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.

Bazaar – Bizarre Market

Certainly not ‘Wolf of Wall Street’, but tries to come close. Share market, ‘Bullish’ vibes, the inevitable passion to brutally excel in what you play for and deny the eventual – these are traits for the ones who dare to enter this playground with balls aplenty.

‘Bazaar’ falters in the last 30 minutes or so, but still remains watchable till the penultimate frame. It brings back Saif Ali Khan to do what he does best – remain subtle, hold on to his natural histrionics and act. Which he does impressively, and it solely remains to be his film. I seriously think he should stop doing those baseless Rom-Coms, which looks so jaded and irrelevant to our times. He has much more left in him as long as we have scripts with meat.

Watch it for Saif, his plot and others.

Blackmail – Vengeance is Inside

When does a person blackmail another person?

When he realises that he is being screwed upright behind his back and still expected to believe that things are hunky dory between the mundane episodes of life.

Well, that’s exactly the plot here. What you are bracing for is an entertaining series of encounters and the fetish yet evil face of human adversity. One follows another, a vicious circle develops and ends up destroying each of their lives. Well, you can argue if they ever had one.

A Seer’s Rage – Episode 2

Madhu grew up in a land of priests and religious fanaticism. Not surprisingly, his thought process was quite inclined towards his Father’s during his younger days. But as days went by and he grew older, time and education taught him a wider aspect of his faltering childhood.

Close to his mother but in awe of his father. Madhu’s situation was quite disturbing and precarious. But he was a kind, noble and compassionate person. Perhaps, his roots have him given him the foundation he needed.

Madhu does see himself as the son of the Patriarch but doesn’t essentially see him in his Father’s shoes. In fact, Literature fascinates Madhu ever since his school days and now as he confronts his end-of-school days, he is quite convinced not to pursue his Father’s legacy against his unsurpassable wish to get his degree in Literature.

Madhu’s inclination towards Literature comes from his Mother. A school teacher in Banaras Christian Community School before she got married, Madhu’s mother was also adept in writing short stories for few small publications in the town. Yes, she quit long back but Madhu has inherited his mother’s talent.

He plans to inform his father about his plans though he is equally crumbled under fear to talk about his proposition with his Father. On the other hand, his mother is on his side and encourages him to do what he wants.