Author: farooq Page 32 of 45

Just another Blog post…

On June 22, 2014

00:00 hrs, 15^th June, 2014

Drawing some correlation from my last posts’ title, whenever I opened up my blog page, I could only wonder when the next post on it will come.

For those who, don’t quite get the above statement, my previous post was dated more than a month back and was my “Last post” from my college life on my convocation.

(Ping)

When I sat down to pen down my thoughts, all I could think of reasons which held me back from writing. I kept on thinking, and then I actually forgot what I sat down to write.

(Beep) (Ping)

The new life, the post-being-student phase, when I’ve got to work is different. Not that I didn’t knew. If one asks me, whether I’m happy? Alhamdulilah, I am!! I really am. Things could have been completely different of course, but this is good. There is a little part in me which screams that it is content.

Content on having the support of Family and Friends, always!! Content on finding a job that fits what I actually wanted. Content, on trying my best to find peace within and around myself, and not by running after certain things/people.

(Ping) (Ping)

I can bore you with 100 other details, but I won’t. This is not even a full-fledged post to actually make any point. It is just an exercise to keep my blog active, and try and jump back onto the Blogosphere.

P.S if you are wondering what are the “pings, “beeps” are for, well those are some of the reasons, for this simple post to take more than 1 hour of my time. 😛

And in case you’re wondering about the date, well my “busy” schedule and the great wifi didn’t allowed me to post this.

…for one last time.. blogging from XIME..

By farooq

On May 9, 2014

In Others

For one last time, from the confines of the XIME hostel, I bring to you another blog. Yea, a little dramatic to start I guess, but what the hell, life here has been no less than a roller coaster drama for me.

Drama, you ask??

Well. The night is getting dark. It is already 1.30 AM and like the punctual XIME tradition goes, we’ll have to be up our asses by 9:00 AM for the rehearsal of convocation. Ohh yeah!! CONVOCATION, the reason we all are here. And I cannot put in words how excited I am. Not only because it will be my first Convocation per se, but also coz this was the first time I have put in actual hard work to get my degree. (Yes, I was a super lazy ass, who took it very easy at first).

But, anyways depriving you of the little joys and loads of troubles won’t give me any good. So, I should share some of them with you. Shouldn’t I?

Audi-week. Roomies. Friends. Mess food. Coffee. DogB. Volga. Bismillah. Jumma Rush. Roll no. Blogger. Controversy. Passport. International tour. MST. Internship. Salesman. Report. Viva. CGPA. Dexter. Suits. Movies. Reviews. Meeting Farhan. Exams. VOS. Library. Results.

I can go on and on about stuff that can define my 2 years at Xime. They aren’t just words arranged in any sequence, but the story of my Xime life. Something, which will swell up my eyes, the next time when I remember them again or maybe just read them. I won’t miss xime, I will miss people, will miss the bonding.

I’ll miss my roomies, I’ll miss my gang. Teasing and getting teased like anything and for everything. being called the “blogger” or maybe even the “reviewer”, will miss late night balcony talks, coffee walks, fights with friends over issues and non-issues, being awake all night, listening on to Drunk tales of friends, will miss HER, will miss taking awkward moment pics of people and posting them on fb, will miss being involved in a Modi discussion or even being called MODI, will miss exchanging chit-chats during classes, will miss getting worked up for not doing an assignment on time, will miss dragging people to give treat for random excuses., might even miss studying in the library. And, I’ll miss writing blogs sitting in these rooms of this hostel…

XIME, you’ll be missed like anything…

Signing off, from XIME hostel, one last time….

… and I move along

By farooq

On April 30, 2014

In Fiction & Poetry

Running away from the shadows of the past..
driving down the hill onto uncertainty, I move along..

Building castles on the hazy air around..
Crafting the new life from the fossils left behind, I move along..

Cutting out the broken parts…
Shedding down the dead leaves, I move along..

As the reality dawns with the growing dark night..
and the picture becomes clear, I move along…

But, boy!! I can’t sleep..

By farooq

On April 19, 2014

In Fiction & Poetry

A big yawn to signal and a tired body to confirm the same…

But, Boy!! I can’t sleep.

The mental agony or the physical pain..

The strange voices in my head…

All telling me to sleep..

But, Boy!! I can’t sleep.

The night is dark before the dawn..

Now, even the days look dim to me..

Shutting the drapes on the nights was easy..

When fear of waking up to the light was away..

The silence shouts from all corners of the darkness..

And the clock ticks its’ way towards the dawn..

But, Boy!! I can’t sleep.

2 States: My Review

By farooq

On April 18, 2014

In Movies & Entertainment

Director: Abhishek Verman

Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Alia bhat, Amrita Singh, Ronit Roy, Revathi

RunTime: 150 minutes

Adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s novel with the same name and directed by First-timer Abhishek Verman , 2 States manages to keep you entertained for the whole time, even with numerous small glitches in the story adaptation on the big screen. But if you are willing to kick away the stereotyping and a little out-of-place logic, then it sure is refreshingly entertaining.

The masaledar love story with peppy songs for company, amazing cinematography and the chemistry between the lead pair of Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt makes it worth the watch.

The idea of the story revolves around the typical Indian setting on how two youngsters who fall in love and then try to convince their parents for their marriage. The problem is, our boy is Punjabi while the girl is Tamilian. This “convincing-the-parents” part goes through a whole lot of cultural differences melodrama, which is fun to watch.

The lead pair has a good chemistry brewing between them. Although Arjun is the one who narrates the story and is kind of his-version, Alia sure steals the show. Not just for the ease with which she manages to change in each of the frames but how effortlessly she makes herself look convincing as a Tamilian without any fuss. Arjun isn’t bad either, but Alia scores over him.

The music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy suits the refreshing young feel of the movie and even the background score makes many of the scenes click. Cinematography takes the whole movie a notch higher, especially the way the weddings have been shot. Casting has been done beautifully. While Amrita Rao (Arjun’s mother) becomes the typical Punjabi maa throwing about tantrums and emotional blackmailing then and now, Ronit Roy (Arjun’s Dad) brings in the drunk-dad-with-issues back on screen after his much memorable performance in Udaan. Alia’s parents (Mom played by Revathi and Dad played by Shiv Kumar Subramaniam) have little to do in the movie comparatively but they do justice to whatever they are part of.

The biggest problem with the movie might be to bring in everything from the book. It is good if a reader watches it, who might understand most of the details, but for a non-reader certain scenes might never make sense. Same happens with 2 states, like the absence of a big conflict which might break their relationship or why his mother is so obnoxiously loud or his dad’s back-story seemed to have been squeezed in.

Nevertheless, if you just through all these above thoughts out, you would surely end up enjoying the 150-odd minutes of the movie, filled with some good laughs (stereotypical maybe) and if you get the connection right, you’ll love it too.

I’m going with a 3/5 for 2 states. Maybe it’s more fun to watch if you’ve read the book.

Ek kahaani bachpan ki…

By farooq

On April 17, 2014

In Fiction & Poetry, Random Philosophy

Ek kahaani bachpan ki

Nange panv khelte khelte koi keel ghuns gayi uske pair me, thoda chubha aur wo zor se chilla baitha. Saath me uske saathi achanak se uski taraf aa khade hue. Keel lambi si hi. Aur bechare Kaleem ka chehra chota sa, upar se uska zor zor se rona. Kaafi vichar-vimarsh ke baad, Raju ne keel nikaal dene ki thaani. Usi beech koi bheed me “tetnus” ke kayi suyian lagne ki bhi baat kar raha tha. To koi Kaleem ke chappal na pehenne ko lekar kuch keh raha tha.

Raju ne jaise hi kaleem ka pair apne haathon me liya, wo aur zor se chillane laga. “Ammi ammi” jaisi koi aawaz nikal rahi thi uski mukh se. Kafi parishram ke upraant, ek jhatke se raju ne surkh ho chuki wo lambi keel nikaal daali. Saath hi me maano khoon ka baandh bhi khul sa gaya ho jaise. Apne jeb se raju ne rumaal nikaala aur baand daala uske pair pe.

Ghar wapas pahunchne par, ammi ki thodi daant aur fir doctor saahab ke paas dher saari suiyon ki thodi aur takleef uthate hue Kareem ka kuch dinon ka aaram shuru hua.

Saalon baad kaleem chal pada tha kisi bade shaher me padhai karne. Naya shahar, naye dost aur saath nayi koi zindagi. Chuttiyon me raju aur baaki gaanv ke doston se mulakaat zaroor hoti, par dheere dheere chuttiyan bhi kam hogayi, aur milna bhi. Ab kaleem bina chappal ke to door, jooton aur gaadiyon ke ilava zameen me pair hi nahi rakhta tha.

Yun to kaleem ne raju ke prati koi khaas bartaav me tabdeeli na kit hi, par fir bhi ab baa two pehle jaisi na thi. Kabhi dekha to “hi, hello” zaroor hota, par kabhi use zyada aage kuch na badhta. Kaleem shayad ye sochne laga ki chunki dono hi ab alag alag tareekon ki jeevan-shaili ke aadi ho chuke hain, kuch raha nahi baat karne ko. Wahin Raju ke dimaag me bhi yehi baat hi daudti thi.

Ye upar jo maine “Ek kahaani bachpan ki” batane ka prayas kiya hai, koi anutha kissa nahi, balki ham sabhi ke jeevan ka ek aham hissa hai. Sabhi log is tarah ki kisi na kisi paristhithi se zaroor guzarte hain. Hum ye sochke kuch nahi karte ki shayad saamne waala aise sochta hoga, wahin shayad wo saamne waala vyakti bhi isi vichaar dhaara ka shikaar hojaata hai.

Kisi bhi rishte me chaahe kisi bhi tarah ka agar koi badlaav aata hai, to wo hamare nazariye ke chalte aata hai. Ye zaroor hai ki samay ke saath hamari zarooraten badalti rehti hain, aur usse rishton me badlaav aana swaabhavik hai, kinto badlaav ka matlab ant nahi hota.

Bachpan me ek dost ne, jise shayri ekkatrit karne ka bada shauk tha, kuch kaha tha jo mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai. “Kona kona mat chalo.. kona toot jayega.. naye se dosti mat karo.. purana chhoot jaega”

Aisa nahi hai ki hame naye dost nahi banana chahiye, par ye zaroor hai ki ham nayon me itne hi na magan hojayen ki puranon ko bhool hi jayen.

Jeevan ke kuch chuninda anubhavon ke aadhar pe itna to gyaat hai ki bachpan me jo mitrata banti hai wo bina kisi prayaas ya koi faayda ko dhyan me rakhke banti hai.

To kaisi lagi aapko ye “Ek kahaani bachpan ki” ?

(Ek aur hindi kahaani: Sameer ki Atlas cycle, zaroor padhiega)

Blank.

By farooq

On April 16, 2014

In Random Philosophy

It’s blank.

A blank document to start writing with. How I wish, I could just start off my life afresh just like this blank document. A fresh start. A clean slate. Call it whatever, but yes a part of me wishes at this moment that I could do that.

It is said, we learn from our mistakes, from our decisions, experiences. All true.

A fair share of my learning is from these experiences, mistakes and decisions. Their share is so much; that I wonder what would have happened if I had counted them all.

Khair, it has been tough. But then life gives lemons to everyone. It is what you do with those lemons that actually count.

Nobody is untouchable to troubles. It is that universal “gift” which is added to our grocery list regularly. More regularly than the “Eclairs” which is now the undoubted substitute for all the change the retailer has to give back to you.

The vague purpose in everyone’s life is a reminder of how uncertain we ourselves make our lives to be. It’s understood that a lot of it is out of bounds for us, but life still gives us moments where we choose. Moments, where we make decisions. Decisions, which have consequences and ones which we shouldn’t repeat if the similar ones haven’t gone down well in the past.

But then, Welcome to the complicated idea called life (More complicated than Women).

Life, as we try knowing more about it, changes.

I’ve always tried taking control of these changes that happen in life. Planning is one thing, having a backup plan is another, which had created the illusion of me, having taken control of many of these changes.

When realization struck (pretty hard), I guess it was too late (An optimistic voice in me still shouts, “Is it?”).

Even the smallest of our decisions have their impacts. We don’t realize them at that point in time, but when the moment of truth comes knocking. It all adds up, and many a times it is not a rosy picture that gets painted in front of our eyes.

It is all confusing, whether to think before we do even the simplest of things or just go with the flow. If you are confused too, then don’t look at me for answers, coz I ain’t got any. No one’s got any. It is we, who make our choices and we have to live with it. We may rue, we may crib and do 100 odd things just to get that feeling out from our systems, but that is all what we’ve got.

I started writing with a blank document and now finishing with words. And yet, as ironic as it may sound, I’m still blank. I’m empty.

…walking towards the blurred goals..

By farooq

On April 3, 2014

In Fiction & Poetry

Through the noises in the crowd, my silence shouts aloud..

From the laughter gathered around, sorrow just lies around…

Behind the mask of the affectionate smile, the tears just flow about…

Among the illuminating faces, the shadow of me spins around..

among the certainties of life, the simplicity complicates around..

When inching closer to goals, the fog just moves around…

Moving my way towards the ideal goals, i falter around..

Goal still remains the same, the path just blurs itself..

Silence is what accompanies this dark boulevard..

Putting on the mask, I Walk towards you…

koi nayi subah ke sang..

By farooq

On April 1, 2014

In Fiction & Poetry

Ulfaton ke ghere me shab jo thi beeti..

Ujaale subah ke bhi kuch haseen na lage…

do ghoonth coffee ke bhi jo gatke..

raat ka andhera yun chaaya raha aankhon me…

to yun tum aa khade koi nayi subah jaise..

ghoonth ab is pyaale ke bhi de rahe kuch alag maza…

manzar ab ye koi naya to nahi..

par kuch naya lag raha hai jaane kyun..

People. Selfishness. Retrospection.

By farooq

On March 25, 2014

In Random Philosophy

Retrospection is one of the most important things we gather from our experience in this life. A wise man is one who helps put these little experiences and stitches them to shape who he really is.

Understanding people is one such essential part of the wisdom, we strive to achieve. It is a continuous build-up of numerous sorts of varied understandings that are shaped by various critical factors. Time, point of view and situation being the most prominent factors in determining the true value of an individual to the scheme of things in one’s life.

One major hurdle in the process is the illusion we end up putting ahead of us which blocks our view of them. We extrapolate their importance or sometimes even condition ourselves in believing things that were never there.

To sum it up in a word, people are selfish. People are only concerned about their own benefit. And this category includes all of us, including the writer of this post, which few of you are going to read, very few of them going to understand it and even fewer going to give it some thought while even fewer than that, are going to even give some insight from their own.

The reason I call people selfish, is whatever we do is to either make good of the situation, or to get out of a situation in a particular period of time, and we go to lengths to actually make it happen. Our objective to satisfy our needs is what drives us towards the attainment of our “goal”.

In our quest to achieve the goals, we use people, we use situations and make use of whatever that comes our way. Sometimes, we keep those things, people, etc as mementos or just discard them after use.

The whole point being, what happens to the things, people, or whatever after we have either discarded them or even just kept as mementos locked in some old cupboard ?

It is this question of which we can only answer if either we have been left away near the garbage bin or in the confines of a cupboard. Wisdom may perhaps be to accept the state which one is, even after being given this treatment OR maybe not letting anyone get to have this feeling.

Let us all just spare a moment for this “need fulfilling attitude of ours” just for a minute…