Arugudi

'Life...' , a root word with affixes that can make or break the world. It is the most feared term in the universe, but nobody acknowledges it's dread. A term that is so monumental in every aspect that the very presence of it's shadow throws a person to jitters. It is a concept ingrained in every individual at a very young age. Teachers say, "Study hard or you cannot succeed at the larger challenges of LIFE..." Parents say, "Organise yourself to become successful in LIFE..." Friends say, " LIFE is not as easy as it seems to be..." Elders say, " LIFE will teach you valuable lessons..." This conception of LIFE is casually metastasized into every aspect of living that its elements hinder the birth of creativity and ingenuity in a person because of the fear of 'failure in LIFE'. Recently, a colleague of mine showed me a poem she had written about DEATH. It was beautifully constructed, with a deep understanding of the so ...

"I had to support her and at the same time pick up the pieces of my already shattered life and sew it all together. Well, trust me when I say that I did feel suicidal at times..." he said steering right towards Cunningham road at the Balekundri circle. Raghav had recently lost his mother to cancer. An incident that had created a void deep enough to never be filled again. "I did expect life to hit me hard the moment I decided to take over the responsibility of running my family. But, I did not expect my decision to boomerang  with a new twist every time I tried to move on..." lamented my driver with a forced smile on his face trying to make light of a situation that inspired deeper admiration than superficial empathy. My acquaintance with this smiling man, in his mid thirties, was no more than 30 minutes old. I struck a conversation with him to cut through the silence in the cab that was only disturbed by the continuous vehicles the managed to pass by the windows o...

On the 6th of August 2019, w hen the whole of India was debating on the implications of  the  abolition of Article 370 and Article 35a, it’s positives and its strategic importance to strengthen the boundaries of the nation, Kashmiris settled all over India and abroad, struggled to establish any kind of contact with their families settled at various places of the snowclad valley. “I have not been able to contact my parents for the past couple of weeks. Is it right for the government to take such a drastic step without prior intimation?” she asked with teary eyes piercing into my non- passive face searching for signs of agreement. She was dramatically explaining about the recent collapse of all communication platforms in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35a by the Government of India that enabled to finally integrate the land of the snowcaps completely into the Indian setup. A student of a Masters programme in Bangalor...

‘Life is an ocean for us to sail on the yacht of experiences.' These words meant so little to me until recently I met a man of such promise and hope that I have learnt to appreciate life more than I ever did. This man in his late forties has a way of going about the challenges he had to face solely based on his deep understanding of life. He said, “I didn’t know that I had a mother whom I was addressing as sister and a father who was, for me, my brother. Only after I realized the truth in my seventh standard that I understood, I was treating my brothers and sisters indifferently.” Life doesn’t get weirder than this I guess. Born to poor Christian family in Ujire, a small town close to the religious place of Dharmasthala, Fr. William Pinto was the seventh son of Late. Charles Pinto and Fluorine Pinto, who had already seen the death of their first three children due to various illnesses. Unable to see the pain , sorrow and suffering of the family, Fluorine...

Is it the society we should dream to change or is the society a mere reflection of the very self, one views everyday in the mirror? I was raised with a very deep sense of realism where I was often reminded that not everyone is destined for greatness. There is only one Neil Armstrong and one Edmund Hillary for a thousand nameless individuals who died trying. But, every one of the thousand who tried, died wiser. Though great words of encouragement, it indeed negotiates with the idea of failure. The flip side of the coin would always resonate an ideal prospect. Does life always give a second chance? Well, let's trust fate with it. When I was a teenager, I was once taken to a planetarium and was told that the universe is much bigger than the Milky way we live in. As kids, we are often bombarded with facts about life, society, science and philosophy. Are we in the right state of mind to imbibe and understand their relevance at that time? Well, the right age for it is the million dol...