Wednesday, February 29, 2012

All's well that ends well

Ajit bent down and peeped frantically into every auto rickshaw that sped by. uff-ho ... he muttered to himself. this one is also occupied.  He was in this mess because the car had gone for repair.
No actually...he was in this mess because he had forgotten to book a cab. Arre he knew the car was in the garage, he knew had this 9 O'Clock meeting. He should have booked a cab na?
He bit his nails - no not actually...but metaphorically - in the auto as they trundled towards office.
And of course it had to happen today! the lift was out of order.
Ajit huffed his 180 pounds up the stairs ... and heaved to his cabin. He glanced at the cell phone ... it was 10 minutes past 9! He was scr***
The office boy came and said - Saab, Bada Saab told me to tell you.... Meeting is at 11.
Ajit beamed, deposited his laptop on the table and went for a coffee..
All's well that ends well.

All is well the ends well -  is a line of consolation ... a method of cheering oneself.
You know you messed up big time. You goofed up with the organizing. You did not work according to plan. Your tongue did not mirror your thoughts. Still somehow things work out. And the result is what the doctor ordered. The postponed meeting is just the ticket you are looking for!

A generation ago we agonized over the MEANS. We paid more attention to the HOW.
Even though Ajit made it to the meeting, his dad would shake his head in disapproval. Tch Tch This is not done, he would say.
Generation Next is realistic. To a greater extent it lives in the present. without giving much importance to the baggage. We only want to know ....so finally what happened?
The time for this proverb is truly here. Today we believe this -
All's well that ends well.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Accidents will happen

Ajit makes a wild gesture in his friend's house and C-R-A-S-H  at his feet are the shattered pieces of a blue bowl. Who had kept it there on the fridge? He looks around helplessly
No problem says the friend's wife, a false smile in place, ... accidents will happen.
It is ok yaar!

And then at a family get-together Ajit is sitting next to Meena Aunty. They are drinking juice and have exchanged smiles twice already. He is desperate to make some conversation. Oh Aunty will you be going with Seema when she moves to Mumbai? Aunty looks wide eyed - Seema is moving to Mumbai? Yaa she told us when she came with us to the pub. Aunty splutters - Seema came with you to a pub??
Oops! Accidents will happen.
Ajit beats a hasty retreat............now in aam English that means - he ran away.

Farhan Akhtar with his endearing broken voice looks at the camera in the hindi movie - Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara - and says nonchalantly "shit happens" 
He is talking about walking away with his best friend's girl-friend!
Sometimes despite our best efforts things do not work out the way we planned it. 
It's like a hand has swooped down to place a rock in the path of a stream. the stream struggles against the rock and finally makes a new path to surge ahead. The stream does finally leave the rock behind.

Shit happens is the 'cool' modern equivalent to Accidents will happen.
Like the stream that does finally make its way. It is indeed a good idea to say Shit Happens and just move on.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Narayana ninna namada

Have you heard this divine song composed by Purandara Dasa?
Narayana ninna namada smaraneya
saramrutavu enna naligege barali

O Lord, he pleads, may the sound of your name be on my lips and reverberate through my thoughts as I go through the simplest activities of life
may I think of you even as I sit, stand, walk, run, play, or even shiver with fever ... until my dying day!!
The composition has 7 verses but only 3 are generally taken for presentation by singers. One link I give you-
Smt MS Subbulakshmi
O you should listen to the way she goes narayaanaaaaa. it's like you can actually see Him. sends me to a totally different zone everytime i listen.
 I have not heard a Hindustani version of this composition. If you know of any, please do share.
and yes, my humble attempt to depict this on paper. I associate with Lord Krishna ... navilugari (peacock feather), bamboo flute, peepal tree and a flowing dupatta.

Narayana ninna - peepal tree, peacock feather and flute

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Ask ME for one-thing with single minded devotion and I will say tatastu (so let it be) ........
ah OK..... but only one thing at a time.......hegappa?