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Faith’s Gift by Shakti Shetty

2007-11-19T06:32:00.001-08:00

Faith’s Gift

Those were happy days. Miraculously happy. Undoubtedly the best of her time. Ruchi cried, thinking about his cute little dark eyes, toothless grin, undulated hair, and flowery skin….all came gushing back to her vision like montage of last seen movie. She and her hubby, Rohit were getting more than they bargained for. Rohit was working as a programmer and managed quite a luxurious life for his family. The only reason to complain was the silence that ensued in their house after marriage. This unneeded serenity was expected to be replaced by yelling and so of a bright little child. But blessings were inadequate in this case. Their was an nine years long marriage without an offspring. Their inability to bear was gradually drying the juice of their oneness.

To overcome the hollowness of those barren days, Ruchi got intensely involved in teaching. She was considered elite among colleagues and student, as well, for her unique way of dealing with kids. Her persona was more so of a mother than a teacher. Anyhow the catharsis paid off well. Nonetheless, being amid children alleviated her conjugal concern to a reasonable height. Rohit was disappointed at his fate but never let his other half shoulder all the blame. They stood brave in thick and thin, much akin to their college days. They both tried to subdue this helplessness by incessant prayers and tied themselves to their respective profession for mental de-stress.

But, at last, light blossomed; their patience getting well rewarded. Out of the blue, news of her pregnancy echoed in their home and friends, relatives started hopping in & out, adding to prevailing exhilaration! All were simply more than just happy. But Ruchi’s feeling was untouchable; she couldn’t have prayed for more. Her blushing face was visibly adored by her pupils. She visited school for the first five months of pregnancy, and then took to home, on persuasion by mom-in-law. Almost her entire day was spend on reverie of a life glowing inside her and planning minutely how she’ll let the baby enjoy all the possible best. Rohit too, started coming home early, apparently, to feel this truth that was too real to be true! Then, one night, baby took road to life and only the two of them can know what it meant to their existence. It was a baby boy with an aura that dispersed faith; faith in God, faith in prayer. The long bereavement didn’t meant a bit for this overwhelmed couple at that time. Everything was getting back to light and colour.

The child was named ‘Ankur’- a tribute to life. Ruchi stayed home to take care of her cherubic gift. Ankur was born healthy, cheerful and amazingly agile. Rohit and Ruchi can hardly think of anything else other than their ‘little bundle of joy’. This brouhaha wasn’t to end at all. The child showed early sign of progress and never failed to amuse visitors with his mischievous yet beautiful commotion. The ‘pilgrims’ kept on visiting to witness this ‘miracle’! Rohit and Ruchi were by then planning Ankur’s birthday celebration, albeit that red-letter day yet had more than a month to arrive! May be someone had some different plans and Ankur, just a month shy of turning one, took ill. Doctors dismissed it as nothing serious but common fever. But the fever was in no hurry to leave the baby’s supple body. Then the unthinkable took place, around three in the morning, at the very same time he took birth, he left, silent.

Rohit and Ruchi were shaken to core. They couldn’t believe this cameo of reality has taken halt. Their faith in themselves was dwindling like never before. She couldn’t come in terms with this harsh breach of love, endowment and above all, faith. Rohit tried his best to spine his wife but everything seemed futile. She was way below abyss of distress. Her dolorous memory kept on racing back to those moments of relief when that first watery glimpse of her dream fulfilled. She couldn’t believe her destiny and was remorsing for those thousands of bedtime stories she couldn’t render to her child and lullabies, unsung. She was shattered to slivers of unknown anxiety. Rohit, on the other hand, was trying to be stoic by reminiscing the days they argued over names for their child. But the home, which was cheering the walls with noise, was drop dead calm. The ambience has given path to sardonic milieu and Rohit knew well what this might eventually lead to. Ruchi’s face, as if due to some curse, showed no sign of salubrity.

Rohit was relentlessly getting disturbed not only by mundane truth but also by Ruchi’s never-seen-before paranoia. Rohit was as gentle as he could to handle situations that were mortally murky in nature. But his tethered patience took new form and did some good. He snapped her with stern yet soothing words, ``what do you want me to do? Cry all day and see you break down like this? You want these moments to decay us? Why don’t you realize Ankur is not dead? He’s alive in us. He was Almighty’s answer to our prayer; he came to make us realize parenthood... Do you think he’ll be happy seeing us this way?”

Ruchi was wordless and could sense comfort in her husband’s eyes and all she could do was get into his strong arms, dehiscing out that last cry of lifelessness.

My philosophy about Life

2007-11-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

My philosophy about Life

First of all, I instinctively believe that life must not be treated in its abstract form. Victory, ambition, dream, dedication are attached, no doubt, but the very essence of life is far too elite…to be expressed. In everyday life, I’ve seen a lot of ups & downs but one thing strikes me through is the way ‘my life’ & ‘I’ is connected. I often wonder what would have been my life was I born some famous personality or so-called stars. But then this is what life is all about! To me, it seems like I was supposed to be a bird but ended up a human. Because I often understand the dissimilarity between me and my other friends who simply don’t take risk. I’m not saying that life is meant to be tested or breath held longer to prove might. All I’m trying to purport is that we are unheedingly sublime as we tend to be since we are socially answerable to the society we are in. But life could be too short to hold back on our dreams or to choke our urge to express our creativity. These all factors shape our life as we understand every single day of our life that we are here to learn, not to prophesize any event, as we often tend to do.

I am hardly religious and don’t observe fast and other religious obligation. Neither d i stoop to orthodox rituals that don’t stand the test of time. To me, God is within me and I’m trying to find him outside of me so that I can show myself how my creator looks like. That’s my thought on religion and more importantly on God. Friendship, honesty, courage, modesty are something we learn in moral science and of course, within the walls of our home. But to apply these unwritten codes in pragmatic life is assuredly a chore to do. Being human we calculate our risks and needs evenly; in this line we lose a lot of colour. We are abruptly selfish and terminally hypocritical, despite the fact that we are ruling the animal kingdom. And we don’t need to worry of any species taking over us. Yet we are insecure and are fighting among ourselves and all this either in the name of an innocent lord or violent means. I truly believe that our life is bounded to each other in some way and if we don’t feel that hunch of being connected then we are pathetically growing isolated. My grandmother often used to render stories about battle between good and evil in which evil is always subdued. But my grandma wasn’t aware of the fact that in today’s world these stories mean zilch. Even our schools are tired of these clichéd tales and our kids have grown too big to imbibe these elements.

Eventually, all our actions results in something which could be good or bad or stupid. But seriously who cares? Your parents? Your teachers? To me, it seems that results are fabricated and lose their mettle once the purpose is served. We all are fallacious. We all are fatal. We all are idiotic. So what? Accept it and move. That sounds easy. But trust me. That is the toughest part. To accept the way things are! Some put on their best face and smirk through to get their mean. Some cry foul to achieve what they intended and some simply write poems! Whatever the reasons are, I know for sure that even my life is deserted and hopeless. All parents want their offspring to be self dependent, like any other animal. But we tend to take a lot of time to stand on our own risk. Naturally, we lose a lot of life in it.

Listening to good music is leisure, watching inspiring movies with hard-slap dialogues isn’t going to help our case because little or more everything remains the same.

Today, we as a human race are missing the very fire that ignited renaissance or revolution. We are suppressing our thoughts, lest we may be mocked for our travesty. God forbid, someday we may realize that the kids who were left stranded on the last benches might have us saved or our society or contained aggression. These are just thoughts by which we can debate with whats going on. Since long time, we have turned robotic & worldly affairs are depriving us of our daily leisure. We have stopped living, I guess. Life with all its ingredients including good, bad, ugly and best can deliver back. Of course work is worship and without hard work, we can’t move a inch but at what cost are we providing ourselves these perks of mundane beauty?.......maybe we are paying exorbitantly! We all are different and that’s a good thing because being similar can be monotonous. But we don’t define ourselves by what food we eat, or clothes we wear or beliefs we follow. We just don’t know for real what future holds for us and whether our incumbent action shows any fruit, at all.

I might be too young to comment on issues such as life & death but from whatever books that I’ve reads, movies that I’ve seen and stories that I’ve heard-one thing is for sure, nothing is predictable. We can die any moment and that’s what intrigues me to test myself to the farthest extent. We can’t treat life like a gift because gifts are always smothered and rendered useless. I don’t wish to spoil my life by being corny & afraid. To me, fear is essential until it serves it purpose that is helping us learn. If it is not doing that, then fear is a hindrance, the sooner eliminated, sooner and the good! Sports and school exams teach us that failure is inexcusable but they fail to teach that success is just another side for failure-because a person is winning because someone is out there performing the role of a loser. That is what life duly is! Success can be someone’s curse while perseverance may be someone else’s bliss. We are performers here and we can’t encompass life in its upright form. It is way beyond us. All we can do is stay clear of its tricks and use our brain cells to cope with hurdles. We can be smart or we can dumb but what matters is we realize what we are before its too late. Some people die not knowing the fact that they were utmost gifted because they never realized it themselves and so no one else acknowledged it either. That’s unchecked tragedy. Some people go kill someone because anger overcomes their cloud of sanity. And some cheat and some embezzle even the strongest of walls. Most of these kinds end up in jail. Some forget how they once were outside those stinking wall while some just can’t give up on their hope. But darkness hardly leaves these unfortunate souls alone. What is the whole point behind standing and kneeling and standing and kneeling before a statue or edifice when we can’t figure out ourselves? We don’t find it cool enough to discuss AIDS, drugs, orthodoxy and other trivial concerns. Because we all know that somewhere within us we are contributing to this bane and we are afraid that we may get caught. Life is this and life is that but what is life if we don’t travel and see for ourselves how the sun looks like on the other side or how the leaves fall. These idyllic truths won’t salvage us. But still without love and calm we can’t go long enough to see things and its beauty. We may too end up like vegetables. For me, this is my chance either I get to do it or never again. Its my choice and I must not regret spilled milk!ive got only only onr query abnd that is

These statements are naïve in sense but this is what I feel about life. Like I’ve said earlier life can’t be abstract except in poems or on canvas. There are some folks out there who cry on getting their umbrella wet. They will never learn. Life can’t be dealt with words that soothe but with activities that help us go on and on, tirelessly.

-By Shakti Shetty

Poems From Shakti Shetty

2007-11-19T05:51:00.000-08:00

Birthday Thanks

Some days are long, some go too short,
but in between, a few, keeps the rest apart
very unique, serene and subtle,
These days stands tall on our year' crown
when our friends are born
may be, this day took quite a long ago
lost in the mist of history, left nowhere to go
when the Great Hands thought for a change
this friend of mine happened on such a day

she might have been angelic then
but she hasn't been any less graceful hence
life has its corner, its no empty circle
things take place in a spate of chance
world and its rules leave no time to see,
the beauty behind our birth, its endless mysteries

we are dragged on and we move too fast
having no question to ponder or ask,
we earn a few friends that stand along
some due clouded in mundane stroll
This day is too short to celebrate this gift
every moment's indebts to that heavenly deal
when he thought it right to twist in trends
and let you end up as my lovely friend!

Drunks Don

Drunks don’t go that far
They can’t move their dreams
They won’t die the day as well
For they wish to stay, not leave
Their friends are ever awake
The glasses, shades and drinkDrunks don’t go that far
They can’t move their dreams
They won’t die the day as well
For they wish to stay, not leave
Their friends are ever awake
The glasses, shades and drink.

Ending Steps

This skin will nest maggots on end
No sign of me stays through long
My breath won’t kick dust, no more
Within it will move death inward?
Who was I ever to smell soil?
Besides the token name I’ve got
Few drops of cry won’t last
And some words of tales, lost
Under this cloud I had moved by
Sucked in air and warmth of light
Seen some dreams in dark night
Loved some, hated few all in life
May I’ll never return back in sight
May I’ll never see my face
May this stays the longest time
I’ve ever thought I could make!

This is the poem…I mean doggerel… I was talking about…….get ready for “rhetorical suicide”!!!

Forgotten Days

‘Some days are meant to fade away
some roads we leave and move ahead’
these words were who consoled me then
can’t say the same right now again!
I do feel good to breath this life,
life that could’ve never touched my sight
but that smile do occurs at night
and that face which can’t lie
flooding my thoughts,
belying my convictions,
stabbing my freedom,
freedom to think the way I like!

Many eyes confronts and moves aside
but that smile stay on, alone
as if to provoke my careless state
and question me for my loneliness
innocence pervades bellicose debate
debate which wins down her gaze
can’t say how much I miss those days
better off like the man they dreamt,
albeit I can’t deny my dismal way
still that ‘sparkle niche’ brings disdain!
my head shuns onto higher aim,
aim to curb this baloney instead!

Still awake???

Frienships Day

No days can match my days with you
filled my life with words and hue
you my friend, you know me good
may not remember the days we ruled
but I do, the moments had sped
we grew up tied up like fools!
had our times in bad and hope
you were there, as it always showed
a friend like you, needed, more than food
though my life has changed much

yet not seen anyone closer than you
your place is in my heart’s door
day to celebrate may come and go
but our friendship won’t escape this truth
we are and we will be as we should
held by breath and goodwill could,
never leave our touch for eternal world!

This piece segued into paper during my 1^st semester ………..was written for Afghani people after reading an article in NGC

Mistaken

The sound that grumbles in my ear
are not the voice of song or odes
It is the deep pain of those in fear
out of their home and onto street
No one knows the grave reason
for this disruption and this commotion
yet going through this season
deepened in sanguine ocean…dead
permeated smell of blood on floor

someone, anyone, lets get forward
try out something, anything new
ask the killers to stop their bullets
“let my people on land live!”
the surly fever wraparound me
I hold a pen in my weak fingers
covered in shivers of shrouded cry
asking for kindness to smile.

Mute Lane

I’ve seen some places
where hopes are sold
some tears are bargained
and smiles are stored
where dreams are built
and weighed up on scale.
Aims are lowered, prayers are failed
these places are in darkness too
like heart do
with nothing left to prove
motioned nowhere
not known where to leave
too scared to ask, downed;
peaceful days are all left back

once you pass this lane
call it a curse or bliss, unchained
you’ll never find yourself sane
these words are just a drop
of endless stories untold
I’ve seen some places
where dreams are sold.

Life vs Death

SOME CHOOSE DEATH AND SOME CHOOSE LIFE
AND SOME GET TRAPPED IN THE GAP WITHIN
NONE WANTS TO DIE, FOR THE LOVE OF LIFE
ALL WISH TO SURVIVE AND SEE ALL SIDES
HOW FEEBLE MAN GETS WHEN THE TRUTH RECKONS
HUMBLE MIND SPEAKS, HEART NEVER LISTENS
SAGA IT IS AND SAGA DO LIE

OUR LIFE IS A BEAUTY IN THE FAINTEST LIGHT
WE WANT THE SUN TO NEVER SET,
NEITHER THE MOON TO GET UPSET
OUR REASONS ARE HAPLESS AND QUESTIONS TOO
A FEW TRIED TO CHANGE BUT DIED IN THE LOOP
GOD IS KIND BUT HE IS BUSY, SORT OF.

Stains of War

Blood has spilled, rain bade bye
Sun still kissing the wounds alive
Roads are waiting, traveler’s unseen
Is it a beginning or end, it seems’
Days ago, kids were out
Days ago, kitchens smelt fine
Days ago, smiles did smiled
Days ago, veins flowed strong.

Story has changed, curtains stained
Some surviving on dusky breath
Others forsaken by angels of death
God visited but he too left
Didn’t say a word; simply wept.

Unheard Words

These are just words…..endless words
Words that means none to some
Still for others, on abode of love
These are just words…..poems
Lost in middle of waves to clash
Just like words of budding truth

Alone nowhere in forest of wild fruits
Tasted sin and did some good
These words never meant so much
Between silence and chaos indeed.

Words........

Words moved like wind
through ages and thin
got lost somewhere
got raided in between
some survived this trail
others never took to sail
pearls of lonely sages,
not found in pages
its smiling in woods of wisdom
hoping for us to reach them!

Weariness

I’m tired of the face I’ve got,
I’m tired of my heart inside
I’m tired of everything that breaths
I’m tired but I can’t go to sleep…
Better were the days, no more indeed
When I laughed at my present
& cried all night

At least no more was my grief to greet
Wasn’t I the only walking alone?
Slowly the ambience showed its hue
And I lost my sanity to fate……

Wish was there a world

Wish was there a world
with no boundaries to share
no borders to cross….
no anthems to sing
like paradise full of tales
no paper to buy or sell,
even coins won’t speak
no tears wasted on death
where hatred paid no fear
wrong crossed no one’s path
none lost in rage of gold

wish was there a world
with children smiling all around
laughed and chirped, made some noise
no line drawn between genders
no song of evils to render
colors to celebrate…..not to discriminate
lifeless felt life in art
a brook of lore can go on
no war to run, no leaders shunned
no bullets to eat, no worry to meet
we’ll know how to rule our streets.

-By Shakti Shetty

First Class vs Second Class

2007-10-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Mumbai is known for its Dalal street, Ambanis, Bollywood, bhel puri, juhu beach and most of all
"Local trains". Yup i know there is many things to say about mumbai like its climate, bollywood stars, climbing and dropping share market and yeah even hot babes........(woow). Okay back
to the topic, Mumbai is a city of 7 islands with a population more than that of Australia
(yeah yeah the 4 time cricket world champs) and nothing is more important than the lifeline of mumbai the "Mumbai Local Trains". Now this was my experience which i am sharing with you all people out there.......

Intially i was a first class traveller but later due to some reason later i had to travel from second class but the experience of this comparments 1st & 2nd were i cant say memorable but yes enjoyable. Okay the incident goes like......

First Class Experience.

I travel from vashi to andheri and i used to travel by first class....aahh... comfy seats, beautiful ladies in the 1st class ladies comparment and fat pigs (mens) and thier irritaitng jokes. The
incident happened at Andheri station which is the last stop and as the train stopped passengers rushed inside the train and fight for the seats just like mad monkeys when they see a banana....
I toh entered like a pure gentlemen (maa kasam) because i didnt get any seat...so stood next to the door and i saw 2 guys dashing eachother to get a 2cm space they saw....(but both were the size of a football stadium...believe me)... And the conversation starts with their respective mother tongue.....(i bet everybody knows that mother tongue). I would name
them as A & B......

Lights-Camera-Action.....Fight

A: Hey you Fat ass**** dont you some etiquttes what how to get into a train.....

B: Hey you are you calling ass**** dont take paanga with me.....you dont know who i am
(This guy is an literate guy who uses Hinglish language...)

A: Even you dont me......just get out or i will.....

B: They dont try to mess with me.....i have been in mumbai for the past 20 yrs.

A: Ohh...you dont know that i have been in mumbai for last 35 yrs...
(note: this guy by his personality looks 30 yrs)

B: Dont mess with me Ek hand i'll will give you'll go....
(i told you he uses Hinglish language)

A: You Bas****, Pig, Scro****, Stupid,.......
(yawn...)

B: Same to you....

A: #$%$#%
B: $%^$%^

(yawn yawn yawn yawn yawn.........man am i getting sleepy....just thakela verbal abuses no action)

Finally there station came and they got off.....The thing i found from this expereince is "Their
still exists Civilized illiterates in this world"

A time came when my train pass changed from a first class to second class one.....and as
everybody knows second class comparatment is always over-over-over crowded....the the incident was the same 2 guys dashing-fighting-blah-blah.
But the one thing different here was the conversation....and it goes as.....

A: Aey shaane dekhta nahi kya paar pe laat kyu mara.....(cant u see why did u stomp my leg)

B: Abe aey itna gardi hai toh laat lagega na airoplane me baeta hai kya....(its obvious to get stomped in a crowed train, are you travelling in an airoplane)

A: abe teri maa**** bhen*** kaan ke niche bajaoga na tab pata chalega.......(sorry cant
translate it in english)

B: Aey gaali mat de mujhe bi gaali dena ata cho****.....

A: Tu mujhe janta nahi mumbai me rehna moskil kardonga.....gan***

B: Tu mujhe nahi janta teri dhanda pani band kardonga mumbai ke sabse bade goondo se mera
kantact (its contact).....police se samja.....bhendi mere se natak karta.....saale teri toh.....

In the mean time rest of the communters in the comparatment were enjoying this fight out of them two were seriously discussing about this fight....i name them C & D.

C: dekha bi woh laal shirt wala (A) ose phele marega dekha mera Rs.5 ka bet....

D: abe cho**** hogaya hai kya woh safed shirt wala (B) ose phele marega mera bi Rs.5 ka bet...

C: (whispers to himself) abe maar saale ko.....

D: (whispers to himself) de dan dana dan ose...

Everybody was waiting for the action and even me after all even i am a human being (he he he)

A: toh utar agle tation (its station) main dekha tha hoon tujhe.....

B: Tu toh gaya aaj.....

And when the station arrived they got down and (Bang) the action started the only thing that
was missing was a refree....(he he he)

Everybody in train were looking outside even when the train had started just to enjoy the fight..
Yeah even i enjoyed a bit.....

But from this two incident i learned a thing that people who are called the "Civilized literate people" are nothing more than just a ordinary fool behind a fake intelligent mask and those
who we consider illliterate common man are not hypocrites atleast they said they will fight and
they fought they kept their word (second class communters).

The End

I will come back with more interesting posts and articles....till then have enjoy life........

Beginning......

2007-10-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, This is Tushar Shetty getting started with my new blog on articles. Want to know about me ahhh....i am a creative person passionate about ad-making how it works, the animation part, graphics...man learning about is like counting each glass of water of pacific ocean.

I love to write emotional stories, ad concepts.....which are short with less dialogues and more of visual. This mind of mine always scolds me when i sit idel and don't think
something creative. When i entered in this field seeing soooo....many competitive friends of mine always coming up with something new and "ME" a guy WHO use to have low confidence thought "Do i have that much brain that a creative idea will pop up from it?".......But situation changes a man---(yeah i believe in that).

The first day of our group meeting where everybody were giving their ideas for the product of a shampoo. Everybody were giving their
inputs even i came up with some ideas which were not appreciated i dont why, i didnt even
smelled bad that day...hmmm god knows!!!.

Okay as i said nobody appreciated it and i was a "little" heart broken..... and i still remember
what my friend said "Tushar thoda creative soch tu kya ideas nikal raha (tushar think creative what sort of ideas are this)". After the discussion got over the whole incident was running all over my mind.

Later, I catched a train to go home and this was the first time that i was completely lost in my world thinking of that incident and how to come up with a briliant idea.......hmmm???? railway stations were passing by and i was unaware what the next station will be.......Finally i reached my station "VASHI" and even while walking my mind was somewhere
else.

I reached my home and i am still lost in my own world....."deeeeeep thinking". I was just seeing at all the things in my house from sofa-windows-doors-soft-toys-dirty clothes-chappals....etc

Suddenly, a idol caught my attention....( no yaar not some stupid indian idol) but an idol of lord balaji. And i went into flashback just like saadela hindi films.....i remembered that i had went to tirupathi balaji that too 5
times and
every time my parents would literally force me into shaving my head and after returning from the tirupati trip i would bunk my school lectures and waiting for my hair to grow........---><----okay back to flash forward....the shaving of my head in my childhood came to my mind and (bulb) i got an awesome idea......

Next day, i went to my institute and narrated my ad concept of shampoo to everybody. the ad was:

"One Day a Bald man........" oopps sorry cant disclose it....its not copyrighted till now (he he he).
The ad which i narrated in my institute was loved by everybody and is still remembered by everybody.

This is how my 1st ad was created and i started it off. And now i am damn confident about myself and my ad concepts which are truly the most creative and "ORIGINAL" ad concepts of mine.

I will keep on posting my daily experiences and sometimes boring jokes to frustrate you and irritate you....(he he he). But i bet that you'll have a good experience while reading my articles....