Men will be men - a short story

Men will be men


Today as always Kushal came to office and started his work. He had moved from Chicago to Bentonville just a couple of days back. He was getting to know the place and new colleagues. He was well aware of the huge amount of work that was going to be there in the project.
Like most of the times, even today he had a tiny tiff with his wife Jui. Though a little tense after reaching office, he emerged himself in his work and thought of trying to forget home issues till evening.

After lunch while he was sitting by his desk, he heard a familiar and very peculiar laughter from a distance. At first he ignored, but when again he heard it, he casually got up and started looking around trying to find from which side the laugh was coming. He walked a bit further and there were two women sitting. The one with the peculiar laughter sat with his back towards him. But she suddenly turned around.

Kushal could not believe his eyes. It was...it was Shonali!
“Yes, it is Shonali”, he thought excitingly.

“Hey Kushal!” said a equally surprised Shonali.

“H..Hi Shonali!” stammered Kushal. Words were not coming from his mouth. But he tried to speak. It was the same Shonali he had a crush on when they worked together back in India. Oh, those were the days. But he just couldn’t talk to her then and now too. How he wished he was bold enough to ask her out some day!

“How have you been?” asked Shonali.

“I’m good,” he replied. “In fact better...after seeing you”, he thought.

“When did you come here?”

“I just moved for Chicago last week.”

“Oh thats why I’d never seen you around.”

“How about you?”

“Well, I’ve been here for the past 3 years.”

“Now its my chance to say wow”.

Both laugh and so does the lady standing next to Shonali.

There is an awkward silence for a few seconds.

“Its been a long time since we met,” Shonali started the conversation again. “After I quit Infotek, I joined Digital Informations in Bangalore and they sent me here on a project.”

“Thats good. I’m still working for Infotek.”

“Kushal...can you tell me where’s your desk? I just have to take some backup and I’ll be out and running.”

“Oh sure, of course. Thats my cubicle there,” said Kushal pointing towards his desk. “Do stop by.”

“I’ll be there in sometime.”

“Okay” said Kushal and started walking to his desk. “Be sure to stop by,” he said turning around.

Shonali showed him a thumbs up.

As Kushal walked towards his desk, emotions, memories poured in his head.
He thought, “Shonali is here! I can’t believe it!! I was so much in love with her back then. She’s still the same beautiful, simple lady. Now after so many years she and I will be in the same office. Yippee!!” He starts dancing in his thoughts. As he thinks, animated clouds of various thoughts form in his mind. He stares at his computer screen.
“I will not let her out of my life now. Its destined that we come back together. Did she have a mangalsutra in her neck? I didn’t notice anything in her neck. Maybe she’s still single. Should I tell her I’m married? Yes, I will tell her. No, no orelse she will distance me from her. But if she has the same feelings like I do, I will tell Jui I no longer want to stay with her.” In his thoughts, Jui breaks his head with a rolling pin. Kushal shudders. “Whatever may come. I will be with Shonali. Yes this is destiny. God knew my love for Shonali was true, so he sent me here. I will marry her and make my life happy.” The thought clouds floated in his mind, Shonali coming running in his arms, he putting a wedding garland around her neck. He smiled at the thought.

Just then Shonali tapped on his shoulder and Kushal came back to his senses. He first viewed her neck. “Yes!! no mangalsutra, no thaali! She’s not yet married,” he thought happily.
He smiled at her. A sense of victory smile.

“How long have you been in US?” Shonali asked.

“Its more than a year now. You know Infotek. They really make us desperate to seek an onsite project.”

“Yes. That was one of the reasons why I quit.”

“Good move.”

“You know what, I have to leave now.”

“Oh, so soon?”

“Yes. We are meeting late actually.”

There was a question mark on Kushal’s face.

“I quit my job and am out of this project now. Todays my last day at work.”

The happy thought cloud burst in pieces in Kushals mind. His smile vanished.

“Really?” he asked unbelievingly.

“Hmm. I’m moving to Tampa tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“Mind if you walk me to the door?”

“Sure,” replied Kushal, not being so sure.

“I was quite bored with this project and was looking for a change, when Suraj searched this new project for me.”

“S-Suraj?”

“My fiance`. I just forgot to tell you about him! I’m getting married next month in India.”

“Co-Congratulations.” The next marriage thought cloud popped in his mind and then he noticed the engagement ring in her finger.

“Thank you.”

Shonali opened the door with her badge. “There he is!” she said pointing out at the blue car that was waiting for her. “He’s from Mumbai and now settled in Tampa. We met online through a friend. I’m so happy to be with him. Yay!”

“Wow. Thats nice,” said Kushal with a slight smile.

“It was nice catching up with you again. I’ll be touch with you. I’ll get your email id from my friend and send you the wedding invitation.”

“Sure... sure thing.”

“See you then. Take care,” said Shonali, as she shook her hand with Kushal.
He half-heartedly shook her hand. She then sat in the car next to Suraj and they both waved at him and drove into the sunset.

Kushal looked as their car went and from his thought cloud he got another bang on his head by Jui. “Come home for garam rotis and sabji,” Jui said in his mind. He came back to his senses and smiled back into the office, imagining all his thought clouds vanishing in thin air.

THE END.

Nirbhaya

Right now how I wish the world should have ended on 12-21-2012. What the hell is going in this world?
The tragic Newtown, Connecticut incident shook the world. Like me, I'm sure many moms could not sleep well. I cried on Monday while leaving my son to school. I pray for the parents of the children who lost their lives on that fateful day. Let them find peace.
And then came the news of the horrifying rape incident in New Delhi, the capital of my own country. Oh what a shame! What a sad end to a life of a girl. I pray for her parents too. God alone knows what may be going through their minds right now. Sad that their daughter had to die such a tragic death. Proud that because of her death the country is trying hard to awaken a sleeping system? And what else can I pray for? Lets see -
1) Lord, please help the Government to take proper judgement in this rape case.
2) Lord, let the rapists be given the most severe punishment. Something so severe that they and people like them dare not think of doing such a heinous crime ever in their 10 lives to come. If they are hanged till death, their life will finish in moments. They will not even feel one unit of pain that Nirbhaya went through.
3) Lord, can you really listen to the above 2 prayers? Please take some action.

When I was in India a year ago, I was watching some news on some channel about female fetocide. I was literally in tears. I said this is so sad. how does anyone do such things? The elderly lady sitting next to me said she thinks this is right. This should be done. I asked do you know what are you talking about. A sudden wave of rage started gushing in my body. How can you say that I asked her. She asked me don't you read the news papers? So many news about rapes - somewhere an elderly lady is raped, despite her age factor, a 3 year old girl is raped by her father or a neighbor, a young girl is raped just because she was alone in house. She asked me is any female safe? Then why take the risk to give birth to a girl child when no one respects her?
My blood was boiling and kept thinking how can she talk like that? Kitni ghatiya soch hai, etc. But today, I feel was that the truth? I know, now I'm being a saddist. No woman is safe in India. Its the plain truth! But again, that doesn't mean I'm for female fetocide. Never ever will I be for it. Daughters are killed in the womb in India for other reasons like dowry. But none wants their daughter to die a tragic death like Nirbhayas and no one kills their daughter in the womb of a reason like rape. But no one knows the future.

2 days back when I was talking on the phone to another woman in India, Nirbhayas topic did come forward. She told me in some mythological serial thats going on on Indian television now a days. The story goes like this:
A rishi went to take a dip in the river, leaving his beautiful wife at home. Some god who always had eyes for her, took this opportunity and came down to earth in the disguise of her husband and made love to her. The original husband comes home to find his wife in bed with another man. Then he curses his wife that she turns into a rock and the god that he no one will pray to him.
After this story, she told me that look, these things are happening since ages. No one ever has had respect for women. So if some god himself did this to the lady, people still feel its okay to do it even now. But I feel, in the wake of such horrific incident in Delhi, this particular episode should not have been aired. It promotes disrespect to women and Indian men just DO NOT understand the positive or negative impact of such stories in the real world. Mostly the impact is negative. I firmly disagree with the channel who aired this episode on TV. Whatever the history, such stories should never be retold. Its a disgrace!

The other day, with lot of hype and recommendations from 2 girl friends, I saw The Dirty Picture movie. Yes! And I will not, never suggest anyone to see it, even if it is sad and the truth. The dialogues were disgustingly vulgar and there was NOTHING to learn from the movie. Its a story of a selfish woman who wanted to be famous. No need to feel sorry for her she ended her life. If you have not seen it, you are not missing anything in your life, how much ever movie freak you are. There are better movies to watch.

Also when I was in India, after reading the news of a less than 3 year old girl being raped and killed by a man, gave me some sleepless nights. Oh lord, what pain! At that time, Pratibha Patil was the President of India. Having a woman president is such proud feeling and a safe feeling for the woman. Someone who will understand what it is like to being a woman in India. I wrote a letter to her through the Government of India's website, to take severe action against rapists. Hoping that she will have some feeling for the Indian woman. What a fool I was! I now hear and read stories, that while she was the President, Pratibha Patil pardoned the punishements of 5 rapists, who had also murdered their victims. They were given second chance at life. Such disgrace, such disgust! Whatever was she thinking?? And now the present Presidents son is giving a mouthful on how women are dressing! What a failed Government and what a failed country!

My last prayer to the almighty is give some required proper thinking to the authorities to take immediate action in Nirbhayas case. Let not the voices of the people protesting go unheard.
Lastly, all women in India are Nirbhaya, they face the lust filled, disgusting eyes of men every second, everyday. Even then they stand tall and brave. Be safe women and fight against the disgraceful acts in the country. May God bless us with infinite courage, safety and happy lives.

SRK Fans


I'm a total Shahruk Khan fan like many others. I love his attitude and the way he likes to praise himself all the time. That sure makes him different than the other stars of Bollywood.

A couple of days back, my friend A, shared a link of an Indonesian security guy dancing on the famous "Chaiyya Chaiyya" SRK song, while on duty. I laughed and remembered an old incident that I would love to share with all. (Though I've boasted about it many times :))

We lived in Malaysia for less than a year sometime in 2003-04. And what a lovely country it is! When you are in the Kaulalumpur area where most of the South-Indian shops are located, make sure to visit the Indian grocery stores and browse through their gift article and greeting cards section. You get to see pictures of most south Indian actor and actresses pictures on the cards. Its fun to watch that. That time, I didn't know many of them, except for Rajnikanth (Who doesn't know him? And know everyone knows his son-in law Kolavari di too...btw, his name is Dhanush :). Yes, now I know quite a few Tollywood stars - Vikram, Ajith...just to name a few or two.. :D Thanks to rediff!

And when we go to other Malaysian stores like Electronic shops, etc, you are sure to get a glimpse of a SRK or Hritik Roshan poster. Somewhere in the corner of your heart feel proud and that does feel so good. And may I tell you, not Amir, not Salman, not Amitabh, but SRK most of the times. 

Ok, I was talking about me experiencing the SRK fever. We were packing up for India and had to close our bank account. While I was waiting for U in the lobby, a pretty Malaysian girl came to me. She was wearing the scarf around her head and traditional Malay dress.

"May I help you?" she asked in a typical Malaysian accent.

"No thanks. I'm waiting for my husband", I replied.

"You want to start new account la?"

"No, no. We are closing the account."

"Oh! why?"

"We are moving back to India."

"Ok. That is good."

I smiled back. I thought that was the end of the conversation.

"Where in India you live?" she asked. I was pretty surprised as I didn't expect that coming.

"Mumbai. Bombay."

"MUMBAI?!" she almost shouted excitedly.

I smiled back. "You know it?" was my stupid question.

"Mumbai! You know Shahruk Khan, la?"

Wow! that was totally unexpected!

"Y-Yes.." everyone knows Shahruk in India.

"You seen Shahruk?" she asked me.

Oh! only if I was lucky. She really thought it was that easy.

"No." I smiled again. For a split second I thought she was saddened. "But I've seen SRK's house...", I replied immediately.

"Oh, really?" she again asked me with a lot more enthusiasm.

I nodded happily. Yes, someone appreciates that I've seen SRK's house. "But not seen SRK."

I didn't know, me just seeing Shahruks house, made the girl so happy. She immediately took a piece of paper from somewhere and scribbled something on it. She handed it to me.

"This is my address, la. You send me photo. Thank you very much."

Now, I didn't know SRK's photo or his house's photo. But I smiled back and did nod. She was so glad and happy. She shook hands with me and said "Thank you. You need any help (with the bank account), you ask me, la." And she left.

But she was so so happy. It was as if - so what I've not met Shahruk, but I met someone who has seen his house! She waved at me joyfully when I was leaving the bank.

That day, I was thrilled that I was from Bollywood land.

Sadly, after that I never went to that side of Bandra and also misplaced her address. But I'm still happy that I made one of SRK fans happy.

People in Malaysia, Indonesia and many more countries are fans of Bollywood filmstars. I've heard of many such experiences. In USA, in a coffee shop, an Afghan girl once told me how her family adored Hindi films and especially SRK.

I haven't seen RaOne yet. But I'm waiting to see Don 2. SRK looked so stylish in Don1. And if you don't like him, please watch Chak de India and Swades. He's adorable!!

I'm so glad to share this little expeience with you all. Hope you enjoyed it too. Happy to be an Indian from Mumbai (partly).

(Happy to be writing on my blog after more than a year :)

The Stoning of Soraya M.

This week, the news of an Iranian boy pleading to the world to help him stop the stoning of his mother flashed everywhere. Iran is denying the news. But to tell the truth, we really don't know what is happening or has been happening there or in any other Islamic nations where adultery is punishable to the extreme. A few years back, I would have not even imagined how cruel the punishment maybe. The news of the stoning reminded me of a film I saw a few months back and I got back the shivers and sleepless nights. The name of the film is "The stoning of Soraya M."

The film is set in 1986 Iran. It starts with a group of burkha clad women trying to shoo away a dog whose trying to eat something buried near the stream. Simultaneously a French-Iranian journalist is shown around the area getting his car repaired. A lady named Zahra tries to talk to him, but the men who see that ask the journalist to ignore her as a crazy woman. Zahra tries a few times and succeeds in throwing a note at him saying that she wants to talk to him about a terrible incident that took place there yesterday.

The Frenchman meets Zahra in her house. She is there with 2 small girls who seemed pretty scared on the arrival of an unknown person in the house. The man knowing the Iranian customs, asks Zahra to talk her mind soon. She offers him tea and pleads him to record whatever she will be saying. After denying the request a few times, he finally agrees.

Zahra starts with "the devil himself came her last evening", and she started telling the story of her niece Soraya who was stoned to death the previous day.

Soraya was a woman who lived with her husband, 2 daughters and 2 sons. Her husband was working in the jail. He disliked his wife and daughters and taught his sons the same. He was beginning to get bored of his wife, as he had eyes on a 14-year old girl of a prisoner whom he wished to marry. Tortured by the husbands cruel talks and beatings, Soraya leaves her house with her daughters and goes to live with her aunt Zahra. Zahra is a respectable woman in the area and is often called upon by the villagers to help them out whenever in need.

One day a neighbors ill wife dies and Zahra and Soraya help the man, who is a mechanic, and his retarded son get through with the rituals. Meanwhile Soraya had been deciding on divorcing her husband. But she didn't have enough money to support herself and her daughters. So Zahra requests the village mayor if Soraya could cook and look after the mechanic's son. This way Soraya could earn a living and the mechanic's son would also be taken care of.

Soraya's husband didn't like the thought of his wife divorcing him and making a living. So he started thinking of ways to get rid of her. He kept a keen watch on her. A slightest sign of Soraya being not loyal to her work would be enough of a reason to complain her to the authorities.

Soraya was an honorable woman and her only aim in life now was a good life for herzself and her daughters. But her husband along with the village priest plotted a plan to permanently get rid of her by charging her with false allegations of infidelity and adultery. The punishment will be death.

It was Soraya's hard luck that day. She was accused of having a relationship with the mechanic, though she was a married woman. This was totally false, as Soraya was just doing her job. Somehow the allegations were ruled true and only one punishment was considered - stoning her to death by the end of the day. Soraya and Zahra's pleads went unheard.

After a couple of hours, she was handcuffed and told to kneel down in waist-deep dug hole. She was then covered with mud waist down. The stoning started and among the stoners were he own sons and husband, who took joy in doing the job. (I forwarded the whole sequence. I couldn't continue watching.)

Next day after the torturous incident, does the mayor comes to know the facts and the false allegations. But it was too late.

Zahra was now telling the journalist that the story needs to be told to the whole world and she needs his help in doing so. The French journalist already shaken with Zahra's story does help her and thus we get to know how it happened.

To watch the film, you need tons of courage. It is not for the weak at heart. I was completely aware of what I was going to get to see, but still I saw it with continuously wiping off my tears. My brain became numb and I couldn't stop thinking about Soraya. For the next few days, I couldn't drive nor cook properly. I was getting cramps in my head, as if thousands of ants trying to chew off my brain. I didn't sleep well the next few days.

But then I prayed for the countless innocent souls like Soraya and also prayed that I was happy to be born in a great country where I am anytime able to speak for myself. Whenever we feel low, always remember the less fortunate and thank God for giving us a chance to live our life to the fullest.

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freidoune_Sahebjam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stoning_of_Soraya_M.

Crushed....

When I came to the place where I'm currently living, two years ago, I felt like I'm staying in a true country side part of US. Though I wasn't fond of the place in the beginning, as you start staying longer, you automatically generate a liking for the place. More greenery, lots of cattle, barns, horse farms. This is the sight while the airplane is landing at the local airport and while driving towards the main city.

But in the past 2 years I'm seeing more and more changes around. Increasing number of housing projects, apartment complexes, housing complexes. And all of this on the sides of a two-way road. When you think of other big cities in US, you can at least think of a 2 lane road on each direction, of a road that connects the airport. This is surely not a big city, but it has one of the worlds largest companies situated here. Did the Government never ever think the city would start growing someday and for that we need good, spacious roads? Maybe not.

Everyday while driving to school or office, you have to come across some small animal or reptile or bird crushed under a vehicle. When all cars, trucks are on a speedlimit of 45 mph and more, no one will stop for a small animal who is trying to go across the road. The other day while I was driving, a turtle was crossing the road. I did avoid it. While driving back, I was thinking and praying that I don't get to see the turtle again. But instead I had to drive over the crushed corpse of it. :(

We are in so much hurry of reaching or destination that we don't bother about the small living creatures around us. They too are a part of our world. Armadillos, robins, snakes, turtles, rabbits, opossums, badgers, raccoons are the few whose fate are destined on this road. Just like us they too may have a feeling "a safe life on other side of the road". Out of curiosity also some animals maybe wanting to cross the road.

The Government is allowing new businesses to start on this road. Now even a few new roads are being constructed connecting the main (2 way) road. Because of this, the small animals are forced to move out of their homes, where they have lived peacefully for years and now they have no where to go, but in search of a new place where they can "live".

Here I'm not suggesting to provide the animals with shelter, but to atleast plan a developing city properly. Its very sad to drive over the dead bodies of the animals. At least build a small wall near the shoulder, on each side of the road. This may prevent atleast a few number of animals to avoid getting killed.

The city should develop, no doubt. But a little consideration for the little creatures for whom we don't have much time to stop and let them cross the road. We'll get to see less bloodshed on the road.

Sakura

The Cherry Blossom in Japan has always fascinated me. Though I don't know when will I get to go to Japan to see the "original, real" Sakura, but I did get to see a part of the blossoms here in US. Thanks to the Japanese Government who gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees as a gift to the United States in 1912 to celebrate the nations' then-growing friendship. These trees were planted in "Sakura Park" in Manhattan and famously line the shore of "Tidal Basin" in Washington D C. The gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees in 1965. (more info)
There are a few cherry trees around the place where I now live. Here are some of the wonderful cherry blossom pictures, along with some more spring relief flowers.

Sketches

Some sketches:

A Lion
















An Egret: