AWAY FROM HOME

Sanjana’s Diary.

28th September,2008

I still remember the day we decided to shift to USA. Ritesh came back from his office all excited and cock-a-hoop. He told us that he had this offer to relocate to USA for a project lasting five years. Our daughter Nalini was in class XII and was due to appear for her boards.

“She can always appear in SAT and complete her education in some university of USA. The state of California has more than 20 odd universities.” Ritesh had reasoned. “Getting such a tempting offer in the days of recession is very fortunate. I really do not want to let it go. After all, such an opportunity will not come knocking again.”

What had remained unsaid was that I would have to give up my teaching job at St. Anne’s High School to shift to USA. But I did not think much about it in the excitement of shifting to a new country. It would be good for the careers of my husband and daughter, I had thought. And like most Indians, we were completely besotted by the American dream. Was it a mistake? I don’t really know the answer to this one. Ritesh is happy enough with his professional life. The work culture here is much better than the one back home, he says. As for my daughter, she has taken to the American way of life like a fish to water. And that is a source of discomfort for me. As for me, life is very monotonous. Used as we are to the Indian way of living, life in USA can be very lonely. No relatives around, very few friends. Even the desis I see on the street or in the malls tend to look through me. Even though I do not have a maid, housework does not take much time as half the things we eat from Chapatis to Parathas to Chicken are precooked and there is hardly any dust or dirt around. I miss my job in the school. I miss my students, my colleagues and my friends. Why, I even miss our grouchy Principal Mrs. Dias. I miss Delhi and its heat, dust, grime and the teeming crowds. When I lived there I hated Delhi for all these things but now I yearn for them. The only solace is the internet. I watch a lot of Hindi movies on the net. Most of the time I end up watching the latest release much earlier than my sister back there in India. I can talk to her and some of my friends on Skype but the 14 hour time difference is a pain. And it has been just three months since we shifted. We live in Morgan Hill, a small town in the suburbs of Silicon Valley. Ritesh drives to work and it takes him about thirty minutes to reach his office in downtown St. Jose. He reaches back home around seven pm. He does his best to give me company but the only times he is really free are the weekends. He is talking about exploring the nearby places on the weekends so that both of us can spend some quality time together. Sounds pretty American, doesn’t it! Nalini has been accepted in California State University, Long Beach some two hundred miles away and lives in a dorm on the campus. I want her to come home every weekend but in past one month she has made it to home only once. Already the way she dresses and talks has changed and she has picked up a marked American accent. The only person who does not have much to do is me. I really feel like an outcast in this new life we have found for ourselves. God, I am so far away from home. I really need to get a grip on my life. I need to get out of this rut. Maybe joining the Santa Clara County Library is the answer. Maybe it is time I start considering what career options are available to me in USA.

Blog of an unknown Indian

30.9.2008 , 11.00 PM

Today is exactly three months since I landed in USA. I have decided to write this blog as a kind of online diary if my experiences here. I don’t know how frequently I will be able to update my experiences as I find barely enough time to give some company to my poor wife who languishes at home all the time. I have resolved to at least make an honest attempt to chronicle my experiences. I am software professional who works for Wipro. I was working in Gurgaon and lived in Delhi when I got this offer. To relocate to a new country at this juncture of my life was a tough call but two factors tilted the balance. First was the unprecedented advancement in my career and the monetary benefits that went with it. Second was a chance for my daughter Nalini to get an American education.

After three months I can confidently say that the decision was right.

I have made more progress professionally in these three months than I would have done in three years in Gurgaon. I have to say this about Americans that they have a different approach to work altogether. If you know your job and are sincere your co-workers will go out of their way to help you. It is a refreshing change to work in a competitive environment sans any office politics and intrigue. And they respect ability. And of course USA is far ahead of us as far as creature comforts are concerned. We have rented a beautiful house in Morgan Hill, a picturesque little town in the Santa Clara valley, flanked by the Santa Cruz Mountains in the west and the Diablo range in the east. Once Sanjana starts working we may as well buy it. After all, what are hire purchase and mortgages for? And I drive a Honda Civic to work, something I could only dream about back home. And driving on the freeway! It is something that has to be experienced and people used to the chaotic Delhi-Gurgaon road cannot even imagine the pleasure of driving on an American freeway. On my way to work I see magnificent sights. The ‘Incredible India‘ dudes should see this country. I see the grand El Toro which stands guard over the town; the freeway sweeping through the verdant Santa Clara valley; and the changing colors of foliage. My colleagues tell me that America is at its best during the fall.

Nalini has joined the California State University and as far as I can tell she is pretty happy. University education is expensive in USA but with my enhanced financial muscle I can afford it.

The only cause for concern is Sanjana. She is finding it very difficult to adjust to this new life. She looks utterly bored and wears a permanently wan expression. She says that sitting at home the whole day doing nothing is grating on her nerves. And she has put on so much of weight! I strongly suspect that she is fast turning into an Internet addict. I really do not know what to do for her as I hardly have any time on week days. I keep pestering her to be more outgoing and make a serious attempt to adjust to this new life but to no avail. I keep telling her that the only way to survive in a new country is to adjust and adapt and eventually get assimilated. After all, isn’t America a huge melting pot of different races and cultures and most of its citizen’s are descendents of immigrants. And who are the original residents of this country? The Native Americans who are hardly seen around nowadays! So why consider ourselves as outcasts? And as for loneliness, it has to be faced squarely. Sitting at home and moping will not solve anything. I think I must take Sanjana on drives around the state during the weekends and explore the surroundings. We need to check out the lake and the aquatic centre and the beach is not all that far. Maybe that will put some color into her cheeks and cheer her up. And she would not feel so ‘away from home’.

Nalini’s email.

10/02/2008

Dear Sapna,

Hi! It’s been exactly after three months since we left Delhi. It is not that I had not thought about mailing you but with so many things happening in these three months I just did not find time to email you. Now let me tell you all about our American adventures. Well, we came here and initially stayed in a guest house for around a fortnight. Then we shifted to this beautiful rented house in the suburbs. You might remember that I scored 82% in my boards. Good thing that we shifted or I would not have got admission in a decent college in Delhi. My SAT score were good enough for me to have secured admission in California State University, Long Beach. Now this is some place. I am told that the total number of students is around 45,000. Kind of boggles the mind, doesn’t it? By the way Karen and Richard Carpenter are ex-students of this University.

I am staying in a dorm in the University. Things are very different out here. One thing is that everyone from the Dean to the teachers to your classmates treats you as an adult. And none of the students wonder what their parents would think before doing anything. And they dress so differently. You know, my trendy jeans, kurtis and tee shirts looked positively dowdy here as all girls dress in minis and shorts (very short shorts). There is not much pressure of studies in the beginning as the Dean has told us to take our time before deciding on our majors. So I will decide my major next semester. Here, everyone goes out on dates and does everything in them. The boys here say I am exotic and sexy and they keep asking me out. I have gone out with a couple of guys but made them stop before they went too far. I have even sipped beer (Ugh) but I liked the cocktails. My mom wants me home every weekend but I am trying to find my feet in this milieu and we do have so many things to do on weekends. Anyway dad is cool and he says he wants me to do well academically. Do mail me and let me know how you are finding Ramjas College and Delhi Univ.

Ciao

Nell

P.S. Nobody except mom and dad calls me Nalini anymore.

Sanjana’s diary

27th December 2009

I am making an entry in the diary after more than a year. So much has happened over the year. My life has changed and I have become so busy that I have hardly had time to myself. Nowadays, I am free as Christmas holidays are going on. It has been snowing for the past three days and now I know what a ‘White Christmas’ means. My daughter Nell is home for her Christmas break. Ritesh is also free and my little family is together after a long time. We had planned to visit Florida this time but Nell was more interested in snow than sand. Besides, she wanted to stay at home and eat Indian food. Although she dresses and talks like a typical American it is good to know that inside she is still Indian. And anyway, with the advent of winter all her short dresses have disappeared. Ritesh was also swamped with work and this break has come at an opportune time for him. All he has done since the beginning of this holiday is drink beer and watch sports on TV. He has not been helping me with house-work as he claims he is on a holiday. Not that I mind. With my job in the library, my workout regimen and my commitment to community work, I hardly have had time for my household and kitchen and am enjoying rustling up long forgotten Indian dishes. But I am jumbling things up. Let me pen down the events in a chronological order. I see that I had written in my earlier entry that I had nothing to do. I was sitting at home getting terribly bored, putting on weight and feeling like an outcast.

Once the cultural shock of being in a new country wore off, I decided to put my life back on rails. And it all began with the gym. I joined the neighborhood gym and started working out. Initially, it felt terrible as I was out of shape and lacked the stamina to work out for more than five minutes at a stretch. The other members appeared to have great bodies and their skimpy clothes embarrassed me. But I did not give up and within a month I was looking and feeling better. Gradually I got to know the members who were regulars and even struck up a friendship with some of them. Susan was one of them. She is a teacher in a school. We became close when she learnt that I was also a teacher back home in India. Susan helped me to understand and adjust to the American way of life. She told me to apply for the post of Assistant Librarian in her school. After getting the job I joined a correspondence course in Library Science. I am doing fairly well in my job as well as studies and hope to be promoted to the post of librarian once I complete my diploma. She also made me realize the importance of community service in the American way of life. We are regular members of ‘Save the earth’ initiative and go over to the local ‘Retirement Home’ which is basically a home for the elderly. The inmates are all successful people on their own. It is not like the ‘Old age homes’ in India where the unwanted elderly are dumped by callous relatives. This is a proper retirement home with all amenities and the inmates usually come here out of choice. The only problem is most of them are very lonely and they look forward to our visits. Sometimes I feel that they are the real outcasts of American society. I feel very good to be there and it feels like being a part of a large extended family. I do not feel like an outsider in a strange country anymore. But it is difficult to do so many things at the same time and as a result I have been spending very less time in the kitchen and in house work. We have been eating precooked food. (The range and variety of Indian precooked food available in the Super mart is amazing and the microwave does the rest) But I have learnt many things from my American odyssey. I have learnt that it is never too late to make a fresh beginning in life; I have learnt that we should always realize ones self worth and that true happiness comes from helping others. Yes, I do miss my country and my people but I think that the move to USA has helped me discover myself. And this is Home now.

Blog of an Unknown Indian

29.12.2009 11.30.AM

So I am living my American dream. Am I happy? Yes and no. I have no complaints about my work. The work culture here is definitely better than that of India. Yet after working here for almost a year and a half I find that I have no friends. I have colleagues, contacts and acquaintances but no friends. I work like a dog for five days a week and weekends go in a blur of activities like mowing the lawn, cleaning the house and stocking up the fridge. And now I have an additional chore of shoveling the snow off the drive. Boy, do I hate snow. It is everywhere from my lawn to the roads. It is impossible to drive to the Super mart without putting snow chains on the tires. And if I don’t shovel my drive the neighbors complain. Bloody crazy Americans! What the heck does it matter if there is snow on my drive-way? They are neither my friends nor ever visit my home anyway! But they complain. A snow covered house detracts from the value of the neighborhood, they say. Yeah, sure! Now I know what the outcasts in middle ages felt like.

I am earning well, though. Maybe I’ll go back home after this project is over. But Jenny and Nell (that is what America has done to Sanjana and Nalini) are not willing to even discuss this option. Nell is completely integrated with the American way of life and says she cannot imagine going back. Her aim is to major in Classical Greek Literature. Greek, for Christ’s sake! j Jenny, I mean Sanjana says she has discovered her calling in life and the purpose of existence. All I know that she gives less time to me and more to those old fogies of Retirement Home. Still, it’s her life and I dragged her to America and she does everything possible for the family so I should not complain.

Nell’s email

12/30/2009

Hi Sapna,

It’s been a long time since I mailed you. Actually with Twitter and Face-book around who needs emails anymore? The only reason I am writing this mail is that I am in the middle of a lazy holiday at home and we are snowed in. With time hanging heavy on my hands I thought I should tell you all about the direction my life has taken. You will be shocked to know that I am majoring in Classical Greek Literature. I have discovered that I have a flair for languages and that Greek is far from a dead language. In fact it is a living, breathing and vibrant language and learning it opened vistas for me I neither knew nor imagined existed. I am able to follow Greek classics in the language they were originally written in. Believe me, each day brings with it new joys and discoveries. I am very glad that we shifted to USA when we did otherwise I would never have discovered my true calling in life. Now my ambition is to major in Classical Greek, go on to do my Doctorate and eventually land a teaching job. I must say this for the American system of education. It certainly allows you to chart your own path and sets you free from the preconceived notions. I am sure you would like to know about my social and personal life. Not much to tell. Initially when I landed here I was thrilled by the permissive lifestyle and unlimited personal freedom. But after a few months I realized the superficiality of all that. The boys here are simply interested in sex, beer and baseball (and in that order of preference) and rarely think beyond that. I have been there and find life has much more to offer. I am sure with time I’ll also find my soul mate. Till then I prefer Greek texts to these aimless parties and dumb dates. Yes, there are a couple of handsome Greek Professors but they are married and don’t seem to be interested. The only problem with life here is the frantic pace of life. Both Mom and Dad are very busy and I have been able to spend some quality family time after along long time. That is about all. How are you doing? Good, I hope! I know that you have found a boyfriend and his name is Arjun. (It is a small world, dear.) Do let me know all the juicy details.

Love and do keep in touch.

Nell

P.S. Even Mom and Dad call me Nell now.

A ghost's life- a sad story

POLICING THE WEB

Kapil Sibal's recent threat to social networking sites is not only ill advised but it exposes the deep rooted fear the Indian politicians in general and the UPA government in particular has developed about the new media, i.e. internet and social websites. Now coming to practical considerations, is it possible to police the social websites. Improbable  if not downright impossible. I don't think that Google, Facebook, Yahoo or the others are likely to be as compliant and meek as the electronic or print media operating in India. And besides, don't these sites already have an anti- hate, anti-spam policy in existence. Would not it be simpler for the government to depute some officers to peruse the contents of these sites and use the existing safeguards to remove the content ( if it is really THAT offensive).

Bluster will not solve  the issue. If anything, it will draw attention to the content Mr. Sibal finds offensive. And Sibal sahib, please answer just one question. When it comes to the problems of the common man; ensuring food security for all; rooting out corruption or even talking about it; the government seems to be having a very thick skin and deaf ears; then why this public display of overt sensitivity when a few morphed picture or cartoons of Congress leaders appear on the net? Has the public finally found a chink in your armour ??

Why India Works - written by internationally acclaimed film director Shekhar Kapoor.

This is again an email forward. But it is too good not to share with you all. A greater ‘hole in the wall’ you cannot imagine. A small fading sign on the top saying 'Cellphoon reapars' barely visible through the street vendors crowding the Juhu Market in Mumbai. On my way to buy a new Blackberry, my innate sense of adventure made me stop my car and investigate. A shop not more than 6 feet by 6 feet. Grimy and uncleaned. "Can you fix a Blackberry ?" "Of course, show me” "How old are you” "Sixteen" Bullshit. He was no more than 10. Not handing my precious blackberry to a 10 year old in unwashed and torn T shirt and pyjamas! At least if I buy a new one, they would extract the data for me. Something I have been meaning to do for a year now. "What’s wrong with it?" "Well, the roller track ball does not respond. It’s kind of stuck and I cannot operate it" He grabs it from my hand and looks at it "You should wash your hands. Many customers have same problem. Roller ball get greasy and dirty, then no working" Look who was telling me to wash my hands. He probably has not bathed for 10days, I leaned out to snatch my useless blackberry back.. "You come back in one hour and I fix it". I am not leaving all my precious data in this unwashed kid’s hands for an hour. No way. “Who will fix it?” "Big brother" "How big is ‘big brother?" "big …. Umm ..thirty" Then suddenly big brother walks in. 30 ??? He is no more than 19. "What problem?" He says grabbing the phone from my greasy hand into his greasier hand. Obviously not trained in etiquette by an upmarket retail store manager. "Normal blackberry problem. I replace with original part now. You must wash your hand before you use this". What is this about me washing my hands suddenly?? 19 year old big brother rummages through a dubious drawer full of junk and fishes out a spare roller ball packed in cheap cellophane wrapper. Originalpart? I doubt it.  But by now I am in the lap of the real India and there is no escape as he fishes out a couple of screwdrivers and sets about opening my Blackberry. “How long will this take?” "Six minutes" This I have to see. After spending the whole morning trying to find a Blackberry service centre and getting vague answers about sending the phone in for an assessment that might take a week, I settle down next to his grubby cramped work space. At least I am going to be able to watch all my stored data vanish into virtual space. People crowd around to see what’s happening. I am not breathing easy anyway. I tell myself this is an adventure and literallyhave to stop myself grabbing my precious Blackberry back and making a quickescape. But in exactly six minutes this kid handed my Blackberry back. He had changed the part and cleaned and serviced the whole phone. Taken it apart, and put it together. As I turned the phone on there was a horrific 2 minutes where the phone would not come on. I looked at him with such hostility that he stepped back. "you have more than thousand phone numbers ?" "yes". "backed up?" "no" "Must back up. I do it for you. Never open phone before backing up!" "You tell me that now?" But then the phone came on and my data was still there. Everyone watching laughed and clapped. This was becoming a show. A six minute show. I asked him how much. "500 rupees" He ventured uncertainly. People around watched in glee expecting a negotiation. That’s $10 dollars as against the Rs 30,000 ($ 600) I was about to spend on a new Blackberry or a couple of weeks without my phone. I looked suitably shocked at his ‘high price’ but calmly paid him. Much to the disappointment of the expectant crowd "Do you have an I-Phone ? Even the new ‘4D one ?" "no, why" "I break the code for you and load any ‘app’ or film you want. I give you 10 film on your memory stick on this one, and change every week for small fee’!" I went home having discovered the true entrepreneurship that lies at what we call the ‘bottom of the pyramid’. Some may call it piracy, which of course it is, but what can you say about two uneducated and untrained brothers aged 10 and 19 that set up a ‘hole in the wall’ shop and can fix any technology that the greatest technologists in the world can throw at them. I smiled at the future of our country. If only we could learn to harness this potential. ‘Please wash your hands before use’ were his last words to me. Now I am feeling seriously unclean.

More flash fiction-55 word stories

Pause

The monitor suddenly stopped beeping almost causing his heart to stop. The surgeon, intent on his work, didn’t even notice. The anesthetist placed his hands on the patient pulse and found it steady. He realised that the power supply to the monitor had failed and the patient was fine. His own heartbeat returned to normal.

Victim

The new teacher would be his next victim, he decided. After all, he was the terror of the school.  He waited for her to enter the class, ready for the confrontation. The lady entered the class, looking like a frightened doe. One look at her eyes, and he was struck dumb. He was in love.

Compromise

The broker counted the money, stashed it away and smiled. “Don’t worry, sir. Your son’s admission to medical college is assured. Just ask him to leave at least eighty percent of the answer sheet blank.” He had been upright all his life but had to compromise with his principles for the sake of his progeny.

Resume

He sat alone in his flat, nursing his beer which had gone flat a long time back. He wondered if he had been a little more understanding and a little less egoistical, Reena would still be with him. “Come back into my life, Reena. I am sorry.” He wished that life had a resume button.

Trouble

He paled as he perused the ultrasound report. His wife was carrying triplets this time. The twins had just turned four and it was the right time for an addition to the family, they had thought. “We wanted one more, but God decided to send us triplets?!!” He thought. “Now we are in serious trouble.”


Shock

The attractive girl was dressed to kill. She needed to, as  one of the highest paid call girls of the city, she had certain obligations to her clients.After all, looks were everything!

The bell rang and she opened the door, expecting another 'dirty old man.'

She was shocked to see her dad standing there.

***

Flash fiction- yet more 55 word stories

 Eye witness

The one room chawl accommodated the entire family of seven. The newly wedded couple could not stay away from each other for long and sneaked away for a tryst. As they made out on the terrace, oblivious to the discomfort and the cold, the lone cat blinked at them, a mute witness to their passion.

Murder

Murder, she thought. Sprayed almost the entire contents of the insecticide and went to sleep, confident that the vermin would be exterminated by the morning. But a nasty surprise awaited her. When she woke -up early next morning, her kitchen was overrun by cockroaches as usual. Spray had not worked. Time to phone pest-control, she decided.

Accident

It was their tenth marriage anniversary and he had forgotten about it. After waiting the whole day for some kind of acknowledgment, his wife gave him hell and they ended up fighting bitterly as usual. He could not sleep; and while tossing and turning, he wondered whether their marriage was an event or an accident.

Amnesia

The frail old lady stared blankly.

 “Do you remember the day I got my medical degree! You were so happy.” Her daughter said with a cheer she did not feel in her heart. In fact the only thing she felt was a deep dread as she recognized the relentless progress of symptoms of Alziemer’s disease.

Hysteria

The mobiles started ringing at midnight as the rumors about the imminent flood spread throughout the city. By four in the morning, the entire city was awake and on the roofs, prepared for the sudden deluge. But the river waters never rose and Yamuna flowed serenely, as if laughing at the phenomena of mass hysteria.

Indian History by a Schoolboy!!!

This is an email forward I received. Too funny not to share so here it is.......

The original inhabitants of ancient India were called Adidases, who lived intwo cities called Hariappa and Mujhe-na-Daro. These cities had the best drain system in the world and so there was no brain drain from them. Ancient India was full of myths which have been handed down from son to father. A myth is a female moth. A collection of myths is called mythology, which means stories with female caricatures.

One myth says that people in olden times worshipped monkeys because they were our incestors. In olden times, there were two big families in India. One was called the Pandava and the other was called the Karova. They fought amongst themselves in a battle called Mahabharat, after which India came to be known as Mera Bharat Mahan.

In midevil times, India was ruled by the Slave Dienasty. So named because they all died a nasty death. Then came the Tughlaqs who shifted their capital from Delhi because of its pollution. They were followed by the Mowglis. The greatest Mowgli was Akbar because he extinguished himself on the battlefield of Panipat which is in Hurryana. But his son Jehangir was peace loving; he married one Hindu wife and kept 300 porcupines.

 

Then came Shahajahan who had 14 sons. Family planning had not been invented at that time. He also built the Taj Mahal hotel for his wife who now sleeps there. The king sent all his sons away to distant parts of India because they started quarrelling. Dara Seiko was sent to UP, Shaikh Bhakhtiyar was sent to J & K, while Orangezip came to Bombay to fight Shivaji. However, after that they changed its name to Mumbai because Shivaji's sena did not like it. They also do not like New Delhi, so they are calling it Door Darshan.

 

After the Mowglis came Vasco the Gama. He was an exploder who was circumcising India with a 100 foot clipper. Then came the British. They brought with them many inventions such as cricket, tramtarts and steamed railways. They were followed by the French who brought in French fries, pizzazz and laundry. But Robert Clive drove them out when he deafened Duplex who was out-membered since the British had the queen on their side.

 

Eventually, the British came to overrule India because there was too much diversity in our unity. The British overruled India for a long period. They were great expotents and impotents. They started expoting salt from India and impoting cloth. This was not liked by Mahatma Gandhi who wanted to produce his own salt. This was called the Swedish moment. During this moment, many people burnt their lion cloths in the street and refused to wear anything else. The British became very angry at this and stopped the production of Indian testiles.

 

In 1920, Mahatma Gandhi was married to one wife. Soon after he became the father of the nation. In 1942, he started the Quiet India moment, so named because the British were quietly lootoing our country. In 1947, India became free and its people became freely loving. This increased our population. Its government became a limited mockery, which means people are allowed to take the law in their own hands with the help of the police.

 

Our constipation is the best in the world because it says that no man can be hanged twice for the same crime. It also says you cannot be put in prison if you have not paid your taxis. Another important thing about our constipation is that it can be changed. This is not possible with the British constipation because it is not written on paper.

The Indian parlemint consists of two houses which are called lower and higher. This is because one Mr. Honest Abe said that two houses divided against itself cannot withstand. So Pandit Nehru asked the British for freedom at midnight since the British were afraid of the dark. At midnight, on August 15, there was a tryst in parlemint in which many participated by wearing khaki and hosting the flag.

 

Recently in India, there have been a large number of scams and a plaque, it can be dangerous because many people died of this plaque in Surat. Scams are all over India. One of these was in Bihar where holy cows were not given anything to eat by their elected leader. The other scam was in Bofor which is a small town in Switzerland. In this, a lot of Indian money was given to buy a gun which can shoot a coot.

Presently, India has a coalishun government made up of many parties, left, right and centre. It has started to library the economy. This means that there is now no need for a licence as the economy will be driven by itself.

India is also trying to become an Asian tiger because its own tigers are being poached. Another important event this year was the Shark Meeting at Malas Dive. At this place, shark leaders agreed to share their poverty, pollution and population.

An ode to Jagjeet Singh

Jagjeet Singh is no more! I and countless other fans all over the globe feel a sense of personal loss. It is like losing a very close relative or someone very near your heart.  Jagjeet Singh was the voice of an entire generation. Many of us who did not have an Urdu background developed a taste for the language and its poetry solely because of the magical voice of Jagjeet Singh.  Urdu ghazals came alive through his wonderful compositions. God had blessed him with a unique voice which was literally one in millions. His was the voice of poetry, the voice of romance, the voice of love, the voice of purity, the voice of devotion and much more to millions of us.

The same destiny, which had endowed him with a bounty of talent which endeared him to people all over the world; had deemed it fit to give an unhappy personal life. But mysterious are the ways of the Almighty and we, mere humans, cannot even begin to comprehend the vagaries of fate. But whatever Jagjeet Singh lost in the way of personal happiness; he poured it all out in his ghazals. His ghazals are an endless source of myriad emotions and generate a kaleidoscope of feelings.

Jagjeet Singh may have gone, but he will live in the hearts of his fans forever and his ghazals will continue to delight generations.

I am sure that music lovers all over the world will join me in praying for his soul.

Jagjeet Singh, may you find happiness, eternal peace and salvation at the feet of the Almighty. 

All and nothing- Book review

All and nothing by Raksha Bharadiya is a book that stands out in this crowd of new age Indian English Fiction! I picked it up form the Crossword store of Benguluru airport and finished it while waiting for my train at New Delhi railway station some four hours later. Now if a book can be finished in one continuous read, that does say something positive about its readability.

The central theme of the book is about life and relationships that define the existence of most of us. The story revolves round Tina, who falls in love with Aditya, a man yet to come to terms with his failed relationship with Antara. After years of matrimony, two kids and a bout of alcoholism, Tina sees Aditya going back to Antara. Emotionally shattered and alone, she tries to come to terms with her life as well as try to make sense of the lives of few of her friends. Then we have Manas, a kindred soul and his mercurial relationship with Gayatri.  There is Kriya, born to a celebrity father and struggling to hide her mediocrity by covering it with a veneer of success.  Poorvi, born with the proverbial silver spoon, has her own problems in life, mostly to do with her inability to produce a male heir for her family.  Upasna is a victim of recurrent domestic violence. You will have to read the book to find out whether they are able to come to terms with the vexing questions that plague their lives or not?

Raksha weaves this story of urban angst, relationships and contemporary life with a lot of skill and maturity. Her language is simple, yet elegant. The characters are well etched, the situations real and plausible, and at the same time she manages to ask uncomfortable questions about the male dominance in our society without getting too preachy.

As for weaknesses, there aren’t too many, but I think the liberal use of vernacular (Bangla, in this case) could have been avoided. The cover could have been a brighter colour than the deep melancholy blue but these are minor issues.  

Priced at a reasonable Rs.95.00 and published by Rupa, the book is strongly recommended for every booklover. I would rate it at 3.5/5. 

Book review- Chanakya's Chant

Chanakya’s Chant is a nice thick book. When you get so much of reading for the modest price 195.00, it is generally a god deal for the booklover. So did it come up to my expectations? I believe it did. Ashwin Sanghi manages to hold the readers interest throughout the 448 page novel and that is no mean feat.

Chanakya’s  Chant is a book that tells us two stories simultaneously. It is the story of Vishnu Dutt, the original political thinker this country has produced, better known as Chanakya or Kautilya to the historians. The novel goes back to the distant past (around 300 BC) and tells us the story of Chanakya’s epic lifetime struggle to put his protégé Chandragupta Maurya on the throne of Magadha and unite the entire country under his rule.

At the same time a parallel track of the novel tells us the story of Gangasagar Mishra, a modern day Chanakya, who schemes and plots his way through the murky passages of Indian politics to install his nominee, Chandni Gupta (the resemblance to Chandragupta is no coincidence, I believe) on the highest seat the country has to offer.The pace is fast and the interest does not flag despite the fact that the end is a forgone conclusion. Ashwin must have undertaken extensive research to produce this tale of political intrigue, deception, maneuvering, doublespeak and downright trickery as seen through the ages.  I enjoyed reading the book but it did leave me a bit dissatisfied. Reason? While the Chanakya story holds interest and offers us glimpse into the distant past, the story of Pandit Gangasagar Misra is a bit jaded and obvious. The situations and the twists are somewhat predictable and give you the feeling of having seen it all somewhere before. The liberal use of cuss words by the historical characters seems odd (to say the least) Now I wonder if the ancients (including the venerable Chanakya) were as free with profanities as the modern day Indians.

These little irritants apart, the book is indeed value for money and will be welcomed by fans of Indian English writing. I would rate the book as 3/5.

Interviews

If you would care to read some boring interviews of a nobody,

 click

here

and here

and here as well.

One more

Review of Down the Road- Gray Oak Publishers

first thing I did after finishing ‘Urban shots’ by Gray Oak was to order their next anthology ‘Down the Road’. It is a collection of school/college centric stories designed to evoke déjà vu in the youngsters and nostalgia in the not so young. (I prefer calling myself young at heart, slightly older in other places, but that is beside the point)

The book is packaged cleverly and has been promoted smartly. But is it as good as Urban Shots. Not to me at least( but it is almost there). The stories vary in content and quality. Some of them are extremely good.  Sorroricide by Paritosh Uttam ( I am fast turning into a fan, Paritosh) unleashes  powerful and moving emotions; The music room by Tra Trivedi packs a punch; Dimples and cute smiles ( Ranjani Iyer), Well placed ( Ahmed Faiyaz) and the The worm that turned ( Malathi Jaikumar) invoke humor without even trying too hard; Just a moment (Nikhil Rajagopalan) ,Learning and unlearning ( Rohini Kejarival) and Strangers in strange places( Abhijit Bhaduri) succeed in unlocking a strong sense of nostalgia; while Loves me, loves me not ( Vibhi Batra) is plain chilling. The rest of the stories run the entire gamut from good to indifferent/juvenile, but there is enough punch to keep the reader occupied.The pick of the authors? Kunal Dhabalia for An accidental start. But I don't understand why was Between friends ( Paritosh Uttam) repeated. It was featured in Urban Shots just a few months back.

I think Gray Oak is doing a yeoman’s service to the cause of English writing in India by leading a revival of the short story and this book is recommended for all lovers of short stories. My rating 3/5.

Book review- Urban Shots

I started the book with a lot of expectations because of two reasons. One, I am inordinately fond of short stories and two; this book came with high recommendations. I was disappointed initially as the first two stories failed to keep up to my expectations. But things picked up with Liberation ( Malathi Jaikumar), and from Notes of discord ( Paritosh Uttam) onwards the book  proved to be a worthy read.

The book is a compelling read, touching different facets of urban existence. The anthology has five sections sub-titled love, friendship, relationships, angst and longing; each consisting of an eclectic collection of short stories and straddling a gamut of emotions and feelings. What I particularly liked about the collection is that stories talk of situations and characters which are very real life and easily identifiable, sometimes the very ordinariness of the situation making it an extra-ordinary tale.

This is not a book to be read in a hurry. I would describe it as a cup of my favorite Darjeeling tea rather than a cup of Instant coffee. So the best way would be to sip it slowly, savoring every moment. Some stories are worth reading and re-reading. While the best three stories according to me are Serendipity, Stick figures and The biggest problem; the pick of the authors is undoubtedly Paritosh Uttam.

I would rate the debut book of Grey Oak publications as 3.5/5.

If you want to order a copy of the book on-line, click here.

P.S. And if the editors of this book are reading this, please please please drop me an email asking for a contribution, next time you do another collection of short stories. 

A battle won....

I would like to congratulate each and every citizen of our country for the first victory in the present war against corruption.  A word of caution here, the first battle has been won but the war is far from over. Still, the positives that have accrued from Anna’s ongoing fast against corruption have been numerous and the major ones need to be enumerated.

The first and foremost is a clear and unambiguous message to the political establishment that people cannot be taken for granted forever and they need to lose the power-drunkenness they are suffering from.  That politics is the last refuge of the scoundrel is a well known adage but it may change yet. The bureaucrat –politician- criminal nexus that has held this country ransom for so many years may find their immunity snatched away rather rudely.

Secondly, it has shredded the cloak of helplessness, hopelessness and apathy that had enveloped most of the citizens of this country and given them HOPE. Most of us had simply accepted that corruption has seeped into the very fabric of our nation and nothing can be done about it. Now we know that anything is possible and the mantra of Satyamev Jayate has been resurrected.

Thirdly, it has given us all a true leader whose whole life till today has been a saga of selflessness.

Also, it has highlighted the role positive activism can play in shaping the destiny of a nation. In addition to Anna Hazare, people like Arvind Kejrival, Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh  will act as role models for our youth .

Moreover, it has shown the power of media. The principled and courageous coverage of the agitation by both print and electronic media was instrumental in the eventual victory of the people in this battle. I wish that our media keeps up the high standards of reporting demonstrated this time and serves the people of this nation without fear or favour.

Lastly, it has demonstrated the power of internet and social networks like blogs, facebook and twitter. The battle may have been fought at Jantar Mantar but it was won in the cyber-world and I am sure that this will act as a powerful weapon against corruption in future as well.

Once again, congratulations to all the soldiers of this mission and JAI HIND.

A wake up call

The battle lines are drawn. And the stand-off continues.  Anna does not seem to be a mood to relent. And the government continues to be magnificently unaware, reveling in an ostrich like attitude. Meanwhile, people from all walks of life continue to gravitate towards India Against Corruption, jolted out of the feeling of hopelessness, helplessness and stupor.

The media (both print and 24 hour news channels) have joined the battle, this time for a worthwhile cause.  The question is- Where do we go from here? What is going to happen now? I am no clairvoyant but this time I can sense the future happenings. So can every sensible person with a modicum of common sense. The only persons to be completely out of synch with reality seem to be the power drunk, bloated with their own sense of importance, ministers of Central Government.  They have gone to the extent of calling this Satyagraha coercive! So now the ideals of Gandhiji are coercive and against the tenants of democracy! Then please answer these questions!

 If this is undemocratic and coercive what was the freedom struggle?

And what is the difference between an imperial power/ dictatorship and a democratically elected government if they function in similar fashion?

If our politician- bureaucrat nexus is as honest as it claims to be, why is it scared of Jan Lokpal?

The Central Government is asking for more time. Time for what? Are they hoping that the protests will die off with time?

Why can’t the Prime Minister and the Chair-person of UPA intervene in the matter directly? Are they too big? Or they are still unable to understand the angst of the common citizen?

The citizens have woken up. It is high time the central government did. And please do not under- estimate the power of the ballot. If the government does not act now, the public will teach them a lesson in the next general election which is not all that far!

India against corruption- a common man's perspective

 The present fast to death for the implementation of Jan Lokpal Bill By Anna Hazare and the gradual flocking of enlightened citizens around him under the banner of India Against Corruption has triggered these thoughts, rather , a train of thoughts in my mind.

It is very good that at last someone is protesting against corruption. But is it a matter of too late, too less?  Will the institution of another watchdog, albeit with more teeth, solve the disease of corruption which has assumed epidemic proportions in our country? I rarely see honest Indians around nowadays. We travel in trains and buy half tickets for our above 12 children (asking them to tell TT uncle that they are eleven and a half when he comes.) We pay bribes for as mundane things as getting a birth certificate, ration card or a passport.  We don’t mind paying a little extra even for the smallest of our requirements (Suvidha shulk, it is called in Hindi). The so called noble professions like Teaching and Medicine have succumbed to the lure of the lucre. There is nothing called an honest or an upright politician in our country. The previously incorruptible branches of the system like the defence forces and the judiciary have become tainted. (The instance are too numerous to enumerate). Nothing and I mean nothing is sacrosanct, including conduct of entrance exams to premier institutions of the country. All the regulatory authorities need to be regulated. Now, will simplistic measures like institution of Jan Lokpal solve the problems facing our country?  And what about the huge economy of Black money that flourishes in our country, primarily sourced from corruption?

Vexing questions indeed and the answers prove to be elusive as usual. But then how do we explain the huge and spontaneous outpouring of support for the venerable Anna Hazare? Simple! However corrupt this nation has become, people have started to chafe under the yoke of this unending, blatant, all prevalent and unashamed corruption. They see the beginning of the end of hydra headed monster of corruption in Anna’s courageous fight. Maybe, one Jan Lokpal Bill will not solve all problems and like CVC and CEC, it will bend itself to the system. But at last, someone is protesting! Come on, my friends, let us wake up. Let us take inspiration from the clarion call-

ARISE, AWAKE, AND STOP NOT TILL THE GOAL IS ACHIEVED.

Let us dream of a better India, a corruption free India, and a new India.  There are so many of us. And if all put our hands together and push, I am sure that something will give. So join the protest, blog, tweet, use social netwoks but do something.

SPEAK  OUT AGAINST CORRUPTION.

Jai Hind