Rock gardens and Hills

Desperado come to senses

Today one more kind soul amongst us departed away.We were travelling from Chandigarh to Delhi on NH22.A political heavyweight was travelling in Honda CRV.The red lights on the vehicle blinking and making gruffy noises as if someone was struggling between life and death in the hospital.One Gypsy in front and another on the back of Honda were part of that entourage.Gun totting policemen ready to assault in the black scarf on the head were appearing more like devil than security officers. These are the people who believe in political extremism. A show of threatening and coercive hard power. As if the wolf has come out of den,grinning teeth and reddish eyes creating claustrophobia on the roads.Such is the breed of todays statesman.

Victim of this were two young men riding a bike,when they panicked with this threatening vocalization and collided with another car traveeling at a speed of 90 km/hr.Such high was impact that the bike went off in the air and these two performing actual vault with several twists and flips in the air,Landing on the ground with great thud. Elbow bone out of its joint and skull open, pillion rider went straight to heaven on the spot.The other one half dead or half alive, gasping for breath and twitching of an eye looking at the sky unawares.Extreme rosy hopes shattered for the youths carrying colourful Lilliput clothes lying scattered on the roadside.What an extreme way to die on road in a democracy by the people, for the people, of the people.Does 184 or 177 of Motor Vehicle act will be used to penalise the police drivers by finining them to maximum of rs.1000 or let them go scot free to intimidate another life on the road.

"Sorrow comes to all, and to the young it comes with bittered agony because it takes them unawares" a quote by Abrahm Lincoln comes to my mind.

UNTAMED-WILD/MILD BEAUTY AND ESCAPADES

We do not like to go for picnic or holidays on the lakeside or riverside where there is vitiation of atmosphere with defiled beaches.Simple reason being that it gives a sickening feeling even if we pass thruogh that boulevard.The feeling of nausea,repugnance with that reeky smell makes us repulsive.Whereas if we are at a beach or hillstation with trees all around,or white sand around its a different state of mind.The famished lungs yearning for fresh oxygen wanted to inhale deeply.This strong and persistent desire of my family was a promise fulfiled by me when I took my family to Shivpuri ahead of Rishikesh.
We had a nice two day camping trip when we wanted to plunge and immerse ourself in whole white sand beach,inhale all the available fresh oxygen and all ganges waters to be filled in the skin pores.Let me tell you nothing works better to unwind yourself other than the lap of mother nature. The spirit of adventure made us to do the rafting also.The fun of rumbling roars,deep rapids and pristine waves is awesome.Its all about inculcating the team spirit,survival in crisis,pushing,pulling and paddling when raft goes upside down in deep rapids.

Anu you missed it I dont know when you will have again this pulsating experience. It was you who needed the most to preapre youself for the battles ahead and the thrill to conquer it.We as indians are comparatively new breeds of adventure seekers.Altough we have best terrains to do that.Thanks to our own Akshay kumar for instilling the confidence.

I should also thank Marielou for really instigating me for it.Its true Marielou you should experience and participate with your kids before its too late.Its a preparedness of the lifes battles ahead.
It was not my intention dear Babu to leave you in the midst current when you were gasping for breath.Anyway you had those life jackets.Idea was to conquer the fear.Do you remember"Darr ke aagey Jeet hai." That is what paralyses our thinking in event of crisis and stops us from taking risks.But to instil this lesson in your mind I had a rebuke from Anu.But you will thank me Anu one day was implanting these values at young age.Didnt you saw how it was natural for Aaron during that journey.It shows the preparedness for emergencies and lifes bigger battles. The divine charm and aura of ganges gives a very different feeling.The mysticism,enigma and ecstasy of white water will allure me again and again,and I committed myself that I will come here again.I dont know the same commitment I had made myself for so many other places also in past.But this time I promised to that pristine beauty I come soon again in your divine lap.

Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder

The other day I had left my home early and was on my way to work.I saw this puerile damsel a pillion rider carrying stuff which included laptop and rucksack on her back.It was monday morning.Must be she was on her way to office directly.It was sure that she was working girl.We drove side by side for almost 4 kms and then bike zoomed somewhere into oblivion.The noveau riche lass epitomizing to be an ambassador of best of the cosmetics brands was so carefree about the pollutants and dust on the road.These cosmetic companies with their campaigns which has creeped into the minds of young ones that they do all to prevent their skin from pollution(Loreal's mineral to match any skin type),sunlight(Garnier to prevent those shades of black beneath your eyes).So much care of skin,body!!a divine attribute of complete perfection.Sometimes its supererogate and gives a feeling of mortification of beauty.A trenchancy to the quote of philospher Lao-tzu:

"When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty,
There arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good,
There arises the recognition of evil."

Dussehra

Today its Dussehra.A day to celebrate overpowering of evil.But even after centuries of celebration of this festival nothing has changed.What about the Ravana inside us?Have we thought to get away with that?It was beleieved that there was no scholar of his repute during his time.A simple one mistake he did of kidnapping of Sita.For that mistake he must be really repenting by seeing his effigies burnt every year from above.Apart from that had there not been Hanuman it was impossible to win this great war.That too wonder drug called sanjeevni found in Himalaya's.If sanjivini had not been there the course of history would have been different.The forests have been life line of India for centuries.Alas if we could accept this fact on this great occasion called of Dussehra

SLICE OF LIFE

Stars decide the destiny.Wanted to take a path not traversed by anyone.But finally with the time consoled that this is what it is.Its like coming out of own created web which is entangled so much when thoughts and action work in opposite direction.But then who will gather the courage to take a flight to different orbit.Its good to read 'road less travelled' but travelling unknown path is that much difficult.

SLICE OF LIFE

A Chamelion,we think are more successful in the herd of animals.
Its because he goes with the time and in the end comes out succesfully of all the testing situations.Can we all be chamelions????But then we want to stand tall in the storm and test our persistence.Do you think it works.Nope!! they are the first ones to break down.Have you seen the broken trees on the roadside after the storm? Weak ones still standing tall.Still we try to repeat the same again and again despite knowing the facts.After spending considerable hours I realised its values that determines the behaviour.And probably values are more difficult to inflence or modify.Values are the core of person's character.Are we giving enough value to persons character?Do we have recognition system to evaluate persons character or it is just a part of children's education curriculum .Do we remember this while performing our roles? Or the evaluation is purely on parameters and scale of success.Values are changing and so are we.