Thursday, October 23, 2008

It is a good thing that you know this

I write this on my blog so I can remind myself of it. Perhaps in my moments of despair. When I curse myself for being deaf to the wisdom of my elders, for wanting to test conventional wisdom, for being drawn to follow my instincts - to know my own truth - at the risk of hurting myself and worse - at the risk of hurting others.

" It is a good thing to experience everything oneself, He thought. As a child I learned that pleasures of the world and riches were not good. I have known it for a long time but I have only just experienced it.
Now I know it not only with my intellect, but with my eyes, my heart, with my stomach. It is a good thing that I know this."
-quoted from Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

To all those who've hurt themselves, made decisions despite the foreboding or warnings that it could go wrong..
Now you know it not only with your intellect, but with your eyes, your heart, with your stomach... It is a good thing that you know this...

Thursday, October 16, 2008

VHP - A Very Ho-Hum Piece of fiction

What happens when a meeting between a VHP activist and a city girl is arranged

for marriage? Read on……

GIRL: Are you superman?

VHP ACTIVIST: No I’m Very Hard to Please man.

GIRL: Ooooooooh la la! My kinda guy!

VHP ACTIVIST: My Kinda Gay? That’s opposition.

GIRL: Never mind! What are your hobbies?

VHP ACTIVIST: VHP

GIRL: Huh?

VHP ACTIVIST: Vandalism, Hadtaal and Partisan Politics

GIRL: Oh! How nice! So what exactly is your job profile like?

VHP ACTIVIST: VHP

GIRL: Which is…..?

VHP ACTIVIST: Vandal who Handles Property

GIRL: Wow! That's like the Accounts Manager.. What property do you handle?

VHP ACTIVIST: Depends. Extortions on a good day. Gold chains and wrist watches on Valentines day.

GIRL: How sweet! Gold chain on Valentine’s day! Is that a hint?

VHP ACTIVIST: Yes. VHP..

GIRL: Lemme guess... Valentine’s Heartfelt Present??

VHP ACTIVIST: No. Valentine Hai Paap. Jo manaenge Vo Honge Punished.

GIRL: Oh… Accha tell me, are your parents supportive of your career?

VHP ACTIVIST (breaks down and starts weeping): I wanted to become a painter. But my parents did not see any future in it. So I decided to make a career of my hobby.

GIRL: That’s not too bad. Show me some of your art-works.

VHP ACTIVIST: (sniff) Here. (hands out some photographs to her)

GIRL: Oh.. but these are pictures of people with their faces painted black.

VHP ACTIVIST: Yes. I took to face-painting. This one’s taken outside Archies gallery. It’s called The Last Shopper.

GIRL: Uh… Ok... Accha since we might end up together, lets know each other’s past. Did you have any girlfriends?

VHP ACTIVIST: That’s a professional hazard.

GIRL: Meaning?

VHP ACTIVIST: Girlfriends are counterproductive to our B.D.

GIRL: BD as in Bajrang Dal?

VHP ACTIVIST: No. BD as in Business Development. Although there was one. I did not bring her any gifts on Valentine ’s Day and explained her how it was American to do so. She slapped me and walked out saying that Saint Valentine was Italian. She ran away with a fellow BD activist who bought a present for her on the sly a month before the V-day.

GIRL: Oh.. I’m sorry.. that kinda explains. Er.. if I may ask, “fellow BD activist” as in Business Developer?

VHP ACTIVIST: No. Bajrang Dal.

GIRL: Aah.. I see.. Uh.. I gotta go now. I have a very high profile meeting to attend.

VHP ACTIVIST: I like you! You’re already talking in my terms! Very High Profile meeting – VHP!!

GIRL: Er… Ri..ght..

VHP ACTIVIST: So, will you marry me?

GIRL (Aloud) : Well…there’s a Very High Probability…

(To herself) …if I want to commit Voluntary Hara-kiri from Psyching out, that is, Mr. VHP…