Nearly eight years ago I attended a seminar on non-conventional, renewable energy sources. The tagline of the seminar was Clean Green Sustainable. Whenever I have mentioned having attended that two day seminar, then or since, the reaction has been uniform. “Why waste two full days attending a seminar on a topic which has nothing in […]
Insights
Counterfeit Virtue
Every virtue- diligence, honesty, fairness, integrity- has its antonym representing the opposite pole. Diligence has sloth , honesty has dishonesty, fairness has unfairness, integrity has lack of integrity and good has evil. A person can be fair or unfair. They may be scrupulously honest or grossly dishonest. They may be diligent or slothful. They might […]
Great Expectations
I live on the banks of the river Narbada. The river is lavish and generous to all her children. She lets you take as much water from her as you need. She’d never refuse you, on the contrary, she would love to give all you want. She cannot be called sparing or miserly if you […]
Ten Minute People
Do you know people whose negative outlook can begin to poison your own sunny disposition in ten minutes? It takes them ten minutes to get off to a good canter, trotting their grievances out. Such people are ten minute people. There are important things to do when you trip over such people. Listen carefully, for […]
Stepping Back
You take out your best formals to wear at a party and find them too tight. Dismayed, you decide to re-start a regular workout regime. You retrieve (read excavate) your walking shoes from never- never- land and dust the entire Harappan civilization off them. The steely glint in your eyes could slice Mt Everest into […]
Objectively Speaking
We aren’t taught objectivity in school, unfortunately. It is a vital personal skill. This one skill alone can save countless instances of depression on one hand and varying degrees of megalomania on the other. Considering how many life skills one is compelled to learn- after many a humiliating fall- after one passes out of school, […]
The Shape of My Wings
It is said that five years from today you would remain the same person you are now but for the people who come into your life. For me, the easiest way of letting people into my life is through books. It is chiefly through books that we enjoy the communion with superior minds. In […]
The Urchin
The empty train thundered its way onto the platform. He was riding on the steps of the engine cab, as he loved to do. He felt as if it was he bringing in the train for all the people waiting. A seven year old home-less ragamuffin like him bringing a train for all those big […]
The Driver- Concluding Part
Continued from The Driver- Part I , The Driver- Part II and The Driver- Part III “Let me tell you my part of the story. Listen, and don’t interrupt”, Prasad said and Amrit nodded. “I am a retired public sector executive. On the night of your accident, I had just arrived from Bombay and was […]
The Driver- Part III
Continued from The Driver- Part II “What happened to the bag carrying the drugs and gold…?” the man asked again. Amrit stared at the man confused. While recounting the story, he had only said the bag carried gold. He hadn’t mentioned the drugs at all. Then how did this man know…? In his agitation, Amrit […]