My Dream Has Come True…!

Most you that are reading this may wonder why I have not posted on my blog for several months. My life since last post has been an absolute chase. Chase for a dream that I had been cultivating for many years.

Someone has rightly said. “Don’t wait for the perfect time, just do it. This is your dream, live it”.

For years now, I have talked about “What I want to do someday.” And for year now, it has always sounded something like this:
“I want to be like Mr. Mukesh Nayak, who chased a dream with seeds of hard work, commitment and an unparalleled understanding of creating something new. And the result is a magazine and a portal which the Physiotherapy fraternity had badly needed for years. I too have a dream. I want to run my own library, a library that will serve as the reservoir of knowledge to a generation. I want to make people read more and teach them the importance of reading. …Some day.”

When would this day come? My answers varied as the years passed by, adjusting to fit the timetables that never resulted in actually starting my library. I kept telling myself that the day would arrive soon – I decided the name, the logo, and the stationery too. After, I had worked as a project manager in a company for few years. After, I purchased a car for myself. After, I possessed a home of my own. After, I had decided where I wanted to settle down more permanently. After, after, after… and the day just never arrived.

And, finally the day came and I got a wake-up call though. Suddenly I left my job as a project manager in a multinational corporation, and if I don’t work it would be tough to sustain. There have been some things going on that made me wonder if I would not join another company soon what will happen to my big dream. I started to get worried. What would I turn to next in order to support myself?

The answer was obvious: then, that maybe time to actually start my own library. I was satisfied once I came to this realization. Then the strangest thing happened: I started to hope that I would finally be free to start working on my own dream. How silly is that? Why have I been spending all this time not working towards my dream. When it is so obviously what makes me happy and what I want to be doing? Why should I wait even another minute to begin working on this?

So now, I don’t care if I get another job or not. I am starting or in fact, I have already started to work on my dream. I am not quitting my field, but I am done waiting perfect moment to realize my dream and make my soul happy. So, I am all prepared to start my library on a small scale. The furniture is ready, the shopping is on, and debiting my personal account has been a daily criteria.
I have named it as “Reading Racers – stirring your reading habits.” We are a opening soon at Kalol, a small town in Gandhinagar District, Gujarat. You can visit us on www.readingracers.in.

I am sure, I will strive hard to take it to the epitome of perfection in all the parameters needed to make it a perfect or a dream library for readers. Because I am not here to chase my dreams, I am here to live them.

Enjoy some of the pictures of my library interiors. And if possible, do not forget to visit us once just to encourage my attempts.

“You can dream a little dream, or you can live a little dream. I would rather live it, because dreamers always chase but never get it.”

With bright joy, keep dreaming.

Raj.

Read More

When would I get Married…?

Life is really strange sometimes, I just started writing some meaningless stuff on my blog, people started reading, liking it and I suddenly found myself in a great catastrophic situation (“ I felt so “).

That said, it had been a bit of doubtful question for me to figure out how, after that incident, I would ever write unself-consciously again. What would happen to the small and rarely visiting readers of my blog, my friends mostly?
Then, they started irritating me by frequently asking only one thing – “When would I get Married…?”

I wonder, how in the world does one go about answering this question that will satisfy those who suffered it’s pain…of being married. Then I found my blog as the best medium to answer publicly, to speak out my heart, to announce the mysteries and to ask for your votes on my opinion about not getting married. So, please don’t forget to write your valuable comments after reading this post.

They say – Marriages are made in Heaven! It may be. But I never knew more about this institutionalized companionship. I m terrified of it. I have no idea what marriage is. And frankly, I am not interested even to know. There is no greater risk than matrimony. But there is nothing happier than a happy marriage. Whatever.

I have my own share of worries, my own problems, and my own life. I can’t afford a partner - not economically, mind it. But I am like that only. I am sorry to confess that I possess a scant amount of honor in my youth, if at all any, and behaving in a careless and thoughtless manner is a bit of a specialty of mine. I am so irresponsible that I probably should not be allowed to choose my own clothes, my mobile, my bank, much less my own future, and so this carelessness, as you can imagine, restricts me from getting married. It is not just the wedding factor but I have always visualized every husband as a frustrated individual. And that enhances my resistance to getting married.

And unfortunately, nowadays, my marriage issue has been assuming almost the importance of Terrorism worldwide. Every 8 questions asked to me out of 10 are based on matrimony. And to top it all, I have been given million examples of happy couples, as if; they all resemble ‘Jodha-Akbar’ kind of. Family, Friends, Relatives – no one is left in this pool of askers.

Tie the knot, and get settled. (Does getting settled mean getting married only?)

It’s not I can’t swear for lifelong fidelity to my partner or I can’t share my finances with her. But it’s way more than that.

I know, destiny is intervening and is demanding marriage from me. But I have also learned something from life’s experiences how to be strict on your rules.

I believe, there is no choice more intensely personal, after all, than whom you choose to marry; that choice tells us, to a large extent, who you are. The person whom you choose to marry is perhaps the single most vivid representation of your own personality. And I don’t feel, I can choose good.

Well, it’s all well for me, I am a boy and it’s okay if I marry late. (The older a guy gets, the bigger his dating demand)
After all, it’s the question of our market value. Who in this world would like the transition from being called dude, bhaiya and then respectful uncle.

But who will explain the Moms…? She insists. I have heard many defeated young dudes telling : “Because my mom insists, I will have to get married soon”.

My story is bit different.
Vaibhav is married and living happily with cute and interesting Dipali. Bhavesh has just registered into newly married list. Sanyam, Bhavik, Prakash, Satish to name a few…they all have changed their status on FB and Orkut. Everyone has taken their risk according to their mental, physical and economical capacity to bear their better halves. And here I am, all alone, strictly holding my single status, only because I don’t know what I want, what I dream or rather what I live and frankly never have!

What will it take for me to realize that someone is the one? How much time still will I take to make that most important decision? How many questions still will I have to answer? When would I change my face book status?

When would I get married…?

Read More

Have I Made It Large...?

Today, I want to take a moment out of your life and make you recall when was the last time you were free from all the hessels of life or rather happy by all means. When was the last time you played ‘Antakshari’ and sang out your emotions.?

Don’t bother your busy head anymore, the answer would come as, “I don’t remember exactly.”

For all of us, Life is a Race! And we have to make it LARGE!
This competitive age has made all of us mad bulls, where all we know is that we must win and run forward in life by hook or by crook. We run after the sound of money, and we even don’t know what this race is all about.

Is it being everything that we are currently not? Or multiplying the cash in our bank accounts? Having a sexy woman or man in life? Driving a stylish care? Or living in a luxurious house?

Were you happy the last time during school days? A big NO!
Remember the pressure of overloaded homework or scoring the passing marks were streessful for a childish mind then. College days were in a race to join a big company or a much better institution. And after joining a reputed company, we are still worried souls about what roles and responsibilities we should get and how well should we get paid, which we are not presently.

We are basically strugglers among a million strugglers. We have forgotten to laugh and we die a thousand deaths of fear and failure. We have surrendered to our own greed. We live because we are given the life, and we can hardly share this dilema to anyone, since everyone around us has the same story. You never sound thrilled on hearing from your dear ones, because you are in an important meeting. You promised to call back and never did as your schedule didn’t permit to. Very few ocassions you leave office before the sunset, and you miss the joy of family dinner. Mostly, you forget your mother’s medicins to bring home that the doctor prescribed almost a week back. And you hardly know how much pain your father has gone through while recovering his leg injury.

We are all screwed anyway. Pissed off. Someone’s boss is kicking ass, and someone’s licking ass.

We really worry about that increasing body fat at a rocket speed, and that rusting relations with our love who was found after a long war of mental, physical and economic disturbances. But, we do forget the most important objective of all these efforts – “To be Happy”, “To be Yourself”.

There is no fixed formula or no fixed parameter for happiness. And unfortunately, life doesn’t show signboards indicating which direction to go to be happy.

Cut this crap! Take a break! Don’t take a step, but walk the full distance instead to feel the change.

Involve yourself into the things which really make you happy. Don’t ask for assistance, because you are the best judge of your happiness. Decide your smiling factors and indulge into it. May be you go home early and sit with your parents to listen to them when they need you the most. Take out your old cricket bat and club some sixes on your favourite ground. Go to the old age home and wipe out some tears. Educate some children, or listen to the troubles of who suffered the pain.

I don’t mean the social service. Because I very well know – we need to eat before we feed. But this can help atleast to the realisation of eternal happiness, which we have lost within, somewhere, don’t know when…may be the undefined one.

Gift some time to yourself, to know you well, to make yourself realize what you want, what you deserve and what you have.

And then ask yourself – “Have I Made It Large…?”

Adieu!

Read More

Devanshi!

Girls are the symbol of beauty. And really they are. But imagine a combination of beauty, brain, grace, maturity, kindness, understanding and all those good adjectives available in the dictionary you can write for a single girl. I feel blessed to have such girl as in my friend list.

It’s always very hard and toilsome task to write about a girl (Dare you! When she is not your girl friend, especially), but that’s a commitment I made to a very beautiful girl I know on this earth. Devanshi, Yes ! A friend, a guide, an inspiration, a support. And my commitment is leading to write this post exclusively on her.

For me, she is a divine beauty. Had I been a poet, I would have written those lyrics heralding the descent of her blessed beauty. Her rosy cheeks, coral lips and starry eyes can kill you for sure. I have neither the ability of a good poet nor the flair of a painter to draw. But I must admit that I am sold to her. I can’t explain it better. But she looks amazing. She is for sure like a painting, a song, a ghazal, a gift. Everything about her is so graceful; one can easily fall in love.

Her words resembles breeze, her hair flying butterflies and ear rings dancing doll. The best part is I am always stunned whenever I meet her. It feels fresh, as if this is my first meeting with a beautiful girl after eons of moments of waiting or longing rather.

She was only fifteen when I met her for the first time, but, admittedly, the dent she left in my heart was a big one. She possesses that beauty which hit you like a storm and you never recover. That was my case too. I was completely lost, enraptured, mesmerized. The moment will remain with me forever, framed in my heart. Accidently or whatever, I promised her that she would be my best friend. And we are today!

As days passed, she grew much mature, more beautiful and a better human being or I should call her a classical example of a perfect Indian Beauty or rather a perfect Marriage material. I bet Girls must be rare like her. You meet her once, leave a space of 1 month or more, then close your eyes, it will all come back to you, the perfect picture…her glowing face, her shiny hair, her smooth walk, her bag, her zoo-zoo t-shirt, her mug, her blue jeans and her naughty eyes, everything.

For a long time now, I had wanted to ask her the question and get an answer too.
“How many girls on this planet earth are like you?” (So that good eligible bachelors can count their prospects)

The close up of her life enhances her beauty magnificently. Her thoughts are innocent, her character is pure. Besides that fresh, milky complexion, and flawless skin she does have an impeccable heart that tells thousand stories. She welcomes a stranger as a family, she helps unknown as if they were her own. She respects as to give honor, she supports as a strong pillar.
Her searching eyes have millions of dreams in them. Through her eyes, her dreams peer out so cutely that you can read them word by word. I wish her all the dreams come true!

And heartily thank her for being so wonderful friend of mine. I mean it!
I could have never imagined that we would gel so well and be so great friends. That such a pretty girl could be so affectionate with an imbecile like me.

But for both of us we are the only one to whom we turn to in times of troubles and happiness both. That keeps us bonded.

Signing off,

Cheers!

Read More

ONE MORE EARTH...!

This is a dedication to sweet, little angel, little fairy, and very innocent - 'Sujju', who just stayed with me for 2 days and i got my sole inspiration for the long awaited post for my blog.
Thanks - 'Sujju' and her 'Tasi' for being my inspiration for this lovely post.



"ONE MORE EARTH"


There is another earth on this earth...
Besides earthy means, where love takes birth.

Walking out of this earth which is turning dangerously bland,
She showed me this earth in a faraway land.

Where the humanity is kissed by the hope's rays so bright,
And for miles around, there is no sin in sight.

Spectacles on nose and stick on side,
Dadaji's youthful lessons to see world too wide.

Full of wisdom and modern in voice,
Those Teacher's poems that touch and rejoice.

Far from world's reach, away from arid heat,
Lay childhood dream world, at some hundred feet.

Sweet Didi who laughs through sunshine and rain,
For the family that bonded through laughter and pain.

Praising meaningless art, then friend to friend fighting,
Sharing the place of three among four; sounds so exciting!

Papa who loves and teaches to walk straight,
Late night story telling then six, seven, eight.

Mother who is an angel, her fragrance in the air,
Her warmth, her love, her devotion so rare.

Dreaming that peak where the earth meets the sky,
I pray for the wings, so i could too fly.

I ask to you if you are aware,
Of the loveliest place on earth, that ever is there.

Where there is no pain,no hatred as a whole,
There is love everywhere, and no lost soul.

Don't go so far, don't chase that lengthy stream,
Just view of childhood - a surreal dream.

True, there is another earth on this earth,
Besides earthy means, where love takes birth.

Read More

I Love My Friends

Friends influence a lot in our life, how we see the world, how we dress, our in and out, our going out habits, our tastes and preferences and many more. But I believe a friend plays a key role in determining way more than that.

If your friend loses weight, we are also likely to slim down as well, and we will be available hitting the nearby gym. If he wears Rayban, we would try and spend those hard earned 'Dad's money' on Fastrack at least. If a girl fills that back seat on his bike, we would be also in the queue of 'mera bhi number aayega' sort of.

Our friends might not be literary super powers, but they always made us feel how special we are, often without even looking at our stupid mistakes. To be very honest, I believe, our friends are the single biggest contributor to the smile that we carry throughout our days shared with worries. They partnered us facing those hideous teachers who could have brought a full stop to our fun life early during school days and then teaching how to tackle hot girls who could even fire up a power station to full capacity.

My story is nothing exception to it. I have been obsessed too with many best friends who are always there with me; whether it is being sharing water bag in the school recess time or helping me realize my worth in this competitive professional world.

This post is my dedication to all my buddies.

It was my first birth day gift in terms of ‘Raynolds 045’ ball point pen – my favorite one, and I was sold to him. The first lesson of friendship was probably taught to me by him spending his Rs. 3 on me being scolded by Hindi teacher of class 4th for not purchasing essay book and then not letting me enter the class without it. Yogesh has been with me from those prattling days to till date.

The mystique of his persona is awesome. He is a friend, a motivator and a well wisher in all senses. From that geometry discussion to very complex integration sums of 12th science and then deciding who the best looking girl in the class was at 2 pm in the night in his room, I will never forget even a single moment I have spent with Neelam Patel.

Thanks Rajesh and Shilpa for being awesome buddies during my engineering days who literally hated all I was doing, but still supported me teaching those theories I would have hardly understood.

Vaibhav, who has been my synonym, who not only spared me proxies whenever I was busy reading those magazines in the library for being in the crowded place with girls but also hated me for not attending temples. He is the one who knows all my secrets and still I bet it would be an unsuccessful attempt to know even from him that I am crazy about brown eyed girls.

I heartily thank Shweta for being so loving, caring and sharing brown eyed girl, who knowingly and unknowingly taught me the spirit of being a wonderful person came may what. Her awe-inspiring smile and honesty made me crazy for her friendship when she taught me not to ask for a ‘Mirinda’ but a ‘Thums up’ when you are with a girl.

I would love to be friend in my next 1000 births with my only NRI buddy Ketan for always gifting me hilarious moments whenever we talk or be together.

Last but no the least, how can I forget Neha? The most divine beauty I have ever seen in my life, the most innocent heart God might have ever created, and the sole inspiration to bring me life. She carries that grandeur which puts her apart, and her impeccable conversation that brings that extinct desire alive to become a good human.

On the eve of ‘Friendship Day’, I salute all my friends for their melodious contribution to my life, and once again for showering on me their appreciation, despite yawning reading the mindless things I write on my blog.

Happy Friendship Day.

Adieu !

Read More

An Audacious Hope.!

The atmosphere was too tensed and the air in that dome was redolent with expectations and sweat of thousand students and their parents who were still to be called in the Admission Room – or rather the final destination where few highly sophisticated people were going to write the destiny of those young science students who gathered there on the call of future – or the call letter sent to them based on merit list.

Yes, I am talking about the admission process that I have recently been to, for my brother, my buddy – Avdhesh. It was the central admission committee call to Medical disciplines.

The picture there was a bit dramatic. There were more than a few known faces to us, who knew our dilemma. Some exchange of handshakes and we sat in one corner. I started observing the nervousness prevailed in a huge amount there, thanks to the security guards with dirty looks who prevented me from going inside the hall as only one family member was allowed with the students. And finally thanks to the writer in me, who helped me sharing this experience with you all.

I found hundreds of students discussing their future plans like there is no tomorrow, and how can be, as they had been too busy with books of Biology, Chemistry and Physics throughout the year. God Saves! Many parents, especially ‘PaPas’ were busy analyzing the admission details displayed on the projected screen. Girls were touching the feet of their parents to get blessed, as if they were going for the world war -3, and boys were the big display area of all religious material on their body including long ‘Tilak’ on their forehead. Many were busy reading the information brochures and booklets distributed free by those ambitious institutions; who thought those depressed students can be the prospect clients for their institutions. Of course, education is the biggest industry today and the banners announcing lowest interest rates on education loans through out that dome made my conviction rock solid.

The announcements were too loud to create the pin drop silence in the dome whenever made, and after all, every one was interested to know what is happening inside the dark room – the admission hall, which deliberately doesn’t have any window. ‘Chai Walas’ were showing lashings of enthusiasm as they knew the fact that a depressed cum excited one drinks more tea. Paid comestible counters were available but none was interested, they just became the inquiry counter for late comers. Crying ‘Moms’, Papa’s with calculators (May be calculating their annual income minus the total fees to be paid), shouting security guards (not allowing more than one member of family with the student inside the admission hall), fast changing figures on the projected screen, praying students, hideous admission committee members, their instrumental behavior, and the entire admission process has brought an undefined infelicity in that dome.

My observation was interrupted by the figures moving on the projector screen. I suppose, everyone around heard me sigh. Suddenly me who had been slouching in my chair sat up straight and fixed my eyes on that screen. My eyes had opened wide and mouths even wider. There was an uneasy silence around me, like no one was moving; no one was speaking in spite of me being in that crowded dome. I saw that all medical seats were occupied, and my brother’s turn was still to come, who was in the admission hall. Few minutes of mental struggle and I saw my brother and uncle coming out of admission hall. Avdhesh wore a tragic smile on his face. I could read it from almost a distance.

I walked straight toward them, and started asking.

“Hey, it was too long, which college, which faculty dude?” I almost shouted.

“I missed it this time, bhaiya.” He smiled, paused, and then answered.

Avdhesh could have got into any other highly coveted disciplines like dental, physiotherapy etc, but he refused. This time he was firm. If its not medical, then nothing else will do. It was his dream and he was fighting to protect it. Why to surrender to destiny? Why not to fight? This young buddy has taught a great lesson to hundreds of depressed students present there. He was ready to reappear for the board examination next year, almost spending the year waiting for this most precious moment of his life. He not only set an example, but he also added an immeasurable courage to those who feel they have lost in life.

This was an audacious hope. An audacious hope to take the destiny head on, an audacious hope to challenge the time, an audacious hope to show the world that never lose the faith in you, an audacious hope to declare that WINNING IS EVERYTHING!

I really salute the spirit of my 18 years old, younger brother, who in true sense today has taught me a great lesson that no teacher has during my academic years.

Read More