks ago, after a year of bride hunting some God-fearing NRI came with the proposal for his doctor daughter. First his call came from across the seas, then his friend,s call, then the friend came for a visit to gauge the waters. Then came the NRI's facebook friend's request
He hadn't even seen me and the friend's request came before him.

This is a very creepy and wierd part of modern matchmaking. Your facebook profile is taken as your mirror image and it has to be filled with so much verses from Bible and other politically correct posts, photos and images.
Rest of the story is something like after so many visits the creepy NRI stopped calling  at all. End of the story

To tell the truth i hate most of the girls i see. But this seems to be an inevitable evil

Happy B'day to meee

You still have no apartment or vehicle to call your own. You still have no girlfriend and you been losing sleep searching for that species over net. You don’t know driving yet and the hairline has been residing daily. These might be the prominent signal for approaching milestone which reads….’30’

I had turned off the FB notification so I could live without posting ‘ Thank you all for your wishes’. No one would yet know that I am just 2 years away from 30. Some 15 years ago I woke up this day hoping some pretty girl would wish me Happy Birthday. Never happened.

Some how I felt the childhood memories rushing in again. Birthday was the only one day when we were allowed to wear some colorful outfit, giving a break to the usual blue-grey uniform. The night before you cajole , coax and create a tantrum to persuade your Dad to get you a box of chocolates. Then in the first hour you rise up give the chocolates to your classmates. Then you go around every classroom giving one each to the class. You are the star of the day with a few guys hanging on to you hoping to get an extra chocolate. The shine lasts for one more day and then it’s old life again.

13 and 18 were two ages I looked forward to. The former being the unofficial year when you enter the teens. By then it would be cool to fall in love. 18 being the official age of adulthood.

Today I don’t look forward to the birthdays. No one knows it except for some internet sites which sends you these digital birthday greetings. No one asks for a treat, you wake up go to the office, check around , come back home and go to sleep.

This birthday was  abit different- The first thing in the morning I got a chance to fly out to Hyderabad for a couple of days- Welcome Break. In the evening when I got out from the office an old lady stood my way asking for 10 bucks to go home. She had come to worship at the church and go back home by bus if someone lends her the money.

Not a bad birthday after all