The Last Lap

It is the most important time of the year for me, and the most restless time too. My board exams are now due in a week and I will have finished my English paper, next week by this time. Its like you are climbing a mountain and just a few meters away from the summit. And after that- FREE!! I actually realized how less time was remaining last week when I was planning my weekly schedule. I suddenly realized that after 2 weeks, I would be giving my board exams for which I have slogged for the past one year.

As the D-Day comes closer, the mind is starting to crave for some company. These days are generally very lonely as you have to sit in one room, alone, and study. The worst part about this situation though is not studying. It is that you can't talk to anyone. As you go on getting lonely, your concentration on studies deteriorates. And no parents allow their children to talk to their friends at this time. What they don't understand is that we people are human beings too and we need company. This time of the year, we have many issues about which we cannot talk to our parents. There are various instances where we have self-doubt, cold feet ( getting afraid of something ) etc. If we tell this to our parents, most probably it will turn into a lecture and an ' I told you first only....' talk. However, that is not what we need. A friend at these times is most appreciated. Parents don't understand how much it helps when even one person comes up and says " Hey, don't worry. You will get very good marks." And in times of utter distress and self-doubt, these words work like Sanjeevani ( an ancient herb which cures everything) They give us a new found confidence, which boosts you up.

This is most probably my last post before the board exams get over. Will see you on 17th March. Wish me luck for the Board Exams.

P.S- This post was very small. However, I did not have a lot to write because my mind was pre-occupied by studies and other stuff. And I also did not have a lot of time to write. Adieus!!

My Last Day In School.......

I possibly had the saddest, most nostalgic and worst day of my life, so far, yesterday. We had our school farewell yesterday. The excitement of wearing formals, looking good, finally becoming MEN was soon worn out when it dawned to us that we will never ever be able to meet like this again, 120 students as a whole. There was no show of tears, however, in anyone's eye, but I am sure everyone was crying a river in their hearts.

The farewell was a trifle disappointing. I am not complaining but then I expected a bit more. Anyway, it was fun and I don't have any complaints. When I sat down to write a farewell speech, I realized that during some moments of your life, you just don't find the words to articulate your feelings. I really did not know where to begin. It was like there was no co-ordination between the mind and the mouth.

I was really sad that day. I realized that I would never get a chance to sit in those classrooms, writing on the desks, throwing chalks at friends, making fun of our friends, commenting on almost every thing that the teacher said, sleeping on those wooden benches etc. We would never be fortunate enough to be corrected by the teachers again and being subjected to their love again. Yes, college does offer a lot of opportunities to hang out with your friends, a lot of freedom etc. However, the mind always craves to return back to school. We humans, love attention. We like it when someone cares about us. In college, nobody gives a damn about who you are, what you do etc. In school, you get sick and at least 15 people ask you if you are well. In college, no one will be bothered. We will never have the same friends in college too. It is very rare that the friendship you have in school, lasts your life.

Life is so ironical. The first day we enter school, we cry as we don't want to leave our mother's protective shield. At that time, we are going into a new world. When we leave school, we cry again as we don't want to leave our school's protective shield. At that time too, we are entering a new world. We cry for the same things that we detest and then love.

Similarly, when we are in school, we crave to go to college, get freedom and be independent. As we go to college, we crave to earn our own money, be financially independent and stand on your own feet. As you see your children enjoying their school life, you want to go to school again. When they enjoy their college life, you want to go to college too. It is very famously said, "What goes around, comes around." It surely does. However, much you enjoy your college life, school life, be ready to be sitting in a rocking chair, as a retired person, thinking about what all I could have done in school. Because, 'Yeh Dil Maange More!'

Why These Double Standards....?

Wow! I am three blogs old now and I know pretty much what to write. This post's heading is very similar to the previous post's heading. I was wondering what to write now and some experiences transformed into observations, which troubled me again. So here is Baba Shaishavdas' newest observation.

I will not be talking about the double standards of our political parties. No no. I am a Gandhi and I fear for my life. Considering the fate of most Gandhians I would not like to say anything that would bring death to me. I am going to talk about the double standards that all human beings ( including me) have. Well, at first blush, most of you will be like " I don't have any double standards!" However, I will be a little rude and tell you that you do have double standards. I won't blame you for those double standards though, as it is present in every human being.

The first double standard all human beings have is towards the rich. The fact that people become friendlier to their rich friends is quite evident and known and I am not going to talk about that double standard. I am going to talk about the difference in our behaviour when the same thing is done by a rich man ( and by rich I mean a millionaire or billionaire) My mom's friend's husband is a multi-millionaire. Thankfully, my mom's attitude towards her rich friend has not changed. They were never best friends, had differences and still have. This man always keeps social gatherings on New Years, Holi, Navratri etc. and we are invited to his parties. It was noticed by all that he wore the same sherwani in navratri this year that he had worn last year. And people started complimenting him and saying how simple and down to earth he was. Now figure this. If a normal man, say my dad would have worn the same sherwani for two consecutive navratri's, what would be the reaction? " Doesn't this fellow have any clothes? He seems to be poor. Can't afford any clothes" The same situation, same people who commented, different people who wore the same clothes and different opinions.

The second double standard that we have is our boys overwhelming behaviour towards girls. My friend got rejected by a girl. He tried again and got rejected again. However, he was still hopeful and wanted to try it for the third time too. I was shocked. I just gave him one example. If you came to me and asked for my friendship and I said no would you come back to me. Okay, maybe he might try again. If I said no to his friendship for the second time too what would he do? He told me he would assault me. I did not mind that sentence as I had conveyed my point and he agreed too. So why do we give special treatment to girls? Just yesterday I had a mind- blowing experience that rocked me and not in a good way. My friend wanted to bring his girlfriend to dinner after our annual day. However, his girlfriend only wanted few close friends. Because of her we KICKED out 6 people so that she would be comfortable. ( It was almost like kicking them out) So off we went happily to a restaurant and we came to know that she was coming for no reason at all. I was so angry and hurt. We tried calling our REAL friends back but they wouldn't come. Of course they wouldn't. Don't they have any self-pride? So why is it that we are so partial to girls who just disintegrate our friend circle??

All the double standards that I mentioned above are present in all of us. It comes naturally to us. And even though, I am writing these observations, I, at some point too, had these double standards. Hope, I after writing and You after reading won't have these double standards.

Why This Injustice....?

Today, I am going to write on a topic that has been troubling me for a long time, the time from when I got into my teenage. I always wanted to speak to this to a wide audience. I wrote part of it in my school magazine and the other half, I am writing now. ( Talking about wide audience, I don't know how many people read my blog. However, nonetheless I will be satisfied at least.)

I want to speak today on the injustice done to boys in our society. Yes, you read it right. No its not a typing error. I am talking about the injustice done to BOYS and not girls. A precautionary note here: I am not saying that there is no injustice towards girls. There is a lot. I agree. However, I am talking about the injustice done towards all boys, which may be small in scale but has gone unnoticed.

Why is it that after 9pm in the night, only boys are told to go out and get some grocery? It was not a literal question and I know the answer myself. It is because girls venturing outside after 9pm is dangerous. They may get kidnapped etc. However, don't our parents care about us, boys? Can't we get kidnapped too? I know this injustice is quite silly. I am just pointing it out because I am too lazy to go out and get grocery. So, for my convenience I am pointing out this injustice.

Getting to serious things, I have a couple of female friends. It is the time when we fill each others' slam books. I read a couple of girls' slam book (which I was not supposed too. He he) and I found common messages such as ' Love youuuu' and 'Mwahhhhh.' (Please do notice that each ending letter of the ending word is extended. Typical girls stuff.) However, if any GUY had written the same words in another guy's slam book, what would have been the reaction? I don't think I need to explain. You all know well. He would be termed sophisticatedly 'GAY' or in gawahti language, a ' GUD .' That's not fair, right? I mean if girls can say the same things, why can't we? And it is not that girls have a right to say it from their birth. Someone must have started it. Even a guy must have started using the same phrases, but as a girl had already started using the same phrase, he would be heckled and teased till he would be frustrated of his life!!!!

Another example. That of holding hands. I pointed this put in our school magazine too. If a girl holds another girls hand, its OK. But if a guy holds another guys hands, its not. Why these double standards? I have asked some girls about this too, but the answer I get is ' It is girly stuff . Guys are not supposed to say it.' WHY?

Hey, don't get me wrong here. I don't say we want to do all those things. But the fact is that, if girls do something that boys do, then they are called ' tomboys' which is not derogatory and is cool with everyone. However, if guys start doing something that girls do, then they are heckled. I mean can't we wear pink shirts? Blue is said to be a guy colour, but girls do wear blue tops. WHY THIS INJUSTICE.....?

P.S- I know the injustice I am talking about is quite trivial. This blog is to be taken in a light-hearted manner. So if any pro-women organization reads this blog( highly unlikely) please notice that it is light hearted and does not intend any hurt to the women community.

Random thoughts....

Its the time of the year, when we students burn our midnight lamps, forcefully or voluntarily. To all those who believe that we seriously study for those 3-4 hours, I would want them to actually see us studying. Studying in the night is a very useful way of making your parents believe, that you have actually studied. The fact that no one is awake at night to see whether we are actually studying, is the biggest advantage. Our poor parents and teachers think that we study till 2 am in the night, but actually we only stay awake till 2 am. Do we ever study then at night? *Conditions Apply. If we have finished dreaming about girls, sports, TV serials and GETTING 90% MARKS, we MAY sit to study. However, it depends from student to student. Some people like me, get the inner feeling to study and we do. But the besharams are up watching TV or making khayali pulav.

All those students who did not know this technique, can use it because it is quite useful. Your parents can ask you no question about when you slept, and they can't doubt you either because you can always tell them that they themselves were not awake.

Talking about midnight, the place where I sit to study (which is contradictorily the place where I also sleep. i.e my bed) gives me a great view. I get a very rare view: that of the canopy of the trees against the black sky. It is really a rare view nowadays to look out of your window and see the sky. Nowadays, we only see other buildings when we look out of the window. It is really a great sight to look out of the window at the moon in the sky. Especially yesterday, when it was full moon day. It is also a great factor for disturbance. But then you can't concentrate fully on studies every time.

For almost a week, about 2 months ago, an owl used to sit on the tree near my window at 10pm. I and my sister used to sit regularly till the owl would not leave our building. Looking at the owl, I used to wonder, why it was considered as a bad omen. The owl is a majestic animal and was considered to be the wisest bird, mythologically. The owl is very serene and majestic. The first time I saw it, I was awe-struck by the sheer magnificence and respect that the bird commanded.