Withered Rose II

And she stood there in tears! This was not how she pictured it; she had foreseen a life of togetherness headed towards forever and now two years and a whirlwind of a romance later, it was all over. She sat beside him probably for the last time on the beach. She told him it’s time they moved on but it was she who was hurt most.

It’s one of those things Tariq admired about her. The free spirited and ‘in the moment’ living Anitha Basu; who until a moment ago was his girl friend and wife to be. At 17, it did seem like they had it all planned out. He would go to medical school, become a doctor and then comeback for her; then they would get married et al. In the mean time she would stay and go onto to finish her BA in journalism and also convince her parents that Mohammed Tariq was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Tariq stood there frozen as he recollected the way she smiled with those dimples when he professed how madly he was in love with her. He had even met her parents and found favour with them; had they known his intentions they would have clobbered him though.

Anitha’s parents had moved from Kolkata to Chennai years ago; she had gone to St.Bede’s Higher secondary from Standard VII onward. It was then that she met Tariq, the fat rich kid from Chennai. He always reminded her of ‘rasagulla’, her favourite Bengali sweet; he was like plum pudding with thick rimmed glasses. Tariq was an intelligent kid and was always a topper in class; the roundness of his face was testimony to the successful leather business his father and elder brother ran. They had known each other since the year she joined but it was in XI that she began seeing changes in Tariq. How he laughed at her dumb jokes and looked away each time she looked at him. She liked him alright; he was everything she was not. Anitha was a strong girl; her love made her blind. She truly loved Tariq; but in time she grew up and he did not. After all how many ‘high school’ sweet hearts stay together.

She went on to attend the Queen Mary’s college in Chennai. And she had begun to enjoy the life there. She missed Tariq very much; he had gone to a Medical School in Canada. Though he called often too, she rarely answered his calls. She wanted to begin anew. And then one day in college he came, initially he was some random senior at her college...

Indranil Malik had the most awkward hello she had heard. He fumbled many time over, she found it funny. And when she called him, Sir; like all seniors were addressed he blushed! She found him to be amusing. It was later that she heard of Indran and how he was the ‘goody-goody’ icon of the college. He was just a year senior to her. The awkward hello soon turned in a coffee and then one day he blurted it out...

Withered Rose

"Young Indian takes Paroxy Pharma to the cleaners", screamed the New York times; it also went ahead to describe the career contour of Indranil Malik, the only son of Indian Business tycoon, Soumitra Malik.

Mal, as his American admirers called him had just effected the largest ever payout from a Corporate giant in the history of corporate America. He bled them of 1.2 bn USD as compensation to his grieving clients.

The sun flirted with the Manhattan Skyline and its rays had just hit the square handsome face of Mal. The sheet on the bed lay so perfectly still; and he sat there lost in thought; of a life time spent in pursuit ... He sought solace in those moments alone and away from the limelight. He always said NY had made him a loner, though he secretly admired the status of celebrity he was bestowed. The gossip magazines loved him; for he was definitely unlike any other man; for none was as loved but perplexing as he was. He was the man every woman wanted to take home; Standing an inch lesser than 6 feet, he commanded an army of people at his suede office on Wall Street.

Mal stepped out of the shower and drops of water trickled off his sculpted chest onto the marble covered floor; looking into the life size mirror, his mind seemed to ask; “Mirror mirror on the wall, who might be the most handsome of all?” The grin on his face was proof of the work of Alisha Keys, the fitness trainer he flew in every week from Boston. Mal was also feared on Wall Street. His tongue was most sought after by several law firms across NY to speak for them in the court of law.

Raghava KK

As he stepped out from the shower into a closet that would cost any New Yorker an annual pay check; he looked at a masterpiece from KK Raghava, his favourite Indian Artist. He admired the woman painted whose face could not but be seen. It was a girl who looked away... Mal had commissioned for it for an exorbitant amount then; but then what was a man to do with so much money anyway, he had retorted. Money was never his first love. He was lost in the picture when his mind raced back to August 23, 2006...

The college election campaign was at the height of insanity. Indran was sought after by his comrades. The boy who used the pen to swiftly turn the tide in favour of his party, the SFI; his was a magnetic personality. His teachers spoke very kindly of him as the good natured son of the Malik.

And it was then that he met her... In his words: “She descended down the stairs into my heart! “

The owner of those big black eyes was Anita Basu. And that was it. He had no idea who she was but it was like she slammed open the door of his heart and camped in there. It took him a week to tell her hello; to which she smiled and walked. He loved the feeling, that helplessness he felt drove him mad!

Buzz! His blackberry was going haywire; as he fixed his grey pinstripe Astor & Black suit. Mal looked around and picked up the phone. His press secretary Paul Simmons, was on the line.

“Mal, She’s here...”

TBC

Neil Vincent

Withered Rose

Ripples of a Stirred mind

Ripples of a Stirred mind

Ripples of a stirred mind

Life at times gifts you beautiful surprises at the most opportune moments. The last week has been a through intellectual slug fest for me. My thoughts were running wildly from trans-humanism to new management principles, and then I had this profound conversation with a friend from work which was a culmination of the entire process. It was the moment frozen time and also frozen due to the ice cubes that were falling into the Old monk. That moment stood alone, that moment when the universe was talking to me. Life is in the moments!

I want to live a full life; a life of fullness! The dream we all share: the perfect job, the perfect spouse; the perfect house; the perfect family... I sought perfection in mental & material comfort .. That is until I realized a life without challenges is the curse you wouldn’t want to live. Smooth seas never make good sailors. Life is in the imperfections; our mistakes define us. Though the idea of comfort is soothing, a life without challenges is death to destiny. Your life is a measure of experiences you have lived through. When you are comfortable you don’t actually challenge yourself and you don’t grow. Simple example: Muscles grow when you work them out; they tear and grow back stronger! Same thing here; dare to challenge yourself for a fulfilling life!

David would not have been of this value where he a sold block of marble free of any blemish. The marble would have been a great potential piece of art, but those blows that went into that marble created this invaluable piece of art.

David (Michelangelo)

Potential is not always of value. It’s what happens with potential that matters in time. We all are potent beings. So potent that we are called onto to the many wonderful things life has to offer us. In time we have become slave of riches and this rat race that we run. Can you dare to stop the rat race you are living? Life is about moments; have a different day everyday and enrich your life. Imagine everyday a new day. You are called to live not survive! :)

Every day is magic; you cannot recreate it but you can relive the moment. Rock stars relive the moments when they perform and that’s when they get applauded and fans go crazy when they see creation again but when rock stars try and recreate the moment, they get brickbats! You cannot recreate you can only relive and that when the rock star relives the moment, the crowd sees creation; it magic to everyone else.

Whatever makes you happy is what you were called to do! Whatever that be do it! If you like it do it again and stop the day you don’t like it! And that's living! Act on your ideas or give them away, lest you help someone else! You will never lose anything with an open heart! Never give people things! When you give you are losing out. SHARE and embrace the gift.

Financial independence is not the end of all your problems! Kolkata is not THE economic power house but it’s the place of India's cultural renaissance! From Tagore to Anurag Khashap our culture is heavily indebted to Kolkata and its creative people. The vibrancy of Kolkata can be attributed to its mentally stimulating environment. Economic independence is not linked to their egos. Our ego, the layered wall that protects us, but this protection is also what kills you. You will never grow unless you fight! So challenge yourself and create those moments where you could be humiliated but you dare to go on and take the risk. The idea of staying silent is proposed by your ego since it’s safer but if you can suppress your ego and courage to cause a ripple then you will be on the fast forward to your destiny.

Idea becomes you

An idea is how it starts and then you act on it; if you get happiness from it then you do it again and again; slowly, it evolves into a habit and then it defines you! It becomes you!

You were born into a society’s perception of reality; not reality in itself! The older we grow the stronger our sense of perceptions and our belief in them. And when we break away from those perceptions we become free. Most of the time I was living under the boundaries which society has set for me. These boundaries are protected by the word, ‘impossible’. Impossible is a big word proposed by small men who chose to live in the comfort of the world given to them than dare to challenge possibilities. Any act, by virtue of it sounding outrageous or has never been attempted before does not mean it’s impossible; It means it’s new! And new is where the life is!

Many roles; One man

How many people can you be? How many lives can you live? With as many lives you intersect you write your own story. Destiny is written every minute; every moment is the paper that destiny's ink fall on! You are Destiny's child. And you actions determine how much you reach. Destiny is now! Live in the moment! God is in the moment. Live now!

Who is God? What is God? God is you; see God is each other! Every being is his creation and I find beauty in everything and that is why I love you and that is why I find you beautiful. God is not in the idol but higher above, inside you. God is you. I see the perfection that you are and ‘am lost for words. My love may be my weakness but it’s also the source if my greatest strength, Faith! I don’t need confidence, I just need faith and that faith will spur you to more.

I find beauty in the perfection of my God's creations! How beautiful this planet is? How my senses have learnt to interact with you...Gratefulness engulfs my soul and my thoughts are filled with glee as I find calm in the perfection of nature.

How are you? How many times have you asked the question out of curiosity than concern? I had never cared for the responses! It was a question of curiosity that concern; that has changed now! I'm learning to care for people and their needs. I have understood that business is also about people and that I will not find happiness tomorrow with expensive toys but my happiness is now, it is in now; in this moment. Grateful to my parents whose love I cherish, to my friends, to God.

Every thought I act on, I’m living my beliefs; The Neil my father sees in me is not the Neil my wife sees or the Neil my friends see; the many people that I call me; I become one. I believe in perfect confusion you will find perfect focus just like in the absence of order nothing can exist but without chaos nothing can evolve. It’s a paradox just like life is!

We live in the best time in history. In no other time throughout history has so much been possibly with so little. Every day is a gift a beautiful priceless gift that no amount of money can buy! It’s a moment to cherish and it adds to the definition of the person that is you. So many times in life I found that there is no meaning to the happenings my life until I realized, there was no meaning to be found. I just had to live the creation of that moment and the universe in all its intelligence would provide me the answers. The time is now. Seize the moment. Think of what you want to do with life and keep pushing the limits a little each day! :) Believe!

When I see God in others, I cannot but help love them and see their perfection in the beauty of the Master's work. It’s in the imperfections that God lies. And he is perfection at its brim.Power to you

Yours is the earth & everything in it! You are the owner of limitless energy that is this universe; you are the result of 3.7 Billion years of evolution, live the truth!

Now my thoughts are directed toward my destiny and every moment I live to be the man I want to be. A little each day and that is the journey through the ripples...

Sincere thanks to Vinay Sharma

Neil Vincent