Devils-advocate

Monday, April 25

How Cool is being Cool?

This summer day, I was working on my laptop, in an open plan courtyard, with the courtyard being huge, complete with a garden right at it's center, there was too much of place for him to come and sit. But he chose to come and sit right opposite my makeshift table. He kept his paraphernalia- a hovercraft remote (am not kidding, right in the middle of the desert he had one), his iphone 6S, iphone 4- (correct two iphones), and a small pen drive. with real swag he took out his Lenovo Yoga, and opened it as I had it on.

I didn't give much notice, and I continued my blissful work. I only noticed him when he tried to make accidental small talk, or accidental brushes, I looked at him to realise he was all of 12, maximum 13 year old. I was stunned to realise he was checking me out!!! I mean obviously at that too. I didn't react much more than a roll of eye. I was actually that work logged.

But it was not meant to be. I didn't realise I picked up his iphone instead of mine. Yes me too have ONE iphone- a 4 one :D I was astonished, my pic was his dp, ALREADY!

I checked his gallery, this boy had porn stashed away. I checked his hike and I realised he wasn't that sure about what he was doing, he was just being COOL.

I had a brainwave, just had a video stashed somewhere in my original iphone. I put his down, switched mine on and gave it to him. He like a love sick puppy took it :P But then was oo la la, his face was myriad of expressions/emotions. The range of which made me think he could just be an actor someday, but coming back, I replayed it for him 4 times. The fourth ended abruptly, because my iphone was crashed to the floor by this boy.

He gathered his office from my desk and went to one of the rooms at my hotel. I mourned the demise of my phone and got back to work with a broken and somewhat stunned heart.

3 hours later, his dad approached me, he offered to pay for my broken phone, I told him money couldn't solve the problem, he was already paying me the room rent of the hotel, I didn't need it.

He looked at me and said, "I don't know how to thank you, I am not an expressive man, I am a busy man, money talks for me. My son told me what happened, I saw his pictures of different moods of you on his phone, he told me about his porn stash, his hip flash and his plans to try weed tonight. He said he was told that it made him cool and accepted, that he didn't want people not to notice him, like I didn't have time for him, he was bored.

He hated the porn, but watched it to be accepted. Alcohol made him sick. He did it for friends. He thought you were cool, working on a laptop, calling up ten people, everyone knowing you here, you talking to even the staff, he thought you did these things, he wanted to approach you to try weed with him tonight. The video from you shook him up. Thank You."

I just told him don't thank me, I'll give you a twitter handle thank him, he gave me the video. He refused saying it was me. But I still maintain it was this video https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/teenagers/whiteboard-animations/stand-up-to-peer-pressure/ sent to me by @JerozNishanth

So I guess, this video was the hero for the day!

Saturday, August 9

With the amount of reading I've covered, I've come across various dedications by authors, and believe me, I've skipped them all, I have never related to the emotion of dedications by an author, i.e. till today, when I sit down to write this post.

This one's for you Rhea, for making me want to love someone as immensely, deeply that you do, for being the fighter you are, and for being the angel you'll always be. I am alive today, and I owe it to you, we know that, and I'll miss you forever, but I haven't lost you, you're here deep in my heart, embedded in my soul.

Also, this one's only for you Gunjan, for I am writing this because of you, as this is the only birthday gift I could think of for someone who has everything. Also, thank you accepting me as one of your own. I promise to uphold and cherish this place.

Pardon the colors of this post, the colors are all bright, like Rhea, like her choices, her favorites.

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Date:- 15 June 2014
Venue:- The Palladium Hotel, Mumbai
Occasion :- The 4th wedding anniversary of Mr and Mrs Arthath Agarwal.

"Excuse me Ma'm, you need to get a body-scan done before you enter. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but it's a mandatory security guideline now."

Myra steps into the security rooms, raises her arms to be frisked, all the while staring at the lobby of the hotel.

It's a breathtaking sight. Done up in ornate golden hues, the high dome structures like the ones at the Dome Church Paris, are intricately carved with flowers like Claude Monet's Water Lilies. The furniture - ornate yet not opulent, classic yet not ancient, the lines all so elegant yet so simple. But it's not just the decor that enchants her, it's the feel. The crimson of the furniture blends with the golden hues to make it seem like the sun at dawn. Rising high on the horizon, wanting to break the night's monotony into splendid glory. The vast area's doesn't seem pressing, it seems more like a close-knit family living together with the same set of values, traditions, yet so different as the rest. It captivated her, it awed her, it and her presence there.

Myra slowly walked towards the ballroom, pausing at the entrance, overwhelmed with the spectacle. For this hall was decked up in all the finery, celebrating a love between a couple who are said to be cupids excess, his biases. The reality was as distant as the two poles.

Soon she sensed a frisson down her back.Her body knew and reacted immediately. The back of her neck prickled in warning. Her stomach tensed. Her muscles clenched tight in automatic response. She stopped pretending to gaze at the bold colors and people before her and let her eyes drift closed to ward off the memories. And the pain—so much pain.

But it was all in the past. It was time to look forward to today, to the man standing across the room,
Myra's heart jolted to see the tall figure she’d spotted leaning against the wall watching the dancing. Watching her.

Her heart flipped over to see him so groomed and utterly gorgeous in a snazzy pinstriped suit, the top buttons of his crisp blue shirt undone, exposing the top of his broad chest and the pendant he wore around his neck. The one with her photograph in it.

Arthath walked over to her. "You look hot Mrs. Agarwal."

'No I don't' Mr. Agarwal, I look like a bloated balloon, I don't know how you talked me into this entire celebration, when am eight months along and bloated up like a ball?' cried Myra with a down turned mouth.

"I really thought that if you'd not show up, what excuse I'd concoct this time around?"

' I did consider running away, but going through the same motions of a budget hotel, being looked down as a pregnant hooker, train tickets that don't get confirmed, travelling by the door at night, looking for a cheap accommodation in Ahmedabad, it didn't appeal, especially when the appeal is of so much money and um richness around.' Said Myra with a straight face.

Even though she was joking, a flash of vulnerability surprised her. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, wouldn't humiliate her anymore. But the fears still lingered. She suppressed it.

Arthath was rendered deep in shock for a moment. He loathed himself. But then he saw the teasing glint in Myra's eyes, and relaxed. He picked her up and twirled her. "Am sorry Mrs. Agarwal, but I have bought you for life. Didn't you read the fine print of the contract you signed 4 years back? So you could kiss me now , and that’ll be the end of it. If you run I will not come look for you, I will not pursue you. And if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will make you mine. But I will not let you run."

'Which movie was that?' teased Myra

"Taken" said Arthath in a grin that melted the cold away...

And Myra stood on her toes to kiss him.

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Dear Roads take me home..

It's a lonely path I walk upon,

Don't ask me where to

or where from;

I don't know my destination,

I don't know my base,

I don't know my path

I know it wasn't so silent before

Some walked alongside a while,

Some walked a full mile

Some talked about the distance..

The day walked by me my shadow,

Passing us were men and women

some with words, some only smiles

I wasn't alone...

When night falls

its stillness whispers to me,

That I was alone,

for all who walked and talked

reached there spaces and places,

and the ghosts of reality lurked behind

and crept on me,

that even my shadow left me in a bind

I thought of God,

and I thought and his men

I thought of life,

And I thought some more then..

Was my journey a sham or lie

Or an intoxicated figment

or a sensitized cry...

I could never know

For whenever reality hit

He brought a new day

A new shadow

A new new drifter,

and the night lurked at bay...

It's a lonely path I walk upon,

Don't ask me where to

or where from;

Saturday, October 23

Tears of the heart

When you are hurt by someone you like,

The heart cries...

When you see a group of friends enjoying

and you look for your friends beside you

and find no one,