Lights. Camera. RCNM.

In a metro like Mumbai, winter experiences are rare ones, because of no signs of a cool weather for most parts of the year, and two, time constraints make the idea of enjoying winter trivial.         So last year, I decided to spend my Christmas holidays at my Aunt's in Macleodgunj, Himachal! And woah! THAT was a real winter experience; with snowfall and hailstorms being a common phenomenon at this recluse hideaway hill station. Surprisingly, Macleodgunj was a lively town. With a considerable Catholic population, Christmas celebrations were roaring! So on a Sunday evening, while my Aunt was busy entertaining other guests, I went to a local club with some guys in the neighbourhood. Till about midnight, we played pool and devoured a plethora of Christmas sweets. The other lads decided to stay over. But I had to get back. The club was just 10 minutes away from my Aunt's apartment. But what worried me was the shivering cold and the blinding expanse of darkne...

Till I was about nine years old, snow was one of the only extreme weather conditions I hadn’t experienced. They say you need to work hard to make your dreams come true…well in my case I pestered God till I got what I wanted! My father picked the Christmas vacations to book tickets to Manali in Himachal Pradesh. Ooo my excitement knew no bounds! I was born as a hyperactive child and dreaming of making snowmen infuriated my mother a little more than usual, that she had to shut me up by “blackmailing’ me! Then the important day arrived. I could only imagine what Manali would be like: powerful snowstorms, glistening mountains, people greeting us with warmth, kindness, warm and delicious food and wonderfully fresh air. We had actually made plans to drive from Chandigarh to Manali, so all the snow and the snow-clad mountains did not pop out of nowhere. We were slowly getting used to it. When I held my first ever snowball, I was so frozen that I would have literally heard Idina Menz...

Today I saw a lady, with hair as black as raven and skin as flair as milk. I walked past her as I moved towards the ticket counter at a train station. As I watched, she lifted her h and and pushed away a strand of hair that whipped against her face as a train whooshed past. While I stood in the line, waiting for my turn I couldn’t help but stare at her as she leaned against the wall, the tinsel in her hair shining and the glass bangles on her hand tinkling. From where I stood, she looked perfect her blue sari swaying in the wind. I remember her touching the bangles on her hand; her nimble fingers running across the smooth surface of the bangles enclosed her slender wrist. As I pushed my way back to the front of the line, I turned again to catch a glimpse of this lady. I don’t know what about her caught my eye. May be it was her beauty, may be it was the peace in her eyes. From where I stood far away, I saw she wasn’t really there in the world I stood in. She had drifted away,...

India’s tryst with comedy: Comedy on the Indian television has not been a favourite of the viewers. But two shows, maybe for different reasons, have risen to the top in this genre, The high society  Sarabhai ’s & a comedic rage now, Comedy nights with Kapil. Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai : A crisp, sophisticated comedy, with intricate writing, a sitcom still watched my many on YouTube. A comedy for the masses and the classes, it still has a soft corner in everyone’s heart. But, sometimes, the cause behind the troubles in each episode was very similar...almost repeated. Also, there was an over exaggeration at times of the comedic traits associated with each character. Also, the cameos done by the producer himself, were too short as his character, dushyant was adored! The saas-bahu conflicts were very well written. Hypocrisy was   a realistic comedy that was, is and will always be loved. A trendsetter in a true sense! Comedy nights with Kapil: This show was more l...

Cricket Scenario in India - India, as we know is a cricket-crazy nation. Forget being crazy about the sport, people often follow it like a religion, treating cricketers like gods.     OH so Sachin! - Talking about cricket,the first name that Indians like to take is that of Sachin Tendulkar, someone whom they regard as THE GOD OF CRICKET. Sachin is a cricketer  who needs no introduction.He has been such an amazing ambassador of our nation. His very name brings so much pride to all Indians. Being the only cricketer in World History to hit 100 centuries, Sachin played for India over 25 years. No doubt he is a legend of the game, his fans worship him. No offense to the stalwart, but his fans while preaching about him put down other legends of the game.  They treat other cricketers as amateurs or perhaps even nonexistent at times. As ardent sports freaks, fans mustn't forget that no individual is greater than the sport. Sachin is a great cricketer. It...

Situation at hand - Those of us who had Economics in high school are very familiar with the concept of 'substitutes'. That is, if I cannot get A then I am happy to stick to B. The most widely used example when we explained 'substitutes' in our exam papers was the so-called alternative between tea and coffee. If the price of coffee beans goes up, we wrote, it's not a problem at all -- we just buy some more tea bags and get on with our lives! The Back-story -  After two years of college, which I can safely say were the most caffeine-intensive days of my short life, I can't help but question this concept, because when your assignment is due in eight hours and you've written exactly three words, will a cup of tea do the job? Or when you're having a laid-back hangout with friends after dinner, who wants to gulp down black coffee and stay up all night? So here was the clincher: are tea and coffee really substitutes? And which one do you prefer? N...

I dream of the day I will go home My hardwork shall pay The moment I see the open door. My mother shall be in tears And I in her lap She will love me for years Till it's time to go back. My father will be the happiest in ages He will hug me and kiss me He will express his love in stages And inspire and bless me. My siblings will have a hundred stories Of what happened when I wasn't around. Together we'll have fruits and berries That we'll now not fight for. My mother will cook me the best savouries My father will not stop till i drop He will fill my plate with memories And scold me when i refuse to take any more. We will huddle together on the sofa And watch tv and laugh We will sleep together on the terrace And wish for nights longer, days half. May this vacation last a lifetime May the golden sun never set May my sleep last some more time Till my dream is reality one day. Aishwarya ...

Everyone has a different take on what soul means to them. For me, it symbolises the inner voice that answers to us every time we fall, doubt our faith, second-guess our passions or go through tough times. It is something we can always rely on no matter what.          Heart may be the organ that pumps life into our body, but soul is something that gives it a reason to.  It is often said that the soul is our embodied spirit. It has supreme control over us. Thus when we achieve inner peace of our mind, we get in touch with our soul. Inner peace is not something which we acquire, but something which comes from within. This soul of ours, being very agitated, needs something to tranquillise it. One such way is of meditation. It not only calms the mind but also soothes the soul. It gives positive vibes from within us.. it helps us look at life optimistically.                  Our emo...

“Be strong. Live honourably and with dignity. When you think it’s the end of the rope, tie a knot.”      -James Frey, A Million Little Things. Right from the Apple that came from Adam’s time to the “Apple” (fad) that prevails in today’s age; the term ‘dignity’ has existed for aeons. It has frequented to being synonymous with vocabulary like Self-respect , self-honour , self-worth . Has our vista broadened any further?  The word is older than mankind himself. They say, the Gods too, before creating the world had a duel to prove supremacy over one another, often modestly deemed as 'QUEST FOR DIGNITY' under the pretext of Humility. Misguiding. To speak of Humans, as the Homo Sapiens cocooned out of their animalistic instincts, and started gaining a sense of Society and it’s implications, came the onset of 'Dignity of Clothing'. A scarcest need of existence. Then came shelter, a means for man to show his prowess, again deemed as the 'Dignity of Lineage...

An experience that completely changed my life makes me go back in time. I was 25 or maybe 26 then. In Bhopal, there is a lake which is famous for attracting love birds, the ones that don't have wings. I out of habit used to tell my mom wherever I was and where I was supposed to go. It so happened that on my friend's birthday, he took me to the lake. I had informed my mother about the plan. When I went there, I saw my aunt in the vicinity. But it doesn't end there. She saw me, with those doubting eyes of hers. Then she moved her gaze to my friend, scanned him as if he was some alien. With all dignity, I decided to approach her. Slowly I moved towards her and her eyes became bigger and bigger. I don't know whether this was because of the decrease in distance or the increase in the level of shock. Finally I stood right in front of her. I asked her about her health and various other silly, non-sensical questions, which we ask people out of courtesy.   ...

Mumbai, the city of dreams. Shifting to a new city is always a humongous task. It becomes even more difficult when you come to a city which is bigger than your hometown. Well, not for me. I have lived all my life in Ahmedabad. The calm, peaceful and slow moving city. So Mumbai was a refreshing change to the laid back outlook. You know you are in Mumbai as soon as you step in the city. The culture makes its presence felt. When I stepped into an Auto Rickshaw, I was treated to a peculiarity which only a Mumbai Rickshaw-wala can have. I was given a 'Free of cost' visual tour of all the celebrity bunglows. He'd say "Saab woh na Mannat hai, apne woh Shah Rukh ka bunglaa "  or "Woh Jalsa hai, Amitabh Bacchan Saab hai na, unka ghar ". He also went out of the way to show me Sachin Tendulkar's Bunglow! I knew Mumbai was famous for its rains. I happened to arrive in Mumbai just in time for the rains. Initially it was fun, the cool breez...

B.E.L.I.E.F.  6 letters. One word. Bazillion different interpretations. If we go by what the oh-so-boring dictionary says, ‘belief’ is a vague idea in which some confidence is placed. Synonymous with faith, you could say. Your beliefs motivate you, make you the person you are or wish to be.  Be it the belief that everything will be alright by the end and if it's not alright then it's not the end (filmy much?) Or the belief that you'll pass an examination even after buying the books a day before the exam and studying for just a couple of hours. A belief is a belief no matter how humongous or petty.  Remember the cricket world cup? When India was on the brink of losing? Saying ' Dhoni hai nah..bass! ' is belief. Believing profoundly in something that you love doing always makes you do that something with twice the force and four times the joy.  Self-belief : Believing in yourself, your abilities only makes you stronger as an individual, pumpi...