UjaLa la land

Mr. Charan Singh    26 June, Monday:  I made a 76-year-old friend named Charan Singh Oberoi. On this fine evening, this retired English lecturer confidently introduced himself and took hold of a long conversation about life. Mr. Charan has survived two brain strokes. He also boasts of a heart attack in which he carried himself to the hospital with his hands on his chest. Despite the brain stroke affecting the volume and pace of his words he kept flaunting his fitness and fluency. I found myself asking him a question I had never gotten a chance to ask any old person in my lifetime. " What makes you want to live so much at this age?" This was my genuine query for somebody who could not afford ambitions or aspire for worldly pleasures. To my surprise, this question delighted him, and he thanked me for asking it.  As anyone can guess, the answer wrapped the entire evening, including a live demonstration of yoga poses! He also asked me to refrain from meat, alcohol, and s...

 A remix composition by Meera, originally written by Agha Shahid Ali I went mad in your house of words, purposely mad, so you would give me asylum. I went mad to undergo a therapy of syllables. But you only prescribed time. That didn’t work. ********************** Words never evade you, you can build anything. You can build a whole hour with only seven seconds. I too tinkered with their population. Used them all at once, sent them rushing behind you. I saw my wild barbarous slaves,  tamed and domesticated at the sight of you. Wagging their tails and bowing to you. To which you waved and let them all astray. I saw you doing wonders without words. Like a stumbled atheist's gaze at the sky, my words would roar and curse and  complain. but never call your name. One day, you went mad too, Purposely mad. So,  I could cure you.  There was no chance of you insane. And I could not have cured you. Because I was  mad  too, Purposely mad. so,  I can...

  Miley Cyrus' song, ‘Flowers’ is relishing its success among the young ever since its release this January. Significant credit is being given to the lyrics: “ I can buy myself flowers, I can write my name in the sand, I can talk to me for hours and say things you can't understand, I can take me dancing and I can hold my hands. Yes, I can love me better than you can .” In an interview with Vogue, Cyrus revealed that the actual end chorus was “   but I can't love me any better than you do.” However, she changed the lyrics in the final composition and the song became an international hit. ‘Flowers’ and its changed lyrics struck a chord with an entire generation of youth brazenly choosing to love themselves, publicly and unapologetically. The basic premise of the concept of ‘Self-love’ is that it must come before anyone or anything you ever choose to love. The way you love yourself then teaches other people how to love you. This also sets a bar for how you wish to be treate...