Failure just an idea... Really??

Read an article in HT yesterday that said ,'success and failure are just figment of one's imagination'. These two words - success and failure are mere ideas that we have picked up from the society we live in. They lack originality and substance. That they has been engraved in our mind right from the very beginning and we should learn to go beyond them and not be restricted by them. In the article there was an example of a beggar getting the opportunity to eat in a 5 star restaurant as a big thing for him and a matter of success. It also said something like 'success is nothing but walking with a smile on your face even through the darkest corners of hell', and that end motive of one's life should be moksha or something like that.

But cummon, who are we kidding. I mean, ya, the article was very good, motivating indeed,  but only for a person who is struggling in life and not for others. The thing with philosophy is that, its good as long as you lose. But when you start winning it seems bullshit. Who in the world would like to stick to mediocrity entire life? I think that each one of us can be categorized to be in either of the 3 situations -
1.) Failing badly, struggling to make ends meet. Disillusioned and lacking vision. No clear aim in front of you.
2.) Having a vigor to move towards one's aim and fighting for it. Sure of your aim.
3.) Satisfied and content. Feeling finally successful. Aim attained.

The article I read would only be beneficial for the 1st category of people, helping them get over their failures and moving past them. But when it comes to 2nd category of people, it won't be of much help because in a way the article is saying 'stop running after success, it's a piece of crap!!' What the 2nd category people want is something to boost them up, something that could add fuel to their fire. As far as the 3rd category of people are concerned, well its hard to say because I have been successful in installments for very brief period of time. Whenever I find success, something new comes up and I get along on it, so I can't really say what's their mindset like and whether they would be affected by the HT article or not.

Hard core philosophy can be very fatal. It can make you land head first on the floor. So better use it cautiously and dilute it with your own ideas.
Do one thing, all you people out there, know what category you fall in. If you are a 3rd category person then good for you, enjoy , party!! For the second and first category people, just keep such motivational stuff handy, you might need them from time to time. Just mold the theories according to you, what suits you the best. Play by your choice, mix the philosophies and add your own stuff and form your rules.
All the best!!

Not afraid to lose - if we can all be together

One night I was playing TEKKEN 3 on my computer. I was into the final round and was struggling to win. The next moment, the screen displayed YOU LOSE and a voice played in the background with a demeaning tone. I shut down the computer and lied down on the bed with my face dug inside the pillow. The phrase YOU LOSE repeated in my mind several times with the exact same tone. "What exactly does it mean YOU LOSE", I thought to myself. Ya, I lost in a stupid computer game, but apart from that, what does it mean? What is it that I have, to lose? "Property? Money? Car? Girlfriend? Well, I don't have any of these (hoping for the distant possibility of the last one sometime soon)".
So what can I possibly LOSE? Nothing. I don't know. I mean, we lose something after we have earned it. First you have to have a thing in order to lose it. But I have not earned anything as of now. And I soon fell asleep concluding my self discussion. In my dream I saw myself walking towards a man who's back was turned towards me. I tapped his shoulders and he turned to face me. I let out a shriek as I saw myself standing in front of me. And he was holding a large golden box glistening with diamonds in his hands. I listened in silence as he spoke. "I presume this belongs to you. You might have kept it somewhere and forgot about it while moving up the steps."

"Open it and you'll see what you have earned over the years".
I took the box and opened its lid, curious, as to what could possibly belong to me? A bright light shone from within,
and inside were the photos of all those who had ever stood by my side. The other me said, "these are the people who trust you, people who believe in you, who care about you, and will do everything possible just for you. Because they know that when it comes to them, you'll do the same. The least you can do is prove them right and just feel grateful for having them in your life."
"You did not lose, but you can, if you don't realise the worth of your treasure. So tell me, have you not earned anything? Don't you have anything to lose?" Saying that, he clapped his hands and in a second he disappeared into thin air.
The next morning I woke up early and again played TEKKEN 3. But this time I won and this time I knew exactly what I had WON.

Dangerous encounter

Recently I was at home during my semester-end holidays. Feeling free from the mayhem that a semester brings along with it. A 6 month torture, continuous pestering of teachers, lectures, labs, exams, quizes and more exams. So here I was watching television and enjoying my cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. I opened the door and saw Mr. Gupta, our neighbour, standing on the porch.

Now he, was one of them. I didn't know it earlier, otherwise I wouldn't have invited him in. It was easy to tell once we started talking.

Uncle: "And beta! What brings you home at this point of time?"
I       : "Actually my exams just got over".
Uncle: "Oh I see! So how were they? How much you expecting?"
I       : "Not much. I'm not that much into studies".
Uncle: "Arey beta! What are you saying? When I was in college, I used to sleep at 9pm and wake up by 3am to study. You should do the same".
I       : Thought to myself, "we practlically sleep at 3am". Then said, "but uncle I have different interests, like sports and music and stuff, you know...".
Uncle: "Rubbish. These things are not going to help in the long run. You have to be intellectually competent, get a good job in a multinational. I know you can do it, I can see it in you".

My father enters the scene.
Uncle: "Main kya, singhal ji, I'm right or not?".
Dad  : "Baccha hai, gupta ji, dheerey dheerey seekh jayega (He's just a kid, he'll learn it eventually)".
Uncle: "This is the time to learn." Then turned towards me and said, "now you do exactly as I say".

I looked in his eyes long and hard. And then it struck me that he was a KYMS. So I was careful not to argue with him. Because there is no point doing that, in the presence of a KYMS. There are many people I have come across who belong to this particular category of people called, KYMS, when you are in their presence, you have to 'Keep Your Mouth Shut'. Let me throw some light on this not so rare breed of homo sapiens. Their population started growing in around 2000AD, during the dotcom boom. Slowly they evolved and can be found in mostly the elite part of the society. They are quite educated, mostly above 25 years of age, thinking that they have a complete idea about the world. They have an innate desire to make others see the world through their eyes.

So here I was, face to face with a KYMS and this one was in full form.
KYMS: "Do yoga at 6am, it helps absorb the formulas. And the next time I want a C.G. of 8 instead of a measly 6.4, alright?".

Now comes the question, "what do you do when you encounter a KYMS?" Firstly, don't panic. They don't harm physically, they only specialise in mental tormenting. Secondly, don't give your theories in front of them and don't argue. Thirdly and most importantly, get away from a KYMS as soon as possible, because he'll keep on speaking, like, forever. And that is exactly what I did and thanked my stars for being blessed with a second life.

A lost friend

I was in my room one evening, back at home during the summer vacations from college. It was raining heavily outside, thanks to which I had to cancel my movie plans. I rubbed my nose against the windowpane and sighed as I had nothing better to do. Through the window I could see two kids, about 10 to 12 years of age playing on the streets in the rain. Their clothes all drenched in water and covered with mud. They were enjoying, laughing, running, as if this moment was everything to them, as if this was all they cared about.
Seeing them like this reminded me of something...

Once upon a time, when I was little,
and the world seemed a riddle,
full of every imaginable thing possible;
I used to start the day on my cycle,
along with my friend we used to travel and there seemed no end to our fable.

I still remember our going to the fort ,
in search of some hidden treasure,
which we never could find;
But I really don't mind,
because it was truly a pleasure.

Also the time when we went camping by the lakeside,
and returned home late in the night,
only to find our parents waiting by the door side,
And the time when I was hit by a motorcycle,
he took me home on his little cycle.

Those days seem a distant memory,
after 10 years it seems like a century.
And I can't say whether he'll still remember me.
But I'll do, because he was the best thing that happened to me.

I moved away from the window and walked towards the door. I opened it, stepped outside and stood in the rain. But this time, someone was missing.

When things go wrong...

You know, how there are times, when we feel all happy and excited and things seem to be going great. Then there are times, when we feel all deluded and fed up of everything. I mean these are times when the going gets tough, when each step you take seems like a mile and things seem to go wrong. These are our worst nightmares.

What if, someone was to tell you that these dark days are actually a blessing in disguise? Because they make you realize what happiness really is, how you have changed and what you can be. These are life’s surprise tests. And the funny thing about them is that you are its evaluator. In these times, it’s advisable to indulge in believing yourself, your instincts. Because the logical you is lost somewhere in the illusion. Following it would be like diving into the unknown waters. In these times, your logic can prove faulty, so let your belief bail you out.

And remember,

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,

Just stick to the flight when you’re the hardest hit,

It’s when things seem worst that you must never quit;

When you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When debts are high and funds are low,

You might succeed with another blow;

Like the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you can never tell how close you are,

You might be near when it seems so far...
(The italicized part has been extracted from an unknown author)

My story for Elixir 2010

There was an open writing event in Elixir in which each person had to write 400 words on anything (poem or story or article) but it should have references of the following :-
1. a colour
2. a fruit
3. a ruler of Khilji dynasty
4. a plant
5. a gadget
6. the name of a website
7. a clothing item
So I presented the following story:-
                                                     The Dark Night

Alauddin Khilji stood at the edge of a cliff on a long dark night, aware that this could be his last night. A lot had to be done in the coming time and the consequences of his actions could also go against him. He gazed down the cliff where the sea was in full tide and smashed the rocks on the shore. He thought of the rocks,'meant to be cut down and give iron', he thought about iron,'meant to be made into swords and armors', and swords,'meant to win entire battles and destroy entire armies, to draw blood and drench in its glory'.

A strong wind passed by, but he stood motionless, staring into the darkness, contemplating and trying to be a part of the dark turmoil around him. Next he drifted his gaze towards the peach trees on the shore. 'No matter where one plant its seed, the tree would grow to be a peach tree. In the same way a warrior is a warrior, no matter where he is born, he would continue to serve for his land till his last breath and till he falls apart'.

For the past ten years he had been coming to this place the night before every war. And tomorrow with the first rays of the sun, his army would march towards Chittor. Khilji was very passionate and ambitious. It had all started until recently when he had heard about the beauty of Rani Padmini of Chittor, wife of the king Rawal Ratan Singh. That, when she walked, the winds would stop blowing, words coming from her mouth would make the lotus plant to blossom, her skin was satin-like and her eyes gleamed like a diamond. Such a beauty was intoxicating.

Despite the chilling weather Khilji was burning inside with a desire to claim her. 'Strange, that beauty can be a cause of destruction', he thought. He removed the shawl covering his body and took a step towards the cliff, ready to dive into the black waters.

'Cut', said the director. The cameras stopped rolling. "We'll call in the stuntman tomorrow for the diving scene",he added. Abhishek moved away from the cliff and sat on a chair made available for him.  He took out his blackberry which had 3 missed calls from 'wife' and 4 from 'papa'. He opened his gmail account and had 2 new emails, both of which were film offers. One was on robots and the other on aliens. He shouted to the director who was busy packing up ,"by the way, whats the name of this movie?". "Adventures of Khilji in 3D", came the reply.

The spice of life

Each and every one of us in this world, at some point of time or the other, feel that things are not making sense. Many a times we think that things should have happened this or that way. We have this innate desire to control the happenings of our life. And strange part is that we "wish" we could change the direction of the ship of our life, not knowing that we "can".

So these are times when we are really frustrated and are clueless as to what could render us out. Somehow, the pieces of the puzzle, called life, don't fit in together. The picture in front of us is distorted and disfigured. I am no exception. In fact, this happens, or used to happen with me all the time.

Taking a step on the path of becoming a philosopher one day, I would like to present my theory on life. In this theory I relate life with food (actually its good if we choose a counterpart for things. That way we get to know more about the main thing, in this case - life). So life is like a main course dish, which is yet in the making. And you my friend, are the chef. Its your choice of ingredients that decides the course of your dish. And its up to you to add the spices, to make an exquisite masterpiece which you enjoy and relish.

Rather than making oneself accustomed to a tasteless dish, we must experiment with ourselves and do things in ways that have never been thought of before. Our dish should have the aroma that attracts others towards it. Yes its a risk. But its worth taking.