Fluky Wisdom

March 6th, 2018 Jersey City.  I was watching Gundamma Katha, an all time classic Telugu movie for 100th time. This time, it was not the same enjoyment I used to have every time I watched the movie. This time, it was weird filled with bafflement and amusement. I am amused to observe that the same film which has a song empowering women "Lechindi ! Nidra Lechindi Mahila Lokam !" has a dialogue by the son to father saying "You say Yes! I shall set the girl right and make her fall at your feet Father ! " The dialogue which sounded very casual all these days irked me for a minute. If this dialogue is put in the present day cinema, it would have faced a big protest. I couldn't have appreciate it too.  Then I realized, it is neither the fault of the film nor the dialogue is offensive. It is just the idea of good and ideal wife/ daughter-in-law changed from the previous generation to this generation. (I know I will be judged for overthinking :P ) ********* ...

Connecticut December 16th, 2017  I was invited by a family friend to spend my weekend with them. Her daughter Laya is learning both Kuchipudi and Kathak. They picked me up from the train station and asked me if I would mind going to the Kathak class and then go home? I agreed and we went to a temple where the Kathak class was taking place. Laya joined the back row of the group and started dancing. They were dancing on Dhruv Taal. Their teacher looked calm and beautiful and just with a glance I understood that she must be a very good teacher. She taught them a whole new piece and made them dance. Then one girl who must be around 8 years, danced the sequence right and then watching her classmates doing wrong, she also started doing wrong. Then their teacher stopped her and said, " Why did you do wrong? Just because everybody is doing wrong? Cultivate this habit of being firm on your stand even if the world says you are wrong. People always give you their opinion and tell you...

"One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life, is , I think , to have a happy childhood." says Agatha Christie[1]. Little did we know that adulthood is going to be so chaotic and boring and traumatizing :D . Had we known this fact earlier, we wouldn't have had been in so much hurry to grow old (I am sure most of us dreamt of growing old). We would have cherished those little things a bit more, we would have treasured those happy moments in a proper way. I must say that all Nineties kids (apparently the best generation who experienced the old and the new) are still digesting the fact that they are no more kids and it is time to hold dear to our childhood, without internet and computer, and then growing along with the growth of the computers.  I thank my childhood friend Vikas Chaitanya who led me to write this. Whenever we meet or talk, we just end up talking about our childhood days at school on how we used to play 'Antakshari',  'back pocket...

I have been wanting to narrate this story since a very long time. I have been waiting to write it as beautifully as it was said, or as beautifully as it was felt but I just failed in making it perfect. Yet I dare to tell this story in my own way.. good or bad.. And he said “what is the difference between me and everyone if I take you literally? I have been watching you since college. I can hear the unsaid whispers of your heart.    I felt like you wanted me to wait.  August 21 st , 2017, Frankfurt Having seated in the Lufthansa flight to Miami, I was restless, confused yet excited for several reasons. My missing home, family and friends made me restless but my awaiting Fulbright journey gave me all the excitement. I sat in the middle seat of a row thinking if someone would come to the aisle seat next to me or not. I secretly prayed that nobody should come so that I can take that comfortable aisle seat. (Prayers for little things. I know :p) Just in the ni...

The other day, one of my friends who closely saw me and my mother for years (but he never understood me truly, that's a different issue) angrily said , "You don't know how to respect your own mother. You don't love her". I was hardly hit by his comment and burst out into tears for two reasons.  1. Don't I really respect and love my mother?  2. Does my mom think the same way?   I immediately went to her and asked her if she realizes that I love her or not. She just brushed away my non-sense question by saying "Are you drunk or mad? Why wouldn't you love me and why would I think that way?" That released my tension a bit but pushed me into the deep contemplation of how we are misunderstood and misinterpreted by people when they come into our closer circle and when they knew all our positives and negatives? That's why they say not to bring people close to you unless they afford to be non-judgemental with you out of love. It also t...

“Satyameva Jayate” “Truth alone triumphs” is a verse taken from Mundaka Upanishad which was adopted as the national motto of India. But I am bewildered to understand and relate to this quote as the current situation is quite antithetical to what is happening in the society. Not just now, but truth is being manipulated since ages. Sita had to come out of fire like a Phoenix bird to prove the truth and her chastity. Lord Krishna had to wait for the time to prove that he didn’t steal Samantaka Mani. And today, a rape accused comes out guilt-free but after taking the punishment for 8 years (only god knows the truth). Somewhere else, a criminal is never being punished. Let us forget about serious criminals. Many innocent people carry the blame on whom all the aunties and uncles throw words just like that out of grudge or judgement or just for the reason that their tongues are extra itchy. So these extra itchy tongues impose heavy accusations on the other people which will haunt ...

The Most Courageous Act – To Love Yourself That was my first Zumba session at my newly joined Gym (which includes cardio, endurance, flexibility training, yoga, Zumba and other outdoor activities). I, being a dancer, was very skeptic and prejudiced about the session for two reasons. 1. I am a classical dancer; I have never done anything like this. 2. Why should I join Zumba for fitness as I have my own dance form. I felt ridiculous and scolded myself for doing everything other than my dance practice. Then the trainer came in with a beautiful smile on her face. I could immediately sense her charm and positivity. She gave general instructions and asked if anyone of us danced before. I didn’t show off that I am a dancer and kept quite as I am sure I cannot do great Zumba on songs like ‘Kala Chashma’ and  ‘High heels pe nacche’ :-p . The session was good and I was amazed by the smiling and energetic face of the trainer. The way she carries herself while dancing is amazing. All th...

I have been pondering upon to write on this issue since a very long time but no language could properly express a girl's anger and disgust on the Middle aged men bullies. However, I dare to express my views on it today. Often we get very irritating signs, gazes, messages not from young men but from the married morons. we are scared to talk about it as these black sheep are well placed in the society. Sadly it is women who are blamed for everything... For their dress, for their odd office timings, for them being independent.. Huh. These uncles just need young girls(Even a girl in Burkha is not spared) and their wives must be absolutely clueless about their husband’s shameful acts as they would be the most loving husbands at home. It is easy to say girls to open their mouths but that would be the most disgusting situation ever even to complain about these not so obvious harrassments .So here is my open letter to all uncles in the world! Dear Uncles!! I think it is time to s...

Aurangabad, January 2016: The song started with a meditative Tibetan bowl sounds. Mandra sthayi (low pitch) aalap by male singers in the background.. Soothing yet powerful female voice was singing Appo Deepo Bhava!! Appo Deepo Bhava!! The whole mood was so enchanting. Deep. Metaphysical. By the end of the dance rehearsal, we all were into tears out of Brahmananda (Ecstasy).  Then I asked Parwati Didi [1] for the meaning of Appo Deepo Bhava. She said that it was said by Buddha to his disciple as “Be the light unto yourself”.  How thoughtful? You should be your own light. Often we wait for somebody else to come and mend our lives. We want somebody else to help, somebody else as moral and financial support, somebody to show pity on us and somebody to complete our lives.  In this process of urge to validate ourselves by somebody else, we forget our worth. We think we are successful if the society approves our success. We are happy at our achievements if some...

“The purpose of art as well as nature is to help man. Nature is already perfect, but the function of art is a ritual to help “imperfect” men become identical with this perfect nature. While the perfect nature is always aesthetic, meaning fully alive, man is often inaesthetic, meaning not experiencing directly, really lifeless, enslaved by the thinking and feeling diseases of his psyche... the aim to present man, not man instead of nature, but man identical with perfect nature, that is man at his very best, real, alive and free.”    -  Erick Hawkins (American Modern Dancer & Choreographer) Had there been no connection between the heart and the art, or for that matter, had there been no term called ‘heart’ at all, there would not have been any entertainment industry, there would not have been any question of aesthetics, there would not have been millions of cases of depression, suicides and there would not have been a LIFE! What is life? Is life merely to exis...

“Love cannot be learnt or taught. Love comes as Grace.” -           Rumi Rumi was right. Love comes as grace and spreads as light. Often we over estimate ourselves as the most lovable and loving souls in this universe. But in the name of love, we act so selfish. Our attachment to our own world and people is often misunderstood as love. So what is selfless love? There are different definitions for selfless and pure love. I share one of my encounters with a simple yet wonderful lady in a city bus. I was sitting in a bus behind the seat reserved for senior citizens in which a young lady sat. After a while, a sixty year old woman entered the bus and asked me to get up and offer her my seat. I, claiming myself a rule bound person didn’t give her the seat but suggested her to ask the lady who sat in the senior citizen’s seat. The woman instead of asking her started scolding me. I was taken aback by her rudeness and became even more rigid in o...