Life seen through the rear window of a moving car is strange. Our asphalt blitzkrieg takes us to distant lands, conquering the dimensions of space and the might of the wind. Even as we do this, we remain alone. A singularity with an infinite event horizon. And maybe that’s how life is supposed to be. A lone meteorite zooming through the vacuum of time.
Everybody else looks small in the horizon. In this cruel and greedy world, that is the law. The further you drive, the faster you go, the smaller everyone else looks to you. We leave our homes, our friends, our values behind and chase the rainbow. Then it becomes so much more easier to miss the dots that used to be parts of us. Much more easier. Much more convenient. To stamp them. To buy them. To brand them. To sell them. To slaughter them.
Them. Us.
Once in a while another vehicle accelerates from their cosmic slumber, overtaking us and our dreams. Nightmares.
Water. Windshield wipers erase our sins.
Eventually it’s only a trip. The journey is more important than the end. Everybody says I’m fine and everyone is going nowhere.
Nowhere.
Now here.
Gone tomorrow.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
A Proud City Made Humble
Yesterday, I witnessed something incredible. I saw a city of proud people made humble. A strange day for Mumbai. Yes, I said strange, because there’s no other way how to explain why the arrest of a single individual in a city of over a million causes the entire metropolitan to lock down.
My day at office began with a quick hurry through my files, retrieving the right presentation, packing stuff up and speeding off in a cab with my colleague to a meeting with a client. The roads were teeming with cops. Nothing untoward had happened as yet. Yet, every police officer worth his salt was on the streets protecting the city. Even the Rapid Action Force team was on guard. Apparently, they were preparing for something big. The meeting went off pretty well. We had lunch at Mama Mia’s after meeting my uncle, who plans on buying a cruise boat. Big plans are being worked out in Goa. And my profession as a copywriter might come into play. But enough of that.
We got back to office. Rested for a while. Looked at our watches. Started scrambling for our next meeting. We were off in a cab once more. Drove around Mahalakshmi Station. The meeting was halfway through. As we were making our presentation for the brand manual, we received news that Raj Thackeray had been arrested. Everyone had been urged to go home. Panic numbers were being dialed. We wound up the meeting as fast as we could. Got into a cab and drove back to office. I called my better half. The girl left her phone at home. Goddammit! So, I spoke to a few friends and got them to promise me that they will leave at the earliest.
As we drove into Lalbagh, I was stunned by what I saw. Every shop in Lalbagh had their shutter rolled down. Now Lalbagh, if you know Mumbai well enough, has a whole lot of Factory Outlets, where you get branded clothing and apparel at discount prices. And evenings are the prime business timings. Yesterday evening every store had shut their doors way before 5 pm. Even DP’s (a bar my office mates and me frequent) was closed.
We got back to office. In a comic turn of events, my boss was the first to leave. We all hurried with necessary work, and unnecessary protocol. After a couple of false starts, we took off. Now, I’m the only person living on the Western Line, so I walk myself to Lower Parel station. And I witnessed something astonishing. There was pin-drop silence on the street. You could smell the nervousness in the air. It tingled like an electric charge, just waiting to explode. Faces had crumpled brows, and people stood on corners in groups of four, whispering sinister somethings. A quiet exodus of people marched towards their respective train stations. I walked with myself. I wanted to take a picture, but the cops would have arrested me. Don’t exactly know what for.
I couldn’t help imagine the power of fear. In a democratic, republic nation like ours, in a metropolitan like ours, fear somehow steps out of the shadows where it silently crouches. In a sweeping move it pounces over everyone, claws bared. Dominating the mental landscape, painting black over everything. Was it the arrest that people fear or the aftermath? Or is it a person’s last name that strikes terror? A city that screams, yells, shouts, rants, abuses, and barks, the city that they called ‘Maximum City’ was made to point their eyes to the asphalt.
Anyways, I got to the train station. The crowd was larger than usual. People fought to get in. I pushed my way into the compartment. And then, everything was normal…
Raj Thackeray was released on bail after three hours.
My day at office began with a quick hurry through my files, retrieving the right presentation, packing stuff up and speeding off in a cab with my colleague to a meeting with a client. The roads were teeming with cops. Nothing untoward had happened as yet. Yet, every police officer worth his salt was on the streets protecting the city. Even the Rapid Action Force team was on guard. Apparently, they were preparing for something big. The meeting went off pretty well. We had lunch at Mama Mia’s after meeting my uncle, who plans on buying a cruise boat. Big plans are being worked out in Goa. And my profession as a copywriter might come into play. But enough of that.
We got back to office. Rested for a while. Looked at our watches. Started scrambling for our next meeting. We were off in a cab once more. Drove around Mahalakshmi Station. The meeting was halfway through. As we were making our presentation for the brand manual, we received news that Raj Thackeray had been arrested. Everyone had been urged to go home. Panic numbers were being dialed. We wound up the meeting as fast as we could. Got into a cab and drove back to office. I called my better half. The girl left her phone at home. Goddammit! So, I spoke to a few friends and got them to promise me that they will leave at the earliest.
As we drove into Lalbagh, I was stunned by what I saw. Every shop in Lalbagh had their shutter rolled down. Now Lalbagh, if you know Mumbai well enough, has a whole lot of Factory Outlets, where you get branded clothing and apparel at discount prices. And evenings are the prime business timings. Yesterday evening every store had shut their doors way before 5 pm. Even DP’s (a bar my office mates and me frequent) was closed.
We got back to office. In a comic turn of events, my boss was the first to leave. We all hurried with necessary work, and unnecessary protocol. After a couple of false starts, we took off. Now, I’m the only person living on the Western Line, so I walk myself to Lower Parel station. And I witnessed something astonishing. There was pin-drop silence on the street. You could smell the nervousness in the air. It tingled like an electric charge, just waiting to explode. Faces had crumpled brows, and people stood on corners in groups of four, whispering sinister somethings. A quiet exodus of people marched towards their respective train stations. I walked with myself. I wanted to take a picture, but the cops would have arrested me. Don’t exactly know what for.
I couldn’t help imagine the power of fear. In a democratic, republic nation like ours, in a metropolitan like ours, fear somehow steps out of the shadows where it silently crouches. In a sweeping move it pounces over everyone, claws bared. Dominating the mental landscape, painting black over everything. Was it the arrest that people fear or the aftermath? Or is it a person’s last name that strikes terror? A city that screams, yells, shouts, rants, abuses, and barks, the city that they called ‘Maximum City’ was made to point their eyes to the asphalt.
Anyways, I got to the train station. The crowd was larger than usual. People fought to get in. I pushed my way into the compartment. And then, everything was normal…
Raj Thackeray was released on bail after three hours.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The New Year harkens
I know this has been a much delayed post. But between then and now, a lot has happened that has kept me busy. So let me start with the most trying of them all.
After living for 5 years in this alien city like a vagabond, moving from place to place, sleeping uner rented roofs and eating pre-cooked (and often, stale) meals, having a house of your own makes a big difference. Its a place you could finally call home. Quite such a momentous turn of events has landed me an apartment in Naigaon. Naigaon? Where the hell is that? Well, look up your maps, its 4 stations after Borivali. Quite a nice place, serence, flanked on 3 sides by mountains. The apartment was clinched at a damn neat price, and the people who sold it to me were one of the sweetest couples i have ever met. But the paperwork...AAArgh!
The bank needs a million documents for them to know that the guy standing in front of the manager's desk is me. I need a trillion letters, a kazillion bank statements, old agreements,new agreements, stamped papers, four dozen signatures and an equal sum of mug shots. If the bank doesn't wear you out, the society documentation will. Of course, the fact that the society and the bank are at opposite ends of the city is enough reason to turn any sane person mad. Add to that the fact that my guarantor lives in anotehr state. And that i have never experienced beauracracy at such intense levels. On one single day, I've got my bank manager, my vendor, my Mom, my Dad and my Aunt giving me a earful, each giving me mutually opposing ideas and advice.
After all paperwork and dust has settled, it does feel mentally draining. But the fact that i now own my own 900 sq. ft. 2BHK apartment is more than enough consolation.
On a much sadder note, one of the most promising actors to have walked the earth passed away. Heath Ledger, who dominated the cinematic landscape with his roles in Monster's Ball, Brokeback Mountain, I'm Not There and the yet to be released The Dark Knight, was found in a state of unconsciousness at his New York apartment. This tragedy has shocked all of us at the TDK community. Heath always took up challenging roles. going up against the best, deviating from the trend set for his peers and emerging as the bravest actor of his generation. His career was to skyrocket with his maniacal potrayal of the Joker. And just when all was going well, he was taken away from us. I, along with everyone at the TDK Community at Orkut, and all his fans across the world, grieve for him and his family.
What i dont understand is how insensitive and downright ugly somepeople can be. People like John Gibson, Fred Phelps and all the other idiots at teh Westboro Baptist Church disgust me. People like them ought to burn in the lake of fire.
Well, here's to my next timely documentation. Hopefully i can keep it more "indepth".
Cheers!
After living for 5 years in this alien city like a vagabond, moving from place to place, sleeping uner rented roofs and eating pre-cooked (and often, stale) meals, having a house of your own makes a big difference. Its a place you could finally call home. Quite such a momentous turn of events has landed me an apartment in Naigaon. Naigaon? Where the hell is that? Well, look up your maps, its 4 stations after Borivali. Quite a nice place, serence, flanked on 3 sides by mountains. The apartment was clinched at a damn neat price, and the people who sold it to me were one of the sweetest couples i have ever met. But the paperwork...AAArgh!
The bank needs a million documents for them to know that the guy standing in front of the manager's desk is me. I need a trillion letters, a kazillion bank statements, old agreements,new agreements, stamped papers, four dozen signatures and an equal sum of mug shots. If the bank doesn't wear you out, the society documentation will. Of course, the fact that the society and the bank are at opposite ends of the city is enough reason to turn any sane person mad. Add to that the fact that my guarantor lives in anotehr state. And that i have never experienced beauracracy at such intense levels. On one single day, I've got my bank manager, my vendor, my Mom, my Dad and my Aunt giving me a earful, each giving me mutually opposing ideas and advice.
After all paperwork and dust has settled, it does feel mentally draining. But the fact that i now own my own 900 sq. ft. 2BHK apartment is more than enough consolation.
On a much sadder note, one of the most promising actors to have walked the earth passed away. Heath Ledger, who dominated the cinematic landscape with his roles in Monster's Ball, Brokeback Mountain, I'm Not There and the yet to be released The Dark Knight, was found in a state of unconsciousness at his New York apartment. This tragedy has shocked all of us at the TDK community. Heath always took up challenging roles. going up against the best, deviating from the trend set for his peers and emerging as the bravest actor of his generation. His career was to skyrocket with his maniacal potrayal of the Joker. And just when all was going well, he was taken away from us. I, along with everyone at the TDK Community at Orkut, and all his fans across the world, grieve for him and his family.
What i dont understand is how insensitive and downright ugly somepeople can be. People like John Gibson, Fred Phelps and all the other idiots at teh Westboro Baptist Church disgust me. People like them ought to burn in the lake of fire.
Well, here's to my next timely documentation. Hopefully i can keep it more "indepth".
Cheers!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Enough procastination. Lets get this started!
To capture the entirety of one's life, its intricacies, mazes, mysteries and kites on an electronic webpage that's saved in a web server halfway across the world is, of course, presumptious. At its best, its a feeble attempt to unite the various elements that revolves around us, defining our existence, into a single word form that makes sense. At its worst, well, let's not get there.
Nonetheless, here we are. So, welcome to my blog. A space in this vast world wide web, where you can experience the ramblings of a rebellious copywriter, living in a post-teenage world, coping with a crazed job and unrealistic ambitions...like buying an iPod. I will try to be as honest as possible here, without inviting trouble from the fuzz, the moral police and other such perpetrators of hypocrisy.
I know you will bookmark this page, and yes you will regret this. But over time, it will grow on you and will love it (I hope). I'll promise to keep "blogging" (I still am yet to get used to this word) as often as possible. Trying to explain this life, its reasons and silliness. Cheers for now.
Nonetheless, here we are. So, welcome to my blog. A space in this vast world wide web, where you can experience the ramblings of a rebellious copywriter, living in a post-teenage world, coping with a crazed job and unrealistic ambitions...like buying an iPod. I will try to be as honest as possible here, without inviting trouble from the fuzz, the moral police and other such perpetrators of hypocrisy.
I know you will bookmark this page, and yes you will regret this. But over time, it will grow on you and will love it (I hope). I'll promise to keep "blogging" (I still am yet to get used to this word) as often as possible. Trying to explain this life, its reasons and silliness. Cheers for now.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
On setting up a blog...
I know I'm a dinosaur.
And that I can be a bore.
But in a city polluted by smog,
There's lotta fun in my blog.
Whoopee, Instapoetry!
And my first post.
And that I can be a bore.
But in a city polluted by smog,
There's lotta fun in my blog.
Whoopee, Instapoetry!
And my first post.
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