Poem: Morning Tea

Milk makes you mighty

but someday that’d decay

because life is tough,

on this Milky Way.

So, add some essence,

let Tea leaves cast a spell

and wait for the herbs, 

to seep-in well.

Then, savour vitality,

in the little cardamom seeds

and in ginger-shaped randomness,

in your regular deeds .

Worry not about the aftermath

because sweetness has none

And, keep stirring Sugar, 

Until, you’re done.

Leaf through the Daily,

and take a yawn

Sip in the morning tea 

and, keep moving on.

-Ashish

Rant: the good days

We talk about development and about good days
and then there are sources
Bad, evil
who pull us back, back into the orthodox times
and thoughts so backward
yet they dare to preach it to the public
Stupidity is shot and sold in open markets
With hoardings showing fancy faces
and advertising plastic promises
And we talk about development
while disrespecting our own roots,
making judgments based on half-baked theories
coming straight from the corrupt minds
of Bad, evil
sinister ministers playing strip poker with us;
a game which we always lose
and get lost in the madhouse maze
of unsolvable paradoxes with bilateral answers
of which to believe, we are not sure enough
and while we think and send some of our brainy representatives
to put forward our say
on public debates where curtains fall
before a conclusive climax
which are held on expensive podiums
owned and run by
the Bad, evil
criminal minded shenanigans who broadcast filth in broad daylight
and have the audacity to hire defence lawyers
to justify their intended crime
and then some black coats are found,
just ‘black coats’ because there’s no human in there,
waving their participation into the missions
of hiding dark deeds in darker coats
making uncountable victims’ resilient tears collect
In the dusty, old and unread files
on a shelf of a slacker’s office
and censoring every quiet shriek of openness
and banning every bit of thoughtful art
which died in a want to yell the bitter truth
to an audience, oblivious of logic
and we talk about development
where people still need to be fed by a spoon
about the basic facts of being normal
providing a vulnerable, dirty habitat where
Rises the Bad, evil
which comes back again and again in different avatars
of demagogues, lecturing hate
of lawyers, advocating lies
of godmen (fraudmen), preaching terror
hurdling us, on our path towards the good days
pulling us back, back into the orthodox times
from where, we the junta
have been trying to free ourselves
by voting for the lesser corrupt
and they win, the prodigal hooligans
who vandalise every street with their dominion,
and spray cans
with which they paint every wall in dark bold letters:
RULES THE BAD, EVIL
giving out the idea of dystopia
and we fall for it
and we walk along with it
keeping an eye on the clock, waiting
with a few, quiet outcries
for the good days.

-Ashish

Look Up for Hope

Hello Reader,

Nothing is more disturbing and noisier than the confused thoughts in our head. It’s a mental traffic jam where on every side of the road, the cars and vehicles are stuck, honking horns. The flow stops and everything becomes stagnant. Then, nothing starts to make sense and the thoughts become negative. This leads to stress, sleeplessness and a lot of hair pulling. You can trust me because I have been through it and the worst place anybody can ever get stuck is in their own mind. I have been stuck at more dangerous places like forests and have driven through unsafe roads at night but there is always a hope there and milestones telling that I am on the right path. But, this case makes you lose your hope and very negative thoughts starts to sprout.

And why did it happen to me? May be, post college life generally gives you a little more stress. Life becomes more chaotic and it is natural to happen. The reasons are the same old ones: chronic, home-to-work-work-to-home routine, dearth of a social circle, missing the happening college days, missing friends and family, paying bills and you know the rest. So, much of it gets piled up and the repetitive cycle just never ends. And, then fear embarks killing every little hope and refuses to accept the fact that the good old days are not coming back.

It also hurdled my writing a lot. It took days to work out the thoughts and to find clarity in chaos. Then, one day, some of my friends and I decided to take a break and go on a road trip. So, we backed our bags and went away to the hill stations of Uttarakhand. We stayed there at places which were unplanned and drove to random places and beautiful locations and it wall all a very wonderful experience. I remember when I woke up one morning and the world around me was such a panoramic beauty, eyes opened to see the Himalayan Mountains and the mighty river Ganges flowing along and the sun rays falling on it were the rays of new hope. It was absolutely refreshing and it felt like all the negativity has vanished. It is just about taking little step out of our usual box. I had all the answers that morning and mind could feel the openness in the healing breeze.

And that day I decided to take some trips frequently and make travel a must-do every possible time. Because, staying at one place for too long is really bad for the growth of our brains. And to keep the negativity away and for welcoming positive thoughts, it is very important to travel. Travelling fills you up with great optimism and gifts you many memories to live with.

Before signing off, here is a picture from that trip. Hope. Be positive. Live Happy.

Look Up


-Ashish

Car Upgrade - Now, Quikr Quikrrrrr

Hello Reader,

Gone are the days when buying and selling used items were a difficult task. With the help of websites like Quikr and their new mobile app Quikr NXT, it has become a cake walk to find buyers and sellers. Also, the gap between the buyers and sellers has decreased. With the help of Quikr NXT app one can actually, comfortably chat with the client and discuss on each point clearly and then make the final deal. All you have to do is make an account, upload a picture of your selling item with a few details and wait for the buyer to find it.

For example, if I have to sell my old car and buy a new, better featured car, all I have to do is this:

1.       Wash my car to make it look photogenic. J

2.       Take some good photographs from different angles.

3.       Upload it on the Quikr NXT app.

4.       Categorize it under ‘Cars and Vehicles’.

5.       Write a few details and good words for my car.

6.       Wait for a buyer to bat an eye on my sell.

7.       Like a good Guajarati businessman, convince the buyer over a chat.

8.       Once I get a satisfactory price, I seal the deal.

9.       Exchange my old car for money.

10.   Miss my old car.

Simple! Isn’t it?

The exchange offers which branded showrooms provide are not often satisfactory enough. They offer you a price which you find is not worthy for you lovely old car of which you have taken care of all these years like a baby. You want the best price and it can only be achieved when a trust is built between the buyer and you. And, rather than talking over the phone, where you might forget to mention a few details or get interrupted in between your talk and make you miss a few points, chatting can help you make a thoughtful conversation and written form is always good for future reference. There would be no complaints and allegations later.

So, now that I have sold my old car and have the money, it’s time to move on and buy a new car. Before, going for a brand new car, I would definitely look out for some second hand options. And again, which better place than Quikr to find a good deal. Browsing for a while in the ‘cars and vehicle’ category can find me the exact car I was looking for but at a much lesser price. All I have to make sure is that the condition is good enough and that all the official papers and documents are available. And that I can make sure by having a detailed conversation with the seller himself. No third parties or agents are welcomed.

And then, adding up the money from my savings, may be and the old car money, I ll buy my next, bigger and better car and thank the Quikr NXT app for making the upgrade so easy for me. 

Thank You Indiblogger 

and Quikr NXT for this prompt.

Ashish

Live, Fearlessly

Hello Reader, 

 

We have one life and so many constraints to live with. Half of the time we spend in realizing what we want. And by the time we realize it, we have moved on in life. We have to deal with other responsibilities and go with the crowded flowing river.  And then after some good rafting and struggling we encounter our dreams at many moments. But, never have a complete rendezvous unless we feel we are secure enough to take the risk. So, we have one life, we are sure. All we need to have is a bucket-list, to somehow free yourself from all the entanglements and mark a tick to every point on your wish list. 

And, if I had a choice to enjoy my life with no such everyday constraints, this is how my bucket list would look like:

1.       To Write my One Dream Novel 

Well, no doubt. I want to write and publish at least one good book. I definitely am working on it. All I need is a little more seriousness and dedication. 

But I also have to split my time for my job. So, for now, it’s a balance-balance situation. 

2.       To master in a musical instrument

Yes, and record a song with A R Rahman. I am pretty intermediate in playing the Keyboard instruments. And, I need to learn just a few more things and I would be pretty better. So, it will be on my bucket list to take out time for learning the instrument. 

 3.       To Travel the world 

Travelling always gives a great experience. And, going to various places makes one a learned person. I liked The Hobbit for one thing: that the Hobbit chose to break out from his comfortable hobbit hole, on an unexpected journey and when he returns, he returns with a lot of stories to tell and moments to share. Be it with family, friends or you alone, keep travelling. 

 4.       To make many lives happy

Happiness is in giving and sharing. Educating the needy children, visiting orphanages and old age homes, or supporting any good cause is what will make you a worthy human. Otherwise, the usual Wake Up, Eat, Sleep, Repeat routine will be waste of a precious life.

 5.       To own a house in a Hill Station

I have been happiest when I was at places like Shimla, Manali, Ooty, Rishikesh, and Dehradun. If I have enough money, I will probably spend it on buying a nice house in one of the hill stations. There are many obvious reasons for this; it usually stays cool, winters are longer, peace of mind, not crowded, scenic panoramic beauty, and all freshness. So, I have no second thoughts in owning a house at a hill station.

All this can happen; in a very less time if we prioritize in acquiring these wishes and break out from the usual rat race. But, we fear from taking the risk and going out of the way. To jump into the right boat, all we need is a security, a little push which gives us the faith and confidence to take the leap.

 Watch the #BefikarUmarBhar Video here:

Thank You IndiBlogger
and IDBI Federal Life Insurance
for this prompt.

-Ashish