I heared the sound of the dark..it was very dark so I couldn’t see the shadows of pain but could see a very few twinkling stars..but the pain was there I knew..snickering like a monster...mocking me to death..parting me from my beautiful past..the sight of stars turned into blackness and the monsters laughed again..it was scary. i tried to run away and called God..i told Him that I can’t see this anymore and want to see the stars..the ones which someone laid on the path for me..i hate to see the dark..who are you trying to hide after all?..it’s your past he said..i had to kill it because it wasn’t meant for u..u have to part with it…face the monsters if you want to come to me..trust me, WE can deal with it..

Atithi devo bhava (??????)

But I guess there are different rules in the air. People tend to lose their nationality then I guess. Why, isn’t there a certain way to treat ‘guests’?

Air India hasn’t changed in the past 10 years. This was my second trip to USA after ten years, and things have just got worse. Then, there were a few air hostesses who would care you to your seats and treat you somewhere near to being ‘guests’. But this time, they were older and more uncouthly.

First, it is at the entrance. Hands joined, though misaligned, in a somewhat Indian ‘namaskar’ pose, face, either blank or turned toward another colleague as if greeting the guests is a routine which could be fitted into the schedule with another activity to save time. Hmmm… future Napoleon Bonaparte s, saving time. (Oops, do they have a future? They are already so old! But excellent multitasking anyway!)

Then, it’s their look. Aren’t they supposed to look good? I don’t know. But I think they should. There should be some eye-tonic for the tired passengers. But even if there isn’t any, at least they should be dressed pleasantly. They wear a sari fine, but what about the make-up and the hair-style? Most of the air hostesses were wearing flashy eye-liners, in the colors of green n yellow – eeks! And the hairstyle was like a big football tied in a black net! Maybe they need extra space to lay the coffee cups. Justified.

Then you politely ask for an air perfume because the cabin is stinky. Oh! Not a problem baby. That’s because you’re seated near the restrooms. But still, you ask. And pat comes the reply – “stinky? Is it? Ok, ya. Wait let me finish the work in hand.” The work finishes when the passenger’s nose becomes immune to the smelly restrooms. After all, you HAVE TO use the restrooms after the coffee or the wine. So why not become accustomed to the smell? Hmm.

Then, you politely ask for a newspaper because you can’t get up and have it yourself as you’re stuck in the middle of the row and the passenger next to you is deep into the slumber land. “It’s over there” says the lady (with eyes wide and big as if saying, “How dare you disturb me!”)

Oops, sorry again. My mistake. I better keep quiet and watch the silly video on tv for a thousandth time. Or listen to the same 10 kishore kumar songs I have been listening to since the last ten hours. It’s just a matter of sixteen-seventeen hours after all. LA is not much far away from Mumbai.

But I must say the stewards were far better than the stewardess. They were patient enough in listening to the problems. At least there’s some hope.

I don’t know what impression the people visiting the country carry when they travel in such airlines. I want Air India to serve better just because it has the name INDIA to it.

DUSK MAY CLOUD THE COLOR OF MY EYE, BUT MY HEART STILL FEELS THE BLOOM..

Through the curls of morning mist and the perfume of fresh air, morning walks take you to a different world. It’s a world of meditation, freshness and a new beginning. Add to this, our laughter champions. Not on ‘STAR ONE’ but in a nearby joggers’ park. They laugh their heart out, perform certain movements that might put you in a fit of giggles, but they hardly care. They are lost in their own world. With the sun’s glare adding a shine to the grey hair of our group’s laughter oldies, they create a galaxy of togetherness leaving all the youngsters in puzzling expressions of disbelief.

My morning walks allow me to peek-a-boo into the silence of the old age, spilled over a few moments of little laughter in the form of a small get-together by its proud owners; people above sixty, which seem truly inspired by the ‘second innings’ of Lage Raho Munnbhai.

All members of the group, without fail, attend that small session of laughing out loud, chanting out the Gayatri Mantra and then – share their grievances, happy moments (though quite a few), and the blues of the shades of grey.

Just watching their teeth-less laughter, their togetherness and above all, their spirit and enthusiasm towards life teach us many things…and the most important one says –

The desert wind may blow but the page of life has not turned over yet..

LONG LIVE THE FRIENDSHIP!


Friends will be friends; funny, mischievous and ever caring. I am proud to say that I have got very few friends but all of them are angels, blessings in disguise.

Let people flaunt when they say, “I am sociable”, or “I have many friends or I easily make friends.” Some thoughtful person had said once, if at the time of your death, you have at least five friends, you are the happiest person on earth. So true!

The person, who easily becomes your friend, is not a friend in the first place. He’s still a stranger. Bollywood might disagree and say, “tumse milkar dil ko aisa laga jaise mera tumse janmo ka naata ho”…


Aisa hota hoga, but in rarest of the rare cases. The truth is harsh. You CANNOT make friends easily. I have been very lucky to have found such good friends. Very protective and real gems. God bless them all.