If only they were aware of their stupidity, world wouldn't be a bad place
If only they could recognise my genius, I would not claim to be an ace
If only they stop bullshitting, there would be no mad race
If only they could acknowledge, my creativity would be full of grace
If only they stop deluding, there would be no mad chase
But if only I could withhold, would I really have a high-held face?????

Too much of whining, he thinks, would save him from the inevitable. With only partially directed effort, he thinks his lamenting would be his ultimate savior. But if only it could be. Life is never always in black and white and he never could deal with the grey

Poetry in Lotion

To Dreams-

"Dream on, guys" I say
"Come on, guys" I plead
Doesn't matter you fail
No big deal you succeed
Forget all want, forget what you need
Just water the plant, just plant the seed
No point in to follow when you are born to lead
Dream on guys I say Come on guys I plead


Absurdity at a glance-

Its been a day of fulfillment,
Its been a day of outcry,
Its been part silly, its been part sly,
Few things to confirm, most to deny,
When ground is a surety, why always sky,
Why always revolt, why not comply,
when there's nothing to hide why do they spy
kul mila ke chaploosi ka zamana hai Bhai.


To LOVE-
With an instant charm she had arrived
With a lasting calm she was to strive
with flair she knocked, with words she described
with imagination she flamed, with aura she framed
with elagance she attacked, with beauty she claimed
now that she's gone not sure who is to be blamed


.

signAGE

When a retail leasing professional, me, was entrusted with the task of presenting a case on effective use of Signage Space in commercial office buildings, that was the first sign that recession had hit. But the fact that I was doing it for the biggest developer, for the most landmark of structures in India’s Millennium City did help to calm the initial storm and venture out in a totally new zone. With a digicam in my hand I set off for the assignment. On the then clicked, highlighted and suggested spaces are placed now the logos of brands like RayBan, Yahoo and Videocon (the new me).

The just passed recession has compelled the companies to look out for newer and innovative revenue model. The use of space available in highly visible commercial buildings for branding of companies including and in addition to the existing occupants is one such outcome. It’s prevalent abroad but quite THE NEW thing in India. Videocon is one of the occupiers in DLF Gateway Tower, Gurgaon aka The Ship Building and now the Videocon Tower, but the way the entire signage space has been sold to Videocon in this building, its unprecedented and its highly emphatic. This being one of the most visible buildings in the country in terms of daily eye balls, it presents itself as the first and most stunning example of Corporate Branding on entire building façades. Of course the Doyen of Indian Branding, Airtel, has gone one step ahead just 100 meters diagonally opposite to the Videocon Tower, but Videocon is pioneer here. The timing of Videocon rebranding itself and launching the same on Gateway Tower couldn’t have been better. In Airtel Building, unlike facade the entire construction in the property is colorful and in complete sync with the colors of Brand Bharti but its most effective only in night, and the colors seems to be overdone a bit there.

In short, the trend has been set to incorporate not a specific space but the entire building for the new age branding of new age companies. However, for the companies that don’t want the complete thing or the companies that are chick and want to brand themselves in a certain way, there is an option for going “the selective ” way like Ray Ban did or Yahoo did. Ray Ban has taken a small but equally effective corner space in the same Cybercity and overlooking the flyover. Yahoo, has gone more specific and taken one of the elevator space in one of DLF’s landmark buildings.

Signage culture is more in sync with Highstreets and Shopping Malls but strategically located Office Spaces is the newer breeding ground for it. To conclude Out of Home (OOH) Media in not a very distant future will have prime Corporate Offices in its scheme of things but only the intelligent placement and relevancy will separate wheat from chaff.

'Khap'istan

“A born metropolitan from the countryside” the moment I read it (six years back) in Rushdie’s Fury, I knew he wrote to for me, or to say, for guys like me; people with rustic roots and metropolitan boots. But little did I know this seemingly glamorous tagline would implant a permanent duality in my psyche. The everyday dichotomy that was fun to begin with, has turned into an existential and metaphysical dilemma. The only consolation in this hurricane called CHANGE aka GLOBALIZATION, is the fact that I am not the only one. Ghettos surrounding the capital continue to churn out millions like me, millions metropolitans from the millions hinterlands.

The roots I am bound by, like me, are going through a thorough track change. An agriculture based civilization that prided itself in producing grains and protecting borders, is finding itself in total limbo in the face of gory globalization. The community that is known, over the years, as the ANNDAATA (bread-giver), is being forced not only to adjust to the changing global India but is also being compelled to restructure its culture and rituals. “Change is the only constant”. Agreed. BUT CHANGE BY WHOM AND CHANGE WHAT?

Has, all the advancement in technology and manufacturing, reduced human miserly by any shot?
Has, the gap between haves and have not’s, reduced in West dominated world?
Has the world become more peaceful following the CHANGE left, right and center?

That is not to say that change is undesirable. But how much to is to change, change by whom and change to what extent?

We, the rustics from Haryana, we don’t boast of a great renaissance nor of great education heritage. An age old system of Khaps is maintained to ensure the smooth flow of cultural and ritual norms. Khaps, for once, were started to oil the traditional machinery wherein dispute settlement and movement against a contentious issue figured primarily. There would be Khaps based “Kushti”(wrestling) and other healthier physical competitions. Khaps are autocratic. Yes, they are, but not overnight, and certainly not on its own. These have been empowered by its clan to look in to matter extra-ordinaire since inception. But does that mean Talibanization and Honor killing are matters of celebration? No they are not. But if Honor Killing is despicable so is killing the very notion of Honor. It’s been established within the clan that the same gotra female would be treated as sister/aunt and its an honor, duty and privilege to protect, support and facilitate them in anyway a clanster can. The big outcry against Honor Killing is understandable but what is missing is above board acceptability of same gotra marriage. In the new, global and changed India it might sound normal as well but not to those villagers. It’s a clear attack on their aesthetics. No wonder we have Taliban like dictates against every such matter and from within the most advanced and prosperous states of the country.

Now what am I trying to say?
All I want to maintain is a plain plea, an SOS call to all intellectuals and media think tank of the nation:

“Please, for the sake of all your comforts, decry and denounce every act of Honor Killing. But since you are the opinion makers of the nation and since you are shouldering the burden of nation all on your thin shoulders, please also suggest how can these poor villagers save their honor?”

Ruthless Compassion

"If you were that concerned with your performance, motherfucker, you should have had a reality check as to where you stand." He wished Deep had said that but did not.

Rather, post the fiasco, both had a long, animated and a revolting debate about the whole issue. In normal circumstances, it would have been just another issue and would be forgotten after another of his self loathing fits. But this time he wanted to overcome it and more than him, Deep understood the need and before he could open his mouth, came out with threadbare analysis, with encouragement, with truth and more importantly with love. It helped, it more than helped, it exalted, it absolved, it liberated.

Yesterday was a special day. he informed Deep. "Remember, the day of breakdown is also the day for breakthrough, its only a matter of realization" prompt came another sermon.

Yes ,traits, combine them. Some are similar and more apart but acceptance of same by both irrespective of their place in the world, makes it unique. People in normal circumstance would term it understanding, some would call it a need based adjustment but to them its pure joy, sheer relaxation. Neither money nor comforts mean much to them. Despite some necessity or other in pipeline both laugh at the futility of it all. And despite all the sameness and coziness they share, its strange that both hold strikingly opposite life views.

While, Deep's universe revolves around love, he can't think of a world beyond achievement. Deep comes from inclusive school of thought. "Accept the people as they are, love yourself and you will loose the ability to hate". He on the other hand, as Deep would describe, has very complex filtering mechanism wherein even he himself fails the screening. "How can I love those imbeciles irrespective of how my personal equation is with them?" he usually laments.

But when dichotomy is cherished at both ends the journey becomes not contentious but "house on fire" kind. Every year he comes across a person who he becomes very fond of. Deep, he knows for four years now but affinity developed just recently. Normally, the things are normal but every now and then Deep has this knack to come up with something he wants to hear and when Deep mentioned "Ruthless Compassion" he didn't follow what came rest. He stayed put but went lost. Not that they were astoundingly big words but the essence was timing.