Men & Women

It is almost correctly said that Men are from Mars and Women from Venus. But the truth is that both were created on and for the Earth. They just need to learn to deal with it. With the evolution of nature, and the advent of civilization, they deviated from the ultimate purpose of complimenting each other. Instead they attempt to make a self sufficient ‘world of their own’. Had Adam and Eve refrained from taking a bite of the Forbidden Apple, it might still have been feasible. But under current circumstances, it seems pretty impossible for either covey to take the other down. There is just way too much fraternizing.

Since the beginning of time, the human society has been dominated by physical power, and therefore, been patriarchal. Women have been restricted to the house and used as ornamentation, be it in the Western Civilizations like The Romans and The Greeks or the ancient Indian Civilizations. “Woman was taken out of man; not out of his head to top him, nor out of his feet to be trampled underfoot, but out of his side to be equal to him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.”. This is one of the best things ever written. It may appear so, but neither the sister’s of Eve nor their descendants are weak. History provides evidence that whenever (although rarely) a woman has risen to power, she has made her opponent bite the dust.

As a representative of the female clan, I am somewhat reluctant to admit that on several occasions I am compelled to believe that perhaps the other sex is the better one. But it isn’t a child’s play to win ‘The Battle of the Sexes’.

As women, we have high expectations but low certitude, high perseverance but lower complacency. Women can be well described as a cheval glass, clear yet deceptive. Lucid and lustrous superficies encompass a core of compassion, affection and great endurance. We have the magic wand to add perk and hue to even the most indolent and livid things around. We are armed with our extraordinary instinct and skills of extrapolation. We can let out smoke even without a flare. Our eyes reflect our mind, but men lack the dexterity to comprehend it. We have a sharp foresight but such twisted thoughts that more than often its perplexing for even ourselves. ‘What A Woman Wants?’ is perhaps one of greatest inquest. Alas! The answer is still a mystery. We shun reason and logic. Window shopping, gossip and chocolates are to us as sports, computer games and beer are for men.

As men, they tend to be empirical yet impetuous, pragmatic yet idealistic. The corporeal power is well complimented by chivalrous fortitude, mighty rationale and incredible wit. Although men of this age are too preoccupied in fulfilling their worldly duties, the clandestine knightly mettle is still existent in their zeal. Men are both, Pride and Ego personified :P The right blend of all the traits makes a delectable and exquisite serving. They can be barbaric and pompous like Alexander. They can be serene and philanthropic like Buddha. They can be Gods, they can be Devils, they can be Lovers, they can be Friends. And above all they have a heart of gold. An aureate bosom shielded by a façade of sarcasm and humor. They might be wavering and errant, but they are equally passionate and allegiant once they ferret out their path.

Just like not all women are alike, neither are all men. According to the ‘Outgroup Homogeneity Bias’, individuals see members of their own group as being relatively more varied than members of other groups (adopted from a friend). This accounts for statements like ‘all men are the same’. However every person, man or woman, is as diverse from the entire populace as is each finger in our palm from the others. In the light of the modern times, men and women are like the two banks of a river which are parallel to each other, incomplete without each other but never merge with each other. They are as disparate as chalk and cheese but they go together like potato chips and cola.

In conclusion I agree with Santayana in saying ‘The woman's vision is deep reaching, the man's far reaching. With the man the world is his heart, with the woman the heart is her world’. It is unification and alliance of the two which has flourished the world the way it is. And perhaps it is the best :)

One, Two & Three

One was the luscious and delectable apple of everyone’s eye. Seemingly pompous with a snobbish tinge, but the imperious frontier encompassed an amiable and benevolent heart. A clandestine side to her temperament which was completely contradictory and well beyond the reach of the populace. The other one was a hoydenish romp that everyone dreaded. She was canny and capricious. Her fun-edged wit could slaughter anyone. And the third one was me :D.

We met when we were 9. It wasn’t the perfect convivial bonding at the first encounter, but it evolved over time to take a very awesome and exalted shape. Too many details are not retained as most of the memories from that time are quite foggy. In a year or so we were buddies and in a few more we were inseverable. We treaded together into the lanes of adolescence. So many fond memories adorn those times. The countless hours spent on phone even after spending the entire day together, the gossips and giggles, the risks to save each other’s ass, the hours of brainstorming in the pursuit to unravel the mysteries of life and so many such moments are priceless. This was the era before cell phones and texting, internet and chats were an essential part of every teenager’s daily life.

After those years of school our ways parted on several occasions, but we are still united. United in wax and wane, in joy and sorrow, in relief and pain, in victory and loss, in virtue and vice. We met less often but there were still moments of bliss that we spent in each other’s company. Bunking classes, movies and junk food united us :D. Although then placed in three different nooks of the city, we did not skip a single opportunity to fish out a meeting. The nice weather, a rainy day, release of a new movie or even the lamest thing on this planet like Valentine’s Day, everything around us seemed like an excuse to get together and celebrate. Then there was the advent of even worse times, we were spread across the country with me in a different continent altogether. Many things have changed but in so many years, many things are still the same. The city, the landscape and the people around us might have altered, the year and month on the calendar might have proliferated, the paths of our lives might have veered, but perpetual and incessant is what we have for each other.

With the course of time, the eye candy flourished into what can be best defined as, Attitude personalized. So intimidating yet so enigmatic, so dainty yet so headstrong, so prudent yet so whimsical. However she has not lost the hint of vanity. A character embellished with fine lineaments. The canny romp still haunts the world with her piquant and sharp wit. But she has mellowed into an ingenious and impulsive B-schooler. She blends so well into any milieu and has an aura which radiates natural charm, a charm that causes instant attraction. She is the brains behind most of our endeavours. She is the practical and sensible wing complimenting the starry eyed duo of this clique.

Through these years we have stood by each other through tough times, heartbreaks, times of crisis, delusions and blunders. We have been partners in crime, consorts in treason and allies in charity. With each step we are assured that if we screw-up and create a mess then there is someone abaft to scour and purge it all. These days we seldom talk and hardly get to see each other.. grown up business.. too preoccupied with managing our diligent and chaotic lives. Therefore there is not much time to rekindle the old friendship, but I know it requires none. We might be separated in time and space but we still connect at some abstract level.

So today, after so many glorious Friendship Days that we spent together, I chose this very day to ruminate. This reminiscence is an excuse to cherish the fond memories I share with my friends, to apologize if I have ever been the reason for their fury or chagrin, to warn them that I shall cling onto them no matter what and finally to thank my friends for being my friends :)

Snooze..

Sunrise and snooze… a new day commenced in my life. Three snoozes later, I start my diligent day in a hustle bustle and sprint to catch the bus. It is said that a new day is a new beginning, but here, a new day brings a new deadline. Aurora might be the most pristine point of the day but mornings are hardly the best part of my day. The inception of my day is just the paradox of Lindsay Lohan’s kick off in ‘Just My Luck’. *sigh* *deep breath and rolling of eyes*

On a usual day, I have more things to do than it has hours in it. From shopping for food to completing assignments, from laundry to pre-exam preparation, everything is postponed until the last minute. Until the time when they reach the topmost spot on my priority list and I am forced to drop every other essential activity to wrap them up before the curtains drop. Since every morning brings a new deadline, certain less relevant tasks like laundry and arranging my messy and disheveled 'war zone-like' room, have been snoozed until eternity. I live my life on the edge, the steep edge of a cliff where a tumble is dear. This is attributed not to the adventure gene that I have bequeathed but the highly demanding graduate program that I am pursuing, which indeed, is the bane of my existence. After a million harangues dealing with all known neurological and psychiatric disorders, therapies, drug targets and so on, the verve in my life is vitalized and rejuvenated by the rare hours of repose in which I seek gratification and solace from the silver screen. Throughout the day, there is a constant discord within. The cortical part of my brain keeps juggling between the countless impending chores that are to be addressed eventually, while the hypothalamus constantly beckons towards food and slumberland.

One of these days, a sudden post-12hr-day realization struck me. My hypothalamus and liver were bellowing and shrieking in unison for food and my taste buds were struggling to unleash from the torture and twinge I steadily inflict upon them. And to my distress I realized that I lacked any sort of palatable goodies. A quick glance at the table clock gave me precisely 7 minutes to calm my senses and satiate my penchant. Adrenalin surged through my vessels and there I was, scampering down the stairs from the 11^th floor like the building was on fire. That was my lucky day and one disgruntled customer picked a fight with ‘the supermarket-guy’ which bought me abundant time to grab a few things and pile them on the counter. Mission Dinner… Successful!! *bow* Such incidents are not sparse, but quite prevalent in my life.

Leading life on the edge has its own vantage and benefits. I have undergone a drastic metamorphosis from a dependent and sluggish existence to an independent, competent and efficacious lifestyle. It has aided in the mastering of the art of multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is an essential survival strategy in this fervid, diligent and mundane world where time is exiguous and aspirations are colossal.

This is not meant to whine about the predicaments and quandaries that I face in my everyday life. The distressful tales of students are analogous all over the planet. I just want to convey that the glass is generally full, but here the glass … is too full … upto the rim. However there is always a positive approach to things, so perhaps the student modus vivendi has evolved into the new modern contemporary way of life.

Sleep

As night falls, it comes to me,

and abates me of my weary day.

I sprawl in its lap and shut my eyes,

to wander in a mystic land

far far away.

It makes me feel aloft and ethereal,

with silver clouds in the shimmering sky.

Under the veil of my blissful slumber,

in the solace of my tranquil siesta,

until eternity I can lie.

To the land of demons and knights,

to the time of wars and fights,

in a twinkle I could meander.

To a red-letter day of my lucrative future

or a cherished moment of my glorious past.

The realms of my bedtime traverse

are unlimited and vast.

Adorned with an assortment of

starry-eyed dreams,

Or haunted with fiery nightmares.

Plays in my mind movie scenes,

or opens the chest with my

deepest fears.

As a child I despised and scorned,

when impetuously I was urged to sleep.

I reckoned I missed out on momentous issues,

or better things that I could do,

rather than be asleep.

Time & Trepidation made me realize,

there is no sweeter pleasure as a sneaky nap.

It is much more than a daily convention,

or a physiological state of mind.

It renders serenity & respite,

and a chance for the brain to unwind.

Oh sweet sleep I pine for thee,

On your wings, I will soar high and free.

Deprivation & impediments

led me to believe,

To a diligent day, sleep is a

cherubic and quiescent end.

Sleep.. my sleep ...is my best friend :)

PS: Inspired by a Behavioural Pharmacology lecture on ‘Sleep’ . The neurobiological aspects on Sleep were not very appealing on a lousy Friday afternoon. Constant pestering of my wits to pen this down aided me to revive myself from the verge of extreme drowsiness during the highly insipid and soporific harangue.

The Perfect Rendezvous

The land severed under the fiery and scorching heat. The incandescent sun in the crystal clear sky was setting the grounds ablaze. The torrid and parched land was devoid of any trace of life. Even the flutter of a bird was absent. The green in the nature had faded to a pale yellow. A withered twig here and there, in the otherwise desolate field, emphasized the struggle of life against nature. She scampered barefoot along the stony path. Her feet seared and her mouth was dry, but she wanted to be early. She had waited an eternity for this moment. She wanted it to be splendid and ideal. She had never seen a tableau other than the seething heat and the arid grounds. But she had always envisaged an enchanting seashore with golden sand scoured by emerald waves of the ocean.

As she approached the disheveled and downtrodden hut, she saw him. The mere sight was so enthralling. She saw him emerge from within the tall yellow grasses into the clear fields. Her soul was pacified and at the same time she was overwhelmed with fervor and anxiety. She could hear her heart beating and feel the butterflies in her stomach. She stood there watching his advent. With each approaching step, he appeared even more adorable. Although it had been almost a year since they had last met, his light gait and lustrous eyes seemed so familiar. He advanced like a pleasant and convivial breeze in the scathing heat. His mischievous grin enticed her heart.

He touched her hair lightly and slipped his hand into hers. He could feel the warmth in her eyes and the joy that gleamed on her face. She had countless things to say, innumerable queries, but she just smiled at him. As they wandered hand in hand, few gray clouds had assembled in the turquoise sky. Lost in their own world, they were oblivious to such an atypical phenomenon. They came closer. In his eyes, she saw a pining for her, a yearning to be with her. He draped his arms around her waist. A drop of sweat trickled down his brow. Even in this pernicious heat, she felt a chill. Their hearts were beating louder, but they were in perfect rhythm with each other.

As he bent down to kiss her, thunder struck!! The sky was filled with dark clouds. Lightening illuminated every corner of the world. As their lips touched and their souls merged, the first droplets of rain kissed the shriveled earth and the soil emanated vapors of relief. They stood lip-locked in the marrow of the field. The long awaited torrent had finally arrived. They were drenched to the bone in the downpour, but nothing other than their love prevailed on their minds at that moment. The temple bells chimed in unison. Even the Gods approved of their amour.

Nature celebrated their union by reviving the obsolete traces of life through this refreshing gale. The desolate and parched soil molded into a fresh and fertile terrain. From the withered twigs to the children in the village, everyone rejoiced hand in hand at deliverance from their elongated sufferings and distress. This was indeed ‘The Perfect Rendezvous’, so blissful and extraordinary. Sometimes when the entire milieu is painted in an archetypical and prosaic hue, fate finds a way to immortalize such precious moments.