कल ही की बात है ...

कल ही की बात है, जो तुम हमारे थे

ना जाने क्या हुआ, हम हो गये जुदा

दोनो में आ गये, क्यूँ हैं ये फ़ासले

खुशियाँ थीं कल मगर, अब हैं शिकवे-गिले

कल ही की बात है ...

कल ही की बात है, तुम थे जब मेरे पास

कुछ भी नहीं है अब, जो तुम नहीं हो साथ

तनहा अब तेरे बिन, लगती है ज़िन्दगी

दिन तो कट जाते हैं, रातें कटती नहीं

कल ही की बात है ...

कल ही की बात है, आँखों में ख्वाब थे 

चाहत के सँग-सँग, दिल में अरमान थे 

सारे सपने वोह आज, अश्कोँ में बह गये 

टुकडे अरमानों के, बाकी बस रह गये  

कल ही की बात है ...

Triskaidekaphobia

It's that day of the month again when certain paranoid people start looking over their shoulders from time to time to make sure everything's alright... It's 13th April today & here I am with a new post on the irrational & exaggerated fear of the number "13"- also scientifically known as Triskaidekaphobia. A specific fear of Friday the 13th is called Paraskavedekatriaphobia or Friggatriskaidekaphobia (he he... quite a mouthful and tongue-twisters , aren't they?)

A well known fact is that many people are superstitious when it comes to the number 13 (often termed as "unlucky thirteen"); the 13th of every month is such a dreaded day for some that they actually call in sick to work rather than take a chance with bad luck. More prevalent in Western culture, the fear of number 13 has caught on in other countries of the world as well with movies like Friday The 13th revolving around the phenomenon popularising the issue.

Though historically speaking, people have been scared of "13" for a long time now. There have been all sorts of rumours and  stories about it's origin. One such populist view is that it owes its emergence to Christianity, wherein there were supposed to be 13 guests at "The Last Supper" with Judas being the 13th person there. Moreover, many people believe that Adam & Eve were expelled from Eden on the 13th day since life as we know it began on this planet.

This number has such a hold on people from the US & Europe that a lot of companies have to take this factor into account while designing their strategies. Skyscrapers in a lot of countries have no 13th floor, Hotels sometimes don't have a room numbered 13, Flights of many airlines skip seat no. 13 & jump directly from 12 to 14 etc. Many people do not fly on the 13th, irrespective of the fact if it's a Friday or not, and people feel that weddings, the start of vacations, and major purchases should not be done on the 13th day of any month.

A study has proclaimed that every year companies in the US lose about $800 to $ 900 million due to people avoiding any  business transactions on the 13th of the month. An interesting bit of information I came across while surfing the net was that Brussels Airlines had to change its logo after superstitious passengers complained quite strongly about the 13 dots that were used to create the letter "B" in their logo. They actually changed the logo & it now has 14 dots.

Well, talking about myself, I really don't know or can't say if I have Triskaidekaphobia or not. I personally enjoy the unknown  of what could possible go wrong on the 13th of any month more than I fear it. Other than some minor incidents in my life, they have proven for the most part harmless. What about you people? Would love to hear your experiences about Friday the 13th or any incident related to the number "13" that may occurred sometime in your life?

PS: I leave you with these interesting tid-bits I came across about the number 13 ...

1) John Mayer had 14 tracks on his album Room for Squares, although the 13th is 0.2 seconds of silence and is not listed on the album cover.

2) Infamous serial killers Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Theodore Bundy all have 13 letters in their names.

3) In Formula 1 racing, there is no car with the number 13. The number has been removed after 2 drivers were killed in crashes - both driving cars numbered 13.

4) You may remember the disaster that befell NASA’s space shuttle, Apollo 13. An explosion in the fuel cells of the service module severely crippled the spacecraft. Did you know that Apollo 13 left our planet on the 13th hour? 

5) Numerologists consider the number 12 as being a complete number, as there are 2 cycles of 12 hours in a day, 12 months in a year, 12 signs of both the eastern and western zodiacs etc. To exceed this number by one is to go beyond completeness and perfection.

"Ye Waala Suna Kya?" ("Have You Heard This One?")

No matter all comments & remarks made to the contrary, there's no denying the fact that we Indians just love to gossip. Period. And it's not just the women-folk who partake in it religiously (as the legend goes!), it's the guys too who are equally neck-deep in it. Though the subjects we "discuss" about may differ at times, when it comes to gossiping, it's like we've all "been there, done that". Yeah, you could say the affliction is widespread. And oh yes... it is highly infectious! I'm sure we all know that now don't we ;)

Sneaking, lying and cheating among friends or acquaintances make for the most savory material of course, but often topics like broken marriages, failed relationships, messy divorces, office politics, school / college happenings, celebs' secret affairs to What's wrong with someone's sex life (ahem!), Who's dating who, Whose car window got smashed by whose kid, Whose bird got eaten by whose cat (lolzz) et al are popular... I mean people just love blathering about anything and everything under the sun... And once they start there's no stopping ‘em... one thing leads to another and another and another...

Well, things stand such that some researchers & social scientists now believe that gossiping is not just a trivial pastime but a way of life... a means essential for human beings' social, psychological & even physical development (yeah right!) … And the advancements in technology (e-mail, texting / messaging) & the advent of social networking sites have ensured that people have several avenues to achieve this... er, 'social development' of theirs...

At the risk of sounding partial & a bit sexist maybe, have to admit that women are so much more skilled at the art of gossiping than men. They have an innate ability to make even the dullest & most drab piece of news items spicy & entertaining. 3 factors that contribute immensely to this phenomena, in my opinion - highly animated tones while gossiping, plenty of details (sometimes embellished with loads of imaginary stuff :P) and last but not least... the enthusiasm with which they seek & give 'feedback' :) But yeah, a lot of guys are learning the tricks of the trade fast & guess it won't be long before they can pose a serious challenge to gals for the moniker of the "best gossiper around"...

Most gossip takes place behind the back of the person who is being gossiped about... though we are aware about what we are doing is incorrect but then there is an eagerness to do so and we truly love it. It stems from the thrill of doing something a bit naughty, talking about people's 'private' lives – well, it just can't be helped, all humans have this built-in, subconscious need for taking risks & doing things we aren’t supposed to. Some reasons why people gossip: plain & simple curiosity, general tendency, personal interest, dislike of someone/something etc. Whatever be the reason, admittedly gossiping is real fun, a fun that everyone loves to experience & be a part of.

As a concluding note, well, let me just say that before starting to gossip always think that it shouldn't hurt someone's sentiments. Gossip should consist of light, fun-filled banter meant to de-stress & relax frayed nerves and not something that makes you feel guilty in the future about the things you said about someone... on that note, I end this piece. Keep yakking people... & by the way, "Did you hear this one ……???" :)

MBA ... Been There, Done That

It's the last day of March. And I've just given the last exam of my life as a student ...

Seems like a phase of my life has just ended. 19 long years have been spent being a student. And it all culminated today here at SIBM where I just gave (hopefully!) the last exam of my life ... Yes, I'm now an MBA - a "Manager By Accident" if you may :)

A journey that began in the kindergarten section of a school back in Delhi has ended here in Pune; at one of the premier B-schools of the country.... or has it? Guess it could also be interpreted as a harbinger of change, a sign of new beginnings, a start of a new phase of my life ....

Be that as it may, I stop and ask myself ... "Am I ready for the new & probably much bigger tests that life may have in store for me"? Well, I guess that's a tough one, but hopefully like all things have come to pass, I'm sure I'll be able to face up to the challenges of anything and everything that life comes up with.

Anyway, the immediate next stop: Home! ... Yeah Mom, I know you guys are waiting .... don't worry, it's just a matter of a few hours more ...

Oh and yeah, once I'm back, will have a month and a half to chill out and catch up with old friends (something that's long overdue), before I start as an MT (er, Management Trainee for the uninitiated) at Coca-Cola India.

To conclude this piece, here are a couple of lines from an accomplished poet ..... Divya Prakash Dubey, my batchmate and a dear friend who summed up all our thoughts about life at MBA in his poem ....

"Jab Office Mein Ghanton Padega Rukna,
Tab Sawa Ghante Ke Lectures Ki Bahut Yaad Aayegi"

(When We'll Have to Stay for Hours on End at Our Workplace,
Thats When We'll Remember & Miss These 1.15 Hour Lectures ...)

PS: for more on DP's work, check out: http://esakyunhotahai.blogspot.com/

Irrepressible Paranoia

Something just doesn't feel right today,
The bright day seems like a dark night today,
Not too many things matter much anyway,
But even things that do, ain't alright today

Something's tormenting me in my mind & soul,
Donno what is it that's scaring me to the core,
There's this voice at the back of my head,
Telling me things it's never told me before

These voices inside are brutally pointing out,
The mistakes in life that were made by me,
There's this guilt crawling beneath my skin,
Trying to burst out, Trying to break free

I've tried and I've failed ... and I've tried again,
To drown all noises comin' from within,
I'm left with a nothingness inside of me,
And all of my walls seem to be closing in ...

I'm imagining things now where there are none,
There are shadows creeping up beside me,
Whispering in my ears and letting me know,
That I will never be what I want me to be.

There's nothing that could rid me of this paranoia,
There's nothing at all that can make it go away,
I knew it right from the beginning, now didn't I?
That something just doesn't feel right today ...