Salute to Mumbai Martyrs (26/11)

Saw a Spine Chilling documentary on 26th Nov 2015,of the Mumbai terror attacks and the Siege which lasted for more than 60hrs from 26/11/2008 to 27/11/2008 and was too shocked to speak or have any opinion. Excerpts from Ajmal Khasabs interview in Hospital shown on HISTORY channel are shared below.
Police: Whom are u asked to kill?
Kasab : Logon ko (People)
Police: U know what is meant by Jehad?
Kasab: Nope!
Police: Then Y r u killing?
Kasab in a satirical tone: For the money sir (Paisa milta hai baau)
Police: Dont U feel guilty for doing so many killings? Havent U questioned your trainers that?
Kasab: Yes. At times I feel so, but they do wash our brain and in 3 months make us ready for sacrifice.
Other than this, all the live conversations on radio phones between the handlers from Pakistan who were coolly giving instructions to each Terrorist to kill, to not get diverted, and to scare people by throwing grenades or burning the dome were recorded. They also passed continuous instructions on how to fight till the end and not get caught by police men made me too dejected , helpless and my eyes and head were boiling by the end!
I was not aware that they also had put Rdx in taxis which took some more lives . Looking at the feed of surveillance cameras made me silently cry. Hearing to stories of survivors did not make me courageous. At one juncture the handlers from Pakistan over the radio phone, when the attackers were amused by the hotel were exchanging conversation like below:
Attacker : “You know here they have computers with 30 screens or so, masha allah ! So amusing!”
Handler: “Don’t get distracted . Have you put the rooms and dome on fire or not? I should see them on TV Live . Do that ASAP.”
They were discussing their agenda and passing orders between each other simply like we do in case of an office project or some sport played for fun or a good cause :( I watched the massacre on TV for more than an hour and couldn't sleep properly the whole night as the scenes and voices kept dancing infront of my eyes!
8 terrorists or may be more in groups of 4 destroyed the city like never before. They are doing it with out any thoughts or feelings , like robots who are keyed and loaded with evil programs. I was too terrified when I saw that the terrorists made it a point to kill till their last breath. Not sure if it is right to feel this, but when a guy called Fahadullah said that his partner died just beside him, I felt pity - Pity on their nonchalance, the life they lived, the parents who gave birth to them, the country(ies) who nourished them. I felt weak and hopeless when they were chanting the beautiful words like Insha-allah and Masha-allah for these evil deeds. Again the same questions bothered me! How can they be brainwashed? How do they become so evil? What can stop all this? How can we uproot terrorism? How to do our part in uprooting it?
I know there are many Indians too who are recruited by all the terrorist organisations like ISIS or Al-Qaeda or any such inhuman organisation which makes me shudder. How and what can stop all this ? Can we be united and come up with a strict agenda to end the evil? It was Mumbai or Hyderabad then. Peshawar or Gaza later, Paris and Mali now and the places like Syria, Palestine, Nigeria, Gaza, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and so on , so forth who always live under the canopy of terror."Saddest fact is that the main motto of these people who call themselves saviors of Islam is to destroy Muslims like me and many." The terror waves are getting bigger with each day and How ? What ? Why? When? - such questions keep flogging the mind as always.
Wish the youth gets a right direction. Wish God takes the lives of terror creators in worst possible way. Wish initiatives like this - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Islam-and-terrorism-now-in-madrassa-course/articleshow/48383137.cms keep increasing. How I wish everyone can prefix the words Non-Islamic to all the terror organisations, instead of tagging “Islamic” with all attacks. How I wish I can live a life where there are no questions bombarded at me about the religion I follow!
But for all the perpetual questions, the only answer I have is- " I am a human and any human who does an act which I can't even fathom for the betterment of humanity is God to me!" I am not sure how to end this post but I just want to salute all the brave hearts , like Vijay Salaskar, Unnikrishnan, Hemant Karkare , Tukaram Omble and many more who have lost lives during this massacre - http://www.ndtv.com/photos/news/a-tribute-to-mumbais-bravehearts-982#photo-9649 . Whether or not it counts this is my tribute to all the “HEROES”

Note: This is an FB note I wrote on 26th November

The pics courtesy : https://www.facebook.com/Indianarmy.adgpi/photos/a.154174701445834.1073741939.123788044484500/437212886475346/?type=3
http://drop.ndtv.com/albums/NEWS/2611bravehearts/1ff.jpg

The biggest "Tamasha" called Life

After a dilemma to choose from some new movie releases (like Cheekati Rajyam & Size zero ) I finally zeroed on Tamasha.

Film: Tamasha
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Piyush Mishra
Director: Imtiaz Ali 
Writer: Imtiaz Ali

Tamasha - After watching it, I felt reviewing is tough because  not every one can be an Imtiyaz Ali who can explain all the complicated emotions in such a simplistic way ! Like some one told in a review , only he can understand the complicated heart matters like no one else and also succeeds in letting the viewers understand them! 

Tamasha makes you go in to a pensive mode. Fun and emotions are blended well and it presents to U the finest PAIR OF THE YEAR Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone heart emoticon - Both have evolved beautifully and Imtiyaz brings out the best in both the actors. Deepika is drop dead gorgeous and Ranbir is no less. His demeanor which naturally gets transformed, his expressions, the Dev-anand act , the very acting prowess will just charm you.They both complement each other perfectly well.

Story line, songs and my views: 
Tamasha is a fantasy world created by Imtiyaz which is not actually full of fantasies and depicts the real tamasha we all face called life. It is an off beat movie which suits only a niche audience. It is like a stage show from start till the end where you get enchanted by the characters dancing on the screen and also the characters which come to your mind from your real life experiences :) 

If the song Chali Kahani kick starts the story showing the little Ranbir who gets intrigued by all the magical stories embedded in the universe and happily lives in his world, the song Matargashti gives you a picture of a fairy land and fills a kind of zeal in your heart which makes you want to go out and be the free spirited person, you actually are from your heart. The song Heer to badi sad hai shows the transition and transformation of characters which evolve in a period of years. The song Safarnaama sung by Lucky Ali, shows the path to your own heart and describes the journey.

The imaginative narration and unique story telling technique used in songs will definitely create happy and sad emotional waves in you! In the first half the bonus is the beautiful Corsica in France where our mystery boy and girl meet. 

image source : here

Deepika is more or less like Ranbir from heart, who loves stories and Asterix in Corsica is the reason she travels to the place which shows that she longs to live the stories she reads or hears. She gets totally awestruck by the hero. However, as per their pact of not revealing their identities, they separate without the knowledge of who they actually are and the second half of the story shows the transition of hero who gets used to the maze created by the world, becomes a product manager and lives the same day every day and is tuned to being monotonous and boring! I loved both the story telling DON in the first half and the robotic Ved in second half, who is more realistic and strikes a chord with 90% of population who kill their hobbies or passions to earn money for a smooth life! Ranbir showed his excellence in both the roles.

 You may occasionally remember the Jordan of Rockstar where he finally succeeds in making passion his career but doesn't succeed much on the personal front. There are glimpses of Ranbir from Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani as well in the movie!

The story is all about the journey of the boy Ved, who loves hearing stories and dwells in the spirit of all stories but eventually gets burdened by the education, mathematics, management and in general the life which makes him do everything he dislikes. Meeting Tara creates ripples in his head and he ultimately decides to explore his own story and embrace his inner self. The way hearts are broken and distanced is also so beautifully shown , that you almost want to go in to the screen and hug Tara and Ved during the song , agar tum saath ho and the book shop scene. However I would have preferred a more supportive Tara who could have helped Ranbir when it’s traumatic for him!

Some of the scenes which will stay with me:

• The scene where Ved’s storyteller from his childhood- Piyush Mishra mocks him, when Ved requests him to give an ending to his story. He shouts, ” Kaayar , apni kahani kaise khatm hogi mujhe poochta hai. (You are such a wuss, you ask me your story’s ending?)” It is like an eye opener to all the viewers who seek advice from others and wait for approvals!

• The entire Corsica episode and the fun and frolic side of Ved and Tara which is beautiful and heart warming. 

• The scene after the stark realization Ved has , where he narrates a story of Heero to his dad (Javed Sheikh) , mom , Sushma Seth (grandmom). You should go to theater and hear to the actual story which makes you question yourself!

• All the songs of the movie which are unique. I loved the way the wat wat song  (sung by Arjit Singh & Shashwat Singh) is shot (the auto driver whose passion is singing is shown in this foot tapping song).

Even if this is not something which You haven't watched before, You gotta watch this just for the unique "story telling" style! Three cheers 2 the team! Jab we met is undoubtedly Imtiyaz's best to me . The music of Rockstar and Highway is heart touching and the music and story of Tamasha is like Chicken soup for the viewers' soul which is soothing and nerve tingling and definitely helps in clearing your head :)  "Tamasha is the best possible reason to divert yourself from all the Aamir Khan's Tamasha" 
tongue emoticon smile emoticon Go for it glasses emoticon . 

All those creative people who are more or less like Ved, can identify with Ved’s character; who is mesmerized with stories but has outgrown his imaginative self due to the mundane life he chose. The film definitely helps them to recognize and revive their old self. The concept of the movie is rather appealing, but it may not every time work in real life, because a lot of home work needs to be done before turning your passion into a full blown career!

PS: You may either love or hate this movie but cannot have any mediocre feelings after watching. You will definitely get high on emotions! I end the post with my favorite song.

Originally Published at The Views Paper

For the love of Maggi...

I think almost all the Maggi lovers will mark the date and time of the return of Maggi. After all the hoopla around the ban happening from about 5-6 months, Maggi has finally come back like a boss in full confidence, flanked by its fans. Snapdeal invited Maggi with much love by packing 12 packs of maggi with freebies and a 2016 year calendar. I felt I was insane to register myself for the Maggi 2 minute Masala noodle Welcome kit sale but once I received it , I felt glad and nostalgic. Nestle's Maggi did create ripples with it's come back. 

Maggi is back :P Image source : here

image source: Here

Though not all, atleast 60- 70 % of Indians have a story associated with Maggi. The ads are touching and real coz many people have such emotional bonding with Maggi. Before you frown, let me share my Maggi experiences and journey with Maggi so far :)

It was in school when I first tasted Maggi Noodles brought by an aunt from Bombay. I had my introduction to Maggi during one of those summer vacations and I didnt become much of a fan then. Even in the later years Maggi was not frequently consumed at our home as we preferred traditional breakfasts / foods like idli, dosa, bambino semiya or many more to Maggi. Slowly Maggi seeped in to our minds as it was easier, tastier and was fun too. It used to be fun to dig your fork and roll your noodle around it and eat with a slurp sound and it is fun even now :) I realized the importance of Maggi in my life only when I started living away from home.

Maggi is a blessing to all those like me who cannot cook but want to eat something which doesnt taste like hostel food (I claim that I can cook now though Maggi is the only thing I can cook with confidence ;) ) . Hostel food usually is a riot of colors which all taste the same. There are many pale yellow liquids of different texture. You can name them only after tasting them. Sometimes it is rasam , sometimes sambar and most of the times it comprises of different kinds of Dals! Some deep fried Indian curry which is brick reddish or brownish in shade and totally not eye pleasing is also served. A white curd, a red pickle , burnt paapad or fryums, a boiled egg or a bowl of oily chicken (which actually used to be heavenly after a week's torture) usually are part of the menu. Whenever my taste buds used to become thick and fail to serve their duty, I used to find my peace in this magical yellow packet with a taste maker.

It doesn't exactly take two minutes to make and I never complained for whatever time was spent in making maggi, because by the end of it , it always pleases all my senses :)

Image source : here

We at hostel used to feel like master chefs when ever we invaded the kitchen with Maggi packets in hand. The hostel cook and his staff politely used to allow us to use the utensils and all the ingredients. There are different Indian-versions and variations of Maggi. Some make it with egg, some with boiled chicken, some with onions, tomatoes and peas and some like it just plain. As there always is a problem of a mixed crowd of vegetarians and non-vegetarians we mostly used to cook it with veggies and matar . The end result may not be as beautiful as in the ads but it was delicious enough to soothe our taste buds and get our senses back! Like this, Maggi became a forever warm friend who used to bring smiles during the dull, mundane hostel life. The partnership with Maggi only became strong with passing months and years. Different people want it differently. Some like it in a watery texture, some prefer it semi solid and some want it to be dry. Maggi is wonderful at marketing as it keeps coming up with varieties of maggi for various consumers. For health conscious public, maggi introduced vegetable atta noodles and oats maggi. Now whether they are actually healthy or not is an open question but the only answerable question is that every living being on planet can easily make maggi. If you train your pet it can make maggi too :-) . This makes maggi the most sought out food and the most favorite food for people living away from home!

During many instances Maggi came to my rescue and so many encounters with maggi are forever memorable. Some are listed below!

1.) I still remember all those lazy days and nights in Infosys Mysore Training Center spent with Friends and Maggi. I do miss those long mid night talks and violation of the rules by boiling Maggie in the kettle. The fun quotient of training days increased due to the boiled maggi in rooms and spending endless nights with friends sharing life goals, horror stories and love stories :P

2.) I remember the day I had high fever and couldn't eat any thing till 3 A.M. in the morning and was suddenly hungry when the soupy noodles brought back life in my eyes and I slept peacefully much to the bliss of my mom

3.) My husband's maggi recipe is super hit at my place. The one made with scrambled egg and onions. A sunday which starts with that maggi can never go wrong. 

4.)  Most memorable maggi incident was when we went to Rohtang Pass , a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas (Source: wiki). When every one was suffering from Acute mountain sickness and suffering from headaches and falling sick , Maggi and a hot piping chai felt like elixirs of life  .A plate of steaming maggi was the only solace when our empty stomachs were growling! There used to be a maggi ad in mountains which exactly matches the scene we were in that day with tired bodies and sick faces!

Rohtang pass vaali Maggi

5.) Mountains , hillstations, rains, sleepy towns and maggi go hand in hand. You can find a maggi stalls in any quaint little town. Maggi is the quickest choice of food during your long journeys . I found solace in Maggi during my trips to Nainital, Munnar and many other places

There are many more anecdotes which can be narrated here, that describe my fondness for maggi but I will stop here and end the post on a happy note , with the pictures of my snapdeal package and a funny video made by some fans on FB. Now all those who have removed cooking, under their hobbies, can add it back in their biodata as Maggi is back ;) There were many whats app jokes floating around during the ban and now too which are outright hilarious- 

Boy- I Love u…

Gal – but I don’t love you…

Boy – agar kal tum ne mujhe i love you nahi kaha to…

Gal – to kya karo ge? 

boy – to main Maggie kha k apni jaan de dunga…
 

(A boy is threatening a girl that he will give up his life by eating maggi if she doesn't accept his proposal)

Snapdeal Welcome package - Quite impressive

                               
PS: My breakfast today was Maggi which gave rise to this post

Maggi might be not the healthy choice of food . It might be having Lead but it has not lead to any serious consequences so far and I hope it continues to please our palates and hearts. This post is dedicated to all those students, people staying away from home and each and everyone who survived on it many a times!

Originally published at ViewsPaper

Random Conversations with the Smartest Kids

image source : here

After a long satisfying walk with i-Pod still plugged in my ears I walked to the elevator of my apartment where two smart and cutesy kids were waiting for the elevator. The little girl totally scanned me , my face, my hair , I – Pod, sweat and everything and the little boy was lost in his world of Narnia. I felt, the girl spoke something to me after her scan. I stopped the music, removed the ear plugs and looked directly at her.
Me: “R u talking to me?”
Girl: “Yes . Ofcourse. From looooong and U r like humming loudly and dancing, unaware of it.”
I smiled mischievously at the lil drama queen and replied ;) : “Was I ? Ok. Tell me? What is it ?”
Girl : “ Which floor do You stay?”
Me: “6th and U ?”
Girl : “2nd. So how many rounds do You run / walk on an avg?”
Me: “ 8-9. If I feel like I do more than 10.”
She smiled appreciatively and I felt proud by the genuine glow in her eyes.
I asked, “ Which class are you in? Are you coming back from tuition? ”
She replied, “I am in 4th . He is in 2nd, pointing at the boy still in Narnia . I am in Oakridge , he is in Glendale (Or some such name she took). No tuition. Just a chit chat!”
I smiled appreciatively this time as I was super impressed by her sing-song English! :D
Me: “Cool . Is that your school project?” I asked pointing at the bottle with leaves which she was carefully holding.
She thought for a second and again replied in rhythm , “ Yeahh . Actually I am making a project out of waste materials, waste means not waste as such, we collect leaves , colorful papers and put them in bottles, put some lights in them, decorate them a bit more and we just hang them.”
I replied, “Wow . That’s awesome.”
She was quite happy and enthusiastically added, “We assemble to do the same every day.”
I replied, “Great.”
The boy returned from Narnia and shouted loud in a giggly tone, “It is not her school project.”
The lift arrived and we got in.
She promptly hit his head gently with the bottle she was holding and said, “ Dumbo, you think U know everything . You are in Glendale. I am in Oakridge. How do you know about my school stuff ? If you gonna say something , you gonna make some sense!”
I was looking clearly bemused at her!
Then she faced me and said, “He is a bit of cock - a – doodle – do . if U say some thing to him he is gonna say to entirrrrrrrre world , hence I kept the secret from him. As you asked, I just had to say.”
*I mentally noted the word , to check for the meaning after I reach home*
“Cock- a – doodle – do: The loud crow of a cock. (used as a conventionalized expression to suggest the crowing of a rooster, as in stories for children.)”
Me quite unsure of how to react, said , “Err. I am sorry.”
She: “That’s al right. No problem.”
Then out of the blue she said loudly, “I Just love your shirt (some old black tee) and that shrug. I have a similar one. Not a shrug but a dress!”
“Oh. Thanks!” I smiled broad at her. Finally we reached her floor. She was getting out. I just wanted to hug and kiss her but instead said, “ALL THE BEST for your project!”

She said an official Thank You and I felt like I am talking to a colleague :-o ! They both waved bye energetically to me. That moment I felt like be-friending her and equipping my vocab skills. I felt, I can learn better English by talking to her everyday rather than talking to many of my age or folks elder to me at office!
PS: This was a FB note written by me after a recent incident in my apartment. I later felt, I should preserve this in my blog too :)

Kanche movie review

I went to watch the movie Kanche with out any pre-plan. This post is not necessarily a review. I just wanted to write it for two reasons. 1.) It's been long that I blogged on movies which impacted me and 2.) I rarely write about Telugu movies which I always think, should be done often as I love watching a good Telugu cinema! Needless to say Kanche falls in the category of good cinema. It has a unique script, a thought provoking story, powerful dialogues, a good director Krish and a fresh star cast who did manage to do their best!

Kanche - Who's who!

Directed by	Krish
Produced by	Saibabu Jagarlamudi Y. Rajeev Reddy
Written by	Sai Madhav Burra (dialogues)
Starring	Varun Tej Pragya Jaiswal Nikitin Dheer Sowcar Janaki Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Gollapudi Maruti Rao
	Source : Wiki

About Kanche stars

I watched Gamyam and Vedam  made by director Krish and became an instant fan. I trusted him and hoped this to be a watchable flick and he did not disappoint me. Kanche has Varun Tej in the leading role. It is quite a bold and modest attempt by Varun Tej, taking in to consideration, the biggies of film industry who back him up and who mostly do meaty and massy roles to allure the audience. I am not saying the mass impact is not important but I applaud Varun Tej for picking a story which actually suited him, instead of being under the stress of out shining the uncle or cousins! For those who never heard of him like me, he is Chirenjeevi's brother Nagababu's son. So it is natural to have the immense peer pressure which might have lead him to mimic what his seniors in family are doing but I appreciate him for trying to gain his USP, and for standing out of the crowd ! I did not watch his debut movie Mukunda . I only saw posters and hoardings which showed an intriguing fresh face. He does have a spark in eye which is charming. If hero is around 6 ft tall, the villian Nikitin Dheer is equally appealing who stands tall at 6ft 3" or so . Both seemed apt for their respective roles. Varun Tej who acted as Dhupati Hari babu in the movie is calm, docile, poetic yet strong and bold. Nikitin as Eeshwar is rude, crude, angry and violent. Pragya Jaiswal as Sita Devi is a fresh face who looked a bit like Nargis Fakiri and played a passionate role as the lover of Hari babu. All other veteran actors Sowcar Janaki , Gollapudi Maruti Rao are all known faces who were just fit in their roles.

source: here

Kanche Story line and Review

Kanche starts with a war backdrop and a monologue in the background where the context to the movie is set. You will get a fair idea in the opening scene that movie will revolve around a no-nonsense serious theme. The story oscillates between past and present , presenting to viewers , lives of people set up in two totally different locations and conditions but the problems , ignorance and wars waged with in a society are quite similar. Kanche, a Telugu word means fence . The entire movie shows how people demarcate the society with many fences laid due to various reasons like caste, creed , religion , region and status and how these fences can lead to disaster. The male protagonist Hari (played by Varun Tej) falls in love with Princess Sita Devi. They both hail from same town where the feelings of demarcation are strongly imbibed in all the dwellers. Hari, a person from lower caste and Sita Devi belonging to a royal family try their level best to persuade their elders , society and also the brother Eeshwar played by Nikitin Dheer but Eeshwar stays stubborn which leads to a outrageous fight between hero and heroine's brother leading to some tragic consequences. The story is set in the year 1936. After 3 years , in 1939 the hero and villian are seen to be serving Indian military forces and supporting Italy during the world war when Hitler and his followers are ruthlessly slaughtering people. The hero and villian have same amount of valor but their ideologies differ.

The scene where Hari saves months old baby girl whom the German forces are vehemently planning to kill as she is born to a jew and non-jew, is quite touching. The plight of people during second world war makes us shiver and the viewer can effortlessly draw an analogy between the world war battle field and the fights across the fences in the small town to which Hari belongs to. It dawns on every movie watcher that it is just a matter of time to witness an unfortunate event like world war 2 if people don't wake up. Director subtly connected both the stories and the way Hari breathlessly tries to erase the borders and shows us the big picture of humanity is like a wake up call to all of us. Be it 1936 or 2036 the problems we face were, are and will be similar is the gist I got from the movie!

By the end of the movie you feel tragic but you leave the theater with a contentment in heart which makes you think that with a strong resolve and a pursuit to change the wrong doings around us, we can actually do miracles and make our life worthy!

Varun Tej's role and most of the sensitive dialogues will be etched in the mind.

Few loopholes in the movie

• Direction and editing are faulty at some places. For instance war scenes are  repetitive and will bore the viewer. Editor should have put some more effort in making it flawless!

• Srinivas Avasarala's light tone and jokes work some times and fail some times

• Not every one understands German or English. I felt subtitles should have been provided for every viewer to understand the conversations.

All in all the movie is an engaging watch which will impact most of the viewers :)

Moving on...

"You still stuck there. Please move on buddy!"
 "You are making fun of me even today for that. Come on guys. Move on!"
 "Heart breaks are normal in life. You should try and move on darling."

How many times would you have heard the words MOVE ON in various contexts! Moving on is the much required phenomenon in any one's life. If you can't move on you are damaging your present. If you stay where you are and refuse to budge you are hampering your happening future. But is it so easy to move on for every one? In this post we shall talk about moving on and the challenges involved in it. This is an interactive post and I would like to see your replies and experiences.

Long long ago when I was in school, I was very emotional. Not that I am less emotional now but then I was a wreck. I was an intelligent girl who loved to have fun and laugh a lot and always wanted to express what I felt with ease but my emotional quotient mostly kept me in silence. I was scared of so many things. My dad used to compare me with Lord Hanuman who at some point forgets his special powers. I am not a mythology expert but I remember just this bit, though I never researched on whys and whats of this information. Yes. I am a Muslim but we all are fond of Hindu mythological stories and facts. My family instilled the belief in me but it is not possible to always have family by your side...

I still remember the day when I was giving 7th standard board exams and when I had to give a tough paper one day , I got boils and itching started all over my body due to some histamine release and over excitement. I had to take avil-25 to calm down. I am very sensitive to slightest of the disturbances. They can be physical , chemical or psychological. Avil 25 used to come to my rescue .When I had some new chicken cuisine in a restaurant and got rashes all over the body, my friends got shit scared looking at me :-| Even today if I am over excited, my nose starts itching horribly :)! Going back to the exam day, by God's grace I finished the exam , by the end of which I looked like a ripe tomato. The memory stayed with me. It was not so easy to move on. I always carry avil with me, when ever I travel or when I face an emotional upheaval but may be my immunity increased with age and I stopped feeling the necessity of popping the pill !I am allergic to many foods, smells, noises and my body instantly responds in weird fashion :) but some how I learnt to control the reactions! If only it was so easy to control the emotional disturbances...

Source : here

Our basic necessities in life remain simple till other people start impacting our emotions and some external energy controls our system. Some people are rock solid and ward off the external forces even if it means to be a loner but some can be easily influenced. At times the influence is so strong that they are no longer the people they used to be! Currently I know 2-3 friends who are going through various kinds and various phases of heart break. Some seem like they have moved on. I don't want to scrape the dead wounds so I don't ask any questions but it kills me when I see people like them or me going through extreme emotional turmoil. Yes women are bigger emotional fools. Doesn't mean men are devoid of emotions. This random thought of moving on started the night before when I was listening to a song move on and was unable to sleep. Like Calvin says, darkness is the perfect time to keep thinking about our fears :) ! Some things in life, like liking a particular person, falling for them or getting your life linked to theirs are mostly  not under our control. After all we are humans whose self control is at toss in such scenarios :) Making your heart say yes or no and keeping your will strong at the right time changes the game!

When I shifted from Bangalore to Hyderabad I was feeling utterly sad. Hyderabad is a city I adore but still I was not feeling good about the big move. I felt I will miss the sense of freedom for many reasons in Hyderabad! But then I could do nothing to stop it rather than moving on. It was a bitter sweet experience, from the past 6months . Even if I still remember Bangalore in a fond manner, I have got used to Hyd . I am xenophobic and new job, place and people always make me jittery but I had to change 3 jobs after wedding and have learnt how to move on though I am yet to master the art of moving on. Ultimately I have no regrets and moving on did make me stronger professionally and personally!

The situation is more challenging when we deal with matters of heart and assume we are strong enough to be practical when time demands but end up facing the repercussions ! A failed marriage, a broken friendship or a relation ship, lack of expression or emotion in your partner or some one or any one on whom you developed immense liking, being extremely insensitive towards you, all these scenarios  leave a gaping hole in the heart. Mending it takes hell lot of time. So much time that you wonder why you are feeling so lethargic with each passing day. You curse yourself. You mouth cuss words. Then you try to move on. You do new things. Go to places.  Meet friends. Cook. Write. Party. Travel e.t.c! The pain subsides but lingers till you actually move on. The actual moving on happens only when you really want to move on, which is when you suddenly realize he / she has moved on and you are being an idiot by making him/ her your motto in life.

SHIT HAPPENS and rather than making it hit the roof , floor and walls , it is better to flush it out. You need a good company to do so - a trust worthy friend, a companion who is fun to be with, a sibling with whom you can share darkest secrets and so on so forth. Doing things alone is a herculean task. I am daily subjected to different people going through different challenges in life and I myself have so much on my mind that I am in a position where I can neither be a support nor seek support! We all have those few special people whom we can bug with our bickering thoughts and feelings. But a time comes when you have to fight a lone war because every one around is doing the same too and because you and only you can put an absolute end to your tangled thoughts. Your friends can act as catalysts but for the reaction to happen, you need to act first! I am not saying that matters of heart are simplistic. They are too complicated . Heart does what heart does even when your brain keeps cautioning it just like in the below cartoons!

source : here

Image source: here

Emotions and heart games are usually played by any person till he / she feels you are perfectly under their charm or control or whatever you may want to call it. If they get what they want then they are happy or else their brain starts taking an immediate action. When brains intervene, the hearts involved seem like loads of crap. When some one, whether it is your brain or your asshole partner easily say YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON just when your heart actually started wanting for more,it hurts ! It hurts like hell. It takes too much time for your heart to rest and to let your brain do the talking, but that talking if you do, you are saved. My only message to all the emotional creatures out there is that, give your brain some work too. Do not enter in to any kind of relation ship if your brain continuously is giving different types of warning signals! Do not make yourself a victim to vague signals of heart. Try to find that perfect balance between heart and brain for your peace!

No two people are same. No strings attached seems good as the movie title where by the end they end up wanting more :) If it is not your cup of tea, it is better not to drink it or at-least be wise and get rid of it after 2-3 sips. When you see your relation ship is going no where or if you get negative vibes from your partner or boy friend it is better to cut it in the root stage and move on. Any kind of relation ship demands emotion, whether it is short-lived or long-term, whether it is with strings or with no strings. It is tough to have a physical attraction towards a person minus emotion but if you realise the other person is a jerk , if you are getting subtle signals which your heart may filter before reacting but the CLEVER brain senses, please listen to them. Do listen to your brain once in a while to wake up, to regain sanity and to move on!

Yes it is said that following your heart gives you a sense of fulfilment but it is not always true. Just like in the quote shared below follow your heart but do take your brain with you!

source : here

Source : here

Having shared these awesome quotes, I just have a last piece of advice to all the emotional people out there who are fighting variety of battles. In the battle between Heart and Brain may you win and get what you deserve the most. Don't feel bad for being vulnerable. Wear your emotions like a boss. I am sure there will be some one who will just be fine with who you are and who has the emotional quotient similar to yours!

Lastly , thanks for keeping up with this post loaded with random thoughts and emotions ;) Do share your experiences in replies and in life remember to move on if you should!

Signing Off,
Afshan

image source : here