The KSRTC bus ride back home
Image Courtesy: Nostalgic Kerala Photos

That evening was a strange one. After bidding farewell to my friends, I took off from Kochi hoping to reach home by evening. Time does its plays in every man’s life, and on that day it had found pleasure in squeezing its fangs on mine.

The journey began rather well. I had refreshed myself with some snacks and a lime soda for the three and half hour bus ride back home. The places sparkled in familiarities; but the bus was overcrowded, providing a chance to explore my bachelorism.

The one thing you know when you are a bachelor is that time will pass easily. This theory is often picked up from laziness, as almost all the men in bachelordom like to waste time with their mischief and many pranks. One among them is flirting. The boredom arouses every now and then, leading to newer discoveries each day – some of which may sound totally insane!

One such incident occurred during my college days. The food at the hostel mess had got over by the time my roommates and I returned from our movie. Life in that remote area of Tamil Nadu is ever memorable with its mini-theatres and all the action available both in and out of campus - at rather cheap rates. Hunger had struck us by that time, and since we hostellers weren’t allowed to use electrical appliances, making something was not an easy task. However, I had some left over sugar in custody. We decided to raid the mess hall at night. The storekeeper was not pleased. He scolded us and asked to leave. We retorted, applying that all we wanted was a packet of coffee! He had to oblige. Now we did not have a kettle, but there was my oversized stainless steel dinner plate! We borrowed steel glasses of equal height and set them upside down on the floor of our room, to form a stove. Roaming around the hostel for some sort of fuel to cook, we managed to collect fifteen to twenty candles from various rooms. The match box was easy to find, as we teenagers had our habits! Filling two liters of water from the filter, we got back to our room. We set the candles around our ‘stove’ and lighted them up. Then we fixed the ‘dinner plate’ atop our ‘stove’, and poured in a liter of water. After ten minutes of boiling the water, we added the sugar and the coffee and stirred our beverage. The aroma was simply appetizing for that night! That was how we made our candlelight coffee, spiced up by a talented cameraman who did the commendatory rather well.

Tempting?
Image Courtesy: P/B

Travelling was one of the entertaining pastimes of my life. I’ve had my share of airplane, train and bus rides to various places around the world. Of all these places, India still intrigues me to this day! I’d prefer the window seat and gaze at life along the road. On that evening, I was comfortably seated aside a window and was enjoying the scenes of tropical Kerala. But before I knew it, I was texting this on my Nokia:

I’m pissed, I’m cold, and I’m wet;

It’s raining and I can’t feel any sweat.

This rickety bus mourns,

My self-esteem’s finding cons!

I just want to get home,

Or any place with a ‘MAN’ board on;

Just murder this guilty ride,

It’s a bachelor’s pride at plight!

Amidst the mind’s “oohs” and “aahs”,

I dream of a relief far from sight!

The bus had reached a quarter of my journey, and it would be difficult to quit the ride and find another one after relieving myself. So I shut myself to other thoughts. Uncontrollable emotions filled my mind. For once I wished I could just turn OFF for a while. But, all good things happen when you least expect it. And at precisely the right time, my adjacent passenger decided to exit, and a damsel standing next to him occupied his vacancy. Wow! I felt as if it had snowed in summer!

The sign I longed to see!
Image Courtesy: Amusing Planet

To add to my jeopardy, the girl looked familiar. It took some time for me to recognize that she used to live next to my home a long time ago. Oh God! Why this kolaveri? Could I tell her how I really felt at that moment? It was embarrassing. I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I took out my phone and typed some more:

I mourn, I bleed, I scream, but

When I sleep, I dream, I fly!

I kid, I prank, and I joke,

When I see you face to face, I choke!

This girl was the girl of my childhood dreams. We grew up as play-mates, often playing childish games with our friends. Now, after many years, she was rather a cute stranger. Looking at my unfriendly appeal, she decided to strike her conversation.

“I thought you didn’t recognize me until I saw you smile at the window. What are you doing these days?” she inquired with a smile.

“Hmm... I’m studying at Kochi. Didn’t you see that on Facebook?” I replied, stabbing myself mentally for not making the first dialogue perfect.

“I’m not an avid FB user. Totally busy these days with college work you know”, she said with a frown.

“ Yeah, that’s what they all say!”, I guffawed. I wondered if any of my other friends on Facebook really knew what I was doing.

“Who are they? Your girl friends?”, was her immediate sarcasm.

Now that was too much. Girls always want to know you better once they are familiar with you. Some even think they have you all figured out.

“No, I meant that on a general note. Where are you headed?” I was trying to act friendly while mourning inside.

“To a friend’s place for the weekend”, she replied. “What about you?”

“I’m going home to meet my Grandma”, I replied uninterestedly.

“Oh. That’s good. How is she? And where are your parents and sister? She was being friendly.

“They’re all fine. Parents are in Kuwait. Sister has joined college”, I replied quickly. 

After that I couldn’t control myself. So I got up, took my bag from the rack above me and pretended to pull out a pair of headphones to listen to some music. Seeing my unusual behavior towards her, she sighed and started texting or calling someone on her iphone. I didn’t bother to talk to her as I was busy trying to contain my situation, although I must admit that it was heaven in hell!

Life felt like an advertisement. The smarter you present yourself the wiser people think you are. Instincts! But that doesn’t happen always. Nature was calling me madly. And time was moving slowly. The bus managed to find all the unnecessary hurdles that day. Crazy speed breakers and the endless rain had fueled the adventure. But my mood was not right for such an occasion. To add to my misery, an accident had taken place along the highway and the traffic through our lane was soon diverted, which would increase my journey by half an hour! There was no escape from the inevitable. I couldn’t spit or swallow – I just had to eat time!

At that time, I decided to pray! I closed my eyes, tuned my playlist to Worship songs and pretended to loose myself with it. But with each beat, I was gripping my bag harder, and cursing my bad luck!

Somehow, the bus reached the next big station – Alappuzha. I go out from the seat with my bag and headed to the rear exit of the bus through the crowd. As soon as the bus stopped, I jumped out and was scanning the area for a spot. Thank God I was in Kerala where the field of scope for such entities is endless. Behind me I saw a fellow passenger push me and run. I followed him. Soon we found ourselves a clearing behind some trees and relieved ourselves.

He was smiling at me. “Thank God… What a relief!”, he said.

“Hehe…I never thought I’d make it!”, I exclaimed.

I had exited the bus without wishing her goodbye. I saw her heading towards a shop in Alappuzha. I decided to wait for the next bus rather than to follow her. I felt guilty for being rude to her with my silence. The next bus arrived and I took it to my hometown.

Night fell by the time I reached my destination. The daily power cut was going on, and the rain seemed far from stopping. I left my umbrella in Kochi; however, I had a torch, and decided to walk home. Some wild dogs were seen patrolling the roads and some of them barked at me disapprovingly. Along the way, I met an old man. He had an umbrella. It didn’t take long for us to share our resources and move ahead, although we never spoke a word. Sometimes, some angels are sent from God even amidst rainy situations - here I was his angel, and he was mine!

Nostalgic Backwaters
Image Courtesy: Nostalgic Kerala

I reached home, and after a brief welcome and story-telling session from Grandma, I got refreshed and logged on to Facebook. To my surprise, she was online.

“Hey, reached home? I couldn't say goodbye before I left”, she messaged me.

“Yeah, you were too busy with your phone nah”, I guffawed, hiding the truth.

And then we continued our private conversations…

An evening on that bus and the events that followed, taught me a lesson. If it’s wintering in your life right now, can spring be far behind? Soak tears of sorrow no more, because joy is on her way home!     

P.S.: This post is a work created for the Soak No More Contest by SurfExcelMatic on IndiBlogger.in If you liked this post, please vote for it here

I'm a sixteen year old teenager. I should be writing about the mysteries of love and the beauty of friendship, but here I am, trying to change the world by writing words on corruption on a blog of a friend I made a few days back! But at least it's a start. And that's where all of us fail, to make a start. We're so afraid of the consequences that we have literally started believing that we don't really stand a chance. While the word is busy fighting Aids and Global warming, we Indians are facing an entirely different problem. Politicians! Shame on you adults for letting this happen to our country. If you handed India over to us teenagers for a day, you would probably see the difference.

  

The Voice of Young India
Image Courtesy: she.sulekha.com

I am a NRI, a non-resident Indian, and I can feel the vibes of corrupt politicians and frauds till here! But what are we doing? The same thing that we've been doing for the past 800 years, watching! And we're getting pretty good at it too. First came the Mughals, then the British and now we're facing someone worse, Indians! It's funny how kids today want to be doctors and chefs but not a single one aspires to be a politician. It seems like even they know that this job has been cursed. Take it this way, India is house and we Indians are the family living in it. The father (politician) is a bad man and thus the family (Indians) is always suffering. To add to our misery, our neighbor is busy sending missiles and bombs onto us! If you know what I mean...

- If you are an Indian adult reading this, then stop reading and do something about it. Go out, start a campaign, get some people on your side, spread the message. Every bit counts.

- If you’re a politician reading this, then remorse for what you’ve done to India and try do some good for a change. If you’re an American reading this, then stay the hell out of our way! We've got enough problems already.

- And if you’re a young beautiful lady reading this, then let me tell you that my dad is very rich and I am incredibly handsome.

(Sorry for the bad humor, that’s just me.)

I would like to thank Anoop for putting this up on his blog. Hallelujah.

-Haseeb Sange 

Image Courtesy: www.mostimportantpart.blogspot.com

P.S.: This post was given to me by my young friend Haseeb. Reader's discretion is advised.

Misunderstood Musings!

Waitin’ at the edge of oblivion,

Hearing the miseries untold

Facing life’s delirium,

As truth, silently unfolds…….

Sleeping in desolation,

To escape the confusion

Wondering in solitude,

Feelin’ lost and alone in the multitude…..

Why does it seem I recognize no one,

When everyone I know is here?

How can I make my insecurities vanish,

And stop my heart from feelin’ fear?

Why can’t people see my burdens that are hard to bear,

Why can’t they see the silent tear that says “I care”?

If I seem heartless ,

I have surely been misunderstood……..

It snaps the strings of my heart to see myself bleeding,

I hate to bite the hand that to me, is feeding

I am engulfed by the chasm of morbidity,

I stand in anticipation of serendipity……

If I seem to be the strongest,

I have clearly been misunderstood…….

-         Poem by: Sagittaire Solitaire. 

P.S.: This is a guest post by my friend. Please check out www.sagittairesolitaire.blogspot.com to know more about her.

Image Courtesy: www.favim.com

Marriage sealed with a kiss? Is that it?
Image Courtesy: ebay

Love, love and more love…Oh I hate hearing that word. Why? It’s because it broke my heart more than once. Now you might be wondering what kind of affair I had got myself into. Hehe! Keep dreaming! I’m not going to spill the beans here. Loving a person of your opposite sex is a human right, and should be supported at all levels. But however, love gets serious with the arrival of marriage. The proposals are often arranged by both families or rather affirmed secretly with the help of a registrar and some witnesses. But what is it that differentiates love marriages from those that are arranged?

In the beginning...

According to the Biblical context, man was created in this world by God. And when God saw that man felt lonely, He decided to gift him with a woman, who was literally formed from the ribs of the man. However true it may be, the case has changed over the millennia of evolution. Time has taught man to choose his partner, and the same has it done to women! However, now a genuine confusion was born. How to select? It’s not a product that’s for sale in the market is it? I’d sound like a perfectly inexperienced young adult; however, from some real life instances that I’ve personally seen, I’d say that human beings are blind when it comes to love. But I’m not totally against love either. We’ll get to that part eventually. But, my question is, when did love actually grow within a human being? Was there love in the beginning? What is love? Some say God is Love. Is it true? I’d say that to love someone truly you’d have to first love yourself and consider that person to be one with yourself. If that person feels hurt, then you should also feel hurt, and so should all the other emotions coexist mutually! 

Wedding Rings symbolize the Marital Status
Image Courtesy: PRLOG

Vows and Knots...

Marriage is believed to be divine. That’s why most people do it (or have it) as part of a religious sermon. The man is partnered with his wife in front of God and the people. During the ceremony, the priest or authorized elder chants the holy words which mean that they (the bride and groom) have now become one. This means they would share their entire life together as one, by loving and caring for each other. People these days however do not have the courtesy to even think before they get married. Why?

Some people like to take life lightly. They want to enjoy while they can and only start to understand the consequences after a situation arises. The situation may be a small issue to an outsider, but from within the amount of tension felt by the person is known only by him or her or someone else who has been in the same shoes. Quick heals and ‘painless’ divorces are a common uprising in this era. People have the money to do anything, so they do whatever they like, without thinking about morality. And very often some innocent person falls as the victim in almost all these situations!

Marriage is a Promise for a lifetime!
Image Courtesy: Photo.net

An elaborate justification would prove that both men and women are equally volatile to unforeseen realities. “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” is a well known book by Dr. John Gray, which has proven to help many a lives to understand the true meaning that differentiates men from women. The universal bond that seems to attract a man to a woman is somehow differed from the past and will soon vary with the future generations. The hi-tech savvy environment and the unlimited extend to which pleasure pays a poor prize in each of our lives makes it evident that the odds are not in our favor - unless we decide to change! As human beings, a trust build up is very essential in every relationship, be it prior or post marriage. But can we trust all the lies too? Think about it! 

The Proposal...

My missed call

Your number...

My heart

Your inbox...

Your fingers

My face!

One sorry

Your grace...

My laptop

Your smile...

Your diary

My life...

One coffee

One date

Two rings

One wait...!

Our story

Their craze...

Are you ready?

I'll wait...

Poem by: ©Anoop M. Mathew

How to love...?

Now let’s get back to the actual topic. How do you love a person? Do you look at the size of the pocket, or is it the size of the heart that you want or rather, is it the size of something else? Lost? Don’t be! Most people go with the ‘something else’ part. No big deal actually! But you have to learn to coexist inspite of however different you are from your partner. There is boldness is marrying a one legged man if his heart is set to pound for you; neither is it cowardly to marry a woman you love even if she has a few disabilities. Well, I think most people out there are far better lovers than what I’ve mentioned here. Forgive my ignorance on the details!

Is there Love after Marriage?
Image Courtesy: Boundless

Arranged marriage is truly a risk these days, in particular when you do not know your partner personally. Most men are jerks, and most women are not perfect either - so there’s a balance as most people think! But a lot of arranged marriages are truly long lasting than love marriages. Now why is that? Is it because you’ve completed the ‘love your partner as you love yourself’ part before the love marriage itself? Maybe! But as a third person, I’ve seen that arranged marriages have a far lasting potential as the experienced ‘matures’ of both households have decided on the matter and both the ‘children’ are then given in to marriage. In love marriages however, there’s a part where the families don’t agree in the beginning but due to circumstances they are forced to risk all odds in the end!

Conclusion...

In my personal opinion, whether you had an arranged marriage or love marriage doesn’t matter as long as love still exists as the theme. A willingness to forgive and accept your partner, as he or she is, would help to keep the marriage successful. However, there are a few people who do not value the sacredness of marriage and try out extra marital affairs; to them, I’d say - don’t let your partner know!!! To the others - keep up the good work!

Cupid awaits his next victim!
Image Courtesy: Jewlicious

P.S.: This Article was written based on personal views for Love Marriage ya Arranged Marriage contest conducted by Sony Entertainment Television and Indiblogger. To take part in this contest, click here.

If you like this post, please vote for it here (link yet to be published)

Sony's new show "Love Marriage Ya Arranged Marriage"

 

Place: Anoop's Head

Date and Time: 20th July 2012, 1:50 pm

Dear Diary,

My life so far was a very far fetched game of unique misery. I hate this world and the meek pleasures it has to offer. In reality, everything seems a bit out of the box to me. The laziness and loneliness instilled within me from childhood had eaten off the man of discipline that I once boasted myself to be.

Being an avid environmentalist, I liked to touch the skies and breathe in it's glory. The vastness of this earth had succumbed my whole so endearingly that I could not breathe at times. Life felt meaningless, and I was lost at times. But in spite of all the pain, I had an optimist in me that kept saying that a Saviour would come to rescue my life. Aspiring towards a better tomorrow, I kept staring at my monotonous life, awaiting the miracle that would redeem me one day. 

Friends and family were akin, but many of them had their lonely lives too. My cousins were far better players than me. They boasted of their uniqueness, which was often praised by the world. This had smitten my idealistic desire of destiny. After many days of wandering in search of salvation, I decided to meditate on it. A natural cure for my laziness was time consuming. I wanted to be active and lively again, and be bold and strong for all those who cared for me. Then as if disaster stroke, I felt my energy draining each day and started to turn pale towards the realities of this universe. Oh Boy! Lost was I in dilemma. Is there no cure to save my plight? 

But as if a dream, an Angel arrived in a box today. Thrilled was I to see her that I immediately fell in love with relief. She asked me, "What do you want young man?". I replied, "My only wish is to live a perfect life, pleasing the world and everyone who cares!". She was kind and gave me the best answer to all my problems...Dove!

  -With peace,

A lonely Hair

P.S.: This is my second entry made for Dove-IndiBlogger.in Contest on the topic "My beautiful Hair Story". If you are a part of IndiBlogger.in and like this story, please vote for it here.

Image Courtesy: ToonPool and McHumor

Russell Brand looks cool?

Trees are everywhere. There are trees at homes, workplaces, in public squares, along railway tracks, and some even roam around the gutter. Well a few tree holders are staring at this post right now, wondering what I really meant! Well trees refer to your hair in this context. Some trees are short, while some are tall. Some are old, greyed, healthy, stubborn, cute, awkward, and there are probably many more words to describe them. And I wonder how many of us keep it natural? 

Impossible is a word found only in the dictionary of fools. But since we're all fools, I'd gladly use it here. It's almost impossible to keep your hair neat and tidy in this era, especially if you live in the dirtiness and daily scenarios of India. Sorry, I'm not being rude to the various hair products available at the market, but do they actually work? I don't know! Recently a lot of advertisements claim to provide the end solutions, and lots of people fall for them too! Most people want a genie in a bottle, but is there truly a hair genie? I was lost here, so I decided to investigate.

After using some of the products available in the market, I went to consult an Ayurvedic remedy for the hair fall, balding, and greying of my hair. The worst part of the entire experience was that I was given a hair oil to be used before bathing, and another hair oil to be used after bathing! Also, I was told to avoid spicy food which I could not bear to accept! During the first few days it was difficult to adjust as I had become allergic to the smell, but then I continued the therapy for the next three months. Unlikely for me, my hair just remains the same! It has not matured any more. I wonder why this happens to young adults very often? A little more investigation showed that the problems lie within the environment itself. The water that I used at the hostel was not well treated, thus it has caused an increase in the hair fall rate also accelerating the balding process. The human body is capable of fighting against illness and recovering from it naturally. But do we actually give it the time for the same? Then all of a sudden, the early men intrigued me. Did they have hair issues back then? What about all the other historical geniuses? It's fascinating to think how our era has got more hair problems than any other era. And we claim to have found a solution? Well, enlighten me please! Deep within this genuine sarcasm lies a truth that seems mysterious. 

Nature at it's best!

Sometimes everyday mysteries of our life seem unacceptable. We tend to forget the truth that we are only humane. Our hair shows a lot about our character, protecting it is of genuine importance to each one of us. But we've to first give it the natural time to rejuvenate itself. Try to avoid the excessive use of any hair product, and use proper water and protection from sweat, cold, rain, and dust. This can be done by using plain techniques such as umbrellas, and taking a proper bath on time. Being aware of your hair is very much necessary to understand and properly maintain your hair accordingly. And doing so will hopefully bring about a positive end to all my hair problems!

P.S.: This post was written solely for the Dove - Indiblogger.in contest on the topic "My Beautiful Hair Story". If you liked this post, you can vote for me here. Thank You Dove for the FREE Gift Hamper!

Image Courtesy: Crazy Shenanigans and Inmagine

I loose myself to thee, Oh Time,

Make me sway beneath thy plight!

Life’s turned over new realms,

Gay no more, I've been lost!

Bring me back, lest I cease along;

In wind and rain, my splendour mourns!

I, a sad soul, revival calls;

On this diary, should truth be known.

I keep a vow, with persistent hope,

In spite of slips and spills of young,

To happiness, in which I truly believe,

God witness this, I will persevere! 

By: Anoop M. Mathew

Written: 09-07-2012

Image Courtesy: www.etc.usf.edu

In pink and white polka dots,

She kissed her Mom all over;

From the place of their boarding stop,

She chattered on and on, forever!

A kid at best, in her wildest dreams,

In fairytale mode alive;

No one could really hold her back,

It was her quest to life!

Villages and trains sped past the blue,

The terrains echoed behind;

Animals and people along the way,

Illustrated her young mind.

Jolly on, with childish prank,

The little girl journeyed on;

Sat I, opposite to her

And rhymed away this poem!

By: Anoop M. Mathew

Written On: 30-05-2012

Image Courtesy: www.squidoo.com

Talk about a burst of flavor, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it the taste of strawberries mixed with bananas and dates while you are having your favorite sundae? For me the world revolves around my phone. Being an addict to the internet has livened up, all thanks to the technology which recently got reduced to the tip of my fingers.

Image Courtesy: isgeek.com

Nocturnally, the idea of sitting online for the entire night and exploring a larger part of the world around me has come to be a part and parcel of my daily existence. Now you may wonder what I’m up to at the wee hours of the night. Well don’t. :D.

Social Networking has become an integral part that has helped to develop my character and knowledge. Although many people around the world consider making friends online as a ‘waste of time’, and as ‘time-pass’, honestly for me it has turned to the best. I was able to find that a lot of people out there are just as lonely and bored like myself. The entire essence of socialising with them is to understand more about the human race, and the way things work in the society. A lot of social issues can be resolved if people start acting interested and are willing to listen to the problems faced by others.

Today, living in this hi-tech world where time moves like a breeze, I frankly feel that people do not have time for each other. Relationships last on the basis of the holy thread, and some parents even live together only on account that their child should not be left father/mother-less. A lot of families lack the basic child to parent interaction these days, which in turn leave these children to go in search of other friends. Sometimes an elderly friend whom you have met online can give a better advice than anyone else who is nearby to you. This I have personally experienced through facebooking on my phone. The realms of a teenager breaking into adulthood and the pressures that I’ve had to go through are a well kept secret, thanks to a few of my old friends with whom I share my feelings. It feels free to loosen up, particularly to someone who is far away and can give a better advice, than listening to scolding from someone you know. And am sure that most of my readers out there might have a well kept secret that is safe with someone you know as well. Not everything in life can be shared you know! But if you don’t, then you’d be living a life of utter loneliness and hatred to yourself. My advice to such people: talk to someone you can trust! It’s imperative for your brighter future! 

To be frank, I love the way that telecom companies like Vodafone and Airtel have come up with exciting offers to keep people online for even as little time as required. Getting in touch has really turned out to be exciting, and the world really seems much closer, atleast to the verge of my fingertips. In fact, I just heard my friend say this a few minutes ago: 

"Daa Raghu, just check if there is tea in the mess or not and send me a message through facebook" 

How much more entertaining can it get? You tell me...!!!

This Post was written for the IndiBlogger Contest for the topic: 'Internet is fun!', hosted by Vodafone. 

If you like what you've read, please vote for me here.