Sunday, October 31, 2010

The usual suspects

Clearly, longer your post the more uninviting it is to the eye of your reader. But its seldom that i'm able to make myself write something huge and at the same time worthy of a second read to myself.

This is what I feel after receiving feedback like "Too lengthy", "Started reading, but slept half way through", "Will read the second half in my re-birth" and "Did you even type the whole thing?"

So, before I fill my current post with my opinions on my previous post here we go.

Had a blue week, eight of the seven days were bad.Fights and failed.. no epic failed tests.Days were as boring as they could get.This is life's irony.Good things don't happen when you don't want them to.( Sigh, I can't restrict myself from using the word Life in my posts and sure as hell the post gets labelled philosophical) 

From the polambals in the first few lines to the pombalais that I come across everyday, there are reasons you,me and he state for anything that happens in your,mine and his life.And the blame game, love it dontcha?

These are the usual suspects:

Fate:

"Thy hath been destined to suffer".

This is one reason which is as lame as anything can get. 

Luck: 

Sheldon doesn't believe in luck.Enough said.

God: 

Ha! Name to be used in the beginning,end and in the middle of all crisis.

Yourself: 

No.That wouldn't be fair on my part.





Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Theory Behind Everything..

The following is a work of fiction based on actual facts.Names,places and incidences are subject to modifications from actual existence.

Washington, 28th December 2004, 2:00 pm.

            He read out his name from the shield. Jonathan Bolt Smith. He liked the feel of it. It was the first recognition he received and he hoped there were more to come. The Geological Survey of the US of A awards the prestigious “Breakthrough of the year” award to one of its members every year and this year Jonathan, Joe had gotten lucky.29 years old and now he had an office of his own, a gift from Smith sr. who was an Archaeologist. He was sitting in his office admiring his brand new furnishings and reliving those moments he was sure he’d cherish for a long time. He was lost in thoughts while the computer screen in front of him popped him the arrival of a new mail.

From: Cynthia

Sub: Heyyy!

Hi there! Cheers again on the breakthrough. Must have been a blast last night. Sorry that I couldn’t make it. A cover story was waiting and now something says this might fetch you another shield. Don’t get too excited but something seems prospective. Meet me at the usual at 5. 

Cynth.

He had 3 hours to kill. Cynthia was not someone who insisted on meeting personally unless it was something really important. He had a report to finish and the weekly article on his web-log to compile. He sat out to work putting the meeting out of his mind.

He reached a few minutes early. He did not have to look at the watch to know it was five. If she was there it meant it was five. Both her hands were busy carrying old tattered books whose contents he couldn’t guess from a distance. He ordered two lattes, one black for himself.

“Seems you require more than two hands”

“You bet. Give me a hand. So much to say, so little time.”

“I’m game. Catch your breath before you start with the news of my next breakthrough”

She laughed.

“You never know. First, tell me if you’re free for a couple of weeks from now.”

“New office done with furnishing, reports sent, Well, I guess there’s nothing that would keep me busy for a while.”

“Perfect. We don’t even have time to pack. Hop into my car. We’re starting right away.”

“Where?”

Athens



Before he could answer he was thrust in his hands with the books and she was already on her way out. He had no option but to follow. Pretty girl calling, of course you can follow without questions. But Greece seemed far fetched.

They were at JFK in no time. Reckless driving is something he always accused her of. Bold, tall and straightforward, Cynth, Cynthia Jane Adams was a perfect reporter material. She briefed him that she had gotten a call from one of her trusted friends who was on a vacation to Greece. He listened carefully to whatever she said and assumed things would be clearer once he reaches the scene. All he got from what she said was they had found a specimen on the shore in someplace he didn’t bother to ask again and this had interested her as it made her recollect something that they had discussed a few months before.

Before he could put his thoughts together he was hearing the boarding call for the flight GAE11707 which meant he will be airborne to Greece in a few minutes. He made a quick call to his dad en route to JFK and informed about his trip. It was official and he was being sent representing US of A. Cynth always managed to pull strings but one couldn’t always get Lear jets like the heroes who chased stories.

He was moving at about 12,000 miles an hour at a height of about 30,000 feet. Cynthia was too excited. She looked like an animated bunny, poring through notes and he loved to see her this way.

 

Ancient Delphi, Circa 14 A.D

While all of Delphi was praying to Eos, Ouranus was busy gazing at the sky looking out for signs of Venus. He was far in thoughts from all of Delphi put together. It was Calypso’s wedding in three days and Daedalus did not want anything to go wrong and so did his subjects. The people of Delphi worshipped Daedalus literally. Next to the Gods he was everything. They believed he was Zeus in disguise. Ouranus did not like people considering the King as God. It was insane according to him. He was practical and was interested in Nature. He kept insisting people that everything was not magic. He believed there was a reason behind everything. From chirping of birds to chopping of trees. Hyacinthius admired him for that. She was the daughter of Arachne, the advisor to the King.  Arachne did not like his daughter falling for some local lad who did not even have a means of livelihood. Ouranus used to meet people of the locale everyday and speak about logic, reasoning and Nature. Daedalus hated him. He was waiting for a perfect moment to trap Ouranus, but this was not the time. He was busy overlooking arrangements for Calypso’s wedding. The wedding was to be held on Friday at dawn, with the blessings of Eos, which will be presided over by the King himself and witnessed by the whole of Delphi.

It was Thursday morning and Ouranus was up earlier than usual. He did not sleep properly. He was considering the calculations he made the previous evening. Something did not add up. He tried to locate the early morning moon. He found it and went back to his calculations. It was several hours past noon when he moved away from his desk.
Hyacinthius happened to meet him at the Agora and they spoke for a long time and Ouranus explained the possibility of an eclipse the next day. He was excited and happy as this was his closest prediction ever and if it really did happen he would be accurate for the first time.

It was the eve of the wedding and Calypso was sent to the temple of Apollo as per the tradition. The bride should spend the night at the temple praying to all the Gods for a long life and prosperity of her marriage. The wedding procedure will begin once the first rays of the Sun are visible above the horizon. Helios’s sign that the day has begun and darkness is dead.

Daedalus saw the first rays of the Sun and declared that the proceedings to begin. It was time for the bride and the groom to get into wedlock and suddenly it was suddenly dark everywhere. The crowd let out a gasp. Arachne and others were worried. Daedalus was angry. The crowd started murmuring. They believed Helios was angry. None knew what was happening. Ouranus was smiling to himself. He tried to explain it to the King. He reasoned why things turned this way. This angered him even more. In a jiffy he ordered execution of Ouranus. The wedding was called off.


It was Monday, same place in front of the giant sculpture of Apollo at the Mount Parnassus. The sun dial had the Themis inscribed on it.

το θείο δίκαιο τιμωρεί τους ενόχους με θάνατο

(The Divine Law punishes the guilty with death)

Usually prisoners were tied to a giant rock and were rolled down the slopes of the Parnassus. Ouranus was to meet the same fate. Hyacinthius pleaded The King to show mercy. She claimed Euripides would not allow such a mistake to happen. Arachne threatened her of Thantos, death, the same fate and ignored her.

The execution took place. Ouranus was known to be one of the last few to meet such a brutal fate. Hyacinthius killed herself at dusk the same day.

Athens 28th December 2004 6:30 pm,



They were descending. Joe had gotten hang of what Cynthia meant. He got the feeling that this might indeed be a breakthrough. Award did not matter. This would be a personal triumph. They landed. He got down half expecting an ATV, All Terrain Vehicle originally designed by the Archaeological Society of the US of A for which the Pentagon took credit. He was surprised to see an SUV. He was joined by Thomas Walker, the one who had called Cynthia earlier that morning. It would’ve been the Andalusian sun that would’ve got Joe’s attention if not for these thoughts running on his mind.

South Hampton, 13th April 1912.

It was a perfect British weather. Not too cold not too hot. The early morning mist had not settled down. The port got busy even before sunrise. Porters, passengers and sailors were engaged in getting ready for the day’s journey. This was not an unusual scene for the eyes of Zeus Brian Zorowsky, who was a frequent traveler and a notable personality among the local crowd. He was part Polish part Italian, nevertheless he was more Brit than most Brits.

The Eastern window, a tiny bar near the port was always crowded. It was like it existed forever. None really knew when it was set up. Zorowsky was having a chat with a few people a while back. There was the ship’s captain among those men. He was proudly boasting of the luxuries she carried. Seven fully furnished cinema halls, an ice-skating arena, Pool tables, eleven bars, five floors, you name it and it was there. Zorowsky was excited as it was the first time he was going aboard this ship. Least did he know there were far more excitements in store.

The passengers were aboard and Captain Edward.J.Smith started another one of his proud journeys across the globe from South Hampton. The vessel halted at Queens town for supplies and sailed with its bow high across the vast expanse of the Atlantic towards the world’s fastest growing country.

On the night of Sunday, 14 April 1912, the temperature had dropped to near freezing and the ocean was calm. The moon was not visible, being two days before new moon and the sky was clear

At 23:40, while sailing about 400 miles (640 km) south of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland lookouts Fredrick Fleet and Reginald Lee spotted a large iceberg directly ahead of the ship. Fleet sounded the ship's bell three times and telephoned the bridge exclaiming, "Iceberg, right ahead!” First Officer Murdoch gave the order "hard-a-starboard", using the traditional tiller order for an abrupt turn to port (left), and adjusted the engines. The iceberg brushed the ship's starboard side (right side), buckling the hull in several places and popping out rivets below the waterline over a length of 299 feet (90 m). As seawater filled the forward compartments, the watertight doors shut. However, while the ship could barely stay afloat with the foremost four compartments flooded, the foremost six were filling with water. The water-filled compartments weighed down the ship's bow, allowing much water to flood the vessel, accelerated by secondary flooding as regular openings in the ship's hull became submerged. Additionally, about 130 minutes after the collision, water started pouring from the sixth into the seventh compartment over the top of the bulkhead in between. Captain Smith, alerted by the jolt of the impact, arrived on the bridge and ordered a full stop. Shortly after midnight on 15 April, following an inspection by the ship's officers and Thomas Andrews, the lifeboats were ordered to be readied and a distress call was sent out.

Around 02:10, the stem rose out of the water exposing the propellers, and by 02:17 the waterline had reached the boat deck. The last two lifeboats floated off the deck. Shortly afterward, the forward funnel collapsed, crushing part of the bridge and people in the water. On deck, people were scrambling towards the stern or jumping overboard in hopes of reaching a lifeboat. The ship's stern slowly rose into the air, and everything unsecured crashed towards the water. While the stern rose, the electrical system finally failed and the lights went out. Shortly afterward, the stress on the hull caused ship to break apart between the last two funnels, and the bow went completely under. The stern righted itself slightly and then rose vertically. After a few moments, at 02:20, it also sank.


Of the 2,223 people who were on board when the ship unchained anchors at South Hampton, 706 survived.
Captain Smith, Fredrick Fleet, Reginald Lee and Zeus Brian Zorowsky sank along with 1514 others on board the RMS Titanic.


28th December 2004 7:00 pm  

Joe, Cynth and Tom were riding through valleys and hills. Joe was reading a runes book that Cynthia had brought along. The more he read the more he believed things could be true. Cynthia was holding a paper titled “Investigations on the biggest accident in history-Negligence or Nature’s vengeance?” They were on the way to Delphi, place where Daedalus ruled. The place which hold the famous Temple of Apollo on the Mount Parnassus. They were to study a rock specimen which ended up at the shore due to the recent earthquakes at Java and Sumatra. Joe was explaining how ice, when accumulated over time would lead to giant icebergs like the one that made Titanic meet its end. 

Like the one on which Ouranus was to die.

 Like the one they were going to study.

Everything has a reason and logic from chirping of birds to chopping of trees, thought Jonathan Bolt Smith.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Of apples and oranges..

What is this obsession about being the first in something? Or rather everything? 


Life has a zillion things to do.From being the first to brush and the first to flush, to being the first crush everyone wants to be the first in what they do.There's nothing wrong in giving the best effort in anything and everything you do but its so very wrong to expect the best returns for whatever you do.Someone who's good at finding the length of a straight line may suck at drawing one.Doesn't matter I say.Its hard for people to understand that.


Unhealthy competition leads to imitating someone who is successful.I have seen people who sit with books just because someone somewhere in an interview said that he studied for seven hours a day.Stuff like this totally irritates me Sigh.


All one has to aim at is to learn the lessons.Be it life's cycle or cycle tests.


Some students in class! YUCK! 




I hate it when people are obsessed with marks.Why constantly try to be good at something while you can improve and be the best at something that you're already good at.


Einstein may not have been good at football.
Amitabh may not be good at algebra.
They cared about what they can be good at rather than striving to become something of nothing.


Remember, If you have to make apple pie from scratch,you've to recreate the Universe.



Saturday, October 16, 2010

The curious case of muniyandi mutton..

"Indha hotel la biriyani kedaikuma?"
(Will biriyani be available in this hotel?)


"Aama idhu periya Muniyandi vilas.Biriyani irundhutta mattum"
(Well,like this is 'Muniyandi vilas',even if there was its not going to be good)


Numerous such conversations have been heard by me.For instance,all halwas are compared to Tirunelveli halwa because there's a particular halwa maker who made Tirunelveli famous for halwas.This is a factual and obvious reference.So many places in India have become references for stuff they are seldom famous for.


Like, "Ivaru periya George bush.English la thaan pesuvaro" (You think you're George bush or what? Will you speak nothing but English?) 


This is highly irrelevant considering George Bush and almost all the Americans for that matter speak English in the most crappy way possible.


Acting like Bombay heroines, Playing like Sachin, Writing poetry like Shakespeare(I bet people who uses this can never comprehend a single verse from his works.Trust me, his wife ran away) all these are insane references.Bombay heroines cannot act,Sachin's son is not able to imitate him and Shakespeare need I say more? 






If this they call it sarcasm either they are too old or too dumb.
I'd say Dancing like Bhagyaraj,Poetry like Mirchi Shiva,Six like Gavaskar and Sex like Rakhi Sawant might fall under Sarcasm of my age.Get updated,Get upgraded.



Happy birthday!!



The day passed before I could realise.Its been a year since Immaculate Misconceptions™ ;) was born.Initially it was I,Me,Myself  and I somehow came to a conclusion(no vasthu, trust me) that a name change would spice things up. Now here I stand 365 days,52 weeks later as a 65 post old blog :) I have visited this page almost everyday.This is where I realised I could write. This brought me comments from quality readers.I made new friends and most of all I hope this blog did and continues to please my best of friends. Writing posts and reading them once they are published,its second to nothing.I find no words to thank Guru and Srini who were instrumental and who made me start writing.They made me discover myself.I would never have put pen on paper and have started writing and this provided me a easy-lazy way to unleash the best I could.


Pramodh, Ragul, Sai, Noorul, Sanjana, Harini, Swathi, Christabel, Aparna, Prasad, Keerthi, Venky and ofcourse Guru and Srini who have constantly endured the pains of reading through the posts and commenting aptly really stand matchless and inevitable to the writer in me.I made two very good friends Keerthi and Venkat.You people truly have added a whole different flavor to my life.Comments from anonymous readers are an added pleasure.Someone from a faraway place taking time off their life to read a post,this simply is the most wonderful part of blogging.I got excellent comments and got to visit some brilliant posts.Ambarish,someone who found this page when he was blog hopping has been giving constructive comments and I'm glad that a few posts pleased him.Hoping I'd meet you someday.
These people and many more continue to make an impact and inspire me to make many more posts.Blog-a-ton brought the fiction writer out.I consider Goodbye as my best post and it sure will remain my best work ever.Hoping to put in more posts and importantly quality posts this year. All that'll make me write more are your comments and suggestions.Keep visiting and reading.If you don't like a post tell me,if you do tell others.Bring more readers I promise I'll bring you more posts ;). Eternally grateful to you people.


Cheers,
Vignesh  :)

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Vent..

I really wish I could put an end to all this.
Lonely, left out tired of saying all this.
Sucks when you get a goodnight as a reply when you send hi.
My eye is getting worse.Probably Conjun-fucking-tivitis.
I need a break.
I need a filter.
I need a vent.
Its been long since I cried.
I don't want to.
I've learnt being strong is the only option.
That blank and shallow vacuum,I have started seeing it quite so often lately.
I wish i could get away from all this.
I need a break.
You of all people!
 The movie thing.
The thing that left me.Rather left us.
The way I have become hard on the outside all the while feeling terrible inside.
I need a break.I want to go away.
From all of you.For a long time.Long that you'll stop missing me.Long that I'll stop missing you.
I really wish I could put an end to it.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Oh Gawd!

Every morning
Sapiens rise up and pray
Man,animal or woman
Are indifferently your prey.


Some state you as the reason
For sun,stars and big bang.
For some mysterious reason
Scientists don't get a hang.


The gardens and the great wall
Are man made wonders
They say you are in charge
Man thinks and he ponders.


He has no faith
He calls himself theist
Someone comes and questions
You name him atheist.


For me you are
And sometimes not.
Hiding it is a frost
I'm named agnost.


War,love or peace
You don't give a shit.
You call yourself god
That simply doesn't fit.





Sunday, October 3, 2010

Soul mate

I have always loved you,
Be it day or night
My mom simply complains
That you look blue.


I was so proud
To show you around
To envy people
And climb to the ninth cloud.


Seven days a week
Thirty days a month
All through the day
You never turned weak.


One fine morning
My mom gave a warning
But I always wished
You stay my jeans that remains unwashed..

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna..

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 15; the fifteenth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

I was staring at all the blood and broken shreds of glass. I have never seen so much blood all at once. Panic, nausea and fear gripped me. What was I supposed to do? Run haywire like everyone around me? Stay there? Cry? Break down? Faint? To this day I cannot recall why that moment I was taken to that memory. That particular day

 ***



The sounds of vendors and distinct chatter startled me. I’m someone who doesn’t usually sleep during journeys. But this was a particularly long one and I had nothing better to do. Rubbing my groggy eyes, I woke up to see that the train had stopped at some place which I couldn’t identify. Half heartedly accepting the job at a construction site in some village at Jharkand, which would break my seven month stint of joblessness and more than that the daily dosage of scornful looks from the people who were family. I wanted to go someplace far off and this gave the right cue.

After splashing my face with water from the water bottle I had bought at the previous station I took a look outside at the station. It seemed there was some problem with the tracks a few kilometers ahead and the train would not leave until that was attended to. It was a beautiful weather. The clouds were like a little kid with a premonition that he wouldn’t be bought the toy he wished for, ready to cry, waiting for the perfect moment.

There was no beautiful girl in my compartment like I was taught by the numerous movies I saw through the years. One fantasy that never came true. I looked around the station, being an architect myself I found it hard to identify the pattern of construction. Nevertheless the view was breathtaking, similar to the ones you see in postcards from foreign countries. Tired of looking around, I tried to go back to sleep.

I heard voices right outside my window. Three men, must be strangers, were introducing themselves. Strange how people make friends in journeys like this. I have never been able to. May be because I don’t open up much. They were fellow passengers and remained just the same. I couldn’t help but listen to their conversation.

“Thanks so much bhai, my wife would become so worried even if I return an hour late. Can’t blame her. My area is full of extremists and I am equally scared to travel alone after dark” said one man to the other probably thanking him for a phone call.

“Is it always like this here? I have to report at 10 am tomorrow. With this problem I don’t think I will be able to”

“It’s the Government”, the third man joined in. “They take villages for granted. They hesitate to spend money like they’re spending it from their own pockets. Corrupt scoundrels”

“Very true bhai, electricity,water, everything is scarce over there. We have been living there for generations. The world outside is so different from what we call our world “

“ I’m from the south. Going on deputation. Mom and dad were so worried when I said Jharkand. Naxal problems and all that. But a job is a job. Its not like I’m in the army or something” He laughed saying that.

“Young men. You don’t fear anything. The country needs more of your kind”

“My grandfather was in the army bhai, 30th infantry division. Shot to death in the sepoy mutiny. My whole family is proud to say that we are in his lineage”

“Nothing like fighting for the country. People downsouth are brought up being nurtured by stories of bravery and sacrifice. Its hard to be like that today. Honesty, patriotism all these have lost values”

Silence followed.

“Terrorism plays upper hand. Its so sad to see things like that everyday on tv”

“I see things like that happening right in front of me once a week. Got used to it”

“Terrorists think they’re more patriotic. Sad part is that they kill in the name of religion while no religion preaches them to kill nor take up violence”

“God is watching everyone. I pray everyday to make people better by giving them brains to think. When’ll God open his eyes? Cannot see that happening anytime soon”

“There is Judgment for everyone. God waits at the Palace gates to decide who falls where. Those cruel beasts will rot in hell”

“Qayamat holds all answers bhai. It pains to see kids and women falling victims to these barbarians”

The whistle blew and the voices faded away as I drifted off to sleep.

***

The memory unfolded in front of me. I realized I was standing in the middle of a pile of rubble. Screaming mothers and weeping wives. People of all religion bathed in the same color devoid of all differences..

Least did I know what Shankar Iyer, Muhammed Haneef and Johnson would be thinking after watching this on tv the following afternoon.



***


Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai


Dekhna hai zor kitna baazu-e-qaatil mein hai



Aye watan, Karta nahin kyun doosree kuch baat-cheet


Dekhta hun main jise woh chup teri mehfil mein hai


Aye shaheed-e-mulk-o-millat main tere oopar nisaar


Ab teri himmat ka charcha gair ki mehfil mein hai


Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamaare dil mein hai



The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.