26/11

This poem is dedicated to all those men guarding the borders of this vast nation, as they protect us everyday so that we can live our lives at peace.

Tragedy struck Mumbai on 26/11,
Few ruthless men with an evil ploy,
Took control of the Taj and Oberoi,
As the world watched helpless in horror,
They played around with bullets and fire.

Many were trapped and many were slain,
These ones from across the border were indeed insane,
They killed young ones and did not spare women,
Sadly enough they called themselves men.

Men were those who went inside,
To protect their own, they lost their lives,
Men were those who lost loved ones,
And inspite of the grief, served their countrymen with pride.

The men of terror were brought down to dust,
By men who delivered, the men you could trust,
Even though it ended, there was an eerie silence,
Rage and Anger became the aftermath of violence.

Only when it ended did it really sink in,
The terror attack had instilled a fear within,
And inspite of the fear we dare to be normal today,
'We still believe in peace' is what Mumbaikars say.

Lets salute our martyrs who gave up their lives,
To keep us protected and keep India's glory alive,
Oh Men of honour!! We pray for you and your families,
We thank you, for you have given a new meaning to our lives.

V.V.Vikram

The Stranger

As he walked back into those streets,
A wave of emotions engulfed him,
Memories hit him hard,
He called out names he had once known.

The names echoed in the empty streets,
Like the apparitions introducing themselves,
The air smelt of damp soil and rusted roofs,
He looked around for those he had left.

At the end of the little road was a ruined house,
As he pushed open the half broken gate,
The creaking noise created a flutter amongst the pigeons,
Faint noises of the past rang in his ears.

He knocked on the door with anticipation,
He heard faint footsteps and the door opened,
A face known and yet unknown emerged like a ghost,
He had returned home from the chaos of the city.

V.V.Vikram

I HAVE SEEN IT ALL

I have seen it all, says she,
Within these four walls, I have seen life,
I have seen them come and go,
I have seen them struggle and succeed.

I have seen friendships blossom,
I have seen them argue,
I have seen the best of the presentations,
I have seen the worst of the lectures,

I have seen them sleep,
I have seen them coming late,
I have seen them study hard,
I have seen determination too.

I have heard the abuses,
I have heard them sing songs,
I have seen them going out early,
I have seen classes that last long.

They come and they go,
Yet I stay forever,
Witnessing miracles in the simplest ways,
I am the classroom of an Mba


V.V.VIKRAM

Q&A: The Good, The Bad and The Neutral

One normal day and three thought provoking questions. All from different spheres of life. Thinking about the answers, honestly took me a long time.

Question 1: (Scene- 10 am , having coffee with my 88 years old grand ma and so sleepy that I was least prepared for a serious conversation )
I was sipping hot filter coffee and cursing the American government for not stopping Israel from bombing Palestine. My grandma suddenly heard me muttering abuses when she said, “ You are an MBA now, so tell me now that India is slated to become the next superpower , will we also behave the same 4 decades down the lane and if not, then why do you think we will not?”

I was shaken up from my deep slumber and did not know what to say. I could have given her a random answer but i wanted to think because the question was interesting and tricky, but I said I would want to think about it and answer.

Question 2: (Scene- 5 pm, sitting next to the most intelligent and vociferous girl, lets call her C, I could ever come across in my life. I was always prepared for the most twisted conversations with C but this one caught me by surprise)
I was watching out of the car window at a decorated vehicle with a “Just Married” sign on it. Suddenly C tells me that 80% of married girls are shit scared and paranoid and worried when they sit in that car and are off to the groom’s house. The drive in the decorated vehicle is like passing though a graveyard after midnight. Then she was telling me as to how things have deteriorated with more money. The Question was – “Will you allow the girl’s family to pay entirely for the marriage as per custom or will you share the marriage costs 50-50 as its your marriage as well?” . My reaction as always was,” how the F#$%$ does she think about so hatke”.

Well again I never gave away the answer immediately and told her that I needed to think because this again was tricky and practical.

Question 3: (Scene- 9 pm, catching up with friends, we finally started discussing our favourite topics- G.I.R.L.S and we were always disappointed with the Indian girls. Few pegs down we decided that today’s Indian girls were the most confused species on this earth)
My friend K is going through a very tough typical phase in his life. He had had a break up with his girlfriend and was so used to her that he felt terribly lonely. He needed a friend (and just a friend mind you)and somehow he realised that girls specially were very difficult to approach. His question was clichéd and yet it of all 3 questions was the most difficult to answer,” Why are Indian girls so cautious about guys around and why do they never open up easily? Why do they always believe that guys always look for love and not friendship?”

A real toughie and not because its a 2 in 1 question but because girls are labyrinthine creatures.

When I think of it, I can tell you that the one thing common across the questions is the Indian culture. Sadly enough what unites us all today is also in a way the reason for the many problems that arise in the country.India is facing the typical problems that a developing nation faces when it is on its way to become a developed one. I hate the word “superpower” because I believe that it portrays arrogance and India could become anything but it can never be arrogant. When we reach there, and I am sure in another 3 decades we will be there, we will be ahead of the other developed nations only because of our culture and value system. We will be big but will never let others know about it. We will be rich but will also give at the same time. We will be unstoppable and yet we will never forget the friends on the way. So the answer to my Grandma’s question is that we will be a superpower, but one with a difference.

When I started to think about C’s question I realised the relevance of it. Why should the girl’s side bear all the costs of the marriage? After all it is the guy who is getting married as well. We tend to hide behind norms and customs and take advantage of them. We let impractical customs continue because they have been happening from olden times. The father of the girl saves and saves and blows it up for his daughter’s marriage to end up, at times, without a pie for the family post-marriage. What about the guy who is earning big bucks in the US of A sitting in the plush office in silicon valley. He is probably earning more than what the FIL can save. Is he not to contribute to his own marriage? The answer to your question C, is “ Thank you, you opened my eyes. Yes i will contribute 50-50. I have an ego and it is my marriage as well”.

Girls!!! Phew!!!. Complex creatures man. Yet they are quite stuck up I feel in the culture of today. Men have always had the advantage of well being men. Never stopped. Never questioned. Girls are opening up today and yet they are stuck in between cultural shifts and their emotions. Their outlook is guided by parental pressures, holdups and their desires. Men are no less but girls seek attention and yet don’t allow guys beyond a certain limit of their range. Girls are not safe no longer in Independent India. They cannot roam around like guys beyond a time, they are not encouraged to study. Improve the conditions and girls will change for good. I respect them and I don’t mean to sound like an MCP. I believe that they are cautious more because of external factors than internal ones.

Teere aishe dube gelam (Drowned just near the shore)

When everything comes easy in life, you can never appreciate its value. Its only when its coming in hard that you understand its importance and most importantly your weaknesses.

V.V.VIKRAM- 25 years old- very short of becoming an MBA. I was not really born with a silver spoon, no way as i still have huge outstanding amounts on my credit cards which i used too religiously. But now if i look back at life, I have never really faced dire situations which have made me question my potential. I got into my engineering college easily, i got a job at satyam computer services in the first go. I loved my job...it was just perfect for me and of course i did manage to get a decent enough percentile without really putting in an effort to get into a B-School. I did not face many dejections. But yes, to be honest i was always a little scared of things coming too easy, so at least i did not let it get into my head. I knew that one day, like all things get evened out, my luck would not be as good anymore. Somehow i do feel that 2008 has been the year of realisation for me. Not many great things have happened. In fact the year for me personally did start on a pretty bad note.

The ending too seems similar. I have faced many rejections today. My placement process has started and hahaha and thanks to the crisis, i am not yet placed. I have faced two close rejections on day zero. I did not make it into ICICI and HCL. HCL was really bad as i came too close to getting a job. I felt dejected and i should be but then i also felt good that at least i have seen what it feels like. Now i am sure i will be more positive and less nervous about the negative outcomes of life.

I feel much more confident today. I feel that i will be more of myself in the next interview than projecting someone whos desperate to get a job. I will be more relaxed for sure after this. I know that what happens after this will only be super duper.

MY POEM ASKS ME

When you put me into words,
Do you end up saying what you wanted to?
When you explain your state of mind through me,
Do you convey what you wanted to?
This is what my poem asked me.

When you paint the world dark through me,
Do you actually go through a lot of pain?
When you blame the world for all that pain,
What do you lose and what is it that you gain?
This is what my poem asked me.

When you show me around to all your friends,
What do they say? do they like me?
What happens to me if i dont come out well,
Do you get rid of me or do you hide me?
This is what my poem asked me.

After years go by and you read me again,
Do you laugh at me or do you cry?
After reading me again do you sit and wonder,
As to why i sounded sad and dry?
This is what my poem asked me.

V.V.Vikram

WHO KNOWS

Hmm.....donn dwell too much into why i wrote this one.....some wounds just take a wee bit too long to heal....and thts when you tend to question urself too much....so just read on....

so many things i remember,
so many things i just cannot forget,
all like a picture framed in my mind,
how do i let go off these memories,
how do i appease my heart?
who knows?

so many words unspoken still,
waiting to be heard by you,
will you ever hear them?
who knows?

there are questions unanswered,
i know it and so do you,
why the silence between us then?
who knows?

there is a sadness inside my heart,
a pretension of happiness everytime,
will it ever subside?
who knows?

i regretted every moment i hated you,
i still love you the way i did before,
do you feel the same?
who knows?

so many times i miss you,
so many times i cry,
everytime i try to live,
everytime i die,
will you ever come back?
who knows?


V.V.VIKRAM