Nepal-Memories.Lesson for life..

In loving memory of Nepal ..


It is a difficult proposition to tear yourself away from tragedy and begin to lead matters that conduct our lives normally. We are often placed in such, in the course of our existence, at times once or at most twice, but for some, several times ; perhaps each occasion graver than the other. Would there be a sense of guilt within if we were to begin living normal, or would there be a sense of ‘time to get out of it and lead normal’ ! A question or a situation that has often troubled many and me in particular. We seek to be given the isolation and respite, when we grieve. Yet we also seek the strength from within and without, to bring continuity for the morrow. Which one is correct is unknown. Perhaps it is better that it is.
The grave tragedy in Nepal, continues to haunt our minds, hearts and thoughts.
Nepal, was a dream, a geographical location in the early years of growing up. A foreign land, but one that displayed several universal qualities with India. It was next door, much like the next door neighbour in our living residential conditions, and there was an emotional connect with the region.The Himalayas added their lure to my young mind going through the various photographs in different magazines .
I visited Nepal in  2002. It was for my honeymoon. We flew Royal Nepal Airlines direct from Bangalore to Kathmandu, the Capital of Nepaon March 6'2002 on a sparsley occupied flight. 

It was my wife Kavitha's  first experience on a plane, and of course our very first visit to a foreign country-together,that too on our honeymoon. The excitement generated was beyond compare. I was in some very superior space during those times, my worth and value among my friends reaching its peak.


 It was drizzling as we landed & lo,the sight at arrival in the Tribhuvan airport was bliss..

The hotel pick-up car was waiting for us & as we drove to our hotel Ambassador, could marvel at the neat clean roads a major observation considering the jampacked roads of India.

The Royal family had been  devottes of Sri Sathya Sai Baba & hence was pleasantly excited watching the huge cut-outs of SriSatya Sai Baba along the mainroads of Kathmandu leading up to the Hotel Ambassador.

Kathmandu, in  2002  was in the process of development. It was bare and scarce and basic. The air was fresh & climate pristine.The wind was cool & sun not very warm. The Himalayas all around made the hilly terrain a welcome change with abundance of greenery everywhere.

The landing strip at the airport was still a mud and earth track. And I still remember being told that the only metalled road in Kathmandu then, was the road from the Indian Embassy to the Royal Palace,  then of King Mahendra his heir, and after, to that tragic incident in the Palace when the heir to King Mahendra, who was the ruler, and his entire family being shot and killed by his own son.

For a change we felt rich outside of India. 1 INR=1.6 Nepali Ruapiyya. Indian currency could be easily traded at any roadside shops/malls.

Three aspects of that Nepal visit remain still in memory - the wow cakes/pasteries that me & wife gorged ourselves with, the wow scenery  & the ever smiling/humble people all around. Courtesy & a sense of service was visible. The winding roads & the various Hindu temples were a sight to behold..


  I remember that great big open space, a large maidan in the centre of the city, Tundi Khel. And the only Nepalese that I learnt then which has remained with me since : Kankdo kayo ! Kausto lago ? Ramro lago ramro lago !!
( Did you eat the cucumber ! how was it ? it was good, it was good )

The other delicacy was MOW MOW..a podak kinda dish filled with either chicken or beef.

Understand that  old time memories remain fresher as we age, than what transpired a few days ago !!

Coincidentally and quite ironically, it was during this trip that I took a strong aversion to cow slaughter  !!  I remember being told by our guide that 108 cows are annually slaughtered in front of the kanya/princess as a ritual during Dasara. Hair stood on end as we were led into corridor where the Kanya would sit & witness the mass slaughter. The place still had stains of blood all around & caused a majour thought within me....is it right to kill poor animals in the name of religion? If so Hindus were supposed to consider cows as sacred?! Was Nepal really a Hindu kingdom?

The Durbar Square was an experience of a life time.So many wonderful temples of unique Gods & Goddesses.Remember praying at the temple of Brahma for a wonderful child as what most couples do at that temple. Had so many pictures clicked at this world heritage site having spent almost our entire day there.Vivid are memories of having had a coffee on a terrace top restaurant over looking the reddish Durbar Square.....Now only memories & thoughts left of those wonderful buildings ... 

We returned back to Bangalore on 10th March'2002 with such wonderful memories of days well spent amidst nature. Nepal in contrast also looked developed and gushing with its modernity, yet still preserving its history, tradition and culture. The love of the people, their hospitality, the frenzy with which they gave audience to us, and of course their love for our Hindi films !

It has been heart breaking to witness now, those very exquisite archeological wonders, in the surrounding of which we clicked so many photographs , reduced to rubble by the recent tragedy. Painful and filled with sadness !

I wish and pray that as life moves on, Nepal and its brave people shall recover from this unfortunate event and bring their lives back to normalcy as soon as possible. My prayers are of course with them, but so is my concern for support. I have made contribution. No single contribution can ever be enough. It has to be a collective effort. Each drop counts.

The sacred Pashupati Nath temple, in Kathmandu, has been saved through some divine force. It is a unique phenomena. The temple itself has a great history and we  had visited it on the river banks . Vivildy remember having to remove belts or any leather articles /accessories to visit the holy temple.Witnessing these wonders of divinity, one cannot put aside some of natures grace towards them.

All now left behind are happy memories from a land amidst the hills where we started our life together as husband & wife..with only photographs now as memoirs to show our child Jyeshta .

One wish remains unfullfilled,as one day wanted to show my child where we had been on our honeymoon  & take her to all the lovely places we had visited.....Now only can be shown in photographs.

Divinity ... Nature ... Fate .... Belief ...
What ??
Lesson for life..enjoy what you are blessed with...for you never know...if you can replay time/place/people...so make the most at that moment .....because only HE knows best...when things might change...

Pray God blesses the people of Nepal cope with the devastation of earthquake & recover soon,back to normalcy.

Prayers with offering of support.....

Realization.....!

It is not easy to let go! We all believe that we are the reason & the cause of all that we do & experience! Partially true! It does seem that way!

All creatures existing then should experience only good because all are born the same! Does it happen so? All infants born to humanity are physically the same,but their lives & path are variant.

When we experience anything good ,we feel we deserve it! When we experience anything negative-we ask why me? Amidst these all is an underlying truth!

We love, we loose, we achieve -amidst all these is also an holy truth! Truth that we do not accept! Truth that reveals that we are just an puppet.

Some super power rules our lives. We do not accept it! We fight it! We ignore it! But there is no denying the fact that each of us are DESTINED! Destiny is the what brings us into contact with the people , place ,thing that we do come across through every phase of our journey called life.

Everything ,every person comes into our lives for a reason-a lesson or a blessing! Each amidst our own journey of self discovery & materialistic quench.

Even writing this blog has been predestined as I had no thought or idea to do so.It is an impulse that has made me do this. Someday some one might read it,at their predestined time or it could well be the destiny of this blog that no one reads it....

There is a hard self realization today that has dawned on me today ,though the same has been   reflected in thought & words periodically through the different phases of life. Realization that DESTINY is what we should understand &respect. No Ego in accepting that what we are & where we are is all part of a bigger drama & we are mere puppets.We are made to think,talk,enact what we assume to be done by us-but in reality is a miniscule role we are enacting as per the directions of some unseen, unrecognized super power.....though we do feel it fleetingly through our experiences..

Let us all realize this & pray that our roles etch out good for others associated with us ,so that like in any movie/drama-we could all feel good about the good samaritan , if not the hero/heroine of the play we are all part of....

This realisation is also flux..would continue to evolve...through times,places,people & experiences...Till then...dwelling more to seek deeper truths & quench the QUEST-Quest for..who we are? why are we here? What are we  here for?? & Where do we go..what for ......

But  an iota of realization gets etched deeper.Everything is HIS blessing!!

Life is like a mirror.Smile at it & it will smile back at you."

A smile...dedicated to 2013.

As the Chinese proverb goes-"The shortest distance between two people is a smile.".How true?! In our daily lives-private or professsional, a friendly expression often says more than a thousand words.It opens doors & overcomes obstacles.But what is important is that it is understood throughout the whole world.

A smile shows openness, understanding & empathy. Even total strangers look approachable & familiar when then smile,which makes it easy for us to smile back. Afterall , everybody knows that cheerfulness works both ways.Or, as another saying goes:'Life is like a mirror.Smile at it & it will smile back at you."

When we observe a child,all he/she does is follow  his/her heart without worries or concerns & with a beautiful smile direct from the heart.


As we enter the new year 2013, let us pause & remember to dedicate this year to a SMILE!


Pray & wish your smile reflects into your everyday life . Let us lift people who are down & enchant the lives around .

Smilingly yours
Sudhir;)

Complacency A Killing Attitude

Complacency A Killing Attitude


When things seem to be in place-either professionally or personally,there is often a tendency to take things easy & relax. This is so typical of the hare & tortoise story we all grew up reading.

Complacency creeps into everybody's life at least once or sometimes more than once. A secured job, adequate salary and a comfortable work place often puts people into such a situation where the learning curve stops. They start enjoying the other facets of life. While it’s very important to have a good personal life we need to ensure that our careers do not take a back seat in this process.



Often we find average people sticking to the job. This doesn't mean that company is happy with their performance or they couldn't find an alternative. It’s often because recruitment is a painful, time consuming and expensive process. In Gulf countries to get a visa, driving license and ready-to-market time itself is 6 months for every employee. Companies often ignore the lack of performance and give additional time for their employees to avoid another recruitment process. This may often send wrong signals to employees. They may assume that company is happy with their performance or they couldn't find an alternative. This assumption is wrong.



People working in HR department need to update themselves on organization behavior and various HR trends. People in sales need to learn about global economics and economic conditions of the countries where they do selling. Marketing people have to be updated about global trends and innovative ways they can reach the market effectively. Support engineers and consultants have to constantly update themselves with the latest technologies, products and vendors and earn latest certifications. Project management people should learn from the successful projects implemented globally; how much time and resources they were able to save, how efficiently the project was executed, etc.



Finance and accounting should learn from the corporate success stories and methodologies by which big companies maintain cash flow, execute projects with adequate funds, improve collections and do efficient budget forecasting.



Management also has to learn from the success of companies in the same industry. Proper planning and execution has been a key factor for growing companies.



So it’s constant learning for each and everybody in the organization. Complacency in any part will affect the individual concerned as well as the organization.



Can we leave the stove on with the food in it? It will spoil the food. Can we let a child to grow on his or her own without nurturing it with the knowledge and good habits?



You should deliver your top class performance as if your job is always under threat. We should learn as if there is a project tomorrow. We should prepare as if there is always a challenging assignment round the corner. We should sell as if every day is a year end. We should plan well in advance so that we don't suffer with surprises during the execution.







Many big organizations spend more time on planning and execution happens at the speed of a blink of an eye lid. So if you get time, plan for your individual career, for your role in the company and assist your department in planning.



Never let complacency creep in your life. This attitude will kill your growth and affect your future.

Beware & be aware when teh silent killer attacks-Complacency!Just get proactive & do what is to be done to move on....towards success..

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!

Fight against Cancer: Impossible is Nothing...

Respect for life & good health grows immensly when we come across people who have gone through pain to overcome obstacles -even life  threatening  diseases like cancer or accidents.

Yuvraj Singh the Man of the World cup tournament,a few months back was diaognised with a rare germ cell cancer of the lungs!Ordinary mortals would have been unable to take that punch of life.

It is under these trying circumstances that HOPE factor & prayers stand together as pillars of strength to recovery.

The pain,the stigma, the fears & trauma a cancer patient undergoes would always be best understood only by the person who goes through it & their immediate family.As outsiders we can only sense the despair,worry & vaccum a cancer can inflict on those infected.

Cancer-could be a state of health, mental & physical fight of journey though life.

Being a strong believer in the strengths of  sincere prayers-did my personal bit to daily pray for the betterment of a fellow cricketer & also ,with a few group prayers before & after matches!But these were trivial excercises compared to what soulful impact the affected person & his family would have been praying.

Its only under these circumstances that one appreciates what one has & send out gratitude to the almighty for having blessed with good health above everything else.

  

2011- Cricket World Cup Belongs to me & my father,uncles & family,all teammate still date(including RKCT) too..

This Cricket World Cup Belongs to me & my father,uncles,cousins , various teammates & family too :

On April 2’11-India has once again won the Cricket World Cup for the second time after a long gap of 28 years. India celebrates in unison, making this victory their own. In the days to come, much will be written and said about the euphoria that surrounds the celebrations. The team in all their generosity dedicate the cup to THE ONE who epitomizes perseverance, strength, resilience, kindness and love for the game – Sachin Tendulkar, the God of cricket!

But then, the worldcup is as much of every Indian & I take the liberty to dedicate this cup to my father-who was my 1st cricketing coach , my uncles who helped me grow on cricket ,my cousins, our family & myself. Like the million Indians all over the world who think of this victory as theirs and theirs alone, for doing their bit for India to win. Some praying, others maintaining a fast, and even some wearing the same lucky shirt every time India played, and the rest making the wish to the universe for the men in blue. All superstitions have been followed, sitting in the same position & place for hours when India seemed to lose and surprisingly recovering a win to show that God had listened to these little requests. Myself did it too & am sure my father did his bit too. He would have sat patiently in his rocking chair, diligently watching on television every ball bowled, every stoke of the bat that kissed the ball, every run made, every wicket that fell , all despite sometimes troubled by his hearing , at full volume .Whilst I sat on a beanbag with left foot on the centre table & not budging one vee bit right through the Quarter finals versus Aussies ,Semis against Pakis & the finals versus the Lankans. This World Cup Belongs To Me & my Father, Too. My father played cricket when he was in school & his ITI training.He was a decent top order batsmen & a medium pacer. He used to recollect from memory some of his earliest experiences in the  1950s &60s. Some of his cousins & elder brother were active cricketrs in their own styles & hence heard him state a few rivalries both on & off the cricket grounds of erstwhile Mangalore in the good old days of the newly independent India.

His memory is a little blur & merges with memories of their cricketing tales told by my uncle Mr.Kamalaksh (Lovingly addressed as YELIYA DODDA,Yeliya meaning younger in Thulu-my native language))who was a opening bowler.Their common memories were the innumerable victories they had playing for heir respective teams against their own cousins during their growing up years. One memory that has lived through is ofcourse the hardships they had faced & the levels to which they resorted to carry on playing their game of  love-cricket.

Their growing up on cricket : The little boys love for cricket shone very early in their lives. They were selected for the Sub Junior levels, High school senior levels even whist as 8-10yeras olds.My uncle Kamalskh went on to represent Alosiyus college through his BA in the university games as a opening bowler whilst my father went on to represent the ITI Kadri team with distinction as a top order batsmen.

My coaches:
As life took its own paths for the brothers &they got busy with their lives at different places pursuing their careers , their growing families, their association with active cricket dwindled down. Cricket though was deep rooted in their hearts & they never missed a opportunity to play or conduct matches for their employers or social teams through times.

Amidst all these came glorious passing over of the bton to the young me in my early teens. Ironically it was my father who taught me how to bowl with a straight arm whilst my uncle taught me footwork & batting skills though he was a opening bowler.

There were numerous instances of me bowling 100s of balls to my dad who willingly acted as the wicket keeper whilst I always looked forwad to learning more on my batting whenever my uncle used to visit us in Bangalore.

The moment of reckoning! My dad & uncle were so proud when I was selected for my school cricket team as a 7th std boy whilst the big boys of the Xstd were the heros of the team.Both started sharing much more insights into me & helped dwell into the mental side of cricket early on. I was surprised that both my dad & uncle had turned up at the cricket ground-the Indian Institute of Science grounds, Yeswantur,Banglore without informing me or eachother to watch me debut for my school team.

As fate would have it,I got to bat in the middle order & the 1st ball I faced was a offspinner whom I drove on the full to the cover boundary.Lo! I heard  familiar voices cheering me from the boundary & to my surprise when I looked up –I saw my dad & uncle each clapping & cheering me on! Suddenly tears rolled down my cheeks & emotion took over. I couldn’t focus on the next ball & as I prodded front almost blinded by the tears,snicked into the keeper’s gloves. There was no appeal by the keeper or the bowler.But something in me ,made me walk back to the pavilion. The umpire asked me the reason & I indicated the edge as I wiped my tears all the way back. As I crossed the boundary line,both my dad & uncle came running over to me & putting their hands over my shoulder paid me the best complimen I have ever heard on a cricket field.-“Today you have done us proud by being true to yourself and to the game”!! To see two brothers who were then their mid 40s ,wiping a tear & yet feeling proud of their prodigy –is what has instilled in me the spirit of the game which I carry on in my heart till date!

In the Worldcup league match versus West indies,when Sachin Tendulkar quietly walked away into the pavilion having snicked Rampal, unwilling to look at the umpire, knowing he is out, it merely affirms the tale of truth that cricket taught me through my dad & uncle.

The Historical Day of 2nd April 2011 : It has been long since I had spoken to my father & on April 1st when did speak to wish him on his 71st Birthday, we spoke cricket after many years.

When India were through with Dhoni having lofted Kulasekara over the long on into the stands,I stood up from my bean bag & called home! Just as I had expected both my paretnts were glued to the television right thourgh the day from the pre-match analysis to the experts counsel at lunch break whilst all along knowing that the game of cricket is unpredictable, until the last ball is bowled.

My understanding of the game, the analysis of the complex and yet ‘simply-turned-simple’ imperial game is all thanks to the inputs my dad & his borther passed on.Times have changed &so has cricket. People have changed. Yet basic truths about people,game,stands timeless.

It is a treat to hear my dad’s match predictions and insights which can sometimes be exact opposite to what the experts on TV comment.


When Dad was growing up,there was no TV.It was only AIR radio.Yet he knew each & every player,their strengths & their mental aspects to the game. He wanted his son to see cricket & hence had got a TV-black & white Onida home for the 1983 Worldcup.That was my 1st sight of cricket & the fascination goes on till date.

My only connect with my father now is Cricket! Growing up with my two uncles –Prakash & Pramod exposed me to how cricket was played in Mumbai.Cricket was the anthem of all discussions at home when my uncles came visiting. Whenever I was in Mumbai for school vacations-got to play the rough cricket with all the eldesr of my uncles’ team as a young prodigy,opening the batting against some good quality fast bowlers!

Cricket treated my mother well too as my grandfather was a cricket buff .Hence my grandmom & mom too became extended expert commentetaors during any discussion on cricket or a match.

Today, whenever I step onto the cricket field –a silent thanks goes out to my father & uncle Kamalaksh who taught me cricket & my uncles Prakash/Pramod who instilled the inert cricketing sense of Mumbai cricket into me.

Those days, my dad & uncle used to play sharing the cricket kit with their teams .My uncle who represented State Bank of Hyderabad teams had their bit of sharing too. But what we have today is luxury compared to the hardships they underwent playing their cricket-sometimes without proper cricketing shoes on dusty,rugged grounds.

Dad is 71. Uncle Kamalaksh is no more. Uncle Prakash follows cricket in general &Sachin in particularly closely on TV from PuttaParthy. Yet they pass on their skills & techniques that life taught them through cricket to me in subtle notes.It is only cricket that bonds us all even more .We follow the match and the highlights over and over again. We speak right through nights about cricket.

Amidst all these is Ramanath uncle with whom I share a unique bond including his passion for cricket.He used to share his experiences of meeting EAS Prasanna & others whilst we both used to watch the predawn matches between India & Australia at his flat in Bahrain-wking up ealry morning 3am .He has been my energy booster with all his positivity around him & wishes me well in whatever I do,including cricket.

Then there were my cousins-Ganesh & Dinesh with whom I shared many insights wtahcing cricket matches as we grew up.Both had their own views about players,match situations & their comments/observations always helped bring out a laugh amidst all the tense moments of the matches. Dinesh did play with me in our B''lore league matches as a offpsiner & middle order batsmen for a few matches that I took him along .Ganesh played along with our tennis ball teams which we met sociallay at parks behind our house. Cricket helped bond as we grew up.

There was my neighbour,Madhusudan who actually introduced me to the relam of league crikcet & took me often to the KSC stadium whenever ther was a international match on in Bangalore. Without him, I might not have played cricket at the league levels in B'lore rubbing shoulders with the likes of Anil Kumble, Vijay & Rahud Dravid, Sujit Somasunder,Vinayakumar,etc.. He used to make notes of all my performances ,every weekend & inculcate in me a discipline to out do my previous performance. He used to take me on his bike to far flung grounds in & around B'lore & Mysore to expose me to all kind of people, cricketers in particular & ifein general.

This is perhaps true in most of the households that we Indians who have grown through the game of cricket. Generations connected in one family by the bond of a game that runs a narrative through historical times-Times that are both emotional & timesless! This worldcup trophy belongs to my cricket coaches-my father: for all that he accomplished and for all the dreams he nurtured to play ,with limited resources & opportunities through life’s challenges. But above all, for passing on the true spirit of cricket & life to me. Today he plays the game of cricket from his drawing room, watching Sachin open the innings like he did, appreciating the techniques of Dravid,Kallis and himself .Madhusudan sometimes whenever we meet at Bangalore quietly passes on that praise of Sachin saying he his reminded not of his playing times..but sees me whenever he sees Sachin on the field! Now what more does a cricket fanatic like me want?!

Amidst all these is my bunch of teammates who have all come to Bahrain from varied backgrounds & connect together on weekends to play some competitive cricket-My own Royal Knight Cricket Team( RKCT).There have been teams aplenty whom I have played & captained,but this bunch of cricketers are unique & special!  It is the passion ,involvement & spirit that these guys display on/off the field which makes me reach out to them-not only for their cricketing skills & special talents-but their humility,love & affection! Hence went out a step further to mentor,nurture & build this wonderful team as it has been a blesisng being a part of this wonderful unit whom I proudly consider my personal family in Bahrain!

This RKCT has provided me the weekly dose of cricketing action & practise to prepare myself to excel in the corporate cricketing league team that I have been representing since 2003-the  SVMC -Saudi Valve Manufacturing Company! All my cricketing strategies ,thoughts & on-field actions for RKCT always helped me perform betetr for SVMC & most of it were what I had learnt on/off the field representing Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) in the 2nd division KSCA league.

All the teammates since school,all the coaches,captains who were as passionate & involved in cricket ,like myself -am sure feel proud of their cricketing association..when they saw Team India lift the coveted cup.

Captaincy:Amidst all the buzz around the World cup victory,a moment of thought to our own M S Dhoni who marvelled at man management whilst not sacrificing the winning edge! He took huge risks without flinching his own conviction on means/players to back to obtain the ultimate goal.Most captains woudl have played Ashwin & not Sreeshant in the finals.Ordinary people would have preferred to allow the man in form-Yuvraj to play up the order whilst India were 121/3   when one's own form was not great right through the tournament. Having been blessed to be the captain of almost all the teams I have played for,could connect with what MSD would have been going through with all pressures & media blitz .Hats off to the man who kept his cool & smiled through to victory....
Hence this world cup belongs to me, my dad too, just as it belongs to every Indian who follows the game. It is each ones trophy –mine, my uncles ,my cousins,our family,all my various teammates since school ,special mention of RKCT  & all Indians....

Cricket..my passion..continues..unhindered by the professional demands ,as the quest for the next bigh high of the weekend league match,next series on TV ,etc goes on..............

Weakness more powerful than one's strengths....!

No matter what our many strengths, just one weakness can prove more powerful than all of them! Many filmstars managed to make fools of themselves on Karan Johar’s popular chat show, Koffee with Karan. Not only have they put their foot straight into their mouth, but have left audiences wondering at their frivolity and hollowness. Amidst all this, Karan sat, at times almost as if struck dumb, opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish, covering his face in mock horror, or a show of embarrassment... But always smiling, like the cat who got away with the cream. Perfect host. Imperfect friend. As an industry insider and successful movie maker, he manages to invite star friends onto the show and makes them very comfortable and at home. And it is always from within a ring of security that we loosen up, let down our guard and say things we wouldn’t in our more alert moments. It is when we open our hearts that we are at our most vulnerable. A quietly encouraging presence can lead you smoothly into dangerous territory. And that is the mark of a perfect host for a celebrity chat show! So, Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor bitched to their heart’s content about past and present loves and professional contemporaries, forgetting themselves in the thrill of the moment as Karan egged them on. It was only when they stepped out of the studios and faced the ire of the industry that they realised the damage they had wrought with their irresponsible, runaway, catty tongues! Not many episodes later came the wildly giggling duo Rani Mukherji and Vidya Balan out to promote their release, No one Killed Jessica. Both actresses with fairly mature, dignified images, giggled like teenagers, touched each other incessantly and were almost incoherent with an overdose of adrenaline. At one stage, to the horror of many, Rani stuck her thumb in Vidya’s mouth and the latter started sucking it with gusto! Turning to Karan, Rani asked, “May we touch you Karan?” before dissolving into crazed laughter once again! Very different from these two episodes, and yet not any less shocking, was the one with Shah Rukh Khan. In an uncharacteristically low mood, SRK appeared vulnerable, uncaring, caustic and disillusioned. With none of the witticisms he is known for, he sounded more like a loser than the King Khan image would have you believe! That’s what a few unguarded moments can do to you! Recently, I noted a film dialogue, “Insaan ki ek dukhti rag uski har taakat se badi hoti hai” (A person’s single weakness is stronger than all his strengths!) A powerful dialogue and so true! Think about it. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, our strength is defined by our vulnerabilities, not our strong points. Not all the preparation in the world or intelligence can help you with any exam if you have an indecipherable handwriting that the examiner cannot figure out! Here your handwriting rather than your intelligence and hard work decide your future. Similarly, you may have worked out a superb project with deep research and smart inputs, but if your timelines are not worked out and you cross the deadline, it is those couple of hours of delay that become the decisive factor! Similarly, you may be a great worker and a superb professional, but your loose tongue at an inappropriate moment may put paid to the rest of your capabilities! And just like an intelligent chat show host, you will always find plenty of people around you not just willing, but eager to exploit your negative potential as displayed through that one weak link, that one vulnerability! There is a category of people who wheedle info after putting you at ease and assuring you they are totally with you. Most of us have had a brush, or several, with the office pseudo sympathiser who always emerges soon as he smells your moment of insecurity or misery. He always knows, for he is on the lookout. And sure enough, there he appears with oodles of sympathy and a smile, pumping you subtly for information. He gives subtle hints and encourages you to speak up. In a moment of weakness, you are most prone to let go and spill it all out. Satisfied, he runs back where he came from and uses the information to his own advantage before you realise! It is only later you realise he got you to bare all but never ever shared any of his or her own troubles! Your one weak moment could have done you a lifetime of harm! Consider the power of weakness! Even the power of a relationship it is rightly said, lies with the one who cares less…never with the one who cares more and so has more at stake! So the weaker your love, the more powerful you are to mould or manoeuvre the relationship and your partner as and how you wish to! And yet, what a miserable power when the partner’s weakest link, his/her strong love for you, would be the biggest weapon you would use against them! It is indeed our moments of weakness and weak points that we need to guard… it’s when you are most comfortable that you should be most guarded too. We are born with strengths that we can at best hone and understand, but an equally important task is to understand our weaknesses and work hard upon those. For these, our greatest weaknesses, if guarded and worked upon, have the potential of becoming our greatest strengths! Remember, the great Achilles was only as strong as his weak heel! Had that not been known, who could have killed him? Had it not been known that Bheeshma would lay down his weapons if faced by a woman and Shikandi not been used for the purpose, who could have defeated the mighty warrior? Had it not been known that Abhimanyu could pierce the chakravyuha but not find his way back, how could that innocent son of Arjuna been killed by the Kaurvas?