Quo Vadis?

I am aware of two marriages of close friends in downward spirals and heading towards a point of no return. It pains to know that both marriages have similarities and differences and yet they are both in the same state. One was arranged the other was a love marriage but the primary difference did not matter much. I would like to share some takeaways from these weddings and what could have been better. 1.     Expect the unexpected and be prepared for not meeting expectations: Marriages go off the rails when the expectations are unmet. Usually the men go into the marriage with expectations that may be let’s say unreasonable and when these expectations are not met the cracks appear. While expectations may not be wrong in itself, they come with the challenge of being a two way street. Pause for a moment to acknowledge that the other partner also comes with his / her set of expectations and it is his / her right to feel short changed when the expectations are unfulfill...

I struggled but I overcame… with help This post is my contribution for a contest by www.chennaibloggers.in . You can read more about this group at their website where you will find more such works by amateur, semi-professional and even professional bloggers and published authors from our Chennai. Read on… I like to be with others, my friends, my family, peer groups etc but there are times when I like to be with myself and these times are crucial because they help me to reconnect with myself. Years ago when I was struggling with some challenges, the challenges now appear so trifling that I no longer remember them except for the pain they caused. During one of these low moments when things were so low that I questioned the meaning of life the people around me failed to see the challenges I was fighting with. My support systems saw the outer me and failed to realize behind the smiling face was confusion, despair and other emotions that tortured me. I had an image to mainta...

I was in the branch of a Public Sector Bank on a Friday on some work and in the back ground amidst the noise of the busy branch was a faint tinkling of a prayer bell. In some time my meeting was interrupted by a priest who brought the sacred fire and the prasad to the occupants of the cabin. When he came to me, I smiled and stepped back; he saw me, smiled in acknowledgement and moved to the next person. What happened is a regular occurrence on Fridays in many secular organizations in our country. We are proudly secular but we happily pray to the Gods of our choice and we respect the views and beliefs of others. When the priest entered, all the occupants in the room including me stood up immediately out of respect. My personal beliefs made me step back from the sacred light and this act was respected by the others in the room. They did not bear me any ill will nor did they treat me any differently. When the priest left the room our business conversations resumed where we had le...

One of the small joys of life in the mornings for me is watching my little daughter sleep peacefully. Sometimes she wakes up and spotting me nearby rushes over curls up nearby holds my hand and goes back to sleep. She sleeps secure in the knowledge that her dad is nearby and I delight in this simple joy of fatherhood. Can things change a few years down the line? Will a father despise the choice of his daughter so much that he will not hesitate to kill her for the sake of honour? Is there really any honour when this precious daughter marries or chooses to marry someone outside their circles? Can the happiness of his precious one be less important than social acceptance? Why is this craze for this silly thing called caste? Why is it important for marriage? Why will the mixing of bloodlines make a difference to people’s lives? Does a blood bank have blood caste wise? Or does a dying man refuse the organs harvested of someone of the lowest class? Why do people fear the socie...

Home Alone has crossed 25 years and the cute little kid who still makes you smile is now close to middle age. Of the many memorable and silly scenes in the movie including the mandatory mushy climax there is one scene where Kevin conquers his fear of the basement and the radiator. You will recall his initial reaction to the radiator in the basement where he will make a hasty exit and hide under his bed; his fear will consume him till he takes charge and conquers his fear by saying “Shut up”. Now let is shift to the sedition, defamation and many other cases that are piling up in our courts usually by people in power. Whether it is a simple folk singer or a college student, ordinary people have managed to throw the fear into people causing laughable knee jerk reactions. Government machinery including well qualified and competent officers spend their time doing things that will make them wince otherwise. Freedom of expression or public criticism will lead to defamation adding ...

I got yet another Pappu joke from another fan of the current government.  The attempt to look invincible by projecting a weaker adversary is laughable at best for the effort and not the joke. Make no mistakes that I am a Rahul Gandhi fan, in case you still wondered about Pappu; I am not anybody’s fan, not least a politician. For all his faults that have been loudly proclaimed by many I would like to give him credit for being someone who tried and who is taking the difficult option. It would have been easy to live with the silver spoon he is born with and have a good time but it calls for a certain degree of character to get into the world of politics and to step into the frontline and fight an election campaign. What are the odds stacked against RG? Many in my opinion:- -          A party of geriatrics who refuse to let go -          The bright sparks who struggle to come up - ...