Rishikesh: An odyssey of beauty and a saga for life

One fine evening, as I was busy trudging through my random monotonous life when my usual routine of -sleep-watch TV-repeat had finally infuriated me to an extent that it became irrevocably impossible for  VH1 to lure me, I received a call from a cousin who stays in Delhi . And as she gladly asked me to accompany her and her office mates to a trip to Rishikesh, it didn’t take a sec’ for me to go all gaga about it. Yesssss! That’s exactly was my reaction.

Traveling to a place that’s devoid of any modern amenities may sound a little quirky 'cause when you don’t have internet and phone chargers followed by a herd of 18 people with every single person
looking for a slot; it can turn out to be pretty hilarious at times. Anyway, I am a little sloppy when it
comes to travelogues. So please bear with me.

31st May 2014: The night it all started

It all began on the night of 31st May when we glided with our 18 member troop in two cars. The late
journey was a strange amalgamation of fun, food, music and swapping seats in the midst of the entire 6 hour long haul.

1st June 2014: Rishikesh- the eternal beauty

As we set our feet on the sanctimonious and pious land of Haridwar, the aura and setting took our
breath away. We took a little halt at a place that kind of looked liked a parking spot facing the famous Rishikesh ghat. It was 4:30 in the morning but the sun had already geared up to fascinate us with a dim backdrop of the serene ghat that was absolutely a treat to the eyes.  After our brief chai session, we resumed our trip and moved along the mighty shivaliks. It was a circular terrain with nothing but
greenery all around. Nothing beats good music and driving through a place like this.

The events of 1st June comprise of different settings and various activities happening in a single day but it literally felt that we have been living here since ages.

Keep Calm and camp on!

Finally we treaded to our camping site that was along the banks of the river Ganges called Byas. Farther than shivpuri, it took us half an hour to reach there. It is truly said, “Look into the nature and you’ll understand everything better.”  The arduous journey had limited our energy stock but the sound of bustling Ganga coupled with the magnificent view of the nature that had welcomed us with a stroke of rain showers, crammed everyone with a burst of tranquility. After a briefing by the camp organizers, tents were designated to everybody. Some of the troupe members preferred to lay down for a while the others resorted to playing games on the beach.

River Rafting:  Great fun

Can we direct the wind? Sure not. How about adjusting to the sails?

It was perhaps one of the most adventurous things that ever occurred to all of us. After a hearty
breakfast, everyone got packed and geared up with life jackets and bountiful of excitement. We sailed off to live up to one of the most invigorating experiences of our lives.  The rafting was undeniably great fun. We covered 3 rapids with astonishingly funny names and a guide with an even funnier accent. But anyway, he took some good pictures of us. Drifting and sailing through the mighty water of Ganges was indubitably thrilling. What was more stimulating was dipping into the waters while rafting. The cold water felt so sublime as it seeped through us and touched our bare skin. That was absolutely heavenly!

We roughly covered 18 kms down the trail and at the end most of us cribbed for a little more.  However, the tides were pretty strong and it was advisable to not go for it.

Back to the game: We are aquaholics! 

After the lunch was served to us, it was time for some water sports! This was possibly the best quality time that everybody seemed to enjoy the most.  Diving and playing in the river, clicking pictures,
kayaking and so on. This continued for quite a sometime. After a nice mountain shower, we set off to visit the Rishikesh ghat to witness the famous Ganga aarti that takes place every day. We took a boat to the other end of ghat, sat near the water and watched as the holiness took a roll on us. It was one fine evening packed with spirituality as the bhajans grew upon us. A perfect setting to let it all go away and witness the grandeur of this holy land and thank god for everything that he’s bestowed upon us.

Good food. Great people. Life is awesome.

I was supposedly a new member to the entire group but it didn’t take long to for me to merge and
eventually be a part of them. The night had already dawned unto us as we travelled back to our camping site but a really scrumptious meal was waiting for us. Feasting over the delicious chicken tikkas, lovely paneer and potato starters followed by a lip smacking dinner made us vulnerable to sleep that we ultimately succumbed to, after a long, exploratory day.

2nd June 2014: Cheers to a winning end!

Waking up after a good sleep is certainly bliss. Day two began a little slow with everyone getting up with aching bodies and sore limbs. Courtesy to the supposedly hardcore rafting. Well, at least for some of us.
After a hefty breakfast, everybody sat around for a brief interactive session followed by a deep prayer and moments of introspection.  Finally, it was the time to bid a heartfelt goodbye to a place that‘s truly synonymous to vitality and beauty. Soon after, we checked out of the camp.

Oh wait, it doesn’t really end here. Well, that’s exactly where we went wrong too. The journey from
Rishikesh to Delhi was marked with a tint of filmy tadka too. Who’d have thought that a mere collision at a toll booth with a car would be followed by a hilarious and riotous voyage?  One of the members of gang had lost its phone during the conflict and as soon as everybody realized it, the chase for the black alto that had stolen the mobile began. If you have happened to watch those typical Hindi movies in which the thief is chased by a group of ferocious cops, it’ll be easier for you to picture the whole scene.

So, fortunately the car was able to track and catch the fleeing black alto that had absolutely no idea that they were being chased by a group of angry, young fellows and wait, a truck-wala too.  While all this action was happening, the occupants of the other car were busy looking for a mall to use the washroom.

Not everybody has the cool to deal with situations like this.

After a halt at a chai dhaba with a man in bright yellow vest and red netted shirt who served us the tea as everybody chit chatted and related their escapade to us. The journey resumed smoothly until we reached Delhi at approximately 20:00 hours.
The overall trip was an experience that would certainly cling to our hearts. A voyage that was an
incorporation of fun and frolic, of splendor and reminiscences that everyone would want to cherish.
Rishikesh is definitely a place to relax, to lie down and just forget the world. If you really are looking for a temporary escape from the fists of your mundane lifecycle; take a break, buck up yourself and leave the rest to Mother Nature.

Study nature, love nature. Stay close to it and it’ll never fail you for its very essence is lyrical.

The Mirror Of Erised

What does the mirror of Erised mean to you? Is it merely a glass painted to reveal yourself or a reflection to what your heart wants to see? Is it a long, clueless sea of hopes and wishes; trudging through steep banks? Hurdling its way in a mellow, cutting through the edges and tossing lives with it. Or alternatively, an endless voyage that stretches to infinity with vague roads, beautiful strangers to hop with and wild fruits to feast on. The mirror of Erised is special. It’s like an incessant stretch of sky with starts scintillating and immaculate alike those numerous, deathless opportunities. Junctures that you missed overlooked or probably wasted in a spree. The mirror of Erised is emblematic. It boasts of chivalry and winsomeness. However, on the inside it is as phony as a hybrid fluorescent rose. Delusive and yet tantalizing. The mirror of Erised is not simply to admire your hefty arms and those flawlessly fashioned muscles that could fit someone’s heart so brilliantly. Haven’t you realized yet that this mirror is one of a kind? It longs for people to see it, admire its beauty. Nevertheless, what it gets is a selfish beast that is tamed by self fixation and obviously needless to say; another source to click a Facebook DP. The mirror of Erised feels cheated. It yearns for someone who could climb upon those hills of introspection and take an onus. It doesn’t matter how much in the vicinity of fake showers did you spend. When was the last time did you feed a beggar? Spent an iota of your time with your loved one? Don’t know? Well, maybe you need to find another mirror to ask that.

*Wrote this for a city based creative writing competition. Too random and well, quirky. 

Women's Day : Why need a day?

How do you define feminism? 

A dainty creature who is competent of cooking at one time, working the other and cribbing half of the time for her rights? Okay, let’s get this better.

In cities, there are special provisions for women seats in city buses, women get a special quota when it comes train services. Forget this; it is certain that you must have at least once felt the urge of telling a man to help you out when you fall down. Say from your vehicle itself.

Trying to act all petite when we want something and when we don’t, we blame the typical male mentality and chauvinism for it. Why castigate them when it us who have actually created and embossed the image of being flimsy in their minds. I don’t see a point in shouting slogans related to how men and women are equal. Had we been, you wouldn’t have asked the guy ahead you to let you go first in a queue. All those admonishing that we lash fiercely claiming that men and women are equal. If that’s the case, what is the point of availing exempts based on feminism?

As comprehended by most of us that includes both men and women, feminism is not something that is concerned with a set of protocols designed for women. Neither the feminists demand a special treatment for them. Why need a special treatment when we allege to be equal?

Feminism, on the contrary should be defined and asserted the other way round. To forget that you are a woman. To break all those chasms, those innumerable boundaries and rising above the fact that makes you feeble inside. Which also include giving away your Mahila seat in buses to an old man who is struggling midst the crowd in search of a seat. Yes, that’s what you call feminism.

So ladies, on this world women’s day, instead of exhibiting how diminutive we are, how badly we need JUST a day to commemorate our importance. Let’s actually stand up for some definitive causes. Be a feminist who commands respect and virtue and not merely demand it out of sheer vulnerability and propensity.

Mint!

Before beginning my this post, I 'd like to make certain points clear.
1.This is purely my work of fiction and is not intended to be related to anyone. No one.
2.Please do not care to judge me after this. Really! It feels bad.
3.Lastly, be free to post whatever you feel. Cheers!

Photo credits: That Kiss in the Rain

That night, when we would prepare ourselves to get back home after a brief saunter. The moment we enter our room, it would take hardly a fraction of second to close it back. Know why? Because you would be keenly busy and restless in unraveling my lacy straps with your hands playfully scuffling to play with my tresses. Your incessant force to drive me off to bed would impede when suddenly a knock on the door with your mother telling us to open it would compel you to take your hands off me. Though unwillingly. After a short, in fact really tiny encounter with your mother, you look back to see if the business that you left unfinished for a moment is still at its place. However, you find me nowhere around our bed. Your eyes search for me everywhere, to incarcerate my tender body into your those muscular and strong arms that my heart has craved to fit in, since so many years. Tired and slightly irritated, you call my name loud enough to wake up the people sleeping next to our bedroom. However, soon you’d realize that all the untying had been done already in your absence. As soon as you turn up the curtains of our bathroom, you’d find me there. Drenched, that incandescent body, longingly waiting for the master to take over everything that has waited an eternity. Your expressions seem to be inscrutable. As if the little attempt to revive that loss love in our life has turned out to be futile.  Nevertheless, suddenly my heart takes a jolt when you push me away in your hefty arms and hug me to death. It is an innate tendency of a human to get sentimental during such beautiful times of your life. When you realize that all that affection and warmth that seemed to fade away was just for a matter of time. Passing phase (as they say). Locked into each other, we struggle to find a comfy position that would enable us to make love. With that cold water tripping over our warm bodies, you make those little noises of kissing my neck repeatedly. It looks as if we transited from all the materialistic penance to a safer, had better place. Far away from the hustle and bustle of our mundane and worldly hours that has separated our minds and souls to a great extent. Silently we tread out of the washroom with our bodies sopped with water all over. Our tongues delightfully set up on their voyage to clean those tiny droplets of water from our bodies. That lovely musk smell lingering in the air proves to be an ideal niche for those caressed moves that you carefully commit so slowly and yet so beautifully. With every second passing by, we could hear each other’s hearts thumping hard with the waves of intimacy lashing fiercely. I try to speak but your wet lips bound my mouth every time. There isn’t a second, a minute that is spared to make our love making an everlasting session. We slowly reach up to the level that unify us. Our bare bodies feel a tinch of cold wave that you alarmingly cover with a warm quilt. Stark naked, we lie beside each other. Wrapped in your arms, I raise a question, “would you stay like this forever?” To which you just give an angelic smile,wrap me more tightly and whisper just 3 words,” yes, and forever!”

Movie Review:1920-Evil Returns

Cast : Aftab Shivdasani, Tina Bajpai

Director: Bhushan Patel

Producer: Vikram Bhatt

Rating : 3/5

It doesn’t entail to that extreme breathtaking horror that would not even allow you to catch a quick loo break.However, compile the usual old drama of a beauty possessed by an evil and a hero who frees his beloved blah blah. Old school. Nevertheless, who thought that this old school trick could actually work .1920-evil returns has all the basic spooky elements to cling the audience to their seats and visit the loo more often. At least I did! Although the story line is very very basic. Moreover, if you have ever happen to watch Exorcist by any chance, do not get startled if you find some similar scenes.

Smruti (Tia Bajpai) is found unconscious at a lakeside shore where our hero (Aftab Shivdasani) as the famous shayar Jaidev is able to rescue her. The departure of her lost love (whom he had never seen by the way) has made him an alcoholic. The arrival of Smruti brings back that vanished love in his life along with a sway of an evil drooping on her head. Oops! I meant on her shoulder.You've got to watch the movie to unveil that. Then the fight-to-free-my-love takes place, which obviously is what the movie is all about. Sorry can’t sketch the suspense here. Although, it is easy to picture it the moment you watch it.

One good thing about the movie is its cinematography. Beautiful, serene, and incredible views of the country side of England has added to the splendor of the picturisation. Tina Bajpai has acted amazingly and has very well defined the role of a possessed woman. Aftab Shivdasani seems to be working out a lot these days. Result is his fit body that has been portrayed flamboyantly by the typical medieval shirts that he has worn in the movie throughout. Acting wise, he is average. The music tracks are also averagely rated with some of them sung by the singer turned actress Tina Bajpai herself.Eerie,creepy scenes combined with a usual dose of horror and drama is what 1920-evil returns is all about. For those ardent horror viewers, it might look a bit boring. However, as the story goes, particularly from the other half, it gets intriguing. Do not keep your hopes very high but yeah, once in a while, you can always spend a few bucks to avail an Indian taste of spooky ride. Can’t you?

Movie Review: Shirin Farhad Ki toh Nikal Padi

Cast: Boman Irani, Farah Khan, Daisy Irani

Direction: Bela Bhansali Sehgal

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Duration: I hour and 52 minutes

Rating: 2.5/5

Rose tinted 40 plus love amalgamated with a funny storyline and a wide range of under  clothes. Well you are definitely in for a roller coaster ride of unceasing drama, love and an endearing finale.

Farhad Pastakia (Boman Irani) is a 45-year-old salesperson at Tem Tem Bra and Panty shop. He has given up all the hopes of getting married ever in his life until one day he encounters another Parsi bachelorette Shrin Fuggawala (Farah Khan) who is the secretary at The Parsi Trust. And that marks the beginning of yet another love saga between the two. Boman Irani’s has acted undoubtedly well. Farah Khan fits beautifully in the role of Shirin and her acting skills are natural enough to make her debut a hit!

 Amidst the sizes 38-d, 36-b at which Farhad is a master  at, the duo began to realize that love indeed has no age limits and finally plan to get married. What a perfect beautiful love story! Well like all the bollywood flicks, this one also has a slight twist. Farhad’s mother ( Daisy Irani) opposes the lovey dovey couple and this sets a benchmark for Farhad and Shirin’s troubled love life. Caught in a bad romance but finally  having a delightful conclusion after a voyage of action and melodrama, the movie undoubtedly gets you in that happy-go-light mood throughout 1 hr and 52 mins.However it becomes a little dull in the middle but the excellent dialogue deliveries ,amusing scenes  and portrayal of typical  parsi  culture surely prove it to be an epic entertainer. The music is averagely rated.  For those who brag about the absence of romance in their lives, Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi is one cute and amiable movie to watch for as Farhad says “Love has no expiry date”!

Paan Singh Tomar: Movie review

Irrfan Khan does it again! With a methodical portray of the real life Olympic winner Paan singh tomar, Tigmanshu Dhulia has brilliantly portrayed the life history of one of the illustrious but eventually forgotten sports heroes of our country. The movie starts off in a flashback when a journalist interviews Paan Singh who has now become a gruesome”BAAGI” (as he likes to be referred )in the Chambal valley.  Paan singh being a jawaan in the Indian army represents a lean, little but yes an educated  villager who at frequent times does exhibit his love for his wife Indra (mahie Gill). The mention of lemon drops at times in order to drive their children away to grab a chance of making love is in a way very amusing. Mahie Gill who plays the role of his wife has a dark complexion like of all the village girls around,thus doing justification with the character.Not to forget the typical language used which enlivens the authenticity of the film.

From a normal jawaan, the army sports coach soon discovers a rising athlete in him which ultimately favours paan singh's chances to participate in the steeple chase competition in asian and Olympics. Paan singh makes India proud by winning laurels in both the tournament and at one instance breaking his own record. Little did he realize that these laurels and prizes would prove to be useless when he tries to get hold of his ancestral lands abducted by his own relatives.  And that marks the turning point of his comfy life. With no support from the government and  the police officials who plainly deny to help him out in acquiring his land, circumstances force paan singh to get an early retirement and seek to become the most wanted dacoit. He kills and loots the people whom he considered were bad enough to live for he says that he is not a criminal, but a person who has punished the culprits fairly. In the meantime Paan Singh gets into a serious tiff killing 5 gujars and moreover the broadcasting of  his interview thus enrages the government. Later he is killed in an encounter along with his whole group of dacoits.

Paan singh Tomar is one movie that would cling the audience to their seats till the end. Totally different from the usual hundi movie melo drama, the film does raise a questions regarding those innumerous and forgotten heroes of sports and the dreadful conditions they encounter afterwards.

For those intellectual and practical minds who always seek some rationality in bollywood movies, this movie wold surely prove  to be a great, enriching and eye opener experience.