Click me. Maybe!

                Once upon a time there lived state of mind called "Imagination". Today we all live under the façade of a reality called "Photography". The new age social media like Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest have largely empowered the likes of everyone who clicks pictures. We've already made these people the butt of the DSLR jokes, when in stark reality we all are turning into one of them. And these realists look like this.  .

                                               

Oh there! I've now clicked you reading my blog as well. Say thanks to the technology that has brought in a camera in every pocket (read smartphones) and for the more inquisitive and eager, there is the regular range of SLRs and DSLRs. Eat, shop, laugh, cry, travel, marry, etc everything has to be suffixed with the usual- Pose, Click, Share and Upload for everyone to stare. :) As simple as that. 

They say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." My elders beg to differ. I've heard amazing stories and anecdotes from my grandparents and believe me, Nothing! Absolutely nothing beats the experience of watching, and cherishing memories that can be retold vividly as a story and passed on. Its a different joy. 

    

 I was once out for an errand and had left my phone at home. On my return, it was nearly dawn and the Sun was setting in the horizon under the lovely shades of crimson and vermilion mixed with a hazy blue. I fished around for my camera, only to find that I'd left it back. The inability to capture that moment left me with a tinge of frustration and restlessness. But then again, I thought not every moment could be captured for life. I accepted that wisely and I stood there savouring the moment of solitude until the last shade of orange had set. It was unexplainable.  I know one day I will look back at that simple moment, relate it to many people and not have a single picture to show how it felt to stand there. I agree photographs are keepsakes and you needn't delve deeper into your memories to look back or revel on a particular moment. But try as you might, you can fill better gaps with your imagination. 

    

 And yes, I have tried very very unsuccessfully to click a decent picture of the Moon. Failed miserably.

Maybe what my mother says about this is true, "Not everything is meant to be clicked. Don't click. Just Stare." 

                In the meanwhile, while I stare and admire Click me! Maybe. :P ;)

The Great Examination Circus.

             Phew! I just braved through a fortnight of back to back exams and it took no rocket science to decipher the drama that unfolds during each exam. We all have our exam woes, lets confess. Be it the insomniac habits we follow, erratic schedules, huge huge portions that we never touched all year long, or to sum it all up . . . Exams are a pain the wrong place. -_-

Like for starters, we all burn the midnight oil. Don't we?

Except that it is more of Whatsapping, and Instgramming your study woes rather than actual concentrated study. 

And the morning of the exam. . . 

            

This is how we all wake up to the blaring alarms of exam. :P

But lets face it, if you ever had the insight and the time to observe the different characters that live within the examination hall, you would do quite well by delving deep into their thought processes and behaviours.

You'd never be short of amusing characters in the exam hall. Presenting to you . . .

1.The Human Encyclopaedia 

Chances of this person being a girl is more. These breed enter the hall with an air of insolence like an A-listed Hollywood star, for the sole saving grace that every back bencher are going to be at their mercy. The level of question paper difficulty  has no effect whatsoever on these people, because they write like a man possessed by Newton himself. 

And if the Nerd is a guy, chances are he would just smirk at you in vengeance for all the lame geek taunts you  pulled on him for studying hard throughout the year and for being a social recluse. This is how he will enter. .  . 

2.The All-rounder ass

These are worse than the Human encyclopaedias. These naturally gifted popular all-rounders who won't help you if they want. Not because they're too upright or anything, but simply for the thrill of having the last laugh. They pretend not knowing anything, but when in reality they're already scoring the highest on the test (Surprise surprise) in their minds. Ask them, "Which state has the highest child mortality rate?" and you'll get back this . . . 

3.The "Gandhigiri" people

Oh my goodness, don't let me get started on these people who are from the Gandhian era. SatyaMeva Jayate is their only favourite show. These people won't cheat to pass or allow anybody else to do the same. God bless these souls. They don't make people like 'em anymore. 

4.The Ogler

There are a few Oglers too. Without whom this list is pointless. These oglers need a chance to peek, ogle, stare and just have a deep long look into others papers. This behaviour demands a certain level of skill wherein you need to dodge the intrusive invigilators 

             The other skill being the ability to look into other students' answer sheets without looking retarded.

5.The Easy-going Jack

Most of us belong to this category of easy going Jacks and Jills who don't know a shit about what's supposed to be the question paper. Those 3 hours are nothing short of a sitcom what with the priceless expressions on each person's face. The reactions of other people are more amusing than the question paper itself. These Jacks be like. . .  

Meanwhile 

6.The Invigilator 

Give some thought to the poor invigilator who is standing his feet sore just for the sake of your exams. 3 hours of looking down on these kids . . . 

Or quieten the uproar thats taking place in the hall. . . 

Or at the best, play the worst spoilsport during the last 5 minutes of the exam . . .

    And yes, we do have our reactions after the exam. 

But don't let that fool you, its only a matter of hours before those sunken eyes turn into this. . . .

 And THAT my friends, sums up The Great Examination Circus.

The Quest for a Perfect Bond

 

   We all live with duality in our lives. One, the narcissist and the other is an eternal quest of perfecting the relationships we maintain. On one hand we are constantly improving on the personal front, and then the other hand, we're on the quest for bettering our bonds and relations. So, what is the perfect relationship? If you ask me, I'd tell you -"The ones everyone live with everyday." Kinda vague isn't it? Well, there's no perfect concept of a perfect relationship. The bond that we all share, whether it is with each other, our besties, parents, or siblings are the ones that are intricate and yet beautifully simple when you look at the larger picture.

                   You can't expect a straight path always, could you? There're always upsides and downsides to everything. Same goes for every little bond you share. I, for once had a love-hate relationship with my grandmother. That was when I had my grandfather. I'd always side with him and make my grandmother the antagonist. Now that I look back, I smile at everything that I felt for her. After my grandfather's death, I realised the need to connect with my grandma and love her all the more. <3 We now bond and hold out for each other so well, all the bitterness is forgotten. She feeds me till I gain some pounds and I compliment her each passing day. Little sweet gestures and shared anecdotes make up our days.

               Am sure, everyone goes through phases with every relationship. Whether its the rebellious parent-kid stage, the "sibling-rivalry-then-back-to-best-buddies" stage, the "just friends to best friends" phase or even the "Just engaged to the star crossed lovers stage", every relationship is a journey. Every journey is fun! 

        Likewise as they say, "Wine tastes better with age", the same goes for any relationship. Its just a matter of time before they come around. Sooner or later. . . 

  

The Bride

So majestically she sits there.
As silent as you dare.
Red henna adorns each palm.
And, she watches, poised and calm.

She's draped in red and gold.
Charming and beautifully bold.
Decked head to toe in jewellery.
She's ever father's glee.

She stands lovely and dazzling.
A true diva without hassling.
Every spectator's immense delight.
Lighting up this special night.

Today's her day for sure.
Occasion for being coy and demure.
Her eye glistens back a tear,
her mind suppressing another fear.

Heart facing surge of emotions,
She fights all preconceived notions.
Her walk is slow and fragile,
Yet she wears a lovely, shy smile.

When she stands aside the GROOM,
their dream is in full bloom.
Groom's epitome of Dignified pride,
Shines the lovely INDIAN BRIDE