R.I.P (Rest In Peace)

Minutes pass away like years,
as I sit in this solitary retreat,
wiping away salty tears,
and so i have done for years.

I fight not despair,
I fight not fear,
I fight not failure,
I fight no one dear,
I fight my demons.

I fight those demons,
who appear to plague me,
every moment without solace,
they torment me,though i wish to make peace,
they pursue me and never seem to cease.

Demons of the past threaten my tomorrow,
with every step that I tread forward,
they pull me towards sorrow.
Past are bygones ,so I have heard,
not for these demons,maybe not until Iam dead.

I call out to these demons to devour me,
have their fill and set my soul free.
Let it feel light , let it feel infinite.
But these demons still dwell in me,
to liberate me, they will never agree.

So let me lead this life at their will,
let them drain me and have their fill.
Let every smile be a precursor to pain,
Let every victory be in vain,
May this poem be my Swan-song,
Yet I will live with this white hope,
that my inner demons will be finally put to rest,
Rest In Peace......

Kahaani Soap operas ki

Do you feel like detaching your brain from your head and feel "brainless"? Fret not then!
Tv soaps will help you !

For years now TV soap operas have done their bit in the emancipation of millions of womankind and also mankind (why leave them behind?) who needed that bit of thrill, fantasy, drama and glamour in their dull , boring drawing rooms.In came the soaps and there was perhaps nothing better.First it was the K - sagas started by Ektaa Kapoor. Her K - influenza of soaps churns out and hits the TV screens at regular intervals.Why blame Ektaa alone? What about the horde of Balaji telefilms inspired soaps on rival channels like Zee ,Sony ,Sahara etc etc.These k- soap cronies are no different.Its the same stale stuff dished out with new names.

There was a time when tv serials highlighted issues, told and depicted stories in a realistic manner.Then the budgets were small but originality and quality compensated for it.Today TV portrays a wide range of issues :ranging from the same old saas -bahu sagas....to the endless confrontations between the heroine with "sanskaar" (Indian values) taking on the devilish (ultra-modern ,un-sanskaari )vamp........to an "icchadhari nagin" seeking reveange..... to Re-incarnation a la "Om Shanti OM".And i thought icchadhari nagins , bhavishya- vanis and re-incarnations only happened in Chandrakantha! But who's complaining? All this stuff is greedily lapped up by millions of viewers.A new section of Pseudo celebrities have sprung up.Their claim to fame : mediocre acting skills in even more mediocre soaps or participation in some of the numerous reality shows on TV.

TV once held the torchlight to Bollywood when it came to quality entertainment.But now check the facts...Most of the TV soap plots are inspired from B-grade bollywood flicks.Not to mention the occassional film song that breaks out during the serial .

When satellite TV invaded our homes years ago, we took it as a boon as compared to old,boring Doordarshan.But old serials from DD like Malgudi days, Byomkesh Bakshi are still being watched ardently by people on the internet. Will there be any respite in the future? Hope so! So while Ektaa and her growing tribe make millions out of their soaps ...we in turn face the plight of engrossing ourselves into the "everyday problems"of imaginary khaandans ,bahus and betas on Indian TV! Whoever named TV as Idiot Box could not have been more correct.

The other side of the Jassi story.....

The ugly unattractive woman facing lot of hardships and discrimination at work has been the most loved theme worldwide. And this despite the fact that she is intelligent, amiable, smart and truly capable. Also many women identify themselves with the protagonist. Proof?....this is the underlying theme for many a successful soaps made world-wide. Jassi Jaisi koi Nahin is India's version of the story. I wonder what makes the theme so popular?

1) Yes, looks do matter. A good-looking person/child may be a lot more popular and confident compared to the not so good looking counterparts.

2) All these soaps had the ugly duckling transforming into a swan and winning the Handsome prince and giving it back to her detractors. Who wouldn't identify with this? The good underdog finally wins.

But all said and done i still wonder is it always a cakewalk for the prettier ones? Take the workplace for example. Are there no issues whatsoever. Think about it. A good-looking woman gets promoted and a few disgruntled jibe "Well she had to get it, didn't she? After all she has got the looks to kill!"
The fact that the woman worked for it and deserved it hardly counts.

In my college we were told by our male classmates that it was comparatively easier for pretty girls to get selected for jobs. They just had to smile throughout the interview. You call this a sick mentality? I would agree and also pity them. It is not that all men think this way. But some men and also some women do think on these lines. A well dressed fashionable woman is labelled a bimbo. She is in the company for obvious reasons. She lacks substance and capability. Forget about expecting hard work from these women. If by chance this woman is smart and assertive, then she is immediately labelled arrogant and demanding.

Luckily these mentalities are not common. But even then this disease in some people must be treated. How? Maybe by purging their minds and by setting aside the prejudices. Have a re-look and stop judging the book by its cover. Or rather don't judge a woman by her looks. So one can see that Ugly Betty /Jassi is just one side of the coin. There might be several untold or rather unseen sides to it. Women in general (ugly or pretty) still face some challenges be it in a workplace or society in general and will continue to do so until some ill-conceived perceptions regarding them change.