Queer

Disclaimer: I am herewith issuing spoiler alerts for movies I watched. Proceed at your own risk.

You know when your thoughts just wander away?  A lazy afternoon, an open book in front of you and a cup of hot tea is all you need to get that non-stop train going.

Have you ever wondered how you landed upon a topic of conversation. People just talk, one thing leads to another and bam! you would probably be engrossed in an argument. It's funny, on the one hand you are arguing passionately about something and on the other, wondering how you ended up here.

So where was I? Oh yes, lazy afternoon. I was just pondering over two movies I had recently watched.Both very interesting ones I may add. What do you think about immortality combined with perpetual youth? What would it be like to just live? There is no anticipation of death. There is no end at all. The Man From Earth was the movie which discussed this all. A man who had defied time to live longer than 10000 years and looked no older than 30. This reminded me of a poem I had read once. Tithonus (Alfred, Lord Tennyson) was about this young man of Trojan birth, who fell in love with Goddess Eos. He was granted the boon of immortality but not eternal youth. And so he withered away, pining for the silence of the graves which could never be his. But strangely enough, they call it the boon of immortality.

Speaking of Time, how cool would it be if we could travel to our past or future? Or would it? We could easily change the happenings of our past and possibly wreck our future. Or we could peek into the future and spoil the element of surprise. So this guy travelled backwards in time. He enjoyed his time in what he thought was the Golden Age. But he met a woman who was of the opinion that the period of time that preceded her era was the one worth living in. And so spent the man his Midnight in Paris.

But I think everyone is prone to the notion that any era other than the present would have treated them better. Which reminds me, do you think times have changed after all? Have ideas and mindsets changed? Are we really as evolved as we believe ourselves to be? Sure, thought processes have been liberalised. Women are being educated. But that's not my point. All I ask is, are we just literate or really educated?
I would call a person well educated only if I find him/her to possess the spirit to accept different views and opinions without objecting.

Difference of opinion is commonplace. But I don't think anyone has the maturity to accept the fact that various opinions exist and it's OK if all of them are not in agreement with one's own ideals and beliefs. For instance, let's say I prefer shopping at Place A to Place B. Now people who like Place B argue that Place A is not as good as Place B. Fair enough. But they push the discussion to the point where either I have to accept their view as my own or never shop at Place B at all. See where I'm going?

So it comes down to whether you would stick around and reason why you like Place A better or would consider it too petty a matter and put the whole issue behind you.

But I have digressed. I realize that my cup is empty. I have a book to finish. I have to get on with life.

Love...I guess.

And that's when I first saw her.

No violins played in the background. No rain came pouring down. But I just saw her as she walked down the street. It was a pleasant evening in January. A light breeze whooshed across and played with her dark hair. She had pulled it back into a pony. But one stray strand softly curled down her neck. She was talking animatedly to a friend who accompanied her. Then she turned and our eyes met. 

The glance lasted two seconds and she was gone.

I was back on that street nearly every evening. Standing discreetly behind a tree, I watched her.

~*~

Six months later, we were having coffee at CCD.

"...and she called in sick today. So I'm dumped with all her work. Isn't that sad? Why do I have to end up doing her job? We aren't even in the same team!" 

I smiled and nodded in assent. Here I was sitting with the woman who made my life seem so much more worth living. We had spent the last three months in each other's company. Growing more close with each meeting. We visited restaurants, movies, the beach. I was sure that half my salary was being spent on her.

~*~

Two years had passed. We dined in silence at her apartment. Her favourite songs played in the background. All the expensive gifts I had given her littered her dressing table. Life had taken many twists and turns.

She smiled that innocent smile. Softly I took her hand,and placed a diamond studded ring on her ring finger. That ring had cost me a fortune, but anything for her.

"Anjali, I no longer have a job that pays me well. I don't know what the future holds in store for me. But I promise to be there for you always. Will you marry me?" 

Tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged me.

                                                              

Excellent instrumental music marked the end of the movie. As Aishwarya walked out of the theatre, she wondered why Anjali decided to marry a guy who had at first stalked her, squandered money on expensive, useless gifts and had no job to support himself. 

And so we fell in love.

He expressed his love and she replied with a tight slap on the face. There is something so charming about this movie. Having grown up watching movies which had the hero falling for the heroine within seconds of their meeting or vice-versa, this was a refreshing change for me. There's the initial cold war, Ramya is engaged to someone else but in a time of crisis Krishna helps her out. And so they bond. They entire family warms up to this ordinary, everyday character of Krishna. Then as fate would have it, Ramya has to decide between Krishna and Aravind, to whom she is betrothed.

The story explores an actual relationship. The pitfalls. The complications arising in an Indian family setting. The thing which appealed to me most was the gradual blossoming of feelings between the protagonists. And with the most pleasant climax ever. Aravind finds someone with whom he shares the 'chemistry' too! And how? Just the way Ramya and Krishna started--with a fight. :)

A movie which I will never tire of watching. Kanda Naal Mudhalai Kaadhal Perugudhadi!

Don 2--Not A Review.

So I watched Shah Rukh Khan in 3D. Yeah.

I should have suspected this was going to be a disaster when they were selling tickets at 180/- for a 3D movie.
Nachos, check. Coke, check. I settled down to watch Don 2. So there's this scene with a boat, bad guys are talking. Then Shah Rukh Khan enters, the whole theatre screams (nonsense, no one even hooted for Endhiran!)

Shah Rukh Khan has a cool pony, which he later does away with. Then dishkoom dishkoom happens. Oh no! Crisis--nachos are over! So back to movie. Dishkoom Dishkoom. Why am I watching this in 3D? No difference only yaar! Then Shah Rukh goes to jail. Oh look there's Priyanka Chopra. Again dishkoom dishkoom. This is boring re.

Then Lara Dutta appears. Then she sings and dances. Then they hatch master plot involving a bank robbery or something. Some apparently funny one liners by SRK. I did not laugh at all-I don't know if I am an unfunny person or the general level of intelligence of the audience present was that low. I am inclined to think the latter.

So lots of dishkooms and hahahahas from the audience later, the movie ended with someone nearby screaming 'Don 3'. Meh.

So what is supposed to be an intelligent plot is nothing but a story written by a tenth standard kid. Oh no, kids write better stories. I am insulting them. So what is nice about the movie?

a) Hrithik Roshan in a cameo(yay!) But that scene was so predictable and has already been done in lots of Tamil movies. Tch.

b) Kunal Kapoor: Not for his acting skills (which are non-existent by the way) but because he is cute(don't judge me please.)

Oh and Priyanka Chopra looks great although I thought she could do with some food. Farhan Akthar, did I tell you that I thought you danced better than Hrithik? Please, no Don 3, ok?

In fact the high point of the movie was when Roma falls for this stupid line from Don when he says that he wants to be a free man. The entire theatre went "Why This Kolaveri Di?" :D

So it's a pointless movie. Really.

Moral of the story: Please try nachos. They are really good.

Happy Birthday Post!

Happy Birthday Blog! I survived three years in blogosphere! I'd like to thank my parents, friends, enemies, oh you get the drift. *takes a bow*

Birthdays always remind one of cakes, celebrations and lots of fun, mostly associated with our childhood. Yesterday, I was watching this movie called 'Pasanga'. It was so natural, and true of anyone's past. Kids fighting over petty homework issues, group-ism and this really heart touching moment when a boy asks his father to quit smoking. That was when it struck me, we never grow up. Instead of homework, it's our responsibilities, the same group tendencies, the same emotions. As we grow older, all these childhood troubles seem so petty, why not look at our present troubles with the same attitude? Life would be much easier, wouldn't it? :)

Short Story

First attempt at short story. This story is very close to my heart as it was something my sister and I came up with when we were as young as ten.

This is the story of Blood Red. Blood red was a strange girl. Wherever she went people stared at her. The reason? I shall now tell you.

Blood red's mother was a very inattentive woman. But she was very well read. So inspired by the children's story, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", she wished for a daughter. But having been slightly drunk at that time, she kind of messed it up. So this is what she asked for "A daughter whose skin is as red as blood, hair as white as snow and lips as black as coal." So you can imagine what happened. And as always, the mother in question died and the King father had to re-marry. So this woman whom the King married, she was obsessed about being the most idiotic of them all. So obviously there is a mirror which she keeps questioning. And the mirror happily told her that she was indeed an idiot and the best idiot that ever existed.

But all stories have a twist and so does this one. As soon as she married Blood Red's father, the mirror informed her that her status of Supreme Idiot of This Land was being challenged by none other than Blood Red. And as all fairy tales go, the queen chased Blood Red out of the kingdom. So Blood Red without crossing seven lakes and seven hills, just took the local bus and landed up on the doorstep of Seven Giants. The Seven Giants took a lot of care of her and all that. Then the queen hatched a brilliant plan to do away with Blood Red once and for all. She poisoned one half of an apple intending to feed it to Blood Red. So in the guise of an old woman, she visits Blood Red and coerces her to buy apples. When Blood Red refuses, the queen asks her to taste an apple before she rejects it. So the queen whips out the poisoned apple, slices it and hands one half over to Blood Red while she ate the other half herself. A few minutes later, the queen clutched at her throat, screamed and fell to the floor dead. Uh, she had mistakenly eaten the poisoned half herself.

So the evil queen met death. Pretty idiotic all right.

Story over. Now run along you.

Original story courtesy: The Grimm Brothers. 

And it struck me...

There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch, 
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall, 
For all 
That struck the earth, 
No matter if not bruised, or spiked with stubble, 
Went surely to the cider-apple heap 
As of no worth. 
One can see what will trouble 
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is. 
Were he not gone, 
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his 
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on, 
Or just some human sleep. 

~Excerpt from After Apple-Picking by Robert Frost~

Monotony dominates my days. Yet I too have my apples to finish picking. Everyday I strive to achieve a dream. The destiny that I await is much the same as others. But the path one chooses to take matters the most. And when I reap my harvest, I wish not to look back at my journey with regret. So pain, suffering, joy, I take it as they come. And no matter what, there's always something that's going to go into that cider-apple heap. And as I await the time I can step down from the ladder, I hope to make apple picking a most enjoyable experience.