In Honour Of All Women!

I am a man and I respect women. All of them - right from who you spitefully call a prostitute to the one who is praised as an angel. Yes, I respect them. Friend or not so friendly - I respect them. Moody or free and jovial - I respect them. Quiet or talkative - I respect them. Attractive or not attractive - I respect them. I have never been into a love affair with anyone all my life. But that has never stopped me from quietly observing them and taking note of the beauty that emerges out of the complexity of their nature. They are exquisitely beautiful - everyone of them.

Some lose their temper fast, some have a bad ego, some appear cranky at some point, some are overly sophisticated, some don't like men at all and some think they are always right. So what? Let them be. Aren't outbursts quite natural even with you? I have always believed that there are reasons behind how one reacts, even though the way they react may not appear to be so nice. Because you would be astounded yourself to find that deep down - they could all be so loving and kind. If you still allow yourself to be carried away by a few bad encounters you might have had in the past and continue treating all women like scum, there cannot be a man as wretched as you. Truly, you have to open your eyes to see the many that are always smiling, the ones that are serene and believe in peace and the quiet, the genuine lot that are sincere with their words and would do anything for love, the pure-hearted that are incapable of duality and masking their intentions, the kind ones that are quick at lending a helping hand and those that are faithful.

The bias that clouds our judgments needs to disappear; or we would only complain and frown all the time. Few idiots get into relationships with a set intention to say goodbye after they lose taste. There are some who call off weddings in the last minute (citing silly reasons that do not even remotely relate to adultery) and live their shameless lives as though nothing ever happened. There are also a vulgar few who get married and then look out for other flesh. I sincerely hope they make a law to emasculate such men in the public. 

A real incident. The story of a very kind woman who was married for over 25 years. The husband called off the marriage - because, at fifty, he gave in to lust and wanted young flesh. After the divorce notice was sent, word spread and everyone around got to know. They were all very supportive of her. Her brothers took her to their place. They made plans. Plans to kill the rascal who ditched the wife of his youth. But oh dear, you should have seen the way she screamed at them with tears flooding down her cheek. 'Don't you dare even think of doing such heinous nonsense, he is my husband!' were the words - stressing on the 'MY'. I was there. Shocked. To say such things even after being cheated and left stranded alone - could by all means be only one thing. Divine. My eyes almost watered listening to those words. She still lives with a hope that her husband would one day change and return to her.

To truly understand the heart of a woman, you should talk to your mother. I sincerely wish every man be taught to cultivate the habit of being kind to all women. Kind to them, irrespective of whatever lifestyle they might lead. They deserve respect. Sincere respect. For just being who they are. For just being. WOMEN.

Decadence!

The most cruel of all despotisms rests in the oscillating state of our mind between what we believe to be good and bad. For our mind can inflict such nasty duress if we are caught at fault by our own measure of morality. Some have become total lunatics walking nude on the roads as madmen and some have ended their lives committing suicide - not been able to overcome the pressure.

While there is a general belief that morality is a totally relative measure, there ought to be a basic objective sense to it. For I am a firm believer of the beautiful blend that subjectivity and objectivity can generate. Such a thing is necessary for the world to truly progress. For - if there is no practical referendum, we would run into unwanted issues. Because the offenders would easily find an escape by presenting their suggestively bohemian tendencies - as their sweet intellectual excuse.

You would be baffled to listen to few of the stories that float in the city because of the yo-yo IT lifestyle. Hear it firsthand, it would be even more disconcerting. Debauchery is on the rise. The orgies of the mind tarnish the purity of thought. People are willing to experiment before any serious commitment and there are provisions to try out what is fantasized in the private. The moral decay has reached a point where we have learnt to say chills and okays to detestable acts of uncontrolled passion. May be we have gotten used to so much perversion that our minds have struck a sorry compromise - only to enable more decay.

Whatever be it, surprisingly goodness has still not reached its expiry. I was really ecstatic knowing how Mr.Satyarthi made us all proud last week. Trust me, there are so many nice people living their silent and modest lives - adding beauty to this world. We see simple deeds of kindness bringing smiles to the hearts of many. There is a group in Bangalore - that works to rescue girls taken into flesh trade. You should listen to the brave stories of those young girls and the way they were rescued. I know of a man who shared a note with me which reads as follows.

Dear Men.
Every woman deserves to be loved, not to be lusted after. Love doesn't mean that you need to straightaway try getting into relationships with every woman you see and that, it should end in biting each others lips and dirtying your bed. Do not add blemish to the repute of the real men the world still houses. There ought to be a basic sense of respect we need to show towards all women. Talk, do not flirt. Joke, do not hurt. Compliment, do not fantasize. Correct, do not judge. Help, do not make them indulge later. Be considerate. Be good. Be a man. Not just to those you know. But to everyone.

Dear Women.

Think not - that every man is after your private parts. That wearing skimpy dresses would impress all men - more than sexually. But be sure that almost all men would fail the test of bed. So, be mindful of your steps. If there be an ugly past, do not allow yourself to be taunted by it. Let not your initial defloration provoke you to more promiscuity. Forgive yourself. Do not repeat the mistakes of your past. Be wise. Be happy.

They say, compassion is the basis of morality. So, let us love. Let us not dwell in the past and accuse, but forgive. Comfort. Console. Spread smiles. Feed the hungry. Light lives. Accept everyone into our fold with open arms. How else could we wage war against decadence which needs to be defeated and burnt to ashes! Let us fight. Fight, till we die that valiant death.

All The Small Thrills!

I am a peaceful person but that does not discount troubles in life. Last week, I was threatened by a man who claimed to have been to jail five times. One thing led to the other; and another; and finally I was caught in a situation where I was alone with him and his associate for a good four hours in the dead of the night. I asked him why he had been jailed five times. All the reasons he gave me were political in nature. He had not killed anyone or bombed a building or molested a child or raped a girl. But he derived his happiness from the fact that he had just led the life of a prisoner once upon a time. Basically he thought, that could scare everyone and that - that gave him a revered image in the society. While I shall restrain from disclosing what led me to these people and the rest of the story, I have to tell you that we departed on a good note exchanging smiles and hand-shakes.

Speaking of hand-shakes, I remember a weird incident during one of my bus travels from Palaghat to Coimbatore few years back. There was this gentleman seated next to me. He seemed to be a well-mannered person, spoke impeccable English and started the conversation with a good hand-shake. I had thick beard then - with the usual villainous grin. He said that he was a weapon dealer and asked me if I wanted weapons. I instantly knew that he mistook me for someone else, but I continued talking. We discussed about all the latest bombs and guns available locally. Not to make him feel bad - I asked for his number, told him that I would give him a call if I find need and got down at the Ukkadam bus stand.

Ukkadam bus stand. Sparks in me a different memory altogether. My brother's new bike was stolen by a rival gang. We were searching the bike in every nook and corner of the city. Next to Ukkadam, there was a place where stolen bikes were dismantled and the parts sold at a very cheap rate. The place - as expected - was very spooky, with all the ill-mannered people there. I picked up a very bad fight with those men and got thoroughly beaten up. That was when I realised - the shaktimaans and the superheroes were only TV characters.

Getting beaten up. It surely teaches you more than a few fighting lessons you pick from such experiences. It definitely smoothens your social behavior. Helps you keep your calm and know when to time your rage so the opponent is totally decimated. I was beaten up two other times by the RSS men, received serious threat calls thrice; and there was a group that sought to kill me with knives and I made a miraculous escape. I prefer to keep the reasons behind these - forever in the dark.

The dark. It was one in the night. We were walking. My friend and I. We heard a woman's cry and proceeded in that direction. Saw a drunken man mercilessly beating the woman and her small kid. We looked at each other and plunged into action. Beat that guy properly till he fell on the ground and could not get up. The woman was crying even more loud. She spoke in Kannada. Said - the man was her husband.

Husbands and wives. Have you ever seen wives pumping up their husbands and instigating them for a fight? This happened in Madiwala over a silly vehicle parking squabble. Close to ten men from their houses in the street came out - with their women howling at us asking their men to beat us. Just four of us. After a few punches and kicks, we somehow made peace and left for Nandi Hills.

I can go on and on. But before I start boring you, I shall stop here. You might laugh at these or you might feel what stupid of a guy I really am. Or you could have faced fascinatingly better thrilling situations. However be it, these things help us understand and appreciate our world better. Though you might choose to disagree with me because you feel that there is some degree of danger associated with each of such incidents, these - I feel - are absolutely necessary to make the person who we really are and to truly acknowledge that the world we live in - is perfectly lovely and amazing!

Why is the world round?

I am generally not a bull-shitter. But this time - absolutely could not help it. Had to write this. Because all my prayers to fall asleep at least before three in the night are never heard almost every single day round the year. So I thought. The rascal in me set the neurons in my silly brain into that stormy rebellious motion. A simple rage. An easy question. Why is the world round? 

But no answer. Well, certain things have no answer is what we have been told. Or so we were made to believe - right from when we were kids. The beginning of each of our times. Would that stop us from thinking the things that we, by societal dictum, are banned from thinking? Nay, a hell capital NO is the word. The right word. So, back to the question. Why is this world round?

This had not stricken me as hard as this. I know what you're thinking. No, you don't have to stress your mind in that wrong judgmental angle. Oh yes, I perfectly understand. Your next question is - Dude, what happened to you and what is wrong with you? I can sniff that dirty trail of your thoughts. But no dear, I don't drink or smoke or do drugs. Girl(s)? No time for that! Oh, guys then? No thanks, I am straight. Sincerely straight. Oh got it. Are you in love? Well, who in this big round world is not? May be there lies the answer. But dear, infesting your thoughts with love - to find an answer to a pressing scientific question - is definitely not the right move. It would only lead to much confusion. Tell me - why is the world round?

Now the converse view. Had the world been flat, would it have created the scenic beauty and the evergreen imagery that we romantically call - nature - for our hearts to joyously revel in? The mountains, the rivers, the dry land, the forests, wild life and the oceans duly reveal that there is no fun in the world being just flat. But why? Is flat the correct opposite of round? - that the connections we make here and the reasons we build - suffice to quench the question that burns my sleep away. Why really is this world round?