வானவில் பொறாமை கொண்டது
அவள் வண்ணம் பார்த்து.
தொப்பைப் பழம் சுழன்று விழுந்தது
அவள் கன்னம் பார்த்து.
பட்டுப்பூச்சிக்கு இதமளிக்கும்
அவள் பூப் புன்னகை.
அழகிய இயற்கை தான் அதற்கே
அவள் பெருமை சேர்ப்பாள்.
இந்தப் பாமரனுக்கோ
அவள் என்றென்றும் கனா.
It was the last day of my short business trip to Calcutta. The ten days had paced up wonderfully to end with such drama. It was a hectic day at work. Continuous calls to colleagues working far, incessant reporting to managers on the status of tasks completed, uninterrupted fixing of bugs with our client's users. That was throughout the morning. It was still unclear if I had to stay for one more day though I had my ticket booked.
More conference calls on status, more convincing of the client, more assurances that work will be completed on time. It had me on my toes till lunch. Lunch over. Am I leaving? I have to leave at two to the guest house, fetch my bags, hire a taxi and leave for the airport - a journey of one and a half hours. The flight is at 5.15. Had to be there latest by a quarter to five. Still undecided.
After a couple of mails from my bosses, the decision's made. I can leave. It's 3.05. Taxi. 3.25 Guest house. 3.30 Start from GH. Deal with the driver - reach airport on time and he gets Rs. 100 more than the meter fare. Heavy traffic. One of the most thickly populated cities. I remembered. And what an oppurtunity to do it!!
More calls. During the travel. What else has to be done? Number of pending tasks. When do we plan to complete it? Can't hear properly. Very noisy traffic. Friday muezzin's prayers on. Hawkish street vendors. Honking lorry drivers. Not-in-line autorickshaw czars. Creaking taxi seat. Rickety steel frames. Highly uneven roads.
Airport 4.35. A run to collect the ticket. Baggage screening. Check-in. Security check. My pulse is still racing. Tone is still high. And still breathing hard. On the stairs to the flight. The last passenger to board. Heart rate is slowing down. I've located my seat. Wiped my sweat away. Kept all things in the overhead bin. And in my seat. Seat belt is fastened. Aircraft leaves the hangar. Gentle pace towards the runway. My heart is pacing down. Nerves are calmer. Pulse is almost normal. Last turn before the runway. Then a stop. Pilots wait for clearance to take-off.
The lights are off. Absolute silence. My head falls back on the headrest. My eyes close. One long heavy breath. The burden of a hectic day - behind me. Peace!! No traffic. No noise. No calls. My mind is free. Clear. A dark background.
Light!! Her face. The lissome lassie I'd met. The colour. The serenity. The shy smile. The beauty. A moment. A dream. Forever.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The sun's arrival
Is it the beginning of the rise of this country?
No, this is not the chauvinism of a crazy nationalist. Before every rise and fall of an entity, there are changes - significant as well as those that are subtle to go unnoticed. And these will range across different spheres.
Just like insects twitter, the rooster crows and the vanishing act of the snow-on-grass before the rupture through the clouds of the reddish-orange rays of the burning sun, there are tocsins before a nation announces it's arrival on the world stage. Only this time, it's not as a republic. But as the leader who will have a dominant say in a progressively multipolar world.
Although the Indian movie industry has been spurning out the largest number of movies in the world, only recently are they being globally recognised. Despite Satyajit Ray's and Mira Nair's contributions before, it's only now Indian cinema is going places, literally. The ingredients of Slumdog Millionaire may not be completely Indian. Nevertheless, the spotlight has turned towards India's film industry. The Golden Globes and the upcoming Oscars on February 22nd are proof of a rupture.
For more than half a century, despite the raw ability and talent of a great people, India never managed to win individual gold at the Olympics. That doesn't hold anymore. For an event that's inbuilt in ethnic Chinese, badminton has a new and upcoming star from India. She has won the junior world title and is no. 10 among the best in the world. She is barely 19 years old. More promising is her dedication and diligence that sooner rather than later will place her on top of the world. And there is a lad who has just won the Australian Open. No, the men's finals are scheduled for tomorrow. But an Indian has won the boy's singles title today. Today it's the boy's title; tomorrow(in the coming years) will be the men's. Ruptures again.
We are buying global companies. Corporate India has been busy buying and digesting huge steel companies and age-old names in the automobile sector. Our strength in Information Technology has bolstered our confidence to buy established software firms to broaden our software empire across Europe. Spirited barons are buying out famed names in the alcohol business and spreading their wings across other business lines. And they are buying formula one teams and are in talks to buy English football teams.
We have touched the moon. Eventhough late it is for these brains that gave the world numbers and Chess, to touch it now, happened it has now. Sky was the limit. We have moved beyond. Consequently, we have set our sights at the sidereal elements in the limitless firmament. Ruptures galore.
The march cannot be without gripping challenges. Terrorism has always hampered progress. The attack on one of India's landmarks has again given the world a chance to view the fortitude we display. And still we believe in diplomacy and peace. When a major part of the world has been taken over by the financial maelstorm, India is displaying cool confidence. It has not touched their psyche. It is business as usual. And what quick action from the powers that be, a reflection of that comforting confidence, has gone into the management of the chaos that a software behemoth found itself in. Challenges, yes. But can clouds overwhelm the sun? The rays are already piercing them.
Rays by themselves are not identified. They, together, serve to announce the arrival of their source. Need there be a reason to name the rays? The sun is arriving.
ps: Perhaps I've become a chauvinist nationalist.
No, this is not the chauvinism of a crazy nationalist. Before every rise and fall of an entity, there are changes - significant as well as those that are subtle to go unnoticed. And these will range across different spheres.
Just like insects twitter, the rooster crows and the vanishing act of the snow-on-grass before the rupture through the clouds of the reddish-orange rays of the burning sun, there are tocsins before a nation announces it's arrival on the world stage. Only this time, it's not as a republic. But as the leader who will have a dominant say in a progressively multipolar world.
Although the Indian movie industry has been spurning out the largest number of movies in the world, only recently are they being globally recognised. Despite Satyajit Ray's and Mira Nair's contributions before, it's only now Indian cinema is going places, literally. The ingredients of Slumdog Millionaire may not be completely Indian. Nevertheless, the spotlight has turned towards India's film industry. The Golden Globes and the upcoming Oscars on February 22nd are proof of a rupture.
For more than half a century, despite the raw ability and talent of a great people, India never managed to win individual gold at the Olympics. That doesn't hold anymore. For an event that's inbuilt in ethnic Chinese, badminton has a new and upcoming star from India. She has won the junior world title and is no. 10 among the best in the world. She is barely 19 years old. More promising is her dedication and diligence that sooner rather than later will place her on top of the world. And there is a lad who has just won the Australian Open. No, the men's finals are scheduled for tomorrow. But an Indian has won the boy's singles title today. Today it's the boy's title; tomorrow(in the coming years) will be the men's. Ruptures again.
We are buying global companies. Corporate India has been busy buying and digesting huge steel companies and age-old names in the automobile sector. Our strength in Information Technology has bolstered our confidence to buy established software firms to broaden our software empire across Europe. Spirited barons are buying out famed names in the alcohol business and spreading their wings across other business lines. And they are buying formula one teams and are in talks to buy English football teams.
We have touched the moon. Eventhough late it is for these brains that gave the world numbers and Chess, to touch it now, happened it has now. Sky was the limit. We have moved beyond. Consequently, we have set our sights at the sidereal elements in the limitless firmament. Ruptures galore.
The march cannot be without gripping challenges. Terrorism has always hampered progress. The attack on one of India's landmarks has again given the world a chance to view the fortitude we display. And still we believe in diplomacy and peace. When a major part of the world has been taken over by the financial maelstorm, India is displaying cool confidence. It has not touched their psyche. It is business as usual. And what quick action from the powers that be, a reflection of that comforting confidence, has gone into the management of the chaos that a software behemoth found itself in. Challenges, yes. But can clouds overwhelm the sun? The rays are already piercing them.
Rays by themselves are not identified. They, together, serve to announce the arrival of their source. Need there be a reason to name the rays? The sun is arriving.
ps: Perhaps I've become a chauvinist nationalist.
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