Bliss by the beach

Often, the nomad in me emerges very strongly and when I can't leave Bombay due to personal and professional compulsions, I feel stifled. My utterly complex cerebrum invariably creates revolt and then it is impossible to stay within the confines of my home no matter how hard pressed I am for time!  

You and I, in this beautiful world 

Day before yesterday was one such occasion when I experienced it all. I got out of my cool, Vetivar roots (khus) aroma environment, changed the route for my evening walk to catch glimpse of Sunset and to embrace some sea breeze. 

It is all about perspective   

Have you ever held and looked closely at grains of sand and marveled at mysterious, elusive charm it holds? Every single grain catches our attention in a magical realm of infinite discoveries! There is something pious about seemingly lifeless sand, whether it is abundant desert sand or at beach. 

Mesmerising colours strewn all over the beach by setting Sun

Sand with dunes, soft peaks or patterns, creating abstract of different dimensions with every passing moment is always mesmerizing. 

The happy days of childhood

A few moments of serenity at the beach and a lot of stray thoughts from entire being of my universe invade in my mind at such moments. I just let it all into my consciousness without making any attempt to process, sort or analyze. I am too busy gathering sea shells, being lost in  its magical world. 

Evening walk by the beach

Children playing with sand, making castles, people enjoying the walk, lovers holding hands and getting cozy, fishermen getting their boats ready, hawkers selling their goods, old couple smiling, waving at the children and perhaps remembering their own, a wrinkled, solemn faced man sunken in silence absorbed in thoughts, children of all ages flocking at the ice slush stall ...so many simple pleasures of life all around bringing beautiful energy! 

Abstract created by the Sun rays 

There is something sublimely fulfilling about watching Sunset by the beach! Listening to waves whispering can be spiritually intoxicating experience! I stand transfixed, misty eyed with mellow opulence, contemplating the slow calming of the season. From far away wafts the fragrance of wet earth.  As I return, all those tears felt in sense of wonder at the beach make me feel more beautiful. I can't ask more from life at that moment. 

The serene Sun set 

Say "chinkie" and go to jail

Recently, The Ministry of Home affairs came up with a law to curb racism against North East Indians. It has sent a directive to all the states and union territories ordering imprisonment for five years who commit the crime of addressing North East Indian people as "chinkies" (an abusive racial remark). 

Many people have found this law too harsh. I don't intend to discuss this law and whether it is appropriate or not. I am not sure how can one legally prove subtle ways of discrimination that people are subjected to everyday. This law would at least, create awareness about racism that has thrived in our country since decades and despite being very much part of it, we have either been blissfully ignorant about it or too callous to negate it completely.

North East Indian states have always faced great neglect even after more than six decades since we got our freedom. Lack of political will for inclusive governance has been root cause of the discrimination and the result is reflected in the manner people from these states are generally perceived and treated. Despite being part of this democratic nation, they are often looked upon as "outsiders" and taunted for their physical appearance.

One of the most important factors for such discrimination has also been our mindsets. The slogan which we harp about "vividhta me ekta" (unity in diversity) is instantly forgotten once we switch off our televisions after watching the parade of 15th August or 26th January! We are born and brought up amidst compatible contempt towards every caste/community/ethnicity. It is so common to be subjected to derogatory terms like "pindi" for Sardars, "bong" for Bengali, "gujju" for Gujarati, "ghati" for Maharashtrian, "punju" for Punjabi, "bhaisa" for Haryanvi, "miya' or "musanda" for Muslim, "lungi" for South Indians etc that we don't realize that these words are racist! Sadly, these terms are subconsciously used even by the most educated of us. 

So often we encounter casual remarks that reflect prejudice, ignorance and insensitivity. Sadly, the offender is never held accountable as it would look socially boorish. Whenever I witness such incident, it touches some raw nerve inside me and at such times I question personal politics of those who casually dismiss the identities of others without any understanding of how ignorant they appear in doing so. We are so deeply entrenched by divides within society and often choose to perceive others through rigid labeling that we create for them consisting stereotypes, mainly as result of superiority we feel for our own comfort zones that we place ourselves in. 

How often we deride others and their differences within a blink of an eye, produce blanket dismissal! A casual, insidious remark can chip away self-confidence and create a permanent wound that is forever concealed in one's heart and its pain is difficult to express in words.   

Racism or discrimination against any human being is inhuman and it should never be accepted. Every citizen of India has right to live and be treated with equal dignity. Introducing a law is a welcome step but we need to get our basics right. It is shame that even after these many years of independence we need to have such laws! It is time for some deep contemplation. 

My colour therapy

These days, when I have to step out from the airconditioned enviorns even for few seconds in scorching heat and annoying humidity of Mumbai, I huff and puff over it. Despite being equipped with Sun screen creams, lots of bottles of drinking water, cap or umbrella and what not, there is no reprieve! 

It is that time of the year when no conversation gets complete without mentioning sweltering heat.  We sweat, fret, fume and freak in unison over its torture in ritualistic manner and curse  Summer for showing no mercy. 

Summer, is a tough season in country like India but Nature has its own way of compensating us with awe-inspiring beauty of trees bursting with palette of colours in different hues and forms.   

Bright and bold, fascinating and deep; colours are strewn abundantly, all around creating magic of marvel, the only respite from trying temperature. What a stunning sight to behold! 

I feel so blessed to be surrounded by this absolute abundance and be able to wake up to heady fragrance of morning blooms. Sometimes piece of heaven wafts by the window with divine fragrance of Ratrani. 

To sit at the window, near the garden for early morning tea can bring meditative moments. With birds chirping and the wind chimes flirting with gentle breeze it is a welcome start for the flamboyant day!  

When I notice these graceful forms of Nature instantly enthralling the spirit, it creates therapeutic impact. I call it Nature's colour therapy.  

Amidst the harsh, ruggedness of Summer these blooms signify life force, vigour, optimism, youth and hope for me and I love to embrace it whole heartedly.

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844.

Feeling almost like Siddhartha!

"Desolving Buddha" sculpture by Bhagwan Rampure, displayed at art festival, Wassup Andheri  

Things have been different around the house off lately. It is past midnight and as I write this, there is complete quiet here. Not the joyful, serenely comforting silence of my home but the suffocating silence and it is unsettling. 


Past few days, me and my family experienced harrowing time and I had panic attacks that were triggered by my son's hospitalization. I am yet to find the holy-grail to eliminate my anxiety completely and when it comes to my son, I find it difficult to go.


For any parent the most devastating experience is to see his/her child in pain. The trauma of bleak thoughts with fear of unknown future is sometimes too much to bear. Fortunately, my son is home after being hospitalized for a week and is recuperating but the vignettes of life displayed at hospital during his stay have shaken and humbled me deeply. We often find truths about life in least expected spaces, in least imagined ways.


The day I rushed my son to the hospital, there was a group of about fifty people, gathered at accidents and emergency ward. One of the staff members of the hospital, a doctor had died of massive heart attack at age of thirty eight. He had worked till six in morning, taking care of I.C.U patients and left saying he would be back soon after taking some rest at home. Looking at his numb wife, grieving parents and siblings was heart wrenching experience. 


There were so many people, all connected with their individual pain, looking at each other sympathetically. There was a lady, in a state of shock, crying incessantly; worrying about her husband who was rushed to the hospital after a fatal road accident, a disturbed father anxious about his daughter's badly fractured arm, an uneducated old couple, all by themselves struggling to cope with overload of terms that they never heard of, making futile attempt to make sense to them. The medical practitioners, trying earnestly to communicate in the simple language but feeling frustrated for not being at the same wavelength to explain what was required to convey and sometimes dealing with patients and their relatives going in state of denial that rapidly changed into anger.


Fortunately, when my son was shifted to his room from accidents and emergency ward and during his stay, I had some respite in learning about so many tales of survival and saw new born babies and the happy parents that helped keep my faith in life.

Life is a precious offering but we are so deeply entrenched in hyperactivities, indulgence, leisure and affluence to realize value of one breath! We don't know what the next moment holds for us and yet we live our life so callously in pursuit of a "perfect" life without acknowledging or appreciated our blessings. Rarely do we understand that life is in NOW, in this very moment! If we don't embrace it, it is gone forever.


In last few days, I have come closer to understanding dilemma of Gautam Buddha that he experienced as prince Siddhartha. No, I am not an enlightened soul like him to head for path of liberation nor is my intent to be preachy but something within me has certainly changed. I will make conscious effort to learn, grow and evolve. Be kind, mindful and grateful about everything life has so generously bestowed upon me. I can't take life for granted, ever again!

It is not just a game, silly!

What a week it was for the "game of gentlemen"! Five cricketers from the Indian Premier League season 5 were caught in a sting operation discussing money for match fixing followed by suspension from the BCCI and the IPL.


After a sparkling victory of KKR team over Mumbai Indians, Shahrukh Khan in his high spirited form stole the spotlight at Wankhede stadium with his bizarre antics. This face off with Mumbai Cricket Association was a debacle that could have been easily averted had SRK maintained some dignity. Instead, he went ballistic in most uncivilized manner; abusing security guards with filthy language and cheap gestures like a typical roadside hooligan, right before his own children! What was security guards' crime? They were performing their duty by prohibiting SRK's entourage who happened to be non-accredited guests. 

It is commendable of Mumbai Cricket Association's security guards to perform their duty without succumbing to any pressure of "celebrity power". MCA has proposed ban on SRK but he seems to be in no mood to apologize and instead is expecting apology from the MCA staff. SRK, so far has shown no guilt, shame or regret for his misbehaviour in public. The mudslinging match between both the parties continues. I am sure Shah Rukh Khan would emerge unscathed from this controversy thanks to his "connections" in Delhi and almost "demi-God like" celebrity status.

The nation was thoroughly engrossed and entertained by this brawl when in yet another drama, Australian cricketer, Luke Pomersbach, member of Royal Challengers, Banglore, IPL team, was arrested for allegedly molesting an American woman and getting violent with her fiancé in Delhi. Interestingly, Siddhartha Mallya, director of the Royal Challengers, in his display of royal stupidity ranted sexist tweet that further spiced up the whole tamasha! 


Welcome to the new age cricket! Its a heady concoction of greed, ambition, wealth, glamour, sleaze, power play, fiefdom and politics. Why complain when it is a 'dream come true" like fantasy promising instant celebrity-hood, recognition, unlimited attention, adulation and obscene money? It is a win-win situation where even the audience finds a great escape from banality of their drab, mundane lives. Why worry about falling rupee and other grave issues when media is serving eyeballs grabbing juicy content about our "stars". And in a celebrity obsessed nation like ours, those stories are never enough.  So, keep them rolling baby and forget the game of cricket! It is meant for only gentlemen.