GOD IS A SHE

The first Monday of the Month of March dedicates itself to women. Women achievers (who are mostly from the entertainment industry) give long interviews, pose for glamorous pictures while the retail and service sectors offer free movies, free lunch, and incredible sale on fashion accessories exclusively for women.

The cell phone network companies make their share of profit – The men send out inspiring text messages mostly to women whom they hope to impress someday which indeed is quite an exhaustive list.

So the world thinks it is doing a favour on women by dedicating one day in a year for them, when the rich and the famous women, who anyways occupy considerable media space occupy a bit more and consumerism decides to capitalize by enticing women for free stuff and taking full advantage of them to ensure they visit the store/restaurant/cinema again even without the free offer.

But who are the real women? And why do we need one day to honour them? Since we trample upon them, abuse them and take them for granted the rest of the year, someone decided to humour women, and the world agreed unanimously.

I’ve always believed that if there is a god, it is a she. A man can never be so compassionate, understanding, tender and selfless to the point of compromising the most cherished desires/ambitions. The male ego dominates the world to such an extent that the underlying female energy that powers the world is suppressed. This again is possible because of the unconditional, forgiving nature of the female.

The other day, like millions of Indians, I too basked in the glory of my cricketing idol Sachin Tendulkar scoring a double hundred in one-day internationals. While adulations kept pouring for him across the world, with petitions to give him the Bharat Ratna, I stopped celebrating.

There has been a double hundred scored in ODI before. 29 runs more than the master and in just 8 more deliveries. This was in a world cup match in 1997. Belinda Clark, achieved this 13 years ago in Mumbai, in a world cup match against Denmark. This has appeared in the mainstream media only during the Women’s day after Sachin Tendulkar achieved this feat. Had the master not reached his double ton, perhaps I would never have known she existed!

When the world media splashed across with headlines calling Sachin Tendulkar as “the first in the planet to score a double hundred in ODI” did we hear Belinda protesting? Did she call a press conference? When Sachin drove away in a Volvo S80 and was richer by Crores after his feat, did Belinda throw any tantrums?

This is the real woman. There is a Belinda in every woman, which is invisible to the male ego, which is why men seek god elsewhere. God is indeed a SHE.

And men? Well, Men crib about not getting due credit for a film inspired by a story written by them.

Bon Voyage

So it's a brand new year. Yet another successful completion of orbiting the sun. Within this monotonous journey of going round and round, several journeys take dramatic turns. Some of them abruptly end (C. Ashwath, Dr. Vishnuvardhan, MJ and millions of less popular "travellers"), some of them get magical "upgradations"(Several recent cricket heroes and stars from filmdom), many passengers had to get off their plane and wait for a bus (Reccesion Repercussions)...

Amidst these radical changes, embarking on a brand new journey is inevitable. While heading to the unknown destination and (nonsensically) revolving around the huge mass of energy with nothing but hope (and gravity)as a means of support, each passenger soul pursues several journeys. Life is not a journey, but several journeys that enigmatically reach the same destination. It better be the same destination. I presume atleast there is no chaos in death.

The last year for me has been more than an interesting journey. It has brought out all the facets of my personality. It has been the most fruitful year so far in terms of discovering "who the hell am I?".

I surprised myself in bringing out several facets which I never knew existed within me. In some cases, I never wanted such facets to exist within me. The atheist I was attempts to converse with the supreme (of course, he says,"if it exists"), the family hater I was yearns for a family, the unromantic, snobbish "I-do-what-I-want" guy is crazily in love. To the point of compromising. Oh yes, the smoker in me has died and the lover of the evening drink in me prefers fruit juice.

Have you ever heard of some one altering the course of their journey just to spend more time with a co-passenger? I hadn't. Till I heard about myself. One co-passenger accompanies me on a journey and since that moment, I decide "screw my ticket, I go where she goes". Of course, it is a she. Only a woman can make a man feel so.

This year, two new journeys have begun - the journey within, and the journey with my beautiful co-passenger. They might lead to several journeys. Hopefully, together.

I wish and pray that she remains my co-passenger during all my journeys henceforth. Even after the destined destination if possible. Like may be we decide to have coffee after the last stop. And then board another bus together. For yet another journey. A journey that is encompassed within a predetermined round and round over some other star. I do not know whether I will have gravity for support then. But I will surely carry hope. Lots of it.