Invictus

William Ernest Henley

Crippled by tuberculosis from his boyhood years, W E Henley was rendered helpless and incapacitated at an early age...

Despite his predicament, W E Henley wrote with gusto from his hospital bed...

His best work, Invictus, a death bed affirmation of his atheism succeeded in motivating Nelson Mandela during his twenty seven years of exile at Robben Island...

My favourite poem...

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul...

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud,

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed...

Beyond this place of wrath and tears,

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid...

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul...

One Navratra

Its autumn at MANAGE...

There is a light early morning drizzle, the leaves begin to turn, the evening draft carries a slight chill and puppies are born...

However, more importantly, it is the time of Navratri, Dandiya and Garba and MANAGE basks in festive glory...In my second and final year, I'm already nostalgic about Navratri, last year...It seems so far off now...Dressed in a pink suit, wondering whether I'm overdressed in danglers, conscious about my inaptitude in handling the Dandiya sticks, I remember walking into the Puja...In a thrice, the festive fervour caught on...There was cheer in the air and all my seniors and friends gathered around chanting shlokas...Piety had never been my forte, though strangely, that night I prayed for Ma Durga's blessing ! And blessed, I was...Perhaps my prayers were heard that night and Ma gave me a wonderful year ahead...Sprinkled with laughter, a few stray tears, memories and friends...I'm grateful...

I prayed again this Navratri...And I thanked...

Dandiya Nite turned out to be entirely different from what I had in mind...It seemed a decision of the last hour to dress up in a saree and a wise decision it was...There was gaiety all around and the girls took their own sweet time to look their best ! I missed Mousumi Ma'm, Puja Ma'm and Rupali Ma'm and suddenly the realisation struck that we wont be around next year...And I hoped, somebody would miss me as I missed my mentors...

The party took off with the Puja...Namrata and Pushpanjali chanted shlokas and we echoed with alacrity...Chants of "Jay Mata Di" resounded...Images of Ma were decked up, framed with a maroon Bandhej dupatta...Flowers were scattered and incense sticks burned...We all did the 'Aarti' and had 'Prashad'...Mona did the 'Tika' on our foreheads and slowly the crowd dispersed for a sumptuous dinner prepared by Khan Saab...

Shirin looked resplendent in a Green Chiffon Jodhpuri Bandhini, only to be matched by a Sap Green Kurta clad Aditya...I joined the couple and after several photos and some good hearted camaraderie, all of us joined in the dance...I hadn't imagined how much fun it would be prancing around in a saree repeating the same steps over and over again ! With Gupchup, Fruit Salad and Orange Juice as energisers, we danced all night long, cluck-clucking on heady Dandiya beats, oblivious to Vikram Singh's warnings and messages through Alok Bhai !

At 3am, the party finally drew to a close and the two batches gathered around for a picture...As we decided to walk back to our rooms, a heavy drizzle stopped us...Shirin was apprehensive about the rain but suddenly Aditya grabbed her wrist and ran towards shelter...The spontaneity amazed and amused me as well as several others on the path...Maybe, these were some moments I'd prayed for and Ma answered my prayers...Yet again...

God bless !

Mumbai Noons... :)

In the year 1997, I saw a city and could not comprehend its vastness...It is 2010, I see the city for the second time and Mumbai still remains incomprehensible...

Mumbai comes to my mind as glittering confetti of memories...Many overwhelming and few forgettable...Here are excerpts of both...

The Mumbai Local:

("Kudhel Station Jogeshwari")

"Welcome to Mumbai" my mind subconsciously shouts out amidst the babel of noises around me !

The hoot of the Borivalli Slow lures a million feet to scramble across the platform to get a seat or at least a spot to rest their feet...Its barely 8.30 in the morning and the crowds have already materialized...The Ladies Compartment beckons me and I know politeness wont fetch me a seat...I must push the dozen women ahead of me while the another dozen push me from behind...

The train chughs halfway across Mumbai and the sultry 9 o clock sun paves way for a merciless 11 o clock one...The Ladies Compartment invites more and more women at every station...Office goers, young students, housewives with their kids and the eunuchhs...The youngsters gossip away, touching up on their make up once in a while...The slightly older women chatter away on their marital woes and office worries...Mothers hold on to their children...Acquaintances make polite queries...And some of us, preferring oblivion, retreat into the solace of our music players...

A few peddlers bring in their wares once in a while...Jasmine and Rose garlands, cheap plastic Hair Clutchers, Bindis and Stickers...At times a woman sells Vada Pav and Sabu Daana Vada to the eager crowd...

An announcement chirps through the microphone and the station details flashes on the ticker..."Kudhel Station Kandivalli"...Though the crowd has thinned at Dadar and Andheri, I know I must reach the door before the train stops...A few seconds before it halts for a quick stop, I grab the sole railing by the door and peep outside...The sun and the wind hit my face...

The National Mill Labourers Association:

("Please Close The Door" !!)

We sought cheap accommodation and got more than we were looking for ! The location is strategic, the rooms modest, the Misal Pav slightly watery, the elevator vintage and the Mumbai skyline (Shapoorji Buildings) from the fifth floor magnificent ! 

We yell at each other every morning, hurrying everyone up...There is a sudden rush to charge our cellphones and laptops, a sudden need to iron our clothes...Everything seems to have been suddenly misplaced...To top it all, accusations are flung around ! And everyday, for one fortnight, the ruckus lasts exactly an hour and a half...

Contrary to the early morning pandemonium, when we return in the evening, our apartment feels like home ! Maybe the drudgery of the day takes its toll...We chatter away our tales of the day while snacking on Vada Pav that somebody or the other always brings on the way back home...After a short nap, the eight of us walk down to our dinner joint, Modern...And inevitably, dinner is the same everyday...The Chicken Biriyani combo !

The Nightlife:

("Shola Hai Ya Hai Bijuria")

It is midnight on Saturday and Bidipta Di, Binod Bhai and Bhauja decided to take me out to Juhu Chowpatty...Well, the traffic on the roads, the parking rush at Hotel Ramadan and the lights and sounds suggest something else...I imagine the eight o clock Market Building at Bhubaneswar ! Though the beach is disappointing (Peanut shells and Watermelon slices in the waves), the snaps are fun, the Kulfi tasty and the crowds amazing !
After watching 'Wall Street' at Regal in Colaba, a one o clock dinner at Barista is topped only by a picture in front of RBI, despite being shouted at and being frisked away by Security ! I walk back with friends after a late night show of Step Up 3D at the awing Phoenix Mills Palladium and at 1.30am on Ganesh Chaturthi, several youngsters lounge around the road seeking cabs but in no hurry to reach home...I wait in the queue for dinner at '5 Spice' and ultimately settle for another Chinese joint...However, it isn't a disappointment anymore when a trip to the Sailing Club at NOFRA materialises at midnight...Few yachts hover on the coastline of Arabian Sea and several Fishing Boats and Catamarans are lined on the bay...The ambience is heady !
Cruising along on the Bandra Kurla highway, returning home from Lokhandwaala, the weekend crowd drives by us, in as much a hurry as if it is the Monday rush...Though my expeditions do not include the well sought after pubs, discotheques and bistros, I did have my slice of the acclaimed Mumbai Nightlife !

The Streets:

("Fixed Price: Rs 150")

From the cutest pair of denim shorts to the choicest eateries, the streets of Mumbai are laden with wares to please the eyes, the tummy and most definitely the pockets ! Though my stay is short, I do not hesitate to spend on trinkets at Dadar, tees and capris at Bandra Link Road and books at Churchgate...But somehow, I save the best for the last...Cosby is marvellous when it comes to Shorts, Clutches and Saree Chappals ! 
Food is second life for Mumbaikars as is evident by the innumerous street corner fast food joints coming up with the tastiest Cheese Sandwiches, Vada Pav, Pav Bhaji, Bhel Puri and on and on the list goes...
A plethora of gustatory delights await the passersby at every nook and corner that we visit...

All that comes to my mind when I recall Mumbai is Jay Z's 'Empire State of Mind' and somehow Mumbai aptly replaces New York...

"In Mumbai, Concrete Jungles Where Dreams Are Made Of,

There's Nothing You Cant Do, Now That You're In Mumbai,

These Streets Will Make You Feel Brand New,

Big Lights Will Inspire You...

Lets hear It For Mumbai !!"

:)

The First Time... ♥

The thought stems in my head a long time before it spells into action...I contemplate for a month...I imagine the wondrous pros...I try penning down the cons though I seldom find any ! (Ofcourse)...And on and on it goes...Till that one day when the deliberation reaches its peak, tiny fritters of adrenaline pump in and I know, the world is mine to conquer...And then, I wake up for a jog...

The exhilaration of that first jog is unmatched ! I wake up on the very first ring of my customised "Please Dont Stop The Music" alarm tone, rudely cutting Rihanna short...My eyes are wide open and I cant help but give a sheepish grin...Appu needs to be wakened and I walk over to her door wondering whether I should knock or ring the bell...I choose the latter and within seconds a sleepy Appu comes to the door and confirms our early morning outing...

My jogging clothes are kept aside (OCD at its best) and it takes me a jiffy to freshen up and change...Aparajita gives a soft knock and we step outside...There's not a soul in sight, MANAGE is cozily asleep in the supposedly 'wee' hours of the morning and the novelty of the situation makes us both burst into laughter...We plug in our earphones and tune into the playlists we have both compiled the previous night...

The two of us reach a fork in the road and enthusiastically decide to start with a jog and so we do...For exactly 13 seconds ! At the end of the 50 m stretch, we are both panting for breath and coming to terms with reality ! Sparing a thought to our rusty joints and deciding (wisely) to take it slow, we turn around and take a walk...

The previously unseen early morning MANAGE is a welcome sight...On our way, we meet others sharing a similar fate as us, though we are undoubtedly the hippiest joggers on the road...We break into a short run yet again and though we sustain a tad bit longer this time, we decide (wisely again) to take it one day at a time...Afterall, we've covered 30 minutes and almost 2 kms !

Our mission is accomplished and there is no feeling more splendid than the one on both our minds...A status on FB follows, much to the curiosity of our other classmates...

I wonder if this's meant to last...But like many other firsts, I know, it will be memorable, close to my heart and ofcourse perfect ! 

♥