Time Over,Over Time

Time Over

Hope lies in a new dawn or so she hoped as she pinched herself before logging into her personal demon. This 15″ monster is giving her no response since last week. This day was no different. Yet, she showed ounce of courage in dialling up that dreaded number again.

Scene 1:

Infocom Nut: Yes mam

Miss Surreal :I am going to write to higher authorities.My system has crashed again

Infocom(in a shameless tone):we will fix it today madam.

So it begins, a series of misfortune strikes her as if she is the only target left .She finally logs in after struggling for 2 hours.

Hope is a fooling thing and every stupid deed never dies.Miss Surreal was hoping for shock free afternoon when suddenly someone knocked on the door.

Long dark bearded man with an evil intention on his face enters.

Mr Uncool: Increase our hours,this is not acceptable…gibberish…

Miss Surreal:I can only do it if you show me the proof.I work on data not your whimsical  demands.

Mr. Uncool brought his gang to further pressurise Miss Surreal.Yet Miss Surreal stood firm,it was almost surreal to see Gang members demanding money for the work they never did.

Our organisation is masterful in creating gems like these,when time is over,they feel they can pretend to work.These moron had so many oxymoron in their consecutive syllables that Miss Surreal was simply stunned.

After listening to their meaningless banter,she promised to resolve the issue by discussing with the Head.

Scene 2: Heated chattering at Head Office

Topic seemed Headless from the start.With no room for further cheat by the Gang Members.This looked an open and shut case.Eureka! Sheer confidence of Mr. Uncool turned the tables and it seemed management has suffered Stockholm Syndrome and out of nowhere,freewill was granted to Gang members.

Miss Surreal tried her best to convince the real scenario,but the game was already played,dice was already thrown.Paper was signed and oppressor acting as oppressed,took another giant leap towards making this space smell like someone has killed ethics and justice with a single knife.

Scene 3:Sheer will and perseverence of Miss Surreal,brought faint hope as if there was light at the end of the tunnel.This time,barriers were broken,judgement was reversed and hours were  deducted.

I could see the disappointment on the face of Mr Uncool and Gang and a feeling of elation and relief on Miss Surreal`s face.She had won a battle in this topsy turvy war.

Alas! Time was over to give Over time!!

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Tranquility, Mystery, and Peace

This was my Third Time at this magical place. A space that transforms a tired soul into a fiery Fighter. The sound of waves hitting the serene shore wakes us all up and reminds us to pause and play.I was ready for a new journey. With her, this was my first adventure. We booked a Night Train from Panvel and were onto our most awaited trip down south We consciously chose South Goa as our destination as North is too much noise for us to survive. Half asleep,half-dreaming, and half-listening to my favorite tunes, we were about to reach this beautiful place. Morning greeted us with a marvelous view of Palm Trees and the Glorious Sea. I was awestruck by the coastline, green and blue, and blossoming with life. Around 8 am, we reached Madgaon station.

Oh, I failed to introduce “her”.She is my soulmate with whom I share my dreams, diamonds, and fears.2 years back, we took a vow to stay together forever. She always has this curiosity to explore. We explored all possible options from bike to bus to renting a car but ultimately took a cab to drop us at our first destination: Agonda Beach. The moment we stepped on the lovely shiny sands, we felt we have arrived. A few days of tranquility is all one desires. This beach is strangely named “Turtle” Beach but no local has spotted a turtle in the last 5 years. Yet the government officials. in a clever bid to save their job, they are claiming that Turtle has laid 1000 eggs and now protecting them in these green rectangular shady nets. It is a mystery to tourists and locals as to where is Turtle? and when did she arrive. Queen Turtle may not have landed here but we were here to stay, swim and chill.

We tiptoed in the blazing heat to the nearest cafe and ordered a few mocktails. Away from the usual drama of city life, this place felt like a perfect one where the heart could settle, shine and bloom. We checked in around noon to a beautiful cottage with an open-air shower,a lovely garden that housed carefree cats. We soaked in our rustic home and headed back to the beach to walk, dance, and simply breathe.

Walking on a beach in Goa is an experience in itself. Tourists, travelers, and Goans, all are merged in this magnificence of tranquility, rhythm, and reverie. As dusk approaches, the sky turns oily orange as we soak in the sun, sand, and shore with an equanimity rarely seen in dusty city life. Every act feels relaxing whether it is humming an old song or making names on the sand. We soaked in every kind of noise, and absorbed all kinds of music from hypnotic to soothing to rock. Mesmerized by mindful melody,we went back to our cat-loved cottage.

Blue Streak

Experiments are exciting, eerie, and unnerving at times. I mustered the courage to step out with a dream. Let the World not judge me by my identity but by the sensitivity of my heart. My temple was just a few miles apart. I stepped in, took a shallow breath as I met my Guru “Monu”

Monu: What would you prefer?

Me(nervous and excited): Blue with a tinge of green.

Monu: Interesting choice. Do you have time?

Me(lost in the calculation): Few hours

So it begins, my utopian dream to transform my image.

Everything about identity begins with this silky, rough, soft, hard, and attractive part of human: Hair

I won my bet and now it was time to turn blue.

The start was slow, serene, and stupid, with magical “monu” flirting magnanimously with my ever delicate hair already turned half brown, half grey, and half unrecognizable due to stress or scenarios such as “now”.

Monu was an able artist, carefully picking up every strand of my hazy hair, applying a paste of color on a shiny paper, and wrapping it around my saucy strands, minute by minute.

An hour into this intense art and craft project, I could barely speak or understand.

Meanwhile, Monu like every other sociopath was playing poker with my blacks and browns in an unemotional manner.

As we reached 90, he offered me a cup of tea when I had almost lost my sanity. I reluctantly took one to relieve myself from misery. To color your hair in the most elegant form, you need to suffer.

Oh Destiny, My Destiny!!

I glanced through my mobile and completed half typed message to get the necessary dopamine. Monu was back with a Spaceship-styled machine. This beast was supposed to dry or fry my hair. My mind-boggling head was kept inside this capsule. Switch on and I was on “HEAT” mode. At these times in my life, I realize how making decisions based on instinct, can almost drown you in such a steamy affair. The affair lasted for another half an hour when I lost my patience and asked my Guru to make it fast.

Me(losing last ounces of perceptible patience): Can this be done in 3 hours?

Monu{Cunningly): This will take at least take 4 as we need to wash your hair with a special shampoo before we apply blistering blue.

Me{defeatist tone): But you promised 3, anyways do it as soon as possible.

Monu offered me a Sandwich which I vehemently denied in a fit of rage or regret or both.

Monu, as every artist does, went about painting my hair with his special palette-shaped hand and even took help from her seemingly lost receptionist. She held my hair on one side as Monu weaved magic on the other. The battle was nearing its climax. I chanted “Divine” mantras to see myself through this ordeal.

Then came the final act. The Act of washing my head in the beagle basin. Monu, just as any sociopath would do, Lowered my head in the beagle basin with the slightest regard to pain in my neck.

I survived the Titanic and now my Guru was ready to unleash the final splash on my innocent strands.

Finally!!!!! It took 4 hours of artistic, uncertain, thrilling, and painful phases to complete the marvelously painful masterpiece.

I was ready to be crowned the blue streak of this town.

As Dickens said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.

My Tryst with Allergy

“Beauty will save the world” – Dostoevsky

Drenched in satisfactory sweat, a harmless itch slowly turns into a monstrous mountain and my beautiful suffering begins. My story of dodging lesions on my beautiful skin goes a long way back. Like any obsessive online creator, this one keeps asking for constant attention.I first discovered this mysterious mud when I was 15 and naive.After weeks of hopeless allopathy(suppression of systems that make you cry),I happen to meet homeopathy wizard,who magically made my allergy vanish with harmless sweet rounded white gems disguised as chocolates.They say,”Homeopathy works on poison in nano form”.I was already consuming Chips and Bland Television,so I wasn`t missing the diet to be honest.I know,you are thinking this is crazy.Why am I bothered about allergy and how it can inspire you.Hold onto your already diminishing attention span for at least 3 minutes and you will discover secrets that can transform your life or ruin someone else`s.

After a brief hiatus of 15 years,I was revisited by this naughty evil again when I took my second dose of vaccine. Welcome back, you Devil.Allergy feels like a spiritual out of body experience.I turned off my satire meter and immediately took an appointment to see a skin specialist.

Dooms Day 2pm, Eerie silence, and familiar hospital smell.After an uncomfortable wait of 20 minutes.

Doctor: Hi, what is the issue?

Me:I have been having this allergy issue ever since I took the vaccine.

Doctor:Don`t worry,I will write you 3 medicines,one for suppression of symptoms,other 2 to suppress symptoms of symptoms.

Me(in my mind):I have been suppressed enough by my government,job and education.I can take no more

Me(After waking up from delusion):Will this cure it? Are there any side-effects?

Doctor:We can`t say for sure,we need to try and see.You are your own best doctor.

I am not sure what that meant but I understood there is only suppression of truth in treatment of allergy.

Me:Thanks doctor for you advice.I will meet you in 3 weeks and let you know.

I haven`t taken any pill that takes away my right to express.I decided to experiment and explore.Be your own alchemist or whatever.

Allergy is a funny disease,it is not understood by many but still exists.Just like ego or stupidity.For the next few weeks,I was eating momos and meeting my naughty neo,having pista laden sweet and welcoming my uninvited friend.Everytime,it appeared,I laughed and tried my best to stay sane.With time,it withered away.Now,it only comes occasionally to say hello or remind me that Dostoevsky was wrong

“Beauty can destroy the world”

Real beauty lies in letting be and staying conscious to every moment.Enjoy your flaws and treat them as jokes and you will see it mingle with yourself.As my incompetent doctor says “You are your best Doctor”

Until next time,Stay en-lightened and don`t be afraid if you have out of body experiences.Laugh it off and just go within because everything is funny.

“Eat Nuts,Eat Momos,Eat Pista and Enjoy the adventure”

Jokers of Joshua Season Y

Sun shone belligerent bright than my prospect of having a shiny smooth day. I put on my old Blazing black Shirt to absorb all the beautiful and ugly aspects of this rather ubiquitous epoch. I look up at the sky; scattered clouds, blazing blue sky, and angry sun sending me ultraviolet hellos. I meet my physiotherapist on the way as she gets down from her blue bike.

Miss Polite: how is your ankle now?

Me: Much better, thank you.

With a satisfactory smile, I stroll ahead only to encounter a strange-looking familiar man teaching Morse code to his cuddlicious(word of my personal dictionary) cute dog. I reach the garden and look out for birds. My favorite hobby is post-pandemic. Recovery of environment courtesy of human imprisonment has brought back birds and fear unseen for ages. The tree doesn`t distinguish, gracious enough to give space to novel ones. I observe the 3 masked muffled nurses in a new uniform, looking like they have just been released. They look eager to reach home and collapse. My new navy-looking, backbreaker arrives and I hop in.

I put on my headset with the hope to get some inspiration to handle Juvenile Jokers.

Whitson:(in his usual nuisance mode): I will stop this bus once and for a while.

Senior Officer: What`s the problem?

Whitson somehow lost his sense and threw a barrage of unforgivable offense on the Senior Officer. Before violent episodes could erupt, Whitson simply dropped off the lucky backbreaker.

A bus without suspension truly connects you to the ROAD: That’s Back Breaker, my office bus.

I connected to my favorite playlist and went into oblivion.

Beautifully decorated pot holes woke me up and I was petrified and excited to have another action-packed day.I looked out and saw a Local boy doing Yoga on 2 wheeler just to impress his girlfriend(who is unaware that a sudden break will send them both to Hell)

TezAadmi: Have you sold bitcoin?

Me(Bluffing confidently): I am playing a long-term game. I will hold for a year and see.

I can see men, women, boys, Dogs, DareDevils, and Goons racing towards our Noble naive Security Gate.I say it`s naive, as security personnel almost every time detect tiffin boxes as guns and give an ephemeral smile for his rather tame work. Other times, the detecting machine refuses to work.

A funny place to work where nobody knows what works, who works, or why it works. For my innocent binary eyes, the only thing that works is the sheer luck of our fellow sapiens. I begin my day with curiosity, hope, and courage. Curiosity to witness the next adventure, hope to see new comedians, and courage to face the adventure with my fellow comedians.

Mubbu: Good morning sir. How do you do? (He loves experimenting with English)

Me: It’s all good until I reach the Control Den.

Control Den has been my home for almost a decade. From 3 am adventure in the field with Bats to playing with Pungent gas to doing photoshoots for Corporate Paparazzi to searching for equipment that doesn`t exist. I have seen it all and beyond.I hardly take a breathe, when our legend arrives and waves me a scary hello. He is called a legend for reasons more than you can count on your fiery fingers.

Legend: Sir, we need to get that sample of exchangers.

I wish I could exchange this being with a more useful one(I thought in my devilish mind).

Me(Masking my muffled laugh): We will get it done.

The legend usually doesn’t walk straight or write a sentence without missing pronouns, yet he is our Great General Nuisance(or Manager you may call).

I take a few stress-free steps up this dilapidated ladder and meet Mr. Feku

Feku(Talking gibberish), there are so many of them that I make them all artists. They all have one-way conversations with the unobserved. Unobserved in this case is work and me. These Feku usually skip work but don`t spare me. (Why was I born in rain, Divine showering immeasurable pain). The personalities of these Fekus are so varied and risky that this job is no less than a red bull skiing adventure.

I enter dreaded ROOM No12 and it begins. Mockery of space, time, and resources with effortless ease as enter swarm of wily vendors to sign permits for work they will never complete.

I close my eyes and plan my day knowing that local goons and educated fools are ready to create another day of frivolous fun, unintended fun, and reckless run.

TRinng…TRinng..Phone rings

BigBoss: Check that pump, I heard it`s creating abnormal sound

Me wondering whether I should check his brain first or his abnormal behavior.

And It begins, my quest to solve another adventure filled with fun, fallacies,frolic and filth.

Until Next time, Drink Sanitizer and Stay Sane

Eternal Fragrance

You gave us life, You gave us strength

Ever willing to stretch an extra length

Come Sunshine, Storm or Rain

Your Efforts never go in vain

Large hearted, loquacious with a smile of innocence

Deep in Devotion,Dedication and Depth

Your Delicious Delicacies catches our Breath

You are Special in ordinary ways

Like a Glorious Sun with divine Rays

A shining presence,eternal fragrance,and a woman of substance

Never doubt your capability

You have unimaginable ability

Stay here,Stay Now

You are our infinity,our unending universe

I hope you grasp my heartfelt verse

Take in this beautiful day, allow yourself to immerse.

For you have an unending fragrance,unique and diverse.

Syllables of the Sunset

Absorbs gusty blows of broken winds on this riveting rainy noon

Dark desire of despair trickle down my face

I meekly accept and embrace

A simple wish to be one with the moon

An Old Friend Calls up and brightens your day

Suddenly Moonlight has a special soothing way

As I lay down to count my syllables,

rewind my mundane morbid routine

I wish I had the energy of my Teen

I yearn to flow and escape, lit up and spread

It’s these familiar walls, these securities I dread

Yet one day, I know I will be free

Be one with the ocean or a tree

Dance to the tune, timeless ravenous reverie

I lie still and feel I am me!!!

In this Glorious Sunset, I am finally free and there I see

Her reflection on the rising moon.

Sweet and Sour Satire Season X

Life is funny ,tragic and interesting at the same time, only if you keep repeating same mistakes in different styles otherwise it is dull, dead and easy-Shailesh Tripathi

Hope is an addictive thing and no addiction easily dies unless an external hit is experienced on Head-Show Stop Presumption

It looked a normal naive day as I stepped outside with dreams of meeting Lunatic Languid Lala,Sleepy Suspicious Watchman and of course my cuddly crazy morse coded dog trained by the most boring Moustached species on the planet:Middle Age Man.I strolled through a rather gloomy day,with clouds waiting to burst in tears as if they sensed my pensive mood.I prayed to God not to meet that Old man again.Yes,the one who hands me receipts and advise at the cost of my peace of mind.Ripping it elegantly in pieces.

I silently admire my neighborhood Fitness Enthusiast who is sweating it out with a freaky expression on his moon like face. I call him Road Runner, as he is always seen in brisk bloody mode. I adjust to my ever rebellious mask and see three dejected diligent nurse walk past me in Salwar Suit, each covering their beautiful face with red, green and blue Mask. With clock ticking down I become restless to get my day started or at least pretend to do something meaningful. I remove my sleek white airpod and my 6″ addictive companion from my black bag and I instantly find relief. Ah! The greatest drug of 21st Century. This 6″ electronic distractor, that lures us into believing that we are intensively engaged. Only to realize, we are just dumbing down an entire generation as there is no law on access time for miraculous monster.My Frankenstein and my friend, my fire and my water, my hope and my fear. All trapped in this strange 6″ Chinese product.

BEEP! BEEP! Schumacher Uncle wakes me up from my dwindling delirium. I hop onto my traveler and immediately take my usual seat .Another day of notoriety, madness and dullness awaits .On my way ,I deeply connect with vibrations of road, disappointed faces on the road and my dangerous dreams. Sudden increase in vibrations of my body indicated that Main gate of my Arena wasn`t far. I hopped off, skimmed through miserable faces, play acted at the security and took a deep decisive breath before I saw Mubbu waving at me.

Mubbu: Good Morning sir

Me(Trying my best to stay mindful):I am good,Good Morning.Can you drop me to my first pitstop:C2C3 Control Station.

Mubbu: Get in

Mubbu is a marvelous middle age man with enthusiasm of a child. During this short journey, he keeps asking curious questions. Sometimes I tell him the truth, rest is mere spontaneity and metaphorical inner state of my mind.

Among all the Citizens of my Arena,I find him among the smartest.

Routine dulls the mind-J Krishnamurti.

As I enter my fireground,I take a detour to interact with my younger versions.More vulnerable and less affected by this joke called Job

Faiz:Sir,We have a problem in lpg unit

Me:Did you inform mechanical?

Faiz:They arent picking up phone

Some of the departments in my Arena have this superpower of disappearing at every working hour.

I scan through process parameters,make few more high fives with my young batch and move upstairs to meet another batch of unannounced Jokers.

On left of my door stands Mr. Monorail and on the right is Mr. India, both giving not so comfortable looks. I humbly ask them to let me enter first. Security is a myth but not stupidity. It is real and raw and tangible only if you keep your eyes and ears open

Mr. Monorail: Can you give me permit for my monorail?

Me: Will you complete this before our government falls?

Mr. Monorail: I am making luxurious electric marvel.

Monorail here refers to system that enables us to lift heavy equipment not the failure project of Mumbai.

Although, this one has a strong potential to be a failure, only if it ever completes.

As I take in few more conscious breathe ,Mr. India vanishes before my eye. I had intended to give him a very important dull job: Valve servicing.

FBI can track Julian Assange but we at our Arena,can never truly guess the whereabouts of this unassuming potter head.

My day had barely started when I received my first call from Mr. Einstein

Einstein:Follow up on air leakage

Me:Yes sir

You have to defy gravity or logic or both to understand Mr. Einstein.

I pulled out my weary warrior,now faded but still absorbing my load:my gritty blue bag.It has a bottle,raincoat and fruits to save me on my adventurous field trip.

Only when I felt a moment of silence and a gentle rain in background,I heard loud longing voice of Sappy

Sappy:Sir,we can solve this line leakage today

Me(in slight state of shock):Which leakage?

Leakages in my Arena are more frequent than good morning messages on WhatsApp group.

I know, the analogy was neither poetic nor deep but neither is work in my RING.

I put on my Yellow Fragile Helmet, walkie talkie and a bit of sarcasm. I stroll down the stairs with sappy to start another day filled with frenzied runs, lost communication and multiple idiosyncratic events perfectly set up for another roller-coaster ride.

The Only Way to Enlightenment

Spirituality is the new entertainment and Yoga is the new sports and I am an Enlightened Fool.- My Sane Stupid Self denies!!

My first glimpses with this glamorous glittering glorious world of enlightenment began when I visited Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore few years back in Auspicious month of August. Energy is a funny variable, it can wobble about just by mere thought and brought back to equilibrium by curious Chanting of Om. There was a perceptible difference in energy inside and outside the campus.

After a surreal serene Welcome, I along with my fellow Enlightened Fool, entered the mighty mystical marvelous cave.All devotees sat down to meditate in the dark with a hope to get Sweet Samadhi by evening or at least a sumptuous buffet or simply a cosmic high. I was carelessly calmly curious. Intense activity of sitting down and closing your eyes(just like our government response to any legitimate issue) went for an hour with reverberations of OM touching every cell of my being. I was sure, I saw Halo, until I realise,it was a torch light lit by my noisy neighbor in a desperate attempt to find his leg or wife or wallet or senses.

Intense, tragic and funny experience stay with you for a long time, especially when the food is delicious. Fast forward few years, here I am again meditating with an ear to my Super Guru-Sadh guru and a funny dream to attain the ultimate. Only this time, my taste in spirituality was expanded by my lovely lively wife who introduced me to this rather unassuming extraordinary being-J Krishnamurti. Ever since I laid a hand on one of his book. I went on a mission to read ,read and read, listen, listen and listen, to whatever this eccentric yet extraordinarily brilliant man had to say about living or dying.

J.K as he is usually called by his followers, is an extremely serious and funny man at the same time.Yet,he denies space and time and questions mere mortal to explore comedy in tragedy and tragedy in success and thought in entirety. JK was always animated while delivering his sermons yet kept audience bewildered by his clever curious questioning. As I read, read and read,listened,listened and listened, I realised,realised and realized that I didn’t realise.He kept on pushing me to see the division and go beyond while I kept on multiplying my misery and stayed in treacherous time.

Essence of any idea only comes to fruition when you can brag about your new found fantasy or en-lighten-ment to your friends, foes and family. Life is seriously funny.But when you start taking it seriously, it ceases to be funny.The very word itself has the root in lightening yourself of all past burdens accumulated as thought. The point is, whether you see Halo or not, listen to sound of silence or desperation or hallucinate. My only goal is to make you realize that there is nothing to realize.

On this trivial significant silly road called life, you will meet teachers, preachers and saints. Hold your breathe, sit down and expand your lungs. There are jokers everywhere on your path, some jovial others a bit nasty but if you stay sick serious, you will miss the fun. Join me and other marvelous mortals in unraveling mysteries of this extraordinary creation or may be it`s just a big old joke.

Embrace Life, Everyday is Special

Delightful Dew on a blade of grass

Morning, Mystical and Magical

Let your life renew every day

like this glorious Special Sunshine

Earthy Eyes, Compassionate Heart and a soothing Soul

A journey to embrace, enroll and enrich

Life fills you with abundance, joy and affection

In this Topsy-Turvy road

There are countless hurdles, only end is perfection

A beautiful smile, decorates your inner jewel

Effortlessly enjoy ,do not dwell

For this day brings you magic,music and marvel

Dance to this new air of hope

Happy Special day

Even a blade of grass emanates fresh life,

subtle shift in your perception is enough

Life will overwhelm you with infinity beauty, give it a chance