E.A.U

reader friendly pdf can be downloaded from here:pdf

He sat staring at the screen. He wondered when was the last time he looked anywhere else. It was for dinner he guessed. But how many hours ago was that. In his room with dark draped windows, he could not tell the passage of day and night. Flooded in artificial light, there was no sense of natural time. He went by his biological needs. Closing his eyes when he had to. Grabbing a bite when he had to. All his other time was spent working at his console. He worried if he could complete this work of his in reasonable time. He had to. Within this lifetime.

Imagine Singularity,
Embrace Homogeneity,
Denounce diversity,
Imagine Singularity.

Adnan echoed these slogans in his head and returned back to his world that lay designed in a multitude of lines displayed on his screen. Now and then he would ponder over a line. He would then stroke his long hair, glare at the problem, and would move further only when he had untied the knot he perceived it to be there. He went on like this for hours at a stretch. He heard the door bell ring and he shouted "Come In" assuming it to be the maid. He didn't even look back. It had been a long time since anyone paid him a visit. He had seen to it that no one would disturb him by explicitly telling them that they weren't welcome. He didn't have time for anyone.

Rajam saw Adnan at his desk. He had changed a lot in the 5 years that Rajam had been out of the country. He still had his thick black framed spectacles on, but he had become more leaner, bordering on scrawny and mal-nourished with long hair that seemed matted in places. "Adnan! What has happened to you!?", Rajam startled Adnan. Adnan was surprised and he turned to look at Rajam. Surprise gave way to instant irritation which he made no effort to hide. "Rajam. Hi. I did not expect you to come unannounced", Adnan said crisply. "Unannounced! You have no phone, and you do not reply to my mails! What do you expect me to do?! The only way I know you are alive is through your weekly articles on technology in that magazine". Rajam spoke in an indignant tone. "Hmmm" came the terse reply, "What brings you here?" Adnan asked indifferently. "You Adnan You! What have you been up to these last 5 years. I heard you quit your job shortly after I left. No one has any idea what you are doing!" Rajam was still animated. "Well the magazine pays me enough for my needs Rajam, that is what I do", Adnan said. "Thats it?! Come on. You clearly have been working on something else. Those articles hardly take a few hours to write"

Adnan finally took his eyes off the screen and turned towards Rajam. He had been a close friend in his student years. He looked blankly at Rajam, noticing how he too had changed. He was more filled now. The good life he presumed. His head too shone a bit under the white light. He was looking at him with expectation in his eyes. To know what had happened to him. A lot had occurred, Adnan knew. He felt if he ever could tell any person what he was doing, it had to be Rajam. "I have been working on my dream Rajam, it is as simple as that. It requires my total devotion and that I have not failed at", Rajam felt a conviction in Adnan's words. "And what is this dream Adnan?", Rajam asked. Adnan wiped his oily face and rubbed his eyes. As he was preparing to speak, Rajam saw dark bags under his eyes. He hasn't slept a lot evidently he thought. "I call it E.A.U, 'Everything And yoU', it is a new operating system Rajam, entirely new". "An OS?! Entirely by yourself!? Are you the next Linus Trovalds?!", Rajam exclaimed and continued, "But why Adnan? Do not we have already too many?". "Don't you understand Rajam? That is exactly why, there are too many of them. Eau is going to change all that. It is going to replace all of them", Adnan replied. Rajam wasn't satisfied, "Explain it more Adnan!", he said. "Eau Rajam, Eau. Think of just one OS that runs on all your hardware. All your computers, all your embedded systems, everything. Imagine all your OS specific programs running without any hitch on this. Imagine it to be entirely free, zero bugs, and it runs how you want it to, just like any previous existing system you might have worked on with zero compatibility issues. Wouldn't you prefer such an universal OS Rajam?", Adnan ended his evocative speech. "It all sounds too good to be true Adnan, frankly", Rajam replied.

"That doesn't make it unrealistic does it, nor impossible. This is what I have been working on. This addictive desire to create an all possible OS. Eau, which means water in French Rajam. Tell me, what is the property of water?" Adnan quizzed. "Property? What do you mean by that?" "Its mould-ability Rajam!Pour it into any container, and it takes its exact shape in an instance. My Eau is just like that Rajam. Pour it into any hardware and it will instantly percolate through all its peripherals and invade all the silicon pathways. It will seamlessly integrate into the hardware and will result in one single entity", Adnan said with a flourish and his speech was wrapped with fiery passion. Rajam saw the intense sparkle in Adnan's eyes. He was speechless. He thought about it. He saw all monopolies vanishing, all inconveniences ending, an Utopia for the world of technology. He remembered Adnan in his university days, how he would rave about the philosophy of Richard Stallman, the guru of the free-software revolution. This Eau could very well be the pinnacle of that revolution. It had no reasons for failure if it worked the way Adnan said it would. Why wouldn't anyone not want to switch over to it if it worked the same way you wanted it to. It could be a hybrid version of all, and entirely free. Rajam ran over these thoughts within him, while Adnan quietly had turned back to his screen. Rajam started, "Adnan, this..", hesitated and continued,"this is visionary Adnan. It can change a lot of things". "Change it will. And this is just the beginning Rajam. My vision stretches far beyond what I have just said", Adnan replied. "More?! What more?!", Rajam felt his curiosity pricking out despite being numbed by Adnan's revelations.

"What else is unique about Eau Rajam, what else is unique about water?" Adnan asked. "Unique??" Rajam questioned back. "What can be unique about it? Its the most common commodity everywhere!" Adnan burst out in a sinister laugh at that moment. "That exactly Rajam, is its uniqueness. Everyone needs it. Food may be different, language may be different, humans are all different in many aspects, water is one thing that is common to entire humanity, sounds very trivial, but it is a fact. I am going to capitalize on the universality of Eau after it is established. Every distribution of Eau will have its unique instruction set translucently embedded. It will be present unobtrusively along with the previously existing system it emulates. Each task you perform, Eau will point out an easier alternative. With fewer keystrokes, with fewer clicks, it is going to simplify every task you perform Rajam, with its equivalent language. And it is going to be addictive, because people Rajam, are basically one lazy race. They want things easier for them. Eau is going to that for them. I call this the Eau-way. And I predict this affectation will spread into common language as well. It will all converge into one single language governed by Eau users! What we are going to then have is this unique universal language for humans just like there exists the unique machine language of one's and zero's. Imagine Rajam, this is going to be as common as the real Eau. Once this happens, people will be talking in Eau! Yes Rajam Eau! Imagine! It is going to be the single greatest unifying medium for all people in the world! Imagine!"

Rajam tried. It was beyond his capability. Beyond his entire gamut of thought. He never would have thought of world unity. He saw borders disappearing. He saw Eau as one fierce tsunami that would sweep across all bastions of technology, and soon would invade upon the world of humanity. He shuddered when he saw those fierce flickering eyes of Adnan again. It scared him. What Adnan was trying to achieve was transcendental. Adnan spoke, "Eau is going to encompass every aspect of our life one day Rajam. That day it no longer will be 'Everything And yoU'. It will be 'Everything And Us'. Eau Rajam, Imagine!" Rajam had imagined enough. He just closed his eyes now, and wondered if all this a mirage. He gathered courage and asked, "How far have you come Adnan, When will it be complete?". "It is almost over Rajam, I have equipped it for the present and the future", he pointed to a CD and said, "Here is version 1. But I have to complete the documentation and details of it so as to make it accessible to everyone" As he spoke the lights went out. He thundered, "Damn power cuts! They set me back by an hour everyday", but Adnan saw that it wasn't entirely dark. Light tunneled from behind Rajam. Suddenly his face drained and became pale. "Rajam, did you not close the door when you came in!?!", he shouted. "I must have forgotten Adnan", Rajam said puzzled by his outburst. "Close it Quick! Clo..", Adnan coughed on his words and collapsed on the floor. His face was wet with sweat and blood had completely drained out. His pulse was ebbing out. Adnan was no more. Rajam stared in horror.

Adnan's immune system had ceased normal functioning. A result of him being locked up indoors the entire 5 years. The open door and all the external pollutants and pollen had taken his life. Rajam took up to spread Eau. It took 5 years to decipher the complex instruction set and logic of Eau. The researchers gaped with amazement at the beauty of its design. It was unlike any. It was as beautiful as the marvels in microscopic life itself. Eau spread like a virus. At the end of another 10 years, it was the single OS the world over. At the end of another 15 years, Eau became the universal language which Adnan had envisioned it to be. Humanity now had a common platform. A common voice. It now remains to be seen how Humanity uses this gift to solve their discordant notes in all spheres.

The Best Things in Life Are Free

[PS: Listen to "imagine" by John Lennon]

Separation

I shouldn't have walked out on him that way. I should have stayed back a little longer and heard him out. He did ask for only a minute more. But his one minute never ends. It always ends up with another minute more. It would have been the same stories again, more reasons and reasons. Oh, why does he do this to me. He makes it all the more painful. I shouldn't let him take advantage of my weakness for him. It is done now. I am out here, away from him. Walking on the kerb beside this melee of cars and dust with the pleasant morning rays filtering in through the canopy. How many times would we have walked around this promenade here. How many times would we have burst out in giggles. How many times I would have been watery-eyed just by the thought of him being there with me. Yes, I am mad about him, and it is this weakness that makes me not to come in terms with this separation. But, how can I call it a weakness if he makes me so happy after all. How he has changed my world the past few years, I never imagined someone could enter your life and just change everything. Everything. And now, he is making this so painful. I almost feel guilty. But what can I do about it. He has to understand that it is for his own good. Will he?

Sona reached home. She had boarded her express train of thoughts and it brought her home before she realized. She went in and shut the door. She went over to his cot and lay. Her thoughts arrived in time yet again. She felt is starting all over. It was too much to bear. Why did she have to leave him. Why couldn't she have stayed a little longer. Why. She clenched her eyes shut and buried her head into the pillow. She tried to close away the sensations and emotions. She wanted to escape from it. She wanted out. She saw it all going blank, disappearing, dissolving, into nothing. She fell asleep.

The Bells tolled in a distant land,
Light of Twilight all over spanned,
So surreal it seemed, like dreams in sand.
The Bells tolled in a distant land.

"Sona! Sona! Wake Up! Why do you do this to yourself! You have fallen asleep yet again. I had to get the spare key from the neighbor. I rang the bell for so long!" It was Tariq bellowing at her. How would he know her pain she thought. She didn't even bother replying. She turned back and dug her head in like before.

Seeing this Tariq started in a mellow voice,"Sona, look now, see what I have got" .. " I don't want anything now Tariq, go out", Sona cut him off.

"Well OK, work got over early and I just happened to pass by that place you know. I spoke to them, and requested if they can finish it early today. And I gave some lame excuses as well. So, here he..". Sona jumped back alive and sat facing Tariq. "Is..", Tariq finished and He slowly stepped aside. Behind him hiding was tiny Saraf, reaching up only to his waist, still wearing his tiny little knapsack. He was was grinning from ear to ear.

"Mummy! I am home! Daddy got me home early!" his tiny voice screamed. This was really too much for Sona to bear. From the nether of dejection to the pinnacle of immense joy. All in a moment. She stopped resisting and let the flood of emotions take control. She ran and hugged and kissed and swept him off his feet and circled with him round and round. Sona got her tiny Saraf back.

Another day of nursery school ended for little tiny Saraf and his mother Sona.

A Half-Movie Adventure

My first short story(non-verse) post. A reader-friendly pdf version can be downloaded from here: pdf


The vehicle's engine flooded heat into the cave like cabin. Packed in this mini bus of sorts were about 20 kids and steadily increasing. With each stop and start, it would protest the added weight with a violent shrug, but to no avail. It would limber on reined in by the driver.

Akim was the last boy to be picked up in the circuit. And he didn't like it. He stayed just a couple of miles away but he wasn't allowed to walk the distance nor cycle it. He didn't mind the vehicle either. What bothered him was the piquant aroma that greeted him. The lunch boxes of the score and more of kids would be bursting out with the smell of a hundred spices, all mixed and churned and simmering in the heat of the bus.


He despised the pungency. He would persist in respiring through his mouth as much as possible. Discreetly. He generally never spoke much with anyone around. Bending down, elbow on knee, hands fiddling with his spiky hair, he would keep counting the seconds. It would average around 555 counts for the journey he had noted. Any attempts by the others to converse would be replied with a mono-syllabic answer. It was hard to speak without letting in some of the undesired smells he knew. And the others did not.

"We are here" "Move" "Move", some boy near him was shouting. 553, 554, 5 5 5! Heaving a sigh, He got down and made his way to class. Taking in a deep breath near the garden being watered. Mud and water, reminded him of the rains and the earthy fragrance of distant lands it brought along. He wished the monsoons would arrive soon.

He saw Deena and her group of girls occupying his part of the bench and talking and laughing. He waited outside class for the bell to send them back to their seats. Shy as he was, a pack of girls were his ultimate nightmare. 1,2,3,4,5,6.. the bell rang. Relieved, he went in and sat.

"Hi Dina". My words for the day are done he thought and braced himself for what would follow. He started in his mind, 1, 2, ..

"Hi Akim, what did you do yesterday? did u watch that show on TV, you know the one i told about. Don't tell me you missed it. Oh its Ok, you can watch it again today. Don't forget. did you do the homework though? It was easy, here look"

16, 17, phew. He stopped his count. "Ah uh, yeah" "Thats nice", he said and tried to force a stretch on his lips.

"Akim, what class do we have now? Oh today is Friday no, it will be English first and math next" and just as Dina was taking off in her verbal spree, the teacher entered. The class of 50 stood and greeted her. Everyone went about the tasks of the day, the blackboard was wiped clean, the attendance screamed, text books drawn out and read.

Akim tried to follow what was being read. He was distracted. A long stray hair of Dina was infringing on his sight of view. It was dancing around randomly being blown by the wind.
He edged out of his seat more. Dina looked at him confusedly. The first 2 classes were over and Akim came out to the small ground by the garden near the main gate for the short quarter hour break. During this time he would usually wait in class. Only rarely he would go out and play with the boys. Today however he was chose to amble along the ground. He saw the gate was open and approached it. The scary watchman was not to be seen. He was a tall, heavy, dark man with a long stick with him always. He sneaked a feet out and still no one there. He was surprised. He saw his watch, still ten minutes were left. He thought of running out to the shop nearby and getting some chocolates. A simple plan but was he brave enough to risk it. He estimated it to take just a couple of minutes at top speed. And he could always tell that he was searching for his missing pen. He had one last look and ran. 1,2,3,...59,60. "Two chocolates please uncle" "Thanks!" He turned back and ran. 98, 99, 100.... He stopped in his tracks. He saw a long stick menacingly peeking out of the gate. He could just make out those burly black hairy hands wielding it, and to his horror, the gate's opening narrowed inch by inch. It was closed.

.....119, 120. At the end of the two minutes he had succeeded in getting himself locked out of school. He stood there in shock, staring at the huge black gates.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and jumped in terror. "Are you running away from class??" A boy's voice asked with a slight chuckle. Akim turned around to see a boy about his age in faded khaki trouser and a blue-checked shirt too big for him. He was brownish in complexion, unkempt hair, and dark eyes. There was a small scar below his lip on his right cheek. He looked vaguely familiar.
"No No", Akim defended. "I came out to search for my pen. And they closed the gate!".
"What are you going to do now, shall i knock on the gate? But i am sure the watchman would not like it", the boy said. "How do you know about the watchman? Who are you?". Akim asked.
"I know everything about this school. I help the driver of one of the school bus", he said. Akim now remembered seeing him once or twice in the other bus. Thats how he seemed familiar.

"I can tell him i was searching for my pen" Akim said trying to sound convincing.
"No, he wont listen to you. You will be taken to the principal and be suspended", the boy told Akim grimly. Akim wore a dejected look. He was feeling very scared now. A simple want for chocolates had turned out to be a terrible mistake. The boy saw Akim's drooping face and said, "Don't worry. When the school leaves you can sneak in and get your things. No one will know. If anyone in class asks, tell you were sleeping in the sick room because you weren't feeling well".

Akim felt like agreeing to anything now. And this boy's idea did look reasonable enough to work. He felt a faint relief. He did not know where he would have ended up if this boy hadn't turned up. "But what do I do till then?" Akim asked. "Come with me, we will roam around a bit. Three hours left still". "But where do we go?" Akim asked. "Am going to watch a movie" the boy said frankly. Akim did not know what to say. A movie? Luxury in a time of crisis?? "No. i don't want to come!" Akim almost screamed. "Why? whats wrong? You don't like them?" the boy asked Akim. "No. It is wrong. What if someone sees me? I will get into more trouble!" "Hmmm alright. Don't be seen around here then. Go and sit in that park on the next road. Bye". Saying so the boy turned and walked away.

Akim stood alone in front of the gate and watched the boy walk away. He felt very lonely. He started to worry immediately. An eerie feeling crept around him as he stood there. He saw the boy turning round the corner. I may be found in the park too. There is no difference if I go to a movie or a park he felt. And I will have some hope and courage if the boy is around me, Akim reasoned and went after the boy.

"Wait, i am also coming", Akim spoke as he approached the boy. "Ha ha, ok good. Have you been to the Empire theater??" the boy asked him. "No, never heard of it", Akim said. "Never? Hmm. Maybe you go only to those places with many small theaters in a single building. This is different, there is only one big screen. And it is way cheaper than those places. And more fun", the boy spoke
the last sentence with a smile.
"Oh, how far is it?" Akim asked him. He had heard few times of these huge theaters from his father and had wondered how really big they were.
"Just two stops away from the bus stop. How much money you have on you?"
The boy asked him. Akim checked his pocket and found two ten rupee notes.
"Just this much. Is it enough?", he asked. "Yeah, just sufficient. Ten rupees for up and down travel. And ten rupees for the movie".
Akim thought it was very reasonable. Just Ten rupees for a ticket. Unheard of. He was intrigued to see this place. "Come fast, the bus is right there, run". They boarded the bus and were off. "I do not know much of buses. Have traveled in them very less. We always go by car".

Akim told the boy. "Oh, Which car you have? I have never been in a car". Akim was surprised. So different him and the boy were, he thought. And he wondered who this boy was. He never asked his name. "What's your name? I never asked. I am Akim". "Well Akim, we are here, get down"

"I am Karwa. And this is the theater I told you of" Karwa laid a hand on Akim's shoulder and gestured with the other towards the theater. Akim saw a huge poster of the hero of the movie. It had an equally huge garland of flowers and colorful ribbons all over the theater. It was so different. The parking lot was half-empty with only two wheelers. And he notice that the next show was two hours away. The timings board said the first show was already running. "Karwa, there is still so much time for the next show, and i it will get late for me. lets not go", Akim spoke. "Well Akim, I didn't tell you the entire thing. We are going to watch only half the movie. We are going in during the interval. I know the ticket man here. He lets me in for ten rupees if there are seats inside." He winked.

Akim had never imagined this. Half a movie! And the second half in that! "But what can anyone understand by watching just the second half?" Akim asked Karwa. "Its fun. When i get time i go watch the first half. I guess what happens or might have happened in the other half. Most of the times I am right. All these movies nowadays are so similar".
"Well alright, I have come so far. Lets watch half a movie" Akim said. "Ok wait here, I will go and speak to that man" Karwa left, and Akim was looking at the posters of past movies being displayed in a glass window on one of the wall outside. They were all quite old ones. He remembered
the names of one or two but hadn't seen them. They all had a '150 days', '200 days' in brass letters pinned above them. They must have been very popular movies Akim thought. It had been just a few minutes when Karwa returned. "He is going to let us in a minute when people come out for the interval. We have to sit in the first row. Give me the money". Akim handed over the ten rupee note. Soon people came out and they both went in.

Akim saw the imposing huge screen instantly. It was almost twice as big as anything he had previously seen. And there were no Air-conditioners here. Only rows of fans on either side projecting perpendicularly from the walls. And there were no normal seats either! Plastic chairs that one could move around! No one were sitting in the first row he guessed by observing that the chairs were all still aligned in a straight line. "Come, we will sit in the center" Karwa told Akim and leaded the way. They both sat down in the middle. Akim felt very tiny in front of the huge
screen. He looked at Karwa. He was beating on his arm-rests a rhythm with his hand and fingers. "Where do you live Karwa, don't you go to school?" Akim asked. "I live very close by to your school. No, I stopped going to school two years back when we moved to the city. My parents came to work. They work in those places where they build huge buildings. I may go to school again
next year." Akim was nodding his head. "I know to read and write a little though", Karwa added. Akim remembered the two chocolates, he felt like a thief when he thought what these two chocolates had made him gone through. He offered one to Karwa. "Here have one". "Oh a chocolate. Thank you Akim"

The movie resumed with an applause from the audiences along with a few high pitched whistle. "Do you know how to whistle like that Akim?", Karwa asked. "No i don't", he said. "Neither do I, my friend has promised me to teach how to. Ok now, shhh, lets watch". Akim was lost in the sights and sounds over-powering his senses. He almost felt being merged into the screen, like it was drawing him closer and closer, about to swallow him. He looked at Karwa once or twice and saw him laughing with his mouth wide open and enjoying. Now and then he would clap his hands if he found it very funny. Akim forgot about his problem at hand and he too enjoyed the half movie.

The movie ended and soon they were on their way back in the bus. "So this is what you do after the trip to school Karwa?" Akim asked him. "Not always, just once a while when i can afford it and I do not have work. The driver usually makes me clean the bus after the morning trip, and doesn't let me go out of sight. He just makes me sit along with him and the other drivers. They all make me do some small work for them" "Oh OK, and what do you do after work?" Akim asked again. "Just go home and wait for my parents to come. I will be playing with friends till then" Karwa told Akim. "And what do you do after school, Akim?", he asked. "I go home, eat a snack and watch TV. I don't play much. Not many friends nearby" Akim answered. "Ok, maybe I will see you sometime soon then. We can play cricket at the field near school", Karwa told Akim. "Sure Karwa, that will be nice". They got down and they were back near the school. "Just ten minutes left. Go in after some people come out ok, don't go immediately" Karwa instructed Akim who was nodding. Akim thought he will leave 5 minutes after the bell, time sufficient for everyone in class to empty out. "OK Karwa I will do that. Thanks for today". Akim told him. "No problem Akim, see you soon. I better go now, the driver man will be searching for me", he said smilingly. "OK, bye, see you soon" Akim waved and both shook hands and parted.

The bell soon rang, those gates were opened, Akim was hiding behind a tree few feet away. He went in as planned, none of his classmates came across him. He got his things from class and came and sat in his school-bus. Soon it was on its way. Akim tried looking in at the other buses for Karwa but he wasn't in them. He must still be behind or left earlier Akim thought. He was silent than usual at home. He did not want to show his excitement within. They may suspect something and question him, he was afraid. In bed he thought of the day's adventure. Of Karwa. Of the half movie. Of the huge movie screen. Of the plastic chair. He had his first adventure. He had ventured out on his own with Karwa and seen things totally new to him. He had met a new friend. He slept with a feeling of contentment that night.

His school bus arrived the next morning and Akim got in. None of the others seemed to give him attention. Akim's excitement had not ebbed. He spoke first for the first time to a boy next to him. "Have you seen a half-movie?" He asked with a glitter in his eye. He was not respiring by his mouth today. He took in and felt the aroma of the score and more lunch boxes mingling in his nose.

And he took in another deep breath.

Fini

मेरी आवाज़

Suggested:
Listen First to the Audio Clip Below
& then Refer the Text and Meaning.

मेरी आवाज़

सुनलो सुनलो, मेरी यह आवाज़ ,
करना है सिर्फ एक बार ,
तुझसे मेरी यह संवाद |

पूछना मत मेरा इरादा ,
सोचना मत इसका सार ,
सुनलो सुनलो, मेरी यह आवाज़ |

चाहे कितनी सदियों से जाने,
हम तोह मिलते हैं एकदा ,
जिससे खिलती है यह वास्ता |

सुनलो सुनलो, मेरी यह आवाज़
यह ही है दस्तख़त, यह ही है पहचान,
यह रहेगा हमारा आखरी यादगार |

सुनलो सुनलो मेरी यह आवाज़
न जाने कब होगी अगली मुलाक़ात |

~ नन्दा

* ^ * ^ * ^ * ^* ^ * ^* ^ * ^* ^ * ^ *

Translation:

Listen Listen, To this Voice Of Mine,
I Want Just Once,
This Dialogue With You.

Do Not Ask My Motive,
Do Not Ponder Over its Meaning,
Listen Listen, To this Voice Of Mine.

We May Have Known Each Other Since Ages,
But We Really Meet One Just Once,
And thence Blooms this Bond.

Listen Listen, To this Voice Of Mine.
This is A Signature, This Is An Identity,
This Shall Remain Our Final Remembrance.

Listen Listen, To this Voice Of Mine,
Who Knows When We Meet Next.

Sound Track: "The Last Man"
OST, "The Fountain"
Composed by "Clint Mansell"
Performed By The Brilliant "Kronos Quartet"

And Thanks To Amber For Corrections :)

A Solitary Saturday - A Travelogue

I had been solo to Mysore for the 4ooth Dasera Celebration on 17th.

Left on 16th Morning, 630A.M, Jayanagar. Reached Mysore around 10:30.

Settled down and left to explore Mysore by foot around 12.

It is a small city & great place to walk if the weather is good.

Walked around 10 kms, preparations were going on for the next day

everywhere. Reached the famour St. Philomena's church around 2pm.

Here I tried my hand or rather my fingers in pencil sketching :

Yeah, I skewed the perspective, I have never been good at this. So,

I went In hoping to fare better with my camera. And this is what I got after clicking

slyly:

Candles:

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

Stature Lessens As We Age,

But Never Our Flame,

Burning Bright Until We Die.

Holy Arch:

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

I stand convicted Guilty,

In thy Holy Arch,

I clicked this forbidden Pic

And a vertical panorama from outside.

From here I caught a bus to Srirangpatna, and reached around 4pm.

Saw this sign boar on the Mysore-Bangalore Highway:

I decided to visit the Gumbaz and Sangam.
Walked down the winding road to the Gumbaz. There was a sizeable crowd, but
not too much. Tried out to get an HDR shot of the gumbaz. It is a shot where
you take 3 to 5 photographs of the same image with different exposure compensations
around 0. Usually -1/3, 0 and 1/3. And Then you edit the pic with some specific
software to get an image with its full dynamic range. The result:

Gumbaz:

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

At this Gumbaz Of Sultans.

The Muezzin summons

Devout Clouds, That Come Rushing

You can see the image is a bit blurred in the foreground. this is because I did not
have a tripod. So there were slight offsets between the 3 shots.

Then it was another walk to the Sangam, confluence of Kaveri and it's tributary-lokmathi. It was quite a beautiful sunset there:

It rained for a few minutes, and while I was a bit away from the river under a
shelter, I saw a lone couple with an umbrella at the river bank. The sight looked
good against the sunset and I hoped to click them once the rain stopped. It did,
and I rushed to them. After slight hesitation, I asked if they could pose for me.
They were eager as I had overheard them talking to each other about how their camera
phone was not able to get a good picture. They asked if I could share the photo with

them, and I told I will mail it for sure.
So after a few shots, I got one which I was happy with:

Tryst:

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

A Conflence That Portends,

Sky Smeared In Red,

Feel My Pulse, This Is Our Tryst.

They thanked me and I thanked them.

Just adjacent were 2 coracles which had come back because of the rain. They looked glowing with partial sunlight on them. And I got this shot:

Coracles:

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

Oh Coracles Of Kaveri,

Floating lives Across,

Take Me, I No Know Where To Go

By the time I left it was already twilight, there was a detour on the way back which purportedly led to another river bank. Took it and walked a km+ but still didn't find it. So turned back and while walking noticed a beautiful tree in the center of a paddy field:

Went In and spent close to an hour sitting under it.

It was wonderful.

Cut-off from the insane bustle of traffic, and people, it was some quality alone time.

Tripped on sound of insects and small irrigation water rivulets.

Left Around 8. On the way back, I listened to a song on my pod. And found an apt one.

"Naan Varuven", ARR, Ravanan". It means "I will be back". And For sure I will.

End of the day, I would have clocked around 20 kilometres on foot.

And back in Banglore I wrote the captions you see in some photographs.

They were a goofed up attempt at Haiku. Instead of 5-7-5 syllables, I confused and ended up with 7-5-7 :D

Geeky Tales

The Gastronomist

The above was made by my animator friend sachin, when the original stick figure sketch seen below was provided..

ಕನ್ನಡ ಕವನ - A Kannada Poem

ಓಡಿ ಹೋದೆನು ಸೂರ್ಯನ ಹಿಂದೆ

ಹಗಲು ಬೇಕೆಂದು.

ಚಂದ್ರ ಬಂದನು ನನ್ನ ಹಿಂದೆ

ಇರುಳು ನನ್ನ ಬಿಡಲಾರೆನೆಂದು.

ಹಾರಿ ಹೋದೆನು ಆಕಾಶ ಸಾಗರದೊಳಗೆ

ಒಬ್ಬ ಪ್ರೇಕ್ಷಕನಾದೆನು.

ಇತ್ತ ಹಗಲೂ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಅತ್ತ ಇರುಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲ,
ಇದು ಮೋಕ್ಷವೋ ? ಅಥವಾ ಪಲಾಯನವೋ ?

Translation:

I ran behind the sun,
Seeking everlasting day.

The moon came chasing,
The Night would not let me escape.

I flew away into space,
I became a mere observer.

There is no day here, nor night,
Is this salvation, or is it just an escape?

Thanks to Khushi & Moonlite & Arjuna for kannada inputs,
And to Moonlite again for the help in editing!

Explanation:
At the first indiblogger meet in bangalore,
I was suggested to write a poem on science.
This comes somewhat close, though it eventually
borders on metaphysical science :D
It has been so that quiet a few of my posts have
ended up on a philosophical note,
though i did not intend that when i start out to write!!

So here we have a protagonist who says that he chases
the sun seeking everlasting light.
Scientifically, he has to run at rate of 1600 kmph at the
equator, or ~1250 kmph at mid-latitude regions. :D
We can liken this light to our wants. Our desires. The
lengths and speeds we go to get them.

But there is always something unexpected that happens.
Likening it to darkness.
So our clever protagonist flies away into space,
and says he has become now an observer,
of the light and darkness. day and night.
Scientifically, once you are at a far off distance in space,
and unbound to any orbit, you are just there.
A mere speck. No sun, no moon.
In fact, Everything appears as a mere speck if you are
really really far off.

And now is the twist. The protagonist ponders.
Is this the answer? To not want anything?
Or is it just that he has run away?
Afraid that what he wants cannot be fulfilled,
Or what he doesn't want, happens.

Well, I do not know which is it.

But space is such a place, still.
Does it relate to sages & the Buddha stressing on meditating,
keeping the mind still?

Again, I do not know :D

தமிழ் கவிதை - A Tamil Poem

இதயத்திலே ராகம்
உதட்டிலே மௌனமா ?
பேசாத வார்த்தை
மனசுக்கு அறியுமா ?


Transliteration:
Idhayathile Raagam,
Uddhatile mounama ?

Pesadha varthai,
Manasuku ariyuma?

Translation:
Music in the heart,
Silence on the lips?

Unspoken Words,
Does the mind understand?

Solitary Night

Solitary Night,
I Breathe with Me.

Solitary Night,
I Speak with Me.

Solitary Night,
I See what is Me.

Solitary Night,
I Celebrate Me.

Thank You, Wonderful Nights.
~0030 hours

St. Mary's Feast

This a break from my verse-style writing for a change.
Thought of sharing my experiences in linear prose style,
So here it is.

St. Mary's Feast.

Really didn't know what it was about all these days.
May have heard some vague references about it earlier.
So, read about a procession happening in Shivajinagar on September 8th in the paper.

Work load was really low, so thought it could be good a photo-opportunity as my present
passion is photographing people and culture. Just love the vagaries of it.
Checked up about it on google. St. Mary's feast is a procession that is coducted
by the St. Mary's Basilisca(this church has a pretty resourceful website) right in the heart of Shivajinagar.
It culminates with this procession, after 10 days of mass.
So headed out to it after work. Was supposed to start at 5.
Now the procession is a chariot driven statue of St. Mary.
Was there at Shivajinagar just before 5. The integral bus station was totally blocked.
First sights- Regular People distributing biscuits.. good glucose.
Further ahead- A crowd. Plates of Biryani being distributed! Now thats a cool feast!
Farther ahead- A road block. The chariot procession is supposed to pass through this way.
So Decided to stay put here. My fellow standing companions were some new'ish christian couple.
A tam banglore guy and a malyali girl working 4 years in banglore.
Overheard them talking about the archbishop of Banglore. oh. so Banglore has an archbishop.
Then i see these media people jumping over and going ahead.
I had half a mind as to pretend as one(given the size of my huge semi-professional cam),
but cudn't find courage. Consoled myself saying capturing the action being amidst the crowd is better.

Crowd stared building up around me and a light drizzle. The standing tam guy tells her there is gonna be
a prayer and the chariot procession starts at the ring of the church bells.
Pretty soon the father of the church and the archbishop give speeches. In English. (Speakers all roubd the place)
A 'Hail Mary' Prayer followed. Was pretty moving because of the sight.
People all around raise their hands and sing in chorus 'Mary'(Maria)..
rats. Didn't capture it. Then the bells ring and the chariot moves. Time- 6 pm. Could see the live action on a huge LCD screen atop
a building.
The chariot comes nearer. The police run away. The crowd throws away the barricades. And its action time.
I take out the cam from my bag. And follow the mighty flow of people.

Now I don't know if this chariot idea was intrinsic or borrowed from the hindu rathotsava's.

But yeah, Religions feed on each other. People suit it to their needs.

Nevertheless. It was a beautiful sight as any.
I went clicking all the way. The lighting of the chariot kept changing each second, as u see.

Unique was the statue of St. Mary. It is draped in a beautiful saree. And it holds a baby dressed in
a frock. Do not know story about Mary and the child. Apologies.
After seeing the statue up close i was like 'WOW!' 'Beautiful'.. And decided to follow behind.
Not at all pleasant. People turning violent, pushing around, stampede-like.
Here's what u need to do in a stampede like atmosphere to survive- Keep hands close to your body, and legs flexible,
and Flow with the crowd. DO NOT RESIST. You may end up breaking up your limbs.

Then escaped the crowd and found a slight elevation- A garbage trolley. Stood on it. Got an opportunity
to capture the sea of humanity from this meagre height.

It passed out over the corner. And i decided the shots obtained were enough. Went Back towards the church, just to see
what is happening.
Got the shots of people seeking alms during this time. Moving Again. I am scared to point my cam at them as it might draw attention.

Never been able to get over this fear. Achieved the shots by discreetly clicking with the cam hanging around my neck at waist level,
and guessing the angle. I finally walk back all the way to lalbagh road, catch a rick and reach home.
~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~
~~
~

Being surrounded by humanity gives an unspeakable strength and happiness to me. So many faces. So many tongues. So many expressions.
It is like finding oneself in a crowd. Peace amidst the commotion. India is a wonderful place. People are it's treasure. Humanity is here.
The ordinary people. You and me. With so little they manage to eke out a happy living. Do we really need what we all aspire for?
Questions and questions. No answers. Only experiences like these that over-whelm(borrowed usage, but it is apt) my life as i know it.
And I totally Love it.

The Bell

At any ordinary bus-stop,
There sat 2 persons,
On any ordinarily dirty bench.

A man & a boy were they,
Occupying this space,
On any ordinary day.

"Eh boy, what is your name?"
The boy looks left & right...
Noone else.. "Salim is my name"

"So what do you do?"
"Boy named Salim"
"What do you do?"

"I go to school man"
I dont need your name,
"I go to school"
I dont need what you do..

"And what have you learnt"
"In this school of yours boy"
"What have you learnt?"

Ugggh. I dont need to tell.
"I learn number and letters and talk and stories"
"I learn what I need to know"

"thats all? what else boy"
"what else you know?!"
"tell boy, tell!"

Ugggh. I no need to tell, I know no more.
Minutes after minutes pass.
And the boy's bus arrives.

"tell boy, tell! tell me more"
"tell me more, before u go!"
The boy alights the bus.

He looks back and shouts- "the bell!"
"BELL?!..what bell!?!"
"bell at the end of the day".."and I am free!"

The bus rattled away with a trail of smoke,
The boys words echoed.

"Bell at the end of the day"
"To set me free"

The man squatted back..
A Bell to set me free at the end of the day,
~~~~~~~
~~~~
~~
Only to start all over again..

Photo captured: Feb 2008

Touch

The Child looked up,
Innocence Brimming over.
He Tightened His Grasp softly,
Around Her Delicate hands.

He saw her Tiny feet,
Trying to match his pace.
Careful where you step,
He gently nudged her hands.

They walked often,
To fields far away.
He the Past & She the Future,
Hand In Hand.

Age was fast catching Up,
The Old Man grew fatigued.
He rested once on the way,
The girl rushed onto his lap.

Beads of Perspiration Dangled on his Face,
The girl played with it,
Painting imaginary figures with fingers,
On his wrinkled canvas.

The Old Man closed his eyes,
The touch of innocence, of life, played.
The Old Man closed his eyes,
And he smiled.

Sometimes, All we need Is,
A Touch.

A personal favorite photograph,
captured 4 years back in the Himalayas

Rise

A dark passage,
Light Far Ahead.

Hurrying towards it,
Darkness enclosing around.

It glows smaller and smaller,
Run! Hurry! Run!

Heart beats faster,
Sweat drops harder..

Almost there,
Jump!

Blinding light,
All plain white..

Slowly he adapts,
Shapes familiarize,.


~~~~~~
~~~~
~~~
~

Good Morning!

Perfect

You know its perfect,
When you long for the chilling breeze,
Knowing you'll still be Warm.


You know its perfect,
When you'll never be alone,
In the Dead of the Night.

You know its perfect,
When you can walk forever, And
Someone always matches your steps.


You know its perfect,
When you hug someone,
And they too know,

That its Perfect.

Somebody to Love

Suggested Reading/Viewing/Listening:

1. Listen to the song staring at the image till you feel dizzy.
2. Then read my interpretation below.


A great song to trip on... ;D

Don't you want somebody to love,
Don't you need somebody to love.

I won't sweet talk you,
I won't swoon for you..

Don't you want somebody to love,
Don't you need somebody to love.

Will you want to douze these sparks,
Will you not want to feel the blaze.

Don't you want somebody to love,
Don't you need somebody to love.

Will you stay away from it forever,
Will you get it, how it can be now.

Don't you want somebody to love,
Don't you need somebody to love.

Don't you want to be owned,
Don't you want to risk living.

Don't you need somebody to love..

Right & Wrong

I am Right,
You are Wrong.

He watched Her,
Looking at Him..

She watched Him
Looking at her....

He turned away..

She turned away..

Don't Look at Me,

Don't Talk to Me,

Don't Talk to Me,

Don't Look at Me,

Your Mistake,

You are Wrong,

You are Wrong,

Your Mistake,

You,

You,

YOU!

YOU!

Pause,
..
pause
....
and pause
......
...........
..................

Look at Me,

Talk to Me,

Talk to Me,,

Look at Me,

You are right,
I am wrong..

it matters not..

The prisoner

Looking Into

warmth of red;
absorbing black;
moist eyes;
and feathery lashes.

comfort me;
draw me close;
cleanse me;
and imprison me.

eye courtesy: Aditii ;D

Frozen In Time

Wings ache to fly,
I wait;
For A wind to lift me.

There is the light out,
I wait;
WithIn this Darkness.

It all lies shattered,
I wait;
In these ruins.

I wait,
Frozen In Time;

I wait,
For the wind;

I wait,
Till Time passes by.

Whizzing Lights

Streams of Light whizz by,
They all have a place to be.

I stay still and I watch.
~~~~~~
~~~
~

I have no where else to be,
Or
Do not know where to be..

A dirty Joke

My sense of (dirty)humor.

Rated U/A .. ;D

and as usual,
please click on image to view original size!

A DIRTY JOKE:

A Swinging Affair

A take on the the word "swinging"

click image for actual size :

Give

Give it back, She said.
No I cannot, He said.

She said, I need it.
He said, I cannot afford it.

It was all I had, She said.
There was no room for it, He said.

She said, it was for nothing?
He said, Not everything has an answer.

Vanishing Tigers

click image for full size...




below is the original poem- THE TIGER by William Blake:

TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Just Say It

The Time is late..
Why is the wait..
Before it is night,
Just Say It,
Just Say It.

If it is true,
Why not let it brew,
Push it all through,
&
Just Say It,
Just Say It.

All we have are moments,
And these are what cement,
The bonds which never relent.

Before it is night,
Push it all through,
&
Just Say It,
Just Say It.

BEER WoEs

CHEERS!!
:D

Travel Safe

A common sight almost anywhere in India.
Find the 7th person.. ;)

Didn't find? Click here! --the answer! :D
(or copy paste- http://anduwantedto.blogspot.com/2008/08/travel-safe-answer.html )

The Circle of Anger

PLEASE click on image to view full size.
On a learning phase.
Will make it user friendly next time :D