A Letter

I wrote this long back i guess. Don't know when it was or for whom. One of those days when the teacher asked you to write an essay is my closest guess. ;)


Dear Keith,


It’s been long since I heard from you. Actually pretty much a very long time. So how are you doing there? I heard that you are coming down to India this fall, for your higher studies. So that’s what this letter is mainly going to contain. I have to tell you what you can expect from here. It’s not your first time here I guess. But how old were you when you visited this place? Five, six? Well leave that, let me tell you a little about the wonder that is India.

Nowadays, it’s not the India of the books of the old days that you get to see. India is far from my dreams. Even though I live down in a village, all is changed and pretty much all modernity has crept into everyone’s life. But certain problems still remain as it has been since long back. Like drinking water, drainage and some roads here and there. Otherwise this is pretty much like any other country. You have fields full of working people, and at the same time high storey buildings with white collar jobs. You have bullock carts on the road, and at the same time you have the high end cars rolling way faster than them. One can find a lot of contrasting features once you land in India. That is what makes this a wonderful place to live in. For a feel of the old in the new, India can do more than wonders into letting you get into that feeling. Maybe you might find the stench of the gutters unbearable, but at the same time you cannot forget the fact as to how many people live in this small sub continent – being the second most populous country in the world. The amenities may not be sometimes up to the standards, but the love of the people at hand is rather immense and the support you get from them can forward you anywhere in the world.

I have been trying to give you a rather slim picture of India in these few words. Hope you have got a better understanding about the country of the Akbar’s, Asoka’s, Mahatma’s, Tata’s, Tendulkar’s and so many more. Looking forward to seeing you at the earliest, say my hi to everyone out there and take care.


Saying so
Your best friend
Bharat

I am a Muslim!

i am a muslim. kill me and call it collateral damage. imprison me and call it securty measure. exile my people en masse and call it new middle east. rob my resources, invade my land, alter my leadership and call it democracy. but still we say assalamu alaikum, peace be upon you.

Q: I believe that d moment u associate ur self with religion not as righteousness bt as sth that a scripture says, there's gonna b a problem. n more so when u go on generalising as such. d so called religion has 2 change according 2 times n if it sticks at 1 point of time, m sure u trying 2 defy d greatest truth n reality of nature: Change. Islam's greatest strength is its fundamentalism n its greatest weakness is also fundamentalism (excuse me fr using dis word). Next, wt u call 'ur land' is bound 2 raise concerns. because v Indians believe in d concept of Earth as mother. coz demographically Muslims r more in middle east, it can't b ur land.
Agreed, 1 should b concerned about killings of fellow human beings. Agreed, evry 1 should work fr real democracy, violation of human rights n religious freedom of course. Agreed, 1 ll b naturally more concerned abt his fellow community members. Bt 2 base d whole logic on sth inside d dimensions of 1 religion doesn't make u a rational human being either.
Lastly: d fundamentalist Muslims r d greatest enemies of Islam. I would love to believe that Akbar n not Aurangzeb b d role model of every Muslim.
India was ruled by all sorts of invaders bt d nation survived.Bombs, can't kill a nation or a religion. Middle East is not facing an existential crisis from outside bt from inside. Islam was never under scrutiny or doubt ever, more than today. And that's not coz US army is sending its drones in Afghanistan n Iraq mountains bt coz Muslims hv been behaving more irresponsibly as fellow human being than ever.
I am sure many of my argument can b countered with good logic. Bt 2 logically blame others fr every wrong that happens 2 u, my friend, is not a good way 2 reform urself.

A: at first, i was expressing solidarity with a particular sentiment rather than trying to enforce or rather generalize the religion as such...

i agree with the fact that religion needs to adjust over the time, but i ask of you again - to what extent?

"coz demographically Muslims r more in middle east, it can't b ur land" - this is a statement way beyond the truth... south asia has almost around three times the number of muslims u can find in the middle east and north africa combined... so i donno where you got that statement from?

you talked about india being invaded by various nations... true... how long did the mughals rule? there is always a beginning, a middle and an end... think about it... and this is as much my country as it is of anybody else in India!

when a muslim is convicted of doing something wrong, he is straightaway branded an islamic fundamentalist... why is it that no other religion is targeted in such a manner... why aren't they called christian killers or hindu terrorists or the thousand and one associations that u can make? why is it always that for the cause of some brainless shithole, the religion of islam need take the beating? why can't we force it out of our vocabularies... why brand an entire religion for the deeds of a few? why is it that americans are not allowing a masjid to be built next to ground zero? it is an inherent paranoia of branding every muslim a terrorist... and instead of making them realize that islam is a religion of peace and understanding, you again instill fear in them... i beg you to understand the religion better and not come to conclusions about it from what you hear from others...

and for another i never mentioned a US or an afghanistan or which land or whatever... its easy to defend yourself when you don't have the hate of the world thrust into your eyes... try being in our shoes for a while...

and when have we blamed others? u seemed to have again missed out on the end line - may peace be upon you (assalamu alaikum)

i am i

I am the chalk
In the hot chocolate

The day isn't over
But i am wasted

The wind ain't cold
You burn forever

Out of bounds
Time's a joke

Freedom the call
By the noose hung

You lie
I am i

You care not know more!

cry

Sax: Do you cry?
Me: Yes I do.

But why?

There are a number of things I miss.

I miss the smell of fresh earth after a brief spell of rain. All I can smell now are the asphalt road, cemented gullies and overflowing drains. And I cry.

I miss the late night coffee mom makes after dinner. Now I drink water – mineralized and chlorinated, I think I hear the walls of my wall erode. And I cry.

I miss the cold wind on my face as I drive through NH17. Here, I move at the speed of snail, unaware of the man pushing men to meet ends needs. And I cry.

I miss the warmth of friends, embracing each emotion as being their own. At present, I wait every night, hoping for a virtual hug over optical cable and satellite signals. Not warm. But someone cares. And I cry.

I miss the solitude of the blue room. I miss the redwood bed. I miss the green gdrej. I miss the antique computer. I miss the world map covered table.
I miss home. I miss love. I cry.

Just My Luck

If I were to see
From land across sea,
A beautiful lass
Would come across me

Jet black hair
Would reach the rear
With a lock
On the bosom dock

Starlit eyes
Shine the night skies
Even doused lights
Wouldn’t lose her bright

The lips spoke
As little talk
An angel’s voice
She shared the poise

Alas it goes
Seen but a pose
My wife awoke
Looking nothing like the rose