Personal Concerns is today a year old. To mark this occasion, I wish to reach out to the team of WordPress and extend my heartfelt, sincere thanks to each of its members for this amazing blogging platform that they so wonderfully keep up and continuously upgrade. I wish to acknowledge the deep sense of gratitude I have towards all my friends, visitors and followers who have been a perennial source of appreciation and encouragement. Believe me, it has mattered a lot and made a lot of difference to the way I have come to think about myself and my writing capabilities.
To all the special names on my blogroll in general and to dear Vishwanath Ji, Ashok M Vaishnav Ji and Faizaan Ji in particular, I extend a very special token of respect and appreciation!
I do hope that in the coming year too, PC shall continue to receive your love, support and encouragement!
A mole comes calling on a rat that waits impatiently saying to himself “a minute more and I hop on the next train and leave the city”. Gulping down his tears and nibbling at the shreds of a five-year old memory, he waits and minutes slither away like cream. The time comes. Jumping out of her taxi, the mole embraces me from a distance of meters. The rodents feel at pace with the universe. Sun continues its westward trip and both see it dying of curiosity. Sun! you shall miss all that is to follow. Red its face gets and soon it sets. Just like the moon that wishes to stay around longer so that it could witness the much talked about frolic of the matinée. Hehe! you will always miss it moonu!
Abusive they turn and try slapping each other. Only to end up as miniatures of well fed kittens that chase and bite each other after a sumptuous suckle. They race against the world. Having thrown most of their contempt at each other, lightened claws enter a market. Not enough money clipped in their little beaks that they could throw away in the lake of recluse that both forcibly and happily swim each day, each moment. Hunger directs the two to joints where taste is on show. Stories of each other and of others they know of intertwine the chews and the chilly sighs. Food over, next item to be hunted. The plates are picked up, the rat still eyeing the sauce that he could not lick away. “People I tell you and their manners. Why are they so intrusive all the time?”. The rat is taken around like a kid coming to a country fair for the first time. Designs, henna, dresses, utensils and faces. All around them. Two nibblers forget all the world and choose to explore it afresh once again. So much discovery on cold nights in the past and adding up to nil. Rubbing shoulders against the other they walk. A walking ethnography that they do not wish to ever write. Forgetting at times their special distance, they hold hands. The rat sniffs sweat and tries getting closer. The mole pushes him away and delivers a smile that kills.
A stall they choose and take rest. Rat mishandles all the heat of the tea and spills it over the market. The alarmed mole offers her own. The rat refuses. And yet does want to snatch her cup and sip it all. “Why should she be sipping when I am not?”
Beings part. Take opposite routes. Call each other to confirm their trains. The rat comes home to a dirty bed sheet that he throws away. Spreads the green and the saffron and the room resounds with the cries of chicken that Afghani dishes are made of. The windows open to a view of lotus ponds and the wardrobe just begins to reek of roses. The rat infused with a delicate energy runs around hysterically on his computer keyboard. ‘Tik tok kit kot’ the keys go clapping. Scattered words stream away. Wish they reach you O Mole! The rat thinks of the very first fruit that would be slaughtered on the chopper that you bought today. Let me know that Mole!
Dear Molu, can you do something for me? Yes yes! once again.
Please tell your friend life something. She should learn something from rodents. They just nibble it all away and never complain. We will take her along the next time if she wants to! What do you think mole? Should we invite the sulky sun and the moon when we go out next? Send a scribble. I will wait.
Aren’t we unique as humans in being able to irritate and annoy our fellow beings? Well. Let’s think of the other beings residing this planet. Won’t you quickly conclude that none of them can accomplish the task as perfectly as we do. Almost on an everyday basis, we grab all the opportunities to hone this prized skill. How ardent a follower of the idiom “Practice makes a man perfect” all of us seem to be.
Don’t be scared though. I am just an average performer. Not a greatly annoying person, I think. Some others I know are definitely way ahead and can be called chart busters. In spite of this semi correct self assessment of my self, I do at times suffer from a feeling of being wronged. Let me take you through a quick detour of my skill set. On a personal level, I am sure that the top slot can very well be mine. One impediment in the path of my celebrity hood is that I have not garnered enough public attention so far. The day I succeed in having that, the top slot can very well be mine.
Anyway, for the time being you be the judge. Let me know if I am the one who has what it takes to win the race? Would be nice to have a sincere thought from you about this.Any suggestions about how to be a chart buster are most welcome. I would seriously include that in my ‘to do’ list.
1. In the Driver’s Seat-
Is he still listening?
Be it a friendly conversation, a debate or an online chat, if you have committed the misdemeanor of pinging me, please beware. At times it might happen that for every ten words you speak or type, I respond with thirty from my side. Unless strongly rebuked or politely pointed to, I can go on till the point you either run away saying “Ok..we will meet again” or walk away quietly saying “Gotta go…see you!!”. In fact, I have seen some panting and heaving a sigh of relief once they have walked a certain distance after the torture.
2. Majnu’s Dress-
Don't you find me "ewww" here?
I know so well about dressing correctly for an occasion. Have been to a missionary school which was extremely particular about our uniform, the tie and the polished shoes. I used to be perfectly dressed all the time and was never reprimanded for it. Once out of school, I never looked back. I choose all the nonsense for my clothes. Looking at myself, I have realized very well that I am a failure in as far as inculcating a proper dressing sense is concerned. I have actually done wonders at some parties and formal functions. I also know that I have traversed a path from where I can’t go back unless I attend some stupid capsule course that combines body language/ personality development classes. The best part – I am often the best dressed when I spend the entire day alone in my room. Can you beat this?
3. Plans that never work-
On a trip with the nicest friends anyone can have. They always take me along!
My friends (some of them definitely know it so well) I think are done with me about this. None of the plans I ever make were to succeed if I was the one to execute them. I have gone for trips, movies and local excursions with friends and most of them begin with a typical scene where all of them curse me for being late, being unsure, being over/under prepared, being stupid or better still being ill-dressed!
4. Been there done that–
Oh...Interesting!
I have not been anywhere and have not done anything. Yet I listen to people and friends with that obviously fake expression on my face. So much so that the narrator often is left thoroughly sorry to have raised a matter for conversation with me. I cannot recall any story that any of my ‘not so close’ friends have narrated to me. I have paid sincere attention to….well… hardly any of them. When it comes to the smallest detail of any vague thing that I have done or an absolutely meager feat that I have achieved, I act too smart and make friends listen to it all.
5. Taste-
They are the "best"...Mind It!
Artists I love, authors I have read, songs I listen to, films I have seen, stories I know of are the best ones. Period..Everything else that has not made it to my list is mediocre. Quick to judge, write off (and depending on the closeness with the friend) quick to make fun of is my trait. I sparingly do this, but when I do so, I really can do so. Thanks to my friends who have always ignored this madness I am so capable of unleashing. It is a hard-earned expertise and had to make to the top five.
Well there are a few more. I hope this should suffice for the day. Before you begin to abhor this loud and proud exhibition, I should say “its OK…its a part of being human”.
Personal Concerns 