Broken Promises of the Sky

The evening sky beckons; I want to touch it.

It is inviting and yet intimidating.

Its vastness carry many secrets; good and bad.

I want to experience the promises whispered.

A beautiful day smiles and I extend my hand.

Suddenly it darkens; the light-headedness becomes heavy.
And then it showers with wet caresses and sweet smells.

The sight becomes undone; leaves me exasperated.

I am here and you are there.

No in betweens; no outbounds.

Beneath The Clock

A floral dress with a straw hat
Unlikely scene.
A foot tapping thought;
Dance or disaster.
A little walk, a little jig;
And then come back.

A flick of the hat
Fluttering heart.
And then a frown;
Anger’s abound.
A little walk, a little jig;
Patience’s been seeked.

Suddenly a sign
The watch is over,
And so is the wait.
A breath-taking smile
A little walk, a little jig;
And now no more miles.

Dashed

it clouds my mind;
these obsessive thoughts of mine.
random and abstract; making me experience the truths, the ups and downs.
i see pathos here;
for me to dissolve this abstraction
and for him to reach out further.

i laugh with him and cry for him;
emotions for reason unknown.
hovering and hyperactive; like a butterfly, ready to take off when it suits them.
i see a longing here;
for me to soar higher in the sky
and for him of a never ending hope.

Licence

Staring at the paper in my hand, I couldn't believe myself to be standing there. Although it still feels like a dream to me, the banner scrolling overhead made it a reality. Suddenly, the thought pops in my head - I have been cornered by well-meaning people in my life. Aarti, my best friend and colleague, couldn't stop smiling and was grinning like a besotted fool and Dipti had her head in the clouds probably imagining my life thereon. And me, I was still staring at that lemony yellow coloured sheet of paper.

Everyone I know has them and all I see on their faces is a satisfied smile. Initially I had been indifferent; then knowledge had filled me with envy. But as headstrong I was, I decided to ignore those satisfied smiles and live my life as I always have been. Besides, I wasn't alone, I had my comarades, Aarti and Dipti, walking by me. Or so I thought. The last blow of this fantasy existence was blasted when Aarti too had ditched me and joined the other side. The two of us go as far back as I can remember. How could she do this to me?!

Thinking of all this my mind wanders to random thought worlds. Looking back, I think of the worlds before this. Now we are nothing but light bulbs. We have become addicts looking for our next shot, the next dose of that pulsating energy. All our senses have become akin to air-waves, be it virtual or physical. Every fibre of this world is coated with the codes that run our daily lives. Technology, in all its granduer and over-riding our senses, is now involved with us in our relationships as well.

I am thinking these and many more mundane thoughts, envisioning my future life. Pestered by well-meaning friends and family, I have given in to their advice. Their happy faces filled more life into me then any gadget could. Filling up the details, their excitement is contagious and I too am engrossed in the name, the colour, et al; they come in different sizes, grey matter and skins. But then am I ready for such a heavy responsibility? Although we are given unlimited replacements I am unsure about the outcome. The million dollar question is : How would life change with this new toy?

Unexpectedly I hear someone yelling, jerking me back from my stupor, and I look back. It was an eager 30-something jostling people to move forward. And the toughts run again, as if an inch would make any difference. Then again maybe it would. To her. Maybe it could add the much-needed zing back in her life or just maybe she really needs the support this thingamajig can provide. I shrug. Clutching that crumpling paper, I move forward in the queue.

The thoughts continue to make the rounds in my head. Overhead, the banner still scrolls the same message. And I still stand. Queued up, I am here for the licence of a new Artificially Intelligent Husband.

Bheja Fry - A Laugh Riot

With a delightfully simple plot, ‘Bheja Fry’ does anything but fry your brains. And I am aware that am more than a little late, but would like to mention this movie, if for nothing else than a 2-hour memory of good friendly fun and laughter. Although Bheja Fry is the remake of the French film Le Diner De Cons (The Dinner Game), it is a pleasurable movie and an absolute laughter riot when watching with friends.

Directed by first-timer Sagar Ballary, the story revolves around an evening and five characters. In the name of harmless fun, a group of friends are known to invite complete fools for dinner every week in the name of showcasing their talents and laughing at the fool’s expense. Ranjeet Malhotra (Rajat Kapur) is the man looking at being the next host for showcasing a remarkable new talent and meets Bharat Bhushan (Vinay Pathak), the Income tax officer with a self taught talent of singing. But Mr. Malhotra’s life is forever changed when his wife Sheetal Thadani (Sarika) suddenly leaves him and then a sequence of pure humorous events unfolds, and in this case also repeatedly folds. The cameo by real life good friend Ranvir Shorey is a bit overboard but all for a good time and Milind Soman’s presence being oh so mild has just the right touch for the story. Bhawana Somani as a mildly pschotic girlfriend is very convincing and Rajat Kapur, of course, comes across similarly sincere reprising the role of the music director. All said and done, this movie undoubtedly belongs to Vinay Pathak. Surpassing his own personal charisma, Vinay Pathak totally belongs to his character, Bharat Bhushan, the income tax officer cum singer.

With a theatre-toned star-cast as such, the movie is more refreshing than any Khan or Bachhan starrer and does a tremendously good job of entertaining to the fullest. The movie, so simply and beautifully executed, definitely belongs in my ‘cult-movie’ genre amongst the likes of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Amol Palekar starrer Golmaal and Chhoti Si Baat. I recommend ‘Bheja Fry’ to any movie buff wanting a formula-sans paisa vasool entertainment that is refreshing and passionately made. May this tribe see the light of day forever!

Venture

I venture into the unknown,
Thought it would be an adventure,
With a conviction of an amazing experience
Wanted to make the vision a reality
Rather than just a mental image of a result.

I venture into the wilderness,
Thought it would be exciting,
With a lust to tame this for a sanctuary
Wanted to make it mine alone
Rather than share to destroy the soul within.

I venture into the depths of the emotion,
Thought it would be a vibrant new world,
With the door ajar to an open heart
Wanted to make it deliriously happy
Rather than leave it open for someone to bleed it.