Where I Could Be Myself

 I wrote this poem in the 11th standard during the Physics Olympiad exam, on the rough sheet provided for calculations!

Do I even need to tell what was the result of that exam? :P

Miss those days...

I have been in search of a place,

For a number of years,

Where I could be myself,

With my eyes full of tears.

Where I would be shameless,

With no one in my sight,

With not the slightest pressure on my head,

My life would be so light!

Where no one would be present,

To grieve me anymore,

I would be my own master,

And, can all the day snore!

Where without worrying about

the world, I can cry,

And with all my liabilities,

I wouldn't have to be shy.

Where no memory would haunt me,

And, I would be all alone.

Where I would be myself,

And, not somebody's clone..

Where I would be able

To see my own dreams

And, with all my might,

I would achieve the cream...

A Tribute Through The Confessions

I reached home and turned off the bikes engine. She was looking at me, from her coign of vantage. Before I could even start towards the entrance, she ran towards the door to receive me. [Almost like Mrs. Jaya Bacchan running for her son Shahrukh Khan in K3G…!].  She was visibly excited on seeing me. She couldn’t remain away from me for a long time. I caressed her and stroked her hair. She started licking my arms, my legs and my face. I went to my room and she followed me. She always sleeps with me in my room.

Well, before you start having any raunchy ideas, let me make it clear that, here ‘she’ refers to my German shepherd, GRACY..!!

When God created the Homo sapiens cum Humans, he thought that he has created the best animal form. He believed that the humans will live together happily, trust each other and will be honest and faithful to others. But, even God can make errors sometimes. When God realized his mistake, he repented and to compensate that he created the Canis lupus familiaris cum Dogs.

I love dogs. A dog is the most loyal friend, any human can hope for. We can never ever match their irrevocable and unconditional love and care for us.

When I read the morning newspaper, I came to know that two pet dogs from our locality were missing. I was anxious and looked for Gracy, who was lying in her bed, in her peculiar position. Afterwards, even in the college I couldn’t help, but think of the two missing dogs and the condition of their family members. [Yes, Family members..!]. I thought about Gracy, and realized that there were so many things which I wanted to say to her, and about her.

I know that Gracy will not be able to read this, but I can show my feelings to her, in other ways too.

So, here I’m confessing what I feel for you Gracy, and I know you will surely praise this, in your own way. It’s a tribute to the finest creature of god, through some special confessions.

·        I love it when you follow me when I move from one room to another and when you even sit outside the bathroom door, when I go for a bath.

·        I can never comprehend how you are always able to understand my varying moods, when no one else can…! I feel really grateful when you understand my woebegone face and come and sit near me, licking my legs and hands. I know this is your way of showing your love and concern.

·        You are my instant pain-reliever. When I come back home, after a long, boring and frustrating day, just the sight of you running towards the door to receive me mitigates all my worries. Playing with you, allows me to forget every damn tension of this world.

·        It feels great to know that one always has a company, to one’s account, no matter the circumstances. I know for the fact, that you are more entertaining than some people who I know. I specially enjoy her ‘stretching exercises’.

·        I know you become angry when I come to home late at night, and you show your anger by biting my toes in your peculiar manner, and not allowing me to sit for a long time after my entry. I really appreciate your concerns.

·        I know that you are damn active, and you love to roam around, but you have to understand that some people are afraid of you. [I have to accept that, females are way more active than the males, irrespective of the species…!]

·        I just love it, when you curl up around my legs, as soon as I sit on chair. Your different credulous postures just fascinate me, as in, when you put your legs on my legs and sleep, with your tail swaying constantly.

·        I admit that I was tickled pink when you first showed familiarity towards your name, ‘Gracy’. The feeling was something, which can’t be described in mere words. [Now, I can understand the state of parents, when their child recognizes his name, and reacts to it.]

·        I do admit that I envy you sometimes. For instance, when you sleep and lay anytime, as per your wish. Or, when mom calls you a perfect daughter, because you eat each and every vegetable, which I can’t.

·        Though I like the fact that you are a complete ‘Bhukkad’ like me, and I have a companion for the usual rounds of gobbling.

·        I know that you are possessive for me, and you can’t bear when I’m chatting with my friends, outside our house, and you start barking. To be honest, I do love this possessiveness.

·        I also find it really sweet, when in the morning, you leave your bed, come to mine and wake me up by licking my face. This way I have an awesome beginning of my day.

·        It’s really lovely, when you adjust your position in the drawing room in such a way that, you can have an eye on every family member, in different parts of the house. I know you care for every one of us.

As I’m writing these lines, I look towards Gracy and find her staring at me. I also stare in reply, and after few seconds, she withdraws her gaze. I have always wondered about, what the dogs and other jewels of animal kingdom must be thinking about us..? We are not able to understand their language, and so they can’t express their feelings verbally. Though it’s quite difficult to understand what they want to say, but they do express themselves through various actions.

 A dog has four moods- Happy, sad, cross and concentrating. I can deduce her mood, by observing the movement of her eyes. I can always tell if she’s feeling sad, for her eyes say it all.

If Gracy is expecting me to give something to eat, her eyes took the form as of a pauper, who hasn’t got anything to eat for many days. If she is cross for some reason, on her face hangs the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, and she occupies a peripheral position in the room.

      When she is happy, and wants to go for a walk, she just become restless, and try to attract my attention towards the entrance, by continuously moving between my location and the entrance and making those special shrieks.

We all know that dogs can hear even those sounds, which humans can’t. They can detect a wide range of frequencies, and if I remember correctly, that range is about 20 Hz- 20000 Hz. If she is observing something, I know it by looking at her ears. Whenever Gracy is keen in observation, her ears are erect and, when she’s concentrating on some sound, her erect ears are bent in the direction of the source of the sound.

And the last confession- I used to feel bad just for one big reason, that the life-span of dogs is quite short. I can’t even imagine what would happen to me, if I lose her. But, then again Dumbledore came to my rescue. I came across his quote that, “Do not pity the dead. Pity the living, and above all, those who live without love.” So I have decided that, when that moment will come, I would bite on the bullet, and adopt a new dog, who has been devoid of love and care. I will shower my love on it and I know the lovely creature would reciprocate much more love than I can ever imagine.

Seasons of Nature- A Retrospect

‘Everything a person felt, experienced, and saw dies with them, like tears in the rain.’

My group decided to go for a long drive as our exams were almost over and the weather was too splendid to do otherwise.

So we went ahead with the plan and, as custom, were having helluva fun. While we were having ‘ice-balls’ at a kiosk, it started raining. That was the moment we all were waiting for.  We were eating and were completely drenched, though one ‘health-conscious’ friend restrained from eating. One of my friends was criticizing the rain as he feared his ‘branded’ shirt would be spoiled while another friend joined him saying it would affect our health and we would suffer from fever. They remained behind in the shed complaining, while rest of us, paying no heed to their crap, continued to enjoy the rain. I also complained about the rain at one point that the tennis-court would be wet and I wouldn’t be able to play. As we moved ahead to a different venue cum ‘thiya’, for another round of gobbling, the downpour increased. We were driving while singing (read ‘shouting’) all the ludicrous songs. Roads were slippery and suddenly out of the blue, a car came in front of my bike from the wrong side. I applied breaks but owing to the slippery surface, we lost our balance and the car just missed us. Fortunately, I was not injured much but that was a narrow escape.

I have heard earlier that a near-death experience can change anyone’s view about life and that night I realized how true it was. That night, lying on my bed, my mind was in a complete chaos. I was wondering if it was just sheer luck that I survived the accident. What would have happened if I were to die there and then? There were numerous things I wished to do, things I wanted to say to dear ones, dreams I dared to see but couldn’t try to accomplish. I didn’t want to regret at my death bed that I could have achieved everything if only I wasn't a coward who let go of all the chances. I made a promise to myself that from that very night I would live according to my wishes without worrying about my qualms. That night I didn’t sleep; I woke up.

The morning brought with it new hopes and new perspectives towards life. The first thing I saw after waking up was the sunlight coming inside the room through the curtains. I moved the curtains and was mesmerized by the amazing beauty outside. Clouds were hovering over the sky while the sun was playing hide and seek with them. Being a witness to that beautiful scene, many feelings evoked inside me. I mulled over the beauty of nature, the various forms it took, and the healing effects it had on humans. I remembered the disparaging remarks made by my friends about nature and was ashamed that I was also one of them. Many people criticize the seasons; it doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter. People fail to recognize the numerous memories associated with the seasons. We are so much involved in the hectic schedule of our life that we don’t get enough time for ourselves, let alone for nature.

I realized that there are numerous things about nature; the seasons, which I loved, but never got enough time to enjoy. I never sat back and cherished those little things. So, here I’m recollecting, rather, living those moments again, and I hope most of the people will be singing from the same hymnbook.

Rainy Season/Monsoon:

Many times people complain about this season stating that it results in a lot of mud and it becomes difficult to remain outdoors. Is it?

I just love the rainy season. I love to see the aqueous pearls falling from the sky, flirting with the winds, kissing the grounds, and making it wet! I’m enchanted by the intoxicating odor of the wet sand. I love to hear the sound made by the water droplets falling on the leaves and the roof-tops. When I was a child, I loved rainy season as it gave me an opportunity to buy my favorite cartoon-raincoat from a wide range of raincoats. Today, I’m grateful to this season as my ladylove asks me to come for a long ride in the rain, and then, of course, an intimate dance! The thundering and lightening also amplify the rate of hugging. I always cherish the moments when I dance and do all the stupid things in the rain with my equally stupid friends. I also love to see the lush green vegetation and playgrounds and to play football in all that mud. I like my garden filled with knee-length water which gives it an appearance of a small pond, and then sailing my own paper boats in that.

Winter Season:

You must have heard people complaining that in this season laziness prevails and the suitable time for remaining outdoors is much less. I guess they are not realizing that the glass is still half-full.

I love to sleep until late hours in the morning (or more precisely afternoon!). I’m addicted to the “rajai’ and blankets which keep me warm in this season. It may sound absurd but I love that shivering due the freezing temperature and also that assuring feeling when my mom covers me with the blankets and sweaters and gives me a tight, warm hug. I love to swank my various sweatshirts and pullovers in the parties. Its pure bliss when the cool breeze is floating around and you just welcome it with open arms (well, not literally). It’s also the best season for optimum weight loss due to the high levels of metabolism (Doctors say so, but screw the weight loss!) and so the ‘Bhukkads’ or Foodies like me, undoubtedly love this season.  The best part is one doesn’t need to bath every day, on the pretext of the prevailing cold. I also love the feeling when, while taking a shower, the hot water touches your skin and the droplets roll down the body. I also look forward to the various campfires and barbecues as they take care of both my stomach and heart.

Spring Season:

Spring is the queen of the seasons. I’m always tickled pink when spring comes. The snow begins to melt, rivers begin to flow, birds begin to fly, and the plants begin to grow. Spring revives the new spirit and new life all around. I love the floods of sunshine which bathe the blossoms and also the bending of the trees under the weight of their fruits. I love the fragrance of flowers. The perfumed wind caresses the faces of all. I just love the birds singing in the thickets with the nightingale occupying the top position. The orchards, fields, and forests are in full bloom and I’m enthralled by this mesmerizing scenario. People say it’s the best season for romance. (Though I guess every season is best for romance).

Summer Season:

Most of the people dislike summer season as the temperature becomes too high to work efficiently and the perspiration becomes a huge problem. I guess these people haven’t yet encountered the ‘real’ summer. Let me introduce it to them.

I love summer season a lot. I love to go for the sleepovers cum ‘pajama parties’ in our group. I cherish the everyday encounters with various drinks- Lemonades, ‘Shikanji’, ‘Lassi’, on the various kiosks on my way. When I was in school, summer was my favorite season as it brought with it the summer holidays! I used to join various summer camps and enjoyed various activities. I also used to visit my hometown in the holidays to meet my relatives and cousins. Today, I spend my summer in the swimming pool and related . I love to eat the ‘homemade’ ice cream which my mother makes especially for me. I like the long lasting days of this season as they give me much more time for playing in the evenings. I love summer for providing me, my most favorite fruit, Mango. I spend my leisure time under the cool shady groves of mango and palm trees.

So now without beating around the bush, I would say that I realize the magnanimity of nature. All seasons are on a par with each other. Every season comes, provide us with some special memories, and goes away just to aid the arrival of a new season. It depends on us, how much we make out of these seasons. And to all my friends disparaging the seasons, well the best of us must sometimes eat our words.

The Higgledy-Piggledy Democracy of Indiana

             

DISCLAIMER: All characters are real. Any resemblance to living or dead is purely intentional!

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln

Once upon a time, there occurred some geological changes in Asia which lead to the formation of the country Indiana. What Lincoln said long ago fits completely in the context of Indiana.

The Indiana has been suffering from democratic paralysis right from its birth, but the recent hullabaloo is due to the upcoming presidential nominations. The presidential house awaits its new president and this has evoked the dormant dreams of many.

The two major alliances of Indiana are- UPA [Useless Pernicious Alliance] and NDA [National Derogatory Alliance]. Both are morally (or rather ‘immorally’) on a par with each other. At present UPA is in power and, like most coalition governments, the political parties in this ‘coalition’ too, suffer frequent collisions with each other. Still, one party needs to ride on other party’s coattails.  To solve the problem of presidential nominations UPA has organized a meeting with all other alliances and regional parties in a ‘Seven-star’ hotel, under the pretext of discussing the means for the development of ‘slum’ areas. [Pun intended].

The meeting started with a huge feast and after watching some ‘hardcore’ action movies, the political leaders accumulated in the air-conditioned conference hall to put forward their choices for the nominations.

NDA started with nominating a well-known scientist cum ‘missile man’, but it was strongly opposed by some parties of UPA because they feared that he might use his missiles to force them to take right decisions, as he did earlier. Next, the major party of UPA put forward the name of a well-established industrialist. It was agreeable to many parties, but the female leader cum ‘common man’ of TNC [Taking No Commands] refused straight away. ‘Didi’ said that the industrialist once wore a ‘Red’ shirt in a party and hence he was a ‘Maoist’!  

After this heated discussion, SP [Showbiz Party] voted for a political leader from ‘minority community’ (keeping in mind the minority votes), but it was opposed by NDA and by the female leader cum ‘Behenji’ of BSP [Building-only Structures Party]. ‘Behenji’ alleged the leader of once saying in public that he doesn’t like ‘Elephants’, and so his nomination was also cancelled.  Following this some parties from the South-Indiana put forward the name of present Finance minister of UPA government, highlighting his vast political experience. To everyone’s surprise, this nomination was opposed by parties of UPA itself. They feared that the ‘Bhadrapurush’ would overshadow their ‘future prince’ and may even take some below the belt decisions.

In between all the chaos, some ‘Linguistic’ parties of the west raised their objections that they will support only their lingual ‘Maanush’ and will not allow any ‘Bhaiya’ to succeed in nominations.  Despite the air-conditioner, the temperature of the hall increased and different arguing pairs were omnipresent in the room. After arguing for hours, finally, it was settled that none of the nominations were worth selecting. The politicians were under the gun for selecting a nomination. A cloud of despair floated around the politicians which was a rare occasion.

At that precise moment, out of the blue, one party suggested that this time a common man should be nominated for president. When this suggestion met loud cries of protest, the leaders of that party put forward their theory. They explained that this would not only make the public ecstatic, but the public would even forget about the recent faux-pass of the government. Moreover, because of his total inexperience of political tactics, the man will be a mere puppet of the government, just like the present president. He would be happy to act as rubber-stamp and visit the international embassies.

Thus, the decision was made with a majority of votes, (excluding some NDA parties), and a bourgeois working man was selected by the HR [Humanity Repugnant] department of the government.

After some weeks, the common man was invited to the exclusive farmhouse of the ruling party, where most of the leaders of different parties were present. The man was full of hopes and he dallied with the illusion of causing a change and working for the welfare of the country. When he reached there, he saw drunken leaders loitering around lewdly with some women. He was received by certain leaders of the parties. While going inside, one leader told him that in politics one must know which side one’s bread is buttered on. Another leader added that one must be shrewd enough to feign innocence in each and every situation.

Inside he saw a strange wagon. To the large cart was harnessed a small and feeble mare. Many intoxicated party members began to clamber into the wagon amidst laughter and jests. The leader standing with him saw his bamboozled look and explained to him, “The mare signifies the Republic of Indiana cum the ‘Mother Indiana’. The politicians ride on the mare mercilessly and make her to gallop. The more she gallops, the more we earn. We have no interest in her well being and development.” At that moment, he saw some members beat the mare with the whips. The mare moved some inches, but couldn’t take that much load. She snorted and winced under the constant blows from the whips. Agitated, the people struck her on ribs and even on the eyes to make her gallop, but to no avail. One member, being too irritated, took a hatchet and hit the mare 2-3 heavy blows with it. The mare sank to the ground, all four legs giving way at once. She groaned heavily and expired.

The leader then told to him that, “This is what we do to the people when they are no longer useful to us or when they turn against us. We have invited you here so you could know that you will serve just as our puppet. Any nasty step and you would suffer the same fate as this mare. Welcome to the real politics.”

The man was covered with perspiration and vomited. Next day, the newspapers bore the headlines about the sudden disappearance of the president nominee just one week before the consecration ceremony.

The politics made the common man gallop a long way.

BOATS OF LIFE

This is the picture which was provided in the contest and we were asked to write a short story/poem on this picture. It's my first attempt at writing short stories.

So, here goes my story-

                                 

                                             BOATS OF LIFE

It’s a Sunday morning. I’m feeling like king of the world. No appointments and no meetings for today. Last night, it rained and suddenly the dull dry surroundings transformed into a lively one, bearing the early fragrance of monsoon. I woke up late, thinking of the things I would do today - maybe a new novel or a football match with the students of my colony. I don’t know how people spend their holiday sleeping on the couch! I believe that the more you rest, the more you rust!

I got up and opened the curtains of my window to welcome the mesmerising view outside. Children were having fun in the small pond formed due to rain. Some were collecting the raw mangoes (kairi) which were dispersed on the grounds, like the poor patients dispersed outside a government hospital, owing to the powerful winds which followed the rain. But my attention was caught by a small girl who was trying to make boats and float them in water. She was my neighbour’s daughter. She was making two boats - a large and a smaller one. It was like a deja-vu for me. Something stirred inside me, and I noticed that a lump was forming in my throat. I sat in the time-machine and reached my favourite destination- my childhood.

The surroundings were similar; I was having ‘just after the rain’ fun with my best friend Gautam. We always used to hang out together. As in every relationship, we had our own differences. While I was a cheerful kid, he used to be the pig-headed one, but these differences never created a rift in our friendship. 

That day, we were playing our most favourite game- Boat racing. We used to make boats and leave them in water. The first boat to reach the other end would win the race. While making boats, I asked Gautam why he always fought with other children and what made him follow Rajeev, the infamous bully of our school, and Rahul - the kleptomaniac? He just sat there, lost in making boats, without looking at me. After some time, he showed me two boats, a large and a smaller one, and asked me what did I see? On seeing my bamboozled face, he explained - “Look, here we have two boats. You and most of the other people are the smaller one; small, fragile, and without any support. I’m the bigger one. Large, strong, and people like Rajeev are my support. I can cross this whole sea, against the winds and storms of life, because I have such people supporting me. And I’m not following them; I’m just using them for my own benefit. This is the real life, you have to be a bootlicker or con someone for your own success”. After explaining this, he left the two boats in the water and said, “You will see that the bigger boat will cross the river, while the smaller one will sink in between!” and left. That was the last time I talked to him as the following week my dad was transferred to a new town.

After some years, I came to know that Gautam was arrested by the police and he was charged for a forged business deal and a harassment case. When he tried to use his contacts, no one helped him. At that instant, his words came back to me and I was really sorry for what happened to him but somewhere deep down my heart, I always knew this outcome. He didn’t know that at that time too after he left, that bigger boat never reached its destination. A small stone/hurdle came in its path, and it SANK owing to its own heavy weight. The first part to sink was its support, whereas the smaller boat, without any support, reached its destination safely!

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and I was hauled back into reality. I opened the door and found that same girl on my doorstep. She came and hugged me, and asked me to accompany her as she was having some problems in making boats.

I always thought that I never got a chance to explain my views to Gautam and to make him understand his faults; maybe that would have changed him. Today, I’m not going to repeat that mistake. I’ll help this girl in making boats and explain to her the ‘reality’ of life - that you have to survive in this world on your own and no shortcuts can take you to the top. You ought to have some principles and a little faith in humanity. As the French proverb goes, “There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience.”

I held her hand and started towards the grounds. From behind the clouds, the sun was trying to appear on the horizon.

THE ILLUSION OF FREEDOM

Hang on. Did the title say ‘illusion’? Freedom is, of course, a reality. We live in a free and sovereign democratic country. We all have the right to freedom, freedom of speech, and enjoy every possible notion of freedom. Or, do we?

Indian constitution provides seven fundamental rights to every citizen, the most important being, The Right to Freedom.

I have complete faith in the democratic structure of our country and in the rights which constitution gave us but, many times, some incidents occur and all my hopes are shattered. I start wondering if we really have any rights and if all the talk, about using one’s rights, is nothing but an illusion.

Last week, we saw the strike of the traders in our state against the proposed rules in the Food Safety Act. Whether the law is beneficial or harmful is a topic of debate, but one thing is crystal clear that the strike was totally immoral. The people leading the strike said that it was not obligatory and they just ‘appealed’ to the shopkeepers to support them. If that was the case, then why the two shopkeepers, who refused to close their shops, were shot? If it was just an appeal, then why people spilled about 15000 liters of milk from the milkmen who tried to do their daily chore? Why the Reliance fresh and other shops, which tried to help the common man, were destroyed?

That was something evil! I mean who the hell gave these people the right to do this! In fact, who are they to decide about others? Where did the right to freedom disappear? Just imagine the condition of the 63-year old lady whose only source of income was to supply Sanchi milk pouches in the neighborhood, when demonstrators spilled the milk of each and every pouch on the roads. And it’s not the only case where the right to freedom is violated.

Another instance when I soliloquy about the ineffectiveness of our rights is the controversy over a published book or a released movie. Our constitution gives every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression and no one can deprive us of that. Every author or director has a right to express his/her views and they can be wrong in some cases. Similarly, everyone has the right to disagree with their views but, let me put it very clearly, no one has the right to damage the books/movies or interfere with the publishing! Any attempt to ban the books/movies is almost as futile as King Canute ordering the waves to turn back!

Moreover, many times people also have to suffer because they tried to bring a change and didn’t inhibit to speak their mind. Recently, the railway minister Dinesh Trivedi announced the railway budget with some fare hikes which were necessary for the improvement of the railways and to reduce the losses. He called a spade a spade and clearly expressed his views. But what was the result?Ultimately, he had to resign and the fare hikes were also canceled.

When this could happen to a minister, you all can imagine what must be happening to the normal man.

On Valentine’s Day, the young generation suffers and some filthy people use ‘values’ and ‘traditions’ as the chains for hauling away their freedom. When someone talks about religion, all religious groups become the judge for deciding one’s character and morality.  Children don’t get to express their views about their careers and girls don’t have a say in deciding their life partners!

If there was no meaning of these rights, then why the constitution gave them to us? Because they are the proof of a democracy. These rights separate a democracy from a dictatorship. All I have to say is we must do everything possible to protect our rights and exercise them. We can’t pass the blame on the government if we ourselves remain ignorant about this. For the functioning of a democracy, it’s obligatory that all the citizens are able to exercise their rights. And if we are deprived of our right to freedom, then we would surely lose our other rights too, leading to the fall of the democracy!

I hope people will become more aware of their rights and the ‘accused’ people will also understand the importance of the right to freedom and will improve. After all, there are some kinds of hope which help keep us alive!

The Lost Childhood

Shocked? Did the title ring a bell? You must be thinking that I’m going to talk about the children living in slums or orphanages and the problems they face. No, everyone knows about that. I’m referring to the normal children around us who are not deprived of their parents and get every damn thing which they ask for. So, how does the title fits in this case? 

Well, I must say this may sound quite absurd but that is what I mean to say- when I see the children around me; my juniors, my cousins, and many others who I know from my school days, I ask myself, is this what being a child means?

I mean where did the childish nature, the quintessence of a child, disappear? There are many instances when I find myself staring helplessly on this question floating around me.

I remember vividly that during my school days, we used to play like anything; be it cricket, tennis, table-tennis, sitoliya, hide n seek, ice-water etc. All we could say was ‘bring it on’! On a single playground, at least 8-10 different cricket matches took place. However, now,  when I look at the empty playgrounds and parks, they appear to me like a haunted place. It’s not that the children today don’t play; of course, they play with agility on a computer- cricket, Farmville, Counter-strike etc.!

We used to meet and play with our friends, chatting on all sorts of topics, and making fun of each other. Nowadays children, after the school hours, meet their friends online. We used to have real fights with our friends and then the reunion parties, whereas children today, ‘poke’ their friends online!

There is a hell of a difference between being ‘innocent’ and being ‘ignorant’. Innocence is something which can’t be defined. I can’t even remember how many times we were punished by the teachers for our mischiefs; however, children today don’t find doing ‘dher sari masti’ in classrooms interesting. Instead, they are more content in talking about the life of Justin Beiber and Selena Gomez!

They will answer anything related to Algebra, Physics, and NFS, but ask them about comics- Tintin, Chacha Choudhary and stuff, they can’t even move their lips.

We used to capture our happy moments in pictures, making ‘horns’ on each other’s heads with our fingers and laughing all the time; today, children pose like some ‘models’ and help themselves with photo-editing - for preparing their ‘profile picture’ on facebook. Innocence, huh?

They maybe more ‘techno-savvy’ than us, but are helluva less ‘childish’! And I’m not exaggerating. Please, don’t misconstrue my views. I’m not comparing the two generations because that’s something impossible. Every generation has its own characteristics. But, still, it’s a matter of great concern. After all, we were not born some 30-40 years ago. We have just completed our ‘teenage’, and I really cherish the moment when anyone accuses me of being ‘childish’. If only I could be a child again! [Sigh..!]

Who is responsible for this situation? Children alone can’t be held responsible. Parents are equally responsible, if not more. When I see children going to coaching classes right from 8^th class, I can’t help but feel pity for them. They may be preparing for their (??) goal of IIT or AIIMS, but what about their precious moments of childhood being lost? How can they be held responsible for not playing, when probably, they are not getting time for even dreaming!

Why are they provided access to the computers and gadgets all the time? Why parents don’t encourage their children to play, to enjoy the life? Is fulfilling every materialistic need, the only duty of parents?

I think it’s high time when parents understand the gravity of the situation and take some measures. Children should also ponder over this and select their choices wisely, because as our Dumbledore said, “Humans do have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them.”

I hope the children would be ready to don a new hat and prove me wrong, and I would be more than happy to eat my own words.