Unadulterated Love

It was just another day in June. But the heat was not showing any signs of abatement. Dressed casually in a comfortable t shirt and a pair of jeans that badly needed washing, a pair of running shoes that had seen better days and a completely worn out Ferrari cap, Nimesh looked nothing more pompous than the boy next door.

The traffic was not improving things either. He braked, accelerated, braked again, changed lanes only to find the one he left to be less congested. After driving at snail's pace for what seemed like eons, the signal came. He adjusted the cap on his head as if pulling it further down his forehead would shield him from the blazing sun. Popping his knuckles, he gave a furtive glance at the rear view mirror.

Niranjana was a girl who didn't know much about the outside world. Her world comprised only of Nimesh and sitting on the pillion behind him today, made her feel as if there was nothing more she could want from life. She just wished, he would keep going and the ride never stop. She didn't care about the sun that was tanning her fair unblemished skin. She didn't care about the traffic, the end of which would in result her early separation from him. He was her guardian angel and she wanted him to be around forever.

The signal blinked to green, and Nimesh sped towards their destination for the day. Exactly 3 minutes later, he parked his bike in front of the building and she gingerly disembarked from the pillion. With tears brimming in her eyes, he half-carried her till the gate and saw his baby sister walk in to her first primary school. Now he had to go and hunt for a present to give her later in the evening when his arm would be wound with the sacred thread of Rakhi. He was a proud brother !

The Terminal man

The time had arrived. She was there too among the huge gathering of people. The friends surrounding him were more in number than his family for he was a popular & lovable person amongst them. But for her, he meant something more than that. Everybody knew who she was, but not as much as he did. They had been together only for a month, but still it seemed as if they had spent their entire life together. But all that was insignificant now. What was more important was that, he was leaving her, why only her, he was leaving a whole bunch of his loved ones.

There were tears welling up in her eyes, but then he didn't want to see tears, not now. Mustering up the last of the resolute courage that was left within her, she put up a good battle against her own self. But then his eyes kept going back to her. She simply wanted to hug him tight and say that she would always be there for him. No! She couldn't do that. She got her answer from him soon. A smile and a bat of the eyelid, that said things more than words could have explained. That was all that he could manage and that was all she needed.

The moment had passed, the time had finally arrived........ the electronic voice on the loudspeaker cried out loud .....

"All the passengers to the flight Luftansa 330 are requested to proceed to the security check"

Final handshakes, hi-fives, pats on the back, hugs and soppy teary kisses and a final look at his sweetheart, he pushed his trolley and moved towards his new destination. A place totally new to him, a place void of his family, friends and of course his lovely sweetheart. Last minute handshakes were exchanged and she kept looking till he reached the point of no visibility.

Some wise soul once said - Time, tide and flights wait for none. How true !!

Unsung Glories...

six year old kid janani walked into her contemporary duplex house with a beatific smile on her face. The reason for the big grin was clenched tightly in her little fist. A cup testifying her first place in the singing competition held in her school. She walked in screaming- "Amma, ammaaaa, where are you?" Probably amma hadn't returned from office yet. She ran to the telephone and dialed the ten digit cell phone number. "The personyou are trying to call is currently not reachable" repeatedly uttered the electronic voice. Janani called up her father's office next - "Daddy, I won the first prize today" she exclaimed excitedly

"That's good darling, now I'm a little busy, we'll talk later baby"

She hung up with a long sigh took the cup upstairs to her disabled grandmother's room. Nandana never liked the room. It smelt of dettol and had the most dull and vapid interiors unlike the rest of the house.

But the moment Nandana walked in, her grandmother stretched her arms out and said - " I knew you'd win Nandu, I'm so proud of you my angel ! Will you sing once again for your grandmother?"

And the smile that was swept off from Nandana's face a few minutes back, lit up the entire room as she sang for her grandmother.

The Threesome - A love story frozen in time.....

A photo Taken by the legendary Henri Cartier Bresson, this photograph of Mountbatten, Nehru and Edwina - a personal favourite - has been all over of late.

It has been pulled out to accompany reports on Pamela Mountbatten's (Mountbattens' daughter) book published recently `India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During The Transfer of Power.'

Who cares whether Nehru and Edwina's love was platonic or otherwise. How does it really matter to anyone beyond these three people frozen in time. What matters is when you see a man wear just the expression Nehru's wearing - the jester, desperate to catch the woman's eye, trying to impress her, waiting for validation - you will know a man loves a woman.





It was even being said that the knowledge of the more-than-close relationship between Lady Mountbatten and Nehru was in the public domain even in those days and is well documented. It was obvious that Lord Mountbatten was in a position to influence Nehru through his wife. Lady Pamela’s disclosure, therefore, only confirms what many believe. Sardar Patel tried his best to stop Nehru from referring the Kashmir issue to the U.N. but could not do so.


dont forget to read more on the topic published in the frontline.

About Love

by Swami Vivekananda

I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me. Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this:"You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love.

"This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds.This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you.

For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature.
If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings.
Give and don't expect.
Advise, but don't order.
Ask, but never demand.

It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an unconditional caring."

Passing thought... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away.....

Life is beautiful!!! Live it !!!