PENNAME

Akshat: Are you in periods? Jigyasha: Wha...! Akshat: Since morning, you've been making faces like you have a sharp pain in your lower abdomen. Jigyasha: Am not in the mood really, so could you keep your wisecracks to yourself today? Akshat: I'll quit if you stop sulking over a point two gpa score. Jigyasha: That's not the case. I really thought I'd get more. Akshat: Nope! You didn't. You are upset because somebody in this college scored more than you. Jigyasha: Nooo! You are not getting it... Akshat: Am getting it alright. You are just trying to put up a front here. You aren't ready to accept the fact that you can also come second and you're overreacting. Some guy in the college getting a point-two more than you hardly counts. I got a seven-point-four. Jigyasha: Can you be anymore mean? Akshat: If "honest" to you means "mean", then feel free to live among kinder souls. Jigyasha: Wait, where are you goi...

Akshat and Jigyasha were in the same class for the last six months but had hardly interacted more than a couple of times. Jigyasha is your kind of girl who is great at all things academics but stops short somehow in confidence in approaching a guy for chit-chat. Akshat on the other hand has hardly any confidence issues, yet is too proud to talk to a girl until she approaches. This combination explains their situation despite them having so many mutual friends.                    Its not that they were unaware of each other's existence. She checked him out occasionally as did he. She found him funny and probably good-looking. You see, this "funny" is a very funny emotion that girls attach with guys. It's always open to interpretation so they use it most often. He checked her out mostly because she was well, the topper. Akshat always had a thing for smart chicks. And with all this back story, t...

          Being an Indian patriarchal male, I reserve my right to comment on anything and everything under the sun. Well, by everything I mean almost. I am not allowed to speak on matters of religion. Thats out of bounds even for even the "high and mighty", but everything else is on the table. Of course, I am sensible enough not to criticize the government of the day or for that matter any manner of politician. It is not an ideological stand, just survival instincts.             So no messing up with RELIGION OR POLITICIANS. It still leaves a lot to talk about. I can talk about corruption, everybody does. But this freedom does not necessarily extend to criticizing corrupt people because more often than not they are politicians or corporates or even religion-folks. All no-go areas! Similarly I can comment on issues like governance, healthcare, education, cricket etc but with the aforementioned caveats....

    "World is ruled by mediocres who are sincere", a friend of my dad once told me. I would not be naive enough to generalize it because of the inherent risk any generalization carries. Yet it surprises me how little we talk about the largest section of mankind on the planet - mediocres. The entire limelight, it seems, is hogged by the two extremes. But this column is not to sulk about that - not that it would make any difference if it did so.           Wikipedia defines the word "mediocre" as something of ordinary or moderate quality, or something that is neither good nor bad. The society, of course, places these parameters on humans to categorize them. But, in my view - as little though it matters - no person can summarily be called mediocre. It is a relative term that varies with perspective. Society however simplifies this problem in its own self-suiting manner. It follows a few general yardsticks of wealth, knowledge, i...

Mr. X wakes up from his sleep by the sound of his ringing cell phone. He picks up and says "HELLO". No reply from the other side . He keeps repeating, yet no one replys. Confused, he says, "please speak, 'm listening!". Pat comes the reply, "but my friend, you are not capable of listening".           The above piece is something I heard a long time back and 'm unable to recollect the source. Nevertheless, the simplicity and depth of the last sentence stirred even an unsound mind like mine. If I were Mr. X, I would 'v felt offended by the remark. Yet, I don't. I can hear just fine. As can most of you. I pride myself at being able to recognize quite a few song by their opening music (which in my view is no mean feat). I can also recognize people I know by their voices on phone. I have friends who can guess a bike's name by the noise of its engine. Still all of us in my view are increasingly incapable of listening. Let us here n...

A conversation with my alter-ego. Me: Hey! I got have a penname for me man.... Alter-ego: And to what do you think we owe this honour???  Me: I 've started blogging man! A: So..? Me: So m a writer now....kinda A: A blogger, not a writer! Me: Whats the difference? Don't you have to write while blogging? A: Yeah. But its not the same. Me: Whats that supposed to mean? A: Anybody can blog, but to become a writer, you have to get published. Me: Who told u this man? Its rubbish. If you can write, you are a writer! A: And who decides whether you can write or not? The publisher. A: In a blog, people can write crap-probably what you are doing now-but to get published you have to be seriously good. Me: You 'r telling me everything that get published is as good? A: Of a certain standard. Me: Ever read that campus novelist?? A: Ok. But generally its good. Me: You say so man. A: Yet a penname? Are you for real? Me: Woah!...