The Peep Show!

So, how is everything going with you? This by far is the most clichéd statement that has penetrated my ear lobe despite my commendable efforts to resist it from doing so- Ignoring people. It doesn’t quite end with that very statement; it is followed by few more clichés that at one point makes you go nuts. I must admit that the efforts people put in to peep in to your life forgetting the fact that they have got one to look after is praise worthy.

Now, how hard it is for anyone to understand that everyone has his own life, own expectations, freedom, right to act and think (at least). One has to understand that not all humans have the compulsive desire to know what’s cooking in others life, and when they don’t bother peeping in yours, you SHOULD NOT too.

Had my trysts people ended in the way I expected them too, I would not have been scripting this article with deep contempt. It is so funny at times to see people put in efforts to know what you have been up to and then try navigating through it as if it is their own life. It doesn’t quite end with what you are up to; it is followed by; why? How? Why not like this? And, finally with “This is what you should have”!

“You are doing it all wrong, you should have done it this way”- Did I seek your advise now? I am pretty matured enough to know the repercussions, was I not ready to face them I would not have done what I am doing in the first place. I would rather respected your advise was it offered and put in a more mature way, but you my dear friend had to poop all over it.

People chose the path that they feel can tread, others since time immemorial have no right to try to make them tread another path. You are not the one walking the path for them, right? You shouldn’t bother then. For all you know, it is easy for you to blabber all you want, but you will grow a cold feet when you have to walk along with them. So cut it out or grow a pair, seriously.

One might argue that this happens with someone you are not close to, I beg to differ. You just cannot keep relatives out of your life, NO you cannot, they come back strong every time you cut them out. 

“So, you looking for a Job I heard”, and I am like this is the first time I realized you existed and it is silly you heard something about me! “So why don’t you look for a better job or go for higher studies?” and I am like you don’t even know what I am doing, asking me to do something better is ridiculous. “You are almost 23 now, when are you planning to get settled and have kids?” and this where I try to gather all the resistance I can to not hit people. Seriously, who thinks to have kids at the age of 23? 

As Don Corleone from The Godfather says and I quote “Everything small shit that happens in someone’s life is personal”, so you got to understand it is not for public display. To each his own. 

You play your role when you are asked to, not because you have the compulsive disorder to cast in every play. You peep once, twice and if you don’t feel things are going to change, you end the peep show, because it is high time you realise that you have got a live that needs peeping too.

Life always has the last laugh!

Most of us might have come across the above phrase, but you would only get the essence when you feel it. We take too much for granted that when we are let down by someone we give up on them, then we give up on ourselves and eventually we give up on life.

All through our lives, we have ups and downs, some have more ups than downs and vice-versa but, moving on taking whatever life throws at you in your stride, is what makes one’s living worthwhile!

I was at the local hospital yesterday, with my Mom for her regular check-up. Walking the corridors of a hospital has always given me creeps and hence I always preferred to stay in the lobby, while my Mom went upstairs to get herself checked up. I was busy reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s book “Interpretators of Maladies”, yes I had to have someone for company, and books can be the best companions. 

I looked up and saw a woman in a burkah with a kid probably 10 years old walk past the door of the lobby. The woman came back, gaped at me uttered something to the kid and left, he started walking towards me and I in a way felt intimidated by the way he walked and his head bobbled around.

 

“What’s your name?” he said, clapping hands together, making sure they don’t make sound.

“I looked around for a second and said, my name is Aditya” and I could see the disappointment in his face.

“Oh, sorry” I thought you were my cousin Ayub, you look similar to him. His mouth twisted in a weird way as he spoke.

That is when I understood why people assume a person with no moustache, only beard as a Muslim. “No problem” I said.

He extended his shaky hand and I extended mine. “Nice talking to you” he said.

“Same here” He then sat in the chair opposite to mine, got up and sat again, “whi..which school?” he asked. (I often encounter this question even at the age of 22)

“I am working for a gaming company called Electronic Arts” I said, and I could see the glow in his face and the smile that etched from ear to ear.

“Nice Nice, I like games” but mai khel nahi sakta because...

I could see his mom from over his shoulder calling him; he then got up and turned to leave then came back.

“I have brain fever and a tumour so is the reason I cannot talk and walk properly and often mistake people to one another” he said.

I stared at him for a second, flinched and said “I am so sorry to hear that”. 

“It is okay, bye!” he said and I could see him walk to his mom in the same manner he walked towards me, only this time his head did not bobble the way it did before, or maybe he did not let it bobble thinking of the possibility that I might find it funny.

I sat still for quite some time, thinking of cruel life could be, we take many a things for granted, we wish for luxuries right from our childhood, we want a hassle free and peaceful life always, we want and always wish for our parents and grandparents to live for 100 years. Then there are people who in a way are just an added weight on the planet with no use whatsoever. Mere vegetables if you will.

But then there is this kid, who fighting for his life right from the age of 10 with faith and hope being the only 2 players in his arsenal, the age where most of us spend in front of televisions, playing our favorite video games munching cookies and then demand for a new game.

 I could see my mom walk past this kid from a distance and I saw she turned twice to look at him before she could reach me. “Mom, remember the times you wish Dad could have lived for a few more years?” See that kid? He has a brain fever and a tumour and he is bloody 10 years old. “What possible crime he would have committed, that he is being put through this hell at the age when he supposed to be in the play ground amidst friends.

We humans are never contended with what we have, we always desire for more, regardless of the need, we just want it. Be it money, happiness, luxuries, materialistic pleasures but not sorrow because we wish others have it. And despite our sincere efforts of eluding sorrow if at all we encounter it, we blame it on life saying "life has been harsh on us" even after savoring numerous happy moments. Balls to that!

No matter how hard one tries to carve his life into being good or bad, you will have to dance to its tunes at all times, at one instance your face might wreathe in smile and agony ain another, you have good times, and bad times. Memories that leave behind the scars be it good or bad, no matter how hard one tries, life always has the last laugh. Period.

Adios!

Nostalgia Level: Childhood!

Yes, that is phase of nostalgia I am going through right now, and it only gets worse every passing day. Needless to say everyone wants to go back to peeing on bed, watching cartoons, sleeping all day long, eating, and well pooping this time!

Hackneyed as it sounds, childhood has always been everyone’s best phase of life. No worries, no tensions, no petrol hikes, no economy downfall, nothing. Though the above parameters hamper our parents’ lives and etch lines on their forehead, we would still be getting the remote-control car for our birthday that we have been demanding for, now that is what still article talks about.

Now, having learnt how to not pee on bed for about 18-19 years ago, as I write this article I feel how times have changed, how the hell did we grow up this fast? From being the boss of everyone, getting the needs fulfilled by crying the lungs out for about an hour, we are now down to getting everyone’s needs fulfilled but our own, and though you manage to fulfill your needs, it would be of minimum satisfaction after maximum contemplation.

Waking up in the morning itself seems a hard task for me these days, let alone the tasks for the rest of the day. Remember the time the only thing we complained was about the new toy your friend has just acquired and you want one for yourself and your parents put this is the RED ALERT priority. Now, we have a million things to complain about, starting from waking up to going to bed again- office, colleagues, lunch, boss, work, e-mails, the lame boyfriend of the hot chick in the cafeteria, another shot idiot with his hot chick and, well, the boss again so that he doesn’t feel left out!

Now adding the agony above, we have our very own daily demons; for starters we have the petrol hikes, lay-offs, taxes, monthly bills and the newbie rupee downfall (yay). Well, it is the same rigmarole over and over again, and sooner or later one realizes that the agonies only pile up and you will have to deal with it.

Now, remember the meaningless albeit exciting games we used to indulge ourselves in during childhood and manage to have great fun. We do play games now too, like the very famous “Blame game”, “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”, “To hell with this life” and this one’s a kicker “Pour your agony out, and I will be pretend I am sorry for you”.

As it seems, we have only grown in to larger chunks of fat with the ever-lasting longing of going back to being the smaller ones. As we speak, I reckon the rupee is taking a dip again in the holy-agony of people and our beloved government is trying harder to do nothing about it. 

Had this been the case in childhood, we looking over the shoulder would have said, “I need a bi-cycle for my birthday” and walked of the hall without being hit in the back, while our parents gape at us, eventually getting that bi-cycle anyway!

I wish I could go back to being a kid again, play incessantly, laugh, cry, poop (that is the highlight of being a kid) demand for the toys my friends own and I don’t. Now we have stooped to such level, that we don’t even complain goddamn it, we get a better toy than our friends so that our ego doesn’t feel left out. There was no ego back then during childhood, only revenge to acquire the same thing so that we could brag about! 

Get your pictures clicked in random poses with a broad grin that speaks volumes and feel elated about it, but, now you get pictures clicked alright, but with a grin the aches more with every other picture.  

Well, it is about time, I go back to sleep and wake up without wetting my boxers, and many things to crib about, have many games lined up tomorrow, and the only way I can emerge winner for the day is by winning the tournament!

Adios!

         

Till Life Did Us Part!!

I still remember the last day of my graduation, people elated, relieved and not to mentioned tired. The day had finally arrived for which we have been waiting from the day when we realized the true essence of graduation- probably the first day I suppose!  :P

Chanting, shouting, screaming, jumping high in the air, and getting pictures clicked by all the class-mates. Promising them that we shall stay in touch for the rest of our lives, come what may, we shall cross paths every now and then, call up each other twice, thrice a day, meet up twice a week and make sure every day is just an another day at college.

8 months after the last day at college, and in to this so- called corporate life style, I realized I made promises that I can’t keep, I hardly meet my friends, all the I’ll be in touch phrases seem to be long forgotten. I refrain myself from dozing off after I have my dinner so that I can call a friend of mine and get to know how is he doing, but in vain. Even if I manage to call up a friend, most of the time the conversation happens to be about mundane things and ends up on a “let us meet some time” note!

After 5 days of work, getting out of my bed seems to be an herculean task let alone going out and hanging out with friends. Everything despite being monotonous and thrill-lacking one is bound to be sucked in to the same rigmarole day after day.

At times I become nostalgic, just listening to my brother talk about his day at college. The records, exams, lectures, slogging for attendance, last minute run for the evaluation of records, seminars, bunking classes; which once seemed to be never ending, is now history which carved numerous memories on our hearts. Every day an adventure, joy full and awesome!

I still remember the pocket money crunch I had at times, that made me settle only for a couple of "Samosa’s" and my appetite admonished me for not saving the money properly.  Now it is the other way round where the appetite has grown smaller and money has taken lead. I wish I could go back to the college days and cease to exist in that very moment. Because life now has only one thing to offer- Nothing! Eat, Poop, Work, Sleep  and well eat and poop again. 

 Though we made stringent promises that our “lives” would be the same even after the college days as it turned out life itself did us part.

Adios!!