Chronicles from the Corner Office - II

It’s heartwarming to see people who we follow speak, pouring their brains out on things that actually matter to us or to the world. Does this change the situation in any manner? No. Yet, we feel that we have been pacified now that we know how that super-human feels.

Shahrukh Khan recently came out of the closet speaking how he feels about the Indian media being tad too judgmental, manipulative or meddlesome about the stars keeping shut on topics that matter to the rest of the world. Well, there he is finally saying, “there are a lot of idiots who will also start speaking up since you are asking them to. Believe me, you don’t want to hear them”. True that! The standard of Indian journalism seems to be plummeting at a speed unimaginable, as is obvious from what we are being fed via various media. Shows like Saas, Bahu aur Saazish or Sansani have been airing on media for plain entertainment. Moreover, sensationalism has been coming handy as a tool for the media to attract more and more eyeballs to let out fancy and commercial yet empty and unworthy news. We see random people being approached for their opinions on matters that least matter to them. Further, social media has extended its reach to every amateur who has ever wanted to speak. This way, celebrities have been blathering on topics ranging from security of the nation to state elections.   

Reaching home after work, seldom I find interest or energy to endure news out of all the options I can possibly find on the television. The reason is plain and simple: private media is trying to create point of views by utilizing snippets, bytes, pieces and words to somehow bolster their points.  

News readers are no more the people telling us the 5 Ws/1H and are in turn basking in the stardom they have gained by indulging in fashion or creativity while presenting the news. Instead of facts, I find myself drowning in varied point of views. Result: I do not know what happened, but I know what everyone felt or said about it. The media world is going bonkers manipulating news as per their interests, no matter monetary or competitive and is no more the first source of information about anything happening anywhere. Therefore, it’s easy for me to quickly dodge the news channels on TV as soon as I accidentally surf them and, instead, watch travel channels just for the heck of the visual appeal they extend. :)

A world above, a world beneath!

Shout out to all those who read this first on Women's Web

We are the smart couples, the ones who inhabit the skyscrapers one’d have been amazed looking at back in 90’s. These imposing edifices reflect not just prosperity on the owner’s part for they are no cheap, but also a sense of equality – living amongst the equals.

NCRs, or national crowded region, would consist of hundreds of ‘mini’ societies, which would boast of giving you a life you would have only dreamt of. True, back in 90’s, society only meant one, huge area, Punjabi Bagh West, for instance, where everyone would know who lives next door and, also, what happens in their lives. For now, several modern ‘mini’ societies have mushroomed around us and have changed the lives we have ever been living.

Coming to this second just passed, and this one I am trying to hold on to, I am looking outside of my balcony on the second floor in one of the poshest societies of Indirapuram. It’s been close to 10 months since we have shifted to this house and made it our own. This house and the society gives you a life which takes time to sink in, to get into your lifestyle and makes you alter your living habits as per its rules.

True, this is a society, which boasted of luxurious living on its marketing paraphernalia, and true that it takes care of all the tags you might want to console yourself with for having spent lakhs buying a small space in it – sprawling gardens, huge community hall, basketball, tennis, badminton courts, swimming pool, gym, kids’ play area, senior citizens’ club and everything else. But in the 10 months passed, I have only seen Mondays turn into Fridays catching up with work and the rest two days catching up with home.

The web we have intertwined ourselves in doesn’t really let anyone to sneak out and seek life. Husbands work, wives work, kids either confine themselves to schools or crèches and the rest, the stay-at-home lot – the retired or the housewives or a few like me working from home stay back and let the ‘society’ life make you solitary despite sensing the worlds living beneath, adjacent and above you.

There’s a home beneath me, a home above me; there’s a young couple living beneath and an elderly couple living above of me. The only connection I have with them is through our balconies – no I don’t see them there, I either drop clothes below or receive some from above. Balconies were only meant to dry out clothes – weren’t they? Soaking in the sun, savoring oranges, guavas or peanuts while basking in the sunlight are all passé, right?

While buying groceries one day, I ended up bumping into the girl who lived on the first floor, right below my house. I was amazed to know how she, too, dreamed of a friend in this vast society. It was impossible to have a life sans one’s work and home in this setup. But, what really stopped us? Well. Nothing.

Why don’t we step out and talk to each other? Why have we stopped passing smiles and exchanging pleasantries? Why do we no longer get together to celebrate mini victories or major losses? Why have we turned into the new-age zombies, who go to work, obey every duty and sleep in their pigeonholes? Why don’t we learn skills from each other or rather just talk and learn? Why don’t we make a first move for a friendship or a relation? Why is this ‘equality’ not helping in breeding friendships? Well, they didn’t guarantee a great social life in their marketing campaigns, they only did a great society. Pretty well, they have delivered. 

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The Art of Detachment

They say every person you meet is going to teach you a lesson – good or bad – for he would not only leave his impression on you, but much beyond that an impact which would somewhere, even if a bit, change the way you see the world.

The change, no matter how unwelcoming, would appear superficial, if you wouldn’t let it sink in, and sneak away without even letting you know. But there are going to be a few disheartening ones. You would not even want to turn back the pages of your life, would instead skip those chapters, so you don’t end up chewing over the things that happened, were said or got done. Even if you do, it would only match churning of some tasteless cud in your mind you would merely want to spit off.

People – they have that kind of impact on you, and how! I have heard this is apparently the most talked about topic around the globe. People. We have the power to transfer our vibes onto others, the magnetic aura we bear has an immense power to reverse all positivity into absolute negativity or vice versa. Our vibes, in a way, speak out our mind for us. So, you would surely get to know if people hate you inside even if they never say a word regarding this on your face.

Ever wondered how wonderful it would be, if we, having understood how getting in touch with people affects us psychologically, emotionally and socially, learn the art of detachment? First rule, however, of detachment game would be never going back to the same phase of your life, shuffling Rubik’s cube, testing out perms and combos while pondering on ifs and buts. A stage of complete cut off would initially seem tough, but that’s all in how you cajole your mind into thinking about other more interesting stuff.  

If you’re lucky, there will be moments when all the negative elements around you would voluntarily buzz off. Stop for a moment to thank them all, for the Satan inside them has finally spared you off its wrath. The ones who are nothing but pile on’s could be shown, very politely, the way to the exit through your actions. You never know, your vibes might as well knock the socks off their negatives.

Detaching would never come easy, for your mind would always want to hop off into the negative mode, thinking how alone/lonely it feels because of the people who didn’t care, but, on a brighter side, detachment would always open new doors of fresher possibilities for you, leading you into a brighter, independent path where you would find yourself happier in absence of all such creeps.

Detachment, I am sure, would bring along a thousand reasons for you to thank God for a blessed life you never knew existed in store for you. After all, we are surely not weak to blame people for how we feel – we know Karma is a bitch and surely that detachment would bring along great satisfaction of leaving everything to the stars and moving ahead with the things that matter!