...onset of a story

They say each friend represents a world in us! A statement we all can vow for and have experienced throughout our lives. Little did we knew this the first time we four met, that someday we all will be a part of something that will be probably a topic of mass affection, love and discussion ( for good reasons of course).  And as every story has a story behind it, here is my part of the story...

When we met for the first time, all we had in common is the passion for photography and the hunger to make it bigger. And what we had uncommon was lot’s of if’s and buts’, different backgrounds and different genres (of photography). I clearly remember the conversation I had with Nandini during the Wall Art Project for Metropolis’13. We had a deal, that if I get any Fashion related query I shall forward it to her and if she gets any Travel related query she will forward it to me.

Then a few things happened coincidentally. A friend calling me from Delhi to ask about a good Wedding Photographer in Guwahati, Nandini uploading photographs of a wedding they were covering in Golaghat at the same time, and that smile saying, aah! My friends (acquaintance then) are so talented and the lazy me deciding right then to meet up, discuss and plan if we can do something together. By then it was in first week of February ’13. Soon, three of us met (Me, Rejaul, Nandini) and tried to decide on something, Rj (our little Rup) entered the scene but one question still remained, what we are going to do. One thing we were sure that it is going to be something with photography, but what? Again four different people, different genres and one common passion! Photography? Ok, Final! What next? Who will do what? If Nandini, Rejaul and Rj are comfortable shooting people, or with people around, I prefer shooting in a calm environment. So? Finally we zeroed into a plan. Nandini will shoot Fashion & Wedding. Rejaul will shoot Wedding and Concerts. Rj will shoot Wedding. I will shoot Products and Concerts.

Next Step! Probably the most rigorous phase of this story! What will be the name? We tried to search small words, to be paired as two which will be easy to remember and have resemblance with what we do. Many words were taken into account, but again the fact that four us will work in different genres made our task quite tough. Finally we zeroed into the words Muse & Memories for it being easy to remember, easy to pronounce (ask us how tough it is!) and for both the words having relevance with our work.  If the word ‘Muse’ would reflect something that we want to ponder or that would reflect on something we do, then every wedding, fashion portfolio, product or concert we will shoot,  will be our muse, the word ‘Memories’ would always keep people feel special with the memoirs they have with them as photographs.

Then came the moment of creating the identity! It all happened suddenly, in the evening we finalised the name, and by night I created logo options. And by next evening we finalised and agreed to disagree that we will have two logos, as two of us liked one and other two liked the other one. That was the inception of Muse & Memories. And the rest is a fairytale!

The making of Muse & Memories was one fun part, we agreed, we disagreed, we agreed to disagree and vice versa. We still do, at times we are so rigid and times soft. We fight with each other, we fight for each other. We laugh, we cry together and most of all we love and celebrate what we are and what we do. From the very first like on our page to the 6000^th (probably we already have added many more till now and we want it to keep adding), every single like means a lot. Every single message we got from you, every call we received; every smile we could feel when we say, “yes! we are available.” or every disappointment you have shown when we say, “sorry! we are booked.”, made our journey so unforgettable. The journey started by we four, is today companioned by a 6000 plus more.

And as we turn One today, thank you for the warmth and love you have shared back. Thank you for believing in us, for making us a part of your life, your memories and Thank you for making us, Muse & Memories, what we are today. So, we Dream On and wish to continue what we love to do, creating memories and spreading smiles the Muse & Memories way! 

Through The Wits And Smiles...

Over the last few months I have realised that finding things to write about isn’t as difficult as it’s made out to be, especially irrelevant ones. To write about the year 2010 in a little note, I have to go down memory lane. Things at times were too dark to go alone and perplexingly long too. But at times it was amazingly easy. A year full of fun, thrill, happiness, excitement, association, reunion, creativity along with little bit of the necessary evil s, tears, sadness and dejection.

A year, which converted many social networking friends real ones, re united with many old long lost friends. Enajori.com, a dream so distant yet so close became a part of my life. Thanks to Himjyoti, Auditya, Santanu. New ventures seemed to follow me even to a shop, was offered my first professional photo shoot while buying the camera, without even knowing what functions my camera has. Thanks to all the Folkcult people, for believing in my abilities. People turned from acquaintances to friends, to ‘creative crime partners’, can’t resist mentioning your names, thank u Bhaskar, Bitupon & Shamim, many a times you people made life look so easy. Many a times, you actually made me feel like a ‘Superhero’. Chandralika, Priyankee, Sanghamitra...thank u, for always listening to all my woes with a smile. How can I forget my lazy angels, Alok, Debasish, Debarsish, Kabandi, Pallav, Purabi , Sima, & Sukanya, so lazy they are that they don’t carry their wings. I should not forget AIM, or the AIM Quest Team, one event so special and close to my heart, Himadri for making AIM a part of my life and all the friends I made there. All my Pune friends, especially Debraj, Prachurjya & Nandana, the geographical distance seemed so little every time we had a chat, thank you for being there always. Big thank you to my little friends, ‘bachha party’ as I call them, Darpan, Nayana, Sanskriti for always pepping me up. To all my new friends, a special thank you, for tolerating me, the way I am, yet helping me in the making of a better me.

The year, 2011 is actually almost one month old now (I being so laidback to write), all I would like to say is the 2010 was so wonderful with you people around, I wish the year 2011 be go fast through the evils of tears & negativity (nullify?) to be more happy, more fun & more creative through the wits and smiles...

When A Man Loves A Woman

Sometimes I feel as if I am in an absolutely different element and even when I’m with family and friends, I often feel so out of place. No matter how much of a crowd I am in, I am still alone and yet, it’s the same place that keeps my mind calm in times of sorrow. It’s cold where I am, this perpetual instant of silence in a mirage of serenity. I suppose it’s just like the darkness of outer space and I’m awaiting the sunlight to find its way. This dream of mine begins with a conversation of whispers.

To love a woman is a journey of finding romance, a journey of finding her heart through the simplest of ways. Some people say it’s apparent to find love, but if you allow yourself to believe that love can only exist without limitations, then and only then will you find the way to a woman’s heart because your destination is always to find her heart at the end of each path. As you venture through the walls of her heart, you will find new reason to redefine your definition of what it is to love. Before we fall in love we are able to find comfort in solitude, but when we have finally fallen deep into love, we automatically begin to learn a need that overpowers every character of our being. When you take time to discover her for everything she is, it’s about letting her change you into the man you were always meant to be and allowing yourself to need her in order to become more than who you are.

When you have the want to discover and know her, you will find innocence in her eyes because aside from romance, she’s just so much more than what meets the eye. She’s your best friend, someone to share all your deepest feelings and dreams with because romance is not always the key to finding her heart. It is the ability to warm her heart through other means as your wishes inspire you to make her laugh and cry and dream of many beautiful things. To love a woman is a journey of discovery and if you allow yourself to find innocence in her eyes, you will find beauty in her every movement. It’s about finding beauty within the split of her broken heart, even if she is in a confusion, which makes all the difference in the world because when you acknowledge it’s only her feelings of being in a confusion, you’re also acknowledging that she’s beautiful no matter when, how or where.

Some day, when you find her falling into your arms ever so softly in a moment of weakness, it’s about giving her an ounce of faith, hope or just may be the whole world for moment. Love in its purest form is selfless in every way and it’s about showing her she’s loved and not only that she’s loved by you. Some day, when you come to the realization that her tears are really not tears, but beautiful heart cries instead, that’s when you know you’ve taken the first of many steps in discovering the art of loving a woman and may be it is where I am right now.

If there is a way to reach a woman’s heart without the touch of fingertips, I promise I will find it, even if it takes the deaths of a billion trillion stars, but as of this moment I have to believe this is only a learning process so if that one special girl finally comes along, I will know how to bring joy into her life.

All you people out there in love remember…

“When a man loves a woman

Can't keep his mind on nothin' else

He'd trade the world

For the good thing he's found…

.....................................

When a man loves a woman

Deep down in his soul

She can bring him such misery

If she is playing him for a fool

He's the last one to know

Loving eyes can never see!”

Ain’t No Sunshine Without You!

‘Isn’t a friend a necessity in life? Assume yourself without a true, sincere friend. How would you feel at your college? What about functions, parties? Events especially your birthday. Who will ask you about your worries, who is going to tell you his/her worries?? How you will laugh with a high five, who will tease you pairing with others, who will care, miss and irritate you.’

We can’t pick our family, and we are sorely limited in the number of them. Society and more (and often our own conscience) dictate we select a single mate. But our friends can be as diverse as we decide to choose. Our friends in a very real sense reflect the choice we make in!

Sometimes friendships extend beyond this realm into another world. Do you believe in angels? At times I do believe that there are beings sent from heaven to watch over us. Each and everyday, at every stage of life God sends his angels to guide us, to company us, to pamper us, to push us, to stop us, to inspire us. I don’t expect to see them with wings or with halo flying above their heads. Instead they come in disguise, and they are called friends.

They accept me the way I am, believes in me for what I do, doesn’t give up on me, envision the whole of me, forgive me, help me quit my fears, lift my spirits, understand me, value me, walk by me, explain things that I don’t understand, yell at me when needed.

Friends, am no literary whiz to write great notes about friendship, just on the eve of another ‘Friendship Day’ in our lives, I want to let you people know that because of you life’s been a wonderful expedition, a journey I wish to continue ever and ever with you by my side. Few unwanted gifts of my life, and yet I want to treasure them forever and ever.

Pages Of The Past

“When I was a child I used to run around the butterflies as they flew about collecting nectar…and now as I grew up, I am running after my dreams hoping to see them turn into reality someday”

The voyage started way back in 2002, I left home for Pune. We go out of our home, our own native land…to a place unfamiliar, to make our own self, to stand on our own. We dream, we aspire…we live. Have seen dreams fulfilled, dreams broken. Ever since I landed in Pune, I had a dream…to do a bit for our own people, to build a common platform for them, especially for people living outside their home, to created one place of affinity and global participation for our fellow people. My whole voyage in Pune is something I can’t explain in words, something I’ll value lifelong. Days past, years past…spent as many as 7 years there…but that dream of a common platform of global participation for our fellow people still lingered in my mind. After many unsuccessful attempts, financial hiccups and trusted people who actually didn’t have faith in me…I almost gave up. When I came back home, to look after family business and also start up something on my own…that dream never seemed to leave me. Just waited for the day to get established, to fulfill that dream on my own. Luckily I wasn’t ordained to wait for long…

One fine day it happened! One of my friends suggested me to go through ‘www.enajori.com’. It was like a dream….revived!! Otherwise a very laidback me, promptly wrote a mail to the ‘enajori’ team. And now after 3 months of joining the ‘enajori’ team I proudly say it to be a integral part of my life, for making my distant dream a reality, for giving me exposure and not to forget a ‘friend’ whom I’ll cherish a lifetime.

Thank you Sang, for your suggestion to go through ‘enajori’, thank you to the team, for making me a part of it, thank you Him, for being such a wonderful team member, friend and a constant support. And thank you, all my ‘invisible forces’, my friends…for being there always. The word ‘enajori’ imply...bonding, may my bond with it, its team members and all my friends stay integral, for eternity.

'My Life Musical'

Some people say, am crazy, but yes I can listen to a song in loop uncountable times, just to admire its beauty, and go through a joy ride of emotions. Music is a way of life, expression of life, appearance of life; it is something beyond evaluation, something celestial. Music means something different for everybody.

When I find myself captivated by the first line of a song, I continue on, enjoying the rhythm or structure the author created, and most if the time by the end I am usually completely lost. It’s amazing, the way people throws out random beautiful thoughts and somehow makes it seem like it's all connected together. Music juggles our emotions, takes them to a different level; gives us something to refresh, to push, to hope, and to restart. Music makes us smile, makes us laugh, makes us sing, inspire, enlighten, makes us weep, makes us cry, makes us realize and makes us feel, makes us dance, it makes us relax, and it makes us dream…

Wish life could be one musical. A musical movie may be, furnished with some amazing songs with heart warming music. Wow!! But yes, can’t expect it to be happy and peppy, some sadness and pain are also important. We may call it irony of life, but without all these emotions, we actually can’t signify the value of the opposite emotion. Even then, I would love to select a few songs for my life….’my life musical’! For me, I’ve been traveling through years, in the canvas of these tunes...

Innocence:

Meri Maa (OST Tare Zameen Par, Shankar Mahadevan, Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi)

So innocent and so delicate. This song has the ability to ripple my innocence. I still remember weeping in theatre, the first time I heard it and once while performing it.

Hope/ Dream:

Dil Hi Chota Sa (OST Roja, Minmini, Lyrics: Jagdish Khebudkar)

Have grown up listening to this song. For me it’s one ultimate hope song. Every time I listen, it makes hope, make my dreams takes its flight and comes back to us. Inspires to hope…to dream.

Inspiration:

Ashsaayen (OST Iqbaal, K.K, Lyrics: Irfan Siddique)

A song full of inspiration! Do I need to say more?

Happiness/fun:

Summer of ‘69 (OST Reckless, Bryan Adams, Lyrics: Bryan Adams)

It actually denotes some other meaning and we all know it. But this song has some feel good factor in it, at least for me. The energy makes me happy, a distinct song for happy fun filled moments.

Friendship:

Yeh Dosti (OST Sholay, Kishore Kumar/Manna De, Lyrics: Anand Bakshi)

Do we need not explain a song on friendship?

Love:

Please Forgive Me (OST, Bryan Adams, Lyrics: Bryan Adams)

What pain, what acceptance and what lyrics. Subtle, soothing and yet painful. I think that what love is all about.

Mar Jawaan (OST Fashion, Shruti Pathak, Lyrics: Irfan Siddique, Sandeep Nath)

Maudlin, mushy, raw…yes may be. Heard many people complain about this song for being over emotional. Probably they overlooked the passion, the pain. And what lyrics! Aah! For me this song is an escape to love. I feel soaked in love every time I listen to it.

Pain/ Sadness:

Tere Bina Zindagi Se (OST Andhi, Kishore Kumar/ Lata Mangeshkar, Lyrics: Gulzar)

An amazing composition. The lyrics, the song says it all.

Tu Jaane Na (OST Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani, Sohum, Lyrics: Irshad Kamil)

A fresh just out of the oven song, with touching lyrics. Tale of unrequited or unexpressed love isn’t it?

Life:

Kal Ho Naa Ho (OST KHNH, Sonu Nigam, Lyrics: Javed Akhtar)

Life indeed is a mixture of sunshine & rain, laughter & pleasure, teardrops & pain. The clouds and the sun play hide and seek in the sky, and the emotions play the same part in our life.

Mon Mur (OST Junaki Rati, Angaraag Mahanta, Lyrics: Keshab Mahanta)

Just three words. Mesmerizing, enchanting and refreshing.

Nostalgia:

Sandhya Jetiya Name (OST Junaki Rati, Angaraag Mahanta, Lyrics: Sorot Borkotoky)

Bideshot Apun Manuh (OST Bideshot Apun Manuh, Saju, Lyrics: Jimoni Choudhury)

Nostalgia! Just pure of it, and nothing else. Actually this feeling is something out of the world, no happiness no pain, just pure remembrance.

Poem

frozen unfrozen silence,

tuned into a poem...

one handful of moonlight....

your giggles,

like Cindrella's fairy tales or Alice's dreams???

one worn out photo,

one you,

and a few lines of

adrifted poem...

N.B.: It was scribbled long long back, it dates back to March 2008. Just wanted to share :)

Music On, World Off !!

…it’s called life or something like it. Been a while now I guess. And all this while I was too busy running after work, career, success, happiness, love, I definitely missed a special part of being me. I really did!

Music! For me is an escape, just like writing. Whether we admit it or not, music embeds our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories. It is life for some, means of worship for some, and for some it was a means of great expression, beyond words and images. Music has the quality of expressing the inexpressible. I remember someone rightly quoted’ if in the after life there is not music; we will have to import it.’

Now then, life moves on and so do we. What I miss most is my involvement with music. I miss going out there and performing in the crowd, the moment when nerves melt into calm pleasure before the commencement of a show in a hushed theatre, the rehearsals, the fun and the feeling that used to keep me away from every other emotion in this world. Another unlikely thing I miss is the moment, when I make some mistake, on stage, live…and all I can do is look at my fellow musicians and smile and all those funny incidents that happen over there.

One incident that took place in one my shows will always remain so close to my heart. We were playing the song, ‘Bideshot Apun Manuh’, a song so close to our heart and life. Such is the irony of life, we live far away from our native place, get busy with life, yet our heart always craves for little things that is very own. And this song made its way to our lives, more so because it carries only one emotion…nostalgia! No hate, no love…just pure nostalgia. The crowd was very eager to listen to this song. And just when we are about to start, the connection of my drum kit went off. Technical problems…they are the indispensable evil. Started again, the monitor was not working. Then finally at the third attempt when we were halfway through the interlude, my drum kit went off, again. The buzz in the crowd was easily audible from the stage and all of us did panic for a while. I did at least, ‘coz my instrument went off twice. While we were checking the technical things again, I heard a friend of mine (am yet to know who did that, but thanked him probably a zillion times) started cheering me up…Arpan…Arpan. Other friends followed. Oh!! What a feeling! A shiver ran through me, felt like crying, I was elated every time I heard the cheer and inspired. Soon, we started to play the same song again and finally finished. After the show was over, many people came to us and appreciated, particularly for that song. Many eyes were moist; probably that song disturbed a chord that people safely kept back in their heart.

Wish I could go back to all those moments. Fall in love again, with music! Get drenched. Wish life had one on/off button, while the rest of the world gets busy living or dying; all I need to do is…Music On!! World Off!!

'Colour Makers'

...while the rest of the world went on ignorant, drinking their coffee, reading the sports page, and surfing TV channels, I kept on working, making a choice that might change many things. May be somewhere there was a ripple, a bit of a jump, some small shift in the universe, barely noticeable. I didn't feel it then. And now, as the days of hard work, sleepless nights, foodless afternoons are over am feeling the change.

I saw this dream creeping up and blossom, and let it open for the whole world. The words appreciation kept coming. And now that we’ve won the Gold Medal, I want to thank every one who always believed in me, encouraged me and loved me the way I am. We rarely take this opportunity in our lives to thank people who actually mean a lot. Frankly speaking, my work was appreciated but what went unnoticed are the efforts of the people who stood by me. These things usually go unnoticed but they make great sense and they are the one who make life so uncomplicated and cheerful.

Thank you, Maa & Baa for everything and for adjusting with my odd lunch and dinner timings, for all the plans you had to cancel coz ‘m not home. Thank you Dita, your pat on my back means the world to me. Thank you, Ajoy Da for asking if we can be a team, Mridul Da for believing in my convictions and going ahead with the project. Thank you Mitu, you always bet on me and made me believe to bet on me. Thank you Paul, you certainly know what you mean to me. Thank you Siba, for all your ingenious inputs. Thank you Rimlie for your unvarying wishes and encouragement. Thank you Jipi and Liza, you two are nothing less than angels. Thank you Alok, Debasish and Debarsish, you people believed from day one that I’ll get this project and kept pushing me. Thank you Debu, you’ve been such a caring and sweet brother to me. Thank you Sima, for your perpetual assurance, that success is just round the corner. Thank you Rassmin Da, Gunamoni Da, Barnali Ba, Roli, Nandana, Ricky, Saba, Smita, Shraddha, Sukanya, Pompy, Tutu, Rahul, Snigdha for your encouragement. Thank you Pinky Ba, for taking my care when I was ill. Thank you to all our Painters, Carpenters and Sculptors, without your contribution the designs would have been incomplete. Thank you to the unknown ‘autowala’ for the ride, who appeared like a God at 1.30 am, without those prints in my hand, our project, would have been incomplete by the stipulated time limit. Thank you everyone in the family, all my friends, the critics, and everyone at the Assam Pavilion.

I’m no celebrity and will not get a chance to stand on a podium and thank my own people. But it’s an honest confession, this achievement of mine belongs to you. My entry to this big world is still is its infancy, but with you people around I believe I can achieve many more things. Cheers!!! To the ‘Colour Makers’ of my life.

I Will Learn To Breathe, Again!

"They build us up and put us on the tallest pedestal, only to break us down, make us fall from the greatest heights. But it's okay. We pick ourselves up again and build ourselves up, without their help. And if we fall again, it doesn't hurt so much."

In anything in life, when we fall down, first and foremost, we should to try to congregate ourselves back. It's no certainty that someone's going to always be there to pick us up; at times we need to do it our self. Life always is a roller coaster, at times up and at times down and down. But the past is the past. Can't change it. You can't be held down because of it.

Now, just going to try to live life to the fullest, and if it was meant to be, it will be. With a little push of course. But for now, maybe it's not the best time for it. So the past can go suck it and stop bothering you.

People make mistakes. But if people are meant to be together, things may possibly fall into place. But also, a lot of times, we take people for granted. If they're always there, we take their presence for granted which is bad. I don't think you should punish yourself for mistakes. It’s not worth it. People make mistakes, learn from it. Your happiness, your happiness doesn't necessarily need to involve that person being back into your life. Don’t beat yourself over it.

You are unwritten, you are undefined. You are just beginning. Open up the porthole; allow the sun to light up your world. Release your inhibitions, experience the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, drench yourself, live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.

P.S.: This note is especially dedicated to you, you, you and you (you people know whom I mean!). Do the things that you always wanted to, without anyone there to hold you back. Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag &..."Smile Smile Smile..."

Droplets of Life...

The backdrop:

“Deba: Arpan da…aji office’r pora ahute khub titilu…bhal lagile.

Me: boroxunor’r kotha nokoba...beya lagi jai…Pune’t thakile etiyale sage flat tu tita kapuror gundhot bhori gol hoi.

Deba: ha ha...hei smell tu. aru ehoptah man ekeloge beli nedekha..office-le jaute boroxun..Office-r pora ulaute boroxun...eibilak pisot bhabile birat bhal lage. apuni likhibo try diyok..bhal hobo !!

Me: boroxun’t ulai jaute saba…tumar cell tu…juwa bosor ki hoisile monot ase nohoi??

Deba: bag eta kinisu..tar bhitorot eta polythene ..tar bhitoror cell aru purse ..eibar risk nolou...:)

Me: aru aji khana ki…??

Deba: khana aaji soya beanor kheti...aru papad…”

The memories…they keep on coming back; touch me again and again. Reminds me papon da singing…”fagunore bauli baa…loi jaa muk loi jaa”

I slipped out into the open…barefoot. The night air is cooling but not cold. Goodness it’s raining! I stand there gently…looking at the stars. I love rainy nights...love listening to the rain singing me a lullaby...love the ambience, the romance, the sadness, the beauty, the stories behind the rain. Rain makes me nostalgic…make me soak in memories…something I’ll cherish for a lifetime…and beyond, if allowed.

Rain reminds me of Pune. My second home…it owns a ‘Lions Share’ of being me. The knowledge, the molding, the bike rides, the ‘Dhaba’ trips at midnight when its 4°c outside, those "night outs", the ‘rescue’ missions, those midnight tease, birthday bumps, old torn jeans, late night walks, long chats and conversations, cooking sessions, crushes, getting kicked out of the class, the project time, struggle for marks, writing on desks, fighting with friends, tears for love, just anything and everything...unique and unmatched.

Well, I am back in and feel sleepy and fairly at peace with tomorrow's uncertainty and its prospects. And I am grateful for the unexpected gifts of yesterday. There are some things you don't have to say but are just understood. But then, why not stretch these things out as long as possible, right?

Night-Night!

P.S.: dedicated to all my Pune friends, seniors, juniors, classmates and colleagues. You people made life such a wonderful voyage.

Life's Bookmark !

How life changes, suddenly from a sluggish black and white movie to one of zipping fast ones where the music is just blaring in your ears. And the irony is that you always want to be on the other side…definitely grass is always greener on the other side. It’s all momentary; the only thing that is constant is change. Life everyday is a new frontier. It was time to start from the scratch again and as I was looking for my maiden assignment AIM Quest happened to me.

This story may seem common to most of the people. People even have more or less the same chapter in their life. No words to describe, I actually can’t pour all my emotions this way...this is amazing...I don’t have words to let u know how it made me feel...I’m touched. In life, we hardly take opportunity to thank people who have really made a difference and are the unsung heroes of our life. Small things usually go unnoticed but they make great sense and they are the one who make life so easy and cheerful.

I felt elated when my name was called on the stage and I was flooded with appreciation and gifts. Thank you all at Assam Institute of Management (AIM). Thank you for believing in my abilities, having patience with me and mostly for making things so comfortable for me. I never felt that I was not a student of the institute.

The sound of claps will always linger on my mind. And will be something I’ll go back every time I’m down or lack in zeal. No matter, even if someday I may reach the zenith of supremacy AIM, AIM Quest 2009, its memories and all the people at AIM will always remain special for me. I will always specially bookmark this chapter of my life. Thank you for making my maiden solo assignment so unforgettable.

Thank you Himadri, for asking me if I can help and introducing me to AIM. Thank you Shruti, for all the creative inputs, thank you (in alphabetical order) Anakshi, Bidisha, Jayasweta, Lakshya, Manab, Mrinal, Neel, Rahul, Ritu, Shraddha, Smita, Sukanya, Zubeen, thank you the 14th batch of AIM, you people simply rock !!!

‘Born To Touch Your Feelings…’

First of all, I want to point out that the title is a direct replica of one my favorite songs by Scorpions...But I felt nothing would be a more pertinent title! It’s been a prominent factor of all my blog...most of them starts either with the name of some song, a movie or a book.

For a strange reason, I somehow do manage to relate myself to the songs, movie or the book. Probably not only me, but all of us definitely relate to the...sometimes the situations, sometimes the lyrics, sometimes the story. The characters, the words, the plot here are so true. They all are tirelessly fascinating because we can all relate to them and it involves us in a way that most things in our life do not. We find ourselves drawn to every moment these two occurrence...together and apart. All of us do!!!

Each and every song, book or movie is written with an exacting situation, a plot or it depicts some significance. There really are no words to describe how they make you feel, but one thing is for sure...they will make you feel. They reflect how things can be in real life. They are penned down with a message...may be good or may be bad. And as human beings we tend to follow what we see...seeing in reel life or reading or may be listening. Good or bad, whatever may be...but it definitely conveys a message and even if it’s in reel life or virtual life...we can relate to them. They take our emotions to a different level; they give us something to refresh, to push, to hope, and to restart. They make us smile, make us laugh, make us sing, inspire us, enlighten us, makes us weep and makes us cry, makes us realize and makes us feel, they make us dance, they make relax, they make us dream...undeniably the songs, movies or the books are born...born to touch our feelings...

Identical to us...humans, we are born with a particular motive or may be I can say ‘a mission.’ And it’s always up to us...how we complete it, in a mind-numbing or in a gratifying manner...most of the times we are driven by huge stirring feelings and undertones that are never verbalized, but just seem to hang in the air. In life we come across many people...we remember a few, forget a few...and wish never to meet a few. It’s for a reason that we meet, we talk, and we help each other or may be learn something. Once we are born it is bound that we will pass at any moment. Memories fade when we die. Nothing will remain...except our name in people’s heart.

Paper Planes !!!

Dreams… are the window through which we look at our life, they lead us to things we always wanted, and their fulfillment makes us happy. When we want something we immediately start making plans to get to it, the permutations and combination's. Our mind juggles through the options we have…and takes the flight to the target almost spontaneously. Yes, our minds are so sensitive that they tend to make ‘paper planes’ every now and than, it takes off immediately and reaches the destination before we actually do or sometimes we don’t even get near.

Recently while going through the lyrics of a song, I came across these lines…

I fly like paper; get high like planes
I get one down in a second if you wait…

So true and so close to our lives. It’s not always that our flight from dream to reality reaches the destination we always wished for…sometimes it is buried young; sometimes we don’t get what we desire.

Dreams or may be aspirations give a path to our life, a much needed direction to it. It is always risky to explore the unknown, but may be we risk more by backing up. We never know what is waiting for us in the very next step, true sometimes it may be painful, sometimes joyful but may be sometimes we find our self with a better result. Pitiful is the person who is anxious of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow.

So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

We generate our own environment. We get exactly what we deserve. How can we resent a life we've created ourselves? Who's to blame, who's to credit but us? Who can change it, anytime we wish, but us? In life we can have results or reasons. If we are not getting the results we want, our reasons are the lies that we keep telling our self.

Someone said, “Sweet dreams are made of this. Who am I to disagree…Some of them wanted to use you, some of them want to be used by you. Some of them want to abuse you; some of them want to be abused.”

When you want what your heart desires, what do you do? 'Coz you can't imagine of anything else that feels right! And yet it's very subtle.

May be we should let the fears go, embrace it all for what it is, and make a silent prayer that the dream is as much yours, as you are the dreams'.

Fables Of Pune...

Pune…it started as a distant dream…to come to a place totally unknown and to make my own identity has been an eventful journey. There was a fear of something unexplainable…may be fretfulness, oddness and many more things. Now it’s been 7 years and Pune has become my second home. The city I gave 7 years of my life definitely holds a momentous role in the making of ‘Me’. Just like I saw the city grow into an IT hub, the city witnessed me nurture from a teenager to a young adult. Pune gave me a lot of things…career, name, fame, friends; enemies (hope there aren’t any), dreams, hope and immeasurable amount of experience and not to forget the mesmerizing memories. From being an aspiring engineer to become a graphic designer, from being an introvert to become a good PR, from being an average guy to become the ‘blue eyed boy’ of Assamese people in Pune, from being a inert musician to get a musical rebirth, from being one of greatest mis-manager to organize and manage huge events successfully I’ve seen it all in Pune.

Now, as I am on the verge of leaving Pune forever, waiting for my flight at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, am penning this note with moist eyes. Not only the city, I’ll miss all the good times I had here, the bad times, the experiences, the unending ‘adda’s, night rides, night outs, road trips, the leg pulling sessions, the musical sittings, the mismanagements, the funny mistakes, study hours during exams, the famous pork parties…the list is probably unending. Will miss my seniors, my juniors and my buddies with whom I shared my joys, sorrows, dreams, and hopes and learnt the art of living.

Adios Pune!!!

The Day After

Again people died, again people got injured. And again people who were 'people' yesterday became a 'number'. I won't say, for now, that we don't have enough security. The fact that I feel unsafe every single day, that I panicked again when I heard the news of the blast that I feel scared to move out of my house and my pleas might not help. I have given up hopes for sometime now.The terrorist have raised their dreadful head again. It’s not the right time to play the blame game, but it’s time we should wake up. Its life’s insincerity that we got to move on despite the devastating occurrence which killed nearly a hundred and wounded half a thousand for lifetime. Someday it may be one of us!!!

All the fingers are pointed towards Jehadi’s and Illegal Immigrants. We all know what they are…yet why are we so silent??? Isn’t it our unconcerned nature or unbending behaviour which is to be answerable for what ever we are facing today? Why we are so dependent on them? Why we can’t do our own work?? Are we paralysed? Our youth would rather spend the whole day gossiping near the neighbourhood pan shop or playing carom the whole day, but no matter what they won’t work. They need Govt job!!! Why even now our people think that other jobs or work is nothing? Is the Govt a job producing machine that will keep producing new jobs every now and then? Whenever I visit Assam, if I say someone that I’m doing Job, the immediate reply is…” Oh!! Company Job!!” Not to mention the expression on the face. But the fact is no work is bigger or smaller, be it a Govt job or a company job, what we all need is the desire. If our people start doing every little thing on their own i.e. utilise man power within our fellow people we can definitely tackle the employment problem to a great extent and also smoulder the immigrants problem. The more our people are involved, the less is requirement of people of outside. These people immigrate because they are aware of the fact that our land will provide them work, land and shelter.

May be we should start an economic blockade against illegal immigrants. Don’t give them work, don’t sell them anything, don’t travel in their rickshaws, and don’t give them your houses on rent. Spread the word, walk the talk. It is high time we show our united strength and not let the terrorist win. If we believe in goodness, in the long run the good always will win. Bombs can kill our bodies but not our hopes. Let us resolute and behead terrorism.

That Thing Called Love...

Life always spills surprises on us, every step is a new one and we never know what is coming our way. Life always unfolds a door for us, possibly not the one that we consider to be good for us, but the one that will eventually prove good for us. Love and Death being the two most un-invited guests, no body knows when they will come and embrace you, but they do the same work. One takes the heart and other takes the beat. Jokes apart, but according to me ‘Love’ is the second mistake created by GOD, ‘Girls’ being the first. But there is no doubt in the fact that both are beautiful mistakes.

Mistakes do happen. People slip, people trip, people fall and usually people don’t care, but then people slip and fall in love with someone and they don’t know what to do. Love actually is a strange thing. You never know how, where and when it will wrap you. Out of no where a person enters your life like no one else, and things change. Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and it is created in a moment. We never know with whom we fall in love and how. It’s a nice feeling when you are in love, but what if you fall for a person whom you have know for years, being good friends ??? To add to it there comes this dilemma, to tell her or to not??? If you love someone just approach and disclose; either way you’ll gain but what a pity our life is, if we hate someone we tell them without any fear and if we love someone we fear to tell…

What are you waiting for?

You have to tell her. Don't let her get away. You will regret it someday. Perhaps, we risk more by not risking anything at all.

Honesty works best, of course. But saying "I Love You" right away can be a huge leap and might come as shocking. May be it would just be a good idea not to tell her directly that you love her but drop very palpable hints in that direction. Talking might go a lot easier this way. No doubt about it, you should tell her. Having a romantic relationship with someone who is also your friend is a wonderful thing. If you lose her as a friend at least you would have tried.

The problem with telling your friend you love her is that it could damage the friendship. On the contrary, not knowing is even worse. If this person is truly your friend then the friendship will stay intact despite the temporary awkwardness.

I believe, to sit down and have a serious talk with her, pouring your heart out may help. The worst thing that could happen is she doesn't feel the same way. So what, you might still be friends. Usually girls don't cross the line of friendship on their own because they are scared of being rejected and losing a friend at the same time.

The questions comes again…should I or should not???

Do you really want to spend the rest of your life saying "What if?"

I don't think so!!! So, it’s always better to just tell her. You should go for it. You should not expect her to see the signs to know that you are interested. Tell her. It's better to know than wonder. And remember that she might not be there forever.

We usually end up in two situations, or at least I feel that we do:

(1) How important your companionable friendship is with this girl??

(2) Whether or not you are capable of maintaining that friendship and simultaneously moving on??

In all likelihood, she already knows how you feel, and although she doesn't feel the same way, she really appreciates your friendship. Saying something to her will undoubtedly create an uncomfortable situation between you. If you value your friendship, and would like to continue it, you should stay friends but MOVE ON. The only negative thing she can do after knowing the situation is to try to put distance between you two, and you can easily put a stop to that by letting her know that she is important to you and that you won't let her just walk away. You really do have nothing to lose. Interest often evolves one-sided in friendships. Even if she doesn't feel the same way, if you two can overcome the initial awkwardness (however long that may be), ultimately it will bind your friendship to be stronger.
True love in you if understood by the other need not be openly 'told'! If it is not understood there is no point in telling to your disappointment. If the true love is there on both sides, it will develop its own dynamics of expression which is spontaneous, silent and sacred.

We should do what our heart feels. It doesn't get easier every time you tell someone how you feel (for me at least). If she is a friend she will continue to be one. We should never bottle up emotions like these since they can literally destroy our life. Don't wait and miss the chance altogether. If she really values your friendship, she is not going to let something like this ruin a friendship.


…Probably it’s the story of every other person, it happened to me and countless others. One fine day it just happened, someone kept running in my mind all day long and I didn’t know what it was. I was never been so confused before. Was it a crush??? Infatuation??? A passing phase of my life or it was just her, her and her…

After a long self introspection, I finally asked myself…

What are you waiting for?

Rock On !!!

Recently, one Saturday afternoon, my cell phone beeped…’ 1 message received ‘!!! The sms read as…” Hey KD……I’ve given you a new nickname”. It was my friend Alok. I replied back, what was KD??? He gave me a nickname, after watching the flick “Rock On!!!”

Thanks to Farhan Akhtar and his on screen Rock Band ‘Magik’; and off course the movie ‘Rock On!!!” It’s been the force behind this blog. An inspiring movie for all budding musicians or to all those who have dreams…Dreams to make it big some day, to be on top of everything they ever desired for. It’s a movie on realising your dream and working hard to bring it to life. ‘Rock On’ strikes a chord on right note.

Being a musician myself it was very touchy and nostalgic. Those carefree days of youth when only music and music mattered, we used to starve ourselves while practicing, no hunger no thirst. Life moved on, we got busy with our separate lives…but deep in heart the flame was still there. The movie was the right kind of tonic I needed; it just ignited that flame once again, that feeling just re-ignited in my heart.

Its quirk of fate, that you normally don’t get what you crave for n they say you didn’t deserve that. But life is not so simple, its twist n turns make us forget many of our aspirations, desires and we just need to follow the steps which it offers in our path, despite the fact that we want something else. After out of the music scenario, for almost 4 years when I started again, I felt like I wont be able to do it again but I somehow managed to keep going, and after days of hard work, foodless afternoons and all those critics from my roommates (for playing the music loud and practicing whole day long), I discovered its still left in me. Probably life gives a second chance to everyone to prove one’s credentials. I know, am still a learner, but at least now a few people know what am capable of. I should also be thankful to all my critics; definitely…it’s their words that kept me going and gave the much needed zeal.

“Rock On”…just did some magic. Probably it’s a kind of movie that will touch every person’s life who’s connected with music, even someone who’s not. For someone like me, who worship music, it was the fresh drop of water on a dried leaf. If you have watched it, you are touched and if you haven’t, you are missing something.