Thousand reasons to smile...

The other day, I was watching this realistic flick "Traffic Signal" which supposedly depicts the lives of people making a livelihood at the Crossroads and busy Signals of Mumbai city. The movie didn't exactly leave an imprint on me the way "Page 3" did. But nevertheless subsequently, this question kept pestering me - What if I was not so fortunate and was one amongst them? What if I had no choice left in life but to beg...What if I didn't even have enough money to buy me food? Now everyone who has travelled by road in India will agree that these beggars and kids in rags are considered a nuisance especially when they bug you constantly to buy something or keep knocking on your car's glass doors for alms. That time we think "India can never grow" and "Look at the ugly picture of posh Metropolitan cities"...In Delhi, whenever I've seen slum areas besides some upmarket areas, I've always freaked out at the situation.But on some serious Introspection, I feel that these are very real people, with their own set of problems and they can't just disappear in thin air unless the Government or the NGOs take a step forward and give them places to live and jobs, and rehabilitate them, they will continue their professions at the Traffic signals with generations multiplying themselves and the nexus getting deeper. Isn't it strange that we people, who have got all the luxaries in life, never look at the agony of the beggars who have to spread their hands before strangers,the helplessness of the prostitutes who might have to do their jobs against their will, the rag picker who has to bear all that smell doing his job...And how disgusting it can get when even these beggars have a pay a "Hafta" to the local Don! I mean the parasites exist at every level...Even at this lowest level. The bigger parasites are of course the ministers and the politicians who feed themselves on the country's funds. I don't know if I wud be capable of showing some sympathy towards these less fortunate people the next time I see them on the roads of Indian terrain or I will be swayed towards contempt due to their annoying ways and ugly appearances...God give me the power to be wise, compassionate and generous.

The ones who inspired me in my journey

Just felt the itch to write...I often find myself in deep thoughts thinking about the handful of people who have really made a mark in my life, left an imprint along the way...And however ironical it may sound, I'm hardly in touch with any of them now. The set of friends that I had in my adolesence and teens is entirely replaced with a complete different set now. The few names that come to my mind foremost are Tulika, Manisha Sabharwal, Ritu Dubey, Nidhi Kapoor, Vipul Taneja, Ashish Arora, Vikas Sood,KamalKant,Tushar Dave,Pankaj, Vandana Sukhija, Anjali Mahajan, Manisha Tuli, Prabha Sattiraju, Ram Gopal, Shaju Nandakumar, Sivakumar Tammali,Mani, Samiksha Bindra. Then there is my hubby who wooed me and completely swept me off my feet with his affable ways and charm. And my sis Meera, Sweet li'l sister Chhavi and BIL Anupam who are the best companions one can have. I really cherished their company and shared my dreams with some of them. Doesn't it come across as life's paradox that the people who mattered the most to you at some point and who were a significant part of your lives are not a part of your very life anymore? Well however strange that may appear, it is true. Often I think of compiling a book with references to all the people who have touched my life in any way...I know it's a difficult task and I might leave out some names behind. I wish I could gather all those that I shared my vision with, laughed with, shared my tears and smiles with. Its been a long time but their memories are still fresh as dew in my mind, hope it remains so till the very end as they are too precious for me to part with.