On My Mind ...

It was reported in the last couple of weeks that India successfully launched a new satellite into orbit. The accompanying news report mentioned that the satellite, named the GSAT-12, would aid television broadcasting, tele-education and tele-medicine programs and village resources. It went on to list mundane details like the satellite's apogee and perigee and it's exact weight. This is where the report ended. A routine report of a routine satellite launch. I'd seen dozens of nearly identical reports before and didn't give it much thought. And yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, the monotony of the report and it's unchanging content bothered me. Yes, we are in the 21st century and satellite launches are routine. Yes, we are approaching the dawn of private space exploration and tourism. However, space is still the sole preserve of a handful of nations and a satellite launch is still an extremely expensive endeavor. Each individual launch is planned for a specifi...

It's been a long time since I've really been here. As I wipe the fog off of mirrors and try to reconnect, I feel a vague sense of being lost in my own house, not fully recognizing my own reflection. I know it's my house and I know it's me in the mirror, but the pathways and the lines feel somewhat unfamiliar, unclear. Is this growing up? Is this feeling a measure of time or is it a measure of the distance travelled? More importantly, what does it say about me if the overall accompanying emotion turns out to be a vague sense of grief?

"In the midst of fleeting moments and the hustle-bustle of an ordinary day I feel the magic called 'you' ; the days of bliss, far and few. I feel you in the first rays of the new sun, awaking it's resplendent glory, I feel you in haunting notes of a soulful tune; in the happy end to a touching story. I feel you in the calm of the silvery, gibbous moon, teasing me to a cheery blush; i feel you in the high of mouthing a warm brownie, in the tang of the orange slush. I feel you in my faith in god, and his light, I feel you in the pain that jabs my heart just after a fight I feel you in the smiles you bring to my face I feel you in the higher power that sets my pulse to it's pace. I feel you in the touch of the petal,soft and velvet; I feel you in the wetness of the morning dew, I feel you in the smell of the moist grounds just after rain, I feel you in the lush green of stripped branches beginning to get leaves anew. I feel you in the lines running crisscross on my pl...

They Say when you don't have words of your own, use somebody else's. Since i don't have much to say, here's a great article By Anshul Chaturvedi (Courtesy: Times of India) . "India's status as the world's largest democracy is undermined by a police force that thinks it is above the law," says Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, in a recent report. I disagree. I think India's status as a democracy - irrespective of size - is firstly undermined by a political class that thinks it is above the law, by an administrative machinery that thinks it is above the law, and - going by how upset they are at being asked to divulge their financial assets - a judiciary that thinks it is above the law, too. The cops are way, way down the line. And, oh, incidentally, along the way, they get shot, too. None of the others run that risk. We have made a culture out of branding men in uniform. The local police, the central paramilitary forces, a...

I 'collect' People. Simple as that. People tend to collect things they cherish. From marbles to crown jewels, people always tend to collect things that are precious to them. I happen to cherish people and 'collect' them. Of course I only collect a certain kind. I collect people who have a certain outlook to this world. People who have similar questions about the way the world works. People who are cursed with the 'need to know' bug. People who cannot resist 'knowing', whatever the cost. People who are capable of thinking of things beyond their most immediate desires and people who try and look at things from different perspectives. I like knowing these people. I instantly recognise them and I cherish them. I place them in a special place in my head and never remove them from there. Because we share a common bond. Because we're part of a brotherhood. It's a closed field and not everyone is invited. I believe in these people. I try and keep in touc...

I’m at about 34,000 feet, experiencing an absolutely stunning spectacle in the sunset. To my left I see an endless plateau of clouds masked in gold by the setting sun. On my right, the clouds are higher, sheared by the wind into distinct layers, each enveloped in a different ethereal color. I see pinks and oranges and yellows and even a hint of a green. It’s unearthly. Strange and captivating. The clouds possess a glow as if pregnant with sulfur. It’s a picture of another world, far away and unrelated to this planet. It’s a peaceful setting, as peaceful as I’ve seen in all my days and it leaves me breathless. Too soon the magic fades, the sun gathers in its blanket of light and becomes an ever dimming coin of gold. The clouds reluctantly give up the last hints of warmth and I find myself enveloped in violet. The magic is gone, replaced by a sense of cold that brings me back to the present. I’m left with a profound feeling of gratitude towards the higher being that created these wonde...

"May I remind you dear lady .... For every man out there selling something .. There are who have nothing left to sell... Yes it's enchanting just to be here, watching you move and cast your spell... I still don't believe in miracles... and yes it doesnt mean they dont come true ... Curious isn't it though to notice, that these miracles somehow repeatedly... help only a select few ... No i don't think you crazy ... even if most of the world would disagree.. Maybe its your spell, or my desire to be among those ... you do like to see ..."