“Whatever Happens – Happens for Good”

This is a very common idiom but essentially relevant in our lives. Life can be much simpler if we trust this saying to the core. Everyone of us has come across situations in life where this proverb was proven to be true. Its just that in the grip of a tough situation, we tend to forget its significance.

There are trillions of instances which support this fact. Consider this – a high school kid, who’s an exceptional athlete, is working very hard for more than 3-4 years & is quite determined to make a mark in this field. Then all of a sudden comes the blow, he has a uneven growth in his hind joint & is advised rest (i.e, no form of exercise) for more than 3 months. He has an important meet coming up & that is completely blown off because the doctor’s visit was scheduled just the previous day. And after learning the facts, participating in the meet was just not in the cards!! Shaken but not completely broken, the kid not only recovers but also starts regaining almost the same momentum. But destiny had other plans for him, few months down the line he starts feeling this weird pain in his ankle. He doesn’t utter a word of it to anybody fearing being dragged to a doctor who would then push him to another period of rest & boredom. But it only gets worse & he is advised a year’s rest this time!! Now the kid has to choose between sports & academics. Though he is very passionate about athletics, being an athlete seemed to be a far-fetched dream & he had to settle for academics. He graduated with a professional degree with fair results which fetched him a descent job. However after finishing his graduation, he had acute spine problem which landed him into bed rest. It was during this phase of his life, medical facts were dug & explained and after thorough diagnosis, it was stated that his body couldn’t retain calcium & his bones tend to be fragile. All through his formative years the various episodes were subtle hints, but only after the person passes teenage the problem comes afloat. Now can you imagine had things moved smoothly, no doubt he would have been a top-notch athlete but for how long – maybe a year or two & then a lifetime of pessimism. He would have left academics & would have been far behind his peers. He would hardly have any options for an alternate career & would have been leading a mediocre life which he is not attuned to. Leaving sports was a difficult decision for him, but given the present scenario, he has no regrets. Don’t you think whatever happened was for good?

There’s another instance which many have faced. Unfortunately I have personally seen some of my very close people experience it. Two matured people meet, fall in love & decide to spend their life together after considerable thought. They are responsible people who have known each other for years, but sometimes parents fail to realize the fact that their kids have grown up. Many a times, this might surprise you; the only objective of the parent is to object although there is nothing wrong with the alliance. Had he been asked to choose, he would have made a similar choice but it hurts him that his son has taken the decision for him. What he eventually forgets is that the son has taken a decision for himself, its afterall his life & he should be proud that his son has made such a wise decision. In arranged marriages, we leave the selection process in our parents’ hands but the final decision is still ours. We decide which alliance to proceed with from the selected grooms/ brides. In case of love marriage, if the couple is able to convince the parents then one couldn’t ask for more. However, if that doesn’t happen, don’t worry, the world isn’t going to end!! Just think about it, if your spouse’s parents are so vocal about their objection before marriage, would they turn into a new leaf after marriage. You have already lost respect in their eyes probably you might have lost respect for them too, do you think this is the right way to start a new relationship, which mind you is a relationship for life. The only support is your spouse, what if he/she changes? Though you know each other for a long time but still you don’t know a person until you live with him. And in the process of the headstrong confrontation that you had resorted to with your respective parents, you have hurt each others’ feelings immensely. But since they are parents, your own flesh & blood, they might forgive you or vice-versa whatever be the case. But what about the verbal or non-verbal exchanges between the concerned parents? That’s something which won’t be forgotten for a long time to come. Can you accept such a relation (read no-relation) between your parents & in-laws? Don’t attempt to ruin your whole life just to save a few years relationship. So, even if a long term relation ends because of family pressures or because of your after-thought, don’t worry, better things are in store for you. There’s a loving, caring & understanding spouse whom you are yet to meet, in-laws who would treat you as their own child. A family you always dreamt of; which is just like the family you have been born & brought up in. You deserve it and you are destined to have it & that’s the reason this relation failed but remember you didn’t. You might find it hard to believe now but at a later stage in life you will be happy for what happened & will have no regrets whatsoever.

Afterall every cloud has a silver lining. And the cloud happens to be there for a reason, that’s to warn you of the upcoming storm. The cloud may linger for a longer time than you want, so you have to endure pain or inconvenience but once you successfully avoid the storm you will appreciate the significance of the silver lining & cherish it forever. Whatever happens to us might not be rosy or right at the moment, but time will prove it to be the best that could have happened to us. Be optimistic - life can't resist optimistic people!!

Mystical thoughts

Few days back, I was watching this horror movie - The Wrong Turn. By the way, I am a big fan of horror plots – could be fiction or real. But I have not yet seen or read or heard anything which could have that ‘chill down the spine’ effect on me. The genre of horror movies sadly has changed tracks drastically. Its more to do with psychic cases than paranormal or supernatural beings or should I say things!!

Nowadays its more of bloodshed & brutal violence rather than a good, thrilling storyline. Afterall, it’s the same human body that is being dissected – just that the character & instruments keep changing depending on the plot. At a certain point, it becomes monotonous. The same psycho, the only innovative thing about the plot would be ‘what turned him into a psycho’, on a killing spree hell-bent to kill everyone who comes in his way. Now in most of the cases, since they are shown as extremely mentally disturbed, there’s no explanation as to why victims are killed. But some plots are original enough to deviate from this cattle-killing trend. As in, the psycho here is more of a genius but unfortunately in the perverted sense. And he/she gets a high by proving his/her mental faculty; they are least bothered about the consequences. In these plots there is a certain pattern followed both in terms of victim as well as the incident. And the story revolves around the identification of the scheme / modus-operandi rather than the killer; the more interesting & innovative the pattern, the more interesting the climax.

I somehow am more inclined towards paranormal narrations. Its way more creative, it plays more on imagination & the climax could be anywhere between perfectly logical to extremely bizarre. Depends on the horizon of your imagination – you can create a world which didn’t even exist in your subconscious mind. I don’t think you have to be a firm believer of paranormal occurrences to be receptive to such plots. I am quite neutral towards it but I enjoy such narrations. If they do exist, I would like to experience it atleast once in my lifetime. Basically because the theory excites me & if its not just theory, I would like to be a part of it. To be part of the world made of people who were like us probably days, months, years or centuries ago. And if the basis is nothing but illusion, then again it will be pretty interesting to study the reasoning behind these innumerable incidents. Either ways I find it a very thrilling subject & at any point of time should I have the means or opportunity, I would definitely like to pursue it.

Coming back to narrations, I feel the plot should be intriguing, should have lot of substance in it instead of being stretched (in all possible directions) on the basis of some vague thought. Well, it could start with a vague thought but the thought has to be well processed till it gives you good number of ideas which are not only logically related to it but also equally uncanny. For, if the ideas lose their intensity, the plot will not be consistently stimulating & the viewer/reader/listener’s attention will stray depending on the occurrence of such ideas. Thus the parent thought & the specific ideas born out of it form the basis of the plot.

Once the foundation is set, half the battle is won. What remains is the creative prowess of the writer. Introducing characters which camouflage with the script & nerve-shattering incidents which extend from the ideas mentioned before is the next level. Off-course the inter-relation of the characters & the sequence in which these incidents are knitted to reach the climax smoothly, play a very crucial role in presenting the script. It’s the same carbon but under different circumstances turns either into graphite or diamond!!

A very good script can be turned into a box-office hit or a best-seller only if placed in the hands of the right director or borne in the mind of an ingenious author or narrated by a gifted storyteller. Things can topple on the other side as well in case of a mediocre director/author/story-teller; they are capable of ruining a very good script. While the director can make use of sound-effects (or sometimes the absence of it – very eerie!!) & light effects (no make-up stunts, that’s the least you could do for us), to make the most of the plot; the author could make the scene alive with his writing skills. Though the director has more of an advantage as far as the tools are concerned, the author if successful in achieving what he/she is set to achieve makes the effect far more long-lasting than a well made movie.

Whichever way the book or the movie is made, when it is out in the market, it is ultimately at the mercy of the receiver’s judgment. Its individual perception, what I find interesting somebody else might sum up as ridiculous. Just as in, if you have had the patience to read this stuff till this point, you might end up feeling you wasted your time reading this mindless jargon or you might enjoy every bit of it if you are kind of ‘my type’ or akin to it. Whatever it is, I enjoyed penning down these mystical thoughts.

Vague Reflections

I know what I don't want......but I don't know what I want!! I am sure there would be many who would agree with me. How I wish I had the ingenious capability to reverse this filtration process. I have passed a quarter of my life not knowing what to do with it & to be frank most of it was spent without any genuine interest in the quest. But now that I desperately want reach the end of this tunnel..........I have this wierd feeling that I am completely lost!!

Work can be fun if you enjoy doing it.......this sounds so very ghisa-pita but its undoubtedly true. All one needs to know or rather hunt for, is the kind of job one is really passionate about. That's the most difficult part (difficult is just not enough to describe how difficult it is) & that's where all your senses & faculties fail you. Probably the harder you try the more distant a dream it becomes for you. Just like holding sand in your hand, the tighter you grasp it, the more it slips through. And then there's time which has never ever been man's friend, so I can hardly rely on it to stay still till I do all my pondering. Anyways where is all this maha thinking going to lead me.... even if I put all my efforts into reaching a particular goal, who's to guarantee that it is what I am destined to do, it is what is going to give me eternal happiness & blah ....blah...???? Its like a well wrapped gift, unless you open it you don't know whether its of any use to you or its just going to be a showpiece in your house.

My heartiest congratulations to those who have already received a useful gift & leading a meaningful life. And all my best wishes to those who haven't, who knows a little more insight or a little more gambling with oppurtunities might bring your desired gift to you. Or perhaps if you are lucky enough, without your moving a limb or disturbing any of your grey cells, Lady Luck may comfortably place it in you lap - that's in case she is real fida on you!!

ASPIRATIONS

I know where I want to be

It's just a matter of time

The whole world shall witness

The ‘Rise’ – trotted on a path;

Embracing challenges

Consoling failures on the way

Wiping out useless grudges

Avenging destiny in a way

How? Well…..

By seizing success from its clutches!!

And here I am where I always wanted to be

Drenched in the pure glory of triumph

Exhausted in mere ecstasy

Now I want to live the moment

Live it forever

Even this wish will be granted

Humility is all that is needed

This is a happy realization

As it will immortalize my exultation

Which for me is far above salvation!!