THE EARTH IS 'SHAKIN N MOVIN'

I was about to call it a day and had just slipped into my warm mink blanket when the my cell phone vibrated, twice to be precise. I checked it but there wasn't any call, text or whatsapp message. Feeling dizzy I ignored this and wrapped the blanket around myself, when suddenly the phone vibrated again and this time not just the phone, but the table, the lamp the alarm clock and everything on the table started shaking. Before some stupid hollywood plot about hallucination could impede my thought process, I realized it was an earthquake. An earthquake, again? A week ago the National Capital Region (NCR) experienced familiar tremors, and again the ground beneath is jolting. Is it the wrath of god about the universal paap ka ghada or is it some divine alarm clock alerting the mango man that do not make a fool out of yourself again this election season or is it the tectonic plate mumble jumble? Anyhow, whatever it is, it is scary to never know whether the vibrations one experiences are from an empty stomach or from down under.

On a serious note, the rise in the frequency of these tremors is a cause of grave concern for the residents of NCR. Not only does such fiasco causes commotion but also it is a live wire risk for the 'not so quake proof' buildings of the capital. The greater risk is for the people who are devoid of home or are living in temporary arrangements that cannot bear the brunt of the quake that is not so sporadic now. But the grass is not too green on the other side as well. With most of the buildings violating the ground rules and not being built in quake resistant format despite New Delhi being in the most quake prone region, this city runs a great risk of endangering lives and properties with a magnitude which one fears to fathom.

The government needs to quicken the pace of preparation for meeting a disaster in case the need of the hour is such.  The multifold, so called, Disaster Management Committees need to conduct multiple mock drills for ensuring that people are do not meet the disaster unprepared and naked. 
                                                                 Beat the quake!

Hallowed Be 'My' Name

            Who am I? It is a question I repeatedly ask myself when I face obstructions in life. These obstructions are not the usual ones, but those that wake me up at three in the morning and force a question down my throat - What did I achieve yesterday that I sleep so soundly? It is at these moments that I realize that I am still a zero or to put more vociferously, my existence is as good as nothing. People do not give a damn thought as to who I am and what I achieved in life. How many people remember when I was born? How many people shall be affected if I were to die at this very moment? And then I have a clear picture in front of me which says that I am of no significance whatsoever to anybody - neither for those who squander away their life in vain nor to those who are so busy proving their worth to society that they don't have time for anyone. These not so sporadic 3 o' clocks in the mornings make me contemplate my plans about becoming what I aspire to be - a legend of my craft.

          I love watching biopics and interviews and my reading collection comprises of a good number of biographies/ autobiographies. My favorite film happens to be Chaplin(1992), needless to mention whose biopic it is. The last scene, where an aged Charlie Chaplin watches an assemblage of scenes from his films, during the Oscars where he is to be honored with Lifetime Achievement Award, and then with watery eyes he gets up from his wheelchair to deliver his speech , gives me goosebumps. I feel awestruck doesn't matter how many times I go through that scene. I imagine myself in Chaplin's shoes and for a brief period of time I feel the pride, the emotions, the respect and the admiration that is being bestowed. But, then reality resurfaces and I am left with nothing but a silence. But, that silence is not the usual one, it has a peculiar hum, a pulse that pours into my ears like molten wax. That feeling I suppose is that of a guilt I harbor due to my lack of efforts and the fact that I gave up so easily on occasions wherein a little more perseverance would have made things so much better for me.
               It is so easy to get inspired, motivated and sometimes the adrenalin rush takes away your sleep. Sometimes the admiration comes from legends like Chaplin, who are the torchbearers of their respective fields, and sometimes the zeal to achieve comes from people who hate you, who mock at your credentials, who try to undermine your potential and keep you down. I have had so many of such nincompoops who feel that entire sphere is their baap ka maal and who have no desire to innovate as they have surrendered to the cliched yet ever so successful formula of CCP (cut-copy-paste). I am quite sure that this isn't just my observation because such degraded and rotten specimens of homo sapiens are all around us - here, there and everywhere! The frustration sometimes gets the better of me and I feel like quitting everything and leave for the mountains as a hermit. But, at such torrid times the biographies come to my aid and I am reminded of the countless impediments the legends had to face to get where they stand now.
               I know I am nothing as of now and my credentials do not speak volumes about my talent but still the seed of inspiration that was sown in my heart long ago has germinated and the roots have spread deep. There is no turning back for me, I have left the comforts of life behind and a thorny path awaits me. It beckons me towards a plethora of challenges and quests that are yet unconquered and perhaps I can vanquish those yet unscaled peaks. Jim Moriarty from the BBC series Sherlock famously remarked, staying alive can be boring 'cause its just staying!. I don't want to stay stagnant, like a river I want to flow and flow vigorously, pounding every distraction and surpassing every impediment.
              Lastly, I wind up this disquisition with the most innate desire of mine. I want to die as a legend leaving behind a cult that has but only one emotion for me - respect! So what am I doing to be inspired right now? I am listening to 'Cult of Personality' by Living Colors, which by the way is CM Punk's titantron!! \m/