Curious Case of History

Stonehenge has remained a mystery and an enigmatic destination for years and centuries now. But it does invoke resonance and awe in the same breath.

Toppled rocks over a precarious design in different sizes placed over a tepid piece of earth – such torrid piece of landmark inviting such crazy anecdotes could only have one staggering reason. The legend of Neolithic remains that is one of it’s kind in the world, with a history of ruthless and undaunted stories can only draw such notes of torment and torrential attention.

Touted as the ‘Temple of Dead’ since it used to be burial ground, Stonehenge has history dating back to 3000 BC. It is widely believed to be a part of an ancient folklore, some beloved historians believe that Stonehenge was built by God, Demons and the Satan himself. Well, arguments are infinite but the science behind the iconic rocks also summon debate and curiosity, as it is believed that the position of the rocks was used to measure the time of sunrise using the size and altitude of the rocks.

Stonehenge was overwhelmingly stunning and epic, it is only a cluster of dead rocks for people who have poor taste, and have little sense of its diminutive incarnations.

If time permits, another visit is quite an interesting prospect.

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Wild and Close

How would you react if a tiger comes and kisses your car before meeting one of many other tigers for an afternoon cuddle?

I remember seeing them, and my 3 year old son’s epic reaction will always remain etched in my memory as the most memorable one. No, he wasn’t scared as he is too young to understand a tiger’s impact on a man’s life. But as the beast was close and missed him by a whisker, his excitement knew no bounds and the roar of his smile was more mercurial than the tiger’s. That for me, sums up the whole situation.

Well, it was a days of close ups and some of them were brilliant and intimidating. We saw monkeys, giraffe, zebra, Bactrian camels, Black Bear, Bongo, Rhino and Elephants, but up and close with the endangered species of this world was one hell of a sight. We saw the King of the Jungle, and truly, he sat like one, posing for us in the most unblemished way with a pinch of arrogance. Typical, I must say.

I had a tough time to take the best shots, and the most iconic ones are certainly hard earned.

Sea of Water

The coastal path of Wales is one of those places that doesn’t leave you even after you have left Wales, for a very long time.

We put our tents in Cardiff but it was the blue waters that stayed with us through our uninhibited and refreshing stay in the beautiful land of cliffs, wet landscapes and rocky waters. It’s always a delight to watch waters slash against the mighty rocks and yet not mellow down, thanks to its very nature to wade through sublime and regressive waters.

3 days wasn’t enough, two and a half actually. But it was a visit that we will cherish for a very very long time to come.

I shot some pictures, many to be honest and I was tired but my DSLR wasn’t. I am particularly proud of the close up shots, which talks a lot about emotions and aesthetics.

A dialogue with God

I ain’t a saint, I understand Karma but am equally susceptible to worldly pleasures and I am not ashamed to admit that I am normally sane and quite easily, overtly ambitious by average human standards.

I lost someone very close to my heart earlier this week. He was a more than a friend, a brother who did not require DNA to get us connected the way we did. And so connected we were in a way that I cannot describe in words, however eloquent they might be. It was a relationship where we cared for each other and we were equally critical of our decisions we made in our lives. But what stood out was the chemistry and the understanding we shared, we could just stop and take off again with elan. I am now poorer in this world, for I don’t have another friend like him in my life to have such torrential conversations. My loss stands undisputed, collapsed.

I now feel that someone, somewhere wasn’t very pleased with what we had between us. So disruptive has been this loss, so quantum has been the grief that I am only searching for reasons since Thursday when this colossus tragedy was conveyed to me.

I am searching for reasons, here and there. I try to divert myself to my daily chores but I am struggling to focus on whatever I do. What ridiculous reason can one give to the young wife who has just lost her husband in a matter of few minutes? How do I console parents who has have just lost their son? How can I ever provide an excuse to a father who is disastrously participating in rituals for his deceased son who had come in for a vacation to spend quality time with him?

How should I? How can I? Can you please please explain? I beg you to return him even if you have a reason which is evidently unexplainable beyond my admittedly ignorant stature.

He had dreams, he was excited to find out what life had in store for him, he has never been so happy in his life, we dreamt of a future that could change our lives. All washed away in minutes, a life well fought and well bred has come to a painful, screeching halt.

I might stop with questions, you might still return them with answers, but that is not what I want.

I want him back, please return him. Please.

Will you?

Dost, this was not the plan..

Mamu, yes we did have a lot in our agenda and for our future but this was certainly not recorded in our books. And, as I am left weeping at losing you, I cannot accept the fact that life’s gorgeously fleeting nature has robbed me of a great friend and an amazing human being.

I cried today, stopped for a while and then cried again. You going away so abruptly has startled me to the core. I have not just lost a friend, I have lost a very special relationship wherein all our banters, hours of exhilarating critic reviews for our favourite films and deciding to end our never ending calls when our wives came in to disrupt our conversation has just so suddenly disappeared in thin air. We always shared a nonchalant and open relationship, where we could play the way we wanted to. I have lost you, and I have lost someone with whom I was always purely myself. I don’t think I have another friend in my life with such unsurpassable bonding, and if I could, I will ask you to please come back, we have unfinished business to take care of.

It’s a much greater loss to your family, but I have no courage to console them as I am too inconsolable at the moment to provide them with a ray of hope that they need at this hour of tragedy.

Vijay Iyer – At the moment, I feel so down and depressed in life, that it looks like the end. But our relationship has been so much about positiveness and energy that inspires me to believe that there is a reason for this enormous loss. Hence, I will smile again, I will miss you but still talk to you. For old times sake. 😢😢

Stunner of a Sunday

If it was raining glorious passing shots and some brilliant baseline tennis in one corner, the other corner at home celebrated Cricket’s brand new World Champion. And, a cracker of a contest it was!

The Wimbledon final was expectedly a long one as I could not expect anything less from the 2 top players battling it out for the ultimate prize. With 38 Grand Slams between both of them, this could only be as epic as it gets. And, I don’t think I was disappointed. Another iconic Wimbledon final with a 5 set thriller, it all boiled down to energy and perseverance. Federer was sheer class, Djokovic was rock solid. It’s a shame we had to choose one winner, but Djokovic finally prevailed over the 8 time champion. Aptly, only he could have stopped the legend from claiming his ninth, and his fifth could not have come in a better time and place.Apparently, I was focusing on the Wimbledon final today. My attention was diverted when England were 86/4 and I could sense that another thriller was in the offing. And, no surprises met me this time. A World Cup final going in to a Super over has not happened ever before, and this one took the nerves to the wire. I almost felt it was going to be New Zealand, but England’s persistence won hearts and the cup. The over throw that yielded 4 runs in the final over was a painful turning point for the Kiwis and some dazzling scenes in Lords and Trafalgar Square meant that England just seized their first ever World Cup Glory.Over to 2023.

When emotions win.

How much ever we try to elude the inevitable question, an India – Pakistan Cricket Match isn’t a Cricket match any more, it never was. More significantly, it’s even more illogically placed if it is a Cricket World Cup. And, that’s exactly what unfolded today. Our emotions were more pertinent than the significance of a World Cup match, though you will see diplomacy and kind words doing the rounds when men are talking in front of the cameras. But we know, what’s going on inside.

Both nations have seen turbulence together, our hatred for each other is born out of sheer legacy of discard, gore and admonished fervour. Both nations also have a strong history in Sporting events like Hockey and Cricket. But with time and tide, Cricket has gone to another level, not particularly in the ascending curve. Most of our dispensed feelings is attributed to devious political minds and a self destructive plague of concurrent events. But, the those feeling are mutual. For sure, it looms large over the prospects of such glorious events like Cricket World Cup.

We don’t want to play them but we can’t escape playing them in big ICC events due to the massive logistics involved. Big Money, Marketing, Sponsorships and Betting flies high in such encounters, it makes things more obvious that India holds centre stage today in World Cricket and has to abide but cannot be dismissive of their opinion which oscillates between Patriotism and Realism.

Today’s victory was clinical, no doubt, but it was another prominent reminder to Pakistan that India have kept their winning streak in World Cup intact. And, the battle will always continue offline, off the ground and off the limits.

London, again.

This is my nth time in London. We visit London very often, reasons are plenty. Friends, and I think we really love London. At times, I find London overrated, sometimes so vibrant and exuding energy all the time, with all the people around. I guess, I do love London. Sorry, said that twice now. But, it’s just that I am so copiously surprised with myself that despite so many encounters with London, the city keeps calling us. Perhaps, for a reason but I don’t know yet.

Lunch with friends, a visit to Kensington Gardens with my family and some delightful stories across North Greenwich.

Done and dusted, this time around.

No Blood, Just Death

Not often do I see crime and gangster dramas without a blood splattering show. ‘Siberia’ was one such example. Less (in fact, none at all) blood, fewer dialogues, some steam to get you hot and an insanely predictable end. Love lost, cause lost, not sure why it all started in the first place.

Gosh, I have seen Keanu Reeves in a better shape and in a much better house as an actor. Sadly, he is approaching nadir in this so-called thriller.

Deceptive Vengeance

It’s not inspired, it’s purely taken from ‘The Invisible Guest’. Yet, watch Badla for one man’s tormenting eyes which describes a hundred tales – Mr Badal Gupta.

I call it, ‘Vengeance with Venom’

Irish Waters

Quite a trip it was!

Such a picturesque land of navigating waters, waves slashing against rocks invincible and the cordoned beauty of the suburban lands! Well, we never wanted to come back but civilisation has its own perils and we are bound by its torrid tentacles.

A quick round up of what unfolded in 3 days and how astounding our lives looked till we took the road back to insanity.

Day 1 – The Beginning of Boundaries

It all started in Belfast, the city so gorgeously appearing to enjoy the bliss of its eloquence.

Day 2 – Game of Thrones Tour with Giant’s Causeway

What can I say about this ethereal day! Words are not enough but the scenes are just floating around my eyes. Rest, I will let divinity do the talking.

Day 3 – Birth of Tragedy

Belfast is home to the most iconic masterpiece that never lived – ‘Titanic’. It was built and designed in Belfast, but the ‘unsinkable’ could only replicate its stature in the history books. The story of its making and its inevitable demise is equally riveting and colossal. And after lunch, we drive through Belfast by-lanes, watch the sunset by the harbour, few more shots with my wife and son before deciding to call it a day.

Stay in Marriott

Ravishing, as usual. Food was, uh, tad disappointing but Uber Eats compensated for the otherwise comfortable and contagious stay.

Human Sans Logic

If man has to choose between money and man, he will go straight for money. In a world of such perennial aura and superlative torrents, ‘Triple Frontier’ offers solace. But I am quite deterred by the aftermath depicted.

How on earth do you manage to infiltrate in to the den of a most wanted Narco terrorist with a bunch of extremely self motivated ex army men equipped with state-of-the-art logistics and no one blinks an eye? Worse, the narco terrorist whose forest wrenched mansion was just ambushed, doesn’t care to retaliate and they are left alone to happily walk away with all the booty?!

The plot here hangs in an unknown frontier, this time.