I remember reading Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Bet‘ in school. The story brilliantly emphasizes the idea that human life is far more valuable than money. It begins with an argument at a party over which is more moral – capital punishment or life imprisonment? A rich banker believes that capital punishment is more moral. A young lawyer at the party argues any life is better than no life at all. The banker, feeling insulted, bets the lawyer two million rubles, that he cannot last fifteen years in solitary confinement. As the years pass, the lawyer discovers the significance of human life. Continue reading
Many of my readers have raised eyebrows after I have liked the Pakistani Cricket team on Facebook. I do not feel the need to justify myself, since it is but obvious that cricket is a display of skills and temperament and has nothing to do with one’s political preferences. I have ceased to remain a cricket fan, after they started covering half of the TV screen with ads, and cheerleaders took over dada’s enthusiasm. However, I do find it an interesting idea for an article; why someone – who has the least interest in cricket, would go all the way and like the cricket team of a ‘rival’ country? 
Let me think
just for a while…
In that withered garden,
more bare than even a desert now,
which branch first burst into blossom?
And which was the first to lose its colors
before everything succumbed to regret?
At what exact moment
were the trees drained of blood
so when the veins snapped,
nothing could be saved?
Oh, let me think… 
Ever been irritated by clocks that tick too loudly, or by soap dishes that collect water and ruin the soap? Ever tried to plug USB drives the wrong way? Ever struggled with scissors with small holes where your fingers just wont fit in? Ever struggled with a remote control in a neighbour’s place? Ever bumped your leg into furnitures with sharp corners at knee height? Ever wondered why umbrellas have sharp metal points right at eye-level? Ever been interviewed by an ATM machine? Ever lifted a metallic trash can’s lid with hand, whose cheap plastic pedals are broken? 
On a winter morning, during the office hours, about a hundred vehicles stood, honking discreetly at the traffic signal to go green. Soon afterwards, when the signal went green, like shepherds daunting their herds of sheep, the vehicles behind started to honk continuously at the ones in-front. Every vehicle honked indifferently. These were machines and not humans honking at each other. The honking continued while the pedestrians silently suffered. An everyday story of every traffic jam, in every city of India. 
For a moment let’s forget world cinema. Let’s forget Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak and John Abraham. Let’s also forget about the early Hindi cinema which belonged to the likes of Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy and V Shantaram. Any serious film viewer will ask – “what remains to be watched?” Well, my friend, the answer is there on YouTube. 
I am not sure if I am angry. Enraged. In pain. I was always aware of the problem which today is being fought. Over years, every-time a friend, a sister has walked out – I have witnessed the fear in her eyes. Why now? Why the death of one girl should matter? Why this black dot? I don’t know what this black dot symbolizes? It may symbolize rage, protest for many on facebook who have made this their profile pic. I am not sure. All I know is at this moment when I type this article, this black dot symbolizes my state of mind. -
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