When V Met

U n I - two different individuals, as different as the proverbial chalk n cheese.
U - the ever talkative, ever smiling, ever enthusiastic, ever crazy gal.
Me - the ever silent, ever brooding, ever boring, ever serious guy.
And one fine day, V met on a train.

The train was a metaphor for life - I had no clue where it was headed, I had no ticket and I desperately wanted to get off it.
Whereas, U were one who never missed catching your train, U knew where U wanted to go, U knew what U wanted to do.

And when I got off my train, U left the train too. And came with me.
It was destiny that our paths crossed. Destiny, they say, is a matter of choice than chance. Is it?
I dont know, but what I know is this -
when V met, U showed me the way.
U were the leader and I became your follower.

हम जो चलने लगे,
चलने लगे हैं यह रास्तें,
मंज़िल से बहतर,
लगने लगे हैं यह रास्तें...

आओ, खो जाये हम,
हो जाये हम युं लापता,
आओ, मिलो चलें,
जाना कहां ना हो पता...

During our journey together, I was simply floored by you.
I was amazed by U, amazed coz U were crazy and did simply whatever that came to your mind, or should I say your heart.
I envied U, envied U coz U loved yourself so much.
I loved U, loved U coz U were in love.

U showed me that when a person is in love, it shows.
U were so colorful, so happy.
And U looked so forward to meeting your love.

हां, हैं कोई तो वजह,
जो जीने का मज़ा युं आने लगा,
यह हवाओं में हैं क्या,
थोडासा जो नशा जो छाने लगा..

पुछो ना पुछो, मुझे क्या हुआ हैं,
तेरी राहों में आकर,
पुछो ना पुछो, मुझे क्या मिलेगा,
तेरी बाहो में आकर..

यह इश्क हाये,
बैठे-बिठाये, जन्नत दिखाये हां..

Until I met U, my life appeared to be completely shattered.
But U showed me the way. I argued with U that life cannot be led the way U led it - U have to be serious in life - and I was stumped when U posed me this Q,
"U were serious, weren't u? Then why did this happen to U?"
I had no answer.

But after meeting U, I turned over a new leaf. Whenever I faced a problem, a crisis, a challenge, I put on Ur thinking hat, I put myself in Ur shoes and asked myself how would U react, what would U do. And I did just what U would do.
And I became happy. And succesful.
Even in Ur absence, U became a part of me, my thoughts, my life.

ना हैं यह पाना,
ना खोना ही हैं,
तेरा ना होना जाने,
क्यों होना ही हैं..

तुमसे ही दिन होता हैं,
सुरमयी शाम आती हैं,
तुमसे ही, तुमसे ही..

हर घडी सांस आती हैं,
ज़िन्दगी कहलाती हैं,
तुमसे ही, तुमसे ही..

Fate, they say, can be cruel at times. How ironical then, that at the same time when I started living life on the very rules that U defined, U lost faith in yourself. Reality hit hard on U, when your love did not respond the way U wanted it to.

It was then my turn to help U get aboard the train again; albeit at a different station; on a different route. I showed U the mirror - a mirror that helped U look at Ur own reflection of Ur old self. Once we were back on track, U asked me if I loved U; and I could not hide the truth.

And then, destiny played its part again - your love realised his love for you, and came back to you with open arms. U looked at me; confused; torn between two loves; not sure which path to take; whom to choose as your life partner.
Two people should get married only if both of them are in love with each other - both of us knew this.
And I walked away, for your happiness...

Maybe, you realised at that moment of separation that U were missing a train; missing a journey of life that both of us could enjoy together;
and maybe you didnt want to miss this train...
... and you came running towards me... and I reached out for U...
that's Jab V Met...

Whats wrong RF?

Wikipedia defines "inflection point" as follows:

a point (x,y) on a function, f(x), at which the first derivative, f'(x), is at an extremum, i.e. a minimum or maximum. (This is not the same as saying that y is at an extremum).

It follows from the definition that the sign of f'(x) on either side of the point (x,y) must be the same. If this is positive, the point is a rising point of inflection; if it is negative, the point is a falling point of inflection.

Consider these statistics:

2003: 72-16 win-loss record 7 titles 1 major

2004: 74 -6 win-loss record 11 titles 3 majors

2005: 81-4 win-loss record 11 titles 2 majors

2006: 92-5 win-loss record 12 titles 3 majors

2007: 65-9 win-loss record 7 titles 3 majors

Suppose these statistics were given to a statistician or a mathematician. And he or she were asked,

"please build a statistical model that defines RF's career.

please define a function f(x) that traces his career over time.

calculate its first derivative f'(x) that indicates the rate at which f(x) changes, to trace the rate at which his career changes.

and then pray tell me - is the year 2007 the point of inflection in his career?"

Note that the point of inflection could be either a rising or a falling point of inflection.

One look at the statistics and it is evident that 2003 seems to be the rising point of inflection.

(I dont have his win-loss record in 2002, but he won only 3 titles and no majors in that year.)

If we look at the majors, then 2007 certainly does not seem to be a cause for concern.

However, if we look at the win-loss record, or at the drop in the number of titles won in a year, it certainly seems to be either a blip or a falling point of inflection. (I trust a mathematician or a statistician to prove me right or wrong on this one.)

2 consecutive defeats in 2 consecutive matches is a rarity for RF - this last happened 4 and a half years ago, sometime in 2002.

2 consecutive defeats to the same guy - this happened versus Nalbandian in the last few days, and versus Canas in March early this year - twice in 2007 - when did this last happen? 2002? 2001?

Losing a match versus a guy (Fernando Gonzalez) against whom he had a 10-0 overall career record.

Do these factors fit somewhere into that model f(x)?

If someone does come up with that model, I am sure RF's opponents will certainly be interested to find a statistical based way of beating him.

Btw, here's something interesting for RF's opponents - a couple of factors that need to be plugged in the fuction f(X) - these factors could determine your chances of winning against RF in 2007:

1. you know Spanish (Nadal, Canas, Nalbandian, Gonzo all speak Spanish - exceptions are Djokovic and Volandri - but rumour has it that they underwent Spanish learning sessions in secret)

2. you have long hair (all of them have long hair, with the same exceptions again)

Well! I have the inputs/factors/statistics ready at my disposal.

Just waiting for Mr Statistician / Mr Mathematician to conjure function f(x) and tell me if 2007 is the point of inflection for Mr Roger Federer.

Till then, hopefully, RF will return to his winning ways at the season ending Shanghai Masters.

As one Mr Muhammad Ali once famously said,

hopefully, he will once again dance like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

Deux frères and a Goal

Deux frères - Two brothers. Twins - one shy and gentle, the other bold and fierce. Separated in their early childhood. Grow up in different environments. The bold brother gets confined to a maverick life of performing odd tricks to the tunes of his master. The shy brother grows up under a royal patronage that urges him to become a fighter.
And one day, the two brother find themselves pitted against each other - to fight until death.
What an irony of fate!

Seems like the story of Manmohan Desai film based on the "lost n found" funda.
Thats where the similarity ends.
The two brothers in question arent Amar, Akbar or Anthony - but they are two tigers - yes, two tigers living somewhere in Cambodia in the 1930s.

One grows up in a circus, learning tricks from the ring master.
The other grows up in the local prince's private zoo.

And when they look into each others' eyes in the fighting arena and realize their relationship, they unite to escape from their caged lives - helping each other on their way to freedom.
No words are spoken between the two brothers - it is just the look in the eyes, the shallow gnarls and loud roars, the majestic walk, the aesthetic acrobatics while jumping over fire, the cuddling and gentle pushes - that impresses you with the love and admiration that the brothers share with each other.

A movie that is certainly very different from the usual stuff that comes on TV. Especially for a person like me who has not yet seen a tiger in the wild - but only on either TV or in zoos.

**********************************************
He is a young man who continues to impress. He is just 3 movies old - and I have liked all three, but my favorite is the second one, which wasnt as commercially successful as his other two.
The movie in the spotlight - Lakshya.
Every time I catch this movie while surfing the TV, I watch it over n over again.

Is it because of the empathy I feel in the helplessness of Karan Shergill who cannot decide what he wants out of his life - deciding to join the army just because his friend wants to - being influenced by the herd mentality - not sure if that is really what he wants.

Is it because he leaves the IMA feeling frustrated with the discipline and hard work that he is not used to, only to come back again since he feels that it is the only way to restore some self-respect and also his fair share of respect from his own father;

Or is it how his relationship with Romi evolves. The moment when they look at each other under the shellings with my favorite song from the movie in the background,

Kyun Poori Ho Na Paayee Daastan...
Kaise Aayee Hain Aisi Dooriyan...
Kitni Baatein Yaad Aati Hain..
Tasverein Si Ban Jaati Hain..
Main Kaise Inhein Bhoolon..
Dil Ko Kya Samjhaon...

Or is it the sublime moment when he realizes what he finally wants in life.
When he sets a goal for himself.
A goal that is not just personally satisfying, but tests his strengths and stretches his limits beyond the farthest. A goal that helps him redefine his relationship with Romi; with his father; and more importantly with himself.

FA's other two movies are fabulous too. But this one stands apart.
A well laid out and taut story; refreshing music by SEL (another favorite of mine); a superlative performance by HR - all others including PZ, AB n others are in supporting roles imho; beautiful cinematography - there are just too many reasons for me to make me watch this movie over n over n over again.

**********************************************

Two movies that I watched recently on TV.
One new, and the other oft repeated.
Loved them. Absolutely.

Les Feuilles Mortes...

Was reading Paulo Coelho's "Like the Flowing River" last week, when I read about a song that was briefly mentioned in one of the stories. A song called "Autumn Leaves"; actually a French song called "Les Feuilles Mortes". Being interested, I googled for it, and found its amazing lyrics (along with its English translation)that I am putting below .
Havent had a chance to hear the song, but yes, I am looking for it now. In the meanwhile, I will just enjoy reading the lyrics...

Les Feuilles Mortes
Lyrics by Jacques Prévert, (1945)
Music by Joseph Kosma, (1945)


Oh! je voudrais tant que tu te souviennes,
Des jours heureux où nous étions amis,
En ce temps-là, la vie était plus belle,
Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui.
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle,
Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié.
Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle,
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi.
Et le vent du Nord les emporte,
Dans la nuit froide de l'oubli.
Tu vois, je n'ai pas oublié
La chanson que tu me chantais...

(Oh! I really hope you remember
Those happy days when we were friends.
In those times life was more beautiful
And the sun brighter than today's.
The dead leaves gather on the rake.
You see, I have not forgotten...
The dead leaves gather on the rake,
As do the memories and the regrets,
And the north wind carries them
Into the oblivion of the cold night.
You see, I have not forgetten
The song that you used to sing to me.)

Refrain
C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble,
Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais.
Nous vivions tous les deux ensemble,
Toi qui m'aimais, moi qui t'aimais.
Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment,
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit.
Et la mer efface sur le sable,
Les pas des amants désunis.

(It's a song that resembles us.
You, you loved me and I loved you
And we lived together,
You who loved me, I who loved you.
But life separates those who love,
Gently, without making a sound,
And the sea erases from the sand-
The footsteps of separated lovers.)

Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle,
Les souvenirs et les regrets aussi
Mais mon amour silencieux et fidèle
Sourit toujours et remercie la vie.
Je t'aimais tant, tu étais si jolie.
Comment veux-tu que je t'oublie ?
En ce temps-là, la vie était plus belle
Et le soleil plus brûlant qu'aujourd'hui.
Tu étais ma plus douce amie
Mais je n'ai que faire des regrets
Et la chanson que tu chantais,
Toujours, toujours je l'entendrai !

(The dead leaves gather on the rake
As do the memories and the regrets
But my love, quiet and loyal,
Always smiles and is grateful for life.
I loved you so much, you were so beautiful.
How can you expect me to forget you?
In those times, life was more beautiful
And the sun brighter than today's.
You were my kindest friend
But I only created regrets
And the song that you used to sing,
I hear it always, always...)

Interesting people I met...

I look forward to travel. Gives me a great opportunity to meet strangers, talk with them, observe them and if possibly, learn from them. Here's an account of three such very interesting people I met last month.

It was the day of the French Open final. Having slept at 2.30am after a long and tiring day spent in packing my bags & clea'r'ing my apartment in Tampa that I had to vacate, I was looking forward to catching a few winks on my flight to Chicago. Uncharacteristically by my own sleep standards (trust me - I can sleep anywhere, anytime), I was awake 15-20 minutes into the flight. Since I had no intention of reading, the usual bunch of books I carry were tucked up into the cabin bag put safely at the top. Reading the airline magazines in the front pocket isnt exactly my cup of tea, and I was finally relieved when the big burly American gentleman sitting next to me offered me his newspaper to read.

An old retired American chap well into his 60s, he was a jolly old fellow who loved to talk as much as I do. We were then talking for a whole 2 hours on different things ranging from sports, culture, cracking jokes, politics as well as personal stuff!

I was stumped with his amazing sense of humour as well as his good-heartedness; a drunk guy sitting in front of us talked very rudely to the airhostess; and my neighbour called her to tell her,
"Look Anna darling (yeah, he did note her name), I dont care what that gentleman sitting in the front tells you - I know this! You are doing a wonderful job! And we all appreciate it very much!"
When he ran out of his champagne, he would call Anna again, and then hold his throat and enact as if he is going to choke to death if she couldnt refill his glass. This he did atleast a good 3 or 4 times!

I was a little disappointed with myself of not having confirmed my 'vegetarian' meal preference with the airline, and I had to refuse the salmon and the beef options for lunch. My good neighbour then offered me his cookie and requested Anna to give me an extra cookie! And then fooling around with me, he told Anna who brought me the extra cookie, that I ate his cookie :D

Uncle Dan showed me his wife's photograph. She was Japanese and very beautiful. He told me that they had different likes & dislikes. While she loved New York, he hated it. He loved watching football over beer in the evenings, and she would keep nagging on something that bothered her. Yet they loved each other deeply.
They had met in Japan, fallen in love with each other, and she moved with him to the US.
They then moved to Dubai where he ran his business for a good 20 years. And then he sold his business to his Indian partner and came back to lead his retirement life in Florida.

He asked me about my experiences in the US - what did I learn, what did I think aboutt American people in general, and told me that
"Forget the war; an average American is basically good at heart."

He asked me how old i was. I replied I was 28.
And he told me, "Wowww! You are at such a fine age! You can still do so many things at 28. You know what? You wont have such freedom or flexibility in 10 years from now when you become 38. But 28 is such a nice age to be..."

**********************************************************************

The same evening was my flight from Chicago to London. Till the very last minute, I was calling friends across the US to tell them that I am going home for good. Speaking in Hindi/Marathi/English, the lady sitting next to me in the flight was obviously a little perturbed with all the excitement in my voice. Finally, the air hostess came and told me that I had to switch off my phone and the plane was going to leave. Sheepishly, I apologised to her and the lady and switched off my phone.

Her name was Lara. She was a woman in her late 30s. Looking at her, I thought that she was neither a Brit nor an American. Turned out that she was a Russian Jew whose grandparents had immigrated to South Africa during the WW-II. She had done her schooling and college in SA, UK and US; was married an American and was now settled in the UK.
She worked as one of the head honchos for a beer company, and said that she was the best friend for all her friends coz they got free beer from her. I had to admit to her that unfortunately for her or for me, I didnt drink beer. :(

She took a 15 day vacation every year to go home in South Africa; I had heard of the beautiful Garden Route, a 200 km adventure filled drive along the West Coast from Jo'burg to Cape Town, from a colleague at work; and Lara endorsed it saying that I must visit her 'home' country and especially the Garden Route. :)

As we spoke more on the different cultures, she said that she never wanted to stay in the US coz she felt that Americans always considered her as an alien, which surprisingly she didnt find in London.

She asked me if I was married. I said no, and added that in India, I am supposed to be married at this age. Very interestingly, she said that she understood, coz its the same in Jews - even for them, they are bound by tradition to get married at a certain age, have kids at certain age, etc, etc - which she did not do. She went out of the system by marrying an American, but most importantly - she chose to make a decision.

We wished each other luck for the future, and after knowing that I would be spending a week vacationing in London & Scotland, she even recommended me a nice Indian restaurant in London that was her favorite. :-)

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Our Scotland trip had been really very fantastic - it was a family vacation coming after a good 4 years and we had a great time. Amongst the places we visited, I fell in love with Inverness, especially the lovely walk along the River Ness that runs through the small town. The Scottish are very nice people to talk to - their accent is very much different than the English, whose accent is again very, very different from the Americans. Infact, I had much trouble in understanding the English accent - but I loved hearing the Scottish speak in English. And all the Scots I met - at the railway station, at the tourist info desks, at the restaurants and at the hotels - all of them seemed very simple, genuine and happy souls.

Having almost finished our trip, we were waiting for our train in Glasgow, when me n mom decided to do some window shopping. Entering a jewellry shop, mom was looking at something that caught her fancy.

That is where we met Lisa, a 22-23 yr old girl who worked part time in that jewellery shop. She was originally from Dundee in Scotland, had done her schooling and college in Scotland itself - Dundee & Edinburgh and told us that she never wanted to leave Scotland.

This was going to be my gift for mom - she was interested in a pearl set, while I had liked a crystal set. We asked Lisa for her opinion, and being the sales-girl she was, she told us,
"If you like the classic look, go for the pearls. But if you like something more modern, go for the crystal set."
A typical consultant's reply - let the customer make the choice! :D

While mom was making up her mind, I was chatting with Lisa. I asked her how much she knew about gems, pearls & jewellery and if she had undergone some formal training. She surprised me by saying that in her under-grad, she had studied Microbiology, but she realised that she could never pursue that as a career. Using her arms to gesture, she said that looking into the microscope all day long did not fascinate her very much!

Her big eyes became even bigger when she said that what did fascinate her was nursing. She was working currently in summer to earn some money to pay for her tuition, and then come September, she would undergo training to become a professional nurse and then work in some hospital in Scotland itself. She was so content in remaining in her home country or hometown itself.

Needless to say, she was extremely delighted when we ended up buying both the sets :D

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Three people - Uncle Dan, Lara and Lisa - from three different backgrounds, countries and cultures; and standing at three different stages in their lives.
The common thing to each of them was probably that all three of them had taken a decision in their life about what they wanted to do. And they were happy in doing that.

As I remember them today, I cant stop smiling as I also remember the beautiful song sung by 6 year old Connie Talbot on Britain's Got Talent show on TV,

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Happy Birthday Sachin :)

Four years ago, you won the 'Player of the tournament' award in South Africa.
Four years ago, on this very day, Mid-Day celebrated your 30th birthday in style by having the entire newspaper printed with stories, news and articles that revolved around you. Like many of your fans, I bought that copy of Mid-Day and have treasured it to this very day.

Four long years have passed since that summer of 2003.
They say, fate is cruel and time has no mercy on any soul in this world.
Who else, but you yourself have realised it the bitter way.
Today, you have been apparently 'rested' for the Bangladesh tour.
Your birthday this year is covered by an article on page 32 of Mid-Day.
And a photograph on the cover page.

Nevertheless, a birthday is always an occasion to celebrate and be happy.
It is a wonderful gesture from your childhood pal, Vinod.

Here's wishing you many happy returns of the day.
And here's hoping that you emerge stronger from the current misfortune for a final redemption.

Happy Birthday Sachin! :)

The Emperor & The King

The Emperor 3-7 The King

(Overall Head-to-head)

The Emperor 0-5 The King

(Head-to-head on clay)

The Emperor rules the world on all surfaces & conditions - be it hardcourt or grass, indoors or outdoors, except one surface, viz. the red clay. It is the King who is the wizard on this slow surface. Built like a matador, he flexes those biceps bulging out of that sleeveless T every time he hits with that astounding top spin, and then moves effortlessly in those cargo pants almost 6-8 feet behind the baseline to chase every ball sent down, and then rattles the Emperor every time they have faced each other. And the Emperor is not the lone subject in the King's reign on clay - the reign extends supremely over 67 consecutive matches!

5 of those 10 matches between the two of them have been played on clay - 4 of those have been finals along with a solitary semi-final. 2 matches have been played at Roland Garros while the remaining 3 have been at Masters Series events.

In these 5 matches, the Emperor has managed to take only 5 sets while the King has won 14.

All 5 matches have resulted in the King being victorious.

Seems like a one-sided contest, n'est ce pas?

No wonder, Mark Twain famously remarked something about statistics being nothing else but damn lies.

Then consider this fact - out of these 19 sets, 6 have been tie-breakers and another 6 have been decided by a single break of serve. In fact, in the epic 5-setter final (that had 3 tie-breaks) at Rome last year, the Emperor won more points (179 to 174) than the King, yet lost the match.

Just goes to show how close, how tight and how nerve-wracking it gets when these two slug it out in the middle on the red clay.

Just goes to show how much important it is to win those key points.

The 2007 clay season has begun.

These two have shown yet again that they are way ahead of any of their contemporaries by reaching the final of the Masters Series tournament at Monte Carlo last Sunday without dropping a single set.

The final was a contest between the left handed wizard and the right handed genius.

The Emperor opened aggressively, but his forehand, incidentally his biggest weapon, let him down on that day.

The King proceeded to win the final without dropping a set.

The Emperor still has enough time to make amends - the Masters Series at Rome and Hamburg follow suit in May.

The French Open at the end of May and early June is when both the Emperor and the King are likely to cross their swords (or should I say racquets) for the ultimate prize on the slow, red surface.

It is the only major that the Emperor does not have in his prized collection of 10 other majors.

And it is also THE only major that the King has in his kitty.

Both of them have great respect for each other.

When asked about it, the King could not have been more humble or realistic in his reply,

"What can I say about ten Grand Slams against two?"

When it comes to slams, this is the sole difference between the Emperor and the King. Other titles, tournaments and Master Series events will come and go. But nothing more than a slam or a major matters to the Emperor and the King.

This year's French Open may well turn out to be the defining moment in each man's career and the history of the sport of tennis.

Amen!

The pursuit of...

Finally watched a movie this weekend that I had been wanting to watch since last December. It is the story of a middle-aged guy, struggling to make both ends meet, struggling to look after his 5-year old son, struggling to keep his marriage working, struggling to make his mark in life - a few of those struggles end in success, a few in failure - but there's one struggle that is never ending, it is... the pursuit of happyness.

There's a moment of realisation of this particular struggle, in the movie when Chris Gardner, the central character enacted by Will Smith, says
"And it was at that time that I thought about Thomas Jefferson writing that Declaration of Independence. Him saying that we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I thought about how he knew to put the 'pursuit' in there, like no one can actually have happiness. We can only pursue it."

Aren't we all pursuing happyness? Can any one of us ever claim that we have found happyness for ever and ever?

Obstacles always arise in our path. It is the belief in ourselves and in our dreams that should always be unwavering, so that we can overcome those obstacles.
Chris' 5-year old boy wants to become a good basketball player, when Chris tells him that he can't be that because his dad always sucked at it as a child. Then realising his mistake, he tells his son,
"Don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period."

The saddest moments in life are those when the heart cries silently with no tears in the eyes.
And the happiest moments are those when the heart smiles with no words spoken, and the eyes are filled with tears.

The saddest moment is enacted incredibly well when Will Smith has to spend a night in the restroom of a metro with his son, after they become homeless - he has no money to go anywhere - and he pushes the restroom door with his leg that someone is trying to open, while he holds on to his son sleeping in his arms.
To act well in such a heart-wrenching scene comes naturally to Oscar nominated actors. You dont expect anything less from them in such scenes.

But the scene where Will Smith truly shows his limitless acting potential is when he finally succeeds in achieving his long-held dream, and experiences that rare moment of sublime happyness.
You can see it in his eyes and his whole body language - no words are spoken - he comes out of his office to mingle into the crowd on the street, yet stands apart from the rest of the crowd.
He simply cannot believe he's finally achieved it against all odds, and he wants to share his happyness with the whole world around him. It is what you can call the perfect moment.

What is it that I am in pursuit of? happyness? success? perfect moments?
Will I ever achieve all of them?
All I know is that -
You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.

My pursuit continues...period.

What color do you want?

A childhood game involved making a 4-petaled paper structure that you hold in your fingers and pop a question to your friend,

"Tipi-tipi, Tip-top,
What color do you want?"

Nikhil posed this very question to a bunch of friends one by one, and here's what each one of them replied:

Kamini (Priyanka): I aspire for WHITE because it stands for purity & innocence, but deep down inside me I know that my favorite is RED - a color known for power & love.

Rahul (Salman): I appear to be aristocratic & artificial, no wonder you will find me in PURPLE.

Vinay (Anil): Ah well! My life is nothing but dull, uninteresting, un-'happening' if you may call it - what else can I have but GREY in my life?

Seema (Juhi): I am the perfect woman with the perfect kids, a perfect husband & a perfect family; I am the perfect BLACK.

Shiven (Akshaye): Please dont ask me! I have nothing else but BLUE in my life - it is the color of the sea and the sky - both are boundless and free, and I prefer not to be tied down by anything in life just like them!
Gia (Ayesha): I love PINK - calm & peaceful, tender & caring, accepting & self-assuring.

Raju (Govinda): Arey bhai! Believe in your dreams with all your heart - one fine day, they will turn into reality. For me, it is the colour YELLOW that represents my optimism.
Stephanie (Shannon): I am an IVORY tower, in search of a love I want but does not reciprocate, and oblivious to the one that I have already with me, but I do not know.

Ashutosh (John): I am earthy & solid by nature; I stick to my roots & convictions, and when I have my love by my side to give me my strength, I dont mind taking on the world - I am the quintessential BROWN guy.
Tehzeeb (Vidya): I am all for a new beginning, a fresh start, and I go by GREEN, a color that complements my soulmate's BROWN perfectly.

Having heard what his friends wanted, Nikhil got a little confused - the 4 paper petals on his fingers could hold only 4 colors, but his friends had asked for more colors than his paper petals could hold. He tried to please everyone, but it became unmanageable so much so that he also resorted to having 2 more persona, viz. Ramdayal (Sohail) & Phulwati (Isha), who were desperate to paint the town RED!

If only, he had stuck to 4 colors, the game would have turned out to be such a wonderful tribute to love in the true sense, n'est ce pas?

No wonder in the end, we agree wholeheartedly with Kailash' plea to all of Nikhil's friends in the form of a beautiful rendition,

प्यार हैं या सज़ा,
ऎ मेरे दिल बता
टुटता क्यों नहीं,
दर्द का सिलसिला

इस प्यार में हो कैसे-कैसे इन्तेहान
यह प्यार लिखे कैसी-कैसी दास्तान

या रब्बा!
दे दे कोई जान भी अगर,
दिलबर पे हो ना,
दिलबर पे हो ना कोई असर...

*Salaam-e-ishq*