There was a garden with a lot of mango trees, some would fruit more mangoes and some less. The mango pickers discovered a great technique to ripen them. When the mangoes were still a little raw, they would pluck them and put them in a basket full of ripe mangoes and gradually they would ripe too.
There was a unripe mango that was plucked from its tree and put in a basket that had a few ripe mangoes, some too ripe and others spoiled. The unripe mango was put deep in with all the spoiled ones where it started to decay a little. One day another raw mango helped this unripe mango to appear on the surface and be next to a shinny ripe one. Miraculously, the unripe mango began to heal! The decay started fading away, a part of it started to ripe. Soon one day a cruel mango picker noticed this change and he wanted it to spoil. So, he pushed it down with the spoiled mangoes again to let it die. The ripe mango grew fond of it in the meanwhile and kept helping it up on the surface when the cruel mango picker would be away. Then one day, it was time for the ripe mango to leave the basket full of spoiled mangoes and go where ripe mangoes do. It was sad, they were sad. They saw each other to help each other ripe and had tonics together when they could. The unripe mango found a way to leave the basket temporarily and see the ripe mango every time it could. It learned that every time it could, it should ripe more than it could spoil.
For one day, it would really ripe.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
The Perfect Cup of beverage
You move into a new unfamiliar place and find yourself completely lost. In no time, you really start to enjoy yourself there and in the supermarket you find hot chocolate that you buy. You try it and love it. You like nothing more than waking up, making yourself the very same perfect cup of beverage and sipping on it on your comfy old couch in your most comfortable clothes and messy hair. In a year or two, you buy a pack of marshmallows and add it to the hot chocolate everyday. It is nice and takes sometime to get used to but your mornings seem perfect with the same cup of hot chocolate everyday. It is the right sweet, makes you feel innocent and makes you start your day. You see the hot chocolate everyday and spend all your free time sipping on it. Sometimes you invite friends to come for a beverage but never share your perfect recipe of hot chocolate. After spending 4 years with the same cup of beverage each day, the company decides to shut down from your town and move. They stop its production in your local market immediately. Suddenly, your world changes. You go and try to find hot chocolate but its moved away for good. Your mornings are lonely on your couch. You don't seem to enjoy time with friends and television anymore and you convince yourself that you don't need a replacement for your perfect cup. You keep hoping that it will come back to you one day. You go crazy and even consider moving where the hot chocolate has.
But life goes on. You are walking down a street when you find an old cafe' returning to town. You never tried their coffee but were always advised not to by other people. You think to yourself, 'What the heck, how bad can it be' and step into the cafe. You feel a strange comfort in that place that you had been missing for months and you decide to try their coffee. It strangely tastes mature and good. It is perfectly smooth and makes you wake up. You decide to dress up a few times wearing your favorite set of clothes, your favorite shade of lipstick and do your hair each time to go have that coffee and you start liking it. You keep trying to fill in for the hot chocolate and you do.
Soon, the hot chocolate company returns to town very close to you. You don't buy a big pack for home but have it once in a while for that familiarity but it is not the same as you addiction of coffee. The cafe soon moves away but delivers to you every weekend. You are now addicted to this coffee although it is not consistent like the hot chocolate. It is sometimes too bitter, sometimes with a lot of milk and sometimes with no milk. Your friends ask you to give up this coffee and you do but it seems to keep calling you back and once in a while you do have that cup of coffee despite its shortcomings. Sometimes you miss the hot chocolate but you realize you are too old to be sipping hot chocolate and you need that thrill, the excitement and the surprise. The perfect blend of a mature taste that makes you get out of bed and dress up and it makes you feel like a grown woman.
So, what is your perfect cup of beverage?
But life goes on. You are walking down a street when you find an old cafe' returning to town. You never tried their coffee but were always advised not to by other people. You think to yourself, 'What the heck, how bad can it be' and step into the cafe. You feel a strange comfort in that place that you had been missing for months and you decide to try their coffee. It strangely tastes mature and good. It is perfectly smooth and makes you wake up. You decide to dress up a few times wearing your favorite set of clothes, your favorite shade of lipstick and do your hair each time to go have that coffee and you start liking it. You keep trying to fill in for the hot chocolate and you do.
Soon, the hot chocolate company returns to town very close to you. You don't buy a big pack for home but have it once in a while for that familiarity but it is not the same as you addiction of coffee. The cafe soon moves away but delivers to you every weekend. You are now addicted to this coffee although it is not consistent like the hot chocolate. It is sometimes too bitter, sometimes with a lot of milk and sometimes with no milk. Your friends ask you to give up this coffee and you do but it seems to keep calling you back and once in a while you do have that cup of coffee despite its shortcomings. Sometimes you miss the hot chocolate but you realize you are too old to be sipping hot chocolate and you need that thrill, the excitement and the surprise. The perfect blend of a mature taste that makes you get out of bed and dress up and it makes you feel like a grown woman.
So, what is your perfect cup of beverage?
Friday, February 6, 2009
Indian Independence Day
Independence Day
15th august, 1947 midnight
After all the pains taken, after the entire freedom struggle… the Indians felt their land again, their free land. The country was all theirs again. Indian land felt its national flag again and everyone saluted it. An old woman cried with joy though she had lost all her relatives. She sat down on the sand and kissed it. She was overwhelmed with happiness. They were actually free again. After years of struggle, after being beaten up and after having lost their loved ones; they still survived.
A married woman looked outside her house from lifting her purdah upwards. She saw her husband and father-in-law celebrating outside her half- broken house. She had a smile on her face. Her husband was shouting- ‘Azaadi, Azaadi’ outside their house when he turned with a huge smile on his face and saw his wife looking at him with her risen purdah.
He was enraged and he rushed towards the house. His wife quickly covered her face again but was already seen. He slapped her hard across her face, she fell down and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What do you want to show to other men outside? That you are beautiful and available? Is one man not enough for you? If this happens again I’ll burn you alive.” After this he left and she kept lying on the floor.
She had to stay alone in that house. She wondered if she could call herself free. She starts remembering the independence struggle and her contribution in order to attain it.
Sita, was 27 years old. She was born on 15 august, 1920 in a village near Delhi. Soon after her birth, her mother died and she was considered inauspicious. Her father remarried and his second wife gave birth to a boy. Her childhood was spent observing Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters around and she was captivated by their passion. She believed that her position would change too. One day she’ll be given education and will fight the British. She was very intelligent.
When she was 10, she heard about the Dandi march led by Bapuji. A year later, efforts of Bhagat singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev had failed. She was inspired by them and somewhere knew they will be free one day. She belonged to a very conservative family and was to be married at an early age. Her father saw her reading and beat her.
When she turned 15, she was married to a man who was 12 years older to her but she could not refuse. Soon after her marriage the family demanded children and she gave birth to four daughters, out of which the first two were twins. She was ill-treated because she couldn’t give birth to a boy. She was now given the last warning. She was only 18 then. Finally, at the age of 20 she gave birth to a boy. On the day of the birth of the boy, her husband and father-in-law were in the jail as they were a part of the freedom struggle. She had to take care of the family and also kept herself secretly updated.
Within her husband’s tenure in the jail, she joined the women in strikes and protests. She made posters. Her husband was released in 1942, during the Quit India Movement. He was still busy in the struggle while a fire broke out in that area. No one ever knew about it because it was a small unimportant village. She rescued the family and managed to get water to put off the fire. She kept herself busy with the happenings of the struggle and lent a hand whenever required. She still never ignored the family.
She spoke the local language and wore only khadi to discourage the English. She continued to take care of her family and also put up with the humiliation she had to go through created out of her husband’s frustration.
Finally, on her 27th birthday, India was free from the colonial rule. She made her silent contributions but they were not recognized because she was a follower, not a leader. She was just an ordinary woman in some corner of a small village and it was her duty to do everything she did.
Reforms made for women came into practice. The purdah system was removed, sati was abolished, female children were to be respected and given education.
She thought about the whole time and decided to leave home. She thought she would become something and come back to take her children. She was happy. She left a letter for her husband and left.
Soon after she left, her husband discovered her being missing and looked for her. She was found and got beaten up and burnt down in front of a million people who never spoke about it again.
It is because of women like Sita that we have freedom today, the real freedom. Her efforts might not be recognized but her contribution cannot be ignored. Sita helped proving the strength of women and all men should always remember that.
(written in school for the school board)
15th august, 1947 midnight
After all the pains taken, after the entire freedom struggle… the Indians felt their land again, their free land. The country was all theirs again. Indian land felt its national flag again and everyone saluted it. An old woman cried with joy though she had lost all her relatives. She sat down on the sand and kissed it. She was overwhelmed with happiness. They were actually free again. After years of struggle, after being beaten up and after having lost their loved ones; they still survived.
A married woman looked outside her house from lifting her purdah upwards. She saw her husband and father-in-law celebrating outside her half- broken house. She had a smile on her face. Her husband was shouting- ‘Azaadi, Azaadi’ outside their house when he turned with a huge smile on his face and saw his wife looking at him with her risen purdah.
He was enraged and he rushed towards the house. His wife quickly covered her face again but was already seen. He slapped her hard across her face, she fell down and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What do you want to show to other men outside? That you are beautiful and available? Is one man not enough for you? If this happens again I’ll burn you alive.” After this he left and she kept lying on the floor.
She had to stay alone in that house. She wondered if she could call herself free. She starts remembering the independence struggle and her contribution in order to attain it.
Sita, was 27 years old. She was born on 15 august, 1920 in a village near Delhi. Soon after her birth, her mother died and she was considered inauspicious. Her father remarried and his second wife gave birth to a boy. Her childhood was spent observing Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters around and she was captivated by their passion. She believed that her position would change too. One day she’ll be given education and will fight the British. She was very intelligent.
When she was 10, she heard about the Dandi march led by Bapuji. A year later, efforts of Bhagat singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev had failed. She was inspired by them and somewhere knew they will be free one day. She belonged to a very conservative family and was to be married at an early age. Her father saw her reading and beat her.
When she turned 15, she was married to a man who was 12 years older to her but she could not refuse. Soon after her marriage the family demanded children and she gave birth to four daughters, out of which the first two were twins. She was ill-treated because she couldn’t give birth to a boy. She was now given the last warning. She was only 18 then. Finally, at the age of 20 she gave birth to a boy. On the day of the birth of the boy, her husband and father-in-law were in the jail as they were a part of the freedom struggle. She had to take care of the family and also kept herself secretly updated.
Within her husband’s tenure in the jail, she joined the women in strikes and protests. She made posters. Her husband was released in 1942, during the Quit India Movement. He was still busy in the struggle while a fire broke out in that area. No one ever knew about it because it was a small unimportant village. She rescued the family and managed to get water to put off the fire. She kept herself busy with the happenings of the struggle and lent a hand whenever required. She still never ignored the family.
She spoke the local language and wore only khadi to discourage the English. She continued to take care of her family and also put up with the humiliation she had to go through created out of her husband’s frustration.
Finally, on her 27th birthday, India was free from the colonial rule. She made her silent contributions but they were not recognized because she was a follower, not a leader. She was just an ordinary woman in some corner of a small village and it was her duty to do everything she did.
Reforms made for women came into practice. The purdah system was removed, sati was abolished, female children were to be respected and given education.
She thought about the whole time and decided to leave home. She thought she would become something and come back to take her children. She was happy. She left a letter for her husband and left.
Soon after she left, her husband discovered her being missing and looked for her. She was found and got beaten up and burnt down in front of a million people who never spoke about it again.
It is because of women like Sita that we have freedom today, the real freedom. Her efforts might not be recognized but her contribution cannot be ignored. Sita helped proving the strength of women and all men should always remember that.
(written in school for the school board)
Changes
I am in a crowd,
I talk to every soul,
I laugh and crack jokes.
I seem to be good,
But then…who knows?
I meet a new person,
I like that new person.
I start loving that new person.
I spend a beautiful time with him
And then, he goes away…
I meet another one,
History repeats itself.
The new person leaves memorable moments
Also gives me a new one…
I go to a new place,
I like the new place,
I start loving the new place.
I spend hours there
And then I find a new place.
I find an interest,
Like it, love it.
Forget about it.
My definition of fun changes.
Detachment,
Absurd feeling,
Something that no one will ever understand
Surround me,
Trap me,
Take me away,
To my new destination.
I look back,
I see where I was.
Think why it happened,
That was the thing I cared for most
And now I don’t know why I even turned for once.
I loved that thing,
I could spend my whole life there.
It was my world.
Well, I rule the galaxy
And my world changes…
Changes…
I love changes,
The only thing that I love,
The only thing that always remained with me.
Fake promises,
“We’ll always be friends…”
“This is our home.”
“This is something you’ll enjoy forever.”
Lies,
Ruined dreams.
A new dream comes,
Why?
Where am I today?
Where was I?
How have I become?
Who are those people?
Did I ever know them?
Was he the person I loved?
Was she my best friend?
What has stayed?
I wanted to move on,
I wanted to be emotionless,
I wanted to enjoy life,
I wanted nothing to stop me from fun...
Fun…
What is fun?
What was it for me?
Little things,
Time with people I cared about…
‘Care’
Do I care?
Do these things affect me as they did?
Did they ever affect me?
Friendship and love
last forever.
Bullshit
The only thing that lasts is
‘Changes’
Everyone goes away,
Life goes away,
But changes…
They remain forever.
I am in a crowd,
I talk to every soul,
I laugh and crack jokes
But I am still alone
And I have to be alone.
Monday, February 2, 2009
An Unknown Tale
AN UNKNOWN TALE
The hall all prepared,
The princess alas not dressed,
It was a moment of anticipation,
For it was a big celebration.
The princess was sixteen,
Her age to get wedded,
There were brave princes
From the nearby kingdoms,
All ready to take her and crown her.
The princess,
Prettiest of the pretty,
Eyes of a deer,
Hair touching the ground.
Her sight was rare,
Made everyone’s head go round.
Among the bravos,
Appeared the bravest.
He came from a far away kingdom.
His heart was made of gold,
He loved all and was known.
The hall was soon filled,
Everyone hoped to get what they willed.
The bravest calmly
Tied his horse himself.
There was something that no one knew,
The princess was about to depart..
There was a disease unknown
Which could get the two of them apart.
The decision was quick,
The dance was to begin,
The princess wore her black dress
And who could say about the rest.
That night they danced,
A dance never seen before.
They were perfect together
And just then, she fell
He held onto her
How could he let her go?
And suddenly she closed her eyes,
In the arms of her lover.
The hall all prepared,
The princess alas not dressed,
It was a moment of anticipation,
For it was a big celebration.
The princess was sixteen,
Her age to get wedded,
There were brave princes
From the nearby kingdoms,
All ready to take her and crown her.
The princess,
Prettiest of the pretty,
Eyes of a deer,
Hair touching the ground.
Her sight was rare,
Made everyone’s head go round.
Among the bravos,
Appeared the bravest.
He came from a far away kingdom.
His heart was made of gold,
He loved all and was known.
The hall was soon filled,
Everyone hoped to get what they willed.
The bravest calmly
Tied his horse himself.
There was something that no one knew,
The princess was about to depart..
There was a disease unknown
Which could get the two of them apart.
The decision was quick,
The dance was to begin,
The princess wore her black dress
And who could say about the rest.
That night they danced,
A dance never seen before.
They were perfect together
And just then, she fell
He held onto her
How could he let her go?
And suddenly she closed her eyes,
In the arms of her lover.
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